French cuisine is world-famous, and in this lesson you'll learn the names of some iconic French dishes — from the humble croissant to the comforting croque-monsieur and the classic ratatouille. You'll also pick up essential taste adjectives: délicieux, bon, sucré, salé, and épicé. These words will serve you not just in France but whenever you talk about food in French. Allons-y — let's eat!
Learning tips
- Adjectives in French must agree with the noun they describe. 'Délicieux' becomes 'délicieuse' (feminine), 'bon' becomes 'bonne' (feminine). The masculine forms are used as the dictionary form.
- The words 'sucré' (sweet) and 'salé' (savoury/salty) are fundamental food descriptors in French. In France, 'salé' doesn't just mean 'salty' — it means 'savoury', the opposite of sweet.
- French dishes borrowed into English (croissant, crêpe, ratatouille, quiche) are pronounced very differently in French. Focus especially on the French 'r' in 'ratatouille' (/ʁa.ta.tuj/) — it comes from the back of the throat.
- To describe food, use 'c'est + adjective': 'C'est délicieux !' / 'C'est bon !' / 'C'est épicé !' These are your go-to food reaction phrases.
- 'Un peu' (a little) softens any adjective: 'c'est un peu épicé' = it's a little spicy. Very useful when you want to be polite about food you find intense.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| le menu | the menu |
| le plat du jour | the dish of the day |
| l'entrée | the starter |
| le plat | the main course |
| le dessert | the dessert |
| le serveur | the waiter |
| la serveuse | the waitress |
| recommander | to recommend |
| goûter | to taste |
| apporter | to bring |
Dialog
The dialog takes place in two settings: first at a boulangerie (bakery) in the morning, where Camille and Lucas choose their breakfast, and then at a restaurant for lunch. They discuss classic French dishes, use taste adjectives, and express their preferences — giving you a realistic picture of everyday Parisian eating.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| le croissant | /lə kʁwa.sɑ̃/ | the croissant | An iconic French pastry — pronounced /kʁwa.sɑ̃/ (the 'oi' sounds like 'wah', and the final 't' is silent). |
| la quiche | /la kiʃ/ | the quiche | A savoury egg-and-cream tart. 'La quiche lorraine' — with bacon and cream — is the most famous variety. |
| le croque-monsieur | /lə kʁɔk mə.sjø/ | the croque-monsieur | A hot toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich, a staple of Parisian cafés and brasseries. |
| la ratatouille | /la ʁa.ta.tuj/ | the ratatouille | A Provençal vegetable stew made with tomatoes, courgettes, aubergine, and peppers — savoury, not sweet! |
| la crêpe | /la kʁɛp/ | the crêpe | A thin pancake. Can be 'sucrée' (sweet, with jam or Nutella) or 'salée' (savoury, as a galette). |
| délicieux | /de.li.sjø/ | delicious | Feminine: 'délicieuse'. One of the most useful food adjectives in French. |
| bon | /bɔ̃/ | good, tasty | Feminine: 'bonne'. A general positive food description. Less intense than 'délicieux'. |
| sucré | /sy.kʁe/ | sweet, sugary | Used for desserts and sweet foods. Opposite of 'salé'. 'Un croissant sucré' = a sweet croissant. |
| salé | /sa.le/ | savoury, salty | In French food culture, 'salé' means savoury (not sweet), not necessarily heavily salted. |
| épicé | /e.pi.se/ | spicy | Note: 'épicé' means flavoured with spices — it implies heat/chilli. 'Pimenté' is used for very hot food. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la soupe à l'oignon | /la sup a lɔ.ɲɔ̃/ | the French onion soup | A classic bistrot dish — slow-cooked onion broth topped with bread and melted Gruyère cheese. |
| le steak-frites | /lə stɛk fʁit/ | the steak and chips / steak-frites | The quintessential French brasserie dish — a grilled steak served with crispy fries. |
| la tarte | /la taʁt/ | the tart / pie | 'La tarte aux pommes' (apple tart) is a French dessert classic. Can be sweet or savoury. |
| le gratin | /lə ɡʁa.tɛ̃/ | the gratin | A baked dish with a golden, crispy top — 'gratin dauphinois' (potato gratin) is the most famous. |
| savoureux | /sa.vu.ʁø/ | flavourful, tasty | A richer compliment than 'bon' — implies complexity and depth of flavour. |
| léger | /le.ʒe/ | light (not heavy) | Feminine: 'légère'. Used to describe food that's not rich or filling. Opposite of 'lourd' (heavy). |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| c'est délicieux | it's delicious |
| c'est très bon | it's very good |
| un peu épicé | a little spicy |
Grammar: Expressing food preferences with aimer, adorer, préférer + definite article
| Structure | Exemple | Sens |
|---|---|---|
| aimer + le/la/les | J'aime le croissant. | general preference |
| adorer + le/la/les | J'adore les crêpes. | strong liking |
| préférer + le/la/les | Je préfère la quiche. | comparison |
| détester + le/la/les | Je déteste le poisson. | strong dislike |
| aimer + adj | C'est bon / délicieux. | taste description |
| sucré vs salé | Un croissant sucré ou salé ? | sweet vs savory |
| c'est + adj | C'est épicé ! | describing food |
In this lesson we deepen the use of preference verbs — 'aimer', 'adorer', 'préférer', 'détester' — specifically in the context of food. The key rule to remember is: when talking about a general preference for food, always use the definite article. Say 'J'aime le croissant' (I like croissants — as a category), not 'J'aime un croissant' (I like a croissant — a single specific one). This is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make, because English drops the article: 'I like croissants'. In French, the article stays. Beyond preferences, 'c'est + adjective' is the easiest way to describe food: 'C'est sucré', 'C'est délicieux', 'C'est un peu épicé'. For plural subjects, use 'ils/elles sont + adjective': 'Ils sont délicieux', 'Elles sont bonnes'. Remember that adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct French word. Use the English clue in brackets.
- J'adore les , surtout avec du beurre. (croissants)(the French pastry — plural)
- La ratatouille est un plat . (salty/savory)(taste adjective: the opposite of sweet)
- Les crêpes sont avec du sucre. (delicious)(taste adjective: extremely tasty — feminine plural form needed)
- Ce plat est un peu . (spicy)(taste adjective: has chilli / spice)
- Le est un sandwich chaud avec du fromage. (croque-monsieur)(the hot toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich — with article)
Grammar Application
Conjugate the preference verb in brackets to match the subject. Don't forget accent changes in 'préférer'.
- J' les croissants au chocolat. (adorer)(adorer, je)
- Tu la quiche ou le croque-monsieur ? (préférer)(préférer, tu)
- Nous la ratatouille. (aimer)(aimer, nous)
- Elles les plats épicés. (détester)(détester, elles)
- Il les crêpes sucrées. (adorer)(adorer, il)
Translate into French
Translate each English sentence into French. Pay attention to adjective agreement.
- The croissant is delicious.
- I prefer the sweet crêpe.
- The ratatouille is a good dish.
- It's a little spicy.
- I love quiche lorraine.
Build Your Own Sentence
Write 2–3 French sentences about your own food preferences. Use taste adjectives (délicieux, bon, sucré, salé, épicé) and at least two preference verbs.
Takeaway
When expressing general food preferences, use the definite article after preference verbs — 'J'aime les crêpes, j'adore la quiche, je déteste les plats épicés' — and use 'c'est + adjective' to describe how food tastes.