French · Everyday Verbs
"to eat" in French: manger
manger
To eat in French is manger (mahn-ZHAY). It is a regular -er verb, so its present tense follows a simple pattern: je mange, tu manges, nous mangeons. You use it for meals, snacks, and everything in between.
Planning lunch with a coworker
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How to pronounce manger
Say it
mahn-ZHAY
/mɑ̃.ʒe/
The an is a nasal vowel, said through the nose with no n sound, and the g is soft, like the s in "measure". The -er ending sounds like "ay" and the r is silent. Je mange, tu manges, and ils mangent all sound the same: MAHNZH.
"to eat" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| manger | to eat The infinitive, the form in the dictionary. | The infinitive, the form in the dictionary. |
| je mange | I eat, I'm eating One present form covers both English meanings. | One present form covers both English meanings. |
| on mange | we eat, let's eat Everyday spoken French uses on instead of nous. | Everyday spoken French uses on instead of nous. |
| nous mangeons | we eat Written and more formal. Note the e that keeps the g soft. | Written and more formal. Note the e that keeps the g soft. |
| bouffer | to eat, to scoff Very informal slang, only with friends. | Very informal slang, only with friends. |
How to use manger in real life
- 1Planning lunch with a coworker
On mange ensemble à midi ?
Shall we have lunch together at noon?
À midi often simply means "at lunchtime".
- 2Ordering at a restaurant
Je ne mange pas de viande, vous avez un plat végétarien ?
I don't eat meat, do you have a vegetarian dish?
After ne… pas, du and de la become de: pas de viande.
- 3Describing your evenings
Le soir, nous mangeons vers vingt heures.
In the evening, we eat around 8 p.m.
French often gives times on the 24-hour clock, even in speech.
Mistakes English speakers make with manger
Incorrect: Nous mangons au restaurant.
Correct: Nous mangeons au restaurant.
Before o, the g needs an e to keep its soft sound. Without it, mangons would sound like "mahn-GON".
Incorrect: Je suis mangeant maintenant.
Correct: Je mange maintenant.
French has no -ing tense. Je mange means both "I eat" and "I'm eating". To stress "right now", say je suis en train de manger.
Good to know
Meals in France follow a steady rhythm. Lunch is often a proper sit-down meal around noon or 1 p.m., and dinner usually starts around 7:30 or 8 p.m. Snacking between meals is less common, with one big exception: le goûter, the afternoon snack children eat after school.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Talking about your daily routine with a friend in Lille
ChatPal
Tu manges à quelle heure, le midi ?
What time do you have lunch?
You
Vers midi et demi. Je mange souvent un sandwich au bureau.
Around half past twelve. I often eat a sandwich at the office.
ChatPal
Ah bon ? Moi, je rentre manger à la maison.
Really? I go home to eat.
You
Tu as de la chance ! Et le soir, tu manges tard ?
You're lucky! And in the evening, do you eat late?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to eat" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to eat" in French
How do you conjugate manger in the present tense?
Je mange, tu manges, il or elle mange, nous mangeons, vous mangez, ils or elles mangent. Only nous mangeons and vous mangez sound different from the rest.
Why is there an e in nous mangeons?
In French, g before a or o sounds hard, like in "go". The e keeps it soft, like in "measure". Verbs like nager (to swim) and voyager (to travel) do the same: nous nageons.
Can I use manger for lunch and dinner?
Yes, but French also has special verbs: déjeuner (to have lunch) and dîner (to have dinner). In Belgium, Switzerland, and Quebec, déjeuner often means breakfast, dîner means lunch, and souper means dinner.
Is it rude to say bouffer?
Bouffer is informal slang, a bit like "to scoff" or "to grab some grub". It is fine with friends, but say manger with colleagues, strangers, and at a nice restaurant.
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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