steak
/stɛk/masculine
The English phrase "steak" translates to French as steak. Wiktionary also lists bifteck.
Meaning: slice of beef (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| steak | /stɛk/ /stejk/ |
masculine |
| bifteck | /bif.tɛk/ | masculine |
To refer specifically to a processed ground beef patty (like those used in burgers), use the phrase steak haché.
Which one should you use?
While bifteck is a valid word for a slice of beef, steak is the much more common term used in modern French.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both steak and bifteck are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/stɛk/
Did you know?
- When ordering a steak in France, you will likely be asked if you want it bleu, which describes meat that is seared on the outside but almost raw and cool in the center.
- Although it is a French word, bifteck uses the letter 'k', which is rare in French and usually only appears in loanwords.
- While steak is used for beef, French does not typically use the word to describe slices of other meats, such as pork or fish, which have their own dedicated terms.
Examples in context
- Le steak est bien cuit.The steak is well done.This sentence shows how to describe the cooking level of the steak.Tatoeba #941059 by sacredceltic, translation #50297 by CK
- Je veux manger du steak.I want to eat steak.This sentence illustrates the use of the partitive article to express a desire to eat steak.Tatoeba #3866919 by gillux, translation #1869545 by Spamster
- Je veux manger un steak.I want to eat a steak.This sentence shows how to use a count noun to refer to a single steak.Tatoeba #3866920 by gillux, translation #3867525 by Jenn
- Je voudrais un steak bien cuit, s'il vous plaît.I would like a well-done steak, please.
- Le filet est la spécialité de la maison.The tenderloin steak is the specialty of the house.
- On se fait un steak-frites ce soir?Shall we have steak and fries tonight?
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are ordering food at a restaurant.
- ManonQu'est-ce que tu veux manger, Lucas ?What do you want to eat, Lucas?
- LucasJe vais prendre un steak avec des frites.I will have a steak with fries.
- ManonQuelle cuisson pour ton steak ?How would you like your steak cooked?
- LucasSaignant, s'il vous plaît.Rare, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “steak” translations and entries steak, bifteck, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bifteck, steak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
