What to Bring for an Outing | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use What to Bring for an Outing to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Qu'est-ce que je dois apporter ?

kess-kuh zhuh dwah ah-pawr-TAY What should I bring with me?

Apporte une petite couverture, s'il te plaît.

ah-PORT ewn puh-TEET koo-VEHR-TEWR, seel-tuh-PLEH Please bring a small blanket.

Est-ce qu'il nous faut aussi des boissons ?

ess-keel noo FOH oh-SEE day bwah-SOH(n) Do we need drinks too?

Une boisson froide, ce serait bien.

ewn bwah-SOH(n) frwahd, suh suh-REH BYEH(n) A cold drink would be nice.

Je peux apporter des gobelets.

zhuh puh ah-pawr-TAY day goh-BLAY I can bring some cups.

Ça aiderait, merci. On peut les partager.

sah ay-duh-RAY, mehr-SEE. oh(n)-NAY puh lay par-tah-ZHAY That would help, thanks. We can share them.

Ils peuvent tenir dans mon sac.

eel PUHV tuh-NEER dah(n) moh(n) SAK They can fit in my bag.

Alors, on est prêts.

ah-LOR, oh(n)-NAY PREH Then we're ready.

Word by Word

Qu'est-ce que Qu'est-ce que introduces the question “what should I bring?” in Qu'est-ce que je dois apporter ?. Qu'est-ce frames the question as “what is it...?”, and que links it to the clause je dois apporter. Use Qu'est-ce que before the clause when asking what someone does, wants, or needs.

je je means “I” in je dois apporter and je peux apporter. It is the subject of the speaker’s action or ability. A common reuse pattern is je + verb, as in je dois apporter.

dois dois expresses “must” or “should” in je dois apporter, so the speaker asks what they are expected to bring. With je, it is followed here by the infinitive apporter. Use je dois + an action when talking about an obligation or necessary action.

apporter apporter means “to bring” in je dois apporter. In Apporte, the same verb is used as a direct request to one person. It commonly takes the item brought directly after it, as in apporter des gobelets; use it when asking someone to bring something to a place.

une une means “a” or “one” before the feminine singular noun couverture in une petite couverture. The form une marks one feminine singular item here. Use une before a feminine singular noun, as in une petite couverture.

petite petite means “small” in une petite couverture. Its form agrees with the feminine singular noun couverture. Use petite before or with a feminine singular noun when describing its size, as in une petite couverture.

couverture couverture means “blanket” in une petite couverture. Here it identifies the item to bring for the outing. Use it after a determiner and, when needed, an adjective, as in une petite couverture.

s'il te plaît s'il te plaît means “please” in Apporte une petite couverture, s'il te plaît. The whole expression makes the request polite; s'il introduces the fixed expression, te refers to the person addressed, and plaît completes it. Use it when making a familiar request to one person, as after an imperative.

Est-ce Est-ce begins a yes-or-no question in Est-ce qu'il nous faut aussi des boissons ?. It works with que and the following clause to frame the question. Use Est-ce que before a statement-shaped clause when asking whether something is true or needed.

qu'il qu'il is the contracted form of que and il in Est-ce qu'il nous faut aussi des boissons ?. Here it begins the clause about what is needed, and il is the impersonal subject used with faut rather than a person being discussed. A useful pattern from this dialogue is il nous faut aussi des boissons when saying that an additional item is needed.

nous nous means “us” in il nous faut, showing who needs the drinks. It is placed between il and faut in this need expression. Use il nous faut + an item to say that we need something.

faut faut says that something is needed in il nous faut aussi des boissons, meaning that drinks are needed for us. Its meaning here comes from the expression il nous faut, not from faut alone. Use il nous faut before the item that is needed.

aussi aussi means “also” or “too” in il nous faut aussi des boissons. It adds drinks to the other items already being considered. Use aussi when adding another needed or relevant item, as in aussi des boissons.

des des means “some” before the plural noun boissons in des boissons, and also before gobelets in des gobelets. It introduces an unspecified plural quantity. Use des before a plural noun when referring to some items without specifying the number.

boissons boissons means “drinks” in des boissons. It is the plural form of boisson because the conversation considers more than one drink or drinks generally. Use des boissons when adding drinks to a list of items to bring.

boisson boisson means “drink” in Une boisson froide, where it refers to one drink. The singular form appears after une and is described by froide. Use une boisson when referring to one drink.

froide froide means “cold” in Une boisson froide. Its form agrees with the feminine singular noun boisson. Use froide with a feminine singular noun when describing something as cold, as in une boisson froide.

ce ce refers broadly to the proposed drink or option in ce serait bien. The whole expression ce serait bien means that it would be nice, while ce points to what is being evaluated. Use ce in this expression when responding positively to a suggestion.

serait serait means “would be” in ce serait bien, giving a gentle evaluation of the proposed drink. Together with ce and bien, it presents the idea as a suggestion rather than a firm statement. Use ce serait + an evaluation when saying that a proposed option would be good or suitable.

bien bien means “good” or “nice” in ce serait bien. It evaluates the proposed cold drink positively as part of the whole expression ce serait bien. Use ce serait bien to approve or welcome a suggestion.

peux peux means “can” in Je peux apporter des gobelets, expressing the speaker’s ability or willingness to bring cups. With je, it is followed by the infinitive apporter. Use je peux + an infinitive when offering to do something or saying that you can do it.

gobelets gobelets means “cups” in des gobelets. It is the plural form used for the cups the speaker offers to bring. Use des gobelets when referring to some cups as part of the outing supplies.

Ça Ça means “that” or “it” in Ça aiderait and refers to the offer to bring cups. It is the subject of the whole statement Ça aiderait, which says that the offer would help. Use Ça + a verb when reacting to or evaluating an action or situation.

aiderait aiderait means “would help” in Ça aiderait, expressing that the offer would be useful. Its conditional form makes the response a polite evaluation of the proposed help. Use Ça aiderait when acknowledging that an action or offer would be useful.

merci merci means “thanks” in Ça aiderait, merci. It acknowledges and appreciates the other person’s offer. Use merci after someone offers help or agrees to do something, as in Ça aiderait, merci.

On On means “we” in On peut les partager. In this dialogue it refers to the two friends together. Use on + a verb in everyday conversation when speaking about a group that includes the speaker.

peut peut means “can” in On peut les partager, saying that sharing the cups is possible. It is followed here by the infinitive partager. Use on peut + an infinitive when suggesting or confirming a possible shared action.

les les means “them” in les partager and refers to the gobelets already mentioned. It is placed before the infinitive partager. Use les before an infinitive when replacing previously mentioned plural items, as in les partager.

partager partager means “to share” in les partager. It follows peut and describes what the two friends can do with the cups. Use peut partager or on peut les partager when discussing a possible shared action.

Ils Ils means “they” in Ils peuvent tenir dans mon sac and refers to the gobelets. It is the plural subject of peuvent tenir. Use ils + a verb when referring back to several items or people.

peuvent peuvent means “can” in Ils peuvent tenir dans mon sac, expressing the cups’ capacity to fit there. It is followed by the infinitive tenir. Use ils peuvent + an infinitive when stating what several items or people are able to do.

tenir tenir means “fit” in tenir dans mon sac, describing whether the cups can be contained in the bag. The pattern tenir dans + a container expresses fitting inside something. Use Ils peuvent tenir dans... when checking whether items will fit in a particular place.

dans dans means “in” in tenir dans mon sac and shows the inside location of the bag. It introduces the container after tenir. Use tenir dans + a container when describing where an item can fit.

mon mon means “my” before the masculine singular noun sac in mon sac. It identifies the bag as belonging to the speaker. Use mon before a masculine singular noun when referring to something that belongs to you, as in mon sac.

sac sac means “bag” in mon sac. Here it names the container where the cups can fit. Use it after a possessive or other determiner when talking about a bag, as in mon sac.

Alors Alors means “then” or “so” in Alors, on est prêts. It marks the conclusion that follows from having all the needed items. Use Alors at the beginning of a concluding statement after confirming a plan or result.

est est means “is” in on est prêts and describes the group’s current state. It is used with on and is followed here by the adjective prêts. Use on est + an adjective to describe how the group is.

prêts prêts means “ready” in on est prêts. It describes the two friends as ready after deciding what to bring and confirming that the items fit. Use on est prêts when a group is prepared to begin an activity.

Grammar Points

il faut + nom

Il faut une couverture.

eel FOH ewn koo-VEHR-TEWR

A blanket is needed.

« Il faut » exprime un besoin ou une nécessité. Le nom suit généralement l’expression.

aiderait

Cela aiderait.

suh-LAH ay-duh-RAY

That would help.

« aiderait » est le conditionnel présent de « aider » et exprime une conséquence hypothétique ou souhaitée.

French Vocabulary

aider verb

ay-DAY to help aiderait

apporte verb

ah-PORT bring

apporter verb

ah-pawr-TAY to bring

aussi adv

oh-SEE also; too

bien adv

BYEH(n) well; nice

boisson noun

bwah-SOH(n) drink boissons

couverture noun

koo-VEHR-TEWR blanket

falloir verb

fah-LWAHR to be needed; to need faut

froid adj

frwah cold froide

gobelet noun

goh-BLAY cup gobelets

petit adj

puh-TEE small petite

s'il te plaît phrase

seel-tuh-PLEH please

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What should I bring with me?

Show Answer

Qu'est-ce que je dois apporter ?

A cold drink would be nice.

Show Answer

Une boisson froide, ce serait bien.

I can bring some cups.

Show Answer

Je peux apporter des gobelets.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to bring

Show Answer

apporter

bring

Show Answer

apporte

also; too

Show Answer

aussi

to be needed; to need

Show Answer

faut