Learn how to ask where someone is from
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Sylvain: Bonjour je m’appelle Sylvain. |
| Céline: Et moi c’est Céline. |
| Sam: Sam here! Slow Down. There’s Something About Me You Really Should Know. There’s something about me you really should know. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to introduce a person to a friend and tell which city you’re from with the verb être. |
| Sylvain: The conversation is between Clever Robert, Denzel Snipes and Sophie Weber. They’re sitting in a restaurant and Robert arranged the get together for Sophie to meet Robert’s famous associate, the actor Denzel Snipes. |
| Sam: Sophie and Denzel Snipes meet for the first time, therefore, the speakers will be speaking formally. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Clever Robert: Denzel, je vous présente Sophie Weber. |
| Denzel Snipes : Bonjour Mademoiselle. Enchanté. |
| Clever Robert: Sophie, voici le célèbre acteur Denzel Snipes ! |
| Sophie Weber: Bonjour Monsieur Snipes. |
| Denzel Snipes : Vous êtes d’où ? |
| Sophie Weber: Je suis d’ici. Nous sommes nés dans le sud de la France. |
| English Host: Now let’s try that again slowly. |
| Clever Robert: Denzel, je vous présente Sophie Weber. |
| Denzel Snipes : Bonjour Mademoiselle. Enchanté. |
| Clever Robert: Sophie, voici le célèbre acteur Denzel Snipes ! |
| Sophie Weber: Bonjour Mr. Snipes. |
| Denzel Snipes : Vous êtes d’où ? |
| Sophie Weber: Je suis d’ici. Nous sommes nés dans le sud de la France. |
| English Host: Now let’s try that with the English. |
| Clever Robert: Denzel, je vous présente Sophie Weber. |
| Sam: Denzel, I'd like you to meet Miss Sophie Weber. |
| Denzel Snipes: Bonjour Mademoiselle. Enchanté. |
| Sam: Hello, Miss. Nice to meet you. |
| Clever Robert: Sophie, voici le célèbre acteur Denzel Snipes ! |
| Sam: Sophie, this is the very famous actor, Denzel Snipes! |
| Sophie Weber: Bonjour Mr. Snipes. |
| Sam: Hello, Mr. Snipes. |
| Denzel Snipes: Vous êtes d’où ? |
| Sam: Where are you from? |
| Sophie Weber: Je suis d’ici. Nous sommes nés dans le sud de la France. |
| Sam: I'm from here. We (Robert and I) were born in the southern France. |
| Sylvain: Now… |
| Céline: The informal one. |
| Clever Robert: Denzel, je te présente Sophie. |
| Denzel Snipes: Bonjour Sophie. Enchantée. |
| Clever Robert: Sophie, voici le célèbre acteur Denzel Snipes. |
| Sophie Weber: Bonjour Denzel. |
| Denzel Snipes: Tu es d’où? |
| Sophie Weber: Je suis d’ici. Nous sommes nés dans le sud de la France. |
| Sam: Now let’s try it again slowly. |
| Clever Robert: Denzel je te présente Sophie. |
| Denzel Snipes: Bonjour Sophie. Enchantée. |
| Clever Robert: Sophie, voici le célèbre acteur Denzel Snipes. |
| Sophie Weber: Bonjour Denzel. |
| Denzel Snipes: Tu es d’où? |
| Sophie Weber: Je suis d’ici. Nous sommes nés dans le sud de la France. |
| Sam: Now let’s try that with the English. |
| Clever Robert: Denzel je te présente Sophie. |
| Sam: Denzel, I’d like you to meet Sophie. |
| Denzel Snipes: Bonjour Sophie. Enchanté. |
| Sam: Hello, Sophie. It’s a pleasure. |
| Clever Robert: Sophie, voici le célèbre acteur Denzel Snipes. |
| Sam: Sophie, this is the very famous actor, Denzel Snipes. |
| Sophie Weber: Bonjour Denzel. |
| Sam: Hello, Denzel. |
| Denzel Snipes: Tu es d’où? |
| Sam: Where are you from? |
| Sophie Weber: Je suis d’ici. Nous sommes nés dans le sud de la France. |
| Sam: I’m from here. We were born in the south of France. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Céline: So, who are the most famous French people in America? |
| Sam: That’s a good question. Famous French people in America, Tony Parker. |
| Céline: Yeah. And who else? |
| Sylvain: Oh, and there’s also Tony Parker. |
| Céline: Yeah, but you already said that. |
| Sylvain: But he’s really famous. |
| Céline: But it’s fine. I mean, okay. |
| Sylvain: Anyway, chill. There’s another one. |
| Céline: How about Marion Cottillard. |
| Sylvain: Marion Cottillard. Belle. |
| Céline: Edith Piaf. |
| Sam: Oh yeah yeah yeah they’re really famous. Yeah. Of course Edith Piaf yeah. |
| Céline: You’re faking. |
| Sam: No no no. |
| Sylvain: You’re faking. |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sam: I sing Edith Piaf all the time at karaoke. |
| Céline: Yeah, yeah. But she’s pretty. |
| Sylvain: She’s beautiful. |
| Céline: She is. How about Vanessa Paradis? |
| Sam: Of course! Very famous. |
| Céline: Who is Vanessa Paradis? |
| Sam: Vanessa Paradis. |
| Céline: She’s Johnny Depps’ wife, come on! |
| Sam: Oh, yeah that’s right. |
| Céline: Yeah. At least, he has good taste. |
| Sam: I was about to say that. |
| Sylvain: At least he had a good taste. |
| Sam: But you didn’t give me enough time. I was going to say that. You got Johnny. |
| Céline: Oui exactement. |
| Sylvain: Johnny Halliday? No. |
| Céline: Johnny Depp. |
| Sylvain: C’est pas grave, c’est pas grave. |
| Sam: Speaking of, who are some famous American people in France? |
| Sylvain: Ah ça c’est une méchante question. |
| Céline: Ok, Famous or… |
| Sam: Well, not living there necessarily but people who are famous. Is Michael Jordan famous? |
| Céline: Of course! |
| Sylvain: Every American star is famous in France… |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sylvain: …also. |
| Céline: Yeah, in France. I mean, all Americans. |
| Sylvain: We have also American…. |
| Sam: What about Barry Bonds? |
| Sylvain: Who is this guy? |
| Sam: Sorry for Barry. |
| Céline: Je ne connais pas. |
| Sam: You don’t know? |
| Céline: No. |
| Sam: The great baseball player. |
| Sylvain: Ah, sports. |
| Céline: Okay. Baseball is not famous in France. |
| Sylvain: We don’t do baseball in TV. |
| Céline: Yeah, yeah. |
| Sylvain: Nobody knows. |
| Céline: Nobody knows. |
| Sam: We should go to a game some time. |
| Sylvain: That’s a good idea. We’d love to. I don’t understand the rules. |
| Sam: Oh, that’s okay. You can just cheer when your side is cheering. |
| Céline: Okay. So while you’re there, I’ll go shopping. |
| Sam: Or we can watch a game after we finish here. |
| Sylvain: No, I have an appointment. |
| Céline: How about Serge Gainsbourg? |
| Sam: Serge Gainsbourg. Oh, he’s really funny. |
| Céline: And he loved Whitney Houston, right? |
| Sam: Oh, he was really into Whitney Houston. |
| Céline: Yeah. |
| Sylvain: Serge Gainsbourg? |
| Céline: Serge Gainsbourg. You don’t remember? |
| Sylvain: Whitney Houston? |
| Céline: Okay. You two can check on the net. |
| Sam: Yeah. I would like to explain more of that. Maybe it’s not appropriate for this. |
| Céline: I don’t think so. |
| Sam: Okay. |
| Céline: Okay. So let’s get into the vocab. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Sam: Okay. Let’s look at some vocabulary and phrases. The first item? |
| Sylvain: Monsieur [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Sir. |
| Sylvain: Monsieur [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Monsieur [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: Voici [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Here is. |
| Céline: Voici [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Voici [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Célèbre [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Famous. |
| Sylvain: Célèbre [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Célèbre [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next…. |
| Céline: Acteur [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Actor |
| Céline: Acteur [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Acteur [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: D'où [natural native speed] |
| Sam: From where. |
| Sylvain: D'où [slowly - broken down by syllable]. D'où [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: Être [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: To be. |
| Sam: Être [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Être [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: être né. |
| Sam: To be born. |
| Sylvain: être né [slowly - broken down by syllable] être né [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Céline: Ici [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: Here. |
| Céline: Ici [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Ici [natural native speed].. |
| Sam: Next… |
| Sylvain: Sud [natural native speed]. |
| Sam: South. |
| Sylvain: Sud [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Sud [natural native speed]. |
| Céline: So Sylvain…. |
| Sylvain: Yes? |
| Céline: …why don’t we test Sam’s French? |
| Sylvain: Yes. |
| Sam: A test. Is it multiple choice? |
| Céline: No. |
| Sylvain: No. |
| Sam: Or multiple guess? |
| Céline: No. |
| Sylvain: No. |
| Sam: Can I have a cheat sheet? |
| Sylvain: No. |
| Céline: What is “voici” for? |
| Sam: Here is? |
| Céline: Not bad. |
| Sam: Like if you’re making an introduction. |
| Céline: voici. |
| Sam: voici.. Make an example. For example? |
| Sam: voici. So imagination: you guys are meeting for the first time and I’m making an introduction. Sylvain, voici mon amie, Céline. |
| Sylvain: Bonjour, Céline. |
| Céline: Bonjour, Sylvain. |
| Sam: How was that? |
| Sylvain: Nice. |
| Céline: That was really good. But we helped you. |
| Sam: How? |
| Sylvain: Ok, maintenant “célèbre”. |
| Sam: Famous. I think it’s an adjective. |
| Céline: Ecatement. It’s an adjective. |
| Sam: Is it after the noun or before? |
| Sylvain: It can be both. Un homme célèbre. Un célèbre fromage. But in more advanced level, we will see what difference it’s made but not for now. |
| Sam: Okay, okay. |
| Sylvain: We can look at that later. |
| Céline: So for now, you can place it at the end. |
| Sylvain: Okay. Then there is… |
| Céline: “d’où”, next word. |
| Sam: d’où? |
| Céline: d’où. |
| Sam: From where? |
| Céline: Yeah. To ask about the origin. |
| Sylvain: Then. No. It’s Sam to make an example with… choose a word... |
| Sam: dear Céline. |
| Sylvain: acteur, par exemple. |
| Sam: Oh, I can make a question. For example, who is a famous actor? In French, qui est-ce qui un acteur célèbre? |
| Céline: Non. Qui est-ce qui, non. |
| Sylvain and Céline: Qui est un acteur célèbre? |
| Sam: Oh. Is “qui est-ce qui” strange? |
| Céline: qui est-ce qui a fait ça? who did that? |
| Sam: Oh. It’s kind of more emphatic. |
| Sylvain: Yes, that’s right. Perfect explanation. Emphatic. You put too much emphasis on it. |
| Sam: So just qui is okay. |
| Sylvain: qui is okay. |
| Céline: qui est un célèbre acteur? |
| Sam: qui est un célèbre acteur? Denzel Snipes. . |
| Céline: Exactement. |
| Sam: He’s more of a claim on. |
| Céline: And then how about ici? |
| Sam: Here. |
| Céline: Yeah. |
| Sam: Je suis né ici. |
| Sylvain: très bien! |
| Céline: Yeah. “I was born here.” |
| Sam: That’s right. |
| Céline: qui va être célèbre ici? Sylvain, Sam ou moi? “Who is going to be famous: Sylvain, Sam, or me?” |
| Sylvain: Nous trois. |
| Sam: That’s a difficult question. Maybe I’m already famous. |
| Céline: Where? |
| Sam: With my family. |
| Céline: Okay. Oh, that’s good. |
| Sam: Maybe I’m not famous with my family. You have to ask them. |
| Céline: Okay. I think it’s the end of today’s lesson? |
| Sam: Really? But I was having so much fun! |
| Sylvain: But we have to do the ending of this lesson. |
| Céline: Yeah. |
| Sam: Really? |
| Sylvain: Sorry. |
| Céline: Yes. Good things… |
| Sam: ..must come to an end. |
| Céline: Yeah, exactement. |
| Sam: Matrix feeling. Oh shocks. |
| Céline: But no, it’s not the end. You didn’t do the grammar. |
| Sylvain: Yes, we forgot the grammar. |
| Sam: I knew we were forgetting something. |
| Sylvain: I knew also but I was not telling it because…. |
| Sam: Okay. Let’s be a little more serious and look at the grammar before we wrap up. |
| Céline: Je préfère have fun. |
| Sylvain: Me too. Then there is no grammar for this lesson. No, I’m joking. I’m joking. |
| Céline: No, no, let’s go back to our ship. It’s French. It’s a big expression considered in English. |
| Sam: I read it once. Revenons à nos moutons. That means in English, “let’s get back on track.” |
| Céline: exactement. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Sam: And that’s a good idea because we have to focus on this grammar point… |
| Sylvain: …which it is… |
| Céline: d’où. to ask the origin, comme par exemple: d’où tu es Sam? |
| Sam: Je suis de Milford. I’m from Milford. |
| Céline: You can also say “tu es d’où?”. |
| Sam: Intriguing. “d’où” can be at the start or end of the question. |
| Sylvain: Je suis perdu. |
| Sam: “I’m lost.” |
| Sylvain: Merci beaucoup. |
| Céline: Avec plaisir. |
| Sylvain: Just to make things simple where French quite complex in fact. |
| Sam: French is complex? |
| Sylvain: No. But they have to say yes. |
| Sam: Okay. |
| Céline: So how about you, Sylvain? Et toi tu es d’où? |
| Sylvain: Je suis de Paris. |
| Céline: de Paris? |
| Sylvain: Je suis né à Paris. |
| Sam: You’re from Paris and you were born in Paris? |
| Sylvain: Yes. |
| Sam: So you’re a true Parisian. |
| Sylvain: There is never true Parisian. They always come from elsewhere. |
| Céline: Vicking. |
| Sylvain: Oui alors là c’est remonter vraiment très très loin hein. She was taking a 4000 year step before.. |
| Céline: You know, Viking? |
| Sam: Viking. |
| Sylvain: Yeah. It’s more of a… |
| Céline: You look like a Viking. Non c’est vrai. Non mais c’est vrai, tu as le… |
| Sylvain: Non. |
| Sam: Like the Minnesota Vikings? |
| Sylvain: Nobody’s seeing us. Nobody’s seeing us. |
| Céline: Nobody can see you, so I just… |
| Sam: You guys know the Minnesota Vikings? |
| Céline: Excuse-moi? |
| Sam: The Minnesota Vikings. |
| Céline: Est-ce que tu peux répéter plus lentement? |
| Sam: Do you know the Minnesota Vikings? |
| Céline: qu’est-ce que ça veut dire, je comprends pas. |
| Sylvain: We don’t know it. Please, explanation. |
| Sam: Football team. |
| Sylvain: Football. Ah, okay. |
| Céline: Ah! What? Football? |
| Sam: American football team. Yeah, football. |
| Céline: Oh, yeah, fake football. |
| Sam: No, no, football. |
| Céline: No, no, I mean, American football. |
| Sam: That’s real football. So is soccer…football. |
| Sylvain: Okay. You really love it when they are fighting like this. I cannot intrude their conversation. |
| Sam: Oh, which one do you like, Sylvain? |
| Sylvain: Now I’m in a bad situation. |
| Sam: It’s okay. I mean, if you like American football, that’s… |
| Sylvain: Please check the PDF for this. I’d like both. |
| Sam: It’s a very diplomatic answer. |
| Céline: Ouais c’est clair. |
| Sylvain: I need to survive. |
| Sam: But anyway, somebody was saying French was complex. Do you like to challenge your grey cells? |
| Céline: Yes, we do. French people like to do that. |
| Sam: Yeah. So you like to challenge your grey cells. I guess, otherwise it’s boring. Anything else I should about “d’où” or “tu es”? |
| Céline: Yeah. Unfortunately yes. The verb “es” is from the infinitive “être”. |
| Sam: This is a must-know verb; it’s used for many, many things. |
| Sylvain: Let’s see. We know je suis “I am”. |
| Sam: ouais I mean “yeah”. |
| Sylvain: Tu es. |
| Sam: “You are”. |
| Sylvain: Vous êtes. |
| Sam: “You all are” or the formal “tu”. |
| Sylvain: That’s right. |
| Céline: And the rest of the indicative present conjugation is il est “he is”, elle est “she” is…. |
| Sylvain: nous sommes “we are” and finally “ils sont; elles sont” in plural. |
| Sam: Okay. Those are the plural. So “ils sont”, a group of men or a mixed group, “elles sont” a group of women, right? |
| Sylvain: c’est ça. |
| Sam: And just to recap, je suis “I am”, tu es “you are”, il est “he is”, elle est “she is”, nous sommes “we are”, vous êtes “you are”, and for vous êtes that would be a group of people or a formal situation. And once again, ils sont “they are”, elles sont “they are”. Remember, ils sont means a group of men or a mixed group; elles sont is a group of only females. |
| Sylvain: Très bien. |
| Céline: Fantastique. |
| Sylvain: Merveilleux. |
| Sam: Thank you. |
| Céline: Je suis impressionnée. I’m impressed. |
| Sam: Oh, really? |
| Céline: Oui vraiment! |
| Sylvain: ému. |
| Sam: Well, French is just fun and exciting. I’m always looking to improve my skill level. |
| Sylvain: You will. |
| Céline: Yes, with us. |
| Sam: I think so, too. And so will our listeners. |
| Céline: exactement. So this the end? |
| Sam: My friend? Oh, no! |
| Sylvain: The only end. |
| Sam: It was so much fun. |
| Sylvain: Well… |
| Céline: Yes. You had fun, Sam? |
| Sam: As always. |
| Céline: Moi aussi! |
Outro |
| Sam: But all good things must come to an end, at least, for today. So that’s the end of our lesson. |
| Céline: Merci beaucoup! |
| Sylvain: A très bientôt. |
| Céline: A bientôt Sylvain. A bientôt Sam. |
| Sam: Thank you. Thank you, guys. See you next time. Bye-bye. |
| Sylvain: ciao ciao. |
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