dîner
/di.ne/Central, France, masculine
The French word for dinner is dîner. Wiktionary also lists souper (Cajun).
Meaning: evening meal (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dîner | /di.ne/ | Central, France, masculine |
| souper (Cajun) | Belgium, Canadian French, Swiss, masculine |
The term refers to the evening meal.
Which one should you use?
In standard French (France), dîner refers to the evening meal, whereas in some other Francophone regions, the evening meal is called souper.
Is it said differently in some regions?
dîner is the form used in Central France. souper is used in Belgium, Switzerland and by Canadian-French speakers, specifically as an informal term in Canada.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word dîner can function as both a noun (the meal) and a verb (to eat the meal).
How do you pronounce it?
dîner is pronounced /di.ne/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- In some regions of France, Belgium and Switzerland, dîner actually refers to the midday meal, while souper is used for the evening.
- In historical French contexts, dîner was the first meal of the day, often eaten around 10 am or 11 am.
- The word souper has a much more literal origin than dîner, as it is directly derived from the word for 'soup'.
Examples in context
- Qui vient dîner ?Who's coming for dinner?This sentence is useful for asking who is attending the meal using dîner.Tatoeba #1925203 by sacredceltic, translation #1911868 by Spamster
- Le dîner est prêt.Dinner is ready.This sentence is useful for announcing that the meal is ready using dîner.Tatoeba #12668 by sacredceltic, translation #39682 by CK
- Je te dois un dîner.I owe you a dinner.This sentence is useful for expressing a debt of a meal using dîner.Tatoeba #2729571 by Micsmithel, translation #2729538 by CM
- Nous avons un dîner de gala ce soir.We have a gala dinner tonight.
- On se retrouve pour le souper chez moi?Shall we meet at my place for dinner?
- 468 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are at home in the evening.
- NathanEmma, tu veux préparer le dîner ?Emma, do you want to prepare dinner?
- EmmaOui, Nathan, je peux faire des pâtes.Yes, Nathan, I can make pasta.
- NathanC'est une bonne idée pour le dîner.That is a good idea for dinner.
- EmmaJe vais chercher les ingrédients.I am going to get the ingredients.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dinner” translations and entries dîner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dîner, souper, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
