Repas

 - meal, because they're certainly different here than they are in the States.

Different types of food, I was certainly expecting. However, I didn't realized how structured dinner would be every night. This includes nights in which people have been working late and are tired. So without further ado, this is how the typical French dinner is eaten:

Aperitif (A drink of some kind before the meal. This can range from wine to juice.)
Appetizer (Some food to get you started.)
Main Course (I'm sure this doesn't need an explanation.)
Salad (If it wasn't served in one of the previous courses.)
Cheese (Every night!)
Dessert (Usually fruit or yogurt.)

Depending on the occasion, you can add or subtract courses to make it more or less fancy. On the first night when I was with my family, there were two appetizers not counting the bread basket and I made the mistake of getting full before the main course arrived. Also, dessert can become more sweet if there is a reason to celebrate, or a guest is over. For example, on my host parents' brother's anniversary, we had this homemade peach ice cream that was absolutely delicious.

Oh, and if you were ever told that French people eat slowly, that was a lie. The meals take a while because they're structured, but I am almost always the last to finish, which compels me to hurry up because the rest of them can't move onto the next course until I'm done. But then again, perhaps what makes me slow is that it takes me that much more concentration to participate in a conversation.