Food is divided and served in different ways, and French, like English, distinguishes between a slice of bread, a piece of cheese, and a serving of cake.
Words such as tranche, morceau, part, and portion describe the form or size of a serving. You will encounter them when shopping, eating at a restaurant, sharing food, or serving a meal.
Slices, pieces, and servings
Several common words describe a portion taken from a larger amount of food:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une portion | a portion / serving |
| un morceau | a piece |
| une tranche | a slice |
| une part | a portion / serving / slice |
| une bouchée | a bite |
| une poignée | a handful |
The word you use often depends on how the food is divided:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un morceau de fromage | a piece of cheese |
| une tranche de pain | a slice of bread |
| une tranche de jambon | a slice of ham |
| une part de pizza | a slice of pizza |
| une part de gâteau | a piece / slice of cake |
| une bouchée de gâteau | a bite of cake |
| une poignée d'amandes | a handful of almonds |
Un morceau is a general piece or chunk. Une tranche is a relatively flat slice cut from something. Une part is a serving taken from a larger whole, such as a cake, pie, or pizza.
Portion words used with particular foods
Some foods have common words for the way they are grouped, divided, or sold:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une douzaine d'œufs | a dozen eggs |
| une botte de radis | a bunch of radishes |
| une grappe de raisin | a bunch of grapes |
| une tête d'ail | a head of garlic |
| une gousse d'ail | a clove of garlic |
| une tablette de chocolat | a chocolate bar |
| une plaquette de beurre | a package / block of butter |
| une barquette de fraises | a container of strawberries |
These combinations are useful to learn together. A bunch of grapes is une grappe de raisin, while a bunch of radishes is une botte de radis.
Describing serving sizes
At a restaurant or around the table, you may want to know how much food a dish contains or how many people it will serve:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une petite portion | a small portion |
| une grosse portion | a large portion |
| une portion généreuse | a generous portion |
| une portion individuelle | an individual serving |
| pour une personne | for one person |
| pour deux personnes | for two people |
| pour quatre personnes | for four people |
You can ask about the size of a dish before ordering or sharing it:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est une grosse portion ? | Is it a large portion? |
| C'est pour combien de personnes ? | How many people is it for? |
| Une portion suffit pour deux personnes ? | Is one portion enough for two people? |
| C'est une portion individuelle ? | Is it an individual serving? |
Sharing food
When a dish is meant for several people, these phrases help you ask about sharing:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| On peut partager ? | Can we share? |
| On partage ? | Shall we share? |
| On peut en prendre une pour deux ? | Can we get one for two people? |
| On en prend une à partager ? | Shall we get one to share? |
The pronoun en can replace something that has already been mentioned. In On en prend une à partager ?, the food or dish is understood from the conversation.
Asking for more or less
You can adjust the amount when food is being ordered or served:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Un peu plus, s'il vous plaît. | A little more, please. |
| Un peu moins, s'il vous plaît. | A little less, please. |
| Encore un peu, s'il vous plaît. | A little more, please. |
| Juste un peu, merci. | Just a little, thank you. |
| Ça suffit, merci. | That's enough, thank you. |
You may also be asked whether you want more:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous en voulez encore ? | Would you like some more? |
| Vous en reprendrez ? | Would you like some more? |
| Vous en voulez un peu plus ? | Would you like a little more? |
| Oui, volontiers. | Yes, gladly. |
| Non merci, ça suffit. | No thank you, that's enough. |
For exact amounts such as grams, liters, and spoonfuls, see Quantities and measurements.
From learning to practice
At your next meal, look at how the food is divided or served. Try describing what you see as une tranche, un morceau, une part, or une portion, and use the phrases for more or less when serving yourself.
For conversations related to this lesson, see Conversations about food portions.