How to Say "I Eat Lunch" in French

je déjeune

In French, the phrase for "I eat lunch" is je déjeune.

This phrase is used to state that someone is eating their midday meal.

Which one should you use?

Unlike English, which uses a noun (lunch) and a verb (eat), the French phrase uses a single intransitive verb déjeuner to express the entire action.

In Quebec, Canada, people may say Je dîne to mean I eat lunch.

The verb is conjugated in the first-person singular present tense.

English speakers often mistakenly say je mange le déjeuner instead of the more natural je déjeune.

The word déjeuner shares its roots with the English word 'fasting', as both involve the concept of an interrupted period of not eating.
The verb déjeuner literally means 'to break the fast'. This is why the word for breakfast in French is le petit déjeuner, meaning 'the little break-fast'.
In France, the midday meal is often viewed as a protected social ritual and can last significantly longer than a typical English 'lunch break'.

Je déjeune avec elle tous les jours.
I eat lunch with her every day.
This sentence shows how to use je déjeune to describe a daily habit with another person.
Tatoeba #13444823 by Cronos87, translation #13444388 by frpzzd
Je déjeune tous les jours dans ce restaurant.
I eat lunch in that restaurant every day.
This sentence is useful for stating where you eat lunch using je déjeune.
Tatoeba #12199267 by lbdx, translation #2906904 by CK
Je déjeune ici deux ou trois fois par semaine.
I eat lunch here two or three times a week.
This sentence shows how to use je déjeune to specify frequency and location.
Tatoeba #1850310 by sacredceltic, translation #1847819 by CK
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Gabriel calls Chloé during her break.

Sources

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