French for Borrowing a Screwdriver at a Repair Café
Learn to name three screwdrivers in French and ask politely to borrow the right one, matching tool to screw head.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
At a repair café, you often need a tool that is not on your table. To get the right screwdriver in French, you need two things: the name of the tool and a polite request. This lesson teaches you to say un tournevis plat, un tournevis cruciforme and une clé Allen, and to ask Est-ce que je peux emprunter… ? or Vous auriez… ? You will also learn to describe the screw head so the volunteer can hand you the correct tool.
By the end, you can…
- name three common screwdrivers in French.
- ask politely to borrow a tool using two different patterns.
- describe a screw head to get the right tool.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Est-ce que je peux emprunter un tournevis plat, s'il vous plaît ?
Can I borrow a flathead screwdriver, please?
ess-kuh zhuh puh ahn-prohn-tay un toor-nuh-vee plah, seel voo pleh
Polite and direct. Use it when you know exactly which tool you need.
Vous auriez un tournevis cruciforme ?
Would you have a Phillips screwdriver?
voo zoh-ree-ay un toor-nuh-vee kroo-see-form
Softer and more tentative. Good when you are not sure the tool is available.
C'est pour une vis à tête plate.
It's for a flat-head screw.
seh poor ewn vee ah tet plat
Explains why you need that specific tool. Helps the volunteer choose correctly.
La vis a une tête cruciforme.
The screw has a Phillips head.
lah vee ah ewn tet kroo-see-form
Describes the screw head. Use it when you are not sure of the tool name.
Il me faut une clé Allen.
I need an Allen key.
eel muh foh ewn klay ah-len
Il me faut is a common way to say 'I need' without sounding demanding.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Est-ce que je peux emprunter… ? literally means 'Is it that I can borrow…?' It is a safe, polite way to ask for an object. Put the tool name after emprunter: Est-ce que je peux emprunter un tournevis plat ? For a softer request, use Vous auriez… ? meaning 'Would you have…?' Example: Vous auriez une clé Allen ? Both patterns work with staff and volunteers. Add s'il vous plaît to sound extra courteous.
When to use it
Use Est-ce que je peux emprunter… ? when you are ready to take the tool and return it. Use Vous auriez… ? when you are asking if the tool exists in the workshop. If you only know the shape of the screw, describe it: C'est pour une vis à tête plate or La vis a une tête cruciforme. The volunteer can then hand you the right tournevis. Avoid saying Je veux un tournevis, which sounds blunt.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, est-ce que je peux emprunter un tournevis plat, s'il vous plaît ?
Hello, can I borrow a flathead screwdriver, please?bohn-zhoor, ess-kuh zhuh puh ahn-prohn-tay un toor-nuh-vee plah, seel voo plehOui, bien sûr. C'est pour quelle vis ?
Yes, of course. Which screw is it for?wee, byan sewr. seh poor kel veeC'est pour une vis à tête plate. Elle est un peu abîmée.
It's for a flat-head screw. It's a bit damaged.seh poor ewn vee ah tet plat. el ay tun puh ah-bee-mayD'accord. Prenez ce tournevis plat. Vous auriez aussi besoin d'une clé Allen ?
All right. Take this flathead screwdriver. Would you also need an Allen key?dah-kor. pruh-nay suh toor-nuh-vee plah. voo zoh-ree-ay oh-see buh-zwan dewn klay ah-lenA little context goes a long way
In French repair cafés, volunteers often use tu among themselves, but as a visitor you should use vous with staff unless they invite you to tutoyer. S'il vous plaît and merci are expected. If you are unsure of a tool name, point and say C'est pour une vis comme ça, then describe the head. Regional note: in Belgium and Switzerland, une clé Allen is also called une clé BTR in some workshops, but clé Allen is widely understood.
One thing to watch for
Saying Je veux un tournevis plat to ask for a tool.
Try this instead: Je veux sounds demanding. Use Est-ce que je peux emprunter un tournevis plat ? or Vous auriez un tournevis plat ? Add s'il vous plaît for politeness.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You need a screwdriver for a screw with a cross-shaped head. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que je peux emprunter un tournevis cruciforme, s'il vous plaît ?
This names the tool and uses a polite request. Vous auriez un tournevis cruciforme ? is also correct.
2You are not sure of the tool name. How do you describe the screw?
Show a sample answer
C'est pour une vis à tête plate.
This describes the screw head. For a cross-shaped head, say une vis à tête cruciforme. The volunteer can then choose the tool.
3You need an Allen key. What is a polite way to ask?
Show a sample answer
Vous auriez une clé Allen ?
Vous auriez… ? is a soft, polite request. Il me faut une clé Allen is also acceptable if you add s'il vous plaît.
Name the tool or describe the screw head, then use Est-ce que je peux emprunter… ? or Vous auriez… ? with s'il vous plaît. That gets you the right screwdriver politely.
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