Learn how to ask, "Who is that?"
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Céline: Bonjour! Je suis Céline. |
| Sylvain: Bonjour. Je suis Sylvain. |
| Sam: Hello, my name’s Sam. English, French. Bonjour, Sylvain. Bonjour, Céline. |
| Céline: Bonjour, Sam. Bonjour, Sylvain. |
| Sylvain: Bonjour, Céline. Sam. What a nice weather today! |
| Sam: Wow, what a nice French accent. You must really kill it with the ladies. Is it a problem to have an accent when you speak in a foreign language? Listen to me for example. Je m’appelle Sam. |
| Céline: No! I think it’s charming. It’s ok to have an accent. What do you think, Sylvain? |
| Sylvain: I think the student obsession about their accent, it’s not important. An accent is a charm. |
| Sam: A charm? |
| Sylvain: Yeah. Do you know Jane Birkin? |
| Sam: No. |
| Sylvain: She’s English. She was the previous wife of Serge Gainsbourg, and she has a wonderful, sharp, English accent. She lives in England, because in England, nobody knows her. |
| Sam: Ah, she lives in England. |
| Sylvain: But in France, she’s a star with her accent. |
| Céline: Oh, in Japan, too, I think. |
| Sam: Does her accent sound like mine? |
| Sylvain: Different. Different. |
| Sam: Different. |
| Sylvain: Another kind. The point is, an accent is a charm. |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: It’s a charm? |
| Céline: Yes, it is. |
| Sylvain: It’s your trademark, I mean. |
| Céline: Exactement. |
| Sylvain: But you have to be understandable anyway. |
| Sam: Ok. Hopefully, you guys can understand me when I speak French. |
| Sylvain: We do. |
| Céline: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. |
| Sam: Ok. |
| Céline: It’s ok. So let’s start today’s lesson? |
| Sylvain: Yes. |
| Sam: Ok. Julie and Robert are at lunch, and they’re having a conversation. Julie asks Robert to use “tu”. Let’s go. |
| Céline: So Sylvain, you’ll be Robert, and I’ll be Julie. |
| Sylvain: Ok! |
| DIALOGUE |
| Sylvain: Vous parlez l'anglais? |
| Céline: Oui, un peu. Robert, tutoie-moi maintenant. |
| Sylvain: D'accord. Tu parles le français? |
| Céline: Oui, je le parle. |
| Sam: One more time, slowly. |
| Céline: Encore une fois, lentement. |
| Sylvain: Vous parlez l'anglais? |
| Céline: Oui, un peu. Robert, tutoie-moi maintenant. |
| Sylvain: D'accord. Tu parles le français? |
| Céline: Oui, je le parle. |
| Sam: One more time, with the English. |
| Céline: Encore une fois avec l’anglais. |
| Sylvain: Vous parlez l'anglais? Do you speak English? |
| Céline: Oui, un peu. Robert, tutoie-moi maintenant. Yes, a little. Robert, you can use “tu” with me now. |
| Sylvain: D'accord. Tu parles le français? Ok. Do you speak French? |
| Céline: Oui, je le parle. Yes, I speak French. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Sylvain: Ok , in French, we can say “Vous parlez l’anglais?” “Do you speak English?” but we can also drop the article, the definite article. “Vous parlez anglais?” Vous parlez… |
| Céline: Do you understand, Sam? |
| Sam: Yes, because if you say, “I speak English,” or if you ask, for example in the conversation the question was “Vous parlez l’anglais?” “Do you speak English?” |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: So it’s ok to say, “Vous parlez l’anglais?” or you can say, “Vous parlez anglais?” |
| Céline: Exactement. |
| Sylvain: C’est ça, c’est ça. |
| Sam: Same meaning. |
| Sylvain: Same meaning, and both are used equally. |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: Ok. So the easiest way to explain that is you can drop the article when asking the question. |
| Céline: Yeah. |
| Sylvain: Let’s do things simple. |
| Sam: That sounds good to me. |
| Céline: I think it’s easier. |
| Sylvain: Let’s drop the article. This is an important sentence. “Vous parlez anglais?” I imagine Sam lost in Paris with his English guidebook in hand in the winter rain on the Pont Neuf in his Disneyland plastic coat, lost, without help. {wind noises} And suddenly at the sun jumping out of the cloud in front of him, a beautiful parisienne. |
| Sam: Vous parlez anglais? |
| Céline: Non. Je suis française. No I’m French. And here you’re in France. Vous êtes en France. If you want to speak English, go to London. Just it’s near. |
| Sam: Désolé. |
| Céline: Ok. Au revoir. |
| Sylvain: She’s so cold. |
| Sam: Est-ce que tu parles anglais aux Etats-Unis? |
| Céline: Je ne sais pas, je ne connais pas les Etats-Unis. I don’t know the States. |
| Sam: Pourquoi? Why? |
| Céline: Because I’ve never been to the States. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Céline: No. |
| Sam: Désolé. A la prochaine! Sorry, see you. Hey, listeners, let’s chip in, and we’ll get Céline a ticket to the States so she can go and experience that wonderful country. What do you think, Céline? Would you like that? |
| Céline: Yes. Ok. New York, maybe. |
| Sam: Ok. Sounds good, but you have to speak English in New York. |
| Céline: I can speak Spanish, too. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Sam: Oh. Let’s look at some vocabulary and phrases. Sylvain, first word please? |
| Sylvain: Un peu. |
| Sam: A little. |
| Sylvain: Un peu. Un peu. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Sylvain: Parler. |
| Sam: To speak or to talk. |
| Sylvain: Parler. Parler. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Un peu. |
| Sam: A little. |
| Céline: Un peu. Un peu. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Sylvain: Tutoyer. |
| Sam: To use “tu”. |
| Sylvain: Tutoyer. Tutoyer. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Maintenant. |
| Sam: Now. |
| Céline: Maintenant. Maintenant. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Sylvain: D’accord. |
| Sam: Ok. I agree. |
| Sylvain: D’accord. D’accord. |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Céline: Let’s have a look at the usage of some words and phrases. We will first look at the verb “parler.” |
| Sylvain: Je parle l’anglais et le français. I speak French and English. |
| Céline: With a strong accent. |
| Sylvain: Thank you. |
| Sam: Il a un peu l’accent français. It’s true. He has a little French accent. |
| Céline: A little? He has a strong French accent... You have to be careful with “peu” et “un peu”. |
| Sam: For example? |
| Sylvain: Il parle peu anglais. |
| Sam: He speaks a tad bit of English. |
| Céline: Il parle un peu anglais. |
| Sam: He speaks a little bit of English. |
| Céline: Let’s see an example for “tutoyer” now. Je peux vous tutoyer? Can I use “tu” with you? When you want to make the relationship more casual. |
| Sam: You use tutoyer? |
| Céline: Tutoyer. Exactement. To have a friendly relationship with someone. |
| Sylvain: More casual. |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: You can say : je peux vous tutoyer? |
| Sylvain: Yes. |
| Sam: Ah, I understand. |
| Céline: Exactement. |
| Sam: So you have to ask if you can use “tu” with the person first? |
| Sylvain: For sure. |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: I understand. |
| Céline: Ok. |
| Sylvain: And, on the contrary, if you continue to use “vous”... |
| Sam: It makes the distance between you and the speaker... |
| Céline: Exactly. |
| Sam: ... bigger. |
| Céline: Yeah. |
| Sylvain: Well, let’s jump to the next thing, “maintenant.”Il est quelle heure maintenant? What time is it now? |
| Sam: Je ne sais pas. I don’t know. |
| Céline: Je ne sais pas. |
| Sam: But I have a question. |
| Céline: Oui. |
| Sam: You can also say: Quelle heure est-il? Right? |
| Céline: Exactement. |
| Sylvain: Oui, bien sûr. |
| Sam: Which one do you use? |
| Céline: Both. |
| Sam: Both? |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sylvain: Quelle heure est-il? Il est quelle heure? |
| Sam: Il est quelle heure maintenant? |
| Sylvain: That’s a bit… |
| Céline: Je ne sais pas, but maybe it’s time to eat something. No? |
| Sylvain: That’s a good idea. |
| Sam: That’s a good idea. |
| Sylvain: That is the best idea. And drink also. |
| Sam: You guys read my mind. So let’s wrap it up there. |
| Sylvain: Yeah, good. |
| Sam: Well… |
| Sylvain: Pizza, for example? |
| Sam: Sounds good, but hey we have to say goodbye to our listeners first. |
| Sylvain: That’s right. |
| Céline: But maybe we should do the grammar first. |
| Sam: My stomach was talking and not my mouth. |
| Céline: Yeah, ok. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Sam: Let’s go to the grammar now. Today’s point, the art of conjugation. We’re going to look at some verbs. French verbs, of course. We have three categories for these verb: group one, group two and group three. Groups one and two deal with regular verbs. The third group covers irregular verbs. To classify the verbs, you have to look at the ending. Céline, can you please tell us about the first verb group. |
| Céline: Yes! So the first verb group includes regular verbs at the infinitive form ending with -er. |
| Sam: You mean verbs that end in -er? |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: Ok. |
| Céline: Parler. |
| Sam: To speak or to talk. |
| Céline: Chanter. |
| Sam: To sing. How about the second group, Sylvain? |
| Sylvain: The second verb group includes regular verbs that ended with -ir. |
| Sam: How about some examples for our second group? |
| Sylvain: Applaudir. |
| Sam: To applaud. |
| Sylvain: Atterrir. |
| Céline: To land. |
| Sam: To land. And last group, Céline? |
| Céline: Yeah, so the third verb group includes all the irregular verbs with various endings. |
| Sam: For example? |
| Céline: Faire. |
| Sam: To do or to make. |
| Céline: Partir. |
| Sam: To leave. |
| Céline: I think that’s it. I mean, for now. Yeah, I think you should learn progressively. |
| Sylvain: But you have to know that the first group in -er are the group that regroups all the more common verbs. |
| Sam: So -er verbs are most common? |
| Sylvain: I mean, new verbs now are always being constructed with the -er form. |
| Sam: So -er verbs are pretty important. |
| Sylvain: Yeah, that’s right. |
| Céline: Yeah, like “aimer”. To love. |
| Sam: To love. Yeah that’s an important one. |
| Sylvain: That’s the first verb that everybody learns at school. |
| Céline: Yeah, so why don’t you tell me the conjugation of “aimer”? |
| Sam: This is like a test. Conjugating the verb “aimer”? Ok. I can do that. First person singular, I love, “j’aime”. |
| Céline: Bien. |
| Sylvain: Bien. Après. |
| Sam: Second person singular, “tu aimes”, you love. Third person singular, “il/elle/on aime” |
| Céline: Bien |
| Sam: He loves, she loves, it loves. |
| Céline: C’est parfait hein? |
| Sylvain: C’est parfait. Tout à fait. |
| Sam: Let’s stop there. But for the rest of the conjugations, please go to our PDF chart. |
| Céline: Très bien. |
| Sylvain: Très très bien. |
| Céline: Ok. |
| Sylvain: On continue! |
| Céline: C’est parti! Avec quoi? |
| Sylvain: Avec je ne sais pas. |
| Céline: Ben je crois que c’est fini. |
| Sam: I think we’re finished. |
| Sylvain: On va enfin pouvoir avoir la pizza! |
Outro |
| Sam: Let’s go get some pizza! Sounds good. So thank you guys again for listening to FrenchPod101.com. Thank you, Sylvain. |
| Sylvain: Mmm. |
| Céline: Oh, Sylvain! |
| Sylvain: Mmm. |
| Céline: Ok, he’s grumpy. |
| Sam: Ok. Céline, thank you. |
| Céline: Oui. Merci. Merci beaucoup, Sam. |
| Sylvain: Thank you very much. |
| Sam: And guys, please go to FrenchPod101.com to pick up the PDF, and while you’re there, please leave us a question or comment. |
| Céline: Oh, yes. I just want to say, I love you Americans. Right? Because I don’t want any kind comments-- terrible comments. |
| Sam: That’s ok, we forgive you. |
| Céline: Ok. |
| Sam: So guys, until the next time, see you later. À bientôt. |
| Céline: À bientôt! |
| Sylvain: À bientôt! Au revoir. |
| Sam: Bye-bye. |
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