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Short answers in French: Demain, sans sucre and pas encore

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Practise short French replies in café orders and everyday plans. Match demain, sans sucre, personne and pas encore to the question being asked.

In short

Demain can be a complete reply to Tu pars quand ? The question supplies the action; your reply supplies the time. Short phrases such as sans sucre, avec Léa and pas encore work the same way when the previous turn makes their meaning clear.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A café customer declines sugar with breakfast.
The customer replies sans sucre, merci. Illustration: Atelier
1

Give a time, a place or a person

The question tells you which detail to supply.

Your partnerTu pars quand ?When are you leaving?
YouDemain matin.Tomorrow morning.
Your partnerTu déjeunes où ?Where are you having lunch?
YouChez moi.At home.
Your partnerTu viens avec qui ?Who are you coming with?
YouAvec Léa.With Léa.
2

Choose your breakfast

Keep the useful preposition in the reply: sans, avec or de.

Your partnerAvec ou sans sucre ?With or without sugar?
YouSans sucre, merci.Without sugar, thank you.
Your partnerDe la confiture de fraise ou d’abricot ?Strawberry or apricot jam?
YouD’abricot, s’il vous plaît.Apricot, please.
Your partnerAutre chose ?Anything else?
YouNon, c’est tout, merci.No, that’s everything, thank you.
3

Give a short negative answer

Your partnerTu as fini ?Have you finished?
YouPas encore.Not yet.
Your partnerQui vient ce soir ?Who’s coming tonight?
YouPersonne.Nobody.
Your partnerTu veux encore du pain ?Do you want some more bread?
YouNon, merci.No, thank you.

Can you answer in short fragments in French?

Say the order, then try the short reply

A fragment can also ask a question. A server’s Un café ? can offer a coffee; Autre chose ? invites you to add to an order. The reply Non, merci closes that invitation. When you pass a detail to someone who missed the question, give the action too: Léa part demain matin.

Question 1No account needed
Give the time of departure.Tu pars quand ?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Demain matin.. Quand asks when. Demain matin gives the departure time.

Question 2No account needed
Say that you have not finished yet.Tu as fini ?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Pas encore.. Pas encore means “not yet”. It leaves completion open for later.

Question 3No account needed
Select the apricot jam.De la confiture de fraise ou d’abricot ?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

D’abricot, merci.. The question offers two flavours. D’abricot chooses the second and keeps the elision.

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