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How to Say ‘Even if it means taking off a place setting later’ in French

Quitte à retirer un couvert ensuite

keet ah ruh-tee-RAY uhn koo-VEHR ahn-SWEET

[keet ah ruh-tee-RAY uhn koo-VEHR ahn-SWEET]

💬 Usage Tip: Quitte à plus an action means "even if it means". It's reusable: quitte à attendre "even if it means waiting".

Phrase Breakdown

Quitte à retirer

keet ah ruh-tee-RAY

Even if it means removing

'Quitte à' + infinitive means 'even if it means'. Say it 'keet ah ruh-tee-RAY'.

Example

Quitte à retirer une chaise.

Even if it means removing a chair.

Words in this phrase

Quitte

[keet]

even if it means

'Quitte à' introduces an accepted possible consequence.

Example

Quitte à attendre, je reste.

Even if it means waiting, I'll stay.

[ah]

Used with infinitive verbs to indicate purpose.

Example

Elle commence à chanter.

She begins to sing.

retirer

[ruh-tee-RAY]

to remove

To take away or take off.

Example

Il faut retirer une chaise.

We need to remove a chair.

un couvert ensuite

uhn koo-VEHR ahn-SWEET

one place setting afterwards

'Ensuite' means 'afterwards' and has a nasal start: 'ahn-SWEET'.

Example

On mange ensuite.

We eat afterwards.

Words in this phrase

[uhn]

a / one

Indefinite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Un café peut être une bonne occasion de discuter.

A coffee can be a good opportunity to talk.

couvert

[koo-VEHR]

place setting

A table place for one guest; used to count diners.

Example

Ajoutez un couvert, s'il vous plaît.

Add a place setting, please.

ensuite

[ahn-SWEET]

afterwards

Later, then.

Example

On mange, ensuite on part.

We eat, then we leave.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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