French Phrase
C'est prêt à manger ?
Meaning
Literally ‘Is it ready to eat?’, this question is used to check whether a dish, snack, or any food item has been prepared enough to be consumed. It can also describe ready‑to‑eat products (e.g., a ready‑made sandwich).
When to use
Use it in informal or semi‑formal settings when you want to know if a meal is finished cooking, if a snack is prepared, or when you’re about to serve food to someone else.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estprêtàmanger?
C' (Ce) contraction
‘Ce’ becomes ‘C’ before a vowel or mute ‘h’; it means ‘it/this’.
être (est)
The verb ‘être’ in third‑person singular present, used to link subject and adjective.
prêt / prête
Adjective meaning ‘ready’; it agrees in gender and number with the subject.
à + infinitive
The preposition ‘à’ introduces an infinitive to express purpose or readiness.
manger (infinitive)
The base form of the verb ‘to eat’; after ‘à’ it shows the action the subject is ready for.
🗨In Conversation
C'est prêt à manger ?
Is it ready to eat?
Oui, il ne reste plus que cinq minutes.
Yes, it only needs five more minutes.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est prêt pour manger ?
The preposition after ‘prêt’ is ‘à’, not ‘pour’.
C'est prête à manger ? (when referring to a masculine dish like ‘le plat’)
Make sure the adjective matches the gender of the subject; use ‘prêt’ for masculine and ‘prête’ for feminine.
C’est est prêt à manger ?
Do not duplicate the verb; ‘C’est’ already contains ‘est’.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce que c'est prêt à manger ?
Is it ready to eat?
C'est prêt à être mangé ?
Is it ready to be eaten?
On peut le manger maintenant ?
Can we eat it now?
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘prêt à + infinitive’ is a very common construction to express readiness for an action. When the subject is feminine (e.g., ‘la soupe’), the adjective must agree: ‘Elle est prête à manger.’ Also, ‘C’est’ is neutral and works for most foods, but you can use ‘Il/Elle est’ for more specific reference.