Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.

I am eating a piece of bread with some cheese.

Breakdown of Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.

• je: I
• manger: to eat
• le pain: the bread
• avec: with
• le fromage: the cheese
• du: some
• de: of
• le morceau: the piece

Questions & Answers about Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.

Why is it un morceau de pain instead of just un pain?

In French, un pain usually means a whole loaf of bread, not just a piece.

• un morceau de pain = a piece / bit / chunk of bread
• un pain = a loaf of bread (like one whole baguette)

French often specifies the portion of a food with a noun + de + the food:

• une tranche de pain = a slice of bread
• un morceau de fromage = a piece of cheese
• un verre de vin = a glass of wine

So un morceau de pain is the natural way to say a piece of bread.

Why is it de pain after un morceau, not du pain?

After words that indicate a quantity or portion, French uses de without an article.

Typical pattern:

• un morceau de pain – a piece of bread
• une tranche de jambon – a slice of ham
• un kilo de pommes – a kilo of apples
• beaucoup de travail – a lot of work

So the structure is:

[quantity word] + de + [noun]

That’s why we say un morceau de pain, not un morceau du pain.

Why do we say du fromage but de pain in the same sentence?

Because they play different grammatical roles:

• un morceau de pain:

  • morceau = a portion word
  • de pain follows a quantity word → rule: de without article

• du fromage:

  • here, fromage is the direct object of mange
  • we’re not specifying a precise quantity, just “some cheese”
  • so we use the partitive article: du ( = “some”)

So:

• de pain → comes after un morceau (a quantity word)
• du fromage → stands alone as “(some) cheese,” the thing being eaten

What exactly does du mean here?

Du is the partitive article for masculine singular nouns.

• It’s a contraction of de + le → du
• With food, it usually means “some” in English.

So du fromage can be understood as:

• some cheese,
• or just cheese in general, when you don’t need to be specific.

Similar forms:

• du pain = some bread
• de la salade = some salad
• de l’eau = some water
• des fruits = some fruits / some fruit

When do we use du / de la / de l’ / des vs just de?

Very short version:

1. Partitive / indefinite “some” (no quantity word before it)

   • masculine: du fromage
   • feminine: de la confiture
   • before vowel or silent h: de l’eau
   • plural: des biscuits

2. After a quantity word → use only de (no article)

   • un morceau de pain
   • beaucoup de fromage
   • un litre d’eau
   • une tranche de pain

3. After a negative with a direct object (usually)

   • Je mange du fromage. → I eat some cheese.
   • Je ne mange pas de fromage. → I don’t eat any cheese.

In your sentence:

• un morceau de pain → quantity word (morceau) → de
• du fromage → partitive “some cheese” → du

Can Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage also mean “I am eating a piece of bread with some cheese”?

Yes.

French simple present (je mange) can mean:

• I eat (habitual)
• I do eat (emphatic)
• I am eating (right now)

Context tells you which one is meant. Without extra context, je mange can very naturally be understood as “I am eating.”

Why can’t I translate “I am eating” as je suis mangeant?

Because French does not normally form the present progressive like English.

• je suis mangeant is ungrammatical in standard French.

To express “I am in the middle of eating,” you can say:

• Je mange. (most common and natural)
• Je suis en train de manger. (insists on “in the process of”)

So just use je mange for both “I eat” and “I am eating” unless you specifically need to insist on the ongoing action (je suis en train de manger).

Do we always need an article like un or du before pain and fromage?

Almost always, yes. In French, countable and mass nouns usually need an article (or another determiner).

Examples:

• Correct: Je mange du pain. – I eat (some) bread.
• Incorrect: Je mange pain.

For general likes/dislikes, you use the definite article:

• J’aime le pain. – I like bread.
• J’aime le fromage. – I like cheese.

So for what you are eating right now:

• Je mange du pain. – I’m eating bread / some bread.
• Je mange un morceau de pain. – I’m eating a piece of bread.

What are the genders of morceau, pain, and fromage, and how can I tell?

In this sentence:

• un morceau → masculine
• un morceau de pain → pain is masculine
• du fromage → fromage is masculine (since du = de + le)

How to tell here?

• The articles show you the gender:
  • un and du are used with masculine singular nouns.
• So:
  • un morceau → morceau is masculine.
  • un morceau de pain → pain is masculine (known from dictionaries/usage).
  • du fromage = de + le fromage → fromage is masculine.

Unfortunately, there is no reliable general rule from the spelling alone; you usually learn the gender with each noun (e.g. le pain, le fromage, le morceau).

Can I swap the order and say Je mange du fromage avec un morceau de pain?

Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct.

Both are possible:

• Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.
• Je mange du fromage avec un morceau de pain.

They describe the same reality, but the focus can shift slightly:

• First version highlights the piece of bread, then adds that it’s with some cheese.
• Second version highlights the cheese, then adds that it’s with a piece of bread.

In everyday use, both sound natural.

Is the final -e in mange pronounced? How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

• In mange, the final -e is silent.
• mange is pronounced roughly like “mahnzh” [mɑ̃ʒ].

Typical pronunciation (in IPA):

• Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.
  → /ʒə mɑ̃ʒ‿œ̃ mɔʁso də pɛ̃ avɛk dy fʁɔmaʒ/

Notes:

• There is usually a liaison between mange and un:
  mange un → /mɑ̃ʒ‿œ̃/ (you hear a z sound linking them).
• Final consonants in morceau, pain, fromage:
  • morceau: final -eau → /o/, no extra consonant.
  • pain: nasal vowel /pɛ̃/, the n is not fully pronounced.
  • fromage: -ge → /ʒ/ (like the j in measure).

Can I drop je and just say Mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

• Je mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.
  → statement: I am eating a piece of bread with some cheese.

• Mange un morceau de pain avec du fromage.
  → command: Eat a piece of bread with some cheese. (talking to tu)

In normal statements, French requires the subject pronoun:

• You cannot drop je in a neutral statement the way you can drop I in English diaries or notes.
• Dropping the subject pronoun generally only works in imperatives (commands):
  
  • Mange ! – Eat!
  • Mangez ! – Eat! (to vous / plural)

Is there a difference between avec du fromage and au fromage?

Yes, they’re used differently.

• avec du fromage = with (some) cheese

  • Emphasizes that cheese is accompanying something.
  • Je mange du pain avec du fromage.
    → I’m eating bread with cheese (cheese on the side or on top).

• au fromage = cheese-flavoured / cheese-based / with cheese in it

  • Often used as a sort of adjective, especially with prepared dishes:
    • un sandwich au fromage – a cheese sandwich
    • une omelette au fromage – a cheese omelette
    • des chips au fromage – cheese-flavoured chips

In your sentence, avec du fromage is the natural choice because you’re describing two separate foods eaten together.