McDonald's
masculine
In French, McDonald's is referred to as McDonald's. If unsure, use McDonald's. It is also spelled McDo. Wiktionary also lists MacDo.
Meaning: fast-food restaurant (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald's | masculine | |
| MacDo | /mak.do/ /maɡ.do/ |
masculine, slang |
| McDo | /mak.do/ | masculine, slang, alternative form |
This refers to the fast-food restaurant chain.
Which one should you use?
McDonald's is the standard name, while MacDo and McDo are slang abbreviations used in casual speech. McDo is an alternative spelling of MacDo.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
McDonald's is the standard form. McDo is the most common way to refer to the restaurant in casual conversation and is considered slang, while MacDo is also a slang version.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that you are at or working at McDonald's, use the preposition chez instead of à (for example, chez McDonald's).
Did you know?
- In France, McDonald's is often seen as a place for long social gatherings rather than just a quick meal, with customers staying for hours.
- Because of France's strong culinary identity, the arrival of McDonald's in 1972 sparked intense national debates about the 'Americanization' of French food.
- The use of chez instead of à reflects a French linguistic habit of treating businesses as the home or domain of a person, even for global corporations.
Examples in context
- Tom travaille chez MacDo.Tom works at McDonald's.This sentence is useful for describing where someone works using the form MacDo.Tatoeba #7895532 by Rovo, translation #7895740 by shekitten
- Il va généralement à McDonald's.He usually goes to McDonald's.This sentence is useful for describing a regular habit using the form McDonald's.Tatoeba #131139 by Aiji, translation #291576 by CK
- J'ai mangé un hamburger chez McDonald's.I ate a hamburger at McDonald's.This sentence is useful for describing a completed action using the form McDonald's.Tatoeba #3603355 by GB3, translation #3601111 by CK
- Je voudrais déjeuner au restaurant McDonald's.I would like to have lunch at McDonald's.
- Mon entreprise organise une réunion chez McDonald's.My company is organizing a meeting at McDonald's.
- Est-ce qu'il y a un restaurant McDonald's près d'ici ?Is there a McDonald's restaurant nearby?
- On se retrouve au McDo plus tard ?Shall we meet at McDonald's later?
- Je vais chercher des frites chez McDo.I'm going to get some fries at McDonald's.
- J'adore leur menu au McDo.I love their menu at McDonald's.
- As-tu déjà goûté les poutines de McD's ?Have you ever tasted McD's poutines?
- Je vais prendre un burger chez MacDo.I'm going to get a burger at McDonald's.
- On se donne rendez-vous au MacDo du centre-ville ?Shall we meet at the downtown MacDo?
- Je voudrais un menu, s'il vous plaît.I would like a combo, please.
- Est-ce que je peux avoir de la sauce supplémentaire ?Can I have some extra sauce?
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- NathanOn commande un McDonald's ?Shall we order a McDonald's?
- EmmaOui, j'ai très envie de McDonald's.Yes, I really want McDonald's.
- NathanEst-ce que tu veux un menu ?Do you want a meal deal?
- EmmaNon, je prends juste un burger.No, I'll just have a burger.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mcdonald's” translations and entries MacDo, McDo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
