Le fruit is the most common and direct way to say “fruit” in French, and you'll hear it everywhere from the marché (market) to the supermarché (supermarket). But what if you want to talk about a specific type of fruit, like a berry or a citrus fruit? The French language, with its love for precision, has several other useful terms. As you explore French cuisine and culture, knowing these different words will add flavor and accuracy to your vocabulary. Let's peel back the layers and discover 9 delicious ways to talk about “fruit” in French!

1. The general term for 'fruit' – un fruit

The most common and general term for 'fruit' in French is simply un fruit. It's your go-to word for almost any situation involving fruit.

Crucially, fruit is a masculine noun in French. This means you will always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as un fruit (a fruit), le fruit (the fruit), or un bon fruit (a good fruit).

When referring to a single piece of fruit, you use the singular un fruit. When talking about fruit in general or multiple pieces, you use the plural form des fruits (some fruits) or les fruits (the fruits). For example, to say 'I like fruit,' you would say J'aime les fruits.

Unlike in English where 'fruit' can be an uncountable noun (e.g., 'a bowl of fruit'), in French, it's almost always treated as a countable noun. You are conceptually counting the individual pieces of fruit, even when speaking generally.

The word fruit also appears in common expressions. For instance, le fruit de son travail means 'the fruit of one's labor,' used exactly like its English counterpart to refer to the results of hard work.

💡 * Je vais acheter des fruits au marché.

• Une pomme est un fruit.
• La salade de fruits est un dessert léger et sain.
• Quels sont tes fruits préférés en été ?
• Le succès de ce projet est le fruit de notre collaboration.

The plural form for 'fruits' – des fruits

While the singular for 'a fruit' in French is un fruit, the most common way to refer to 'fruits' in the plural is by using des fruits. This is a crucial distinction for English speakers to grasp.

The word des is a partitive article, which means it refers to an unspecified quantity of something. Think of it as the plural of un or une. Therefore, des fruits directly translates to 'some fruits'.

You use des fruits when you are talking about a non-specific number of fruits. For example, if you are at a market and you want to buy some fruit, you would say you are buying des fruits.

It's important not to confuse des fruits with les fruits. The word les is the definite article ('the'). You use les fruits when speaking about fruits in general as a category, or about specific fruits that have already been identified. For example, J'aime les fruits means 'I like fruits' (in general).

A simple rule to remember is: use des fruits for 'some fruits' (an unknown amount) and les fruits for 'the fruits' or 'fruits' as a general concept.

💡 * Je vais acheter des fruits au supermarché. (I am going to buy some fruits at the supermarket.)

• Pour le petit-déjeuner, je mange des fruits avec du yaourt. (For breakfast, I eat some fruit with yogurt.)
• Les fruits de son jardin sont délicieux. (The fruits from her garden are delicious.)
• En général, les fruits sont bons pour la santé. (In general, fruits are good for your health.)

The 'citrus fruit' – un agrume

The general French term for a citrus fruit is un agrume. This is a masculine noun used to refer to any fruit from the citrus family, such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits.

While un agrume refers to a single citrus fruit, you will more commonly hear its plural form, des agrumes, as people often talk about the category of fruits. For example, a section in a supermarket might be labeled Agrumes.

This collective noun covers many popular fruits. Here are some key examples of agrumes:

• Une orange (an orange)
• Un citron (a lemon)
• Un pamplemousse (a grapefruit)
• Une mandarine (a mandarin orange)

You use un agrume or les agrumes when speaking about citrus fruits in a general sense, often in conversations about cooking, health, or agriculture. For instance, you might say you like citrus fruits (j'aime les agrumes) rather than listing each one individually.

Remember the distinction: you buy une orange (a specific fruit), but you classify it as un agrume (its category). This is similar to saying you're buying an apple, which is a type of pome fruit.

💡 * J'adore le jus d'agrumes le matin. (I love citrus juice in the morning.)

• Les agrumes, comme les citrons et les oranges, sont riches en vitamine C. (Citrus fruits, like lemons and oranges, are rich in vitamin C.)
• Le pamplemousse est un agrume que l'on mange souvent au petit-déjeuner. (Grapefruit is a citrus fruit that is often eaten for breakfast.)
• Pour cette recette, vous aurez besoin du zeste d'un agrume. (For this recipe, you will need the zest of a citrus fruit.)

The 'berry' or 'red fruit' – un fruit rouge

The ‘berry’ or ‘red fruit’ – un fruit rouge

Literally translating to “a red fruit,” the term un fruit rouge is a general category in French used to refer to berries and other small, red-colored fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries.

You will frequently encounter this term on dessert menus, in jam descriptions, or at the market. It's a collective noun that conveniently groups these popular fruits together.

It is most often used in its plural form, les fruits rouges, when referring to a mix of these fruits.

💡 * J'adore la tarte aux fruits rouges. (I love the red fruit/berry tart.)

• Pour le petit-déjeuner, je mange du yaourt avec des fruits rouges. (For breakfast, I eat yogurt with red fruits/berries.)
• Le marché vend de beaux fruits rouges en été. (The market sells beautiful berries in the summer.)
• Ce sorbet aux fruits rouges est très rafraîchissant. (This red fruit/berry sorbet is very refreshing.)

The 'stone fruit' – un fruit à noyau

To talk about ‘stone fruit’ in French, you use the descriptive phrase un fruit à noyau.

The term translates literally to “a fruit with a stone.” The word noyau means ‘stone,’ ‘pit,’ or ‘kernel,’ making this phrase very logical and easy to remember.

This is the standard botanical and culinary term used in France. You'll encounter it in supermarkets, on restaurant menus, and in cookbooks when referring to fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries.

When speaking about more than one stone fruit, the plural form is des fruits à noyau. It's important to note that noyau stays singular, as it describes the category of fruit.

Some of the most popular fruits à noyau are peaches (les pêches), apricots (les abricots), plums (les prunes), cherries (les cerises), and even mangoes (les mangues).

💡 * J'adore faire des tartes avec des fruits à noyau en été.

• Attention en mangeant cette olive, elle a un noyau.
• La pêche est mon fruit à noyau préféré.
• Pour cette recette, vous pouvez utiliser différents fruits à noyau.

The 'dried fruit' – un fruit sec

In French, un fruit sec literally translates to 'a dried fruit,' a common term you'll encounter in any supermarket. However, like many simple phrases, it carries a second, more colorful meaning in colloquial language.

The primary meaning of les fruits secs refers to two categories of food. First, nuts and seeds, which are naturally dry (fruits à coque), such as walnuts (noix), almonds (amandes), and hazelnuts (noisettes). Second, it refers to fruits that have been dehydrated, like raisins (raisins secs), dried apricots (abricots secs), and dates (dattes).

In informal French slang, calling someone un fruit sec is an insult. It's used to describe a person who is scrawny, weak, or unathletic. It's the equivalent of calling someone a 'wimp,' a 'weakling,' or a 'noodle' in English, particularly in the context of physical activities or sports.

This expression is most commonly heard among children and teenagers, especially in a school setting like a gym class (cours de sport). While it's a mild and somewhat childish insult, it is still pejorative. You wouldn't use it in a formal or polite conversation.

It's useful to know this expression to understand it if you hear it, but it's best to avoid using it yourself unless you are in a very familiar, teasing context with close friends. Stick to the literal meaning when you're speaking, and you'll have no problems!

💡 * J'aime ajouter des fruits secs à mon yaourt le matin.

• Le trail mix est un excellent mélange de fruits secs et de noix.
• Il n'a pas réussi à porter la valise, c'est un vrai fruit sec !
• Arrête de te plaindre, ne sois pas un fruit sec.

The 'seasonal fruit' – un fruit de saison

The 'seasonal fruit' – un fruit de saison

The phrase un fruit de saison translates literally to 'a fruit of the season.' It refers to any fruit that is at its peak for harvesting and flavor during a specific time of year. This concept is central to French cuisine and shopping, as markets will prominently feature whatever is currently in season.

The word fruit is masculine, so it's always un fruit. The plural form is des fruits de saison. You can apply the same structure to vegetables: un légume de saison (a seasonal vegetable) and des légumes de saison (seasonal vegetables).

💡 * Les fraises sont des fruits de saison au printemps. (Strawberries are seasonal fruits in the spring.)

• J'adore aller au marché pour acheter des fruits de saison. (I love going to the market to buy seasonal fruits.)
• Quel est ton fruit de saison préféré en automne ? (What is your favorite seasonal fruit in the fall?)
• Manger des fruits de saison, c'est souvent moins cher et plus écologique. (Eating seasonal fruits is often cheaper and more ecological.)

1. The 'exotic fruit' – un fruit exotique

The French term for an 'exotic fruit' is a straightforward cognate: un fruit exotique (masculine). The plural form is des fruits exotiques.

A fruit exotique is a fruit that is not native to or traditionally grown in mainland France. This category typically includes tropical and subtropical fruits imported from regions in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

When you see this term in France, think of fruits like la mangue (mango), l'ananas (pineapple), la banane (banana), le fruit de la passion (passion fruit), and le litchi (lychee).

You will commonly encounter this term on menus, especially for desserts like a salade de fruits exotiques, or in the produce section of a supermarché (supermarket).

💡 * J'ai acheté plusieurs fruits exotiques pour faire un smoothie.

• La mangue est mon fruit exotique préféré.
• Le dessert du jour est une tarte aux fruits exotiques.
• En hiver, j'aime bien manger des fruits exotiques pour avoir des vitamines.

1. The Phrase for 'Fruit Salad': Une Salade de Fruits

The French phrase for 'fruit salad' is a direct and literal translation: une salade de fruits. Breaking it down, une salade means 'a salad', and de fruits means 'of fruits'. It's a simple and easy-to-remember term for this common dish.

Pay attention to the structure 'salade de fruits'. The preposition de is used to indicate what the salad is made of. Even though fruits is plural, you use de and not des. This is a common pattern in French for describing the contents of something, like in un jus de pomme (apple juice) or une tarte aux fraises (strawberry tart).

You can use une salade de fruits in the same way you would in English. It's a popular dessert (dessert), snack (goûter), or part of breakfast (petit-déjeuner) in France. You will commonly find it on restaurant menus and in home kitchens, especially during the summer.

The phrase is also famously associated with a popular 1959 song, 'Salade de fruits', by the French actor and singer Bourvil. The song's cheerful melody made the phrase even more recognizable and embedded it in French pop culture.

💡 * Pour le dessert, je voudrais une salade de fruits, s'il vous plaît.

• En été, rien n'est plus rafraîchissant qu'une bonne salade de fruits.
• Ma grand-mère ajoute toujours un peu de jus d'orange dans sa salade de fruits.
• Veux-tu de la salade de fruits avec ton yaourt ?

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

So, are there other ways to say “fruit” in French?

Our guide has covered the most common and essential words for fruits in French. However, the French language, especially when it comes to cuisine, is incredibly rich. You'll find many specific terms for categories of fruit like les agrumes (citrus fruits) or les fruits rouges (red fruits/berries).

To discover more, you can do an online search for “noms de fruits exotiques en français” or look up the vocabulary for a specific region's produce, as names can sometimes vary.

When you encounter a new fruit-related word, always check its context. Is it a general term, a specific variety, or part of an idiom? Understanding the context is key to using the word correctly.

The best way to learn is through immersion! Try reading a French recipe, watch a French cooking show, or browse the website of a French supermarket. You'll pick up new vocabulary and see how the words are used in daily life.

If you want to explore more vocabulary related to fruits, including adjectives to describe them or verbs for preparing them, a great French culinary blog or a dictionary like Larousse can be an excellent resource.

I hope this guide has been a fruitful part of your language journey! We'll end with a well-known French proverb: “La pomme ne tombe jamais loin de l'arbre.” (The apple never falls far from the tree.) It’s a perfect reminder of how language and culture are always connected.