Buying stuff at the store is a necessary part of living, regardless of whether you find it a mundane task you’re too lazy to do or you actually enjoy it.
When you’re in a French-speaking country, it’s incredibly important to know the French words for items you need to grab at the store, as well as the vocabulary that you will encounter during this task.
But even when you’re simply learning French from your own non-French-speaking country, the terms related to buying groceries are still among the common words to know. That way you can ask or list your groceries in French!
This article is all about food and basic items that usually make up your grocery list. We’ll be learning French words for different types of stores, common grocery items, meat products, dairy, as well as equipment usually found inside stores.
You can also download a copy of the vocabulary list in PDF format by clicking the yellow button.
First, the types of stores.
| le supermarché | supermarket |
| une épicerie | small grocery store selling general items |
| le marché | farmer's market |
| un hypermarché | superstore, big supernarket |
| la boucherie | butcher shop |
| la boulangerie | bakery |
| la charcuterie | meat shop/ delicatessen |
| la confiserie | confectionery/ candy shop |
| la crèmerie/ la laiterie | milk/ dairy products store |
| la fromagerie | cheese store |
| la pâtisserie | pastry shop |
| le caviste | wine store |
| la poissonnerie | fish shop |
| la droguerie | drugstore |
| la quincaillerie | hardware store |
Now let’s take a look at common grocery items and their corresponding French words.
| les provisions | groceries |
| les fruits | fruits |
| les légumes | vegetables |
| les produits surgelés | frozen foods |
| les céréales | cereals |
| le poisson | fish |
| la viande | meat |
| la volaille | poultry |
| les boissons | beverages |
| l'eau | water |
| l’eau minérale | mineral water |
| le jus de fruit | fruit juice |
| le jus d’orange | orange juice |
| la limonade | lemonade |
| la bière | beer |
| le café | coffee |
| le café instantané | instant coffee |
| le café décaféiné | decaffeinated coffee |
| le café moulu | coffee grounds |
| du café en grains | coffee beans |
| le thé | tea |
| le thé vert | green tea |
| le thé noir | black tea |
| le vin | wine |
| le vin blanc | white wine |
| le vin rouge | red wine |
| le champagne | champagne |
| le cidre | cider |
| les conserves | canned goods |
| les plats cuisinés | instant meals |
| les produits d’entretien | household cleaning items |
| les articles de toilette | toiletries |
| la nourriture pour animaux | pet food |
| l’électoménager | electrical products/ supplies |
| les articles pour bébés | baby items |
| les magazines/revues | magazines |
For the different types of meat, see below.
| le bœuf | beef |
| le porc | pork |
| le chevreuil | venison |
| le veau | veal |
| le poulet | chicken |
| la dinde | turkey |
| le canard | duck |
| l’oie | goose |
| le poulet préparé | dressed chicken |
| l’agneau | lamb |
| le lapin | rabbit |
| le bacon | bacon |
| le jambon | ham |
| les saucisses | sausages |
| les morceaux de viande | meat cuts |
| le foie | liver |
| la viande hachée | ground meat/ minced meat |
| le gras | fat |
| la viande maigre | lean meat |
| la côte de bœuf | beef rib |
| la côtelette | chop |
| le filet | fillet |
| fumé | smoked |
| salé | salted |
| fermier / fermière | free range |
| bio | organic |
| la viande cuite | cooked meat |
| la viande crue | raw meat |
For vocabulary about fruits and grains, you can go here.
Now for the different dairy products.
| le lait | milk |
| le fromage | cheese |
| le lait de vache | cow's milk |
| le lait de chèvre | goat's milk |
| le lait de brebis | sheep's milk |
| le lait entier | whole milk |
| le lait écrémé | skimmed milk |
| le lait condensé | condensed milk |
| le lait pasturisé | pasteurized milk |
| le lait non-pasteurisé | unpasteurized milk |
| le beurre | butter |
| la crème | cream |
| la margarine | margarine |
| le yaourt | yoghurt |
| le babeurre | buttermilk |
| la glace | ice cream |
| le lait en poudre | powdered milk |
| le fromage à la crème | cream cheese |
| la crème fouettée | whipped cream |
| sans matières grasses | fat-free |
| le fromage râpé | grated cheese |
| le fromage frais | fresh cheese |
| le bleu | blue cheese |
If you want to know the names of the most popular French cheeses, you can check out this guide to French cheese.
And finally, here is a list of common things you find inside supermarket in French.
| le caddie | trolley/shopping cart |
| le panier | shopping basket |
| l’étagère | shelf |
| le caissier | cashier |
| la caisse | checkout/ cash register |
| le code-barres | bar code |
| le tapis roulant | conveyor belt |
| le sac à provisions | shopping bag |
| le lecteur optique | scanner |
| l’allée | aisle |
Hopefully after reading this article you will be able to navigate through the supermarket in French and most of all buy groceries in French!
Did we miss anything? Make sure to add it in the comment section.
Here are some FAQs about French Grocery Shopping
What is a French shop called?
Un magasin !
How do you say “shopping list” in French?
Liste des courses !
How do you ask for something in a French shop?
Here are a few ways to ask:
- Je dois trouver… (I need to find…)
- Pardonnez-moi, je cherche… (Pardon me, I’m looking for…)
- Tu as …? (Do you have…?)
What are some French vocabulary words?
This article has outlined 112 spectacular words you’ll come across when grocery shopping! Some other phrases you may need to know:
- Faire les courses (shopping for essentials)
- Faire du shopping (shopping for specific, non-essential items such as a hat)
- Les soldes (the sales; faire les soldes means to shop the sales)
- Heures d’ouverture (shop/opening hours)
- Je vais payer en liquide (I’ll pay in cash.)
- Je peux régler par carte ? (Can I pay by card?)
- You can also use: Puis-je payer par carte bancaire ?
L’eau minérale ?
La crémerie ?
Le chariot?
Merci mille fois pour un excellent travail!!