French Phrase
Dissous la levure dans de l'eau tiède.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to dissolve the yeast in warm (lukewarm) water, a typical first step when preparing dough or batter. It uses a direct command, so it’s heard in kitchens or cooking classes.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are giving a cooking instruction, either to a friend, a cooking student, or while reading a recipe out loud. It’s common in home cooking, bakery workshops, and culinary TV shows.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Dissouslalevuredansdel'eautiède
Imperative (2nd pers. sing.)
‘Dissous’ is the affirmative imperative of ‘dissoudre’ for ‘tu’, used for giving direct commands.
Definite article ‘la’
‘la’ agrees with the feminine noun ‘levure’.
Preposition ‘dans’
Introduces the location where the action takes place – ‘in’.
Partitive article ‘de l’’
Used before a vowel‑starting noun to mean ‘some’; it contracts ‘de le’ to ‘de l’.
Noun ‘eau’
Feminine, singular; the word ‘eau’ is pronounced /o/.
Adjective ‘tiède’
Placed after the noun in this construction; means ‘lukewarm, warm’.
🗨In Conversation
Dissous la levure dans de l'eau tiède.
Dissolve the yeast in warm water.
D'accord, je le fais tout de suite.
Okay, I’ll do it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Dissolvez la levure dans de l'eau tiède.
‘Dissolvez’ is the imperative for ‘vous’; the sentence is addressed to one person (tu).
Dissous la levure dans de l'eau chaude.
‘Chaude’ means hot; using hot water can kill the yeast.
Dissous la levure dans de le eau tiède.
The partitive article contracts to ‘de l’’ before a vowel.
↔Alternatives
Mélange la levure avec de l'eau tiède.
Mix the yeast with warm water.
Mets la levure dans de l'eau tiède.
Put the yeast in warm water.
Active la levure dans de l'eau tiède.
Activate the yeast in warm water.
Cultural Tip
In French cuisine, yeast is usually ‘activé’ in water that is about 35‑40 °C (just warm to the touch). Water that’s too hot will kill the yeast, while cold water slows the fermentation. The phrase also reflects the French preference for precise temperature language – ‘tiède’ is warmer than room temperature but cooler than ‘chaude’.