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Alex, Sophie and Julien have dinner together and order from a waiter.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît is the fixed phrase for asking for the bill. Note that la carte is the menu; le menu in French usually means a fixed-price set meal.
How do I read these pronunciations? See the pronunciation guide.
1. Aimer and préférer — likes
Both are regular -er verbs: j'aime, tu aimes; je préfère, tu préfères. Unlike English, French keeps the article after them — j'aime la soupe, never j'aime soupe.
2. Vous pouvez + infinitive — polite requests
You met je peux in Lesson 3. Turn it around to vous pouvez and you have the polite way to ask someone else to do something. End with s'il vous plaît and it is perfect restaurant French.
3. Adjectives come after the noun
Most French adjectives follow the noun, the opposite of English: la sauce piquante ("the spicy sauce"), le plat principal, un poulet frais. The adjective also takes an -e when the noun is feminine.
4. Ordering — putting it together
A whole restaurant order needs only what you already know: Je voudrais (Lesson 2) for what you want, Vous pouvez… ? for a favour, and Qu'est-ce que vous conseillez ? to ask the waiter's advice.
A. Fill in the Blank · Complétez
Fill in the blank with a word from this lesson's vocabulary.
- 1.Voici la .menu
- 2.Qu'est-ce que vous ?you recommend
- 3.Je le plat principal.I prefer
- 4., s'il vous plaît.the check
B. Multiple Choice · Choix multiple
Choose the best answer.
- 1.How do you say "I like soup"?
- 2.How do you politely ask the waiter to bring water?
- 3.Which is correct French word order?
- 4.Which phrase means "right away"?
C. Rearrange the Sentence · Remettez dans l'ordre
Rearrange the words into a correct sentence, adding the punctuation shown in parentheses.
- 1.Tap tiles below…
- 2.Tap tiles below…
- 3.Tap tiles below…
- 4.Tap tiles below…
D. True or False · Vrai ou faux
Based on the dialogue, mark each sentence T (true) or F (false).
- 1.The waiter recommends the tomato soup.
- 2.Sophie orders the chicken.
- 3.Julien asks for wine.
- 4.The chicken is spicy.
E. Matching · Associez
Match each line on the left with the best response on the right.
F. Translation · Traduction
Translate items 1–2 into French, and items 3–4 into English.
- 1.I'd like the chicken.
- 2.The check, please.
- 3.Qu'est-ce que vous conseillez ?
- 4.Tout a l'air délicieux.
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The bill, and the tip
Service is included by law — service compris — and French servers are salaried rather than living on tips. Leaving something is optional and small: rounding up, or a couple of euros for a meal you enjoyed. Tipping at American percentages reads as confusing rather than generous. The bill will not arrive until you ask for it, since bringing it unbidden would mean hurrying you out. Bread is free and can be refilled, and so is tap water, if you ask for une carafe d'eau rather than accepting the bottled water you will otherwise be offered and charged for.