About This Lesson
Use Cleaning up a common room to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
On a utilisé la salle commune pendant un moment.
ohn-ah yoo-tee-lee-ZAY lah sahl koh-MOON pahn-DAHN uhn moh-MAHN. We used the common room for a while.
B
Nettoyons-la avant de partir.
neh-twah-YOHN-lah ah-VAHN duh pahr-TEER. Let's clean it up before we head out.
A
Je remettrai les chaises à leur place.
zhuh ruh-meh-TRAY lay SHEHZ ah luhr PLAHS. I'll put the chairs back where they were.
B
Je vais enlever les déchets des tables.
zhuh veh ahn-luh-VAY lay day-SHAY day TAHBL. I'll clear the trash from the tables.
A
On éteint aussi les lumières ?
ohn ay-TAHN oh-SEE lay loo-MYAIR? Should we turn off the lights too?
B
Éteins les lumières.
ay-TAHN lay loo-MYAIR. Turn off the lights.
B
Ferme les fenêtres avant de fermer la salle à clé.
FEHRM lay fuh-NETR ah-VAHN duh fehr-MAY lah sahl ah CLAY. Close the windows before we lock up.
A
La salle semble prête pour le prochain groupe.
lah sahl sahmbl PRET poor luh proh-SHAN groop. The room looks ready for the next group.
B
Ensuite, on peut fermer la porte à clé et partir.
ahn-SWEET, ohn puh fehr-MAY lah pohrt ah CLAY ay pahr-TEER. Then we can lock the door and leave.Word by Word
On
In "On a utilisé", On means “we,” referring to the people who used the common room. It is also commonly used as an everyday subject for a group of people, as in "On peut fermer".
a
In "On a utilisé", a is the auxiliary that helps express the completed action “used.” It comes before the form "utilisé"; the same pattern is useful for describing something a group has done.
utilisé
In "On a utilisé la salle commune", utilisé means “used,” referring to using the common room. The object follows it directly in "utilisé la salle commune", a useful pattern for saying what was used.
la
In "la salle", la means “the” before the feminine noun salle. In "Nettoyons-la", the same form means “it” and refers to the room, so "Nettoyons-la" means “let’s clean it.”
salle
In "la salle commune", salle means “room,” the shared indoor space being cleaned and locked. A useful pattern is "la salle + description", as in "la salle commune".
commune
In "la salle commune", commune describes the room as shared or common rather than private. It follows salle here, and the expression is useful when identifying a room used by several people.
pendant
In "pendant un moment", pendant means “for” and introduces the length of time the room was used. It commonly comes before a time expression, as in "pendant un moment".
un
In "un moment", un means “a” before the singular noun moment. Together, "un moment" forms the time expression used after pendant to mean “a while.”
moment
In "pendant un moment", moment means a period of time, giving the duration of the room’s use. The reusable expression is "pendant un moment" for saying that something continues for a while.
Nettoyons
In "Nettoyons-la", Nettoyons means “let’s clean,” proposing a joint action. The pattern "Nettoyons + object" is useful when suggesting that people clean something together.
avant
In "avant de partir", avant means “before” and places one action earlier than another. It is commonly followed by "de + infinitive" when the next action is expressed with a verb.
de
In "avant de partir", de connects avant with the infinitive partir; it is not a separate meaning of “to” here. The reusable structure is "avant de + infinitive" for saying “before doing something.”
partir
In "avant de partir", partir means “to leave,” referring to leaving the common room. It appears after "avant de", and this combination is useful when describing an action that must happen before departure.
Je
In "Je remettrai", Je means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person who will put the chairs back. It is used before the verb in a simple subject-plus-verb pattern.
remettrai
In "Je remettrai les chaises à leur place", remettrai means “will put back” or “will replace,” describing the speaker’s planned action. The pattern "Je remettrai + object + à sa place" is useful when promising to return something to its proper location.
les
In "les chaises", les is the definite article meaning “the” before a plural noun. It also appears in "les lumières" and "les fenêtres", identifying specific plural objects in the room.
chaises
In "les chaises", chaises means “chairs,” the objects that will be returned to their place. It is used as the direct object after "remettrai" in "remettrai les chaises".
à
In "à leur place", à marks the position to which the chairs are returned, giving the meaning “in their place.” The useful pattern is "remettre quelque chose à sa place" for returning something to its proper position.
leur
In "à leur place", leur identifies the place associated with the chairs, meaning “their.” It comes before the singular noun place in the possessive expression "leur place".
place
In "à leur place", place means “place” or “proper position,” referring to where the chairs belong. The expression "à leur place" is useful when saying that objects are in or returned to their intended position.
vais
In "Je vais enlever", vais helps express what the speaker is about to do: “I am going to clear away.” The reusable pattern is "Je vais + infinitive" for stating an immediate plan.
enlever
In "Je vais enlever les déchets des tables", enlever means “to remove” or “to clear away.” It is followed by the object in "enlever les déchets", a useful pattern for saying what will be removed.
déchets
In "les déchets", déchets means “trash” or “waste,” referring to what is left on the tables. The phrase "enlever les déchets" is useful when describing clearing trash away.
des
In "des tables", des combines the relationship meaning “from” with the plural article before tables, so the phrase means “from the tables.” After an action such as "enlever", it identifies the source from which something is removed.
tables
In "des tables", tables means “tables,” the surfaces from which the trash is removed. It appears after des in the phrase "les déchets des tables".
éteint
In "On éteint aussi les lumières ?", éteint expresses the action of turning off, here as a suggestion phrased as a question. The pattern "On éteint + object ?" is useful for proposing a shared action.
aussi
In "On éteint aussi les lumières ?", aussi means “also” or “too,” adding the lights to the other cleanup actions. It is placed after the verb in this sentence, before the object.
lumières
In "les lumières", lumières means “lights,” specifically the lights that should be turned off. The phrase "éteindre les lumières" is useful when talking about switching off room lighting.
Éteins
In "Éteins les lumières", Éteins is a direct instruction to turn something off. The pattern "Éteins + object" is useful when telling one person to switch off a specific thing.
Ferme
In "Ferme les fenêtres", Ferme is a direct instruction to close something. The pattern "Ferme + object" is useful when telling one person to shut a window, door, or other object.
fenêtres
In "les fenêtres", fenêtres means “windows,” the objects that must be closed before the room is locked. It is the direct object after "Ferme" in "Ferme les fenêtres".
fermer
In "fermer la salle à clé" and "fermer la porte à clé", fermer means “to close”; with à clé, the complete expressions mean “to lock the room” and “to lock the door.” The pattern "fermer + object + à clé" is useful when closing something with a key.
à clé
The expression "à clé" specifies that the closing is done with a key: à links the action to the method, and clé means “key.” In "fermer la salle à clé", the whole expression means “to lock the room,” and it can also describe locking a door.
semble
In "La salle semble prête", semble means “seems” or “looks,” presenting the room as appearing ready. The reusable pattern "sembler + description" helps express an impression rather than a definite statement.
prête
In "La salle semble prête", prête means “ready” and describes the room’s condition. In "prête pour le prochain groupe", it states that the room is ready for the people who will use it next.
pour
In "prête pour le prochain groupe", pour means “for” and identifies who the room is ready for. The pattern "prête pour + noun" is useful when describing readiness for a person, group, or activity.
prochain
In "le prochain groupe", prochain means “next,” referring to the group that will use the room after them. It comes before groupe and is useful for identifying the next person or group in a sequence.
groupe
In "le prochain groupe", groupe means “group,” referring to the people expected to use the common room next. The phrase is useful when preparing a shared space for its next users.
Ensuite
In "Ensuite, on peut fermer", Ensuite means “then” or “afterward” and marks the next step in the cleanup sequence. It is useful at the beginning of a sentence when moving from one completed action to the next.
peut
In "on peut fermer la porte à clé et partir", peut means “can” or “is able to,” presenting locking and leaving as the possible next actions. The reusable pattern is "On peut + infinitive" for suggesting or stating what can be done.
porte
In "fermer la porte à clé", porte means “door,” the object that will be locked before leaving. It follows the article la in the pattern "fermer la porte".
et
In "fermer la porte à clé et partir", et means “and” and links the two actions of locking the door and leaving. The pattern "verb + et + verb" is useful for connecting two actions done in sequence.
Grammar Points
Impératif : verbe à la forme commandée
Nettoyons la salle commune.
neh-twah-YOHN lah sahl koh-MOON.Let's clean the common room.
The imperative gives a command or suggestion. « Nettoyons » means “let's clean.”
avant de + infinitif
avant de partir
ah-VAHN duh pahr-TEERbefore leaving
Use « avant de » followed by an infinitive to express an action that happens earlier.
French Vocabulary
à leur place
phrase
ah luhr PLAHS
back in their place
a utilisé
verb
ah yoo-tee-lee-ZAY
used
avant de partir
phrase
ah-VAHN duh pahr-TEER
before leaving
chaises
noun
SHEHZ
chairs
déchets
noun
day-SHAY
trash
enlever
verb
ahn-luh-VAY
to clear away
éteint
verb
ay-TAHN
turn off
Nettoyons
verb
neh-twah-YOHN
let's clean
pendant un moment
phrase
pahn-DAHN uhn moh-MAHN
for a while
remettrai
verb
ruh-meh-TRAY
will put back
salle commune
phrase
sahl koh-MOON
common room
tables
noun
TAHBL
tables
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Let's clean it up before we head out.
Show Answer
Nettoyons-la avant de partir.Should we turn off the lights too?
Show Answer
On éteint aussi les lumières ?Turn off the lights.
Show Answer
Éteins les lumières.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
will put back
Show Answer
remettrailet's clean
Show Answer
Nettoyonschairs
Show Answer
chaisesto clear away