word pairs

[Tony Blake]

What's the difference between 'aliment' and 'nourriture'?

What's the difference between 'soupe' and 'potage'?

[Erwan]

Aliment/nourriture : The tiny différence is that un aliment is digested. nourriture is also available for plants.

Soupe/potage : now, it's the same thing but, at first, une soupe was a potage in which you have put a slice of bread.

 

[Neil Coffey]

Erwan -- I'm not sure if the difference you mention between aliment/nourriture is observed in general use, but in terms of scientific/legal definitions, there's actually no requirement for an "aliment" to be digested. (For example, legally speaking, chewing gum is often considered an "aliment", and I recommend you don't try to digest it!)

 

Perhaps if anything, there's a difference of register ("aliment" is a bit more formal) or that "aliment" often indicates the notion of "type of food" or the notion of "ingredient"?

 

I think to a chef, a "soupe" is still thicker than a "potage".

[Erwan]

You're right the difference I've noted is a scientific difference.

[stu harris]

Gastronomically, I believe a potage is strictly a vegetable soup, whereas a soupe may be of many things -- de poissons, at its most delicious.

 

I really don't think thickness has anything to do with it.

[Ed la mouette]

Here's my opinion.

First, un aliment is strictly something not digested. Un aliment is a piece of something that an organic being can digest and looks after it.

L'herbe est un aliment pour la vache, mais pas pour un homme. La nourriture préférée de la vache est l'herbe, mais l'herbe ne fait pas partie de la nourriture de l'homme, qui préfère d'autres aliments comme le pain.

Once un aliment is taken by the organic being, it becomes un nutriment, a source of energy for its body. In the end, it becomes un excrément.

Thus, un aliment is any piece of thing used for (food) nourriture by something or someone.

Un réfrigérateur est utilisé pour stocker la nourriture, mais tous les aliments n'y vont pas.

 

No comments about potage/soupe. :)