A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "I'd like the chicken" in French
Order chicken at a French restaurant with this polite and common phrase.
Je voudrais le poulet.
zhuh voo-DRAY luh poo-LAYneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when you're ready to order and want to specify the chicken dish. It's a clear and polite way to tell your server what you'd like from the menu.
Alternatives
- Je prends le poulet.Slightly more direct, like saying 'I'll have the chicken.'
- Le poulet, s'il vous plaît.A simpler, but still polite, way to order.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'poulet'
The 'ou' is like the 'oo' in 'pool', and the 'let' is soft, not a hard 'T'.
Using 'Je veux'
'Je veux' (I want) can sound demanding; 'Je voudrais' (I would like) is much more polite.
A small cultural note
While 'poulet' specifically means chicken, many menus will list a dish name that includes chicken, like 'Poulet rôti' (roast chicken) or 'Escalope de poulet' (chicken cutlet). You can say 'Je voudrais le poulet rôti.'
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to order chicken in French?
The most common way is 'Je voudrais le poulet.' You can also say 'Je prends le poulet.' or 'Le poulet, s'il vous plaît.'
Is 'Je voudrais' polite enough?
Yes, 'Je voudrais' is the standard polite way to order in French restaurants. It translates to 'I would like.'
What if the menu has a specific chicken dish name?
You should use the specific name from the menu, for example, 'Je voudrais le poulet basquaise.' This is more precise than just saying 'le poulet.'
