French cooking verbs — a comprehensive list of essential action words for preparing, cooking, and serving food in French.
French cooking verbs cover all the essential actions involved in preparing, cooking, and serving food. This list will help you confidently follow recipes, describe cooking processes, and talk about food preparation in French.
. Basic Preparation Verbs
These verbs are used for the initial steps of getting ingredients ready.
| French Verb | English Verb | Example (FR) | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| préparer | to prepare | Je prépare la salade. | I prepare the salad. |
| couper | to cut | Il coupe les légumes. | He cuts the vegetables. |
| éplucher | to peel | Elle épluche les pommes de terre. | She peels the potatoes. |
| mélanger | to mix | Nous mélangeons la pâte. | We mix the dough. |
| hacher | to chop/mince | Tu haches l’oignon. | You chop the onion. |
| battre | to beat | Je bats les œufs. | I beat the eggs. |
| rincer | to rinse | Il rince les légumes. | He rinses the vegetables. |
| verser | to pour | Elle verse le lait. | She pours the milk. |
| peser | to weigh | Nous pesons la farine. | We weigh the flour. |
| préparer | to prepare | Je prépare la salade. | I prepare the salad. |
. Cooking Method Verbs
These verbs describe common cooking techniques.
| French Verb | English Verb | Example (FR) | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| cuire | to cook | Je cuis le poulet. | I cook the chicken. |
| faire cuire | to bake/cook | Elle fait cuire le gâteau. | She bakes the cake. |
| frire | to fry | Il fait frire les pommes de terre. | He fries the potatoes. |
| griller | to grill | Nous grillons le poisson. | We grill the fish. |
| bouillir | to boil | L’eau bout dans la casserole. | The water is boiling in the pot. |
| mijoter | to simmer | Le ragoût mijote depuis une heure. | The stew has been simmering for an hour. |
| sauter | to sauté | Je saute les légumes. | I sauté the vegetables. |
| rôtir | to roast | Elle rôtit le poulet. | She roasts the chicken. |
| blanchir | to blanch | On blanchit les haricots verts. | We blanch the green beans. |
| cuire à la vapeur | to steam | Je cuis les légumes à la vapeur. | I steam the vegetables. |
L’eau ___ dans la casserole.
What is the French verb for 'to boil'?
bout
'Bouillir' means 'to boil' in French, and in the phrase 'L’eau bout dans la casserole' (The water is boiling in the pot), 'bout' is the third person singular form.
. Finishing and Serving Verbs
These verbs are used for the final steps before presenting the food.
| French Verb | English Verb | Example (FR) | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| assaisonner | to season | J’assaisonne la salade. | I season the salad. |
| garnir | to garnish | Elle garnit le plat de persil. | She garnishes the dish with parsley. |
| décorer | to decorate | Il décore le gâteau. | He decorates the cake. |
| servir | to serve | Nous servons le dîner à 19 heures. | We serve dinner at 7 PM. |
| réserver | to set aside | Je réserve un peu de sauce. | I set aside some sauce. |
| napper | to coat/cover | Je nappe le gâteau de chocolat. | I coat the cake with chocolate. |
| trancher | to slice | Il tranche le pain. | He slices the bread. |
J’___ la salade.
What is the French verb for 'to season'?
assaisonner
'Assaisonner' means 'to season' in French, as in 'J’assaisonne la salade' (I season the salad).
Flashcards (1 of 27)
- Example (FR): Je prépare la salade.
- Example (EN): I prepare the salad.
- English Verb: to prepare
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
