Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Let’s take a closer look at the conversation.
Do you remember how the waiter says,
"Have you decided?"
Vous avez choisi ?
First is vous, the plural form of "you," as in "you all." Here it's being used as the formal way to address a single person. Vous (enunciated). Vous.
Next is avez, "have." Think of It as a helping verb here. Avez (enunciated). Avez.
Avez is from the verb, avoir, meaning “to have.” Avoir.
Finally, choisi. "Decided” or “chosen." Choisi (enunciated). Choisi.
Choisi is from the verb choisir, "to choose." Choisir.
All together, it’s Vous avez choisi ? ”Have you decided?” Vous avez choisi ?
This phrase is often used in restaurants or shops to ask the customers if they’ve made their choice and are ready to order.
Let’s take a closer look at the response.
Do you remember how Karen says,
"Two of these, please?"
Deux de ça, s'il vous plaît.
First is deux, "two." Deux (enunciated). Deux.
Next is de, "of." De (enunciated). De.
After this is ça, "this." Ça (enunciated). Ça.
Note that ça is a singular pronoun and can be used when you don’t know the name of something you’re pointing to. Karen uses it here because she’s pointing at something on the menu and doesn’t know the French word for it.
Note: Ça can be used for both masculine and feminine nouns.
Together, deux de ça literally means “two of this,” but it translates as “two of these.” Deux de ça.
Last is the phrase s’il vous plaît, "please." S’il vous plaît (enunciated). S’il vous plaît.
All together, Deux de ça, s'il vous plaît. "Two of these, please."
Deux de ça, s'il vous plaît.
The pattern is
{Number} de ça, s'il vous plaît.
{Number} of these, please.
{Number} de ça, s'il vous plaît.
To use this pattern, simply replace the {NUMBER} placeholder with the number of the item you're requesting.
Imagine you’d like three of a thing you don’t know the French word for.
Three, trois. Trois (enunciated). Trois.
Say
"Three of these, please."
Ready?
Trois de ça, s'il vous plaît.
"Three of these, please."
Trois de ça, s'il vous plaît.
The pattern, {Number} de ça, s'il vous plaît can be used to order an item without knowing its name, and consequently its gender, in French.

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