Setting the table | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At home, two adults check a list for setting a table and notice that one spoon is still needed..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Setting the table to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Regardons la liste.

ruh-gar-DOHN lah LEEST Let's look at the list.
B

Je l'ai ici.

zhuh leh ee-SEE I have it here.
A

Est-ce que les tasses sont prêtes ?

ESS-kuh lay TASS SOHN PREH Are the cups ready?
B

Je les ai toutes lavées.

zhuh lay-ZEH toot lah-VAY I washed them all.
A

Il manque quelque chose ?

eel MAHNK kelk SHOHZ Is anything missing?
B

Il nous faut encore une cuillère.

eel noo FOH-tahn-KOR EUN kwee-YEHR We still need one spoon.
A

Je peux en prendre une autre.

zhuh PUH ahn PRAHN-druh EUN OH-truh I can get another one.
B

Alors, la table est mise.

ah-LOR lah TAHBL eh MEEZ Then the table is set.

Word by Word

Regardons Regardons means “let’s look” here. It is the first-person plural imperative form of regarder. A useful pattern is Regardons + noun, as in Regardons la liste, when suggesting that you and another person examine something together.
la La means “the” before the feminine singular noun liste in la liste. It is the feminine singular definite article. Use la before a feminine singular noun when referring to a specific thing, as in la liste.
liste Liste means “list” in la liste. The citation form is liste, and the word refers here to the list being checked for the table. A useful pattern is regarder la liste when checking written information.
Je Je means “I” and identifies the person speaking. It appears before the verb in Je l'ai ici. Use Je before a verb to state what you do, have, or can do.
l'ai L'ai means “have it” in Je l'ai ici. It combines l', referring to the thing already mentioned, with ai, the first-person singular form of avoir. The reusable pattern Je l'ai + place or context lets you say that you have a known item.
ici Ici means “here” and indicates the place where the speaker has the list. In Je l'ai ici, it comes after the verb phrase to add the location. Use ici when pointing out that something is in the speaker's current place.
Est-ce que Est-ce que introduces the yes-or-no question Est-ce que les tasses sont prêtes ? Est-ce begins the question structure, and que links it to the following clause. Use Est-ce que + subject + verb to ask a direct question.
les Les means “the” before the plural noun tasses in les tasses. It is the plural definite article. Use les before specific plural things, as in les tasses.
tasses Tasses means “cups” in les tasses. The citation form is tasse, and tasses is the plural form referring to the cups needed for the table. A useful pattern is les tasses sont + description when checking their condition.
sont Sont means “are” in les tasses sont prêtes. It is the third-person plural form of être, used because les tasses is plural. Use sont before a description of several people or things, as in sont prêtes.
prêtes Prêtes means “ready” in les tasses sont prêtes. It is the feminine plural form related to prêt and agrees with the feminine plural noun tasses. Use être + prêtes to say that several feminine things are ready.
toutes Toutes means “all of them” in Je les ai toutes lavées and refers to the feminine plural cups. It is the feminine plural form related to tout. Use toutes with a feminine plural group when saying that the whole group is included.
lavées Lavées means “washed” in Je les ai toutes lavées. It is the feminine plural form of the past participle related to laver and agrees here with the cups referred to by les. A useful pattern is Je les ai toutes lavées when saying that all of a feminine plural group has been washed.
Il Il is the impersonal subject in Il manque quelque chose ?, rather than a person being referred to. Together with manque, it introduces the idea that something is missing. Use the pattern Il manque + thing when checking whether something is absent.
manque Manque means “is missing” in Il manque quelque chose ?. It is the third-person singular form of manquer used in the impersonal expression Il manque. Use Il manque + noun or expression when saying that an item is not there or is still needed.
quelque chose Quelque chose means “something” in Il manque quelque chose ?. The two components quelque and chose combine to mean an unspecified thing: quelque indicates an unspecified item, and chose means “thing.” Use quelque chose when the exact item is unknown or not named.
nous Nous means “us” in Il nous faut encore une cuillère and identifies the people for whom the spoon is needed. It appears before faut in this expression. A useful pattern is Il nous faut + noun for saying that we need a particular thing.
faut Faut means “is needed” in Il nous faut encore une cuillère. It is the impersonal form of falloir, and with nous the whole expression means “we need.” Use Il nous faut + noun to state a need.
encore Encore means “still” or “one more” here: one spoon is still needed. It appears before une cuillère in Il nous faut encore une cuillère. Use encore with an item or need that continues or is added to what is already available.
une Une means “one” or “a” before the feminine singular noun cuillère in une cuillère. It is the feminine singular indefinite article. Use une before one unspecified feminine singular item.
cuillère Cuillère means “spoon” in une cuillère. The citation form is cuillère, and the dialogue uses it for the one utensil still needed. A useful pattern is prendre une cuillère when getting a spoon.
peux Peux means “can” in Je peux en prendre une autre. It is the first-person singular form of pouvoir and expresses the speaker's ability or willingness to act. Use Je peux + infinitive to say what you can do.
en En refers to one of the items already under discussion in Je peux en prendre une autre, so the speaker does not repeat cuillère. It works with prendre to mean taking one from the relevant group. Use Je peux en prendre une autre when offering to get another item of the same kind.
prendre Prendre means “take” or “get” in Je peux en prendre une autre. It is the infinitive that follows peux. Use pouvoir + prendre + item when saying that you can get or take something.
autre Autre means “another” in une autre and refers to another feminine singular item, understood here as a spoon. It follows une because the phrase means “another one.” Use une autre after mentioning a feminine singular item when offering a different one of the same kind.
Alors Alors means “then” here and introduces the result of getting the missing spoon. It connects the action in the previous line with the conclusion Alors, la table est mise. Use Alors at the start of a sentence when drawing a practical conclusion.
table Table means “table” in la table est mise. The citation form is table, and here it is the table being prepared for the meal. A useful pattern is mettre la table when talking about setting the table.
est Est means “is” in la table est mise. It is the third-person singular form of être, used because la table is singular. Use est before a description of one person or thing.
mise Mise means “set” in la table est mise, describing the table as prepared. It is the feminine singular form of the past participle related to mettre and agrees with table. Use la table est mise to say that the table is ready for the meal.

Grammar Points

Il faut + infinitif

Il faut encore prendre une autre cuillère.

eel FOH-tahn-KOR PRAHN-druh EUN OH-truh kwee-YEHR

We still need to get another spoon.

Il faut expresses necessity impersonally and is followed by the infinitive, not a conjugated verb.

pouvoir + infinitif

Je peux prendre une autre tasse.

zhuh PUH PRAHN-druh EUN OH-truh TASS

I can get another cup.

After peux, the second verb stays in the infinitive: peux prendre.

French Vocabulary

avoir verb
ah-VWAHR to have ai
encore adv
ahn-KOR still
être verb
EHTR to be sont
falloir verb
fah-LWAHR to need; to be necessary faut
ici adv
ee-SEE here
laver verb
lah-VAY to wash lavées
liste noun
LEEST list
manquer verb
mahn-KAY to be missing manque
prêt adj
PREH ready prêtes
quelque chose pron
kelk SHOHZ something
regarder verb
ruh-gar-DAY to look at Regardons
tasse noun
TASS cup tasses

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Let's look at the list.

Show AnswerRegardons la liste.

I have it here.

Show AnswerJe l'ai ici.

I washed them all.

Show AnswerJe les ai toutes lavées.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

ready

Show Answerprêtes

cup

Show Answertasses

to look at

Show AnswerRegardons

to wash

Show Answerlavées