Using the shared laundry room | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Using the shared laundry room to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Puis-je utiliser la buanderie commune ?

pwee-ZHuh ü-tee-lee-ZAY lah bwahn-DREE koh-MOON? Can I use the shared laundry room?

Elle est ouverte maintenant.

ell ay oo-VAIRT meh-tuh-NAHN. It is open now.

Cette machine est-elle libre ?

set mah-SHEEN ay-TELL LEEBR? Is this machine free?

Celle-ci est disponible.

sell-SEE ay dee-spoh-NEEBL. This one is available.

Où dois-je mettre mon panier ?

oo dwah-ZHuh METR mohn pah-NYAY? Where should I put my basket?

Posez-le à côté du mur.

poh-ZAY luh ah koh-TAY dü MÜR. Set it beside the wall.

Je sortirai mes vêtements quand le lavage sera terminé.

zhuh sor-tee-RAY may vet-MAHN kahn luh lah-VAHZH suh-rah tair-mee-NAY. I will take my clothes out when the wash is done.

Récupérez-les tout de suite, s'il vous plaît.

ray-kü-pay-RAY-lay toot duh SWEET, seel voo PLAY. Please collect them right away.

Word by Word

Puis In the exact question “Puis-je utiliser...”, “Puis” expresses permission: “may I...?” It is related to the citation form pouvoir, and Puis-je + infinitive is a polite way to ask to do something.

je “je” means “I”. In “Puis-je”, it follows Puis because of question inversion; in “Je sortirai”, it comes before the verb. Use je + verb to say what you do or will do.

utiliser “utiliser” means “to use” and appears as the infinitive after Puis-je. Use Puis-je utiliser + object? when asking permission to use something.

la “la” means “the” before the feminine singular noun in “la buanderie commune”. Use la + a specific feminine singular noun to identify one particular thing.

buanderie “buanderie” means “laundry room” here, as in “la buanderie commune”. Use it with a determiner and an adjective when naming or describing a laundry room.

commune “commune” means “shared” or “common” in “la buanderie commune”. It is the feminine form related to commun and agrees with buanderie; the pattern noun + commune can describe a shared facility.

Elle “Elle” means “it” here and refers back to the feminine noun buanderie in “Elle est ouverte”. Use elle + verb to refer to a previously mentioned feminine noun; the same form can also mean “she” when referring to a woman.

est “est” means “is” in “Elle est ouverte”. It is a form of the citation verb être, and the pattern subject + est + description states a current condition.

ouverte “ouverte” means “open” in “Elle est ouverte maintenant”. It is the feminine form related to ouvert and agrees with elle or buanderie; use être ouvert(e) to say that a place or service is open.

maintenant “maintenant” means “now” and places the situation at the present moment in “Elle est ouverte maintenant”. It commonly appears at the end of a sentence to specify when something is true.

Cette “Cette” means “this” before the feminine singular noun machine in “Cette machine”. It is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative determiner ce; use cette + feminine singular noun to point out one thing.

machine “machine” means “machine” in “Cette machine est-elle libre ?” Here it refers to a laundry machine. Use it with a determiner such as cette when asking about a particular machine.

libre “libre” means “free” or “unoccupied” in “Cette machine est-elle libre ?” The pattern être libre asks whether a machine, seat, or other place is available for use.

Celle-ci “Celle-ci” means “this one” and refers to the available machine. Celle means “the one” in the feminine form, while ci marks it as this or the one being indicated; use Celle-ci est + description to identify one feminine item among several.

disponible “disponible” means “available” in “Celle-ci est disponible”. Use être disponible to say that a person, place, or object is ready or free to be used.

Où “Où” means “where” and asks about a location in “Où dois-je mettre mon panier ?” Use Où + question or clause when asking where something is or should go.

dois “dois” expresses “should” or “must” in “Où dois-je mettre...?” It is a form related to the citation verb devoir; the pattern dois-je + infinitive asks what I should or must do.

mettre “mettre” means “to put” or “to place” and follows dois-je as an infinitive. Use dois-je mettre + object + location when asking where to put something.

mon “mon” means “my” before the masculine singular noun panier in “mon panier”. Use mon + masculine singular noun to identify one thing that belongs to or is associated with the speaker.

panier “panier” means “basket” in “mon panier”. Use it with a possessive such as mon when referring to a particular basket, especially in a pattern such as mettre mon panier + location.

Posez “Posez” tells the addressee to put or place something in “Posez-le à côté du mur”. It is related to the citation verb poser and is used in a formal or plural command; use Posez + object + location to give this instruction.

le “le” means “it” in “Posez-le” and refers to the previously mentioned panier. As an object pronoun in this affirmative command, it is attached after Posez; use le for a known masculine singular object.

à In “à côté du mur”, “à” helps introduce the location expressed by the phrase “beside the wall”. The reusable pattern is à côté de + noun when saying that something is next to something else.

côté “côté” means “side” in the location phrase “à côté du mur”. Together with à côté de, it expresses position beside or next to something; use à côté de + noun for this relationship.

du “du” introduces the masculine singular noun mur in “à côté du mur”. It is the contraction of de and le, and the pattern à côté du + masculine singular noun means “beside the...”.

mur “mur” means “wall” in “à côté du mur”. Use it after a location expression such as à côté du when specifying that something is beside a wall.

sortirai “sortirai” means “will take out” in “Je sortirai mes vêtements”. It is related to the citation verb sortir; use sortir + object when saying that you will take something out.

mes “mes” means “my” before the plural noun vêtements in “mes vêtements”. Use mes + plural noun to identify several things belonging to or associated with the speaker.

vêtements “vêtements” means “clothes” in “Je sortirai mes vêtements”. It is plural here, and the pattern sortir mes vêtements describes taking the clothes out.

quand “quand” means “when” and introduces the time condition in “quand le lavage sera terminé”. Use quand + clause to say when an action will happen or a condition will be true.

lavage “lavage” means “wash” or “washing cycle” in “le lavage sera terminé”. Use le lavage with être or sera terminé to describe the progress of a wash.

sera “sera” means “will be” in “le lavage sera terminé”. It is a future form related to the citation verb être; use subject + sera + description to state a future condition.

terminé “terminé” means “finished” or “done” in “sera terminé”. It is related to the verb terminer and describes the masculine noun lavage; the pattern être or sera terminé says that a process is complete.

Récupérez “Récupérez” means “collect” or “retrieve” in “Récupérez-les”. It is related to the citation verb récupérer and is used as a formal or plural command; use Récupérez + object when telling someone to collect something.

les “les” means “them” in “Récupérez-les” and refers to the previously mentioned vêtements. As a plural object pronoun in this affirmative command, it is attached after Récupérez; use les for known plural objects.

tout de suite “tout de suite” is a fixed expression meaning “right away”. Tout, de, and suite work together here: tout adds the sense of immediacy, de links the expression, and suite relates to the next sequence; use verb + tout de suite to request immediate action.

s'il vous plaît “s'il vous plaît” means “please” as a polite request marker. S'il is a contraction of si and il, vous addresses one person formally or several people, and plaît means “pleases”; use the whole expression at the beginning or end of a request.

Grammar Points

Puis-je + infinitif ?

Puis-je utiliser la buanderie commune ?

pwee-ZHuh ü-tee-lee-ZAY lah bwahn-DREE koh-MOON?

Can I use the shared laundry room?

In French, puis-je is an inverted question form meaning “can I?” and is followed by the infinitive.

Où dois-je + infinitif ?

Où dois-je mettre le panier ?

oo dwah-ZHuh METR luh pah-NYAY?

Where should I put the basket?

French uses inversion in formal questions: the subject pronoun follows the verb, as in dois-je.

French Vocabulary

buanderie noun

bwahn-DREE laundry room

celle-ci pron

sell-SEE this one

commune adj

koh-MOON shared; common

devoir verb

duh-VWAHR should; must dois-je

disponible adj

dee-spoh-NEEBL available

libre adj

LEEBR free; available

machine noun

mah-SHEEN machine

maintenant adv

meh-tuh-NAHN now

où adv

OO where

ouverte adj

oo-VAIRT open

puis-je verb

pwee-ZH can I

Puis-je utiliser la buanderie commune ?

utiliser verb

ü-tee-lee-ZAY to use

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I use the shared laundry room?

Show Answer

Puis-je utiliser la buanderie commune ?

It is open now.

Show Answer

Elle est ouverte maintenant.

Is this machine free?

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Cette machine est-elle libre ?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

open

Show Answer

ouverte

shared; common

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commune

machine

Show Answer

machine

to use

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utiliser