How to Say 'I Am Making ___' in French and Describe the Dish
Learn to say 'I am making ___' in French and describe the dish you are preparing, with elementary vocabulary and sentence patterns.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to say 'I am making ___' in French and describe the dish you are preparing. This is different from talking about cooking actions like chopping or stirring; here, the focus is on the dish itself. You will use the verb 'faire' (to make) and the expression 'je suis en train de' to talk about what you are making right now. You will also learn to describe the dish with simple adjectives and nouns, such as its main ingredients, taste, and origin. By the end, you will be able to say what you are making and give a basic description of it.
By the end, you can…
- say 'I am making ___' in French using the present tense of 'faire'.
- describe a dish by mentioning its main ingredients, taste, and type.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Je fais une quiche.
I am making a quiche.
zhuh feh ewn keesh
Use 'je fais' for a general statement about what you are making. 'Une quiche' is a feminine noun, so use 'une'.
Je suis en train de faire un gâteau.
I am in the process of making a cake.
zhuh swee zahn tran duh fehr uhn gah-toh
This emphasizes that you are currently in the middle of making it. 'Un gâteau' is masculine.
C'est un plat salé.
It's a savory dish.
seh tuhn plah sah-leh
Use 'salé' for savory and 'sucré' for sweet. 'Un plat' is masculine.
Il y a des tomates et du fromage.
There are tomatoes and cheese.
eel yah deh toh-maht eh dew froh-mahzh
Use 'il y a' to list ingredients. 'Des' is the plural indefinite article; 'du' is the partitive article for masculine nouns.
C'est une spécialité de ma région.
It's a specialty from my region.
seh tewn spay-syah-lee-teh duh mah ray-zhyon
Use this to describe the origin of the dish. 'Une spécialité' is feminine.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To say 'I am making ___', use 'je fais' followed by the dish. For example, 'Je fais une soupe' (I am making a soup). To emphasize that you are in the middle of making it, use 'je suis en train de faire' + dish: 'Je suis en train de faire une tarte' (I am in the process of making a pie). To describe the dish, use 'c'est' + adjective: 'C'est délicieux' (It's delicious). You can also list ingredients with 'il y a' + article + noun: 'Il y a des pommes et de la cannelle' (There are apples and cinnamon). Note that French nouns have gender: use 'un' for masculine and 'une' for feminine. For example, 'un gâteau' (a cake) is masculine, 'une quiche' (a quiche) is feminine.
When to use it
Use 'je fais' when you are talking about making a dish in general, not necessarily at this exact moment. For example, if someone asks what you are doing, you can say 'Je fais une pizza.' Use 'je suis en train de faire' when you want to stress that you are actively making it right now. For describing the dish, use 'c'est' + adjective to give your opinion or state a fact: 'C'est sucré' (It's sweet). Use 'il y a' to mention ingredients: 'Il y a du poulet et des légumes' (There is chicken and vegetables). When talking about the origin, say 'C'est une spécialité de...' (It's a specialty from...). For example, 'C'est une spécialité de Lyon.'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?
What are you making?kess kuh tew fehJe fais une ratatouille. C'est un plat de légumes.
I am making a ratatouille. It's a vegetable dish.zhuh feh ewn rah-tah-too-yuh. seh tuhn plah duh lay-gewmÇa a l'air bon ! Il y a quoi dedans ?
That looks good! What's in it?sah ah lehr bohn! eel yah kwah duh-dahnIl y a des aubergines, des courgettes et des tomates.
There are eggplants, zucchinis, and tomatoes.eel yah deh zoh-behr-zheen, deh koor-zhet eh deh toh-mahtA little context goes a long way
In France, the word 'plat' can refer to a dish or a course in a meal. When describing a dish, it's common to mention its region of origin, as many French dishes are strongly associated with specific areas, such as 'la quiche lorraine' from Lorraine or 'la bouillabaisse' from Marseille. In informal settings, you might hear 'je fais' pronounced as 'j'fais' in rapid speech. In Quebec, the expression 'je suis en train de' is also used, but you might hear 'je suis après faire' in informal spoken French, though this is not standard in France.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Je fais un gâteau' for a feminine noun like 'quiche' (e.g., 'Je fais un quiche').
Try this instead: Always match the article to the noun's gender. 'Quiche' is feminine, so say 'Je fais une quiche.' 'Gâteau' is masculine, so 'Je fais un gâteau.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I am making a soup' in French?
Show a sample answer
Je fais une soupe.
'Soupe' is feminine, so use 'une'. 'Je fais' is the correct present tense form for 'I am making'.
2Translate: 'It's a sweet dish.'
Show a sample answer
C'est un plat sucré.
'Plat' is masculine, so use 'un'. 'Sucré' means sweet. You could also say 'C'est sucré' without 'un plat'.
3How would you say 'There is cheese' in French?
Show a sample answer
Il y a du fromage.
'Fromage' is masculine and uncountable here, so use the partitive article 'du'. 'Il y a' means 'there is' or 'there are'.
Use 'je fais' + dish to say what you are making, and 'je suis en train de faire' to stress you are doing it now. Describe the dish with 'c'est' + adjective and list ingredients with 'il y a' + article + noun. Remember to match articles to noun gender.
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