café-restaurant
masculine
The English phrase 'diner' can be translated into French as café-restaurant. If unsure, use café-restaurant. Wiktionary also lists wagon-restaurant.
Meaning: a small and inexpensive type of restaurant which may be modelled to resemble a dining car (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| café-restaurant | masculine | |
| wagon-restaurant | /va.ɡɔ̃.ʁɛs.tɔ.ʁɑ̃/ /wa.ɡɔ̃.ʁɛs.tɔ.ʁɑ̃/ (Belgium) |
masculine |
A diner is a small and inexpensive type of restaurant which may be modelled to resemble a dining car. In slang, the term Bouiboui is used to refer to a small, modest diner.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, Canada, the term casse-croûte is often used to describe a diner or small restaurant.
Did you know?
- The word restaurant entered the French language in the 18th century to describe a 'restorative' broth sold to heal the sick.
- In a café-restaurant, the price of a coffee can change depending on whether you drink it standing at the bar or sitting at a table.
- While casse-croûte refers to a diner in Québec, the phrase literally translates to 'break the crust' of a loaf of bread.
Examples in context
- Avant d'ouvrir son café-restaurant, John était un simple vendeur de hot-dogs.Before opening his diner, John was a simple hot dog vendor.This sentence is useful for describing a person's professional background before opening their café-restaurant.Tatoeba #8648200 by lbdx, translation #2871522 by mervert1
- Je vais dîner au restaurant ce soir.I'm going to have dinner at the restaurant tonight.
- Je vais prendre une pause déjeuner au bouiboui du coin.I'm going to have a lunch break at the local diner.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are looking for a place to eat breakfast.
- ChloéRegarde Nathan, il y a un café-restaurant là-bas.Look Nathan, there is a diner over there.
- NathanC'est vrai, ça a l'air très sympa.True, it looks very nice.
- ChloéEst-ce que tu veux y aller ?Do you want to go there?
- NathanOui, j'ai très faim !Yes, I am very hungry!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diner” translations and entries wagon-restaurant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
