This is a list of German words and expressions of French origin. Some of them were borrowed in medieval times, some were introduced by Huguenot immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries and others have been borrowed in the 19th and 20th centuries. German Wiktionary lists about 120,000 German words without declensions and conjugations. Of these, more than 2300 words (about 2%) are categorized as German terms derived from French.
A à la carte Abenteuer (adventure), from Middle High German āventiure, borrowed from Old French aventure Abonnement (subscription) abonnieren (to subscribe) Accessoire (accessory) ade (bye), from Old French adé adieu Admiral (admiral) Adresse (address) adressieren (to address), from French adresser adrett (neat), from French adroit Affäre (affair), borrowing from French affaire Affront (affront) Akkord (music chord, piecework), from French accord akkreditieren (to accredit), from French accréditer Akquise (acquisition), from French acquise Akrobat (acrobat) Akrobatik (acrobatics) Akteur (protagonist), from French acteur Aktionär (shareholder), from French actionnaire aktuell (current, up to date, updated, live, recent), from French actuel Allee (alley), from French allée Allianz (alliance), from French alliance Allüre (affectation), from French allure Altruismus (altruism), from French altruisme Amateur (amateur) Ambition (ambition) amourös (amorous), from French amoureux amüsant (amusing), from French amusant amüsieren (to amuse), from French amuser Anarchie (anarchy), from Ancient Greek ἀναρχία (anarkhía) via Latin and French Anarchist (anarchist), from French anarchiste Anekdote (anecdote), from French anecdote animieren (to encourage), from French animer Annexion (annexation), from French annexion annektieren (to annex), from French annexer Annonce (classified ad), from French annonce apart (fancy, distinctive), from French à part Aperitif (apéritif) Appartement, Apartment (suite in a hotel), from French appartement apropos (apropos), from French à propos Arrangement (arrangement) arrangieren (to arrange), from French arranger arriviert (successful), from French arriver Armee (military, army), from French armée. arrogant (arrogant) Artillerie (artillery) Artist (acrobat), from French artiste Asphalt (asphalt), from French asphalte Aspik (aspic) Atelier (artist's or photographer's studio) Attaché (attaché) Attacke (attack), from French attaque attackieren (to attack), from French attaquer Attentat (assassination) Attitüde (attitude) Attrappe (dummy, mockup) Aubergine (eggplant) Au-pair (au pair) Avance avancieren (to advance), from French avancer Avantgarde (avant-garde) Aversion (aversion)
B Bagage (baggage; clan, gang) Bagatelle bagatellisieren Baguette Baiser Baisse Bajonett (bayonet) Balance Balkon (balcony) Ballade Ballon banal banalisieren Banalität Bandage Bande Bankett Bankier Baracke Barriere Barrikade Bassin Bataillon Batterie Béchamelsauce beige Belletristik Beton bigott Bigotterie Billiard Billet Biskuit Bistro Biwak bizarr Blamage blamieren blanchieren Blessur blümerant Bluse Bohème Bombardment bombardieren Bombe Bonbon Bonmot Bordell Bouillabaisse Bouillon Boule Boulevard Bourgeoisie Boutique Branche Bravour bravourös Bredouille Brigade Brikett brilliant Brillanz Brimborium brisant Brise Bronze Brosche Broschüre brünett brüsk brüskieren Budget Buffet Bulette Bulletin burlesk Büro Bürokrat Büste
C Cabriolet Café Camembert Canapé Chalet Champagner Champignon Chance changieren Chanson Charakter Charge Charme charmant Charmeur Chauffeur Chaussee Chauvinismus Chauvinist Chef Chicorée Chiffre chiffrieren Chose Cidre Claqueur Clementine Clique Clochard Clou Cognac Collage Collier Confiserie Consommé Contenance Cordon bleu Cornichon Couch Couleur Coup Coupé Coupon Courage Cousin Cousine Creme Crème de la Crème Crème fraiche Crepe Croissant Croupier Crouton Cuvée
D Dame Debakel Debatte debattieren Debüt Debütant debütieren dechiffrieren Defensive defilieren Defizit defizitär Déjà-vu dekadent Dekadenz deklassieren Deko Dekolleté Dekoration dekorativ dekorieren Delegation delegieren delikat Delikatesse Dementi dementieren demolieren Demontage Dependence Depesche deplatziert Depot deportieren Depression depressiv Desaster desaströs desavouiren Deserteur Dessert Dessous Detail Devise dezent Diamant Digestif Dilettant dilettantisch Diner Diplomat Diplomatie diplomatisch Diskothek diskret Disput Distanz distanziert Dividende Division Domäne Dorade Dossier Double Dragee dressieren Dressur Droge Drogerie drollig Dusche duschen dutzend dynamisch
E Eau de Cologne echauffieren Effet egal egalisieren egalitär Eklat eklatant Elan elegant Elite elitär Emaille Emblem Emotion en bloc Enfant terrible Engagement engagieren Enklave en masse enorm Ensemble Entrecôte Entree en vogue Episode Eskapade Eskorte eskortieren Esprit essenziell etablieren Etablissement Etage Etappe Etat etepetete Etikett Etikette Etui Experte Expertise Exposé, Exposee extravagant exzellent
F Fabrik Facette Faible Fassade Fauxpas Fee fein Fenster Feuilleton Fiaker Figur Filet finanzieren Finesse Flair flambieren Flanell Flöte Florett Fond Fonds Fondue Fontäne forcieren Foyer frappieren fraternisieren frau Frikadelle Frikassee Friseur Fritteuse frittieren frivol Front
G Gage galant Garage Garantie garantieren Garde Garderobe garnieren Garnison Garnitur Gelatine Gelee genant General generös genial Genie genieren Genre Gepard Giraffe Girlande Gletscher Gourmet Gratin gratinieren Grippe grotesk Gruppe
H Hangar Hasardeur Hausse Haute Couture Haute Cuisine Hautgout Hommage Hotel
I Ingenieur Idee Illusion illustrieren imaginär imposant invalide imponieren Infanterie Infekt Initiative Insolvenz Interieur interessant Intervention Invasion
J Jalousie Jargon jonglieren Journal Journalist Jury
K Kabarett Kabinett Kadett Kampagne Kanapee Kapitän Karaffe Karambolage Karosse Karosserie Karree Karriere Karussell Kaserne kaschieren Kavalier Kavallerie Kinkerlitzchen Kino Kiosk Klavier Klischee Kokon Kolibri Kolonnade Kolonne Kollaborateur Kolportage Kommandeur Kommode Kommuniqué Kompagnon Komparse komplett Kompliment Konfitüre Kontrolleur Kontur konvertieren Konvoi Korps Kostüm Kotelett Koteletten Krawatte Kreation kriminell Kritik Kurier Kurs Kuvert Kuvertüre
L Laissez-faire Lamelle Lampe Lampion lancieren Lanze larmoyant leger Leutnant Liaison Likör Limette Limonade Limousine Livree Loge logieren Longe longieren loyal
M Major makaber Malheur Mandarine Manege Manöver Mannequin Margarine Marge Marinade Marine marinieren Marionette marode Marodeur Marone Marotte Marsch marschieren Maskottchen Massage Massaker Masseur massieren Matinee Mayonnaise Medaille Melange Melasse Memoiren Menü Meute Miene Milieu Militär Milliarde Mine Minister Möbel Mode Montage Monteur Mousse au Chocolat Munition
N Naturell Necessaire Négligée nervös Nippes Niveau nobel Noblesse Nocturne Nuance Nougat nonchalant
O Oboe Odor Œuvre Offensive Offerte offiziell Offizier opportun Opportunismus Omelett Onkel Omnibus Orange Orangerie ordinär Orchideen Ouvertüre
P Page Paket Paladin Palaver palavern Palais Palette Palisade Pampelmuse Panade panaschieren panieren Pantomime Panzer (from Middle French pansier) Paraplü Parasol Paravent Parcours Parfum, Parfüm Parlament Parodie Partei Parterre Parvenü Passage Passagier passé passieren Passion pasteurisieren Patissier Patrouille Pavillon Pazifismus Pazifist Pendant Pension perfide Persiflage Perücke peu à peu Pike Pilot Pinzette Pirouette Pissoir Plädoyer Plagiat Plakette Plan Plantage Plateau platt Plattform Plattitüde Plombe Plüsch Pöbel pochieren Poesie Pointe Polemik Polonaise Pommes Frites Ponton populär Porree Portier Portemonnaie Portrait Pose Potpourri Praline Präsentation Präsident Präservativ präzise Präzision professionell profitieren Projektil Promenade proper Puder Püree
Q Qualifikation Quarantäne Quartier Querelen Queue Quiche
R Raclette Rage Ragout rangieren rasieren Ratatouille Recherche recherchieren Redakteur Redaktion Referenz Refrain Regie Regime Regisseur Reklame Rekrut rekrutieren Relais Relief Remoulade Remis Remise Renaissance Rendezvous Renommee Repertoire Reportage Requisite Reserve Reservoir Restaurant Ressentiment Ressort Ressource Resolution Resultat Resümee resümieren Retusche retuschieren Revanche Revolte revoltieren Revolution Revue riskant Rivale Robe Rochade rochieren Roman Rommé Rondell Rosine Rouge Roulade Rouleau, Rollo Roulette Route Routine routiniert Ruine
S Sabotage Saboteur Saison Salär Salon salopp Sanktion Satin Sauce Schalotte Scharade schick Schikane schikanieren Schock schwadronieren Sekretär Sensation sensibel sentimental servieren Serviette Service Signal Signet Silhouette Soiree Solidarität solide Sorbet Souffleur Souterrain Souvenir souverän Spezialist speziell Spionage Staffage Stiefel süffisant Suggestion suggestiv Suite Sujet Szene Szenerie
T Tableau Tablett Tablette Taille Tante Taxi Teint Terrain Terrasse Terrine Terror Terrorist Tête-à-Tête Textil Thermometer Timbre Tirade Toilette Tonnage touchieren Tour Tournee Tournier Trance Tranche Tresor Tribüne Trikot trist Tristesse Trottoir Troubadour Trubel Truppe Turbine türkis Tusche
U Utopie
V Vagabund vage Variante Variation Varieté Vase Vaseline Vernissage Version Vers Verve vif Vignette Vinaigrette virtuell violett vis-a-vis Visage Visitation Visite vital voilà Voliere voltigieren Voyeur
W Wagon Weste
Z Zigarette zirkulär zivil Zivilisation
See also List of English words of French origin List of Spanish words of French origin List of French words of Germanic origin Loanword
References
Duden - Das Herkunftswörterbuch. Etymologie der deutschen Sprache. 2013.