French Vocabulary in English

English has borrowed many words from other languages, and French is one of the biggest contributors. Some French words are so common that you might not even realize they come from French!

Let’s look at some examples and how to use them correctly.

1. Café
A café is a small, informal restaurant where you can buy drinks and light food, like sandwiches or pastries.

✅ “We went to a café to have coffee and cake.”
❌ “We went to a coffee shop café” → No need to repeat! Café already tells us that it’s a place for coffee.

2. Croissant
A croissant is a buttery, flaky pastry that’s popular for breakfast.
It’s pronounced /kruh-sohn/.

✅ “I had a croissant with my coffee this morning.”
❌ “I ate a croissant bread” → A croissant is a type of bread, so no extra words are needed.

3. Connoisseur
A connoisseur is someone who knows a lot about a specific subject, especially food, drink, or art.

✅ “She’s a wine connoisseur who knows all about French wines.”
❌ “He’s a connoisseur of everything.” → Use it for specific topics, not general knowledge.

4. Déjà vu
Déjà vu describes the feeling that you’ve experienced something before, even when you know you haven’t.
It’s pronounced /day-zhah-voo/.

✅ “I had déjà vu when I walked into that room—it felt so familiar!”
❌ “I had a déjà vu moment.” → “Déjà vu” already means the feeling, so “moment” is unnecessary.

5. Fiancé / Fiancée
These words describe someone who is engaged to be married.
• Fiancé (with one “e”) = a man who is engaged
• Fiancée (with two “e”s) = a woman who is engaged

✅ “Her fiancé proposed to her last year.”
✅ “His fiancée is planning the wedding.”

6. À la carte
This phrase is used in restaurants to describe ordering individual dishes instead of a set meal.
It means “from the menu.”

✅ “You can order à la carte or choose the set menu.”
❌ “I’ll order from the à la carte menu.” → “À la carte” already means “from the menu,” so this is repetitive.

7. Boutique
A boutique is a small shop that sells stylish clothes or other fashionable items.

✅ “I found a beautiful dress at a boutique in Shibuya, Tokyo.”
❌ “I bought a boutique shop dress.” → Boutique already means “a small shop,” so don’t add “shop.”

8. Résumé
A résumé is a document you give when applying for a job.
It shows your skills, education, and work experience.
It’s pronounced /rez-uh-may/.

✅ “I updated my résumé before applying for the position.”
❌ “I need to finish my job résumé.” → Just say “résumé” since it already refers to a job document.

9. Ballet
Ballet is a type of dance that is elegant and beautiful.
It’s pronounced /bal-lay/.

✅ “Her daughter takes ballet lessons every weekend.”
❌ “She does ballet dancing lessons.” → Ballet already refers to a style of dance, so “dancing” isn’t needed.

10. Souvenir
A souvenir is something you buy to remember a place you visited, like a small gift or item.

✅ “I bought a small souvenir from Kyoto for my family.”
❌ “I bought a souvenir gift for my friend.” → A souvenir is a gift, so no need for extra words.

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct French word:

1. We stopped at a small ______ for coffee and pastries.

2. She bought a beautiful dress at a ______ in Paris.

3. I felt ______ when I walked into the old building.

4. He updated his ______ before his job interview.

5. I brought home a nice ______ from my trip to France.

Quick Summary

French words like café, croissant, and connoisseur are part of everyday English. Many of these words keep their original pronunciation and spelling, so they can be tricky to use at first. With practice, you’ll sound natural and confident using them!