Food Words

French food vocabulary is divided into several key categories: fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and common dishes. Each category includes examples of the most commonly used words to help you navigate menus, grocery stores, and conversations about food.

Fruits

Fruits are a fundamental part of French cuisine and everyday life. Here are some common fruit names in French, along with their English equivalents.

French Singular	French Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Example Sentence (French)	Example Sentence (English)
la pomme	les pommes	apple	apples	Je mange une pomme.	I am eating an apple.
la banane	les bananes	banana	bananas	Elle adore les bananes.	She loves bananas.
l’orange	les oranges	orange	oranges	Nous achetons des oranges.	We are buying oranges.
la fraise	les fraises	strawberry	strawberries	Les fraises sont sucrées.	The strawberries are sweet.
le raisin	les raisins	grape	grapes	Il y a des raisins sur la table.	There are grapes on the table.
la cerise	les cerises	cherry	cherries	J’ai mangé des cerises.	I ate cherries.
la poire	les poires	pear	pears	La poire est mûre.	The pear is ripe.
le citron	les citrons	lemon	lemons	Je bois de l’eau avec du citron.	I drink water with lemon.
la pastèque	les pastèques	watermelon	watermelons	La pastèque est rafraîchissante.	The watermelon is refreshing.
la mangue	les mangues	mango	mangoes	La mangue est exotique.	The mango is exotic.

Vegetables

Vegetables are essential for many French dishes. Here are some common vegetable names in French and English.

French Singular	French Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Example Sentence (French)	Example Sentence (English)
la carotte	les carottes	carrot	carrots	Je coupe des carottes.	I am cutting carrots.
la tomate	les tomates	tomato	tomatoes	La tomate est rouge.	The tomato is red.
la pomme de terre	les pommes de terre	potato	potatoes	Les pommes de terre sont frites.	The potatoes are fried.
l’oignon	les oignons	onion	onions	J’ajoute de l’oignon à la salade.	I add onion to the salad.
le poivron	les poivrons	bell pepper	bell peppers	Le poivron est vert.	The bell pepper is green.
le concombre	les concombres	cucumber	cucumbers	Le concombre est frais.	The cucumber is fresh.
le chou	les choux	cabbage	cabbages	Le chou est dans le réfrigérateur.	The cabbage is in the fridge.
l’ail	—	garlic	—	L’ail parfume la sauce.	Garlic flavors the sauce.
la courgette	les courgettes	zucchini	zucchinis	Je fais sauter des courgettes.	I sauté zucchinis.
les épinards	—	spinach	—	Les épinards sont bons pour la santé.	Spinach is good for health.

Fill in the blank: Le poivron est ___. (The bell pepper is green.)

blanc

vert

rouge

jaune

vert

'Vert' means green, the color describing the bell pepper.

Meats

Meats are a staple in French cuisine, often featured in traditional recipes. Here are some common meat-related words.

French Singular	French Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Example Sentence (French)	Example Sentence (English)
le poulet	—	chicken	—	Le poulet est rôti.	The chicken is roasted.
le bœuf	—	beef	—	Je mange du bœuf.	I eat beef.
le porc	—	pork	—	Le porc est grillé.	The pork is grilled.
l’agneau	—	lamb	—	L’agneau est tendre.	The lamb is tender.
le poisson	les poissons	fish	fish (plural)	Le poisson est frais.	The fish is fresh.
le saumon	—	salmon	—	Le saumon est fumé.	The salmon is smoked.
la saucisse	les saucisses	sausage	sausages	Les saucisses sont épicées.	The sausages are spicy.
le steak	les steaks	steak	steaks	Je commande un steak saignant.	I order a rare steak.
le jambon	—	ham	—	Le jambon est dans le sandwich.	The ham is in the sandwich.
les crevettes	—	shrimp	—	Les crevettes sont petites.	The shrimps are small.

Dairy Products

Dairy products are important in French cooking and baking. Here are some common dairy-related words.

French Singular	French Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Example Sentence (French)	Example Sentence (English)
le lait	—	milk	—	Je bois du lait.	I drink milk.
le fromage	les fromages	cheese	cheeses	Le fromage est délicieux.	The cheese is delicious.
le beurre	—	butter	—	Je mets du beurre sur le pain.	I put butter on the bread.
la crème	—	cream	—	La crème est fraîche.	The cream is fresh.
le yaourt	les yaourts	yogurt	yogurts	Je mange un yaourt nature.	I eat plain yogurt.
l’œuf	les œufs	egg	eggs	Je fais une omelette aux œufs.	I make an egg omelette.
la glace	les glaces	ice cream	ice creams	La glace au chocolat est bonne.	Chocolate ice cream is good.
le petit-suisse	—	petit-suisse	—	Je prends un petit-suisse au goûter.	I have a petit-suisse for snack.
la panna cotta	—	panna cotta	—	La panna cotta est un dessert italien.	Panna cotta is an Italian dessert.
le fromage blanc	—	fromage blanc	—	Le fromage blanc est léger.	Fromage blanc is light.

Fill in the blank: Le fromage est ___. (The cheese is delicious.)

salé

délicieux

fade

doux

délicieux

'Délicieux' means delicious, describing the cheese.

Common Dishes

These are some common French dishes and food-related terms that you might encounter in a restaurant or cookbook.

French Dish	English Dish	Example Sentence (French)	Example Sentence (English)
la quiche	quiche	La quiche lorraine est célèbre.	The Lorraine quiche is famous.
le croissant	croissant	Le croissant est au beurre.	The croissant is buttery.
la soupe	soup	La soupe est chaude.	The soup is hot.
le steak-frites	steak and fries	Je prends un steak-frites.	I’m having steak and fries.
la ratatouille	ratatouille	La ratatouille est un plat provençal.	Ratatouille is a Provençal dish.
le coq au vin	coq au vin	Le coq au vin est savoureux.	Coq au vin is flavorful.
le foie gras	foie gras	Le foie gras est un mets de fête.	Foie gras is a festive delicacy.
la baguette	baguette	La baguette est croustillante.	The baguette is crusty.
les escargots	snails	Les escargots sont un plat typique.	Snails are a typical dish.
le fromage	cheese	Le fromage est servi à la fin.	Cheese is served at the end.

This guide covers the most useful food vocabulary in French across several important categories. Practice these words to improve your confidence in speaking and understanding French food-related conversations.

Fill in the blank: La quiche lorraine est ___. (The Lorraine quiche is famous.)

simple

célèbre

délicieuse

nouvelle

célèbre

'Célèbre' means famous, indicating the quiche’s reputation.

English Singular: apple
English Plural: apples
Example Sentence (English): I am eating an apple.

French