Hey, have you seen our article about French food habits ?If not, then take a quick look at it here. It’s awesome, we promise you.
To supplement your learning about world-renowned French cuisine, here is a list of vocabulary that will help you breeze through it all.
Before you know it, you’ll be dazzling your date or friends (and everyone within hearing distance) with your impressive knowledge about everything related to French food.
Here, start memorizing this for starters, so you can easily order food in French!
| General | Général |
| L’alimentation (f) | Food |
| Alimenter | To feed |
| La nourriture | Food |
| Nourrir | To feed |
| La nourriture à emporter | Takeaway food |
| Les denrées (f) | Food |
| Les denrées périssables | Perishables |
| La collation | Light meal |
| L’en-cas (m) | Snack |
| Le plat de résistance | Main course |
| Les plats prépares | Convenience food |
| Le plat du jour | Set menu |
| Le banquet | Feast |
| La restauration rapide | Fast food |
| La portion | Portion, helping |
| Fruit | Les Fruits |
| La macédoine de fruits | Fruit salad |
| La compote de fruits | Stewed fruit |
| Les fruits secs | Dried fruit |
| Le citron vert | Lime |
| La cerise | Cherry |
| L’abricot (m) | Apricot |
| La prune | Plum |
| La fraise | Strawberry |
| La framboise | Raspberry |
| Le cassis | Blackcurrant |
| La groseille | Gooseberry |
| Le pamplemousse | Grapefruit |
| La rhubarbe | Rhubarb |
| Le melon | Melon |
| La datte | Date |
| La noix de coco | Coconut |
| Le pruneau | Prune |
| Le brugnon | Nectarine |
| La clémentine | Clementine |
| La figue | Fig |
| Le raisin | Grape |
| La peau | Skin |
| La pelure | Peel |
| Le noyau | Stone |
| Le pépin | Pip |
| Acide | Sour |
| Aigre | Sour |
| Pourri | Rotten |
| Mûr | Ripe |
| Pas mûr | Unripe |
| Juteux | juicy |
| Nuts | Les noix |
| L’arachide (f) | Monkey nut |
| La cacahuète | Peanut |
| La noix de cajou | Cashew nut |
| La pistache | Pistachio nut |
| La noix de Brésil | Brazil nut |
| La noisette | hazelnut |
| Meat | Viande |
| Le porc | Pork |
| L’agneau (m) | Lamb |
| Le mouton | Mutton |
| La viande hachée | Minced Meat |
| Le veau | Veal |
| La côtelette | Chop, cutlet |
| Le rôti | Roast |
| Le ragoût | Stew |
| Saignant | Rare |
| A point | Medium-cooked |
| Griller | Griller, toast |
| Le pot au feu | Stew |
| Maigre | Lean |
| Gras | Fatty |
| Vegetables | Les légumes |
| Les petits pois (m) | Peas |
| L’artichaut | Artichoke |
| Les asperges (f) | Asparagus |
| La betterave | Beetroot |
| Le céleri | Celery |
| Le chou-fleur | Cauliflower |
| Les épinards (m) | Spinach |
| La fève | Broad-bean |
| La laitue | Lettuce |
| La lentille | Lentil |
| Le navet | Turnip |
| Le poireau | Leek |
| La patate douce | Sweet potato |
| Drinks | Les boissons |
| Le café nature | Black coffee |
| Le café crème | White coffee |
| Le café décaféiné | Decaffeinated coffee |
| Le café en poudre | Instant coffee |
| Le café express | Expresso |
| Le café filtre | Filtered coffee |
| Le café glacé | Iced coffee |
| Le café turc | Turkish coffee |
| Le cacao | Cocoa |
| Le thé nature | Black tea |
| Le thé au citron | Lemon tea |
| Le thé de Chine | China tea |
| Le thé à la menthe | Mint tea |
| La camomille | Camomile tea |
| La tisane | Herbal tea |
| L’infusion (f) | Herbal tea |
| L’eau minérale (f) | Mineral water |
| L’eau plate (f) | Still water |
| L’eau gazeuse (f) | Sparkling water |
| Le chocolat chaud | Hot chocolate |
| La citronnade | Lemonade |
| L’orangeade (f) | Orangeade |
| Le sirop | Cordial |
| Le jus d’oranges pressées | Fresh orange-juice |
| La bière pression | Draught beer |
| Sweets | Les douceurs |
| Le pop-corn sucré | Sweet popcorn |
| Le pop-corn salé | Salted popcorn |
| Le chewing-gum | Chewing gum |
| La tablette de chocolat | Bar of chocolate |
| Le paquet de chips | Packet of crisps |
I hope this article helps you explore the food in French culture!
P.S. You would be doing me a HUGE FAVOR by sharing it via Twitter or Facebook.
Thanks so much. I will be sure to incorporate this list in my lesson plan as we cover ” Alimentation “.
Thanks Tahoma, how are you these days? Comment ca va?
Love your easy, fun and entertaining way of teaching french. Its very motivating! Not only words and grammar, but the cultural stuff to! Merci! I have been living in France for the past year now and one of the things who still is a puzzle is this tradition with bisou bisou. Even though its a compliment to reach to this point with the French people, sometimes I wonder about the right rules. Do you kiss both when meeting and leaving? What about if you meet for the second time in one day? Do they get offended if you forget, or passing them busy on the street? Should you do it with friends of friends even though its the first time? And right, left, left right, this is confusing sometimes as I have discover this is different in part of the country? Would have been great if you could write about it! Merci!
Hello Vivi how are you these days?
Do you kiss both when meeting and leaving?
Between friends you can do that. It depends of your friends probably.
What about if you meet for the second time in one day?
Not necessary. I won’t do personally.
Do they get offended if you forget, or passing them busy on the street?
If you are busy no.
Should you do it with friends of friends even though its the first time?
Yes you can and should do that.
And right, left, left right, this is confusing sometimes as I have discover this is different in part of the country?
Yes it can be confusing. Actually just let the flow go, let people make the move on you.
I will try to make an article about it one day.
Thank you for your question Vivi.
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