manger
/mɑ̃.ʒe/
To eat in French is manger.
The verb manger is used to describe the act of putting food into the mouth and swallowing it. While manger describes the act of eating, the phrase prendre un repas is often used in more formal contexts to mean 'to have a meal'.
Which one should you use?
While manger is the standard term, other verbs exist depending on the context. Déguster means to savor or taste food with appreciation, and se restaurer is used to refer to eating to regain strength or sustain oneself. Bouffer is also used to mean 'to eat' but is much more casual.
How does it change in a sentence?
Common conjugations include mangeons for the first-person plural (we eat / we are eating) and mangeait for the third-person singular in the imperfect tense (he/she/it was eating).
How do you pronounce it?
/mɑ̃.ʒe/
When do people say it?
When wishing someone a good meal, French speakers say bon appétit.
Did you know?
- The English word 'mandible', referring to the jawbone, is a close relative to the Latin root of manger.
- The expression bon appétit is so standard that it is often used by English speakers, yet in France, it is considered polite to wait until everyone is served before saying it.
- French has a specific word, grignoter, used for 'eating' when it refers to snacking or nibbling between meals.
Examples in context
- Je vais manger !I am going to eat!This sentence shows the use of manger to express an intention to eat.Tatoeba #11621765 by Adrien_FR, translation #7681776 by ouitroisheures19
- Vas-tu manger ça ?Are you going to eat that?This sentence uses manger to ask if someone is going to eat something.Tatoeba #1842480 by sacredceltic, translation #1841746 by CK
- Je veux manger ça.I want to eat this.This sentence uses manger to express a desire to eat something.Tatoeba #7669365 by tras, translation #5152930 by CarpeLanam
- Je vais mangerI am going to eat
- Je vais déguster ce délicieux platI am going to savor this delicious dish
- J'ai envie de bouffer un burgerI feel like eating a burger
- Je grignoteI am snacking
- Lors de notre voyage en France, nous avons dégusté de délicieux fromages.During our trip to France, we tasted delicious cheeses.
- 787 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are deciding what to do for lunch.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu veux manger maintenant ?Do you want to eat now?
- HugoOui, je commence à avoir faim.Yes, I am starting to get hungry.
- EmmaOn peut aller manger au parc.We can go eat at the park.
- HugoC'est une excellente idée, Emma.That is an excellent idea, Emma.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry manger, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
