In the Boulangerie and Café: French for Daily Shopping
Everyday French for bakeries, markets and cafés: greeting etiquette, ordering bread and coffee, quantities and paying.
Small shops and cafés are where you'll practise French most. The exchanges are short and predictable, so a few phrases will carry you through.
The golden rule: say bonjour
In France, you greet the shopkeeper when you enter, before you say anything else: Bonjour, madame or Bonjour, monsieur. When you leave, say Merci, au revoir, bonne journée ! It's basic politeness, and skipping it can seem rude.
In the boulangerie (bakery)
- une baguette — the classic long loaf
- une baguette tradition — made with traditional methods
- un pain de campagne — country loaf
- un croissant
- un pain au chocolat (in parts of southwest France, une chocolatine)
- une brioche
- une tarte aux pommes — apple tart
- un éclair
- une part de — a slice of
Ordering:
- Bonjour, une baguette, s'il vous plaît.
- Je voudrais deux croissants et un pain au chocolat.
- Bien cuite, s'il vous plaît. — Well baked, please.
- C'est tout, merci. — That's all, thanks.
- Ce sera tout ? — Will that be all? (they'll ask)
- C'est combien ? — How much?
At the market
- un kilo de — a kilo of
- une livre — 500 grams
- cent grammes de — 100 grams of
- une douzaine d'œufs — a dozen eggs
- un peu plus / un peu moins — a bit more / a bit less
- Je peux goûter ? — May I taste?
- Ils sont mûrs ? — Are they ripe?
- Pour aujourd'hui ou pour demain ? — For today or tomorrow? (fruit ripeness)
- C'est bio ? — Is it organic?
At the café
- un café — a small black espresso
- un café allongé — a longer espresso
- un café crème — coffee with milk
- un noisette — espresso with a dash of milk
- un déca — decaf
- un thé — tea
- un chocolat chaud — hot chocolate
- un jus de fruit — fruit juice
- un verre d'eau — a glass of water
- une eau gazeuse / plate — sparkling / still water
Ordering:
- Un café, s'il vous plaît.
- Je prendrais un café crème.
- On peut s'asseoir ici ? — Can we sit here?
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
Note: prices may be lower at the counter (au comptoir) than on the terrace (en terrasse).
Paying
- Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card?
- Vous avez de la monnaie ? — Do you have change?
- Vous acceptez les cartes ?
- En espèces — in cash
- Sans contact — contactless
- Je voudrais un ticket, s'il vous plaît. — A receipt, please.
- Gardez la monnaie. — Keep the change.
Other shops
- la pharmacie (green cross), la boucherie (butcher), la poissonnerie (fishmonger), la fromagerie (cheese shop), l'épicerie (grocer), le supermarché, la librairie (bookshop; not library, which is bibliothèque), le tabac (also sells stamps, transport tickets and newspapers).
Opening hours
Small shops often close for lunch (roughly noon to 2 or 3 p.m.), and many are closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. Check hours (horaires) before you go.
Politeness phrases
- Excusez-moi — excuse me
- Merci beaucoup
- De rien / Je vous en prie — you're welcome
- Bonne journée / Bonne soirée
- Bon week-end
Practice
Role-play buying bread, a coffee and fruit at a market, using the phrases above.
Look up shopping and café words with English French Dictionary →
English French Dictionary
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