Traveling around France is not especially challenging. It’s so well set up with a huge variety of hotels, incredible public transport and a bevy of attractions from world-class museums, spectacular UNESCO monuments, and stunning natural scenery.
As vegans though, when it comes time to eat though, France, especially outside Paris and a few other cities, can be one of the most difficult country to get by! France is definitely not at the forefront of the veganism movement.
Get the printable French language guide
The good news is that many, if not most, French people CAN speak English, especially those that work in the tourism industry. And in recent years, veganism has become well known, and it's becoming less common to have to explain what it's all about.
Nowadays you will find a very good selection of vegan restaurants, grocery stores and shops in many French cities, like Strasbourg, Lyon and Nice. The capital, Paris, has become one of the great vegan destinations, offering a multitude of amazing vegan restaurants, festivals, shops and meet-up groups. But things aren't as great outside the bigger centers, and this is where our little language sheet comes in.
Our language guide for vegan and low-waste travel in French is top-notch because:
- It’s been edited by a native French speaker, NOT Google!
- It includes some general phrases. This is important because if you are making requests in French it is essential to greet the person correctly before making your request.
- Phrases are included that are a little bit more involved than just saying you are vegan. You can explain what that really means and even thank the chef for accommodating you.
- Our language guide also shares some commonly desired phrases to try to reduce the amount of waste you might inadvertently be given in France. Say no to that straw and that plastic bag!
- If something terrible happens you have a few phrases which will hopefully get people’s attention straight away. We hope you won’t need to use them!
We invite you to print out the guide, keep it in your purse and pull it out as and when you need it. If you can’t read French, then you can just point to the desired phrase!
Of course, you don’t have to use this sheet just in France! It will be equally helpful in all the other countries where French is widely spoken, making it ideal for your vegan travels in Western Switzerland, Southern Belgium, French Canada, Caribbean countries like Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, and French Guiana, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, and places like Morocco, Tunisia, Togo, Mauritius and Seychelles in Africa. Whew!
We simply must thank Seb’s mother Pauline for her help with translating these phrases. While we speak French, our written French leaves a lot to be desired and we appreciate her help in making these phrases perfect!
And don't forget to check out our other vegan language guides for Vietnamese, Kinyarwandan and Thai!
English | French |
GENERAL | |
Hello! | Bonjour! |
Goodbye! | Au revoir! |
How are you? | Comment ça va? |
BEING VEGAN | |
That was delicious! | C'était délicieux! |
I eat vegan | Je suis vegan(e) (ou végétalienne ou végétalien) |
I am a vegan. I do not eat meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, milk or milk products (butter, yogurt or cheese). | Je suis vegan(e). Je ne mange pas de viande, poisson, crustacés, volaille, d'œufs, de lait ou de produits laitiers (beurre, fromage ou yogourt). |
Does this food contain meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, honey, milk or milk products? | Cet aliment contient-il de la viande, du poisson, des crustacés, de la volaille, des œufs, du miel, du lait ou des produits laitiers? |
Is this vegan? | Est-ce végétalien? |
Please no broth made from meat or fish. | S'il vous plaît, pas de bouillon à base de viande, volaille ou poisson. |
I don’t want ……... | Je ne veux pas de...... |
fish | poisson |
meat | viande |
pork | porc |
chicken | poulet |
beef | boeuf |
egg | d’oeuf |
seafood | fruits de mer |
cow’s milk | lait de vache |
cheese | fromage |
yogurt | yogourt |
Thank you! | Merci! |
Can you check with the chef that this is vegan? | Pouvez-vous vérifier avec le chef si c'est vegan? |
Can you make this dish vegan? | Pouvez-vous rendre ce plat vegan? |
Thank you for accommodating me at your restaurant. I really appreciate you and the kitchen staff looking after me. | Merci de m'avoir reçu(e) dans votre restaurant. J'apprécie vraiment que vous-même et le personnel de cuisine vous occupiez de moi. |
Does this have any leather, silk, wool or anything else from an animal? | Est-ce que cela contient du cuir, de la soie, de la laine ou un autre produit animal? |
LOW WASTE | |
No plastic bag please. | Aucun sac en plastique s'il vous plaît. |
No straw, please. | Pas de paille, s'il vous plaît. |
I really don’t want a straw. | Je ne veux vraiment pas de paille. |
IN AN EMERGENCY | |
Please call an ambulance. | Appelez une ambulance, s'il vous plaît. |
I need someone that speaks English now. It’s an emergency. | J'ai besoin de quelqu'un qui parle anglais maintenant. C'est une urgence. |
Please send an ambulance with a doctor on board if possible | S'il vous plaît envoyer une ambulance avec un médecin à bord si possible. |
If you like it, PIN IT!
Let's Discuss!
We'd love to hear from you! Do you have any questions? Is there anything missing in this language guide? Let us know and we might add it to a future article update!
Let's have a discussion in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!