Petit déjeuner means “breakfast” in French — the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning and often consisting of coffee, bread, and something sweet.
Level A1 (Beginner)
Published February 19, 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 petit déjeuner. In this lesson you’ll learn how French people actually eat breakfast, what foods are typical, and how to use the expression naturally in everyday conversation.
📘 Petit déjeuner meaning in French
In everyday French, petit déjeuner refers specifically to the morning meal. The expression literally means “little lunch,” from petit (small) and déjeuner (to eat lunch), reflecting the idea of a light meal to start the day, often with coffee, bread, butter, or a croissant. Petit déjeuner is often shortened to petit déj’ or p’tit déj’ in spoken French.
🥐 Breakfast in France
In France, breakfast is usually light and sweet rather than savory. Most people have coffee (often café au lait at home or an espresso at a café) with bread or a pastry like a croissant. The bread is typically eaten as tartines — sliced baguette with butter and jam. Eggs, bacon, and heavy hot foods are uncommon except in hotels or on weekends.
👉 Want to see a full breakdown of what French people really eat?
Read: Typical breakfast in France »
🎧 Petit déjeuner pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of petit déjeuner is /pəti deʒøne/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “puh-tee day-zhuh-nay”.
📝 Petit déjeuner usage examples
Au petit déjeuner, je mange souvent du pain et de la confiture.
At breakfast, I often eat bread and jam.
Le restaurant sert le petit déjeuner à partir de 7 heures.
The restaurant serves breakfast starting at 7:00.
Le petit déjeuner est compris dans le prix de la chambre.
Breakfast is included in the room price.
Je vais prendre un petit déjeuner avec un café et un croissant.
I’m going to have breakfast with a coffee and a croissant.
Why does “dîner” mean both the meal and the action?
👉 See real-life examples »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- le beurre — butter
- le café — coffee
- le déjeuner — lunch
- le dîner — dinner
- le croissant — croissant
- le pain — bread
- la confiture — jam
- le jus d’orange — orange juice
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 Dîner (dinner, to have dinner) »
👉 Café au lait »
👉 Repas (meal) »
👉 Œuf (Egg) »
