French Phrase
Mets‑les dans un sac étanche.
Meaning
A direct command telling someone to place the items (the ‘les’) into a waterproof bag. It is used when you want to protect something from moisture, rain, or submersion.
When to use
Use this phrase when packing electronics before a hike, storing documents before a boat trip, or any situation where water could damage the objects you are handling.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mets-lesdansunsacétanche
Imperative of mettre
‘Mets’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb ‘mettre’ (to put).
Pronoun placement
In affirmative imperatives, object pronouns are attached to the verb with a hyphen; ‘les’ becomes ‘‑les’.
Liaison in ‘dans un’
When ‘dans’ is followed by a vowel‑starting word, the final ‘s’ is pronounced and linked: /dɑ̃z‿œ̃/.
Indefinite article
‘un’ is the masculine singular indefinite article, used here because ‘sac’ is masculine.
Adjective agreement
‘étanche’ is an invariable adjective in this context; it agrees in gender and number with ‘sac’ (masc. sing.).
🗨In Conversation
Mets‑les dans un sac étanche, s'il te plaît.
Put them in a waterproof bag, please.
D'accord, je les mets tout de suite.
Okay, I’ll put them in right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Met les dans un sac étanche.
Missing hyphen; in the affirmative imperative the pronoun must be attached with a hyphen.
Mets‑les dans le sac étanche.
Using ‘le’ (definite article) changes the meaning; ‘un sac’ implies any suitable waterproof bag, while ‘le sac’ refers to a specific bag already known.
Mettez‑les dans un sac étanche.
‘Mettez‑les’ is the plural/formal imperative; it is correct for ‘vous’, but the original sentence is singular informal ‘tu’.
Mets‑les dans un sac étanche.
Using ‘les’ when the objects are singular; you would say ‘Mets‑le…’ for a single item.
↔Alternatives
Place‑les dans un sac imperméable.
Place them in an impermeable bag.
Mets‑les dans un sac résistant à l'eau.
Put them in a water‑resistant bag.
Range‑les dans un sac étanche.
Stow them in a waterproof bag.
Cultural Tip
In French, the affirmative imperative always attaches object pronouns to the verb with a hyphen, and the order changes (e.g., ‘Mets‑les’, ‘Donne‑le‑moi’). The phrase ‘sac étanche’ is common in outdoor and maritime contexts; French speakers often stress the importance of protecting electronics and documents with such bags during rainy weather or sea trips.