LUYỆN NÓI TIẾNG PHÁP VÀ TIẾNG ANH

Speak French with
confidence



Speak French with
confidence
Jean-Claude Arragon


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First published in UK 2005 as Teach yourself French Conversation by Hodder Education,
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Contents
Track listing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Only got a minute? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Only got five minutes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Only got ten minutes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Conversation 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Part 1: Introducing yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Part 2: Responding to more questions about yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Conversation 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Part 1: Reserving a room. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Part 2: Booking into a hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Conversation 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Part 1: Complaining about a noisy neighbour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Part 2: Asking for things to be put right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Conversation 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Part 1: Asking for directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Part 2: Asking how to get to the nearest car rental office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Conversation 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Part 1: Getting in touch again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Part 2: Meeting an old friend for coffee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Conversation 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Part 1: Renting a car. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Part 2: Booking a table in a restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Conversation 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Part 1: Buying a ticket to a theme park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Part 2: Visiting a museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Conversation 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Part 1: Arriving at a restaurant and ordering pre-dinner drinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Part 2: Ordering a meal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Conversation 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Part 1: Going to the chemist’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Part 2: Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Conversation 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Part 1: Booking a train ticket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Part 2: Booking a taxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Contents

v


Conversation 3/1: Making a telephone reservation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/2: In the hotel lobby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/3: In the restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/4: An attempted robbery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/5: Giving directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/6: Patrick’s flying visit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/7: Dinner at Patrick’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/8: A wine tasting session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/9: At the flea market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conversation 3/10: Departure for Paris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Listening skills: Survival phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
French–English glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
English–French glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Essential vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Subject index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

38
38
40

42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
57
64
71
71

Credits
Front cover: Food Collection/Photolibrary.com
Back cover: © Jakub Semeniuk/iStockphoto.com, © Royalty-Free/
Corbis, © agencyby/iStockphoto.com, © Andy Cook/iStockphoto.com,
© Christopher Ewing/iStockphoto.com, © zebicho – Fotolia.com,
© Geoffrey Holman/iStockphoto.com, ©Photodisc/Getty Images,
© James C. Pruitt/iStockphoto.com, © Mohamed Saber – Fotolia.com

vi


Track listing
CD1
Track 1: Introduction
Tracks 2–10: Conversation 1
Tracks 11–18: Conversation 2
Tracks 19–26: Conversation 3

Tracks 27–35: Conversation 4
Tracks 36–43: Conversation 5
CD2
Tracks 1–8: Conversation 6
Tracks 9–16: Conversation 7
Tracks 17–23: Conversation 8
Tracks 24–32: Conversation 9
Tracks 33–41: Conversation 10
CD3
Track 1: Introduction
Track 2: Conversation 1: Making a telephone reservation
Track 3: Conversation 2: The hotel lobby
Track 4: Conversation 3: In the restaurant
Track 5: Conversation 4: An attempted robbery
Track 6: Conversation 5: Giving directions
Track 7: Conversation 6: Patrick’s flying visit
Track 8: Conversation 7: Dinner at Patrick’s
Track 9: Conversation 8: A wine-tasting session
Track 10: Conversation 9: At the flea market
Track 11: Conversation 10: Departure for Paris
Recorded at Alchemy Studios, London.
Cast: Alexandre Claude, Caroline Crier, Daniel Pageon, Sylvie
Salahuddin, Sarah Sherborne.

Track listing

vii

Introduction
Welcome to Speak French with confidence.
If you have no previous knowledge of French you will have to prioritize
and start with the basics. As your learning develops, I will help you
to become more adventurous and to make your learning experience
increasingly rewarding. You will gradually be able to deal confidently
with a wider array of structures and situations and I shall guide you in
your progress. You will develop your ability to communicate with native
speakers, to understand what they say and to respond in French in a
meaningful way. Prioritizing does not mean overlooking other important
elements of communication. These will not be forgotten, but I will
introduce them to you when you are ready.
If you are not a beginner and are taking French up again, you will be
able to decide where you want to resume your learning experience
instead of covering material you are already confident with.
In this course, you will find all you need to develop your skills to a level
where you can enjoy talking and understanding what is said. In the
notes which I have prepared for you, you will find further information
on the form and content of this course as well as comprehensive
instructions on how to use it to full advantage. Happy learning and
bonne chance!
Jean-Claude Arragon

Introduction

1


Only got a minute?
The French are immensely proud of their nationality, their

language and their culture. They are ready to be critical
of themselves (but do not always take kindly to someone
criticizing them!). Any attempt by a foreigner to speak their
own language will be greatly appreciated and will help create
positive feelings, which will lead to closer links. What in your
mind appears as a feeble effort to express yourself in French
will be met by encouraging comments such as: ‘Ah, vous
parlez bien français!’ (Oh, you speak good French!), or ‘Vous
avez un très bon accent!’ (You have a very good accent!).
This may even lead to: ‘Venez prendre un petit apéritif
avec nous’ (Come and have a little aperitif with us). Note,
however, that the word petit is a term of affection and in no
way reflects the size of the drink! When French people have
warmed to you, they may well ask you for a meal: ‘Venez
manger à la maison!’ (Come and have a meal at our house!).
Lifelong friendships have been known to develop from such

2


modest beginnings! Don’t be surprised or offended, however, if
your new French friends are keen to show you that they know
a little English.
You should also bear in mind that French spoken
with an English accent is perceived as ‘sexy’, but then the
same is said in England about a French accent!

Only got a minute?

3

5

Only got five minutes?

As a learner of French, one useful thing for you to note is that a very
large number of words of Latin origin are to be found in both English
and French with similar meanings. If, as is now claimed, it is true that
at least a third of English words are of Latin origin, this will give you an
enormous advantage when it comes to developing your vocabulary. To
convince yourself of this you only need to leaf through a good English
dictionary, where you will usually find the origin of the word at the
end of each definition. Historically, the dual influence of Old English
and Latin has often led to doublets, that is to say words from different
origins having the same or very similar meanings, for instance: freedom
and liberty, feud and hostility, foe and enemy, guilt and culpability, halt
and stop, ownership and possession, weapons and arms, etc. Knowledge
of the existence of these Latin-based words in English will make the
acquisition of new French vocabulary quite easy. Although it is true that
Latin-based words usually belong to a more elevated language register,
they are nevertheless frequently used and (with some exceptions), you
can try them out in French with a high degree of confidence.
There are also numerous commonly used expressions and sayings which
have been borrowed from French: for a start, the mottos of the Crown:
Dieu et mon droit (God and my right), Honni soit qui mal y pense (evil
unto him who evil thinks), as well as a host of others: coup de grâce,
double entendre, je ne sais quoi, laisser faire, tête à tête, bon vivant/
bon viveur, bon voyage, etc.
An additional advantage of the co-existence of Latin-based vocabulary

in the two languages is that, with certain categories of nouns, you can
predict the gender of the French equivalent, for example:
Most abstract nouns (i.e. referring to concepts rather than concrete
things) ending in -ty, have a French equivalent in -té. All are feminine:
autorité, beauté, nationalité, opportunité, réalité, virilité, etc.

4


Most nouns in -tion and -(s)sion have a French equivalent: abstention,
condition, détermination, émotion, préparation, réaction, solution,
tentation, admission, confession, passion, aversion, etc. All are
feminine.
Most English nouns ending in -ism have a French equivalent in -isme,
and all are masculine: altruisme, fascisme, réalisme, socialisme,
tourisme, vandalisme, etc.
This means that when making up a sentence containing these words,
you will know what the form of the adjective should be, since you have
learnt that French adjectives, unlike English ones, become masculine,
feminine, singular or plural according to the gender and number of
the noun they relate to; if you wish to mention the French nationality
or a great emotion, you will say: la nationalité française (and not
le nationalité français), or une grande émotion (and not un grand
émotion). So, you could start thinking about how many of these words
you know and jotting them down!
Now, for another grammatical point:
In English, adjectives normally go before the noun they relate to: a
big house, a small boy, a French wine, a black suit, an American car.
The temptation will be great to use the same structure in French.
Unfortunately, there are specific sets of rules about the position of

certain types of adjectives: those relating to size and age for instance go
before the noun: une grande maison, un petit garçon. Those relating
to colour or nationality are placed after the noun: un vin français, un
costume noir, une voiture américaine!
This is why it is crucial to always be alert, to listen carefully, to make
a mental note of such differences, to use your ‘detective skills’ to refine
your performance and to formulate your own ‘theories’ by asking: I
wonder if …
Not only will this knowledge enable you to enrich your vocabulary,
but it will also help you to produce more accurate sentences. So, you

Only got a minute?
Only got five minutes?

5


now have at your disposal a vast number of words which you can,
with confidence, slip into your French conversation. This will definitely
impress your listeners!
Another way of making rapid progress is to imagine a situation which
you may find yourself in (for instance, going to a shop to buy croissants
for your breakfast, a newspaper, stamps and postcards), etc, and
rehearse in advance what you would say to get what you want, adding
a few niceties in the process. When the situation arises you will have
worked out what to say without having to do it on the spot!
Language learning is in part akin to detective work. You must keep
your eyes peeled and your ears open, compare what you already know
and what you are hearing, make up your own theories about what you
have learned, and experiment. This is the key to effective and rewarding

learning!

6


10 Only got ten minutes?
French has for many centuries been the favoured language of the
educated classes of Europe. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
the nobility of most European courts (Prussia, Austria, Russia …) used
French as its lingua franca. France was internationally recognized as
the centre of artistic, literary and cultural excellence. The seventeenth
century was marked by the personality and work of René Descartes,
scientist and philosopher, author of the famous statement: ‘Je pense
donc je suis’ (I think therefore I am). Despite having given way to English
as the new international language, French, which played a key-role in le
Siècle des Lumières (the Age of Enlightenment that was the eighteenth
century), is still spoken in over 50 countries by more than 270 million
people. In the eyes of many, France remains a country much admired.
It was no accident, for example, that writers from all over the world
congregated in Paris at the end of the Second World War to debate the
merits of various literary movements or philosophical doctrines (in
particular Jean-Paul Sartre’s and Simone de Beauvoir’s existentialism),
in the cafés of Saint Germain-des-Prés.
Historically, the key factor for the development of French was its
adoption as the official language, set out by the Ordinance of VillersCotterêts (1539), which decreed that from that date, all administrative
and legal documents were to be written in French and not in Latin as
had been the norm until then. This measure forced people in key posts
to use exclusively the now official language. This, however, did not
mean that from that time onwards everybody in France spoke French.
There were a number of regional languages, patois and dialects which

made communication and commercial activities difficult between
people from different geographical areas. The stated aim of that
measure, which was endorsed by successive national governments, was
to eradicate regional differences and to create one national language.
To ensure the effectiveness of the Ordinance, the French Academy,
l’Académie Française was created in 1635. It was a learned body
composed of respected intellectuals and members of the professions. Its
work was to be devoted to the preservation of the purity of the French
Only got ten minutes?

7


language. It was then decided that, because Paris was the official seat
of administrative and political power, the national language would
be based on la langue d’oïl (oïl meaning yes and pronounced like the
English hoi in hoi polloi) used in the North of France. At that time, poets
and writers also devoted themselves to the enrichment of the French
language. Two of the most famous names of that period are those of
Pierre de Ronsard and Joachim du Bellay, both members of a group of
poets called La Pléiade who wrote their literary manifesto: Défense et
illustration de la Langue Française. In their work, they introduced large
numbers of words and expression to instil new energy into the language.
The Académie still exists today, and its 40 members, les Immortels (the
Immortals) work tirelessly for the production, review and updating of
the Dictionnaire de la Langue Française, and the weeding out of words
or expressions inappropriate to the purity of the language. Nowadays,
one of the constant headaches of the Académie is the proliferation of
English or American words, particularly in the fields of IT, business,
science and technology. The government has tried (without much

success) to stem the flow of these expressions, collectively referred to
as le Franglais, by introducing legislation forbidding the use of English
words in official documents, but the versatility and flexibility of English,
coupled with the technological innovations of the Anglo-Saxon world,
means that words to describe new processes are coined much more
easily than in French and ‘exported’ throughout the world. Sometimes,
however, the meaning of those Franglais words is only distantly related
to the original: le footing is jogging, le catch is wrestling, le starter is the
choke, whereas le jogging is a jogging suit, and le relook(ing) is a makeover. As for le ball-trap, an English speaker may be hard-pressed to
guess that it means clay-pigeon shooting! A useful pointer: all Franglais
words are masculine, unless they refer to a woman, e.g. la call-girl, la
script-girl …
In a further effort to control the influence of English, the government
has recently imposed quotas on the percentage of American and English
pop songs broadcast in the French media!
The covert reason for the imposition of la langue d’oïl as the official
language in the sixteenth century was political. People in Occitanie, the

8


area south of the Massif Central spoke la langue d’oc (from the particle
oc also meaning yes). This was seen as a threat to the king’s power. So,
after having remained throughout the Middle Ages a centre of cultural
enlightenment and commercial excellence, L’Occitanie was devastated
in the twelth century by a Crusade called by Pope Innocent III and King
Louis VIII of France. Allegedly, the aim of the Crusade was to put an
end to the Cathar (or Albigensian) Heresy. Innocent III was reported to
have told the crusaders: ‘Tuez les tous, Dieu reconnaîtra les siens’ (Kill
them all, God will recognize his own). As a consequence, the Occitan area

was brought to its knees and mercilessly plundered. Hosts of people
were massacred and all the confiscated territories were claimed by the
king.
Despite this, Occitan continued to be spoken in the South and is still
thriving to this day. It is said to be used by approximately 8 million
people, not only among the older generations, but also among young
people eager to rediscover the beauty of the language, its writers, its
poets, and its history. This has been aided by European directives
fostering the revival of regional languages and by the efforts of dedicated
individuals who run summer schools in Occitan (Escolas Occitanas
d’Estiu). Furthermore, other regional languages (Breton, Alsacien,
Catalan, Basque …) which, after the 1539 Ordinance, were relegated
to the rank of dialects or patois, have regained respectability: French
Universities now offer them for study at graduate and postgraduate
levels.
The determination of successive governments’ policies to eradicate
all but the official language led to great efforts to stop children from
using these at schools. This practice was continued until the 1950s and
this writer, who spoke Occitan as his second language, was frequently
punished for using it in the playground.

French regional variations
Because the meaning of words like accent, patois, dialect, or slang is
not always very clear, it can lead to confusion in the minds of learners.
Let’s try to clarify them:
Only got ten minutes?

9

Accent: This is the way Standard French is pronounced in a given
area. The standard grammar and word-order are (more or less)
respected, but the words are said in a way characteristic of the region
considered. Consequently, an accent marks the speaker as a member
of a geographical or social group. The educated Parisian accent is
accepted as the norm and used by presenters on radio and television.
The southern accent is characterized by strongly articulated vowels,
including the -e which sounds similar to the vowel in standard English
fir. Reference is often made by people from other areas to the ‘cheery’
and ‘sunny’ quality of the southern accent!
Patois: This way of speaking does not always follow the grammar or
pronunciation rules of the standard language. In France, patois are
generally used by ageing members of a rural community. They vary from
area to area and are not always understandable by Standard French
speakers. The economic development and the rural exodus (movement
of people to big cities between the 50s and mid-70s) have dealt them a
serious blow and led to a decline in the number of such speakers. Using
patois is definitely seen as ‘uncool’ by younger generations.
Dialects: The traditional meaning refers to a way of speaking
characteristic of a small regional area. Each dialect has its own grammar,
pronunciation and vocabulary. Formerly, they used to create a strong
sense of identity within a given community. As society progressed,
dialects began to be considered by speakers of Standard French as
unrefined, and young people refused to use them, believing it made them
sound like uneducated peasants. Schools also frowned upon dialects
being used in the playground. As a consequence, regional dialects have
slowly been disappearing and are now, like patois, mostly spoken by
ageing members of the population in rural areas. There is, however,
another meaning to the word: it refers to vocabulary and expressions
linked with certain types of professional activity: technicians, engineers,

students, doctors, soldiers, etc. Unlike regional dialects, these are still
thriving. There are also urban dialects spoken by certain minorities
wanting to assert their identity. The dividing line between these and
slang is often blurred (see opposite).

10


Slang (L’argot). This is a form of speech which willfully disregards the
basic rules of the language. According to some linguists, slang, which
they see as a secret code originally developed by criminal members
of the underworld, was – and is – used to create a sense of belonging
within a tight-knit group and to exclude those who do not belong to
that group. This is the case of verlan (backslang) mostly spoken by
young people from a working-class, urban background. Words are
created by switching the order of syllables as in: chébran (for branché –
trendy), bléca (for câblé – in the know), un ripou (for un pourri – a ‘bent
copper’), or in more cryptic forms like keuf (for flic – policeman) or
meuf (for femme – woman). The constant invention of new vocabulary
makes it difficult for speakers of Standard French to understand verlan.
Sometimes argot is also used to refer to a way of speaking which,
while preserving the basic characteristics of the standard language,
uses a vocabulary specific to a social or professional group (school
slang, military slang, etc.). In this latter sense, it is similar to the second
meaning of the word dialect.
Some of the variations encountered in France are not dialects but
proper languages. This is the case of Breton, the language spoken in
Brittany, which is Celtic in origin. Alsacien, spoken in Alsace, has more
in common with High German than with French. Occitan, mentioned
above, and Catalan spoken in France and Spain on the Mediterranean

side of the Pyrenees are also Latin-based languages which are both
closer to Spanish than French. If you visit those areas, you may well
hear them in small and medium-sized southern towns on market days.
The list of regional languages would not be complete without the
mention of Basque, spoken on the Atlantic side of the Pyrenees in both
France and Spain. The origins of the Basque language are still shrouded
in mystery. The Basque people are fiercely ‘nationalistic’; they want to be
independent from both host countries and are prepared to use violence
to achieve that aim.

Only got ten minutes?

11


Conversation 1
PART 1: INTRODUCING YOURSELF
L CD1, TR3

Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick

Bonjour. Vous êtes de Bordeaux?
Oui, je suis de Bordeaux.
Vous êtes marié?
Non, je suis célibataire.
Profession?
Je suis architecte.
Vous êtes en vacances?
Non. Excusez-moi, je suis en retard!
Désolée!
Au revoir!

Insight
The following expressions will serve you well in your dealings
with French people: bonjour, hello (when meeting somebody
during the day), au revoir, good-bye (when leaving), pardon,
pardon/forgive me, s’il vous plaît, please, merci beaucoup or
merci bien, thank you very much.
In very familiar speech you can use salut! for both hello and
good-bye.

PART 2: RESPONDING TO MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOURSELF
L CD1, TR7, 0:40

Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher

Claudine
Market researcher

12

Excusez-moi, vous êtes de Paris?
Oui, j’habite à Paris.
Dans le centre?
Non, dans la banlieue.
Dans un appartement?
Oui.
Il est grand?
Non, il est petit.
Profession?


Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick
Market researcher
Patrick

Hello! Are you from Bordeaux?
Yes, I am from Bordeaux.
Are you married?

No, I am single.
Profession?
I’m an architect.
Are you on holiday?
No. Excuse me, I’m late!
Sorry!
Goodbye!

Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher

Excuse me, are you from Paris?
Yes, I live in Paris.
In the centre?
No, in the suburbs.
In an apartment?
Yes.
Is it big?
No, it’s small.
Profession?
Conversation 1

13

Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher

Je suis fonctionnaire.
Vous êtes mariée?
Non, célibataire.
Vous êtes …
Désolée, je suis en retard. Au revoir!
Au revoir.

Insight
In standard or formal French, there are two ways of
formulating the question Are you …?: Etes-vous …? or Est-ce
que vous êtes …? In familiar French, however, people use the
statement Vous êtes … You are …, and simply raise their voice at
the end to turn it into a question: Vous êtes de Bordeaux? Are
you from Bordeaux?

Conversation 2
PART 1: RESERVING A ROOM
L CD1, TR12

Patrick
Hotel manager

Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager

14

Allô! L’Hôtel du Louvre?
Allô, oui?
Vous avez une chambre?
Pour une personne?
Oui, pour une personne.
Pour quand?
Pour le deux juillet.
Pour une nuit?
Non, pour neuf nuits.
Oui, j’ai une chambre libre.
Combien?
Cent euros la nuit.


Claudine
Market researcher
Claudine

Market researcher
Claudine
Market researcher

Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager

I’m a civil servant.
Are you married?
No, single.
Are you …
Sorry, I’m late. Goodbye!
Goodbye.

Hello. (Is this) the Hotel du Louvre?
Hello, yes?
Do you have a room?
For one person?
Yes, for one person.
For when?

For 2nd July.
For one night?
No, for nine nights.
Yes, I have a room available.
How much?
One hundred euros a night.

Conversation 2

15


PART 2: BOOKING INTO A HOTEL
L CD1, TR16

Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick

Bonsoir, monsieur, vous désirez?
Bonsoir. J’ai réservé une chambre.
A quel nom?
Monsieur Patrick Dumont.

Une chambre pour une personne?
Oui, pour une personne.
Voilà, la chambre six.
Bon.
Voilà la clé.
Merci. Au revoir.

Insight
In principle, the French equivalents of here is/here are or there
is/there are, are voici and voilà respectively. So, here is the key
should be voici la clé, and there are the suitcases should be
voilà les valises. However, in spoken French, voilà is used in
both cases: voilà la clé, voilà les valises.
Voilà! on its own means: There you are! or That’s it!

Conversation 3
PART 1: COMPLAINING ABOUT A NOISY NEIGHBOUR
L CD1, TR20

Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick

16

Pardon, madame!
Oui, bonjour, monsieur. Vous désirez?
J’ai un petit problème.
Quel problème?
J’ai mal dormi.
Pourquoi?
Le voisin a fait du bruit.
Quand?
Toute la nuit.


Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick
Hotel manager
Patrick

Good evening, sir, what can I do for you?
Good evening. I have reserved a room.
In what name?
Mr Patrick Dumont.
For one person? (A single room?)
Yes, for one person.
Here (there) we are, room six.

Good.
Here is the key.
Thank you. See you later.

Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick
Hotel receptionist
Patrick

Excuse me, Madam!
Yes, good morning, sir. What can I do for you?
I have a little problem.
What problem?
I slept badly.
Why?
The neighbour made some noise.
When?
All night.
Conversation 3

17