Building Flat-Pack Furniture with a Flatmate
Build a flat-pack bookcase with your flatmate, from opening the box to taking the cardboard out.
Flat-pack furniture from IKEA, Conforama or But comes with a picture-only instruction leaflet (la notice) and usually a small Allen key (une clé Allen); if a part is missing, the shop's customer service will send a replacement. Afterwards, flattened cardboard goes in the yellow recycling bin in most towns, while large amounts go to the local recycling centre (la déchetterie). Flatmates say tu to each other and talk very casually.
- 1
On étale toutes les pièces par terre d'abord.
Let's lay all the pieces out on the floor first.
- 2
Tout est dans le carton ?
Is everything in the box?
- 3
Elle est où, la notice ?
Where are the instructions?
- 4
Passe-moi le tournevis.
Pass me the screwdriver.
- 5
Cette vis va pas là.
This screw doesn't go here.
- 6
Tiens ça deux secondes.
Hold this for a sec.
- 7
Je crois que c'est à l'envers.
I think it's upside down.
- 8
Il manque une pièce.
There's a piece missing.
- 9
Attends, on a sauté une étape.
Wait, we skipped a step.
- 10
Ça dit pas quel côté va en haut.
It doesn't say which side goes at the top.
- 11
Tu peux m'aider à soulever ça ?
Can you help me lift this?
- 12
Attention, ça va tomber !
Careful, it's going to fall!
- 13
Serre un peu plus.
Tighten it a bit more.
- 14
C'est un peu bancal.
It's a bit wobbly.
- 15
Il nous faut une clé Allen.
We need an Allen key.
- 16
J'appelle le magasin pour demander la pièce.
I'll call the shop and ask for the part.
- 17
Ça nous a pris deux heures !
That took us two hours!
- 18
Ça rend bien, non ?
It looks great, doesn't it?
- 19
Il reste deux vis.
There are two screws left over.
- 20
On descend les cartons à la poubelle jaune ?
Shall we take the boxes down to the recycling bin?