Je mets le verre sur la table.

I put the glass on the table.

Breakdown of Je mets le verre sur la table.

• je: I
• la table: the table
• sur: on
• mettre: to put
• le verre: the glass

Questions & Answers about Je mets le verre sur la table.

What tense and person is the verb mets?

It’s the present tense (présent de l’indicatif), first person singular of mettre. The core present forms are:

• je mets
• tu mets
• il/elle/on met
• nous mettons
• vous mettez
• ils/elles mettent

How do I pronounce the whole sentence naturally?

Je mets le verre sur la table → [ʒə mɛ lə vɛʁ syʁ la tabl]

• je [ʒə] often reduces to a very light [ʒ]
• mets [mɛ] (the -ts is silent)
• le [lə]
• verre [vɛʁ] (French uvular r)
• sur [syʁ]
• la [la]
• table [tabl] Note: there’s no liaison between mets and le. You should hear [mɛ lə], not [mɛz lə].

Why are the definite articles le and la used here?

French uses definite articles to talk about a specific, identifiable item. Le verre and la table imply “the particular glass” and “the particular table” in the situation. If you meant any glass or any table (non-specific), you’d use un verre / une table:

• Je mets un verre sur une table. = I’m putting some glass on some table (non-specific).

Why sur and not à for “on the table”?

• sur = on (in contact with a surface): sur la table
• à = at/to; it does not mean “on” a surface here Useful contrasts:
• sous la table = under the table
• dans la table = in the table (rare; e.g., a drawer)
• au-dessus de la table = above the table (not in contact)

Could I use poser instead of mettre?

Yes. Poser often emphasizes putting something down onto a surface (slightly more specific). Mettre is very general (“to put/place/put on”). All of these can work depending on nuance:

• Je pose le verre sur la table. (put down)
• Je mets le verre sur la table. (neutral/general)
• Je place le verre sur la table. (place, often more careful/deliberate)
• Je dépose le verre sur la table. (set down, often gently)

How do I replace parts of the sentence with pronouns?

• Replace le verre (direct object) with le: Je le mets sur la table.
• Replace sur la table (place) with y: J’y mets le verre.
• Replace both: French pronoun order is me/te/se/nous/vous > le/la/les > lui/leur > y > en, so: Je l’y mets. Negation wraps around the verb and pronouns:
• Je ne le mets pas sur la table.
• Je ne l’y mets pas.

How do I say this in the past or the future?

• Passé composé (completed action): J’ai mis le verre sur la table.
• Imparfait (background/habitual): Je mettais le verre sur la table.
• Futur simple: Je mettrai le verre sur la table.
• Near future: Je vais mettre le verre sur la table.

Are there any contractions with sur like there are with à or de?

No. sur does not contract:

• sur le, sur la, sur les (no change) Only à + le → au and de + le → du contract. With a following vowel sound you’ll use elision on the article: sur l’étagère.

Can I move the place phrase to the front for emphasis?

Yes:

• Sur la table, je mets le verre. (emphasis on the location) An even stronger focus structure is: C’est sur la table que je mets le verre. The neutral, most common order remains: subject + verb + object + place.

What are the genders of verre and table?

• verre is masculine: le verre, un verre
• table is feminine: la table, une table Adjective agreement follows: un verre propre, une table propre.

Are there words that sound like verre I should be careful about?

Yes—common homophones:

• verre (glass; a glass)
• vert (green)
• ver (worm)
• vers (toward; verses) They’re all pronounced [vɛʁ]. Context and spelling disambiguate them.

Would Je me mets ever be correct in a similar context?

Je me mets means “I put myself” or “I begin to.” Examples:

• Je me mets à travailler. = I’m starting to work.
• Je me mets à table. = I’m sitting down to eat. It isn’t used to mean putting an object somewhere. For the glass, use plain je mets.

Can I say Je mets le verre à table?

Not to mean “on the table.” À table is a set phrase related to mealtimes (“Dinner’s ready!”) or being seated at the table. To express placement on the surface, use sur la table.

Is there any liaison in this sentence?

No required liaison:

• No liaison between mets and le (you should not say [mɛz lə]).
• verre and sur each pronounce their final consonants already, so there’s no added liaison consonant there either.

What does the imperative (a command) look like?

• Informal (tu): Mets le verre sur la table !
• Formal/plural (vous): Mettez le verre sur la table !
• Let’s (nous): Mettons le verre sur la table ! Negative: Ne mets pas le verre sur la table.

Are there other nuanced verbs for “put” I should know?

• poser (to put down on a surface)
• placer (to place, often carefully or in a specific spot)
• déposer (to set down/leave, gently or formally)
• In idioms: mettre la table (to set the table), mettre un pull (to put on a sweater), mettre du temps à (to take time to)