The -er that sounds like é in French

1. 1
   boulanger/bulɑ̃ʒe/

   bakernoun

   A person who makes and sells bread.
2. 2
   boucher/buʃe/

   butchernoun

   A person who sells meat.
3. 3
   fromager/fʁɔmaʒe/

   cheesemongernoun

   A person who sells cheese.
4. 4
   charcutier/ʃaʁkytje/

   deli ownernoun

   A person who sells ham and saucisson.
5. 5
   quartier/kaʁtje/

   neighborhoodnoun

   A part of a city with its own life.
6. 6
   panier/panje/

   basketnoun

   A container with a handle for carrying your shopping.
7. 7
   léger/leʒe/

   lightadjective

   Not heavy.
8. 8
   dernier/dɛʁnje/

   lastadjective

   Coming after all the others.
9. 9
   déjeuner/deʒœne/iAlso said deʒøne or deʒne.

   to have lunchverb

   To eat the midday meal.
10. 10
    gaspiller/ɡaspije/

    to wasteverb

    To use for nothing what could have been of use.

The sentences

1. Le boulanger du coin fait les meilleures baguettes du quartier.

   The baker on the corner makes the best baguettes in the neighborhood.

2. Je vais demander au boucher deux steaks pour ce soir.

   I'm going to ask the butcher for two steaks for tonight.

3. Le fromager m'a conseillé un comté de douze mois.

   The cheesemonger recommended a twelve-month comté to me.

4. Chez le charcutier, je prends toujours du jambon à la coupe.

   At the deli, I always get sliced ham cut to order.

5. Le boulanger du quartier ouvre tôt le samedi matin.

   The neighborhood baker opens early on Saturday morning.

6. Mon panier est déjà plein et il est à peine dix heures.

   My basket is already full and it's barely ten o'clock.

7. Je voudrais quelque chose de plus léger pour ce soir.

   I'd like something lighter for tonight.

8. Je vais prendre le dernier poulet rôti de la vitrine.

   I'll take the last roast chicken in the display.

9. On rentre vite, je veux déjeuner avant une heure.

   We're heading home quickly, I want to have lunch before one.

10. Juste une demi-baguette, je ne veux pas gaspiller de pain.

    Just half a baguette, I don't want to waste bread.

Pronunciation

• boulanger/bulɑ̃ʒe/

  The "an" is a nasal vowel: you don't hear the n.

• charcutier/ʃaʁkytje/

  The u is said as in "tu", not like "ou".

• quartier/kaʁtje/

  The qu sounds like a plain k, with no "oo" sound: "kar-tyay".

• léger/leʒe/

  Both e's are said é, as in "été".

• dernier/dɛʁnje/

  The first e is said è, as in "fer".

• gaspiller/ɡaspije/

  The two l's are said like a y: you don't hear an l.

Good to know

commerçants

Many neighborhoods still have independent bakers, butchers and cheesemongers. You say bonjour when you walk in and au revoir when you leave.

marché

The neighborhood market takes place on certain mornings of the week, often Saturday. Days and hours vary from one town to another.

à la coupe

At the charcutier or the cheese counter, you often ask for the amount you want, sliced in front of you. So you can buy just what you need.

pause de midi

Many small shops close at lunchtime, sometimes until early afternoon. The hours posted on the door are the ones that count.

Questions

How do you say baker in French?

The word is boulanger, the person who makes and sells bread. You can say: "Le boulanger du coin fait les meilleures baguettes du quartier."

What do you say in French when you don't want to waste bread?

You can say: "Juste une demi-baguette, je ne veux pas gaspiller de pain." Gaspiller means to use something for nothing when it could have been of use.

What does charcutier mean in French?

A charcutier is a person who sells ham and saucisson. The u is said as in "tu", not like "ou".