When you think of the word for 'plate' in French, assiette probably comes to mind first. And you'd be right! It's the most common and versatile term. But what if you're talking about a specific dish on a menu, the platter it's served on, or even a tectonic plate? The French language, with its love for precision, has a variety of words for these situations. Learning them will not only expand your vocabulary but also help you sound more like a native speaker, whether you're dining in a Parisian bistro or just discussing your favorite recipes. Let's dive into the different ways to talk about a 'plate' in French!

The standard 'plate' – une assiette

Une assiette is the most common and standard French word for a 'plate'—the physical object you eat your food from. It is a feminine noun, which is important to remember for article agreement (une assiette, l'assiette).

You can specify the type of plate by adding an adjective. The most common types are:

une assiette plate: a dinner plate (literally, 'a flat plate')
une assiette creuse: a soup plate or bowl (literally, 'a deep plate')
une assiette à dessert: a dessert plate

Like in English, assiette can also refer to the serving or portion of food on the plate. For example, you can order une assiette de charcuterie (a plate of cured meats) or une assiette de frites (a plate of fries). In this context, it means 'a dish of...' or 'a plateful of...'

There's a very common French idiom using this word: ne pas être dans son assiette. This literally translates to 'to not be in one's plate,' but it means 'to feel unwell' or 'to be out of sorts.' It's a phrase you will hear frequently in everyday conversation.

💡 * Passe-moi ton assiette, s'il te plaît. (Pass me your plate, please.)

Pour la soupe, il nous faut des assiettes creuses. (For the soup, we need deep plates/bowls.)

J'ai commandé une belle assiette de fromages. (I ordered a beautiful cheese plate.)

Il a l'air fatigué, il n'est pas dans son assiette aujourd'hui. (He looks tired, he's not feeling well today.)

Attention, l'assiette est très chaude ! (Be careful, the plate is very hot!)

The 'dinner plate' – une assiette plate

The 'dinner plate' – une assiette plate

The most common and essential piece of tableware is une assiette plate, which literally translates to a “flat plate.” This is your standard dinner plate used for the main course (le plat principal).

It's crucial to distinguish it from other types of plates. For soup or pasta, you would use une assiette creuse (a deep plate or bowl), and for cake, you'd use a smaller une assiette à dessert (dessert plate). The adjective plate clarifies its function.

While you might simply ask for une assiette in a casual context, specifying plate is useful when setting a formal table, buying dishware, or if other types of plates are present. For example, a host might ask, "Peux-tu me passer les assiettes plates ?" ("Can you pass me the dinner plates?")

In French dining culture, using the correct plate for each course is part of l'art de la table (the art of table setting). The assiette plate is the foundation of the main course setting, often placed on top of a larger decorative plate called a sous-assiette or assiette de présentation.

💡 * Pour le plat principal, j'ai besoin d'une assiette plate.

Attention, cette assiette plate est très chaude.

Il a mis son steak et ses frites dans une grande assiette plate.

Où sont les assiettes plates ? Je ne trouve que les assiettes creuses.

The 'soup plate' or 'deep plate' – une assiette creuse

Let's set the table with another essential piece of vocabulary: une assiette creuse, which translates to a 'deep plate' or 'soup plate'.

This is the type of plate you would use for liquids or dishes with a lot of sauce, like soups, stews, or pasta. It's characterized by its wide, raised rim that prevents spills.

Breaking down the term, assiette is the general French word for 'plate,' and creuse is an adjective meaning 'hollow' or 'deep.' So, it literally means a 'hollow plate'.

This is the direct opposite of une assiette plate, which means a 'flat plate'—the standard plate you'd use for most main courses.

You'll commonly hear this term when setting the table for a meal that includes a first course of soup (la soupe), a pasta dish (les pâtes), or even a saucy stew (un ragoût).

💡 * Pour la soupe, il faut une assiette creuse.

J'ai servi les pâtes dans des assiettes creuses.

Peux-tu me passer une assiette creuse pour ma salade ?

Ce ragoût sera parfait dans une assiette creuse.

The 'platter' or 'serving dish' – un plat

The 'platter' or 'serving dish' – un plat

In its most literal sense, un plat refers to the physical object used for serving food—a platter, a serving dish, or even a large plate. It is the container itself.

More commonly, un plat refers to a 'dish' in the culinary sense, meaning a prepared meal or a specific course. For example, the main course in France is famously called the plat principal or plat de résistance.

The word plat is a masculine noun. You will always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as un plat (a dish), le plat (the dish), or un bon plat (a good dish).

💡 * Passe-moi le plat de fromages, s'il te plaît. (Pass me the cheese platter, please.)

Quel est le plat du jour ? (What is the dish of the day?)

Mon plat préféré est le coq au vin. (My favorite dish is coq au vin.)

J'ai préparé un plat spécial pour nos invités. (I prepared a special dish for our guests.)

The 'saucer' (for a cup) – une soucoupe

In French, the word for the small plate that sits under a coffee or tea cup is une soucoupe.

It's important to note that soucoupe is a feminine noun. Therefore, you always use the feminine article une (a/an) or la (the).

You will typically encounter this word in settings where hot beverages are served, such as a café, a restaurant, or at home. A common pairing is 'une tasse et sa soucoupe' (a cup and its saucer).

Be careful not to confuse une soucoupe with une assiette. While both are types of dishes, une assiette is a larger plate used for food, whereas a soucoupe is specifically for placing under a cup.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'une soucoupe pour ma tasse de thé. (I need a saucer for my teacup.)

Le serveur a posé la tasse de café sur la soucoupe. (The waiter placed the coffee cup on the saucer.)

Attention, tu as renversé du sucre sur la soucoupe ! (Be careful, you spilled sugar on the saucer!)

Cet ensemble comprend six tasses et six soucoupes. (This set includes six cups and six saucers.)

The 'dessert plate' – une assiette à dessert

In French, the direct and most common way to say 'a dessert plate' is une assiette à dessert. This is the standard term you will hear and use in everyday situations.

Let's break down the phrase. Une assiette means 'a plate'. The preposition à in this context is used to indicate purpose, similar to 'for' in English. Therefore, assiette à dessert literally translates to 'plate for dessert'.

You'll encounter this term when setting the table, dining in a restaurant, or shopping for tableware. It refers specifically to the smaller plate brought out for the final, sweet course of a meal.

It's useful to know how it differs from other plates. A standard dinner plate is une assiette plate, and a soup plate or bowl is une assiette creuse. The assiette à dessert is characteristically smaller than the assiette plate.

💡 * Pourrais-tu me passer une assiette à dessert, s'il te plaît ? (Could you pass me a dessert plate, please?)

Nous devons acheter de nouvelles assiettes à dessert. (We need to buy new dessert plates.)

Le gâteau sera servi sur des assiettes à dessert. (The cake will be served on dessert plates.)

J'ai mis les assiettes à dessert dans le lave-vaisselle. (I put the dessert plates in the dishwasher.)

The 'disposable plate' – une assiette jetable

The term for a 'disposable plate' in French is une assiette jetable. This is a common and useful phrase for situations like parties, picnics, or fast food.

This phrase is composed of two parts: une assiette, which means 'a plate', and the adjective jetable, which means 'disposable'. The word jetable is derived from the verb jeter, meaning 'to throw away'.

In French, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun. Since assiette is a feminine noun, we use une. The adjective jetable is invariable, meaning it doesn't change for gender. You can use this same structure for other disposable items, like un gobelet jetable (a disposable cup) or des couverts jetables (disposable cutlery).

💡 * Pour le pique-nique, nous avons besoin d'assiettes jetables. (For the picnic, we need disposable plates.)

Les assiettes jetables sont pratiques, mais pas très écologiques. (Disposable plates are practical, but not very eco-friendly.)

J'ai acheté des assiettes jetables en carton pour l'anniversaire de ma fille. (I bought cardboard disposable plates for my daughter's birthday.)

Peux-tu mettre les assiettes jetables usagées dans la poubelle ? (Can you put the used disposable plates in the trash can?)

The 'charger' or 'presentation plate' – une assiette de présentation

The 'charger' or 'presentation plate' – une assiette de présentation

Une assiette de présentation is the French term for a charger plate, the large, decorative plate that sits underneath the main dinner plate in a formal table setting.

Its primary purpose is aesthetic; it adds a touch of elegance and color to the table. Food is not served directly on it. It typically remains on the table for the first courses and is removed before the main course is served.

You may also encounter the term sous-assiette (literally 'under-plate'), which is often used interchangeably to refer to the same object.

💡 * N'oubliez pas de mettre les assiettes de présentation pour le dîner formel. (Don't forget to set out the charger plates for the formal dinner.)

On enlève l'assiette de présentation avant de servir le plat de résistance. (The charger plate is removed before serving the main course.)

J'ai trouvé de belles assiettes de présentation en porcelaine. (I found beautiful porcelain charger plates.)

1. The 'license plate' – une plaque d'immatriculation

The most accurate and official way to say 'license plate' in French is une plaque d'immatriculation. This phrase literally translates to 'a plate of registration' and is the standard term used in formal contexts, such as at the DMV (préfecture) or in legal documents.

Let's break down the term: plaque means 'plate,' and immatriculation means 'registration.' Because plaque is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article une (a/an) or la (the). Understanding these components makes the phrase easier to remember.

In everyday conversation, French speakers often shorten the phrase for convenience. You will frequently hear it referred to simply as la plaque. An older, but still widely understood, term is la plaque minéralogique, which harks back to a former registration system.

When discussing the actual number on the plate, you would use le numéro d'immatriculation (the registration number). The related verb is immatriculer, which means 'to register.' For example, faire immatriculer sa voiture means 'to get one's car registered.'

💡 * J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle plaque d'immatriculation pour ma voiture. (I need a new license plate for my car.)

La police a noté le numéro de sa plaque. (The police wrote down his license plate number.)

Il faut changer les plaques d'immatriculation quand on achète une voiture d'occasion. (You have to change the license plates when you buy a used car.)

Ma plaque minéralogique est sale, je dois la nettoyer. (My license plate is dirty, I need to clean it.)

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

Our list features the most essential words for 'plate' in French, centered around the common term assiette. But as with any language, there's a world of specific vocabulary out there, from terms used in professional kitchens to regional variations and old-fashioned words.

To discover more, you can do an online search for terms like 'vocabulaire de la table en français' (table vocabulary in French) or look up specific items like 'plat de service' (serving platter).

When you encounter a new word for a plate, try to see it used in context. Is it for a specific food? Is it formal or informal? For example, un plat can mean a plate or platter, but it most often refers to a 'dish' or a 'course' in a meal.

The next time you watch a French film, browse a French restaurant's menu, or read a recipe, pay attention to the words used for dishes and tableware. You'll naturally pick up on the nuances and expand your vocabulary.

For a deeper dive into related words and common expressions, the WordReference entry for assiette is a fantastic resource. You'll find compound words and phrases that can enrich your understanding.

I hope this guide has been helpful. To end, here is a perfect French proverb that reminds us what's truly important at the dinner table: L'important n'est pas ce qu'il y a dans l'assiette, mais avec qui on la partage. (What's important is not what's on the plate, but who you share it with.)

'9 ways to say "plate" in French'