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How to Say ‘I'd like to book a table for Saturday evening’ in French

Je voudrais réserver une table pour samedi soir

zhuh voo-DRAY ray-zair-vay ewn TAH-bluh poor sahm-DEE swahr

[zhuh voo-DRAY ray-zair-vay ewn TAH-bluh poor sahm-DEE swahr]

🇫🇷 In France: Many French restaurants expect a reservation for dinner, especially on weekends. Phoning ahead with this sentence is completely normal, even for small places.

Phrase Breakdown

Je voudrais réserver

zhuh voo-DRAY ray-zair-vay

I would like to book

A polite way to start a booking request. The 's' of 'voudrais' is silent.

Example

Je voudrais réserver, s'il vous plaît.

I would like to make a booking, please.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

voudrais

[voo-DRAY]

would like

A polite conditional form of vouloir, used to ask for something courteously.

Example

Je voudrais un cours de yoga débutant.

I would like a beginner yoga class.

réserver

[ray-zair-vay]

to book / reserve

Verb used for booking a place in a class.

Example

Je veux réserver le cours de mardi.

I want to book Tuesday's class.

une table

ewn TAH-bluh

a table

Feminine noun with 'une'. Say it 'oon TAH-bl'; the final 'e' is barely heard.

Example

Une table pour deux.

A table for two.

Words in this phrase

une

[ewn]

Indefinite article, feminine singular.

Example

Elle veut une pomme.

She wants an apple.

table

[TAH-bluh]

table

Piece of furniture; in a restaurant, a seating place for a group.

Example

La table est près de la fenêtre.

The table is near the window.

pour samedi soir

poor sahm-DEE swahr

for Saturday evening

Gives the date and time of the booking. Say it 'poor sam-DEE swahr'.

Example

On est libres pour samedi soir.

We're free for Saturday evening.

Words in this phrase

pour

[poor]

for

Indicating purpose or reason.

Example

C'est pour toi.

It's for you.

samedi

[sahm-DEE]

Saturday

Day of the week; no article means this coming Saturday.

Example

On dîne ensemble samedi.

We're having dinner together on Saturday.

soir

[swahr]

evening

Refers to the evening time, often after work or during an event.

Example

Ce soir, je vous envoie un message de remerciement.

This evening, I am sending you a thank-you message.

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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