Après le dîner, je jette les restes à la poubelle.

After dinner, I throw the leftovers in the trash.

Breakdown of Après le dîner, je jette les restes à la poubelle.

• je: I
• après: after
• à: in
• le dîner: the dinner

Questions & Answers about Après le dîner, je jette les restes à la poubelle.

Why is it après le dîner and not just après dîner?

French often uses an article where English would not.

So après le dîner is the most natural everyday way to say after dinner.

You may sometimes see expressions without an article in more fixed, literary, or older-style phrasing, but for normal modern French, après le dîner is what learners should use.

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What does dîner mean here? Is it a noun or a verb?

Here, dîner is a noun, meaning dinner.

You can tell because it comes after le:

• le dîner = the dinner / dinner

But dîner can also be a verb:

• Je vais dîner = I’m going to have dinner

So the spelling is the same, but the grammar tells you which one it is.

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Is dîner always dinner in French?