Coffee Break French [PDF]

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September 26th, 2007

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 1 Notes

In this edition: asking people how they’re feeling and saying “yes” and “no”.

Ça va bien, merci Asking “how are you?” Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes oui

yes

sounds like “wee”

non

no

Remember to get the nasal sound here - if it helps, hold your nose!

ça va?

how are you?

Just as in English, there are many ways of asking someone in French how they’re feeling. This is the simplest way and it literally means “that’s going?”, as in “things are going well?” Note also that the word ça has a diacritic mark on the ‘c’. It’s like a very small comma or number 5 hanging down from the ‘c’. It’s called a “cedilla” and it makes the ‘c’ sound like an ‘s’. If there was no cedilla in the word ça it would sound like “ca-” in “car”.

ça va

“things are fine”

Note that you can answer the question ça va? by saying ça va. The difference is that with the question you raise your voice towards the end of the sentence, and with the statement there’s no change in intonation.

bien

well

Note the nasal sound in the recording.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 1

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Language Notes ça va bien

things are going well

Note that bien means “well” as opposed to “good”. If you learn the word as meaning “well” it should save you some confusion later!

merci

thank you

Take care with the French ‘r’ sound. It’s like a guttural, rolled ‘r’, quite difficult to produce for non-native speakers.

ça va bien, merci

things are going well, thanks; “I’m fine, thanks”

et toi?

and you?; what about you?

Toi is the informal form of “you” in this phrase. There is a formal form which we’ll cover in future episodes.

très

very

Again, watch the French ‘r’ in this word.

ça va très bien

things are going very well

ça va très bien, merci

things are going very well, thank you

excellent

excellent

Although the word looks identical to the English word, it’s pronounced in French

ça ne va pas

things aren’t going well

To make something negative in French you put ne ... pas round the verb. There will be further discussion of this in future episodes.

je suis en forme

I’m feeling good; I’m on form

Je suis means “I am” and is a phrase we’ll be coming back to many times. En forme literally means “on form”.

je suis fatigué

I’m tired (masculine)

The word fatigué comes from the same root as the English word “fatigue”, meaning “tiredness”.

je suis fatiguée

I’m tired (feminine)

There is a feminine form of fatigué which has an extra ‘e’ on the end. This makes no difference to the pronunciation, but it’s vital to include the extra ‘e’ when you’re writing in French.

Spotlight

ç é è

Coffee Break French: Lesson 1

We mentioned earlier that French uses a cedilla to make a ‘c’ sound like an ‘s’, as in the word ça. French also uses other accents, or “diacritic marks”. In this lesson we’ve come across an “acute accent”, as in fatigué and what’s called a “grave accent”, in the word très. Both these accents affect how a word is pronounced: é (“e acute”) results in a sound something like the “ay” in “hay”, and è (“e grave”) normally sounds like the “e” in “egg”.

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Where appropriate we’ll include some bonus vocabulary which will help to extend the range of language covered in each lesson.

Bonus Vocabulary comment ça va?

how are things?

This is the ‘full’ version of the shortened phrase ça va?

ça roule?

how's it going?

a very colloquial way of asking “how are things?” This phrase should be kept for close friends only and tends to be used more among young people.

génial

great

You’re more likely to say this as a one-word answer, rather than say ça va génial which sounds a little strange.

comme ci, comme ça

so so

in between ça va bien and ça ne va pas

je ne suis pas en forme

I’m not on form

the negative version of je suis en forme: note the ne ... pas going round the verb (suis)

bof

almost untranslatable!

This is a very French expression and virtually always is accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders and/or raised eyebrows. If you ask someone ça va and they reply bof then basically it means things aren’t great but they’ve accepted that things are never that great anyway...

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 1

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October 4th, 2007

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 2 Notes

In this edition: greeting people at different times of the day.

Bonjour! Greetings Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes bonjour

good morning / hello

Watch the pronunciation of this word! The first syllable is a nasal bon, and make sure you get the right pronunciation of jour. In addition to specifically meaning “good morning”, it can also have the idea of “good day” or a more general “hello”.

bonsoir

good evening

Again, the first syllable here is a nasal bon. The word soir means “evening”.

bonne nuit

good night

Note that the word for “good” changes to bonne here, rather than the bon of bonsoir and bonjour. This is because nuit, meaning “night”, is a feminine word and you therefore have to use the feminine version of the word for “good” too! Don’t worry about this - we’ll explain more in future lessons!

bonne journée

have a nice day

Both jour and journée mean “day”. Journée is more linked to the duration of the day, ie. referring to the period of the day from, say, 9am until evening. To wish someone “have a good day” you use bonne journée.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 2

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Language Notes bonne soirée

have a nice evening

Again, soirée refers to the period of the evening from the end of the afternoon through to night time. To wish someone “have a nice evening” you use bonne soirée.

salut

hi, hello

This is quite an informal word. It comes from the same root as the English word “salutation”.

au revoir

good bye

Literally this means something like “until the next time we see each other”.

adieu

farewell, good bye

Note the word dieu in this word, meaing “God”.

à demain

see you tomorrow

À means “to” or “until”. The word for tomorrow is demain. It has a nasal pronunciation listen carefully to the recording.

à bientôt

see you soon

The word bientôt means “soon”.

je m’appelle...

I’m called...

This can be used to translate “my name is...” and it’s the most common way to give your name. It literally means “I call myself” and similar to Spanish (me llamo...) and Italian (mi chiamo...) etc.

enchanté(e)

pleased to meet you

While enchanté and enchantée (extra ‘e’) both sound identical, when writing the words females should add the extra ‘e’. This links to the whole issue of gender - see below.

Spotlight

gender

Just like many other languages, French uses different “genders”. Some words are identified as “masculine” and others are identified as “feminine”. Note that masculine words are not only “male” beings or creatures, and likewise that feminine words are not only “female” beings or creatures. For example, the word maison (meaning “house”) is feminine, and the word jardin (meaning “garden”) is masculine! There’s no reason for this - the best idea is just to learn whether a word is masculine or feminine when you learn it. Note that while nouns are masculine or feminine, there are also masculine and feminine forms of adjectives too. We’ve already come across two of these: bon/bonne and enchanté/enchantée.

Where appropriate we’ll include some bonus vocabulary which will help to extend the range of language covered in each lesson.

Bonus Vocabulary à la prochaine

until the next time

à la semaine prochaine

see you next week

Coffee Break French: Lesson 2

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Bonus Vocabulary à plus

see you later

à toute à l’heure

see you later

à plus tard

see you later

This is quite informal. Note that you pronounce the ‘s’ of plus.

In comparison to à plus, you don’t pronounce the ‘s’ of plus in the phrase à plus tard.

TRY OUT YOUR FRENCH Coffee Break French listeners should be aware that we’ve introduced the Radio Lingua Network Forum where you can practise your French skills and communicate with other French learners. The Forum also features discussion areas for the other languages covered in our podcasts. Visit the Radio Lingua site on www.radiolingua.com and click on “Discussion Forum” in the menu. Try out your French, share your languagelearning stories and get to know fellow learners. À bientôt!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 2

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Lesson 3 Notes

In this edition: saying where you’re from.

D’où viens-tu? Saying where you’re from Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes

Coffee Break French: Lesson 3

et toi?

and you?, what about you?

The word toi is the informal version of the word for “you”

et vous?

and you?, what about you?

The word vous is the formal version of the word for “you”

comment t’appelles-tu?

what is your name?

Informal form

comment vous appelez-vous?

what is your name?

Formal form

d’où viens-tu?

where do you come from?

Informal form. Note the the word d’où is a combination of de (from) and où (where). Also note that you don’t normally pronounce the -s on the end of the word viens

d’où venez-vous?

where do you come from?

Formal form. The -z on the end of venez is not pronounced

je viens de ...

I come from ...

Again, don’t pronounce the -s at the end of the word viens.

moi aussi

me too

toi aussi

you too

Informal form

vous aussi

you too

Formal form

d’où venez-vous?

where do you come from?

Formal form

Londres

London

Édimbourg

Edinburgh

français

French

masculine form: silent -s at the end

française

French

feminine form

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Language Notes écossais

Scottish

masculine form: silent -s at the end

écossaise

Scottish

feminine form

je suis ...

I am ...

Again, a silent -s at the end, unless it runs into a word beginning with a vowel, eg. je suis écossais, in which case it can be pronounced.

anglais

English

masculine form: silent -s at the end

anglaise

English

feminine form

américain

American

masculine form

américaine

American

feminine form

canadien

Canadian

masculine form

canadienne

Canadian

feminine form

The following conversation is a transcription of the conversation included in lesson 4. It brings together a number of language points covered in lessons 1-3.

Conversation Mark

Bonjour. Comment t’appelles-tu?

Anna

Je m’appelle Anna, et toi?

Mark

Je m’appelle Mark. Ça va, Anna?

Anna

Ça va bien, merci. Et toi?

Mark

Oui, ça va. D’où viens-tu?

Anna

Je viens de Glasgow. Et toi?

Mark

Moi, je viens de Paris.

Additional vocabulary

Coffee Break French: Lesson 3

allemand

German

masculine

allemande

German

feminine

gallois

Welsh

masculine

galloise

Welsh

feminine

irlandais

Irish

masculine

irlandaise

Irish

feminine

japonais(e)

Japanese

From now on the feminine and masculine versions will be given in this way. japonais(e) means that the feminine version ends in -aise, and the masculine version ends in -ais.

chinois(e)

Chinese

italien(ne)

Italian

néerlandais(e)

Dutch

Feminine version: italienne

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Additional vocabulary portugais(e)

Portuguese

espagnol(e)

Spanish

australien(ne)

Australian

belge

Belgian

Note that belge does not change

suisse

Swiss

Note that suisse does not change

If your nationality isn’t included here, why not ask about it on the Radio Lingua Network Forum. Further information can be found in the panel below.

TRY OUT YOUR FRENCH Coffee Break French listeners should be aware that we’ve introduced the Radio Lingua Network Forum where you can practise your French skills and communicate with other French learners. The Forum also features discussion areas for the other languages covered in our podcasts. Visit the Radio Lingua site on www.radiolingua.com and click on “Discussion Forum” in the menu. Try out your French, share your languagelearning stories and get to know fellow learners. À bientôt!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 3

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 4 Notes

In this edition: more about where you’re from and where you live

Je viens de Paris mais j’habite à Nice Talking about where you live Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes

Coffee Break French: Lesson 4

d’où viens-tu?

where are you from? (informal)

d’où venez-vous?

where are you from? (formal)

je viens de ...

I come from ...

je viens d’Édimbourg

I come from Edinburgh

tu viens de ... ?

do you come from ... ?

tu viens de Londres?

do you come from London?

je ne viens pas de ...

I don’t come from ...

In French the negative is formed by placing ne ... pas around the verb. “I come from...” is je viens de; “I don’t come from...” is je ne viens pas de ...

j’habite à ...

I live in ...

Note that here the word for “in” is à. There are a number of words for “in” in French, depending on the context.

je n’habite pas à ...

I don’t live in ...

If the word ne is followed by a vowel, or a vowel sound (habite begins with a silent ‘h’), then it shortens to n’ as in je n’habite pas.

où habites-tu?

where do you live?

informal

où habitez-vous?

where do you live?

formal

mais

but

silent -s on the end

maintenant

now

Covered in lesson 3

Note that de becomes d’ when it’s followed by a word beginning with a vowel

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Language Notes je viens de Glasgow mais maintenant j’habite à Londres

I come from Glasgow but now I live in London

Montréal

Montreal

Francfort

Frankfurt

aujourd’hui

today

je suis prêt ...

I am ready ... (m)

the ‘t’ is silent on the end of prêt

je suis prête ...

I am ready ... (f)

the -e on the end of prête makes you pronounce the ‘t’ sound

... pour apprendre le français

... to learn French

Note that languages and nationalities don’t have capital letters in French

The following conversation is a transcription of the conversation included in lesson 4. It brings together a number of language points covered in lessons 1-3.

Spotlight

negatives

In English we form negatives in quite a complicated way. Think of the phrase “I speak French”. To make this negative we have to introduce another verb, “do”, and make that negative, resulting in “I do not speak French”. If you heard the phrase “I speak not French”, then you’d probably understand what was being said, ie. that the person doesn’t speak French. However, we do not use this form in English. When you’re learning another language it’s often useful to create for yourself an intermediate language or code in between both languages to help you. Let’s consider the phrase “I come from Paris”, in French je viens de Paris. To make this negative, we could say in English “I do not come from Paris” or “I don’t come from Paris”, but when we translate this into French we don’t translate each word as in “I” = je; “do” = ... and so on. Instead we translate the concept “I come not from Paris”. The French negative is formed by placing the word ne before the verb (in this case viens) and then the word pas after the verb. In spoken French you often don’t hear the word ne. It’s therefore quite normal to hear je viens pas d Paris, but the correct form, especially in written French is je ne viens pas de Paris. As we cover more phrases in Coffee Break French we’ll come across further examples of the negative and everything will fall into place!

Additional vocabulary

Coffee Break French: Lesson 4

ici

here

tu es d’ici?

are you from here? (informal)

vous êtes d’ici?

are you from here? (formal)

je suis d’ici

I am from here

je ne suis pas d’ici

I am not from here

j’habite dans un village

I live in a village

j’habite dans une ville

I live in a town

... qui s’appelle ...

... which is called ...

tu es means “are you” or “you are”, and is linked to the verb je suis

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Additional vocabulary j’habite dans un village qui s’appelle St-Jean

I live in a village which is called St-Jean

j’habite dans une ville qui s’appelle Villefranche

I live in a town which is called Villefranche

Note that in French you can’t really say “I live in a village called St-Jean” - you have to use the word for “which”

TRY OUT YOUR FRENCH Coffee Break French listeners should be aware that we’ve introduced the Radio Lingua Network Forum where you can practise your French skills and communicate with other French learners. The Forum also features discussion areas for the other languages covered in our podcasts. Visit the Radio Lingua site on www.radiolingua.com and click on “Discussion Forum” in the menu. Try out your French, share your languagelearning stories and get to know fellow learners. À bientôt!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 4

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 5 Notes

In this edition: talking about your family

Voici mon frère et ma sœur Talking about your family Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes

Coffee Break French: Lesson 5

la sœur

sister

le frère

brother

la mère

mother

le père

father

mon

my

mon frère

my brother

mon père

my father

ma

my

ma sœur

my sister

ma mère

my mother

le mari

husband

mon mari

my husband

la femme

wife

ma femme

my wife

le fils

son

la fille

daughter

Note that the word sœur is correctly spelled with the contraction œ as opposed to “oe”. However, it’s sometimes difficult to type this, hence “oe” being used optionally

used for masculine words

used for feminine words

Note that, despite the spelling, the word femme is pronounced as “famme”

In this word the “l” is silent, but the “s” is pronounced! It sounds something like “feess”

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Language Notes l’enfant

child

les enfants

children

mes

my

used for plural in both masculine and feminine

mes enfants

my children

The “s” of mes is normally silent, but when the word which follows it begins with a vowel, the “s” is sounded, almost like a “z”

voici ...

here is ...

used with masculine, feminine and plural nouns

je te présente ...

I would like to introduce you to... informal version (te)

je vous présente ...

I would like to introduce you to... formal version (vous) OR plural version, ie. introducing someone to a group of people

il s’appelle ...

he is called ...

elle s’appelle ...

she is called ...

ils s’appellent ...

they are called ...

masculine plural*

elles s’appellent ...

they are called ...

feminine plural*

Spotlight

ils s’appellent...

WARNING: you may not like this! In French the word ils is the masculine plural form, “they”, and elles is the feminine plural form. However, if you’re talking about a group of people which includes males and females then you need to use the ils form. Even if there are 100 females and just one male!

Additional vocabulary

Coffee Break French: Lesson 5

oncle

uncle

tante

aunt

grand-père

grandfather

grand-mère

grandmother

cousin

cousin (m)

cousine

cousin (f)

ami

friend (m)

amie

friend (f)

copain

friend (m)

copine

friend (f)

compagnon

partner (m)

compagne

partner (f)

Note that to say “my friend” using the word amie you have to say mon amie, because ma amie sounds funny to a French person

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TRY OUT YOUR FRENCH Coffee Break French listeners should be aware that we’ve introduced the Radio Lingua Network Forum where you can practise your French skills and communicate with other French learners. The Forum also features discussion areas for the other languages covered in our podcasts. Visit the Radio Lingua site on www.radiolingua.com and click on “Discussion Forum” in the menu. Try out your French, share your languagelearning stories and get to know fellow learners. À bientôt!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 5

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 6 Notes

In this edition: giving more information about your family; numbers 1-10

J’ai un fils et deux filles Numbers and more family Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes

Coffee Break French: Lesson 5

la maman

mum, mom, mummy

The most common word used by children for “mother”; more informal than “mother”

le papa

dad, daddy

The most common word used by children for “father”

un

one

deux

two

trois

three

quatre

four

cinq

five

six

six

sept

seven

huit

eight

neuf

nine

dix

ten

j’ai ...

I have ...

j’ai un frère

I have a brother

j’ai deux filles

I have two daughters

Note the difference between je and j’ai: je means “I” and j’ai is in fact two words (je ai) contracted into j’ai. However, j’ai is not like “I’m” in English: it’s not optional to contract the two words because the rule states that since ai starts with a vowel, the je must become j’.

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Additional vocabulary zéro

zero

le numéro de téléphone

telephone number

mon numéro de téléphone

my telephone number

quel est ton numéro de téléphone?

what is your phone number?

informal

quel est votre numéro de téléphone?

what is you phone number?

formal

tu as des enfants?

do you have children?

informal

vous avez des enfants?

do you have children?

formal

tu as une sœur?

do you have a sister?

informal

vous avez une sœur?

do you have a sister?

formal

TRY OUT YOUR FRENCH Coffee Break French listeners should be aware that we’ve introduced the Radio Lingua Network Forum where you can practise your French skills and communicate with other French learners. The Forum also features discussion areas for the other languages covered in our podcasts. Visit the Radio Lingua site on www.radiolingua.com and click on “Discussion Forum” in the menu. Try out your French, share your languagelearning stories and get to know fellow learners. À bientôt!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 5

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 7 Notes

In this edition: talking about your job

Je travaille dans un restaurant Talking about your job Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes

Coffee Break French: Lesson 7

je suis ...

I am

un professeur

a teacher

je suis professeur

I am a teacher

une étudiante

(female) student

un étudiant

(male) student

je suis étudiant(e)

I am a student

ingénieur

engineer

comptable

accountant

avocat(e)

laywer

plombier (m) / plombière (f)

plumber

quel est ton métier?

what is your job? (informal)

quel est votre métier?

what is your job? (formal)

je travaille

I work

je travaille dans un hôpital

I work in a hospital

je travaille dans un magasin

I work in a shop

je travaille dans un restaurant

I work in a restaurant

je travaille dans une usine

I work in a factory

We’ve come across this phrase already in the phrase je suis écossais(e)

Note that there’s no word for “a” in this sentence. In French you just say “I am teacher”

As above, no word for “a”

the feminine form is avocate, and the ‘t’ is pronounced in the feminine version

the word métier means “job” or “profession”

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Language Notes qu’est-ce que tu fais dans la vie?

what is your job? (informal)

This alternative version of asking someone what their job is is literally translated as “what do you do in life?”

qu’est-ce que vous faites dans what is your job? (formal) la vie?

As above, only formal version

alors, moi...

as for me...

literally: “well, me...”

je ne travaille pas

I don’t work

j’aime mon travail

I like my job/work

je n’aime pas mon travail

I don’t like my job/work

Note the difference between the verb travaille as in je travaille and the noun travail in this phrase

Additional vocabulary un acteur / une actrice

actor /actress

un architecte

architect

un homme d’affaires

businessman

une femme d’affaires

businesswoman

un maçon

builder

un mécanicien

mechanic

un chef

chef

un dentiste

dentist

un médecin

doctor

un coiffeur / une coiffeuse

hair dresser

une entreprise

a business, company

je travaille dans une entreprise I work in a business/company je suis au chômage

I’m unemployed

je suis à la retraite

I’m retired

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 7

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Lesson 8 Notes

In this edition: talking about your likes and dislikes

Je n’aime pas le chocolat Talking about what you like Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes

Coffee Break French: Lesson 8

j’aime ...

I like ...

Note that this is a contraction of je aime: it doesn’t sound right in French to run the sound of je into the word aime which starts with a vowel

j’aime la musique

I like music

In French you need to say “I like THE music”, whereas in English we don’t use the definite article

j’aime la musique écossaise

I like Scottish music

tu aimes

you like

tu aimes la musique?

do you like music

j’aime le cinéma

I like cinema / films

j’aime le cinéma français

I like French cinema

j’aime le sport

I like sport

je n’aime pas ...

I don’t like

j’aime la littérature

I like literature

j’aime la littérature française

I like French literature

français / française

French

le chocolat

chocolate

j’aime le chocolat

I like chocolate

j’aime le chocolat belge

I like Belgian chocolate

Note that the -s ending is silent

Note that when we talk about le cinéma (masculine) we use the word français for “French”, and when we talk about la littérature and la musique (feminine) we use the word française

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Language Notes j’aime le chocolat suisse

I like Swiss chocolate

j’aime chanter

I like to sing / I like singing

j’aime danser

I like to dance / dancing

j’aime voyager

I like to travel / travelling

j’aime apprendre le français

I like to learn / learning French

j’aime sortir avec mes amis

I like to go out / going out with my friends

j’adore ...

I love ...

J’adore works in exactly the same way as j’aime: you can follow it with a noun or a verb in the infinitive

je déteste ...

I hate ...

as above

In French you always have to use the infinitive (“to sing”) after j’aime, whereas in English we can use “to sing” or “singing”

Additional vocabulary

Coffee Break French: Lesson 8

qu’est-ce que tu aimes?

what do you like?

qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire?

what do you like to do?

faire

to do

pendant

during

ton temps libre

your free time

le temps

time

cuisiner

to cook

jouer au football

to play football / soccer

jouer au tennis

to play tennis

jouer au golf

to play golf

jouer du piano

to play the piano

jouer de la guitare

to play the guitar

jouer de la clarinette

to play the clarinet

jouer de la batterie

to play the drums

aller au cinéma

to go to the cinema

écouter de la musique

to listen to music

regarder la télévision

to watch the television

être avec ma famille

to be with my family

note that when you’re talking about a sport you say jouer au... or jouer à la... (see below for further information relating to musical instruments)

note that when you’re talking about a musical instrument you say jouer du... or jouer de la...

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Additional vocabulary j’aime la nourriture ...

I like ... food

Note that nourriture is a feminine word, so the adjectives describing the nationality of the food below are all in the feminine form

... française

French

adjectives describing nationality in French don’t start with capital letters like in English

... italienne

Italian

... chinoise

Chinese

... indienne

Indian

TRY OUT YOUR FRENCH Coffee Break French listeners should be aware that we’ve introduced the Radio Lingua Network Forum where you can practise your French skills and communicate with other French learners. The Forum also features discussion areas for the other languages covered in our podcasts. Visit the Radio Lingua site on www.radiolingua.com and click on “Discussion Forum” in the menu. Try out your French, share your languagelearning stories and get to know fellow learners. À bientôt!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 8

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Lesson 9 Notes

In this edition: review of language covered in lessons 1-8

Maintenant je parle français Looking back at what you’ve learned Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Dialogue transcript from lesson 09

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

Fiona

Salut

Éric

Bonjour. Ça va?

Fiona

Ça va bien, merci. Et toi?

Éric

Oui, ça va très bien, merci. Je m’appelle Éric

Fiona

Je suis Fiona.

Éric

Tu es française?

Fiona

Non, je suis écossaise. Tu es français?

Éric

Non, en fait je suis canadien, mais j’habite en France.

Fiona

Où habites-tu en France?

Éric

J’habite à Menton, près de Nice. Et toi, tu habites où en Écosse?

Fiona

Je viens d’Édimbourg mais maintenant j’habite à Glasgow. Je suis étudiante à l’université de Glasgow.

Éric

Et tu es en vacances à Paris?

Fiona

Oui, je suis en vacances avec mes amis.

Éric

Moi aussi. En fait je passe le week-end à Paris avec mon père. Alors, tu es étudiante?

Fiona

Oui, je suis étudiante de français.

Éric

Ah d’accord. Tu parles très bien.

Fiona

Merci. Et toi, qu’est-ce que tu fais dans la vie?

Éric

Moi je suis étudiant de droit à Grenoble, mais je travaille dans un hôpital pendant le week-end.

Fiona

Et tu aimes ton travail?

Éric

Oui, ça va... Tu travailles, toi?

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Dialogue transcript from lesson 09 Fiona

Oui, je travaille dans un café.

Éric

Et tu aimes ton travail?

Fiona

Oui, j’aime mon travail, mais je préfère sortir avec mes amis.

Éric

Alors, bonnes vacances!

Fiona

Merci. À toi aussi.

Spotlight

je préfère...

This very useful phrase was slipped into this week’s conversation and it’s something that you should try to use as much as possible. The good thing is that it works exactly the same way as j’aime, je n’aime pas, j’adore and je déteste in that you can follow it with an infinitive or with a noun. Look at the following examples:

Question: Tu aimes la nourriture chinoise? Answer: Oui, mais je préfère la nourriture italienne. Question: Tu aimes chanter? Answer: Non, je préfère danser It’s important to get the pronunciation of je préfère correct. The first é approximately rhymes with the English word “day”, whereares the second è is the sound of “e” in the English word “egg”. Obviously it’s difficult to provide exact correlations for pronunciation from one language to another, but this hopefully helps you get this right!

In this week’s review podcast you’ll be challenged to introduce yourself based on some profiles. You can find these profiles below.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

Jean-Luc Leroy

Katie Gordon

Marcel Rousset

Feeling fine

Not feeling too good

Feeling ok

French

American

Canadian

From Lille

From Chicago

From Montreal

Lives in Toulouse

Lives in Georgetown

Lives in Toronto

Accountant

Teacher

Student

Likes job

Loves job

Works in a restaurant

Likes French cinema

Likes learning French

Likes travelling

Loves singing

Doesn’t like dancing

Doesn’t like music

Hates sport

Hates chocolate

Hates learning French

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 10 Notes

In this edition: festive fun from Coffee Break French!

Joyeuses Fêtes! Happy Holidays! Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Basic Vocabulary

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

une fête

holiday, celebration, party

joyeux / joyeuse

joyous, happy

Joyeuses Fêtes!

Happy Holidays!

Noël

Christmas

Joyeux Noël

Happy Christmas

le Jour de l’An

New Year’s day

Bonne Année

Happy New Year

The circumflex accent often suggests a missing “s” in an older version of the word. This word can be compared therefore to the English “feast”

Vive le vent!

“Long live the wind”

Vive le vent, vive le vent

Long live the wind, long live the wind,

Vive le vent d’hiver

Long live the winter wind

qui s’en va, sifflant, soufflant

which goes off whistling and blowing

dans les grands sapins verts.

in among the big green fir trees.

Vive le temps, vive le temps,

Long live the time, long live the time

Vive le temps d’hiver.

Long live the winter time.

Boule de neige et Jour de l’An

Snowball and New Year’s Day

et Bonne Année, grand-mère!

and Happy New Year’s Day, grandmother!

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Au Royaume du bonhomme hiver

Écoutez les clochettes Du joyeux temps des fêtes Annonçant la joie De chaque cœur qui bat Au royaume du bonhomme hiver

Sous la neige qui tombe Le traîneau vagabonde Semant tout autour Une chanson d’amour Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

Le voilà qui sourit sur la place Son chapeau, sa canne et son foulard Il semble nous dire d’un ton bonasse «Ne voyez-vous donc pas qu’il est tard?»

Il dit vrai, tout de même Près du feu, je t’emmène Allons nous chauffer dans l’intimité Au royaume du bonhomme hiver.

Bonus song vocabulary

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

une clochette

bell

annoncer

to announce

la joie

joy, happiness

royaume

kingdom

le bonhomme hiver

winter snowman

sous

under

la neige

snow

tomber

to fall

le traîneau

sleigh

vagabonder

to wander

semer

to spread, to sow (seed)

semant

spreading

tout autour

all around

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Bonus song vocabulary une chanson

a song

l’amour

love

le voilà

there he is

sourire

to smile

sur la place

in the square

un chapeau

hat

une canne

stick, cane

un foulard

a scarf

il semble

he seems

dire

to say

d’un ton bonasse

in an easy-going tone

ne voyez-vous

don’t you see

il est tard

it’s late

il dit vrai

he tells the truth

tout de même

all the same

près de

near

le feu

the fire

emmener (quelqu’un)

to take (someone)

allons

let’s go

chauffer

to warm up

dans l’intimité

“just the two of us”

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2007

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

In this edition: talking about which languages you speak and coping with language difficulties

Lesson 11 Notes Tu parles un peu de français? Talking about language Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes parler

to speak

je parle ...

I speak ...

tu parles ...

you speak ...

informal, singular version

vous parlez ...

you speak ...

formal / plural version

le français

French (language)

Note that languages do not begin with capital letters

l’anglais

English

l’italien

Italian

l’espagnol

Spanish

l’allemand

German

le chinois

Chinese

le japonais

Japanese

je parle français

I speak French

Note that you do not need the le when saying that you speak a particular language

tu parles français?

do you speak French?

Raise your voice at the end to indicate that you’re asking a question

est-ce que tu parles français?

do you speak French?

Adding est-ce que before a statement makes it into a question.

parles-tu français?

do you speak French?

Another way of asking a question is by inverting the verb and the subject pronoun.

je parle un peu de français

I speak a little French

Coffee Break French: Lesson 11

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Language Notes un peu de ...

a little

je ne parle pas ...

I don’t speak

comprendre

to understand

je comprends

I understand

je ne comprends pas

I don’t understand

je comprends le français

I understand French

Note that with comprendre you do need the le or l’ before the name of the language

vous comprenez

you understand

formal form

lentement

slowly

plus lentement, s’il vous plaît

more slowly, please

formal form

plus lentement, s’il te plaît

more slowly, please

informal form

comment?

pardon?, what?

The answers to the test in the bonus podcast for episode 11 are listed below. 1. Je parle français 2. Je parle un peu d’espagnol 3. Je ne parle pas allemand 4. Je comprends un peu de japonais 5. Tu comprends le chinois? / Comprends-tu le chinois? / Est-ce que tu comprends le chinois? / Vous comprenez le chinois? / Comprenez-vous le chinois? / Est-ce que vous comprenez le chinois?

Additional vocabulary le portugais

Portuguese

le suédois

Swedish

le norvégien

Norwegian

le danois

Danish

l’arabe

Arabic

le russe

Russian

il y a quelqu’un qui parle anglais?

Is there someone who can speak English?

comment ça s’écrit?

how is that written?

literally, “how does that write itself?”

comment ça se prononce?

how is that pronounced?

literally, “how does that pronounce itself?”

Coffee Break French: Lesson 11

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 12 Notes

In this edition: numbers from 11-1,000; days, months, seasons

Nous sommes le vingt avril Numbers, days and dates Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes onze

eleven

douze

twelve

treize

thirteen

quatorze

fourteen

quinze

fifteen

seize

sixteen

dix-sept

seventeen

dix-huit

eighteen

dix-neuf

nineteen

vingt

twenty

vingt et un

twenty-one

vingt-deux

twenty-two

vingt-trois

twenty-three

trente

thirty

quarante

forty

cinquante

fifty

soixante

sixty

soixante-dix

seventy

literally, “sixty-ten”

soixante-onze

seventy-one

literally, “sixty-eleven”

soixante-douze

seventy-two

quatre-vingts

eighty

Coffee Break French: Lesson 12

Notice no hyphens

Literally, “four twenties”. Notice the ‘s’ on vingts

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Language Notes quatre-vingt-un

eighty-one

quatre-vingt-deux

eighty-two

quatre-vingt-neuf

eighty-nine

quatre-vingt-dix

ninety

literally, “four twenties (+) ten”

quatre-vingt-onze

ninety-one

literally, “four twenties (+) eleven”

quatre-vingt-douze

ninety-two

cent

one hundred

cent quarante-cinq

one hundred and forty-five

deux cents

two hundred

trois cents

three hundred

mille

one thousand

Notice the ‘s’ on vingts is dropped

Days, months and seasons lundi

Monday

mardi

Tuesday

mercredi

Wednesday

jeudi

Thursday

vendredi

Friday

samedi

Saturday

dimanche

Sunday

janvier

January

février

February

mars

March

avril

April

mai

May

juin

June

juillet

July

août

August

septembre

September

octobre

October

novembre

November

décembre

December

le printemps

spring

l’été

summer

l’automne

autumn

l’hiver

winter

Coffee Break French: Lesson 12

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Talking about the date in French Consider the following examples for talking about the date in French. Notice the use of the word le and the format of the date.

aujourd’hui nous sommes le vingt-trois janvier 2008 today it’s the 23rd of January 2008

aujourd’hui nous sommes le treize août 1988 today it’s the 13th of August 1988

To say you were born on a particular date, use the phrase je suis né (masculine) or je suis née (feminine). You’ll probably be familiar with the word née which is used in English to give a woman’s maiden name. It literally means “born ...”, eg. “Jane Thomson, née Dawson”, literally meaning that Jane Thomson was “born” as Jane Dawson.

je suis né le dix septembre 1967 I was born (masculine) on the 10th of September 1967

Numbers in other French-speaking areas If you travel in Belgium or Switzerland you may find that alternative numbers are used for the more complex numbers from 70-99. The list below should help to explain the words you may hear:

Days, months and seasons septante

seventy

septante-et-un

seventy-one

octante / huitante

eighty

octante-cinq / huitante-cinq

eight-five

nonante

ninety

nonante-neuf

ninety-nine

Answers to the quiz The answers to the test in the bonus podcast for episode 12 are listed below. 1. 46 2. 89 3. 76 4. 152 5. 199 6. 812 7. 1779 8. Saturday, 14 August 1954 9. Sunday, 6 June 1993 10.Tuesday, 20 October 1931

Coffee Break French: Lesson 12

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 13 Notes

In this edition: finding your way around the town

Où se trouve le musée? Asking for directions Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes le restaurant

restaurant

le musée

museum

le marché

market

le supermarché

supermarket

la banque

bank

la cathédrale

cathedral

la piscine

swimming pool

la place

square

l’office de tourisme

tourist information office

l’église

church

la banque, s’il vous plaît?

the bank, please?

où est ... ?

where is ...?

où est la banque, s’il vous plaît?

where is the bank, please?

The full form of the question

où se trouve la banque, s’il vous plaît?

where is the bank, please?

An alternative version, perhaps more commonly used in certain places. Note that it literally means, “where does the bank find itself”, but it’s perfectly natural in French to use this form.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

Remember to pronounce French words in French, even if they look like English words!

This is the most simple form of asking for directions: say the word for the place you’re looking for, and then add in s’il vous plaît afterwards.

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Language Notes allez tout droit

go straight on

tournez à gauche

turn left

tournez à droite

go right

Note the difference between droit and droite. The key element is the sounded -te at the end of tournez à droite, whereas in allez tout droit the -t is silent.

et puis

and then

Used to join two directions, eg. tournez à gauche et puis allez tout droit.

c’est près d’ici

it’s near here

c’est près d’ici?

is it near here?

Remember to raise your voice at the end of this question

est-ce que c’est près d’ici?

is it near here?

The est-ce que at the beginning of this phrase means that it is automatically a question

c’est loin d’ici

it’s far from here

c’est loin d’ici?

is it far from here?

est-ce que c’est loin d’ici?

is it far from here?

Spotlight

le/la and l’

In French all nouns are either masculine or feminine. This means that there are different words for “the” and “a” for both genders. In this lesson we’ve learned a number of masculine words: le musée the museum le marché the market All masculine words take le as the definite article (the word for “the”) unless they begin with a vowel. We’ve also learned a number of feminin words: la banque the bank la piscine the swimming pool All feminine words take la as the definite article, unless they begin with a vowel. Any masculine or feminine word which begins with a vowel takes l’ as the definite article: l’office de tourisme the tourist info office (masculine) l’église the church (feminine)

Additional vocabulary aéroport (m)

airport

bibliothèque (f)

library

centre commercial (m)

shopping centre

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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Additional vocabulary château (m)

castle

cinéma (m)

cinema

gare (f)

station

gare routière (f)

bus station

librairie (f)

bookshop

magasin (m)

shop

mairie (f)

town hall

parc (m)

park

port (m)

port, harbour

stade (m)

stadium

Be careful with this one - it does not mean “library”!

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 14 Notes

In this edition: asking and talking about what there is in a town

Dans la ville où j’habite Talking about your town Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Spotlight

un/une

Last week we learned about the definite article, ie. the word in French for “the”. This week we will learn to use the indefinite article, the word for “a”. We’ve already come across this when we spoke about family earlier in the course. For masculine words use un: un musée a museum un marché a market For feminine words use une: une banque a bank une piscine a swimming pool Note that these rules apply even if the word begins with a vowel.

Language Notes il y a ...

there is ...

il y a un restaurant

there is a restaurant

dans ma ville ...

in my town

dans ma ville il y a un restaurant

in my town there is a restaurant

dans la ville où j’habite ...

in the town where I live ...

près d’ici

near here

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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Language Notes il y a un restaurant près d’ici

there is a restaurant near here

il y a un restaurant près d’ici?

is there a restaurant near here?

Remember that because of the construction of this question (ie. there’s no question word!) you have to raise your voice at the end to make it into a question.

est-ce qu’il y a un restaurant près d’ici?

is there a restaurant near here?

Note the use of est-ce que which makes the statement into a question

près de ...

near (to)

le restaurant est près de la cathédrale

the restaurant is near the cathedral

loin de ...

far from

la place est loin de la piscine

the square is far from the swimming pool

en face de ...

opposite, facing

l’office de tourisme est en face de l’église

the tourist information office is opposite the church

du = de + le

When you combine the word de in, eg. en face de ... with the masculine definite article (le) then de + le = du. See the below for further examples

le marché est en face du restaurant

the market is opposite the restaurant

Note that this is the equivalent of saying ... en face de le restaurant* (which is wrong in French!)

l’église est près du musée

the church is near the museum

Again, note that this is the equivalent of saying ... près de le musée* (which is wrong in French)

à côté de ...

next to, beside

le marché est à côté du restaurant

the market is next to / beside the restaurant

Note the du again

Une chanson: a song - vocabulary beaucoup

lots

beaucoup à voir

lots to see

beaucoup à faire

lots to do

c’est clair

that’s obvious / that’s clear

sympa

nice

calme

calm

tranquille

quiet

j’aime bien

I really like

petit(e)

small

grand(e)

large

la grande place

the main square

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

Short for sympathique

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Une chanson: a song - vocabulary une pharmacie

chemist, pharmacy

une boulangerie

baker’s

l’hôpital

hospital

juste à côté

just beside / next to

La chanson Dans la ville où j'habite il y a beaucoup à faire. Il y a beaucoup à voir et oui, ça c'est clair. C'est une ville sympa, une ville calme et tranquille. J'aime bien où j'habite, j'aime bien ma petite ville.

In the town where I live there’s lots to do. There’s lots to see, oh yes, that’s true. It’s a nice town, a calm and quiet town. I really like where I live, I really like my little town

Dans la grande place il y a un marché et en face de l'église il y a un musée. À côté de la gare se trouve la mairie, et près de la piscine il y a une pharmacie.

In the main square there is a market and opposite the church there is a museum. Beside the station can be found the town hall and next to the swimming pool there is a pharmacy.

En face du parc il y a une boulangerie et juste à côté, une librairie. Il y a aussi un centre commercial qui se trouve en face de l'hôpital.

Opposite the park there is a baker’s and right next door a library. There’s also a shopping centre which is opposite the hospital

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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Lesson 15 Notes

In this edition: ordering drinks in a café

Je voudrais un café I’d like a coffee Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes un café

coffee

un café au lait

a milky coffee / white coffee

le lait

milk

un café crème

a coffee with cream

Note that you may be given milk depending on where you go!

un grand crème

a larger coffee with cream

Normally coffee would be served in espresso-sized cups.

un allongé

an americano coffee

A small black coffee in a larger cup with added hot water

un rallongé

an americano coffee

rallongé and allongé are both the same: it depends on which part of the French-speaking world you’re in!

un thé

tea

un thé au lait

white’ tea / tea with milk

un thé au citron

lemon tea

le citron

lemon

un chocolat (chaud)

a hot chocolate

un jus

a juice

un jus d’orange

an orange juice

un jus d’ananas

a pineapple juice

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

Café is also the word used for “café” ie. the place you go to have a coffee!

You probably don’t need to say chaud as it’s obvious you would like a hot chocolate drink if you ask for un chocolat

The -s is pronounced in some places and is silent in others.

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Language Notes un jus de pomme

an apple juice

une limonade

a lemonade

de l’eau

some water

de l’eau plate

still water

de l’eau gazeuse

sparkling water

une bière

a beer

un verre de ...

a glass of ...

une bouteille de ...

a bottle of ...

le vin

wine

un verre de vin

a glass of wine

le vin rouge

red wine

le vin blanc

white wine

le vin rosé

rosé wine

je voudrais ...

I would like ...

pour moi ...

for me ...

pour mon père ...

for my father ...

pour ma mère ...

for my mother ...

pour mon ami ...

for my friend (m) ...

pour mon amie ...

for my friend (f) ...

Vous désirez?

What would you like?

This is one of the most likely things the waiter/waitress will say to you to ask for your order.

Additional vocabulary une tasse de ...

a cup of ...

un café décaféiné / un déca

a decaffeinated coffee

un coca

coke

un orangina

fizzy orange juice

un cidre

cider

un cognac

brandy

un whisky

whisky

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 16 Notes

In this edition: ordering food and snacks in cafés

On peut manger ici? Ordering snacks in cafés Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes s’il vous plaît ...

please

qu’est-ce que je vous sers?

what would you like?

qu’est-ce que vous désirez?

what would you like?

qu’est-ce que vous voudriez?

what would you like?

je prends ...

I’ll have ...

je prends un verre de limonade

I’ll have a glass of lemonade

je prends une limonade

I’ll have a lemonade

je voudrais encore un café

I’ll have another coffee

encore un verre de vin rouge, s’il vous plaît

another glass of red wine, please

manger

to eat

j’aime manger

I like to eat

boire

to drink

j’ai faim

I’m hungry

Literally this means “I have hunger”

avoir faim

to be hungry

Literally, “to have hunger”

j’ai soif

I’m thirsty

Literally, “I have thirst”

avoir soif

to be thirsty

Literally, “to have thirst”

on peut manger ici?

Can one eat here? Is it possible to eat here?

This question could be used in a café to find out if it’s possible to order food in the café

fumer

to smoke

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

Used to attract the waiter’s attention in a café Three ways the waiter or waitress may ask you what you would like to order. Literally this means “I take ...”

Note that it’s un verre de... but une limonade

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Language Notes on peut fumer ici?

Can one smoke here? Is it possible to smoke here?

un sandwich

sandwich

un sandwich au jambon

ham sandwich

un sandwich au fromage

cheese sandwich

un sandwich au jambon et fromage

ham and cheese sandwich

le jambon

ham

le fromage

cheese

un croque monsieur

cheese and ham toastie

un croque madame

cheese and ham toastie with an egg on top

des frites

chips, French fries

l’addition

the bill, cheque

l’addition s’il vous plaît

the bill, please

bon appétit

enjoy your meal

santé

cheers!

Most likely to be made of crusty baguette bread with a filling

Additional vocabulary le petit déjeuner

breakfast

le déjeuner

lunch

le dîner

dinner

c’est mon tour

It’s my round

qu’est-ce que tu prends?

What are you having?

les glaçons

ice cubes

pas de glaçons, s’il vous plaît

no ice, please

je t’offre un verre

let me buy you a drink

Informal - said to a friend

je vous offre un verre

let me buy you a drink

formal - said to a stranger

un morceau de ...

a piece of ...

Said to a friend, inviting him/her to have a drink or something to eat

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 17 Notes

In this edition: going to a restaurant

La carte, s’il vous plaît Ordering food in a restaurant Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes manger

to eat

je mange ...

I eat ... / I am eating ...

je mange un sandwich

I’m eating a sandwich

prendre

to take

je prends un sandwich

I’ll have a sandwich

c’est pour combien de personnes?

for how many (people)?

On arriving at a restaurant you are likely to be asked this by a waiter

c’est pour quatre (personnes)

it’s for four (people)

ie. four of us would like to have something to eat

c’est pour huit

it’s for eight

fumeur ou non-fumeur

smoking or non-smoking

suivez-moi, s’il vous plaît

follow me, please

je suis désolé(e)

I’m sorry

nous sommes complets

we’re full

on est complet

we’re full

voulez-vous attendre?

do you want to wait?

la carte

menu

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

When ordering food prendre has the meaning of “to have / to order”

Note that in France since January 2008 there is a nosmoking law in place which means that it is not possible to smoke in French restaurants and bars

An alternative to nous sommes complets

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Language Notes la carte, s’il vous plaît

(Can we have...) the menu, please

un menu

set menu

un menu enfant

children’s menu

le menu du jour

“today’s specials”

vous avez une carte en anglais?

do you have a menu in English?

vous avez un menu enfant?

do you have a children’s menu?

une chaise haute

high chair, baby chair

une chaise pour bébé

high chair, baby chair

un poulet frites

roast chicken and chips

un stea(c)k frites

steak and chips

quelle cuisson?

how would you like it cooked?

saignant

rare

à point

medium

bien cuit

well done

une omelette

omelette

une tarte flambée

speciality of Strasbourg in Alsace, similar to pizza with cream cheese instead of tomato

des oignons

onions

des lardons

small chunks of bacon, pancetta

je voudrais ça / cela

I’d like that

Used in specific cases: see below

The word for “steak” can be written steack or steak

literally, “bleeding”!

Pointing to what someone else is eating!

Additional vocabulary réserver

to reserve

je voudrais réserver une table

I’d like to reserve a table

j’ai réservé une table

I’ve booked a table

je n’ai pas réservé

I’ve not booked

est-ce qu’il faut attendre?

is there a wait?

combien de temps est-ce qu’il how long do we have to wait? faut attendre? quel est le plat du jour?

what’s today’s special?

avez-vous choisi?

have you chosen? / are you ready to order?

nous sommes prêts pour commander

we are ready to order

qu’est-ce que vous conseillez?

what do you recommend?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 18 Notes

In this edition: specific restaurant situations

Mes compliments au chef! Restaurant situations Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso.

Language Notes avoir la pêche

to be feeling great

j’ai la pêche

I’m feeling great

prêt / prête

ready

note the masculine and feminine forms of this word

végétarien / végétarienne

vegetarian

Females add -ne to the masculine form

végétalien / végétalienne

vegan

Again, note the different forms for masculine and feminine

je suis végétarien(ne)

I am (a) vegetarian

Note the word “a” is not translated, just as with jobs, religions, etc.

je suis végétalien(ne)

I am (a) vegan

je mange

I eat

je ne mange pas

I don’t eat

je ne mange pas de frites

I don’t eat chips / fries

je ne mange pas de viande

I don’t eat meat

je ne mange pas de poisson

I don’t eat fish

je ne mange pas de fruits de mer

I don’t eat seafood

le porc

pork

je ne mange pas de porc

I don’t eat pork

je peux ...

I can ...

je ne peux pas ...

I can’t ...

je peux manger ...

I can eat

je ne peux pas manger ...

I can’t eat

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

literally “to have the peach”

literally, “fruits of sea”

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Language Notes puer

to smell

je ne pue pas

“I don’t smell”

je suis allergique à ...

I’m allergic to ...

je suis allergique aux fruits de mer

I’m allergic to seafood

je suis allergique aux noix

I’m allergic to nuts

je suis allergique aux produits laitiers

I’m allergic to dairy products

c’est froid

It’s cold

excusez-moi, s’il vous plaît, c’est froid

excuse me, please, this is cold

c’est brûlé

it’s burnt

ce n’est pas cuit

it’s not cooked

c’est délicieux

it’s delicious

ça a été?

“did you enjoy your meal?”

literally, “that has been?”

ça a été délicieux

it was delicious

Note here that this statement answers the question ça a été? using the same tense and construction. However, it is probably more natural in French to say c’était délicieux. This uses a different tense, and is explained further in the bonus podcast for this episode.

mes compliments au chef!

my compliments to the chef!

nos compliments au chef!

our compliments to the chef!

Remember ‘bien cuit’? ‘Cuit’ means “cooked”, so this phrase means “it’s not cooked”.

Additional vocabulary je suis allergique à la caféine

I’m allergic to caffeine

Depending on what it is you’re allergic to, je suis allergique will be followed by au..., à la..., or aux. Here, caféine is feminine, so it’s à la...

je suis allergique aux œufs

I’m allergic to eggs

les œufs are plural, so it’s aux

je suis allergique au gluten

I’m allergic to gluten

le gluten is masculine, so use au

je suis diabétique

I’m diabetic

je peux avoir ... ?

can I have ... ?

nous pouvons avoir ... ?

can we have ... ?

une fourchette

a fork

une cuillère

a spoon

un couteau

a knife

un verre

a glass

une assiette

a plate

Coffee Break French: Lesson 9

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 19 Notes

In this edition: what have you learned in unit 2

Qu’est-ce que tu as appris? Unit 2 Review Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso. In this lesson we test your knowledge of what you’ve learned so far.

Phrases for translation je parle un peu de français

I speak a little French

je ne comprends pas

I don’t understand

(l’) anglais

English

(l’) italien

Italian

(le) japonais

Japanese

je parle japonais

I speak Japanese

je comprends le japonais

I understand Japanese

plus lentement, s’il vous plaît

more slowly, please

trente-sept

37

cinq cent douze

512

mille huit cent trente-six

1836

lundi

Monday

vendredi

Friday

dimanche

Sunday

aujourd’hui

today

aujourd’hui c’est le dix-huit avril deux mille huit

today is the 18th April 2008

nous sommes le dix-huit avril deux mille huit

today is the 18th April 2008 (more French way of saying this)

où est ...?

where is ...?

où est la banque?

where is the bank?

où est le musée, s’il vous plaît?

where is the museum, please?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 19

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Phrases for translation où se trouve ...?

where is ...? / where can ... be found?

où se trouve l’office de tourisme?

where is the tourist information office?

tournez à droite

turn right

tournez à gauche et (puis) allez tout droit

turn left and (then) go straight on

c’est près d’ici? / est-ce que c’est près d’ici?

is it near here?

c’est loin d’ici? / est-ce que c’est loin d’ici?

is it far from here?

il y a un restaurant près d’ici? est-ce qu’il y a un restaurant près d’ici?

is there a restaurant near here?

y a-t-il un restaurant près d’ici? l’église

the church

l’hôtel

the hotel

l’église est loin de l’hôtel

the church is far from the hotel

le restaurant est à côté de la pharmacie

the restaurant is next to the chemist

je voudrais ...

I would like ...

je voudrais un café

I would like a coffee

un thé au lait

a tea with milk

un thé avec du lait

a tea with milk

un verre de vin

a glass of wine

une bouteille de limonade

a bottle of lemonade

pour mon père un verre du vin rouge

for my father a glass of red wine

pour ma mère un café crème

for my mother a coffee with cream

pour moi de l’eau minérale plate, s’il vous plaît for me a/some still mineral water, please j’ai soif

I’m thirsty

j’ai faim

I’m hungry

je voudrais un sandwich au jambon

I would like a ham sandwich

je voudrais un sandwich au fromage avec des frites

I would like a cheese sandwich with some chips / fries

l’addition s’il vous plaît

the bill, please

vous avez une carte en anglais?

do you have a menu in English?

je suis végétarien(ne)

I’m (a) vegetarian

je mange

I eat

je ne mange pas

I don’t eat

je ne mange pas de viande

I don’t eat meat

je ne mange pas de noix

I don’t eat nuts

je suis allergique aux fruits de mer

I’m allergic to seafood

ce n’est pas cuit

It’s not cooked

c’est délicieux

it’s delicious

Lesson 19 bonus episode provided further practice on the materials of unit 2, but also included some phrases from unit , to test your knowledge of words and phrases you learned earlier in the course. The full list of phrases is given below.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 19

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Bonus episode - vocabulary test J’ai un frère et deux sœurs

I have one brother and two sisters

Je travaille dans une pharmacie

I work in a pharmacy

C’est pour 5 personnes

it’s for 5 people

Un café crème pour moi et un chocolat pour mon père

a coffee with cream for me and a hot chocolate for my father

Elle habite à Boulogne mais elle vient de Lille

she lives in Boulogne but she comes from Lille

Mon frère est comptable

my brother is an accountant

Je voudrais une omelette, s’il vous plaît

I would like an omelette, please

J’aime apprendre le français

I like learning French

Je ne mange pas de viande

I don’t eat meat

Tu détestes la musique écossaise mais tu aimes la musique française

you hate Scottish music but you like French music

Ma mère travaille dans un restaurant

my mother works in a restaurant

Où se trouve l’église?

where is the church?

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 19

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 20 Notes

In this edition: restaurant conversation, pronunciation practice and review

Si on allait à un restaurant? End-of-unit special Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. If you have specific questions about the contents of each lesson, why not email us at [email protected] or phone our helpline on 0141 416 2600 (UK) or 408 540 6114 (US), or you can skype radiolingua. By recording your question on our voicemail line you may feature on our forthcoming phone-in show, French Expresso. This lesson features a conversation which takes place in a restaurant. We also provide additional material helping you with your French pronunciation. Conversation

Waiter Anna Waiter Mark

Bonjour, vous êtes combien? C’est pour deux personnes. D’accord, suivez-moi, s’il vous plaît. Merci.

Watier Anna Mark Waiter

Voici la carte. Voulez-vous boire quelque chose? Pour moi une limonade. Je prends un verre de vin rouge, s’il vous plaît. Alors une limonade pour madame, et un verre de vin rouge pour monsieur. C’est parti!

Waiter Anna Waiter Mark Waiter Mark Anna Waiter Anna Mark Anna

Alors, voilà. Une limonade Merci Et un vin rouge. Merci. Vous avez choisi? Oui, je prends l’escalope de dinde. Et moi je prends un steack-frites. Euh, steack-frites, oui. Et la cuisson? Bien cuit, s’il vous plaît. Merci Merci beaucoup.

Waiter

Ça a été?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 19

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Mark Anna Mark Waiter Mark Waiter

Oui, c’était vraiment délicieux. Je voudrais bien un café. Et pour moi un allongé. Très bien. Vous nous apportez l’addition, s’il vous plaît? Bien sûr. Tout de suite, monsieur.

Vocabulary vous êtes combien?

how many people are you? / how many is it for?

d’accord

ok

voulez-vous

do you want

boire

to drink

quelque chose

something

c’est parti

right away, straight away

l’escalope de dinde

boneless portion of turkey

vous nous apportez ... ?

can/will you bring us... ?

bien sûr

of course

tout de suite

right away

la nourriture

food

je suis gourmand

I enjoy my food

quelles sont les spécialités françaises

what are the French specialities?

le bœuf

beef

les épices

spices

les escargots

snails

tu aimes les escargots?

do you like snails?

c’est trop gras

it’s too oily, greasy

l’aïl

garlic

le plat traditionnel

the traditional meal / dish

la panse de brebis farcie

stuffed sheep’s stomach

un navet

turnip

une pomme de terre

potato

de la purée de pomme de terre

mashed potato

means the same as c’est pour combien de personnes?

plural or polite form

otherwise known as haggis in Scotland

In addition to the review of content covered in the main podcast for lesson 20, the bonus episode also featured some pronunciation practice based on the pronunciation of certain well-known French wines. The wines mentioned were the following: Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Cabernet (Sauvignon), Chablis, Champagne, Chenin, Merlot, Pinot blanc, gris, noir, Sancerre, Sauternes, Sémillon, St Émillion, Syrah, Viognier

Coffee Break French: Lesson 19

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Bonus episode - vocabulary test J’aime manger les frites mais je suis allergique I like to eat/eating chips/fries but I am allergic to aux noix nuts Aujourd’hui nous sommes le treize août mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-seize

today is 13th August 1996

Mon ami vient de Boston. Il est ingénieur et il aime son travail

my friend comes from Boston. He’s an engineer and he likes his work.

Est-ce qu’il y a une piscine près d’ici?

is there a swimming pool near here?

J’aime danser mais je préfère chanter

I like to dancing, but I prefer singing

Allez tout droit, tournez à gauche et puis tournez à droite

go straight on, turn left and then turn right

Tu aimes la nourriture italienne?

Do you like Italian food?

Je suis désolé. Je ne mange pas de viande. Je suis végétarien.

I’m sorry. I don’t eat meat. I am a vegetarian.

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 19

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 21 Notes

In this edition: talking about the weather

Quel temps fait-il? What’s the weather like? Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes le temps

weather

quel temps fait-il?

what’s the weather like?

aujourd’hui

today

quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui?

what’s the weather like today?

il fait beau

it’s nice weather

il fait mauvais

it’s not nice weather / it’s bad weather

il fait beau temps

it’s nice weather

the use of the word temps here is optional

il fait mauvais temps

it’s bad weather

As above.

il fait froid

it's cold`

Note that when referring to food, you would use c’est froid, but when talking about the weather you use il fait froid.

il fait chaud

it’s warm / hot

As above.

il fait du vent

it’s windy

literally: “it does some wind”

faire

to do, to make

il pleut

it’s raining

il pleut en Écosse

it rains in Scotland

il pleut aujourd’hui

it’s raining today

il ne pleut pas

it’s not raining

il fait très beau

it’s very nice weather

assez

quite

il fait assez beau

it’s quite nice weather

il fait assez froid

it’s quite cold

Coffee Break French: Lesson 21

literally: “which weather is it doing?”

Note that the same phrase, il pleut, is used for both “it’s raining” and “it rains”

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Language Notes il fait très chaud

it’s very hot

extrêmement

extremely

extrême

extreme

rapidement

quickly

from rapide meaning “quick”

vraiment

truly, really

from vrai meaning “true”, “real”

c’est vraiment cool

it’s really cool

il fait vraiment froid aujourd’hui

it’s really cold today

il neige

it’s snowing

quel temps fera-t-il demain?

what will the weather be like tomorrow?

demain

tomorrow

il fera beau

it will be nice weather

il fera chaud

it will be warm / hot

il fera froid

it will be cold

il fera du vent

it will be windy

il fera mauvais

it will not be nice weather / it will be bad weather

il pleuvra

it will rain / it will be raining

il neigera

it will snow / it will be snow

les prévisions

the weather forecast

la météo

weather forecast on television

the -ment ending translates to the English ending -ly for adverbs

When we asked this question in the present, the word fait was used. In the future fait becomes fera.

Additional vocabulary est-ce qu’il fera chaud demain?

will it be warm tomorrow?

est-ce qu’il fera froid demain?

will it be cold tomorrow?

est-ce qu’il pleuvra demain?

will it rain tomorrow?

qu’est-ce qu’il fait beau aujourd’hui!

the weather is so beautiful today! “What beautiful weather we’re having today!”

qu’est-ce qu’il fait froid aujourd’hui!

it’s so cold today!

quel temps magnifique!

what wonderful weather!

quel temps affreux!

what awful weather!

il y a du vent

it’s windy

il pleut des cordes!

it’s pouring; it’s raining cats and dogs

Coffee Break French: Lesson 21

An alternative to il fait du vent

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 22 Notes

In this edition: booking into hotels

J’ai une réservation I have a reservation Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. Introductory Conversation

Anna Mark Anna Mark

Bonjour, bonjour! Salut tout le monde. Bonjour Anna. Comment vas-tu aujourd’hui? Très bien, merci. Et toi, ça va? J’ai la pêche aujourd’hui! Dis-moi, Anna. Quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui?

Anna

Il fait beau. Il fait assez froid, et il ne pleut pas.

Mark

Très bien!

Language Notes avoir la pêche

to be on top form

l’hôtel

hotel

une réservation

reservation

j’ai

I have

j’ai une réservation

I have a reservation

nous avons une réservation

we have a reservation

est-ce que vous avez une réservation?

do you have a reservation?

vous avez une réservation?

do you have a reservation?

avez-vous une réservation?

do you have a reservation?

est-ce que tu as...

do you have ...

informal

je n’ai pas de réservation

I don’t have a reservation

Note the use of the word de in this negative sentence. Compare je ne mange pas de viande.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 22

literally: “to have the peach”

Words ending in -tion in French tend to be feminine: une nation, une station, une célébration

formal

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Language Notes nous n’avons pas de réservation

we don’t have a reservation

comment vous appelez-vous?

what is your name?

formal form

je m’appelle ...

my name is ...

literally “I call myself...”

mon nom est ...

my name is ...

more likely to be used with surnames

une chambre

a room (bedroom)

je voudrais une chambre

I would like a room

une chambre pour une personne

a single room

literally, “a room for one person”

une chambre pour deux personnes

a double room

“a room for two people” It would be assumed that a double bed is required if you ask for une chambre pour deux personnes

une chambre pour deux personnes à un lit

a double room

literally “a room for two people with one bed”

une chambre pour deux personnes à deux lits

a twin room

literally “a room for two people with two beds”

un grand lit

a double bed

pour combien de nuits?

for how many nights?

pour une nuit

for one night

pour deux nuits

for two nights

pour une semaine

for one week

pour deux semaines

for two weeks

est-ce que le petit déjeuner est compris?

is breakfast included?

c’est combien par nuit?

how much is it per night?

avez-vous une carte de crédit?

do you have a credit card?

Spotlight

avoir

The verb ‘to have’ is avoir and we’ve now come across this verb in a number of situations. In this lesson we learned all six parts of the verb and these are listed below. j’ai I have tu as you have (singular, informal) il a / elle a he has / she has nous avons we have vous avez you have (plural and/or formal) ils ont / elles ont they have

Additional vocabulary j’ai une réservation au nom de ...

Coffee Break French: Lesson 22

I have a reservation in the name of ...

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Additional vocabulary où est-ce que nous pouvons stationner?

where can we park?

est-ce que je peux (nous pouvons) voir la chambre?

can we see the room?

le petit déjeuner est servi à quelle heure?

when is breakfast served?

le petit déjeuner est servi de 07h00 à 09h30

breakfast is served from 7:00am until 9:30am

le petit déjeuner est compris

breakfast is included

le petit déjeuner n’est pas compris

breakfast is not included

c’est complet

we’re full

avez-vous un ascenseur

do you have a lift / elevator?

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 22

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 23 Notes

In this edition: problems in hotel rooms

Il y a un problème... There is a problem... Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes la chambre

the room / bedroom

petit(e)

small

la chambre est trop petite

the room is too small

la chambre est très petite

the room is very small

la chambre est assez petite

the rooms is quite small

la chambre est extrêmement petite

the room is extremely small

grand(e)

large

la chambre est trop grande

the room is too large

il fait froid dans la chambre

it’s cold in the room

il fait trop froid dans la chambre

it’s too cold in the room

il fait trop chaud dans la chambre

it’s too hot in the room

il n’y a pas de ...

there is no ...

il n’y a pas d’électricité dans la chambre

there’s no electricity in the room

il n’y a pas d’eau (chaude)

there’s no (hot) water

Excusez-moi, s’il vous plaît. J’ai un problème. Il n’y a pas d’eau chaude dans la chambre et la chambre est trop petite

Excuse me, please. I have a problem. There is no hot water in the room and the room is too small.

il n’y a pas de serviettes

there are no towels

il n’y a pas de papier hygiénique

there is no toilet paper

il n’y a pas de papier toilette

there is no toilet paper

fonctionner

to work, to function

Coffee Break French: Lesson 23

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Language Notes le chauffage

heating

le chauffage ne fonctionne pas

the heating doesn’t work

la télévision

television

general word

le téléviseur

television set

refers specifically to the television set

la climatisation

air conditioning

la climatisation ne fonctionne pas

the air conditioning isn’t working

la douche

shower

j’ai laissé ma clef dans ma chambre

I’ve left my key in my room

j’ai laissé ma clef dans la chambre

I’ve left my key in the room

et en plus ...

and what’s more...

Additional vocabulary marcher

to work

alternative to fonctionner which is commonly used

la climatisation ne marche pas the air conditioning doesn’t work c’est trop bruyant

it’s too noisy

je ne peux pas ...

I can’t ...

... ouvrir la fenêtre

... open the window

... trouver ma clef

... find my key

... fermer la porte

... close the door

qui est-ce?

who is there?

qui est là?

who is there?

un instant

just a moment

entrez

come in

pouvez-vous repasser plus tard, s’il vous plaît?

can you come back later, please?

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 23

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 24 Notes

In this edition: going camping; finding your way around and accessing services

On fait du camping On the campsite Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes faire du camping

to go camping

on fait du camping

we’re going camping

le camping

campsite

le parking

car park

une tente

tent

une caravane

caravan

(est-ce qu’) il y a un camping près d’ici?

is there a campsite near here?

y a-t-il un camping près d’ici?

is there a campsite near here?

est-ce qu’on peut camper ici?

can one camp here?

est-ce qu’on peut manger ici?

can one eat here?

est-ce qu’on peut boire l’eau ici?

can one drink the water here?

louer

to hire

est-ce qu’on peut louer des serviettes?

can one hire towels here?

où est la piscine?

where is the swimming pool?

où se trouve la piscine?

where is the swimming pool?

où est le magasin?

where is the shop?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

Note that this can be translated as “can one...” but is perhaps more commonly translated as “can you...”. The use of “one” in our translations is to avoid any confusion between the pronouns “you” meaning “you” (tu / vous) and “you” meaning “one” (on)

An alternative to où est ..., literally meaning “where does the swimming pool find itself?”

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Language Notes où se trouve le magasin?

where is the shop?

où sont les toilettes?

where are the toilets?

où sont les douches?

where are the showers?

où sont les poubelles?

where are the bins?

où se trouvent ...

where are ... ? / where can ... be found?

le bloc sanitaire

the toilet block

où est-ce qu’on peut louer des where can one buy towels? serviettes? où est-ce qu’on peut acheter du café?

where can one buy coffee?

où est-ce qu’on peut acheter des œufs?

where can one buy eggs?

un œuf

an egg

the ‘f’ is pronounced in œuf in the singular

des œufs

(some) eggs

the ‘f’ is silent in œufs in the plural

Additional vocabulary avez-vous un emplacement?

do you have a site (to pitch a tent or to park a caravan)?

avez-vous des tentes à louer?

do you have tents for hire?

est-ce que je peux ... ?

can I ... ?

emprunter un maillet

borrow a mallet

... ouvrir la fenêtre

... open the window

un piquet de tente

tent peg

un montant de tente

tent pole

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 25 Notes

In this edition: shopping, buying clothes

On fait du shopping! Time for some retail therapy... Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes acheter

to buy

faire du shopping

to go shopping

faire du lèche-vitrine

to go window shopping

où est-ce que je peux ... ?

where can I ... ?

acheter des vêtements

buy clothes

je peux vous aider?

can I help you?

puis-je vous aider?

can I help you?

je regarde

I’m (just) looking

est-ce que je peux l’essayer?

can I try it on?

c’est trop grand

it’s too big

c’est trop petit

it’s too small

ça ne me plaît pas

I don’t like it

literally, “that does not please me”

je le prends

I’ll take it

literally, “I take it” / “I am taking it”

ça coûte combien?

how much is it?

ça coûte 30 euros

it costs 30 euros

est-ce que je peux payer avec une carte de crédit?

can I pay with a credit card?

est-ce que je peux voir votre carte d’identité?

can I see your ID?

voici

here it is

voici mon passeport

here is my passport

voici ma carte d’identité

here is my ID card

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

literally “to do do some windowlicking”

When you invert je peux you need to use an alternative form of pouvoir: puis-je ...

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Language Notes les espèces

cash

je paie en espèces

I’m paying by cash

je paie avec une carte de crédit

I’m paying with a credit card

voulez-vous un sac?

do you want a bag?

est-ce que je peux avoir un sac, s’il vous plaît?

can I have a bag, please?

le ticket

receipt

le reçu

receipt

Additional vocabulary je voudrais celui-ci

I’d like this one

je voudrais celui-là

I’d like that one

pouvez-vous écrire le prix, s’il vous plaît?

can you write down the price, please?

je vais réfléchir

I’ll have a think about it

où sont les cabines, s’il vous plaît?

where are the changing rooms?

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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Lesson 26 Notes

In this edition: shopping for food

Je voudrais 400g de fromage I’d like 400g of cheese Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes je voudrais ...

I would like ...

une pomme

apple

je voudrais des pommes

I would like some apples

une banane

banana

une poire

pear

un orange

orange

donner

to give

donnez-moi ... s’il vous plaît

give me ... please

donnez-moi des pommes, s’il vous plaît

give me some apples, please

du jambon

some ham

du fromage

some cheese

une tranche

a slice

une tranche de jambon

a slice of ham

can be followed by a noun or by a verb in the infinitive form

Although this appears quite abrupt, it’s perfectly polite to use in a shopping scenario

je voudrais quatre tranches de I would like four slices of ham jambon je voudrais un peu de ça

I would like a little of that

un morceau

a bit

je voudrais un morceau de ça, s’il vous plaît

I would like a bit of that, please

je voudrais cinq cents grammes de ça

I would like 500g of that

je voudrais trois cents grammes de fromage

I would like 300g of cheese

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

Compare je parle un peu de français

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Language Notes qu’est-ce que c’est?

what is that? / what is it?

qu’est-ce que c’est que ça?

what (on earth) is that?

je peux goûter?

can I taste / try it?

je voudrais acheter un peu de ça, s’il vous plaît

I would like to buy a bit of that

un peu plus

a little more

un peu moins

a little less

c’est combien?

how much is it?

ça coûte combien?

how much is it? / how much does it cost?

c’est tout?

is that all?

ça sera tout?

will that be all?

Note carefully the pronunciation of this phrase in this lesson’s audio programme. The phrase is made up of three syllables: [qu’est-ce] [que] [c’est].

Conversation Anna:

Bonjour monsieur

Mark:

Bonjour mademoiselle. Comment allez-vous aujourd’hui?

A:

Très bien.

M:

Que voulez-vous?

A

Alors, vous avez des pommes?

M:

Oui, j’ai des pommes rouges et des pommes vertes.

A:

Des pommes rouges, s’il vous plaît. Je voudrais quatre pommes.

M:

1,2,3,4. Très bien. Alors, encore quelque chose?

A

Oui. Je voudrais des tomates.

M:

Des tomates. Combien vous en voulez?

A

Six, s’il vous plaît.

M

Alors, 1,2,3,4,5,6. Voilà. Ça sera tout?

A

Non, je voudrais aussi 400g de fromage.

M

Alors, quel fromage voulez-vous?

A

Hmm. Vous avez du Camembert?

M

Oui bien sûr. Nous avons ce Camembert qui est très bon et celui-ci qui est un peu plus cher. Voulez-vous goûter?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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A

Oui, s’il vous plaît. Hmm... Miam miam! J’aime bien! Donnez-moi 400g de ça

M

Ça va comme ça?

A

Un peu plus.

M

Comme ça?

A

Oui, très bien.

M

Ça sera tout?

A

Oui, c’est combien?

M

Alors, ça fait 14,40 euros s’il vous plaît.

A

Voilà.

M

Merci beaucoup et bonne journée.

Additional vocabulary une fraise

strawberry

une framboise

raspberry

un ananas

pineapple

une tomate

tomato

un raisin

grape

un oignon

onion

une pomme de terre

potato

un poireau

leek

il y a une spécialité de la région?

is there a regional speciality?

un kilo de ...

a kilogramme of ...

je peux avoir un sac, s’il vous plaît?

can I have a bag please?

Alternatively, puis-je avoir...

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 27 Notes

In this edition: dealing with money and banking matters

Je dois changer de l’argent I need to change some money Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes l’argent

money

de l’argent

some money

changer

to change

retirer

to withdraw (money)

signer

to sign

je voudrais changer de l’argent s’il vous plaît

I would like to change some money please

je veux

I want

je veux changer de l’argent

I want to change some money

je dois

I must.., I have to..., I need to...

je dois changer de l’argent

I must change some money; I have to change some money; I need to change some money

pouvoir

to be able to

je peux vous aider?

can I help you?

je voudrais changer de l’argent s’il vous plaît

I would like to change some money, please

je veux changer de l’argent

I want to change some money

combien voulez-vous changer?

how much do you want to change?

combien voudriez-vous changer?

how much would you like to change?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

argent is also the word for ‘silver’

As je voudrais... this is followed by the infinitive

Note that literally je dois means “I owe”, and that it can be used with money, eg. je te dois de l’argent, “I owe you some money”

Another modal verb, followed by an infinitive

Note the difference between voulez (want) and voudriez (would like)

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Language Notes je voudrais changer cent dollars en euros

I would like to change one hundred dollars into euros

un dollar

dollar

une livre

pound (sterling)

un euro

euro

un franc (suisse)

(Swiss) franc

je voudrais changer cinq cents dollars en francs suisses

I would like to change $500 into Swiss francs

je voudrais deux cents livres en euros

I would ilke to change £200 into euros

les chèques de voyage

travellers’ cheques

je voudrais changer des chèques de voyage

I would like to change some travellers’ cheques

ces

these

je voudrais changer ces chèques de voyage

I would like to change these travellers’ cheques

je voudrais retirer deux cents euros

I would like to withdraw €200

où est-ce que je dois signer?

where must I sign?

je dois signer où?

where must I sign?

où dois-je signer où?

where must I sign?

signez ici, s’il vous plaît

sign here, please

un distributeur

distributor, vending machine

un distributeur de billets

ATM, cash machine

une pìece

coin

un billet

banknote

est-ce qu’il y a un distributeur de billets près d’ici?

is there an ATM near here?

avaler

to swallow

*See below

Note that billet also means “ticket”

le distibuteur de billets a avalé the ATM has swallowed my card ma carte

Additional vocabulary j’ai oublié mon code

I have forgotten my PIN number

mon numéro de compte est ...

my account number is ...

déposer de l’argent

to pay some money in

je peux avoir de la monnaie

can I have some change?

est-ce que je peux retirer de l’argent avec ma carte de crédit?

can I take out some money with my credit card?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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Modal verb examples (1-3 in main podcast; 4-8 in bonus podcast) 1

je voudrais parler français

I would like to speak French

2

je veux chanter une chanson

I want to sing a song

3

je dois aller au marché

I must / have to go to the market

4

je voudrais danser avec toi

I would like to dance with you

5

je veux manger une pizza

I want to eat a pizza

6

je peux jouer au tennis avec Nicole?

Can I play tennis with Nicole?

7

je dois lire ces livres

I must read these books

8

je veux apprendre le français

I want to learn French

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

*Note that in the original version of the recording of this episode, livre was mistakenly given as a masculine noun. The word is masculine when it means “book”, but is feminine when it means “pound”. This mistake will be rectified as soon as possible.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 28 Notes

In this edition: saying you’re not feeling well; parts of the body

J’ai mal au dos I have a sore back Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes ça va?

how are you?

comment ça va?

how are you?

comment tu vas?

how are you?

ça va

things are fine

je vais bien

I am well

ça ne va pas

things are not going well

sentir

to feel

je me sens bien

I am feeling well

je ne me sens pas bien

I am not feeling well, I don’t feel well

je ne me sens pas très bien

I am not feeling very well, I don’t feel very well

malade

ill

je suis malade

I am ill

tu es malade?

are you ill?

informal

vous êtes malade?

are you ill?

formal

la tête

head

la gorge

throat

la jambe

leg

le dos

back

le nez

nose

le pied

foot

l’estomac (m)

stomach

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

the most basic way of asking how someone is feeling

literally, “how are you going?”

literally, “I am going well”

Note the position of the ne ... pas round the verb, including the reflexive pronoun me

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Language Notes mon nez

my nose

mon pied

my foot

mon estomac

my stomach

ma jambe

my leg

ma tête

my head

c’est mon dos

it’s my back...

c’est ma tête

its my head...

j’ai mal à la tête

I have a sore head; my head hurts

j’ai mal à la jambe

I have a sore leg; my leg hurts

j’ai mal à la gorge

I have a sore throat; my throat hurts

j’ai mal au dos

I have a sore back; my back hurts

Note that à + le = au

j’ai mal aux pieds

I have sore feet; my feet hurt

Note that les pieds is plural, and à + les = aux

Compare mon frère and mon père: mon is the masculine word for “my”

Compare ma mère and ma sœur: ma is the feminine word for “my”

ie. the problem is my back

Literally, “I have badness at the head”

In the course of this lesson Mark and Anna covered the verb être in its full conjugation. The verb être - PRESENT TENSE je suis

nous sommes

tu es

vous êtes

il / elle est

ils / elles sont

Une chanson Tête, épaules, james et pieds, jambes et pieds Tête, épaules, jambes et pieds, jambes et pieds Tête, épaules, estomac et nez Tête épaules, jambes et pieds, jambes et pieds.

Additional vocabulary ma tête me fait mal

my head hurts

mon dos me fait mal

my back hurts

mes pieds me font mal

my feet hurt

le bras

arm

la main

hand

le ventre

stomach

la poitrine

chest

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

An alternative to j’ai mal à la tête

Note that the plural of fait is font

An alternative to estomac

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Additional vocabulary la bouche

mouth

le menton

chin

l’oreille (f)

ear

Note when you say “my ear” you use the word mon even though it is feminine. This is because oreille begins with a vowel and ma oreille* sounds strange to a French speaker.

l’œil (m); les yeux (pl)

eye

Note the irregular plural form, les yeux. Note also that “my eye” is mon œil, following the same pattern as mon oreille.

le genou

knee

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 29 Notes

In this edition: health problems; visiting the pharmacy

Je ne peux pas dormir... I can’t sleep... Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes je suis malade

I am ill

je ne me sens pas bien

I don’t feel well

j’ai mal à la tête

I have a sore head

j’ai mal au dos

I have a sore back

j’ai la diarrhée

I have diarrhoea

j’ai la nausée

I’m feeling sick

j’ai vomi

I have vomited

Note that with j’ai la diarrhée and j’ai la nausée, the word j’ai is followed by a noun. When you say j’ai vomi the word vomi means “vomited”, and is a “past participle”

j’ai des frissons

I have the shivers

Literally “I have some shivers”

je peux...

I can ...

je ne peux pas...

I can’t ...

je ne peux pas dormir

I can’t sleep

je ne peux pas avaler

I can’t swallow

respirer

to breathe

je ne peux pas respirer

I can’t breathe

vous avez quelque chose pour...

do you have something for ...

est-ce que vous avez quelque chose pour la nausée?

do you have something for dizziness?

est-ce que vous avez quelque chose pour la diarrhée?

do you have something for diarrhoea?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

Compare le distributeur de billets a avalé ma carte from the bank topic: avaler means “to swallow”

Note that quelque chose is two words

page 1

Language Notes les coups de soleil

sunburn

un coup

hit, blow

est-ce que vous avez quelque chose pour les coups de soleil?

do you have something for sunburn?

prendre

to take

prenez ça

take that

trois fois par jour

three times per day

avant de manger

before eating

avant de dormir

before sleeping

après avoir mangé

after eating

avant de can be followed by any infinitive and means “before doing something”

literally, “after having eaten”

Additional vocabulary je me suis coupé(e)

I have cut myself

Note that if you are female you use the word coupée with the extra ‘e’. This does not affect the pronunciation

je me suis brûlé(e)

I have burned myself

As above

je suis diabétique

I’m a diabetic

je suis épileptique

I’m epliectic

je suis enceinte

I’m pregnant

je suis allergique ...

I’m allergic ...

aux noix

to nuts

aux antibiotiques

to antibiotics

où avez-vous mal?

where does it hurt?

literally, “where do you have badness/soreness”

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

page 2

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 30 Notes

In this edition: review of materials covered in unit 3

Que sais-je? Unit Review Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui?

what is the weather like today?

quel temps fera-t-il demain?

what will the weather be like tomorrow?

il pleut aujourd’hui

it’s raining today

il fait du vent aujourd’hui

it’s windy today

demain il pleuvra et il neigera

tomorrow it will rain and it will snow

demain matin

tomorrow morning

demain après-midi

tomorrow afternoon

demain matin il fera du soleil mais il fera froid mais demain après-midi il fera chaud

tomorrow morning it will be sunny but it will be cold, but tomorrow afternoon it will be warm

je voudrais une chambre pour I would like a single room with a une personne avec douche s’il shower please vous plaît je voudrais une chambre à I would like a twin room and a deux lits pour deux personnes double room with a shower et une chambre double pour deux personnes avec douche la chambre est trop petite

the room is too small

la climatisation ne marche pas the air-conditioning doesn’t work le chauffage ne marche pas

the heating doesn’t work

il n’y a pas de serviettes

there are no towels

il n’y a pas d’eau chaude

there is no hot water

où est-ce que je peux acheter du café?

where can I buy some coffee?

où est la piscine?

where is the swimming pool?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

page 1

Language Notes où sont les toilettes?

where are the toilets?

où sont les poubelles?

where are the bins?

où sont les douches?

where are the showers?

est-ce que je peux l’essayer?

can I try it on?

c’est trop grand

it’s too big

c’est trop petit

it’s too small

je le prends

I’ll take it

est-ce que je peux payer avec une carte de crédit, s’il vous plaît?

can I pay with a credit card, please?

est-ce que vous avez une pièce d’identité?

do you have some kind of ID?

Alternatively où se trouvent les toilettes - note the plural form of se trouvent ending in -ent

donnez-moi un kilo d’oranges, give me a kilo of oranges, s’il vous plaît please donnez-moi 400g de fromage, s’il vous plaît

give me 400g of cheese, please

qu’est-ce que c’est?

what is this/that?

(est-ce que) je peux goûter?

can I taste/try it?

je voudrais changer de l’argent

I would like to change some money

je veux changer de l’argent

I want to change some money

je dois changer de l’argent

I have to change some money

je voudrais changer deux cents livres en euros, s’il vous plaît

I would like to change £200 into euros, please

je voudrais changer mille dollars en francs suisses, s’il vous plaît

I would like to change $1000 into Swiss francs, please

le distributeur de billets a avalé ma carte

the ATM has swallowed my card

j’ai mal à l’épaule

I have a sore shoulder

j’ai mal à la tête

I have a sore head

j’ai mal à l’estomac

I have a sore stomach

(est-ce que) vous avez quelque chose pour la diarrhée?

do you have something for diarrhoea?

(est-ce que) vous avez quelque chose pour les coups de soleil?

do you have something for sunburn?

prenez ça quatre fois par jour avant de manger

take that four times a day before eating

prenez ça cinq fois par jour après avoir mangé

take that five times a day after eating

Alternatively puis-je goûter?

Note that the items listed on page 3 are part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content on page 3.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

page 2

Vocabulary / gender test 1

ananas (m)

pineapple

2

argent (m)

money

3

banane (f)

banana

4

café (m)

coffee / café

5

camping (m)

campsite

6

carte (f)

menu

7

cathédrale (f)

cathedral

8

chambre (f)

bedroom

9

chauffage (m)

heating

10

diarrhée (f)

diarrhoea

11

douche (f)

shower

12

église (f)

church

13

famille (f)

family

14

frère (m)

brother

15

hôtel (m)

hotel

16

limonade (f)

lemonade

17

mère (f)

mother

18

musée (m)

museum

19

musique (f)

music

20

nausée (f)

nausea, sick feeling

21

orange (m)

orange

22

piscine (f)

swimming pool

23

podcast (m)

podcast

24

poire (f)

pear

25

pomme (f)

apple

26

poubelle (f)

bin

27

restaurant (m)

restaurant

28

serviette (f)

towel

29

table (f)

table

30

thé (m)

tea

Dictation

Coffee Break French: Lesson 24

1

je voudrais une chambre à un lit avec douche

2

donnez-moi cinq cents grammes de fromage, s’il vous plaît

3

prenez ça quatre fois par jour avant de manger

4

où est-ce que je peux acheter du café?

5

il n’y a pas de serviettes dans la chambre

page 3

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 31 Notes

In this edition: preparation for our visit to France

En route pour la France Unit 4 introduction Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes nous sommes dans l’avion

we are in the plane

nous allons en France

we are going to France

Nous allons comes from the verb aller, to go. See below for further information about en

c’est la première fois que tu vas en France?

is this the first time that you’re going to France?

première is in the feminine form as it refers to fois, which is feminine

combien de fois es-tu déjà allée en France?

how many times have you been to France?

déjà on its own means “already”

nous allons à Sainte Marie

we are going to Sainte Marie

Notice the difference between nous allons à Sainte Marie and nous allons en France: when you’re speaking about a (feminine) country, use en, and when speaking about a town, use à

nous allons en Italie

we are going to Italy

nous allons en Espagne

we are going to Spain

Italy, Spain and France are examples of feminine countries. In fact, most countries are feminine, so the word for “to” is en with these countries. See below for what happens with masculine countries.

nous allons au Canada

we are going to Canada

nous allons au Portugal

we are going to Portugal

nous allons au Danemark

we are going to Denmark

nous allons au Japon

we are going to Japan

est-ce qu’il y a un autobus qui va à Sainte Marie?

is there a bus which goes to Sainte Marie?

l’arrêt d’autobus

bus stop

Coffee Break French: Lesson 31

Canada, Portugal, Denmark and Japan are examples of masculine countries and in this situation the word au is used instead of en va comes from aller, meaning “to go”

page 1

Language Notes où se trouve l’arrêt d’autobus

where is the bus stop?

tournez à gauche

turn left

tournez à droite

turn right

Alternatively, où est l’arrêt d’autobus

l’arrêt d’autobus est près de la the bus stop is near the exit sortie loin de

far from

est-ce que l’hôtel est loin d’ici?

is the hotel far from here?

Note that est-ce que simply indicates that a question is coming. The est is still required.

s’il vous plaît...

please, excuse me (attracting attention)

Normally s’il vous plaît means “please” used formally, but in a café situation it can also be used to mean “excuse me”, to attract the attention of the waiter/waitress

pour moi, un café au lait

for me, a white coffee

et pour mon ami, un café

and for my friend, a coffee

une tasse de thé

a cup of tea

je voudrais une tasse de thé

I would like a cup of tea

je voudrais un verre de vin

I would like a glass of wine

une bouteille de vin

a bottle of wine

une bouteille de vin blanc

a bottle of white wine

l’addition

the bill, check

l’office de tourisme

tourist information office

la pharmacie

pharmacy, chemist

l’église (f)

church

la gare

station

il y a un restaurant près d’ici?

is there a restaurant near here?

un restaurant de poissons

fish restaurant

un restaurant de fruits de mer

seafood restaurant

est-ce qu’il y a un restaurant de poissons près d’ici?

is there a fish restaurant near here?

où est-ce que je peux acheter...?

where can I buy...?

une carte postale

postcard

où est-ce que je peux acheter des cartes postales?

where can I buy postcards?

un timbre

stamp

où est-ce que je peux acheter des timbres?

where can I buy stamps?

Note that it’s de, not du

Note that in English we don’t need to say “some postcards”, but in French the word des is required

est-ce que je peux vous aider? can I help you?

Alternatively je peux vous aider? Or puis-je vous aider?

ça sera tout?

will that be all?

Alternatively c’est tout?

oui, c’est tout

yes, that’s all

Coffee Break French: Lesson 31

page 2

Language Notes merci

thank you

merci monsieur/madame/ mademoiselle

thank you sir/madam/miss

de rien

don’t mention it, you’re welcome

il n’y a pas de quoi

don’t mention it

bonjour

good morning, good day

bonsoir

good evening

bonne nuit

good night

bon courage

good luck

it’s very common in French to use monsieur/madame, etc. in conjunction with merci

literally, “there’s nothing (to thank for)”

Just a reminder that nuit is feminine, so the feminine form of bonne is used

Note that the items listed on page 3 are part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1

nous allons en Espagne

we are going to Spain

2

l’arrêt d’autobus est en face de l’église

the bus stop is opposite the church

3

je voudrais quatre bananes

I would like four bananas

4

le restaurant de poissons est à côté du port

the fish restaurant is next to the harbour

5

où est-ce que je peux acheter des timbres

where can I buy stamps?

6

nous sommes dans l’avion

we are in the plane

7

il n’y a pas de quoi / de rien

don’t mention it / you’re welcome

8

est-ce qu’il y a une pharmacie près d’ici?

is there a chemist/pharmacy near here?

9

bon courage

good luck

je vais au Portugal

I am going to Portugal

10

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 31

page 3

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 31 Notes

In this edition: preparation for our visit to France

En route pour la France Unit 4 introduction Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Language Notes nous sommes dans l’avion

we are in the plane

nous allons en France

we are going to France

Nous allons comes from the verb aller, to go. See below for further information about en

c’est la première fois que tu vas en France?

is this the first time that you’re going to France?

première is in the feminine form as it refers to fois, which is feminine

combien de fois es-tu déjà allée en France?

how many times have you been to France?

déjà on its own means “already”

nous allons à Sainte Marie

we are going to Sainte Marie

Notice the difference between nous allons à Sainte Marie and nous allons en France: when you’re speaking about a (feminine) country, use en, and when speaking about a town, use à

nous allons en Italie

we are going to Italy

nous allons en Espagne

we are going to Spain

Italy, Spain and France are examples of feminine countries. In fact, most countries are feminine, so the word for “to” is en with these countries. See below for what happens with masculine countries.

nous allons au Canada

we are going to Canada

nous allons au Portugal

we are going to Portugal

nous allons au Danemark

we are going to Denmark

nous allons au Japon

we are going to Japan

est-ce qu’il y a un autobus qui va à Sainte Marie?

is there a bus which goes to Sainte Marie?

l’arrêt d’autobus

bus stop

Coffee Break French: Lesson 31

Canada, Portugal, Denmark and Japan are examples of masculine countries and in this situation the word au is used instead of en va comes from aller, meaning “to go”

page 1

Language Notes où se trouve l’arrêt d’autobus

where is the bus stop?

tournez à gauche

turn left

tournez à droite

turn right

Alternatively, où est l’arrêt d’autobus

l’arrêt d’autobus est près de la the bus stop is near the exit sortie loin de

far from

est-ce que l’hôtel est loin d’ici?

is the hotel far from here?

Note that est-ce que simply indicates that a question is coming. The est is still required.

s’il vous plaît...

please, excuse me (attracting attention)

Normally s’il vous plaît means “please” used formally, but in a café situation it can also be used to mean “excuse me”, to attract the attention of the waiter/waitress

pour moi, un café au lait

for me, a white coffee

et pour mon ami, un café

and for my friend, a coffee

une tasse de thé

a cup of tea

je voudrais une tasse de thé

I would like a cup of tea

je voudrais un verre de vin

I would like a glass of wine

une bouteille de vin

a bottle of wine

une bouteille de vin blanc

a bottle of white wine

l’addition

the bill, check

l’office de tourisme

tourist information office

la pharmacie

pharmacy, chemist

l’église (f)

church

la gare

station

il y a un restaurant près d’ici?

is there a restaurant near here?

un restaurant de poissons

fish restaurant

un restaurant de fruits de mer

seafood restaurant

est-ce qu’il y a un restaurant de poissons près d’ici?

is there a fish restaurant near here?

où est-ce que je peux acheter...?

where can I buy...?

une carte postale

postcard

où est-ce que je peux acheter des cartes postales?

where can I buy postcards?

un timbre

stamp

où est-ce que je peux acheter des timbres?

where can I buy stamps?

Note that it’s de, not du

Note that in English we don’t need to say “some postcards”, but in French the word des is required

est-ce que je peux vous aider? can I help you?

Alternatively je peux vous aider? Or puis-je vous aider?

ça sera tout?

will that be all?

Alternatively c’est tout?

oui, c’est tout

yes, that’s all

Coffee Break French: Lesson 31

page 2

Language Notes merci

thank you

merci monsieur/madame/ mademoiselle

thank you sir/madam/miss

de rien

don’t mention it, you’re welcome

il n’y a pas de quoi

don’t mention it

bonjour

good morning, good day

bonsoir

good evening

bonne nuit

good night

bon courage

good luck

it’s very common in French to use monsieur/madame, etc. in conjunction with merci

literally, “there’s nothing (to thank for)”

Just a reminder that nuit is feminine, so the feminine form of bonne is used

Note that the items listed on page 3 are part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1

nous allons en Espagne

we are going to Spain

2

l’arrêt d’autobus est en face de l’église

the bus stop is opposite the church

3

je voudrais quatre bananes

I would like four bananas

4

le restaurant de poissons est à côté du port

the fish restaurant is next to the harbour

5

où est-ce que je peux acheter des timbres

where can I buy stamps?

6

nous sommes dans l’avion

we are in the plane

7

il n’y a pas de quoi / de rien

don’t mention it / you’re welcome

8

est-ce qu’il y a une pharmacie près d’ici?

is there a chemist/pharmacy near here?

9

bon courage

good luck

je vais au Portugal

I am going to Portugal

10

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 31

page 3

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 33 Notes

In this edition: checking into the hotel

Quelle coïncidence! What a coincidence! Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Conversation A

Bonjour. Bienvenue à l’Hôtel «Le Banc de Sable».

B

Bonjour. J’ai une réservation. Je m’appelle Jane Johnson.

A

Une petite minute... Oui, c’est bien ça. Alors, je peux avoir vos passeports, s’il vous plaît?

B

Oui, les voilà.

A

Vous avez réservé une chambre pour une personne et une chambre double à un lit, c’est correct?

B

Non, nous avons réservé une chambre double à un lit et une chambre double à deux lits.

A

Ah? Vous vous appelez Jill Johnson?

B

Non, je m’appelle Jane Johnson.

A

Aah, je me suis trompée. Nous avons une autre réservation au nom de Jill Johnson. Quelle coïncidence - c’est le même nom de famille! Bon, enfin, excusez-moi. Ah oui. Votre réservation c’est une chambre double à deux lits et une chambre double à un lit.

B

C’est ça.

A

Parfait. Alors, nous avons des chambres qui donnent sur la mer et d’autres qui donnent sur l’église.

B

C’est possible une chambre avec vue sur la mer?

A

Ah oui, c’est possible. Mais ça coûte un peu plus cher.

B

C’est combien le supplément?

A

Le supplément est 10 euros par nuit et par chambre

B

Bien, et pour les chambres qui donnent sur l’église, y a-t-il un supplément?

A

Non, pas pour ces chambres-là.

B

Nous restons quatre nuits en tout, donc ça fait 40 euros en plus.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 33

page 1

Conversation A

Oui, si vous prenez une chambre sur la mer. Mais le matin la vue est vraiment magnifique du balcon.

B

D’accord. Je prends les deux chambres avec vue sur la mer.

A

Pas de problème. Il me faut juste une carte de crédit.

B

Voilà.

A

Merci. Vos chambres sont au troisième étage. Il y a un ascenseur ici à gauche.

B

Ah bon. Merci.

A

Je vous souhaite un bon séjour ici au Banc de Sable.

B

Merci beaucoup

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Language Notes le banc de sable

sandbank

j’ai une réservation

I have a reservation

une petite minute

a little minute

A common way of saying, “just a moment...”

je peux avoir vos passeports

can I have your passports

Note that vos is the possessive form for votre, ie. it means “your” in the formal, plural form. Here the receptionist is asking for the passports of Jane Johnson and her travelling companions. If Jane were travelling alone, the receptionist would have said votre passeport.

les voilà

here they are

Used when handing something over. If the thing which is been handed over is masculine singular, you would use le voilà. In the case of a feminine singular object, use la voilà.

vous avez réservé...

you have reserved / booked

c’est correct?

is that correct?

Used like n’est-ce pas in the previous lesson.

je me suis trompée

I have made a mistake

The verb se tromper means to make a mistake and it is a reflexive verb. Note that if you are male, the word trompé is written with no final -e.

au nom de

in the name of

quelle coïncidence

what a coincidence

le nom de famille

family name, surname

Coffee Break French: Lesson 33

The name of the hotel literally means “the sandbank”

page 2

Language Notes même

same

enfin...

well...

parfait

perfect

une chambre qui donne sur la mer

a room which looks out over the sea (with a sea view)

The word donner literally means “to give”.

et d’autres qui donnent sur l’église

and others which look out over the church

Note the plural form of the verb donner: again, the -ent ending is silent.

avec vue sur la mer

with a sea view

ça coûte un peu plus cher

that/it costs a little more (expensive)

cher / chère

expensive, dear

le supplément

supplement

pas pour ces chambres-là

not for those rooms

nous restons quatre nuits en tout

we’re staying four nights in total

le matin

the morning, in the morning

la vue

the view

le balcon

the balcony

The word cher is used as “dear...” at the beginning of a letter: cher Jean-Paul... / chère Yvette...

Ces chambres would mean “these rooms”; ces chambres-là means “those rooms”

la vue est vraiment magnifique the view is truly magnificent du balcon from the balcony il me faut juste une carte de crédit

I just need a credit card

au troisième étage

on the third floor

l’étage

floor, storey

je vous souhaite...

I wish you

Note that the items listed below are part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test

Coffee Break French: Lesson 33

1

j’ai une réservation au nom de Foster

2

nous avons réservé une chambre double we’ve reserved a double room (with one à un lit bed)

3

je préfère une chambre qui donne sur le port

I prefer a room which looks out over the harbour

4

je voudrais deux chambres qui donnent sur la plage

I would like two rooms which look out over the beach

5

je voudrais une chambre à deux lits qui donne sur l’église au deuxième étage

I would like a room with two beds which looks out over the church on the second floor

I have a reservation in the name of Foster

page 3

In addition to the translation questions in this week’s bonus podcast, we also provided a dictation exercise based on an email written to a hotel. The full transcript is given below.

Monsieur, Je voudrais réserver une chambre double à un lit et une chambre double à deux lits pour trois nuits du 12 octobre. Je voudrais deux chambres au troisième étage avec vue sur la mer. Merci beaucoup.

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 33

page 4

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 34 Notes

In this edition: ordering breakfast in a restaurant

C’est pour le petit déjeuner? Are you having breakfast? Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. In this dialogue, the letters below correspond to the following people: A: Mark B: Anna C: Waiter D: Woman having breakfast at next table E: Anna’s friend

Conversation A

Bonjour.

C

Bonjour messieurs-dames. C’est pour le petit déjeuner?

A

Oui, merci. Nous sommes trois.

C

Voulez-vous manger sur la terrasse ou à l’intérieur?

A

Plutôt sur la terrasse si c’est possible.

They sit down on the terrace and the waiter takes their order. C

Qu’est-ce que vous voulez boire? Thé, café ou chocolat?

A

Pour moi, un café au lait, s’il vous plaît

B

Pour moi, un chocolat s’il vous plaît, et pour ma copine une tasse de thé.

C

Très bien. Vous parlez très bien français.

A/B

Merci

C

Et vous, mademoiselle, parlez-vous français?

E

Un peu. J’étudie le français

B

avec Coffee Break French!

Another guest is sitting at the next table. She starts speaking the group. D

Bonjour.

A

Bonjour. Bon appétit.

D

Merci. Vous êtes d’où?

B

Nous sommes d’Écosse. Et vous, vous êtes d’où?

D

Je suis française, de Lyon. Je suis ici pour affaires.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 34

page 1

Conversation A

Qu’est-ce que vous faites comme travail?

D

Je suis journaliste. Vous êtes en vacances?

A

Oui et non en fait. C’est sympa comme tout et il fait super beau, donc travailler dans ces conditions j’adore! C’est idéal.

The waiter arrives with breakfast. C

Alors, le chocolat pour vous. Le thé pour vous mademoiselle et le café pour Monsieur. C’était bien un café au lait pour vous?

A

Oui, merci.

C

Et voici des tartines et des croissants.

B

Merci beaucoup.

C

C’est quelles chambres?

D

Moi c’est la 210.

E

201

C

Et moi la 203.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Language Notes c’est pour le petit déjeuner?

are you having breakfast?

Literally this means, “is it for the breakfast?”

nous sommes trois

there are three of us

Literally “we are three”

voulez-vous manger sur la terrasse?

do you want to eat on the terrace?

The waiter uses the vous form because he is speaking to more than one person.

à l’intérieur

inside

plutôt

rather

si c’est possible

if it’s possible

qu’est-ce que vous voulez boire?

what do you want to drink?

The verb boire means “to drink”

pour ma copine

for my friend

The word copine is a female friend, copain is the male equivalent

un thé

a tea

une tasse de thé

a cup of tea

j’étudie le français

I’m studying French

parlez-vous français?

do you speak French

Alternatives for this question are: vous parlez français? (raising voice at the end); est-ce que vous parlez français?

bon appétit

enjoy your meal / food

It is very common to wish people bon appétit, even if you don’t necessarily know them.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 34

Note that because tasse is feminine, you must say une tasse de thé, even though le thé is masculine

page 2

Language Notes vous êtes d’où?

where are you from?

Alternative version: d’où est-ce que vous êtes? or d’où êtesvous?

je suis française, de Lyon

I’m French, from Lyons

In French the city of Lyons is written with no ‘s’ in French.

Je suis ici pour affaires

I’m here on business

qu’est-ce que vous faites comme travail?

what do you do? what is your job?

je suis journaliste

I’m a journalist

vous êtes en vacances?

are you on holiday / vacation?

c’est sympa comme tout

it’s lovely (here)

il fait super beau

the weather is lovely

donc

so

travailler dans ces conditions

to work in these conditions / working in these conditions

c’est idéal

it’s ideal / perfect

c’était bien un café au lait pour vous?

it was a white coffee for you (wasn’t it...?)

The use of bien here gives the idea that the waiter is checking he has brought the correct order: “you did order a white coffee, didn’t you?”

des tartines

buttered slices of baguette

in this context, des tartines are normally buttered slices of baguette or crusty bread

c’est quelles chambres?

which rooms is it?

Note that this is a slightly informal way of asking: in more correct French it should be ce sont quelles chambres?

Literally this would be translated as “what do you do as a job?”, but it sounds much more natural to say this in French than in English.

Note that the items listed below are part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test

Coffee Break French: Lesson 34

1

c’était bien une tasse de thé pour vous?

it was a cup of tea for you (wasn’t it?)

2

vous aimez bien le vin rouge?

you do like red wine, don’t you?

3

vous êtes bien dans la chambre 210?

you are in room 210 aren’t you?

4

il est bien journaliste?

he is a journalist, isn’t he?

5

vous voulez bien manger sur la terrasse?

you do want to eat on the terrace, don’t you?

6

tu vas bien en France?

you are going to France, aren’t you?

7

elle travaille bien dans le restaurant?

she does work in the restaurant, doesn’t she?

8

tu es bien de Lyon?

you are from Lyons, aren’t you?

page 3

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 35 Notes

In this edition: asking for information about the town

Qu’est-ce qu’on peut faire? What can you do? Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. In this dialogue, the letters below correspond to the following people: A: Mark B: Anna C: Tourist information employee

Conversation A

Bonjour.

C

Bonjour. Je peux vous aider?

A

Oui, on a besoin de quelques renseignements sur la ville.

C

Alors, avez-vous déjà un plan de la ville?

A

Non, on n’a pas de plan.

C

Bien... voilà un plan. Je vais vous montrer ce qu’on peut faire à Ste-Marie.

A

Merci bien.

C

On est ici à l’Office de Tourisme, vous voyez? La grande place est juste à côté. Demain il y a un marché sur la place et c’est la brocante.

A

Vraiment? Ma mère aime beaucoup tout ce qui est artisanat. Je pourrais lui acheter un petit cadeau.

C

Très bien. Il y a aussi un petit train touristique qui passe devant l’église qui va jusqu´à Pornic. Et à Pornic il y a plein de choses à faire. Il y a la faïencerie qui est très connue. Il y a aussi le vieux port, le nouveau port, il y a la corniche - on peut faire beaucoup de promenades le long de la côte. Il y a bien sûr le château.

A

Le château, il est ouvert aujourd’hui?

C

Aujourd’hui on est mardi, donc je pense que c’est ouvert.

B

Ça coûte combien l’entrée?

C

En fait c’est gratuit. Il ne faut pas payer.

A

Excellent!

B

Qu’est-ce qu’on peut faire le soir?

C

Eh bien le mardi et le vendredi il y a des animations touristiques. Le centre de Pornic devient piétonnier et il y a des animations musicales de neuf heures jusqu’à minuit. Il y en a pour tous les goûts.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 35

page 1

Conversation B

Vous avez une petite brochure de la ville?

C

Oui, voici une brochure avec la liste des meilleurs restaurants, des animations, pour juillet et août. En voici une an anglais.

A

Vous en avez une aussi en français? Comme ça on peut pratiquer un peu.

C

Bien sûr. Les voilà.

A

Merci beaucoup.

C

De rien. Bonne journée et bon séjour à Ste-Marie.

A

Merci beaucoup.

B

Merci.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Language Notes avoir besoin de

to need, require

on a besoin de quelques renseignements

we need some information

The word on in French literally means “one”, so this sentence would literally be translated as “one needs some information”. However, in English this comes over as a little too formal. On is very often used to mean “we” and can therefore often replace nous.

des renseignements

information

Note that renseignements is almost always in the plural

un plan

map, town plan

on n’a pas de plan

we don’t have a map

Note that you say on n’a pas de plan, and not *on n’a pas un plan. The same is true, for example, when talking about brothers and sisters: je n’ai pas de frères - I have no brothers. The reason for this is that if you say je n’ai pas un plan, the suggestion is that in fact you have two or more maps: “I don’t have one map, I have two...”

je vais vous montrer

I am going to show you

montrer is the verb “to show”

ce qu’on peut faire

what you can do

Literally, “that which one can do”

on est ici à l’Office de Tourisme, vous voyez?

we are here at the Tourist Information Office, you see?

The Tourist Information Office employee is showing Mark and Anna where they are on the map.

la grande place

the main square

demain

tomorrow

sur la place

in the square

Coffee Break French: Lesson 35

Although sur literally means “on” as in sur la table, “on the table”, it is used here to mean “in the square”, basically because the market stalls will be set up “on the square”.

page 2

Language Notes c’est la brocante

it’s a flea-market / bric-a-brac fair

artisanat

local crafts, handicrafts

tout ce qui est artisanat

all sorts of craft-type things

Literally, “all that which is craft”

je pourrais lui acheter

I could buy (for) her

Je pourrais is similar to je peux they both come from the verb pouvoir, meaning “to be able to do something”.

un train touristique

tourist train

qui passe devant l’église

which passes in front of the church

jusqu’à

until, as far as

une faïencerie

earthenware factory

connu(e)

well-known

il y a plein de choses à faire

there is lots to do

le vieux/nouveau port

the old/new port/harbour

la corniche

coastal path / coast road

le long de la côte

along the coast

bien sûr

of course

ouvert(e)

open

on est mardi

it’s Tuesday

literally, “we are Tuesday”

l’entrée

entrance

In this situation l’entrée refers to the entrance price, or the entry ticket

gratuit

free

il ne faut pas payer

it is not necessary to pay

qu’est-ce qu’on peut faire?

what can you do?

le soir

the evening, in the evening

des animations touristiques

entertainment for tourists

devient

becomes

piétonnier

pedestrian, closed to traffic

il y en a pour tous les goûts

there’s something for everyone

une brochure

brochure, leaflet

les meilleurs restaurants

the best restaurants

en voici une

here is one (of them)

Note the use of the word en which refers back to the previously mentioned brochure. Une is used because he is referring to the brochure which is feminine.

vous en avez une aussi en français?

do you also have one (of them) in French?

Again, note the use of en referring back to the previously mentioned brochure.

comme ça

in that way

Coffee Break French: Lesson 35

On its own, the word plein means “full”, so this is like saying “Pornic is full of things to do”.

Literally, “what can one do?”

from the verb devenir

literally, “there is some of it for all tastes”

page 3

Language Notes on peut pratiquer

we can practise

This week’s bonus podcast featured a listening text about the town of Menton in the south of France. The transcript of this text is given below and the vocabulary is explained in the podcast. More information about Menton including photos of the Fête de Citrons can be found at www.menton.fr. Menton se trouve dans le sud de la France, juste à côté de la frontière italienne. À Menton il y a plein de choses à faire. Pour les touristes il y a deux plages. Il y a une rue piétonne avec beaucoup de petits magasins. On peut prendre le train pour aller à Nice et à Monte Carlo, ou bien on peut aller manger dans un restaurant italien à Vintimille, en Italie. Pendant l’été il y a des animations touristiques dans la rue piétonne, et en février il y a la Fête du Citron.

Questions 1. Where is Menton situated? 2. What is there for tourists in Menton? 3. What suggestions for travel in the surrounding area are mentioned? 4. What happens in the summer? 5. At what time of year does the Lemon Festival take place?

Language Notes la frontière

border

une plage

beach

une rue piétonne

pedestrian street, pedestrian area

la Fête

Festival

le citron

lemon

ou bien

or else

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 35

page 4

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 36 Notes

In this edition: practice of shopping language

On fait du shopping We’re going shopping Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. In this dialogue, the letters below correspond to the following people: A: Mark B: Postcard shop employee C: Anna D: Anna’s friend E: Shoe shop employee

Conversation 1 A

Bonjour.

B

Bonjour, messieurs-dames.

A

Vous avez des cartes postales?

B

Oui, elles sont juste à côté des journaux. Vous voyez, là-bas au fond?

A

Ah oui. Merci.

Mark chooses postcards. B

Merci, monsieur. Ça sera tout?

A

Je dois acheter aussi des timbres.

B

Oui, pour envoyer où, monsieur?

A

Alors, un timbre pour le Canada, deux pour la Grande Bretagne et un pour la France.

B

Voilà. C’est tout?

A

Oui, c’est tout.

B

Alors quatre cartes postales et quatre timbres. Ça fait €6,30 en tout.

A

Voilà

B

Merci, et bonne journée.

Conversation 2 C

Coffee Break French: Lesson 36

Bonjour

page 1

Conversation 2 E

Bonjour messieurs-dames.

D

Bonjour

E

Je peux vous aider? Vous cherchez quelque chose de particulier?

A

C’est bon. Nous regardons juste.

E

Très bien. Si vous voulez un renseignement n’hésitez pas à me demander.

C/D

Merci.

Anna and her friend browse in the shoe shop C

S’il vous plaît, ma copine voudrait essayer ces chaussures. Vous les avez en 38?

E

Juste un petit moment. Je vais vérifier les pointures. Voilà.

D

Merci

E

Alors, ça va?

D

They’re a bit big.

C

Vous les avez en 37?

E

Je vais voir. Non, il n’y en a plus.

C

Ce n’est pas grave.

D

What about these ones?

C

Vous avez celles-ci en 37?

E

Celles-ci je les ai en 37. Un moment. Voilà.

D

Merci

Anna’s friend tries on the shoes. E

Ça va?

D

Oui, ça va.

C

Elles coûtent combien?

E

Elles sont à €25.

D

Is that 25?

C

Oui

D

Très bien.

C

Elle les prend.

E

Vous passez à la caisse?

C

On peut payer par carte de crédit?

E

Mais bien sûr. Par contre, il me faut une pièce d’identité

C

Voilà mon passeport.

E

Merci

C

Merci bien

E

Au revoir, et à une prochaine fois, peut-être.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogues.

Language Notes une carte postale

Coffee Break French: Lesson 36

postcard

page 2

Language Notes elles sont à côté des journaux

they are beside the newspapers

The word elles is used because carte postale is feminine.

le journal, les journaux

newspaper

Note the formation of the plural of journal

vous voyez

do you see

là-bas

down there

au fond

in the distance, in the back

ça sera tout

will that be all?

je dois acheter

I must buy

un timbre

stamp

envoyer

to send

pour envoyer où

to send where?

le Canada

Canada

ça fait €6,30 en tout

that’s €6.30 in total

vous cherchez

you are looking for

quelque chose

something

de particulier

in particular

nous regardons juste

we are just looking

un renseignement

a piece of information

n’hésitez pas à me demander

don’t hesitate to ask me

ma copine voudrait...

my friend would like...

essayer

to try (on)

ces chaussures

these shows

vous les avez en 38?

do you have them in size 38

vérifier

to check

les pointures

the sizes

il n’y en a plus

there aren’t any more

ce n’est pas grave

it doesn’t matter

The word grave literally means “serious”

celles-ci

these ones

This is the feminine version of this word: the masculine version is ceux-ci

je les ai

I have them

elles sont à €25

they’re €25

This is an alternative form of giving a cost

elle les prend

she’s taking them / she’ll take them

Again, les refers back to the shoes, les chaussures

à une prochaine fois

until a next time

Coffee Break French: Lesson 36

Here, au fond refers to the back of the shop.

As we have seen before je dois is an example of a modal verb and it is followed by the infinitive

Note that a comma is used rather than a full stop / period when giving prices

This is the third person equivalent of je voudrais

Here les refers to les chaussures

la pointure is the word for “size” referring to shoes

page 3

Note that the items listed below are part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1

Où est le journal? Je le cherche.

Where is the newspaper? I’m looking for it.

2

Où est la plage? Je la cherche.

Where is the beach. I’m looking for it.

3

Où sont les chaussures? Je les cherche.

Where are the shoes? I’m looking for them.

4

Où est le château? Je le cherche.

Where is the castle? I’m looking for it.

5

Où sont les cartes postales? Je les cherche.

Where are the postcards? I’m looking for them.

6

Où est le timbre? Nous le cherchons.

Where is the stamp? We are looking for it.

7

Où est la maison? Nous la cherchons.

Where is the house? We are looking for it.

8

Où est le port? Je le cherche.

Where is the harbour? I’m looking for it.

9

Où sont les magasins? Je les cherche.

Where are the shops? I’m looking for them.

Où sont les toilettes? Je les cherche.

Where are the toilets? I’m looking for them.

10

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 36

page 4

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 37 Notes

In this edition: asking for information

Y a-t-il un supermarché ouvert? Is there a supermarket open? Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. In this conversation, Mark is asking the hotel receptionist for some information.

Conversation A

Bonjour.

B

Bonjour. Vous allez bien ce matin? Vous avez bien dormi?

A

Oui, merci. Tout va très bien. Nous passons un très bon séjour ici à Ste-Marie. J’ai quand même besoin d’un petit renseignement.

B

Oui. Dites-moi.

A

Je me demandais s’il y avait un supermarché ouvert le dimanche.

B

Alors, ici à Ste-Marie il y a un tout petit supermarché, mais malheureusement, il n’y a pas beaucoup de choix. Par contre, à Pornic il y a un supermarché qui est ouvert le dimanche matin.

A

C’est loin d’ici?

B

C’est à 20 minutes à pied et à 5 minutes en voiture. Vous avez une voiture, n’est-ce pas?

A

Eh non. Il y a un bus qui y va?

B

Je crois qu’il y en a un toutes les heures mais je vais juste vérifier sur Internet. Alors voyons. Oui, il y a un autobus qui passe devant l’office de tourisme à la demie.

A

Où se trouve l’office de tourisme déjà?

B

L’office de tourisme n’est pas trop loin. Vous en avez pour cinq minutes à pied.

A

Vous pouvez me montrer sur le plan, s’il vous plaît?

B

Bien sûr. Regardez. L’hôtel est ici. En sortat de l’hôtel, il faut tourner à gauche. Ensuite vous allez tout droit et après deux cent mètres il faut tourner à gauche. Après ça c’est la deuxième rue à droite et vous verrez l’office de tourisme juste en face de vous.

A

Alors, je vais vous répéter au cas où. Je sors de l’hôtel, je tourne à gauche. Je vais tout droit et puis je tourne encore à gauche. Je prends la deuxième rue à droite et c’est juste en face.

B

Très bien, monsieur!

A

Il est quelle heure là?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 37

page 1

Conversation B

Il est 10h10. Vous avez le temps.

A

Merci beaucoup.

B

Il n’y a pas de quoi. Bonne journée.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Language Notes vous allez bien?

are you well?

vous avez bien dormi?

have you slept well?

nous passons

we are spending

un très bon séjour

a very pleasant stay

quand même

however, nonetheless

j’ai besoin d’un petit renseignement

I need a little (piece of) information

dites-moi

tell me, what is it?

je me demandais...

I was wondering

s’il y avait...

if there was

tout petit

very small

malheureusement

unfortunately

avoir besoin de quelque chose to need something

il n’y a pas beaucoup de choix there isn’t much choice c’est à 20 minutes à pied

it’s (at a distance of) 20 minutes on foot

il y a un bus qui y va?

is there a bus which goes there? Note the use of y meaning “there”

je crois que...

I think that...

il y en a un

there is one (of them)

toutes les heures

every hour

vérifier

to check

sur Internet

on the internet

voyons

let’s see

à la demie

on the half hour

ie. at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, etc.

où se trouve l’office de tourisme déjà?

where is the tourist information office again/already?

The use of the word déjà is very common: it literally means “already”, but in this situation it is used almost as if the person needs to be reminded: “remind me, where is the tourist information office?”

l’office de tourisme n’est pas trop loin

the tourist information office is not too far away

Coffee Break French: Lesson 37

Note that you have to use the word à when talking about how far away it is. Think of the à as meaning “at a distance of”

page 2

Language Notes vous en avez pour cinq minutes

it will take you about five minutes

à pied

on foot

en voiture

by car

vous pouvez... / pouvezvous...?

can you?

montrer

to show

en sortant de l’hôtel

on going out of the hotel

il faut...

you must

ensuite

then

après deux cent mètres

after 200 metres

c’est la deuxième rue à droite

it’s the second street on the right

vous verrez

you will see

juste en face de vous

right in front of you, directly opposite you

il est quelle heure là?

what time is it just now?

vous avez le temps

you have the time

il n’y a pas de quoi

don’t mention it

Vous en avez pour... is an idiomatic way of estimating the length of time something will take, in this case the journey by foot to the tourist information office.

Here là is used to refer to “now”. Là literally means “there” and normally refers to location, but in this sense it is referring to time.

Note that the information listed below is part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1 1

vous pouvez me montrer sur le plan?

2

après 100 mètres vous tournez à gauche after 100 metres you turn left

3

il y a un train qui y va?

is there a train which goes there?

4

je me demandais s’il y avait une banque ouverte le samedi

I was wondering if there was a bank open on a Saturday

5

nous passons un très bon séjour ici

we are having a very nice stay here

can you show me on the map

The second exercise in this week’s bonus podcast gives practice in repeating directions which you have been given. The key phrases which you will require are as follows: vous prenez > je prends vous tournez > je tourne vous traversez > je traverse vous allez > je vais

Coffee Break French: Lesson 37

page 3

Bonus episode test 2 Prompt

Answer

Example Vous tournez à gauche et vous prenez la Je tourne à gauche et je prends la première première rue à droite

rue à droite

1

Vous allez tout droit et ensuite vous tournez à gauche

Je vais tout droit et ensuite je tourne à gauche.

2

Vous prenez la troisième rue à droite et ensuite vous tournez à gauche.

Je prends la troisième rue à droite et ensuite je tourne à gauche.

3

Vous allez tout droit. Après ça vous prenez la deuxième rue à gauche et ensuite vous tournez à droite.

Je vais tout droit. Après ça je prends la deuxième rue à gauche et ensuite je tourne à droite.

4

Vous prenez la première rue à droite; vous traversez la place et ensuite c’est la deuxième à gauche. Vous tournez encore une fois à droite et la banque est juste en face de vous.

Je prends la première rue à droite; je traverse la place et ensuite c’est la deuxième à gauche. Je tourne encore une fois à droite et la banque est juste en face de moi.

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 37

page 4

CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 38 Notes

In this edition: visiting the pharmacy

Je ne pense pas que ce soit sérieux I don’t think it’s anything serious Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate. In this conversation, Mark and Anna go to the chemist’s because Anna is not feeling well. In this conversation, A = Mark, B = pharmacist, C = Anna

Conversation A

Bonjour.

B

Bonjour messieurs-dames. Je peux vous aider?

A

Ma copine ne se sent pas très bien.

B

Quel est le problème?

A

Elle a des étourdissements et en plus elle a une allergie sur le bras.

B

Oui je vois.

C

J’ai mal à la gorge aussi.

B

Vous vous sentez comme ça depuis combien de temps?

C

Depuis deux jours.

B

Est-ce qu’il y a quelque chose qui est mal passée?

A

Nous avons mangé des langoustines heir soir et c’était la première fois qu’elle en mangeait. Je ne sais pas si c’est ça.

B

Oui, c’est peut-être une réaction aux langoustines. Est-ce que vous êtes restés beaucoup au soleil?

A

Oui. Nous nous sommes baignés à la plage. Nous nous sommes mis au soleil pendant deux heures.

B

Êtes-vous enceinte?

C

Non. Je le saurais!

B

Bon, je ne pense pas ce que soit sérieux. Je vais vous donner des comprimés. Prenez-les deux fois par jour avant de manger. Vous ne devez surtout pas boire d’alcool. Je vous donne aussi une crème pour l’allergie.

C

Merci

A

Merci beaucoup.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Coffee Break French: Lesson 38

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Language Notes ma copine ne se sent pas très bien

my friend is not feeling well

quel est le problème

what is the problem?

un étourdissement

a bout of dizziness

une allergie

allergy, rash

sur le bras

on the arm

je vois

I see

j’ai mal à la gorge

I have a sore throat

vous vous sentez comme ça depuis combien de temps?

how long have you been feeling like this for?

depuis deux jours

for two days

Depuis really means “since ... ago”

est-ce qu’il y a quelque chose qui est mal passée?

has something you’ve eaten disagreed with you? have you had any stomach upsets?

Literally, “is there something which didn’t pass through well?”

les langoustines

langoustine, small lobster

c’était la première fois

it was the first time

qu’elle en mangeait

that she ate (any of) it

je ne sais pas si c’est ça

I don’t know if it’s that

c’est peut-être une réaction

it’s possibly a reaction

rester

to stay

au soleil

in the sun

se baigner

to go for a swim, bathe

se mettre au soleil

to go out in the sun

enceinte

pregnant

je le saurais

I would know

je ne pense pas que ce soit sérieux

I don’t think it’s anything serious

je vais vous donner

I’m going to give (to) you

un comprimé

pill, tablet

prenez-les

take them

avant de manger

before eating

vous ne devez surtout pas...

above all you must not ...

l’alcool

alcohol

une crème

cream, lotion

Coffee Break French: Lesson 38

The verb “to feel” is reflexive: se sentir. To say “I don’t feel very well” you say je ne me sens pas très bien

In French you need the en, referring back to the langoustines

Nous nous sommes mis au soleil - since se mettre is a reflexive verb, the verb is conjugated this way in the perfect tense. Don’t worry too much about this and concentrate on understanding this construction!

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Note that the information listed below is part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1

j’ai mal à la gorge aussi

I have a sore throat too

2

je me sens comme ça depuis deux jours

I’ve been feeling like this for two days

3

je ne suis pas enceinte

I’m not pregnant

4

je ne pense pas que ce soit sérieux

I don’t think it’s anything serious.

5

nous nous sommes baignés hier

we went for a swim yesterday

6

je ne sais pas si c’est ça

I don’t know if it’s that

7

je vais vous donner le livre

I am going to give you the book

8

c’était la première fois qu’elle mangeait des bananes

it was the first time that she had eaten bananas

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 38

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 39 Notes

In this edition: making conversation with people; birthdays

Demain c’est mon anniversaire It’s my birthday tomorrow Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Conversation Manou

Moi, c’est Marie-Émanuelle, mais on m’appelle Manou

Anna

Enchantée. Moi, je m’appelle Anna. Vous êtes de Ste-Marie?

Manou

Oui, nous habitons ici depuis trois ans.

Anna

J’aime bien la ville! C’est ma première visite à Ste-Marie.

Manou

Et vous trouvez ça comment?

Anna

Oui, j’aime beaucoup Ste-Marie.

Manou

Vous parlez très bien français.

Anna

Meric. J’apprends le français depuis presque un an. C’est un peu difficile, et je fais beaucoup de fautes, mais j’aime bien parler avec les gens.

Manou

Et justement, vous venez d’où?

Anna

Je viens d’Écosse.

Manou

Vous venez d’Écosse! Je n’y suis jamais allée. C’est très joli, on m’a dit. Moi, je ne parle pas beaucoup anglais. Je l’ai étudié à l’école, mais j’ai preque tout oublié.

Anna

C’est dommage. Et vous, les filles. Comment vous vous appelez?

Céline

Moi, je m’appelle Céline

Aurore

Et moi je m’appelle Aurore.

Anna

Et vous avez quel âge?

Aurore

J’ai cinq ans.

Céline

Et moi j’ai neuf ans.

Aurore

Tu sais quoi, madame?

Manou

Non non, Aurore! “Vous savez quoi, madame?”

Anna

Quoi donc?

Aurore

Et bien demain c’est mon anniversaire.

Anna

Ah bon? Super! Tu vas avoir six ans?

Aurore

Oui!

Coffee Break French: Lesson 39

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Conversation Anna

Et qu’est-ce que vous allez faire pour fêter ton anniversaire?

Céline

Nous allons à Pornic manger une glace à la Fraiseraie demain soir.

Anna

Ah moi j’adore les glaces!

Aurore

Tu peux venir avec nous?

Anna

Oui peut-être. Et toi, Céline, tu apprends l’anglais à l’école?

Céline

Oui. Mon prof nous parle quelquefois en anglais.

Anna

Et qu’est-ce que tu sais dire?

Céline

Je peux dire “hello” et “goodbye” et peux dire mon nom. “My name is Céline”.

Anna

Très bien! Tu parles bien!

Céline

“Thank you”

Anna

Je vais vous apprendre quelque chose. Demain tu peux dire quelque chose à Aurore: tu peux dire “happy birthday”.

Céline

Ça je connais! “Happy birthday to you...”

Manou

Alles les filles, dites «au revoir» à Anna. Il faut qu’on file.

Céline

Au revoir.

Aurore

Tu viens manger une glace avec nous demain?

Anna

On verra! Au revoir les filles. Au revoir Manou.

Manou

Bon séjour à Ste-Marie.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Language Notes nous habitons ici depuis trois ans

we’ve been living here for three years

Note use of depuis as in previous lessons

c’est ma première visite à Ste- it’s my first visit to Ste-Marie Marie vous trouvez ça comment?

how do you find it?

j’apprends le français depuis presque un an

I’ve been learning French for almost a year

justement

actually, right enough

je n’y suis jamais allée

I’ve never been there

joli

pretty

on m’a dit

I’ve been told

Literally, “one has told me”

je l’ai étudié à l’école

I studied it at school

Literally, “I it have studied at the school”

j’ai presque tout oublié

I’ve forgotten almost everything

c’est dommage

that’s a shame

vous avez quel âge?

what age are you?

j’ai cinq/neuf ans

I am five/nine years old

Coffee Break French: Lesson 39

Again, note use of depuis with the present tense

In French, you use the verb “to have” with age: rather than saying “I am five years old”, you say “I have five years”: j’ai cinq ans. The question is therefore, “what age do you have?”

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Language Notes tu sais quoi?

do you know something/what?

tu vas avoir six ans

you are going to be six

Literally “you are going to have six years”, as above.

qu’est-ce que vous allez faire? what are you going to do? fêter

to celebrate

la Fraiseraie

Ice cream shop/restaurant in Pronic

tu peux venir avec nous

you can come with us

tu apprends l’anglais?

do you learn / are you learning English?

à l’école

at school

je peux dire

I can say

je vais vous apprendre quelque chose

I’m going to teach you something

ça je connais

I know that

allez!

come on!

il faut qu’on file

we must get going

See www.lafraiseraie.com

Here Anna is talking to both the girls, so she uses vous

Note that the information listed below is part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1

qu’est-ce que vous allez faire?

what are you going to do?

2

j’ai quatorze ans

I’m fourteen years old

3

demain tu vas avoir quinze ans

tomorrow you’re going to be fifteen

4

tu apprends l’anglais à l’école?

are you learning / do you learn English at school?

5

c’est très joli

it’s very pretty

6

il faut qu’on file

we must get going

7

j’écoute la radio depuis deux heures

I’ve been listening to the radio for two hours

8

j’apprends le français depuis trois ans

I’ve been learning French for three years

9

nous chantons ensemble depuis quatre mois

we’ve been singing together for four months

10

tu regardes la télé depuis trente minutes you’ve been watching the tv for 30 minutes

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 39

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CoffeeBreakFrench.com

Lesson 40 Notes

In this edition: talking about the regional languages of France

Les langues régionales Linguistic diversity in France Programme Notes

Welcome to Coffee Break French, the podcast aimed at independent learners of French. Our regular podcasts will introduce you to the French language in easy steps. These programme notes will help you get more out of each episode by explaining how words are written and giving you more information about each phrase along with some bonus vocabulary where appropriate.

Conversation

Bonus podcast only

M

Alors, il fait beau aujourd’hui, n’est-ce pas?

PB

Oui, il fait très beau et assez chaud. Nous sommes sur la plage et c’est très agréable.

M

Alors, dis-moi. Hier j’ai fait une promenade sur le vieux port et j’ai entendu une conversation entre deux marins-pêcheurs. Je n’ai rien compris!

PB

C’est parce qu’ils parlaient breton. Géographiquement, Ste-Marie ne fait pas partie de la Bretagne, mais culturellement il y a toujours des gens qui parlent breton, même s’il y en a de moins en moins.

M

Et est-ce que les enfants apprennent le breton à l’école?

PB

Malheureusement non, parce que ce n’est pas obligatoire. Cependant dans certains établissements les élèves peuvent choisir le breton en option.

M

Et à l’université?

PB

Pour les jeunes qui vont à l’université de Nantes ou de Rennes il peuvent, bien sûr, étudier le breton, oui.

M

Et toi, est-ce que tu parles breton?

PB

Malheureusement non. J’ai un petit peu honte. Je connais deux expressions: yec’hed mat et bloavezh mat.

M

Et ça veut dire quoi?

PB

Yec’hed mat c’est à l’apéro, ça veut dire «santé» et bloavezh mat c’est une fois par an parce qu’on le dit quand on souhaite la bonne année.

M

Il y a d’autres langues régionales en France?

PB

Ah oui, bien sûr. Par exemple dans le sud-ouest il y a le basque, dans le nord il y a le ch’ti, rendu célèbre par le film récent, «Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis», et puis je dirais plus traditionnel, il y a l’occitan qui se compose de différents dialectes qui s’étendent du sud-ouest au sud-est de la France. Si tu vas en vacances à Perpignan, à Narbonne, à Marseille, et à Toulon, même à Nice tu peux entendre des gens s’exprimer dans les différents dialectes de l’occitan.

M

Très intéressant. Bon merci. Je pense que maintenant on va bronzer un petit peu et peut-être nous baigner.

PB

Oui. J’ai envie de «piquer une tête», on dit.

M

«Piquer une tête», ça veut dire quoi?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 40

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Conversation PB

«Piquer une tête» c’est quand on va se baigner, quand on va faire un petit plongeon dans la mer.

M

Bon ben, merci.

The notes below will help you understand the dialogue.

Language Notes c’est très agréable

it’s very pleasant

dis-moi

tell me (something)

hier

yesterday

j’ai fait une promenade

I went for a walk

le vieux port

the old harbour

j’ai entendu

I heard

entre

between

un pêcheur-marin

fisherman

Note that un pêcheur can mean someone who enjoys fishing, but pêcheur-marin is specifically someone who fishes in the sea, most likely as a career

je n’ai rien compris

I didn’t understand anything

rien is the word for “nothing”, as in the phrase de rien, used to mean “don’t mention it” or “you’re welcome”

le breton

Breton (language, culture)

faire partie de

to be part of

toujours

still

des gens

people

de moins en moins

fewer and fewer / less and less

malheureusement

unfortunately

obligatoire

obligatory

cependant

however

un établissement

establishment

choisir

to choose

en option

as an option

vont

they go

avoir honte

to be ashamed, embarrassed

je connais

I know

ça veut dire quoi?

what does that mean?

Coffee Break French: Lesson 40

j’ai fait is the perfect tense: we’ll learn more about this in the next unit

from the verb entendre, “to hear”

Compare de plus en plus, meaning “more and more”

This word is often used to refer to educational establishments

from the verb aller

Je connais is used for knowing people, languages, etc. When you know a fact you use je sais as in je sais que tu viens, “I know that you are coming”

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Language Notes l’apéro

aperitif

souhaiter

to wish

le basque

Basque

célèbre

famous

se composer de

to be made up of

s’étendre

to stretch (out)

s’exprimer

to speak, to express oneself

l’occitan

Occitan

bronzer

to tan, to sunbathe

se baigner

to go for a swim

piquer

to bite (insect), sting

piquer une tête

to go for a swim (idiomatic)

un plongeon

dive

l’apéro is short for l’apéritif

In this situation rendu célèbre par means “made famous by”

Note that the information listed below is part of the test in the bonus podcast. We would advise you to listen to the podcast before you read the content below.

Bonus episode test 1

tu apprends l’anglais à l’école?

do you learn English at school?

2

j’ai besoin d’un petit renseignement

I need a little information

3

je ne pense pas que ce soit sérieux

I don’t think it’s serious

4

demain tu vas avoir six ans

tomorrow you’re going to be six years old

5

vous cherchez quelque chose de particulier?

are you looking for something in particular?

6

il y a plein de choses à faire

there is lots to do

7

je voudrais manger sur la terrasse

I’d like to eat on the terrace

8

j’ai réservé une chambre qui donne sur la mer

I’ve booked a room with a sea view

9

est-ce qu’on peut y aller aussi en train?

can you also go there by train?

je ne me sens pas bien depuis deux jours

I’ve not been feeling well for two days.

10

All materials ©Copyright Radio Lingua Ltd 2008

Coffee Break French: Lesson 40

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