French Conversation · Level 43
75 words
French word
goûter
Pronunciation
IPA/gute/
Meaning
- masculine nounafternoon snack
Example
Nous prenons le goûter à quinze heures.
We have our afternoon snack at three o'clock.
More examples
Les enfants attendent le goûter avec impatience.
The children eagerly await the afternoon snack.
Core concept
A brief afternoon food break centered on a small portion rather than a full meal.
Common phrases
prendre le goûter
have an afternoon snack
un goûter sucré
a sweet snack
le goûter de l'après-midi
the afternoon snack
Similar words
snack: A small snack that can be eaten by hand, such as a packaged treat.
quatre-heures: A small snack eaten in the afternoon.
casse-croûte: A quick snack of bread or prepared food during a break.
encas: A small snack eaten between meals to supplement them.
Definition in French
Moment de pause l'après-midi où l'on prend une petite collation, souvent sucrée.
Word origin
Goûter developed as a noun from goûter, meaning 'to taste', whose Old French form goster descends from Latin gustare; the noun came to denote a light snack.
Usage tips
- French commonly uses prendre le goûter for this occasion, with prendre rather than the English verb have in the usual expression.