mange ton repas
The English phrase "eat your food" is translated into French as mange ton repas.
This phrase is a command telling someone to consume the meal they have been given. While you might expect a literal translation of "food," using the word for "meal" is more natural in French when referring to a prepared dish.
Which one should you use?
The phrase mange ton repas specifically uses the word for "meal" (repas). In a casual setting, a parent might simply say Mange ! (Eat!) rather than the full phrase. Additionally, if you want to use slang, you can say Mange ta bouffe, where bouffe is a slang term for food.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to more than one person or to someone you address with respect, use mangez votre repas instead of mange ton repas.
When do people say it?
When a meal is served, it is common to say Bon appétit to mean "enjoy your meal".
Did you know?
- While Bon appétit is the standard way to start a meal, some traditionalist French circles consider it a faux pas because it refers to the physical desire to eat rather than the pleasure of the meal.
- The slang word bouffe for food is so common that it is used as a verb, bouffer, which can mean to eat greedily or even to 'gobble up' someone's time.
- The word repas shares its roots with the English word 'repast', a formal term for a meal that has largely fallen out of common usage.
Examples in context
- Mange ton repas avant qu'il soit froid.Eat your food before it gets cold.
- Mange ton repas rapidement, s'il te plaît.Eat your food quickly, please.
- Mange ton repas, tu as besoin d'énergie.Eat your food, you need energy.
Example conversation
A parent is talking to their child at the dinner table.
- NathanLéa, mange ton repas, s'il te plaît.Léa, eat your food, please.
- LéaJe n'ai pas très faim, Nathan.I'm not very hungry, Nathan.
- NathanTu dois manger pour grandir.You have to eat to grow.
- LéaD'accord, je vais essayer.Okay, I will try.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries repas, ton, CC BY-SA 4.0.
