Asking about dietary restrictions before ordering | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Un convive a une restriction alimentaire, alors nous avons besoin d'informations claires avant de commander.

   One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.

   convive

   guest

   a

   has

   restriction

   restriction

   alimentaire

   dietary

   avons besoin

   need

   informations

   information

   claires

   clear

   avant de

   before

   commander

   order

   More detail

   convive means a guest or diner: someone taking part in a meal. It is a useful noun for a person at a shared meal. Example: Les convives arrivent. — “The guests are arriving.” a is the third-person singular present form of avoir (“to have”). The form changes with the subject: il/elle a, but nous avons. Here it states that one guest has a restriction. Example: Elle a une allergie. — “She has an allergy.” restriction is a restriction or limitation. In restriction alimentaire, it refers to a limitation concerning what someone can eat. The noun is feminine, as shown by une in the fixed sentence. Example: Cette restriction est importante. — “This restriction is important.” alimentaire is the adjective “dietary” or “related to food.” It modifies restriction; it is not the base form of that noun. The adjective has the same form for masculine and feminine singular here, while its plural form is alimentaires. Example: des besoins alimentaires — “dietary needs.” avons besoin is part of the reusable construction avoir besoin de (“to need”). avons is the first-person plural present form of avoir, used with nous; besoin is the noun “need.” The construction requires de before the thing needed: Nous avons besoin de temps. — “We need time.” informations is the plural of information, meaning pieces of information or details. French commonly uses this countable plural when referring to several details; the following adjective shows the plural form. Example: J’ai des informations utiles. — “I have useful information.” claires means “clear” here, in the sense of easy to understand. Its base form is the adjective clair; claires is feminine plural because it agrees with feminine plural informations. Compare une information claire (“one clear piece of information”) with des informations claires (“clear information/details”). avant de introduces an action that happens earlier: “before” + an infinitive. In this sentence, avant de commander means “before ordering,” with the ordering understood in the context as the group’s action. Example: Lisez la notice avant de commencer. — “Read the instructions before starting.” commander is the infinitive “to order.” In a restaurant context, it means to order food or drinks; in other contexts it can mean to command or place an order. Example: Nous allons commander. — “We are going to order.” Together, Un convive a une restriction alimentaire says that one guest has a dietary restriction. alors links that fact to its consequence, “so,” and nous avons besoin d’informations claires says that we need clear information. Finally, avant de commander places that need before the ordering. The whole utterance means: “One guest has a dietary restriction, so we need clear information before ordering.”

2. Nous pouvons énumérer les ingrédients.

   We can list the ingredients.

   Nous pouvons

   we can

   énumérer

   list

   ingrédients

   ingredients

   More detail

   Nous pouvons means “we can.” pouvons is the present-tense first-person plural form of pouvoir (“to be able to, can”); the subject nous is “we.” French commonly uses pouvoir followed by an infinitive: Nous pouvons commencer. — “We can start.” The form changes with the subject: je peux (“I can”), nous pouvons (“we can”), ils peuvent (“they can”). énumérer means “to list” or “to enumerate.” It is an infinitive, the form used after pouvons; it names the action that is possible. For example, Nous pouvons énumérer les options. — “We can list the options.” ingrédients means “ingredients.” It is the plural of ingrédient; the plural ending -s is written here but is generally not pronounced in French. In the complete phrase, the definite article les marks these as the ingredients relevant to the situation. A singular example is un ingrédient — “an ingredient”; a plural example is des ingrédients — “ingredients” or “some ingredients.” Together, Nous pouvons + infinitive énumérer forms “we can list,” and les ingrédients is what is listed. The complete utterance means: “We can list the ingredients.”

3. Mais je dois préciser que les zones de préparation sont partagées.

   But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.

   Mais

   but

   je dois

   I should / must

   préciser

   clarify; specify

   zones

   areas; zones

   préparation

   preparation

   partagées

   shared

   More detail

   Mais introduces a contrast with what has just been said: “but.” It is a common contrast linker and normally connects the current statement to an earlier idea. je dois uses devoir in the present tense with je: je dois. Here, with the following infinitive, it expresses the speaker’s obligation or need to do something, rendered naturally as “I should” in this translation. The infinitive keeps the same subject: Je dois vérifier. — “I need to check.” préciser is an infinitive meaning “to specify” or “to clarify.” After devoir, French uses an infinitive: je dois préciser, not a conjugated second verb. The useful pattern is devoir + infinitive. que introduces the content of what the speaker needs to specify: préciser que... means “specify that...” or “clarify that...”. The clause after que states the information being clarified. zones is the feminine plural of the noun zone, “area” or “zone.” The plural ending -s reflects the fact that more than one area is meant. une zone — “an area”; des zones — “areas.” préparation is the feminine singular noun “preparation.” In zones de préparation, de links the noun to the type or purpose of the areas, giving “preparation areas.” The singular form here names the activity or function, rather than asserting that there is only one preparation. partagées means “shared” here. It is the feminine plural form of the past participle partagé, from partager (“to share”), used adjectivally. It agrees with feminine plural zones: une zone partagée, des zones partagées. The masculine plural counterpart is partagés; the feminine singular is partagée. Together, les zones de préparation means “the prep areas.” The clause les zones de préparation sont partagées says that those areas are shared; sont is the third-person plural present form of être, agreeing with zones. The complete utterance adds Mais je dois préciser que..., so its meaning is: “But I should mention that the prep areas are shared.”

4. C'est utile : le convive peut décider quel niveau de risque lui paraît acceptable.

   That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.

   C'est

   It is

   utile

   useful

   convive

   guest

   peut

   can

   décider

   decide

   quel

   what; which

   niveau

   level

   risque

   risk

   lui

   to him or her

   paraît

   seems

   acceptable

   acceptable

   More detail

   C'est is the contracted form of ce est: ce is a demonstrative pronoun and est is the third-person singular present form of être. In C'est utile, it introduces a general evaluation, meaning “it/that is useful.” utile is an adjective meaning useful. Its form is the same for masculine and feminine singular; the plural is utiles. Here it evaluates the situation just mentioned. convive means guest or diner, especially someone taking part in a meal. The noun can refer to a person of either gender; the article shows the masculine singular form here: le convive. Its plural is les convives. peut is the third-person singular present form of pouvoir, “can” or “is able to.” Here it expresses the guest’s ability or possibility, not a command. The useful pattern is pouvoir + infinitive: Elle peut choisir. — “She can choose.” décider is the infinitive “to decide.” After peut, French uses the infinitive directly: peut décider. With a thing being chosen, décider can introduce the decision with a clause, as here: décider quel niveau... — “decide what level...”. quel means “what” or “which” when it comes before a noun. It agrees with that noun: quel masculine singular, quelle feminine singular, quels masculine plural, and quelles feminine plural. Here quel agrees with the masculine singular noun niveau. niveau means level. It is a masculine noun, and quel niveau asks which degree or amount is intended. The pattern un niveau de + noun can identify the kind of level: un niveau de difficulté — “a level of difficulty.” risque means risk. In niveau de risque, de risque specifies what is being measured: “level of risk.” Risque is a masculine noun, but the preposition de does not itself express a quantity here. lui is the third-person singular indirect object pronoun, meaning “to him” or “to her.” In this sentence it marks the person whose judgment is involved: the guest finds the level acceptable. The same form is used for either gender; a plural indirect pronoun would be leur. paraît is the third-person singular present form of paraître, “to seem” or “to appear.” Its subject is quel niveau de risque, which is singular; lui is not the subject. The pattern quelque chose paraît + adjective means that something seems to have that quality: Le résultat paraît clair. — “The result seems clear.” acceptable means acceptable. It describes niveau, so it is singular; the same spelling is used for masculine and feminine singular, while the plural is acceptables. Here the wording says that the level seems acceptable to the guest, rather than asserting that every level is acceptable. Taken together, C'est utile gives the evaluation “That is useful.” Then le convive peut décider says that the guest can make a decision. quel niveau de risque identifies what the guest decides, and lui paraît acceptable says that the level seems acceptable to that guest. The whole utterance means: “That helps; the guest can decide what level of risk is acceptable.”

5. Je demanderai à la cuisine de vérifier chaque élément plutôt que de deviner.

   I'll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.

   demanderai

   will ask

   cuisine

   kitchen

   vérifier

   to check

   chaque

   each

   élément

   component

   plutôt que de

   rather than

   deviner

   to guess

   More detail

   demanderai is the first-person singular future of demander (“to ask”): je demanderai = “I will ask.” The ending -ai here marks the future with subject je; it is not the present form. Example: Je demanderai confirmation. — “I will ask for confirmation.” cuisine means “kitchen” here. In la cuisine, the noun is feminine singular, and la is the agreeing feminine singular definite article. Example: La cuisine prépare le plat. — “The kitchen is preparing the dish.” vérifier means “to check” or “to verify.” It is an infinitive in the construction demander à [someone] de vérifier: ask someone to check. Example: Je lui demanderai de vérifier. — “I will ask them to check.” chaque means “each” or “every.” It introduces a singular noun: chaque élément, not a plural noun. It focuses on the members of a set one by one. Example: Chaque détail compte. — “Every detail matters.” élément means “component” or “element.” Here it refers to each component being checked. Its plural is éléments; the singular form after chaque is required by that determiner. Example: Chaque élément est indiqué. — “Each component is indicated.” plutôt que de introduces an alternative that is preferred over the following action: “rather than.” After plutôt que, de precedes an infinitive when the alternative is an action, as in plutôt que de deviner. Example: Je vérifierai plutôt que de supposer. — “I will check rather than assume.” deviner means “to guess” or “to figure out without checking.” It is an infinitive after de in the alternative introduced by plutôt que de. The sentence contrasts checking information with guessing it. Example: Il préfère demander plutôt que de deviner. — “He prefers to ask rather than guess.” Together, Je demanderai à la cuisine de vérifier chaque élément means “I will ask the kitchen to check each component.” plutôt que de deviner adds the preferred alternative: “rather than guessing.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I’ll ask the kitchen to check each component instead of guessing.”

6. Veuillez inclure les sauces et les garnitures aussi, car on peut facilement les oublier.

   Please include sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.

   Veuillez

   please

   inclure

   include

   les sauces

   the sauces

   les garnitures

   the toppings

   aussi

   too

   on peut

   can / is possible

   facilement

   easily

   oublier

   forget

   More detail

   Veuillez is a polite formal request meaning “please.” It is the vous imperative of vouloir (“to want”), used before an infinitive: Veuillez patienter. — “Please wait.” inclure is the infinitive “to include.” After veuillez, French uses the infinitive for the requested action. Example: Veuillez confirmer. — “Please confirm.” les sauces means “the sauces.” sauce is feminine, and les marks the plural definite article; the noun itself is plural here: singular la sauce, plural les sauces. les garnitures means “the toppings.” garniture is feminine; its plural form is garnitures, with les as the plural definite article. In this sentence, it refers to toppings or accompanying additions, as established by the fixed translation. aussi adds “too” or “also.” It indicates that sauces and toppings should be included in addition to the other components being discussed. on peut expresses a general possibility: “one can” or “it is possible to.” on is the subject pronoun used here for a general person or people, and peut is the third-person singular present form of pouvoir (“can, be able to”). The subject on takes a singular verb form: On peut vérifier. — “One can check.” facilement is the adverb “easily.” It modifies the action that follows and is formed from the adjective facile (“easy”). oublier is the infinitive “to forget.” It follows the conjugated modal peut: on peut oublier means “one can forget.” Example: On peut oublier un détail. — “One can forget a detail.” The sentence combines a polite request, Veuillez inclure, with the two requested plural items, les sauces et les garnitures, and aussi adds them to the items already under consideration. The second clause, introduced by car (“because/since”), gives the reason: on peut facilement les oublier, “those are easy to miss.” Here les is the plural object pronoun referring to the sauces and toppings, and oublier remains an infinitive after peut. Overall: “Please include the sauces and toppings too, since those are easy to miss.”

7. Je m'assurerai que la cuisine les vérifie séparément.

   I'll make sure they check those separately.

   Je m'assurerai

   I'll make sure

   que

   that

   la cuisine

   the kitchen

   les

   them / those

   vérifie

   checks

   séparément

   separately

   More detail

   Je m'assurerai is the first-person singular future of s'assurer, “to make sure” or “to ensure.” The pronoun me appears in its contracted form m' before the vowel of assurer. The ending -ai marks the future with subject je: je m'assure is present, while je m'assurerai means “I will make sure.” que introduces the clause containing what will be ensured. A useful pattern is s'assurer que + clause: “to make sure that …” la cuisine literally means “the kitchen.” Here it is a feminine singular noun phrase functioning as the subject of vérifie; in the fixed translation, “they” represents the people or service associated with the kitchen. The article la agrees with the feminine singular noun cuisine. les is a plural direct-object pronoun meaning “them” or, in this translation, “those.” The preceding context identifies its intended referents as the sauces and garnishes. As a pronoun, les does not itself mark gender; it marks plural number. Compare le or la for a singular direct object. vérifie is the third-person singular present form of vérifier, “to check” or “to verify.” It agrees with la cuisine, not with the plural object les: la cuisine vérifie les sauces means “the kitchen checks the sauces.” The present form appears inside the clause introduced by que; French commonly uses the present there even when the main verb refers to a future action. séparément is an adverb meaning “separately.” It describes how the checking is carried out. The related adjective is séparé/séparée, but the observed form séparément is the adverb. Together, Je m'assurerai que means “I’ll make sure that,” and la cuisine les vérifie séparément means “the kitchen checks those separately.” The complete utterance therefore means “I’ll make sure they check those separately,” with les referring to the sauces and garnishes identified in the preceding context.

8. Ainsi, tout le monde pourra commander sans mettre le convive sous pression.

   Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.

   Ainsi

   Then; thus

   tout le monde

   everyone

   pourra

   can; will be able to

   commander

   order

   sans

   without

   mettre … sous pression

   put under pressure

   le convive

   the guest

   More detail

   Ainsi means “then” here and can also mean “thus” or “in this way.” It links this sentence to what has just been established and presents the result or consequence. tout le monde means “everyone.” Although it refers to multiple people in meaning, monde is grammatically singular, so the verb is singular: tout le monde pourra, not a plural form. Compare tout le monde (“everyone”) with personne (“no one”) in a suitable context. pourra is the third-person singular future form of pouvoir (“to be able to; can”): pouvoir → il/elle pourra. Here it presents the ability or possibility of ordering as future relative to the sentence’s reference point, so “will be able to order” is a useful literal rendering. In the fixed translation, this is naturally rendered as “can.” The future form does not by itself assert that ordering is impossible now. commander is the infinitive “to order.” After pouvoir, French uses the infinitive for the action that someone is able to perform: Elle pourra venir means “She will be able to come.” In this sentence, pourra commander means “will be able to order.” sans means “without.” A useful reusable pattern is sans + infinitive when the sentence means that an action happens without another action happening: Il est parti sans attendre means “He left without waiting.” mettre is the infinitive “to put” or “to place.” It is irregular in some forms; its present forms include je mets, il/elle met, and ils/elles mettent. Here it appears in the construction mettre quelqu’un sous pression, literally “put someone under pressure.” sous pression means “under pressure.” Together with mettre, it forms the reusable expression mettre quelqu’un sous pression: “to put someone under pressure.” The separate object in this sentence is le convive, so mettre le convive sous pression means “put the guest under pressure.” le convive means “the guest” here, specifically a person taking part in a meal. In this sentence, le marks the masculine form of the noun phrase; convive can also occur with la for a feminine referent. Example: Les convives arrivent means “The guests are arriving.” The sentence combines tout le monde pourra commander (“everyone will be able to order”) with sans mettre le convive sous pression (“without putting the guest under pressure”). With Ainsi at the beginning, the complete meaning is: “Then everyone can order without putting pressure on the guest.”

9. Dès que j'aurai les détails, je reviendrai vous les expliquer point par point.

   Once I have the details, I'll come back and walk you through them.

   Dès que

   as soon as

   j'aurai

   I will have

   les détails

   the details

   je reviendrai

   I will come back

   vous

   you

   les

   them

   expliquer

   explain

   point par point

   point by point

   More detail

   Dès que introduces a future time condition meaning “as soon as.” In French, a future event after dès que commonly uses the future tense, not the present. Example: Dès que tu arriveras, appelle-moi. — “As soon as you arrive, call me.” j'aurai is the first-person singular future form of avoir (“to have”). Here it is the future simple, expressing possession at that future time; it is not the future perfect (French futur antérieur). A future-perfect form would combine a future auxiliary with a past participle, as in j'aurai reçu (“I will have received”). les détails means “the details”: les is the plural definite article “the,” and détails is the plural of détail. je reviendrai is the first-person singular future form of revenir, “to come back/return.” Its base form is revenir; its future stem is reviendr-, giving je reviendrai. Example: Je reviendrai demain. — “I’ll come back tomorrow.” vous is the object pronoun meaning “you” here. It can be polite singular or plural; the sentence itself does not specify which grammatical possibility applies. In vous les expliquer, it marks the people receiving the explanation. les is the plural direct-object pronoun “them.” Here, the fixed translation identifies it as referring to les détails, so the meaning is “explain the details to you.” French places these object pronouns before the infinitive: vous les expliquer. expliquer is the infinitive “to explain.” After revenir, the infinitive expresses the purpose of coming back: revenir expliquer quelque chose means “come back to explain something.” With the pronouns included, je reviendrai vous les expliquer means “I’ll come back to explain them to you.” point par point is an expression meaning “point by point,” or “one point at a time.” It describes the organized manner of the explanation. Example: Nous allons examiner le problème point par point. — “We’re going to examine the problem point by point.” The complete structure is Dès que + future event, followed by the main clause. Dès que j'aurai les détails means “Once I have the details.” Then je reviendrai supplies the future action, vous les expliquer identifies the recipients and the details being explained, and point par point gives the manner. Together: “Once I have the details, I’ll come back and walk you through them.”