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How to Say ‘Tap water’ in French

Une carafe d'eau

ewn ka-RAF dee oh

[ewn ka-RAF dee oh]

🇫🇷 In France: Tap water in a jug is free by law in restaurants. Just asking for de l'eau "water" may get you a paid bottle.

Phrase Breakdown

Une

[ewn]

a / an

An indefinite article used before feminine singular nouns.

Example

Une rencontre comme celle-ci peut ouvrir des portes.

A meeting like this can open doors.

carafe

[ka-RAF]

carafe; jug

A pitcher; a carafe of tap water is free in French restaurants.

Example

Une carafe de vin, s'il vous plaît.

A carafe of wine, please.

d'

[dee]

of

Used to indicate possession or connection.

Example

Le livre d'un ami.

The book of a friend.

eau

[oh]

water

Means 'water'.

Example

Dans l'eau, la dose doit être correcte.

In the water, the dose must be correct.

Related guides

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.How to Learn to Speak French, Not Just Read ItWhy reading French doesn't make you speak it, and a practical way to learn to speak French: real conversations, speaking out loud from day one, and practice with people.

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