repas
repas في 30 ثانية
- A masculine noun meaning 'meal' in English.
- Always spelled with an 's' (un repas, des repas).
- Refers to both the food and the social occasion.
- Central to French culture and daily routine.
The term repas is a fundamental masculine noun in the French language, representing far more than the mere act of consuming calories. At its core, it translates to 'meal' in English, but in the context of French culture, it signifies a structured social ritual, a moment of pause, and a cornerstone of the art de vivre. Whether it is a quick breakfast or a seven-course banquet, the word encompasses the food, the time taken to eat it, and the gathering itself. Unlike the English word 'meal' which can sometimes feel functional, 'repas' often carries a connotation of conviviality and order.
- Etymological Root
- Derived from the Vulgar Latin re-pascere, meaning 'to feed again' or 'to nourish repeatedly,' highlighting the cyclical nature of daily sustenance.
- Grammatical Note
- The word ends in an 's' in its singular form (un repas) and remains unchanged in the plural (des repas), making it an invariable noun regarding spelling.
Le repas est servi sur la grande table de la salle à manger.
In a broader sense, 'repas' refers to the specific times of day when food is consumed: le petit-déjeuner (breakfast), le déjeuner (lunch), and le dîner (dinner). In some regions, you might also hear le souper. The French 'repas gastronomique' is so significant that it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. This highlights that a 'repas' is not just about the plate, but about the selection of dishes, the pairing with wine, and the conversation that flows between participants.
Après un bon repas, on se sent souvent plus détendu.
- Common Adjectives
- Un repas copieux (hearty), un repas léger (light), un repas équilibré (balanced).
Historically, the timing and composition of the French repas have shifted. In the 19th century, the 'déjeuner' was much later in the day. Today, the structure usually follows a strict pattern: entrée, plat principal, fromage, et dessert. This sequence is what defines the 'repas' in a formal or traditional setting. When a French person invites you for a 'repas', they are inviting you for an experience that lasts at least an hour, often much longer.
Il est important de ne pas sauter de repas pour rester en bonne santé.
Nous avons partagé un repas mémorable au bord de la mer.
- Cultural Significance
- In France, the 'repas de famille' (family meal) is a sacred Sunday tradition that can last for several hours.
Chaque repas est une occasion de discuter et de rire.
Using the word repas correctly involves understanding its role as a countable noun and its specific collocations. Because it ends in 's', beginners often mistake it for a plural noun, but it is singular in 'un repas'. When using it in a sentence, you will most frequently pair it with the verbs prendre (to take/have), préparer (to prepare), or servir (to serve).
- Verb Pairings
- Prendre un repas: To eat a meal. Sauter un repas: To skip a meal. Partager un repas: To share a meal.
Je préfère prendre mon repas dans le calme de mon jardin.
In terms of syntax, 'repas' is often followed by a prepositional phrase to describe its purpose or timing. For example, un repas d'affaires (a business meal) or un repas de fête (a holiday meal). Note that when describing the contents of the meal, we use 'de' or 'à base de', such as 'un repas de poissons'.
Nous organisons un repas de Noël pour tous les employés.
- Adjective Placement
- Adjectives usually follow 'repas': un repas délicieux, un repas froid, un repas chaud.
For advanced learners, 'repas' can be used in more abstract ways. For instance, 'le repas des fauves' (the feeding of the wild beasts) is a common idiomatic expression used to describe a chaotic or messy group of people eating, often children. You might also encounter 'repas de noces' specifically for wedding feasts.
C'était un repas frugal, composé uniquement de pain et de fromage.
Voulez-vous rester pour le repas ?
- Quantity Expressions
- Use 'pendant le repas' (during the meal) or 'entre les repas' (between meals).
Il ne faut pas grignoter entre les repas.
The word repas is ubiquitous in French daily life. You will hear it in domestic settings, professional environments, and throughout the media. In a typical French home, the question 'Qu'est-ce qu'on mange pour le repas ?' is a daily refrain. It is also a key term in the hospitality industry.
- In Restaurants
- Waiters might ask, 'Le repas vous a-t-il plu ?' (Did you enjoy the meal?) or mention 'le repas du jour'.
Le serveur nous a apporté la carte pour le repas du soir.
In the workplace, the 'repas d'affaires' is a critical component of French business culture. Unlike in some cultures where business is strictly conducted in an office, in France, many deals are sealed over a 'repas'. You will also hear about 'tickets-repas' or 'titres-restaurant', which are vouchers provided by employers to help employees pay for their lunch.
À la télévision, ils ont montré comment préparer un repas de fête à petit prix.
- In Schools
- Children talk about 'la cantine' where they take their 'repas de midi'. French school meals are famous for being multi-course and balanced.
Medical and nutritional contexts also frequently use the word. Doctors might advise taking medication 'au milieu du repas' (in the middle of the meal) or 'en dehors des repas' (outside of meal times). Nutritionists will talk about the importance of 'trois repas par jour' (three meals a day) to maintain a healthy metabolism.
Le médecin m'a conseillé de faire des repas plus légers le soir.
Dans ce roman, le repas de famille tourne à la dispute.
- Travel & Tourism
- Travel brochures often specify 'repas compris' (meals included) or 'repas non inclus'.
Le prix du billet d'avion inclut un repas chaud et des boissons.
Despite its simple appearance, repas presents several pitfalls for learners. The most frequent error is related to its spelling and number. Because the word ends in 's', many students assume it is plural and use plural articles or verb agreements when they mean a single meal.
- The 'S' Trap
- Incorrect: *J'ai mangé un repa. Correct: J'ai mangé un repas. The 's' is part of the root, not a plural marker.
Même pour un seul repas, on met toujours un 's' à la fin.
Another common mistake is confusing 'repas' with 'nourriture' (food) or 'plat' (dish). While they are related, they are not interchangeable. 'Un plat' is a single item of food (like a plate of pasta), whereas 'un repas' is the whole event which might consist of several 'plats'. 'Nourriture' is the general substance.
Ne confondez pas le repas (l'événement) avec le plat (ce qui est dans l'assiette).
- Gender Confusion
- Learners sometimes think 'repas' is feminine because many words ending in 's' or 'e' are. It is strictly masculine: le repas, un repas.
Pronunciation is another area where mistakes occur. The final 's' in 'repas' is silent. Some learners try to pronounce it, especially when they see it in the plural, but it remains [ʁə.pa] in both singular and plural contexts. The only time you might hear a 'z' sound is in a liaison, though it is rare with this word.
On ne prononce jamais le 's' final du mot repas.
Il a oublié de payer son repas au restaurant.
- Preposition Errors
- Use 'pendant le repas' for 'during the meal', not 'durant de'. Use 'à la fin du repas' for 'at the end of the meal'.
Nous avons discuté de politique pendant tout le repas.
To truly master the vocabulary of dining, it is helpful to compare repas with its synonyms and related terms. While 'repas' is the general term, other words offer more specific nuances regarding the size, quality, or context of the eating event.
- Repas vs. Festin
- A 'repas' is any meal. A festin is a feast—a very large, elaborate, and celebratory meal, often with many guests.
- Repas vs. Collation
- A collation is a light meal or snack, often taken between the main 'repas'. It is less formal and smaller in scale.
- Repas vs. Banquet
- A banquet is a formal 'repas' organized for a specific ceremony or in honor of someone, usually involving many people.
Ce n'était pas un simple repas, c'était un véritable festin !
In casual settings, you might hear the word bouffe (slang for food/meal) or casse-croûte (a quick snack or sandwich). While 'repas' is appropriate in all settings, 'bouffe' should only be used with friends. Another interesting term is gueuleton, which is an old-fashioned, colloquial word for a hearty, enjoyable meal among friends.
Pour le repas de midi, j'ai juste pris un petit casse-croûte.
- Repas vs. Dîner/Déjeuner
- 'Repas' is the category; 'dîner' and 'déjeuner' are the specific instances. You have a 'repas' which is a 'dîner'.
Le repas du soir est le moment où toute la famille se retrouve.
Après la randonnée, nous avons savouré un repas bien mérité.
- Formal vs. Informal
- Use 'repas' for general use, 'festin' for luxury, and 'collation' for light bites.
Il est impoli de quitter le repas avant que tout le monde ait fini.
How Formal Is It?
مستوى الصعوبة
قواعد يجب معرفتها
Masculine noun agreement
Invariable nouns ending in 's'
Partitive articles with food
Prepositions of time (pendant, avant, après)
Adjective placement after nouns
أمثلة حسب المستوى
C'est un bon repas.
It is a good meal.
Note the use of 'un' (masculine) with 'repas'.
Je prends mon repas à midi.
I have my meal at noon.
The verb 'prendre' is commonly used with 'repas'.
Le repas est fini.
The meal is finished.
Singular agreement with 'est'.
Tu aimes ce repas ?
Do you like this meal?
Use 'ce' (masculine demonstrative adjective) with 'repas'.
Nous préparons un repas.
We are preparing a meal.
Present tense of 'préparer'.
Un repas chaud est important.
A hot meal is important.
Adjective 'chaud' follows the noun 'repas'.
Où est mon repas ?
Where is my meal?
Possessive adjective 'mon' is masculine.
Voici le repas de Marie.
Here is Marie's meal.
Use 'de' to show possession.
J'ai mangé un repas léger ce soir.
I ate a light meal tonight.
Passé composé with 'avoir'.
Il ne faut pas sauter de repas.
One must not skip meals.
The expression 'sauter de repas' uses 'de' after a negation.
Quel est votre repas préféré ?
What is your favorite meal?
Interrogative adjective 'quel' matches the masculine 'repas'.
Nous avons partagé un repas en famille.
We shared a meal as a family.
Prepositional phrase 'en famille' adds context.
Le repas coûte vingt euros.
The meal costs twenty euros.
Standard sentence for restaurant contexts.
Elle prépare le repas pour ses amis.
She is preparing the meal for her friends.
Preposition 'pour' indicates the beneficiary.
Après le repas, nous allons marcher.
After the meal, we are going for a walk.
Temporal preposition 'après'.
C'est un repas typique de la région.
It is a typical meal of the region.
Adjective 'typique' describes the nature of the meal.
Il est essentiel de prendre trois repas équilibrés par jour.
It is essential to have three balanced meals a day.
Use of 'par jour' for frequency.
Pendant le repas, nous avons discuté de nos vacances.
During the meal, we discussed our holidays.
'Pendant' indicates duration.
Le repas d'affaires a duré plus de deux heures.
The business meal lasted more than two hours.
Compound noun 'repas d'affaires'.
J'ai oublié de prendre mes médicaments au milieu du repas.
I forgot to take my medicine in the middle of the meal.
Locution 'au milieu de'.
Le service était lent, mais le repas était délicieux.
The service was slow, but the meal was delicious.
Contrast using 'mais'.
C'est un repas qui demande beaucoup de préparation.
It is a meal that requires a lot of preparation.
Relative clause starting with 'qui'.
Nous avons été invités à un repas de noces.
We were invited to a wedding feast.
Passive voice 'avons été invités'.
Il ne faut pas grignoter entre les repas.
One should not snack between meals.
Preposition 'entre' used with plural 'les repas'.
Le repas gastronomique français est classé au patrimoine de l'UNESCO.
The French gastronomic meal is classified as UNESCO heritage.
Formal adjective 'gastronomique'.
Malgré un repas copieux, il avait encore faim.
Despite a hearty meal, he was still hungry.
Concession with 'malgré'.
Le chef a conçu un repas inspiré par ses voyages en Asie.
The chef designed a meal inspired by his travels in Asia.
Past participle 'inspiré' agreeing with 'repas'.
Le repas s'est déroulé dans une ambiance très tendue.
The meal took place in a very tense atmosphere.
Pronominal verb 'se dérouler'.
Il a critiqué la qualité du repas servi lors de la conférence.
He criticized the quality of the meal served during the conference.
Use of 'lors de' for 'during/at the time of'.
Un repas frugal suffit parfois à combler les besoins du corps.
A frugal meal is sometimes enough to meet the body's needs.
Adjective 'frugal' meaning simple/sparing.
Elle a passé toute la journée à préparer ce repas exceptionnel.
She spent the whole day preparing this exceptional meal.
Duration expressed with 'passer toute la journée à'.
Le repas de fête a été le point culminant de la soirée.
The holiday meal was the highlight of the evening.
Metaphorical use of 'point culminant'.
Le repas, au-delà de sa fonction nutritive, est un vecteur de cohésion sociale.
The meal, beyond its nutritional function, is a vector of social cohesion.
Sophisticated phrasing with 'au-delà de' and 'vecteur'.
L'auteur utilise le repas comme une métaphore de la déchéance de la bourgeoisie.
The author uses the meal as a metaphor for the decline of the bourgeoisie.
Literary analysis context.
Il est d'usage de ne pas aborder de sujets polémiques lors d'un repas de gala.
It is customary not to broach controversial subjects during a gala meal.
Impersonal construction 'Il est d'usage de'.
La mise en scène du repas dans ce film souligne l'isolement du protagoniste.
The staging of the meal in this film highlights the protagonist's isolation.
Cinematic/Artistic terminology.
Ce repas pantagruélique a mis à rude épreuve l'estomac des convives.
This Pantagruelian meal put the guests' stomachs to a severe test.
Literary adjective 'pantagruélique' (referring to Rabelais).
L'étiquette entourant le repas varie considérablement d'une culture à l'autre.
The etiquette surrounding the meal varies considerably from one culture to another.
Abstract noun 'étiquette'.
Le repas fut servi avec une pompe digne d'un monarque.
The meal was served with a pomp worthy of a monarch.
Passé simple 'fut' and formal noun 'pompe'.
On ne saurait sous-estimer l'importance symbolique du repas partagé.
One cannot underestimate the symbolic importance of the shared meal.
Formal 'on ne saurait' (one cannot).
La ritualisation du repas participe à la sédimentation des traditions familiales.
The ritualization of the meal contributes to the sedimentation of family traditions.
Academic vocabulary: 'ritualisation', 'sédimentation'.
Le repas s'érige ici en véritable sacrement laïc de la convivialité républicaine.
The meal stands here as a true secular sacrament of republican conviviality.
Philosophical/Political register.
L'ordonnance du repas répond à des codes séculaires dont nous avons perdu le sens.
The arrangement of the meal responds to centuries-old codes whose meaning we have lost.
Formal 'ordonnance' and 'séculaire'.
Sublimé par le talent du chef, le simple repas se transforme en expérience synesthésique.
Sublimated by the chef's talent, the simple meal transforms into a synesthetic experience.
High-level vocabulary: 'sublimé', 'synesthésique'.
Le repas devient le théâtre d'une joute verbale où se jouent des destins politiques.
The meal becomes the theater of a verbal joust where political destinies are at stake.
Metaphorical 'théâtre' and 'joute verbale'.
Il y a dans la lenteur du repas français une résistance à l'immédiateté du monde moderne.
There is in the slowness of the French meal a resistance to the immediacy of the modern world.
Sociological observation.
L'apogée du repas fut atteint lors du service des vins millésimés.
The climax of the meal was reached during the service of the vintage wines.
Formal 'apogée' and 'millésimé'.
Chaque repas est une itération d'un mythe collectif liant l'homme à sa terre.
Each meal is an iteration of a collective myth linking man to his land.
Anthropological register.
تلازمات شائعة
العبارات الشائعة
يُخلط عادةً مع
تعبيرات اصطلاحية
سهل الخلط
أنماط الجُمل
عائلة الكلمة
مرتبط
كيفية الاستخدام
Repas is the event, nourriture is the stuff.
Spelling is identical.
- Writing 'un repa' without the 's'.
- Pronouncing the final 's'.
- Using 'la repas' (it's masculine).
- Using 'repas' to mean a single dish (use 'plat').
- Thinking 'des repas' needs an extra 's' (it's invariable).
نصائح
The Silent S
Always write the 's', never say it. It's like the 's' in 'debris'.
Take Your Time
A French meal is rarely rushed. Expect to spend at least an hour at the table.
Meal vs Food
Use 'repas' for the event and 'nourriture' for the food itself.
Prendre vs Manger
Use 'prendre' for a more sophisticated way of saying you're having a meal.
Adjective Agreement
Since 'repas' is masculine, make sure your adjectives are too (e.g., 'bon', not 'bonne').
Invitations
If someone invites you for a 'repas', it usually means lunch or dinner.
Hands on Table
During a French meal, keep your hands visible on the table, not in your lap.
Balanced Meals
A 'repas équilibré' is a key concept in French health education.
Business Dining
Deals are often made during the 'repas d'affaires', not before.
Regional Names
Be aware that meal names can change in Belgium, Switzerland, and Quebec.
احفظها
أصل الكلمة
Latin
السياق الثقافي
Dinner is usually later than in the US, around 19:30 or 20:00.
Inscribed in 2010 as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Keep hands on the table, not in the lap.
تدرّب في الحياة الواقعية
سياقات واقعية
بدايات محادثة
"Quel est ton repas préféré ?"
"À quelle heure prends-tu ton repas du soir ?"
"Tu préfères un repas chaud ou froid ?"
"Qui prépare le repas chez toi ?"
"Quel était le meilleur repas de ta vie ?"
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
Décris ton repas idéal.
Qu'est-ce que tu as mangé pour ton dernier repas ?
Pourquoi le repas est-il important pour toi ?
Décris un repas de fête dans ton pays.
Est-ce que tu préfères manger seul ou partager un repas ?
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةNo, it is singular in 'un repas'. The 's' is part of the word itself.
Le petit-déjeuner. It is a type of repas.
No, the 's' is silent.
Yes, but 'prendre un repas' is more common and natural.
A business meal where professional matters are discussed.
It is 'le' repas (masculine).
It means to skip a meal.
Entre les repas.
Usually no, 'goûter' or 'collation' is used for snacks.
A very simple and small meal.
اختبر نفسك 30 أسئلة
Write a sentence about your favorite meal.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Describe a meal you had yesterday.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Say: 'Je prends un repas.'
Read this aloud:
قلت:
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Listen and write: 'Un bon repas.'
/ 30 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
The word 'repas' (masculine) refers to a meal. It is invariable in spelling (always ends in 's') and is a key concept in French culture, often implying a long, social, and structured event. Example: 'Nous avons pris un excellent repas ensemble.'
- A masculine noun meaning 'meal' in English.
- Always spelled with an 's' (un repas, des repas).
- Refers to both the food and the social occasion.
- Central to French culture and daily routine.
The Silent S
Always write the 's', never say it. It's like the 's' in 'debris'.
Take Your Time
A French meal is rarely rushed. Expect to spend at least an hour at the table.
Meal vs Food
Use 'repas' for the event and 'nourriture' for the food itself.
Prendre vs Manger
Use 'prendre' for a more sophisticated way of saying you're having a meal.
محتوى ذو صلة
تعلّمها في السياق
عبارات ذات صلة
مزيد من كلمات food
à base de
B1على أساس؛ مصنوع من مكون أساسي معين.
à la boulangerie
A2At the bakery.
à la carte
A2طلب أطباق فردية من القائمة بدلاً من وجبة محددة السعر.
à la charcuterie
A2At the deli; where cold meats and prepared foods are sold.
à la coque
A2Soft-boiled (for eggs).
à la demande
B1On demand; upon request.
à la poêle
A2مطبوخ في المقلاة؛ مقلي في المقلاة.
à la poissonnerie
A2At the fishmonger's; where fresh fish is sold.
à la vapeur
A2مطبوخ بالبخار؛ على البخار.
à l'apéritif
B1في وقت فاتح الشهية؛ ما يقدم قبل الوجبة الرئيسية.