Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?
To ask "what's for dinner?" in French, say Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?
Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ? is the everyday family question about what the evening meal will be.
What does it mean word for word?
Qu'est-ce qu' means "what", on mange means "we eat" and ce soir means "this evening".
How does it change in a sentence?
on is the everyday word for "we" in spoken French and takes the same verb form as "he" or "she".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Keep the space before the question mark in written French.
When do people say it?
In France the evening meal is usually eaten later than in the United States, often around eight o'clock.
Did you know?
- In French, the word dîner can mean 'dinner', but in some regions and historical contexts, it referred to the midday meal. This can lead to confusion when discussing whether the 'dinner' happens at noon or in the evening.
- The word ce in ce soir descends from the Vulgar Latin expression ecce ille, which literally means 'look, that one'.
- While on is used here to mean 'we', it is technically an indefinite pronoun meaning 'one' or 'people in general'.
Examples in context
- Maman, qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?Mom, what's for dinner?
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are in the kitchen.
- ManonQu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?What's for dinner tonight?
- NathanJe prépare des pâtes et une salade.I'm making pasta and a salad.
- ManonC'est super, merci Nathan !That's great, thanks Nathan!
- NathanDe rien, Manon, c'est presque prêt.You're welcome, Manon, it's almost ready.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ce, soir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
