Talking about taking a cooking class | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Talking about taking a cooking class to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Il y a un cours de cuisine au centre communautaire.

eel yah uhn KOOR duh kwee-ZEEN oh sah(n)-TRUH koh-myoo-noh-TAIR. There's a cooking class at the community center.

Quels plats vont-ils t'apprendre à préparer ?

KEL PLAH vohn-TEEL tah-PRAH(N)-druh ah pray-pah-RAY? What kind of dishes will they teach you to make?

Des plats de pâtes simples et des sauces de base.

day PLAH duh PAHT sah(n)-PL ay day SOHSS duh BAHZ. Simple pasta dishes and basic sauces.

Est-ce que le cours est ouvert aux débutants ?

ess-kuh luh KOOR eh oo-VAIR oh day-boo-TAH(N)? Is it open to beginners?

Le cours commence par les étapes de base.

luh KOOR koh-MAH(N)SS par lay-zay-TAHP duh BAHZ. The class starts with basic steps.

Tu devrais t'inscrire.

too duh-VRAY tah(n)-SKREER. You should sign up.

Je veux apprendre une recette utile.

zhuh VEUH ah-PRAH(N)-druh ewn ruh-SET ew-TEEL. I want to learn one useful recipe.

Tu pourras la préparer pour nous après.

too poo-RAH lah pray-pah-RAY poor NOO ah-PREH. You can cook it for us afterward.

Word by Word

Il y a “Il y a” presents something as existing or being available; here it means “there is” a cooking class. In this expression, “il”, “y”, and “a” work together as one fixed construction rather than being translated separately. A useful pattern is “Il y a + noun” to say that something exists or is present.

un “Un” means “a” or “one” before “cours”, presenting one class. It is the masculine singular indefinite article in “un cours”. A useful pattern is “un + masculine singular noun” when referring to one non-specific item.

cours “Cours” means “class” here, specifically a class or course of study. In “un cours de cuisine”, it identifies the organized learning activity. A useful pattern is “un cours de + subject”, such as a course about a particular topic.

de “De” links “cours” with “cuisine” and shows the subject or content of the class: a cooking class. Here it is part of the pattern “cours de cuisine”. A useful reuse point is “cours de + subject” for naming the topic of a course.

cuisine “Cuisine” means “cooking” in “cours de cuisine”; it identifies what the class teaches. The word can also refer to cuisine as a style or food tradition, but that meaning is not needed here. “Cours de cuisine” is a useful expression for a cooking class.

au “Au” means “at the” in “au centre communautaire”, giving the location of the class. It combines “à” with “le” in this form. A useful pattern is “au + masculine singular place” when saying that something is at a particular place.

centre “Centre” means “center” here and names the place where the class is held. In “au centre communautaire”, it is the main place noun. A useful pattern is “au centre + place description” when identifying a center or central facility.

communautaire “Communautaire” describes the “centre” as connected with the community, giving “community center”. It adds the type of place rather than naming a separate activity. In “centre communautaire”, the adjective follows the noun.

Quels “Quels” asks which or what kind of items when referring to “plats”. It is the plural form of “quel” used with the plural masculine noun “plats”. A useful pattern is “Quels + plural noun ?” when asking which items or what kinds of items they are.

plats “Plats” means “dishes” here, referring to prepared foods that can be taught in the class. It is the plural form used in “Quels plats”. A new example is “préparer des plats”, meaning “to prepare dishes”.

vont-ils “Vont-ils” asks what “they” are going to teach or will teach in this question. “Vont” and “ils” are joined by inversion to form a question about their planned action. A useful question pattern is “Vont-ils + infinitive ?” when asking what they will do.

t'apprendre “T'apprendre” means “to teach you” in “vont-ils t'apprendre à préparer”. “T'” represents the person being taught, and “apprendre” supplies the teaching action in this construction. A useful pattern is “apprendre à quelqu’un à + infinitive” for teaching someone to do something.

à “À” introduces “préparer” and helps express what the learner will be taught to do: “to prepare”. Here it links “t'apprendre” with the following action. A useful pattern is “apprendre à + infinitive” when describing what someone learns or is taught to do.

préparer “Préparer” means “to prepare” or, for food, “to make”. It is the infinitive after “à” in “à préparer”. A useful pattern is “préparer + food or object” when saying what someone prepares.

Des “Des” means “some” before the plural food nouns in “Des plats de pâtes simples et des sauces de base”. It introduces non-specific plural items. The capital letter is used because this word begins the line; the same determiner appears as lowercase “des” later. A useful pattern is “des + plural noun” for some unspecified items.

pâtes “Pâtes” means “pasta” in “plats de pâtes”, identifying the type of dishes. The form is plural because it refers to pasta as the food used in the dishes. A useful pattern is “plats de pâtes” for pasta dishes.

simples “Simples” describes the pasta dishes as easy or uncomplicated. It agrees with the plural noun “plats” in “plats de pâtes simples”. In this phrase, the adjective follows the noun it describes.

et “Et” means “and” and joins the two kinds of food being listed: pasta dishes and sauces. It connects items of equal importance in the sentence. A useful pattern is “X et Y” when combining two items.

sauces “Sauces” means “sauces” and names the second type of food taught in the class. It is plural in “des sauces de base” because the statement refers to sauces generally. A new example is “préparer des sauces”, meaning “to prepare sauces”.

base “Base” in “de base” means “basic” or “standard”, so “des sauces de base” means basic sauces. The expression “de base” describes something as introductory or fundamental. A useful pattern is “de base” after a noun when describing something basic.

Est-ce que “Est-ce que” turns the following statement into a yes-or-no question; here it asks whether the course is open to beginners. “Est-ce” and “que” work together as one question expression and should not be translated separately. A useful pattern is “Est-ce que + statement ?” for a direct yes-or-no question.

le “Le” means “the” before “cours”, referring to the specific class already being discussed. It is the definite article used here with a masculine singular noun. A useful pattern is “le + noun” when referring to a specific masculine singular item.

est “Est” means “is” and links “le cours” with the description “ouvert”. It is a form of “être” used to state what the class is like or whether it has access for a group. A useful pattern is “être + adjective” for describing a person, thing, or activity.

ouvert “Ouvert” means “open” in “ouvert aux débutants”, indicating that the class accepts or is available to beginners. It describes the course rather than a physical door here. A useful pattern is “être ouvert à + group” when an activity is available to a particular group.

aux “Aux” means “to the” or “for the” in “ouvert aux débutants”, expressing the group the course is open to. It combines “à” with “les” in this form. A useful pattern is “ouvert aux + plural group” when describing who can join an activity.

débutants “Débutants” means “beginners”, referring to people who are new to the activity. In “aux débutants”, it names the group the course welcomes. A useful pattern is “pour débutants” when labeling an activity intended for beginners.

commence “Commence” means “starts” or “begins” in “Le cours commence par les étapes de base”. It describes the first part of the class. A useful pattern is “commencer par + starting point” when saying what an activity begins with.

par “Par” means “with” or “by” after “commence” and introduces the starting material: “les étapes de base”. It shows the first element in the sequence. A useful pattern is “commencer par + noun or infinitive” for describing how something starts.

les “Les” means “the” before the plural noun “étapes”, referring to the specific basic steps of the class. It is the definite article for plural nouns. A useful pattern is “les + plural noun” when referring to specific plural items.

étapes “Étapes” means “steps” in “les étapes de base”, referring to stages in the cooking process or class instruction. It is the plural form used for several steps. A useful pattern is “les étapes de + subject” when naming the steps of a process.

Tu “Tu” means “you” and is the subject being advised to sign up. It addresses one person directly. A useful pattern is “Tu + verb” when speaking directly to one person.

devrais “Devrais” means “should” and gives a gentle recommendation: the person ought to sign up. It is the form used in “Tu devrais t'inscrire”. A useful pattern is “Tu devrais + infinitive” for recommending an action.

t'inscrire “T'inscrire” means “to sign up” or “to register yourself” for the class. “T'” refers to the person signing up, and “inscrire” provides the registration action in this expression. A useful pattern is “s'inscrire à + activity” when saying that someone registers for an activity.

Je “Je” means “I” and is the subject who wants to learn a recipe. It identifies the speaker as the person expressing the desire. A useful pattern is “Je + verb” when speaking about your own action or intention.

veux “Veux” means “want” in “Je veux apprendre”. It expresses the speaker’s desire to learn. A useful pattern is “Je veux + infinitive” for saying what you want to do.

apprendre “Apprendre” means “learn” in “Je veux apprendre une recette”. In “t'apprendre”, the same form is used in the construction meaning “to teach you”, so the surrounding words determine the meaning here. A useful pattern is “vouloir apprendre + noun or infinitive” for expressing a wish to learn.

une “Une” means “a” or “one” before “recette”, introducing one non-specific recipe. It is the feminine singular indefinite article used with “recette”. A useful pattern is “une + feminine singular noun” when referring to one non-specific item.

recette “Recette” means “recipe”, the particular cooking instructions the speaker wants to learn. In “une recette utile”, it is described as useful for practical cooking. A useful pattern is “une recette de + dish” when naming the dish a recipe is for.

utile “Utile” means “useful” and describes the recipe as practically helpful. It modifies “recette” in “une recette utile”. A useful pattern is “être utile pour + purpose” when saying what something is useful for.

pourras “Pourras” means “will be able to” or, in context, “can” at a later time. It introduces the ability to prepare the recipe afterward. A useful pattern is “Tu pourras + infinitive” when telling someone what they will be able to do.

la “La” means “it” here and refers back to the feminine noun “recette”; it is the object of “préparer”. It is a pronoun in “la préparer”, not the article “the”. A useful pattern is “la + infinitive” when “la” refers to one feminine singular thing that is going to be acted on.

pour “Pour” means “for” in “pour nous” and introduces the people who will benefit from the cooking. It marks the intended recipient or beneficiary. A useful pattern is “pour + person” when saying who something is for.

nous “Nous” means “us” in “pour nous”, referring to the speaker and the other people together as the beneficiaries. Its meaning here is determined by the preposition “pour”. A useful pattern is “pour nous” when saying that something is intended for us.

après “Après” means “afterward” at the end of the sentence, indicating that the cooking will happen later, after the class or another understood event. It can also introduce something that comes later in time. A useful pattern is placing “après” after an action to say that it happens afterward.

Grammar Points

Il y a + nom

Il y a un cours de cuisine au centre communautaire.

eel yah uhn KOOR duh kwee-ZEEN oh sah(n)-TRUH koh-myoo-noh-TAIR.

There is a cooking class at the community center.

Il y a means “there is” or “there are” and stays the same before singular or plural nouns.

Tu devrais + infinitif

Tu devrais t'inscrire.

too duh-VRAY tah(n)-SKREER.

You should sign up.

Devrais expresses advice or recommendation and is followed by an infinitive verb.

French Vocabulary

apprendre verb

ah-PRAH(N)-druh to teach; to learn

vont-ils t'apprendre à préparer

centre communautaire phrase

sah(n)-TRUH koh-myoo-noh-TAIR community center

au centre communautaire

cours noun

KOOR class; course

un cours de cuisine

cuisine noun

kwee-ZEEN cooking; cuisine

un cours de cuisine

de base phrase

duh BAHZ basic

des sauces de base

il y a phrase

eel yah there is; there are

Il y a un cours de cuisine.

ouvert adj

oo-VAIR open

Le cours est ouvert aux débutants.

pâtes noun

PAHT pasta

Des plats de pâtes simples

plats noun

PLAH dishes

Quels plats vont-ils t'apprendre à préparer ?

préparer verb

pray-pah-RAY to prepare; to cook

t'apprendre à préparer

sauces noun

SOHSS sauces

des sauces de base

simple adj

sah(n)-PL simple

des plats de pâtes simples

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

You should sign up.

Show Answer

Tu devrais t'inscrire.

I want to learn one useful recipe.

Show Answer

Je veux apprendre une recette utile.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

pasta

Show Answer

pâtes

cooking; cuisine

Show Answer

cuisine

to teach; to learn

Show Answer

apprendre

to prepare; to cook

Show Answer

préparer