French word that we use in english

You’re probably aware that we regularly use plenty of French words in English.

But did you know that English is so close to the French language, that around 30% of English words come from the language of love?

Some of these French phrases in English (otherwise known as cognates!) are borrowed directly from the French language, while others have evolved from French origins.

We’ve put together some responses to some of the most common questions about the French presence in the English language for you, plus 99 examples of how English words didn’t fall too far from the French tree. 

Everything you’ve ever wanted, right?

Why are there French words in the English language?

The origin of the English language is a topic linguists love to debate.

Although English is a Germanic language, it shares a lot of vocabulary with French – a Romance language.

But why?

The Norman Conquest of 1066 was a key event that led to French words being used in England.

Following the conquest, England was ruled by the Normans who spoke a northern form of Old French called Anglo-Norman French.

Under Norman rule, Anglo-Norman French began to influence the language of administration, law and culture in England, and hence making its mark on the English language.

Since then, French phrases and words – funny quirks and all – continued to make their way into the English language.

And French isn’t the only language that has made its mark on the English language. There are plenty of Spanish words in English, and a good handful of Japanese words in English, too.

How many French words are there in English? 

There exists around 7,000 French words in the English language at present.

Believe it or not, though, there were plenty more English words that came from French (and typically Latin) roots originally – around 10,000, to be exact.

Do any examples come to mind? At this point, I’m sure you’re desperate to see some examples of English words with French origins… 

Let’s start with 99 (we thought any more might be a bit much!).

Here are 99 common French words used in English, and their meaning

1. Allowance – from the Old French word alouance (payment)
2. Apostrophe – from the French word apostrophe
3. Attaché – from the French word attaché (attached)
4. Apéritif – from the French word apéritif 
5. Avant-garde – from the French word avant-garde
6. Aviation – from the French word aviation
7. Bachelor – from the Anglo-Norman word bacheler (bachelier in modern French)
8. Baguette – from the French word baguette (stick)
9. Ballet – from the French word ballet
10. Beret – from the French word béret
11. Bon voyage – from the French phrase bon voyage (have a good journey)
12. Brunette – from the French word brunette
13. Bureau – from the French word bureau (desk, office)
14. Cabaret – from the French word cabaret
15. Cadet – from the French word cadet
16. Champagne – from the French word champagne
17. Chauffeur – from the French word chauffeur
18. Chic – from the French word chic (elegant)
19. Cliché – from the French word cliché
20. Connoisseur – from the French word connoisseur
21. Cul-de-sac – from the French word cul-de-sac (bottom of the bag/sack)
22. Debris – from the French word débris (broken, crumbled)
23. Déjà vu – from the French words déjà (already) and vu (seen – past participle of ‘voir’)
24. Delegate – from the Old French word delegat
25. Detour – from the French word détour (from détourner)
26. Dossier – from the French word dossier
27. Eau de toilette – from the French word eau de toilette
28. Elite – from the Old French word elit (chosen)
29. Energy – from the Middle French word énergie
30. En route – from the French en route
31. Envisage – from the French word envisager
32. Expatriate – from the French word expatrier
33. Facade – from the French word façade
34. Faux, as in faux fur – from the French word faux (false)
35. Faux-pas – from the French word faux pas
36. Fiancé – from the French word fiancé
37. Film noir – from the French word film noir (a film genre)
38. Gallery – from the Old French word galerie
39. Gastronomy – from the French word gastronomie
40. Gateau – from the French word gâteau
41. Gazette – from the French word gazette
42. Heritage – from the Old French word eritage (héritage in modern French)
43. Homage – from the Old French word homage
44. Hotel – from the French word hôtel
45. Identity – from the Middle French word identité
46. Illusion – from the Old French word illusion
47. Insult – from the Middle French words insult (noun) and insulter (verb)
48. Irony – from the Middle French word ironie
49. Jubilee – from the Middle French word jubile (modern French jubilé)
50. Kilogram – from the French word kilogramme
51. Lacrosse – from the Canadian French word la crosse (the stick)
52. Laissez-faire – from the French word laissez-faire (leave things to take their course)
53. Liaison – from the French word liaison
54. Literature – from the Old French word littérature
55. Machine – from the Middle French word machine
56. Magnificent – from the Middle French word magnificent
57. Maisonette – from the French word maisonette
58. Massage – from the French word massage
59. Menu – from the French word menu
60. Metabolism – from the French word métabolisme
61. Metro – from the French word métro
62. Musketeer – from the French word mousquetaire
63. Navy – from the Old French word navie
64. Neutral – from the Middle French word neutral
65. Nocturnal – from the Middle French word nocturnal
66. Novel – from the Old French word novel
67. Occasion – from the Middle French word occasion
68. Omelette – from the French word omelette
69. Optimism – from the French word optimisme
70. Papier-mâché – from the French word papier-mâché
71. Parasol – from the French word parasol
72. Poetic – from the Middle French word poétique
73. Premiere – from the French word première
74. Purify – from the Old French word purifier
75. Recipient – from the Middle French word récipient
76. Rendez-vous – from the French word rendez-vous (appointment)
77. Reservoir – from the French word ‘réservoir’ (collection place)
78. Restaurant – from the French word restaurant
79. Ricochet – from the French word ricochet
80. Rich – from the French word riche
81. Ridicule – from the French word ridicule
82. Risqué – from the French word risqué
83. Sabotage – from the French word sabotage
84. Salad – from the French word salade
85. Sentiment – from the Old French word sentement
86. Silhouette – from the French word silhouette 
87. Solicitor – from the Middle French word soliciteur
88. Souvenir – from the French word souvenir (memory)
89. Soufflé – from the French word soufflé
90. Soup – from the French word soupe
91. Technique – from the French word technique
92. Television – from the French word télévision
93. Tournament – from the Old French word tornoiement (tournoiement in modern French)
94. Uniform – from the Middle French word uniforme
95. Utensil – from the Old French word utensile
96. Valid – from the Middle French word valide
97. Variety – from the Middle French word varieté
98. Vinaigrette – from the French word vinaigrette
99. Zest – from the French word zeste

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If you’re an English speaker and you ever thought French was difficult (or a French speaker and ever thought English was difficult!) hopefully, this is something to reassure you: no matter whether you’ve got your French pronunciation accent down or not, the learning process may be easier than you think!

You already have a good understanding of so many French words – why not learn even more today?

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Almost every language nowadays has some words that are borrowed from other languages. It’s fascinating how many languages still use those words in their original forms.

You already know that there are many French words in English that we use on a regular basis.

But, do you know which words exactly?

Today, there are around 10,000 French words that are still used in modern English. You probably know some of them already, but we’re sure that there’s a lot you haven’t heard of.

That’s why we decided to share with you 101 words that are used in English. 

But let’s start from the beginning by understanding how these two languages are connected and why their bond lasts to this date. 

French-English connections

We are going to tell you a short story about French and English connection.

The connection between France and England dates back from 1066 when William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant) took over the British throne. 

This is how French became the language of the Anglo-Norman court, the government, and the elite. It also started having a big influence on the administration, law, and culture.

French influence on the English language continued after the Hundred Year’s War.

Today, it is considered that there are around 45% of words in English that originate from the French language. 

French words in English with the same meaning

As you can see, these events in history are the reason French words are used in English today. 

There are, of course, other languages English has borrowed from, but French is the absolute winner with the coverage of about 58% of the English vocabulary. 

In the following paragraphs, you’ll find words that have the same meaning in both French and English and are used in the same situations. 

They are called cognates, or to be more specific,
French cognates.

Disclaimer: The first word is written in English and the second one in French. You will see how many of them are written in the same way.

Food-related words 

There are plenty of food-related English words that come from French. Over the centuries, they’ve changed a bit, getting English characteristics. 

You can find some of them below:

• A la carte — A la carte
• Apéritif – Apéritif 
• Aubergine — Aubergine
• Baguette – Baguette
• Café — Café
• Cornichon — Cornichon
• Champagne – Champagne
• Gastronomy – Gastronomie
• Gateau – Gâteau
• Menu – Menu
• Omelette – Omelette
• Picnic- Picnic
• Restaurant – Restaurant
• Salad – Salade
• Soufflé – Soufflé
• Soup – Soupe
• Vinaigrette – Vinaigrette

Fashion and appearance

It’s a known fact that France is the centre of fashion and style. Therefore, it’s not so strange that many words in English concerning fashion come from French.

Let’s take a look at some of them:

• Beret – Béret
• Boutique- Boutique
• Brunette – Brunette
• Chic – Chic meaning elegant
• Couture- Couture
• Eau de toilette – Eau de toilette
• Faux- Faux; meaning false
• Silhouette – Silhouette
• Uniform – Uniforme

Art, culture, and language

We can’t finish this article without mentioning some borrowed words concerning art, culture, and language.

Here they are:

• Apostrophe– Apostrophe
• Attaché– Attaché; literally meaning attached
• Avant-garde – Avant-garde, used mainly in arts
• Ballet – Ballet
• Film noir – Film noir, in the meaning ‘a film genre
• Gallery – Galerie
• Genre- Genre
• Irony – Ironie
• Gazette – Gazette
• Papier-mâché – Papier-mâché
• Poetic – Poétique, used in the Middle French 

 

Other French words used in English

There are many more borrowed words that are used in everyday conversations.

Here are some of them:

• Allowance – from the Old French word alouance, which means payment
• Aviation – Aviation
• Bachelor – Bachelier 
• Bon voyage – Bon voyage; translated to English, it means ‘have a good journey.’
• Bouquet- Bouquet
• Bureau – Bureau; it means ‘desk,’ or ‘office.’
• Cabaret – Cabaret
• Carte blanche — Carte blanche; it usually means ‘granting unlimited authority.’ Literally, it can be translated as  ‘white card’, as in a blank check
• Chauffeur – Chauffeur
• Cliché –Cliché, which means a phrase that is overused
• Connoisseur – Connoisseur
• Crème de la crème- Crème de la crème; this expression comes from Latin ‘le nec plus ultra’. It can be translated as ‘cream of the cream’ and represents the best person or a thing of a particular kind.
• Cul-de-sac – Cul-de-sac; in English, it means ‘the bottom of the bag/sack.’
• Debris – Débris; the literal meaning in English is ‘broken, crumbled.’
• Déjà vu –Déjà vu; from déjà (already) and vu (seen – past participle of ‘voir’)
• Delegate – Delegat
• Detour – Détour; from French verb détourner, which means ‘divert.’
• Dossier – Dossie
• Elite – Elit; it comes from the Old French, which means ‘chosen.’
• Energy – Énergie
• Entrepreneur — Entrepreneur
• En route – En route
• Et voilà ! — Et voilà ! It’s used to call attention when something is completed or done with success
• Expatriate – from the French word expatrier
• Facade – Façade
• Faux pas — Faux pas; or in English ‘false step’ 
• Fiancé – Fiancé
• Heritage – Eritage, or Héritage in modern French
• Homage – Homage
• Hotel – Hôtel
• Identity – Identité
• Illusion – Illusion
• Insult – Insult (noun), Iinsulter (verb)
• Jubilee – Jubilé 
• Kilogram – Kilogramme
• Lacrosse – La crosse; this word in Canadian French means ‘the stick.’
• Laissez-faire – Laissez-faire; translated to English, it means ‘leave things to take their course.’
• Liaison – Liaison
• Machine – Machine
• Magnificent – Magnificent
• Maisonette – Maisonette
• Massage – Massage
• Metabolism – Métabolisme
• Metro –Métro
• Mirage- Mirage; a natural phenomenon caused by atmospheric optics and the Sun’s rays.
• Musketeer – Mousquetaire
• Navy – Navie
• Neutral – Neutral
• Nocturnal – Nocturnal
• Novel – Novel
• Occasion – Occasion
• Optimism – Optimisme
• Parasol – Parasol
• Par excellence- Par excellence, which can be translated as ‘by excellence’, and it means the ultimate or quintessential
• Premiere – Première
• Purify – Purifier
• Recipient – Récipient
• Rendez-vous – Rendez-vous, which means appointment or a date
• Reservoir – Réservoir, which can be translated as ‘collection place’
• Ricochet – Ricochet
• Rich – Riche
• Ridicule – Ridicule
• Risqué – Risqué
• Sabotage – Sabotage
• Sentiment – Sentement
• Solicitor – Soliciteur
• Souvenir – Souvenir; this word means ‘memory,’ but it’s widely used as a thing that reminds you of places, events, people, etc.
• Technique – Technique
• Television – Télévision
• Tournament – Tournoiement 
• Utensil – Utensile
• Valid – Valide
• Variety – Varieté
• Vis-à-vis- Vis-à-vis; it means ‘regarding’ or ‘concerning,’ but the equivalent in English can also be ‘face to face.’

French words in English with different meanings

These words are called
false cognates. It means that they are written the same way, but their meanings are different.

Here are some examples of false cognates in French and English. 

• Actor (not a comedian) — Comédien

• Bookstore- Librairie; have in mind that this isn’t a library.

• Currently- Actuelement; note that it isn’t actual(ly)

• (to) Disappoint — Décevoir; not to deceive

• Former- Ancient; in English, it isn’t ancient

• Possible/ Possibly- Éventuelement

• Publisher- Éditeur; be careful; it isn’t an editor in English.

• Sensitive- Sensible; in English, it isn’t ‘sensible’ but ‘sensitive.’

• (to) Summarize- Résumer; note that this word in English isn’t ‘to resume.’

• (to) Take an exam- Passer un examen; pay attention when using this one.

Conclusion

These words are some common ones, but there are many, many more.

As you could see, over history, both languages influenced each other. Not only that, but a significant impact is also seen in their cultures as well.

French played the leading role in modern English, so it’s not so strange that English speakers find it
easy to learn French. So, if you already speak English, then use that to your advantage and
start learning French.

Are you now ready to learn French?

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Even if you’re just starting to study French, believe it or not, you’ve already got a pretty extensive vocabulary! 

The reason for this is over 10,000 English words come from French. Many others come from Latin, the language from which French originated.

This means that a significant number of English words have either exact French counterparts or very similar equivalents in French.

That’s something to celebrate!  But, you might be wondering, just how did all of these French words get into English? How many French words are there in English? Let’s take a look at the French influence on the English language, and how it can help you with French vocabulary today!

When were French words borrowed into English?

In order to understand the way French influenced the English language, you have to know a little bit of history.

In antiquity, Celtic languages were spoken in the British Isles. Then, around 50 CE, most of the territory was invaded by the Romans. “Britannia” became a part of the Roman Empire, and Latin became the language of political and administrative life. 

In the 5^th  and 6^th centuries CE, Germanic tribes, including the Angles and the Saxons, invaded Britain, bringing their language with them.

But Latin remained a strong presence, since it was the language of the powerful and far-reaching Catholic Church (the Germanic tribes had quickly converted to Catholicism).

All religious services and texts were in Latin. This led to words commonly heard during masses and in religious parables becoming a part of everyday vocabulary. 

Some of the Latin words that began to infiltrate the language of British people at this time include “devil” (Latin: diabolus) and “angel” (Latin: angelus). 

Like its fellow Romance languages, French is a form of Vulgarized (that is, spoken by the people and influenced by previously existing local dialects) Latin. This is one of the reasons why there are so many similar words in French and Latin-influenced English. But it’s not the only reason why – not by far.

The main reason for the large number of French words in English can be chalked up to another invasion: the Norman Invasion of 1066, when William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant in French) staked his claim to the British throne and won it in the Battle of Hastings.

If you’re an art person, rather than a linguistics or history person, this battle may sound familiar – it’s immortalized on the Bayeux Tapestry. 

After William’s accession to the throne, the royal court was made up of Norman (from Normandy) nobility, who spoke French.

Old English and French coexisted, often quite separately, since most people in Britain never had contact with nobility.

But over time, French words began to creep into English.

These were mainly in areas like law, administration, and, unsurprisingly, food. For example, this excellent (and very funny) video about the history of English points out that while words like “pig” and “sheep” have Germanic roots, their food forms– “pork” (porc) and “mutton” (mouton) – come from French.

A few other French words that entered the English language in this era include sovereign (souverain), justice (justice), and counsel (conseil).

As the centuries went by, English continued to evolve, and and became recognized in its own right. It was used in the daily life of the upper classes and clergy, as well as the commoners. Latin did make a comeback, though. During the Renaissance, cultured people spoke it, and later, in the Age of Enlightenment, Latin was used again when classifying scientific discoveries and phenomena. 

Over the course of its tumultuous history, and English has borrowed from and been influenced by many different languages. But French and Latin have had the most influence. French and Latin words make up 58 % of modern English vocabulary today.  On their own, purely French words make up 29% of English. 

It’s generally thought that around 10,000 words have been borrowed into English from French. Of those, according to this source, there are over 1,700 “true cognates” – that is, words that not only look the same or similar, but have exactly the same meaning in both languages. 

Why is the French (and Latin) influence on English important to French learners?

Sure, etymology is fascinating, and sure, what you’ve just read might make for some fun party conversation (well, depending on what kind of parties you go to…). But is all of this really important? After all, even if you can speak English, that doesn’t mean you can speak French.  

But in fact, knowing this tie to French can help you. For one thing, you may have already experienced reading something in French and realizing that you understood more than you’d expected, because some of the words are the same in both languages.  And on an even more helpful scale, since certain lexical features like suffixes can be the same in French and English, you may be able to guess how to say certain French words.

Six suffixes that are the same in French and English

With that in mind, let’s look at six fairly common suffixes that are the same in both languages. 

Before we do that, though, remember that a suffix is an ending that gives a particular meaning when it’s tacked onto a word. For example, -ly is a suffix in English that indicates a word is an adjective or adverb (examples: lovely, quietly).

Like English, French has many suffixes. A number of these come from Latin. These include:

• -ation. Examples: nation/la nation ; information/l’information
• -tion. Examples: acceleration/l’accélération ; attention/attention
• -ssion. Examples: mission/une mission ; passion/la passion
• -able. Examples : capable/capable ; table/la table ; adorable/adorable
• -isme. Examples: Impressionism/l’impressionnisme ; racism/le racisme
• -if/ive. Examples: furtive/furtif/furtive; creative/créatif/créative

As you can see, not all of these words are identical down to the letter. But knowing that root words in both languages can have these suffixes added to them can be helpful, especially in French conversation. Personally, this rule was one of the things that made speaking French a lot easier for me. If I knew a word in English that had one of these suffixes, there was a good chance that it was the same or similar in French.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’ll no longer have to memorize vocabulary for words with these endings. After all, there are some that don’t follow the rule. Take “vacation” – in French, it’s les vacances.  Still, these common suffixes are good to keep in mind.

French circumflex words and English

Unlike English, the French language involves a lot of diacritical marks. While most accents in French words are used to indicate things like pronunciation, verb tense, or gender, one of them, the circumflex, is basically just a historical marker.

Most French words that have a circumflex once had an “s” after the accented letter. So, for example, the word château was once chasteau. The word forêt was once forest. 

That “once” is a time when French words were being borrowed into English, and so, interestingly enough, many French circumflex words have English counterparts that are very similar, with an “s”. You may already know or have guessed the English equivalents of château and forêt, for example – castle and forest.  

(Before we continue, yes, I know château is also “chateau” in English, but that word has a very specific connotation and isn’t used as a general term the way château is in French.) 

As you can see with château/castle, not all French circumflex words have remained exactly the same in the two languages. And in some cases, like être , there’s no similar English word at all. So, while the tie between French circumflex words and English could be helpful to keep in mind in some cases (forêt/forest; hôtel/hotel; hôpital/hospital; théâtre/theatre, etc.), it isn’t a constant.

But for etymology fans like myself, it is a pretty neat tie to history, at the very least.  

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False cognates – and why they exist in the first place

Some English and French words are written the same way or very similarly but have evolved to have very different meanings. 

One of the most notorious of these faux amis is préservatif, which does not mean “preservative” in French, but…condom. Misusing this word is one of the most awkward French mistakes you can make! 

So, the moral here is to still learn your vocabulary. But if you’re in a bind, you have a good chance of being able to find an equivalent French word if it contains one of those six suffixes I mentioned, or is related to a French circumflex word.

You may be wondering why faux amis exist at all, since English borrowed words directly from French and Latin. The answer is, it’s simply because of how language evolves. Even in English itself, certain words have changed meaning over time or have additional connotations than they previously did. A very interesting example of this – in both languages – is the word “gay”.  

“Gay” was borrowed into English from the French gai (joyful, flashy).  Over the 20^th century, it came to have an additional meaning in English: homosexual. Today, this is the dominant connotation that comes to mind for most English-speakers. The English “gay” has been borrowed back into French, where it also means “homosexual.” The French word gai(e) still means “happy” in French, although some francophones, including those in Quebec, also use this spelling instead of “gay”.

One of the most important things that etymology can teach us is that words are always evolving. While they’re being spoken and used by human beings, languages are living things. Faux amis aside, that’s pretty cool.

French words that are the same in English

Still, there are many words in English and French that are the same or very similar, both in spelling and meaning. Here’s a list of some of the most common. If you want to go further, at the end of this article, you’ll find a link to an extremely long and thorough alphabetical list. 

French food and dining words that are the same in English

Many English food-related words originally came from French, but a majority of these have changed a bit over the centuries, to be pronounced and written in a more Anglophone way. 

A good example of this are the words derived from the French word and verb dîner, which include dinner, diner, and dinette, as well as the verb “to dine”. 

You’ll notice, first of all, that all of these words are pronounced differently than their French ancestors. You’ll also notice that their meanings have expanded from these two original borrowed words: “dinner” and “to dine” are the counterparts of le dîner and dîner, respectively, but a diner and dinette are types of restaurant.

Interestingly, “dinette” is also a French word, but it’ s a classic example of a faux ami.  In French, une dinette in French is a child’s tea party set or set of plastic food toys.  (It can also mean a light, late evening meal, although I’ve personally never heard it used that way, for what it’s worth.)

This being said, there are other French words related to food and dining whose meaning and spelling have remained more or less the same in French and English. A number of these were borrowed into English in recent centuries, when French cooking became a hallmark of class for Anglophones. 

Here are some of the most common food- and dining -related words that are the same (or extremely similar) in French and English:

• à la carte : when you want to order individual dishes which are not part of a pre-established sequence of courses.
• menu
• apéritif
• café (a type of restaurant)
• picnic 
• salade
• soupe
• omelette
• bon appétit
• hors d’œuvre
• vinaigrette
• restaurant
• alcool (This word was originally borrowed into French from Arabic, by way of Latin)
• chef (This means boss in French and not only “cook”.)

British English speakers also often use some common French food words, including: 

• cornichon
• gateau
• courgette
• aubergine

French fashion and appearance words that are the same or similar in English

Every culture has its trends, fashions, and notions of beauty, but France has an international reputation for expertise in this area. It’s no wonder, then, that so many French words related to fashion and appearance have been borrowed into English. Here’s a list of some of the most common -including one that’s a very recent addition to the English language:

• prêt-à-porter
• chic
• couture
• silhouette
• petite
• faux (usually used to describe synthetic fur (faux fur), as opposed to fur from an animal)
• sans fard – If you’re a fan of pop culture and celebrity gossip, you’ve probably come across this term in recent years. “Sans fard” (sometimes written “sans fards”) means “without makeup” and describes a photo where a person is wearing no makeup, and may not even be groomed in a glamorous way (for example, unbrushed hair, etc.). Of course, sans fard photos aren’t always truthful – many celebrities have been called out for abusing the term, since they are wearing at least very basic makeup and have their hair done in the shot.

French art and culture words that are the same or similar in English

Here are some French words that you’ll often hear or come across (or use) in English. 

• Art Nouveau 
• avant-garde
• bas-relief
• film noir
• matinee (Note that in French, this word is most commonly used as a way to say “morning”.)
• papier mâché (For many English speakers, this is written slightly differently: papier mache)
• trompe l’oeil

In addition to artistic movements like Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which keep their French names in English,  many artistic movements are written in a similar way in French and English. One of the main reasons for this is the suffix -ism/-isme.  Here are a few examples:

• Impressionism/impressionnisme
• Realism/réalisme
• Surrealism/surréalisme
• Cubism/cubisme

You can find many other French words related to culture and the arts, including classical dance-related vocabulary on this excellent and extensive list.  

Other common French words used in English

Some French words we use in English, like repertoire and protégé, don’t have exactly the same meaning in both languages – or at least, not the same primary meaning. For example, répertoire in French is most commonly used to describe a list of phone numbers; protégé means “protected” in French).  But many other French words in English are used the same way in French, more or less. Here are some of them:

• bourgeois
• brunette
• blond(e)
• adieu
• au contraire
• chauffeur
• chic
• critique
• depot
• déjà vu
• (eau de) cologne
• eau de toilette
• en route
• entrepreneur
• fiancé (Note that while in English, this can refer to a man or a woman, in French, a female person someone is engaged to is fiancée, the word’s feminine form.)
• genre
• laissez-faire
• maître d’ (this is used in its complete form, maître d’hôtel, in French)
• joie de vivre
• toilette
• nouveau riche
• faux pas
• je ne sais quoi
• carte blanche
• voyeur
• R.S.V.P (Many English-speakers don’t realize this is an abbreviation of Répondez s’il vous plait)
• souvenir
• par excellence
• potpourri
• Bon voyage (learn more here)
• cliché (Note that in French, in addition to its most well-known meaning, cliché is another way to say “photo”)
• au pair
• femme fatale
• bouquet
• boutique
• coup
• milieu 
• ménage à trois
• bon vivant
• bon mot
• coup d’état
• de rigueur
• savoir-faire
• tête à tête
• Voila (I usually see the word written without an accent in English, but remember that it’s actually written like this in French: Voilà).
• du jour

These are just the most common French words used in English, but there are many more, especially if you’re watching or reading something featuring educated, possibly pretentious characters – or spending time with them in real life.  You can find a more extensive list of French words and expressions in English here. 

The three kinds of French words in English – and where to find them all

The words on our lists are among the most noticeable French words in English, because they haven’t changed (or haven’t changed much) from their original spellings and meanings. But what about the thousands of other French words that are supposed to make up the English language?

Since most of these words have evolved over the centuries, they may still be very similar to their French ancestors, or quite a bit different. Take, for example, one of my favorite English words, “jaunty”, which evolved in both spelling and meaning from the French word gentil. 

You can find an alphabetical list of French words in English, including these original borrowings that have evolved away from their French forms, here.  

And of course, don’t forget the English words that have a counterpart in French thanks to Latin. You can see some of those on this list. 

Do you have a favorite French word or expression that’s used in English? Are there any words these lists that surprised you? If so, why not try to use them today?

Having a déjà-vu? Well perhaps it’s because you read our list of words the English language has borrowed from German. But it was so fun researching and writing that article that we decided to do the same for French, which—with the Norman occupation of England in the 1100’s—has had a profound impact upon the English language.

French and English also share many Latin influences and as a result, the two languages overlap in many interesting ways. So, with that said, here are our 25 favorite French words used in English!

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1. Déjà-vu

Déjà = already
Vu (passé composé form of voir = to see) = seen
Already seen (before).

2. à la mode (not used as such in French)

à (preposition) = in(to), at
La mode = way, style
In the way (style) of.

3. Cul-de-sac

cul (coll./vulgar) = bottom, ass
de (preposition) = from, of
sac = bag
Bottom (ass) of the bag.

4. RSVP = répondez s’il vous plaît

Répondez, 2nd person plural of répondre = to reply, to answer
S’il vous plaît = please
[However, it is a compound of
s’ (abbrev. of si) = if
il = he/it
vous = you (formal)
plaît (3rd pers. sing. of plaire) = to care for, to please]
Reply, if it pleases you.

5. Chaise longue

Chaise = chair
Longue = long
Long chair.

6. Crème brûlée

Crème = cream
Brûlée (participe passé of brûler = to burn) = burnt
Burnt cream.

7. Du jour

Du (de = from, of + le = the) = of the
Jour = day
Of the day.

8. Café au lait

Café = coffee
au (à = in; with + le = the) = in/with the
Lait = milk
Coffee with milk.

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9. Carte blanche

Carte = card
Blanche (feminine form of blanc) = white
White card (i.e. blank canvas = complete freedom to act as one wishes)

10. Comme ci, comme ça

Comme = like
ci = this
ça = that
Like this, like that.

11. Eau de toilette

Eau = water
de = from, of
toilette = toilette, wash [toiletter = to groom]
Grooming water.

12. Fait accompli (not used as a stand-alone)

Fait = act, fact
Accompli = accomplished
Accomplished fact.

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13. Femme fatale

Femme = woman
Fatale = fatal, deadly
Deadly woman.

14. Film noir

Film = movie
Noir = black
Black (dark) movie.

15. Foie gras

Foie = liver
Gras = fatty
Fatty liver.

16. Grand Prix

Grand = great, large
Prix = prize
Great prize.

17. Hors d’œuvre

Hors = outside
d’ (de) = from, of
œuvre = work
Outside (of) the work, i.e. not part of the ordinary set of courses in a meal.

18. Joie de vivre

Joie = joy
de = of
vivre = to live
Joy of living.

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19. Laissez-faire

Laissez, 2nd pers. plural of laisser = to let, to leave
Faire = to do
Let do, i.e. to leave as it; to let be.

20. Ménage à trois

Ménage = household
Trois = three
Household of three (Ha! you were thinking something else?)

21. Objet d’art

Objet = object
Art = art
Object of art.

22. Raison d’être

Raison = reason
être = to be
Reason for being.

23. Vis-à-vis

vis = face
Face to face.

24.  Avant-garde

Avant = before, (in) advance (of)
Garde = guard
Advance guard.

25.  Faux pas

Faux = false, wrong
Pas = step; move
False/wrong step.

Learn French more efficiently

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Learning French can be a rewarding experience, especially if you are already proficient in English. In fact, there are a lot of French words used in English, since it’s been used for centuries to give English a certain flair. French words are especially prevalent in the food and fashion industries, for example.

To help you see the common roots of both languages, we compiled this list of 20 common French words used in English.

À la mode

À la mode is a quintessential fashion expression, meaning that something is in style.

• Tight jeans are so à la mode right now. – Les jeans moulants sont tellement à la mode en ce moment.

For some reason, à la mode in English can also be used as a fancy way to say with ice cream. This use does not exist in French!

• I’ll take an apple pie à la mode, please. – Je vais prendre une tarte aux pommes avec de la glace, s’il vous plaît.

Apéritif

While apéritif only refers to alcoholic drinks served before a meal in English, it can refer to both drinks and appetizers in French.

• Would you like an apéritif ? I can offer you Ricard and pretzels. – Voulez-vous un apéritif ? Je peux vous offrir un Ricard et des bretzels.

Blasé

In both languages, blasé is an adjective meaning that someone appears fairly indifferent about something.

• I’m a bit blasé about life. – Je suis un peu blasé de la vie.

Bon vivant

A bon vivant describes someone who enjoys life.

• Paul enjoys good food and wine. He is a true bon vivant. – Paul apprécie la bonne nourriture et du bon vin. C’est un vrai bon vivant.

Bouquet

A bouquet is a quintessential French word used in English, always with its silent t.

• I gave my wife a bouquet of roses. – J’ai donné un bouquet de roses à ma femme.

Bureau

English speakers use bureau to describe a specialized office, usually in officialdom. Its use is much more general in French, meaning simply an office, and also just a desk in French.

• She must drop by the immigration bureau. – Elle doit faire un saut au bureau d’immigration.

• I forgot my phone on my desk at the office. – J’ai oublié mon téléphone sur mon bureau au bureau.

Chef

In French, un chef can refer both to a professional cook and a boss.

• The chef made us an amazing dessert. – Le chef nous a fait un dessert impressionnant.

• Our boss loves endless meetings. – Notre chef aime les réunions interminables.

Cliché

In both English and French, a cliché is similar to a stereotype. This use can be either an adjective or a noun in both languages.  As a noun, un cliché in French can also refer to a photograph.

• This movie is so cliché. – Ce film est tellement cliché.

• I took a nice photo of the old bridge. – J’ai pris un beau cliché du vieux pont.

Cul-de-sac

In both languages, a cul-de-sac refers to dead end, usually of a road or path. The literal translation of cul in French is butt or ass, so un cul-de-sac is literally a bag’s butt end. While in English this usually refers to an end-of-road layout that’s rounded to facilitate turning around, in French we use cul-de-sac for the end of a dead-end road of any shape.

Note that in French the l in cul is silent, whereas in English it’s pronounced the same as cull.

• This road ends in a cul-de-sac. – Cette route finit en cul-de-sac.

Début

While English speakers use début for someone’s first public performance, the main meaning in French is beginning.

• The young artist made his début last year. – Le jeune artiste a fait ses débuts l’année dernière.

• I started my new job at the beginning of the year. – J’ai commencé mon nouveau travail en début d’année.

En route

This is a great expression meaning that someone or something is on their way.

• My package is en route to France. – Mon colis est en route pour la France.

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur is derived from the French verb entreprendre, which means to undertake. In both languages, it refers to someone who starts a new business.

In French, un entrepreneur is also commonly used on its own to refer to a contractor in the building trades, though it’s often accompanied by a description of the person’s specialty.

• With so many regulations, it is difficult to be an entrepreneur nowadays. – Avec autant de réglementations, c’est difficile d’être un entrepreneur de nos jours.

• I hired a plumbing contractor to redo our bathroom. – J’ai engagé un entrepreneur en plomberie pour refaire notre salle de bains.

Fiancé, Fiancée

In French, the verb to become engaged to be married is se fiancer. Following les fiancailles, or the engagement, the engaged man is known as le fiancé, and the engaged woman is la fiancée.

Both of these titles for the engaged individuals have been adopted into English with the same pronunciation and the same accented é.

• Let me introduce you to my fiancé Simon. – Laissez-moi vous présenter mon fiancé Simon.

• Lovely to finally meet you, Simon. I’ve known your fiancée Adèle since university. – Ravie de vous rencontrer enfin, Simon. Je connais ta fiancée Adèle depuis l’université.

Gauche

In both English and French, gauche is an adjective meaning awkward or clumsy. It can also translate to left in French.

• She is a bit gauche sometimes, but we still invite her out. – Elle est un peu gauche parfois, mais nous l’invitons quand même à sortir.

• Sometimes I feel like I have two left hands. – Parfois, j’ai l’impression d’avoir deux mains gauches.

Queue

When you need to wait in line for something, the line is called a queue in both English and French. Another word for this waiting line in French is une file d’attente.

In English a queue is also a type of list where things are processed in order, like when you add songs to a playlist.

The main meaning of queue in French is actually a tail, whether of an animal or of something else like a plane or a parade. Be careful of context when you use this word in Canada, because in québécois French, une queue is also a slang term for a penis or a dick.

Although queue is written identically in both French and English, the pronunciation is different. In English queue is pronounced the same as the English word cue, while in French it’s pronounced the same as the French word que.

• I spent almost one hour in the queue ! – J’ai passé presque une heure dans la queue !

• I’ll add your song to my queue and play it after the others. – Je vais ajouter votre chanson à ma file d’attente et la jouer après les autres.

• The beaver has a big flat tail. – Le castor a une grosse queue plate.

Restaurant

Did you know that un restaurant is a French word? In French we often even shorten it to un resto.

• La Tour d’Argent is a very famous restaurant. – La Tour d’Argent est un restaurant très connu.

Sauté

Sauté comes from the French verb sauter, meaning to jump. In both languages, sauté can be used as either a noun or a verb to describe cooking morsels of food in a pan, though if it’s used as a verb in French it may take a different form.

• I like to sauté my vegetables. – J’aime bien faire sauter mes légumes.

• My mom prepared a delicious chicken sauté for dinner. – Ma mère a préparé un délicieux sauté de poulet pour le dîner.

Soirée

A soirée is a casual party, usually with a touch of class.

• We are invited to a fancy soirée tomorrow night. – Nous sommes invités à une soirée chic demain soir.

Tête-à-Tête

A tête-à-tête is private meeting between two people. Its literal translation in French is head-to-head.

• My boss requested a tête-à-tête with me. – Mon patron m’a demandé que l’on se voit en tête-à-tête.

Voilà

Voilà is an expression of accomplishment similar to there it is! or ta-da!

• You add the fruits and voilà, your cake is ready! – Vous ajoutez les fruits et voilà, votre gâteau est prêt !

Conclusion

It is remarkable to observe how many French words have been adopted into English. These French-rooted words are employed in both languages with regularity, illustrating just how deeply intertwined these two languages are.

We only listed 20 today, but there are actually hundreds of them. If you want even more, you can take a look at our other LingoCulture post on French words used in English.

By OptiLingo • 6 minute read

You Use a Lot of French Words in English

It may surprise you to learn that, as an English speaker, you already know a fair amount of French. And this can help you learn French faster. But knowing what these loanwords and cognates are, you can enhance your French vocabulary quickly. Find out which French words are used in English every day.

Why Is There So Much French in English?

A brief refresher history lesson will help you understand how French came to be one of the foundations for modern English. Linguists often consider the origins of the English language ripe for debate. Ancient cultures in the British Isles spoke Celtic-based languages. The Romans invaded Britain around 50 AD, bringing the Latin language with them. Latin would become an essential language in the public life of Britain during Roman rule.

The Anglo-Saxon invasion in the 5th and 6th centuries involved the introduction of Germanic languages that were responsible for many of the foundations of English. The origins of French words in the English language dates to 1066, the year of the Norman Conquest. The Normans who ruled England spoke a dialect known as Anglo-Norman French. Because of Norman rule, this dialect became an essential part of English culture, as well as law and administration. French words, even some of the quirkier ones, have had a steady place in English ever since.

How Much of English Comes From French

Thanks to the French occupation of the British Isles, English has plenty of vocabulary of French origin. Did you know that well over 10,000 English words come from French? Besides words that come from French, many other English words come from Latin, which French has its origins in.

Many words in English either have close equivalents or exact counterparts in French, which is pretty impressive. Where did all these words come from, anyway? We’ll take a closer look at French’s influence on our language, and you might even build up your vocabulary.

How Many French Words Are in English?

About 7,000 French words are in the modern English language. Initially, there were about 10,000 French-origin words in English.

England’s sometimes-complicated history his given it influences from many languages. However, here are some interesting facts:

• 58% of words in modern English have Latin and French origins
• 29% of words in modern English have entirely French origins
• English and French have 170,000 true cognates, similar or same words with identical meanings in both languages

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Common French and English Suffixes

The -tion suffix found in words like action is common to a lot of words in both languages. There are other suffixes that lead to common words, such as:

• -isme, such as le racisme (racism) and l’impressionnisme (impressionism)
• -able, such as adorable, la table, and capable
• -ssion, such as la passion and la mission
• -tion, such as attention or l’accélération
• -if/ive, such as créative or furtive
• -ation, such as l’information and la nation

Although these words are not always identical, they are often similar enough despite the article used or slight spelling differences in the suffix. Although you will still need to learn the necessary vocabulary, understanding the use of common suffixes is an excellent way to learn more of the words you need to know.

Cuisine and Food Terms That Come From French

• À la carte – Ordering individual dishes off the menu, without following a specific course
• Alcool – A word for alcohol that comes from Arabic, with a Latin base
• Apéritif – An alcoholic beverage consumed before the main meal
• Bon Appétit – Enjoy your meal
• Café – In French, this refers to a special type of restaurant
• Chef – In French, this word translates more closely to “boss” than just “cook”
• Hors d’œuvre – Usually an appetizer, but can refer to any small savory dish
• Maître d’hôtel – restaurant staffer in charge of servers and buspeople
• Menu – Basically the same as in English, although it may refer to determined items served as courses or a’ la carte items
• Vinaigrette – A salad dressing consisting of oil, wine vinegar, and spices

Other exact words include menu, picnic, and restaurant. Salade and soupe have the same meanings in both languages, with a different spelling. Some French food-related words British English speakers use include aubergine (eggplant), cornichon (pickles), courgette (zucchini), and gâteau (cake).

Fashion-Related French Words Used in English

France has a long history of involvement with fashion, and it is easy to see its involvement through the use of some common words and phrases. Here are some of the most common words and their original meanings:

• Blond/blonde, brunette -Many are surprised to learn that the names for these hair colors have French roots
• Boutique – A store selling stylish clothing, jewelry, and luxury goods
• Chic – Usually used to describe something stylish and sophisticated
• Couture – Made-to-measure or customized designs
• Eau de cologne/toilette – Cologne or perfume
• Faux – Synthetic, usually referring to fake “fur” or “leather”
• Petite – A small clothing size geared towards small women
• Prêt-à-porter – Clothing made “ready to wear”, instead of “made-to-measure”
• Sans fard – Photos of celebrities appearing without or with very minimal makeup and without their hair styled
• Silhouette – The outline and dark shape that appears against a lighter background

Artistic and Cultural French Words Used in English

France has been at the forefront of the art world for centuries. Here are the exact meanings of some terms used in artistic or cultural settings:

• Art Nouveau – Modern art
• Avant-Garde – Experimental art
• Bas-relief – Sculpture attached to a solid background
• Film noir – Thriller or detective movies
• Genre – A specific film type, such as drama, horror, action, etc.
• Matinée – A daytime film screening or theatrical performance
• Papier mâché – Paper material, possibly reinforced with textiles, used in art
• Trompe-l’œil – Art that creates a visual illusion

Other terms in the art world that are similar include cubisme (cubism), impressionisme (impressionism), realisme (realism), and surrealisme (surrealism).

Other Familiar French Words

Some French words are used essentially the same way in both languages and are a part of everyday vocabulary. Common words that require no explanation are:

• Au pair
• Bouquet
• Chauffeur
• Déjà vu
• Dépôt
• En route
• Entrepreneur
• Par excellence
• Pot pourri
• R.S.V.P. (for Répondez s’il vous plaît)
• Souvenir
• Voilà

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OptiLingo can get you to French fluency faster than any other language learning app. This app gives you the most common French words, so you’ll learn exactly how the locals speak. And with built-in spaced repetition, you’re guaranteed to remember your lessons. Try OptiLingo today to discover how easy learning French can be!