French Food Vocabulary for Travelers and Dining Out
Whether you’re heading to Paris or just browsing a French menu online, knowing what you’re ordering is key. This guide answers everything from how to say croissant correctly to how to talk about meals and desserts like a local. With friendly examples, simple pronunciation tips, and help from Langlandia’s game features, learning food vocab in French is easier (and tastier!) than ever.
🍽️ What Is the Fancy Word for Food in French?
In French, the general word for “food” is la nourriture (lah noo-ree-tyoor). A fancier, often culinary term is la gastronomie (lah gas-troh-no-mee), used when discussing cuisine or the art of fine food.
💬 Examples:
- J’adore la gastronomie française.
I love French cuisine. - La gastronomie est une part importante de la culture française.
Gastronomy is an important part of French culture. - Il a étudié la gastronomie à Paris.
He studied fine cuisine in Paris.
🧁 More Fancy French Food Words to Know
Here are some elevated culinary terms that go beyond your basic pain (bread) or fromage (cheese):
| 🇫🇷 French Word | 🍴 Meaning | 🗣️ Pronunciation | ✨ Usage Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| La gastronomie | Fine cuisine, culinary art | lah gas-troh-no-mee | Elle adore la gastronomie italienne. |
| Un met | A dish (very formal/literary) | uh meh | Ce met délicat fond dans la bouche. |
| La haute cuisine | High-end French cooking | loht kwee-zeen | Ils servent de la haute cuisine ici. |
| Un chef étoilé | Michelin-star chef | uh shef eh-twah-lay | C’est un chef étoilé célèbre. |
| Un plat raffiné | A refined dish | uh plah rah-fee-nay | Ils proposent des plats raffinés et élégants. |
| Une spécialité culinaire | Culinary specialty | uhn spay-syah-lee-tay | La bouillabaisse est une spécialité culinaire. |
| Une dégustation | A tasting (experience) | uhn day-goos-ta-syon | On a fait une dégustation de vins et fromages. |
| La cuisine moléculaire | Molecular gastronomy | lah kwee-zeen mo-lay-kyoo-lair | Il expérimente avec la cuisine moléculaire. |
🥐 How Do You Say Food Names in French?
French food vocabulary spans all kinds of meals from quick snacks to gourmet experiences. Here are common food words broken down by type:
🍳 Breakfast Foods (Le petit-déjeuner)
| 🇫🇷 French | 🍽️ English Meaning | 🗣️ Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| le croissant | croissant | luh krwah-sahn |
| la tartine | bread with butter or jam | lah tar-teen |
| le café | coffee | luh kah-fay |
| le jus d’orange | orange juice | luh zhoo doh-rah(n)zh |
| le pain au chocolat | chocolate-filled pastry | luh pan oh shoh-koh-lah |
🍽️ Main Dishes (Le plat principal)
| 🇫🇷 French | 🍽️ English Meaning | 🗣️ Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| le steak-frites | steak and fries | luh stek freet |
| le coq au vin | chicken in red wine | luh kohk oh va(n) |
| la ratatouille | Provençal vegetable stew | lah rah-tah-too-ee |
| le bœuf bourguignon | Burgundy-style beef stew | luh buhf boor-gee-nyon |
| le magret de canard | duck breast | luh mah-gray duh kah-nar |
🍰 Desserts (Les desserts)
| 🇫🇷 French | 🍰 English Meaning | 🗣️ Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| la crème brûlée | caramelized custard | lah krem broo-lay |
| le macaron | macaron (almond meringue cookie) | luh mah-kah-ro(n) |
| la tarte aux pommes | apple tart | lah tart oh pomm |
| la mousse au chocolat | chocolate mousse | lah mooss oh shoh-koh-lah |
| le mille-feuille | layered puff pastry | luh meel-foy |
🥗 Side Dishes & Extras (Les accompagnements)
| 🇫🇷 French | 🥗 English Meaning | 🗣️ Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| la soupe | soup | lah soop |
| la salade | salad | lah sah-lahd |
| le fromage | cheese | luh froh-mahzh |
| le pain | bread | luh pan |
| le beurre salé | salted butter | luh burr sah-lay |
🗣️ How Do You Pronounce Famous French Dishes?
French pronunciation may look intimidating, but once you break it down and hear it (like in Langlandia!), it becomes way easier.
Examples:
- bouillabaisse — boo-ya-bess
- quiche lorraine — keesh loh-rehn
- crêpe — krep (not “crayp”!)
🥖 How Do You Say Different Types of Food in French? (And When to Use Them?)
Understanding when and how to use different food terms makes your experience smoother.
- le plat = a dish or course (general)
- le repas = a full meal
- la cuisine = cooking/kitchen/food style
Example in context:
- Ce plat est typique de la cuisine provençale. — This dish is typical of Provençal cooking.
🍷 What About Beverages?
- l’eau (f) (loh) – water
- le vin rouge/blanc (luh van roozh/blahn) – red/white wine
- la bière (lah byair) – beer
- le thé (luh tay) – tea
💬 Phrases to Use When Dining in France
Basic phrases:
- Je voudrais… — I would like…
- C’est combien ? — How much is it?
- L’addition, s’il vous plaît. — The bill, please.
Restaurant greetings:
- Bonjour / Bonsoir — Hello / Good evening
- Bienvenue — Welcome (you might hear this when entering)
- Merci beaucoup ! — Thank you very much!
When food arrives:
- Bon appétit ! — Enjoy your meal! (very common in France)
- C’est délicieux ! — It’s delicious!
Enhance Your French Dining Experience With Langlandia
Learning all this might seem like a lot, but Langlandia turns it into an adventure:
Practice French Food Words Game:
| in Spanish | in English | S |
|---|---|---|
| Croissant | Croissant | |
| Baguette | Baguette | |
| Pain au chocolat | Chocolate-filled pastry | |
| Café au lait | Coffee with hot milk | |
| Omelette | Omelette | |
| Salade niçoise | Niçoise salad – with tuna, egg, olives | |
| Soupe à l’oignon | French onion soup | |
| Quiche Lorraine | Lorraine quiche – with bacon and cheese | |
| Fromage | Cheese – Brie, Camembert, Roquefort… | |
| Escargots de Bourgogne | Burgundy snails with garlic butter | |
| Confit de canard | Duck confit | |
| Coq au vin | Chicken in wine | |
| Bœuf bourguignon | Beef stew in red wine | |
| Bouillabaisse | Fish stew from Marseille | |
| Ratatouille | Vegetable stew from Provence | |
| Tartiflette | Baked potatoes with cheese and bacon | |
| Gratin dauphinois | Creamy garlic potatoes | |
| Steak-frites | Steak and fries | |
| Homard Thermidor | Lobster Thermidor – creamy cheesy lobster | |
| Sandwich jambon-beurre | Ham and butter baguette sandwich | |
| Crème brûlée | Caramelized custard | |
| Île flottante | Floating island dessert – meringue in vanilla cream | |
| Mousse au chocolat | Chocolate mousse | |
| Tarte Tatin | Upside-down caramelized apple tart | |
| Mille-feuille | Layered pastry with cream | |
| Macaron | Macaron – almond meringue cookies | |
| Crêpes | Crêpes – thin pancakes, sweet or savory | |
| Vin rouge / vin blanc | Red wine / white wine | |
| Champagne | Champagne | |
| Foie gras | Duck/goose liver pâté |
- PVP Battle: Go head-to-head and guess the correct phrases under pressure.
- Langlympics: Test your dining vocab with interactive challenges.
- Clan Wars: Learn in teams and unlock rare food-related expressions.
- Classroom Mode: Practice real ordering convos with sound and speech feedback.
Instead of flipping through flashcards, you’re gaining vocab through missions, challenges, and friendly competition.
