French–English Dictionary
French Dictionary
Search 323+ French words with English translations, IPA pronunciation, example sentences and CEFR level ratings. Click any word to hear it spoken.
50 results
acheter
aʃ.teTo obtain something by paying money for it.
Je vais acheter une nouvelle veste au marché.
I am going to buy a new jacket at the market.
💡 Regular -er verb. Common irregular forms: j'achète, tu achètes (stem change with accent grave before silent endings).
ajouter
/a.ʒu.te/To put an additional ingredient or quantity into a dish or mixture.
Ajoutez du sel et du poivre selon votre goût.
Add salt and pepper according to your taste.
💡 Regular -er verb. Extremely common in recipe instructions. Often followed by 'à' or 'dans'.
arriver
/a.ʁi.ve/To reach a destination
Le train arrive à dix heures.
The train arrives at ten o'clock.
beau
/bo/Pleasing to the senses
Quel beau paysage !
What a beautiful landscape!
bon
/bɔ̃/Of high quality or pleasant
Ce restaurant est très bon.
This restaurant is very good.
bon marché
bɔ̃ maʁ.ʃeCosting little money; affordable in price.
Ce supermarché est vraiment bon marché.
This supermarket is really cheap.
💡 Invariable — it does not change for gender or number. Opposite: 'cher / chère' (expensive).
cher
/ʃɛʁ/Costing a lot of money, or a term of endearment
Ce manteau est trop cher.
This coat is too expensive.
chercher
/ʃɛʁ.ʃe/To try to find something
Elle cherche un appartement.
She is looking for an apartment.
comprendre
/kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃dʁ/To grasp the meaning of something
Je ne comprends pas cette question.
I don't understand this question.
connaître
/kɔ.nɛtʁ/To be acquainted with a person or place
Je connais bien Paris.
I know Paris well.
couper
/ku.pe/To divide or slice food into pieces using a knife or other tool.
Coupe les carottes en petits morceaux avant de les mettre dans la soupe.
Cut the carrots into small pieces before putting them in the soup.
💡 Regular -er verb. Common in recipe instructions. Related noun: 'la coupure' (a cut).
cuisiner
/kɥi.zi.ne/To prepare food using heat, combining ingredients to make a meal.
Ma mère aime cuisiner des plats traditionnels le dimanche.
My mother likes to cook traditional dishes on Sunday.
💡 Regular -er verb. Not to be confused with 'le cuisinier' (male cook) or 'la cuisinière' (female cook or stove).
cuit / cuite
/kɥi/ /kɥit/Describing food that has been prepared by heating and is ready to eat.
Le riz est cuit, tu peux servir le dîner maintenant.
The rice is cooked, you can serve dinner now.
💡 Past participle of 'cuire'. Used in expressions like 'bien cuit' (well done), 'peu cuit' (undercooked), and 'trop cuit' (overcooked).
dépenser
de.pɑ̃.seTo pay out money in exchange for goods or services.
Elle a dépensé trop d'argent ce week-end.
She spent too much money this weekend.
💡 Regular -er verb. Often paired with 'trop' (too much) or 'beaucoup' (a lot).
facile
/fa.sil/Not difficult
Cet exercice est facile.
This exercise is easy.
faire bouillir
/fɛʁ bu.jiʁ/To heat a liquid or food until it reaches boiling point and bubbles.
Il faut faire bouillir l'eau avant d'ajouter les pâtes.
You need to boil the water before adding the pasta.
💡 'Faire bouillir' is a causative construction. You can also use 'bouillir' alone: 'L'eau bout' (the water is boiling).
frais / fraîche
/fʁɛ/ /fʁɛʃ/Describing food that is recently made, harvested, or purchased and not stale or frozen.
J'achète toujours des légumes frais au marché le samedi matin.
I always buy fresh vegetables at the market on Saturday morning.
💡 Note the irregular feminine form 'fraîche'. Also means 'cool' when describing temperature.
grand
/ɡʁɑ̃/Of large size or height
C'est un grand pays.
It is a big country.
l'année
/a.ne/A period of twelve months
L'année prochaine, je voyage en France.
Next year I am travelling to France.
la caisse
kɛsThe counter or machine in a shop where customers pay for their purchases.
Il y a une longue queue à la caisse aujourd'hui.
There is a long queue at the checkout today.
💡 Also used in banking contexts ('caisse d'épargne' = savings bank). 'Passer en caisse' means to go through the checkout.