French Phrase
Il vous reste des tables ?
Meaning
Literally, ‘Are there any tables left for you?’ It is used to ask whether a venue still has free tables available for the person you are speaking to.
When to use
Use this phrase in restaurants, cafés, banquet halls, or any place where seating is limited and you want to know if you can still be seated without a reservation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilvousrestedestables?
Impersonal construction (Il reste)
‘Il reste’ is an impersonal expression meaning ‘there remains/are left’, and it does not refer to a specific subject.
Indirect object pronoun (vous)
‘Vous’ is the indirect object pronoun meaning ‘to you/for you’; it comes before the verb in this construction.
Partitive article (des)
‘Des’ is the plural partitive article used when talking about an indefinite quantity of something.
Question intonation
Raising the pitch at the end of the sentence (or adding a question mark) turns the statement into a polite question.
🗨In Conversation
Il vous reste des tables ?
Do you have any tables left?
Oui, il en reste deux. Vous pouvez vous installer tout de suite.
Yes, there are two left. You can sit down right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Il reste vous des tables ?
The indirect object pronoun must come before the verb, not after it.
Il vous reste des table ?
‘Table’ must be plural ‘tables’ because ‘des’ is a plural partitive article.
Il vous reste des tables.
Missing the rising intonation or question mark turns the sentence into a statement, not a question.
↔Alternatives
Avez‑vous encore des tables ?
Do you still have tables?
Y a‑t‑il des tables disponibles pour vous ?
Are there tables available for you?
Est‑ce qu’il reste des tables pour vous ?
Is there any table left for you?
Cultural Tip
In French-speaking countries it is considered polite to use the formal ‘vous’ when you are speaking to staff or strangers. The impersonal ‘Il reste…’ is a very common way to ask about availability without sounding demanding. Also, note that the plural ‘tables’ can refer to both individual seats and whole tables, depending on the context.