French Conversation · Level 26
89 words
French word
buffet
Pronunciation
IPA/byfɛ/
Meaning
- masculine nounbuffet
Example
Nous avons choisi le buffet pour dîner ce soir.
We chose the buffet for dinner tonight.
More examples
Au petit-déjeuner, le buffet propose des viennoiseries et des fruits.
At breakfast, the buffet offers pastries and fruit.
Core concept
An open spread of ready-to-take dishes shared by diners at one meal.
Common phrases
au buffet
at the buffet
le buffet d'hôtel
hotel buffet
buffet libre-service
self-service buffet
Similar words
buffet à volonté: A fixed-price meal offering unlimited servings from a selection of dishes.
self-service: A dining arrangement where customers choose their food and pay for it themselves.
restaurant: An establishment where diners order seated meals and receive table service.
Definition in French
Repas où plusieurs plats sont disposés et où chacun se sert soi-même, souvent en payant un prix fixe.
Word origin
The noun comes from Old French buffet, meaning a sideboard or serving table, and later acquired its food-service sense through the arrangement of dishes on it.
Usage tips
- Buffet does not by itself mean unlimited food; whether it is à volonté depends on the establishment's rules.
Other meanings
- self-servicenoun
- sideboardnoun
Opposites
- service à tabletable servicenoun