nourriture
/nu.ʁi.tyʁ/
nourriture is the French word for food.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the verb nourrir, which means to nourish or to feed.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal settings, use Alimentation to encompass all aspects of food, nutrition and dietary habits. Use Denrée alimentaire when referring specifically to food supplies or provisions in official contexts, and use Produits alimentaires to refer to food products. In casual or familiar situations, you can use the informal word Bouffe, which translates to "chow" or "grub".
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so it is used with the feminine definite article la as in la nourriture.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /nu.ʁi.tyʁ/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the phrase avoir du pain sur la planche literally mentions 'bread', a basic nourriture, but it actually means to have a huge amount of work to do.
- The word nourriture shares a linguistic ancestor with the English word 'nurse', as both relate to the act of nurturing or feeding.
- While nourriture is the general term for food, the French have a specific word grignoter for the act of snacking or nibbling on small amounts of food between meals.
Examples in context
- La nourriture est délicieuse ici.The food is delicious here.
- Je cherche de la nourriture pour mon chien.I am looking for food for my dog.
- Cette nourriture est trop épicée pour moi.This food is too spicy for me.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are arriving at a party.
- ManonRegarde toute cette nourriture !Look at all this food!
- NathanC'est impressionnant, on a faim.It's impressive, I'm hungry.
- ManonTu veux goûter cette nourriture ?Do you want to taste this food?
- NathanOui, je veux bien, merci.Yes, I would like that, thanks.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nourriture, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
