📚 Both Levels: All vocabulary on this page is useful for CE preparation. Level 1 students should focus on the most common/essential words first. Level 2 students need to know all vocabulary shown.
📋 Sentence Builders
Click to open the Sentence Builders for this topic:
Drinks (Les Boissons)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la boisson | drink |
| le coca | coke |
| le jus de fruit | fruit juice |
| la limonade | lemonade |
| l'orangina | orangina |
| l'eau minérale | mineral water |
| l'eau gazeuse | fizzy water |
| la bière | beer |
| le vin | wine |
| le chocolat (chaud) | hot chocolate |
| le thé | tea |
| la tasse | cup |
| le verre | glass |
| la bouteille | bottle |
| la carafe | carafe/jug |
Food at a Café
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la crêpe | crepe |
| le croque-monsieur | toasted ham and cheese sandwich |
| la pizza | pizza |
| le sandwich | sandwich |
At a Restaurant
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le restaurant | restaurant |
| le menu | menu |
| le plat du jour | dish of the day |
| la spécialité | specialty |
| l'addition | bill |
| le patron | owner/boss |
| service compris | service included |
Courses
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les hors d'œuvre | starters/appetizers |
| les crudités | raw vegetables |
| le saucisson | salami/sausage |
| le pâté | pâté |
| la soupe / le potage | soup |
| le plat | dish/course |
| le dessert | dessert |
Meat & Fish
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le poisson | fish |
| les fruits de mer | seafood |
| la viande | meat |
| le bœuf | beef |
| le porc | pork |
| le poulet | chicken |
| le steak | steak |
| la côtelette | chop/cutlet |
| le rôti | roast |
| la saucisse | sausage |
| le hamburger | hamburger |
Other Foods
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le pain | bread |
| un œuf | egg |
| une omelette | omelette |
| les spaghettis / les pâtes | spaghetti / pasta |
| la pomme de terre | potato |
| les frites | chips/fries |
| le riz | rice |
| la salade | salad |
| le fromage | cheese |
Vegetables (Les Légumes)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les légumes | vegetables |
| les carottes | carrots |
| les petits pois | peas |
| les haricots verts | green beans |
Fruit & Desserts
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le fruit | fruit |
| une orange | orange |
| la pomme | apple |
| la fraise | strawberry |
| le raisin | grape |
| la tarte | tart/pie |
| la pâtisserie | pastry/cake shop |
| la salade de fruits | fruit salad |
| la crème | cream |
| la glace | ice cream |
| le parfum | flavour |
| la vanille | vanilla |
Seasonings
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le sucre | sugar |
| le sel | salt |
| le poivre | pepper |
| la moutarde | mustard |
| la sauce | sauce |
Key Phrases
Ordering Food
Je voudrais... = I would like...
J'ai faim = I'm hungry
J'ai soif = I'm thirsty
Bon appétit! = Enjoy your meal!
Verbs
- boire = to drink
- manger = to eat
- prendre = to take / to have
- choisir = to choose
- commander = to order
- payer = to pay
🎯 Random Sentence Practice
Translate the sentence before time runs out! Write your answer on paper.
Practice Activities
📝 Exercise 1: Restaurant Menu Creation (20 mins)
Dual Coding + Retrieval:
- Design a French restaurant menu with at least 3 sections (hors d'œuvre, plat, dessert)
- Include 4-5 items in each section with French names only
- Add prices in euros (€)
- Swap menus with a friend or family member - can you order a 3-course meal in French?
- Example: "Je voudrais le pâté, puis le poulet rôti, et une tarte aux pommes pour le dessert."
🗣️ Exercise 2: At the Café Role Play (15 mins)
Active Recall + Speaking:
- Write a conversation between a waiter and customer at a French café
- Customer: Order a drink and a snack using "Je voudrais..."
- Waiter: Ask questions, suggest items, bring the bill
- Include at least 5 food/drink items from the vocabulary list
- Practice saying it aloud - can you do it without reading?
🃏 Exercise 3: Food Category Flashcards (20 mins)
Organization + Spaced Practice:
- Create flashcards sorted by category: drinks, meat/fish, vegetables, fruit, desserts
- Front: French word + gender. Back: English + use in a sentence
- Example front: "la pomme (f.)" Back: "apple - J'aime les pommes"
- Test yourself: shuffle all categories together, can you still remember them?
- Use the Leitner system (Box 1, 2, 3) to focus on tricky words
✍️ Exercise 4: Partitive Articles Challenge (10 mins)
Grammar Application: Complete these with du/de la/de l'/des:
- "Je voudrais ___ pain et ___ confiture" (I would like bread and jam)
- "Il mange ___ poulet avec ___ frites" (He eats chicken with chips)
- "Elle boit ___ eau minérale et ___ jus d'orange" (She drinks mineral water and orange juice)
- "Nous prenons ___ fromage après le plat principal" (We have cheese after the main course)
- Check your answers, then create 3 more sentences yourself!
🎨 Exercise 5: Food Pyramid (15 mins)
Dual Coding + Organization:
- Draw a food pyramid or healthy eating plate
- Label each section in French: fruits, légumes, viandes, produits laitiers, etc.
- Add at least 3 French food items in each section
- Write 3 sentences about healthy eating: "Il faut manger beaucoup de fruits..."
🔄 Exercise 6: Mixed Practice (15 mins)
Interleaving:
- Don't just practice food! Mix it with other topics you've learned
- Write sentences combining food with daily routine, opinions, and future plans
- Example: "Le matin je prends des céréales. J'adore le chocolat chaud mais je préfère le thé. Demain je vais manger au restaurant."
- This forces your brain to work harder and remember better!