French for Intermediate Learners: Talking About Reducing Waste with 'On devrait composter'
Learn to discuss waste reduction in French using the conditional 'on devrait' plus composting vocabulary, with a natural dialogue and practice.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn to talk about reducing waste in French, focusing on the practical suggestion 'We should compost.' The key structure is the conditional form 'on devrait' (we should), followed by an infinitive. You will also learn nouns and verbs for waste and composting, such as 'les déchets', 'le compost', and 'composter'. This is not a general sustainability lesson; it stays on the specific skill of making suggestions about waste.
By the end, you can…
- suggest composting and other waste-reducing actions using 'on devrait' + infinitive.
- name common waste items and talk about sorting and reducing them in French.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
On devrait composter.
We should compost.
on duh-VREH kom-poh-STAY
A general suggestion. 'On' is common in spoken French for 'we'; the verb 'devoir' is in the conditional to soften the advice.
Il faut réduire les déchets.
We need to reduce waste.
eel foh ray-DWEER lay day-SHAY
'Il faut' expresses necessity or obligation. 'Les déchets' means waste or rubbish; it is always plural in this sense.
Je trie mes déchets.
I sort my waste.
zhuh TREE may day-SHAY
'Trier' means to sort. In France, this often refers to sorting recyclables, glass, and compostable waste.
On peut mettre les épluchures au compost.
We can put vegetable peelings in the compost.
on puh MEH-truh lay zay-ploo-SHUR oh kom-POST
'Les épluchures' are peelings. 'Mettre ... au compost' means to put into the compost.
J'essaie d'acheter en vrac.
I try to buy in bulk.
zheh-SEH dash-TAY ahn VRAK
'En vrac' means loose or in bulk, often used for package-free shopping to reduce waste.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 'on devrait + infinitive' means 'we should ...'. Use it to make polite suggestions: 'On devrait composter.' (We should compost.) 'On devrait acheter en vrac.' (We should buy in bulk.) You can also use 'on pourrait' (we could) for a softer option: 'On pourrait réduire le plastique.' (We could reduce plastic.) Note that 'on' takes third-person singular verb forms, even when it means 'we'.
When to use it
Use 'on devrait' when you want to propose a shared action without sounding too direct. It works well in conversations about household habits: 'On devrait trier le verre.' (We should sort glass.) For stronger obligation, use 'il faut': 'Il faut composter les épluchures.' (We need to compost peelings.) For ability or possibility, use 'on peut': 'On peut mettre le carton dans le bac jaune.' (We can put cardboard in the yellow bin.) Choose 'on devrait' for advice, 'il faut' for necessity, and 'on peut' for options.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
On devrait composter, non ?
We should compost, shouldn't we?on duh-VREH kom-poh-STAY nonOui, mais je ne sais pas où mettre le compost.
Yes, but I don't know where to put the compost.wee meh zhuh nuh seh pah oo MEH-truh luh kom-POSTTu peux mettre les épluchures dans un bac à compost.
You can put the peelings in a compost bin.tew puh MEH-truh lay zay-ploo-SHUR dahn-zun bak ah kom-POSTD'accord, et on peut aussi réduire les emballages.
Okay, and we can also reduce packaging.da-KOR, eh on puh oh-SEE ray-DWEER lay zahn-bah-LAZHA little context goes a long way
In France, household waste sorting is common: yellow bins for recyclables, green for glass, and separate collection for compost in many areas. In Canada and Belgium, bin colours and rules differ. 'On' is standard in everyday spoken French for 'we'; in formal writing, 'nous' is preferred.
One thing to watch for
Using 'nous devrions composter' in casual conversation because it sounds more correct.
Try this instead: In everyday spoken French, 'on devrait composter' is far more natural. 'Nous devrions' is formal and can sound stilted. Use 'on devrait' with friends and family, and save 'nous devrions' for written or very formal contexts.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'We should reduce plastic' using 'on devrait'?
Show a sample answer
On devrait réduire le plastique.
This uses 'on devrait' + infinitive 'réduire', with the definite article 'le plastique'. 'On pourrait réduire le plastique' is also correct and slightly softer.
2What does 'les épluchures' mean, and where do they usually go?
Show a sample answer
Les épluchures are vegetable or fruit peelings, and they usually go in the compost.
'Épluchures' refers to peelings. In a waste context, they are compostable. 'Les restes' (leftovers) is a different word.
3Translate: 'We can put cardboard in the yellow bin.'
Show a sample answer
On peut mettre le carton dans le bac jaune.
'On peut' + infinitive 'mettre' expresses possibility. 'Le carton' is cardboard, and 'le bac jaune' is the yellow bin used for recyclables in France. 'La poubelle jaune' is also used.
Use 'on devrait' + infinitive to suggest waste-reducing actions like composting, and remember that 'on' is the natural spoken French equivalent of 'we'.
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