Spanish has been influenced by many others over the centuries. Among these, French has contributed many words to the Spanish lexicon. In this article, we will explore some of the most popular Spanish words of French origin.

30 Spanish Words of French Origin

In the following list, you can find Spanish words of French origin. Some of them come from Modern French and other come from Old French. However, in both cases, these did not exist in Latin.

Biberón

We’re starting the list of Spanish words of French origin with biberón (baby’s bottle), which comes from the French word biberon.

Cuando el bebé llora, le damos su biberón.

When the baby cries, we give him his baby’s bottle.

Bicicleta

Bicicleta (bicycle) comes from the French word bicyclette, which is a word formed by bicycle (velocipede) and the diminutive suffix –ette because of their smaller wheels.

¿Dónde venden las bicicletas de montaña?

Where do they sell mountain bicycles?

Blusa

Blusa (blouse) comes from the French word blouse.

Esas blusas verdes son bastante elegantes.

These green blouses are quite elegant.

Bombón

Bombón (chocolate, bonbon) comes from the French word bombon, which literally means good or beautiful in a baby’s language.

En el hotel nos dieron la bienvenida con bombones.

At the hotel we were welcomed with chocolates.

Bufé vs bufete

These two Spanish words of French origin come from the same French word buffet, but they have totally different meanings. Bufé (buffet) refers to a meal where the food is laid out on a long table and guests usually serve themselves. However, bufete (lawyer’s office, law firm) is the lawyer’s office or workplace.

En la fiesta habrá un bufé con platos internacionales.

At the party, there will be a buffet with international dishes.

Ese bufete de abogados tiene una excelente reputación.

That law firm has an excellent reputation.

Burocracia

Burocracia (bureaucracy) comes from the French word bureaucratie, which is a combination of bureau- (office, desk) and the suffix –cratie (-crazy).

La burocracia para pedir un visado puede ser frustrante.

The bureaucracy to ask for a visa can be frustrating.

Cabina

Cabinia (cabin, cockpit) comes from the French word cabine.

Preferimos los asientos de la cabina de primera clase.

We prefer the seats in the first-class cabin.

Camión

Camión (truck, lorry) comes from the French word camion.

¿Pasará el camión por este puente? Parece muy grande.

Will the truck pass through this bridge? It looks too big.

Cancán

Cancán comes from the French word cancan. It has two main meanings in Spanish. It can refer to the dance, but also to the flounced petticoats used during 19th century.

Este espectáculo es famoso por sus bailarinas de cancán.

This show is famous for its cancan dancers.

Carné or carnet

Carné or carnet (identity card, license) comes from the French word carnet, which means booklet or notebook.

Yo no tengo carnet de conducir, pero mi hermano sí.

I don’t have a driving license, but my brother does.

Chalé or chalet

Chalé or chalet (detached house) comes from the French word chalet. As you can see, some Spanish words of French origin can have two spellings.

Quiere un aumento de sueldo para comprar un chalé.

He wants a pay rise to buy a detached house.

Chaqueta

Chaqueta (jacket) comes from the French word jaquette.

Esta chaqueta es un poco cara, ¿no te parece?

This jacket is a little expensive, don’t you think?

Cobarde

Cobarde (coward) comes from the French word couard.

No soy cobarde. Nunca tengo miedo.

I am not coward. I am never scared.

Consomé

Consomé (broth, consommé) comes from the French word consommé, which is the past participle of consommer (to consume, to ingest).

Este consomé sabe a pollo. Es muy bueno para ti.

This broth tastes like chicken. It’s very good for you.

Cremallera

Cremallera (zipper) comes from the French word cremaillére.

Me gustan los dos bolsos, pero este tiene más cremalleras.

I like the two purses, but this one has more zippers.

Debutar

Debutar (to debut) comes from the French word débuter.

Luis va a debutar en el teatro principal de la ciudad.

Luis is going to make his debut at the city’s main theater.

Entrenar

Entrenar (to train) comes from the French word entrainer.

Si entrenas cada día, ganarás la carrera la próxima semana.

If you train every day, you’ll win the race next week.

Escalope

Escalope (scallop, escalope) comes from the French word escalope.

Me gustaría pedir un escalope de ternera con salsa de champiñones.

I’d like to order a veal escalope with mushroom sauce.

Etiqueta

Etiqueta (label, tag) comes from the French word étiquette.

Mira la etiqueta de la camisa para saber las instrucciones de lavado.

Look at the shirt’s tag for washing instructions.

Ficha

Ficha (chip, token) comes from the French word fiche.

Pon las fichas sobre el tablero y tira el dado.

Put the chips on the board and roll the dice.

Galleta

Galleta (cookie, biscuit) comes from the French word galette.

Necesito dos tazas de harina para las galletas.

I need two cups of flour for the cookies.

Garaje

Garaje (garage) comes from the French word garage.

¿Dónde está el coche? ¿Por qué no está en el garaje?

Where is the car? Why isn’t it in the garage?

Gripe

Gripe (flu) comes from the French word grippe.

No está aquí porque está en la cama con gripe.

He isn’t here because he’s in bed. He’s got the flu.

Hotel

Hotel (hotel) comes from the French word hôtel.

El recepcionista del hotel está preparándoles un café.

The receptionist of the hotel is making a coffee for them.

Ligero

Ligero (light) comes from the French word léger.

Este balón no es nada bueno. Es demasiado ligero.

This ball is not good at all. It’s too light.

Maquillaje

Maquillaje (make-up) comes from the French word maquillage.

En cinco minutos terminamos de ponernos el maquillaje.

We will finish putting on make-up in 5 minutes.

Pantalón

Pantalón (pants) comes from the French word pantalon. It can also be used in its plural form pantalones.

He tirado el pantalón verde: estaba muy descolorido.

I have thrown away my green pants: they were very faded.

Pelotón

Pelotón (bunch of cyclists) comes from the French word peloton.

El pelotón avanzaba por la carretera en la carrera.

The bunch of cyclists advanced down the road in the race.

Rutina

Rutina (routine) comes from the French word routine.

Es bueno salir de la rutina y organizar algún viaje corto.

It’s good to break the routine and organize a short trip.

Servilleta

Let’s finish the list of Spanish words of French origin with servilleta (napkin), which comes from the French word serviette.

Ha comprado las servilletas en la tienda nueva.

He bought the napkins in the new store.

Exercises

Here are some exercises to practice some of these Spanish words of French origin.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

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VocabularySpanish Around the World