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French breakfast tray vocabulary: find the missing item

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Explore eight items on a French breakfast tray, then compare them with a short order. Use il manque to identify the requested item that is absent.

In short

Il manque de la confiture means “some jam is missing”. Name what you see on the tray, then compare it with the order. Here the bread and butter are present, but the requested jam is absent. Il y a says what is there; il manque identifies what is needed.

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The breakfast order asks for coffee, water, orange juice, bread, butter and jam. The tray also contains a plate, a knife and a napkin. Those serving items do not replace an ordered food. Explore the eight labelled objects, then use the supplied order to identify the one missing request.

Le plateau du petit déjeuner

Breakfast tray with coffee, water, orange juice, a plate, bread, butter, a knife and a napkin; no jam.

La commande

Un café, un verre d’eau et un jus d’orange.

Une tartine avec du beurre et de la confiture.

Compare the ordered food and drinks with the illustrated tray.

Describe the tray before asking for the missing item

Sur le plateau means on the tray. Dans la tasse means in the cup; sur l’assiette means on the plate. Use a container when it helps distinguish the drinks: une tasse de café, un verre d’eau, un verre de jus d’orange. The glass and its contents belong to one description, even though verre itself names the container.

Il y a une tartine et du beurre sur le plateau.

There is a slice of bread and some butter on the tray.

Il manque de la confiture.

Some jam is missing.

Je peux avoir de la confiture, s’il vous plaît ?

Could I have some jam, please?

Choose the construction that fits the item
FrenchEnglishWhat is named
Il manque une serviette.A napkin is missing.One countable object
Il manque un couteau.A knife is missing.One countable object
Il manque de la confiture.Some jam is missing.An unspecified amount of food
Question 1No account needed
Which ordered food is missing from this tray?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Jam. The tray includes the tartine and butter, but no jam is shown.

Question 2No account needed
Which object would you use to spread the butter?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The knife. Un couteau is the knife beside the plate, suitable for spreading butter.

Question 3No account needed
Which request asks for the missing food politely?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je peux avoir de la confiture, s’il vous plaît ?. The missing ordered food is confiture; the other requests name different items.

Ask for the specific missing thing rather than repeating the whole order. Le café est là, mais il manque de la confiture acknowledges what has arrived and identifies the remaining request. If the problem concerns an object instead, replace the food phrase with une serviette or un couteau.

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