المعنى
To arrange plates, cutlery, and glasses for a meal.
خلفية ثقافية
The placement of the fork tines down is a specific French tradition to show the family crest on the back. While the phrase is the same, the meal names differ. You might 'mettre la table' for 'le dîner' (lunch) or 'le souper' (dinner). Similar to France, but the emphasis on 'le couvert' is very strong in formal Belgian hosting. In French-speaking Switzerland, 'mettre la table' is often a communal activity involving all family members.
Help out!
If you are a guest in a French home, asking 'Est-ce que je peux mettre la table ?' is a very polite and appreciated gesture.
No 'Faire'!
Avoid 'faire la table' at all costs. It's the most common giveaway that you are translating from English.
المعنى
To arrange plates, cutlery, and glasses for a meal.
Help out!
If you are a guest in a French home, asking 'Est-ce que je peux mettre la table ?' is a very polite and appreciated gesture.
No 'Faire'!
Avoid 'faire la table' at all costs. It's the most common giveaway that you are translating from English.
Use 'Le Couvert'
To sound more like a native, try saying 'Je mets le couvert' occasionally.
اختبر نفسك
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'mettre'.
Chaque soir, nous _______ la table à 19h.
The subject is 'nous', so the verb must be 'mettons'.
Which phrase is the correct way to say 'to set the table' in French?
Comment dit-on 'to set the table' ?
'Mettre la table' is the standard idiomatic expression.
Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.
A: Le dîner est prêt ! B: D'accord, j'ai déjà _______.
The speaker is using the passé composé to say they have already done it.
Match the situation to the correct phrase.
You are in a fancy restaurant and the manager tells the waiter to prepare a table.
'Dresser' is the more formal/professional version used in restaurants.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
The French Place Setting
Gauche
- • Fourchette
Droite
- • Couteau
- • Cuillère
Haut
- • Verre à eau
- • Verre à vin
بنك التمارين
4 تمارينChaque soir, nous _______ la table à 19h.
The subject is 'nous', so the verb must be 'mettons'.
Comment dit-on 'to set the table' ?
'Mettre la table' is the standard idiomatic expression.
A: Le dîner est prêt ! B: D'accord, j'ai déjà _______.
The speaker is using the passé composé to say they have already done it.
You are in a fancy restaurant and the manager tells the waiter to prepare a table.
'Dresser' is the more formal/professional version used in restaurants.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
الأسئلة الشائعة
14 أسئلةNo, you can use it for breakfast (petit-déjeuner), lunch (déjeuner), or any meal that requires place settings.
'Mettre' is the everyday term. 'Dresser' is more formal and implies a professional or very elegant arrangement.
Yes, that specifically means 'to put the tablecloth on'. It is often the first step of 'mettre la table'.
The opposite is 'débarrasser la table'.
Yes, it is an irregular -re verb. You need to memorize its forms: mets, mets, met, mettons, mettez, mettent.
Yes, the article is required in this collocation. 'Mettre table' is incorrect.
Absolutely, it's one of the first chores French children learn to name.
It is 'mettre la table'. 'Se mettre à table' means to sit down to eat.
You can still say 'Je mets la table' or more accurately 'Je prépare mon assiette'.
No, for building you use 'fabriquer' or 'construire'.
Yes, though staff might use 'dresser' more often, 'mettre la table' is common.
It refers to the set of knife, fork, and spoon for one person.
Yes, in journalism it can mean 'to set the stage' for something.
Yes, it is universally understood across the Francophonie.
عبارات ذات صلة
Débarrasser la table
contrastTo clear the table after a meal.
Mettre le couvert
synonymTo set the place settings.
Se mettre à table
builds onTo sit down to eat.
Dresser la table
specialized formTo set the table formally.
