déjeuner
/de.ʒœ.ne/
To eat lunch in French is déjeuner.
The word déjeuner is used to describe the act of consuming a meal in the middle of the day. When used as a verb, you do not need to include a direct object like 'lunch' because the verb itself implies the action of eating the midday meal.
Which one should you use?
In standard French, déjeuner refers specifically to the midday meal, while dîner is used to refer to the evening meal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word déjeuner can function as both a noun meaning 'lunch' and a verb meaning 'to eat lunch'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /de.ʒœ.ne/ and has three syllables.
Did you know?
- In many parts of the French-speaking world, such as Belgium, Switzerland, or Quebec, the words for meals shift. You might find that déjeuner actually refers to breakfast, while the midday meal is called dîner.
- The verb déjeuner literally means 'to break a fast'. It is composed of the prefix dé-, meaning 'undo', and jeûner, which means 'to fast'.
- While déjeuner is the midday meal in France, the Spanish equivalent desayunar is used exclusively for 'breakfast'.
Examples in context
- As-tu pris un déjeuner ?Did you eat lunch?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has eaten their lunch using déjeuner.Tatoeba #8665532 by Micsmithel, translation #6358106 by CK
- C'est l'heure de déjeuner.It's time to eat lunch.This sentence is useful for stating that it is time to eat lunch using déjeuner.Tatoeba #480119 by qdii, translation #433693 by CK
- Je dois prendre mon déjeuner.I have to eat lunch.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to eat lunch using déjeuner.Tatoeba #8164030 by marcus16100, translation #8163594 by magnificentgoddess
- Je vais déjeuner avec mes collègues.I am going to eat lunch with my colleagues.
- Je prends le repas de midi au restaurant.I am having lunch at the restaurant.
- Tu veux manger à midi?Do you want to eat lunch?
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are chatting at the office.
- EmmaVeux-tu déjeuner avec moi aujourd'hui ?Do you want to eat lunch with me today?
- LucasOui, je voudrais bien déjeuner ensemble.Yes, I would really like to eat lunch together.
- EmmaOn peut déjeuner au petit café d'en face.We can eat lunch at the little cafe opposite.
- LucasD'accord, on y va maintenant !Okay, let's go now!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry déjeuner, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries déjeuner, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
