cheesecake
masculine
The English phrase cheesecake can be translated into French as cheesecake. Wiktionary also lists cheese-cake and cheese cake.
Meaning: dessert food (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| cheesecake | masculine |
| cheese-cake | masculine |
| cheese cake | masculine |
| gâteau au fromage | Canada, masculine |
| tarte au fromage | feminine |
In France, the English loanword cheesecake is frequently used in casual settings and menus to refer to the dessert.
Which one should you use?
While gâteau au fromage refers to a cake, tarte au fromage refers to a cheese tart and is a feminine noun.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canada, the term gâteau au fromage is commonly used for cheesecake. In France, gâteau au fromage can mean cheesecake.
Did you know?
- The French word for cheese, fromage, shares its root with the English word 'form', because cheese was traditionally made by pouring liquid into a wooden 'form' or mould.
- French culture has a vast vocabulary for cheese, but the language has no single word for 'cream cheese', often requiring the phrase fromage à la crème.
- If you ask for a tarte au fromage in a traditional French bakery, you might be served a savory cheese tart rather than a sweet dessert.
Examples in context
- Puis-je avoir une tranche de gâteau au fromage ?Could I have a slice of cheesecake?This sentence is useful for asking for a slice of gâteau au fromage.Tatoeba #399988 by sysko, translation #40282 by Swift
- Si le fromage est bon, mais que le gâteau est un mensonge, qu'est-ce qu'un gâteau au fromage ? Un bon mensonge.If cheese is good, but the cake is a lie, what is a cheesecake? A good lie.This sentence uses gâteau au fromage in a metaphorical context.Tatoeba #705223 by Aiji, translation #705220 by Zifre
- Le gâteau au fromage était trop sucré.The cheesecake tasted too sweet.This sentence describes the sweetness of the gâteau au fromage.Tatoeba #1688960 by belgavox, translation #50265 by CK
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding which dessert to order at a café.
- NathanEst-ce que tu veux un cheesecake ?Do you want a cheesecake?
- ManonNon, je préfère une tarte au chocolat.No, I prefer a chocolate tart.
- NathanD'accord, je vais commander le cheesecake pour moi.Okay, I will order the cheesecake for myself.
- ManonBon appétit, Nathan !Enjoy your meal, Nathan!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheesecake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cake, fromage, gâteau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
