Nous mangeons du riz nature ce soir.

to eat

Breakdown of Nous mangeons du riz nature ce soir.

• nous: we
• du: some
• ce soir: tonight

Questions & Answers about Nous mangeons du riz nature ce soir.

Why is it du riz and not le riz or des riz?

Because du (de + le) is the partitive article used with mass nouns to mean an unspecified amount: some rice. Le riz would mean the rice (a specific rice you have in mind, or rice in general as a concept), and des riz is only used if you’re literally talking about multiple kinds or servings of rice (rare).

• Je mange du riz. = I’m eating some rice.
• J’aime le riz. = I like rice (in general).
• Ils proposent des riz parfumés. = They offer different rices.

What exactly does nature mean here?

It means plain: without sauce, seasoning, butter, or other add-ins. In this food sense, nature is commonly treated as invariable (no gender/number change): du yaourt nature, des pâtes nature, du riz nature. You may also see the agreeing plural (yaourts natures) in some writing; both are accepted. You can also hear au naturel, which is a bit more formal/cookbook-style.

Why is the verb mangeons in the present if the action is this evening (ce soir)?

French often uses the present to talk about near-future plans when a time phrase is present. Nous mangeons du riz nature ce soir = We’re eating plain rice tonight. You can also use the near future for emphasis or clarity: Nous allons manger du riz nature ce soir. Both are natural.