French Phrase
Lis bien le message d'erreur.
Meaning
‘Read the error message carefully.’ The speaker is urging the listener to pay close attention to the text that explains what went wrong, usually in a software or technical context.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want someone to double‑check a computer or device’s error notification, for example while troubleshooting, during a help‑desk call, or when guiding a colleague through a debugging step.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lisbienlemessaged'erreur.
Lis (imperative)
‘Lis’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *lire* (to read). It is used for direct commands.
bien (adverb)
‘bien’ modifies the verb, meaning ‘well’ or ‘carefully’, and adds emphasis to the command.
le (definite article)
The masculine singular article that introduces the noun *message*.
message d'erreur (noun phrase)
A compound noun where *d'* is the elided form of *de* before a vowel; it means ‘error message’.
punctuation
The period marks the end of the command; in spoken French the tone rises slightly to keep it polite.
🗨In Conversation
Lis bien le message d'erreur.
Read the error message carefully.
D'accord, je vais le copier et le chercher sur Internet.
Okay, I’ll copy it and look it up online.
✕Common Mistakes
Lire bien le message d'erreur.
‘Lire’ is the infinitive; the imperative form ‘Lis’ is required for a direct command.
Lis bien le message d'erreurs.
‘Erreur’ is singular; the phrase *message d'erreur* already implies a single error message.
Lis bien le message de erreur.
The apostrophe after *d* is mandatory; writing *de erreur* is incorrect.
↔Alternatives
Lis attentivement le message d'erreur.
Read the error message attentively.
Prête attention au message d'erreur.
Pay attention to the error message.
Regarde bien le message d'erreur.
Look closely at the error message.
Cultural Tip
In French, adding *bien* or *attentivement* to an imperative makes the command sound more urgent without being rude. For a more formal request (e.g., in a professional email) you could say *Veuillez lire le message d'erreur* or *Merci de lire attentivement le message d'erreur*.