Pocket dictionary: 200+ types of French shop names, businesses, services & places in France

If you’re planning to spend time in France, you’ll need to learn your way around essential French stores, shops, services, businesses & places. From a bakery and wine store to the laundromat or police department, let’s walk through what each one is called in French and English. 

Learning different shop names, business names, places and services in French

Some businesses and shop names in French don’t translate well word for word into other languages. For instance, how do you ask about the electric company in France? Although “compagnie d’électricité” is the literal translation of “electric company,” that’s not how you would say it in French.

And if you were to ask someone about garage sales in France, you’ll just get a blank look because they have attic emptiers (vide grenier) in France, not garage sales. 

That’s why it’s important for tourists and newly arrived residents in France to know what different businesses and shops are called in French.

I’ve put together a huge list of over 200 different French shop names, businesses, services, and places that you might come across while visiting or living in France and listed their names in both English and French.

I’ve also organized everything into convenient searchable categories. 

Let’s start with everyone’s favourite; les marchés (traditional French markets.)

11 types of indoor & outdoor markets in French

France has many different types of markets.

From small weekend farmers’ markets and flea markets to huge annual street fair style flea markets and Christmas markets; these are the places where different sellers set up stalls to sell various types of products. From fruits, vegetables, meat and cheese to plants, household items, clothing and gifts.

Here are the more well-known markets you’ll want to become familiar with.

Traditional outdoor markets + one indoor market

1. Outdoor market / farmers market:
   • Marché (A market where people set up stalls to sell meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and even clothes, plants, household items, gifts and so on)
2. Flower market:
   • Marché aux fleurs
3. Book market:
   • Marché aux livres
4. Christmas Market:
   • Marché de Noël (here are a few notable ones in France.)
5. The Halls:
   • Les Halles: (Indoor open market where vendors sell meat, cheese, fancy deli goods, food, flowers, etc.)

Names of different French flea market style markets and fairs in France

France is famous for its antique markets but those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Here are some popular types of markets and street fairs where people sell previously-owned, second-hand goods and antiques. 

1. Flea market:
   • Marché aux puces
2. Antique Dealer:
   • Brocante
3. Wardrobe emptier:
   • Vide-armoire
4. Attic emptier:
   • Vide-grenier (like a garage sale without the garage)
5. Annual street market/ Street fair:
   • Braderie (the biggest one is in Lillie France)
6. Antique Salon:
   • Salon d’antiquaire

Shops and places that sell food & Alcohol

One of the funnest things to do when you arrive in a new country is visiting the food markets and supermarkets.

Food stores in France come in all shapes and sizes, from the small corner greengrocer, huge big box stores to specialty shops like bakeries and chocolate shops.

Here are the ones you’ll need to know.

Different types of food stores

1. Hypermarket (like Walmart):
   • Hypermarché (Big box stores that sell everything under the sun like Walmart without the weird Walmartians. Here’s a list of stores similar to Walmart in France). 
2. Supermarket:
   • Supermarché /Grande surface: (literally big surface)
3. Small grocery store/corner market:
   • épicerie 
4. Small convinenece store:
   • Supérette (French Canadian : dépanneur like couche-tard)
5. Organic food store:
   • Magasin bio
6. Greengrocer:
   • Magasin de fruits et légumes (literally fruit and vegetable store)
7. Frozen food store:
   • Magasin surgelés (Picard is a popular frozen food store in France that sells fancy premade food. Popular for apero parties.)

Specialty Meat Markets In France:

Looking for a shopping experience beyond the supermarket? France has loads of specialty meat and fish shops. 

1. Butcher:
   • Une Boucherie (where you buy unprepared meats, lamb, steak, chicken, veal etc.)
2. Pork Butcher:
   • Une Charcuterie (where you buy prepared charcuterie board meats, like at a deli.)
3. Horse Butcher:
   • Boucherie chevaline 
4. Fishmonger or fish seller:
   • Une poisonnerie (Here’s a list of fish and seafood names in French)
5. Organ and tripe seller:
   • Une Triperie

Specialty cheese and dairy shop names

Most food stores have a good selection of cheeses but nothing beats an actual cheese shop or dairy shop. If you’re interested in learning about France’s stinky cheeses, here are 17 Famous French stinky cheeses adored in France, but feared by others.

1. Cheese shop:
   • (la) fromagerie
2. Dairy shop:
   • (la) crémerie or une Laiterie (Laiterie is closely related to a fromagerie, but less common. You’ll find butter, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and other dairy products.)
3. Ice cream shop / Parlour:
   • (la) Glacier

Specialty bread and dessert shops

Specialty bread and dessert shops are a must when you’re in France. Shops will sometimes combine different specialties. For instance, in Montpellier, our local pastry shop is also a pie and cake shop. Or a chocolate shop will also have confiserie (candy). 

1. Bakery:
   • (la) boulangerie (bread and croissants)
2. Pastry shop:
   • (la) patisserie (sells cakes and other sweet treats)
3. Pie and dessert shop:
   • (la)tarterie (sells a wide variety of pies, cakes, viennoiseries and desserts)
4. Chocolate shop:
   • (la) chocolaterie
5. Candy store:
   • (la) confiserie (sometimes a chocolate store and candy store are one and the same)

Alcohol and liquor stores 

You can buy alcohol from just about every grocery store and some corner markets in France, which is where most locals will buy their beer, wine, and spirits.

US and Canadian style liquor stores are not very common in France; however, there are plenty of wine merchants and local breweries.

Here are a few to remember. 

1. Wine shop:
   • Un marchand de vins, cave à vin,  le caviste
2. Winery:
   • Vignoble
3. Brewery:
   • Brasserie

You  might be interested in reading: Ultimate guide to 77 French Apéritifs & Predinner Drinks:

Names of different types of restaurants and places to eat in France

There are so many different types of dining establishments in France to try. Here are the main ones that you’ll see over and over again. 

1. Restaurant:
   • Un restaurant
2. Bistro:
   • Un Bistro
3. Brasserie:
   • Une brasserie
4. Cafe: 
   • Un Café
5. Bar
   • Un bar
6. Winstub
   • A type of wine bar/restaurant in Alsace.
7. Rotisserie:
   • Une Rôtisserie (restaurant specializing in broiled and barbecued meats:)
8. Bouchon or Bouchon Lyonnais
   • A small, bistro that serves mainly local dish from Lyon
9. Bouillon
   • A restaurant that usually serves traditional French cuisine, in particular, hochepot de boeuf, boiled beef in its bouillon stock.
10. French fry/chips shop:
    • Friterie
11. Sandwich shop:
    • Une sandwicherie
12. Fast food restaurant:
    • Restauration rapide
    • Magasin Snacking
13. Crepe shop / crepe restaurant:
    • Une crepereie
14. Pizzeria:
    • Une Pizzeria
15. Tea shop/tea room:
    • Un Salon de thé
16. Kabob shop (very popular in France. 
    • un kebab
    • un tacos
17. Vegetarian restaurant
    • Restaurant Végétarien
18. Vegan restaurant
    • Restaurant végétaliens 
    • Restaurant végan
19. Meal kit delivery box: (like Hello Fresh, which is also in France)
    • Les Box à cuisiner
    • les Kits repas 

Names of useful shops in French

Books & Paper shop businesses in France:

1. Stationery store:
   • Une Papeterie
2. Book Store:
   • Librairie
3. Library:
   • Une Biblioteque:
4. Newsstand:
   • Kiosque
5. Office supply store: (like Office max)
   • Magasin de Fourniture de bureau
6. Printer shop:
   • imprimerie 

Names of flower and plant related shops and businesses in France

1. Florist:
   • Une Fleuriste
2. Nursery (for plants):
   • Pépiniériste
3. Seed merchant shop:
   • Graineterie

You might be interested in reading: Popular flowers in France + their French flower names & meanings

Clothes Shopping and other types of shops in France

1. Department Store:
   • Grand magasin
2. Clothing store:
   • Magasin de vetements
3. Shoe store:
   • Magasin de chaussures
4. Second hand store:
   • Magasin d’occasion
   • Une Fripperie
5. Leather shop:
   • Maroquinerie
6. Stocking and Hoisery shop:
   • Bonnèterie
7. Hat shop:
   • Une Chapellerie 
8. Jewelry shop:
   • Bijouterie
9. Sporting goods store:
   • Magasin de sport
10. Toy store:
    • Magasin de jouets
11. Record shop:
    • Disquaire
12. Music store:
    • Magasin de musique

Houseware & Furniture stores in France

1. Furniture store:
   • Magasin d’ameublement
   • Magasin de meubles
2. Electronics store:
   • magasin d’électronique
3. Home appliance store:
   • Electroménager
4. Bedding store:
   • Magasin literie 
5. Window shop:
   • Vitrerie
6. Mirror shop:
   • Miroiterie
7. Light store:
   • Lustrerie

Miscellaneous types of Businesses in France

Miscellaneous specialty shops in France

Random shops that you might come across in France. 

1. Souvenir shop:
   • Boutique de souvenirs / Magasin De Souvenirs
2. Pawn shop:
   • prêteur sur gages
3. Tobacco shop:
   • Un Tabac
4. Drugstore:
   • Une droguerie

Useful service businesses in France

1. Post office:
   • La poste / Bureau de posted
2. Dry cleaner:
   • Pressing (nettoyeur French Canadian literally means “cleaner”)
3. Laundromat:
   • Laverie (buanderie French Canadian)
4. Small hardware store:
   • Quincaillerie
5. Large hardware store:
   • Magasin de bricolage
6. Junkyard:
   • Dépotoir 
7. The dump (waste reception place):
   • Décheterie
8. Real estate agent/ office:
   • Agences immobilières
   • Immobilier
9. Notary:
   • Notaire 
10. Sworn or certified translator
    • Traducteur assermenté (you’ll need to contact one if you ever need your documents translated for visa purposes)
11. Shoe repair store / Cobbler
    • La cordonnerie
12. Locksmith:
    • Serrurerie

Work related place names in France

1. Office:
   • Bureau
2. Workshop / Studio:
   • Atelier
3. Factory / Plant:
   • Usine
4. Coworking space:
   • Espace de co-working
5. Staffing and recruitment agency:
   • Cabinet de recruitment

Types of Personal and self-care businesses 

1. Nail bar:
   • onglerie
2. Hair cut place:
   • Salon de coiffure (Je vais au salon de coiffure – I’m going to the hair salon)
   • Coiffeur  (Je vais chez le coiffeur -I’m going to the haircutter)
3. Tatoo parlor/ Tatoo shop:
   • Salon de tatouage
4. Body piercing salon:
   • Salon de piercing
5. Gym (place to workout):
   •  Salle de sport 

Places in France relating to animals

1. Pet store:
   • Animalerie
2. Veterinary:
   • Vétérinaire
3. Dog park
   • éspace chien
4. Animal shelter/pound:
   • Refuge d’animaux, refuge animalier, refuge SPA (Société Protectrice des Animaux)
5. Taxidermist:
   • La taxidermiste 
6. Zoo:
   • Un Zoo

Relating to religion and death

Funeral and death related places

1. Graveyard:
   • Cimetière
2. Morgue:
   • Morgue
3. Funeral home:
   • Pompes Funèbres

Places of warship in French ( Lieu de culte)

1. Church:
   • Eglise
2. Synagogue
   • Une Synagogue
3. Monastary:
   • Un Monastère
4. Chapel
   • Une Chapelle
5. Basilica:
   • Une Basilique
6. Cathedral:
   • Une Cathédrale
7. Hell:
   • L’Enfer
8. Heaven:
   • Le Paradis
9. Limbo:
   • limbes. 

Medical Businesses and services in France

Medical Offices & Businesses

1. Pharmacie:
   • Une phramacie
2. Hospital:
   • Hôpital
3. Emergency room:
   • Urgences 
4. Doctor’s office:
   • Cabinet médical
   • Cabinet du médicin
5. Dentist office:
   • Cabinet dentaire
   • Clinique dentaire
6. Chiropractors office:
   • Cabinet chiropratique
7. Dermatologists office:
   • Cabinet du dermatologue
8. Mental hospital:
   • CMP –  Centre Médico-Psychologique

Names of professions in France relating to the medical field

This is useful to know if you want to explain that you are going to see a medical professional such as the doctor vs going to the doctor’s office.

Also, because medical professions refer to a  person, always use “chez” for the word “to”, as in I’m going to the doctors. 

For example: “je vais chez le dentiste,” not “ja vais au dentist.” And “je vais au cabinet dentaire”, not “je vais chez le cabinet dentaire.”

1. Doctor (anyone who has a Ph.D./doctorate):
   • (le/la) Docteur
2. Medical doctor:
   • (le/la) Médecin
3. General practicioner:
   • (le/la) Médecin généraliste 
4. Surgeon: chirurgien:
   • (le) chirurgien
   • (la) chirurgienne 
5. Dentist:
   •  (le/la) Dentiste
6. Orthodontist:
   1. (le:la) Orthodontiste
7. Gynochologist:
   • (le/la)  Gynécologue 
8. Nurse:
   • (un l’) infirmier
   • (une/l’) infirmière 
9. Eye Doctor / Ophtymologist:
   • (un/ l’) Ophtalmologiste 
10. Pysical therapist:
    • (le/la) Kiné short for kinésithérapeute 
11. Dermatologist:
    • (le/la) Dermatologues
    • Dermatologiste (less common usage)
12. Dentist:
    • (le/la) Dentiste
13. Chiropracter:
    • (le) Chiropracteur
    • (la) Chiropractrice
14. Osteopath
    • (une/l’) Ostéopathe
15. Psychologist:
    • (le) Psychologue
16. Psychiatrist:
    • (le) Psychiatre

Names of activities and places for entertainment

Places of entertainment and amusement

1. Movie theatre:
   • Cinéma
2. Theatre:
   • Théatre
3. Concert hall:
   • Salle de concert
4. Cabaret:
   • cabaret (live entertainment held in a restaurant or nightclub)
5. Amusement park/Theme park:
   • Parc d’attractions
6. Water park 
   • Parc aquatique
7. Nightclub:
   • boîte de nuit or discothèque 
8. Equestrian facility:
   • Centre équestre
9. Arcade (place to play video games):
   • Salles de jeux vidéo
   • les clubs vidéo
10. Museum:
    •  Musée

Names of public spaces in France

1. Park:
   • Parc
2. Garden:
   • Jardin
3. Public toilet:
   • Toillette publique
4. Pool (public):
   • La piscine

Gambling places in France (Les établissements de jeux d’argent)

1. Horse racing track:
   • Un hippodrome
2. Casino:
   • Un casino

Educational places in France

Schools in France

1. School:
   • école
2. Elementary school/ Primary school:
   • école primaire
3. Middle school:
   • College
4. High School/secondary school:
   • Lycée
5. University/College:
   • Université
   • La Fac (Uni)
6. Driving school:
   • Auto-école
7. Culinary arts school:
   • école des arts culinaires
8. Cooking school:
   • école de cuisine

Places to do with money in France

1. Currency exchange :
   • Un bureau de change
2. Bank:
   • Une Banque
3. ATM:  
   • Un distributeur /  distributeur automatique de billet (Guichet French Canadian)

Government-related places in France

1. President of France residence:
   • Élysée Palace 
2. Embassy
   • Ambassade
3. Consulate
   • Consulat
4. Unemployment office:
   • Pôle Emploi
5. City hall / Townhall :
   • La mairie
   • Hôtel de ville
6. Prefecture
   • La préfecture (The place foreigners will have to go to renew their visas)
7. Court House:
   • Palais de justice
8. Military base:
   • Base Militaire
9. Police Station
   • Poste de police
10. Prison
    • Prison

Travel & Transportation Businesses and services

Public and private transportation businesses in France

1. Airport:
   • L’aéroport
2. Train station:
   • La gare
3. Bus station:
   • La gare routière
4. Bus stop:
   • L’arrêt de bus
5. Train stop:
   • L’arrêt de train
6. Tram stop:
   • L’arrêt de tram
7. Taxi stop:
   • Station de taxi

Types of businesses & places relating to cars and bikes :

1. Car dealership:
   • Concession automobile
   • Concessionnaire automobile
2. Towing service:
   • Dépannage remorquage
3. Auto body shop:
   • Carrosserie
4. Car wash:
   • lavage auto
   • lave-auto
5. Auto repair shop:
   • Garage auto  
6. Gas station:
   • Station service
7. Rest stop:
   • Air de service
8. Bike Shop:
   • Magasins de vélo
9. Bike Lane:
   • piste cyclable

Places to stay for travel & tourism.

1. Hotel:
   • Hôtel
2. Youth Hostel:
   • Auberge de jeunesse
3. Guest room:
   • Chambre d’hôte
4. Campgrounds:
   • Terrains de camping

Utilities in France

1. Gas & Electric company: 
   • Fournisseur Electricité et Gaz
2. Water Company
   • Fournisseur d’eau
   • Fourniseur eau
3. Cable internet and telephone company
   • les opérateurs de réseau internet et mobile
   • les fournisseurs internet et opérateurs mobile