Checking a restaurant order | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At a restaurant, a customer asks staff to confirm a mild order and side dish before the food is served..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Checking a restaurant order to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Pourrions-nous revoir notre commande avant que les plats arrivent ?

poo-ree-YOHN noo ruh-VWAHR NO-tr kuh-MAHND ah-VAHN kuh lay PLAH ah-REEV Could we review our order before the food comes out?
B

Qu'est-ce que vous voudriez confirmer ?

KESS-kuh voo voo-dree-YAY kohn-feer-MAY What would you like to confirm?
A

J'ai demandé la version douce, pas la version épicée.

zhay duh-mahn-DAY lah vair-SYOHN doos, pah lah vair-SYOHN ay-pee-SAY I asked for the mild version, not the spicy one.
B

Je vais vérifier ça avec la cuisine.

zhuh vay vay-ree-FYAY sah ah-VEK lah kwee-ZEEN Let me check that with the kitchen.
A

Le plat d'accompagnement, c'est ce qui m'inquiète le plus.

luh PLAH dah-kom-pahny-MAHN, say suh kee meh(n)-KYEHT luh PLOO The side dish is the part I am most worried about.
B

Je peux ajouter une note claire pour que la commande soit préparée correctement.

zhuh puh ah-zhoo-TAY ewn NOHT KLAIR poor kuh lah kuh-MAHND swah pray-pah-RAY koh-rekt-uh-MAHN I can add a clear note so the order is prepared correctly.
A

Ça aide. Nous voulons simplement que le repas corresponde à notre commande.

sah EHD. noo voo-LON sehm-pluh-MAHN kuh luh ruh-PAH koh-rah-SPOND ah NO-tr kuh-MAHND That helps. We just want the meal to match our order.
B

Je comprends. Il vaut mieux vérifier avant que les plats arrivent.

zhuh kohn-PRAHN. eel voh MYUH vay-ree-FYAY ah-VAHN kuh lay PLAH ah-REEV I understand. It is better to check before the food arrives.
A

Pourriez-vous confirmer la commande avant de servir les plats ?

poo-ree-YAY voo kohn-feer-MAY lah kuh-MAHND ah-VAHN duh sair-VEER lay PLAH Could you confirm the order before the food is served?
B

Je vais vérifier maintenant et vous dire s'il faut changer quelque chose.

zhuh vay vay-ree-FYAY mehn-tuh-NAHN ay voo DEER seel foh shahn-ZHAY kelk SHOHZ Let me check now and tell you if anything needs changing.

Word by Word

Pourrions In Pourrions-nous revoir notre commande, Pourrions means “could” and makes the request polite. It is used with nous and an infinitive to ask whether we can do something together.
nous In Pourrions-nous, nous means “we” and identifies the people making the request. In Nous voulons, it is placed before the verb as the subject; it can also refer to “us” in other contexts.
revoir In Pourrions-nous revoir notre commande, revoir means “review” or “check again.” It is used after a verb such as Pourrions-nous and takes the thing being reviewed, here notre commande.
notre In notre commande, notre means “our” and shows that the order belongs to the speakers. It is placed directly before the noun it describes.
commande In notre commande, commande means “order,” specifically the restaurant order being checked. A useful pattern is a possessive word followed by commande, as in notre commande.
avant In avant que les plats arrivent and avant de servir les plats, avant means “before.” It introduces either que followed by a clause or de followed by an infinitive, depending on what comes next.
que In avant que les plats arrivent, que introduces the clause describing what must happen later. Together with avant, it gives the meaning “before the dishes arrive”; in Qu'est-ce que, it has a different role inside the question expression.
les In les plats, les is the definite article meaning “the” before the plural noun plats. The pattern les + plural noun identifies specific plural things.
plats In les plats arrivent and servir les plats, plats means “dishes.” It refers to the restaurant dishes that will arrive and be served.
arrivent In les plats arrivent, arrivent means “arrive” and describes the dishes coming to the table. The subject appears before the verb: les plats arrivent.
Qu'est-ce que Qu'est-ce que vous voudriez confirmer? is a question asking “What would you like to confirm?” Qu'est-ce supplies the “what is it” part, while que links it to the following subject-and-verb clause; together they form the question expression “what.”
vous In Qu'est-ce que vous voudriez confirmer?, vous means “you” and refers to the person being addressed. In vous dire, it means “you” as the person who will receive the information.
voudriez In vous voudriez confirmer, voudriez means “would like” and makes the question polite. It is used with a subject such as vous and an infinitive to ask what someone would like to do.
confirmer In voudriez confirmer and confirmer la commande, confirmer means “confirm.” It is an infinitive used after voudriez and can take the thing being confirmed as its object.
J'ai In J'ai demandé la version douce, J'ai means “I have” and combines with demandé to refer to a request already made. The subject J' identifies the speaker as the person who made the request.
demandé In J'ai demandé la version douce, demandé means “asked for.” Together with J'ai, it describes what the speaker requested; the requested item follows it.
la In la version douce, la is the definite article meaning “the” before the singular noun version. It is placed directly before the noun it identifies.
version In la version douce and la version épicée, version means “version.” It distinguishes the mild option from the spicy option in the order.
douce In la version douce, douce means “mild,” describing the requested food version. It follows the noun version and identifies the option the speaker asked for.
pas In pas la version épicée, pas marks the rejected option as “not.” Here it creates a contrast between the requested mild version and the spicy version.
épicée In la version épicée, épicée means “spicy” and describes the version the speaker did not request. It follows version as part of the noun phrase.
Je In Je vais vérifier and Je peux ajouter, Je means “I” and identifies the staff member as the person who will act. It is placed before the conjugated verb.
vais In Je vais vérifier, vais contributes the meaning “am going to.” With the infinitive vérifier, it expresses an action the speaker is about to carry out.
vérifier In Je vais vérifier ça and Je vais vérifier maintenant, vérifier means “check.” It follows vais and can be followed by the thing being checked, such as ça.
ça In vérifier ça, ça means “that” or “it” and refers to the order detail being checked. In Ça aide, it refers to the helpful action just mentioned.
avec In vérifier ça avec la cuisine, avec means “with” and identifies who will be consulted. It is followed here by la cuisine, the restaurant kitchen team.
cuisine In avec la cuisine, cuisine means “kitchen.” In this restaurant context, it identifies the kitchen staff or kitchen side that can verify the order.
Le In Le plat d'accompagnement, Le is the definite article meaning “the” before plat. It introduces the specific side dish being discussed.
plat In Le plat d'accompagnement and servir les plats, plat means “dish.” In plat d'accompagnement, it is the main noun in the expression for a side dish.
d'accompagnement In plat d'accompagnement, d'accompagnement specifies that the dish accompanies the main meal, so the whole expression means “side dish.” It follows plat to identify the dish’s role in the meal.
c'est In Le plat d'accompagnement, c'est ce qui m'inquiète le plus, c'est means “is” or “that is” and identifies what the speaker is most worried about. The pattern X, c'est... presents or highlights X.
ce In ce qui m'inquiète, ce points to the thing that causes concern. Together with qui, it forms the expression “what” or “the thing that” in this sentence.
qui In ce qui m'inquiète, qui links ce to the action that follows and represents the thing causing the worry. The pattern ce qui + verb means “what” or “the thing that” does something.
m'inquiète In ce qui m'inquiète, m'inquiète means “worries me.” The m' part identifies the speaker as the person affected by the worry, and inquiète expresses the concern.
plus In m'inquiète le plus, plus means “most” and marks the greatest degree of worry. It appears with le to form the expression le plus.
peux In Je peux ajouter une note claire, peux means “can” and expresses the staff member’s ability or offer to act. It is followed by an infinitive, here ajouter.
ajouter In Je peux ajouter une note claire, ajouter means “add.” It follows peux and takes the thing being added, une note claire.
une In une note claire, une means “a” or “an” before the singular noun note. It introduces one note without identifying it as a specific previously mentioned note.
note In une note claire, note means “note,” referring to written instructions added to the order. It is modified by claire, which describes the note.
claire In une note claire, claire means “clear” and describes the note as easy to understand. It follows the noun note.
pour In pour que la commande soit préparée correctement, pour contributes the purpose meaning “so that.” It works with que to introduce the result or purpose clause; the whole expression explains why the note is added.
soit In pour que la commande soit préparée correctement, soit supplies the “be” part of the purpose clause. Together with préparée, it describes the order as being prepared correctly.
préparée In la commande soit préparée correctement, préparée means “prepared” and describes what happens to the order. It is used with soit and is followed by the adverb correctement.
correctement In soit préparée correctement, correctement means “correctly.” It explains how the order should be prepared and modifies the preparation described by préparée.
aide In Ça aide, aide means “helps” and acknowledges that the staff member’s action is useful. Ça aide can be used as a short response when someone has made a situation easier.
voulons In Nous voulons simplement que le repas corresponde à notre commande, voulons means “want.” It expresses the speakers’ desire and is followed by the thing they want, introduced here by que.
simplement In Nous voulons simplement que le repas corresponde à notre commande, simplement means “simply” or “just.” It limits the request, showing that this is the only result the speakers want.
repas In le repas corresponde à notre commande, repas means “meal.” It is the subject of the clause describing what should match the order.
corresponde In que le repas corresponde à notre commande, corresponde means “matches” or “corresponds.” It is followed by à to identify what the meal should match.
à In corresponde à notre commande, à links the meal with the order it should match. The reusable pattern is correspondre à + the thing that is being matched.
comprends In Je comprends, comprends means “understand.” Je comprends is a common way to acknowledge that the other person’s concern or explanation is clear.
Il In Il vaut mieux vérifier, Il is part of the impersonal expression meaning “it is better to check.” It does not refer to a specific person in this sentence.
vaut In Il vaut mieux vérifier, vaut is part of the expression Il vaut mieux, which recommends the better choice. The complete expression, rather than vaut alone, gives the meaning “it is better.”
mieux In Il vaut mieux vérifier, mieux means “better.” Together with Il vaut, it introduces advice about the preferable action.
Pourriez In Pourriez-vous confirmer la commande, Pourriez means “could you” and makes a polite request. It is placed before vous in this question and is followed by the infinitive confirmer.
de In avant de servir les plats, de introduces the infinitive servir after avant. The construction avant de + infinitive means “before doing something.”
servir In avant de servir les plats, servir means “serve.” It is an infinitive after de and takes les plats as the things being served.
maintenant In vérifier maintenant, maintenant means “now.” It specifies that the checking will happen at the present moment.
et In vérifier maintenant et vous dire, et means “and” and connects two actions by the same speaker. It links vérifier with vous dire in the sentence.
dire In vous dire, dire means “tell” rather than simply “say” because vous identifies the person receiving the information. In Je vais vérifier maintenant et vous dire, it is the second action the speaker plans to perform.
s'il In s'il faut changer quelque chose, s'il introduces the question of whether a change is needed. It is the contracted form of si and il, and it commonly appears before faut in this kind of expression.
faut In s'il faut changer quelque chose, faut expresses necessity: whether something needs to be changed. The reusable pattern il faut + infinitive expresses that an action is necessary.
changer In il faut changer quelque chose, changer means “change.” It follows faut and takes quelque chose as the thing that may need changing.
quelque In quelque chose, quelque contributes the meaning “some” or “any.” Together with chose, it forms the expression “something” or “anything,” depending on the context.
chose In quelque chose, chose means “thing.” It completes the common expression quelque chose, which refers to an unspecified thing.

Grammar Points

avant que + subjonctif

avant que le repas corresponde

ah-VAHN kuh luh ruh-PAH koh-rah-SPOND

before the meal matches

After « avant que », French uses the subjunctive to express an action that has not happened yet.

il vaut mieux + infinitif

Il vaut mieux servir maintenant.

eel voh MYUH sair-VEER mehn-tuh-NAHN

It is better to serve now.

« Il vaut mieux » is followed directly by an infinitive to give advice or state what is preferable.

French Vocabulary

avant que conj
ah-VAHN kuh before
commande noun
kuh-MAHND order
confirmer verb
kohn-feer-MAY to confirm
cuisine noun
kwee-ZEEN kitchen
demandé verb
duh-mahn-DAY asked for
épicée adj
ay-pee-SAY spicy
plat d'accompagnement phrase
plah dah-kom-pahny-MAHN side dish
plats noun
PLAH dishes
revoir verb
ruh-VWAHR to review
vérifier verb
vay-ree-FYAY to check
version douce phrase
vair-SYOHN doos mild version
voudriez verb
voo-dree-YAY would like

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What would you like to confirm?

Show AnswerQu'est-ce que vous voudriez confirmer ?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

asked for

Show Answerdemandé

dishes

Show Answerplats

to confirm

Show Answerconfirmer

spicy

Show Answerépicée