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Ce plat est trop salé.

Ce plat est trop salé.
This dish is too salty.
FromLesson 21inHardcore French

Breakdown of Ce plat est trop salé.

être
to be
ce
this
trop
too
le plat
the dish
salé
salty

Questions & Answers about Ce plat est trop salé.

What does bold Ce mean here, and what are the other forms of this demonstrative?

bold Ce is the demonstrative determiner “this/that” used before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant. The full set:

  • bold ce + masculine singular (consonant): bold ce plat
  • bold cet + masculine singular (vowel sound or mute h): bold cet avocat, cet homme, cet hôtel
  • bold cette + feminine singular: bold cette soupe
  • bold ces + any plural: bold ces plats, ces soupes Note: with an aspirated h (h aspiré), there’s no liaison and you use bold ce/cette, e.g., bold ce héros, ce haricot.
Why isn’t it bold Cet plat?
Because bold plat starts with a consonant sound (p). bold Cet is only for masculine singular nouns that start with a vowel sound or a mute h (e.g., bold cet été, cet homme).
Can I just say bold C’est trop salé instead? What’s the difference?
Yes. bold Ce plat est trop salé points to a specific dish. bold C’est trop salé is a more general comment (“That’s too salty”), used when the referent is obvious from context or you’re not naming the dish.
How does bold salé agree with the noun?

bold Salé is an adjective and agrees with the subject:

  • masculine singular: bold salé (bold Ce plat est trop salé.)
  • feminine singular: bold salée (bold Cette soupe est trop salée.)
  • masculine/mixed plural: bold salés (bold Ces plats sont trop salés.)
  • feminine plural: bold salées (bold Ces soupes sont trop salées.)
How do you pronounce the sentence?

Approximate guide:

  • bold Ce: [sə] (“suh”)
  • bold plat: [pla] (final t silent)
  • bold est: [ɛ] (“eh”)
  • bold trop: [tʁo] (guttural r; final p silent here)
  • bold salé: [sa.le] (“sa-lay”) Together: [sə pla ɛ tʁo sa.le]. No letters are linked here.
Is there any liaison in bold Ce plat est trop salé?
No. You don’t pronounce the t of bold est, and bold trop’s final p stays silent before the consonant s of bold salé. You would hear liaison for bold trop only before a vowel (bold trop aimable → [tʁo p‿ɛmabl]).
What’s the difference between bold trop and bold très?
  • bold trop = “too” (excessive): bold Ce plat est trop salé.
  • bold très = “very” (high degree, not necessarily excessive): bold Ce plat est très salé.
How do I say “not too salty”?
  • Neutral: bold Ce plat n’est pas trop salé.
  • Informal (dropping bold ne in speech): bold Ce plat est pas trop salé. To soften a complaint: bold C’est un peu trop salé.
I’ve heard bold trop used like “so/very” in slang. Does that apply here?
In casual speech, bold trop can mean “so/very” with positive adjectives (bold C’est trop bon !). With bold salé, it stays literal (“too salty”), which is negative. Don’t use bold trop here to mean “very salty” unless you truly mean “excessively salty.”
Why is there no bold de after bold trop here?
bold Trop + adjective/adverb takes no bold de: bold trop salé, trop cher, trop vite. You use bold trop de before a noun: bold trop de sel, trop de sucre.
How else could I express the idea?
  • bold Il y a trop de sel (dans ce plat).
  • bold C’est trop salé pour moi. / C’est trop salé à mon goût.
  • bold L’assaisonnement est trop fort en sel. All are natural.
How can I say this more politely in a restaurant?
  • bold Excusez-moi, c’est un peu trop salé pour moi. Pourriez-vous y jeter un œil ?
  • bold Pardon, je le trouve un peu trop salé. Serait-il possible de rectifier l’assaisonnement ? Adding bold un peu and bold pour moi softens the tone.
Can I replace bold Ce plat with a pronoun like bold il?
Yes, if the referent is clear and masculine: bold Il est trop salé. If you’re pointing to or introducing the dish, bold C’est trop salé is more common. Use bold elle with feminine nouns (bold la soupe → bold Elle est trop salée).
Does bold salé ever mean something else?
Yes. Besides “salty,” bold salé can mean “savory” (as opposed to sweet) and, informally, “expensive/steep” when talking about prices: bold L’addition est salée. With a food item, context usually means taste.
What exactly does bold plat mean?
bold Plat is “dish” or “course” (a prepared item of food). Examples: bold le plat du jour (daily special), bold un plat principal (main course). Don’t confuse with the adjective bold plat (“flat”).
Where does bold trop go in the sentence?
Before the adjective or adverb it modifies: bold trop salé, trop cuit, trop épicé, trop vite. With nouns, use bold trop de + noun (bold trop de sel).
How do I say “There is too much salt”?
bold Il y a trop de sel (dans ce plat). Using bold trop de + noun is the natural structure.
What’s the opposite of “too salty”?
  • “not salty enough”: bold pas assez salé (bold Ce plat n’est pas assez salé.)
  • “bland”: bold fade / pas assez assaisonné.
Can I add something to signal it’s just my taste?
Yes: bold pour moi, à mon goût, à mon sens. Example: bold C’est un peu trop salé pour moi / à mon goût.
How do I point to this dish vs that dish?

Add suffixes to the demonstrative:

  • bold ce plat-ci = this dish (near me)
  • bold ce plat-là = that dish (over there)
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“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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