Free French Bilingual Audiobook – Chapter 3

Author: Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Listen and read the third chapter of my free French audiobook novel. French dialogues with English translation, Q&A + French vocabulary list of food and drinks.

Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below or just click here.

Story

Click the audio bars below to listen to the slow, normal and street French recording of this third chapter of French Today’s free French audiobook.

Enunciated Recording

Slower Recording

Modern/Street French

Mary a faim.

Mary is hungry.

Mary

J’ai un peu faim. Est-ce que tu sais si on peut acheter à manger dans le train ?

I am a bit hungry. Do you know if you can buy something to eat on the train?

Pierre

Oui. Il y a un wagon restaurant au milieu du train. Voiture 15 je crois. Ce n’est pas très loin.

Yes, there is a snack car in the middle of the train. Car number 15 I believe. It’s not very far.

Mary

D’accord, alors je vais y aller. Tu veux quelque chose ?

OK, so I’m going to go there. Would you like something?

Pierre

Moi aussi j’ai faim. Je viens avec toi.

I’m hungry as well. I’m coming with you.

Mary et Pierre marchent dans le train. Le train bouge beaucoup, alors il faut faire attention à ne pas tomber, ou bousculer les passagers endormis qui dépassent souvent de leur place.

Finalement, ils arrivent au wagon restaurant.

Mary and Pierre are walking in the train. The train moves a lot, so they must be careful not to fall, or bump into the sleeping passengers who often stick out from their seats a bit. Finally, they reach the snack car.

Mary

Et bien ! Ce n’est pas l’Orient Express !!

Well! This is not the Orient Express!

Pierre

Ah non, ça c’est sûr. C’est juste un bar. On peut acheter des sandwiches et des boissons, des choses à grignoter. Il y a des salades et des plats chauds simples. Mais rien de gourmet !

No it isn’t, that’s for sure. It’s just a bar. You can buy sandwiches and drinks, and snacks. There are salads and simple warm dishes. But nothing gourmet!

Mary

Et où est-ce qu’on mange ?

And where do we eat?

Pierre

Il y a des tables hautes et des tabourets, ou bien tu peux aussi manger debout, ou bien retourner à ta place pour manger.

There are high tables and stools, or you can also eat while standing, or go back and eat at your seat.

Pierre et Mary regardent la carte qui est affiché à côté du vendeur.

Pierre and Mary look at the menu which is displayed next to the clerk/vendor.

Vendeur

Bonjour Mademoiselle. Qu’est-ce qui vous ferait plaisir?

Hi Miss. What would strike your fancy?

Mary

Je voudrais un sandwich au jambon et au fromage, et un Coca, s’il vous plaît.

I would like a ham and cheese sandwich, and a Coke, please.

Vendeur

Désirez-vous un dessert ? Vous pouvez bénéficier de notre “menu bistrot”.

Would you care for a desert? You could take advantage of our “bistrot selection”.

Mary

Ah… euh… oui, d’accord. Je vais prendre une tartelette aux pommes.

Ah… hum… yes, OK. I’ll take a small apple pie.

Vendeur

Voilà. Ça fait onze Euros soixante dix.

Here you go. It comes to eleven Euros seventy [cents].

Mary

Pardon, je n’ai pas bien compris. Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?

Sorry, I didn’t quite get it. Could you repeat please?

Vendeur

Onze Euros soixante dix centimes.

Eleven Euros and seventy cents.

Mary

Voilà un billet de vingt Euros.

Here you go, a twenty Euro bill.

Vendeur

Et voilà votre monnaie, huit Euros trente. Bon appétit!

And here is your change, eight Euros and thirty [cents]. Enjoy your meal!


Questions & Answers

This chapter is more challenging – French numbers, interactions at a restaurant… The recording too was a bit faster (I did it on purpose), and so are the questions!

This is the next level of French, as featured in À Moi Paris Method – Beginner

À Moi Paris Audiobook Method

A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers.

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More Details & Audio Samples

1. Où est le wagon restaurant ?

Where is the snack car?

Il est au milieu du train.

It’s located in the middle of the train.

2. Pourquoi Pierre y va-t-il avec Mary ?

Why is Pierre going there with Mary?

Parce qu’il a faim.

Because he’s hungry.

3. Pourquoi faut-il faire attention quand on marche dans le train ?

Why do you have to be careful when you walk through the train?

Parce que le train bouge beaucoup et on peut tomber.

Because the train moves a lot and you can fall.

4. Est-ce que Mary est déçue par le wagon restaurant ?

Is Mary disappointed by the snack car?

Oui, un peu.

Yes, a little.

5. Où est-ce qu’on mange la nourriture qu’on achète ?

Where do you eat the food you buy?

Il y a des tables hautes et des tabourets ; on peut manger debout, ou bien retourner à sa place.

There are high tables and stools; you can eat standing up, or go back to your seat.

6. Quelle expression le vendeur utilise-t-il pour prendre la commande de Mary ?

What expression does the clerk use to take Mary’s order?

Il demande: “qu’est-ce qui vous ferait plaisir ?”

He asks: “what would strike your fancy”?

7. Et Mary commande quoi ?

And what does Mary order?

Elle commande un sandwich au jambon et au fromage, et un Coca.

She orders a ham and cheese sandwich and a Coke.

8. Pourquoi prend-elle une tartelette aux pommes ?

Why does she take a small apple pie ?

Pour pouvoir bénéficier du menu bistrot.

To be able to take advantage of the “bistrot selection”.

9. Ça coûte combien ?

How much is-it ?

Ça coûte onze Euros soixante dix.

It costs eleven Euros and seventy [cents].

10. Mary donne un billet de combien ?

What amount bill does Mary give?

Elle donne un billet de vingt Euros.

She hands in a twenty.


Study Guide: Food Vocabulary

As you know, food is an art form in France. Restaurants always invent new and inventive names for dishes, which elude even the French customers!

You should however know some basic vocabulary before you travel there, just so that you can have an idea of what you are ordering.

Unless you are in a very touristy area, most menus will not be available in English and you cannot expect that the waiter will speak English…

1. General

Un plat

a dish

L’entrée

appetizer

Le plat principal

the English entrée

La salade

salad

Le fromage

cheese

Le dessert

dessert

Le plat du jour

today’s special

Un menu

a fixed price selection

Une carte

a menu

Watch out for the false friends “un menu” and “une entrée”… and the pronunciation of the word “un dessert”.


2. La viande – meat

Le boeuf

beef

Le porc

pork

Le poulet

chicken

Le veau

veal

Un steak frites

a beef steak with French fries

Un steak tartare

raw ground meat with seasonings

Le beefsteak (ou juste “steak”) haché

hamburger meat

La charcuterie

cold cuts

Le jambon

ham

La saucisse

sausage

Le saucisson

dry sausage / salami

Les abats

offals

Un oeuf

an egg

Un végétarien / une végétarienne

a vegetarian

Un végétalien / une végétalienne

a vegan

Watch out that for the average French person, a “vegetarian” still eats fish, poultry, eggs, seafood… Anything but red meat. So you might want to explain what you eat or don’t eat in order to avoid any surprises.


3. Le poisson – Fish

Le saumon (fumé)

smoked salmon

La truite

trout

La sole

sole

Les fruits de mer (m)

seafood

Le crabe

crab

Le homard

lobster

Les crevettes (f)

shrimps

Les huitres (f)

oysters

Les moules (f)

mussels

Les coquilles Saint-Jacques (f)

scallops


4. Les légumes – vegetables

Une courgette

squash

Des épinards (m)

spinach

Des haricots verts (m)

green beans

Des petits pois

peas

Un avocat

avocado

Un champignon

mushroom

Un concombre

cucumber

Un poivron

pepper

Une aubergine

eggplant

Une carotte

carrot

Une pomme de terre

potato


5. Les fruits – fruits

Une pomme

an apple

Le raisin

grapes

Un ananas

a pineapple

Un citron

a lemon

Un melon

a cantaloupe

Un pamplemousse

a grapefruit

Une banane

a banana

Une cerise

a cherry

Une fraise

a strawberry

Une framboise

a raspberry

Une mûre

a blackberry

Une orange

an orange

Une pêche

a peach

Une poire

a pear

Une prune

a plum

Une mangue

a mango

Les fruits exotiques

tropical fruits

Une tomate

a tomato

Les noix (f)

nuts


6. Les pâtes, etc… – Pastas etc…

Des chips (f)

potato chips

Des frites (f)

French fries

Des pâtes (f)

pastas

Du maïs (m)

corn

Du riz (m)

rice

Don’t mistake “les pâtes” (pastas) and “le pâté” (duck paté, mousse…)


7. Les desserts – deserts

Une glace

ice cream

Un sorbet

sherbet

Un biscuit

cookie

Un chocolat

chocolate

Un gâteau

cake

Une crêpe

a crepe

Une glace à la vanille,

au chocolat, à la fraise

vanilla,

chocolate, strawberry ice cream

Une pâtisserie

pastry

Une tarte

a tart


8. Les boissons – beverages

L’eau (f)

water

De l’eau gazeuse

bubble/sparkling water

De l’eau du robinet

tap water

De l’eau minérale

bottle water

Le lait

milk

Le thé

tea

Le café

coffee

Un chocolat

hot chocolate

Un jus de fruit

fruit juice

Le vin (rouge, blanc, rosé)

red, white, rosé wine

Le champagne

champagne

Une bière

a beer

  • When traveling abroad, you are guaranteed to encounter some typical situations such as ordering in a restaurant, booking a hotel room, asking for directions… I suggest you prepare for such interactions in French with my lesson “Essential French Dialogs”.

    This audio lesson recreates typical dialogs but also gives many cultural tips to prepare you for your trip (such as not expecting an Orient Express-style dining car in the TGV which several of my students were disappointed to find out…)

Enjoy the full experience of this free French audio novel by accessing it through our free app – download our free app!
Or if you prefer, you can read it/ listen to it online
How to learn French with this free French audiobook?
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Author: Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Born and raised in Paris, I have been teaching today's French to adults for 25+ years in the US and France. Based on my students' goals and needs, I've created unique downloadable French audiobooks focussing on French like it's spoken today, for all levels. Come to Paimpol and enjoy an exclusive French immersion homestay with me in Brittany.

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