While I drink my coffeeBefore you practise: rules and examples
These topics cover this set, including review questions. Open the guide and refer to it while answering.
Recognise words on signs
Start with signs that help you act: ouvert means “open”, fermé “closed”, entrée “entrance” and sortie “exit”. Brussels has two official languages, French and Dutch, so not every sign will be French.
Use C’est ouvert for “It’s open”. With a feminine noun, however: La porte est ouverte means “The door is open”. For now, learning the first phrase is enough; you do not need every agreement pattern at once.
If unsure, check: C’est l’entrée ? means “Is this the entrance?”. This week you recognise a familiar word independently and check its meaning, rather than translating an entire street.
C’est ouvert./sɛ uvɛʁ/ — It’s open.
C’est l’entrée ?/sɛ lɑ̃tʁe/ — Is this the entrance?
Order a waffle yourself
Je voudrais une gaufre, s’il vous plaît means “I would like a waffle, please”. You have met je voudrais in a coffee order; now transfer it to a new situation. Learn it as a polite phrase without studying the entire conditional tense.
For a topping: avec du chocolat means “with chocolate”; without it: sans chocolat. There is no article after sans here. Gaufre is feminine: une gaufre.
If the question is too fast, reuse last week’s request: Vous pouvez répéter ?. Then give your choice: Sans chocolat, merci. First understand, then confirm.
Je voudrais une gaufre./ʒə vudʁɛ yn ɡofʁ/ — I would like a waffle.
Avec du chocolat ?/avɛk dy ʃɔkɔla/ — With chocolate?
Check the price and confirm
C’est combien ? means “How much is it?”. If unsure what the price refers to, ask Pour une gaufre ?: “For one waffle?”. You can ask to see it: Vous pouvez montrer le prix ?.
You do not have to guess an unfamiliar number. Ask for repetition or look at the price label. Exercises do not quote a current price at a particular business: the task is to ask and check.
Confirm the whole small order: Une gaufre sans chocolat, s’il vous plaît. D’accord, merci means “OK, thank you”. Finally try ordering without the model sentence in front of you.
C’est combien ?/sɛ kɔ̃bjɛ̃/ — How much is it?
Pour une gaufre ?/puʁ yn ɡofʁ/ — For one waffle?
Ask someone to repeat
You do not have to understand every fast answer. Plus lentement, s’il vous plaît means “More slowly, please”. With someone you address as tu, use s’il te plaît. Vivi and Louis use tu.
Tu peux répéter ? means “Can you repeat that?”. More formally: Vous pouvez répéter ?. Peux / pouvez is followed by the infinitive répéter: do not conjugate the second verb.
Name the specific gap: Je ne comprends pas ce mot means “I do not understand this word”. Then confirm what you understood: De l’eau ? Oui, merci. That helps the conversation continue.
Plus lentement, s’il te plaît./ply lɑ̃tmɑ̃ sil tə plɛ/ — More slowly, please.
Vous pouvez répéter ?/vu puve ʁepete/ — Can you repeat that?
Cafés and shopping
In France, un café usually means a small black espresso. For coffee with milk, ask for un crème or un noisette.
A polite request is built like this: Je voudrais + what you want + s'il vous plaît. «Je voudrais» means «I would like» and sounds softer than «je veux» («I want»).
You can ask for water for free in a restaurant: une carafe d'eau.
Je voudrais un café.zhuh voo-dreh uh(n) ka-fay — I'd like a coffee.
Une carafe d'eauün ka-raf doh — a jug of water
1. Tu cherches la sortie. Quel mot ?
2. La boutique est ouverte. Tu dis :
3. Tu ne veux pas de chocolat. Tu dis :
4. Je voudrais ___ gaufre.
5. Pour demander le prix :
6. Tu ne comprends pas le prix. Tu demandes :
Review from Nº6These items appeared in the previous issue. See what has changed since then.
7. Tu ne comprends pas. Tu dis :
8. Après « pouvez », on écrit :
9. Build the phrase
I'd like a coffee, please.