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👉 See also: Hors-d’œuvre »
Level A2 (Upper Beginner)
Published February 28, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is amuse-bouche. You’ve likely heard this word in cooking shows or upscale restaurants — but what does amuse-bouche actually mean in French? Keep reading for the meaning, pronunciation, and real-life examples.
📘 Amuse-bouche meaning in French
Amuse-bouche (m.) is a French culinary term that translates literally to “amuse the mouth” and means a small bite-sized dish served before the starter to stimulate the appetite. In restaurants, it is usually offered complimentary by the chef and is not ordered from the menu. The purpose of an amuse-bouche is to awaken the palate and give guests a preview of the chef’s style and creativity.
In English, amuse-bouche is a loanword from French. You will sometimes see it written without the hyphen (amuse bouche). You may also hear the slang term amuse-gueule (m.) in French, with la gueule (f.) being an informal term for mouth.
🎧 Amuse-bouche pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of amuse-bouche is /a.myz buʃ/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “ah-mooz boosh.”
📝 Amuse-bouche usage examples
Le serveur nous a servi un amuse-bouche avant l’entrée.
The waiter served us an amuse-bouche before the starter.
L’amuse-bouche était simple mais très savoureux.
The amuse-bouche was simple but very flavorful.
👉 Était means “was” or “used to be”. See also: Être conjugation chart (to be) »
Avant le repas, on a goûté un amuse-bouche proposé par le chef.
Before the meal, we tasted an amuse-bouche prepared by the chef.
Chaque table a reçu un amuse-bouche différent.
Each table received a different amuse-bouche.
The term hors-d’œuvre in French refers to a small dish served before the main meal.
👉 See also: Hors-d’œuvre pronunciation and examples »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- une entrée — starter, first course
- un hors d’oeuvre — appetizer
- un amuse-gueule — informal term for amuse-bouche
- un plat principal — main course
- une mise en bouche — literally “putting in the mouth,” a tasting bite
- un menu dégustation — tasting menu
- un chef — head chef
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 Hors-d’œuvre (starter, appetizer) »
👉 Apéritif (pre-dinner drinks) »
👉 Restaurant phrases and vocabulary »
👉 French cooking terms »
