French/Lessons/Dining

Dîner Dialogue Culture Dining in France Vocabulary Places la cuisine Fr-cuisine.ogg /kɥi.zin/ kitchen Béatrice est dans la cuisine. Béatrice is in the kitchen. la salle à manger Fr-us-salle-a_manger.ogg dining room le restaurant Fr-Restaurant.ogg /ʁɛs.to.ʁɑ̃/ restaurant Meals le repas Fr-repas.ogg /ʀəpɑ/ meal le petit déjeuner Fr-petit-déjeuner.ogg /pə.ti.de.ʒœ.ne/ breakfast le déjeuner Fr-déjeuner.ogg /de.ʒœ.ne/ lunch le dîner Fr-dîner.ogg /di.ne/ dinner le goûter Fr-goûter.ogg /ɡu.te/ snack Food stores la boucherie Fr-boucherie.ogg /buʃ.ʁi/ butcher shop1 la boulangerie Fr-boulangerie.ogg /bu.lɑ̃ʒ.ʁi/ bakery2 le dépôt de pain a place that sells bread2 la charcuterie /ʃaʁkytəˈʁi/ delicatessen3 l'épicerie (f) /e.pi.sʁi/ grocery4 la crémerie /kʁɛm.ʁi/ dairy store la poissonnerie /pwa.sɔn.ʁi/ seafood store le marché Fr-marché.ogg /maʁ.ʃe/ outdoor market la pâtisserie Fr-pâtisserie.ogg /pɑ.ti.sʁi/ pastry shop Je vais goûter dans une pâtisserie. I'm going to snack in a pastry shop. Actions and feelings avoir faim to be hungry avoir soif to be thirsty manger Fr-manger.ogg /mɑ̃ʒe/ [mɑ̃ː.ˈʒe] to eat On mange au restaurant. We are eating at the restaurant. boire Fr-boire-fr.ogg [bwɑʁ] to drink prendre Fr-prendre.ogg /pʁɑ̃dʁ/ to take, to eat, to drink vouloir Fr-vouloir.ogg /vu.lwaʁ/ to want mettre le couvert to set the table Le couvert est mis pour deux. The table is set for two. préparer un repas to prepare a meal Canadian and Belgian French has an off-by-one behavior with meals : breakfast is called déjeuner, lunch is called dîner and dinner is souper. French butchers do not sell pork, pork products, nor horsemeat. For these products, go to a charcuterie. In France, bakeries only sell fresh bread. Places where they sell bread that is not fresh are called dépôt de pain. 'Charcuteries' sell things besides pork products, including pâte, salami, cold meats, salads, quiches and pizzas. An alternative to an 'épicerie' is an alimentation générale (a general foodstore). Grammar To want and to be able to Vouloir et pouvoir Vouloir The verb vouloir, meaning to want, is irregularly conjugated (it is not a regular -ir verb). vouloir /vu.lwaʁ/ (voo-lwahr) Fr-vouloir.ogg to wantje veux /vø/ (vew) I wanttu veux /vø/ (vew) you wantil veut /vø/ (vew) he wantsnous voulons /vu.lɔ̃/ (voo-loh(n)) we wantvous voulez /vu.le/ (voo-lay) you wantils veulent /vøl/ (vewl) they wantvoulu /vu.ly/ (voo-lew) wanted The related phrase vouloir dire /vu.lwaʁ diʁ/ Fr-vouloir dire.ogg means to mean. The idiom en vouloir /ɑ̃ vu.lwaʁ/ means to be angry (with). Pouvoir Pouvoir, meaning to be able to, is conjugated similarly to vouloir. pouvoir /pu.vwaʁ/ (poo-vwahr) Fr-pouvoir.ogg to be able toje peux /pø/ (pew) I am able totu peux /pø/ (pew) you are able toil peut /pø/ (pew) he is able tonous pouvons pu.vɔ̃/ (poo-voh(n)) we are able tovous pouvez /pu.ve/ (poo-vay) you are able toils peuvent /pøv/ (pewv) they are able topu /py/ (pew) been able to The noun le pouvoir means power or authority, and the term au pouvoir means in power. The adverb peut-être /pø.tɛtʁ/ Fr-peut-être.ogg, literally translated as could be, means maybe or perhaps. Examples Voulez-vous un sandwich ? Do you want a sandwich? Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? What does this mean? Que veut dire ce mot ? What does this word mean? Je peux venir ce soir. I can come this evening. Veux-tu venir avec moi demain ?Peut-être. Do you want to come with me tomorrow?Maybe. Elle peut parler cinq langues couramment. She can speak five languages fluently. Tu peux fumer si tu le souhaites. You can smoke if you wish. Je peux appeler un médecin si tu ne te sens pas bien. I can call a doctor if you do not feel well. Ne comptez pas sur lui, il peut partir du jour au lendemain. Do not count on him, he can leave overnight. À cette époque, il peut pleuvoir plusieurs fois par jours. At that time, it can rain several times a day. Ne t'impatiente pas ! Elle a pu être prise dans les embouteillages. Don't be impatient! She could have been caught in traffic jams. Peux-tu m'ouvrir ce bocal s'il te plait ?Oui, je veux bien essayer. Can you open this jar for me please?Yes, I want to try. Usage notes Pouvoir french-pouvoir Pouvoir is not used with verbs relating to the five senses: I can see you. - Je te vois. (not Je peux te voir., which is I can meet you.) Pouvoir is not used to mean can in the sense of to know how to. Use savoir instead. I can swim. - Je sais nager. (not Je peux nager.) In Belgian French, pouvoir is additionally not used to say someone is capable of something, savoir is also used for that. Je ne sais pas dormir. - I am not able to sleep. to a Belgian, I do not know how to sleep. to a Frenchman. Je ne peux pas dormir. - I am not allowed to sleep. to a Belgian, I am not able to sleep. to a Frenchman. Puis is the first person present indicative form used in inversion and as an archaic variant. Vocabulary Dining at a restaurant arriver Fr-arriver.ogg /a.ʁi.ve/ to arrive On est arrivés au restaurant vers 9 heures. We arrived at the restaurant around 9 o'clock. la table occupéela table libre an occupied tablea free table trouver Fr-trouver.ogg /tʁu.ve to find se trouver to be found La boulangerie se trouve en face du cinéma. The bakery is (found) opposite the cinema. commander Fr-commander.ogg [kɔ.mɑ̃.de] to order Il a commandé un sandwich. He ordered a sandwich. le déjeunerdéjeuner Fr-déjeuner.ogg /de.ʒœ.ne/ lunchto eat lunch le petit déjeuner Fr-petit-déjeuner.ogg /pə.ti.de.ʒœ.ne/ breakfast le dînerdîner Fr-dîner.ogg /di.ne/ dinnerto dine, to eat dinner désirer Fr-désirer.ogg /de.zi.ʁe/ to desire le serveurla serveuse Fr-serveur.ogg /sɛʁ.vœʁ/Fr-serveuse.ogg /sɛʁ.vøz/ waiterwaitress la carte Fr-carte.ogg /kaʁt/ menu l'addition (f) Fr-addition.ogg /a.di.sjɔ̃/ check le pourboire Fr-pourboire-fr-Paris.ogg /puʁ.bwaʁ/ tip laisser Fr-laisser.ogg /lese/ /lɛse/ to leave je voudrais… I would like… Je voudrais un peu de beurre avec mon croissant, s'il vous plaît. I would like a bit of butter with my croissant, please. Grammar To serve Servir Servir, meaning to serve (to bring a meal to someone), is conjugated similarly to sortir, partir, and dormir. Formation servir /sɛʁ.viʁ/ (sehr-veer) Fr-servir.ogg to serveje sers /sɛʁ/ (sehr) I servetu sers /sɛʁ/ (sehr) you serveil sert /sɛʁ/ (sehr) he servesnous servons /sɛʁ.vɔ̃/ (sehr-voh(n)) we servevous servez /sɛʁ.ve/ (sehr-vay) you serveils servent /sɛʁv/ (sehrv) they serveservi /sɛʁ.vi/ (sehr-vee) served The verbs desservir /de.sɛʁ.viʁ/, meaning to clear (a table) or to clear away, and resservir /ʁə.sɛʁ.viʁ/, meaning to serve again, are conjugated in the same way as servir. Examples Il va servir le dîner à huit heures. He's going to serve dinner at eight. On nous a servi à dîner. We were served dinner. Ils ont servi un plat de légumes. They served a vegetable dish. Le dîner est servi, on peut se mettre à table. Dinner is served, you can sit at the table. Il veut desservir la table. He wants to clear the table. Vous êtes bien mal servi. You are very poorly served. Usage notes Servir and desservir french-servir Servir means to serve (to bring a meal to someone): On nous a servi à dîner. (We were served dinner.) It can also mean to serve more generally: Il sert son pays. (He serves his country.) Il a servi dans l’infanterie. (He served in the infantry.) Il aime à se faire servir. (He likes to be served.) It can also mean to be used for or to be useful for someone: Ce livre lui a bien servi dans son travail. (This book served him well in his work.) Cela ne sert à rien! (That is useless!) Cette machine ne peut plus servir. (This machine is no longer useful.) (lit: This machine no longer serves.) In the context of sports, servir means to serve (start a point with service) or to set up (pass to, in order to give a scoring chance). In the context of transportation, desservir, meaning to serve (of a train or bus, to stop at a particular town), is used instead: Ce train dessert les grandes villes de la région. (This train serves the big towns in the region.) Cet autobus dessert les boulevards. (This bus serves the boulevards.) Ce bureau de poste dessert plusieurs communes. (This post office serves several municipalities.) Grammar -cer verbs -cer verbs are regular -er verbs, but are also stem changing. The most common -cer verb is commencer, meaning to begin. Formation commencer /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/ (koh-mah(n)-say) Fr-commencer.ogg to beginje commence /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) I begintu commences /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) you beginil commence /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) he beginsnous commençons /kɔ.mɑ̃.sɔ̃/ (koh-mah(n)-soh(n)) we beginvous commencez /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/ (koh-mah(n)-say) you beginils commencent /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) they begincommencé /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/(koh-mah(n)-say) begun Common -cer verbs Examples Vocabulary Other -cer verbs french--cer-verbs tracer Fr-tracer.ogg /tʁa.se/ to draw or plot placer Fr-placer.ogg /plase/ to place, to seat agacer Fr-agacer.ogg /a.ɡa.se/ to irritate, to tease forcer Fr-forcer.ogg /fɔʁ.se/ to force commencer Fr-commencer.ogg /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/ to begin prononcer Fr-prononcer.ogg /pʁɔ.nɔ̃.se/ to say, to mention, to give (a speech) lancer Fr-lancer.ogg /lɑ̃.se/ to throw, to launch effacer Fr-effacer.ogg /e.fa.se/ to erase acquiescer /a.kje.se/ to acquiesce influencer to influence sucer Fr-sucer.ogg /syse/ to suck pincer Fr-pincer.ogg /pɛ̃.se/ to pince recommencer Fr-recommencer.ogg to restart avancer Fr-avancer.ogg to advance, to go forward remplacer Fr-remplacer.ogg to replace annoncer Fr-annoncer.ogg to announce, to predict se balancer Fr-balancer.ogg to swing menacer Fr-menacer.ogg to threaten, to endanger se fiancer to get engaged clamecer to snuff it. froncer /fʀɔ̃se/ to scowl épicer to spice, to add spice to renforcer to reinforce, to strengthen percer Fr-percer.ogg to pierce financer to fund rincer Fr-rincer.ogg to rinse enfoncer Fr-enfoncer.ogg /ɑ̃.fɔ̃.se/ to push or press something in déplacer Fr-déplacer.ogg /de.pla.se/ to move divorcer /di.vɔʁ.se/ to divorce bercer Fr-bercer.ogg to cradle lacer /la.se/ to lace, to lace up coincer to corner replacer to put back, to replace manigancer /dekɔ̃tnɑ̃se/ to conspire décontenancer to make uncomfortable tancer /tɑ̃se/ to scold, to reprimand relancer to throw back, to restart dénoncer Fr-dénoncer.ogg to denounce grimacer /ɡʁi.ma.se/ to grimace concurrencer to compete with renoncer Fr-renoncer.ogg to resign, to quit, to renounce immiscer /imise/ to involve se immiscer (dans) to interfere (with) foncer Fr-foncer.ogg /fɔ̃.se/ to darken, to tear along déréférencer to dereference. exercer Fr-exercer.ogg /ɛɡ.zɛʁ.se/ to instruct, to command, to exercise pioncer /pjɔ̃.se/ to be sleeping évincer /e.vɛ̃.se/ to evict ambiancer to cause ambience devancer to get in front of, to go past, to overtake grincer Fr-grincer.ogg to squeak désamorcer to defuse amorcer to prime, to set in motion commercer Fr-commercer.ogg to trade épucer /e.py.se/ to remove fleas tiercertercer /tjeʁse//tɛʁ.se/ plough for the third time till for the third time entrelacer /ɑ̃tʁlase/ to interlock, to interweave glacer Fr-glacer.ogg /glase/ to freeze; to turn to ice poncer to rub down with an abrasive policer to police défoncer to smash in, to rip préfacer to write a preface exaucer Fr-exaucer.ogg to fulfil the wish of a prayer énoncer to enounce cofinancer to cofinance. condoléancer to condole Vocabulary Silverware and the table french-silverware le couvert Fr-couvert.ogg /ku.vɛʁ/ cover l'assiette (f) Fr-assiette.ogg /a.sjɛt/ plate also: dish On a besoin d'assiettes.C'est une bonne assiette. We need plates.It's a good dish. le bol Fr-bol.ogg /bɔl/ bowl la soucoupe soucoupe.ogg /su.kup/ saucer le couteau Fr-couteau.ogg /ku.to/ knife la cuillère Fr-cuillère.ogg /kɥijɛr/ spoon la fourchette Fr-fourchette.ogg /fuʁʃɛt/ fork la serviette Fr-serviette.ogg /sɛʁ.vjɛt/ napkin la nappe Fr-nappe.ogg /nap/ tablecloth la tasse Fr-tasse.ogg /tas/ cup le verre Fr-verre.ogg /vɛʁ/ glass On va boire un verre ? Will we drink a glass? Usage notes To take, to eat, to drink Prendre french-prendre prendre /pʁɑ̃dʁ/ (prah(n)dr) Fr-prendre.ogg to takeje prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) Fr-Paris--prends.ogg I taketu prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) Fr-Paris--prends.ogg you takeil prend /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) Fr-Paris--prend.ogg he takesnous prenons /pʁə.nɔ̃/ (pruh-noh(n)) Fr-Paris--prenons.ogg we takevous prenez /pʁǝ.ne/ (pruh-nay) Fr-Paris--prenez.ogg you takeils prennent /pʁɛn/ (prehn) Fr-Paris--prennent.ogg they takepris /pʁi/ taken Vocabulary Quantities french-quantities le gramme Fr-gramme.ogg /ɡʁam/ gram le kilo(gramme) /ki.lɔ/Fr-kilogramme.ogg /ki.lɔ.ɡʁam/ kilogram le litre Fr-litre.ogg /litʁ/ liter la bouteille Fr-bouteille.ogg /bu.tɛj/ bottle1 Une bouteille d’eau est utile en excursion. A bottle of water is useful during trips. la boîte Fr-boîte.ogg /bwat/ can la livre /livʁ/ pack, pound2 le paquet Fr-paquet.ogg /pakɛ/ packet le pot Fr-pot.ogg /po/ pot -eille is pronounced eh-yuh Do not confuse with le livre (book). Text Exercises Food and drink Communication