The most common and straightforward way to say 'beer' in French is, unsurprisingly, une bière. But if you find yourself in a bustling Parisian bar or chatting with locals in Lyon, you'll quickly realize there's a whole world of slang and familiar terms for this beloved beverage. Just as you might talk about grabbing 'a cold one' or 'a pint' in English, the French have their own colorful vocabulary. Ready to sound less like a tourist and more like a local? Let's dive into the different ways to talk about beer in French!

1. The Standard 'Beer' – Une Bière

The most fundamental and widely used term for 'beer' in French is une bière.

Crucially, the word bière is a feminine noun. This means you must always use feminine articles like une (a) or la (the). Forgetting this is a common mistake for English speakers.

Une bière is the universal, all-purpose term. You can use it to order in a fancy restaurant, a casual pub (un pub), or to ask a friend if they'd like one at home. It fits every level of formality.

When ordering, you'll often need to be more specific. Here are two essential variations:

• Une bière pression: A draft beer (from the tap).
• Une bière en bouteille: A bottled beer.

When referring to more than one beer, you use the plural form, des bières. For example, if you're buying a round for friends, you might say, Trois bières, s'il vous plaît ! (Three beers, please!).

💡 * Je vais prendre une bière bien fraîche.

• Tu préfères la bière blonde ou la bière brune ?
• Une pression, s'il vous plaît !
• On a acheté des bières artisanales pour la soirée.
• La bière est une boisson populaire en Alsace.

The 'draught beer' – une pression

When you're at a French bar and want a beer from the tap, the word you need is une pression.

Literally translating to 'a pressure,' the name directly refers to the pressure system used in a beer tap to dispense the beverage from a keg. It's a practical and widely understood term.

You will use this term specifically in a bar, café, or restaurant (brasserie). It distinguishes tap beer from bottled beer, which you would order as une bière en bouteille.

To order, you can use a simple and direct phrase: 'Je voudrais une pression, s'il vous plaît' (I would like a draught beer, please), or the more casual 'Une pression, s'il vous plaît !'

It's common to specify the size. The standard options are un demi (a half-pint, 25 cl) or une pinte (a pint, 50 cl). If you don't specify, the bartender will typically assume you want a demi.

Using the single word pression is the most common and natural way to order a draught beer. It shows you're familiar with French bar culture and is much more common than the longer phrase une bière à la pression.

💡 * Je vais prendre une pression, s'il vous plaît.

• Deux demis bien frais pour la table quatre !
• Qu'est-ce que vous avez comme bières en pression ?
• En général, je préfère une pression à une bière en bouteille.

The 'small draught beer' (25cl) – un demi

When you're at a French bar and want to order a standard small draught beer, the word you're looking for isn't 'une petite bière'. The universally understood term is un demi.

Literally, demi means 'half'. However, in the context of beer, it doesn't mean half a liter or half a UK/US pint. A demi is a specific measurement: 25 centiliters (25cl), which is about 8.5 fluid ounces. This is a crucial distinction for anyone ordering a beer in France.

The term is masculine, so you always ask for un demi. This term specifically refers to a draught beer, known as une bière à la pression. You wouldn't use it for a bottled beer.

To order, you can simply say, Je voudrais un demi, s'il vous plaît (I would like a small draught beer, please). You can also specify the type, for example, Un demi de blonde (a small lager).

If you're thirstier, the next standard size up is une pinte (a pint), which in France is typically 50cl. Therefore, une pinte is exactly two demis. Ordering un demi is perfect for a quick drink or when you want something smaller.

💡 * Je vais prendre un demi, s'il vous plaît.

• Garçon, deux demis et une pinte !
• Un demi bien frais, c'est parfait après une longue journée.
• Tu veux un demi ? C'est ma tournée.

The 'pint' (50cl) – une pinte

When you're at a bar in France and want a large glass of beer, the word you're looking for is une pinte. It's the standard term for a large draft beer.

Crucially, a French pinte is not the same as a British or American pint. In France, une pinte refers to a 50cl (or 500ml) glass. This is slightly smaller than an imperial pint (568ml) but larger than an American pint (473ml).

The word pinte is a feminine noun, so you always use the feminine article 'une' (a) or 'la' (the). When ordering, you would typically say, “Je voudrais une pinte.”

This is the standard large beer size in French bars. If you want a smaller beer (25cl), you would ask for un demi, which literally means 'a half'.

💡 * Je voudrais une pinte de bière blonde, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a pint of lager, please.)

• Deux pintes, s'il vous plaît ! (Two pints, please!)
• On va boire une pinte après le travail. (We're going to have a pint after work.)
• Le prix d'une pinte ici est de sept euros. (The price of a pint here is seven euros.)

The 'bottle' – une bouteille

The 'bottle' – une bouteille

Une bouteille is the standard French word for 'a bottle.' It is a feminine noun, which is important to remember for articles and adjectives, so you always use une for 'a' or la for 'the'.

To say what the bottle contains, you use the preposition de (of). For example, une bouteille de vin is 'a bottle of wine,' and une bouteille d'eau is 'a bottle of water' (using d' because eau starts with a vowel).

This is a very common phrase when ordering at a restaurant or buying from a store. You can say, 'Je voudrais une bouteille de bière, s'il vous plaît' (I would like a bottle of beer, please).

The essential structure to remember is: une bouteille + de + [the liquid]. This simple formula works for almost any bottled beverage you can think of.

💡 * Je vais acheter une bouteille d'eau pour le voyage. (I'm going to buy a bottle of water for the trip.)

• On a partagé une bouteille de vin rouge hier soir. (We shared a bottle of red wine last night.)
• Pourriez-vous m'apporter une autre bouteille, s'il vous plaît ? (Could you bring me another bottle, please?)
• Il ne reste plus qu'une petite bouteille de jus d'orange. (There is only a small bottle of orange juice left.)

The 'can of beer' – une canette

The 'can of beer' – une canette

In French, une canette is the standard word for a 'can,' most often referring to a beverage can. A crucial detail for learners is its gender: canette is a feminine noun, so you always use feminine articles like une (a) or la (the).

While une canette can be understood on its own, you typically specify the contents using the preposition de (of). For instance, 'a can of beer' is une canette de bière, and 'a can of soda' is une canette de soda. This de structure is fundamental for describing containers and their contents in French.

This is not slang; canette is an everyday word used universally in France, whether you're at a picnic, a supermarché (supermarket), or a small épicerie (corner store). It's the correct and common term to use in any situation.

It's important not to confuse une canette with its glass counterpart, une bouteille (a bottle). If you have a preference, you can ask specifically for one or the other: une canette de bière (a can of beer) vs. une bouteille de bière (a bottle of beer).

💡 * Je voudrais une canette de jus d'orange, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a can of orange juice, please.)

• Il a acheté un pack de six canettes. (He bought a six-pack of cans.)
• Tu préfères la bière en canette ou en bouteille ? (Do you prefer beer in a can or in a bottle?)
• N'oublie pas de recycler tes canettes en aluminium. (Don't forget to recycle your aluminum cans.)

The informal 'beer' – une binouze

In French argot (slang), une binouze is a very popular and informal term for 'beer'. It's the kind of word you'd use with close friends, similar to saying 'a brew' or 'a cold one' in English. It adds a casual, friendly tone to the conversation.

Une binouze is a feminine noun. You would use it in relaxed, informal settings, like at a party, a barbecue, or a casual pub. For instance, you might ask a friend, On se prend une binouze ? (Shall we grab a beer?). In more formal environments or when ordering at a nice restaurant, it's better to stick with the standard word, une bière.

💡 * J'ai bien envie d'une binouze bien fraîche après cette longue journée.

• Allez, viens boire une binouze avec nous ce soir !
• Il ne reste plus qu'une binouze dans le frigo.

The 'foamy one' (slang) – une mousse

In casual, spoken French, une mousse is a very common slang term for une bière (a beer).

The word mousse literally means 'foam' or 'froth,' referring to the head of foam on a freshly poured beer. This imagery makes it an easy and popular nickname for the drink.

You'll hear this term used frequently among friends in informal settings, like at a bar or a casual get-together. It's the perfect word to use when you want to suggest grabbing a beer in a relaxed way, often as 'une petite mousse' (a little beer).

💡 * J'ai bien envie d'une petite mousse ce soir. (I'd really like a little beer tonight.)

• Allez, je te paie une mousse ! (Come on, I'll buy you a beer!)
• Il fait trop chaud, on va se boire une mousse ? (It's too hot, shall we go have a beer?)

1. The 'big one' (a litre) – un formidable

In classic French slang, particularly the kind you might hear in an old-school bistro, un formidable refers to a one-liter bottle of cheap red wine. It's a colloquial and somewhat dated term for un litre de vin rouge ordinaire (a liter of ordinary red wine).

The name is charmingly ironic. While the adjective formidable typically means 'great,' 'terrific,' or 'tremendous,' in this context, it humorously refers to the quantity of the wine, not its quality. It evokes a working-class, no-frills image of sharing a simple table wine among friends.

While you're less likely to hear this term used by younger generations, it's a well-known piece of French slang that will be recognized, especially by older French speakers. Using it can show a deeper appreciation for the nuances of French culture and language beyond the textbook.

💡 * Garçon ! Un formidable et quatre verres, s'il vous plaît ! (Waiter! A liter of red and four glasses, please!)

• Pour le déjeuner, ils ont commandé un formidable à partager. (For lunch, they ordered a liter of wine to share.)
• Mon grand-père parlait toujours du 'formidable' qu'il buvait avec ses amis après le travail. (My grandfather always talked about the 'liter of red' he drank with his friends after work.)

Are there other ways to say 'beer' in French?

Are there other ways to say “beer” in French?

Our list features the most essential ways to say “beer” in French, from the standard bière to more specific types. However, French also has a rich vocabulary of slang (argot) and regional terms you might hear.

For instance, you'll often hear the informal term une binouze among friends. Another common slang word is une mousse (literally 'a foam'), which perfectly describes the frothy head on a freshly poured beer.

Remember that context is key! While ordering une binouze is perfectly fine at a casual bar with friends, you'll want to stick with the classic une bière, s'il vous plaît in a more formal restaurant or setting.

Pay attention when you're in France or watching French media. Listening to how native speakers order drinks in a bar-tabac or a brasserie is the best way to discover the most current and natural-sounding vocabulary.

If you want to explore more French slang, doing an online search for “argot pour bière” can uncover some interesting and very informal terms. Just be sure to check how and when they're used before trying them out yourself!

I hope this article was helpful for your next trip to a French-speaking country. We'll leave you with a fitting French proverb: « Qui boit de la bière, vit cent ans. » (He who drinks beer, lives a hundred years.) Santé!