French Lesson: Au restaurant – part 2
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Au restaurant—part 2
Here are some tips and a few common expressions to help you communicate when going to a restaurant in France. This is part two of the Au restaurant lessons – Stay tuned for la troisième partie (part 3)!
A restaurant is likely to offer des menus, which means fixed price selections. Watch out, it’s a false cognate with the English word ‘menu’, which is la carte in French. You also have la carte des vins (the wine menu).
When you order, say: je vais commander à la carte (I’ll order from the menu), and then say what you’d like, or je vais prendre le menu à… 20 Euros (I’ll take the… 20 Euros fixed price selection) and then say what you’ve chosen.
Another false friend is the word entrée which means appetizer. Not to be mistaken with le plat principal (main course or entrée as used in English).
When you order something, say je voudrais le plat du jour s’il vous plaît (I’d like today’s special please). In English, you use the verb ‘to like’, ‘I would like’, but in French we don’t use the verb aimer, we use the verb vouloir (to want). Aimer is for likes and dislikes and for love of course.
Photo credit: DigitalArt / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Camille Chevalier-Karfis lives in Brittany and she’s been teaching today’s French language to adults around the world for over 19 years with her company, French Today. Please click on her name to learn more about her by reading her complete profile.
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