Some French fruit names will already look familiar, such as une orange and un kiwi. Others can be misleading. Un raisin, for example, is a grape, while the English word "raisin" is un raisin sec in French.
You will see fruit vocabulary at a market or supermarket, on menus, and in descriptions of flavors. For vegetables, see Vegetables.
Common fruits
These are common names of fruit in French:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un fruit | fruit |
| une pomme | apple |
| une poire | pear |
| une clémentine | clementine |
| une mandarine | mandarin / mandarin orange |
| une orange | orange |
| une banane | banana |
| un citron | lemon |
| un citron vert | lime |
| une pêche | peach |
| un abricot | apricot |
| une prune | plum |
| un raisin | grape |
| un raisin sec | raisin |
| un kiwi | kiwi |
Be careful with un raisin. It means a grape. Un raisin sec is a raisin, literally a dried grape.
Berries and small fruits
These are common names of berries and other small fruits:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une fraise | strawberry |
| une framboise | raspberry |
| une myrtille | blueberry |
| une mûre | blackberry |
| une groseille | redcurrant / currant |
| une cerise | cherry |
The word mûre can have two different meanings. As a noun, une mûre is a blackberry. As the feminine form of the adjective mûr, it means ripe.
Melons and tropical fruits
These are common names of melons and tropical fruits:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un melon | melon |
| une pastèque | watermelon |
| un ananas | pineapple |
| une mangue | mango |
| une papaye | papaya |
| un fruit de la passion | passion fruit |
| une noix de coco | coconut |
| une goyave | guava |
| un litchi | lychee |
Une pastèque is watermelon. Un melon usually refers to the smaller melons eaten on their own or used in dishes.
Parts of a fruit
Several words are useful for describing, preparing, and eating fruit:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la peau | skin / peel |
| un pépin | seed / pip |
| un noyau | pit / stone |
| la chair | flesh |
| une tranche | slice |
| un quartier | segment / wedge |
| le jus | juice |
French distinguishes between un pépin and un noyau. Apples, pears, and grapes have des pépins. Peaches, cherries, and apricots have un noyau.
Un quartier is one section or wedge of a fruit:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un quartier d'orange | an orange segment |
| un quartier de citron | a lemon wedge |
| une tranche de pastèque | a slice of watermelon |
Fruit as a flavor
Fruit names often appear in descriptions of yogurt, ice cream, jam, juice, and other foods and drinks.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un yaourt à la fraise | strawberry yogurt |
| une glace à la framboise | raspberry ice cream |
| de la confiture de myrtilles | blueberry jam |
| un jus de cerise | cherry juice |
| un jus de pomme | apple juice |
| une tarte au citron | lemon tart |
French uses different constructions depending on the relationship between the two nouns. You may see à, as in une glace à la framboise, or de, as in un jus de pomme. See À or de between nouns for more about these patterns.
Useful words and distinctions
A few words are especially useful when choosing or talking about fruit:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| mûr / mûre | ripe |
| pas mûr / pas mûre | unripe / not ripe |
| juteux / juteuse | juicy |
The difference between mûr and mûre is grammatical when they are adjectives. Use mûr with a masculine noun and mûre with a feminine noun:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un melon mûr | a ripe melon |
| une pêche mûre | a ripe peach |
| des pêches mûres | ripe peaches |
For other words used to describe taste, freshness, and texture, see How to describe food.
How fruit is sold
Fruit can be sold individually, by weight, or in containers and bunches.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un kilo de pommes | a kilo of apples |
| 500 grammes de fraises | 500 grams of strawberries |
| une barquette de framboises | a container of raspberries |
| une grappe de raisin | a bunch of grapes |
| une douzaine d'oranges | a dozen oranges |
Une barquette is a small container often used for berries and other delicate fruit. Une grappe is a bunch or cluster, as in une grappe de raisin.
For asking for quantities and buying food, see Food quantities and portions and At the market.
From learning to practice
When you encounter fruit vocabulary, look at the whole expression. Un raisin and un raisin sec refer to different foods, while words such as pépin, noyau, and quartier describe parts of a fruit. Fruit names also combine with other words in expressions such as jus de pomme and glace à la framboise.