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Enunciated Recording
Slower Recording
Modern/Street French
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Nous sommes dans L’Eurostar qui va de Londres à Paris. Mary, une jeune Anglaise parle avec Pierre, un jeune Français, qui est assis à côté d’elle. |
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Mary |
Et toi, tu es français, n’est-ce pas ? And you, you are French, aren’t you? |
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Pierre |
Oui. Je viens d’aller à Londres pour voir des amis, mais je suis français. Yes. I have just been to London to visit some friends, but I am French. |
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Mary |
Et donc tu parles aussi anglais ? And so you speak English as well? |
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Pierre |
Vraiment, je ne parle pas très bien anglais. J’ai un accent horrible ! In reality, I don’t speak English very well. I have a terrible accent! |
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Mary |
Est-ce que tu vas souvent à Londres ? Do you often go to London? |
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Pierre |
Non, malheureusement, pas très souvent. Et toi, pourquoi vas-tu à Paris aujourd’hui ? No, unfortunately, not very often. And you, why are you going to Paris today? |
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Mary |
Je vais travailler à Paris pendant trois mois. I’m going to work in Paris for three months. |
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Pierre |
Ah oui, vraiment ? C’est super ! Tu vas faire quoi ? Really? That’s great! What are you going to do? |
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Mary |
Je vais être jeune fille au pair. I’m going to be an au pair. |
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Pierre |
Et tu connais déjà la famille pour laquelle tu vas travailler ? And do you already know the family you are going to work for? |
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Mary |
Non… pas vraiment. Nous sommes amis sur Facebook, donc je connais un peu leurs habitudes. Ils ont l’air très gentils. No… not really. We are friends on Facebook, so I know their habits a bit. They seem very nice. |
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Pierre |
Et tu vas t’occuper de plusieurs enfants ? And you’re going to take care of several children? |
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Mary |
Non, juste un. Un petit garçon de 8 ans. Il s’appelle Paul. No, only one. An 8 years old little boy. His name is Paul. |
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Pierre |
Et lui aussi il est bilingue ? And he is bilingual as well? |
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Mary |
Non pas du tout. Mais il apprend un peu d’anglais à l’école. Et toi, tu fais quoi ? No, not at all. But he is learning a bit of English in school. And you, what do you do? |
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Pierre |
Moi, je suis en troisième année de droit. I’m in my third year of Law studies. |
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Mary |
Et où est-ce que tu étudies ? And where are you studying? |
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Pierre |
À l’université Dauphine. At the Dauphine university. |
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Chapters 1 and 2 were written at a beginner French level (A1). This is equivalent to the level of À Moi Paris Method – Beginner
A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers.
Questions & Answers
Actually before doing the questions and answers quite now, you may want to read or listen to the study guide portion since it’s about the different ways of asking questions in French!
1. De quelles nationalités sont Mary et Pierre ?
What nationalities are Mary and Pierre?
Mary est anglaise et Pierre est français.
Mary is English and Pierre is French.
2. Quel est le problème de Pierre en anglais ?
What’s Pierre problem in English?
Il a un accent horrible.
3. Est-ce qu’il va souvent à Londres ?
Does he often visit London?
Non, pas très souvent.
No, not very often.
4. Pourquoi Mary va-t-elle à Paris ?
Why is Mary going to Paris?
Elle va travailler.
She is going to work.
5. Pendant combien de temps va-t-elle être à Paris?
How long is she going to be in Paris for?
Elle va être à Paris pendant trois mois.
She’s going to be in Paris for three months.
6. Et elle va faire quoi ?
And what is-she going to do?
Elle va être jeune fille au pair.
She’s going to be an au pair.
7. Elle connaît déjà la famille pour laquelle elle va travailler ?
Does she already know the family for which she is going to work?
Un peu. Ils sont amis sur Facebook.
A bit. They are friends on Facebook.
8. Comment s’appelle le petit garçon dont Mary va s’occuper ?
What is the name of the little boy Mary is going to take care of?
Il s’appelle Paul.
His name is Paul.
9. Et il a quel âge ?
And how old is he?
Il a huit ans.
He is eight.
10. Dans quelle université Pierre étudie-t-il ?
In which university does Pierre study?
Il étudie à l’université Dauphine.
He studies at the Dauphine university.
Study Guide: Asking Questions in French
We have many different ways of asking questions in French, and this is what makes it difficult. In this book, I will mostly use the street French way, which people use all the time now.
Unfortunately, traditional method almost never mention it, students don’t train with it, and it’s the main reason why they cannot handle a conversation in French: they don’t understand the questions fast enough!
1. Street French
This is the most common construction now, and the one I will mostly use in this book. It’s also the simplest :-) You just raise your intonation towards the end of the sentence!
If you use an interrogative expression (like when, why, where…) It goes all the way at the end of your sentence.
Tu parles aussi anglais = Do you also speak English?
2. Est-ce que
“Est-ce que” is nowadays mostly used to ask questions that can be answered by “oui” or “non”, and with “qu’est-ce que” (what do you…).
It means nothing by itself (watch out! It doesn’t translate as ‘is’), it is like the inverted question mark Spanish uses before the question – it warns you that a question is coming :-)
Est-ce que tu vas souvent à Londres ? = do you often go to London?
3. Inversion
Inversion is the most formal way of asking a question yet it’s still very much used, especially when using an interrogative expression. In inversion, you pretty much invert the subject verb order, placing the verb first.
Pourquoi vas-tu à Paris ? = why are you going to Paris?
4. N’est-ce pas
Grammar makes it a question, so I have to list it here. But it’s only used as a tag question, when you are almost sure the answer is “yes”.
Tu es français, n’est-ce pas ? = You are English, right /aren’t you?
- There is a lot more to say about asking questions in French. Questions are essential to conversation; mastering them is the key to a successful interaction in French. I’ve dedicated a one hour audio masterclass to them: Secrets of French Conversation
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
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