Manger et boire en français (A1): Essential Food & Drink for cafés, markets, and meals

Hungry for French? Today you’ll learn the essential words and phrases to survive (and enjoy!) a French café, market, or dinner at a friend’s. We’ll keep it simple, practical, and tasty: core food and drink vocabulary, how to use little words like du and de la, and polite phrases to order like a local. Practice as you go with quick exercises.

Core food & drink you’ll actually use

le pain
bread
noun (masc.)
Je mange du pain le matin.
I eat bread in the morning.
le fromage
cheese
noun (masc.)
J’adore le fromage français.
I love French cheese.
un croissant
a croissant
noun (masc.)
Je prends un croissant au café.
I’ll have a croissant at the café.
un café
coffee; an espresso
noun (masc.)
Un café, s’il vous plaît.
A coffee, please.
un thé
tea
noun (masc.)
Je bois du thé l’après-midi.
I drink tea in the afternoon.
de l’eau
water
noun (fem., with elision)
Je bois de l’eau.
I drink water.
un jus d’orange
orange juice
noun (masc.)
Elle prend un jus d’orange.
She’s having an orange juice.
le vin
wine
noun (masc.)
Du vin rouge ou blanc ?
Red or white wine?
la bière
beer
noun (fem.)
Ils boivent une bière.
They’re drinking a beer.
le poulet
chicken
noun (masc.)
Je mange du poulet ce soir.
I’m eating chicken tonight.
le poisson
fish
noun (masc.)
Nous mangeons du poisson.
We are eating fish.
une salade
a salad
noun (fem.)
Je prends une salade verte.
I’ll have a green salad.
une soupe
a soup
noun (fem.)
Une soupe chaude, s’il vous plaît.
A hot soup, please.
des fruits
fruits
noun (masc. pl.)
Je mange des fruits tous les jours.
I eat fruit every day.
des légumes
vegetables
noun (masc. pl.)
Elle achète des légumes au marché.
She buys vegetables at the market.
French
Au petit-déjeuner, je prends un café et du pain.
At breakfast, I have a coffee and some bread.
🧠 Quick vocab check

Little words that matter: un/une vs du/de la/de l’/des

In French, the article depends on whether you want a whole item or an unspecified amount.

French
Je prends un café, mais je bois de l’eau aussi.
I’m having a coffee, but I drink water too.

Le matin, je prends café.

Avec la soupe, nous mangeons pain.

Bonus: quantities and negation (A1-friendly)

  • After quantity words (beaucoup, un peu), use de: beaucoup de fruits.
  • In the negative, du/de la/des → de (or d’): Je ne bois pas de café.

Je ne bois pas vin.

Order like a local: polite café phrases

When ordering, be friendly and polite. “Je veux…” (I want) can sound too direct with strangers. Use “Je voudrais…” (I would like) or “Je prends…” (I’ll have). Always add “S’il vous plaît.”

💬 Put this café scene in order

Useful verbs with food & drink

Two high-frequency verbs:

  • prendre = to have (food/drink), to take
  • boire = to drink
prendre présent Irregular
Pronoun Conjugation
je prends
tu prends
il/elle prend
nous prenons
vous prenez
ils/elles prennent
French
Nous prenons une soupe.
We are having a soup.
French
Ils boivent de l’eau.
They drink water.
🔠 Put the words in order

Start with the subject pronoun

Je veux un café. → Je voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît. “Je veux” is grammatically fine but too direct with staff. “Je voudrais…” is polite. Je mange le pain. → Je mange du pain. Use the partitive for an unspecified amount (some bread), not the definite article.

Culture bite: bread, meals, and the bill

  • Bread (la baguette) is a daily staple; you’ll see people at the boulangerie morning and evening.
  • Meals: le petit-déjeuner (breakfast), le déjeuner (lunch), le dîner (dinner). Lunch is often the main hot meal.
  • Tipping: In France, service is included (service compris). Leaving small change or rounding up is appreciated but not required.
petit small/little - connector déjeuner lunch → petit-déjeuner = breakfast
boulanger baker -ie place of business → boulangerie = bakery
🧠 Articles & ordering mini-quiz

Your turn: build a simple café sentence

Try this template aloud: “Je voudrais ___, s’il vous plaît.” Fill it with a word you learned: un café, une soupe, de l’eau, un jus d’orange… Say it twice, once slowly, once naturally.

Wrap-up

You learned the must-know food and drink words, how to pick un/une vs. du/de la/de l’/des, and polite ways to order. Keep listening for these chunks in menus and cafés, and practice out loud. Bon appétit et bonne chance !