Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| végétarien | /ve.ʒe.ta.ʁjɛ̃/ | masculine |
| végétarienne | /ve.ʒe.ta.ʁjɛn/ | feminine |
The term refers to a person who does not eat any animal flesh. It can be used as a noun to describe a person or as an adjective to describe a diet.
Which one should you use?
The choice of form depends on the gender of the person being described. Use végétarien for a male and végétarienne for a female. If you are referring to a group of men or a mixed group, the masculine plural végétariens is used, while végétariennes is used specifically for a group of females.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes to match the gender and number of the subject. For a single male, use végétarien. For a single female, use végétarienne. For a masculine or mixed plural, use végétariens. And for a feminine plural, use végétariennes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ve.ʒe.ta.ʁjɛ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use végétarien to mean 'vegan'. If you wish to say 'vegan' in French, use végétalien(ne) instead.
Did you know?
- In French, the word végéter is a relative of végétarien and can be used figuratively to describe someone who is languishing or living a dull and unproductive life.
- While végétalien is the formal term for 'vegan', many French people now use the English loanword végane on social media and in trendy restaurants.
- In France, declaring oneself as végétarien can be perceived as a political or social statement rather than just a personal health or dietary choice.
Examples in context
- Ma femme est végétarienne.My wife is a vegetarian.This sentence shows how to use the feminine form to describe a wife.Tatoeba #3632357 by serpico, translation #644856 by CK
- Je ne suis pas végétarien.I'm not a vegetarian.This sentence shows how a male expresses that he is not a vegetarian.Tatoeba #4856960 by sacredceltic, translation #3374664 by CK
- N'es-tu pas végétarienne ?Aren't you a vegetarian?This sentence shows how to ask a female if she is a vegetarian.Tatoeba #9795405 by Micsmithel, translation #6093969 by CK
- Je suis végétarien(ne)I am a vegetarian
- Bonjour, je suis végétarienne. Y a-t-il des options végétariennes dans votre menu?Hello, I am a vegetarian. Are there any vegetarian options on your menu?
- J'adore la cuisine végé! Je suis végé depuis trois ans maintenant.I love vegetarian food! I've been a vegetarian for three years now.
- 62 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- LucasOn commande des pizzas ?Shall we order some pizzas?
- ChloéOui, mais je suis végétarienne.Yes, but I am a vegetarian.
- LucasAh oui, je suis végétarien aussi !Oh yes, I am a vegetarian too!
- ChloéParfait, on prend une pizza aux légumes.Perfect, let's get a vegetable pizza.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vegetarian” translations and entries végétarien, végétarienne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
