Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Céline: Bonjour je m’appelle Céline.
Sylvain: Et moi c’est Sylvain.
Sam: Sam here. Bonjour à tous!
Céline: Bonjour!
Sylvain: Bonjour!
Céline: So, I'm Céline and in the back making some masticating noises is Sylvain.
Sylvain: As you may not know, it's early in the morning, and without a croissant, my morning cannot begin. I am Sylvain.
Sam: Ok guys, let's get into today's lesson. This conversation takes place between Julie Dupond and Robert Martin who are meeting for the first time.
Céline: Exactement.
Sylvain: I will be Robert Martin.
Céline: Ok, and I'll be Julie Dupond.
DIALOGUE
Céline: Enchantée, Monsieur Martin.
Sylvain: Moi aussi.
Céline: Au revoir.
Sylvain: Bonne journée, Madame Dupond.
Sam: One more time, slowly.
Céline: Ok, c’est parti, plus lentement.
Céline: Enchantée, Monsieur Martin.
Sylvain: Moi aussi.
Céline: Au revoir.
Sylvain: Bonne journée, Madame Dupond.
Sam: One more time with the English.
Céline: Enchantée, Monsieur Martin. Nice to meet you, Mr. Martin.
Sylvain: Moi aussi. Me, too.
Céline: Au revoir. Bye.
Sylvain: Bonne journée, Madame Dupond. Have a good day, Mrs. Dupont.
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Sam: So guys, that conversation was very short.
Céline: Yeah, I think so, too.
Sylvain: It was a fast meeting.
Céline: Yep.
Sylvain: Too short for me.
Céline: What would you say, Sylvain?
Sylvain: What would I say?
Céline: Yeah, after, for example, "Enchanté." "Mademoiselle" ?
Sylvain: "Moi aussi," it's ok, but, for example, if you have a higher level of conversation, "Enchanté," I will say "Moi de même," "Me too."
Céline: Yeah. That's true. I would say the same.
Sam: You can also say "Enchanté" back.
Sylvain: Yeah. You have a good point also. For example, we can say. "Enchanté." We can repeat "Enchanté" back to the person.
Sam: I think, also, too, if someone says "Enchanté" to you, if you say "Salut," for example, maybe that's not good.
Sylvain: Not good at all, I think.
Sam: It's too casual.
Céline: That's true.
Sylvain: The level of language is different.
Céline: Yeah, I think so too. So how about, “vous voulez prendre un verre”?
Sylvain: Hmm, bonne idée!
Céline: Are you ready for a drink?
Sylvain: Yes! Good idea.
Sam: Sounds like a good idea to me. Let's have a drink.
Sylvain: Let's have a drink. What do we drink?
Sam: Water, of course.
Céline: Oh, what?!
Sam: Yes! Ooh, I love water.
Céline: How about French wine?
Sam: Too early.
Céline: It's never too early for French wine.
Sam: Maybe later on.
VOCAB LIST
Sam: Let's take a look at the vocab and the phrases from this lesson. First phrase.
Céline: Enchanté.
Sam: Pleased. Nice to meet you.
Céline: Enchanté. Enchanté.
Sam: Next phrase.
Céline: Bonne journée.
Sam: Have a good day.
Céline: Bonne journée. Bonne journée.
Sam: Next.
Céline: Au revoir!
Sam: Bye!
Céline: Au revoir. Au revoir!
Sam: Next.
Céline: Salut.
Sam: Bye! or Hi.
Céline: Salut. Salut.
Sam: Next
Céline: Connaître.
Sam: To know people.
Céline: Connaître. Connaître.
Sam: Next
Céline: Content. Contente.
Sam: The first was the masculine form of content. The second was the feminine form of content.
Céline: Content. Contente. Content. Contente
Sam: Next.
Céline: Moi.
Sam: Me.
Céline: Moi. Moi
Sam: Next.
Céline: Aussi.
Sam: Also.
Céline: Aussi. Aussi.
Sam: Next.
Céline: Journée.
Sam: Day.
Céline: Journée. Journée.
Sam: Next phrase.
Céline: Moi aussi.
Sam: Me, too.
Céline: Moi aussi. Moi aussi.
Sam: Next phrase.
Céline: À bientôt!
Sam: See you soon.
Céline: À bientôt. À bientôt!
VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE
Céline: Ok. Let's have a look at the usage from some of the words. We will see two phrases
Sylvain: "Moi de même" and "Moi aussi."
Sam: Céline, let's see an example.
Sylvain: J’aime les croissants. It is not Céline. It is Sylvain.
Sam: Oh, sorry, Sylvain.
Céline: J’aime les croissants.
Sam: I love croissants.
Céline: Moi aussi.
Sam: Moi aussi. Oops! I forgot to translate "moi aussi." Me, too.
Céline: In negative tenses, "moi aussi" turns into "moi non plus."
Sylvain: Je n’aime pas les araignées.
Sam: I don't like spiders.
Céline: Moi non plus.
Sam: Me, neither. Then what is the difference between "moi aussi" and "moi de même?”
Céline: "Moi de même" is really formal.
Sylvain: Let's have an example.
Céline: Enchantée, Monsieur Sylvain.
Sylvain: Moi de mêmeme. Quite simple. You just have to repeat after the "Enchanté" the "moi de même."
Céline: So then I used "Monsieur Sylvain" so that was formal. And now...
Céline: Enchantée, Sylvain.
Sylvain: Moi aussi.
Céline: See the difference? Ok. Let's have a look at two similar phrases.
Sylvain: "au revoir" et "à bientôt"
Sam: Céline, can we see some examples of "au revoir" and “à bientôt"?
Céline: Ok, “Il est tard, je rentre à la maison. Au revoir!”
Sylvain: It's late. I go back home. See you!
Sam: Is "à bientôt" more casual than "au revoir"?
Céline: Yes exactly. Let's add something. If, for example, you have to come back immediately from here, here you are-- you will say, "à tout de suite", "à tout de suite".
Sylvain: Alors, donc, for an example de, "à tout de suite", je… je… je sors du studio.
Céline: A tout de suite!
Sam: I'm leaving. I'll see you very soon. Where's he going?
Céline: Bathroom, I guess.
Sam: Céline, now it's just the two of us, can I ask you a question?
Céline: Yeah, sure.
Sam: When you part company with your friends in France, do you give them a kiss on the cheek?
Céline: Of course! Always.
Sam: How about a hug?
Céline: Yeah, a hug is maybe with family. But you know, I'm a woman. Women usually, in France, they kiss. But if you don't know-- I mean, you don't kiss your boss. Never.
Sam: Oh, I understand.
Céline: Or he looks like Olivier Martinez — He's the French Brad Pitt.
Sam: Oh!
Céline: But in France also, if the person is not a close friend or the family, we shake hands. But it really depends.
Sam: I understand. It's similar to the United States. If you're not sure you can shake hands.
Céline: Yeah.
Sam: That's always safe.
Céline: Exactly.
Sam: Well, perfect. That wraps it up for the vocabulary usage.
Sylvain: Hello, I'm back.
Céline: Hey, Sylvain. How was your meeting?
Sylvain: Busy.
Céline: Oh mon Dieu!
Sylvain: You want to details?
Céline: Non merci. Non merci.
Sylvain: Ok.
Céline: Ok. Last phrase. Bonne journée.
Sylvain: Bonne journée.
Sam: "Bonne journée" is quite similar to the English expression "Have a good day."
Céline: Ok, let's see an example.
Céline: Bonne journée, Sam.
Sam: Bonne journée, Céline.
Sylvain: Bonne journée à tous les deux. Have a nice day to you both.
Céline: Merci!
Sam: Thank you.
Céline: Do you usually say, "Have a nice day," in America?
Sam: Sure. All the time. When you're parting company, "Have a nice day."
Sylvain: That will be a nice transition to the grammatical part.
Céline: Yes!
Sylvain: Yes. We will see when we say "bonjour" or "bonsoir" and so on.

Lesson focus

Céline: Ok, so different ways to say goodbye in French and hello.
Sylvain: Let's see it now.
Céline: In a formal situation, Sylvain?
Sylvain: In the morning or in the afternoon, you can use for a greeting, "Bonjour." In the evening or at night, you can use for a greeting "Bonsoir."
Céline: Ok, for the farewell, it's more complicated.
Sam: In the morning...
Céline: "Bonne journée."
Sam: In the afternoon...
Sylvain: "Bonne après-midi"
Sam: In the evening...
Céline: "Bonne soirée" or "Bonsoir."
Sam: At night...
Sylvain: "Bonne nuit."
Sam: Also, we can use "au revoir" all day long as a farewell.
Sylvain: And in the informal situation, as a greeting and as a farewell as well, we use...
Sam: "Salut!"
Céline: Salut! Exactly. In France, we also use "Ciao!" like Italian.
Sylvain: That's right. "Ciao. Ciao." And sometimes, as I said before, we add "allez" when we use "salut" for farewell. "Allez salut."
Céline: Allez salut.
Sam: Salut! Hey, can I ask you a question?
Céline: Sure.
Sylvain: We're up for that.
Sam: If someone says, "Salut," and you say "Bonjour," is that ok?
Céline: It's perfect.
Sylvain: No problem, I think.
Céline: Yeah, yeah. It's no problem at all. "Bonjour," it's formal and informal. Yeah, you can use it "bonjour" and "salut" at the same time. It's no problem.
Sylvain: I would like just to add that in French, one of the more important thing is not the word that you say, but the tone of your voice.
Céline: That's true.
Sylvain: For example, I will be the unpolite employee, and Céline will be the boss.
Sam: Ok, let's hear it.
Sylvain: Salut.
Céline: Bonjour.
Sylvain: She's telling me, "Please, be polite with me. I'm the boss." In all of this.
Céline: Yeah, the tone and the intonation in French is really important.
Sylvain: You maybe sometimes mean the opposite of what you say.
Sam: So guys, with your boss, you don't give them a kiss on the cheek?
Céline: No.
Sylvain: No way!
Sam: Why?
Céline: Just because, he or she is your boss.
Sam: Oh, I understand.
Sylvain: Good explanation!
Sam: That's a good reason.
Céline: Yeah!
Sam: Is there a special phrase for the greeting and farewell kiss on the cheek in French?
Sylvain: Faire la bise.
Céline: Oui.
Sam: Faire la bise.
Céline &Sylvain: Faire la bise.
Céline &Sam: Faire la bise.
Sylvain: And for a kiss, "un bisou"
Sam: Un bisou.
Céline: Bisou.
Sylvain: Bisou.
Sam: I think in English, you would say a kiss, but for the kiss on the cheek, I don't think there's such a custom in America.
Sylvain: I don't know. There is traditions of hugs. Free hugs.
Sam: Sometimes people give a small kiss. It depends on your relationship with the person.
Sylvain: Yeah.
Sam: Yeah.
Céline: Yeah, and that's interesting because in France, in some parts, you kiss four times.
Sylvain: And in some other place, you kiss three times.
Céline: Yeah.
Sylvain: Or two times. And when you meet someone, you never know how much kisses you have to do to the person.
Sam: Oh wow.
Sylvain: Between French people. You know?
Céline: Yes.
Sylvain: And from one cheek...
Céline: So you can cheat. So you can say, "Oh, no, no. I won't..."
Sam: Is there a safe number?
Céline: Yeah. Two.
Sam: Two. One and one.
Céline: One and one.
Sylvain: Yeah, but the usual rule is in cities, less kiss than in the countryside.
Sam: That's a good point.
Sylvain: But one other Cornelian question. From which kiss-- from which cheek begun?
Sam: Is it left to right?
Sylvain: Yeah. Just imagine two people, girl and boy, having hesitation...
Céline: Yeah. Yeah. That happened to me yesterday, actually. Yes, we almost kissed on the lips.
Sylvain: Was it the Brad Pitt, Olivier guy?
Céline: No. He was quite handsome.
Sylvain: Yeah, those kinds of situations can be a good introduction to something else. Ok, let's forget about it.

Outro

Céline: Ok, so this is the end of today's lesson.
Sam: See you soon.
Céline: A bientôt! Merci!
Sylvain: A bientôt!
Sam: A bientôt!

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Dialog (Formal)

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