#275 Asking How to Sort Trash｜French Daily Life Phrases

When you are staying in an apartment or hotel abroad, you need to sort your trash according to the local rules.

Since waste-sorting rules may vary depending on the region, it is important to ask immediately if you are unsure.

In this article, I will explain useful French expressions for asking how to sort trash, using a sample conversation as a guide.

Dialogue

A

Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous m’expliquer comment trier les déchets ici ?
（Excuse me, could you explain how to sort the trash here?）

B

Bien sûr. Le plastique, le papier et le verre doivent être séparés.
（Of course. Plastic, paper, and glass must be separated.）

A

D’accord. Et où dois-je jeter les déchets alimentaires ?
（I see. And where should I throw away food waste?）

B

Dans cette poubelle verte, juste à côté de la porte.
（In that green trash bin, right next to the door.）

A

Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
（Thank you very much for your help.）

1. Asking How to Sort Trash

When you want to ask how to sort trash, you can use the following question.

“Pourriez-vous” is the present conditional form of the verb “pouvoir” (can / be able to). It is used as a polite request meaning “Could you…?”

Next, “m’expliquer” means “to explain to me.” “me” means “to me,” and “expliquer” means “to explain.”

The phrase “comment trier les déchets ici” means “how to sort the trash here” and specifies the content of what you are asking the other person to explain.

“comment” is an interrogative adverb meaning “how.” In the structure “comment + infinitive,” it means “how to do something.”

The verb “trier” means “to sort” or “to classify.” The expression “trier les déchets” is commonly used to mean “to sort trash.”

Finally, “ici” means “here” or “in this place.” Since waste-sorting rules can differ by region or building, adding “ici” makes it clear that you want to know the rules for this specific place.

2. Receiving an Explanation About Sorting Trash

After asking about how to sort trash, you may receive an explanation like the following.

This sentence follows the structure “devoir + être + past participle.”

“devoir” means “must” or “need to.” Here, “le plastique, le papier et le verre” are connected by “et” (and), so the subject is treated as plural. Therefore, “devoir” takes the third-person plural form “doivent.”

“être séparés” is a passive construction formed with “être + past participle.” “séparé” is the past participle of “séparer” (to separate), and because the subject is plural, it becomes “séparés.”

The key point in this sentence is that the subject is not a person, but an object.

Rather than focusing on who separates the trash, the sentence focuses on the rule itself: these items need to be separated. For this reason, the passive form is used.

3. Asking Where to Throw Away Each Type of Trash

Since different types of trash may need to be placed in different locations, it is useful to know how to ask more specifically.

“où” is an interrogative word meaning “where.” In this sentence, it asks where food waste should be thrown away.

“dois-je” is the inverted form of “je dois,” from the verb “devoir.”

The structure “devoir + infinitive” expresses obligation or necessity. When used in a question, however, it can be used to confirm rules or ask what you should do.

“jeter” means “to throw away.” It is commonly used in everyday conversation when talking about throwing away objects or trash.

“les déchets alimentaires” means “food waste.” “déchet” means “waste” or “trash,” and it is often used in the plural form “déchets.”

Summary