à point
/a pwɛ̃/
The French phrase for "medium cooked" is à point.
The phrase à point is used to indicate that you want a dish, especially meat like steak, cooked to a medium level so that the center remains pink and juicy.
Which one should you use?
In the context of cooking meat, à point is used for medium. This distinguishes it from saignant, which means rare and bien cuit, which means well done.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverbial locution, à point is invariable. It does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the meat it describes.
How do you pronounce it?
/a pwɛ̃/
Did you know?
- In France, ordering a steak bien cuit can sometimes be perceived as a faux pas by traditional chefs who believe it destroys the quality of the meat.
- If you want your steak even less cooked than 'medium', you would ask for it saignant, which literally means 'bleeding'.
- The word point in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English word 'punctual', both coming from the Latin 'punctum' meaning a small hole or a sting.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais ma viande à point, s'il vous plaît.I would like my meat medium cooked, please.
- Pourriez-vous faire cuire ma viande à point, s'il vous plaît?Could you cook my meat medium done, please?
- Je la veux à point.I want it medium cooked.
- Je veux mon steak à point.I want my steak medium cooked.
- J'aimerais mon poisson à point.I would like my fish medium cooked.
- J'aimerais mon agneau parfaitement à point.I would like my lamb perfectly medium cooked.
- Je voudrais mon steak à point, s'il vous plaît.I would like my steak medium cooked, please.
- La viande est parfaitement à point.The meat is perfectly medium cooked.
- Est-ce que vous préférez votre viande à point ?Do you prefer your meat medium cooked?
Example conversation
A couple is ordering dinner at a restaurant.
- ManonLe serveur arrive, Gabriel. Qu'est-ce que tu prends ?The waiter is coming, Gabriel. What are you having?
- GabrielJe vais prendre le faux-filet à point.I will have the sirloin steak medium cooked.
- ManonMoi, je préfère mon steak saignant.As for me, I prefer my steak rare.
- GabrielD'accord, Manon. On commande maintenant.Okay, Manon. Let's order now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry à point, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries point, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
