When you think of "juice" in French, the word jus probably comes to mind immediately. And you're right! It's the most common and versatile term.

But what if you're at a market and want to specify freshly squeezed juice? Or what do you call the savory juices from a roast chicken? French has a surprising number of specific words for different kinds of "juice."

Let's pour ourselves a glass and explore the nine essential ways to say "juice" in French, so you'll always know the perfect word to use!

1. The standard 'juice' – le jus

The most common and direct word for 'juice' in French is le jus. It's the essential term you'll use for any kind of fruit or vegetable drink.

Le jus is a masculine noun. This is important when using articles, so you'll say un jus (a juice) or le jus (the juice). The plural form is les jus, which is spelled the same but pronounced without the 's'.

To say what kind of juice it is, you use the structure jus de + [fruit]. The preposition de means 'of'. For example, 'orange juice' becomes jus d'orange (the de contracts to d' before a vowel).

Here are some of the most common juices you'll see on a French menu:

• Jus d'orange: Orange juice
• Jus de pomme: Apple juice
• Jus de raisin: Grape juice
• Jus de tomate: Tomato juice
• Jus de fruits: Fruit juice (often a mix)

Pay attention to the context! In cooking, le jus can also refer to the natural juices from cooked meat, similar to 'gravy' or the English culinary term 'au jus'. You might see un rôti et son jus (a roast and its gravy) on a menu.

The word jus also appears in slang expressions. A common one is être dans le jus, which colloquially means 'to be swamped' or 'in a jam'. For example: Je suis complètement dans le jus au travail cette semaine. (I'm completely swamped at work this week.)

💡 * Je voudrais un jus d'orange frais, s'il vous plaît.

• Tu préfères le jus de pomme ou le jus de raisin ?
• Ce plat de viande est servi avec un délicieux jus.
• Les enfants boivent des jus de fruits différents chaque matin.
• Laisse-moi tranquille, je suis dans le jus en ce moment !

The 'fruit juice' – le jus de fruit

The direct and most common way to say 'fruit juice' in French is le jus de fruit.

Breaking it down, the phrase literally means 'the juice of fruit'. Le jus translates to 'the juice', and de fruit means 'of fruit'. This 'noun + de + noun' structure is very common in French to describe what something is made of or its purpose.

To talk about a specific type of juice, you simply replace the general word fruit with the name of the actual fruit. For example, 'apple juice' is le jus de pomme, and 'grape juice' is le jus de raisin.

Pay attention to fruits that start with a vowel. The word de contracts to d' before a vowel sound. For instance, 'orange juice' is jus d'orange and 'pineapple juice' is jus d'ananas. This is a mandatory contraction called elision.

You will see and hear jus de fruit everywhere in France, from breakfast menus in a boulangerie to the aisles of a supermarché (supermarket). It's a staple of daily life and a key vocabulary word for any traveler or learner.

When referring to multiple types of juices, the plural form is les jus de fruits. For example, a hotel breakfast buffet might offer plusieurs jus de fruits (several fruit juices).

💡 * Je voudrais un jus d'orange frais, s'il vous plaît.

• Le matin, les enfants boivent du jus de pomme.
• Quel est ton jus de fruit préféré ?
• N'oublie pas d'acheter du jus de raisin au magasin.

The 'freshly squeezed juice' – le jus pressé

When you're in a French café and want the freshest juice possible, the key phrase you need is le jus pressé. This term specifically indicates that the juice is freshly squeezed from the fruit, not poured from a carton or bottle.

Let's look at the components. Jus simply means 'juice'. The important word here is pressé, which is the past participle of the verb presser, meaning 'to press' or 'to squeeze'. So, jus pressé literally translates to 'pressed juice'.

You'll find jus pressé on menus in cafés, restaurants, and hotels. It's used to differentiate high-quality, fresh juice from pre-packaged jus de fruits. If you don't see the word pressé, you are likely to receive juice from a container.

While jus pressé can be used generally, it's most often attached to a specific fruit. The most popular examples are:

• un jus d'orange pressé (freshly squeezed orange juice)
• un jus de pamplemousse pressé (freshly squeezed grapefruit juice)
• un jus de citron pressé (freshly squeezed lemon juice - often served as a base for lemonade)

Ordering is straightforward. You can simply ask for the specific juice you want, adding pressé at the end. For example: Bonjour, je voudrais un jus d'orange pressé, s'il vous plaît. (Hello, I would like a freshly squeezed orange juice, please.)

💡 * Pour le petit-déjeuner, je prends toujours un jus d'orange pressé.

• Ce café sert le meilleur jus de pamplemousse pressé de la ville.
• Rien n'est plus rafraîchissant qu'un grand verre de jus de citron pressé en été.
• Excusez-moi, votre jus de pomme est-il un jus pressé ?

The 'pure juice' – le pur jus

The 'pure juice' – le pur jus

Literally translating to 'the pure juice,' the expression le pur jus is used figuratively to describe someone or something that is a quintessential, stereotypical, or perfect example of a particular type, group, or origin. It's similar to saying 'through and through' or 'a classic example of' in English.

This phrase often carries a slightly ironic, humorous, or even critical tone. When you call someone a rocker pur jus, you're implying they fit every single cliché associated with being a rocker, from their clothes to their attitude.

Grammatically, pur jus functions as an invariable adjectival phrase, meaning it doesn't change to agree with the noun it modifies. It always follows the noun. For example, un film d'horreur pur jus (a quintessential horror film) or une comédie romantique pur jus (a quintessential romantic comedy).

💡 * C'est un Parisien pur jus, il se plaint tout le temps ! (He's a quintessential Parisian, he complains all the time!)

• Ce film est un western pur jus, avec des cowboys et des duels au soleil. (This movie is a classic western, with cowboys and duels at noon.)
• Elle est une artiste pur jus, toujours un peu dans les nuages. (She is an artist through and through, always a bit of a daydreamer.)
• On a mangé dans un bistrot pur jus, avec la nappe à carreaux et tout. (We ate in a quintessential bistro, with the checkered tablecloth and everything.)

The 'juice from concentrate' – le jus à base de concentré

The 'juice from concentrate' – le jus à base de concentré

Le jus à base de concentré literally means 'juice from a base of concentrate.' The phrase à base de is very common on French food packaging and means 'made from' or 'based on.'

You will almost always see this term on juice cartons in a French supermarket (supermarché). It indicates that the product was made by adding water back to a fruit concentrate.

It's important to distinguish le jus à base de concentré from le pur jus (pure juice). If a carton says pur jus, it means the juice is not from concentrate and is generally considered higher quality.

So, when you're shopping, if you want juice that isn't reconstituted, look for pur jus. If you're okay with juice from concentrate, which is often more affordable, look for à base de concentré.

💡 * Je préfère le pur jus au jus à base de concentré.

• Regarde l'étiquette pour voir si c'est un jus à base de concentré.
• Ce jus de pomme à base de concentré est très bon marché.
• La plupart des jus en brique sont des jus à base de concentré.

The 'vegetable juice' – le jus de légumes

The French phrase for 'vegetable juice' is a direct and literal translation: le jus de légumes. This term is universally understood and used throughout the French-speaking world.

The phrase follows a simple structure: jus (juice) + de (of) + légumes (vegetables). Note that légumes is in its plural form because it refers to a juice made from multiple vegetables. If you are talking about juice from a single vegetable, you use the singular form, for example, un jus de carotte (a carrot juice) or un jus de tomate (a tomato juice).

You will commonly find le jus de légumes listed on menus in health-focused cafés, on beverage aisles in supermarkets (supermarchés), and in discussions about healthy eating and diets. It's a standard term used in both everyday conversation and commercial contexts.

While fruit juices (les jus de fruits) are perhaps more common as a breakfast staple in France, le jus de légumes is very popular among health-conscious individuals. Tomato juice (le jus de tomate) is also a classic apéritif (pre-dinner drink) option, often served plain or in a cocktail like a Bloody Mary.

💡 * Je bois un verre de jus de légumes chaque matin pour ma santé.

• Vous trouverez le jus de légumes dans le rayon des boissons fraîches.
• Préfères-tu le jus de carotte ou le jus de tomate ?
• Ce jus de légumes est un mélange de betterave, de céleri et d'épinards.

The 'nectar' (a thick fruit beverage) – le nectar

The French word for a thick, pulp-based fruit beverage is le nectar.

In French, le nectar is different from pure fruit juice (jus de fruit). It is a beverage made from fruit purée or concentrate, to which water and sugar are added. This gives it a characteristically thicker texture than standard juice.

Nectar is a masculine noun, so you always use masculine articles like le or un. For example, you would say un nectar de mangue for a mango nectar or le nectar d'abricot for the apricot nectar.

💡 * Je préfère le nectar d'abricot au jus d'orange. (I prefer apricot nectar to orange juice.)

• Pour le petit-déjeuner, elle boit un verre de nectar de poire. (For breakfast, she drinks a glass of pear nectar.)
• Ce nectar de goyave est délicieux et très épais. (This guava nectar is delicious and very thick.)

The 'meat juice' or 'gravy' – le jus de viande

The 'meat juice' or 'gravy' – le jus de viande

Le jus de viande literally translates to 'meat juice.' It specifically refers to the natural pan drippings that come from roasting or cooking meat. This is the foundation of many French sauces and is often served as a simple, light gravy.

Unlike a thick, flour-based gravy, le jus de viande is thin, clear, and intensely flavorful. It's considered a more refined accompaniment that enhances the meat's natural taste rather than masking it. You'll often see dishes on French menus described as being served au jus.

This term is fundamental in French cuisine. The process of making it often involves déglaçage (deglazing), where wine or stock is added to the hot pan to lift all the flavorful browned bits left from the meat.

💡 * Le rôti de bœuf est délicieux avec son jus de viande. (The roast beef is delicious with its gravy.)

• Le chef a arrosé le poulet avec le jus de viande pour le garder humide. (The chef basted the chicken with the meat juice to keep it moist.)
• N'oublie pas de garder le jus de viande pour faire la sauce. (Don't forget to keep the pan drippings to make the sauce.)
• J'aime tremper mes frites dans le jus de viande. (I like to dip my fries in the gravy.)

The 'coffee' (slang) – un jus

A classic and very common slang term for 'coffee' in French is un jus. Although its literal translation is 'a juice,' this term is widely used and understood in informal settings to refer to a cup of coffee.

The term un jus typically refers to a simple, black coffee or an espresso. It often has a slightly gritty, everyday connotation, sometimes humorously referring to a strong, basic, or even not-so-great coffee. This is where the expression jus de chaussette ('sock juice') comes from, used to describe particularly bad coffee.

You would use un jus in casual, everyday situations, like with friends or at a local café or bistrot. It's a familiar term you can use to sound more like a native speaker. For example, you can invite someone by asking, « On va se boire un petit jus ? » (Shall we go have a little coffee?).

💡 * Allez, je t'offre un jus pour commencer la journée. (Come on, I'll buy you a coffee to start the day.)

• Garçon ! Deux jus et l'addition, s'il vous plaît. (Waiter! Two coffees and the bill, please.)
• J'ai juste besoin d'un petit jus pour me réveiller. (I just need a little coffee to wake myself up.)
• Le café de la machine est vraiment du jus de chaussette. (The coffee from the machine is really 'sock juice'.)

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

So, are there other ways to say 'juice' in French besides the all-important jus?

Our guide has featured the most common and essential ways to talk about juice in French. While jus will be your go-to word in almost every situation, the world of French beverages is rich with specific terms, from culinary vocabulary to regional specialties.

You can expand your knowledge by doing an online search for “boissons aux fruits” (fruit drinks) or looking up menus from French cafés. This will show you how jus, nectar, and smoothie are used in real-world contexts.

Pay attention to grocery store labels and product descriptions when you have the chance. You might find interesting distinctions between pur jus (pure juice), à base de concentré (from concentrate), and nectar. Observing these details is a fantastic way to learn.

Don't be afraid to ask! When ordering a drink in a French-speaking region, asking “Quelles sont vos spécialités?” (What are your specialties?) might introduce you to a local fruit beverage you've never heard of.

For more detailed vocabulary, including terms for pulp (la pulpe) or zest (le zeste), online dictionaries like Larousse or WordReference are invaluable. The entry for jus is a great starting point for related phrases.

I hope this article has been refreshing and helpful. Mastering everyday vocabulary is a key ingredient for fluency. To finish, here is a simple and encouraging French thought: “Chaque jour est une nouvelle saveur à découvrir.” (Every day is a new flavor to discover.) Santé!