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French Phrase

Vérifie si les câbles sont abîmés.

/veʁi.fə si le ka.blə sɔ̃ a.bi.me/
Meaning"Check if the cables are damaged."
💡

Meaning

A direct command telling someone to check whether the cables are damaged. It is commonly used in technical or household troubleshooting contexts.

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase when you want to ask a colleague, a friend, or a technician to inspect cables—whether they are power cords, audio/video leads, or network cables—to see if they are broken or worn out.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Vérifiesilescâblessontabîmés

1

Vérifie (imperative)

Imperative form of vérifier for 'tu'. The final -s of the present tense is dropped in the affirmative imperative.

2

si (conjunction)

Introduces an indirect yes/no question, equivalent to 'if' in English.

3

les (definite article)

Plural definite article used before a masculine noun.

4

câbles (noun)

Masculine plural noun meaning 'cables'.

5

sont (être, 3rd pl.)

Present tense of être for third‑person plural subjects.

6

abîmés (past participle as adjective)

Past participle of abîmer used as an adjective; it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

🗨In Conversation

A

Les lumières ne s’allument pas.

The lights aren't turning on.

Vérifie si les câbles sont abîmés.

Check if the cables are damaged.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Vérifier si les câbles sont abîmés.

    The infinitive 'Vérifier' cannot be used as a command; you need the imperative form.

  • Vérifie les câbles sont abîmés.

    Missing the conjunction 'si' that links the two clauses.

  • Vérifie si les câbles sont abîmé.

    The adjective must agree with the plural noun 'câbles'; use 'abîmés'.

↔Alternatives

  • Regarde si les câbles sont cassés.

    Look to see if the cables are broken.

  • Assure-toi que les câbles ne sont pas endommagés.

    Make sure the cables aren't damaged.

  • Vérifiez si les câbles sont abîmés.

    Check if the cables are damaged. (formal/plural)

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Cultural Tip

In French the informal imperative uses the 'tu' form without the final -s (Vérifie). In a professional or polite setting you would switch to the 'vous' form: Vérifiez. Also, 'abîmés' sounds a bit more formal than the everyday 'cassés', which is why it appears in written instructions or technical manuals.