About This Lesson
Use Fixing a wrong food order to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Excusez-moi, je crois que j'ai reçu la mauvaise commande.
ehk-skew-ZAY-MWAH, zhuh KRWAH kuh zhay ruh-SOO luh moh-VEHZ koh-MAHND. Excuse me, I think I received the wrong order.
B
Laissez-moi vérifier. Qu'avez-vous commandé ?
leh-SAY-MWAH vay-ree-FYAY. kah-vay-VOO koh-mahn-DAY? Let me check that. What did you order?
A
J'ai commandé une soupe, mais il y a une salade sur ce plateau.
zhay koh-mahn-DAY oon SOOP, meh eel ee AH oon sah-LAHD sewr suh plah-TOH. I ordered soup, but this tray has a salad.
B
Je peux la remplacer tout de suite.
zhuh puh luh rahm-plah-SAY too duh SWEET. I can replace it right away.
A
Est-ce que je dois attendre ici pendant que vous allez la chercher ?
ess-kuh zhuh dwah ah-TAHNDR ee-SEE pahn-DAHN kuh voo zah-LAY luh shair-SHAY? Should I wait here while you get it?
B
Attendez près du comptoir, s'il vous plaît.
ah-tahN-DAY preh dew kohm-TWAHR, seel voo PLAY. Please wait by the counter.
A
Je vais me mettre là-bas maintenant.
zhuh vay muh MEHTR lah-BAH mahn-tuh-NAHN. I will move over there now.
B
Votre soupe devrait être prête bientôt.
VOH-truh SOOP duh-VRAY ehtr PREHT byehn-TOH. Your soup should be ready soon.Word by Word
Excusez
In Excusez-moi, Excusez politely gets someone’s attention or introduces an apology. It is the polite form used when addressing one person formally or several people. A reusable pattern is Excusez-moi + a question or request, for example at a service counter.
moi
In Excusez-moi, moi means me and completes the polite expression for getting someone’s attention. It is the stressed pronoun placed after the imperative form Excusez. Use Excusez-moi when speaking politely to a stranger or staff member.
je
je means I and is the subject in je crois que j'ai reçu. The same pronoun appears capitalized as Je at the start of Je peux la remplacer and other sentences. A reusable pattern is je followed by the speaker’s action or opinion, such as je crois que.
crois
In je crois que, crois means think or believe and introduces the speaker’s view that the order was wrong. The citation form is croire; crois is the form used with je. Use je crois que before a statement when expressing a belief or a careful opinion.
que
In je crois que j'ai reçu, que links the opinion je crois to the following information. It introduces what the speaker thinks or believes. A reusable pattern is je crois que followed by a complete statement, especially when reporting a problem politely.
j'ai
In j'ai reçu, j'ai means I have and helps report what the speaker received. The citation form is avoir; j'ai is the form used with je. A reusable pattern is j'ai followed by a past participle, useful when describing something that has happened.
reçu
In j'ai reçu la mauvaise commande, reçu means received. The citation form is recevoir; reçu is its past participle used with j'ai. Use j'ai reçu followed by an object when explaining what you received, such as an order or delivery.
la
In la mauvaise commande, la means the and comes before the feminine noun commande. In la remplacer, la means it and refers to the feminine item that will be replaced. Use la before a feminine noun or before an infinitive when it refers to a feminine object already understood.
mauvaise
In la mauvaise commande, mauvaise means wrong, describing the order as incorrect. It is the feminine form that agrees with commande. A reusable pattern is la mauvaise followed by the thing that is incorrect, useful when reporting a service mistake.
commande
In la mauvaise commande, commande means order, referring to the food order the customer received. A reusable pattern is an article or adjective followed by commande, as in la mauvaise commande. Use it when discussing an order placed or received at a restaurant or service counter.
Laissez
In Laissez-moi vérifier, Laissez means let or allow and introduces the staff member’s offer to check the problem. The citation form is laisser; Laissez is the polite imperative form used with vous. A reusable pattern is Laissez-moi followed by an infinitive when offering to do something.
vérifier
In Laissez-moi vérifier, vérifier means check or verify the order. It remains in the infinitive after Laissez-moi. Use Laissez-moi vérifier when politely taking responsibility for checking a detail or problem.
Qu'avez
In Qu'avez-vous commandé ?, Qu'avez combines que and avez and begins the question asking what the customer ordered. The citation form is avoir; avez is the form used with vous. A reusable pattern is Qu'avez-vous followed by a past participle when asking what someone has done or ordered.
vous
vous means you when the staff member addresses the customer politely in Qu'avez-vous commandé ? and pendant que vous allez la chercher. In s'il vous plaît, it refers to the person receiving the request. Use vous when addressing someone formally or addressing more than one person.
commandé
In Qu'avez-vous commandé ?, commandé means ordered and identifies the food the customer requested. The citation form is commander; commandé is its past participle used with avez. Use avoir with commandé when asking or explaining what someone ordered.
une
In une soupe, une means a or one and introduces the soup being ordered. It is the feminine indefinite article used with soupe. A reusable pattern is une followed by a feminine food or object noun when mentioning one item.
soupe
In une soupe, soupe means soup, the food the customer says was ordered. The expression une soupe identifies one serving or order of soup. Use it when ordering or checking a food item at a restaurant or service counter.
mais
In J'ai commandé une soupe, mais il y a une salade, mais means but and contrasts the requested soup with the salad that is actually on the tray. It links two pieces of information when the second one corrects or differs from the first. Use mais to explain a problem by contrasting what was expected with what happened.
il y a
As a whole, il y a means there is or there are and states that a salad is present on the tray. In this fixed expression, il is the grammatical subject, y contributes the idea of presence there, and a is the verb form that completes the expression. A reusable pattern is il y a followed by the thing that is present, as in il y a une salade.
salade
In il y a une salade sur ce plateau, salade means salad and identifies the food that is present instead of the soup. The expression une salade refers to one salad. Use it when identifying or ordering this type of food at a restaurant.
sur
In sur ce plateau, sur means on and shows that the salad is located on the tray. It introduces the surface or place where something is situated. A reusable pattern is sur followed by a place or surface, such as sur ce plateau.
ce
In ce plateau, ce means this and points to the particular tray being discussed. It comes directly before plateau to identify it. Use ce before a masculine singular noun when pointing out a specific object.
plateau
In sur ce plateau, plateau means tray, the object holding the food. The phrase sur ce plateau identifies where the salad is located. Use plateau when referring to a tray in a restaurant, cafeteria, or similar service setting.
peux
In Je peux la remplacer, peux means can or am able to and expresses the staff member’s ability to replace the item. The citation form is pouvoir; peux is the form used with je. A reusable pattern is Je peux followed by an infinitive when offering or stating what you can do.
remplacer
In la remplacer, remplacer means replace, with la referring to the incorrect food item. It is the infinitive after peux. Use remplacer followed by an object when offering to exchange an incorrect item for the right one.
tout de suite
As a whole, tout de suite means right away or immediately. Tout and suite are the lexical parts, and de links them in this fixed expression; together they indicate that there will be no delay. Use tout de suite when promising or requesting immediate action, as in Je peux la remplacer tout de suite.
Est-ce que
As a whole, Est-ce que marks the beginning of a question in Est-ce que je dois attendre ici ?. Est, ce, and que form the fixed question marker that introduces the clause; they are not translated separately in this use. A reusable pattern is Est-ce que followed by a subject and verb when asking a yes-or-no question politely.
dois
In je dois attendre, dois means must or should and asks whether waiting is necessary. The citation form is devoir; dois is the form used with je. A reusable pattern is je dois followed by an infinitive when talking about an obligation or necessary action.
attendre
In attendre ici, attendre means wait, referring to remaining at the service counter until the soup is brought. It is the infinitive after dois. Use attendre followed by a place or time when saying where or how long someone should wait.
ici
In attendre ici, ici means here and identifies the place where the customer is considering waiting. It refers to the current location. Use ici when directing someone to remain in the place where the conversation is happening.
pendant
In pendant que vous allez la chercher, pendant introduces the period during which the staff member will get the replacement. With que, it links the waiting action to another clause happening at the same time. A reusable pattern is pendant que followed by a clause describing the simultaneous action.
allez
In vous allez la chercher, allez means go or are going to and describes the staff member’s movement to get the item. The citation form is aller; allez is the form used with vous. A reusable pattern is vous allez followed by an infinitive when describing what someone is going to do.
chercher
In aller la chercher, chercher means get or fetch the item. It is the infinitive after allez, and la comes before it to identify what is being fetched. A reusable pattern is aller chercher followed by an object when going to obtain something for someone.
Attendez
In Attendez près du comptoir, Attendez means wait and gives the customer a polite instruction. The citation form is attendre; Attendez is the polite imperative form used with vous. Use Attendez followed by a place when telling someone politely where to remain.
près
In près du comptoir, près means near and places the customer close to the counter. It is used with de to introduce the place or object nearby. A reusable pattern is près de followed by a location, as in près du comptoir.
du
In près du comptoir, du means by or near the and identifies the counter as the nearby place. It is the contraction of de and le before the masculine noun comptoir. A reusable pattern is près du followed by a masculine singular place or object.
comptoir
In près du comptoir, comptoir means counter, specifically the service counter where the customer should wait. The phrase près du comptoir gives the waiting location. Use it when directing someone to a counter in a shop, restaurant, or service area.
s'il vous plaît
As a whole, s'il vous plaît means please and politely softens the request Attendez près du comptoir. S'il is the contraction of si and il, vous is the pronoun for the person addressed, and plaît is the verb form in this fixed expression. Use s'il vous plaît after a request or instruction when speaking politely.
vais
In Je vais me mettre là-bas maintenant, vais means am going to and announces the speaker’s immediate plan. The citation form is aller; vais is the form used with je. A reusable pattern is Je vais followed by an infinitive when saying what you are about to do.
me
In Je vais me mettre là-bas, me shows that the speaker is placing themself in the indicated location. It comes before the infinitive mettre after Je vais. Use Je vais me followed by an action when describing something you are going to do to or for yourself.
mettre
In me mettre là-bas, mettre means place oneself or move oneself to a position. It is the infinitive after vais and works with me to describe the speaker moving over there. Use Je vais me mettre followed by a place when announcing where you will position yourself.
là-bas
As a whole, là-bas means over there and points to a place away from the speaker’s current position. Là and bas combine as a fixed expression rather than being translated separately here. It contrasts with ici in the dialogue and is useful when directing attention to another place.
maintenant
In Je vais me mettre là-bas maintenant, maintenant means now and emphasizes that the move will happen immediately. It gives the timing of the announced action. Use maintenant when stating that something is happening at the present time.
Votre
In Votre soupe devrait être prête bientôt, Votre means your and identifies the soup as belonging to or being intended for the customer. It comes directly before soupe. Use Votre followed by a noun when addressing one person politely or several people about something associated with them.
devrait
In Votre soupe devrait être prête bientôt, devrait means should or is expected to be and expresses an expectation about the soup’s readiness. The citation form is devoir; devrait is the form used with the singular subject Votre soupe. A reusable pattern is a subject followed by devrait être and a description when giving an expected state.
être
In devrait être prête, être means be and connects the soup with the description prête. It is the infinitive after devrait. A reusable pattern is être followed by an adjective when describing someone or something’s state.
prête
In Votre soupe devrait être prête, prête means ready and describes the soup’s expected state. It is the feminine form used with soupe. Use être prête when saying that a feminine item, such as the soup in this dialogue, is ready.
bientôt
In devrait être prête bientôt, bientôt means soon and places the expected readiness in the near future. It reassures the customer that the replacement will not take long. Use bientôt when describing something expected to happen in the near future.
Grammar Points
Laissez-moi + infinitif
Laissez-moi vérifier.
leh-SAY-MWAH vay-ree-FYAY.Let me check.
In this polite imperative, the object pronoun follows the verb and is joined with a hyphen: laissez-moi.
Il y a + nom
Il y a une salade.
eel ee AH oon sah-LAHD.There is a salad.
Il y a expresses both “there is” and “there are”; the noun normally follows with an article.
French Vocabulary
commande
noun
koh-MAHND
order
commander
verb
koh-mahn-DAY
to order
commandé
croire
verb
KRWAHR
to think, to believe
crois
Excusez-moi
phrase
ehk-skew-ZAY-MWAH
Excuse me
il y a
phrase
eel ee AH
there is, there are
Laissez-moi
phrase
leh-SAY-MWAH
Let me
mais
conj
MEH
but
mauvais
adj
moh-VAY
wrong, bad
mauvaise
recevoir
verb
ruh-suh-VWAHR
to receive
reçu
salade
noun
sah-LAHD
salad
soupe
noun
SOOP
soup
vérifier
verb
vay-ree-FYAY
to check
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Let me check that. What did you order?
Show Answer
Laissez-moi vérifier. Qu'avez-vous commandé ?I will move over there now.
Show Answer
Je vais me mettre là-bas maintenant.Your soup should be ready soon.
Show Answer
Votre soupe devrait être prête bientôt.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to order
Show Answer
commandéto check
Show Answer
vérifierorder
Show Answer
commandeto think, to believe