table à manger
/ta.bl‿a mɑ̃.ʒe/feminine
The English phrase 'dining table' is table à manger in French.
The term refers specifically to the table used in a dining room for serving and eating meals.
Meaning: table in the dining room on which meals are served (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, table à manger translates to 'table for eating'.
Which one should you use?
While table à manger specifically refers to a dining table, table de cuisine is often used to refer to a more casual table located in the kitchen.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun. The plural form is des tables à manger, where only the noun table takes an 's'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ta.bl‿a mɑ̃.ʒe/
Did you know?
- The word table is a linguistic doublet with the French words 'tôle', meaning 'sheet metal', and 'taule', a slang term for 'prison', both sharing the same Latin ancestor 'tabula'.
- In France, the phrase mettre la table is used to mean 'setting the table', but it can also be used idiomatically to mean preparing for a confrontation or a challenging situation.
- In French, the word table can be used to describe a 'table of contents' in a book or a 'data table' in a spreadsheet, stemming from its ancient sense of a 'tablet'.
Examples in context
- J'essuie la table à manger.I wipe the dining table.This sentence shows the action of wiping the table à manger.Tatoeba #3682000 by fleur74, translation #3684202 by Shereen
- Alex, mange à la table à manger, pas dans le fauteuil !Alex, eat at the dining table, not in the armchair!This sentence is useful for instructing someone to eat at the table à manger rather than in a chair.Tatoeba #14056448 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #14056447 by Ioan_Cristian
- Chéri, nous avons besoin d'une nouvelle table à manger. Notre table à manger n'est plus stable.Darling, we need a new dining table. Our dining table is no longer sturdy.This sentence describes the need for a new, sturdy table à manger.Tatoeba #14056465 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #14056464 by Ioan_Cristian
- La table à manger est magnifique.The dining table is beautiful.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is decorating their new apartment.
- ManonOù est la table à manger ?Where is the dining table?
- NathanElle est dans le carton.It is in the box.
- ManonOn doit l'installer vite.We must set it up quickly.
- NathanD'accord, je m'en occupe.Okay, I'll take care of it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dining table” translations and entries table à manger, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries manger, table, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
