French · Food & Drink
"Rice" in French: riz
le riz
Rice in French is le riz, pronounced REE. It is a masculine noun, and like in English you don't count it: du riz means "some rice". You will see it on menus as a side dish and in desserts like riz au lait.
At the supermarket
Je prends un paquet de riz basmati pour ce soir.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce riz
Say it
REE
/ʁi/
The z at the end is silent, like most final consonants in French, so riz is just one short sound: REE. Make the r at the back of the throat, a soft French r, not the English one. Riz sounds exactly like ris, as in ris de veau (veal sweetbreads), so context tells you which one you hear.
"Rice" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le riz | rice The default word for the grain, cooked or uncooked. | The default word for the grain, cooked or uncooked. |
| le riz complet | brown rice On supermarket packets and healthier menus. Complet means wholegrain. | On supermarket packets and healthier menus. Complet means wholegrain. |
| le riz au lait | rice pudding A classic French dessert of rice cooked slowly in sweet milk. | A classic French dessert of rice cooked slowly in sweet milk. |
| le riz cantonais | egg fried rice The fried rice with egg, peas, and ham found in most Asian takeaways in France. | The fried rice with egg, peas, and ham found in most Asian takeaways in France. |
How to use riz in real life
- 1At the supermarket
Je prends un paquet de riz basmati pour ce soir.
I'm getting a packet of basmati rice for tonight.
Rice is sold by the packet or by weight: un paquet de riz, un kilo de riz.
- 2At a restaurant
Le poulet est servi avec du riz ou des frites ?
Is the chicken served with rice or fries?
Use du riz for "some rice". Rice or fries is a very common choice of side in France.
- 3Talking about family food
Ma grand-mère fait le meilleur riz au lait du monde.
My grandmother makes the best rice pudding in the world.
Riz au lait is a homely dessert that many French people link with childhood.
Mistakes English speakers make with riz
Incorrect: Je mange le riz avec du poulet.
Correct: Je mange du riz avec du poulet.
When you mean "some rice", French uses du, not le. Keep le riz for rice in general, as in j'aime le riz (I like rice).
Incorrect: Le riz est délicieuse.
Correct: Le riz est délicieux.
Riz is masculine, so adjectives that describe it take the masculine form: délicieux, cuit, blanc.
Good to know
France grows its own rice in the Camargue, the wetlands of the Rhône delta near Arles. Riz de Camargue has a protected geographical label, and you will often see it on menus in Provence. A classic local dish is gardiane de taureau, a slow-cooked bull stew served with Camargue rice.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Ordering lunch at a restaurant in Arles
ChatPal
Bonjour ! Le plat du jour, c'est la gardiane de taureau avec du riz de Camargue.
Hello! The dish of the day is bull stew with Camargue rice.
You
Ah, le riz vient d'ici ?
Oh, does the rice come from around here?
ChatPal
Oui, il est cultivé en Camargue, à quelques kilomètres.
Yes, it's grown in the Camargue, a few kilometers away.
You
Super, alors je prends le plat du jour, merci.
Great, then I'll have the dish of the day, thanks.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Rice" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Rice" in French
Is riz masculine or feminine?
Riz is masculine: le riz, du riz, un bol de riz. Adjectives that describe it stay masculine too, so you say le riz est cuit (the rice is cooked).
Do you pronounce the z in riz?
No. The z is silent, so riz sounds like "ree". The same is true in the plural and in compounds: riz au lait sounds like "ree-oh-LEH".
When do I say le riz and when du riz?
Use le riz for rice in general or a specific rice: j'aime le riz, le riz est prêt. Use du riz for an amount you don't count: tu veux du riz ? (do you want some rice?).
How do you say fried rice in French?
The general term is riz sauté or riz frit. On menus in French Asian restaurants, egg fried rice is usually called riz cantonais.
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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