The most common way to say "fish" in French is poisson. But what if you're at a bustling market in Marseille or trying to order a specific dish at a seaside bistro? The French language, especially when it comes to cuisine, is rich with specific vocabulary. As you learn French, knowing how to talk about food is one of the most practical and enjoyable skills you can develop. Let's dive in and explore nine different ways to say "fish" in French, from the general term to specific kinds you'll find on a menu!

The standard 'fish' – le poisson

Le poisson is the standard, all-purpose French word for 'fish'. It's a versatile term used to describe both the living animal swimming in the water and the food on your plate.

Crucially, poisson is a masculine noun. This means you will always use masculine articles like le (the) or un (a/an). The plural form is les poissons, which is pronounced identically to the singular form. The context and the article (le vs. les) will tell you if it's one fish or many.

Whether you're pointing at a fish in an aquarium or ordering dinner, poisson is the right word. When referring to fish as food in a general sense, you'll often use the partitive article du, as in Je mange du poisson (I am eating fish). For a specific, living fish, you might say Regarde le poisson ! (Look at the fish!).

One of the most famous uses of this word is in the expression Poisson d'avril, which is the French equivalent of April Fool's Day (April 1st). The tradition involves children trying to secretly tape a paper fish onto someone's back.

A common point of confusion for learners is mixing up le poisson (the fish) with la pêche (the act of fishing). Remember: le poisson is what you catch, and la pêche is the activity of catching it.

💡 * J'ai acheté du poisson frais au marché. (I bought fresh fish at the market.)

Les enfants adorent regarder les poissons dans l'aquarium. (The children love watching the fish in the aquarium.)

Le poisson est bon pour la santé. (Fish is good for your health.)

Il y a beaucoup de poissons dans ce lac. (There are a lot of fish in this lake.)

Mon plat préféré est le poisson grillé. (My favorite dish is grilled fish.)

The 'freshwater fish' – le poisson d'eau douce

The 'freshwater fish' – le poisson d'eau douce

This phrase literally translates to 'fish of fresh water.' It's the go-to term for any fish living in non-saline environments like rivers (rivières), lakes (lacs), and ponds (étangs). The components are poisson (fish), eau (water), and douce (fresh or sweet).

Grammatically, poisson is a masculine noun, so the term is always le poisson d'eau douce. The phrase d'eau douce functions as a descriptive adjective, specifying the type of fish. The preposition de becomes d' because it precedes the vowel in eau.

To fully grasp its meaning, it's helpful to contrast it with its opposite: le poisson de mer (saltwater fish). This distinction is vital in many contexts, from ordering at a restaurant (au restaurant) to discussing fishing (la pêche).

Some common poissons d'eau douce you might find in France and other French-speaking regions include la truite (trout), le brochet (pike), and la carpe (carp).

💡 * La truite est un poisson d'eau douce très populaire en France.

J'aime pêcher le poisson d'eau douce dans le lac près de chez moi.

Le saumon peut vivre à la fois en eau douce et en eau de mer.

Ce restaurant est spécialisé dans les plats de poisson d'eau douce.

The 'sea fish' – le poisson de mer

To specify that a fish comes from the ocean, French speakers use the term le poisson de mer. This literally translates to 'the fish of the sea' and is the standard way to refer to saltwater fish.

The term is a simple combination of three words: le poisson (the fish), de (of), and la mer (the sea). This structure makes it an easy and logical term for learners to remember and use.

The main reason to use poisson de mer is to distinguish it from its counterpart, le poisson d'eau douce (freshwater fish). You'll encounter this distinction in restaurants, at the fishmonger's (la poissonnerie), or in recipes.

Many of the most well-known fish are poissons de mer. Examples include le thon (tuna), le saumon (salmon), la morue (cod), la sole (sole), and le maquereau (mackerel).

Note that the word poisson is masculine. Therefore, it is always le poisson de mer or un poisson de mer. The plural form is les poissons de mer.

💡 * J'ai commandé un filet de poisson de mer avec des légumes.

Le thon est un poisson de mer très populaire dans le monde entier.

Quelle est la différence entre un poisson de mer et un poisson d'eau douce ?

Sur le marché, ils vendent d'excellents poissons de mer frais.

The 'seafood' (often including fish) – les fruits de mer

The 'seafood' (often including fish) – les fruits de mer

Literally translating to “fruits of the sea,” les fruits de mer is a specific culinary term in French. It refers almost exclusively to shellfish and other invertebrates, not all sea creatures.

Crucially, les fruits de mer does not include fish (le poisson). While a restaurant might specialize in both, they are treated as separate categories. If you order a plateau de fruits de mer, you should expect items like oysters, mussels, shrimp, and crab, but not salmon or tuna.

Common examples of fruits de mer include les huîtres (oysters), les moules (mussels), les crevettes (shrimp), le crabe (crab), and le homard (lobster).

💡 * J'adore les plateaux de fruits de mer. (I love seafood platters.)

Ce restaurant est spécialisé dans les fruits de mer et le poisson frais. (This restaurant specializes in seafood and fresh fish.)

Nous avons commandé des moules et des huîtres. (We ordered mussels and oysters.)

Attention, le saumon est un poisson, pas un fruit de mer. (Be careful, salmon is a fish, not a 'fruit de mer'.)

1. The 'fish fillet' – le filet de poisson

The phrase le filet de poisson is the direct and most common French translation for 'the fish fillet.' It's a fundamental term for anyone navigating French cuisine or grocery shopping.

Let's break it down: le filet means 'the fillet,' and le poisson means 'the fish.' The preposition de connects the two, indicating possession or type, literally translating to 'the fillet of fish.'

In French, le filet de poisson is a masculine noun phrase. This means it will always be preceded by masculine articles like le (the) or un (a). For example, you would say un bon filet de poisson (a good fish fillet).

This is a standard culinary term, not slang. You will see and hear it frequently in restaurants, at the fish market (à la poissonnerie), and in recipes. It refers to a boneless cut of fish, ready for cooking.

Very often, the specific type of fish will replace poisson. The structure remains filet de + [type of fish]. For instance, filet de saumon (salmon fillet), filet de cabillaud (cod fillet), or filet de sole (sole fillet).

💡 * Je vais prendre le filet de poisson avec des légumes. (I'll have the fish fillet with vegetables.)

Pourriez-vous me préparer deux filets de saumon, s'il vous plaît ? (Could you prepare two salmon fillets for me, please?)

Cette recette nécessite un filet de poisson blanc. (This recipe requires a white fish fillet.)

Le chef recommande son filet de bar poêlé. (The chef recommends his pan-seared sea bass fillet.)

1. The 'smoked fish' – le poisson fumé

In French, the term for 'smoked fish' is a direct and straightforward translation: le poisson fumé. This makes it one of the easier culinary terms for English speakers to learn and remember.

The phrase is composed of two words: poisson, which means 'fish' and is a masculine noun, and fumé, which is the past participle of the verb fumer (to smoke). Used as an adjective, fumé agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes, hence le poisson fumé.

While le poisson fumé is the general term, you will more often see specific types mentioned. The most popular varieties in France are le saumon fumé (smoked salmon) and le hareng fumé (smoked herring). Smoked trout, la truite fumée, is also a common delicacy.

Le poisson fumé, especially smoked salmon, is a staple in French cuisine, particularly as an appetizer (une entrée). It is frequently served on blinis or toast with a bit of lemon and crème fraîche, or used as a key ingredient in salads and quiches. It's especially popular during festive periods like Christmas and New Year's Eve.

💡 * J'ai acheté du saumon fumé pour l'apéritif. (I bought smoked salmon for the appetizer.)

Aimez-vous la salade au poisson fumé ? (Do you like salad with smoked fish?)

Le hareng fumé a un goût très prononcé. (Smoked herring has a very strong taste.)

On sert souvent le poisson fumé avec du citron. (Smoked fish is often served with lemon.)

The 'goldfish' – le poisson rouge

The French term for 'goldfish' is le poisson rouge. This literally translates to 'the red fish.' The word poisson (fish) is a masculine noun, so you always use the masculine article le or un, making it le poisson rouge.

Le poisson rouge is one of the most common household pets in France, especially for children. You will often find them swimming in a fishbowl, which is called un bocal in French.

To talk about more than one goldfish, you use the plural form: les poissons rouges. Both the noun (poissons) and the adjective (rouges) take an 's' at the end, which is a standard rule for forming plurals in French.

💡 * Mon fils veut un poisson rouge pour son anniversaire. (My son wants a goldfish for his birthday.)

Combien de fois faut-il nourrir les poissons rouges ? (How often do you have to feed the goldfish?)

Le chat regarde le poisson rouge dans son bocal. (The cat is watching the goldfish in its bowl.)

J'ai acheté deux poissons rouges au marché. (I bought two goldfish at the market.)

The 'fishing' (the activity) – la pêche

The French word for the activity of 'fishing' is la pêche. As a feminine noun, it is used with feminine articles like la or une. This term specifically refers to the sport or action of catching fish.

It is crucial not to confuse la pêche (fishing) with le poisson (the fish). While related, they are not interchangeable. You go à la pêche to catch du poisson.

The verb 'to fish' in French is pêcher. This is a regular -er verb and is used to describe the action itself. For example, Il aime pêcher means 'He likes to fish'.

You can use la pêche in various contexts, such as aller à la pêche (to go fishing) or by specifying the type, like la pêche en mer (sea fishing) or la pêche à la ligne (line fishing).

💡 * J'aime aller à la pêche le week-end pour me détendre. (I like to go fishing on the weekend to relax.)

La pêche est une activité populaire dans cette région. (Fishing is a popular activity in this region.)

Il a acheté un nouveau permis de pêche pour la saison. (He bought a new fishing license for the season.)

Mon grand-père m'a appris à pêcher quand j'étais enfant. (My grandfather taught me to fish when I was a child.)

1. The 'fishmonger' – le poissonnier / la poissonnière

The French term for a 'fishmonger' is le poissonnier for a male and la poissonnière for a female. These words refer to the person who sells fish and other seafood.

These terms are directly derived from the French word for fish, le poisson. This connection makes the vocabulary easy to remember: poisson (fish) leads to poissonnier (the person who sells fish).

A fishmonger works in a poissonnerie, which is the French word for a fish shop or fish market. You can also find a poissonnier at a stall in a larger outdoor market (marché).

Just like in English, it is very common in French to say you are going 'to the fishmonger's' when referring to the shop. You would say, chez le poissonnier.

💡 * Je vais chez le poissonnier pour acheter du saumon frais. (I'm going to the fishmonger's to buy fresh salmon.)

La poissonnière m'a conseillé ce cabillaud. (The fishmonger [female] recommended this cod to me.)

Le marché du dimanche a un excellent poissonnier. (The Sunday market has an excellent fishmonger.)

Les poissonniers vendent aussi des plateaux de fruits de mer. (Fishmongers also sell seafood platters.)

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

Our list features the most common ways to say 'fish' in French, focusing on the essential word poisson. However, French, especially in culinary contexts, is filled with specific terms. You'll find different words for fish based on the species, preparation, or even the region.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for “noms de poissons en français” or by looking up the menu of a French seafood restaurant (restaurant de fruits de mer).

When you find a new term like saumon (salmon) or thon (tuna), check how it's used in recipes or on menus. This context is key to understanding the rich vocabulary of French cuisine.

Pay close attention as you watch French cooking shows, read recipes, or walk through a market in France. You'll quickly discover a whole new world of aquatic vocabulary.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive list of different types of fish, the WordReference entry for poisson is a fantastic and reliable place to start your exploration.

I hope this article has been helpful. To end, here is a classic French expression: Noyer le poisson (literally 'to drown the fish'), which means to obscure an issue or confuse a situation. It’s a fun reminder of how central this simple word is to the French language!

'9 ways to say "fish" in French'