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🇫🇷 French · Fluency Level 1

PART 2 · LESSON 14 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The Secretary's Dry Humour

Deal with a civil servant whose humour is drier than her forms, hear ca fait plaisir and quelle surprise said flat, and get your stamp anyway.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

The town hall, Madame Faure behind her counter, and Emma, back for the fourth time this month.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
Madame Carter. Quelle surprise. Quatre fois ce mois-ci.mah-dahm kar-tehr, kehl sewr-preez, kahtr fwah suh mwah-SEEMadame Carter. What a surprise. Four times this month. Flat, as irony.
Je sais. Vous m'avez manqué aussi.zhuh seh, voo mah-vay mah(n)-kay oh-SEEI know. I missed you too. Politely.
Ça fait plaisir. Qu'est-ce qu'il vous faut, aujourd'hui ?sah feh pleh-zeer, kehs keel voo foh, oh-zhoor-DWEEThat's nice to hear. What do you need today? Politely.
Un tampon sur cette attestation de domicile. Pour la préfecture.a(n) tah(n)-poh(n) sewr seht ah-tehs-tah-syoh(n) duh doh-mee-seel, poor lah pray-fehk-TEWRA stamp on this proof of address. For the prefecture.
Pour la préfecture. Formidable. Ils aiment les tampons, à la préfecture.poor lah pray-fehk-tewr, for-mee-dahbl, eel zehm lay tah(n)-poh(n), ah lah pray-fehk-TEWRFor the prefecture. Wonderful. They love stamps, at the prefecture. Flat, as irony.
Je n'en doute pas.zhuh nah(n) doot PAHI don't doubt it.
Voilà. C'est tout ? Pas de certificat de vie, pas de copie conforme ?vwah-lah, seh too, pah duh sehr-tee-fee-kah duh vee, pah duh koh-pee koh(n)-FORMThere. Is that all? No proof of life, no certified copy?
Pas de copie conforme ?pah duh koh-pee koh(n)-FORMNo certified copy?
C'est tout. Pour cette semaine. Bonne continuation, Madame Faure.seh too, poor seht suh-mehn, bon koh(n)-tee-new-ah-syoh(n), mah-dahm FOHRThat's all. For this week. All the best, Madame Faure.
Bonne continuation.bon koh(n)-tee-new-ah-SYOH(N)All the best.