Meaning & use
au jus
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Served in the thin natural juices that come out of roasted meat.
Grammar: Comes after the name of a meat dish: 'roast beef au jus.' It is not used before a noun.
Patterns
- meat au jus
- served au jus
The menu listed prime rib au jus, so the meat arrived sitting in a shallow pool of its own juices.
At the wedding dinner, the roast beef au jus was the most popular dish at the table.
He ordered the French dip sandwich, which is traditionally served au jus for dipping.
noununcountableAmericaninformal
The thin sauce made from the juices of roasted meat, often served as a dip.
Grammar: In American menus this is often treated as a noun: 'a cup of au jus.' In strict French it is not a noun, but learners will see this use in the US.
Patterns
- a cup of au jus
- serve the au jus on the side
The waiter brought an extra bowl of au jus for the sandwich.
The recipe says to skim the fat off the au jus before serving it.
Some people like to dip their bread in the au jus.
Common combinations
- roast beef au jus
- The diner is famous for its roast beef au jus.
- prime rib au jus
- For the holiday meal, they served prime rib au jus.
- served au jus
- The lamb was served au jus with mashed potatoes.
- a cup of au jus
- He asked for a cup of au jus on the side.
- French dip au jus
- The French dip au jus is a classic lunch item.
Synonyms and how they differ
- with jus
- A literal English translation, but not used on menus; 'au jus' is the standard restaurant term.
- in its own juices
- A descriptive phrase that explains the meaning but is not a menu term.
Commonly confused: au jus or jus? au jus or au pair?
au jus vs jus
'Jus' alone is a French word for juice or a thin sauce. 'Au jus' means 'with juice' and is used mainly for meat dishes.
au jus vs au pair
Both start with 'au,' but 'au pair' is a person who lives with a family to help with children, not a food term.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'au jus' correctly in a traditional menu context?
Choose one answer.
'Au jus' traditionally follows the name of a meat dish, as in 'beef au jus.' Option 0 is redundant because 'au jus' already means 'with juice,' and 'sauce' is not needed. Option 2 is unlikely because au jus is for meat, not salad. Option 3 is wrong because au jus is not a main dish by itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “au jus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.