The most common way to say "spoon" in French is cuillère. But did you know there are many different types of spoons, each with its own specific name? From the tiny spoon you use for your coffee to the large one for serving soup, French has a surprisingly rich vocabulary for this everyday utensil. As you dive deeper into French, learning these specific terms will not only expand your vocabulary but also give you a glimpse into the nuances of French dining culture. Let's dig in and explore 9 different ways to say "spoon" in French!

1. The standard 'spoon' – une cuillère

The standard 'spoon' in French is une cuillère.

Une cuillère is the most common and universal word for 'spoon'. It is a feminine noun, which is why it uses the article une for 'a' and la for 'the'.

The plural form is les cuillères (the spoons) or des cuillères (spoons). Remember to pronounce the 's' at the end of les and des as a 'z' sound before the vowel in cuillères (this is called a liaison).

This word is used in all situations, from ordering in a fine dining restaurant to asking for a spoon at home. It's the essential vocabulary word for this piece of cutlery.

Just like in English, French specifies different types of spoons. Here are the most important variations to know:

une cuillère à soupe: a tablespoon or soup spoon
une cuillère à café: a teaspoon (literally, 'a coffee spoon')
une cuillère à dessert: a dessert spoon

A common French idiom is ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuillère, which literally means 'to not go at it with the back of the spoon'. It means to not hold back or to be very direct and forceful about something.

💡 * Pourriez-vous m'apporter une autre cuillère, s'il vous plaît ? (Could you bring me another spoon, please?)

J'ai besoin d'une cuillère à café pour mon thé. (I need a teaspoon for my tea.)

Les cuillères sont dans le tiroir à côté des fourchettes. (The spoons are in the drawer next to the forks.)

Attention, la soupe est chaude, utilise ta cuillère. (Be careful, the soup is hot, use your spoon.)

The 'teaspoon' – une cuillère à café

The 'teaspoon' – une cuillère à café

The French term for 'teaspoon' is une cuillère à café. Literally, this translates to 'a spoon for coffee'. The word cuillère means 'spoon', and café means 'coffee', indicating the spoon's original primary use.

It's crucial to distinguish this from its larger counterpart, une cuillère à soupe, which means 'tablespoon' (literally, 'a soup spoon'). Mixing them up in a recipe can lead to very different results!

Like in English, une cuillère à café is a standard unit of measurement in French cooking and baking. It's used for small amounts of ingredients such as spices, baking powder, or vanilla extract.

When reading a French recipe, you will often find this measurement abbreviated. The most common abbreviation is c.à.c. (for cuillère à café).

Beyond cooking, you use this term to refer to the physical spoon you'd use to stir a hot drink or eat a yogurt. It refers to both the unit of measurement and the utensil itself.

💡 * Ajoutez une cuillère à café de sucre dans votre thé.

La recette demande deux cuillères à café (2 c.à.c.) de levure chimique.

J'ai besoin d'une cuillère à café pour manger ma mousse au chocolat.

Il manque une petite cuillère sur la table.

The 'tablespoon' – une cuillère à soupe

When following a French recipe, one of the most common measurements you'll encounter is une cuillère à soupe, which translates directly to 'a tablespoon'.

Literally, the term breaks down into une cuillère (a spoon) and à soupe (for soup). So, it's a 'soup spoon,' which in the context of measurement, is the French equivalent of a tablespoon.

This is a standard unit of volume in French cooking. In written recipes, you will often see it abbreviated as c.à.s. or sometimes simply cs.

It's crucial not to confuse it with its smaller counterpart, une cuillère à café (a teaspoon), which is abbreviated as c.à.c. or cc. Always double-check which one the recipe calls for!

The plural form is des cuillères à soupe. For example, a recipe might instruct you to: 'Ajoutez deux cuillères à soupe de farine.' (Add two tablespoons of flour).

💡 * Ajoutez une cuillère à soupe de sucre en poudre. (Add a tablespoon of powdered sugar.)

Pour la vinaigrette, il faut trois cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive. (For the vinaigrette, you need three tablespoons of olive oil.)

La recette indique une c.à.s. de moutarde de Dijon. (The recipe indicates one tbsp of Dijon mustard.)

J'ai besoin de deux cuillères à soupe pour mesurer le sirop. (I need two tablespoons to measure the syrup.)

The 'dessert spoon' – une cuillère à dessert

The French term for a 'dessert spoon' is une cuillère à dessert. This is a direct and literal translation used in everyday language and formal dining.

A cuillère à dessert is sized between a smaller teaspoon (une cuillère à café) and a larger tablespoon (une cuillère à soupe). Its primary function is for eating sweets, puddings, and other desserts.

The noun cuillère (spoon) is feminine, which is why it's always preceded by the feminine article une or la. The construction cuillère à followed by a food item is a common pattern in French for naming specific utensils.

In traditional French table settings, the cuillère à dessert is often placed horizontally at the top of the place setting, above the dinner plate, sometimes alongside a dessert fork.

💡 * Pour manger cette mousse au chocolat, il te faut une cuillère à dessert.

Pouvez-vous me donner une cuillère à dessert, s'il vous plaît ?

Les cuillères à dessert sont rangées dans le tiroir à couverts.

La recette demande une cuillère à dessert de miel.

The 'serving spoon' – une cuillère de service

Let's look at a key piece of cutlery for shared meals: une cuillère de service.

Une cuillère de service literally translates to 'a spoon of service' and is the French term for a serving spoon. It's a larger spoon used to move food from a main dish onto individual plates.

You'll typically find a cuillère de service with shared dishes like salads, gratins, or vegetable platters at family meals, buffets, or restaurants.

It's important not to confuse it with une cuillère à soupe (a soup spoon). A cuillère de service is noticeably larger and is exclusively for serving, not for eating with directly.

Remember that the word cuillère is feminine in French. Consequently, you must always use a feminine article, such as une cuillère or la cuillère.

In short, use une cuillère de service when referring to the large spoon provided with a communal dish. It's a fundamental term for French dining etiquette.

💡 * Passe-moi la cuillère de service pour la salade, s'il te plaît. (Pass me the serving spoon for the salad, please.)

Il manque une cuillère de service pour le plat de riz. (There's a serving spoon missing for the rice dish.)

Chaque plat est accompagné de sa propre cuillère de service. (Each dish comes with its own serving spoon.)

The 'ladle' – une louche

In French, the word for a 'ladle' is une louche. It is a feminine noun, essential for any kitchen vocabulary, especially when dealing with soups, stews, or sauces. Remember to use feminine articles like une or la.

The primary and most common use of une louche is literal, referring to the long-handled, deep-bowled spoon used for serving liquids. You would ask for une louche to serve yourself some delicious pot-au-feu or bouillabaisse.

This is where French gets tricky and fun. The word louche is also an adjective meaning 'shady,' 'suspicious,' or 'sketchy.' It's a very common informal term used to describe a person, place, or situation that feels untrustworthy or disreputable.

To avoid confusion, pay close attention to grammar. The noun, une louche, refers to the utensil. The adjective, louche, will describe another noun, for example, un homme louche (a shady man) or une affaire louche (a sketchy deal). The context will make it clear whether you're talking about kitchenware or something suspicious.

💡 * Peux-tu me passer la louche pour la soupe ? (Can you pass me the ladle for the soup?)

Il y a un bar louche au coin de la rue. (There's a sketchy bar on the corner of the street.)

Je trouve son comportement un peu louche. (I find his behavior a bit suspicious.)

Cette louche en argent est un héritage de famille. (This silver ladle is a family heirloom.)

The 'ice cream scoop' – une cuillère à glace

The French term for an 'ice cream scoop' is une cuillère à glace. This phrase is a compound noun that literally translates to 'a spoon for ice cream.' It's formed by combining une cuillère (a spoon) with the preposition à and glace (ice cream) to specify the tool's purpose.

The word cuillère is a feminine noun in French. Consequently, the entire phrase une cuillère à glace is also feminine. You will always use a feminine article like une (a/an) or la (the) when referring to it.

Be careful not to confuse the tool, une cuillère à glace, with the serving, une boule de glace (a scoop/ball of ice cream). While English uses 'scoop' for both, French makes a clear distinction between the utensil and the portion it serves.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'une cuillère à glace pour servir le dessert. (I need an ice cream scoop to serve the dessert.)

Où est-ce que tu as acheté cette cuillère à glace ? (Where did you buy this ice cream scoop?)

Avec la cuillère à glace, il a fait deux grosses boules de vanille. (With the ice cream scoop, he made two big scoops of vanilla.)

La cuillère à glace est dans le tiroir à gauche. (The ice cream scoop is in the drawer on the left.)

The 'wooden spoon' – une cuillère en bois

The 'wooden spoon' – une cuillère en bois

Literally, une cuillère en bois translates to 'a wooden spoon.' It's a common and essential utensil found in almost every French kitchen, primarily used for stirring food while cooking, especially in non-stick pans to prevent scratching.

Beyond its culinary use, la cuillère de bois has a well-known idiomatic meaning in sports. It refers to an imaginary 'trophy' or booby prize given to the team or competitor who finishes in last place in a competition, particularly in the Six Nations Rugby tournament.

This expression humorously contrasts the humble, low-value wooden spoon with the prestigious silver or gold cups awarded to winners. It's a playful way to acknowledge the team that came in last without being overly harsh.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'une cuillère en bois pour mélanger la sauce tomate.

L'équipe de France a évité la cuillère de bois de justesse cette année au tournoi.

Finir dernier et recevoir la cuillère de bois est une expérience humiliante pour les athlètes.

Ma grand-mère ne cuisine qu'avec sa vieille cuillère en bois.

1. The French for 'Measuring Spoon': Une Cuillère à Mesurer

The most direct and common way to say 'measuring spoon' in French is une cuillère à mesurer. This literally translates to 'a spoon for measuring' (une cuillère = a spoon, à mesurer = to measure/for measuring).

You will also frequently encounter the term une cuillère doseuse. The word doseuse comes from the verb doser, which means 'to dose' or 'to measure out a specific quantity'. This term is often used in commercial contexts or on product packaging.

In many traditional French recipes, you won't use a separate set of measuring spoons. Instead, standard kitchen spoons are used for measurement: une cuillère à café (a teaspoon, abbreviated as c.à.c or cc) and une cuillère à soupe (a tablespoon, abbreviated as c.à.s or cs). These are the direct equivalents of 'tsp' and 'tbsp'.

The plural form is straightforward. For multiple spoons, you would say des cuillères à mesurer or des cuillères doseuses.

💡 * J'ai acheté un nouveau jeu de cuillères à mesurer. (I bought a new set of measuring spoons.)

Pour cette recette, il vous faut une cuillère à soupe de sucre. (For this recipe, you need a tablespoon of sugar.)

Utilisez la cuillère doseuse fournie avec le médicament. (Use the measuring spoon provided with the medicine.)

La mesure exacte est une demi-cuillère à café de sel. (The exact measurement is half a teaspoon of salt.)

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

Our guide has covered the most important word you need: cuillère. But does French have other words for 'spoon'? While cuillère is the go-to term for everyday use, you can find more specific vocabulary, especially in the world of cooking and dining.

You can expand your vocabulary by searching for specialized spoons. For example, look up terms like cuillère à absinthe (absinthe spoon) or cuillère à glace (ice cream scoop) to see how the word is adapted for different uses.

When you learn a new term, always check the context. Is it a modern utensil or an antique one? Is it for a specific dish? This will help you use the word correctly and sound more like a native speaker.

Pay attention when you watch French cooking shows, browse a French magasin d'arts de la table (tableware shop), or read classic recipes. You'll discover the rich vocabulary the French have for their culinary tools.

If you want to explore idiomatic expressions involving spoons, the WordReference forum for cuillère is a fantastic place to see how the word is used in real conversations and common phrases.

I hope this article was helpful! We'll leave you with a charming French expression: Il n'y va pas avec le dos de la cuillère, which means someone isn't holding back or is being very direct. It’s a great reminder that even a simple word like 'spoon' can add a lot of flavor to your French!

'9 ways to say "spoon" in French'