Learn English with Ratatouille | Describing an Extraordinary Dish

Ratatouille? It's a peasant dish. Are you sure you want to serve this to Eagle? What? I am making Ratatouille. Well, how would you prepare it? They must be joking. Let's learn English with one of my favorite Disney films all about cooking and Paris, Ratatouille. So the clips that we've chosen for you today are really great for learning English So we're going to jump right into that but quickly before we do if you're new here every single week we make fun lessons just like this one so that you can understand fast speaking natives without getting lost, without missing the jokes, and without subtitles. Just like our friend Gills who says that watching our videos every single day is helping him to improve his accent in English. So we're going to help you improve your English a ton too. It's really simple hit that subscribe button and the bell down below and you won't miss a single one of our new lessons. Now taste this. A whole different thing, right? Sweet, crisp, slight tang on the finish. Okay. Now try them together. There's something there. It could be the nuttiness. See? It could be the tang. That's it. Now imagine every great taste in the world being combined into infinite combinations of tastes that no one has tried yet. Discoveries to be made. I think you lost me again. No, no, no, no, no. Out right now. I have got to teach you about food. Note the difference in you can't use your phone in class versus you cannot use your phone in class. Same in I gotta go now versus I have got to go now. In the phrase take a bite, we can see one instance of using take plus a plus a noun. We use many of these phrases in everyday speech. Now if you take a bite of something, you take a small piece of food into your mouth. Maybe you want to try something your friend is eating. Which of these would you use? Can I take a bite of that? Can I have a bite of that? Can I bite that? So here we change it from take to have. Let's see some other examples where this happens. Are you hungry? Perhaps we could have a bite together. Boys, Tabby will take us to the lower level and you can have a bite to eat. No, no, no. Don't just hork it down. To hork something down means to eat something really quickly. So Remy's saying that he should savor the flavors of the food, not just quickly swallow them. Chew it slowly. Only think about the taste. When you eat, you chew your food several times before swallowing. Example. This meat's so tough I can hardly chew it. The other word is taste. We see this word being used as a noun and a verb in this clip. Food has taste, meaning it has flavor. To taste is the action of feeling that flavor. Creamy, salty, sweet and oaky nuttiness. You detect that? Oh, I'm detecting nuttiness. Close your eyes. When he says oaky nuttiness, he's applying both those modifications to those words. What he means is that the food has a flavor of oak nuts, acorns. Learning how to modify words like this is really useful if you like cooking or wine, for example. It's a bold flavor. Fruity, a little earthy. What do you think? Fruity and delicious. See, I told you. He says I'm detecting nuttiness. To detect means to notice something. The double entendre comes with the word nuttiness. Literally, we can understand that he notices that nutty flavor. However, the humor is that we say someone is nuts or nutty when we think they are crazy. So he is joking that Remy seems crazy. He also says the food has a tang, which is a taste or smell that is pleasantly strong or sharp. For example, recipes might add some citrus fruit to give the food some tang. Example, this sauce is so tangy and delicious. Amazing. Each flavor was totally unique. But combine one flavor with another and something new was created. I think I'm getting a little something there. Could be the nuttiness. See? Could be the tang. That's it. Now, imagine every great taste in the world being combined into infinite combinations. Tastes that no one has tried yet. Discoveries to be made. I think... You lost me again. We say you lost me to mean now I don't understand what you mean. If Zangief is good guy, we'll crush man's skull like sparrow's egg between thighs. And I say Zangief, you are bad guy. But this does not mean you're bad guy. Right. I'm sorry. I just... You lost me there. Which of the options below doesn't mean I understand? Gotcha. Copy that. I'm following. Right. All of these can be used as alternatives to I understand. Now, learning native expressions like this is crucial to being able to understand fast English, along with having correct pronunciation and knowing about connected speech, which is how natives cut and connect our words, and cultural context, which helps you to understand all the jokes. Now, in our three-part masterclass, we teach you about all three, so that you can understand natives at any speed. So, you can learn more and sign up for that by hanging up here or down in the description below. And it's absolutely free, so you have nothing to lose. Now, let's watch the next clip. At first, Ego thinks it's a joke. But as Linguini explains, Ego's smile disappears. The following day, his review appears. Fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core in the past. I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, anyone can cook. Not everyone can become a great artist. But a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more. It's a peasant dish. Although many associate the word ratatouille with the name of this movie, it actually comes from the name of a traditional French dish, making a play on words with the name of this recipe and the animal. We say dish to refer to a food container, as in the picture, or a type of food that is cooked in a particular way and is served as a part of a meal. Spaghetti al pomodoro is a traditional Italian dish, for example. Peasant is a word that in past times was used to refer to poor families. What she means here is that ratatouille is not a fine or sophisticated dish. Rather, it is a food that people eat in context of poverty. To serve means to give someone food or drink, especially as a part of a meal or in a restaurant, bar, etc. We say that someone must be joking when we're surprised about what someone is doing. We'll see more about how the word must is used here in a few moments. A customer wants to compliment the chef. Should I let him in? Sure! I love this part! Come on in. Richard! Actually, I'm not here to compliment the chef. Oh, that's okay. I hate when people come back to compliment the chef. Like I have nothing better to do. You probably know that must, in a general way, could be used as a stronger version of have to when talking about an obligation. Example, all passengers must wear seatbelts. However, when you're very sure about something, especially because there's evidence, you can say must as seen in this clip. The character here is sure he is the chef. Let's see two examples when must is used in this way. You must be the dragon warrior. And you must be kind. My wife and I, we were your biggest fans. You're a man of good taste. Now you must be tired. Hungry? So be it. This is an expression of acceptance or resignation. Cornell is a good school and I want to better myself through higher education. If it makes Andy angry, so be it. We have only one choice. We must leave Pride Rock. We're not going anywhere. Then you have sentenced us to death. Then so be it. You can't do that. I am a king. I can do whatever I want. If you were... We use this to mean something is in a way that is very noticeable or unusual. Example. He is singularly qualified for the job. So we're actually going to do this. Yes, we are. Let me just give this guy my keys and we'll go. Great. Great's an understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, anyone can cook. Governing is choosing. Governing is prioritizing. I made no secret of the fact the crime bill was my top priority. Well then, congratulations. It's only taken you three years to put together crime prevention legislation that has no hope of preventing crime. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more. It was a great night, the happiest of my life. But the only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability. Well, we had to let Skinner and the health inspector loose, and of course they ratted us out. The food didn't matter. Once it got out, there were rats in the kitchen. The restaurant was closed, and Ego lost his job and his credibility. But don't feel too bad for him. He's doing very well as a small business investor. He seemed very happy. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more. It was a great night, the happiest of my life. Did you notice that the G in great isn't pronounced as such? It was a great night. It actually sounds like a K. In this example, the same happens. Also, aspects of linking aren't always easy to notice. But again, you need to focus a bit on how they're said in native speech. In this case, notice the weakening of of, which sounds like a, and it connects with the preceding word. Happiest of my life. Hey, if you're enjoying this lesson with Ratatouille, then I know you're going to love this other one we made, with another one of my Disney favorites, Up. So you can watch that by clicking up here, or down in the description below after you finish this lesson. Well, we had to let Skinner and the health inspector loose, and of course they ratted us out. As you can see here, they tied and locked up Skinner and a health inspector. But then, they had to let them loose, meaning they set them free. We use this expression all the time, but it's a funny choice for Remy. To rat someone out means to tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone has done. Take a bite of this... No, no, no! Don't just hork it down! Chew it slowly. Creamy, salty, sweet, and oaky nuttiness. You detect that? Oh, I'm detecting nuttiness. Close your eyes. Now taste this. A whole different thing, right? Sweet, crisp, slight tang on the finish. Okay, I think I'm getting a little something there. It might be the nuttiness. See? It could be the tang. That's it. Now, imagine every great taste in the world being combined into infinite combinations of tastes that no one has tried yet! Discoveries to be made! I think... You lost me again. Ratatouille? It's a peasant dish. Are you sure you want to serve this to Eagle? But I am making ratatouille. Well, how would you prepare it? They must be joking. I can't remember the last time I asked a waiter to give my compliments to the chef. Thanks, but I'm just your waiter tonight. Then who do I thank for the meal? Uh, excuse me a minute? You must be the chef. If you wish to meet the chef, you'll have to wait until all the other customers have gone. So be it. At first, Eagle thinks it's a joke. But as Linguini explains, Eagle's smile disappears. The following day, his review appears. Last night, I experienced something new. An extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto, anyone can cook. But I realize only now do I truly understand what he meant. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more. It was a great night. The only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability. Well, we had to let Skinner and the health inspector loose. And of course they ratted us out. Once it got out, there were rats in the kitchen. The restaurant was closed and Ego lost his job and his credibility. But don't feel too bad for him. He's doing very well as a small business investor. Come on, what did De La Cruz always say? Seize your moment? Show me what you got, muchacho. I'll be your first audience. Miguel! Abuelita! What are you doing here? Doña, please! I was just getting a shine. I know your tricks, mariachi. What did he say to you? He was just showing me his guitar. You shameless! My grandson!