Bonjour à toutes et à tous,
Spice me up! Drizzle me over!
Ooh er, Missus!
No, I haven’t turned into Nigella Lawson!
My culinary skills are somewhat limited, to be honest. But these cheeky little orders leapt out at me this week as I rustled up fajitas using an Old El Paso pack (I told you my cooking was basic!).
What caught my eye was that these fun commands were also written in French:
Assaisonne-moi !
Nappe-moi !
These came from the mélange aux épices and the sauce à napper packets. They made me chuckle, but they also made me think about how much we can learn French from product labels around the home.
Many everyday items include both French and English on their packaging. These aren’t always direct translations, but rather contextual equivalents. That actually makes things even more interesting. Just like my spicy fajitas!
So, I decided to go on a little treasure hunt in my own house to see what else I could find.
Let me tell you, beauty products are some of the most multilingual items in a British household. Who knew?
To help you learn French from product labels too, I thought we could turn it into a little game. Below are some French phrases I found on products at home. Can you match them to the English versions?
Match the French Product Labels to Their English Versions
- Masque de nuit purifiant
- Ne laissez pas votre couleur s’affadir
- Rouge à lèvres liquide mat
- Émulsion hydra-protectrice
- Gommage corps au sucre
- Beurre sublime nourrissant corps. Soin hydratant pour le corps. Nourrit en hydratant.
- Masque de nuit hydratation intense
- Mode d’emploi : Faites mousser sur cheveux mouillés et rincez bien.
- Biscuits fins au gingembre
- Substitut de repas pour contrôle du poids
a. Sink-in moisture sleeping mask
b. Exfoliating sugar body scrub
c. Meal replacement for weight control
d. Directions: Lather into wet hair and rinse well
e. Ginger thins
f. Don’t fade away
g. Anti-imperfection night mask
h. Matte lip liquid
i. Sublime nourishing body butter. Body moisturiser. Nourished with moisture
j. Moisture-protect emulsion
So, how did you get on?
This little exercise is just one of many ways you can learn French from product labels. Honestly, it’s such a fun and easy way to build your vocabulary without even trying.
Next time you’re in the bathroom or kitchen, take a look at what’s written on the packaging. You’ll be amazed how many everyday products contain bilingual information.
Here are a few useful packaging words to look out for:
-
les étiquettes – labels
-
l’emballage – packaging
-
les paquets – packets
-
les tubes – tubes
-
les boîtes – tin cans
-
les briques – Tetrapaks
-
les pots – jars
-
les canettes – cans (like fizzy drinks or beer)
You could even turn it into your own mini chasse au trésor – a treasure hunt for useful French vocabulary.
By noticing phrases like Assaisonne-moi (spice me up) and Nappe-moi (drizzle me over), you’re training your brain to associate French words with real objects and actions. That’s a powerful way to learn French from product labels and strengthen your recall.
Why not try your own treasure hunt this week?
I’d love it if you shared any fun or unusual French phrases you find on labels in our free Facebook group. It’s such a great way to learn from one another.
Oh yes, you’ll want the answers, won’t you? Here they are:
1 = g, 2 = f, 3 = h, 4 = j, 5 = b, 6 = i, 7 = a, 8 = d, 9 = e, 10 = c
Let me know how you got on. And remember, you can learn French from product labels any day of the week – even if it starts with fajitas!
Want to Sound More French When You Speak?
Come join my next FREE challenge!
Frannie’s 11-Day French Fix!
11 Days to conquer 11 everyday words that I know flummox English speakers learning French!
16th-26th June 2025
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