Choosing a Place to Sit | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Où devrions-nous nous asseoir ?

   Where should we sit?

   Où

   where

   devrions-nous

   should we

   asseoir

   sit

   More detail

   Où means “where” and asks about a place or position. It is an interrogative adverb, so it does not change for the person or number of the people involved. Example: Où habitez-vous ? — “Where do you live?” devrions-nous combines devrions, the first-person plural conditional-present form of devoir, with inverted subject pronoun nous. In this question, devoir expresses a suggestion or what would be advisable: “should we”. The pattern devrions-nous + infinitive ... ? is a useful way to ask for a recommendation for a group that includes the speaker. The conditional form here is devrions; it is not an inflection of the following verb. asseoir is the infinitive of the verb meaning “to sit”. In the fixed utterance it appears with the reflexive pronoun nous: nous asseoir, literally “to sit ourselves”, the standard French construction for “to sit down” or “to sit”. The infinitive stays unchanged after devrions-nous. Example: Nous allons nous asseoir. — “We are going to sit down.” Together, Où asks for the location, devrions-nous asks what the group ought to do, and nous asseoir supplies the action. The whole utterance therefore means “Where should we sit?”

2. La table du coin est dans un endroit calme.

   The corner table is in a quiet spot.

   La table

   the table

   du coin

   corner

   est

   is

   un endroit

   a place / spot

   calme

   quiet

   More detail

   La table means “the table.” table is a feminine singular noun, so the definite article is la; the plural form is les tables. The article identifies the noun as definite here, rather than stating a quantity. du coin specifies which table: “from/of the corner,” naturally “corner” in this context. du is the contraction of de + le; it is not a separate base word to memorize as “corner.” The noun coin can mean a corner or a small spot, depending on context. For example, un coin tranquille means “a quiet corner/spot.” est is a form of être, “to be.” It is the third-person singular present form, used with a singular subject such as la table. A reusable pattern is X est Y, meaning “X is Y.” un endroit means “a place” or “spot.” endroit is a masculine singular noun, which is why it takes un here. un marks an indefinite noun, but does not by itself assert a numerical count. The plural is des endroits (“places/spots”). calme describes endroit as quiet or calm. In this sentence it is masculine singular, agreeing with un endroit; the feminine singular form is also calme, while the plural is calmes. For example, une rue calme means “a quiet street.” Together, La table du coin is “the corner table,” and est dans un endroit calme says that it is located in a quiet place/spot. The complete meaning is: “The corner table is in a quiet spot.”

3. Cette table est aussi bien éclairée.

   This table has nice light too.

   Cette

   this

   table

   table

   aussi

   also; too

   bien éclairée

   well lit

   More detail

   Cette means “this” and is the feminine singular form of the French demonstrative determiner. It agrees with the noun that follows, so cette table means “this table.” The masculine singular counterpart is ce: ce livre = “this book.” table is a feminine noun meaning “table.” Its grammatical gender is shown here by cette and éclairée; the noun itself does not change in this sentence. Example: une table ronde = “a round table.” aussi means “also” or “too.” In this sentence it adds this table’s good lighting to information already being discussed. Its position here, after the subject noun phrase and before the description, is a common placement. Example: Cette chaise est aussi confortable. = “This chair is comfortable too.” bien éclairée describes the table as having good lighting. éclairée is the feminine singular form of the past participle/adjectival form related to éclairer, “to light” or “to illuminate”; it agrees with feminine singular table. The masculine singular form is éclairé, as in un endroit bien éclairé = “a well-lit place.” bien intensifies the description, giving “well lit” rather than merely “lit.” Together, Cette table identifies “this table,” est (the form of être, “to be,” included in the fixed sentence between the selected phrases) links it to the description, aussi adds the meaning “too,” and bien éclairée describes its lighting. The whole utterance means: “This table has nice light too,” naturally expressing that this table is well lit as well.

4. Cette table serait mieux pour lire.

   This table would be better for reading.

   Cette

   this

   table

   table

   serait

   would be

   mieux

   better

   pour

   for; to

   lire

   read

   More detail

   Cette is the feminine singular form of the French demonstrative meaning “this” before a noun. It agrees with table, which is feminine singular. Compare ce with a masculine singular noun and ces with a plural noun; the form expresses grammatical agreement, not necessarily physical distance. Example: Cette chaise est libre. — “This chair is free.” table means “table.” Its useful gender pattern is une table, so a feminine singular determiner such as cette is used here. Example: La table est grande. — “The table is big.” serait is the third-person singular conditional form of être (“to be”). The conditional presents the table as a proposed or hypothetical choice: “would be,” rather than simply stating est (“is”). Example: Cette place serait meilleure. — “This place would be better.” mieux means “better” here. It is the comparative form related to the adverb bien (“well”), and it commonly compares how suitable or effective something is. Mieux is different from meilleur, the comparative adjective used with a noun: Cette solution est meilleure. — “This solution is better.” In the fixed sentence, mieux describes the suitability of the table for the activity that follows. pour introduces a purpose or intended use when followed by an infinitive. In pour lire, it means “for reading” or “to read.” Example: Je viens pour apprendre. — “I am coming to learn.” lire is the infinitive “to read.” After pour, the infinitive names the purpose without marking a separate subject or tense in this phrase. Example: Elle aime lire. — “She likes to read.” Together, Cette table identifies the table being discussed, serait mieux presents it as the better-suited option, and pour lire specifies the intended activity. The complete meaning is: “This table would be better for reading.”

5. Ces chaises sont confortables ?

   Are these chairs comfortable?

   Ces

   these

   chaises

   chairs

   sont

   are

   confortables

   comfortable

   More detail

   Ces means “these” and is a demonstrative determiner used before a plural noun. It marks the noun as plural and points to particular items in the situation. For comparison, cette is used before a feminine singular noun, as in the earlier example cette table (“this table”). Chaises means “chairs.” Its singular base form is chaise; the final -s marks the plural in writing: une chaise (“a chair”), des chaises (“chairs”). The noun is feminine, which matters for forms that agree with it, even though the plural determiner here is ces. Sont is the present-tense third-person plural form of être (“to be”). The subject is plural, so French uses sont, not singular est: La chaise est... (“The chair is...”), but Les chaises sont... (“The chairs are...” ). Confortables means “comfortable” here. It is the plural form of confortable; this adjective has the same form for masculine and feminine, but adds -s in the plural: un siège confortable / une chaise confortable, then des sièges confortables / des chaises confortables. The adjective describes the chairs, not the speaker’s personal reaction. Together, Ces chaises (“these chairs”) is the plural subject, sont supplies present-tense “are,” and confortables describes that subject. The rising question intonation turns the statement into a yes-or-no question: “Are these chairs comfortable?”

6. Elles sont bien pour moi.

   They feel fine to me.

   Elles sont

   They are

   bien

   fine

   pour moi

   for me

   More detail

   Elles sont combines elles, the feminine plural subject pronoun, with sont, the present-tense form of être (“to be”) for elles. Here, the intended referent is the chairs mentioned in the preceding question. French uses elles for an all-feminine plural group; ils is used for a masculine or mixed-gender plural group. The form chain is: elle est (“she is”) → elles sont (“they are”). Example: Elles sont confortables. — “They are comfortable.” bien is an adverb meaning “well” or, as here, “fine.” It describes the speaker’s evaluation of how the chairs are for them; it is not the adjective bon (“good”). Compare C’est bien. — “That’s fine.” and C’est bon. — “That’s good” or “That tastes good,” depending on context. In this sentence, bien contributes the sense “fine,” while pour moi identifies whose perspective is being expressed. pour moi means “for me.” pour is the preposition “for,” and moi is the stressed form used after a preposition; the ordinary subject form is je, not moi. Example: Cette chaise est bien pour moi. — “This chair is fine for me.” Together, Elles sont bien pour moi says that the chairs are fine from the speaker’s point of view: “They feel fine to me.” The wording does not use a separate French verb meaning “feel”; sont ... bien pour moi expresses the evaluation directly. Elles marks the chairs as the subject, sont links that subject to the evaluation, bien gives the evaluation, and pour moi specifies the speaker’s perspective.

7. Asseyons-nous à cette table.

   Let's sit at this table.

   Asseyons-nous

   Let's sit down

   cette

   this

   table

   table

   More detail

   Asseyons-nous is the first-person plural imperative of s'asseoir (“to sit down”), used for a suggestion equivalent to “let’s sit down.” The ending -ons marks “we” in this imperative form, while -nous is the reflexive pronoun: the people included in “we” sit themselves. Compare the singular suggestion Assieds-toi ! (“Sit down!”) and the plural/formal command Asseyez-vous ! (“Sit down!”). cette means “this” here. It is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective, agreeing with the feminine singular noun table; it is not itself a number marker. Other forms include ce before a masculine singular noun, cet before certain masculine singular vowel-initial nouns, and ces for plural nouns. table means “table.” It is a feminine noun, so the corresponding definite phrase is la table (“the table”). The preposition à before cette table contributes the location or destination relation expressed here as “at this table.” Together, Asseyons-nous à cette table means “Let’s sit at this table.” The suggestion places the people included in “we” at the particular table indicated by cette.

8. Je vais mettre nos sacs sous la table.

   I'll put our bags under it.

   Je vais

   I’m going to

   mettre

   put; place

   nos

   our

   sacs

   bags

   sous

   under

   table

   table

   More detail

   Je vais means “I’m going to” here. vais is the first-person singular present form of aller (“to go”), but with an infinitive it forms the near-future pattern aller + infinitive: je vais mettre = “I’m going to put.” This construction presents the action as intended or imminent; it is not the ordinary meaning “I go” in this sentence. mettre means “to put” or “to place.” It is the infinitive after vais; its useful present-tense forms include je mets (“I put”), tu mets, and il/elle met. Example: Je mets le livre sur la table. — “I’m putting the book on the table.” nos means “our” before a plural noun. It is the plural form of the possessive determiner; compare singular notre (“our” before a singular noun) and plural nos (nos sacs, “our bags”). The form agrees with the possessed noun’s number, not with the possessor’s grammatical person beyond the meaning of “our.” sacs means “bags.” Its singular base form is sac; the final -s marks the plural in writing: un sac / des sacs. In this utterance, nos specifies that the bags belong to or are associated with “us.” sous means “under” or “beneath” and introduces the location of the bags. Example: Le chat est sous la table. — “The cat is under the table.” table means “table.” Here it follows la, so la table is a singular feminine noun phrase. The context’s cette table (“this table”) supports the same table as the location being discussed. In the fixed English translation, it refers back to that table; French states the noun explicitly as la table. Together, Je vais mettre expresses “I’m going to put,” nos sacs identifies what will be placed, and sous la table gives its location. The whole utterance therefore means: “I’m going to put our bags under the table.”