saignant
/sɛ.ɲɑ̃/
The English phrase 'cooked rare' is translated into French as saignant.
The term saignant is used to describe meat that has been cooked for a short time so that the inside remains red. When ordering a steak in a restaurant, you can simply say saignant to specify your preferred level of doneness.
Which one should you use?
Use saignant to describe meat that is rare, whereas bleu is used for 'very rare' or 'blue' (seared on the outside and cold/raw in the middle).
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine version is saignante, which is used to describe a feminine noun like une viande (a meat).
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛ.ɲɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The term saignant is derived from the verb saigner, which means 'to bleed' or 'to bleed a patient'. In a historical medical context, it referred to the practice of bloodletting.
- The word saignant can be used outside of the kitchen to describe a person who is 'bloodthirsty' or a style of art that is 'gory'.
- If you order a steak saignant in France, you might find it much more cooked than a 'rare' steak in the United States. French culinary standards for 'rare' often lean closer to what Americans consider 'medium-rare'.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais mon steak saignant, s'il vous plaît.I would like my steak cooked rare, please.
- Est-ce que la viande est saignante ?Is the meat cooked rare?
- Il préfère toujours ses côtes de bœuf saignantes.He always prefers his ribeye steaks cooked rare.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are ordering food at a restaurant.
- EmmaGabriel, comment veux-tu ton steak ?Gabriel, how do you want your steak?
- GabrielJe le veux saignant, merci.I want it cooked rare, thank you.
- EmmaD'accord, et pour moi, ce sera bien cuit.Okay, and for me, it will be well done.
- GabrielTrès bien, je vais commander maintenant.Very well, I am going to order now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry saignant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
