Checking ingredients and substitutions | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Avant de commencer à cuisiner, vérifions les ingrédients et les éventuels remplacements.

   Before we start cooking, let's check the ingredients and any substitutions.

   Avant de

   before

   commencer

   to start

   cuisiner

   to cook

   vérifions

   let's check

   ingrédients

   ingredients

   éventuels

   possible

   remplacements

   substitutions

   More detail

   Avant de introduces an action that happens earlier: avant de + an infinitive means “before doing ...”. Here it is followed by commencer, so the phrase means “before starting.” With a conjugated subject, French also uses avant que + a clause, but that is a different construction. commencer means “to start” or “to begin.” Its useful pattern is commencer à + infinitive: commencer à cuisiner means “to start cooking.” The à belongs to the pattern and is not part of the quoted form commencer. cuisiner is the infinitive “to cook.” It names the activity being started. Example: Je veux cuisiner. — “I want to cook.” vérifions means “let’s check.” It is the first-person plural form of vérifier (“to check”), and here it is the first-person plural imperative, used to propose or direct a joint action. In French, this form is also identical in shape to the present indicative form; the surrounding use gives it the “let’s” function. Example: Vérifions la liste. — “Let’s check the list.” ingrédients is the plural noun “ingredients.” Its singular is ingrédient; the plural ending -s is written but not normally pronounced separately. The article les marks this noun as plural and definite in this sentence. éventuels means “possible” or “potential” here. It is the masculine plural form of the adjective éventuel, agreeing with remplacements, which is masculine plural. The feminine plural form is éventuelles, as in des erreurs éventuelles (“possible errors”). remplacements is the plural noun “substitutions” or “replacements.” Its singular is remplacement. In this sentence, it refers to possible alternatives for ingredients, not to the act of checking itself. Together, Avant de commencer à cuisiner means “Before starting to cook.” Then vérifions les ingrédients et les éventuels remplacements means “let’s check the ingredients and any possible substitutions.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Before we start cooking, let’s check the ingredients and any substitutions.”

2. La recette prévoit des noix, et un invité est allergique aux fruits à coque.

   The recipe calls for walnuts, and one guest has a nut allergy.

   recette

   recipe

   prévoit

   calls for

   noix

   walnuts

   invité

   guest

   allergique

   allergic

   fruits à coque

   tree nuts

   More detail

   recette means “recipe” here. It is a feminine noun, so the singular definite article is la: la recette. The plural is les recettes. prévoit is the third-person singular present form of prévoir, “to foresee” or, with a recipe, “to call for.” The present tense states what the recipe specifies. The pattern une recette prévoit + ingredient is reusable: La recette prévoit du riz. — “The recipe calls for rice.” noix means “walnuts” here. The spelling is the same in the singular and plural; the surrounding determiner shows the number: une noix is singular, while des noix is plural. In this sentence, des noix is the ingredient called for. Des marks an indefinite plural ingredient, not a specific numerical count. invité means “guest.” It is a masculine singular noun in this sentence, marked by un: un invité. The feminine counterpart is une invitée, with an added e; the plural forms are des invités and des invitées. Here, the fixed translation specifies one guest, while un grammatically marks an indefinite masculine singular noun and does not inherently express a numerical count in every use. allergique means “allergic.” The adjective has the same spelling for masculine and feminine singular: un invité allergique, une invitée allergique. Its plural form is allergiques. French commonly uses the construction être allergique à + substance: Elle est allergique aux arachides. — “She is allergic to peanuts.” fruits à coque is the plural expression for “tree nuts” or “nuts with a shell.” Fruits is plural, and à coque specifies the type of fruit; this is not simply another grammatical form of noix. In the sentence, aux is the contraction of à + les, so allergique aux fruits à coque means “allergic to tree nuts.” The sentence first states the recipe requirement: La recette prévoit des noix — “The recipe calls for walnuts.” After et, it adds a separate fact about the guest: un invité est allergique aux fruits à coque — “one guest has a nut allergy.” Together, the utterance says that the recipe calls for walnuts while one guest is allergic to tree nuts.

3. Alors, nous devrions complètement retirer les noix.

   Then we should leave the walnuts out completely.

   Alors

   then

   nous devrions

   we should

   complètement

   completely

   retirer

   leave out

   noix

   walnuts

   More detail

   Alors means “then” here and can introduce a conclusion or next step. In other contexts, it can also mean “so” or “at that time”; the surrounding sentence determines the reading. nous devrions is the first-person plural conditional of devoir (“to have to” or “must”). Here, the conditional gives a recommendation: “we should.” Useful forms include nous devons (“we must / have to,” present) and nous devrions (“we should,” conditional). The subject nous is the group making the recommendation. complètement is an adverb meaning “completely.” It modifies the removal, making the recommendation to leave the walnuts out entirely rather than only partly. retirer is the infinitive of the verb “to remove” or “to take out.” After devoir, French uses an infinitive: nous devrions retirer = “we should remove.” In this sentence, the intended result is to leave an ingredient out. Example: Il faut retirer le sucre. — “The sugar must be removed.” noix means “walnuts” in this context. The written form noix is the same for singular and plural; the article or context shows the number: une noix (“a walnut”) versus les noix (“the walnuts”). The fixed sentence uses les noix, so it refers to the walnuts called for in the recipe. Together, Alors introduces the conclusion, nous devrions expresses the group’s recommendation, complètement retirer means “remove completely,” and les noix identifies the ingredient. The whole utterance therefore means: “Then we should leave the walnuts out completely.”

4. Des graines grillées donneraient quand même du croquant au plat.

   Toasted seeds would still give the dish some crunch.

   graines

   seeds

   grillées

   toasted

   donneraient

   would give

   quand même

   still

   croquant

   crunch

   plat

   dish

   More detail

   graines means “seeds” here. Its singular base form is graine; graines is the plural form. The plural is also shown by des, the plural indefinite article. Example: Une graine tombe. — “A seed falls.” grillées describes the seeds as toasted. It is the feminine plural form of the past participle grillé, from griller (“to toast” or “to grill”), used here adjectivally. It agrees with feminine plural graines: une graine grillée, des graines grillées. This form does not itself indicate who toasted them. Example: J’achète des amandes grillées. — “I’m buying toasted almonds.” donneraient means “would give.” Its infinitive is donner; this is the third-person plural conditional form, agreeing with the plural subject des graines. The conditional presents the effect as a proposed or hypothetical result rather than stating it as a current fact. Compare donnent (“give”) with donneraient (“would give”). Example: Ces épices donneraient plus de goût au plat. — “These spices would give the dish more flavor.” quand même means “still” or “nevertheless.” It marks a result that remains true despite an understood consideration. In this sentence, the seeds would provide crunch nevertheless; it does not change the identity of the subject or the conditional meaning of donneraient. croquant is the noun “crunch,” referring here to a crisp texture. It is related to the adjective croquant (“crunchy”), but in du croquant, the form is being used as a noun. The phrase du croquant means “some crunch” or “a crunchy texture”; du is the contraction of de and le, not a separate claim about a measured quantity. Example: Cette salade apporte du croquant. — “This salad adds crunch.” plat means “dish” in the sense of prepared food. Its plural is plats. In au plat, au combines à and le, giving the meaning “to the dish.” Example: J’ajoute du citron au plat. — “I add lemon to the dish.” Putting the parts together, Des graines grillées is the plural subject, donneraient says that their effect is hypothetical or proposed, and du croquant au plat says what they would add and where: “crunch to the dish.” Quand même adds “still” or “nevertheless.” The complete utterance is: “Toasted seeds would still give the dish some crunch.”

5. Utilisons plutôt des graines et gardons la note sur l'allergie bien visible pendant que nous cuisinons.

   Let's use seeds instead, and keep the allergy note visible while we cook.

   Utilisons

   let's use

   plutôt

   instead

   graines

   seeds

   gardons

   let's keep

   note

   note

   allergie

   allergy

   visible

   visible

   pendant que

   while

   cuisinons

   cook

   More detail

   Utilisons is the first-person plural imperative of utiliser (“to use”): utiliser → utilisons. Here it means “let’s use,” proposing an action for the speaker and others. A reusable pattern is Utilisons + noun, as in Utilisons cette méthode. — “Let’s use this method.” plutôt means “instead” here. It presents seeds as the choice replacing an earlier or alternative option. In another context, plutôt can also mean “rather,” but “instead” is the intended sense in this sentence. graines is the plural of the feminine noun graine, “seed.” The plural article des introduces an unspecified plural amount; it does not by itself state a particular number. des graines therefore means “seeds” in general or some seeds. The neighboring adjective in the previous context, grillées, also shows feminine plural agreement with graines, but that adjective is not part of this utterance. gardons is the first-person plural imperative of garder (“to keep,” “to leave in a state”): garder → gardons. It forms a second coordinated suggestion: “let’s keep.” A useful pattern is Gardons + object + adjective, as in Gardons la porte fermée. — “Let’s keep the door closed.” note is the feminine noun note, meaning “note” or “written notice” here. In la note, the definite article marks a specific note understood in the situation. The phrase sur l'allergie identifies its subject: sur means “about/on,” and l'allergie is the elided form of la allergie before a vowel sound; French uses l' with this feminine noun. allergie is the feminine noun for “allergy.” Its plural is allergies; the singular form here matches the singular article l'. Thus la note sur l'allergie means “the note about the allergy,” without specifying any further details about the allergy. visible is an adjective meaning “visible.” It is feminine singular here because it describes the feminine singular noun note: une note visible / la note visible. The masculine singular form is also visible, while the plural is visibles; the spelling does not change for masculine versus feminine singular in this adjective. Garder la note visible means to keep the note in a state where it can be seen. pendant que is a conjunction meaning “while.” It introduces an event occurring during the time of the main action. Unlike a simple preposition such as pendant, it is followed here by a clause: pendant que nous cuisinons — “while we cook.” cuisinons is the first-person plural present form of cuisiner (“to cook”): cuisiner → nous cuisinons. The explicit subject nous means “we,” and the present form describes the cooking as simultaneous with keeping the note visible. For example, Nous cuisinons pendant que l'eau chauffe. — “We cook while the water heats.” Together, Utilisons plutôt des graines means “Let’s use seeds instead.” The coordinated gardons la note sur l'allergie bien visible means “and let’s keep the allergy note clearly visible”; bien strengthens visible, meaning that it should be plainly or clearly visible. Finally, pendant que nous cuisinons supplies the time frame “while we cook.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Let’s use seeds instead, and keep the allergy note visible while we cook.”

6. Comme c'est un plat cuit au four, nous devons quand même suivre les mesures de près.

   Since this is a baked dish, we should still follow the measurements closely.

   Comme c'est

   Since this is

   plat

   dish

   cuit

   cooked; baked

   au four

   in the oven

   quand même

   still; nevertheless

   nous devons

   we must

   suivre

   follow

   mesures

   measurements

   de près

   closely

   More detail

   Comme c'est introduces the reason for what follows: “since this is” or, depending on context, “as this is.” c'est is the common contraction of ce est; here it identifies the dish with the description that follows. Example: Comme c'est urgent, nous partons. — “Since it is urgent, we are leaving.” plat means “dish,” referring here to the food being prepared. It is a masculine noun: un plat, le plat. Example: Ce plat est simple. — “This dish is simple.” cuit describes the dish as cooked or baked. In this sentence it is the past participle of cuire (“to cook”), used descriptively and agreeing with masculine singular plat: un plat cuit. With a feminine singular noun, the form is cuite; with a plural noun, cuits or cuites according to gender. Example: une tarte cuite au four — “a pie baked in the oven.” au four means “in the oven.” au is the contraction of à + le, so the phrase is built with the masculine noun four (“oven”). Together, cuit au four gives the reusable pattern “baked in the oven.” quand même adds a contrast: “still” or “nevertheless.” It signals that the action remains necessary despite the reason just mentioned. Example: Il pleut, mais nous sortons quand même. — “It is raining, but we are still going out.” nous devons expresses obligation: “we must” or “we have to.” devons is the first-person plural present form of devoir; its infinitive is devoir. It is followed here by another verb in the infinitive: nous devons suivre — “we must follow.” Example: Nous devons attendre. — “We have to wait.” suivre means “to follow.” It is an infinitive after devons. In this context, following the measurements means adhering to them while preparing the dish. Example: Il faut suivre les instructions. — “You have to follow the instructions.” mesures means “measurements” here. It is the plural of the feminine noun mesure (“measurement”); the plural is marked by -s in writing. In a cooking context, the measurements are the specified quantities or measurements for the ingredients. Example: Vérifiez les mesures avant de commencer. — “Check the measurements before starting.” de près means “closely” or “carefully” in this use. It modifies suivre, indicating close adherence rather than merely following in a general way. Example: Elle suit la recette de près. — “She follows the recipe closely.” Taken together, Comme c'est un plat cuit au four gives the reason: “Since this is a dish baked in the oven.” nous devons suivre les mesures de près states the obligation and its manner: “we should still follow the measurements closely.” quand même places “still” between the reason and the obligation, preserving the contrast: even though the dish is baked in the oven, the measurements must nevertheless be followed closely.

7. Avons-nous assez de lait, ou devrais-je en acheter davantage ?

   Do we have enough milk, or should I buy more?

   Avons-nous

   Do we have

   assez

   enough

   lait

   milk

   devrais-je

   should I

   acheter

   buy

   davantage

   more

   More detail

   Avons-nous is the present-tense form of avoir for nous (“we”) with subject–verb inversion, a standard way to form a question in a more neutral or formal style. The same pattern is reusable in Avons-nous du pain ? (“Do we have bread?”). Here, avons means “have”; it is not the question word itself. assez means “enough.” With a noun, the reusable pattern is assez de + noun: assez de lait means “enough milk.” The de belongs to this quantity pattern; it does not assert a numerical count. lait is the noun “milk.” In this sentence it is understood as the substance being measured for the recipe, and de connects it to the quantity expression. For another mass noun, the same pattern works in assez de farine (“enough flour”). devrais-je comes from devoir, “must / have to,” in the present conditional, first-person singular: je devrais becomes devrais-je through inversion. In this sentence the conditional gives the recommendation “should I.” Dois-je acheter… ? would instead ask more directly “Must I buy…?” or “Do I have to buy…?” acheter is the infinitive “to buy.” After a form of devoir, the following verb remains in the infinitive: je devrais acheter means “I should buy.” For example, Je devrais acheter du pain. means “I should buy bread.” davantage is the adverb “more.” It can stand without repeating the noun: acheter davantage means “buy more.” In en acheter davantage, en refers back to the milk, so the phrase means “buy more of it.” Davantage is a useful alternative to plus in this meaning, especially in somewhat more formal wording. Taken together, Avons-nous assez de lait asks whether the available milk is sufficient. ou (“or”) introduces the alternative, devrais-je en acheter davantage ? (“should I buy more of it?”). The whole utterance therefore asks: “Do we have enough milk, or should I buy more?”

8. Nous en avons assez, mais vérifie la date avant de l'utiliser.

   We have enough, but check the date before using it.

   Nous

   we

   en avons assez

   have enough of it/them

   mais

   but

   vérifie

   check

   date

   date

   avant de

   before doing something

   utiliser

   use

   More detail

   Nous is the first-person plural subject pronoun: “we.” It identifies the speaker together with at least one other person. Compare je (“I”) for one speaker and vous for “you” in the relevant plural or formal use. en avons assez combines en, avons, and assez. Here it means having enough of the item already under discussion. en is a pronoun replacing a previously understood quantity or thing; the fixed sentence itself does not name that item. avons is the first-person plural present form of avoir (“to have”): j’ai, nous avons. assez means “enough” and comes after the verb in this construction. Example: Nous en avons assez. — “We have enough of it/them.” mais means “but” and links two contrasting clauses: one states that there is enough, while the next gives an instruction about checking before use. vérifie is the informal singular imperative of vérifier (“to check”): “check!” The imperative addresses one person directly. The present indicative form for “you check” is also tu vérifies, but the imperative has no subject pronoun here. Example: Vérifie l’étiquette. — “Check the label.” date is the noun “date.” In the sentence, la date means “the date,” with the feminine definite article la; the noun itself does not change because of this article. Example: La date est correcte. — “The date is correct.” avant de introduces an action occurring earlier: “before doing something.” It is followed by an infinitive, not a conjugated verb. Compare avant de partir (“before leaving”) with avant que ... (“before ...”), which introduces a separate clause with its own subject and conjugated verb. utiliser is the infinitive “to use.” In l’utiliser, l’ is a singular direct-object pronoun meaning “it” here, placed before the infinitive; the vowel of le or la is elided before utiliser. In other contexts, the same pronoun can refer to a singular person or thing. Example: Avant de l’utiliser, lis la notice. — “Before using it, read the instructions.” Together, Nous en avons assez says that the speaker and others have a sufficient amount of the understood item. mais vérifie la date contrasts that fact with the direct instruction “but check the date,” and avant de l’utiliser specifies that the checking must occur before using it. The complete meaning is: “We have enough, but check the date before using it.”

9. Les ingrédients ont l'air sûrs et prêts à être utilisés maintenant.

   The ingredients look safe and ready now.

   ingrédients

   ingredients

   ont l'air

   look / seem

   sûrs

   safe

   prêts

   ready

   à être utilisés

   to be used

   maintenant

   now

   More detail

   ingrédients means “ingredients” here. It is the plural of ingrédient; the plural refers to more than one ingredient without specifying an exact number. Example: Les ingrédients sont sur la table. — “The ingredients are on the table.” ont l'air is the third-person plural form of avoir l'air, literally “to have the appearance,” and it means “look” or “seem.” The third-person plural subject Les ingrédients is why avoir appears as ont. This construction presents an impression rather than a direct assertion. Example: Ils ont l'air fatigués. — “They look tired.” sûrs is the masculine plural form of the adjective sûr, agreeing with the masculine plural noun ingrédients. In this sentence, it means “safe.” The agreement is carried by sûrs, not by ingrédients itself. Example: Ces produits sont sûrs. — “These products are safe.” prêts is the masculine plural form of prêt, meaning “ready.” It agrees with ingrédients. Here it says that the ingredients are in a condition in which they can be used. Example: Les outils sont prêts. — “The tools are ready.” à être utilisés expresses “to be used.” être utilisés is a passive infinitive: être means “to be,” and utilisés is the masculine plural past participle of utiliser, agreeing with the understood subject referring to les ingrédients. Compare the active pattern à utiliser (“to use”) with the passive pattern à être utilisés (“to be used”) when the ingredients receive the action. Example: Les documents sont prêts à être envoyés. — “The documents are ready to be sent.” maintenant means “now,” locating the described state at the present time. Example: Vous pouvez commencer maintenant. — “You can start now.” Together, Les ingrédients ont l'air sûrs means “The ingredients look safe,” and et prêts à être utilisés maintenant adds that they look ready to be used now. The full utterance therefore means: “The ingredients look safe and ready now.”

10. Cette vérification devrait nous aider à éviter les risques d'allergie et à conserver le bon goût du plat.

    This check should help us avoid allergy risks and keep the dish tasting right.

    Cette

    this

    vérification

    check

    devrait

    should

    nous

    us

    aider

    help

    éviter

    avoid

    risques

    risks

    allergie

    allergy

    conserver

    keep

    bon

    good

    goût

    taste

    plat

    dish

    More detail

    Cette means “this” here. It is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective, agreeing with vérification, which is feminine singular. The masculine singular counterpart is ce; other forms include cet before certain vowel sounds and ces for plural nouns. vérification means “check” or “verification.” It is a feminine noun related to the verb vérifier (“to check”). In this sentence, it names the check that is expected to be useful. devrait expresses “should” here. It is the third-person singular conditional form of devoir; the infinitive is devoir. The conditional form often presents an expected or advisable result rather than stating it as certain. Example: Cela devrait fonctionner. — “That should work.” nous means “us” here. It is an object pronoun: the check should help us, so nous receives the action of aider. The corresponding subject pronoun is nous as well, but its role is determined by the construction; for example, Nous vérifions means “We check.” aider means “to help.” After aider, French commonly uses à followed by an infinitive: aider quelqu’un à faire quelque chose — “to help someone do something.” Here, nous aider à éviter means “help us avoid.” éviter means “to avoid.” It is an infinitive after à, and it introduces the first action that the check should help with. Example: Il faut éviter cette erreur. — “This mistake must be avoided.” risques means “risks.” The singular is risque; the final -s marks the plural here. les risques is definite plural, meaning “the risks” understood in this situation, not an unspecified set of risks. allergie means “allergy.” In d’allergie, d’ is the elided form of de before a vowel sound. The phrase risques d’allergie means “allergy risks,” or more literally “risks of allergy.” conserver means “to keep” or “to preserve.” It is another infinitive coordinated with éviter. The repeated à gives the parallel pattern à éviter ... et à conserver ...: “to avoid ... and to keep ...”. In this sentence, conserver concerns preserving the dish’s proper taste. bon means “good” here. It is the masculine singular form of the adjective, agreeing with goût, which is masculine singular. The feminine singular form is bonne; plural forms are bons and bonnes according to gender. Example: une bonne idée — “a good idea.” goût means “taste” here, specifically the taste of the dish. It is a masculine noun, which is why the adjective is bon, not bonne. The circumflex is part of the spelling and should be preserved. plat means “dish” here. It is a masculine noun, and du plat is the contraction of de le plat, meaning “of the dish.” In le bon goût du plat, du plat identifies whose taste is being discussed: the dish’s taste. Together, Cette vérification devrait nous aider means “This check should help us.” The two coordinated infinitive phrases, à éviter les risques d’allergie and à conserver le bon goût du plat, state the two aims: avoiding allergy risks and keeping the dish tasting right. The complete utterance therefore means: “This check should help us avoid allergy risks and keep the dish tasting right.”