French Phrase
T'as fait la vaisselle ?
Meaning
Literally, “Did you do the dishes?” It’s a casual way to ask whether someone has already washed the dishes, often used as a reminder or to check if the chore is done.
When to use
Use this phrase with people you know well—family members, roommates, close friends, or colleagues in an informal setting. Avoid it in formal contexts or with strangers, where a full form like *Est‑ce que vous avez fait la vaisselle ?* would be more appropriate.
✦Grammar Breakdown
T'asfaitlavaisselle?
Contraction : T' = tu + as
In spoken French, the subject pronoun *tu* and the auxiliary *as* contract to *t'* before a vowel or mute *h*.
Passé composé with *avoir*
The verb *faire* forms the passé composé with the auxiliary *avoir*: *tu as fait* → *t'as fait*.
Verb *faire* (to do/make)
*Faire* is irregular; its past participle is *fait* (unchanged for gender/number).
Definite article *la* with *vaisselle*
*La* specifies the dish‑washing task as a known activity, not a generic concept.
Question intonation
Rising intonation at the end signals a yes/no question; the written form uses a question mark.
🗨In Conversation
T'as fait la vaisselle ?
Did you do the dishes?
Oui, je viens de les rincer. Tu veux que je les sèche aussi ?
Yes, I just rinsed them. Do you want me to dry them too?
✕Common Mistakes
T'es fait la vaisselle ?
The auxiliary for *faire* in the passé composé is *avoir*, not *être*.
T'as fait le vaisselle ?
The noun *vaisselle* is feminine and takes the article *la*, not *le*.
Tu as fait la vaisselle ?
While grammatically correct, using the full form in a very casual spoken exchange can sound stiff; native speakers usually contract to *t'as*.
↔Alternatives
Tu as fait la vaisselle ?
Did you do the dishes?
Est‑ce que tu as fait la vaisselle ?
Did you do the dishes?
As‑tu fait la vaisselle ?
Did you do the dishes?
Vous avez fait la vaisselle ?
Did you (plural/formal) do the dishes?
Cultural Tip
In many French households, dish‑washing is seen as a shared responsibility. Asking *T'as fait la vaisselle ?* can be a polite nudge rather than an accusation. The contraction *t'as* is strictly spoken/informal; in writing or formal speech you’d keep the full *tu as*.