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Je veux retourner au rayon de bricolage pour acheter des vis.

Je veux retourner au rayon de bricolage pour acheter des vis.
I want to go back to the hardware section to buy screws.
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Questions & Answers about Je veux retourner au rayon de bricolage pour acheter des vis.

Why is retourner in the infinitive after je veux?

Because after vouloir (to want), French normally uses another verb in the infinitive.

So:

  • je veux = I want
  • retourner = to go back / to return

Together, je veux retourner means I want to go back.

This is the same basic pattern as:

  • Je veux manger = I want to eat
  • Je veux partir = I want to leave
Why isn’t there a separate word for to between veux and retourner?

In English, we say want to return. In French, after vouloir, you usually go straight to the infinitive, with no extra word.

So:

  • I want to return → Je veux retourner

Not:

  • Je veux de retourner
  • Je veux à retourner

Those would be incorrect.

This is a very common difference between English and French.

What does retourner mean here? Does it mean to return, to turn over, or something else?

Here, retourner means to go back or to return to a place.

So in this sentence, it means the speaker wants to go back to the DIY/hardware section.

Be careful: retourner can also mean to turn over in other contexts, for example:

  • Retournez la feuille = Turn the sheet over

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Also, in store situations, retourner can sometimes mean to return an item, but that is not the meaning here.

Could I use revenir instead of retourner here?

Sometimes yes, but they are not always identical.

  • retourner often emphasizes going back to a place
  • revenir often means coming back

In many everyday situations, both can be possible, but retourner au rayon de bricolage sounds very natural for go back to the DIY section.

A rough way to think about it:

  • retourner = go back
  • revenir = come back

That said, real usage overlaps quite a bit.

What does rayon mean here? I thought it meant ray.

Yes, rayon can mean ray in some contexts, but in a store it usually means department, section, or aisle.

So here:

  • le rayon de bricolage = the DIY / hardware section

This is a very common store word in French:

  • rayon boulangerie = bakery section
  • rayon fruits et légumes = fruit and vegetable section

So in shopping contexts, think of rayon as section/aisle/department, not ray.

Why is it au rayon and not à le rayon?

Because à + le contracts to au in French.

So:

  • à le rayon → au rayon

This contraction is required.

Other common contractions:

  • à + les → aux
  • de + le → du
  • de + les → des

So retourner au rayon de bricolage literally contains to the section of DIY.

Could I say dans le rayon de bricolage instead of au rayon de bricolage?

Yes, but the meaning shifts slightly.

  • au rayon de bricolage focuses on going to that section
  • dans le rayon de bricolage focuses more on being in that section

So:

  • Je retourne au rayon de bricolage = I’m going back to the DIY section
  • Je suis dans le rayon de bricolage = I’m in the DIY section

If you say retourner dans le rayon de bricolage, it is not impossible, but retourner au rayon de bricolage is the more standard way to express the destination.

What does bricolage mean here, and why is it de bricolage?

Bricolage refers to DIY, home repair, handyman-type work, or sometimes hardware-related tasks.

So rayon de bricolage is the DIY section or hardware section.

The structure noun + de + noun is very common in French to describe a type or category:

  • magasin de vêtements = clothing store
  • salle de bains = bathroom
  • rayon de bricolage = DIY section

Here, de bricolage describes what kind of rayon it is.

Why is there no article before bricolage?

Because in this kind of category expression, French often uses de + noun without an article.

So:

  • rayon de bricolage
  • magasin de sport
  • chaussures de ville

This is just a normal French pattern for naming types of things.

If you added an article, it would usually change the structure or sound unnatural here.

Why does French use pour acheter here?

Pour + infinitive is a very common way to express purpose in French.

So:

  • pour acheter des vis = to buy screws / in order to buy screws

It tells us why the person wants to go back.

This structure is used when the subject of both actions is the same:

  • Je vais au magasin pour acheter du pain
    = I’m going to the store to buy bread.

If the subject changes, French often uses a different structure, such as pour que.

Why is it des vis and not les vis or just vis?

Des is the plural indefinite article, and here it means some screws or simply screws in a non-specific sense.

So:

  • acheter des vis = to buy some screws / to buy screws

Compare:

  • des vis = some screws, unspecified
  • les vis = the screws, specific screws already known
  • vis by itself would not be correct here

In an affirmative sentence, after acheter, you normally need an article:

  • acheter des vis
  • acheter une vis
  • acheter les vis
How do you pronounce vis here?

Here vis is pronounced roughly like veess.

A few useful points:

  • the s is pronounced here because it is part of the word, not just a silent plural ending
  • singular and plural look the same in speech here:
    • une vis = one screw
    • des vis = screws

In both cases, vis sounds the same. The difference is shown by the article:

  • une vis
  • des vis