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Repas, plat, assiette: the meal, the dish and the plate

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Learn un repas, un plat and une assiette with illustrated table vocabulary, French meal examples, useful gender patterns and four practice questions.

In short

Un repas is a whole meal, un plat is a prepared dish or a serving dish, and une assiette is a plate. One repas can include several plats, served on several assiettes. On a menu, une assiette de fromages names a serving of cheese.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A French dining table set for four with baked fish and vegetables in serving dishes and four white plates.
The table brings together repas, plats and assiettes. Illustration: Atelier

The eating occasion

un repasm.a mealNous préparons un repas pour quatre personnes.
le repas du soirm.the evening mealLe repas du soir commence à vingt heures.
un bon repasm.a good mealMerci pour ce bon repas !

The food and the serving dish

un plat de légumesm.a vegetable dishJe prépare un plat de légumes.
le plat principalm.the main courseLe poisson est le plat principal.
un plat à gratinm.a gratin dishJe mets les pommes de terre dans le plat à gratin.

The plate and its contents

une assiette propref.a clean plateTu peux me passer une assiette propre ?
une assiette creusef.a deep plate; a soup plateJe sers la soupe dans une assiette creuse.
une assiette de fromagesf.a cheese plateNous partageons une assiette de fromages.

See the dish and the plate

Gender and plural at a glance
SingularPluralAn adjective
un repasdes repasun bon repas
un platdes platsdes plats délicieux
une assiettedes assiettesdes assiettes blanches
Avant de passer à table
  1. Léo

    Le repas est prêt ?

    Is the meal ready?

  2. Maya

    Oui. J’ai préparé deux plats : du poisson au four et des légumes.

    Yes. I’ve prepared two dishes: baked fish and vegetables.

  3. Léo

    Je mets combien d’assiettes ?

    How many plates shall I put out?

  4. Maya

    Quatre, s’il te plaît.

    Four, please.

The words after plat and assiette help you picture what is meant. Un plat à gratin names the vessel; un plat de légumes names the food. Une assiette propre asks for a clean object; une assiette de fromages offers food served on it. The noun repas keeps its written s even when there is only one meal.

Question 1No account needed
Which noun names the whole eating occasion?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

un repas. Un repas is the meal as a whole, including its dishes and the occasion.

Question 2No account needed
Ask for a clean plate.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Une assiette propre, s’il vous plaît.. Une assiette propre asks for the clean plate you eat from.

Question 3No account needed
Complete the plural adjective.Les assiettes sont ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

blanches. Assiettes is feminine plural, so the adjective is blanches.

Question 4No account needed
Which phrase names the baking vessel?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

un plat à gratin. Un plat à gratin is the dish used to bake and serve a gratin.

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