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Je mets les assiettes, et tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères.

Je mets les assiettes, et tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères.
I put out the plates, and you bring the forks and the spoons.
FromLesson 21inHardcore French

Breakdown of Je mets les assiettes, et tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères.

je
I
tu
you
et
and
apporter
to bring
mettre
to put
l'assiette
the plate
la cuillère
the spoon
la fourchette
the fork

Questions & Answers about Je mets les assiettes, et tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères.

Why use the verb mettre here? Would poser or placer be better?

Mettre is the everyday, idiomatic choice for setting things on the table (think: mettre la table, mettre les assiettes).

  • Poser means to physically put something down and is fine too: Je pose les assiettes (sur la table).
  • Placer is more formal/precise (to place carefully): Je place les assiettes.
  • For the whole task, you can say Je mets la table or, a bit more formal, Je dresse la table.
Why is it apporter and not amener?

Use:

  • Apporter for bringing things/objects.
  • Amener for bringing people (and sometimes animals/vehicles). Contrast with taking away:
  • Emporter (take objects away), emmener (take people away). Here, forks and spoons are objects, so tu apportes is correct.
Why the definite article les? Could I say des assiettes / des fourchettes / des cuillères?

Both work, but they mean slightly different things:

  • les = the specific items needed for this meal (the plates/forks/spoons we’re about to use). This is common for table-setting.
  • des = some plates/forks/spoons (not specifically identified).
    So you could say Tu apportes des fourchettes et des cuillères, but les sounds more like we’re talking about the set for this table.
Could I replace the list with a single word like couverts?

Yes. Les couverts means cutlery (forks, knives, and spoons).
So: Je mets les assiettes et tu apportes les couverts. If you truly only want forks and spoons (no knives), keep the explicit list.

Is the comma before et correct in French?

It’s not needed and is usually omitted: Je mets les assiettes et tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères.
French generally avoids a comma before et unless there’s a special stylistic pause or a complex structure.

Do I have to repeat les before both nouns (…les fourchettes et les cuillères)?
Repeating les is very natural and clear. In longer lists, you can omit repeats (e.g., les fourchettes, cuillères et couteaux), but with just two items, les fourchettes et les cuillères is the safest, most idiomatic choice.
Why use the present tense? Could I use the imperative or the future?

French often uses the present to propose/assign tasks: it’s like saying “I’ll do X, you do Y.”
Alternatives:

  • Imperative (more direct instructions): Mets les assiettes, et apporte les fourchettes et les cuillères.
  • Future (more planning/neutral): Je mettrai les assiettes et tu apporteras les fourchettes et les cuillères.
How do I pronounce the tricky bits (especially mets, les assiettes, cuillères)?
  • mets: the final -s is silent; sounds like “meh.”
  • les assiettes: make the liaison: “lé-zass-yett.”
  • cuillères: “kwee-yehr” (the double L gives a Y sound; final -s is silent).
  • fourchettes: “foor-shett.”
Is cuillère spelled with a tréma (ï)?

No. It’s cuillère (with double L and è): c-u-i-l-l-è-r-e.
Note: cuiller (without the final -e) also exists and is accepted, but cuillère is more common today.

What are the genders of these nouns?

All three are feminine: une assiette, une fourchette, une cuillère.
In the plural, les doesn’t show gender, so you need to remember the gender for agreement elsewhere (e.g., les grandes assiettes).

Can I add where I’m putting/bringing them?

Yes:

  • Je mets les assiettes sur la table.
  • Tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères à table / dans la salle à manger.
    Use sur for on (the table), à or dans for to/into a place.
Could I emphasize who does what?

Sure: Moi, je mets les assiettes, et toi, tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères.
Adding moi/je and toi/tu gives friendly emphasis and clarity.

Could I replace the second clause with a pronoun?

If the objects are already known, you can use les (them):

  • After mentioning them: Tu les apportes.
    Be careful with context so it’s clear whether les refers to plates or to forks and spoons.
Would puis be better than et?

Use et for a simple “and.”
Use puis or ensuite if you want to highlight sequence: Je mets les assiettes, puis tu apportes les fourchettes et les cuillères. This implies I do my part first, then you do yours.

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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