French · Food & Drink
"Breakfast" in French: petit-déjeuner
le petit-déjeuner
Breakfast in French is le petit-déjeuner. Prendre le petit-déjeuner means to have breakfast. At a café you might just order un café et un croissant.
Hotel
Le petit-déjeuner est servi jusqu'à dix heures.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce petit-déjeuner
Say it
puh-tee day-zhuh-NAY
/pə.ti.de.ʒœ.ne/
Petit-déjeuner is roughly puh-tee day-zhuh-NAY. Soft j in déjeuner like s in measure.
"Breakfast" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le petit-déjeuner | breakfast The meal name. | The meal name. |
| prendre le petit-déjeuner | to have breakfast Everyday verb phrase. | Everyday verb phrase. |
| au petit-déjeuner | at breakfast When something is served. | When something is served. |
| un petit-déjeuner complet | a full breakfast Hotel menus. | Hotel menus. |
How to use petit-déjeuner in real life
- 1Hotel
Le petit-déjeuner est servi jusqu'à dix heures.
Breakfast is served until ten.
Meal as a scheduled service.
- 2Home routine
Je prends mon petit-déjeuner debout.
I have my breakfast standing up.
Prendre + petit-déjeuner.
- 3Weekend
On fait un vrai petit-déjeuner le dimanche.
We make a real breakfast on Sunday.
Un petit-déjeuner = one breakfast occasion.
Mistakes English speakers make with petit-déjeuner
Incorrect: Le breakfast.
Correct: Le petit-déjeuner.
Use petit-déjeuner, not English breakfast.
Incorrect: Le déjeuner du matin.
Correct: Le petit-déjeuner.
Déjeuner alone means lunch in modern French.
Good to know
A classic French petit-déjeuner is light: coffee or tea, bread or viennoiserie, jam, maybe juice. A savory "complet" with eggs is more hotel or brunch culture.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Morning at a B&B
ChatPal
Le petit-déjeuner est en bas à huit heures.
Breakfast is downstairs at eight.
You
Parfait. Tu prends ton petit-déjeuner avec moi ?
Perfect. Are you having breakfast with me?
ChatPal
Oui, avec du thé.
Yes, with tea.
You
Moi, un café serré.
I'll have a strong espresso.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Breakfast" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Breakfast" in French
What is breakfast in French?
Le petit-déjeuner.
How do I say have breakfast?
Prendre le petit-déjeuner.
Is déjeuner breakfast?
No — déjeuner is lunch; petit-déjeuner is breakfast.
How do you pronounce petit-déjeuner?
Puh-tee day-zhuh-NAY.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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