Learn Hardcore French: Marie préfère des céréales sans sucre, et elle prépare aussi un jus de pomme. - Marie prefers unsweetened cereal, and she also makes apple juice.

In French, breakfast cereal is usually referred to in the plural: des céréales. The singular une céréale means “a cereal/grain (type)” such as wheat or oats. Du céréale is impossible because céréale is feminine; the feminine partitive would be de la céréale, which is rarely used in the breakfast sense. So for “cereal” as food, say des céréales (or les céréales when speaking in general).

Should it be les céréales after préférer?

Often, yes—when expressing a general preference. After verbs of taste like aimer, adorer, préférer, détester, French commonly uses the definite article:

Marie préfère les céréales sans sucre. = She prefers sugar-free cereal in general. Using des narrows the idea to “some cereal” (e.g., a choice today or in a specific situation). Both are correct; the definite article sounds more like a general statement of preference.

Why des and not de before céréales?

Des is the normal plural indefinite article (“some” or just plural). It turns into de (or d’) in a few cases:

After a negation: Elle ne veut pas de céréales.
After quantity words: beaucoup de, peu de, trop de, assez de, plus/moins de, etc.
Before a plural adjective that comes before the noun: de bonnes céréales (not “des bonnes céréales”). Here, none of those apply, so des céréales is correct.

Why is there no article after sans in sans sucre?

After sans, French typically omits the article: sans sucre, sans lait, sans gluten. You’d use an article only if referring to a specific, identifiable item: sans le sucre = “without the sugar (we mentioned).” In café talk and packaging, sans sucre is the default for “without sugar.”

Does sans sucre mean the same as “sugar‑free”?

sans sucre: no sugar (often read as “without added sugar,” but context matters).
non sucré: unsweetened (i.e., not sweetened at all).
sans sucre ajouté: no sugar added (there may still be natural sugars). For cereals, labels distinguish sans sucre/non sucré vs sans sucre ajouté. If you need to be precise about added sugar, use sans sucre ajouté.

Why is it préfère with that accent? How is préférer conjugated?

Préférer has a stem change: é → è before a silent ending. So:

je préfère, tu préfères, il/elle préfère, ils/elles préfèrent
nous préférons, vous préférez The grave accent (è) appears in forms where the ending is silent, to keep the vowel open.

Can elle prépare mean “she is making”?

Yes. French simple present covers both English simple present and present continuous. Elle prépare can mean “she prepares” or “she is making” depending on context. To stress “right now,” you can say elle est en train de préparer.

Where should aussi go, and does placement change the meaning?

Elle prépare aussi un jus de pomme. = She also prepares a juice (in addition to something else). Focus on the action.
Elle aussi prépare un jus de pomme. = She too prepares a juice (someone else does as well). Focus on the subject.
Elle prépare un jus de pomme aussi. = Colloquial; can be taken as “a juice as well,” slightly ambiguous. Be careful with sentence-initial Aussi, … in formal writing—it often means “therefore,” not “also.”

Why un jus de pomme and not du jus de pomme?

un jus de pomme = one serving/glass or a discrete item (what you order at a café).
du jus de pomme = some apple juice (an unspecified amount). So you typically order un jus de pomme, but you might buy du jus de pomme at the store.

Why de pomme and not de la pomme? Can it be plural?

For composition/type, French uses bare de: jus de pomme, jus d’orange. De la pomme would mean “of the apple(s)” (specific apples) and isn’t the norm for the drink name. You’ll see both jus de pomme and jus de pommes; the singular is standard on packaging, while the plural emphasizes it’s made from apples—both are acceptable.

Could we say elle fait or elle se prépare instead of elle prépare?

Elle fait un jus de pomme is very natural and common (“she makes a juice”).
Elle prépare un jus de pomme is fine, a bit more “prepare” than “make.”
Elle se prépare un jus de pomme means “she makes herself a juice.” Note that se préparer alone (without an object) usually means “to get ready,” so keep the object to avoid ambiguity.

Is the comma before et correct in French?

French usually avoids a comma before et when linking two clauses. Many editors would write: Marie préfère des céréales sans sucre et elle prépare aussi un jus de pomme. A comma can appear for rhythm or clarity, but it’s not the default.

Any quick pronunciation tips for this sentence?

céréales: say it in three beats, roughly like seh-ray-ahl.
préfère: open “eh” sound in fère; French r is in the throat.
sans: nasal vowel, roughly sahn; no liaison in sans sucre.
et: just eh (no “t” sound); elle: -ell.
jus: zhyoo; de often reduced to a light duh; pomme: pohm.