supermarché
/sy.pɛʁ.maʁ.ʃe/masculine
The English phrase 'supermarket' is translated into French as supermarché.
The word supermarché refers to a store. When shopping, you might use related terms such as panier for a shopping basket, chariot for a shopping cart, rayon frais for the fresh produce section or caisse for the checkout.
Meaning: store (noun)
Which one should you use?
While supermarché is the standard term, hypermarché specifically refers to a large supermarket that also sells non-food items.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, the term épicerie can be used to refer to a small supermarket or a grocery store.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word supermarché is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/sy.pɛʁ.maʁ.ʃe/
Did you know?
- Unlike many English-speaking countries, many French supermarché locations are closed on Sundays or have very limited hours due to strict labor laws.
- The French word supermarché is a 'calque', meaning it is a direct word-for-word translation of the English 'supermarket' rather than a native French term.
- In France, the rayon frais often includes a counter where a professional employee prepares meats and cheeses for you, rather than everything being pre-packaged.
Examples in context
- Je vais au supermarché.I'm going to the supermarket.This sentence shows how to use supermarché when expressing where you are going.Tatoeba #5986332 by christian63, translation #3619888 by CK
- Quel grand supermarché !What a big supermarket!This sentence uses supermarché in an exclamation about size.Tatoeba #658826 by U2FS, translation #24880 by CK
- Marie va au supermarché.Mary goes to the supermarket.This sentence uses supermarché to describe a person's routine.Tatoeba #6326950 by felix63, translation #6736507 by Eccles17
- Je vais faire mes courses au supermarché.I'm going grocery shopping at the supermarket.
- Je préfère faire mes achats dans une grande surface.I prefer doing my shopping in a supermarket.
- J'ai acheté un téléviseur à l'hypermarché ce matin.I bought a television at the supermarket this morning.
- Tu veux qu'on passe au supermarché ?Do you want us to stop by the supermarket?
- 105 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are planning their grocery shopping.
- LucasTu veux aller au supermarché ?Do you want to go to the supermarket?
- ManonOui, j'ai besoin de faire des courses.Yes, I need to do some shopping.
- LucasQuel supermarché préfères-tu ?Which supermarket do you prefer?
- ManonLe petit supermarché près de chez toi est très bien.The small supermarket near your place is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “supermarket” translations and entries supermarché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries supermarché, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
