Vegetables are central to everyday cooking across the French-speaking world, but the varieties you encounter and the ways they are prepared vary by region and season.
You will see vegetable vocabulary on menus, in recipes, and when shopping at a supermarket or market.
Some words resemble English, while others, such as pomme de terre, courgette, and aubergine, are worth learning early.
Common vegetables
Start with vegetables that appear frequently in recipes, shops, and everyday meals:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un légume | vegetable |
| une carotte | carrot |
| une pomme de terre | potato |
| une tomate | tomato |
| un oignon | onion |
| un poireau | leek |
| un poivron | bell pepper |
| une courgette | zucchini / courgette |
| une aubergine | eggplant / aubergine |
| un concombre | cucumber |
| un champignon | mushroom |
| un céleri | celery |
| un navet | turnip |
Une pomme de terre literally means "apple of the earth." In informal French, you may also hear une patate for a potato.
Un poivron is a bell pepper. Pepper used as a seasoning is le poivre.
Leafy vegetables and salad greens
These words cover common leafy vegetables and greens that you may see in salads, cooked dishes, and produce sections:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la laitue | lettuce |
| les épinards | spinach |
| le chou | cabbage |
| le chou frisé | kale |
| la roquette | arugula / rocket |
| l'endive | endive |
| la mâche | lamb's lettuce |
| les blettes | Swiss chard |
La salade can mean a salad as a prepared dish or lettuce and other salad greens, depending on the context.
Beans, peas, and lentils
French food vocabulary groups several beans, peas, and lentils under terms that you will encounter in recipes and prepared dishes:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les haricots verts | green beans |
| les petits pois | peas |
| les pois chiches | chickpeas |
| les lentilles | lentils |
| les haricots blancs | white beans |
| les haricots rouges | kidney beans / red beans |
The h in haricot is aspirated, so there is no contraction or liaison before it. You say le haricot, not l'haricot.
Other vegetables you may encounter
Produce sections and recipes also include vegetables that may be less familiar to beginning learners:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le brocoli | broccoli |
| le chou-fleur | cauliflower |
| le chou de Bruxelles | Brussels sprout |
| l'asperge | asparagus |
| l'artichaut | artichoke |
| le fenouil | fennel |
| la betterave | beet / beetroot |
| le radis | radish |
| le maïs | corn |
| la citrouille | pumpkin |
| le potiron | pumpkin / winter squash |
French has several words for different types of squash. La courgette is zucchini, while la citrouille and le potiron refer to larger winter squashes.
How vegetables are sold and divided
These expressions are useful when buying or preparing vegetables:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une tête d'ail | a head of garlic |
| une gousse d'ail | a clove of garlic |
| une botte de radis | a bunch of radishes |
| une botte d'asperges | a bunch of asparagus |
| une feuille de laitue | a lettuce leaf |
| une tête de chou | a head of cabbage |
Une botte is used for produce sold together in a bunch, including radishes, asparagus, and many fresh herbs.
For more vocabulary about portions and amounts, see Food quantities and portions.
Describing fresh, raw, and cooked vegetables
These words tell you about the condition of a vegetable or how it has been prepared:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| frais / fraîche | fresh |
| cru / crue | raw |
| cuit / cuite | cooked |
| mûr / mûre | ripe |
| de saison | in season |
| surgelé / surgelée | frozen |
| en conserve | canned |
You will see these words combined with vocabulary related to vegetables:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| des légumes frais | fresh vegetables |
| des carottes crues | raw carrots |
| des légumes cuits | cooked vegetables |
| des épinards surgelés | frozen spinach |
| des tomates en conserve | canned tomatoes |
Vegetables on menus and in dishes
Menus may list a particular vegetable or use les légumes more generally for vegetables served with a dish:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une soupe de légumes | vegetable soup |
| des légumes grillés | grilled vegetables |
| une salade verte | green salad |
| une purée de pommes de terre | mashed potatoes |
| des haricots verts | green beans |
| une poêlée de légumes | pan-fried / sautéed vegetables |
| des crudités | raw vegetables |
Les crudités are raw vegetables, often served together as a starter or salad.
If a menu says that a dish is servi avec des légumes, the exact vegetables may depend on the season or what the restaurant is serving that day.
Une poêlée refers to ingredients cooked together in a frying pan and is commonly used for mixtures of vegetables.
From learning to practice
When you shop for vegetables, try to recall the French word for each one before you put it in your basket. Pay attention to how it is sold as well, such as une botte de radis, une tête d'ail, or individual vegetables such as une courgette.