mange ton dîner
The English phrase 'eat your dinner' can be said in French as mange ton dîner.
This phrase is used as a command to tell someone to consume their evening meal. You can also substitute the word dîner with repas to say 'eat your meal' (mange ton repas).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb mange (eat), the possessive adjective ton (your) and the noun dîner (dinner).
Which one should you use?
mange ton dîner is the informal version, where using ton implies familiarity, such as a parent speaking to a child. For formal situations or when addressing more than one person, use mangez votre dîner.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb mange is in the imperative mood, which is used for direct commands.
When do people say it?
In France, it is customary to say Bon appétit before eating. If you want to signal that a meal is served in a friendly and common way, you can say Allez, à table ! which means 'let's eat'.
Did you know?
- If you are in Quebec or Belgium, saying mange ton dîner might actually mean 'eat your lunch'. In these regions, dîner often refers to the midday meal instead of the evening meal.
- The word dîner is a linguistic double of déjeuner because both words originally derived from the same Latin root meaning 'to break the fast'.
- While manger means 'to eat', French uses the word prendre (to take) in refined social settings to make the act of having dîner sound more elegant.
Examples in context
- Mange ton dîner rapidement.Eat your dinner quickly.
- Mange ton dîner avant qu'il soit froid.Eat your dinner before it gets cold.
- Mange ton dîner, s'il te plaît.Eat your dinner, please.
Example conversation
Lucas is urging Léa to finish her meal.
- LucasLéa, mange ton dîner maintenant.Léa, eat your dinner now.
- LéaJe n'ai pas très faim, Lucas.I'm not very hungry, Lucas.
- LucasTu dois finir ton assiette.You have to finish your plate.
- LéaD'accord, je le mange.Okay, I'll eat it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dîner, ton, CC BY-SA 4.0.
