traiteur
/tʁɛ.tœʁ/
The English phrase 'deli' is translated into French as traiteur.
In French, traiteur refers to both a shop that sells prepared or cooked foods ready for serving and a professional catering service. You may also use Charcuterie to refer to a deli that specializes specifically in cured meats.
Meaning: shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving (noun)
Which one should you use?
While traiteur is the general term for a deli or caterer, more specialized or formal terms exist. Épicerie fine is a formal way to say 'delicatessen', and Boutique gastronomique refers to a high-end gastronomic boutique.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine, so you would use the masculine article le traiteur when referring to the shop. The feminine form traiteuse can be used to refer to a female caterer or a female-run business.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /tʁɛ.tœʁ/.
Did you know?
- In France, the traiteur is the traditional solution for the 'Sunday roast' culture, where families buy a pre-cooked poulet rôti and sides to avoid spending their day off in the kitchen.
- The word traiteur comes from the verb traiter, which means 'to treat' or 'to process'.
- While a traiteur sells food, the term charcuterie refers to both the shop and the specific art of curing pork, a craft so central to French identity that it has its own dedicated professional guild.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, où puis-je trouver une épicerie fine près d'ici?Excuse me, where can I find a deli around here?
- Pourriez-vous me recommander une boutique gastronomique de qualité?Could you recommend me a high-quality deli?
- Allons à la charcuterie pour acheter quelques spécialités!Let's go to the deli to buy some specialties!
- Je vais chez le traiteur pour acheter un plat préparé.I am going to the deli to buy a prepared dish.
- Je vais chez le traiteur.I am going to the deli.
- Il y a un bon traiteur ici.There is a good deli here.
- Nous achetons le déjeuner au traiteur.We are buying lunch at the deli.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- GabrielOn commande des pizzas ?Should we order pizzas?
- ChloéNon, allons plutôt chez le traiteur.No, let's go to the deli instead.
- GabrielC'est une bonne idée.That is a good idea.
- ChloéLeur salade est délicieuse.Their salad is delicious.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry traiteur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries traiteur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
