French word

croque-monsieur

Pronunciation

IPA/kʁɔkməsjø/

Meaning

  • masculine noungrilled ham and cheese sandwich

Example

Le croque-monsieur est chaud et croustillant.

The grilled ham and cheese sandwich is hot and crispy.

Illustration for croque-monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich)

More examples

J'ai commandé un croque-monsieur au café.

I ordered a croque-monsieur at the cafe.

Core concept

A simple grilled sandwich that turns bread crisp while ham and cheese become one hot filling.

Common phrases

  • commander un croque-monsieur

    order a croque-monsieur

  • prendre un croque-monsieur

    eat a croque-monsieur

  • préparer un croque-monsieur

    prepare a croque-monsieur

Similar words

sandwich: Food consisting of bread with a filling between or inside it.
croque-madame: A toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich served with a fried egg on top.

Definition in French

Sandwich chaud et simple fait de pain, de jambon et de fromage fondu, généralement servi chaud et parfois gratiné.

Word origin

The word is built from croque, related to croquer, to crunch, and monsieur, a polite title used in the dish's name; the name is recorded from the early 1900s.

Usage tips

  • In French, demander un croque-monsieur means ordering the sandwich itself, while a croque-madame is a related version topped with a fried egg.

Word lists with this word