Food in French: Meals, Ingredients and the Goûter Tradition
French food vocabulary by meal and category - breakfast to dinner, fruits to dairy - plus le goûter, the French afternoon snack tradition.
French meals follow a set structure: le petit-déjeuner (breakfast), le déjeuner (lunch), le goûter (an afternoon snack around 4pm, especially for kids), and le dîner (dinner). Core food vocabulary includes le pain (bread), le fromage (cheese), les fruits and les légumes.
Quick answer
French meals follow a set structure: le petit-déjeuner (breakfast), le déjeuner (lunch), le goûter (an afternoon snack around 4pm, especially for kids), and le dîner (dinner). Core food vocabulary includes le pain (bread), le fromage (cheese), les fruits and les légumes.
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The French meal structure
| Meal | French | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | le petit-déjeuner | morning |
| Lunch | le déjeuner | midday |
| Afternoon snack | le goûter | ~4pm, especially for kids |
| Dinner | le dîner | evening |
Le goûter is a genuine French institution - a light, often sweet snack, especially common for children right after school.
Fruits (les fruits)
une pomme (apple), une banane (banana), une fraise (strawberry), une orange, du raisin (grapes).
Vegetables (les légumes)
une carotte, une pomme de terre (potato), une tomate, un oignon (onion), une courgette (zucchini).
Meat, fish, dairy
le poulet (chicken), le bœuf (beef), le poisson (fish), le fromage (cheese), le lait (milk), un œuf (egg).
Bread and basics
le pain (bread), la baguette, le beurre (butter), le riz (rice), les pâtes (pasta).
Drinks (recap + link)
For coffee, water and café-ordering vocabulary in full, see water, coffee and drinks in French.
Food vocabulary, correctly pronounced
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Questions about this note
What is le goûter?
A French afternoon snack, typically around 4pm, especially common for children after school.
How do you say breakfast, lunch and dinner in French?
le petit-déjeuner, le déjeuner, le dîner.
How do you say vegetables in French?
les légumes.
What's the French word for cheese?
le fromage.
How do you say fruit in French?
le fruit (singular) / les fruits (plural).