courses
feminine, plural
In French, groceries can be translated as courses or provisions.
Meaning: commodities sold by a grocer or in a grocery (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| courses | feminine, plural |
| provisions | feminine, plural |
The way you translate groceries depends on whether you are talking about the act of shopping or the items themselves. The phrase faire les courses is the most natural way to say 'to go grocery shopping'.
Which one should you use?
The term courses is used to refer to the act of grocery shopping or the errands themselves, rather than the physical items in the bag. In contrast, provisions refers specifically to the physical food and supplies that have been acquired.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both courses and provisions are feminine plural nouns.
Did you know?
- While courses usually means 'shopping', it comes from the word for 'race'. Saying faire les courses literally suggests 'running' through your errands.
- The word épicerie for a grocery store is used in France, but in Quebec, l'épicerie is the standard term for any supermarket, regardless of size.
- French has a specific word épicerie fine for a high-end grocery store that sells gourmet delicacies, a distinction not captured by the general word courses.
Examples in context
- Je dois acheter des provisions.I need to buy some groceries.This sentence shows the use of provisions to express the need to buy groceries.Tatoeba #11236300 by lbdx, translation #5975463 by ApioDelPueblo
- Je vais faire les courses tous les matins.I shop for groceries every morning.This sentence demonstrates the common phrase for doing the grocery shopping using courses.Tatoeba #4180 by TRANG, translation #430013 by witbrock
- Laissez-moi vous aider avec toutes ces provisions !Let me help you with those groceries.This sentence illustrates how to offer help with provisions.Tatoeba #3667954 by sacredceltic, translation #3667218 by _undertoad
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are in the kitchen after returning from the supermarket.
- NathanEmma, où sont les courses ?Emma, where are the groceries?
- EmmaJe les ai posées dans la cuisine.I put them in the kitchen.
- NathanD'accord, je vais les ranger.Okay, I will put them away.
- EmmaMerci, Nathan, c'est très gentil.Thanks, Nathan, that is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “groceries” translations and entries courses, provisions, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
