Checking ingredients before cooking | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Avant de commencer à cuisiner, quels ingrédients avons-nous ?

   Before we start cooking, what ingredients do we have?

   Avant de

   before

   commencer

   to start

   cuisiner

   to cook

   quels

   which / what

   ingrédients

   ingredients

   avons-nous

   do we have?

   More detail

   Avant de introduces an action that happens earlier than another action. With avant de, French uses an infinitive: avant de partir means “before leaving.” Here, avant de commencer à cuisiner means “before starting to cook.” commencer means “to start” and is the infinitive form. A useful pattern is commencer à + infinitive: Elle commence à travailler. — “She starts working.” The à belongs to the pattern and introduces the action that begins. cuisiner means “to cook.” It is also an infinitive, and here it is the action that begins. The sequence commencer à cuisiner therefore means “to start cooking.” quels is the masculine plural form of the question word quel, used before a masculine plural noun. The forms are quel (masculine singular), quelle (feminine singular), quels (masculine plural), and quelles (feminine plural). In this sentence, quels agrees with ingrédients, not with the people asking the question. For example, Quels livres lis-tu ? means “Which books are you reading?” ingrédients is the plural noun “ingredients.” Its singular form is ingrédient; the plural adds -s, which is not pronounced here. The phrase quels ingrédients asks which ingredients or what ingredients are available. avons-nous is an inverted question form meaning “do we have?” The verb is avons, the first-person plural present form of avoir (“to have”), and nous is the subject pronoun placed after the verb in this question. The same verb appears without inversion in Nous avons des légumes. — “We have vegetables.” In the question, avons-nous forms a question rather than changing the basic meaning of avoir. Together, quels ingrédients avons-nous ? means “what ingredients do we have?” The whole sentence places that question after the time phrase: “Before we start cooking, what ingredients do we have?”

2. Il faut des oignons et des tomates pour la recette.

   The recipe needs onions and tomatoes.

   Il faut

   it is necessary / one needs

   oignons

   onions

   tomates

   tomatoes

   pour

   for

   recette

   recipe

   More detail

   Il faut is the fixed impersonal present form of falloir, used to express necessity or what is needed. In this sentence, it introduces the things needed; it does not identify a person who needs them. The reusable pattern is Il faut + noun: Il faut du temps. — “Time is needed.” Falloir is normally used this way in the present, rather than with an ordinary personal subject. oignons means “onions” here. It is the plural of oignon; the plural ending is written -s. The preceding des is a plural indefinite article, showing an unspecified quantity of onions rather than stating an exact number. Example: J’achète des oignons. — “I’m buying onions.” tomates means “tomatoes” here. It is the plural of tomate, also marked with -s. Like oignons, it is preceded by plural indefinite des, so the sentence refers to tomatoes without specifying how many. Example: Il faut des tomates mûres. — “Ripe tomatoes are needed.” pour introduces the purpose or intended use of what is needed. Here it means “for” and links the ingredients to their use in the recipe. Example: Il faut trois œufs pour le gâteau. — “Three eggs are needed for the cake.” recette means “recipe” here. It is a feminine noun, so the definite singular article is la: la recette. The definite article presents the recipe as identifiable in the situation, while une recette would mean “a recipe” without that definiteness. Example: Je lis la recette. — “I am reading the recipe.” Together, Il faut des oignons et des tomates says that onions and tomatoes are needed. pour la recette specifies their intended use: they are needed for the recipe. Thus the whole utterance means “The recipe needs onions and tomatoes,” or more literally, “Onions and tomatoes are needed for the recipe.”

3. Nous avons des tomates, mais nous n'avons plus d'oignons.

   We have tomatoes, but we're out of onions.

   Nous avons

   we have

   tomates

   tomatoes

   mais

   but

   n'avons plus

   are out of / no longer have

   oignons

   onions

   More detail

   Nous avons means “we have.” avons is the present-tense first-person plural form of avoir (“to have”): j’ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons. The subject nous explicitly means “we.” Example: Nous avons du pain. — “We have bread.” tomates means “tomatoes.” It is the plural of tomate; the plural is marked with -s. In des tomates, des is the plural indefinite article, used here for tomatoes without specifying a number. Example: J’achète des tomates. — “I’m buying tomatoes.” mais means “but” and links two contrasting statements. Here, having tomatoes contrasts with no longer having onions. Example: J’ai du pain, mais je n’ai pas de fromage. — “I have bread, but I don’t have any cheese.” n’avons plus is the discontinuous French pattern ne ... plus, meaning “no longer” or “not anymore.” n’ is the elided form of ne before the vowel sound in avons; avons still carries the first-person plural form of avoir. plus supplies the idea that the situation has stopped being true: Nous n’avons plus de pain. — “We no longer have any bread.” In everyday speech, ne is often omitted, but it is present in this written sentence. oignons means “onions.” It is the plural of oignon. In the larger phrase d’oignons, de becomes d’ before the vowel sound in oignons; after ne ... plus, French commonly uses de rather than the indefinite article des: Nous n’avons plus d’oignons. — “We’re out of onions.” Together, Nous avons des tomates says “We have tomatoes.” mais contrasts that statement with nous n’avons plus d’oignons, “we no longer have onions.” The whole utterance therefore means: “We have tomatoes, but we’re out of onions.”

4. Pouvons-nous utiliser des oignons verts à la place ?

   Can we use green onions instead?

   Pouvons-nous

   Can we

   utiliser

   use

   oignons

   onions

   verts

   green

   à la place

   instead

   More detail

   Pouvons-nous means “can we” here. It is the question form of pouvoir (“to be able to; can”) with nous (“we”). In this inverted structure, the verb comes before the subject pronoun: Pouvons-nous ... ? Compare the ordinary statement order Nous pouvons ... (“We can ...”). Pouvons is present tense, first-person plural; pouvoir has an irregular form, so it is not formed by simply adding an ending to the infinitive. Example: Pouvons-nous entrer ? — “Can we come in?” utiliser means “to use.” It is an infinitive, required here after pouvoir: pouvoir + infinitive expresses ability or permission to do something. The infinitive does not show who performs the action; nous supplies that subject. Example: Nous pouvons utiliser cette clé. — “We can use this key.” oignons means “onions” in this sentence. Its singular base form is oignon; oignons is the plural noun form. The preceding context supports onions as the ingredient being replaced, while the fixed translation specifies the intended kind as green onions. Example: J'achète un oignon. — “I am buying an onion.” verts means “green” here and describes oignons. It is the masculine plural form of the adjective vert: vert (masculine singular), verte (feminine singular), verts (masculine plural), and vertes (feminine plural). The ending belongs to the adjective, while the plural marking on the noun appears in oignons. Together, oignons verts is “green onions.” Example: des poivrons verts — “green peppers.” à la place means “instead” in this utterance. It introduces a replacement or alternative, with the thing being replaced understood from context. Unlike au lieu de, which is commonly followed by a noun or infinitive (au lieu de ...), à la place can stand alone when the alternative is clear. Example: Prenons du riz à la place. — “Let’s have rice instead.” Putting the parts together, Pouvons-nous utiliser asks whether the speakers may or are able to use something, des oignons verts identifies the alternative ingredient, and à la place marks it as a replacement. The whole utterance therefore means: “Can we use green onions instead?”

5. Peut-être, mais le goût sera différent.

   Maybe, but the taste will be different.

   Peut-être

   maybe

   mais

   but

   goût

   taste

   sera

   will be

   différent

   different

   More detail

   Peut-être means “maybe” and expresses uncertainty about the statement that follows. It is commonly used at the beginning of a sentence, but it can also appear elsewhere. Example: Peut-être demain. — “Maybe tomorrow.” mais means “but” and links this statement to a contrasting one. It does not itself express uncertainty; the uncertainty comes from Peut-être. Example: Je veux venir, mais je travaille. — “I want to come, but I am working.” goût means “taste” here, specifically the flavor of something. It is a masculine singular noun; the plural is goûts. The article le marks this noun as definite: le goût means “the taste.” Example: J'aime le goût de cette sauce. — “I like the taste of this sauce.” sera is the third-person singular future form of être (“to be”): être → sera. It means “will be” here. This form is used with a singular subject; it does not itself show whether that subject is masculine or feminine. Example: La soupe sera chaude. — “The soup will be hot.” différent means “different” here and describes goût. Because goût is masculine singular, the adjective is masculine singular: différent. With a feminine singular noun, the form is différente; with a plural noun, it is différents or différentes, according to gender. Example: La couleur sera différente. — “The color will be different.” The whole utterance is assembled as Peut-être, mais le goût sera différent.: “Maybe, but the taste will be different.” Peut-être gives the uncertain opening, mais introduces contrast, and le goût sera différent says that the taste will be different in the future. In this context, the sentence responds to the suggested substitution of green onions by saying that the result may not taste the same.

6. Alors, j'achèterai des oignons au magasin du coin.

   Then I'll buy onions from the corner shop.

   Alors

   Then

   j'achèterai

   I will buy

   oignons

   onions

   magasin

   shop / store

   du coin

   nearby / local

   More detail

   Alors means “then” here and links this utterance to what was just said. It can also introduce a conclusion or transition, but here it marks the next action in sequence. j'achèterai is the first-person singular future of acheter (“to buy”): j'achète = “I buy / I am buying,” j'achèterai = “I will buy.” The apostrophe is the shortened form of je before a vowel sound. The ending -ai identifies the first-person singular future in this form; it is the verb acheter, not the nearby noun, that carries this tense and person marking. oignons is the plural noun “onions.” Its singular is oignon; the plural ending is written -s, although that final consonant is not pronounced. In this sentence, des before it marks an unspecified plural quantity: “onions,” without stating how many. magasin means “shop” or “store.” Its plural is magasins. In au magasin, au combines à and le, giving the location or destination phrase “at/to the shop.” du coin literally refers to “of the corner,” but with a local shop it means “nearby” or “in the neighborhood.” du combines de and le. The full noun phrase le magasin du coin is therefore “the local/corner shop”; du coin modifies magasin, rather than naming a separate shop. Putting the parts together, Alors sets the sequence, j'achèterai states the speaker’s future action, des oignons gives what will be bought, and au magasin du coin gives the destination or place of purchase. The complete meaning is: “Then I’ll buy onions from the corner shop.”

7. Nous devons encore mesurer le riz.

   We still need to measure the rice.

   Nous devons

   we need to

   encore

   still

   mesurer

   measure

   riz

   rice

   More detail

   Nous devons means “we need to” here. Nous is the first-person plural subject, “we,” and devons is the first-person plural present form of devoir. In this construction, devoir expresses necessity or obligation: Nous devons mesurer = “We need to measure.” The form chain is devoir → je dois / nous devons; the verb changes with the subject. encore means “still” here. It indicates that the need remains in effect at this point. Its position between the conjugated verb and the infinitive is natural in this sentence. mesurer is the infinitive “to measure.” After a conjugated form of devoir, French uses the infinitive for the required action: Nous devons mesurer = “We need to measure.” Example: Elle doit attendre. — “She has to wait.” riz means “rice.” It is a mass noun in this use, referring to rice generally rather than to a stated number of individual grains. The source has le riz; le is the masculine singular definite article used with this noun in the sentence. Example: Je cuis le riz. — “I cook the rice.” Together, Nous devons + encore + mesurer + le riz gives: “We still need to measure the rice.” The subject is “we,” devoir marks the necessity, encore says that this necessity continues, and the infinitive names the required action directed at le riz.

8. Je mesurerai assez de riz pour quatre personnes quand je rentrerai.

   I'll measure enough rice for four people after I get back.

   Je

   I

   mesurerai

   will measure

   assez de

   enough of

   riz

   rice

   pour

   for

   quatre

   four

   personnes

   people

   quand

   when

   rentrerai

   will get back

   More detail

   Je is the first-person singular subject pronoun: “I.” It is used for the speaker, regardless of the speaker’s gender. Example: Je cuisine. — “I cook.” mesurerai means “will measure” here. It is the first-person singular future form of mesurer (“to measure”): je mesurerai, tu mesureras, il/elle mesurera. The ending -ai marks this future form with je; it is not the past form. Example: Je mesurerai la farine. — “I will measure the flour.” assez de is a reusable quantity pattern meaning “enough” or “a sufficient amount of.” The form de remains the connector in this pattern, including before a mass noun such as riz. It expresses sufficiency, not an exact quantity. Example: Nous avons assez de temps. — “We have enough time.” riz means “rice.” It is a mass noun here, so assez de riz means “enough rice,” without asserting a particular number of separate units. Example: Je prépare du riz. — “I prepare rice.” pour means “for” here. It connects the measured amount with the people it is intended for, without by itself specifying the exact nature of that relation. Example: C’est pour Marie. — “It is for Marie.” quatre means “four.” French cardinal numbers do not change for gender, so the same form is used with masculine and feminine nouns. The noun after it is normally plural: quatre personnes — “four people.” personnes means “people” or “persons.” It is the plural form of personne, “person.” The plural ending is visible here because the phrase refers to four people. Example: Trois personnes attendent. — “Three people are waiting.” quand means “when” and introduces the time clause that follows. Here it places the measuring action in relation to the speaker’s return. rentrerai means “will get back” here. It is the first-person singular future form of rentrer (“to get back” or “to return”): je rentrerai. The subject is again je, understood with the ending -ai; the form does not itself identify a gender. Example: Je rentrerai demain. — “I will get back tomorrow.” Together, Je mesurerai assez de riz pour quatre personnes means “I will measure enough rice for four people.” The clause quand je rentrerai adds the time reference “when I get back,” which in the fixed translation is rendered as “after I get back.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll measure enough rice for four people after I get back.”