When I first moved to France, I walked into a fish market in Marseille feeling bold. The vendor pointed at a glittery silver creature and asked,
« Vous voulez du bar ou du loup ? »
I panicked. A bar? A wolf?
Was he offering me a drink or an apex predator?
Turns out bar and loup are the same fish. I bought two, pretended I knew this, and went home feeling both proud and deeply confused. That moment taught me something every French learner eventually discovers: fish names in French are a beautifully chaotic adventure.
Let’s make sense of that adventure together.
The Quick Primer
French fish names fall into a few clear groups:
- Common table fish (you see them in markets & restaurants)
- Seafood classics (shellfish & crustaceans)
- Freshwater fish
- Small fish & culinary staples
- Regional quirks (France has many)
Once you know these sets—and their tricky synonyms—you’ll navigate fish counters, restaurant menus, and seaside markets like a confident, seafood-literate yak.
Common Table Fish (Les poissons courants)
These are the fish you’ll see everywhere in supermarkets and bistros.
| French | IPA | English |
| le saumon | /lə so.mɔ̃/ | salmon |
| le thon | /lə tɔ̃/ | tuna |
| la sardine | /la saʁ.din/ | sardine |
| le maquereau | /lə ma.kʁo/ | mackerel |
| le merlan | /lə mɛʁ.lɑ̃/ | whiting |
| le cabillaud | /lə ka.bi.jo/ | cod |
| la morue | /la mɔ.ʁy/ | salted cod |
| le bar / le loup | /lə baʁ, lə lu/ | sea bass |
| la dorade | /la dɔ.ʁad/ | bream |
| la sole | /la sɔl/ | sole |
| le colin | /lə kɔ.lɛ̃/ | hake |
Bar vs loup:
On the Atlantic coast, it’s bar.
On the Mediterranean coast, it’s loup.
Same fish. Two moods.
Freshwater Fish (Poissons d’eau douce)
| French | IPA | English |
| la truite | /la tʁɥit/ | trout |
| le brochet | /lə bʁɔ.ʃɛ/ | pike |
| la carpe | /la kaʁp/ | carp |
| l’anguille | /lɑ̃.ɡij/ | eel |
| le silure | /lə si.lyʁ/ | catfish |
| le sandre | /lə sɑ̃dʁ/ | pike-perch |
Fun fact:
French people take la truite very seriously.
It’s practically a national treasure.
Small Fish & Culinary Staples (Petits poissons)
| French | IPA | English |
| l’anchois | /lɑ̃.ʃwa/ | anchovy |
| le hareng | /lə a.ʁɑ̃/ | herring |
| le sprat | /lə spʁat/ | sprat |
| la friture | /la fʁi.tyʁ/ | assorted small fried fish |
| les œufs de poisson | /lez‿ø də pwa.sɔ̃/ | fish roe |
Common in apéros, pizzas, and salads.
Shellfish & Crustaceans (Fruits de mer)
Even though they aren’t fish biologically, French menus place them in the same universe.
| French | IPA | English |
| les crevettes | /le kʁə.vɛt/ | shrimp |
| les gambas | /le ɡɑ̃.bas/ | large prawns |
| le homard | /lə ɔ.maʁ/ | lobster |
| les langoustines | /le lɑ̃.ɡus.tin/ | scampi |
| le crabe | /lə kʁab/ | crab |
| la moule | /la mul/ | mussel |
| l’huître | /lɥitʁ/ | oyster |
| la palourde | /la pa.luʁd/ | clam |
| le bulot | /lə by.lo/ | whelk |
| le poulpe | /lə pulp/ | octopus |
| la seiche | /la sɛʃ/ | cuttlefish |
| le calamar | /lə ka.la.maʁ/ | squid |
If a server ever asks,
« Vous aimez les fruits de mer ? »
they’re not testing your fruit knowledge. They mean seafood, not literal fruits.
Mediterranean Fish (Poissons méditerranéens)
These appear on southern menus and in bouillabaisse.
| French | IPA | English |
| la rascasse | /la ʁas.kas/ | scorpionfish |
| le rouget | /lə ʁu.ʒɛ/ | red mullet |
| la lotte | /la lɔt/ | monkfish |
| le congre | /lə kɔ̃ɡʁ/ | conger eel |
| la vive | /la viv/ | weever fish |
Warning:
La vive has venomous spines.
Do not step on it barefoot (speaking from painful Marseille experience).
Large, Impressive Fish (Poissons nobles)
These often appear in high-end restaurants.
| French | IPA | English |
| le turbot | /lə tyʁ.bo/ | turbot |
| le flétan | /lə fle.tɑ̃/ | halibut |
| l’espadon | /lɛs.pa.dɔ̃/ | swordfish |
| le thon rouge | /lə tɔ̃ ʁuʒ/ | bluefin tuna |
| le saumon sauvage | /lə so.mɔ̃ so.vaʒ/ | wild salmon |
If you ever want to impress a French chef, whisper turbot with respect.
Fish You’ll See in Supermarkets (Practical Survival Set)
| French | IPA | English |
| filet de saumon | /fi.lɛ də so.mɔ̃/ | salmon fillet |
| filets de poisson blanc | /fi.lɛ də pwa.sɔ̃ blɑ̃/ | white fish fillets |
| dos de cabillaud | /do də ka.bi.jo/ | cod loin |
| pavé de thon | /pa.ve də tɔ̃/ | tuna steak |
| poisson pané | /pwa.sɔ̃ pa.ne/ | breaded fish |
Useful for everyday cooking vocabulary.
Fishing & Market Vocabulary (Mini Toolkit)
| French | IPA | English |
| la poissonnerie | /la pwa.sɔ.nə.ʁi/ | fish shop |
| un filet | /œ̃ fi.lɛ/ | fillet / net |
| une arête | /yn a.ʁɛt/ | fish bone |
| les écailles | /lez‿e.kaj/ | scales |
| la fraîcheur | /la fʁɛ.ʃœʁ/ | freshness |
The fishmonger might ask:
« Vous voulez qu’on enlève les arêtes ? »
/vu vu.le kɔ̃ ɑ̃.lɛv le za.ʁɛt/
“Do you want us to remove the bones?”
Always say yes unless you enjoy small edible surprises.
Region Notes
France:
- Bar & loup are interchangeable.
- Morrue = salted; cabillaud = fresh.
Belgium:
- Some fish are named using Dutch terms near Flemish regions.
Québec:
- Many English-influenced names circulate (e.g., smoked salmon, fish and chips).
- Morue salée is deeply woven into local cuisine.
Switzerland:
- Freshwater fish (truite, brochet, perche) are extra common.
Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1 — At the Fish Market
Vous cherchez quelque chose en particulier ?
/vu ʃɛʁ.ʃe kɛl.kə ʃoz ɑ̃ paʁ.ti.ky.lje/
Are you looking for something specific?
Oui, du cabillaud sans arêtes, s’il vous plaît.
/wi dy ka.bi.jo sɑ̃ za.ʁɛt sil vu plɛ/
Yes, cod without bones, please.
Dialogue 2 — Ordering at a Restaurant
Je vais prendre la dorade grillée.
/ʒə vɛ pʁɑ̃dʁ la dɔ.ʁad ɡʁi.je/
I’ll have the grilled bream.
Avec des légumes ?
/a.vɛk de le.ɡym/
With vegetables?
Oui, très bien.
/wi tʁɛ bjɛ̃/
Yes, perfect.
Dialogue 3 — Confusing Fish Names
C’est du bar ?
/se dy baʁ/
Is this sea bass?
Non, c’est du loup.
/nɔ̃ se dy lu/
No, it’s sea bass.
…C’est le même poisson ?
/se lə mɛm pwa.sɔ̃/
…it’s the same fish?
Exactement.
/ɛɡ.zak.tə.mɑ̃/
Exactly.
Quick Reference
| Category | Key Fish |
| Common | saumon, thon, dorade, bar/loup |
| Freshwater | truite, brochet, sandre |
| Small | sardines, anchois, hareng |
| Seafood | crevettes, moules, huîtres |
| Mediterranean | rascasse, rouget, lotte |
| High-end | turbot, flétan, espadon |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Pick 8 fish from the tables and say their French names + IPA aloud.
- Describe your last seafood meal using 3 fish vocabulary words.
- Shadow Dialogue 1 to practice phrases used at markets.
- Make a list of 5 fish you’d order in France and use je vais prendre… for each.
- Practice the tricky pairs: bar/loup, cabillaud/morue, calamar/poulpe.
Swimming Away Like a True French Fish-Master
Now you can stroll through a French market with confidence, knowing exactly what you’re ordering—and why half of France calls a fish a “wolf.” Whether you’re tasting saumon fumé, grilling dorade, or bravely tackling a rascasse, your French seafood vocabulary is officially délicieux.
