Gap-fill
Cru, cuit, cuire or cuisiner? A French food gap-fill
Describe raw and cooked ingredients, compare cuire and cuisiner, then fill eight gaps in a dinner scene. Includes food picture cards and adjective agreement.
- A2
- 8 gaps
- Translation included
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Cru means raw and cuit means cooked; both agree with the food they describe. Cuire means to cook with heat, while cuisiner names the broader activity of preparing food: J’aime cuisiner avec des légumes de saison.
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cru / cuitraw / cooked
Focus: the state of the food
a food noun + an agreeing adjective
Une carotte crue, des carottes cuites.
A raw carrot, cooked carrots.
cuire / faire cuireto cook / to cook something
Focus: heating the food
faire cuire + an ingredient
Je fais cuire le riz dans une casserole.
I cook the rice in a saucepan.
Le riz cuit.
The rice is cooking.
cuisinerto cook / prepare food
Focus: the whole activity
aimer cuisiner / cuisiner ensemble
Nous aimons cuisiner ensemble.
We like cooking together.
Je cuisine des légumes de saison.
I cook seasonal vegetables.
See the ingredients and their state
Find:
Study first: match the adjective to the food
| Food | Raw | Cooked |
|---|---|---|
| un légume | cru | cuit |
| une carotte | crue | cuite |
| des légumes | crus | cuits |
| des carottes | crues | cuites |
With a feminine noun, add -e: crue, cuite. With a plural noun, add -s: crus, cuits. Combine them for feminine plurals: crues, cuites. The noun légume is masculine even when the vegetables in the bowl are des carottes or des courgettes.
| Subject | cuire | cuisiner |
|---|---|---|
| je | cuis | cuisine |
| tu | cuis | cuisines |
| il / elle / on | cuit | cuisine |
| nous | cuisons | cuisinons |
| vous | cuisez | cuisinez |
| ils / elles | cuisent | cuisinent |
After faire, keep the infinitive: je fais cuire, nous faisons cuire. In le riz cuit, cuit is a present-tense verb: the rice is cooking. In le riz est cuit, it describes the result: the rice is cooked.
Your turn: eight gaps at dinner
Complete each gap using its hint. Choose the verb or adjective, then check the subject or the food noun. Accents and endings count.
Une salade à deux
Ce soir, nous (cuisiner, nous) ensemble. Léa râpe des carottes. Elles restent (raw; agree with carottes). Je prépare aussi du riz : je le fais (the verb for cooking with heat) dans une casserole.
Les pommes de terre sont déjà (cooked; agree with pommes de terre). Nous les coupons pour la salade. Le riz (cuire, present) pendant que Léa coupe une courgette (raw; agree with courgette). Elle ajoute des tomates : ces légumes restent (raw; agree with légumes).
Le repas est prêt. Léa sourit : « J’aime (the general activity of preparing food) avec toi ! »
Read it in English
Tonight, we’re cooking together. Léa grates some carrots. They stay raw. I also prepare some rice: I cook it in a saucepan.
The potatoes are already cooked. We cut them up for the salad. The rice is cooking while Léa cuts up a raw courgette. She adds some tomatoes: these vegetables stay raw.
The meal is ready. Léa smiles: ‘I like cooking with you!’