Troubleshooting a washing machine warning | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Le lave-linge s'est arrêté au milieu du cycle.

   The washing machine stopped halfway through the cycle.

   Le lave-linge

   washing machine

   s'est arrêté

   stopped

   au milieu

   in the middle

   cycle

   cycle

   More detail

   Le lave-linge means “the washing machine.” lave-linge is a masculine compound noun, so the definite article here is le. The hyphenated form is one noun in French; do not treat lave here as the verb in a separate clause. Example: Le lave-linge fonctionne. — “The washing machine is working.” s'est arrêté expresses “stopped” here. It is the reflexive verb s'arrêter in the passé composé: s' + est + arrêté. With this verb, the compound past uses être; arrêté agrees with the subject, and the masculine singular subject le lave-linge gives the form arrêté. The useful contrast is s'arrêter “to stop” versus arrêter “to stop something.” Example: La machine s'est arrêtée. — “The machine stopped.” The feminine singular subject makes the past participle arrêtée. au milieu means “in the middle” and is a common part of the pattern au milieu de + noun, meaning “in the middle of.” au is the contraction of à and le. The phrase itself does not specify what is in the middle until the following complement is added. cycle is a masculine noun meaning “cycle.” In the full expression, du is the contraction of de and le: au milieu du cycle = “in the middle of the cycle.” Example: Il s'est arrêté au milieu du cycle. — “It stopped in the middle of the cycle.” Together, Le lave-linge identifies the machine as the subject, s'est arrêté says that it stopped, and au milieu du cycle locates that stopping in the middle of the cycle. The complete meaning is: “The washing machine stopped halfway through the cycle.”

2. Y a-t-il un avertissement à l'écran ?

   Is there a warning on the screen?

   Y a-t-il

   is there

   avertissement

   warning

   écran

   screen

   More detail

   Y a-t-il is the standard French inverted question pattern for asking whether something exists or is present: y a-t-il + noun = “is there + noun?” It is built from il y a (“there is/are”) with question inversion: y a-t-il. The -t- is a linking sound between the verb and pronoun; it is not an independent word. In this pattern, a is the present-tense third-person singular form of avoir, but the expression as a whole means “is there/are there,” whether the noun that follows is singular or plural. For example: Y a-t-il des sièges ? — “Are there any seats?” avertissement is a masculine noun meaning “warning.” Its plural is avertissements. The form un avertissement introduces an unspecified warning; un does not by itself assert a numerical count in this question. A useful contrast is un avertissement — “a warning” and l'avertissement — “the warning,” when the warning is identified. écran is a masculine noun meaning “screen.” Its plural is écrans. In à l'écran, à combines with the masculine singular definite article le: à + le becomes au, but before a vowel, le becomes l', so à l'écran means “on the screen.” For example: Le texte est à l'écran. — “The text is on the screen.” Together, Y a-t-il asks whether something is present, un avertissement identifies that thing as an unspecified warning, and à l'écran locates it on the screen. The whole sentence therefore means: “Is there a warning on the screen?”

3. Le message indique que le filtre est peut-être bouché.

   It says the filter may be blocked.

   message

   message

   indique

   indicates

   filtre

   filter

   peut-être

   perhaps; may

   bouché

   blocked; clogged

   More detail

   message means “message” here. It is a masculine noun: un message means “a message,” and le message means “the message.” The article le marks a specific message, not a quantity. Example: J’ai reçu un message. — “I received a message.” indique comes from indiquer, “to indicate” or “to state.” It is the present-tense form for il, elle, or another singular subject: il indique = “it indicates.” The subject here is Le message, so the message is presented as giving the information. Example: Le voyant indique une erreur. — “The indicator shows an error.” filtre means “filter.” It is a masculine noun: un filtre, le filtre. In this sentence, the definite form identifies the filter being discussed, but the sentence itself does not specify which physical filter. Example: Le filtre est sale. — “The filter is dirty.” peut-être means “perhaps” or “may,” and expresses uncertainty. In this sentence it applies to the condition described by the surrounding clause: the filter may be blocked, rather than being stated as certainly blocked. Example: Le filtre est peut-être sale. — “The filter may be dirty.” bouché means “blocked” or, for something such as a filter, “clogged.” It is the past participle of boucher, “to block” or “to clog,” used here as an adjective after est. Because it describes the masculine singular noun filtre, it appears as bouché; with a feminine singular noun, the adjective would normally be bouchée. Example: La conduite est bouchée. — “The pipe is blocked.” Together, Le message indique que introduces information reported by the message: “The message indicates that …” The clause le filtre est peut-être bouché says that the filter is possibly blocked or clogged. Thus the whole utterance means: “It says the filter may be blocked.”

4. Consulte le manuel avant d'appuyer au hasard sur les boutons.

   Check the manual before trying random buttons.

   Consulte

   check; consult

   manuel

   manual

   appuyer

   press

   au hasard

   at random

   boutons

   buttons

   More detail

   Consulte is the informal singular imperative of consulter, “to consult” or “to check.” The subject tu is understood rather than stated. The imperative gives a direct instruction: Consulte le manuel. = “Check the manual.” Compare consulte with consulter (infinitive) and tu consultes (present tense, “you consult”). manuel is a masculine singular noun meaning “manual.” The article le in the sentence marks this noun as masculine singular: le manuel. A useful related form is the plural les manuels, “the manuals.” avant d'appuyer means “before pressing.” avant de is followed by an infinitive when the understood subject is the same as in the main instruction; de becomes d' before the vowel of appuyer. The verb appuyer is the infinitive “to press.” In this sentence, it refers to pressing the buttons, not to another meaning such as leaning or supporting something. Example: Avant de répondre, lis la question. — “Before answering, read the question.” au hasard is a fixed expression meaning “at random” or “randomly.” It describes the manner of the pressing: the instruction warns against pressing without a deliberate choice. Example: Ne choisis pas au hasard. — “Do not choose at random.” boutons is the plural of the masculine noun bouton, “button.” The plural article les appears before it: les boutons. The ending -s is written in the plural but is not normally pronounced in this word. Example: Appuie sur le bouton vert. — “Press the green button.” Together, Consulte le manuel gives the instruction to check the manual, and avant d'appuyer au hasard sur les boutons places that action before randomly pressing the buttons. The whole utterance means: “Check the manual before trying random buttons.”

5. Le manuel dit que je devrais nettoyer le filtre avec précaution.

   The manual says I should clean the filter carefully.

   manuel

   manual

   dit

   says

   je devrais

   I should

   nettoyer

   clean

   filtre

   filter

   avec précaution

   carefully

   More detail

   manuel means “manual” here. It is a masculine noun: un manuel, le manuel. In this sentence, le identifies a specific manual already relevant in the situation. Example: Je lis le manuel. — “I am reading the manual.” dit is the present-tense third-person singular form of dire (“to say”): dire → il/elle dit. It introduces the information attributed to the manual. The following que starts the content of what it says. Example: Le guide dit que la porte est ouverte. — “The guide says that the door is open.” je devrais means “I should” in this sentence. devrais is the first-person singular conditional form of devoir (“must, have to, should”); the conditional gives advice or an expected action rather than a direct command. The subject je is the person expected to act. Example: Je devrais vérifier la prise. — “I should check the plug.” nettoyer is the infinitive “to clean.” After je devrais, French uses the infinitive for the action that the subject should perform: je devrais nettoyer = “I should clean.” Example: Tu devrais fermer la porte. — “You should close the door.” filtre means “filter.” It is a masculine noun: un filtre, le filtre. Here, le filtre is the specific object being cleaned. Example: Le filtre est sale. — “The filter is dirty.” avec précaution means “carefully” or “with caution.” avec introduces the manner, and précaution is a feminine noun: une précaution, la précaution. The phrase describes how the cleaning should be done, not a separate object of the cleaning. Example: Manipulez l’appareil avec précaution. — “Handle the device carefully.” Together, Le manuel dit que presents information from the manual; je devrais nettoyer says that the speaker should perform the cleaning; le filtre identifies what should be cleaned; and avec précaution specifies the manner. The complete meaning is: “The manual says I should clean the filter carefully.”

6. Ensuite, débranche la machine avant de toucher à quoi que ce soit.

   Then unplug the machine before you touch anything.

   Ensuite

   then

   débranche

   unplug

   machine

   machine

   avant de

   before

   toucher

   touch

   quoi que ce soit

   anything

   More detail

   Ensuite means “then” or “next” and places this instruction after the preceding step. It is useful for sequencing actions: Ensuite, ... = “Then, ...”. débranche is the informal singular imperative of débrancher, “to unplug” or “to disconnect.” The command addresses one person with the implied subject tu; the imperative form does not state the subject separately. Compare the infinitive débrancher in a neutral instruction such as Il faut débrancher la machine (“The machine must be unplugged”). machine is the noun “machine.” In the sentence it is the object of the action, specified by the preceding article la, so la machine means “the machine.” The noun is feminine in French, which is why this article form is used; that grammatical gender does not describe the machine’s physical characteristics. avant de introduces an action that must happen earlier: avant de + infinitive means “before ...ing” or “before someone does ...”. Here it introduces toucher, so the unplugging comes first. With a finite clause, French uses avant que instead, as in the example Attends avant que je commence (“Wait before I start”). toucher is the infinitive “to touch.” In this sentence it appears in the construction toucher à, which means “to touch” or “to handle” something. The preposition à is part of this usage: Ne touche pas à ça means “Don’t touch that.” quoi que ce soit is an indefinite expression meaning “anything at all” in this context. It commonly appears with negation or with a limiting expression such as avant de; here it follows toucher à and broadens the object to anything whatsoever. The expression is not a specific reference to one known object. Together, débranche la machine gives the first required action, and avant de toucher à quoi que ce soit gives the condition that follows it: the machine must be unplugged before any touching or handling occurs. With Ensuite, the whole utterance means: “Then unplug the machine before you touch anything.”

7. Après cela, est-ce que je devrais relancer le cycle ?

   After that, should I restart the cycle?

   Après cela

   After that

   est-ce que

   question marker

   je devrais

   should I / I ought to

   relancer

   restart

   cycle

   cycle

   More detail

   Après cela places the action after an already mentioned event. Après means “after,” and cela is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that”; together, the phrase is a reusable time expression: Après cela, ... = “After that, ...”. est-ce que is a fixed question marker placed before a statement-like clause. It turns je devrais relancer le cycle into a yes-or-no question without changing the subject order. It is not translated as a separate content word in every English version. je devrais uses devoir in the conditional, first-person singular. Here it expresses what the speaker ought to do or is asking whether it would be advisable to do: “should I...?” Compare the present form je dois (“I must / I have to”) with je devrais (“I should / I ought to”), which is less direct and presents the action as advice or a recommendation to consider. relancer is the infinitive meaning “to restart” or “to start again.” The prefix-like element re- contributes the idea of doing something again, but relancer is the verb to learn as a whole. After je devrais, French uses the infinitive: je devrais relancer ... = “I should restart ...”. In the context, the related form Relance-le is an informal singular imperative meaning “Restart it”; it has a different grammatical form because it directly gives an instruction. cycle is a masculine noun meaning “cycle.” Its singular form is un cycle, and its plural is des cycles. In relancer le cycle, le cycle is the specific cycle being restarted; le is the masculine singular definite article. The utterance combines these parts as Après cela + est-ce que + je devrais + relancer le cycle: “After that, should I restart the cycle?” The speaker asks whether restarting the cycle is the appropriate next action after the earlier event.

8. Relance-le une fois, mais contacte le service de maintenance si l'avertissement revient.

   Restart it once, but contact maintenance if the warning returns.

   Relance-le

   restart it

   une fois

   once

   mais

   but

   contacte

   contact

   service

   service

   maintenance

   maintenance

   si

   if

   l'avertissement

   the warning

   revient

   returns

   More detail

   Relance-le means “restart it.” It is the singular familiar imperative of relancer (“to restart/relaunch”) followed by le, a masculine singular direct-object pronoun meaning “it” here. The hyphen is standard when an object pronoun follows an affirmative imperative. Compare the reusable pattern Relance-le (“Restart it”) with Ne le relance pas (“Do not restart it”); negative commands place the pronoun before the verb. une fois means “once” or “one time.” It limits the requested action to one occurrence. For example, Essaie une fois means “Try once.” mais means “but.” It links the restart instruction to a contrasting instruction or condition that follows. contacte means “contact.” It is the singular familiar imperative of the regular verb contacter. For an affirmative command, the subject pronoun is normally omitted: Contacte le service means “Contact the service.” The form contacte is also the present-tense form used with tu, but here the command use is identified by its position and meaning. service means “service” or “department.” In the full expression le service de maintenance, it is the head noun: “the maintenance department/service.” French uses le here because service is masculine singular; maintenance names the area handled by that service. maintenance means “maintenance.” In de maintenance, it specifies the service’s field. The noun is feminine, although that gender is not visible in this phrase because it follows the preposition de without an article. si means “if” and introduces the condition for the later instruction. The reusable pattern is si + a clause: Si le problème revient, contacte le service means “If the problem comes back, contact the service.” l'avertissement means “the warning.” l' is the elided form of the definite article before a vowel sound; the noun is avertissement, from avertir (“to warn”). The article does not express a quantity here; it presents the warning as identifiable in the situation. revient means “returns” or “comes back” here. It is the third-person singular present form of revenir (“to return/come back”): je reviens, il/elle revient. The subject in this clause is l'avertissement, so the singular form is used. French commonly uses the present after si for a real or possible condition: si l'avertissement revient = “if the warning returns.” Together, Relance-le une fois gives the first command: “Restart it once.” mais contrasts that with contacte le service de maintenance si l'avertissement revient: “but contact the maintenance service if the warning returns.” The complete utterance is: “Restart it once, but contact maintenance if the warning returns.”

9. Je vais d'abord suivre les étapes sûres.

   I will follow the safe steps first.

   Je vais

   I will

   d'abord

   first

   suivre

   follow

   étapes

   steps

   sûres

   safe

   More detail

   Je vais combines the subject pronoun je with the present-tense form vais of aller and an infinitive that follows it. Together, aller + infinitive expresses the near future: “I am going to …” or, as here, “I will …”. vais is the first-person singular form; it is not the simple future form of suivre. Example: Je vais vérifier la machine. — “I will check the machine.” d'abord means “first” and sets the order of the actions. It can also be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence: D'abord, je vais vérifier. — “First, I will check.” suivre is an infinitive meaning “to follow.” After vais, it stays in the infinitive rather than being conjugated. Its useful present-tense forms include je suis, tu suis, and il/elle suit; the form suis can therefore mean “follow” with je, or “am/is” in other constructions, depending on the verb and context. Example: Je suis les instructions. — “I follow the instructions.” étapes is the plural of the feminine noun étape, “step” or “stage.” The plural is marked by -s. In this sentence, it refers to steps in a procedure, matching the fixed meaning “steps.” Example: Nous suivons trois étapes. — “We follow three steps.” sûres is the feminine plural form of the adjective sûr, meaning “safe” here. It agrees with the feminine plural noun étapes: sûr (masculine singular), sûre (feminine singular), sûrs (masculine plural), sûres (feminine plural). This adjective is distinct from certain, which can mean “certain” or “sure” in other uses. Example: Ce sont des méthodes sûres. — “These are safe methods.” The sentence builds as Je vais + suivre (“I will follow”), with d'abord specifying that this comes first, and les étapes sûres specifying the safe steps. The complete meaning is: “I will follow the safe steps first.”

10. Dépanner un problème simple est utile, mais ne risque pas d'endommager la machine.

    Simple troubleshooting is useful, but do not risk damaging the machine.

    Dépanner

    to troubleshoot

    problème

    problem

    simple

    simple

    utile

    useful

    ne risque pas

    do not risk

    d'endommager

    to damage

    machine

    machine

    More detail

    Dépanner means “to troubleshoot” here. Its infinitive form can name an activity, so Dépanner un problème... presents troubleshooting a simple problem as the topic. In other contexts, dépanner can also mean helping someone out or temporarily fixing a situation; the intended sense here is technical troubleshooting. problème means “problem.” It is a masculine noun: un problème. The plural is des problèmes. In this sentence, un problème simple means “a simple problem,” with problème as the noun and simple describing it. simple means “simple.” It is an adjective and agrees with the noun when needed: un problème simple, une tâche simple, des problèmes simples. The form here is singular and masculine in agreement with problème; its written form is also simple in feminine singular. utile means “useful.” The sentence uses est utile, “is useful,” with utile as the descriptive adjective after être. Its written form is the same for masculine and feminine singular: un outil utile, une méthode utile; the plural is utiles. ne risque pas expresses the negative imperative “do not risk.” The verb is risquer, “to risk,” and risque is the second-person singular imperative form. French places ne before the verb and pas after it in this negative command: Ne risque pas... The subject is understood as “you,” rather than being written. This construction is different from a simple statement such as il ne risque pas, “he/it does not risk,” where the subject is explicitly third person. d'endommager means “to damage.” It is de plus the infinitive endommager; the vowel of de is elided before the vowel in endommager, producing d'endommager. After risquer, French commonly uses risquer de plus an infinitive: risquer de tomber, “risk falling.” machine means “machine.” It is a feminine noun: la machine. Here, la machine is the object that could be damaged. A useful plural form is les machines. Together, Dépanner un problème simple est utile means “Troubleshooting a simple problem is useful”: the infinitive phrase functions as the subject, and est utile evaluates that activity. mais means “but” and contrasts this statement with the following instruction. ne risque pas d'endommager la machine means “do not risk damaging the machine,” using a negative second-person singular imperative followed by risquer de and the infinitive. The complete utterance is therefore: “Simple troubleshooting is useful, but do not risk damaging the machine.”