French Phrase
Assaisonne avec du sel et de la muscade.
Meaning
The sentence is a cooking instruction telling someone to season a dish with salt and nutmeg. It uses the imperative mood, which is typical for recipes and culinary advice.
When to use
Use this phrase in written or spoken recipes, cooking classes, or when giving a friend a quick seasoning tip.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Assaisonneavecduseletdelamuscade
Imperative (2nd pers. sing.)
‘Assaisonne’ is the imperative form of ‘assaisonner’; the -e is kept for -er verbs to avoid a hiatus.
avec
Preposition meaning ‘with’, used to introduce the ingredients.
du (de + le)
Partitive article for masculine singular nouns, indicating an unspecified amount.
de la
Partitive article for feminine singular nouns, also indicating an indefinite quantity.
et
Coordinating conjunction meaning ‘and’.
🗨In Conversation
Comment je prépare la sauce béchamel ?
How do I make the béchamel sauce?
Assaisonne avec du sel et de la muscade.
Season it with salt and nutmeg.
✕Common Mistakes
Assaisonne avec le sel et de la muscade.
Use the partitive ‘du’ for an indefinite amount; ‘le sel’ sounds like you’re referring to a specific, known quantity.
Assaisonne avec du sel et de le muscade.
The correct partitive for feminine nouns is ‘de la’, not ‘de le’. ‘De le’ is never used.
Assaisonner avec du sel et de la muscade.
In the imperative you must drop the infinitive ending; ‘Assaisonner’ is the infinitive, not a command.
↔Alternatives
Ajoute du sel et de la muscade.
Add salt and nutmeg.
Mets du sel et de la muscade.
Put salt and nutmeg.
Incorpore du sel et de la muscade.
Incorporate salt and nutmeg.
Cultural Tip
In French cuisine, nutmeg (muscade) is a classic spice for béchamel, sauces, and certain desserts like crêpes Suzette. The partitive articles ‘du’ and ‘de la’ signal that you should add a pinch or to taste, rather than a measured amount.