Dialogue

Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

Intro

Virginie: Hello, everyone, bonjour. This is Virginie.
Eric: Bonjour. Eric here! Making Your French Birthday List by Using the Negative to State What You Don't Have!
Virginie: What are we going to talk about today?
Eric: Well Rob and Cathy are leaving the wine tasting event. They are going back to their respective houses.
Virginie: And I assume they will be talking about what they don't have.
Eric: Exactly. Well let's find out.
Virginie: Okay. Let's listen to the conversation.

Lesson conversation

Rob: Tu habites loin?
Cathy: Oui, à Versailles.
Rob: Tu as une voiture?
Cathy: Non, je n’ai pas de voiture.
Rob: Tu as un abonnement de métro?
Cathy: Oui, bien sûr.
Eric: One more time with the translation.
Rob: Tu habites loin?
Eric: Do you live far?
Cathy: Oui, à Versailles.
Virginie: Yes, in Versailles.
Rob: Tu as une voiture?
Eric: Do you have a car?
Cathy: Non, je n’ai pas de voiture.
Virginie: No, I don’t have a car.
Rob: Tu as un abonnement de métro?
Eric: Do you have a monthly subway pass?
Cathy: Oui, bien sûr.
Virginie: Yes, of course.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Eric: Versailes, where is that exactly?
Virginie: It's one hour south west from Paris.
Eric: And the chateau is a must see.
Virginie: Of course. And there is something really fun to do in the Chateau's park.
Eric: Oh yes, what's that?
Virginie: You can have a boat ride on the canal.
Eric: Wow.
Virginie: Yes, it's beautiful. And it makes you think that you're a king or a queen or something. It's pretty nice. That gives you another perspective on the Castle.
Eric: Right. So after a long visit in the castle, go take out a row boat!
Virginie: Yes it's really relaxing. And the park is very, very nice too.
Eric: And if you aren't that interested in the castle, you can just go directly to the park.
Virginie: Oui. The access is very, very cheap, a couple of euros I think.
Eric: Bargain, nice.
Virginie: It is, it's very nice.
VOCAB LIST
Eric: Well, let's hear a little vocabulary.
Virginie: Fist, Loin [natural native speed]
Eric: Far.
Virginie: Loin [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Loin [natural native speed]
Eric: And then.
Virginie: Une voiture [natural native speed]
Eric: A car.
Virginie: Une voiture [slowly - broken down by syllable] Une voiture [natural native speed]
Eric: Next.
Virginie: Un abonnement [natural native speed]
Eric: A subscription, a pass.
Virginie: Un abonnement [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Un abonnement [natural native speed]
Eric: Then.
Virginie: Métro [natural native speed]
Eric: Subway.
Virginie: Métro [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Métro [natural native speed]
Eric: Next.
Virginie: Bien sûr [natural native speed]
Eric: Of course.
Virginie: Bien sûr [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Bien sûr [natural native speed]
KEY VOCABULARY AND PHRASES
Eric: So the first phrase we're going to look at is?
Virginie: It is ""loin.""
Eric: And ""loin"" means far.
Virginie: Oui. Rob asked Cathy ""tu habites loin?""
Eric: Do you live far?
Virginie: See, it's just like in English. All you have to do is add ""loin"" after the verb.
Eric: And it also means far away
Virginie: Yes, for example if you want to say you are far away, you will say ""tu es loin.""
Eric: What else?
Virginie: An important word if you live in the country is, you always need a car in the country.
Eric: Indeed.
Virginie: But if you live in Southern France you will hear the word ""une auto"" to refer to a car and not ""une voiture.""
Eric: Really?
Virginie: And that's spelled AUTO. It's short for automobile.
Eric: Some words do vary from one French region to another?
Virginie: Exactly, oui. Each region has its own phrases too.
Eric: I've heard that the word ""plastic bag"" is different in the North and in the South.
Virginie: Yes, it's true. In the north they say ""un sac plastique.""
Eric: Plastic bag.
Virginie: Exactly. And in the South they say ""une poche plastique.""
Eric: Une poche.
Virginie: But really most of the time French people understand each other! No worries.

Lesson focus

Eric: Okay, great. Well, let's jump in to some grammar. So our focus today is how to say you don't have something.
Virginie: Yes. Like in our dialogue, Cathy says, ""je n'ai pas de voiture.""
Eric: And that's ""I don't have a car.""
Virginie: Now remember in a previous lesson we saw how to say ""I have something.""
Eric: Yes, I would say ""j'ai une voiture.""
Virginie: I have a car. So far so good. We have j'ai…
Eric: To say, I have.
Virginie: And then we have ""une voiture.""
Eric: And that's ""a car"", the indefinite article ""une"" and voiture ""car.""
Virginie: Now to say that you don't have a car
Eric: All you do is squeeze the verb between n' and pas.
Virginie: Absolutely. Je n'ai pas.
Eric: And then add the word ""de"" right after.
Virginie: Je n'ai pas de.
Eric: Je n'ai pas de voiture.
Virginie: Je n'ai pas de voiture.
Eric: Notice that now we got rid of the indefinite article ""une.""
Virginie: Yes the indefinite article just disappears. Instead we say pas de.
Eric: One more time, Virginie?
Virginie: Je n'ai pas de voiture.
Eric: And what it really means is ""I don't have a car in general.""
Virginie: Yes. Now if you want to say you don't have the car.
Eric: So like if we're talking about a specific car?
Virginie: Yes. You will say ""Je n'ai pas LA voiture.""
Eric: So all you do is again squeeze your verb between ""n'"" and ""pas.""
Virginie: And that's Je n'ai pas.
Eric: Then you add your definite article.
Virginie: Je n'ai pas la.
Eric: And finally, ""car.""
Virginie: Je n'ai pas la voiture.
Eric: Let's hear both sentences one more time?
Virginie: Bien sur. Of course.
Eric: I don't have a car.
Virginie: Je n'ai pas DE voiture.
Eric: I don't have the car.
Virginie: Je n'ai pas la voiture.
Eric: Excellent. Right, so that would how you say you don't have something.

Outro

Virginie: Yes. I think you're all set for today! Thank you. Au revoir.
Eric: Thank you very much.

Grammar

French Grammar Made Easy - Unlock This Lesson’s Grammar Guide

Easily master this lesson’s grammar points with in-depth explanations and examples. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Comments

Hide