French at the Repair Café: Asking What Can Be Repaired
Learn three polite French questions to ask repair café volunteers what they can fix, with a short toaster-and-jacket exchange and pronunciation help.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
At a repair café, the first useful thing you can do is ask what the volunteers are able to look at. In French, the most direct and natural question is Qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer ? (What can you repair?). You can also ask whether a repair is worth the effort with Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ?, and check whether small appliances are accepted with Vous prenez les petits appareils ? These three questions let you start a conversation without assuming anything about what the volunteers can or cannot do. This lesson gives you the phrases, a short exchange, and the register you need to sound curious and respectful rather than demanding.
By the end, you can…
- ask what kinds of items a repair café can repair.
- ask whether a repair is worth doing.
- check whether small appliances are accepted.
- describe a toaster and a torn jacket in a simple exchange.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer ?
What can you repair?
kes-kuh voo poo-vay ray-pa-ray
A general opening question. Use it when you first arrive and want to know what the volunteers can look at.
Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ?
Is it worth it? / Is it worth the effort?
es-kuh sah voh la pen
Use this about a specific item when you are unsure whether repairing it makes sense. It does not ask for a guarantee.
Vous prenez les petits appareils ?
Do you take small appliances?
voo pruh-nay lay puh-tee-za-pa-ray
Use this to check whether items like a toaster or a kettle are accepted. The liaison between petits and appareils sounds like 'puh-tee-za-pa-ray'.
J'ai un grille-pain qui ne marche plus.
I have a toaster that no longer works.
zhay un gree-yuh-pan kee nuh marsh ploo
A simple way to describe a broken small appliance. 'Qui ne marche plus' means it has stopped working.
J'ai une veste déchirée.
I have a torn jacket.
zhay ewn vest day-shee-ray
Use this for clothing. 'Déchirée' has a feminine ending because veste is feminine.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern Est-ce que + subject + verb turns a statement into a yes/no question in everyday French. Est-ce que vous réparez les vélos ? means 'Do you repair bicycles?' Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ? means 'Is it worth it?' In speech, est-ce que is often pronounced 'es-kuh' and runs into the next word. You can also ask a wh-question with Qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer ?, where qu'est-ce que means 'what' as the object of réparer.
When to use it
Use Qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer ? as a general opening question when you do not yet know what the volunteers can handle. Use Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ? about one specific object, for example J'ai un grille-pain. Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ? Use Vous prenez les petits appareils ? when you want to check whether a category of item is accepted. These questions are polite and open; they do not demand a result or a promise.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer aujourd'hui ?
Hello, what can you repair today?bon-zhoor, kes-kuh voo poo-vay ray-pa-ray oh-zhoor-dweeBonjour ! On regarde surtout les petits appareils et les vêtements.
Hello! We mainly look at small appliances and clothes.bon-zhoor! on ruh-gard suur-too lay puh-tee-za-pa-ray ay lay vet-monJ'ai un grille-pain qui ne marche plus. Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ?
I have a toaster that no longer works. Is it worth it?zhay un gree-yuh-pan kee nuh marsh ploo. es-kuh sah voh la penOn peut regarder. Et vous avez autre chose ?
We can take a look. And do you have anything else?on puh ruh-gar-day. ay voo za-vay oh-truh shozA little context goes a long way
In France, repair cafés are usually volunteer-run community events, often in a local hall or association space. Volunteers may be enthusiastic hobbyists rather than professional repairers, so questions like Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ? are normal and welcome. In Quebec, you may hear bricoleur or réparateur used for someone who fixes things, and the same polite questions work. Avoid asking for a guarantee; instead ask what the volunteer can look at.
One thing to watch for
Translating 'Do you repair toasters?' as Est-ce que vous réparez les grille-pains ? with a definite article and assuming it means 'some toasters'.
Try this instead: For a general question about a category, French often uses the plural with the definite article: Vous réparez les grille-pains ? This can sound like 'Do you repair toasters in general?' If you mean one specific toaster, say J'ai un grille-pain qui ne marche plus. Est-ce que vous pouvez regarder ? The verb regarder ('to look at') is often used at repair cafés instead of promettre ('to promise').
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You arrive at a repair café and want to know what items the volunteers can work on. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
Qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer ?
This is the general opening question for what can be repaired. Vous prenez les petits appareils ? is also valid if you specifically mean small appliances.
2You have a torn jacket and want to know if repairing it is worth the effort. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ?
This asks whether the repair is worth doing. You can also say Est-ce que ça vaut le coup ? in more informal French.
3You want to check whether a toaster is accepted. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Vous prenez les petits appareils ? J'ai un grille-pain qui ne marche plus.
The first question checks the category, and the second describes your item. You could also ask Est-ce que vous regardez les grille-pains ?
Start with Qu'est-ce que vous pouvez réparer ?, use Est-ce que ça vaut la peine ? for one item, and check categories with Vous prenez les petits appareils ? Keep the tone curious and respectful, and let the volunteer decide what they can look at.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s French into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr