Learning how to say “eat” in French is useful and fun. Food is a big part of French culture, and knowing this word can help you in restaurants, cafes, or even during conversations about meals. Whether you are dining with friends or ordering food, understanding how to say “eat” will make your experience easier and more enjoyable.
In this article, you will learn how to say “eat” in French, discover different ways to express it, and see examples of how to use it in sentences. We’ll also cover common responses and provide exercises to help you practice. By the end, you’ll be ready to use the word confidently in real-life conversations.
Ways to Say “Eat” in French
In French, there are many ways to say “eat,” depending on the context, tone, and formality. Here are some common expressions you can use in daily conversations.
1. Manger
Pronunciation: mahn-zhay
Meaning: To eat (general verb)
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons manger au restaurant ce soir. (We are going to eat at the restaurant tonight.)
- J’aime manger des fruits frais. (I like eating fresh fruits.)
2. Bouffer
Pronunciation: boo-fehr
Meaning: To eat (informal, slang for “to chow down”)
In a Sentence:
- On va bouffer chez moi. (We’re going to eat at my place.)
- Ils ont bouffé tout le gâteau! (They ate the entire cake!)
3. Dîner
Pronunciation: dee-nay
Meaning: To have dinner
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons dîner à 19h. (We are going to have dinner at 7 p.m.)
- On dîne en famille le dimanche. (We have dinner as a family on Sundays.)
4. Déjeuner
Pronunciation: day-zhuh-nay
Meaning: To have lunch (or breakfast in some regions)
In a Sentence:
- Je vais déjeuner avec mes collègues. (I’m going to have lunch with my coworkers.)
- On déjeune à midi. (We have lunch at noon.)
5. Grignoter
Pronunciation: gree-nyo-tay
Meaning: To snack or nibble
In a Sentence:
- J’adore grignoter des noix. (I love snacking on nuts.)
- Arrête de grignoter avant le dîner! (Stop snacking before dinner!)
6. Se Nourrir
Pronunciation: suh noo-reer
Meaning: To feed oneself (formal or poetic)
In a Sentence:
- Les plantes se nourrissent de lumière. (Plants feed on light.)
- Il faut bien se nourrir pour rester en bonne santé. (You must eat well to stay healthy.)
7. Goûter
Pronunciation: goo-tay
Meaning: To taste or have a snack (afternoon snack in France)
In a Sentence:
- Les enfants vont goûter après l’école. (The children will have a snack after school.)
- Veux-tu goûter ce gâteau? (Do you want to taste this cake?)
8. Avaler
Pronunciation: ah-vah-lay
Meaning: To swallow
In a Sentence:
- Avale ta nourriture doucement! (Swallow your food slowly!)
- Il a avalé sa boisson d’un trait. (He swallowed his drink in one go.)
9. Consommer
Pronunciation: kon-soh-may
Meaning: To consume (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Il est important de consommer des légumes frais. (It’s important to consume fresh vegetables.)
- Ce produit est à consommer avant le 10 juin. (This product should be consumed before June 10.)
10. Mastiquer
Pronunciation: mas-tee-kay
Meaning: To chew
In a Sentence:
- Il faut bien mastiquer les aliments. (You must chew food properly.)
- Mastiquer lentement est meilleur pour la digestion. (Chewing slowly is better for digestion.)
11. Se Goinfrer
Pronunciation: suh gwan-fray
Meaning: To stuff oneself (informal)
In a Sentence:
- Ils se sont goinfrés de pizza hier soir. (They stuffed themselves with pizza last night.)
- Ne te goinfre pas de bonbons! (Don’t stuff yourself with candy!)
12. Engloutir
Pronunciation: ahn-gloo-teer
Meaning: To devour or gobble up
In a Sentence:
- Il a englouti son repas en cinq minutes. (He devoured his meal in five minutes.)
- Ils ont englouti tous les biscuits. (They gobbled up all the cookies.)
13. Dévorer
Pronunciation: day-voh-ray
Meaning: To devour
In a Sentence:
- Elle a dévoré le livre en une journée. (She devoured the book in one day.)
- Ils ont dévoré leur plat préféré. (They devoured their favorite dish.)
14. Picorer
Pronunciation: pee-koh-ray
Meaning: To peck at (like a bird or when eating lightly)
In a Sentence:
- Il picore toujours son assiette sans finir. (He always picks at his plate without finishing.)
- Les oiseaux picorent les graines dans le jardin. (The birds peck at the seeds in the garden.)
15. Réchauffer
Pronunciation: ray-shoh-fay
Meaning: To reheat or warm up food
In a Sentence:
- Je vais réchauffer la soupe. (I’ll reheat the soup.)
- On peut réchauffer le plat au micro-ondes. (We can reheat the dish in the microwave.)
16. Mijoter
Pronunciation: mee-zhuh-tay
Meaning: To simmer (also used figuratively as “to cook something up”)
In a Sentence:
- La sauce mijote sur le feu. (The sauce is simmering on the stove.)
- Il mijote un projet secret. (He’s cooking up a secret project.)
17. Cuisiner
Pronunciation: kwee-zee-nay
Meaning: To cook (not just eat)
In a Sentence:
- J’aime cuisiner des plats italiens. (I love cooking Italian dishes.)
- Elle cuisine pour toute la famille. (She cooks for the whole family.)
18. Festoyer
Pronunciation: fes-twah-yay
Meaning: To feast or celebrate with food (formal or festive)
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons festoyer toute la nuit. (We will feast all night.)
- Ils ont festoyé après la cérémonie de mariage. (They feasted after the wedding ceremony.)
19. Gratter
Pronunciation: grah-tay
Meaning: To scrape or eat little by little (colloquial)
In a Sentence:
- Il gratte les restes dans son assiette. (He scrapes the leftovers on his plate.)
- Elle gratte quelques morceaux de pain. (She eats a few bits of bread.)
20. Ingurgiter
Pronunciation: an-gur-zhee-tay
Meaning: To gulp down or ingest (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Il a ingurgité son café avant de partir. (He gulped down his coffee before leaving.)
- Elle a ingurgité tout son repas en un clin d’œil. (She gulped down her entire meal in a blink.)
21. Se Régaler
Pronunciation: suh ray-gah-lay
Meaning: To enjoy a meal or treat oneself
In a Sentence:
- On va se régaler avec ce dessert! (We’re going to enjoy this dessert!)
- Les enfants se sont régalés avec les crêpes. (The kids enjoyed the crepes.)
22. Mâcher
Pronunciation: mah-shay
Meaning: To chew
In a Sentence:
- Tu dois mâcher avant d’avaler. (You need to chew before swallowing.)
- Mâche lentement pour mieux digérer. (Chew slowly to digest better.)
23. Siroter
Pronunciation: see-roh-tay
Meaning: To sip (for drinks but can imply slow, enjoyable eating)
In a Sentence:
- Il aime siroter son café le matin. (He likes sipping his coffee in the morning.)
- Nous avons siroté un thé chaud après le dîner. (We sipped hot tea after dinner.)
24. Déguster
Pronunciation: day-gus-tay
Meaning: To taste or savor
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons déguster un bon vin. (We’re going to taste some good wine.)
- Déguste ce chocolat, il est délicieux! (Taste this chocolate; it’s delicious!)
25. Picoler
Pronunciation: pee-koh-lay
Meaning: To drink (alcohol) or eat while drinking (informal)
In a Sentence:
- Ils picolent souvent pendant les fêtes. (They drink often during parties.)
- On a picolé un peu trop hier soir. (We drank a bit too much last night.)
26. Avaler tout rond
Pronunciation: ah-vah-lay too ron
Meaning: To swallow whole
In a Sentence:
- Il a avalé son bonbon tout rond. (He swallowed his candy whole.)
- Ne mange pas trop vite, tu vas avaler tout rond! (Don’t eat too fast; you’ll swallow everything whole!)
27. Prendre un repas
Pronunciation: prahndr uh ruh-pah
Meaning: To have a meal
In a Sentence:
- Nous allons prendre un repas ensemble ce soir. (We will have a meal together tonight.)
- Prenons un repas avant le spectacle. (Let’s have a meal before the show.)
Other Ways to Say “Eat” in French
Here’s a list of additional ways to say “eat” in French. These expressions fit various contexts, from casual to formal.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Casser la croûte | kah-say lah kroot | To grab a bite (informal) | On va casser la croûte au café. (We’re going to grab a bite at the café.) |
| Se remplir l’estomac | suh rahn-pleer lehs-toh-mah | To fill one’s stomach | Après la randonnée, on s’est rempli l’estomac. (After the hike, we filled our stomachs.) |
| Se taper la cloche | suh tah-pay lah klosh | To feast (slang) | Ils se sont tapé la cloche hier soir. (They feasted last night.) |
| Faire ripaille | fehr ree-pah-yuh | To feast or have a banquet | Ils ont fait ripaille après la fête. (They feasted after the party.) |
| Faire bombance | fehr boh-mahns | To have a feast (formal) | Ils ont fait bombance pour célébrer. (They feasted to celebrate.) |
| Se sustenter | suh soos-tahn-tay | To nourish oneself (formal) | Il se sustente de fruits frais. (He nourishes himself with fresh fruits.) |
| Prendre un en-cas | prahndr uh ahn-kah | To have a snack | J’ai pris un en-cas avant le sport. (I had a snack before exercising.) |
| Faire une pause-déjeuner | fehr ewn pohz-day-zhuh-nay | To take a lunch break | Nous faisons une pause-déjeuner à 13h. (We take a lunch break at 1 p.m.) |
| Prendre une bouchée | prahndr ewn boo-shay | To take a bite | Prends une bouchée de ce gâteau. (Take a bite of this cake.) |
| Goûter un plat | goo-tay uh plah | To taste a dish | On a goûté un plat délicieux. (We tasted a delicious dish.) |
Responses to “Eat” in French
When talking about eating in French, it’s helpful to know how to respond to food-related conversations. These responses can express hunger, satisfaction, or even refusal politely.
1. J’ai faim
Pronunciation: zhay fahm
Meaning: I’m hungry
In a Sentence:
- J’ai faim, allons manger! (I’m hungry, let’s eat!)
- Tu as déjà mangé? Moi, j’ai faim! (Did you already eat? I’m hungry!)
2. Je n’ai plus faim
Pronunciation: juh nay ploo fahm
Meaning: I’m not hungry anymore
In a Sentence:
- Merci, je n’ai plus faim. (Thanks, I’m not hungry anymore.)
- Je n’ai plus faim après ce gros repas. (I’m not hungry anymore after that big meal.)
3. J’ai très faim
Pronunciation: zhay treh fahm
Meaning: I’m very hungry
In a Sentence:
- Après le sport, j’ai très faim! (After sports, I’m very hungry!)
- On peut commander maintenant? J’ai très faim! (Can we order now? I’m very hungry!)
4. Ça sent bon!
Pronunciation: sah sahn bohng
Meaning: That smells good!
In a Sentence:
- Mmm, ça sent bon dans la cuisine! (Mmm, it smells good in the kitchen!)
- Le dîner est prêt? Ça sent bon! (Is dinner ready? It smells good!)
5. Je meurs de faim
Pronunciation: juh muhr duh fahm
Meaning: I’m starving (informal)
In a Sentence:
- On mange bientôt? Je meurs de faim! (Are we eating soon? I’m starving!)
- Après la randonnée, je meurs de faim! (After the hike, I’m starving!)
6. C’est délicieux!
Pronunciation: say day-lee-syuh
Meaning: It’s delicious!
In a Sentence:
- Ce plat est incroyable! C’est délicieux! (This dish is amazing! It’s delicious!)
- Maman, ton gâteau est délicieux! (Mom, your cake is delicious!)
7. Je vais prendre…
Pronunciation: juh veh prahndr
Meaning: I’ll have… (ordering food)
In a Sentence:
- Je vais prendre une salade, s’il vous plaît. (I’ll have a salad, please.)
- Au restaurant, je vais prendre du poisson. (At the restaurant, I’ll have the fish.)
8. Non, merci
Pronunciation: nohn mehr-see
Meaning: No, thank you
In a Sentence:
- Tu veux un dessert? Non, merci. (Do you want dessert? No, thank you.)
- Non, merci, je suis déjà plein. (No, thank you, I’m already full.)
9. Oui, volontiers!
Pronunciation: wee voh-lon-tyay
Meaning: Yes, gladly!
In a Sentence:
- Tu veux un morceau de gâteau? Oui, volontiers! (Do you want a piece of cake? Yes, gladly!)
- Un café? Oui, volontiers! (A coffee? Yes, gladly!)
10. C’était excellent!
Pronunciation: say-teh eks-seh-lahn
Meaning: It was excellent!
In a Sentence:
- Merci pour le dîner, c’était excellent! (Thank you for dinner, it was excellent!)
- Le repas était parfait. C’était excellent! (The meal was perfect. It was excellent!)
11. J’en veux encore
Pronunciation: zhahng vuh ahn-kor
Meaning: I want more
In a Sentence:
- Ce dessert est trop bon! J’en veux encore! (This dessert is so good! I want more!)
- Les pâtes sont délicieuses. J’en veux encore! (The pasta is delicious. I want more!)
12. Je suis rassasié(e)
Pronunciation: juh swee rah-sah-zee-ay
Meaning: I’m full (formal)
In a Sentence:
- Merci pour le repas, je suis rassasié. (Thanks for the meal, I’m full.)
- Après ce dîner copieux, je suis rassasié. (After that hearty dinner, I’m full.)
13. C’est prêt!
Pronunciation: say preh
Meaning: It’s ready!
In a Sentence:
- À table, c’est prêt! (Come to the table, it’s ready!)
- Le dîner est servi, c’est prêt! (Dinner is served; it’s ready!)
Exercise to Practice “Eat” in French
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blanks sentences using different ways to say “eat” in French. Try to complete each sentence based on what you’ve learned. Afterward, check the answers and meanings to see how well you did.
Fill-in-the-Blanks (French):
- Chaque matin, je vais _______ un croissant et boire un café.
- Nous allons _______ au restaurant ce soir.
- Les enfants aiment _______ des biscuits après l’école.
- Pendant le dîner, il faut bien _______ la nourriture.
- Hier soir, ils ont _______ tout le gâteau!
- Avant de partir, j’ai _______ une salade rapide.
- Nous allons _______ ensemble pour fêter l’anniversaire de Marie.
- Mon frère adore _______ des fruits frais chaque jour.
- Après la course, elle a _______ un grand repas.
- Le chef va _______ un nouveau plat pour nous.
- Il a _______ son sandwich en cinq minutes!
- Après les cours, nous allons _______ chez notre grand-mère.
Answers and Meanings:
- Manger (To eat) – Chaque matin, je vais manger un croissant et boire un café. (Every morning, I’m going to eat a croissant and drink coffee.)
- Dîner (To have dinner) – Nous allons dîner au restaurant ce soir. (We are going to have dinner at the restaurant tonight.)
- Goûter (To snack) – Les enfants aiment goûter des biscuits après l’école. (The children like snacking on cookies after school.)
- Mastiquer (To chew) – Pendant le dîner, il faut bien mastiquer la nourriture. (During dinner, you must chew the food properly.)
- Bouffer (To chow down) – Hier soir, ils ont bouffé tout le gâteau! (Last night, they ate the entire cake!)
- Avaler (To swallow) – Avant de partir, j’ai avalé une salade rapide. (Before leaving, I swallowed a quick salad.)
- Festoyer (To feast) – Nous allons festoyer ensemble pour fêter l’anniversaire de Marie. (We are going to feast together to celebrate Marie’s birthday.)
- Se nourrir (To feed oneself) – Mon frère adore se nourrir de fruits frais chaque jour. (My brother loves eating fresh fruits every day.)
- Dévorer (To devour) – Après la course, elle a dévoré un grand repas. (After the race, she devoured a big meal.)
- Préparer (To prepare) – Le chef va préparer un nouveau plat pour nous. (The chef will prepare a new dish for us.)
- Engloutir (To gobble up) – Il a englouti son sandwich en cinq minutes! (He gobbled up his sandwich in five minutes!)
- Déjeuner (To have lunch) – Après les cours, nous allons déjeuner chez notre grand-mère. (After class, we are going to have lunch at our grandmother’s house.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “eat” in French is essential for everyday conversations. Whether you are ordering at a restaurant, talking about meals with friends, or describing your favorite foods, these expressions will make you sound more natural and confident.
By practicing different ways to say “eat,” understanding responses, and completing exercises, you can strengthen your French-speaking skills. Keep practicing regularly, and soon, using these expressions will feel as natural as speaking in English. Bon appétit!