The most common way to say “customer” in French is client (or its feminine form, cliente). But depending on the context—whether you're in a shop, a restaurant, or talking about regulars—there are several other options.

If you work in a French-speaking environment or run a business with French-speaking clientele, knowing the right term is essential for professional and natural communication.

Let’s explore the different ways to refer to a “customer” in French to help you master every situation!

1. The standard 'customer' – un client/une cliente

The standard and most versatile word for 'customer' or 'client' in French is un client for a male or une cliente for a female.

Client(e) is the go-to term for anyone purchasing goods or services. It functions as the direct equivalent of both 'customer' in a retail sense and 'client' in a professional services context, making it extremely useful.

As a noun referring to a person, client must agree with the gender and number of the people involved:

• un client: a male customer
• une cliente: a female customer
• des clients: multiple male customers, or a mixed group of customers
• des clientes: a group of exclusively female customers

You can use client(e) in nearly any situation where money is exchanged for goods or services. It applies equally to a person buying bread at a bakery, a company hiring a consulting firm, or an individual seeking legal advice from a lawyer.

While you might encounter other words like un acheteur (a buyer) or un consommateur (a consumer), client is the most common in daily interactions. Client implies a relationship with a business or service provider, whereas acheteur often refers more specifically to the person in the act of purchasing, particularly in formal contexts like real estate.

Whether you are talking about customers in a shop, patrons in a café, or clients of a firm, client(e) is almost always the correct choice. The context will make the specific relationship clear. For example, les clients de ce restaurant clearly means 'the patrons of this restaurant'.

💡 * La satisfaction du client est notre priorité. (Customer satisfaction is our priority.)

• Une nouvelle cliente est entrée dans la boutique. (A new female customer entered the shop.)
• L'avocat doit protéger les intérêts de ses clients. (The lawyer must protect his clients' interests.)
• Nous offrons une réduction à tous nos clients fidèles. (We offer a discount to all our loyal customers.)

The 'regular customer' – un habitué/une habituée

The 'regular customer' – un habitué/une habituée

The French term for a regular customer or patron is un habitué (masculine) or une habituée (feminine). Derived from the verb s'habituer à (to get used to), it literally means 'an accustomed one'—someone who frequently visits a particular place and is well-known there.

This word is most commonly used for establishments with a social or community feel, such as a café, bar, restaurant, bakery, or local shop. It implies a sense of belonging and familiarity that goes beyond a simple transaction.

Calling someone an habitué is warmer and more personal than saying un client régulier (a regular client). It suggests the person is part of the fabric of the place; the staff knows them, they might have a 'usual' order, and they are a comfortable, expected presence.

As a noun formed from a past participle, habitué must agree in gender with the person it describes. Use un habitué for a man and une habituée for a woman. For a group of regulars, you would use les habitués.

💡 * Le barman connaît tous les habitués par leur nom.

• C'est une habituée de la bibliothèque ; elle vient tous les mardis.
• En tant qu'habitué, j'ai ma table préférée près de la fenêtre.
• Les habitués du marché savent quel vendeur a les meilleurs produits.

The 'buyer' or 'shopper' – un acheteur/une acheteuse

The 'buyer' or 'shopper' – un acheteur/une acheteuse

The term un acheteur or une acheteuse directly translates to 'a buyer' or 'a shopper.' It is derived from the very common and essential French verb acheter, which means 'to buy'.

Like many French nouns for people, it changes based on gender:

• un acheteur: a male buyer
• une acheteuse: a female buyer
• des acheteurs: plural buyers (male or mixed group)
• des acheteuses: plural buyers (all female)

This word is versatile. It can describe someone in a general shopping context (a shopper in a store) or in a more specific, formal transaction, such as a professional buyer for a company or someone purchasing a house (un acheteur immobilier).

While similar, acheteur is not always interchangeable with client(e) (client/customer). Acheteur specifically emphasizes the person performing the act of buying at a particular moment. In contrast, client(e) often implies a more established or ongoing relationship with a store, brand, or service.

💡 * L'acheteur a fait une offre pour la maison. (The buyer made an offer for the house.)

• C'est une acheteuse compulsive, elle ne peut pas s'arrêter. (She's a compulsive shopper, she can't stop.)
• Les acheteurs potentiels visitent l'appartement cet après-midi. (The potential buyers are visiting the apartment this afternoon.)
• La boutique recherche une acheteuse pour sa nouvelle collection. (The boutique is looking for a buyer for its new collection.)

The 'consumer' – un consommateur/une consommatrice

The 'consumer' – un consommateur / une consommatrice

Un consommateur (masculine) or une consommatrice (feminine) is the direct French translation for 'a consumer.' It's a formal term often found in business, economics, and legal discussions, referring to someone who buys goods or services.

Crucially, the word must agree with the gender of the person. Use un consommateur for a male and une consommatrice for a female. For plurals, it becomes des consommateurs for a group of men or a mixed group, and des consommatrices for a group of women.

This noun comes directly from the verb consommer, which means 'to consume.' Recognizing this connection helps reinforce your vocabulary and understanding of how French words are formed.

💡 * Le consommateur est protégé par la loi.

• Une bonne consommatrice compare les prix avant d'acheter.
• Les droits des consommateurs sont très importants.
• Cette nouvelle application s'adresse aux consommatrices de produits de beauté.

The 'user' (of a service or app) – un utilisateur/une utilisatrice

The French terms for a 'user,' particularly in a digital context like an app, website, or service, are un utilisateur (masculine) and une utilisatrice (feminine).

These are the standard and most common terms you'll encounter. They are derived directly from the verb utiliser, which means 'to use,' and are appropriate in both formal and informal technical contexts.

It's crucial to use the correct gender. Use un utilisateur when referring to a male user or a user of unknown gender in some general contexts, and une utilisatrice specifically for a female user.

The plural forms follow standard rules: des utilisateurs (for a group of all males or a mixed-gender group) and des utilisatrices (for a group of all females).

You will commonly see these words in phrases like nom d'utilisateur (username), expérience utilisateur (user experience or UX), and in terms of service agreements (conditions d'utilisation).

💡 * L'application compte plus d'un million d'utilisateurs. (The app has more than a million users.)

• Chaque utilisatrice doit créer un mot de passe sécurisé. (Each female user must create a secure password.)
• Veuillez entrer votre nom d'utilisateur. (Please enter your username.)
• L'expérience utilisateur sur ce site est excellente. (The user experience on this site is excellent.)

The 'patient' (in a medical context) – un patient/une patiente

Good news for English speakers! The French word for a medical 'patient' is a direct cognate: un patient for a male and une patiente for a female. This makes it one of the easier medical terms to remember.

While spelled identically in the masculine form, the pronunciation differs—the final 't' is silent in French. The most important thing to remember is gender agreement. You must use un patient for a man and une patiente for a woman, and any related adjectives must also agree.

This noun is used exclusively in a healthcare context, referring to someone receiving care from a doctor, dentist, therapist, or other medical professional. It should not be confused with the adjective patient(e), which means to have patience (e.g., Il faut être patient – 'One must be patient').

The plural forms follow standard French rules: des patients for a group of male patients or a mixed-gender group, and des patientes for a group of exclusively female patients.

💡 * Le médecin examine le patient attentivement.

• La patiente attend dans la salle d'attente.
• L'hôpital a accueilli de nombreux nouveaux patients aujourd'hui.
• Êtes-vous une nouvelle patiente dans ce cabinet ?

The 'guest' (in a hotel or restaurant) – le client/la cliente

When referring to a 'guest' in a commercial context, such as a hotel or restaurant, the French word to use is le client (masculine) or la cliente (feminine). This term directly translates to 'client' or 'customer' and is used for anyone paying for a service or goods.

It is crucial to distinguish client(e) from invité(e). An invité(e) is a guest in your home, someone you have personally invited. A client(e), on the other hand, is a paying guest or customer of a business establishment.

Remember to match the gender: le client for a man and la cliente for a woman. The plural form is les clients for a group of men or a mixed-gender group, and les clientes for a group of women.

💡 * Le client de la chambre 301 a demandé le service en chambre. (The guest in room 301 asked for room service.)

• La cliente a trouvé le repas délicieux. (The guest found the meal delicious.)
• Tous nos clients reçoivent un cocktail de bienvenue. (All our guests receive a welcome cocktail.)
• La réceptionniste a appelé un taxi pour une cliente. (The receptionist called a taxi for a guest.)

The 'clientele' (the entire customer base) – la clientèle

The 'clientele' (the entire customer base) – la clientèle

La clientèle is a collective noun in French that refers to the entire customer base of a business, shop, or professional service. Unlike un client (a male client) or une cliente (a female client), la clientèle encompasses all customers as a single group.

It's important to remember that la clientèle is a singular feminine noun, even though it refers to multiple people. Therefore, any accompanying adjectives or verbs must agree with it. For example, you would say La clientèle est satisfaite (The clientele is satisfied), not sont satisfaits.

This term is commonly used in business, marketing, and service industries to discuss customer loyalty, satisfaction, or target demographics. For instance, a company might aim to fidéliser sa clientèle (build customer loyalty).

💡 * Le restaurant a une clientèle très fidèle. (The restaurant has a very loyal clientele.)

• Nous devons mieux comprendre les besoins de notre clientèle. (We need to better understand the needs of our customer base.)
• La nouvelle campagne publicitaire vise une clientèle plus jeune. (The new advertising campaign is targeting a younger clientele.)

1. The Word for 'Prospect': Un Prospect

In French, the word for a 'prospect' or a 'potential customer' is un prospect. This term is a direct borrowing from English and is widely used in business, sales, and marketing contexts. It is a masculine noun, so you always use masculine articles like un or le.

It's important to distinguish un prospect from un client. A prospect is an individual or company that has shown interest in your product or service but has not yet made a purchase. Once they buy something, they become un client (a client/customer). The main goal of a sales team is often to convert prospects into clients.

Several key verbs are used when talking about prospects. For example, contacter un prospect (to contact a prospect), qualifier un prospect (to qualify a lead), relancer un prospect (to follow up with a prospect), and the ultimate goal, convertir un prospect en client (to convert a prospect into a client).

The plural form is regular and follows the English spelling: des prospects. For example, you might say, Nous avons plusieurs prospects intéressants ce mois-ci (We have several interesting prospects this month).

💡 * Notre équipe commerciale doit appeler une liste de prospects aujourd'hui. (Our sales team has to call a list of prospects today.)

• Ce n'est encore qu'un prospect, mais il a posé beaucoup de questions sur le prix. (He's still just a prospect, but he asked a lot of questions about the price.)
• L'objectif est de convertir au moins 10% de nos prospects en clients ce trimestre. (The goal is to convert at least 10% of our prospects into clients this quarter.)
• Un bon marketing peut attirer de nombreux prospects qualifiés. (Good marketing can attract many qualified prospects.)

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

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

This list includes the most essential ways to say “customer” in French. However, the world of commerce and services is vast, and you might encounter other terms specific to certain industries, from legal jargon to technical fields.

For more specific vocabulary, you can search online for phrases like “comment appeler un client en [domaine]” followed by a professional field like droit (law) or informatique (IT).

When you find a new synonym for client, it's a great practice to look it up in a dictionary and see how it’s used in context. This will help you understand the subtle differences in connotation and usage.

As you engage with French-language business news, websites, or even when shopping in a Francophone country, listen and observe. You'll naturally pick up on the specific vocabulary used in different commercial settings.

If you're looking for more advanced or technical business vocabulary, the WordReference forums and specialized terminology databases like FranceTerme can be excellent resources to explore.

I hope this guide helps you communicate more effectively in your professional interactions. To end, here’s a well-known French proverb that perfectly sums up the importance of the customer: Le client est roi. (The customer is king.)