Which French phrases matter most here?

“Excusez-moi, monsieur.” (Excuse me, sir); “Il faudra compter environ vingt minutes.” (It’ll take about twenty minutes); “On attend nos plats depuis quarante minutes.” (We’ve been waiting forty minutes for our food). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in France. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

French phrases for complaining politely about your order in France

Catch the waiter’s eye with “Excusez-moi, monsieur”, state the problem in one calm sentence, then ask for the fix: “La viande est trop cuite. Vous pouvez la reprendre ?” or “On attend nos plats depuis quarante minutes”. Staff usually apologise and sort it out, and a quick “merci” keeps it friendly.

Try it · about two minutes

Your main course arrives late and cooked the wrong way, and you raise it without making a scene.

Sound on: the waiter speaks French. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

Waiter
Il faudra compter environ vingt minutes.
It’ll take about twenty minutes.
You
D'accord, merci.
All right, thanks.
Waiter
Tout se passe bien ?
Is everything all right?
You
On attend nos plats depuis quarante minutes.
We’ve been waiting forty minutes for our food.
Your food finally arrives. You asked for the steak à point, but it’s well done.
You
La viande est trop cuite. Vous pouvez la reprendre ?
The meat is overcooked. Could you take it back?
Waiter
Pardon pour ça, je m'en occupe tout de suite.
Sorry about that, I’ll sort it out right away.
You
Merci, c'est gentil.
Thank you, that’s kind.
Waiter
Je vous apporte autre chose ?
Can I bring you anything else?
You
C'est tout, merci.
That’s all, thanks.
Waiter
Voulez-vous voir la carte des desserts ?
Would you like to see the dessert menu?
You
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
The bill, please.

Which French phrases do you need?

Excusez-moi, monsieur.
Excuse me, sir.
Il faudra compter environ vingt minutes.
It’ll take about twenty minutes.
On attend nos plats depuis quarante minutes.
We’ve been waiting forty minutes for our food.
La viande est trop cuite. Vous pouvez la reprendre ?
The meat is overcooked. Could you take it back?
La soupe est froide. Vous pouvez la réchauffer ?
The soup is cold. Could you heat it up?
Ce n'est pas ce que j'ai commandé.
This isn’t what I ordered.
Je crois qu'il y a une erreur sur l'addition.
I think there’s a mistake on the bill.
Pardon pour ça, je m'en occupe tout de suite.
Sorry about that, I’ll sort it out right away.
Tout se passe bien ?
Is everything all right?
Merci, c'est très bon.
Thanks, it’s very good.

What is worth knowing in France?

How to raise a problem

1
Catch the waiter’s eye, then say “Excusez-moi, monsieur” (or “madame”).
Excuse me, sir.
2
Say what is wrong in one calm sentence, and what you’d like.
The meat is overcooked. Could you take it back?
3
Let them fix it, and thank them.

Keep it calm

Calling out “Garçon” sounds old-fashioned. A calm “Excusez-moi, monsieur” or “S'il vous plaît” brings the waiter over, and a quiet voice gets better results than a loud one.

How cooked is your steak

Steak is usually described in four steps: bleu (very rare), saignant (rare), à point (roughly medium) and bien cuit (well done). Say which you want when you order, and it’s easier to point out a mistake later.

Questions about this situation

Which French phrases matter most here?: “Excusez-moi, monsieur.” (Excuse me, sir); “Il faudra compter environ vingt minutes.” (It’ll take about twenty minutes); “On attend nos plats depuis quarante minutes.” (We’ve been waiting forty minutes for our food). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in France. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in French

All situations in French

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

Try free on the App Store (opens the App Store in a new tab)

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.