French Terms – French for Hospitality and Tourism

Lets learn some popular french terms for hospitality industry.

French Terms – Drinking

1. Avec des glaçons: On the rocks
2. La biére: Beer
3. Une bouteille: A bottle
4. Le café: Coffee (typically Espresso)
5. Une crafe: A glass bottle (usually of wine)
6. La carte de vins: The wine list
7. Le cidre: Cider
8. Le jus: Juice
9. Le Kir: White wine with cassis or blackberry syrup
10. Un pichet: A small pitcher (usually of wine)

French Terms – Meat

11. À point: Medium rare
12. Bien cuit: Well done
13. Bleu, saignant: Rare (“blue” or “bleeding”)
14. Le bifteck: Steak
15. À la broche: Cooked on a skewer
16. Carbonnisée: Burned to a crisp
17. La charcuterie: An assortment of cured & dried meats
18. Le porc: Pork
19. Une saucisse/Saucisson: Sausage
20. Une tranche: A slice
21. Le veau: Veal
22. La viande: Meat

French Terms – Chicken

23. Les ailes de poulet: Chicken wings
24. Le blanc de poulet: Chicken breast
25. Le consommé du volaille: Chicken broth
26. Le coquelet: Young male chicken
27. La cuisse: Dark meat
28. La poulard: Young female chicken
29. Le poulet/poule: Chicken
30. Le poulet rôti: Roast chicken
31. La volaille: White meat

French Terms – Great dishes

32. Aïoli: Garlic mayonnaise
33. Aligot: Fondue-like mix of mashed potatoes and sharp cheese
34. Le cassoulet: Rich meat and bean casserole
35. La choucroute: Sauerkraut (various kinds of pork)
36. Le coq au vin: Chicken in red wine sauce
37. La crêpe: A very thin pancake, sweet or savory
38. La galette: A savory crepe
39. Les huitres: Oysters
40. Le parmentier: Like shephard’s pie, ground meat covered with mashed potatoes
41. Les moules: Mussels
42. Le vol-au-vent: A small, light, savory pastry

French Terms – Menu Mainstays

43. L’amuse-bouche: A bite-sized hors d’oeuvre, compliments of the chef
44. Le beurre: Butter
45. Les coquilles Saint-Jacques: Scallops
46. Les oeufs: Eggs
47. Le pain: Bread
48. Les pâtes: Pasta
49. How’s it cooked?
50. Au gratin: Baked with cheese and breadcrumbs
51. À votre goût: To your liking
52. En cocotte: Cooked in a covered baking dish
53. Confit: Cooked in fat
54. En croute: Wrapped in pastry
55. Farci: Stuffed
56. Frit(e): Fried
57. Fumé: Smoked
58. Haché: Ground (meat)
59. Un méli-mélo: An assortment
60. Un morceau: A piece
61. Piquant: Spicy
62. Au pistou: With basil
63. Provençal: Cooked with tomatoes, anchovies and olives
64. Rôti: Roasted
65. À la vapeur: Steamed

Good to know French Terms

66. L’addition: The check (must be requested)
67. Allérgique à: Allergic to
68. And for the Mrs./Miss: Et pour la madame/mademoiselle…
69. L’assiette: Plate
70. La carte/le ménu: The menu
71. Les champignons: Mushrooms
72. Compris/Inclus: Included
73. Le cornichon: The tiniest pickle you’ve ever seen, accompanies charcuterie
74. La cuisine: The kitchen
75. La dégustation: Tasting menu
76. Le déjeuner: Lunch
77. Délicieux: Delicious
78. Le dîner: Dinner
79. Du jour: Of the day
80. Le fromage: Cheese
81. Je voudrais: I would like…
82. Le petit déjeuner: Breakfast
83. Le poisson: Fish
84. Les pommes de terre: Potatoes
85. Le pourboire: Tip (basic gratuity is almost always included in French restaurants, listed as servis compris)
86. Le serveur/la serveuse: Waiter/waitress
87. Végétarien: Vegetarian
88. Végétalien: Vegan

FRENCH CARDINAL AND ORDINAL NUMBER CHART and their French Terms

Months – Days – Times – Colours, French Terms

Pronunciation Guide – French Alphabet and French Terms

The French “J” has a soft sound, like the sound in the middle of the English language word “leisure.” There are many French words that have a “nasal” sound which we do not have in English.

The French “R” should be rolled at the back of the throat, rather like the sound you make when you gargle.

The “H” is silent.

In French the “U” is pronounced like the “ew” in the English work“dew”.

Did you know that there are many words and phrases that are used in the English language that are adopted from the French language?

Words adopted from the French language

1. amour
2. au gratin
3. avant-garde
4. beret
5. bistro
6. bonbon
7. bourbon
8. cadet
9. cadre
10. café
11. camaraderie
12. camouflge
13. carafe
14. cartel
15. champagne
16. chef
17. chiffon
18. cliché
19. clique
20. collage
21. commune
22. corsage
23. Crêpe
24. crevasse
25. critique
26. crochet
27. croutons
28. décor
29. enclave
30. entrée
31. foyer
32. fuselage
33. garage
34. lecture
35. levee
36. litre
37. mademoiselle
38. masseur
39. montage
40. motif
41. naiveté
42. parfait
43. parole
44. partisan
45. pastel
46. penchant
47. portage
48. purée
49. rapport
50. reprise
51. revue
52. ricochet
53. rouge
54. roulette
55. sabotage
56. saboteur
57. sauté
58. savant
59. suite
60. timbre
61. toupee
62. vignette

French Terms and Phrases

French        >          English

1. á la carte  > meal dishes separately priced
2. au contraire > on the contrary
3. au courant > up to date
4. au naturel  > in a natural state
5. au revoir  > goodbye
6. bête noir  > pet aversion
7. bon voyage  > have a good journey
8. cause célèbre > situation arousing attention; noted incident
9. c’est la vie > that’s life
10. cherchez la femme > a woman caused it: look for the woman
11. coup de grâce > final, decisive action
12. coup d’état > a sudden change in government, often caused by force
13. crème de la crème > the very best
14. de rigueur > indispensable; required by fashion or custom
15. double entendre > double meaning
16. en masse > as a group
17. fait accompli > an accomplished and irrevocable fact or action
18. faux pas > a social error
19. hors d’œuvre > appetizer
20. joie de vivre > zest or enthusiasm for the pleasures of life
21. laissez faire > policy of non-interference
22. nom de plume > pen name
23. nouveau riche > newly or recently rich
24. par excellence > of highest quality
25. pièce de resistance > major or chief item of a series
26. raison d’être > reason for being
27. sans souci > without worry
28. savoir faire > sophistication; know-how
29. tour de force > feat of strength or brilliance
30. vis-à-vis > face to face; in relation to

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