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consigne manuelle (f) – left-luggage locker

correspondance (f) – linking tunnel or walkway, eg in the metro; rail or bus connection

cour (f) – courtyard

DAB (m) – distributeur automatique de billets; ATM

défendu – prohibited

dégustation (f) – tasting, sampling

demi (m) – half; 330mL glass of beer

département (m) – administrative division of France

dessert (m) – dessert

digestif (m) – ‘digestive’; a drink served after a meal

eau (f) – water

eau-de-vie (f) – ‘water of life’; any of a number of brandies made from fruits, berries or nuts

église (f) – church

embarcadère (m) – pier, jetty

entrée (f) – entrance; first course or starter

épicerie (f) – small grocery store

escalier (m) – stairway

espace (f) – space; outlet

exposition universelle (f) – world exhibition

fête (f) – festival; holiday

ficelle (f) – string; a thinner, crustier 200g version of the baguette not unlike a very thick breadstick

fin de siècle (adj) – ‘end of the century’; characteristic of the last years of the 19th century and generally used to indicate decadence

forêt (f) – forest

formule (f) – similar to a menu but allows choice of whichever two of three courses you want (eg starter and main course or main course and dessert)

fromagerie (f) – cheese shop

funiculaire (m) – funicular railway

galerie (f) – gallery; covered shopping arcade (also called passage)

galette (f) – a pancake or flat pastry, with a variety of (usually savoury) fillings; see also crêpe

gare or gare SNCF (f) – railway station

gare routière (f) – bus station

gendarmerie (f) – police station; police force

grand magasin (m) – department store

grand projet (m) – huge, public edifice erected by a government or politician generally in a bid to immortalise themselves

Grands Boulevards (m pl) – ‘Great Boulevards’; the eight contiguous broad thoroughfares that stretch from place de la Madeleine eastwards to the place de la République

halles (f pl) – covered food market

hameau (m) – hamlet

hammam (m) – steam room, Turkish bath

haute couture (f) – literally ‘high sewing’; the creations of leading designers

haute cuisine (f) – ‘high cuisine’; classic French cooking style typified by elaborately prepared multicourse meals

hors service – out of order

hôtel de ville (m) – city or town hall

hôtel particulier (m) – private mansion

interdit – prohibited

intra-muros – ‘within the walls’ (Latin); refers to central Paris

jardin (m) – garden

jardin botanique (m) – botanical garden

jeux d’eau (m pl) – fountain displays

kir (m) – white wine sweetened with a blackcurrant (or other) liqueur

laverie (f) – laundrette

laverie libre-service (f) – self-service laundrette

libre-service – self-service

lycée (m) – secondary school

mairie (f) – city or town hall

maison de la presse (f) – newsagent

marché (m) – market

marché aux puces (m) – flea market

marché couvert (m) – covered market

marché découvert (m) – open-air market

menu (m) – fixed-price meal with two or more courses; see formule

musée (m) – museum

musette (f) – accordion music

navette (f) – shuttle bus, train or boat

nocturne (f) – late night opening at a museum, department store etc

orangerie (f) – conservatory for growing citrus fruit

pain (m) – bread

palais de justice (m) – law courts

parc (m) – park

parvis (m) – square in front of a church or public building

passage (couvert) (m) – covered shopping arcade (also called galerie)

pastis (m) – an aniseed-flavoured aperitif mixed with water

pâté (m) – potted meat; a thickish paste, often of pork, cooked in a ceramic dish and served cold (similar to terrine)

pâtisserie (f) – cakes and pastries; shop selling these products

pelouse (f) – lawn

pétanque (f) – see boules

pied-noir (m) – ‘black foot’; French colonial born in Algeria

place (f) – square or plaza

plan (m) – city map

plan du quartier (m) – map of nearby streets (hung on the wall near metro exits)

plat du jour (m) – daily special in a restaurant

point d’argent (m) – ATM

poissonnerie (f) – fishmonger, fish