Learn how to use the French verb avoir to express your desires, such as hunger, thirst, and sleep, among others
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Céline: Bonjour je m’appelle Céline. |
| Sylvain: Et moi c’est Sylvain. |
| Sam: Sam here! Is That Croissants and Coffee I Smell? In this lesson, you’ll learn how to inform people you know that you’re not very well using the verb avoir. |
| Céline: The conversation is between Julie and Bruno. |
| Sam: The speakers know each other, therefore, they will be speaking informally. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Pretty Julie: Bruno, ça va ? |
| Cheapo Bruno: Non, ça ne va pas. |
| Pretty Julie: Pourquoi ? |
| Cheapo Bruno: Parce que j’ai faim ! J’ai soif ! Je suis fatigué, je … |
| Pretty Julie: D’accord, d’accord… À plus tard. |
| English Host: One more time, slowly. |
| Female: Ok c’est parti, plus lentement. |
| Pretty Julie: Bruno, ça va ? |
| Cheapo Bruno: Non, ça ne va pas. |
| Pretty Julie: Pourquoi ? |
| Cheapo Bruno: Parce que j’ai faim ! J’ai soif ! Je suis fatigué, je … |
| Pretty Julie: D’accord, d’accord… À plus tard. |
| English Host: One more time with the English. |
| Pretty Julie: Bruno, ça va? “Bruno, are you okay?” |
| Cheapo Bruno: Non, ça ne va pas. “No, I’m not (okay).” |
| Pretty Julie: Pourquoi ? “Why?” |
| Cheapo Bruno: Parce que j’ai faim ! J’ai soif ! Je suis fatigué, je… “I’m hungry! I'm thirsty! I'm tired, I'm…” |
| Pretty Julie: D’accord, d’accord… À plus tard. “Okay, okay...later.” |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Sylvain: I’m always complaining. |
| Céline: What do you think, Sam? |
| Sam: About him complaining? |
| Céline: oui. |
| Sam: I’m used to it by now. |
| Sylvain: Le salaud. |
| Céline: oh mon Dieu! |
| Sam: Because he’s always hungry, he’s always thirsty. But if you’re hungry, there’s a McDo or McDonalds nearby. |
| Sam: Don’t say this… |
| Céline: Oh mon Dieu! McDo. |
| Sylvain: …in front of us. |
| Sam: Okay. So if I was hungry like Bruno, I would make a sandwich – peanut butter and jam. |
| Céline: oh purée c’est pas possible. |
| Sylvain: I was sure it was beginning well, you know, sandwich. |
| Sam: That’s a classic sandwich. Did you eat when you were a kid? |
| Céline: No, no. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Céline: No way. |
| Sam: Why? |
| Céline: No. We ate Nutella. |
| Sylvain: Nutella. |
| Sam: Okay, Nutella and jam. That works. |
| Céline: Why adding jam? |
| Sam: You have to. |
| Céline: No, don’t have to. |
| Sam: It’s an unwritten rule. |
| Céline: Okay. |
| Sam: Now let’s look at some words and phrases. First we have… |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Céline: Parce que [natural native speed] |
| Sam: Because. |
| Céline: Parce que [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Parce que [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: j’ai. |
| Sam: I have. |
| Sylvain: j’ai. [slowly - broken down by syllable] j’ai. [natural native speed] |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: Faim [natural native speed] |
| Sam: Hunger. |
| Céline: Faim [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Faim [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Soif [natural native speed] |
| Sam: Thirsty or thirst. |
| Sylvain: Soif [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Soif [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: Je suis [natural native speed] |
| Sam: I am |
| Céline: Je suis [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Je suis [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Fatigué(e) [natural native speed] |
| Sam: Tired or fatigue. |
| Sylvain: Fatigué(e) [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Fatigué(e) [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: À plus tard [natural native speed] |
| Sam: See you later. |
| Céline: À plus tard [slowly - broken down by syllable]. À plus tard [natural native speed]. |
| Céline: So let’s have a look at some of the usage of some of the words and phrases. The first word we’ll look at is pourquoi [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Why. |
| Céline: That’s Sam’s word, “why”? You always ask why. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Céline: Yes. So pourquoi is used only in questions to ask for reason. |
| Sylvain: Oui. For example, pourquoi tu apprends le français? “Why do you learn French?” |
| Sam: C’est la langue de l’amour. |
| Sylvain: Repeat it to me please, once more. |
| Sam: C’est la langue de l’amour. |
| Sylvain: in with l’amour and la mort. |
| Céline: Yeah, just be careful. |
| Sam: Oh, yeah. I was trying to say c’est la langue de l’amour. It’s the language of love. |
| Céline: But you’re saying is the language of death. |
| Sam: Oh zut. No, no, no. I wanted to say “It’s the language of love.” Can you help me with my pronunciation. |
| Sylvain: l’amour. |
| Sam: l’amour. |
| Céline: Ok. ouuuu |
| Sam: ouuuu |
| Céline: l’amour. |
| Sam: l’amour. |
| Céline: exactement. |
| Sam: l’amour. “It’s the language of love.” And the language sounds as loving and as charming as French women like Céline. |
| Céline: Oh, merci Sam. Okay, let’s go to the next word, parce que. |
| Sylvain: pourquoi tu étais en retard ce matin? |
| Sam: “Why were you late this morning?” |
| Céline: parce que je me suis réveillée en retard. |
| Sam: “Because I woke up late.” |
| Sylvain: I was also late. |
| Céline: I wasn’t late. |
| Sam: No comment. |
| Céline: Okay. And then a practical phrase to let your frustration out is…pourquoi tu... why are you laughing? |
| Sylvain: Because I’m happy. No connection with the text. |
| Céline: No. No connection with this phrase. This phrase is ça ne va pas. |
| Sylvain: Yeah. Sorry. ça ne va pas. |
| Céline: Yeah. Which means “it’s not going well”. |
| Sylvain: It’s not going well. ça ne va pas. |
| Sam: So that’ a negative form. |
| Céline: Yes. There is two elements for the negation. |
| Sam: Maybe there are two elements for the negation. |
| Céline: Of course. Yes. Maybe. |
| Sylvain: ça ne va pas. ne et pas. |
| Sam: Like a sandwich. |
| Sylvain: Once more with cheese. |
| Sam: Yeah. So ne and pas are… |
| Sylvain: The negative… |
| Sam: …top and bottom, and then something in the middle. |
| Céline: Yeah. exactement. |
| Sam: Okay. I got it. |
| Céline: It’s easy. |
| Sylvain: But we should speak about this in the grammaire part but you’d have to take care about ne et pas. Sometimes, pas can be replaced by something else. |
| Sam: Okay. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Sylvain: je ne mange, je ne mange plus de sandwich. |
| Sam: Maybe we can talk about that later or I can explain it very easily. Can you say that again in French for us? |
| Sylvain: je ne mange plus de sandwich. |
| Sam: “I’m no longer eating the sandwich”. |
| Céline: exactement. |
| Sam: So it’s ne and then… |
| Sylvain: plus |
| Sam: plus or pas or another word for negation. |
| Céline: Okay. That’s in its phrase, right? j’ai. |
| Sam: “I have”. |
| Céline: j’ai une petite voiture. |
| Sylvain: “I have a small blue car”. |
| Céline: I didn’t say blue. I said… |
| Sylvain: I am sorry. I want you to have a blue car. |
| Céline: No, I have a red car. donc j’ai une petite voiture. |
| Sam: What if you want to say “I have a small blue car?” |
| Céline: j’ai une petite voiture bleue. |
| Sam: Okay. Thank you. |
| Sylvain: j’ai is the first person singular form of the verb avoir. |
| Sam: I remember that means “to have”, avoir. |
| Céline: exactement. It’s also used to give other information than possession. |
| Sam: We’ll talk about that later. |
| Céline: Okay. |
| Sam: Next phrase? |
| Céline: à plus tard |
| Sylvain: à plus tard |
| Céline: See you later. |
| Sylvain: See you later. |
| Sam: This is an informal farewell. Some people just say à plus. |
| Céline: à plus |
| Sylvain: à pluS. We have to pronounce the S. |
| Céline: Yes. So yeah, à plus is even more familiar. So don’t use it with someone you don’t know. |
| Sam: That’s interesting. So with my professor, can I say à plus? |
| Céline: No. |
| Sylvain: No, you will be dead or you will not pass the exam. |
| Sam: Maybe I won’t pass anyway. So… |
| Sylvain: allez à plus hein! |
| Sam: à plus |
| Sylvain: Boum. That’s my interpretation. |
| Céline: So our French people honest and tell when they don’t feel well. What do you think, Sam? |
| Sam: That’s difficult question. |
| Céline: Well, you can just say yes. |
| Sam: I think it’s case by case. |
| Sylvain: That’s right. |
| Sam: Some people are honest, some people are not. |
| Sylvain: I am really honest. |
| Céline: I am, too. So we are two French people? |
| Sam: Sometimes, if someone asks me how I’m doing, I’ll tell them. Sometimes, I’ll just say I’m okay. It depends on my mood. |
| Céline: But in America, you’re always okay. |
| Sylvain: Céline is beginning to… |
| Sam: Not always okay. |
| Céline: Yeah, it’s always fine. |
| Sylvain: We are sorry for… |
| Céline: Oh, great. It’s fine. |
| Sam: Everything is great. It’s wonderful. It’s fantastic. |
| Céline: It’s fine. |
| Sam: It’s totally excellent. That might be hard for you to grab, Céline. You’ve never lived in the states… |
| Sylvain: He’s laughing when you say it. |
| Céline: Okay. No comment. |
| Sam: No comment. |
| Céline: No comment. But… |
| Sylvain: Céline is pissed off. |
| Céline: But I mean I just noticed that. Everything is fun. |
| Sam: But even if things are going bad…. |
| Céline: How do you say il se rassure? |
| Sam: …reassuring himself. |
| Céline: Re-ensuring yourself. Oh, nice car. Oh, nice. But in fact, you don’t mean it. |
| Sam: Well, if you think… |
| Sylvain: What’s the objective of life? |
| Sam: When I play the football, my coach always said “If you think, then you are.” So if you think you have a great life, you have a great life. |
| Sylvain: méthode Coué, je suis gai tout me plaît. |
| Céline: I don’t trust this. I don’t think it’s... non. |
| Sam: The power of positive thinking. |
| Sylvain: No. |
| Sam: Okay. Let’s move on. Now, another powerful thing – the power of the grammar point. Let’s look at the last part of our lesson, which is grammar. |
| Céline: Is that funny? |
| Sylvain: Yeah, yeah, yeah. |
| Sam: Some funny stuff. |
| Céline: I promise you, we will talk about the different uses of the irregular verb avoir. So here it is. |
| Sylvain: If you recall in the dialogue, Bruno is hungry and thirsty. |
| Sam: Je suis faim et soif? |
| Sylvain: non non je ne suis pas faim, j’ai faim! |
| Céline: So avoir is also used to express sensations as hunger or thirst. |
| Sam: Ah, j’ai faim et j’ai soif. |
| Céline: oui! |
| Sylvain: And also to give the age. j’ai vingt ans. I am 20 years old or… |
| Céline: Liar! |
| Sylvain: thank you, thank you for the… soutien. |
| Sam: He means to talk about age. To talk about age. |
| Sylvain: To enumerate things also, we use avoir, as in il y a un rat dans le studio. “There is a rat in the studio.” |
| Céline: I hope not. I mean, maybe the only rat is Sam. |
| Sylvain: no too… |
| Sam: Okay. I’ll leave that one alone even though I learn a lot in today’s lesson. I learned so many things. |
| Céline: je t’aime Sam, je t’aime. |
| Sylvain: Let’s practice, Sam. |
| Sam: That sounds like a good idea to me. Let’s practice. |
| Sylvain: Il y a des pâtisseries. |
| Sam: There’s some pastries. |
| Sylvain: J’ai faim! |
| Sam: I’m hungry. |
| Céline: et moi j’ai soif! Je veux… |
| Sylvain: une bière. |
| Céline: Une bière? Hmmm non. |
| Sylvain: un verre de vin? |
| Céline: un verre de vin. |
| Sylvain: Je veux un verre de vin. |
| Céline: Je veux un verre de vin. |
| Sam: You want a glass of wine? |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: Red or white? |
| Céline: Red. |
| Sylvain: mais quel âge as-tu Céline? |
| Sam: How old are you, Céline? |
| Céline: I can’t remember. |
| Sam: Tu as oublié? |
| Céline: Oui j’ai oublié. But I can drink wine. That’s for sure. |
| Sam: You can? |
| Céline: I can. Je peux. |
| Sam: Okay. So let’s go to the bar. |
| Céline: Yeah. |
| Sylvain: Let’s go. |
| Sam: Maybe we should finish the lessons first, guys. |
| Céline: Yeah. Maybe. |
| Sylvain: That’s right. |
| Céline: But you know in France, you can’t drink alcohol if you’re under 16. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: So when you’re 16, you can drink. |
| Céline: You can drink. |
| Sam: No problem. |
| Céline: No problem. Sixteen. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: Wow. In a lot of states in America, it’s 21. |
| Sylvain: Hard. |
| Sam: So you have to wait until you’re 21 to drink. |
| Céline: Yes. That’s why all American, they want to go to France. |
| Sam: Of course. |
| Sylvain: For the women and the wine. |
| Sam: What about to experience the culture and the language? That’s the most important reason, I think. |
| Céline: Oh c’est mignon! |
| Sylvain: C’est mignon, c’est touchant hein? But… |
Outro |
| Sam: I think that’s a good place to end. Let’s conclude today’s lesson. |
| Sylvain: Thank you, Sam. Thank you. |
| Sam: And we can stop laughing. |
| Sylvain: For Céline, it’s no way but… |
| Sylvain: Okay, Sam. |
| Sam: Anyway, see you again tomorrow. Salut à demain! Are you okay, Céline? |
| Sylvain: Salut! No, she’s not okay. |
| Sam: You have to say bye to our listeners. |
| Céline: Au revoir! Oh, well, I’m sorry. |
| Sam: See you guys next time. Bye-bye. |
| Sylvain: Bye-bye. |
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