About This Lesson
Use Borrowing cleaning supplies to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Tu as un chiffon de nettoyage que je peux utiliser ?
tew ah uhn shee-FOHN duh neh-twah-YAHZH kuh zhuh puh ew-tee-lee-ZAY Do you have a cleaning cloth I can use?
B
Il y en a un dans la boîte.
eel-yahn-AH uhn dahn lah BWAHT There is one in the box.
A
Tu as aussi un spray nettoyant ?
tew ah oh-SEE uhn SPREH neh-twah-YAHN Do you have cleaning spray too?
B
Le spray est à côté du chiffon.
luh SPREH eh ah koh-TAY dew shee-FOHN The spray is beside it.
A
Je dois nettoyer ce bureau.
zhuh DWAH neh-twah-YAY suh bew-ROH I need to clean this desk.
B
Utilise seulement un peu.
ew-tee-LEEZ suh-luh-MAHN uhn puh Use only a small amount.
A
Je vais essuyer le bureau et remettre les deux à leur place.
zhuh VEH eh-swee-YAY luh bew-ROH ay ruh-MEH-truh lay DUH ah luhr PLAHS I will wipe the desk and put both back.
B
Garde-les ensemble dans la boîte.
gard lay ahn-SAHNBL dahn lah BWAHT Keep them together in the box.Word by Word
Tu
Tu means “you” here when addressing one person informally. It appears in “Tu as” when asking that person about something they have; a common reuse is “Tu as + noun ?” when asking about availability.
as
As means “have” in “Tu as un chiffon”. It is the form of avoir used with tu, and “Tu as + noun ?” is useful when asking someone whether they have something.
un
Un means “a” in “un chiffon” and “one” in “Il y en a un”. It introduces one masculine item, and “un + noun” is a common way to mention one item.
chiffon
Chiffon means “cloth” here, specifically the cloth used for cleaning. In “un chiffon de nettoyage”, “de nettoyage” specifies its purpose; you can reuse “un chiffon de + purpose” when identifying a type of cloth.
de
De links “chiffon” with “nettoyage” in “chiffon de nettoyage”, giving the idea of a cloth for cleaning. The pattern “noun de + noun” commonly identifies a thing by its purpose or relation.
nettoyage
Nettoyage means “cleaning” in “chiffon de nettoyage”. It identifies what the cloth is used for, and “de nettoyage” can be reused after an object when describing its cleaning purpose.
que
Que introduces the part “je peux utiliser”, which describes the cloth being requested in “un chiffon de nettoyage que je peux utiliser”. It connects a noun with information about that noun, as in “the item that I can use”.
je
Je means “I” in “je peux utiliser”, “Je dois nettoyer”, and “Je vais essuyer”. It marks the person speaking, and it is commonly placed before the verb in a statement about the speaker’s ability, need, or plan.
peux
Peux means “can” in “je peux utiliser”, expressing that the speaker is able or allowed to use the cloth. It is a form of pouvoir used with je; “je peux + infinitive” is a reusable pattern for asking or stating what the speaker can do.
utiliser
Utiliser means “to use” in “je peux utiliser”. It stays in this form after peux, and “pouvoir + utiliser” expresses being able or allowed to use something.
Il
Il is part of “Il y en a un”, the French expression used here to say that one is available or present. In this scene it introduces the statement about the cloth being in the box, so learn it together with “Il y en a”.
y
Y is part of “Il y en a un” and points to the existence or availability of one item. In this dialogue, the available item is in the box; “Il y a” is a common pattern for saying that something exists or is present.
en
En is part of “Il y en a un” and represents one item of the kind already being discussed. Here it helps say “there is one”; the reusable pattern “Il y en a + number” identifies an available quantity.
a
A is part of “Il y en a un”, where the whole construction says that there is one cloth available. It is a form of avoir, and “Il y a” is commonly used to say that something is present.
dans
Dans means “in” in “dans la boîte”, locating the cloth inside the box. It is commonly followed by the place containing something, as in “dans + place”.
la
La means “the” before the feminine noun “boîte” in “la boîte”. It identifies a specific box, and “la + noun” is used when the listener can identify the thing being mentioned.
boîte
Boîte means “box” in “dans la boîte”. It names the container holding the cloth and spray, and “dans la boîte” can be reused when saying that an item is inside the box.
aussi
Aussi means “too” in “Tu as aussi un spray nettoyant ?”, adding cleaning spray to the cloth already mentioned. It commonly adds another item or fact, often after the verb in a short question like this.
spray
Spray means “spray” here, referring to the cleaning product. In “un spray nettoyant”, “nettoyant” specifies that it is for cleaning; this phrase is useful when asking for another cleaning product.
nettoyant
Nettoyant specifies that the spray is for cleaning in “un spray nettoyant”. It describes the kind of spray, and “noun + nettoyant” can be reused to identify a cleaning product.
Le
Le means “the” before “spray” in “Le spray est à côté du chiffon”. It refers to the specific spray just mentioned, and “le + noun” is used when the object is already known.
est
Est means “is” in “Le spray est à côté du chiffon”, stating where the spray is. It is a form of être, and “noun + est + location” is a common pattern for describing where something is.
à
À is part of the location expression “à côté du chiffon”, meaning “beside the cloth”. It combines with “côté de” to identify the position of one thing relative to another.
côté
Côté means “side” in the expression “à côté du chiffon”, which says that the spray is beside the cloth. The reusable location pattern is “à côté de + noun” for something positioned next to another thing.
du
Du links “à côté” to “chiffon” in “à côté du chiffon”, meaning “beside the cloth”. It is the contracted form of de + le, and the pattern “à côté du + masculine noun” gives a specific nearby location.
dois
Dois means “must” or “need to” in “Je dois nettoyer ce bureau”. It is a form of devoir used with je; “je dois + infinitive” is useful for stating a necessary action.
nettoyer
Nettoyer means “to clean” in “Je dois nettoyer ce bureau”. It remains in this form after dois, and “devoir + nettoyer” expresses that cleaning is necessary.
ce
Ce means “this” in “ce bureau”, pointing to the particular desk that needs cleaning. It comes before the noun, and “ce + masculine noun” is a common way to identify one nearby or known item.
bureau
Bureau means “desk” in “ce bureau”. It is the surface being cleaned in this scene, and “nettoyer un bureau” is a reusable expression for cleaning a desk.
Utilise
Utilise means “use” in the direct instruction “Utilise seulement un peu”. It addresses one person and tells them what to do; it is useful when giving a simple instruction about using something.
seulement
Seulement means “only” in “Utilise seulement un peu”, limiting the amount to be used. It commonly comes before the limited quantity or action, as in “seulement + quantity”.
peu
Peu means “a small amount” in “un peu”. Together with un, it tells the listener to use only a little cleaning spray; “un peu de + noun” is a common pattern for a small quantity.
vais
Vais helps express a plan in “Je vais essuyer le bureau et remettre les deux à leur place”. It is a form of aller used with je, and “je vais + infinitive” is a common way to say what the speaker is going to do.
essuyer
Essuyer means “to wipe” in “Je vais essuyer le bureau”. It follows vais in the planned-action pattern “je vais + infinitive”, and it is used when removing dirt or liquid from a surface.
et
Et means “and” in “essuyer le bureau et remettre les deux à leur place”. It connects the two actions the speaker plans to carry out, and it commonly joins verbs or clauses in a sequence.
remettre
Remettre means “to put back” in “remettre les deux à leur place”. It describes returning both supplies to their proper place after use, and “remettre + object + à sa place” is a reusable pattern for restoring something.
les
Les means “the” in “les deux”, referring to the two supplies as a specific pair. It appears before the number, and “les deux” is a common expression meaning “both” when two known things are involved.
deux
Deux means “two” in “les deux”, referring to the cloth and the spray. The expression “les deux” is useful when referring together to two items already known.
leur
Leur means “their” in “à leur place”, referring to the place belonging to the two supplies. It helps express returning several known things to where they belong, as in “remettre les objets à leur place”.
place
Place means “place” or “position” in “à leur place”. Here it means the proper location for the cloth and spray, and “à sa place” or “à leur place” is used when putting something back where it belongs.
Garde-les
Garde-les means “keep them” in the instruction “Garde-les ensemble dans la boîte”. The form combines the instruction to keep with “les”, meaning the two supplies; it is useful when telling someone to leave several known objects somewhere.
ensemble
Ensemble means “together” in “Garde-les ensemble dans la boîte”. It says that the cloth and spray should stay in the same place, and it can be used after a verb when asking people or things to remain together.
Grammar Points
il y en a
Il y en a.
eel-yahn-AHThere is one.
The pronouns y and en combine in this fixed expression to mean “there is one” or “there are some.”
devoir + infinitif
Je dois nettoyer.
zhuh DWAH neh-twah-YAYI must clean.
The conjugated verb dois is followed directly by the infinitive nettoyer to express necessity or obligation.
French Vocabulary
à côté de
prep
ah koh-TAY duh
beside; next to
aussi
adv
oh-SEE
too; also
boîte
noun
BWAHT
box
bureau
noun
bew-ROH
desk
chiffon
noun
shee-FOHN
cloth
un chiffon de nettoyage
devoir
verb
duh-VWAHR
to need to; must
dois
il y en a
phrase
eel-yahn-AH
there is one
Il y en a un dans la boîte.
nettoyage
noun
neh-twah-YAHZH
cleaning
un chiffon de nettoyage
nettoyant
adj
neh-twah-YAHN
cleaning
un spray nettoyant
nettoyer
verb
neh-twah-YAY
to clean
spray
noun
SPREH
spray
utiliser
verb
ew-tee-lee-ZAY
to use
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I need to clean this desk.
Show Answer
Je dois nettoyer ce bureau.Use only a small amount.
Show Answer
Utilise seulement un peu.Keep them together in the box.
Show Answer
Garde-les ensemble dans la boîte.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
cleaning
Show Answer
nettoyantcleaning
Show Answer
nettoyageto use
Show Answer
utiliserspray