Learn essential French vocabulary for cities
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| Moscou |
| Bruxelles |
| Ottawa |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn French words for cities. |
| Before we start, did you know that if you visit the city of Lyon, you can walk around through secret passageways? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| Berne |
| "Bern" |
| [SLOW] Berne |
| Berne |
| French is one of the languages spoken in Switzerland, but Bern is actually a German-speaking city. |
| Jack and Steve chat about capital cities. |
| Jack: Quelle est la capitale de la Suisse ? |
| Steve: Berne est la capitale de la Suisse. |
| Moscou |
| "Moscow" |
| [SLOW] Moscou |
| Moscou |
| In French, 'ou' is pronounced as 'ou'—so Moskow follows the rule: Moscou! |
| Lina and Daphne chat about famous landmarks. |
| Lina: Sais-tu où se trouve le Kremlin ? |
| Daphne: Le Kremlin se trouve à Moscou. |
| Bruxelles |
| "Brussels" |
| [SLOW] Bruxelles |
| Bruxelles |
| Brussels doesn’t have just one official language, but two—French and Dutch! |
| Jack and Steve chat about different cities. |
| Jack: Où se trouve Bruxelles ? |
| Steve: Bruxelles se trouve en Belgique. |
| Rome |
| "Rome" |
| [SLOW] Rome |
| Rome |
| Like many French words ending in 'e', Rome ends with an 'a' in Italian. |
| Rome in French, Roma in Italian.. |
| Susan and Tom chat about travel destinations. |
| Susan: Je veux visiter une ville ancienne. |
| Tom: Dans ce cas, que dirais-tu de visiter Rome ? |
| Berlin |
| "Berlin" |
| [SLOW] Berlin |
| Berlin |
| Oscar tells Tom about a recent trip to Germany. |
| Oscar: J'ai visité une ville célèbre en Allemagne. |
| Tom: C'était Berlin ? |
| Madrid |
| "Madrid" |
| [SLOW] Madrid |
| Madrid |
| In French, we often drop the 'd' at the end of words, but not in Madrid! |
| In Spanish, it’s pronounced Madrid, with a sound close to the English 'th'. |
| Lina plans a trip to Spain with Daphne. |
| Lina: Où devrais-je commencer ma visite en Espagne ? |
| Daphne: Que dirais-tu de Madrid ? Madrid est la capitale de l'Espagne. |
| Ottawa |
| "Ottawa" |
| [SLOW] Ottawa |
| Ottawa |
| Ottawa is in Ontario, a mostly English-speaking province in Canada, but French is still widely spoken there! |
| Jack quizzes Steve on capital cities. |
| Jack: Quelle est la capitale du Canada ? |
| Steve: Ottawa est la capitale du Canada. |
| Paris |
| "Paris" |
| [SLOW] Paris |
| Paris |
| Ever heard the song Aux Champs Élysées? |
| It’s about the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which leads to the Arc de Triomphe. |
| Susan and Tom chat about their favorite cities. |
| Susan: Que penses-tu de Paris ? |
| Tom: Paris est une très belle ville. |
| Washington |
| "Washington, D.C." |
| [SLOW] Washington |
| Washington |
| The urban layout of Washington, D.C. was inspired by major European cities like Paris. |
| You could say it has a French touch! |
| Jack quizzes Steve on capital cities. |
| Jack: Quelle est la capitale des États-Unis ? |
| Steve: Washington est la capitale des États-Unis. |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in French. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "Bern"? |
| Berne |
| Berne |
| And how to say "Moscow"? |
| Moscou |
| Moscou |
| How about "Brussels"? |
| Bruxelles |
| Bruxelles |
| And how to say "Rome"? |
| Rome |
| Rome |
| Let's try "Berlin"! |
| Berlin |
| Berlin |
| What about "Madrid"? |
| Madrid |
| Madrid |
| Now, let's see if you remember how to say "Ottawa"! |
| Ottawa |
| Ottawa |
| Another one! What about "Paris"? |
| Paris |
| Paris |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "Washington, D.C."? |
| Washington |
| Washington |
| Did you know that if you visit the city of Lyon, you can walk around through secret passageways? |
| Lyon has special covered paths known as "traboules." Originally, silk workers created them to protect their fabrics from the rain. |
| The "traboules" pass through buildings and lead into courtyards, taking you to unexpected parts of the city. It’s like exploring a secret labyrinth! |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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