Cooking class and confidence | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Le cours de cuisine a été plus utile que je ne le pensais.

   The cooking class was more useful than I expected.

   cours

   class; course

   cuisine

   cooking

   a été

   was

   plus utile

   more useful

   que je ne le pensais

   than I expected

   More detail

   cours means “class” here. It is a masculine singular noun: un cours, le cours. The same word can also mean a course of study, so the surrounding words identify the intended sense. Example: J’ai un cours demain. — “I have a class tomorrow.” cuisine means “cooking” here. In cours de cuisine, de links the noun to the subject: literally, a class of cooking. Cuisine can also mean “kitchen” or “cuisine” in other contexts, but “cooking” is the relevant meaning here. Example: J’aime la cuisine française. — “I like French cooking.” a été is the observed past-tense form of être (“to be”): a + été, the passé composé. With a singular subject such as le cours, it means “was” in this sentence. The auxiliary is avoir, while été is the past participle of être; it is not an inflection of cours. Example: Le film a été intéressant. — “The film was interesting.” plus utile means “more useful.” Utile is the base adjective; French forms the comparative with plus ... que: plus utile que = “more useful than.” The opposite comparison is moins utile que (“less useful than”). Example: Cette méthode est plus utile que l’autre. — “This method is more useful than the other one.” que je ne le pensais completes the comparison: “than I expected.” Que introduces the comparison, and je pensais is the imperfect of penser (“to think”), describing the expectation at that point. In this comparative clause, ne is commonly used without an ordinary negative meaning; it is often called ne explétif. Le is a pronoun referring to the situation or degree being evaluated, not to a separately named masculine noun. Thus je ne le pensais has the useful pattern “I did not think it [would be so].” Example: C’était plus difficile que je ne le pensais. — “It was more difficult than I expected.” Together, Le cours de cuisine identifies the subject, a été plus utile says that the class was more useful, and que je ne le pensais sets that usefulness against the speaker’s earlier expectation. The complete meaning is: “The cooking class was more useful than I expected.”

2. Quelle technique as-tu apprise de la cheffe ?

   What technique did you learn from the chef?

   Quelle

   what/which

   technique

   technique

   as-tu

   did you

   apprise

   learned

   cheffe

   female chef

   More detail

   Quelle asks for an identified item and agrees with the feminine singular noun technique: quel (masculine singular), quelle (feminine singular), quels (masculine plural), quelles (feminine plural). Here it means “what/which,” not a quantity. technique is a feminine noun meaning a method or skill. Its plural is techniques. Example: Cette technique est simple. — “This technique is simple.” as-tu uses question inversion: the second-person singular subject pronoun tu follows the present-tense auxiliary as, from avoir. In a statement, this is tu as; in this question, as-tu helps form the question. The hyphen is part of the written inversion pattern. apprise is the feminine singular form of the past participle of apprendre (“to learn”). In this sentence, technique is the direct object placed before the auxiliary, so the past participle agrees with it: Quelle technique as-tu apprise ? With a masculine singular preceding object, the form would be appris; with a feminine plural object, apprises. The verb apprendre can also be used in the present, for example: J’apprends une technique. — “I am learning a technique.” cheffe is a feminine noun for a female chef. The phrase de la cheffe means “from the female chef” here; de la is the form used before this feminine singular noun. The fixed translation and the surrounding context support this intended female referent. Together, Quelle technique asks which method or skill, as-tu apprise asks what you learned, and de la cheffe identifies the source as the chef. The whole utterance therefore means: “What technique did you learn from the chef?”

3. Elle nous a montré comment assaisonner petit à petit et goûter souvent.

   She showed us how to season slowly and taste often.

   Elle

   she

   nous

   us

   a montré

   showed

   comment assaisonner

   how to season

   petit à petit

   little by little

   goûter

   taste

   souvent

   often

   More detail

   Elle means “she” here. It is a third-person singular subject pronoun, used for a feminine singular referent. The form contrasts with il for a masculine singular referent and elles for a feminine plural group; the intended referent here is the female person expressed by the fixed translation. nous is the object pronoun meaning “us.” In this sentence it identifies the people who received the demonstration from her. French uses the same form nous for “we” as a subject and “us” in object-related positions; its role here comes from its position with a montré and the meaning “showed us.” a montré is the passé composé of montrer (“to show”): a + the past participle montré. The auxiliary a agrees with the third-person singular subject Elle; montré does not change here for that subject. For example, Elle a montré la méthode means “She showed the method.” comment assaisonner introduces an explanation of how to do something: comment means “how,” and assaisonner is the infinitive “to season.” After verbs such as montrer, French can use montrer comment + infinitive to describe a method: Il montre comment ouvrir la boîte means “He shows how to open the box.” The infinitive remains assaisonner rather than taking a tense or subject ending of its own. petit à petit is a fixed adverbial expression meaning “little by little” or “gradually.” Here it describes the seasoning as a gradual process. It is different from lentement, which more directly means “slowly” and focuses on speed. goûter is another infinitive, “to taste.” It is coordinated with assaisonner, so the demonstrated method includes both seasoning and tasting. The infinitive form is useful after comment when the same understood activity is being described: comment goûter means “how to taste.” souvent is an adverb meaning “often”; it describes the frequency of goûter. It does not mean “slowly” or “little by little.” For example, Je goûte souvent la sauce means “I often taste the sauce.” Together, Elle nous a montré means “She showed us,” and comment assaisonner petit à petit et goûter souvent specifies what she showed: how to season gradually and taste frequently. The whole utterance therefore means: “She showed us how to season slowly and taste often.”

4. C'est une habitude pratique, pas seulement une recette.

   That is a practical habit, not just a recipe.

   C'est

   That is

   habitude

   habit

   pratique

   practical

   pas seulement

   not just

   recette

   recipe

   More detail

   C'est is the contracted form of ce + est. In this sentence, it means “That is.” Ce is a demonstrative pronoun, and est is the third-person singular present form of être (“to be”). Other subjects use forms such as je suis (“I am”) and nous sommes (“we are”). habitude means “habit” or “usual practice.” It is a feminine noun: une habitude. The indefinite article une marks feminine singular agreement; it does not by itself assert a numerical count. Coutume is a related word that more often refers to a custom or convention, while habitude can describe a repeated practice of an individual or group. pratique describes the habit as practical or useful. This adjective has the same singular form for masculine and feminine nouns: un conseil pratique (“a practical piece of advice”) and une habitude pratique (“a practical habit”). In the plural, it becomes pratiques, as in des conseils pratiques (“practical pieces of advice”). pas seulement means “not just” here. After the positive clause, it introduces an elliptical contrast: the thing is presented as more than a recipe. A full negative sentence can use ne ... pas: Ce n'est pas seulement une recette means “That is not just a recipe.” The form in the fixed sentence is not a claim that pas seulement alone is always the complete negative construction. recette means “recipe.” It is a feminine noun: une recette. Here it names the idea that is being contrasted with the broader description of a practical habit. For example, une recette simple means “a simple recipe.” Together, C'est une habitude pratique means “That is a practical habit.” The following pas seulement une recette adds the contrast “not just a recipe,” giving the complete meaning: “That is a practical habit, not just a recipe.”

5. J'ai aussi appris à mieux contrôler la taille des portions.

   I also learned how to control portion size better.

   J'ai

   I have

   aussi

   also

   appris

   learned

   mieux

   better

   contrôler

   to control

   taille

   size

   portions

   portions

   More detail

   J’ai is the first-person singular present form of avoir, “to have.” Here it is the auxiliary in the passé composé: j’ai appris means “I learned” or “I have learned.” The apostrophe shows elision: je becomes j’ before a vowel sound. aussi means “also” and adds this action to something already mentioned. It is an adverb; in this sentence it appears early in the clause. appris is the past participle of apprendre, “to learn.” The useful chain is apprendre → j’ai appris (“I learned”) → j’apprends (“I learn” or “I am learning” in the present). With avoir, this past participle does not change to agree with the subject here, so appris is also used if the speaker is feminine. mieux is the comparative adverb corresponding to bien: bien means “well,” while mieux means “better.” Here it modifies contrôler, saying that the controlling is done more effectively. Example: Je travaille mieux le matin. means “I work better in the morning.” contrôler is the infinitive “to control.” It follows the reusable pattern apprendre à + infinitive, meaning “to learn to do something.” The infinitive stays in this form rather than taking a subject ending; the subject is supplied by j’ in the larger verb phrase. taille is the feminine singular noun “size.” The pattern la taille de ... means “the size of ...”: la taille de la boîte means “the size of the box.” The article la marks taille as feminine singular; it does not express the size itself. portions is the plural noun “portions.” In la taille des portions, des represents de plus the plural definite article les; literally, the phrase is “the size of the portions,” with the natural generic meaning “portion size.” The singular is une portion; the plural form is portions. Together, j’ai appris à introduces a completed learning experience, mieux contrôler means “to control better,” and la taille des portions identifies what is controlled. The whole utterance means: “I also learned how to control portion size better.”

6. As-tu reçu des commentaires sur ton plat ?

   Did you get feedback on your dish?

   As-tu

   have you…?

   reçu

   received; got

   commentaires

   feedback; comments

   plat

   dish

   More detail

   As-tu is a question pattern made from as (the second-person singular present form of avoir, “have”) followed by the subject pronoun tu (“you”). In a formal or neutral written question, this inversion marks a yes/no question: As-tu compris ? means “Have you understood?” In everyday speech, Tu as compris ? is also common. reçu is the past participle of recevoir (“to receive”). With as, it forms the passé composé: tu as reçu means “you received” or “you got.” The question uses inversion, so the same combination appears as as-tu reçu. A useful contrast is recevoir (to receive) versus donner (to give): J’ai reçu un message. means “I received a message.” commentaires is the plural noun commentaire (“comment” or “feedback”). Here, the intended meaning is feedback about the dish. The plural article des before it means “some” or, in a question, naturally “any”; it does not by itself specify a number. The singular form is un commentaire. plat is a masculine singular noun meaning “dish” here, specifically the prepared food being discussed. French also uses plat for a course or prepared dish in other contexts. In ton plat, ton is the second-person singular possessive determiner, matching the masculine singular noun plat; it means “your dish.” The determiner agrees with the possessed noun, not with the owner’s gender. The final part, sur ton plat, means “about your dish” in this context: sur introduces the subject that the feedback concerns. The pieces combine into a past-tense yes/no question asking whether the listener got any feedback about their dish. The preceding sentence about controlling portion size and the following sentence about the sauce and pasta support this food-related reading, but the question itself does not state what the feedback was.

7. La sauce était réussie, mais j'ai fait cuire les pâtes trop longtemps.

   The sauce worked, but I cooked the pasta too long.

   sauce

   sauce

   réussie

   successful; turned out well

   j'ai fait cuire

   I cooked

   pâtes

   pasta

   trop longtemps

   for too long

   More detail

   sauce means “sauce.” The noun is feminine: la sauce uses the feminine singular definite article. Example: La sauce est chaude. — “The sauce is hot.” réussie describes the sauce as having turned out well. It is the feminine singular form of the past participle réussi, from réussir, used here as a description after était. Its feminine singular ending agrees with sauce; the masculine singular form is réussi. Compare the verbal use La sauce a réussi. — “The sauce succeeded/turned out well.” j'ai fait cuire expresses “I cooked.” j'ai is je plus the first-person singular present form of avoir, used here to form the past tense. fait cuire is the construction faire + infinitive cuire; in this sentence it means to cook food, not to make another person cook. The infinitive is cuire, while fait is the past participle of faire. pâtes means “pasta.” The form is plural in French, as shown by les pâtes; English commonly treats “pasta” as a mass noun instead. Example: Je prépare les pâtes. — “I am preparing the pasta.” trop longtemps means “for too long.” longtemps expresses duration, and trop says that the duration exceeded what was appropriate. Compare assez longtemps — “long enough.” Together, La sauce était réussie says that the sauce had turned out well, while mais introduces a contrast. j'ai fait cuire les pâtes trop longtemps says that the speaker cooked the pasta for an excessive duration. The complete meaning is: “The sauce worked, but I cooked the pasta too long.”

8. C'est facile à améliorer en surveillant le temps de cuisson.

   That is easy to improve with timing.

   C'est

   That is

   facile

   easy

   améliorer

   improve

   en surveillant

   by monitoring

   temps

   time

   cuisson

   cooking

   More detail

   C'est combines ce (“that/this”) with est, the third-person singular present form of être (“to be”). Here it identifies the subject as “that,” without adding a more specific referent. A reusable pattern is C'est + adjective: C'est utile. — “That is useful.” facile means “easy” here. It is an adjective; its feminine form is also facile, while a plural form is faciles. In être facile à + infinitive, it describes an action that can be done without much difficulty: C'est facile à comprendre. — “That is easy to understand.” à améliorer uses améliorer, whose base form is the infinitive “to improve.” The construction facile à améliorer means “easy to improve”; à links the adjective to the action, rather than marking a separate noun phrase. améliorer is not the form that carries the tense here: it remains an infinitive. en surveillant is en followed by the present participle of surveiller (“to monitor/watch”). This construction presents the method or accompanying action: “by monitoring” or “while monitoring.” The form surveillant is used here after en; for example, Il apprend en écoutant. — “He learns by listening.” temps means “time” here. In le temps de cuisson, it refers to the time associated with cooking, especially its duration. The singular and plural forms are both written temps; the surrounding determiner or context can distinguish them. For example, Je n'ai pas le temps. — “I do not have time.” cuisson means “cooking” or “the cooking process.” With temps de, the phrase le temps de cuisson means “the cooking time.” This is a noun phrase: de cuisson specifies what kind of time is meant, rather than naming a separate action performed by the speaker. Together, C'est facile à améliorer says that the situation or result is easy to improve, and en surveillant le temps de cuisson gives the method: doing so by monitoring the cooking time. Thus the whole utterance means, “That is easy to improve by monitoring the cooking time,” matching the fixed translation “That is easy to improve with timing.”

9. Le cours m'a donné davantage confiance en moi pour inviter des amis à dîner.

   The class gave me more confidence to invite friends for dinner.

   cours

   class; course

   m'a donné

   gave me

   davantage

   more

   confiance

   confidence

   en moi

   in myself

   inviter

   invite

   amis

   friends

   dîner

   have dinner

   More detail

   cours means “class” here. The noun cours can mean a class/course or, in other contexts, a course or running flow; the surrounding sentence gives the educational meaning. Example: un cours de français = “a French class.” m'a donné is the form of donner (“to give”) used with a plus the past participle donné: a donné expresses a completed past event. m' is the shortened form of me before a vowel and marks the person who received the effect: “gave me.” The construction donner confiance à quelqu'un means “to give someone confidence.” Example: Cette expérience m'a donné confiance. = “That experience gave me confidence.” davantage is an adverb meaning “more” or “to a greater degree.” It modifies confiance here, so the sentence says that the confidence increased. A common alternative is plus; davantage is often somewhat more formal or written. Example: Elle travaille davantage. = “She works more.” confiance is the noun “confidence” or “trust.” In donner confiance, it refers to confidence that someone gains, not trust placed in another person. Example: J'ai confiance en lui. = “I trust him.” en moi means “in myself.” With confiance, avoir confiance en or donner confiance en identifies the person in whom the confidence is placed; here, moi refers to the speaker. The stressed pronoun moi is used after the preposition en; it is not the ordinary unstressed subject form. Example: Elle croit en elle-même. = “She believes in herself.” inviter is the infinitive “to invite.” In pour inviter, the infinitive follows pour and expresses the purpose or intended action: “in order to invite.” Example: Je viens pour aider. = “I am coming to help.” amis is the plural of ami, “friend.” The plural form indicates more than one friend, while des is the plural indefinite determiner. Example: J'invite des amis. = “I am inviting some friends.” dîner is the infinitive “to have dinner” or “to dine.” In inviter des amis à dîner, à introduces the activity to which the friends are invited: “invite friends to dinner.” The noun dîner can also mean “dinner,” but its infinitive use here is shown by its role after à. Example: Nous allons dîner. = “We are going to have dinner.” Together, Le cours m'a donné davantage confiance en moi means “The class gave me more confidence in myself.” The purpose phrase pour inviter des amis à dîner adds what this increased confidence enables the speaker to do: “to invite friends for dinner.” The complete utterance is therefore: “The class gave me more confidence to invite friends for dinner.”

10. Alors, ça en valait la peine, même si tu n'as appris que quelques petites choses.

    Then it was worth it, even if you only learned a few things.

    Alors

    then

    ça en valait la peine

    it was worth it

    même si

    even if

    appris

    learned

    quelques

    a few

    petites

    small; little

    choses

    things

    More detail

    Alors comes first and means “then” here, linking this statement to what has just been discussed. It can also mean “so” in other contexts; the surrounding meaning determines the English choice. ça en valait la peine is the reusable pattern ça vaut la peine (“it is worth it”). Here valait is the imperfect form of valoir, so the sentence places the evaluation in the past: “it was worth it.” In this expression, en is part of the fixed idiomatic construction; it is not translated separately as a specific noun. Example: Ça vaut la peine d’essayer. — “It is worth trying.” même si introduces a condition or concession: “even if” or, with a past fact, often “even though.” Unlike bien que, it is normally followed by an indicative form. Here it introduces the clause about what the listener learned. appris is the past participle of apprendre (“to learn”). The form tu n’as appris uses avoir in the second-person singular present (tu as) plus appris; the surrounding ne ... que construction gives the complete meaning “you only learned.” The ne and que belong to that larger construction, not to appris alone. Example: Tu as appris une nouvelle règle. — “You learned a new rule.” quelques means “a few” or “some” before a plural noun. It indicates an unspecified small number, not an exact count, and it has the same form for masculine and feminine plural nouns. petites is the feminine plural form of the adjective petit (“small” or “little”). It agrees with choses, which is feminine plural: petit → petite → petites. Example: quelques petits livres — “a few small books”; the adjective is masculine plural there because livres is masculine plural. choses is the plural of the feminine noun chose, meaning “thing.” The phrase quelques petites choses therefore means “a few little things.” Putting the parts together, ça en valait la peine gives the past evaluation “it was worth it”; même si adds the concession “even if”; and tu n’as appris que quelques petites choses means “you only learned a few little things.” The complete utterance is: “Then it was worth it, even if you only learned a few things.”