Bouffer or manger: how casual is your French invitation?

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Compare neutral manger with familiar bouffer in meal invitations, everyday replies and expressions about time. Try three register choices.

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In short

Manger is the neutral French verb for eating. Bouffer means eat in familiar, sometimes coarse language: On va bouffer ? suits a very casual exchange between friends. Use manger when you want an ordinary meal invitation.

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Two friends eating sandwiches at a small café table.
Friends can suggest manger together after a film. Illustration: Atelier

Is bouffer rude in French?

mangerto eat

Focus: neutral meal vocabulary

manger quelque chose; aller manger

On va manger après le film ?
Shall we get something to eat after the film?

Tu veux manger quelque chose ?
Would you like something to eat?

boufferto eat, very casually

Focus: a familiar, blunt tone

bouffer quelque chose; aller bouffer

On va bouffer après le film ?
Shall we grab some food after the film?

J’ai bouffé un sandwich à midi.
I had a sandwich at lunchtime.

The sandwich stays the same size whichever verb you choose. Bouffer adds tone; the amount comes from words such as un sandwich or trois assiettes. With new colleagues, On va manger ? is an easy choice. Among friends who use very casual language together, On va bouffer ? can sound relaxed.

Après le cinéma
  1. Léa

    J’ai faim. On va bouffer un truc ?

    I’m hungry. Shall we grab something to eat?

  2. Samir

    Oui, il y a un petit resto à côté.

    Yes, there’s a little restaurant next door.

  3. Serveuse

    Bonsoir ! Vous avez réservé ?

    Good evening! Have you booked?

  4. Léa

    Bonsoir ! Non, est-ce qu’on peut manger ici ?

    Good evening! No, can we eat here?

Léa uses bouffer un truc with Samir, then manger ici with the waitress. The familiar words un truc (something) and un resto (a restaurant) help set the friends’ tone. To reuse the opening neutrally, say On va manger quelque chose ?

What does ça me bouffe mon temps mean?

Ce trajet me bouffe deux heures par jour.

This journey eats up two hours of my day.

Here the object is time. The speaker sounds annoyed about how much of it the journey takes.

Ce trajet me prend deux heures par jour.

This journey takes me two hours a day.

This is a neutral way to report the same duration.

Two present-tense forms
VerbPresentExample
mangernous mangeonsNous mangeons à midi.
bouffernous bouffonsNous bouffons un sandwich avant de partir.
Question 1No account needed
You are inviting a new colleague to eat. Choose the neutral version.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

On va manger quelque chose ?. The second invitation uses neutral eating vocabulary. The other choices add a very casual tone or a large quantity.

Question 2No account needed
What is eating up the speaker’s time?Ce trajet me bouffe deux heures par jour.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The journey. The subject names the journey, and the two hours are the time it consumes each day.

Question 3No account needed
Keep the food and time, but make the wording neutral.J’ai bouffé un sandwich à midi.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

J’ai mangé un sandwich à midi.. The final sentence keeps one sandwich, lunchtime and a completed past action, using the neutral eating verb.

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