Published June 25, 2024 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Sauté — Meaning and Pronunciation
Sauté means to cook quickly in a hot pan with a small amount of fat, such as oil or butter. Sauté comes from the French verb sauter, meaning “to jump.” The food is often stirred, tossed, or moved around, so it “jumps” in the pan. In French, you will see un sauté (a sautéed dish), sauté(e)(s) (sautéed or browned), and faire sauter (to sauté or stir-fry).
IPA pronunciation of sauté is /so.te/ (IPA), which sounds like “soh-tay”.

Example Sentences
Les légumes sautés restent croquants et pleins de saveur.
Sautéed vegetables stay crisp and full of flavor.
Ce soir, je prépare un sauté de veau aux champignons.
Tonight, I am making a veal sauté with mushrooms.
Le sauté de porc au caramel est une excellente recette.
Caramel pork sauté is an excellent recipe.
J’aime accompagner le steak avec des pommes de terre sautées.
I like serving steak with sautéed potatoes.
👉 Next lesson: Curious about au gratin? It’s another French cooking word meaning sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese.
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French cooking and food words used in English
- un hors-d’oeuvre — appetizer
- la charcuterie — cured meats
- un soufflé — light, airy French dish
- un croissant — buttery pastry
- un café au lait — coffee with milk
- un coq au vin — classic chicken dish
- un macaron — French pastry
- un millefeuille — French puff pastry dessert
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