INTRODUCTION |
Today we'll cover getting out of a restaurant. |
GRAMMAR POINT |
First, you may have to get a hold of the staff. Again, you can accomplish this by saying a phrase we know very well, Excusez-moi. |
Excusez-moi. |
Let’s break it down by syllable: Excusez-moi. |
Now let's hear it once again: Excusez-moi. |
Once he’s at your table, you can ask for the check. In French, "check, please" is L'addition, s'il vous plaît. |
L'addition, s'il vous plaît. |
Let’s break it down by syllable: L'addition, s'il vous plaît. |
Now let's hear it once again: L'addition, s'il vous plaît. |
The first word, l'addition, means "the bill." |
Let's break it down and hear it one more time: l'addition |
l'addition |
It is followed by s'il vous plaît, which, as we have learned, in English means "please." |
s'il vous plaît |
s'il vous plaît |
And, s'il vous plaît |
If you'd like to tell someone how good the food is, or if you're eating with someone and you want to let that person know how good you think the food is, you can say délicieux. |
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: délicieux |
And, délicieux |
Don't forget to say "thank you." |
In France, it is not a common practice to tip. So your amount will be on your bill. However, it is always a kind gesture to leave your loose change. |
One last useful phrase has to do with credit cards. |
In French, "Do you take credit cards?" is Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
Let’s break it down once again: Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
One more time: Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
The first word, prenez, means "take." |
Let's break this word down and hear it one more time: prenez |
Prenez |
It is followed by vous, which, as we have learned, in English means "you." |
So to recap, we have prenez vous, which literally means "take you?" |
This is followed by la, which is French for "the" in the feminine form. |
La |
La |
And, la |
Next is carte, which means "card." |
Carte |
carte |
So to recap we have Prenez-vous la carte, which literally means "Take you the card." |
This is followed by de, which as we have learned means "of." |
Lastly, we have crédit, which means "credit." |
Let’s break it down: credit |
Credit |
So all together that makes Prenez-vous la carte de crédit? Literally, this is "Take you the card of credit?" and translates as "do you take credit cards?" |
Cultural Insight |
There is no general custom when it comes to getting the bill. |
When you order drinks, some establishments automatically bring you the bill with the drinks, but this is no subtle message to leave; you can order more and it will be added. In fact, In France, you can order just one coffee and stay as long as you like. Some restaurants might ask you to change tables if they need to set up a meal service. |
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! |
“Excuse me.” - Excusez-moi. |
Excusez-moi. |
Excusez-moi. |
“The bill, please.” - L’addition, s’il vous plaît. |
L’addition, s’il vous plaît. |
L’addition, s’il vous plaît. |
“It's delicious.” - C'est délicieux. |
C'est délicieux. |
“Do you take credit cards?” - Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
Prenez-vous la carte de crédit ? |
This is the end of today’s lesson. See you soon! À bientôt! |
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