A plate of cheeses (a cheese platter), a salad, an apple pie.I'm in the mood for a glass of wine (une verre de vin).The gender of a noun needs to be memorized so that you can use the noun correctly in a sentence. To begin, we have scallops, then the main course, Magret of Duck in port with strawberries, salad, cheese platter and, for dessert, apple tart. In French, almost all nouns are categorized according to their gender - masculine or feminine. Pour commencer, nous avons Coquille Saint Jacques, puis le plat principal, Magret de Canard aux Fraise et au Porto, salade gourmande, un plateau de fromages, et, comme dessert, la tarts aux pommes. Yvette, sit on the other side of the table, right next to me. Robert, take the place next to the window. Yvette, asseyez-vous sur l'autre cote de la table, tout pres de moi. Robert, prenez votre place pres de la fenetre. Everyone to the table! Let's go into the dining room, please. A table tous le monde! Entrons dans la sale a manger, s'il vous plait. Baie comportant une fermeture vitrée, pratiquée dans un mur dun bâtiment pour permettre lentrée de la lumière, la vision vers lextérieur et, habituellement, laération. I have to go back in the kitchen to prepare the meal. Il me faut rentrer dans la cuisine pour preparer le repas. Match up " une biere" with " biere froide" and "un cafe" with " cafe chaud" and you will see how you can keep track of it all. Hot coffee, therefore gets " chaud" the feminine would be chaude. Moi, je prends un cafe chaud! As for me, I'll have a hot coffee! Since beer is a feminine noun, it gets " froide" for cold. Voulez-vous quelque chose a boire? Would you like something to drink? Un aperitif, une biere, une tasse de cafe? An aperitive, a beer, a cup of coffee? J'ai l'envie d'une biere froide. Asseyez-vous dans le salon, s'l vous plait. This is changing lately, especially among young people, but it is still considered good manners to use the "vous" unless you know someone very well. Relatives, children and animals are always addressed in the informal strangers, acquaintances, bosses and anyone you meet for the first time should be addressed in the formal. If you have invited some people you don't know very well, you will speak to them with the formal "vous". Assieds-toi! Sit down! (informal) Asseyez-vous! Sit down! (formal) If you have invited close friends, you will "tutoyer" them, that is, use the informal "you" when you address them. Bienvenue! Welcome! Bienvenue chez nous! Welcome to our home! Ca me fait plaisir que tu sois la. Let's invite some friends over and enjoy a nice dinner together. But the French prize quality over quantity, so even though a seven course meal may seem like a lot, a small portion of each course is served. People speak of the "French Paradox" where the French are able to eat large meals of many courses that include fattening items such as fois gras (goose liver pate) cheeses, rich sauces, etc. Sunday afternoon dinner is reserved for having the entire family over, and frequently the French will invite friends for a lovely dinner consisting of many courses. As much as the French love to go to their wonderful restaurants, they love to entertain at home as well.
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