Checking a restaurant order | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

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

   Could we review our order before the food comes out?

   Pourrions-nous

   Could we

   revoir

   review

   commande

   order

   avant que

   before

   plats

   dishes; food

   arrivent

   come out; arrive

   More detail

   Pourrions-nous means “could we” here. It is the conditional form of pouvoir (“to be able to”): pourrions is first-person plural, and nous is the subject “we.” The inversion makes this a question: Pourrions-nous ... ? is a reusable polite way to ask whether we can do something. The conditional softens the request; it does not state that the action will happen. revoir is an infinitive meaning “to review” or “to look over again.” The prefix re- contributes the idea of doing something again, so voir (“to see”) and revoir (“to see again; review”) form a useful contrast. After a conjugated modal such as pouvoir, French uses the infinitive: Nous pourrions revoir ... (“We could review ...”). commande is a feminine singular noun meaning “order,” as in an order placed for food. Its grammatical gender is feminine, which is why the possessive form before it is notre (“our”); notre does not itself indicate whether the owners are singular or plural. In this sentence, notre commande means “our order,” referring to the order the speakers are jointly discussing. avant que introduces an event that is expected but has not yet occurred: “before.” In the pattern avant que + clause, French normally uses the subjunctive. Here the clause is les plats arrivent: arrivent is the present subjunctive of arriver for third-person plural, “they arrive.” For this verb, the third-person plural present indicative and present subjunctive have the same written form, so the conjunction and the meaning of the clause show the construction. plats is the plural of the masculine noun plat, meaning “dish” or “course.” In this restaurant context, the fixed translation supports the sense “food” or “dishes” that are about to be served. The plural article les and the plural verb form arrivent agree with plats; the noun itself carries the number change from plat to plats. arrivent comes from arriver, “to arrive” or “to come.” In this sentence, the dishes are the grammatical subject, and arrivent presents their arrival as the event that has not happened yet. Example: Les invités arrivent bientôt. — “The guests are arriving soon.” The same verb can describe people or things arriving, while the surrounding noun supplies the specific referent. Putting the parts together, Pourrions-nous revoir notre commande asks politely whether “we” can look over “our order” again. avant que les plats arrivent sets the time limit: this review would happen before the dishes come out. The whole utterance is therefore: “Could we review our order before the food comes out?”

2. Qu'est-ce que vous voudriez confirmer ?

   What would you like to confirm?

   Qu'est-ce que

   what (question opener)

   voudriez

   would like

   confirmer

   to confirm

   More detail

   Qu'est-ce que is a standard French way to ask “what” when the unknown item is the object of the verb. It is a fixed question construction here; do not treat est-ce que as a separate meaning to translate word by word. For example: Qu'est-ce que vous cherchez ? — “What are you looking for?” voudriez is the conditional present of vouloir (“to want”), used here for a polite request: “would you like.” The form vous marks either one person addressed formally or more than one person; the form itself does not identify which. Compare vous voulez (“you want”) with vous voudriez (“you would like”). The conditional makes the request less direct than a plain present-tense question. confirmer is the infinitive “to confirm.” After voudriez, French uses the infinitive for the action the person would like to perform. The verb can take a direct object, as in confirmer une réservation — “to confirm a reservation.” Together, Qu'est-ce que asks for the object, vous voudriez expresses a polite desire, and confirmer names the desired action. The complete utterance therefore means: “What would you like to confirm?”

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

   I asked for the mild version, not the spicy one.

   J'ai demandé

   I asked

   version

   version

   douce

   mild

   pas

   not

   épicée

   spicy

   More detail

   J'ai demandé means “I asked” here. ai is the first-person singular present form of avoir, used as the auxiliary in the passé composé; demandé is the past participle of demander (“to ask” or “to request”). Together, they refer to a completed request by the speaker. A reusable pattern is J'ai demandé + [thing]: J'ai demandé de l'eau. — “I asked for some water.” version is a feminine singular noun meaning “version” or “option.” The definite article la is part of the noun phrase la version; it identifies the particular version being requested rather than expressing a numeric count. douce means “mild” in this context, describing the flavor. It is the feminine singular form agreeing with version. The masculine form is doux, as in un goût doux — “a mild taste.” pas means “not” in the contrastive phrase pas la version épicée. After the comma, French uses this short negative correction without repeating the full verb phrase: the meaning is “not the spicy version.” In a complete ordinary negation, ne ... pas surrounds the verb, as in Je ne demande pas ça. — “I'm not asking for that.” épicée means “spicy,” again as a feminine singular adjective agreeing with version. Its masculine singular form is épicé, as in un plat épicé — “a spicy dish.” The whole utterance combines J'ai demandé la version douce (“I asked for the mild version”) with the contrastive correction pas la version épicée (“not the spicy version”). Thus the speaker specifies that the requested version was mild rather than spicy.

4. Je vais vérifier ça avec la cuisine.

   Let me check that with the kitchen.

   Je vais

   I am going to

   vérifier

   check

   ça

   that

   avec

   with

   la cuisine

   the kitchen

   More detail

   Je vais combines the subject pronoun je (“I”) with vais, the first-person singular present form of aller (“to go”). Before an infinitive, aller forms the near future: je vais vérifier means “I am going to check.” In this utterance, the fixed translation naturally renders the whole intention as “Let me check,” but vais itself is not a separate word for “let.” Compare je vais appeler — “I am going to call.” vérifier is the infinitive “to check” or “to verify.” It follows vais in the near-future pattern aller + infinitive; the infinitive does not itself show the subject here. For example, Je vais vérifier le prix. means “I am going to check the price.” ça is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or “it.” Here it refers to the matter being discussed, without naming that matter again. It is a pronoun, not an article modifying a noun. A useful contrast is ce problème (“this problem”), where ce accompanies a noun, versus ça, which stands alone. avec means “with” and introduces the person, group, or service consulted or involved. In avec la cuisine, it marks who will be checked with; it is not part of the verb vérifier. For example, Je vais vérifier avec Marie. means “I am going to check with Marie.” la cuisine consists of the feminine singular definite article la and the noun cuisine. Cuisine can mean “kitchen” and, in a suitable setting, can refer to the kitchen staff or department; the fixed translation selects “the kitchen” here. The article is definite because the utterance refers to an identifiable kitchen in the situation. For example, La cuisine est fermée. means “The kitchen is closed.” Together, Je vais vérifier ça avec la cuisine has the pattern je vais + infinitive + ça + avec + [person/group/service]: “I am going to check that with the kitchen.” In the supplied translation, this is naturally expressed as “Let me check that with the kitchen.”

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

   The side dish is the part I am most worried about.

   plat

   dish

   accompagnement

   accompaniment; side dish

   c'est

   it is

   ce qui

   what; the thing that

   m'inquiète

   worries me

   le plus

   the most

   More detail

   plat is a masculine noun meaning “dish” here. Its plural is plats. In the full noun phrase, Le plat d'accompagnement means “the side dish”: d' is the shortened form of de before a vowel sound, and accompagnement specifies the kind of dish. accompagnement means “accompaniment” here, specifically a side dish served with the main part of a meal. The useful phrase is un plat d'accompagnement (“a side dish”). c'est combines ce (“this/that” in an identifying construction) with est, the third-person singular present form of être (“to be”). The pattern X, c'est Y identifies or characterizes X as Y. Here it introduces the explanation of what aspect is worrying the speaker. ce qui means “what” or “the thing that.” In this clause, qui is the subject of inquiète, while ce refers generally to the thing being identified. Compare ce qui m'aide (“what helps me”) with ce que je comprends (“what I understand”): qui is used for the subject, whereas que is used for the object. m'inquiète is me shortened to m' before a vowel sound, plus inquiète, the third-person singular present form of inquiéter (“to worry”). The person who is worried is expressed by me, while the grammatical subject is ce qui: literally, “what worries me.” The same verb can be used with another object, as in Cette nouvelle m'inquiète (“This news worries me”). le plus marks the highest degree, “the most,” in the expression m'inquiète le plus (“worries me the most”). Here it modifies the verb phrase, comparing how strongly different things worry the speaker; it is not an adjective superlative. In other contexts, le plus can also occur with an adjective, as in le plus clair (“the clearest”). Together, Le plat d'accompagnement, c'est ce qui m'inquiète le plus identifies the side dish as the thing that worries the speaker most: “The side dish is the part I am most worried about.”

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

   I can add a clear note so the order is prepared correctly.

   Je peux

   I can

   ajouter

   add

   note

   note

   claire

   clear

   pour que

   so that

   commande

   order

   préparée

   prepared

   correctement

   correctly

   More detail

   Je peux means “I can” here: peux is the first-person singular present form of pouvoir (“to be able to/can”). The pronoun je identifies the speaker, and pouvoir is followed by an infinitive: Je peux ajouter = “I can add.” Compare Je veux ajouter (“I want to add”), where veux comes from vouloir and expresses desire rather than ability. ajouter is the infinitive “to add.” After a conjugated modal such as peux, the following verb remains in the infinitive. Example: Nous pouvons vérifier la commande. — “We can check the order.” note is a feminine singular noun meaning “note.” Its gender matters for the adjective that describes it. claire means “clear” here and is the feminine singular form of clair; the final -e agrees with feminine singular note. The masculine singular form is clair, as in un message clair (“a clear message”). pour que introduces a purpose clause, “so that.” In French, this construction normally takes the subjunctive. In this sentence, soit is the subjunctive form of être: pour que la commande soit préparée = “so that the order is prepared.” This is different from pour followed directly by an infinitive, as in pour ajouter une note (“in order to add a note”), where the understood subject is the same. commande is a feminine singular noun. With the article la, it means “the order” in the fixed sentence. Its feminine gender also controls the form préparée in the passive construction; the noun’s gender is not supplied by the article alone as a numerical meaning. préparée means “prepared” here. It is the feminine singular past participle of préparer, agreeing with la commande in the passive expression la commande soit préparée. The auxiliary soit carries the subjunctive form, while préparée carries feminine singular agreement. Example: La table est préparée. — “The table is prepared.” correctement is the adverb “correctly.” It modifies préparée, saying that the preparation should be done correctly. The related adjective is correct, as in une réponse correcte (“a correct answer”), but the adverb is the form used to describe how an action is carried out. Together, Je peux ajouter une note claire says “I can add a clear note.” pour que la commande soit préparée correctement gives the purpose: “so that the order is prepared correctly.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I can add a clear note so the order is prepared correctly.”

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

   That helps. We just want the meal to match our order.

   Ça aide

   That helps

   voulons

   want

   simplement

   simply / just

   repas

   meal

   corresponde

   match / correspond

   commande

   order

   More detail

   Ça aide means “That helps.” Ça is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or “it” here; its specific referent is understood from the situation. Aide is the present-tense form of aider for a third-person singular subject. Example: Ça aide beaucoup. — “That helps a lot.” Voulons comes from vouloir, “to want.” It is the present-tense first-person plural form, used with nous: nous voulons — “we want.” The form for one speaker is je veux; for several speakers, nous voulons. In this sentence, nous is the group expressing the desire. Simplement is an adverb meaning “simply” or, in this context, “just.” It modifies the request by presenting it as limited or straightforward. Example: Je veux simplement comprendre. — “I just want to understand.” Repas is a masculine noun meaning “meal.” Its spelling is the same in the singular and plural, so the determiner or surrounding words identify the number: un repas — “a meal”; des repas — “meals.” Here, le repas means “the meal.” Corresponde comes from correspondre, “to correspond” or “to match.” After vouloir que, French uses the subjunctive: nous voulons que le repas corresponde — “we want the meal to match.” Corresponde is the present subjunctive, third-person singular form, agreeing with le repas; it is not the infinitive correspondre and not the indicative correspond. Example: Je veux que la réponse corresponde à la question. — “I want the answer to match the question.” Commande is a feminine noun meaning “order,” here an order placed for food. Its related verb is commander, “to order,” but commande in this sentence is a noun, not that verb. The phrase notre commande means “our order”; notre is singular because commande is singular, while notre does not itself show the noun’s feminine gender. Together, Nous voulons simplement gives “we just want,” and que le repas corresponde à notre commande gives “the meal to match our order.” The full utterance is therefore: “That helps. We just want the meal to match our order.” The pattern vouloir que + subjunctive is reusable for expressing what someone wants another person or thing to do or be.

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

   I understand. It is better to check before the food arrives.

   comprends

   understand

   Il vaut mieux

   it is better

   vérifier

   check; verify

   avant que

   before

   plats

   dishes; food

   arrivent

   arrive

   More detail

   comprends is the first-person singular present form of comprendre (“to understand”). With Je, it means “I understand” here. The same verb can be used for understanding information: Je comprends la question. — “I understand the question.” Il vaut mieux is a fixed impersonal construction meaning “it is better” or “one had better.” vaut is the third-person singular present form of valoir; mieux is the comparative form related to bien. The subject Il here does not identify a particular person; together, the construction gives advice about what is preferable. For example, Il vaut mieux attendre. — “It is better to wait.” vérifier is the infinitive “to check” or “to verify.” After Il vaut mieux, the infinitive names the recommended action: Il vaut mieux vérifier. — “It is better to check.” avant que introduces a clause meaning “before …”. In this pattern, the verb in the following clause is normally in the subjunctive: avant que les plats arrivent. This expresses the time relation without claiming that the later event has already happened. By contrast, avant de is followed by an infinitive when the understood subject is the same: avant de vérifier — “before checking.” plats is the plural of the noun plat. In this sentence, it refers to the food or dishes that are expected to arrive. The plural form marks more than one plat; the fixed translation uses the mass noun “food” as a natural way to express the intended meaning. Plat can also mean a dish as a course or prepared serving: un plat chaud — “a hot dish.” arrivent is the third-person plural present subjunctive form of arriver (“to arrive”), agreeing with les plats. It has the same written form as the third-person plural present indicative arrivent; the preceding avant que identifies the subjunctive use here. For example, Nous partirons avant qu’ils arrivent. — “We will leave before they arrive.” Together, Il vaut mieux vérifier says that checking is the preferable action. avant que les plats arrivent places that action before the food arrives. Thus the complete utterance means: “I understand. It is better to check before the food arrives.”

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

   Could you confirm the order before the food is served?

   Pourriez-vous

   Could you

   confirmer

   confirm

   la commande

   the order

   avant de

   before

   servir

   serve

   les plats

   the dishes

   More detail

   Pourriez-vous is the polite question form of pouvoir (“to be able to”): pourriez is the present conditional for vous, and -vous marks the subject after the verb in this question. Here it makes the request courteous: “Could you…?” The same form can address several people or one person formally; the form itself does not identify which. confirmer is the infinitive “to confirm.” After Pourriez-vous, French uses an infinitive for the requested action: Pourriez-vous confirmer… ? means “Could you confirm…?” The infinitive is unchanged for the person being addressed. la commande means “the order.” commande is a feminine noun, so the definite article is la. In this context, the fixed translation identifies it as the order being confirmed. The article marks the noun as definite; it does not itself state a numerical quantity. avant de introduces an action that happens earlier: avant de + infinitive. For example, Lavez-vous les mains avant de manger. means “Wash your hands before eating.” Here, de belongs to this pattern and is followed by servir. servir is the infinitive “to serve.” In avant de servir, it names the serving action that is placed after the confirmation and before the food is served. The infinitive itself does not identify the person who performs that action; the surrounding context can supply an agent, but this sentence does not need to specify one. French also uses servir in other patterns, such as Je sers le repas (“I serve the meal”), where the verb is conjugated for the subject. les plats means “the dishes,” or, in this food-service context, “the food.” plats is the plural of the masculine noun plat, so the definite article is les. The phrase is the object of servir: the dishes are what is served. plat can also mean a dish as a prepared course or item of food, depending on context. Together, Pourriez-vous confirmer la commande asks politely for confirmation of the order. avant de servir les plats places that confirmation before the serving event. The complete meaning is: “Could you confirm the order before the food is served?”

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

    Let me check now and tell you if anything needs changing.

    Je vais

    I’m going to; I will

    vérifier

    check; verify

    maintenant

    now

    dire

    tell; say

    s'il faut

    if it is necessary

    changer

    change

    quelque chose

    something

    More detail

    Je vais is the first-person singular present form of aller plus an infinitive. This construction expresses an action that the speaker is about to do or intends to do: Je vais partir. — “I’m going to leave.” Here, vais does not mean simple movement; it helps form the near future with the following infinitives. vérifier means “to check” or “to verify.” It is an infinitive, so it does not show person or number by itself. The subject is supplied by Je vais: “I am going to check.” Vérifier le document. — “Check the document.” This is also the infinitive used after many verbs and constructions. maintenant means “now” and identifies the time of the checking. Its position after vérifier is natural; it can also appear at the beginning for emphasis: Maintenant, je vais vérifier. — “Now I’m going to check.” dire means “to say” or “to tell,” and here it is another infinitive coordinated with vérifier by et. The same Je vais applies to both actions: Je vais vérifier et dire... — “I’m going to check and tell...” With a person receiving information, French commonly uses dire quelque chose à quelqu’un; in this sentence, vous occurs before dire and represents the person being told: “tell you.” s'il faut consists of si (“if”) and the impersonal form faut of falloir. The vowel of si is elided before il, producing s'il. Falloir is normally used impersonally, so il faut means “it is necessary” or, depending on context, “one needs to.” Here s'il faut introduces a condition about necessity: “if it is necessary.” Il faut attendre. — “It is necessary to wait” or more naturally, “We need to wait.” changer is the infinitive “to change.” In il faut changer, the impersonal construction is followed by an infinitive: Il faut changer de plan. — “We need to change the plan.” The form changer itself does not mark who must make the change; the surrounding construction supplies the necessity. quelque chose is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something.” It refers to an unspecified thing and does not identify a particular object. In changer quelque chose, it is the direct object of changer: “change something.” J’ai trouvé quelque chose. — “I found something.” Together, Je vais vérifier maintenant gives “I’m going to check now.” The coordinated infinitive phrase et vous dire adds the second intended action, “and tell you.” Finally, s'il faut changer quelque chose means “if something needs changing,” literally “if it is necessary to change something.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Let me check now and tell you if anything needs changing.”