In this workshop you will practice talking about cooking in French. You will learn how to say that you chop, boil, fry, or bake something, and you will practice answering a simple question about what you are making for dinner. Each example comes from a short recording, and the English meaning is explained before you try it yourself. You can play both roles in the dialogue, so you can practice speaking and listening at the same time.
Saying what you do in the kitchen
French often uses short, clear sentences to describe cooking actions. The pattern is usually je + action + ingredient. For chopping, the verb is couper. For boiling, French uses faire bouillir, which literally means 'make boil'. For frying, the verb is faire frire. For baking, French often says faire cuire with au four, meaning 'cook in the oven'. Notice that the ingredient comes after the verb, and the article (le, la, les, l') stays with the ingredient. For example, «Je coupe les oignons.» means 'I chop the onions'. Here, les oignons means 'the onions'. «Je fais bouillir l'eau.» means 'I boil the water'. Eau is feminine: la becomes l' before its vowel, giving l'eau. «Je fais frire les pommes de terre.» means 'I fry the potatoes'. Pommes de terre literally means 'apples of the earth', but it is the normal word for potatoes. «Je fais cuire le pain au four.» means 'I bake the bread in the oven'. Au four means 'in the oven'. Practice saying each sentence slowly, then a little faster.
Answering a question about dinner
When someone asks what you are making for dinner, you can answer with one or more cooking actions. The question «Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour le dîner ?» means 'What are you making for dinner?'. A natural answer can combine two actions, as in «Je coupe les oignons et je mélange les ingrédients.», which means 'I chop the onions and I mix the ingredients'. If the other person asks a follow-up question like «Tu fais bouillir l'eau aussi ?», which means 'Are you boiling the water too?', you can answer yes or no and add another action. For example, «Oui, et après je fais frire les pommes de terre.» means 'Yes, and afterwards I fry the potatoes'. Notice that après means 'afterwards' and comes before the next action. In this dialogue, the first speaker asks the questions, and the second speaker describes the cooking actions. You can play both roles: first read the questions out loud, then read the answers.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Je coupe les oignons.
I chop the onions.
zhuh koop lay zoh-nyon
Je fais bouillir l'eau.
I boil the water.
zhuh fay boo-weer loh
Je fais frire les pommes de terre.
I fry the potatoes.
zhuh fay freer lay pom duh tehr
Je fais cuire le pain au four.
I bake the bread in the oven.
zhuh fay kweer luh pan oh foor
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour le dîner ?
What are you making for dinner?Je coupe les oignons et je mélange les ingrédients.
I chop the onions and I mix the ingredients.Tu fais bouillir l'eau aussi ?
Are you boiling the water too?Oui, et après je fais frire les pommes de terre.
Yes, and afterwards I fry the potatoes.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: what are you making?
Imagine you are talking with a friend about dinner. One person asks the question, and the other person describes two cooking actions.
Your task: Read the question «Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour le dîner ?» out loud. Then answer with «Je coupe les oignons et je mélange les ingrédients.». Repeat the exchange, but this time swap roles: you ask the question, and then you answer it yourself using the same recording.
Reply comprehension: yes or no?
Imagine someone asks if you are boiling water too. You will hear a follow-up question and then a reply.
Your task: Read «Tu fais bouillir l'eau aussi ?», then the reply «Oui, et après je fais frire les pommes de terre.». Decide whether the reply starts with yes or no, and identify the action planned afterwards in English. Then repeat the complete recorded reply.
Recall with correct roles
Imagine you are preparing dinner and someone asks you questions. You will practice the whole short dialogue from memory.
Your task: Recreate the exchange one turn at a time: A asks «Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour le dîner ?», B answers «Je coupe les oignons et je mélange les ingrédients.», A asks «Tu fais bouillir l'eau aussi ?», and B replies «Oui, et après je fais frire les pommes de terre.». Keep that question-answer order when you repeat the dialogue.
Common questions
Do I need to memorize every word before I speak?
No. Start by saying the short sentences out loud while you look at the text. Then try to say them again without looking. It is normal to forget a word at first. Repeat the recordings and soon the actions will feel natural.
Can I use these sentences for other ingredients?
Yes, the pattern je + action + ingredient works with many ingredients. For example, you can keep the verb couper and change the ingredient. Just remember to keep the correct article with the ingredient, such as les for plural or l' for a singular word starting with a vowel.
Sources and further reading
- french: name common cooking actionsChecked September 2026
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