Learn French: Je voudrais réserver une chambre d'hôtel pour une nuit. - I would like to reserve a hotel room for one night.

Je voudrais réserver une chambre d'hôtel pour une nuit.

I would like to reserve a hotel room for one night.

Breakdown of Je voudrais réserver une chambre d'hôtel pour une nuit.

Questions & Answers about Je voudrais réserver une chambre d'hôtel pour une nuit.

Why do we say Je voudrais instead of Je veux?

Je voudrais means "I would like," whereas Je veux means "I want." Using Je voudrais is the standard, polite way to ask for something in French, especially when talking to staff at a hotel, shop, or restaurant.

Why does the verb réserver end in -er here instead of being conjugated?

When two verbs are used together in French, the second verb usually stays in its original dictionary form, called the infinitive. Since voudrais is already conjugated to match Je, the second verb réserver stays unchanged, meaning "to reserve."

Why is it written as chambre d'hôtel rather than putting the word for hotel first?

Unlike English, French doesn't usually place a noun right in front of another noun to describe it (like "hotel room"). Instead, it links them with the word de (of), literally making it "room of hotel." Because hôtel starts with a silent 'h', de drops its 'e' and becomes d'.

Does the word une mean "a" or "one" in this sentence?

It actually acts as both here! Une is the feminine word for "a" or "an", but it is also the number one. In une chambre, it translates best to "a room," and in une nuit, it translates best to "one night."