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Marie est en train de mettre les bols et les cuillères sur la table.

Marie est en train de mettre les bols et les cuillères sur la table.
Marie is putting the bowls and the spoons on the table.
FromLesson 21inHardcore French

Questions & Answers about Marie est en train de mettre les bols et les cuillères sur la table.

What does the expression en train de add here? Can I just say Marie met…?

Être en train de + infinitive highlights that the action is happening right now, in progress. In everyday French, the simple present often already covers this idea, so:

  • Marie met les bols et les cuillères sur la table. = perfectly fine in most contexts.
  • Marie est en train de mettre… = puts extra focus on “right this moment / in the middle of.”
Why is there a de after en train?
It’s a fixed pattern: être en train de + infinitive. The de introduces the infinitive verb (mettre here). Example: Je suis en train d’acheter (de + acheter → d’acheter before a vowel).
Why is it les bols et les cuillères instead of des bols et des cuillères?
  • les = “the,” usually specific or known items (e.g., the bowls and spoons we talked about).
  • des = “some,” non-specific. Both can work depending on context:
  • Specific: Elle met les bols et les cuillères sur la table.
  • Non-specific: Elle met des bols et des cuillères sur la table.
Do I have to repeat les before both nouns?
Yes, you normally repeat the article: les bols et les cuillères. Dropping the second les sounds wrong in standard French.
Could I use poser or placer instead of mettre?
  • mettre = put/place (very common and general).
  • poser = set/put down onto a surface; very natural here: poser sur la table.
  • placer = place/position (a bit more deliberate or formal). All are possible; for setting items on a table, poser is often the most idiomatic. Note also the idiom mettre la table = “to set the table.”
Why is it sur la table and not à la table?
  • sur la table = physically on top of the table (on the surface).
  • à table (without article) = “at the table” / “Dinner’s ready!” as an idiom. Use sur for “on.”
Why la table (feminine) and not le table?
Because table is a feminine noun: une table, la table. Gender is lexical and must be memorized.
How would I replace “the bowls and the spoons” with a pronoun?

Use the direct object pronoun les for plural things:

How do I negate this?
  • With the progressive: Marie n’est pas en train de mettre les bols et les cuillères sur la table.
  • Simpler present: Marie ne met pas les bols et les cuillères sur la table. The first emphasizes she’s not in the middle of doing it right now; the second is a plain negative statement.
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like en train de and cuillères?
  • est en: there’s a natural liaison: you’ll hear a “t” sound linking: est‿en.
  • en and train use nasal vowels; train is not like English “train.”
  • de is weak, like “duh.”
  • cuillères: the “ui” gives a “wee” with rounded lips, then a “yair”-like sound: roughly “kwee-YAIR.” The final -s is silent. Approximate whole-sentence rhythm: “Ma-rie eh-tahn trɛ̃ də meh-trə lay bol ay lay kwee-YAIR sur la ta-bl.”
Is the final -s pronounced in bols and cuillères?
No, plural -s is silent. You know it’s plural from the article les and context.
Is there a more idiomatic way to say “She’s setting the table”?
Yes: Elle met la table or Elle dresse la table. Your sentence with mettre/poser … sur la table is also fine if you want to name the specific items.
What are the genders and singular forms of these nouns?
  • un bol → des bols (masculine)
  • une cuillère → des cuillères (feminine)
  • une table → des tables (feminine)
Where does the liaison happen in this sentence?
  • Obligatory/natural: est‿en (you hear a “t”).
  • No liaison: les bols (next word starts with b), les cuillères (starts with c). If a following word began with a vowel, les would link: les‿assiettes.
How would I say this in the past or future?
Is cuillère ever spelled differently?
Yes, you may see cuiller (without the final -e) as a variant, but cuillère is more common today. Both are accepted.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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