Breakdown of Je voudrais une bouteille de vin, s'il vous plaît.
Questions & Answers about Je voudrais une bouteille de vin, s'il vous plaît.
Why do we use Je voudrais here instead of Je veux?
Je voudrais means 'I would like'. It is the polite way to ask for something in French. If you use je veux ('I want') in a restaurant or shop, it sounds very demanding or rude to French ears! Usually I see 'some wine' translated as du vin. Why is it just de vin here?
In French, when you specify a quantity or a container (like une bouteille, meaning a bottle), you only use de (of). You don't use the word for 'some' (du). It translates exactly like English: 'a bottle of wine', not 'a bottle of some wine'. How do I know whether to use s'il vous plaît or s'il te plaît for 'please'?
It depends on who you are talking to! Here we use s'il vous plaît because vous is the formal word for 'you', which is perfect for ordering from a waiter or shopkeeper. You would use s'il te plaît with close friends, family, or children. How can I tell if the word bouteille (bottle) is masculine or feminine?
You can look at the little word right before it! Because the sentence says une rather than un, we know that bouteille is a feminine word. Learn Je voudrais une bouteille de vin, s'il vous plaît and more in French
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