Dictionary / Starter (first course)
How to Say "Starter (first course)" in French
Une entrée
/yn ɑ̃.tʁe/
Literally: An entry
Une
a
entrée
entry, way in
Good to know
Une entrée is the standard menu word throughout France. On a set menu you will see entrée, plat, dessert as the three courses, often sold together as a formule or a menu.
Correct
Une entrée
What people say wrong
Using entrée to mean the main course
the starter, not the main
The mistake to avoid. American English borrowed entrée and moved it to the main course. In France it means what the word says, the way into the meal, so it is the starter. Order an entrée expecting a steak and a bowl of soup arrives. The main course is le plat, or le plat principal if you need to be explicit. The related trap is le menu, which is not the list of dishes but a fixed-price set of courses; the list you read is la carte.
In context
Je vais prendre une entrée et un plat.
I'll have a starter and a main.
Qu'est-ce que vous avez comme entrées ?
What do you have for starters?
On peut voir la carte, s'il vous plaît ?
Could we see the menu, please?