Learn how to hail and tip your French taxi driver
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| INTRODUCTION |
| In this lesson, we'll cover a phrase you can use to get to your destination when riding in a taxi. We'll look at the most basic way to express this, which is the word "to" followed by a destination. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| In today's lesson, we'll use the Arc de Triomphe. Now let's hear that one more time: Arc de Triomphe. This location is known for its eight-lane traffic circle. So now let's go over what to say to the taxi driver to get you there. |
| In French, "to the Arc de Triomphe" is à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| Let’s break it down by syllable: à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| The word for "to" in French is à, as we have learned in a previous lesson. This is the most basic way of expressing where you would like to go. Well, actually just saying your desired destination should work, but speaking the local language is one of the most fun things you can do on your travels. So let's go over another option! |
| You can also say "I would like to go to the Arc de Triomphe," which in French is J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| Let’s break it down by syllable: J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| Now let's hear it once again: J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| Let’s take a look at the components. The first word, j'aimerais, means "I would like." |
| Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: j'aimerais |
| And, j'aimerais |
| It is followed by aller, which in English means "to go." |
| Aller |
| Aller |
| And, aller |
| So to recap here, we have j'aimerais aller. Literally, this means "I would like to go." |
| Let’s take a look at the next part, à l'Arc de Triomphe, means "to the Arc de Triomphe," as we already learned. |
| à l'Arc de Triomphe |
| So all together, we have J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. Literally, this means "I would like to go to the Arc de Triomphe." |
| In France, you are not expected to tip the driver, although tip if you feel like it's appropriate, as taxi drivers do not make much money and rely on tips regardless of this rule. |
| One more helpful phrase when taking a taxi is "Here is fine." This phrase will allow you to get out of the taxi whenever and wherever you want. |
| In French, "Here is fine" is Là, c'est bon. |
| Là, c'est bon. |
| Let’s break it down by syllable: Là, c'est bon. |
| The first word, Là, means "here" or “there” depending on the context. |
| Là |
| Là |
| And, là |
| This is followed by c'est, which in English means "it's," which we learned in a previous lesson. |
| Lastly, we have bon, which in English means "good," which we also learned in a previous lesson. |
| All together, that makes Là, c'est bon. Literally, this means "Here, it's good." |
| One time I took a taxi in Paris with my family who was visiting me on vacation and we wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower with a driver thinking we were clueless tourists said he knew a shortcut, soon it became clear that he was driving around to run up his metre. I took him by surprise and gave him explicit directions in French and which roads to take to get to the Eiffel Tower. He did not like this, but we got there faster and less poor. |
| To catch drivers who might want to take advantage of you, ask them to quote you a ballpark price for a ride to your destination, use the phrase you've already learned: C'est combien? and add pour allez à, and then say your destination. |
| This means “how much is it to go to (your destination)?” |
| C'est combien pour allez à (destination)? |
| C'est combien pour allez à (destination)? |
| If he pretends it’s impossible to know, let him go. Any honest cabby can estimate a price. |
Outro |
|---|
| Okay, to close out this lesson, we'd like you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for shouting it aloud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so bonne chance, that means “good luck” in French. Ok, here we go! |
| "to the Arc de Triomphe" - à l'Arc de Triomphe |
| à l'Arc de Triomphe |
| à l'Arc de Triomphe |
| "I would like to go to the Arc de Triomphe." - J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| J'aimerais aller à l'Arc de Triomphe. |
| This is the end of today’s lesson. See you soon! À bientôt! |
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