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Dialogue
Culture · Dining in France
Vocabulary
| Places | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la cuisine |  | kitchen | Béatrice est dans la cuisine. | Béatrice is in the kitchen. | |
| la salle à manger | | dining room | |||
| le restaurant | | restaurant | |||
| Meals | |||||
| le repas | | meal | |||
| le petit déjeuner | | breakfast | |||
| le déjeuner | | lunch | |||
| le dîner | | dinner | |||
| le goûter | | snack | |||
| Food stores | |||||
| la boucherie | | butcher shop1 | |||
| la boulangerie | | bakery2 | |||
| le dépôt de pain | a place that sells bread2 | ||||
| la charcuterie | | delicatessen3 | |||
| l'épicerie (f) | | grocery4 | |||
| la crémerie | | dairy store | |||
| la poissonnerie | | seafood store | |||
| le marché | | outdoor market | |||
| la pâtisserie | | 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 | | to eat | On mange au restaurant. | We are eating at the restaurant. | |
| boire | | to drink | |||
| prendre | | to take, to eat, to drink | |||
| vouloir | | 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  | to want |
|---|---|
| je veux /vø/ (vew) | I want |
| tu veux /vø/ (vew) | you want |
| il veut /vø/ (vew) | he wants |
| nous voulons /vu.lɔ̃/ (voo-loh(n)) | we want |
| vous voulez /vu.le/ (voo-lay) | you want |
| ils veulent /vøl/ (vewl) | they want |
| voulu /vu.ly/ (voo-lew) | wanted |
The related phrase vouloir dire /vu.lwaʁ diʁ/ 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 | to be able to |
|---|---|
| je peux /pø/ (pew) | I am able to |
| tu peux /pø/ (pew) | you are able to |
| il peut /pø/ (pew) | he is able to |
| nous pouvons pu.vɔ̃/ (poo-voh(n)) | we are able to |
| vous pouvez /pu.ve/ (poo-vay) | you are able to |
| ils peuvent /pøv/ (pewv) | they are able to |
| pu /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/, 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. |
Supplementary usage notes · 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 | | to arrive | On est arrivés au restaurant vers 9 heures. | We arrived at the restaurant around 9 o'clock. | |
| la table occupée la table libre | an occupied table a free table | ||||
| trouver | | to find | |||
| se trouver | to be found | La boulangerie se trouve en face du cinéma. | The bakery is (found) opposite the cinema. | ||
| commander | | to order | Il a commandé un sandwich. | He ordered a sandwich. | |
| le déjeuner déjeuner | | lunch to eat lunch | |||
| le petit déjeuner | | breakfast | |||
| le dîner dîner | | dinner to dine, to eat dinner | |||
| désirer | | to desire | |||
| le serveur la serveuse | | waiter waitress | |||
| la carte | | menu | |||
| l'addition (f) | | check | |||
| le pourboire | | tip | |||
| laisser | | to leave | |||
| je voudrais… | I would like… | Je voudrais un peu de beurre avec mon croissant, s'il vous plait. | 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 | to serve |
|---|---|
| je sers /sɛʁ/ (sehr) | I serve |
| tu sers /sɛʁ/ (sehr) | you serve |
| il sert /sɛʁ/ (sehr) | he serves |
| nous servons /sɛʁ.vɔ̃/ (sehr-voh(n)) | we serve |
| vous servez /sɛʁ.ve/ (sehr-vay) | you serve |
| ils servent /sɛʁv/ (sehrv) | they serve |
| servi /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. |
Supplementary usage notes · Servir and desservir
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 | to begin |
|---|---|
| je commence /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) | I begin |
| tu commences /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) | you begin |
| il commence /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) | he begins |
| nous commençons /kɔ.mɑ̃.sɔ̃/ (koh-mah(n)-soh(n)) | we begin |
| vous commencez /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/ (koh-mah(n)-say) | you begin |
| /kɔ.mɑ̃s/ (koh-mah(n)s) | they begin |
| commencé /kɔ.mɑ̃.se/(koh-mah(n)-say) | begun |
Common -cer verbs
Examples
Supplementary vocabulary · Other -cer verbs
| tracer | | to draw or plot |
| placer | | to place, to seat |
| agacer | | to irritate, to tease |
| forcer | | to force |
| commencer | | to begin |
| prononcer | | to say, to mention, to give (a speech) |
| lancer | | to throw, to launch |
| effacer | | to erase |
| acquiescer | | to acquiesce |
| influencer | to influence | |
| sucer | | to suck |
| pincer | | to pince |
| recommencer | | to restart |
| avancer | | to advance, to go forward |
| remplacer | | to replace |
| annoncer | | to announce, to predict |
| se balancer | | to swing |
| menacer | | to threaten, to endanger |
| se fiancer | to get engaged | |
| clamecer | to snuff it. | |
| froncer | | to scowl |
| épicer | to spice, to add spice to | |
| renforcer | to reinforce, to strengthen | |
| percer | | to pierce |
| financer | to fund | |
| rincer | | to rinse |
| enfoncer | | to push or press something in |
| déplacer | | to move |
| divorcer | | to divorce |
| bercer | | to cradle |
| lacer | | to lace, to lace up |
| coincer | to corner | |
| replacer | to put back, to replace | |
| manigancer | | to conspire |
| décontenancer | to make uncomfortable | |
| tancer | | to scold, to reprimand |
| relancer | to throw back, to restart | |
| dénoncer | | to denounce |
| grimacer | | to grimace |
| concurrencer | to compete with | |
| renoncer | | to resign, to quit, to renounce |
| immiscer | | to involve |
| se immiscer (dans) | to interfere (with) | |
| foncer | | to darken, to tear along |
| déréférencer | to dereference. | |
| exercer | | to instruct, to command, to exercise |
| pioncer | | to be sleeping |
| évincer | | to evict |
| ambiancer | to cause ambience | |
| devancer | to get in front of, to go past, to overtake | |
| grincer | | to squeak |
| désamorcer | to defuse | |
| amorcer | to prime, to set in motion | |
| commercer | | to trade |
| épucer | | to remove fleas |
| tiercer tercer | | |
| entrelacer | | to interlock, to interweave |
| glacer | | 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 | | to fulfil the wish of a prayer |
| énoncer | to enounce | |
| cofinancer | to cofinance. | |
| condoléancer | to condole |
Supplementary vocabulary · Silverware and the table
| le couvert | | cover | |||
| l'assiette (f) | | plate | also: dish | On a besoin d'assiettes. C'est une bonne assiette. | We need plates. It's a good dish. |
| le bol | | bowl | |||
| la soucoupe | | saucer | |||
| le couteau | | knife | |||
| la cuillère | | spoon | |||
| la fourchette | | fork | |||
| la serviette | | napkin | |||
| la nappe | | tablecloth | |||
| la tasse | | cup | |||
| le verre | | glass | On va boire un verre ? | Will we drink a glass? |
Supplementary usage notes · To take, to eat, to drink · Prendre
| prendre | to take |
|---|---|
| je prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | I take |
| tu prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | you take |
| il prend | he takes |
| nous prenons | we take |
| vous prenez | you take |
| ils prennent | they take |
| pris /pʁi/ | taken |
Supplementary vocabulary · Quantities
| le gramme | | gram | |||
| le kilo(gramme) | | kilogram | |||
| le litre | | liter | |||
| la bouteille | | bottle1 | Une bouteille d’eau est utile en excursion. | A bottle of water is useful during trips. | |
| la boîte | | can | |||
| la livre | | pack, pound2 | |||
| le paquet | | packet | |||
| le pot | | pot |
- -eille is pronounced eh-yuh
- Do not confuse with le livre (book) .
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