About This Lesson
Use Preparing the room for a quiet evening to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Il fait nuit plus tôt ces jours-ci.
eel feh nwee ploos TOH say zhoor-SEE It is getting dark earlier these days.
B
Je fermerai les rideaux avant le dîner.
zhuh fehr-muh-RAY lay ree-DOH ah-VAHN luh dee-NAY I will close the curtains before dinner.
A
Pourrais-tu aussi allumer le petit chauffage ?
poo-RAY-TEW oh-SEE ah-loo-MAY luh puh-TEE shoh-FAHZH Could you switch on the small heater too?
B
Je peux le régler au minimum.
zhuh puh luh ray-GLAY oh mee-nee-MOHM I can set it to low.
B
Mais la pièce est déjà confortable.
meh lah PYESS eh day-ZHAH kohn-for-TAHBL But the room already feels comfortable.
A
Je veux que la pièce soit chaleureuse ce soir.
zhuh vuh kuh lah PYESS swah shah-luh-RUHZ suh SWAHR I want the room to feel cozy this evening.
B
Une lampe plus douce pourrait rendre la pièce chaleureuse sans trop la chauffer.
ewn LAHMP ploos dooss poo-RAY RAHNDR lah PYESS shah-luh-RUHZ sahn troh lah shoh-FAY A softer lamp might do that without making it too warm.
A
La lumière plus douce rend la pièce beaucoup plus calme.
lah loo-MYAIR ploos dooss RAHNDR lah PYESS boh-KOO ploos KAHLM The softer light makes the room feel much calmer.
B
Alors, nous pourrons nous détendre après avoir mangé.
ah-LOR noo poo-ROHN noo day-TAHNDR ah-PRAY ah-VWAR mahn-ZHAY Then we can relax after we eat.Word by Word
Il
In Il fait nuit, Il is impersonal it, used to state that it is night or dark. This expression is useful when describing the change from daylight to darkness.
fait
In Il fait nuit, fait helps state that it is night or dark. The pattern Il fait nuit is used when describing nightfall or darkness.
nuit
In Il fait nuit, nuit refers to night or darkness. This expression is useful when saying that darkness has arrived.
plus
In plus tôt, plus makes the time earlier; in beaucoup plus calme, it marks a higher degree of calm. The reusable patterns plus + time expression and beaucoup plus + adjective compare degree or timing.
tôt
In plus tôt, tôt means early and the whole expression means earlier. Use plus tôt when comparing the time of one event with another.
ces
In ces jours-ci, ces means these and points to the current days as a group. It is used before a plural noun when referring to particular things or periods.
jours-ci
The expression jours-ci means these days and refers to the current period. In it, jours means days and ci points to the current period; with ces, ces jours-ci means these days. It is useful when describing a situation that has been true recently.
Je
Je means I and is the subject in Je fermerai and Je peux. Use Je before a verb when stating your own action, ability, or intention.
fermerai
In Je fermerai les rideaux, fermerai means will close and presents closing the curtains as a future action. It is a future form related to fermer, and the pattern Je fermerai + object can state a planned action.
les
In les rideaux, les means the and introduces the plural noun rideaux. The pattern les + plural noun is used when referring to specific plural things.
rideaux
In les rideaux, rideaux means curtains. The phrase fermer les rideaux is useful when talking about closing curtains in a room.
avant
In avant le dîner, avant means before and places the action earlier than dinner. The pattern avant + noun is useful for scheduling one event before another.
le
In le dîner, le means the and introduces the specific meal being mentioned. The pattern le + noun is used for a particular masculine noun in this context.
dîner
In le dîner, dîner means dinner. The phrase avant le dîner is useful when saying that something happens before the evening meal.
Pourrais
In Pourrais-tu aussi allumer le petit chauffage ?, Pourrais asks politely whether the other person could do something. The reusable pattern Pourrais-tu + infinitive? makes a polite request to one person.
tu
In Pourrais-tu, tu means you when speaking to one person in an informal relationship. It appears before the verb in a direct request to that person.
aussi
In Pourrais-tu aussi allumer, aussi adds another requested action and means also or too. It can be placed with the verb to add an action to what is already being done.
allumer
In allumer le petit chauffage, allumer means to switch on or light. The pattern allumer + object is useful when asking someone to turn on an appliance or light.
petit
In le petit chauffage, petit means small and identifies the heater being discussed. The pattern le petit + noun can identify a small object among other objects.
chauffage
In le petit chauffage, chauffage means heater or heating; here it refers to the small heater. The phrase allumer le chauffage is useful when talking about turning on the heating.
peux
In Je peux le régler, peux means can and expresses the speaker's ability or possibility of adjusting it. The pattern Je peux + infinitive is useful when offering to do something.
régler
In le régler au minimum, régler means to set or adjust the heater. The pattern régler + object + setting is useful when choosing an appliance's level.
au
In au minimum, au expresses setting something at the minimum level. The phrase au minimum is useful when selecting the lowest available setting.
minimum
In au minimum, minimum means the lowest setting or level. This phrase is useful when limiting the power or intensity of an appliance.
Mais
Mais means but and introduces a contrast with the suggestion to use the heater. It is useful when responding to an idea while adding a different point.
la
In la pièce and La lumière, la means the and introduces the noun that follows. The capital L in La lumière is only because it starts a sentence; the pattern la + noun refers to a specific singular noun.
pièce
In la pièce, pièce means room, the space being prepared for the evening. The room is also referred to in rendre la pièce chaleureuse, so this word is useful when describing its condition or atmosphere.
est
In la pièce est déjà confortable, est states that the room has the condition of being comfortable. The pattern subject + est + adjective is useful for describing a current state.
déjà
In est déjà confortable, déjà means already and shows that the room is comfortable now. The pattern déjà + adjective can reassure someone that a condition is present.
confortable
In la pièce est déjà confortable, confortable means comfortable and describes the room's current condition. The pattern être confortable is useful when saying that a place or object feels comfortable.
veux
In Je veux que la pièce soit chaleureuse, veux means want and expresses the speaker's desired result. The reusable pattern Je veux que + clause states what condition or action the speaker wants.
que
In Je veux que la pièce soit chaleureuse, que links the speaker's desire to the desired condition of the room. The pattern Je veux que + subject + clause is useful for expressing a desired result.
soit
In que la pièce soit chaleureuse, soit states the desired condition that the room be warm and cozy. The pattern que + subject + soit + adjective can describe a condition someone wants.
chaleureuse
In la pièce soit chaleureuse, chaleureuse describes the room as warm and cozy. The same form appears in rendre la pièce chaleureuse, where it describes the result produced by the lamp.
ce
In ce soir, ce points to the current evening and means this. The pattern ce + time expression is useful when referring to the present evening or another specific time.
soir
In ce soir, soir means evening. The phrase ce soir is useful when talking about plans or conditions for the current evening.
Une
In Une lampe plus douce, Une means a and introduces a lamp as a new option. The pattern Une + noun is useful when presenting one possible object or choice.
lampe
In Une lampe plus douce, lampe means lamp. This phrase is useful when suggesting a lamp as a way to change the lighting in a room.
douce
In lampe plus douce and lumière plus douce, douce describes lighting that is softer or gentler. The pattern noun + plus douce is useful when comparing two lighting options.
pourrait
In pourrait rendre la pièce chaleureuse, pourrait means might or could and presents the effect as a possibility. The pattern pourrait + infinitive is useful when making a tentative suggestion.
rendre
In rendre la pièce chaleureuse, rendre means to make the room warm and cozy. The pattern rendre + object + adjective is useful for describing a result caused by an action or object.
sans
In sans trop la chauffer, sans means without and introduces an action that should not happen. The pattern sans + infinitive is useful when describing how to avoid an additional result.
trop
In trop la chauffer, trop means too much or too and limits the amount of heating. It is useful when saying that an action should not exceed a suitable degree.
chauffer
In sans trop la chauffer, chauffer means to heat. The pattern chauffer + object is useful when discussing the action of making a room or object warmer.
lumière
In La lumière plus douce, lumière means light and refers to the softer lighting in the room. The pattern la lumière + adjective is useful when describing the quality of indoor light.
beaucoup
In beaucoup plus calme, beaucoup strengthens plus calme and means much or a lot. The pattern beaucoup plus + adjective is useful when emphasizing a large difference in degree.
calme
In beaucoup plus calme, calme describes the room as calm and peaceful. This expression is useful when describing a quieter, more relaxing atmosphere.
Alors
In Alors, nous pourrons nous détendre, Alors means then or so and introduces the consequence of preparing the room. It is useful when drawing a conclusion from what was just said.
nous
The dialogue uses nous in nous pourrons to mean we and in nous détendre to mark the people who will relax. The pattern nous + verb is useful when talking about an action done by the speaker and others together.
pourrons
In nous pourrons nous détendre, pourrons means will be able to and presents relaxing as a future possibility. The pattern nous pourrons + infinitive is useful for describing what a group will be able to do later.
détendre
In nous détendre, détendre contributes the meaning relax, with nous indicating who will relax. The phrase nous pourrons nous détendre is useful when talking about being able to relax after an activity.
après
In après avoir mangé, après means after and places relaxing later than eating. The pattern après + infinitive phrase is useful when one action follows another.
avoir
In après avoir mangé, avoir combines with mangé to refer to eating completed before the next action. The pattern après avoir + past participle is useful for describing what happens after an action has been completed.
mangé
In après avoir mangé, mangé means eaten and refers to the completed meal. The phrase is useful when saying that something happens after eating.
Grammar Points
Pourrais-tu + infinitif
Pourrais-tu aussi allumer le chauffage ?
poo-RAY-TEW oh-SEE ah-loo-MAY luh shoh-FAHZHCould you also turn on the heating?
Le conditionnel de pouvoir, « pourrais-tu », sert à formuler une demande polie.
sans + infinitif
sans trop chauffer
sahn troh shoh-FAYwithout heating too much
Après « sans », on utilise l’infinitif pour exprimer l’absence d’une action.
French Vocabulary
allumer
verb
ah-loo-MAY
to switch on; to light
aussi
adv
oh-SEE
also; too
avant
prep
ah-VAHN
before
ces jours-ci
phrase
say zhoor-SEE
these days
chauffage
noun
shoh-FAHZH
heater; heating
dîner
noun
dee-NAY
dinner
faire nuit
phrase
fehr NWEE
to be dark
fait nuit
fermer
verb
fehr-MAY
to close
fermerai
pouvoir
verb
poo-VWAHR
can; could
pourrais-tu
régler
verb
ray-GLAY
to adjust; to set
rideau
noun
ree-DOH
curtain
rideaux
tôt
adv
TOH
early
plus tôt
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I can set it to low.
Show Answer
Je peux le régler au minimum.But the room already feels comfortable.
Show Answer
Mais la pièce est déjà confortable.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
before
Show Answer
avantcurtain
Show Answer
rideauxdinner
Show Answer
dîneralso; too