How to Say “Dinner Is Ready” in French

By •
le dîner est prêt
In French, the phrase for "dinner is ready" is le dîner est prêt.
le dîner est prêt is used to notify others that the evening meal has been prepared and is ready to be eaten.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is built from le (the), dîner (dinner), est (is) and prêt (ready).

Which one should you use?

While le dîner est prêt is a literal statement of fact, the common idiomatic way to call people to eat is À table ! For more formal situations, you might use Le dîner est servi. to say "The dinner is served.", Le souper est prêt à être dégusté. for "Supper is ready to be savored.", or Le dîner est prêt, je vous en prie. which translates to "Dinner is ready, please proceed.". You can also use the formal instruction Vous pouvez passer à table. to say "You may take your seats at the table.".

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

In informal settings, you can use À table ! to mean "Time to eat!", Le dîner est servi, les amis. for "Dinner is served, friends.", Allez, à table, c'est prêt ! for "Come on, to the table, it's ready!" or Le repas est prêt, on peut passer à table. for "The meal is ready, we can sit at the table.". Conversely, formal options include Le dîner est servi, Le souper est prêt à être dégusté, Vous pouvez passer à table, and Le dîner est prêt, je vous en prie.

Did you know?

  • In some French-speaking regions, le dîner refers to the midday meal rather than the evening meal.
  • The word dîner actually comes from a Latin word meaning 'to break the fast'.
  • The word prêt can mean both 'ready' and 'lent', depending on the context of the sentence.

Examples in context

  • Le dîner est prêt.
    Dinner is ready.
    This sentence is a simple statement that dinner is ready.
    Tatoeba #12668 by sacredceltic, translation #39682 by CK
  • Le dîner est prêt, père.
    Dinner is ready, Father.
    This sentence shows how to address a father when announcing dinner.
    Tatoeba #129889 by Archibald, translation #282821 by CN
  • Je me demande si le dîner est prêt.
    I wonder if dinner is ready.
    This sentence demonstrates using the phrase within a question about whether dinner is ready.
    Tatoeba #4833517 by sacredceltic, translation #324621 by CK
  • Chers invités, le dîner est servi, profitez-en !
    Dear guests, dinner is served, enjoy!
  • Allez, tout le monde à table, le repas est prêt !
    Come on, everyone to the table, the meal is ready!
  • Les amis, venez manger, c'est prêt !
    Friends, come eat, it's ready!
  • 5 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

A couple calls out to each other in their apartment.

  1. Nathan

    Léa, le dîner est prêt !
    Léa, dinner is ready!
  2. Léa

    J'arrive tout de suite, Nathan.
    I'm coming right now, Nathan.
  3. Nathan

    Tu as faim ?
    Are you hungry?
  4. Léa

    Oui, j'ai très faim !
    Yes, I am very hungry!

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Leon Declan
Leon DeclanHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top