French Phrase
Quels contenants me recommandes‑tu ?
Meaning
You are asking someone which containers they would suggest for you, usually in the context of cooking, food storage, or packaging. The question is polite yet informal because it uses ‘tu’.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are in a kitchen store, talking with a friend about meal‑prep gear, or asking a colleague for advice on the best jars, boxes, or bottles for a specific purpose.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quelscontenantsmerecommandes-tu
Quel(s) – interrogative adjective
‘Quel(s)’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine plural to match ‘contenants’.
Recommander + à quelqu’un
The verb ‘recommander’ takes an indirect object introduced by ‘à’; the pronoun ‘me’ replaces ‘à moi’.
Inversion for formal questions
In spoken French, you can also say ‘Tu me recommandes quels contenants ?’, but the written form uses inversion: ‘recommandes‑tu’.
Hyphen in inversion
When a verb is inverted with a pronoun, a hyphen is required: ‘recommandes‑tu’.
🗨In Conversation
Quels contenants me recommandes‑tu pour conserver les restes ?
Which containers do you recommend for storing leftovers?
Je te conseille des bocaux en verre avec couvercles hermétiques, ils gardent les aliments frais plus longtemps.
I’d recommend glass jars with airtight lids; they keep food fresh longer.
✕Common Mistakes
Quel contenants me recommandes‑tu ?
‘Quel’ must agree with the plural noun; use ‘Quels’ for masculine plural.
me recommandes tu
In inversion, a hyphen is required between the verb and the pronoun.
Quels contenants recommandes‑moi ?
‘Recommander’ takes an indirect object, so the correct pronoun is ‘me’, not ‘moi’.
Quels contenants me‑tu recommandes ?
The pronoun must precede the verb in inversion; place ‘me’ before the verb.
↔Alternatives
Quels types de contenants me suggères‑tu ?
Which types of containers do you suggest for me?
Quelles boîtes me conseilles‑tu ?
Which boxes do you advise me to use?
Tu as des recommandations de contenants pour moi ?
Do you have any container recommendations for me?
Cultural Tip
In French, using ‘tu’ signals familiarity; if you’re speaking to a shop clerk or someone you don’t know well, switch to ‘vous’: ‘Quels contenants me recommandez‑vous ?’. Also, French speakers often prefer the indirect object construction ‘recommander à quelqu’un’, so you’ll hear ‘Que me recommandez‑vous comme contenants ?’ in more formal settings.