Learn how to look for a place
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Sam: “Why Are We Here Again?” In this lesson, you’ll learn some verbs to give and take directions, for when you're travelling in France. This conversation takes place on the streets of Paris. The conversations between a man and Julie. The speakers are strangers, therefore the speakers will be speaking formally. |
| DIALOGUE |
| Sylvain: Mince, je suis perdu. Vous pouvez m’aider? |
| Céline: Bien sûr. |
| Sylvain: Je cherche le musée du Louvre. |
| Céline: Continuez tout droit. Prenez à gauche et traversez le boulevard. Vous serez en face du musée. |
| Sam: One more time, slowly. |
| Céline: Encore une fois, lentement. |
| Sylvain: Mince, je suis perdu. Vous pouvez m’aider? |
| Céline: Bien sûr. |
| Sylvain: Je cherche le musée du Louvre. |
| Céline: Continuez tout droit. Prenez à gauche et traversez le boulevard. Vous serez en face du musée. |
| Sam: One more time with the English. |
| Céline: Encore une fois, avec l’anglais. |
| Sylvain: Mince, je suis perdu. Vous pouvez m’aider? |
| Sam: Gosh, I’m lost. Can you help me? |
| Céline: Bien sûr. |
| Sam: Of course. |
| Sylvain: Je cherche le musée du Louvre. |
| Sam: I’m looking for the Louvre Museum. |
| Céline: Continuez tout droit. Prenez à gauche et traversez le boulevard. Vous serez en face du musée. |
| Sam: Go straight ahead. Turn left and cross the street. It will be in front of you. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Sam: Hey guys, I remember one time I was lost in Paris and I was asking for directions, but some of the people didn't seem too friendly. |
| Christophe: C’est vrai? |
| Céline: Oh, that's not the first time I hear this story. Were you speaking English or French? |
| Sam: French. |
| Christophe: Oh really? |
| Céline: Really? |
| Sam: Yeah. |
| Céline: Are you sure? |
| Sam: I'm positive. |
| Christophe: Maybe it was raining. |
| Céline: Yes. If you speak French, it's ok, but you should just-- the first word, like "Excuse me," you should say it in French. I mean, show that you make an effort. I mean, don't expect French people to speak English the first time. So maybe they can make an effort and after that, but you should say "excusez-moi." |
| Sam: Pardon? Oui? |
| Céline: Pardon, Excusez-moi. You know if you go to Russia, you would speak Russian. Why do you have to speak English in France? That's the question. |
| Sam: One time I helped some tourist from Paris in English in America. No, I helped him in French, actually. |
| Céline: No, no. I mean, I agree, but in Paris, sometimes people are really mean. |
| Sam: Oh. |
| Céline: No, no, but you should come to the south. People are so friendly. |
| Sam: Toulouse? |
| Christophe: hop hop hop hop là, je ne suis pas d’accord. |
| Céline: No, in Toulouse, people are really friendly, and even if they cannot speak English very well, they will always help you. |
| Christophe: Not always. |
| Céline: Almost always! |
| Christophe: Almost, yeah. But not always. |
| Céline: But in Paris is almost never. |
| Christophe: No! |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Céline: Ok! Let's get to the vocab! |
| Christophe: Ok. |
| Sam: N’importe quoi… Now the vocabulary. The first item is... |
| Christophe: Mince. |
| Sam: Gosh! |
| Christophe: Mince. Mince. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Être perdu. |
| Sam: To be lost. |
| Céline: Être perdu. Être perdu. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Christophe: Pouvez. |
| Sam: The "vous" form of "pouvoir". |
| Christophe: Pouvez. Pouvez. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Aider. |
| Sam: To help. |
| Céline: Aider. Aider. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Christophe: Bien sûr. |
| Sam: Of course. |
| Christophe: Bien sûr. Bien sûr. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Chercher. |
| Sam: To look for. |
| Céline: Chercher. Chercher. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Christophe: Continuez. |
| Sam: The "vous" form of "continuer," go on. |
| Christophe: Continuez. Continuez. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Prenez. |
| Sam: The "vous" form of the verb "prendre," to take. |
| Céline: Prenez. Prenez. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Christophe: Traversez. |
| Sam: The "vous" form of "traverser," to cross. |
| Christophe: Traversez. Traversez. |
| Sam: Next. |
| Céline: Boulevard. |
| Sam: Street or boulevard. |
| Céline: Boulevard. Boulevard. |
| VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE |
| Céline: So let's give some more details on some of the words with their usage. |
| Sam: Great. The first word is mince. |
| Christophe: It's means "gosh." You can use it when you make mistake, something like this. |
| Sam: Yeah. |
| Céline: Yes. In the conversation, the man, he's lost. He says, "Mince!" |
| Sam: Gosh! |
| Céline: You can also say “mercredi”. Like Wednesday. |
| Christophe: Wednesday. |
| Céline: Yeah, Wednesday, because you know we have a bad word in French. I mean, a curse. |
| Christophe: We can't say it. |
| Céline: But we cannot say it, so you start with “mer…credi” |
| Sam: Oh like “mer…credi”. |
| Christophe: Oui. |
| Céline: So what is next word, Christophe? |
| Christophe: "Pouvez," meaning "can." It is often used as an auxiliary verb. The infinitive is "pouvoir". |
| Céline: Ok, but for now, let's not get into complicated explanations. In the dialogue, the man has "Vous pouvez m'aider?" |
| Sam: Can you help me? That's very polite isn't it? |
| Céline: Oui, it's polite. The most polite would be "pourriez-vous m'aider”? |
| Sam: Would you be able to help me? |
| Céline: Exactement. |
| Sam: Great. And all of this comes from the phrase "être perdu," "to be lost." |
| Christophe: Yes. |
| Céline: Tout à fait. It comes from "perdre" meaning "to lose". |
| Sam: Oh. I got it now "être perdu" is "to be lost." "Perdre is to lose." |
| Céline: Oui. Pretty much. You can use both. |
| Sam: Oh great. |
| Céline: They have different meanings. For example, with "perdre," “je perds la tête”. |
| Sam: I'm losing my head. |
| Céline: And for "être perdu?" An example? |
| Christophe: Je suis perdu dans le métro parisien. |
| Sam: I'm lost in the Paris subway. |
| Céline: voilà. |
| Sam: Ah, "lose" and "lost". |
| Christophe: Oui. |
| Céline: voilà! Same as English. |
| Sam: Ah. Got you. |
| Céline: After we have "chercher." |
| Christophe: To look for. It has an interesting other usage. It can mean pick up someone or something. |
| Sam: Oh, interesting. Can you give us an example? |
| Céline: Je vais chercher Marie à la gare. |
| Christophe: I am going to pick up Marie at the train station. |
| Céline: Another example of "chercher." Elle cherche son permis de conduire. |
| Sam: She's looking for her license. |
| Céline: Tout à fait. |
| Sam: Because she got caught by the cops, maybe? |
| Céline: Peut-être. Anything is possible. What an imagination. Ok. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Sam: Shall we move onto some grammar? |
| Céline: I think that's a fantastic idée. |
| Christophe: Oui. |
| Sam: Ok. Let's not get too crazy with this grammar. Last time, we really got into it, which is great, but-- What's today's grammar point? |
| Céline: Today is giving orders. |
| Sam: Oh, you're good at that! |
| Céline: Non pas du tout, n’importe quoi! So in the dialogue, Julie gives instructions on how to get to the Louvre Museum. That is one application of the imperative form. |
| Christophe: The imperative has only three forms, as you can give instructions or orders only to other people. They are the second person singular and plural and the first person plural. |
| Sam: Makes sense. How does it work? |
| Céline: How does it work? |
| Sam: All the verbs from all the verb groups have a simple conjugation pattern. They take the endings from the present tense. |
| Céline: Oui. le présent de l’indicatif. |
| Christophe: Except that for the verbs of the first verb group ending in -er. At the second person singular, the "s" is dropped from the verb form. |
| Sam: Ok. If I wanted you two to look at something, something especially beautiful. I would say "regardez!" |
| Céline: Oui! Regardez! |
| Christophe: Oui. C’est ça. |
| Sam: Oh. Great. |
| Céline: Ok and if there's only one person, “regarde!” |
| Sam: “Regarde!” |
| Céline: For example, “regarde la jolie fille!” |
| Sam: Look at the pretty girl. |
| Céline: Regardez la jolie fille! |
| Sam: Look at the pretty girl. |
| Céline: Regardons la jolie fille! |
| Christophe: Oui regardons! |
| Sam: Let's look at the pretty girl. |
| Céline: voilà! |
| Christophe: Yes. |
| Céline: Good example, right? I'm so nice with you guys. |
| Sam: Sometimes. |
| Christophe: Oui, ça dépend, plus ou moins. Sam? |
| Sam: oui plus ou moins. |
| Céline: I know you love me. Je sais que vous m’aimez. Oh là là. |
Outro |
| Céline: Ok. That's the end of today's lesson. |
| Sam: Ok. |
| Céline: For more information, please take a look at the grammar banks and the PDF. |
| Sam: So until next time. |
| Céline: Eh ben oui, à bientôt! |
| Christophe: À bientôt! |
| Sam: A la prochaine! |
| Céline: Regarde la jolie fille là-bas! |
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