pâtes à la sauce tomate
The English phrase "pasta with tomato sauce" is translated into French as pâtes à la sauce tomate.
This phrase is used to describe a pasta dish served with a sauce made from tomatoes.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "pasta with the tomato sauce". The construction à la is used here to indicate the specific style or the accompaniment of the dish.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the word for pasta, pâtes, is almost always used in its plural form. Additionally, when referring to tomato sauce, the preposition de is often omitted in common usage, resulting in sauce tomate instead of sauce de tomate.
Did you know?
- The word tomate comes to French via Spanish from the Classical Nahuatl word tomatl, the language of the Aztecs.
- French culinary tradition often distinguishes between a sauce tomate and a coulis de tomate, with the latter being a thicker, more strained version of the sauce.
- In France, referring to pâtes usually implies a main course, but in some contexts, it is seen as a 'plat unique' that combines starch and sauce in one dish.
Examples in context
- Des pâtes à la sauce tomate, s'il vous plaît.Could I have pasta with tomato sauce, please?
- Je voudrais des pâtes avec de la sauce tomate, s'il vous plaît.I would like pasta with tomato sauce, please
- Pourriez-vous me servir des pâtes à la sauce tomate ?Could you serve me pasta with tomato sauce?
- Tu peux me servir des pâtes à la sauce tomate ?Can you serve me pasta with tomato sauce?
- Des pâtes à la sauce tomate avec du fromage, s'il vous plaîtPasta with tomato sauce and cheese, please
- Bonjour, je voudrais des pâtes à la sauce tomate, s'il vous plaît.Hello, I would like pasta with tomato sauce, please.
- Je voudrais des pâtes à la sauce tomate, s'il vous plaît.I would like some pasta with tomato sauce, please.
- Est-ce que tu aimes les pâtes à la sauce tomate ?Do you like pasta with tomato sauce?
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are deciding what to eat for dinner at home.
- ManonNathan, qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?Nathan, what are we eating tonight?
- NathanOn pourrait faire des pâtes à la sauce tomate.We could make some pasta with tomato sauce.
- ManonC'est une excellente idée, j'adore ça.That is an excellent idea, I love that.
- NathanParfait, je m'en occupe.Perfect, I'll take care of it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, sauce, tomate, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
