French Food Vocabulary & Phrases - Class Notes

Objective

Learn basic French food vocabulary and useful phrases for discussing and ordering food.

Key Vocabulary

General Terms

• Food: la nourriture
• Drink: la boisson

Meal Courses

• Salad: la salade
• Appetizer: l'entrée
• Specialties: les spécialités
• Cheese: le fromage
• Dessert: le dessert

Drinks (Specific)

• Coffee: le café
• White wine: (phrase not specified; standard: le vin blanc)

Meats

• Meat (general): la viande
• Lobster: (not specified)
• Oysters: (not specified)
• Rare (cooking): saignant
• Medium rare: à point
• Well done: bien cuit

Sides & Vegetables

• Vegetables: les légumes
• Artichoke: l’artichaut
• Green beans: les haricots verts
• Mushrooms: les champignons
• Potatoes: les pommes de terre (“apples of the earth”)
• Onions: les oignons
• Soup: la soupe
• Bread: le pain
• Rice: le riz
• Pasta: les pâtes

Fruits

• Egg: l’oeuf
• Apple: la pomme
• Pear: la poire
• Banana: la banane
• Raspberries: les framboises
• Strawberries: les fraises

Condiments & Dessert

• Salt: le sel
• Pepper: le poivre
• Ice cream: la glace

Useful Phrases

• I would like...
  Je voudrais...

• To begin, I would like...
  Pour commencer, je voudrais...

• I am going to have...
  Je vais prendre...

Tips

• Practice mock conversations for restaurants.
• Think about how to order your favorite food in French.
• Use these phrases and vocab to prepare for real-life situations.

Additional Recommendations

• Leave your questions in the comments section on the channel.
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[French pronunciations may differ briefly from the spelling above; always consult a native speaker for accuracy.]