Master Vegetables & Key Verbs in French

Learning French through food is a delicious way to expand your vocabulary. Explore 15 everyday vegetables, 5 basic verbs, and 3 fun French idioms to improve your vocabulary.

Common Vegetables

Go through this list of 15 popular vegetables, and learn their French names and articles:

• la carotte (carrot)

• la courgette (zucchini)

• le poivron (bell pepper)

• la tomate (tomato)

• l’épinard (spinach)

• le chou-fleur (cauliflower)

• le brocoli (broccoli)

• le haricot vert (green bean)

• l’aubergine (eggplant)

• le navet (turnip)

• le radis (radish)

• la betterave (beetroot)

• le panais (parsnip)

• le fenouil (fennel)

• l’artichaut (artichoke)

5 Essential Verbs for Talking About Vegetables

These verbs will help you describe actions in the kitchen or at the market:

1. manger des légumes (to eat vegetables)

Example: Je mange des carottes crues. (I eat raw carrots.)

2. acheter des légumes (to buy vegetables)

Example: Elle achète des poivrons au marché. (She buys bell peppers at the market.)

3. cuire des légumes (to cook vegetables)

Example: Nous cuisons des épinards à la vapeur. (We steam spinach.)

4. couper des légumes (to cut vegetables)

Example: Il coupe des courgettes en rondelles. (He slices zucchini into rounds.)

5. assaisonner des légumes (to season vegetables)

Example: Tu assaisonnes des betteraves avec du vinaigre. (You season beets with vinegar.)

3 Fun French Expressions with Vegetables

French is full of colorful expressions! Have a look at three idiomatic phrases:

1. Raconter des salades (To tell salads) → To tell lies or exaggerate a story.

Example: Il raconte des salades pour se justifier. 

(He tells lies to justify himself.)

2. Appuyer sur le champignon (To press on the mushroom) → To speed up (in a car).

   
   

Example: On est en retard, appuie sur le champignon ! 

(We’re late, step on the gas!)

3. Mettre du beurre dans les épinards (To put butter in the spinach) → To improve your financial situation or daily life.

   
   

Example: Ce petit travail en plus met du beurre dans les épinards. 

(This extra job makes life a bit more comfortable.)

By learning these vegetables, verbs, and expressions, you’ll not only enrich your vocabulary but also sound more natural in conversations. Whether you’re describing your cooking habits or playing with French idioms, these words will add flavor to your speech. Bon appétit ! 

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Ready to Test Your Knowledge?

If you are ready to take your French to the next level, practice these expressions in real-life conversations. Join our Fourmi Conversations workshops, where you can practice speaking with other learners and get guidance from expert teachers. It’s the perfect way to reinforce what you’ve learned. Find all the info here. Don't miss out on the opportunity to boost your confidence in French!