These contain some examples of vulgar language.
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The direct translation of 'food' is la nourriture, which comes from nourrir, to feed, and therefore has a rather functional meaning. As a matter of fact, in France you eat for pleasure, not just to feed yourself. So nourriture refers to basic food, the sort of food you eat to keep your body going.
For more elaborate dishes, the French are more likely to use the word cuisine. Cooking can be regarded as a sort of human triumph over nature; it is considered an art, a poetic form of expression. This explains the long and complicated, often incomprehensible nature of the names the French give to their dishes, even the most modest ones. For instance, if you think baked potatoes are pommes de terre en robe des champs, lit. potatoes "in their field dress".
So good luck, and bon appétit or simply bon app'!  Hungry
Meals
Food
Tasty or not tasty
Spicy
(* = familiar, ** = very familiar, *** = vulgar, v = Verlan (back-slang), Lit. = literally)
Je mangerais un buf (*)
The equivalent of the English expression "I could eat a horse", except in French it's a bull. For some reason, this expression is not so much in fashion these days.
J'ai la dalle (*) Lit. I've got the paving-stone.
To understand this expression, you have to be hungry, really hungry, and have hunger pangs - to the point where you feel you have a paving-stone in your stomach. back to the top Le petit déj (*) Short for petit déjeuner, breakfast. Actually pronounced p'ti dèj.
Une bouffe (**) A meal. An old French slang word.
On se fait une bouffe ? (**) Shall we go for a meal?
Un casse-dalle (**) Lit. a paving-stone breaker.
When you have a paving-stone in your stomach, you have to break it. Logical, isn't it? This word applies to anything that will relieve your hunger, it can be a snack, a sandwich, a quick meal. back to the top La bouffe (*) Food.
Quite logically, the verb bouffer means to eat. See also une bouffe above.
J'adore la bouffe (*) I love food.
La graille (**) Another old slang word for food.
Just like its equivalent la bouffe, it can become a verb, grailler.
La graillave (**)
The ending -ave gives the word graille a sort of Bohemian feel. Mainly used by suburban youngsters.
On va grailler We're going to eat.
La barbaque (**) Bad meat.
Old slang word, the origins of which are uncertain. It may come from the Romanian word "berbec", lamb, that French soldiers brought back to France in 1855. But it may also be of Mexican-Caribbean origins, from the word barbecue. Again, French soldiers didn't really appreciate meat cooked that way but they brought the word back from Mexico in 1862. Anyway, whatever the exact origins of this word, nowadays it means meat of very poor quality.
La bidoche (**) Equivalent to la barbaque.
Comes from the word bidet, which says a lot.
back to the top Super (*) Just add before an adjective for extra dramatic effect.
Bon Good, tasty.
Super bon (*)Super good.
Dégueulasse, dégueu, super dégueu (*) Disgusting.
Je m'en lèche les doigts I'm licking my fingers.
Obviously recommended for a tasty, finger-licking dish. A nice compliment to make to the chef. back to the top Ça arrache la gueule (**) Lit. It tears your mouth off.
It completely takes the roof off your mouth. Gives an idea of the damage spicy food can cause to a French mouth.
Ça emporte la gueule (**) Lit. It takes your mouth away.
It takes the roof off your mouth. Not as strong as the previous one, though.
Ça déménage Lit. It removes.
Obviously, a dish that manages to take the roof off your mouth has to be strong. back to the top |
