LUYỆN NÓI TIẾNG PHÁP VÀ TIẾNG ANH

Sách luyện nói tiếng pháp song ngữ anh pháp giúp bạn nang cao khả năng nói chuyện theo tình huống , cung cấp nhều từ vựng và các tiếng lóng để bạn tự tin hơn trong giao tiếp với mọi người và đặc biệt là trình bày dạng song ngữ anh pháp nên tiện ôn tiếng anh

Speak French with confi dence

Speak French with confi dence

Jean-Claude Arragon

referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press However, the publisher and the author have no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content will remain relevant, decent or appropriate For UK order enquiries: please contact Bookpoint Ltd, 130 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4SB Telephone: +44 (0) 1235 827720 Fax: +44 (0) 1235 400454 Lines are open 09.00–17.00, Monday to Saturday, with a 24-hour message answering service Details about our titles and how to order are available at www.teachyourself.co.uk

For USA order enquiries: please contact McGraw-Hill Customer Services, PO Box 545,

Blacklick, OH 43004-0545, USA Telephone: 1-800-722-4726 Fax: 1-614-755-5645.

For Canada order enquiries: please contact McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd, 300 Water St,

Whitby, Ontario L1N 9B6, Canada Telephone: 905 430 5000 Fax: 905 430 5020.

Long renowned as the authoritative source for self-guided learning – with more than 50

million copies sold worldwide – the teach yourself series includes over 500 titles in the fi elds

of languages, crafts, hobbies, business, computing and education.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: on fi le.

First published in UK 2005 as Teach yourself French Conversation by Hodder Education,

338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BH.

First published in US 2005 as Teach yourself French Conversation by The McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc.

This edition published 2010.

The teach yourself name is a registered trade mark of Hodder Headline.

Copyright © 2005, 2010 Jean-Claude Arragon

In UK: All rights reserved Apart from any permitted use under UK copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information, storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited Further details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.

In US: All rights reserved Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of

1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Typeset by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire.

Printed in the UK for Hodder Education, an Hachette UK Company, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH.

The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press However, the publisher and the author have no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content will remain relevant, decent or appropriate Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products and made from wood grown in sustainable forests The logging and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Impression number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Year 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

Track listing vii

Introduction 1

Only got a minute? 2

Only got fi ve 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 offi ce .20

Conversation 5 22

Part 1: Getting in touch again .22

Part 2: Meeting an old friend for coff ee .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

Conversation 3/1: Making a telephone reservation 38

Conversation 3/2: In the hotel lobby 38

Conversation 3/3: In the restaurant 40

Conversation 3/4: An attempted robbery 42

Conversation 3/5: Giving directions 44

Conversation 3/6: Patrick’s fl ying visit 46

Conversation 3/7: Dinner at Patrick’s 48

Conversation 3/8: A wine tasting session 50

Conversation 3/9: At the fl ea market 52

Conversation 3/10: Departure for Paris 54

Listening skills: Survival phrases 56

French–English glossary 57

English–French glossary 64

Essential vocabulary 71

Subject index 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

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 fl ying visit

Track 8: Conversation 7: Dinner at Patrick’s

Track 9: Conversation 8: A wine-tasting session

Track 10: Conversation 9: At the fl ea market

Track 11: Conversation 10: Departure for Paris

Recorded at Alchemy Studios, London

Cast: Alexandre Claude, Caroline Crier, Daniel Pageon, Sylvie

Salahuddin, Sarah Sherborne

Welcome to Speak French with confi dence.

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 confi dently 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 confi dent with

In this course, you will fi nd 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 fi nd 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

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 eff ort 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 aff ection and in no

way refl ects 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

modest beginnings! Don’t be surprised or off ended, 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!

5 Only got fi ve 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 fi nd the origin of the word at the end of each defi nition Historically, the dual infl uence 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 confi dence

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.

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 specifi c 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 refi ne

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

now have at your disposal a vast number of words which you can, with confi dence, slip into your French conversation This will defi nitely impress your listeners!

Another way of making rapid progress is to imagine a situation which you may fi nd 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!

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 offi cial language, set out by the Ordinance of Cotterêts (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

Villers-to use exclusively the now offi cial 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 diffi cult 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

language It was then decided that, because Paris was the offi cial seat

of administrative and political power, the national language would

be based on la langue d’ọl (ọl 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 fi elds of IT, business, science and technology The government has tried (without much success) to stem the fl ow of these expressions, collectively referred to

as le Franglais, by introducing legislation forbidding the use of English

words in offi cial documents, but the versatility and fl exibility 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

make-over 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 infl uence 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’ọl as the offi cial language in the sixteenth century was political People in Occitanie, the

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 confi scated 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 offi cial 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:

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

fi r 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 defi nitely 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 unrefi ned, 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)

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 fl ic – policeman) or meuf (for femme – woman) The constant invention of new vocabulary makes it diffi cult 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 specifi c 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 fi ercely ‘nationalistic’; they want to be independent from both host countries and are prepared to use violence

to achieve that aim

Conversation 1

PART 1: INTRODUCING YOURSELF

L CD1, TR3

Market researcher Bonjour Vous êtes de Bordeaux?

Patrick Oui, je suis de Bordeaux

Market researcher Vous êtes marié?

Patrick Non, je suis célibataire

Market researcher Profession?

Patrick Je suis architecte

Market researcher Vous êtes en vacances?

Patrick Non Excusez-moi, je suis en retard!

Market researcher Désolée!

Patrick 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 Excusez-moi, vous êtes de Paris?

Claudine Oui, j’habite à Paris

Market researcher Dans le centre?

Claudine Non, dans la banlieue

Market researcher Dans un appartement?

Claudine Oui

Market researcher Il est grand?

Claudine Non, il est petit

Market researcher Profession?

Market researcher Hello! Are you from Bordeaux?

Patrick Yes, I am from Bordeaux.

Market researcher Are you married?

Patrick No, I am single.

Market researcher Profession?

Patrick I’m an architect.

Market researcher Are you on holiday?

Patrick No Excuse me, I’m late!

Market researcher Sorry!

Patrick Goodbye!

Market researcher Excuse me, are you from Paris?

Claudine Yes, I live in Paris.

Market researcher In the centre?

Claudine No, in the suburbs.

Market researcher In an apartment?

Claudine Yes.

Market researcher Is it big?

Claudine No, it’s small.

Market researcher Profession?

Claudine Je suis fonctionnaire.

Market researcher Vous êtes mariée?

Claudine Non, célibataire

Market researcher Vous êtes …

Claudine Désolée, je suis en retard Au revoir!

Market researcher 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 Allô! L’Hôtel du Louvre?

Hotel manager Allô, oui?

Patrick Vous avez une chambre?

Hotel manager Pour une personne?

Patrick Oui, pour une personne

Hotel manager Pour quand?

Patrick Pour le deux juillet

Hotel manager Pour une nuit?

Patrick Non, pour neuf nuits

Hotel manager Oui, j’ai une chambre libre.

Patrick Combien?

Hotel manager Cent euros la nuit.

Claudine I’m a civil servant.

Market researcher Are you married?

Claudine No, single.

Market researcher Are you …

Claudine Sorry, I’m late Goodbye!

Market researcher Goodbye.

Patrick Hello (Is this) the Hotel du Louvre?

Hotel manager Hello, yes?

Patrick Do you have a room?

Hotel manager For one person?

Patrick Yes, for one person.

Hotel manager For when?

Patrick For 2nd July.

Hotel manager For one night?

Patrick No, for nine nights.

Hotel manager Yes, I have a room available.

Patrick How much?

Hotel manager One hundred euros a night.

PART 2: BOOKING INTO A HOTEL

L CD1, TR16

Hotel manager Bonsoir, monsieur, vous désirez?

Patrick Bonsoir J’ai réservé une chambre

Hotel manager A quel nom?

Patrick Monsieur Patrick Dumont

Hotel manager Une chambre pour une personne?

Patrick Oui, pour une personne

Hotel manager Voilà, la chambre six.

Patrick Bon

Hotel manager Voilà la clé.

Patrick 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 Pardon, madame!

Hotel receptionist Oui, bonjour, monsieur Vous désirez?

Patrick J’ai un petit problème

Hotel receptionist Quel problème?

Patrick J’ai mal dormi

Hotel receptionist Pourquoi?

Patrick Le voisin a fait du bruit

Hotel receptionist Quand?

Patrick Toute la nuit

Hotel manager Good evening, sir, what can I do for you?

Patrick Good evening I have reserved a room.

Hotel manager In what name?

Patrick Mr Patrick Dumont.

Hotel manager For one person? (A single room?)

Patrick Yes, for one person.

Hotel manager Here (there) we are, room six.

Patrick Good.

Hotel manager Here is the key.

Patrick Thank you See you later.

Patrick Excuse me, Madam!

Hotel receptionist Yes, good morning, sir What can I do for you?

Patrick I have a little problem.

Hotel receptionist What problem?

Patrick I slept badly.

Hotel receptionist Why?

Patrick The neighbour made some noise.

Hotel receptionist When?

Patrick All night.

Hotel receptionist La chambre 4?

Patrick Non, la 8!

Hotel receptionist La 8? … Il part aujourd’hui

Patrick Dieu merci!

PART 2: ASKING FOR THINGS TO BE PUT RIGHT

L CD1, TR24

Hotel receptionist Allô, oui?

Patrick Allô, mademoiselle Ici monsieur Dumont,

chambre six

Hotel receptionist Bonjour Vous désirez?

Patrick J’ai un problème avec le lavabo

Hotel receptionist Quel problème?

Patrick Il est bouché

Hotel receptionist Ne quittez pas J’appelle le plombier

The hotel receptionist makes a call on the other line.

Hotel receptionist Allô, Monsieur Dumont?

Patrick Oui, j’écoute

Hotel receptionist Le plombier arrive!

Patrick Merci, mademoiselle Au revoir

Insight

The subject pronoun je, I, contracts to j’ when the verb that follows begins with a vowel or with mute (or silent) h: je ai, I

have , becomes j’ai, and je habite, I live/dwell, becomes j’habite.

Note, however: je hais, I hate Here, the h is said to be

aspirated

Conversation 4

PART 1: ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS

L CD1, TR28

Patrick Pardon, monsieur l’agent

Police offi cer Bonjour Vous désirez?

Hotel receptionist Room 4?

Patrick No, room 8.

Hotel receptionist Room 8? … He’s leaving today.

Patrick Thank God! (or thank goodness!)

Hotel receptionist Hello, yes?

Patrick Hello, Miss This is Mr Dumont,

room six.

Hotel receptionist Good morning What can I do for you?

Patrick I have a problem with the washbasin.

Hotel receptionist What problem?

Patrick It’s blocked.

Hotel receptionist Stay on the line I’ll call the plumber.

The hotel receptionist makes a call on the other line.

Hotel receptionist Hello, Mr Dumont?

Patrick Yes, I’m listening.

Hotel receptionist The plumber is on his way!

Patrick Thank you, Miss See you later.

Patrick Excuse me, offi cer.

Police offi cer Hello What can I do for you?

Patrick La rue du Louvre, s’il vous plaỵt.

Police offi cer Vous êtes à pied?

Police offi cer Quand vous arrivez au carrefour, à droite et

vous êtes rue du Louvre!

Patrick Merci beaucoup, monsieur l’agent

Police offi cer Au revoir et bonnes vacances!

PART 2: ASKING HOW TO GET TO THE NEAREST CAR RENTAL OFFICE

L CD1, TR32

Hotel receptionist Bonjour, monsieur Dumont

Patrick Bonjour, mademoiselle Vous avez

une minute?

Hotel receptionist Oui, bien sûr!

Patrick Où est l’Hơtel des Invalides, s’il vous plaỵt?

Hotel receptionist Vous descendez la rue du Louvre

Patrick A gauche?

Hotel receptionist Oui Tout droit jusqu’au carrefour, et

ensuite à droite

Patrick Bon C’est loin?

Hotel receptionist Non, vingt–vingt-cinq minutes!

Patrick Très bien C’est pour l’agence de location de

voitures

Hotel receptionist Vous désirez une voiture?

Patrick Oui, pour quatre jours … Merci beaucoup,

mademoiselle!

Hotel receptionist Au revoir!

Patrick Where is Louvre Street, please?

Police offi cer Are you on foot?

Patrick Yes.

Police offi cer Good (You) go down to the fi rst crossroads.

Patrick Yes.

Police offi cer And then to the right.

Patrick To the right?

Police offi cer No, sorry, to the left.

Patrick And then?

Police offi cer Straight on to the second crossroads.

Patrick Fine.

Police offi cer When you arrive at the crossroads, turn right and

you are in Louvre Street.

Patrick Thank you very much, offi cer.

Police offi cer Goodbye and (have a) nice holiday!

Hotel receptionist Good morning, Mr Dumont.

Patrick Good morning, Miss Do you have

a minute (to spare)?

Hotel receptionist Yes, of course!

Patrick Where is the Hôtel des Invalides, please?

Hotel receptionist You go down Louvre Street.

Patrick On the left?

Hotel receptionist Yes Straight down to the crossroads,

and then on the right.

Patrick Good Is it far?

Hotel receptionist No, 20–25 minutes!

Patrick Very good It’s for the car rental

offi ce.

Hotel receptionist Do you want a car?

Patrick Yes, for four days … Thank you very much,

Miss!

Hotel receptionist See you later!

Conversation 5

PART 1: GETTING IN TOUCH AGAIN

L CD1, TR37

Patrick Allơ? Claudine Lestage?

Claudine C’est moi! Qui est à l’appareil?

Patrick C’est Patrick

Claudine Patrick qui?

Patrick Patrick Dumont de Bordeaux

Claudine Quelle bonne surprise! Ça va?

Patrick Ça va bien, et toi?

Claudine Moi aussi! Tu es ó en ce moment?

Patrick A Paris, à l’Hơtel du Louvre

Claudine Excellent! Tu es libre demain matin?

Patrick Oui, bien sûr!

Claudine Alors, à demain matin, neuf heures à l’hơtel!

Patrick D’accord! A demain!

Insight

In polite French, if you wish to enquire about someone’s

health, you will ask them: Est-ce que vous allez bien? (literally

are you going well?) In slightly more familiar language, you

may ask: Vous allez bien? (with rising voice) In very relaxed speech you can ask: Ça va? The answer may well be: Oui, ça va (bien or très bien)!

PART 2: MEETING AN OLD FRIEND FOR COFFEE

L CD1, TR41

Claudine Bonjour, Patrick!

Patrick Bonjour! Tu désires prendre quelque chose?

Claudine Euh … oui, un chocolat chaud

Patrick Monsieur!

Waiter (Oui.) Bonjour messieurs-dames Vous désirez?

Patrick Un chocolat chaud pour mademoiselle

Waiter Bien! Et pour vous?

Patrick (Pour moi) Un petit noir (s’il vous plaỵt)

Patrick Hello? Claudine Lestage?

Claudine It’s me Who is it (speaking)?

Patrick It’s Patrick.

Claudine Patrick who?

Patrick Patrick Dumont from Bordeaux!

Claudine What a nice surprise! How are you?

Patrick (I’m) fi ne, and you?

Claudine Me too! Where are you at the moment?

Patrick In Paris, at the Hotel du Louvre.

Claudine Excellent! Are you free tomorrow morning?

Patrick Yes, of course!

Claudine Then, see you tomorrow morning, nine o’clock at the hotel.

Patrick OK/Agreed! See you tomorrow!

Claudine Hello, Patrick!

Patrick Good morning! Do you want anything to drink?

Claudine Er … yes, a hot chocolate.

Patrick Waiter!

Waiter (Yes.) Good morning sir, madam What can I do for you?

Patrick A hot chocolate for the young lady.

Waiter Fine! And for you?

Patrick (For me) A small black coff ee (please).

Waiter Très bien Un moment!

…

Waiter Voilà: un chocolat et un petit noir!

Patrick Merci C’est combien?

Waiter Dix euros A la caisse, s’il vous plaît!

Insight

In French you can either use the familiar form tu when

talking to a close friend or family member, or the polite form

vous when addressing a person you want to show respect to

Compare: vous êtes marié(e)? are you married? (respectful) and

tu es marié(e)? are you married? (familiar) The (e) indicates the

Receptionist Bonjour Vous désirez?

Patrick Je voudrais louer une voiture

Receptionist Quel type de voiture?

Patrick Une Peugeot 206

Receptionist Pour combien de jours?

Patrick Trois: demain, vendredi et samedi

Receptionist Pour quelle heure demain?

Patrick Huit heures, si possible

Receptionist Vous avez votre permis de conduire?

Patrick Oui, voilà!

Receptionist Excellent! Cent douze euros, tout compris!

Patrick Voilà ma carte d’identité et ma carte de crédit

Receptionist Merci Vous signez ici, s’il vous plaît?

Waiter Very good One moment!

…

Waiter Here you are: one chocolate and a small black coff ee!

Patrick Thank you How much is it?

Waiter Ten euros (Pay) At the till, please!

Receptionist Hello/Good morning What can I do for you?

Patrick I’d like to rent a car.

Receptionist What type of car?

Patrick A Peugeot 206.

Receptionist For how many days?

Patrick Three: tomorrow, Friday and Saturday.

Receptionist For what time tomorrow?

Patrick Eight o’clock, if possible.

Receptionist Do you have your driving licence?

Patrick Yes, here it is!

Receptionist Excellent! 112 euros, everything included!

Patrick Here’s my identity card and my credit card.

Receptionist Thank you Would you sign here, please?

PART 2: BOOKING A TABLE IN A RESTAURANT

L CD2, TR6

Patrick Allô Je voudrais réserver une table

Manageress Pour quand?

Patrick (Pour) Mercredi soir

Manageress Le six?… Désolée, c’est complet!

Patrick Et le sept?

Manageress Pour combien de personnes?

Patrick Trois personnes

Manageress Oui, c’est possible Fumeurs ou non-fumeurs?

Patrick Non-fumeurs

Manageress Pour quelle heure?

Patrick Vers huit heures

Manageress A quel nom?

Patrick Monsieur Dumont

Manageress Voilà, c’est fait! A jeudi soir!

Insight

When you wish to enquire about identity, dates, duration

or numbers involved, you can use the word pour (for) in expressions like: pour qui? for whom?, pour quand? when for?,

pour quelle heure? for what time?, pour combien de jours? for

how many days? , pour combien de personnes? for how many

people?

Conversation 7

PART 1: BUYING A TICKET TO A THEME PARK

L CD2, TR10

Ticket attendant Bienvenue à Eurodisney Vous désirez?

Patrick Un ticket d’entrée, s’il vous plaît

Ticket attendant Quelle sorte de ticket?

Patrick Hello I’d like to book/reserve a table.

Manageress For when?

Patrick (For) Wednesday evening

Manageress The sixth? … Sorry, it’s/we’re fully booked!

Patrick And the seventh?

Manageress For how many people?

Patrick Three people.

Manageress Yes, it’s possible Smoking or non-smoking?

Patrick Non-smoking.

Manageress For what time?

Patrick At about eight o’clock.

Manageress In what name?

Patrick Mr Dumont.

Manageress There you/we are, that’s done! See you on Thursday

evening!

Ticket attendant Welcome to Eurodisney What can I do for you?

Patrick An entrance ticket, please.

Ticket attendant What sort of ticket?

Patrick Pour la journée.

Ticket attendant Bon Une entrée pour un adulte.

Patrick Merci C’est combien?

Ticket attendant Quarante euros.

Patrick Il y a des restrictions?

Ticket attendant Non, vous pouvez tout visiter.

Patrick Parfait Vous avez une carte du parc?

Ticket attendant Oui, bien sûr.

Patrick Elle est gratuite?

Ticket attendant Non, c’est dix euros.

Insight

Because of the two-gender system of French nouns, certain

words will have two forms: a/one will become un with a masculine noun and une with a feminine one: un ticket a/

one ticket , un adulte a/one male adult, but une entrée an/one

admission ticket , une carte a/one map In the plural, des, some, will be used for both genders: des restrictions, restrictions.

PART 2: VISITING A MUSEUM

L CD2, TR14

Patrick Mademoiselle, je voudrais un renseignement

Receptionist Avec plaisir.

Patrick Le Louvre ouvre à quelle heure?

Receptionist De 9 heures à 18 heures.

Patrick Tous les jours?

Receptionist Oui, sauf le mardi.

Patrick Et pour les billets?

Receptionist A l’entrée.

Patrick Il y a beaucoup de monde?

Receptionist En été, oui En hiver c’est calme.

Patrick Les billets d’entrée sont chers?

Receptionist Ça dépend Il y a plusieurs sortes de billets.

Patrick Vous avez les prix?

Receptionist Oui, voilà.

Patrick Merci bien

Patrick For the (whole) day.

Ticket attendant Good An admission ticket for one adult.

Patrick Thank you How much is it?

Ticket attendant Forty euros.

Patrick Are there any restrictions?

Ticket attendant No, you can visit everything.

Patrick Perfect Do you have a map of the park?

Ticket attendant Yes, of course.

Patrick Is it free?

Ticket attendant No, it’s ten euros.

Receptionist From 9 a.m till 6 p.m.

Receptionist In summer, yes In winter, it’s quiet.

Receptionist It depends There are several sorts of tickets.

Receptionist Yes, here you are.

Manageress A quel nom?

Patrick Monsieur Dumont

Manageress Une seconde, je vérifi e … Oui, trois personnes,

non-fumeurs

Patrick C’est ça

Manageress A la terrasse ou à l’intérieur?

Patrick Euh, à l’intérieur Il fait un peu froid ce soir

Manageress Dans ce cas, il faut attendre un moment.

Claudine Pas de problème, on a le temps

Patrick On prend quelque chose en attendant?

Claudine Pourquoi pas? Pour moi, un martini avec des glaçons

Patrick Et pour toi, Daniel?

Daniel Une bière pression

Patrick Monsieur! Un martini, une bière (pression) et

un whisky, s’il vous plaît

PART 2: ORDERING A MEAL

L CD2, TR22

Manageress Messieurs-dames, il y a une table libre.

Patrick Parfait

Manageress Voilà le menu … et la carte des vins.

Patrick Merci On mange à la carte?

Claudine Non, je vais prendre le menu à 25 euros

Patrick Et toi, Daniel?

Daniel Moi aussi

Patrick D’accord Madame!

Manageress Oui?

Patrick Trois menus à 25 euros

Manageress Bien.

Patrick Good evening, Madam We have booked a table

for this evening.

Manageress In what name?

Patrick Mr Dumont.

Manageress One second, I’ll check … Yes, three people,

non-smokers.

Patrick That’s it.

Manageress On the terrace or inside?

Patrick Er, inside It’s a little cold this evening.

Manageress In that (this) case, you’ll have to wait a moment.

Claudine No problem, we’ve got time!

Patrick Shall we have something to drink while we wait?

Claudine Why not? For me, a martini with (some) ice (cubes).

Patrick And for you, Daniel?

Daniel A draught beer.

Patrick Waiter! One martini, one draught beer and a whisky,

please!

Manageress Ladies and gentlemen, there is a table available.

Patrick Perfect.

Manageress Here is the menu … and the wine list.

Patrick Thank you Shall we eat à la carte?

Claudine No, I’m going to take/have the menu at 25 euros.

Patrick And you, Daniel?

Patrick Trois salades tièdes … un steak garni pour

monsieur

Manageress Et avec ça?

Patrick Deux confi ts de canard aux champignons

Manageress Et pour les boissons?

Patrick Un moment, s’il vous plaît

Claudine Moi, je voudrais une carafe d’eau avec des glaçons

Insight

In familiar speech, instead of saying nous we before a verb, French people say: on (literally ‘someone’), followed by the third person singular of the verb So, nous avons le temps, we

have time, becomes: on a le temps, and nous prenons quelque chose, we have something to drink, becomes: on prend quelque

chose

Conversation 9

PART 1: GOING TO THE CHEMIST’S

L CD2, TR25

Pharmacist Bonjour, monsieur Vous désirez?

Patrick Quelque chose pour une migraine

Pharmacist Aspirine ou paracétamol?

Patrick Du paracétamol, je suis allergique à l’aspirine

Pharmacist Des comprimés ou des gélules?

Patrick Des gélules

Pharmacist C’est tout?

Patrick Non, j’ai aussi mal à la gorge

Pharmacist C’est probablement une allergie

Patrick Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez?

Pharmacist Un spray nasal ou des comprimés

Patrick Je vais prendre le spray

Pharmacist Voilà

Patrick Ça fait combien en tout?