Coordinating dinner timing | Learn French in English

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Use Coordinating dinner timing to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Les invités arriveront peut-être alors que le plat principal sera encore en train de cuire.

lay-zahn-vee-TAY ah-reev-ROHN puh-TETR ah-LOR kuh luh plah pran-see-PAL suh-RAH ahn-KOR ahn TRAN duh KWEER The guests may arrive while the main course is still cooking.

Alors, sers une entrée simple pour que les invités puissent s'installer tranquillement.

ah-LOR, SAIR oon ahn-TRAY SAM-pluh poor kuh lay-zahn-vee-TAY PWEESS sahn-stah-LAY trahn-kee-luh-MAHN Then serve a simple starter so people can settle in.

Je peux préparer la salade et le pain avant leur arrivée.

zhuh POO pruh-pah-RAY lah sah-LAHD ay luh PAN ah-VAHN luhr ah-ree-VAY I can have salad and bread ready before they get here.

Cela laisse un peu plus de temps au plat principal sans donner l'impression que le dîner prend du retard.

suh-LAH less uhn puh PLOO duh tahn oh plah pran-see-PAL sahn doh-NAY lam-PRESS-yohn kuh luh dee-NAY prahn doo ruh-TAR That gives the main course a little extra time without making dinner seem delayed.

Est-ce que je dois faire cuire les légumes quand tout le monde sera arrivé ?

ess kuh zhuh DWAH fair KWEER lay lay-GOOM kahn too luh MOND suh-RAH ah-ree-VAY Should I cook the vegetables once everyone has arrived?

Ils sont meilleurs quand ils viennent d'être cuits, alors attends d’être sur le point de servir.

eel sohn may-YUHR kahn eel VYENN DETR KWEES, ah-LOR ah-TAHN duh syur luh PWAHN duh sair-VEER They taste better freshly cooked, so wait until you are close to serving.

Recevoir des invités est stressant parce que coordonner le timing de tout est plus difficile que de cuisiner.

ruh-suh-VWAHR day-zahn-vee-TAY ay stray-SAHN parsk kuh koh-or-doh-NAY luh TEE-ming duh TOO ay PLOO dee-fee-SEEL kuh duh kwee-zee-NAY Hosting feels stressful because timing everything is harder than cooking.

Fais un plan simple pour servir : les boissons, l'entrée, puis le plat principal.

FAY uhn plahn SAM-pluh poor sair-VEER: lay bwah-SOHN, lahn-TRAY, pwee luh plah pran-see-PAL Make a simple serving plan: drinks, starter, then the main course.

Je peux garder cette liste près de la cuisinière.

zhuh POO gar-DAY set LEEST pray duh lah kwee-zee-NYAIR I can keep that checklist near the stove.

Cela devrait t'aider à rester concentré pendant que les invités arrivent.

suh-LAH duh-VRAY tay-DAY ah ray-STAY kohn-sahn-TRAY pahn-DAHN kuh lay-zahn-vee-TAY ah-REEV It should help you stay focused while people arrive.

Word by Word

Les Les, also seen as les, means “the” before a plural noun here, as in the guests. It is used before a plural noun when the people or things are identifiable; in this scene it introduces the dinner guests.

invités Invités means guests, specifically the people coming to dinner here. It is a plural noun used after the definite article Les. Use it for people invited to an event or meal.

arriveront Arriveront means will arrive in this dialogue. This exact form places the guests’ arrival in the future. It is useful for describing when people or things are expected to arrive.

peut-être Peut-être means perhaps or maybe, showing that the guests’ arrival during cooking is possible but not certain. It commonly softens a prediction or statement about a possible event. Use it when you do not want to present something as definite.

alors que Alors que means while or whereas in alors que le plat principal sera encore en train de cuire. Together, alors and que introduce a situation happening at the same time as another event; they are not translated separately here. Use alors que before a clause that provides a simultaneous or contrasting situation.

le Le means the before the masculine singular noun plat in le plat principal. It identifies a specific course already understood in the dinner plan. Use it before a known masculine singular noun.

plat Plat means dish or course here, referring to a course in the meal. In plat principal, it names the main course. It is commonly used with a modifier to identify a particular dish or course.

principal Principal means main here and describes plat in plat principal. Together, plat principal means the main course. This adjective can follow the noun to specify its role in a meal.

sera Sera means will be in sera encore en train de cuire. It places the state of the main course in the future. It is useful with a description or ongoing action to say what something will be like or doing later.

encore Encore means still here, showing that the main course will continue cooking at that future moment. It commonly appears with an ongoing state or action that has not finished. Use it when something remains in the same situation.

en train de En train de shows that the main course is in the process of cooking in sera encore en train de cuire. The parts en, train, and de work together as one construction, so their separate literal meanings are not used here. Use en train de before an infinitive to describe an action currently in progress.

cuire Cuire means to cook in en train de cuire. It is the infinitive that names the cooking action after en train de. Use it when describing food being cooked or undergoing cooking.

Alors Alors means then here and connects the suggestion to the previous situation. It introduces the practical next step: serve a starter. Use it at the beginning of a response when drawing a conclusion or giving the next action.

sers Sers means serve as a direct instruction to one familiar person. It is used here with une entrée simple as its object. Use this form when telling someone you address with tu to serve something.

une Une means a or one before the feminine singular noun entrée. It introduces one starter without identifying a specific one in advance. Use it before a feminine singular noun when introducing a new item.

entrée Entrée means starter or first course in this dinner context. It is the dish served before the main course. Use it for the first course of a meal.

simple Simple means simple here and describes the starter as uncomplicated. It follows entrée in une entrée simple. Use it after a noun when describing an uncomplicated meal item or plan.

pour que Pour que means so that in pour que les invités puissent s'installer tranquillement. Together, pour expresses the purpose and que introduces the clause containing that purpose; they function as one connector here. Use pour que before a clause describing the intended result or purpose.

puissent Puissent means can or are able to in pour que les invités puissent s'installer tranquillement. It expresses the guests’ ability within the purpose clause introduced by pour que. Use it after pour que when the plural subject’s ability is relevant.

s'installer S'installer means to settle in or get comfortable here, referring to the guests becoming comfortably situated. The reflexive pronoun s' is part of the exact infinitive form. Use it for people settling into a place or situation.

tranquillement Tranquillement means calmly or comfortably and describes how the guests can settle in. It modifies the action s'installer. Use it to describe an action carried out in a calm, unhurried way.

Je Je means I here, referring to the person offering to prepare the salad and bread. It is the subject pronoun placed before the verb. Use Je to state what you can do or intend to do.

peux Peux means can here and expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility to prepare the food. It is followed by the infinitive préparer. Use peux before an infinitive to say what you can do.

préparer Préparer means to prepare in Je peux préparer la salade et le pain. It names the action the speaker is able to carry out. Use it before the food or other item being prepared.

la La means the before the feminine singular noun salade in la salade. It identifies a specific salad that belongs to the planned meal. Use it before a known feminine singular noun.

salade Salade means salad here, one of the foods prepared before the guests arrive. It follows the feminine article la. Use it for a salad served as part of a meal.

et Et means and, linking salade and pain as two items the speaker can prepare. It connects nouns or other equivalent elements. Use it to join items in a list.

pain Pain means bread here, the second item prepared with the salad. It follows et in the coordinated object of préparer. Use it for bread served with a meal.

avant Avant means before and places the preparation before the guests’ arrival. Here it is followed by leur arrivée. Use avant to establish that one event happens earlier than another.

leur Leur means their in leur arrivée, referring to the guests’ arrival. It comes before the noun it describes. Use it to connect something with a plural group of people.

arrivée Arrivée means arrival here, specifically the guests’ arrival. In leur arrivée, it names the event that the preparation happens before. Use it for the act or moment of arriving.

Cela Cela means that here and refers to the preparation of salad and bread just mentioned. It serves as the subject of laisse. Use it to refer back to an action, idea, or situation.

laisse Laisse means leaves or allows here: the preparation leaves extra time for the main course. It is followed by un peu plus de temps and au plat principal. Use it when an action creates or preserves time or opportunity for something.

un Un means a or one before the masculine singular noun peu in un peu plus de temps. It forms the quantity expression un peu, meaning a little. Use it before peu when referring to a small amount.

peu Peu means a little in un peu plus de temps. Together with un, it expresses a small additional amount of time. Use un peu before a noun or adjective when describing a small amount or degree.

plus Plus means more or extra in un peu plus de temps. It increases the amount of time compared with what was originally available. Use it before a noun or quantity when indicating an additional amount.

de De links plus to the noun temps in plus de temps, forming the quantity expression “more time.” It commonly follows quantity words such as plus before the noun being measured. Here it introduces the thing whose amount is increased.

temps Temps means time here, specifically the extra time available for the main course. It appears after plus de in the quantity expression plus de temps. Use it when discussing available time or duration.

au Au means to the or for the in laisse un peu plus de temps au plat principal. It is the contraction of à and le before the masculine singular noun plat. Here it marks the main course as the thing receiving the extra time.

sans Sans means without here, introducing an action that does not happen: making the dinner seem delayed. It is followed by the infinitive donner. Use sans before an infinitive to describe an action avoided or absent.

donner Donner means to give or make in sans donner l'impression que le dîner prend du retard. With l'impression, the expression means to give the impression. Use donner before a noun when describing something being given, or in this expression when describing an impression being created.

l'impression L'impression means the impression in donner l'impression que le dîner prend du retard. Together with donner, it introduces how the dinner appears, rather than stating that it is actually delayed. Use l'impression after donner when describing an apparent impression.

dîner Dîner means dinner here, the meal whose timing is being coordinated. It appears in le dîner and is the subject of prend du retard. Use it for the evening meal or the event of having that meal.

prend Prend means takes in the expression prend du retard, which here means is becoming delayed or is falling behind schedule. The whole expression gives the dinner’s timing meaning; prend alone does not mean “be delayed.” Use this construction when a plan or event begins to run late.

du Du is the contraction of de and le in prend du retard. It forms part of the expression prendre du retard, meaning to become delayed or fall behind schedule. Do not translate du by itself as the whole meaning of that expression.

retard Retard means delay or lateness in prend du retard. Together, the expression describes the dinner as falling behind schedule. Use it when talking about a delay in timing or an event running late.

Est-ce que Est-ce que introduces the yes-or-no question Est-ce que je dois faire cuire les légumes. Est-ce and que function together as a question marker rather than being translated separately here. Use it at the beginning of a question when asking whether something is the case or should be done.

dois Dois means must or should here, asking whether the speaker is expected to cook the vegetables at that time. It is followed by the infinitive faire. Use dois before an infinitive when asking about an obligation or recommended action.

faire Faire means to do or make, and in faire cuire les légumes it helps form the expression for cooking the vegetables. The complete expression faire cuire supplies the cooking meaning, while cuire names the cooking action. Use faire before an infinitive when the exact construction calls for carrying out or causing an action.

légumes Légumes means vegetables here, the food being cooked after everyone has arrived. It is the object of faire cuire. Use it for vegetables considered as food or as ingredients in a meal.

quand Quand means when and introduces the time condition for cooking the vegetables. It is followed by tout le monde sera arrivé. Use quand before a clause that specifies when an action happens.

tout le monde Tout le monde means everyone in quand tout le monde sera arrivé. The parts tout, le, and monde work together: tout expresses the whole group and le monde is the noun phrase referring to people here. Use this fixed expression as the subject when referring to all the people in a group.

arrivé Arrivé means arrived in tout le monde sera arrivé. Together with sera, it describes everyone as having arrived by the future time being discussed. Use this form when arrival is complete at the relevant point in time.

Ils Ils means they here and refers back to the vegetables. It is the subject of sont meilleurs. Use it as a subject pronoun for a plural group already identified.

sont Sont means are here and links the vegetables to the description meilleurs. It is used with an adjective to describe their condition or quality. Use it before a plural description when saying what several things are like.

meilleurs Meilleurs means better or tastier here, comparing the vegetables when freshly cooked with how they would be otherwise. It describes Ils and appears before the explanation of when they taste better. Use it to express a better quality or result for a plural masculine group.

viennent Viennent means come in viennent d'être cuits, as part of the construction venir de plus an infinitive. With d'être cuits, it expresses that the vegetables have just been cooked. Use this construction to describe something that has happened very recently.

d'être D'être is the exact form of de être in viennent d'être cuits, with de shortened before the vowel of être. Together with viennent and cuits, it helps express that the vegetables have just been cooked. Use de before être in an infinitive construction when the surrounding verb requires it.

cuits Cuits means cooked in viennent d'être cuits, referring to the vegetables after cooking. It completes the expression that they have just been cooked. Use it to describe food once the cooking process is finished.

attends Attends means wait as a direct instruction to one familiar person. Here it is followed by d’être sur le point de servir and tells the person to delay cooking until serving is near. Use this form when telling someone addressed with tu to wait.

d’être D’être means to be here in attends d’être sur le point de servir. The form is de followed by être, with the apostrophe marking the elision. Together with attends, it introduces the state or point the person should wait for.

sur le point de Sur le point de means about to in sur le point de servir. The parts sur, le, point, and de form one fixed expression describing an action that is very close to happening. Use it before an infinitive to say that someone is nearly ready to do something.

servir Servir means to serve in sur le point de servir. It is the infinitive naming the action that is about to happen. Use it for putting food or drinks before guests or diners.

Recevoir Recevoir means hosting or receiving guests here, at the beginning of the sentence Recevoir des invités est stressant. The infinitive functions as the activity being described as stressful. Use it for welcoming people into your home or hosting them.

des Des means some or plural indefinite article in recevoir des invités. It introduces invited guests without identifying them individually. Use it before a plural noun when referring to an unspecified group.

est Est means is here and links recevoir des invités to the description stressant. It is used to describe the hosting activity. Use it before a singular description or noun phrase.

stressant Stressant means stressful here and describes hosting guests. It follows est to state the effect of the activity on the speaker. Use it for an activity or situation that creates stress.

parce que Parce que means because and introduces the reason hosting feels stressful. Parce and que function together as one causal connector here, not as separate translations. Use parce que before a clause that explains why something is true.

coordonner Coordonner means to coordinate in coordonner le timing de tout. It names the activity that is more difficult than cooking. Use it before the things or tasks whose timing must be organized.

timing Timing means timing here, referring to when the different meal tasks should happen. It is used with le and de tout in the phrase le timing de tout. Use it when discussing the coordination of events or actions over time.

tout Tout means everything in le timing de tout, referring to all the tasks involved in hosting the meal. It follows de to identify what is being coordinated. Use it when referring to a complete set of things or tasks.

difficile Difficile means difficult or hard here and describes coordinating everything. In plus difficile que de cuisiner, it forms a comparison with cooking. Use it after être or in a comparative structure to describe the level of difficulty.

cuisiner Cuisiner means to cook here, the activity used as the comparison point in plus difficile que de cuisiner. It is an infinitive after de. Use it for the general activity of preparing food by cooking.

Fais Fais means make as a direct instruction to one familiar person. Here it introduces the recommendation to make a simple serving plan. Use this form when telling someone addressed with tu to make or do something.

plan Plan means plan here, referring to an ordered plan for serving the meal. It follows simple and is the object of Fais. Use it for an arrangement of intended actions or steps.

pour Pour means for or in order to in plan simple pour servir. It connects the plan with its purpose, serving the meal. Use pour before an infinitive to express the purpose of an action or object.

boissons Boissons means drinks or beverages here, the first item in the serving order. It appears in the list after plan simple pour servir. Use it for drinks offered to guests.

l'entrée L'entrée means the starter here, the second item in the serving order. The l' is the shortened form of the definite article before entrée. Use it when referring to a specific starter in a meal plan.

puis Puis means then and marks the next step in the serving order. It introduces the main course after the drinks and starter. Use it to sequence actions or items.

garder Garder means to keep here, referring to keeping the checklist near the stove. It is the infinitive after peux. Use it before an object when saying where something will remain or be stored.

cette Cette means this or that before the feminine singular noun liste. It points to the particular checklist being discussed. Use it before a feminine singular noun to identify a specific item.

liste Liste means list here, specifically the checklist containing the serving plan. It follows cette and is kept near the stove. Use it for an ordered set of items or tasks written down.

près Près means near or close here and describes the checklist’s location. It is followed by de in près de la cuisinière. Use près de before a place or object to say that something is nearby.

cuisinière Cuisinière means stove or cooker here, the place near which the checklist will be kept. It follows la in près de la cuisinière. Use it for the kitchen appliance used for cooking.

devrait Devrait means should here and expresses an expected helpful effect of the checklist. It is followed by t'aider. Use it before an infinitive when making a prediction or giving a softened expectation about what should happen.

t'aider T'aider means to help you in devrait t'aider à rester concentré. The t' is the shortened form of te before aider, and together they identify the person receiving help. Use aider à followed by an infinitive to describe the action someone is helped to do.

à À links aider to rester in t'aider à rester concentré. Here it introduces the infinitive that describes what the person is helped to do. Use aider à plus an infinitive for the action supported by the help.

rester Rester means to stay or remain here, as in remain focused while the guests arrive. It follows à after aider. Use it before an adjective or description when someone or something continues in a state.

concentré Concentré means focused here and describes the state the person should remain in. It follows rester in rester concentré. Use rester plus an adjective to describe maintaining a particular state.

pendant que Pendant que means while in pendant que les invités arrivent. Together, pendant and que introduce the event happening at the same time as staying focused; they function as one connector here. Use pendant que before a clause describing a simultaneous action or situation.

arrivent Arrivent means arrive here, referring to the guests arriving while the person stays focused. It appears after pendant que and describes the simultaneous event. Use it in a clause about plural people or things arriving.

Grammar Points

pour que + subjonctif

Je prépare la salade pour que les invités s'installent tranquillement.

zhuh pruh-PAIR lah sah-LAHD poor kuh lay-zahn-vee-TAY sahn-STAL trahn-kee-luh-MAHN

I am preparing the salad so that the guests can settle in comfortably.

After « pour que », French uses the subjunctive to express a purpose or intended result.

être sur le point de + infinitif

Les invités sont sur le point d'arriver.

lay-zahn-vee-TAY sohn syur luh PWAHN dah-ree-VAY

The guests are about to arrive.

This fixed expression means that something is going to happen very soon.

French Vocabulary

alors que conj

ah-LOR kuh while; whereas

Alors que le plat principal sera encore en train de cuire.

arriver verb

ah-ree-VAY to arrive arriveront

Les invités arriveront peut-être.

cuire verb

KWEER to cook; to bake

Le plat principal sera encore en train de cuire.

entrée noun

ahn-TRAY starter; appetizer

Sers une entrée simple.

invité noun

ahn-vee-TAY guest invités

Les invités arriveront peut-être.

peut-être adv

puh-TETR perhaps; maybe

Les invités arriveront peut-être.

plat principal phrase

plah pran-see-PAL main course

Le plat principal sera encore en train de cuire.

pour que conj

poor kuh so that

Pour que les invités puissent s'installer tranquillement.

préparer verb

pruh-pah-RAY to prepare

Je peux préparer la salade et le pain.

s'installer verb

sahn-stah-LAY to settle in; to get comfortable

Les invités puissent s'installer tranquillement.

servir verb

sair-VEER to serve sers

Alors, sers une entrée simple.

tranquillement adv

trahn-kee-luh-MAHN quietly; comfortably

Les invités puissent s'installer tranquillement.

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to serve

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sers

to cook; to bake

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cuire

starter; appetizer

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entrée

guest

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invités