What does it mean word for word?
Literally, on peut commander à manger means "one can order to eat".
Which one should you use?
While on peut commander à manger is a statement of possibility, it is commonly used as a question in spoken French to mean "can we order food?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can choose different forms based on how formal you wish to be. On peut commander à manger? or Est-ce qu'on peut commander à manger? are informal options. For more formal situations, use Pouvons-nous commander à manger, s'il vous plaît? or the formal expression Pourrions-nous passer une commande, s'il vous plaît? to request to place an order. Using pouvons-nous instead of on peut makes the request more formal and polite.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this context, the pronoun on is used informally to mean "we".
Did you know?
- In France, it is often considered impolite to simply ask on peut commander à manger without first greeting the staff with Bonjour. Failing to do so can be perceived as a command rather than a request.
- The word manger is more aggressive in its history than it sounds today, as it comes from a Late Latin word meaning 'to chew' or 'to devour' like an animal.
- If you use the word commander in a different context, such as in the military, it means 'to command' or 'to give orders' rather than to place an order for food.
Examples in context
- Est-ce qu'on peut commander à manger maintenant ?Can we order food now?
- On peut commander à manger ici ou seulement à emporter ?Can we order food here or only for takeout?
- Si on est fatigués, on peut commander à manger.If we are tired, we can order food.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are deciding what to do for dinner at home.
- EmmaHugo, on peut commander à manger ce soir ?Hugo, can we order food tonight?
- HugoOui, c'est une bonne idée, je suis épuisé.Yes, that's a good idea, I'm exhausted.
- EmmaTu veux des sushis ou une pizza ?Do you want sushi or a pizza?
- HugoUne pizza me ferait très plaisir.A pizza would really please me.
