Learn Hardcore French: Après le dîner, il balaie le sol et elle essuie la table avec un torchon. - After dinner, he sweeps the floor and she wipes the table with a dishcloth.

Both are correct. Après le dîner uses the regular noun with its article; Après dîner treats dîner like a verbal noun. They mean the same thing in everyday French. You’ll also hear Après avoir dîné (“after having eaten dinner”), which is slightly more formal or explicit. You can also say Après le repas if you mean “after the meal” in general.

When do I use après vs après que?

après + noun/infinitive: Après le dîner, Après dîner, Après avoir dîné.
après que + clause (finite verb): Après qu’ils ont dîné, …
Grammar tip: With après que, standard French uses the indicative (not the subjunctive): Après qu’il a fini, not qu’il ait fini.

Why is it il balaie and not il balaye?

Both spellings are accepted with verbs ending in -ayer. So you’ll see:

je balaie / je balaye
tu balaies / tu balayes
il/elle balaie / balaye
nous balayons, vous balayez (these don’t change)
ils balaient / balayent

In practice, the forms with -aie (e.g., balaie) are more common today.

Why is it elle essuie and not elle essuye?

With verbs in -uyer (like essuyer), the y changes to i before a mute -e:

j’essuie, tu essuies, il/elle essuie, ils/elles essuient
But: nous essuyons, vous essuyez In the future/conditional, it’s j’essaierai/j’essuierai (not essuyerai).

How do you pronounce key words like balaie, essuie, and torchon?

balaie: roughly “bah-LEH” (the -aie sounds like è).
essuie: roughly “ehs-WEE” (the ui is a single glide).
torchon: roughly “tor-SHON(g)” with a nasal on at the end.
dîner: “dee-NAY”.

Can I say Il passe le balai instead of Il balaie le sol?

Yes. Passer le balai (“to run the broom”) is very common and idiomatic. Balayer le sol is a little more explicit (“to sweep the floor”), but both are natural.

Should it be le sol, le plancher, or par terre?

le sol: the floor/ground surface in general (most neutral).
le plancher: specifically the wooden floor; also common in Canada/Belgium for “floor”.
par terre: means “on the floor/ground” (a location adverbial), not the floor as an object. You don’t usually say balayer par terre; say balayer le sol/le plancher.

Why not sa table (“his/her table”)?

French often uses the definite article for contextually known things. Here, la table means the (shared/known) table. You’d choose sa table only if you want to emphasize possession (his or her table specifically).

Do I have to repeat elle after et? Could I say Il balaie le sol et essuie la table?

You must repeat elle here because the second action has a different subject.

Il balaie le sol et essuie la table means he does both actions.
Il balaie le sol et elle essuie la table splits the actions between two people.

Why use avec un torchon and not au torchon or du torchon?

To express the instrument you use to do something, French uses avec + a concrete, countable tool: avec un torchon, avec un couteau, avec une cuillère.

au torchon is not idiomatic here.
du torchon would sound like “some cloth material,” not the idea of using a specific cloth.

What exactly is a torchon? Is it “torch”?

A torchon is a dish towel/tea towel used in the kitchen (to dry dishes, wipe a table, etc.). It does not mean “torch” (that’s une torche). Near-synonyms:

un chiffon: a rag/cloth for cleaning or dusting.
une lavette (BE/CH/CA): a dishcloth/cleaning cloth.
un essuie-tout: a paper towel.

Could I use nettoyer instead of essuie?

essuyer = to wipe (often to dry or remove moisture/stains).
nettoyer = to clean (more general; may imply soap/products).
So Elle nettoie la table is fine if she’s cleaning it; Elle essuie la table focuses on wiping/drying.

Can I move avec un torchon earlier in the sentence?

Default order places the direct object before other complements: Elle essuie la table avec un torchon.
You can front it for emphasis/style: Avec un torchon, elle essuie la table, but Elle essuie avec un torchon la table is not the usual order.

Are there regional differences for dîner?

Yes. In France:

petit déjeuner (breakfast), déjeuner (lunch), dîner (dinner).
In much of Canada/Belgium/Swiss Romandy:
déjeuner (breakfast), dîner (lunch), souper (dinner).

Does dîner need the circumflex?

Standard spelling is dîner. In the 1990 rectifications, diner (without the circumflex) is accepted, but it’s less common in practice and can be confused with the English word “diner.” As a learner, stick with dîner.

How would I replace the objects with pronouns?

Il balaie le sol → Il le balaie.
Elle essuie la table → Elle l’essuie.
Remember: the direct object pronoun (le/la/l’/les) goes before the verb.

Does French put a comma after a fronted time phrase like Après le dîner?

Yes, it’s standard (and clearer) to use a comma: Après le dîner, … The comma can be omitted in very short sentences, but it’s customary here.

What does the present tense convey here—habit or “right now”?

French simple present covers both. In context, Après le dîner, il balaie… et elle essuie… usually describes a habitual routine. If you need “right now,” you can add être en train de: Il est en train de balayer.

Any liaison or linking pitfalls in this sentence?

et generally blocks liaison: et elle is pronounced without a linking [t].
You’ll get smooth linking (enchaînement) in places like balaie le and table avec, but no special liaison consonant is added.
Final -s in après is silent: après le.