Choosing between a sandwich and a salad | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Est-ce que je choisis un sandwich ou une salade ?

   Should I choose a sandwich or a salad?

   Est-ce que

   question marker

   je

   I

   choisis

   choose

   un

   a/an

   sandwich

   sandwich

   ou

   or

   une

   a/an

   salade

   salad

   More detail

   Est-ce que is a standard way to turn a French statement into a yes/no question. It is followed here by normal subject–verb order: je choisis. Example: Est-ce que tu viens ? means “Are you coming?” je is the first-person singular subject pronoun, “I.” It identifies the speaker as the person making the choice. Before a vowel sound, it commonly contracts to j’, as in j’habite (“I live”). choisis means “choose” here. It is the present-tense form of choisir with the subject je: je choisis. The same written form can also be used with tu, but the subject distinguishes the meaning: Tu choisis. means “You choose.” Example: Je choisis une salade. — “I choose a salad.” un is the singular indefinite article used with a masculine noun. It does not by itself assert a numerical count; it presents a non-specific sandwich. The noun sandwich is masculine in French, so un sandwich is the matching combination. Example: un livre — “a book.” ou connects alternatives and means “or.” It presents a choice between the two options named around it. Example: Thé ou café ? — “Tea or coffee?” une is the singular indefinite article used with a feminine noun. The noun salade is feminine, so the matching phrase is une salade. Example: une table — “a table.” salade is the feminine noun “salad.” Its grammatical gender is shown here by une; gender is a property of the French noun, not a claim about the salad itself. Together, Est-ce que je choisis un sandwich ou une salade ? asks whether the speaker should choose one of two presented food options: “Should I choose a sandwich or a salad?” The pattern Est-ce que je [verb] X ou Y ? is reusable for asking about the speaker’s choice between two alternatives.

2. La salade est une option plus légère.

   The salad is a lighter option.

   salade

   salad

   est

   is

   option

   option

   plus légère

   lighter

   More detail

   salade means “salad” here. It is a feminine noun in French, as shown by the article la in La salade. The indefinite form is une salade, as in the preceding question. Example: Je mange une salade. — “I am eating a salad.” est is the third-person singular present form of être, “to be.” The useful present-tense forms include je suis (“I am”), tu es (“you are”), and il/elle est (“he/she is”). Example: La soupe est chaude. — “The soup is hot.” option means “option” or “choice.” In this sentence it is introduced by une: une option. Example: C'est une bonne option. — “It is a good option.” plus légère means “lighter.” Légère is the feminine singular form of léger (“light”); it agrees with the feminine singular noun option. The comparison marker plus makes the adjective comparative: léger means “light,” while plus léger means “lighter.” Before a masculine singular noun, the corresponding form is plus léger; before a feminine singular noun, it is plus légère. Example: Cette soupe est plus légère. — “This soup is lighter.” Together, La salade est une option plus légère says that the salad is an option characterized as lighter. The adjective phrase plus légère describes option, not salade, so its feminine singular form agrees with option. The complete meaning is: “The salad is a lighter option.”

3. Je n'ai pas très faim.

   I am not very hungry.

   Je

   I

   n'ai pas

   do not have

   très

   very

   faim

   hunger

   More detail

   Je means “I.” It is the first-person singular subject pronoun, used by one speaker. It is distinct from tu, “you” for one addressee. n'ai pas contains ai, the first-person singular present form of avoir (“to have”), within the negative pattern ne ... pas. Before a vowel, ne is shortened to n'. Here, this negative pattern works with avoir faim to express that the speaker does not have much hunger. In less formal speech, ne is often omitted, but the fixed sentence uses the complete written pattern. très is an adverb meaning “very.” In this sentence it marks a high degree in the expression avoir très faim. For example, très fatigué means “very tired.” faim is the noun “hunger.” French commonly expresses being hungry with avoir faim, literally “to have hunger.” The finite verb form carries the person and tense: here, ai is first-person singular present. faim remains the noun in this expression. For example, Nous avons faim means “We are hungry.” Together, Je + n'ai pas + très faim forms the negative expression Je n'ai pas très faim, meaning “I am not very hungry.” The negation applies to the degree expressed by très faim; the sentence says that the speaker is not very hungry, without saying that the speaker has no hunger at all.

4. Alors, elle te conviendra peut-être mieux.

   Then it may suit you better.

   Alors

   Then

   elle

   it

   te

   you

   conviendra

   will suit

   peut-être

   perhaps

   mieux

   better

   More detail

   Alors means “then” here and links this statement to what has just been said. It can also introduce a conclusion or transition. Example: Alors, on commence. — “Then, we’ll start.” elle is a third-person singular feminine subject pronoun. In this sentence, the fixed translation supports the neutral English reading “it,” but it does not identify the specific thing referred to. French pronouns must match the grammatical gender and number of their referent; elle is feminine singular, while il is masculine singular. Example: Elle est bonne. — “It is good,” when the thing referred to is grammatically feminine. te is the unstressed second-person singular object pronoun, meaning “to you” in this construction. The verb convenir à quelqu’un means that something suits or is suitable for someone, so the person is introduced with à; te is the corresponding pronoun for “to you.” Compare me (“to me”), lui (“to him/her”), and vous (“to you,” formal or plural). Example: Cette couleur te convient. — “This color suits you.” conviendra is the third-person singular future form of convenir (“to suit” or “to be suitable”). The ending shows future time and agrees with the singular subject elle; te does not control this verb form. In the useful pattern quelque chose convient à quelqu’un, the thing that suits someone is the subject and the person is expressed with à or its pronoun. Example: Cette option vous conviendra. — “This option will suit you.” peut-être means “perhaps” or “maybe.” It marks the statement as possible rather than certain. In this sentence it applies to the prediction that the item will suit the listener, not to the identity of the subject. Example: Il viendra peut-être demain. — “He may come tomorrow.” mieux is the comparative adverb “better,” the comparative form associated with bien (“well”). It compares how well something suits the listener with another option or situation understood from context. Do not confuse it with meilleur, the comparative adjective used with a noun: Cette solution fonctionne mieux. — “This solution works better”; C’est une meilleure solution. — “It is a better solution.” Together, elle te conviendra says that the feminine-singular subject will suit you, peut-être makes that prediction uncertain, and mieux compares it favorably with another option or situation. Alors adds the transition “then,” giving the complete meaning: “Then it may suit you better.”

5. Qu'est-ce que tu prends ?

   What are you getting?

   Qu'est-ce que

   what ...?

   prends

   are getting

   More detail

   Qu'est-ce que is a reusable French way to ask “what?” about the thing involved in an action. In this question, it introduces the thing being asked about; it does not identify that thing in advance. Example: Qu'est-ce que tu lis ? — “What are you reading?” prends is the present-tense form of prendre (“to take”), used with tu (second-person singular). In this context, the fixed translation shows the intended sense is “are getting”; depending on the situation, prendre can also mean “take” or “choose/order.” The form prends includes the subject agreement with tu; the infinitive is prendre. Example: Tu prends le bus. — “You are taking the bus.” Together, Qu'est-ce que asks for the thing, and tu prends asks what the addressee is getting: “What are you getting?”

6. Je veux quelque chose de plus grand.

   I want something bigger.

   Je veux

   I want

   quelque chose

   something

   plus grand

   bigger

   More detail

   Je veux means “I want” here. veux is the present-tense first-person singular form of vouloir (“to want”): je veux. The same verb has tu veux for “you want,” but il/elle veut for “he/she wants.” French commonly uses vouloir followed by a noun phrase, as here, or by an infinitive: Je veux choisir. — “I want to choose.” quelque chose is the indefinite pronoun “something.” It refers to an unspecified thing rather than naming the thing. It can also be followed by de plus an adjective: quelque chose de simple — “something simple.” In this construction, quelque chose is grammatically masculine singular, so the adjective form is masculine singular. plus grand means “bigger” in this sentence. grand is the adjective “big” or “large”; plus grand is its comparative form, literally “more big.” The adjective is masculine singular here to agree grammatically with quelque chose. A useful comparison chain is grand (“big”), plus grand (“bigger”), and le plus grand (“the biggest”). Together, quelque chose de plus grand means “something bigger.” The pattern quelque chose de + adjective describes an unspecified thing, and plus makes the adjective comparative. Thus Je veux quelque chose de plus grand. means “I want something bigger.” The comparison is understood relative to some existing or implied option or standard; the sentence does not specify what that comparison is.

7. Je vais choisir le sandwich.

   I will choose the sandwich.

   Je vais

   I will

   choisir

   choose

   sandwich

   sandwich

   More detail

   Je vais uses vais, the first-person singular present form of aller (“to go”). With an infinitive, aller + infinitive expresses the near future: Je vais choisir means “I am going to choose,” naturally translated here as “I will choose.” This is a reusable pattern: Je vais + infinitive. choisir is the infinitive “to choose.” The infinitive follows vais and names the action that is going to happen. Its present-tense first-person form is je choisis, while the infinitive remains choisir after aller. Example: Je vais attendre. — “I am going to wait.” sandwich is the noun “sandwich.” In the sentence, the visible article le before it means “the,” so le sandwich means “the sandwich.” Le is the masculine singular definite article; the noun itself is sandwich. Example: Je mange le sandwich. — “I am eating the sandwich.” Together, Je vais + choisir forms the near-future construction, and le sandwich identifies what will be chosen. The whole utterance means “I will choose the sandwich.”

8. La salade me convient.

   The salad works for me.

   salade

   salad

   convient

   suits; works

   More detail

   salade means “salad” here. It is a feminine noun, so the definite article is la: la salade. The plural is les salades. Example: J’aime la salade. — “I like salad.” convient is the present-tense third-person singular form of convenir in the sense “to suit” or “to be suitable.” The subject is la salade, so the singular form is used. In this construction, the person for whom something is suitable is expressed with an indirect object pronoun: me convient means “suits me” or “works for me.” Compare Cela me convient. — “That works for me.” The reusable pattern is Quelque chose me convient — “Something works for me.” The sentence combines La salade as the thing that is suitable with me convient as “works for me,” giving “The salad works for me.”

9. Commandons quand le serveur revient.

   Let's order when the server comes back.

   Commandons

   let's order

   quand

   when

   le serveur

   the server

   revient

   comes back

   More detail

   Commandons is the first-person plural imperative of commander (“to order”). It proposes a joint action: “let's order.” The present-tense indicative form is nous commandons, while the imperative omits the subject pronoun: Commandons ! Example: Commandons une pizza. — “Let's order a pizza.” quand introduces the time condition “when.” It connects an event to the moment another event occurs. Example: Je partirai quand tu arriveras. — “I will leave when you arrive.” le serveur means “the server” here, referring to the restaurant worker. Serveur is a masculine noun, so the singular definite article is le; the plural form is les serveurs. In another context, serveur can also mean a computer server, but the fixed translation supports the restaurant meaning here. revient is the third-person singular present form of revenir, “to come back” or “to return.” The form agrees with the singular subject le serveur: il revient. Revenir contains the idea of returning, whereas venir simply means “to come.” Example: Elle revient demain. — “She is coming back tomorrow.” Together, Commandons proposes the shared action, and quand le serveur revient specifies when it should happen: “Let's order when the server comes back.”