Learn how to ask wh- questions using qu'est-ce que (what) and qui (who)
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Sylvain: Bonjour je m’appelle Sylvain! |
| Céline: Bonjour je suis Céline! |
| Sam: Sam here! How Many Times You Have to Be Told, I’m not Your Secretary? In this lesson, you’ll learn how to answer a phone call and formulate open questions about what and who. |
| Céline: The conversation takes place during a phone call at anytime of the day. Aurélie’s mother, Alice, picks up the phone to pass it on to Aurélie who seems to be in a bad mood. |
| Sam: The conversation is in informal French. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Clever Robert: Allô? Bien sûr, un instant. Aurélie, c’est pour toi. |
| Sweety Aurélie: Qui c’est ? |
| Clever Robert: C’est Daniel. |
| Sweety Aurélie: Qu’est-ce qu’il veut ? |
| Clever Robert: Hmm… |
| Sweety Aurélie: Je ne suis pas là ! |
| Clever Robert: Aurélie ! |
| Sweety Aurélie: Okay… |
| Sam: Now let’s try that again slowly. |
| Clever Robert: Allô ? Bien sûr, un instant. Aurélie, c’est pour toi. |
| Sweety Aurélie: Qui c’est? |
| Clever Robert: C’est Daniel. |
| Sweety Aurélie: Qu’est-ce qu’il veut? |
| Clever Robert: Hmm… |
| Sweety Aurélie: Je ne suis pas là! |
| Clever Robert: Aurélie! |
| Sweety Aurélie: Okayay… |
| Sam: Let’s try that with the English. |
| Clever Robert: Allô ? Bien sûr, un instant. Aurélie, c’est pour toi. |
| Sam: Hello? Sure, hold on. Aurélie, it's for you. |
| Sweety Aurélie: Qui c’est ? |
| Sam: Who is it? |
| Clever Robert: C’est Daniel. |
| Sam: It's Daniel. |
| Sweety Aurélie: Qu’est-ce qu’il veut? |
| Sam: What does he want? |
| Clever Robert: Hmm… |
| Sam: Hmm… |
| Sweety Aurélie: …Je ne suis pas là ! |
| Sam: …I'm not here! |
| Clever Robert: Aurélie ! |
| Sam: Aurélie! |
| Sweety Aurélie: Okayay… |
| Sam: Okay… |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Sam: Wow! Aurelie is being very difficult. Why doesn’t she want to talk to Daniel? |
| Céline: Maybe because he’s a stalker. I remember doing this to some of my friends. |
| Sylvain: Je me souviens que c’était lmes amis qui me le faisaient. I remember that it was my friend that was doing it to me. |
| Céline: Ah Sylvain, tu sais, dans la vie y a deux catégories d’individus, il y a ceux qui ont le revolver, et ceux qui creusent! Toi tu creuses! |
| Sylvain: sympa. |
| Sam: So what Céline was saying was there are two types of people – people that hold the gun and people that dig. And obviously, you’re a digger. |
| Sylvain: You’re a digger. I love the way you say it. |
| Sam: Oh, gosh. Anyway. |
| Sylvain: Okay. I mean, yeah, I know a girl who really receives lots of phone calls after the end of the lesson. |
| Sam: And what girl might be receiving all these phone calls? |
| Sylvain: Her name begin with C. |
| Céline: Okay. Talking about telephones, do you know which dial code is for friends, Sam? |
| Sam: Yes, I do. |
| Sylvain: Tell us. |
| Céline: So tell us. Right. |
| Sam: You already know, and I know. Why do I have to tell you? |
| Céline: Maybe for the listeners. |
| Sam: Okay, it’s 34. It’s 34. |
| Sylvain: Just one different. |
| Céline: That’s Spain. |
| Sam: Oh, 33. |
| Sylvain: Cool. We know it. |
| Céline: Okay. How about for cell phones? |
| Sylvain: How about for cell phones? |
| Céline: Yes. The number starts with 06. |
| Sam: Isn’t that mobile phone? |
| Céline: I mean, mobile phones. |
| Sam: Are telecommunication packages expensive in France? |
| Céline: Now you can get special packs with internet and phone. So basically it’s getting cheaper with mobile phones, sorry. |
| Sylvain: Yeah. |
| Céline: Still expensive in France. |
| Sylvain: In the states, it’s funny. The mobile phone is expensive but the service is very cheap. |
| Céline: You mean the phone? |
| Sam: The phone itself is very expensive but the service is quite cheap. |
| Céline: In France, it’s the opposite. |
| Sam: Oh, wow. Can you get a mobile phone anywhere in France or only the mobile phone shop? |
| Céline: Mobile phone shop. |
| Sam: What about Walmart? |
| Sylvain: We have no Walmart in France. |
| Sam: In the states, you can get a mobile phone at Walmart. |
| Céline: No. In France, only mobile shops. |
| Sylvain: But we have Carrefour. |
| Sam: So guys, in France, with the mobile phone or cell phone, do the companies make phones that use a SIM card? |
| Céline: Yes, we use SIM card. |
| Sam: So you can take the SIM card out and use it in a different phone? |
| Sylvain: I never tried that. |
| Céline: It depends on your contract. |
| Sam: But fundamentally, you’re not meant to, maybe? |
| Céline: Non. |
| Sam: Okay. |
| Céline: voilà. |
| Sylvain: This was a publicity for the French phone company. |
| Céline: No because we didn’t mention which. |
| Sylvain: So buy phone, buy the... |
| Céline: Okay, let’s check the vocab. |
| Sam: That sounds like a good idea. Let’s look at the words and phrases from this lesson. The first item is… |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Sylvain: Un instant [natural native speed] |
| Sam: One moment. |
| Sylvain: Un instant [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Un instant [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Pour [natural native speed] |
| Sam: For. |
| Céline: Pour [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Pour [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Qui |
| Sam: Who? |
| Sylvain: Qui. Qui. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Qui c'est? [natural native speed] |
| Sam: Who is it? |
| Sylvain: Qui c'est? [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Qui c'est? [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Vouloir [natural native speed] |
| Sam: To want. |
| Sylvain: Vouloir [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Vouloir [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: Là [natural native speed] |
| Sam: There. |
| Céline: Là [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Là [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Now let’s take a look at the usage for some of the key items in this lesson. |
| Sylvain: The first word that we will look at is instant. |
| Céline: To make someone wait on the phone, it’s common to say “un instant s’il vous plaît”. |
| Sam: “Just a moment, please.” The next item? |
| Céline: “Pour” translated as the preposition “for” or “to”. |
| Sam: “Pour” can be used for a couple of different things – number one, to indicate a goal; next, for a purpose; and lastly, for designation of items or things. Let’s see an example. |
| Céline: Apprendre le français, c’est pour communiquer. |
| Sam: Okay. “Learning French for communication.” Another sentence to indicate a purpose? |
| Sylvain: Je travaille pour vivre. |
| Sam: “I work for life.” That’s a good one. Another sentence to indicate a goal? |
| Sylvain: Je pratique mon anglais pour améliorer ma prononciation. |
| Sam: “I practice my English in order to improve my pronunciation.” |
| Céline: No. Your accent is part of your charm personally. |
| Sylvain: My accent? |
| Céline: Oui exactement. And finally, a sentence with a “pour” illustrating designation for. |
| Sam: “The letter is for you.” How do you say that…. |
| Céline: Euh… I didn’t say the word. Just... yeah ok. The letter is for you? La lettre est pour toi. |
| Sam: “The letter is for you.” |
| Céline: La lettre est pour toi donc. |
| Sylvain: The letter is for you. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: I got a letter. Great! |
| Sylvain: For you. |
| Céline: Okay. The next word to express desire or intention is vouloir. |
| Sam: “To want.” |
| Sylvain: Je veux manger. “I want to eat.” |
| Céline: Je veux un gâteau à la fraise. |
| Sam: “I want a strawberry cake.” Je veux plus verb or je veux plus noun indicates desire. |
| Céline: exactement. |
| Sylvain: But take care because if you use je veux in present, sometimes it’s a little bit impolite. We already said it. |
| Sam: It’s a little bit strong, huh? |
| Sylvain: Yeah, yeah, yeah. |
| Céline: Je voudrais. |
| Sylvain: Je voudrais. |
| Sam: “I would like” is a better way to say something. |
| Céline: oui. |
| Sylvain: Yes. |
| Céline: Finally, there’s the interrogative pronoun “qui.” |
| Sylvain: Who. To ask about people. |
| Sam: For example… |
| Sam: Qui est le plus beau? Moi. |
| Sylvain: Bien sûr! |
| Sam: “Who’s the most handsome? Me.” Just remember, guys, when you’re describing man, you would say beau as in handsome. For ladies, “belle” for beautiful. |
| Céline: So you have an example? |
| Sam: If you’re asking for example, qui est le plus beau? “who’s the most handsome”, you’re talking about a male. If you say qui est la plus belle… |
| Céline: Answer? |
| Sylvain: Céline! Ah ouais c’est ça! |
| Céline: Merci Sylvain! |
| Sam: Back to our lesson. Let’s boost our grammar knowledge, okay? |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Céline: Donc Sylvain la grammaire? |
| Sylvain: Oui la grammaire c’est quoi? Euh… structure questions with the interrogative pronom “qui” and “qu’est-ce que”. |
| Céline: Que means “who” as in “qui veut jouer à la Belotte”? |
| Sylvain: Qui veut jouer à la Belotte? What a question. |
| Sam: What is la Belotte? |
| Sylvain: It’s… |
| Céline: A card game. |
| Sylvain: …a card game from the south of France. Really traditional. |
| Sam: I think I know that one, played by teams of two? |
| Céline: Exactement oui. So you can also say “qui est-ce qui veut jouer à la Belotte?”. |
| Sylvain: Yes. |
| Céline: Qui can be replaced by “qui est-ce qui” . |
| Sam: Oh, interesting. What about “qu’est-ce que”? |
| Sylvain: Tu m’as enlevé le mot de la bouche. You took the word out of my mouth. |
| Sam: The words out of your mouth? |
| Sylvain: Yeah, French expression. |
| Sam: Okay. |
| Céline: qu’est-ce que as to other forms as mentioned in the previous lesson. |
| Sylvain: que and quoi. Que is placed at the end of the questions. |
| Sam: An example, please, before I get lost in translation. |
| Céline: Tu manges quoi? |
| Sylvain: “What do you eat?” |
| Céline: Just remember, using quoi is le français familier. |
| Sylvain: Très familier. |
| Sam: Oh, casual French. |
| Céline: oui! |
| Sylvain: On the contrary, que is formal. |
| Sam: Therefore, don’t forget to follow the pronoun que by the verb first and then the subject next. So, “tu manges quoi?” could be “que manges-tu?”. |
| Sylvain: parfait! |
| Céline: Bravo! |
| Sylvain: Très bien. |
| Sam: I’m pretty smart, huh? Not really, but that’s okay. |
| Sylvain: No. Improvise another question, with “que”. |
| Sam: with “que”? Hmm… |
| Sylvain: “What do you want?” For example. |
| Sam: “que veux-tu?” |
| Céline: oui! |
| Sylvain: parfait! |
| Céline: Que veux-tu? |
| Sylvain: Que veux-tu? |
| Sam: Wow! French is fun and easy. |
| Céline: Bien sûr. |
| Sam: You know, that was a lot of info. I’m so glad I don’t have to take notes. |
| Sylvain: That was a lot of info. That’s right. |
| Céline: By the way, qui écrit les leçons? “Who writes the lessons?” |
| Sam: Who wrote the lessons? I don’t know. |
| Céline: No, who writes the lesson, all the lessons. |
| Sam: Who writes all the lessons? I still don’t know. |
| Céline: Sylvain? |
| Sylvain: I don’t know either! |
| Céline: You don’t know? |
| Sylvain: No, no, no. |
| Céline: Okay, I know but I won’t tell you. |
| Sam: Why? |
| Céline: Parce que. |
| Sylvain: Because? Because of what? |
| Céline: Because I don’t know. I don’t want to. |
| Sam: You keep asking who writes all the text. Maybe you want our listeners to find out because maybe that person left a post with his or her first name in the forum. |
| Sylvain: That’s right. |
| Céline: peut-être. |
| Sam: Maybe? |
| Céline: So that’s the question, qui est l’auteur des leçons? |
| Sylvain: Who is the author? |
| Sam: Who’s the author? I guess I’ll have to go to FrenchPod101.com to find out, and so can our listeners. |
| Sylvain: That’s right. |
| Céline: Voilà. |
| Sylvain: And leave some comment in the forum. |
| Sam: Of course. |
| Sylvain: And things like this. |
| Sam: Of course. |
| Céline: Voilà, exactement. |
| Sam: And maybe that’s a good place to end today’s lesson. |
| Céline: oui! |
Outro |
| Sam: Thank you, guys. That’s a wrap for today’s lesson. Find out the author’s first name in the comment section of this lesson. And be sure to leave us a message on today’s lesson in the forum at FrenchPod101.com. See you again tomorrow! Salut, à demain! |
| Céline: A demain! |
| Sylvain: A demain! |
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