What short French word commonly means French fries?

The short French word commonly used for French fries is frites. It is the plural form used in expressions such as pommes frites, literally “fried potatoes.”

In everyday French, people may say simply frites, while pommes frites and pommes de terre frites are more complete forms. The word is also central to Belgian food vocabulary, where fries are commonly sold at friteries and served with sauces such as mayonnaise. Belgian French uses frites alongside the Dutch terms frieten or friet.

Frites appears in familiar dish names. Steak frites pairs fries with steak, while moules-frites pairs them with mussels. Despite the French wording, the history of the dish is disputed, and Belgium is especially famous for its fry culture. The word should not be confused with crêpes, galettes, or rillettes, which are entirely different foods.