French for the Laundrette: Asking for a Machine Big Enough for a Duvet
Learn to ask in French whether a washing machine can take a duvet, using un tambour, une couette and assez grand.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
You are standing in a French launderette with a bulky duvet and a row of machines that all look too small. The key question is not just 'Where is the washing machine?' but whether a particular machine's drum can actually take your duvet. This lesson gives you the precise nouns and a polite question pattern to ask staff or another customer. You will learn un tambour (the drum), une couette (a duvet), and assez grand (big enough), then combine them into a natural request. The focus is on spoken, practical French in France, with polite forms that work in a shop or a self-service laundry.
By the end, you can…
- name the drum and a duvet in French.
- ask whether a washing machine can take a duvet.
- compare machine sizes using assez grand and trop petit.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Est-ce que cette machine peut prendre une couette ?
Can this machine take a duvet?
ess-kuh set ma-sheen puh prahn-druh oon kwet
Polite, standard question. Use peut prendre for capacity, not just 'is big'. Point to the machine if needed.
Est-ce que le tambour est assez grand pour une couette ?
Is the drum big enough for a duvet?
ess-kuh luh tahn-boor ay ta-say grahn poor oon kwet
More precise: asks about the drum itself. Useful when machines look similar from outside.
Cette machine est trop petite.
This machine is too small.
set ma-sheen ay tro puh-teet
Use trop petit / trop petite to reject a machine. Petite agrees with machine, which is feminine.
Vous avez une machine plus grande ?
Do you have a bigger machine?
voo za-vay oon ma-sheen ploo grahnd
Polite question to staff. Plus grande agrees with machine. Use vous with staff.
Je voudrais une machine avec un grand tambour.
I would like a machine with a large drum.
zhuh voo-dre oon ma-sheen a-vek uhn grahn tahn-boor
Je voudrais is a polite way to say 'I would like'. Grand tambour is masculine singular.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is Est-ce que + subject + peut prendre + object. Est-ce que turns a statement into a yes/no question without changing word order. Example: Est-ce que cette machine peut prendre une couette ? You can swap the object: Est-ce que cette machine peut prendre un drap ? (a sheet) or un tapis (a rug). To ask about size, use assez grand pour + noun: Est-ce que le tambour est assez grand pour une couette ? Remember gender: un tambour (masculine), une couette (feminine), une machine (feminine). Adjectives agree: assez grand, assez grande; trop petit, trop petite.
When to use it
Use these questions in a self-service launderette (une laverie) or a hotel laundry room when you need to check capacity before paying or starting a cycle. Ask staff with vous: Est-ce que vous avez une machine plus grande ? If another customer is nearby, you can ask the same question politely. Avoid asking about prices or specific programmes in this lesson; focus on the physical fit. If the machine is too small, say Cette machine est trop petite, and ask for another: Vous avez une machine avec un grand tambour ?
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, est-ce que cette machine peut prendre une couette ?
Hello, can this machine take a duvet?bon-zhoor, ess-kuh set ma-sheen puh prahn-druh oon kwetJe ne pense pas. Le tambour est trop petit pour une couette.
I don't think so. The drum is too small for a duvet.zhuh nuh pahnss pah. luh tahn-boor ay tro puh-tee poor oon kwetD'accord. Est-ce que vous avez une machine plus grande ?
Okay. Do you have a bigger machine?da-kor. ess-kuh voo za-vay oon ma-sheen ploo grahndOui, la machine au fond a un grand tambour.
Yes, the machine at the back has a large drum.wee, la ma-sheen o fahn a uhn grahn tahn-boorA little context goes a long way
In France, launderettes are often self-service (libre-service), but staff may be present during opening hours. Use bonjour before asking anything; it is expected and polite. With staff, use vous. With another customer, vous is also safe unless they are clearly young and informal. Avoid touching machines before asking if you are unsure; pointing and asking Est-ce que cette machine... is normal.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Est-ce que cette machine est assez grande pour une couette ?' when you mean the drum capacity.
Try this instead: This sentence is not wrong, but it asks about the machine's overall size, not the drum. For capacity, say: Est-ce que le tambour est assez grand pour une couette ? Use tambour for the drum, and grand / grande to agree with the noun.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Is the drum big enough for a duvet?' in French?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que le tambour est assez grand pour une couette ?
This uses le tambour (masculine) with assez grand, and pour une couette. You could also ask Est-ce que cette machine peut prendre une couette ? which is broader but still valid.
2You want a bigger machine. What polite question do you ask staff?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que vous avez une machine plus grande ?
This uses vous avez and plus grande agreeing with machine (feminine). Vous avez une machine plus grande ? without Est-ce que is also acceptable in speech.
3The machine is too small. How do you say that, and what noun gender do you use?
Show a sample answer
Cette machine est trop petite.
Machine is feminine, so the adjective is petite. Trop petite means 'too small'. If you say trop petit, it would not agree with machine.
To solve the duvet problem in a French launderette, ask Est-ce que cette machine peut prendre une couette ? or Est-ce que le tambour est assez grand pour une couette ? Use un tambour, une couette, assez grand, and polite vous forms with staff.
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