At the A1 level, 'c'est prêt' is a essential phrase for daily life. You learn it primarily in the context of food and mealtimes. It helps you understand when a teacher or a host is telling you that something is finished and ready for you. You don't need to worry about complex grammar yet; just remember that 'c'est' means 'it is' and 'prêt' means 'ready.' It is a useful phrase to use if you are helping someone in the kitchen or if you want to tell your friends that you are finished with a simple task. You might hear it as 'C'est prêt !' or as a question 'C'est prêt ?'. It is one of the first multi-word expressions that gives you a sense of functional communication in a French household.
At the A2 level, you begin to use 'c'est prêt' in more diverse contexts beyond just mealtimes. You might use it to talk about your homework ('Mon devoir, c'est prêt'), your bags for a trip ('Ma valise est prête'), or a scheduled event. You will also start to notice the difference between the masculine 'prêt' and the feminine 'prête'. While 'c'est prêt' remains a fixed exclamation, you will learn to say 'La voiture est prête' or 'La leçon est prête'. You also learn to add adverbs to modify the readiness, such as 'C'est presque prêt' (It's almost ready) or 'C'est enfin prêt' (It's finally ready). This level focuses on expanding the utility of the phrase in everyday interactions.
At the B1 level, you understand the nuances of 'c'est prêt' as an impersonal expression. You recognize that 'ce' acts as a placeholder for a general situation. You can use the phrase in more complex sentence structures, such as 'Je te dirai quand c'est prêt' (I will tell you when it's ready). You also begin to distinguish 'prêt' from its homophones like 'près' (near) and 'pré' (meadow). B1 learners should be comfortable using 'c'est prêt' in professional contexts, such as telling a colleague that a document is ready for review. You also learn the prepositional use: 'être prêt à' (to be ready to) versus 'être prêt pour' (to be ready for), which adds depth to your expressive capabilities.
At the B2 level, you are expected to use 'c'est prêt' and its variations with greater stylistic flexibility. You might use it figuratively to describe a person's emotional or mental state of readiness, though 'être prêt' is more common there. You understand the register differences between 'C'est prêt !', 'À table !', and 'Le dîner est servi'. You can handle the future and conditional forms easily: 'Ce sera prêt dans un instant' or 'Ça aurait été prêt plus tôt si...'. You also become aware of the phrase's use in media and literature as a way to build anticipation or signal a turning point in a narrative. Your grasp of the silent 't' and the agreement rules is now consistent.
At the C1 level, you appreciate the cultural and idiomatic depth of readiness in French society. You can discuss the social implications of the 'c'est prêt' signal in the context of French family dynamics and the importance of the shared meal. You might encounter the phrase in more abstract philosophical or political discussions—for example, whether a society is 'ready' for a specific change. You can use related idioms like 'prêt-à-porter' (ready-to-wear) or 'prêt-à-penser' (ready-made thoughts/clichés) and understand the subtle irony they can carry. Your use of the phrase is natural, and you can manipulate it to suit very specific social contexts, from the high-pressure environment of a Michelin-star kitchen to a formal corporate presentation.
At the C2 level, you have a near-native intuition for when 'c'est prêt' is the most appropriate choice versus more literary or technical alternatives. You can analyze the linguistic structure of the impersonal 'ce' and how it functions as a 'dummy subject' in French syntax. You are familiar with the historical evolution of the word 'prêt' from Latin and how it has maintained its core meaning while expanding into various modern domains like finance ('un prêt' meaning a loan). You can use the phrase to convey subtle tones—impatience, relief, excitement, or even sarcasm. You are also capable of teaching the fine distinctions between 'prêt' and its synonyms to others, demonstrating a mastery of both the language and its cultural underpinnings.

c'est prêt ! 30 सेकंड में

  • A common French exclamation used to announce that food is ready or a task is finished.
  • Combines the impersonal 'c'est' with the adjective 'prêt' meaning ready.
  • Primarily used in kitchens, restaurants, and professional environments to signal completion.
  • Requires careful distinction from the word 'près' which means near.
The French expression c'est prêt ! is one of the most comforting and common phrases you will encounter in a French-speaking household or restaurant environment. At its core, it translates directly to 'it is ready' or 'it’s ready.' While the word prêt is an adjective meaning 'ready,' the full phrase c'est prêt functions as a definitive signal that a process has reached its conclusion and the results are now available for consumption or use. In the context of French gastronomy, this phrase is the universal call to the table. It is the moment when the hard work in the kitchen transforms into a communal experience. Unlike the English equivalent 'dinner is served,' which can sometimes sound formal, or 'it's done,' which can sound a bit clinical, c'est prêt carries a specific warmth and urgency. It implies that the food is at its peak temperature and quality, and that the presence of the diners is the final ingredient needed for the meal to begin.

Attention tout le monde, c'est prêt ! Venez vous asseoir avant que ça ne refroidisse.

Beyond the kitchen, the phrase is used in professional settings to indicate that a report is finished, in a workshop to say a repair is complete, or in a retail setting to let a customer know their order is available. However, its primary cultural weight remains firmly planted in the domestic sphere. The grammar of the phrase is deceptively simple. It uses the demonstrative pronoun ce (contracted to c'), the third-person singular of the verb être (to be), and the adjective prêt. In this specific fixed expression, prêt remains in the masculine singular form because it refers to the abstract 'it' or the general situation, rather than a specific feminine noun, even if the food being served (like la soupe) is feminine.
Literal Translation
It is ready.
Functional Usage
An announcement used to summon people to a meal or to signal the completion of a task.

Le café c'est prêt ! Qui en veut une tasse ?

Cultural Nuance
In France, punctuality at the table is respected; saying 'c'est prêt' is an invitation that expects a prompt response.

Enfin, c'est prêt ! On a attendu deux heures pour ce gâteau.

Dépêchez-vous, c'est prêt !

Regarde, ton dossier c'est prêt ! Tu peux l'envoyer maintenant.

Using c'est prêt ! correctly requires an understanding of its role as an impersonal statement. Because it uses the neuter ce, it covers a wide range of situations without needing to specify the subject in every instance. For example, if you are cooking several dishes, you don't need to list them; you simply shout 'c'est prêt!' to encompass the entire meal. However, you can also use it to specifically point out an object. When you say 'Le repas, c'est prêt,' you are using a common French structure called dislocation, where the subject is stated first for emphasis, followed by the impersonal 'c'est prêt.' This is very common in spoken French.

Est-ce que le dîner est prêt ? Oui, c'est prêt !

It is important to distinguish between the phrase as a standalone exclamation and its use within a longer sentence. In a sentence like 'Je t'appellerai quand c'est prêt,' the phrase functions as a subordinate clause indicating time. Note that in this context, the 'est' can sometimes be replaced by 'sera' (future tense) to be grammatically precise: 'Je t'appellerai quand ce sera prêt.' However, in casual conversation, the present tense 'c'est prêt' is frequently used to describe a future state that is imminent.
Standalone Exclamation
Used to get attention: 'C'est prêt ! À table !'
Inquiry
Used as a question with rising intonation: 'C'est prêt ?' (Is it ready?)

Dis-moi dès que c'est prêt, je ne veux pas rater le début.

Conditional Usage
'Si c'est prêt, on peut y aller.' (If it's ready, we can go.)

Attends un peu, ce n'est pas encore prêt.

Quand c'est prêt, ça sonne.

Tout est prêt pour la fête.

The setting for c'est prêt ! is most often the heart of the home: the kitchen. It is the quintessential 'mother’s call' or 'father’s announcement' that echoes through the hallways of a French apartment or house. In a culture where the 'repas familial' (family meal) is a protected time, this phrase acts as a formal boundary marker between the day's activities and the social ritual of eating. You will also hear it frequently in 'boulangeries' (bakeries). When a fresh batch of baguettes or croissants is pulled from the oven, the baker might announce to the waiting customers, 'Les baguettes, c'est prêt !' This creates a sense of excitement and freshness. In a professional restaurant kitchen, the 'chef de cuisine' uses it as a command. When a plate is ready to be taken by the server, the chef shouts 'Prêt !' or 'C'est prêt !' to the 'salle' (dining room). In this high-pressure environment, the phrase is clipped and sharp. In the world of technology and services, you might receive a notification on your phone from a delivery app saying 'Votre commande est prête' or simply 'C'est prêt !' indicating your parcel is ready for pickup.

À la boulangerie : Les croissants chauds, c'est prêt !

Domestic Setting
The signal for family members to stop what they are doing and come to the table.
Commercial Setting
Used by artisans and shopkeepers to signal fresh products or completed orders.

Au garage : Votre voiture, c'est prêt, vous pouvez passer la prendre.

Dans le sport : C'est prêt ? On commence le match ?

À l'école : C'est prêt, sortez vos cahiers.

En entreprise : Le café c'est prêt dans la salle de pause.

One of the most frequent errors for English speakers learning French is confusing the word prêt (ready) with the word près (near). While they are pronounced identically in many dialects (/pʁɛ/), their meanings and spellings are entirely different. Writing 'c'est près' when you mean 'it's ready' would actually mean 'it is near,' which could cause significant confusion in a sentence like 'Le dîner est près' (The dinner is nearby—perhaps in the next room, but not necessarily ready to eat). Another common mistake involves gender agreement. While c'est prêt is a fixed impersonal expression, if you are describing a specific feminine noun using the subject pronoun elle, you must use prête. For example, 'La soupe est prête' (The soup is ready). Learners often forget to add the 'e' in writing or to pronounce the 't' in the feminine form.

Faux : C'est près ! (Meaning 'it is near'). Correct : C'est prêt !

A third mistake is using the word fini (finished) when prêt is more appropriate. In English, we often say 'the food is done.' In French, saying 'la nourriture est finie' implies that the food has been completely eaten or that its existence has ended. To say it is prepared and ready to be consumed, prêt is the correct choice. Finally, be careful with the preposition that follows prêt. If you are ready to do something, use à ('Je suis prêt à manger'). If you are ready for something, use pour ('Je suis prêt pour le dîner').
Prêt vs Près
Prêt = Ready (silent 't'). Près = Near (silent 's'). They sound the same!
Agreement Trap
Use 'prêt' with 'c'est'. Use 'prête' with feminine subjects like 'la pizza'.

Faux : La tarte est prêt. Correct : La tarte est prête.

Faux : Je suis prêt de partir. Correct : Je suis prêt à partir.

While c'est prêt ! is the standard way to announce readiness, French offers several alternatives depending on the context and the level of formality. The most common alternative for mealtimes is À table ! This literally means 'to the table' and is the functional equivalent of 'dinner's ready!' or 'come and get it!' It is more of an order than a description of the food's state. Another option is C'est servi ! (It is served), which is slightly more formal and implies that the food has already been placed on the table or in bowls. In a professional or elegant setting, you might hear Le dîner est servi. For a very informal or slang-heavy environment, someone might say C'est chaud ! (It's hot!), emphasizing the immediate need to eat. In terms of synonyms for the word 'ready' itself, paré is often used in technical or nautical contexts, meaning 'prepared' or 'all set.' For example, 'On est parés !' (We're all set!).
Comparison: C'est prêt vs. À table
'C'est prêt' focuses on the food/task completion. 'À table' focuses on the movement of the people to the dining area.
Formal Alternative
'Le repas est servi' (The meal is served).

À table ! Tout le monde, le repas va refroidir !

Les enfants, c'est servi, venez vite !

On est parés pour le départ.

Le projet est finalisé, c'est prêt à être présenté.

स्तर के अनुसार उदाहरण

1

C'est prêt !

It's ready!

Simple exclamation.

2

Le café, c'est prêt ?

The coffee, is it ready?

Dislocation for emphasis.

3

Maman, c'est prêt !

Mom, it's ready!

Vocative use.

4

Oui, c'est prêt.

Yes, it's ready.

Simple affirmative.

5

C'est prêt maintenant.

It's ready now.

Adverb of time.

6

Regarde, c'est prêt !

Look, it's ready!

Imperative + exclamation.

7

C'est prêt pour toi.

It's ready for you.

Prepositional phrase.

8

Attends, c'est prêt !

Wait, it's ready!

Imperative + exclamation.

1

Le dîner est prêt dans cinq minutes.

Dinner is ready in five minutes.

Time duration.

2

Tout est prêt pour la fête.

Everything is ready for the party.

Indefinite pronoun 'tout'.

3

Ton sac est prêt ?

Is your bag ready?

Subject-verb agreement (masculine).

4

Ma valise est prête.

My suitcase is ready.

Feminine agreement 'prête'.

5

C'est presque prêt, sois patient.

It's almost ready, be patient.

Adverb 'presque'.

6

Est-ce que tout est prêt ?

Is everything ready?

Question with 'est-ce que'.

7

Le gâteau n'est pas encore prêt.

The cake is not ready yet.

Negation 'ne... pas encore'.

8

C'est prêt, on peut manger.

It's ready, we can eat.

Two independent clauses.

1

Dès que c'est prêt, nous partirons.

As soon as it's ready, we will leave.

Conjunction 'dès que' + future.

2

Je me demande si c'est prêt.

I wonder if it's ready.

Indirect question with 'si'.

3

Le rapport n'est pas tout à fait prêt.

The report is not quite ready.

Adverbial phrase 'tout à fait'.

4

Elle a dit que c'était prêt.

She said that it was ready.

Reported speech with 'que' and imperfect.

5

C'est prêt à être envoyé.

It's ready to be sent.

Passive infinitive 'être envoyé'.

6

Vérifie si le four est prêt.

Check if the oven is ready.

Imperative 'vérifie'.

7

Une fois que c'est prêt, il faut servir tout de suite.

Once it's ready, it must be served immediately.

Time expression 'une fois que'.

8

Rien n'est prêt pour le moment.

Nothing is ready for the moment.

Negative subject 'rien n'est'.

1

Il faut que tout soit prêt avant son arrivée.

Everything must be ready before his/her arrival.

Subjunctive mood 'soit prêt'.

2

Je ne pense pas que ce soit prêt.

I don't think it's ready.

Subjunctive after 'ne pas penser que'.

3

Quand ce sera prêt, préviens-moi.

When it's ready, let me know.

Future tense after 'quand'.

4

Bien que ce ne soit pas prêt, nous devons commencer.

Even though it's not ready, we must start.

Subjunctive after 'bien que'.

5

Le contrat est prêt à être signé.

The contract is ready to be signed.

Adjective + preposition 'à'.

6

On dirait que c'est prêt.

It looks like it's ready.

Expression 'on dirait que'.

7

Si seulement c'était prêt !

If only it were ready!

Hypothetical 'si seulement'.

8

Rends-le moi quand c'est prêt.

Give it back to me when it's ready.

Imperative with direct object pronoun.

1

Le dispositif est prêt à l'emploi.

The device is ready for use.

Noun phrase 'à l'emploi'.

2

Tout porte à croire que le pays est prêt pour cette réforme.

Everything suggests that the country is ready for this reform.

Formal introductory phrase.

3

Une fois le dossier prêt, nous passerons à l'étape suivante.

Once the file is ready, we will move to the next step.

Absolute construction.

4

Il s'avère que rien n'était prêt lors de l'inspection.

It turns out that nothing was ready during the inspection.

Pronominal verb 's'avérer'.

5

C'est prêt, à condition que vous respectiez les consignes.

It's ready, provided that you follow the instructions.

Conditional conjunction 'à condition que'.

6

Le projet n'est prêt qu'en apparence.

The project is only ready in appearance.

Restrictive 'ne... que'.

7

Aussitôt que c'est prêt, le signal est donné.

As soon as it's ready, the signal is given.

Adverb 'aussitôt que'.

8

Le terrain est prêt pour de nouvelles opportunités.

The ground is ready for new opportunities.

Metaphorical use.

1

La question est de savoir si l'esprit humain est prêt à une telle révélation.

The question is whether the human mind is ready for such a revelation.

Philosophical inquiry.

2

Qu'il soit prêt ou non, le destin s'accomplira.

Whether he is ready or not, destiny will be fulfilled.

Concessive subjunctive.

3

La maturité d'une idée se mesure à l'instant où l'on déclare : 'C'est prêt'.

The maturity of an idea is measured at the moment one declares: 'It is ready'.

Reflexive verb 'se mesurer'.

4

L'œuvre n'est jamais finie, elle est seulement prête à être abandonnée au public.

The work is never finished; it is only ready to be abandoned to the public.

Complex juxtaposition.

5

Sous réserve que tout soit prêt, nous engagerons les fonds.

Provided that everything is ready, we will commit the funds.

Legalistic expression 'sous réserve que'.

6

Force est de constater que le système n'est pas encore prêt.

One is forced to note that the system is not yet ready.

Fixed formal expression 'Force est de constater'.

7

Il ne suffit pas que le produit soit prêt, encore faut-il qu'il soit désiré.

It is not enough that the product is ready; it must also be desired.

Correlative subjunctive construction.

8

C'est prêt ! Cette simple phrase scelle le passage de la puissance à l'acte.

It's ready! This simple phrase seals the transition from potential to action.

Abstract noun phrase 'le passage de la puissance à l'acte'.

सामान्य शब्द संयोजन

C'est bientôt prêt
C'est presque prêt
Enfin c'est prêt
C'est prêt à manger
Tout est prêt
C'est prêt à l'emploi
C'est prêt à partir
C'est déjà prêt
C'est pas prêt
Dire que c'est prêt

सामान्य वाक्यांश

C'est prêt !

— The standard announcement that food or a task is finished.

C'est prêt, venez manger !

C'est prêt ?

— Asking if something is finished or if someone is ready.

Alors, c'est prêt ?

C'est prêt dans un instant

— It will be ready in just a moment.

Ne bougez pas, c'est prêt dans un instant.

C'est prêt à servir

— The dish is ready to be brought to the diners.

La soupe est prête à servir.

Ce n'est pas tout à fait prêt

— It's not quite ready yet.

Encore une minute, ce n'est pas tout à fait prêt.

Quand c'est prêt, c'est prêt

— A tautology implying things shouldn't be rushed.

Sois patient, quand c'est prêt, c'est prêt.

C'est prêt d'avance

— It was prepared ahead of time.

Le buffet est prêt d'avance.

Tout est prêt ?

— Checking if all preparations are complete.

On y va ? Tout est prêt ?

C'est prêt à porter

— Standard term for factory-made clothing.

J'achète du prêt-à-porter.

C'est prêt pour le départ

— Everything is organized for leaving.

Les bagages sont là, c'est prêt pour le départ.

मुहावरे और अभिव्यक्तियाँ

"Prêt-à-porter"

— Ready-to-wear clothing, as opposed to custom-made.

Elle travaille dans l'industrie du prêt-à-porter.

Neutral
"Prêt-à-penser"

— Standardized, uncritical ideas or clichés.

Il faut éviter le prêt-à-penser des médias.

C1/C2
"Être prêt à tout"

— To be willing to do anything, often in a desperate or determined way.

Il est prêt à tout pour réussir.

Neutral
"Avoir un prêt"

— To have a loan (using the noun form of 'prêt').

J'ai un prêt à la banque.

Neutral
"Prêt à l'action"

— Ready for action.

Les soldats sont prêts à l'action.

Neutral
"Être aux aguets, prêt à bondir"

— To be on the lookout, ready to pounce.

Le chat est prêt à bondir.

Literary
"Prêt, feu, partez !"

— Ready, set, go!

Attention... prêt, feu, partez !

Sport
"Se tenir prêt"

— To keep oneself ready or on standby.

Tenez-vous prêt pour le signal.

Neutral
"C'est pas prêt d'arriver"

— It's not going to happen anytime soon.

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