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🇫🇷 French · Fluency Level 1

PART 3 · LESSON 30 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The Letter from the Prefecture

Open the letter that calls you to a citizenship interview, read it the way the French read official letters, and panic in good spoken French.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

A Tuesday in December, a letter with the Republic's letterhead, and Hugo reading it over her shoulder. The level ends here.

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The words and phrases of this lesson, one card each. Best after you’ve listened.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
Hugo. La lettre. C'est la préfecture.ew-goh, lah lehtr, seh lah pray-fehk-TEWRHugo. The letter. It's the prefecture.
Ouvre-la.oovr LAHOpen it. To a friend, about a letter.
« Madame, vous êtes convoquée à un entretien d'assimilation le douze mars, à neuf heures trente. »mah-dahm, voo zeht koh(n)-voh-kay ah a(n) nah(n)-truh-tya(n) dah-see-mee-lah-syoh(n) luh dooz mars, ah nuh vuhr TRAH(N)T"Madam, you are called to an assimilation interview on the twelfth of March, at nine thirty."
Le douze mars. C'est dans trois mois.luh dooz mars, seh dah(n) trwah MWAHThe twelfth of March. That's in three months.
« Munie de l'original de votre pièce d'identité. » Je stresse. Je stresse déjà.mew-nee duh loh-ree-zhee-nahl duh votr pyehs dee-dah(n)-tee-tay, zhuh strehs, zhuh strehs day-ZHAH"Bringing the original of your identity document." I'm stressing. I'm stressing already.
Tu vas assurer. Tu parles verlan, tu te disputes avec Chloé, tu fais rire Mamie.tew vah ah-sew-ray, tew parl vehr-lah(n), tew tuh dees-pewt ah-vehk kloh-ay, tew feh reer mah-MEEYou'll do fine. You speak verlan, you argue with Chloe, you make Mamie laugh. To a friend.
Tu fais rire Mamie.tew feh reer mah-MEEYou make Mamie laugh. To a friend.
Et si je rate ?ay see zhuh RAHTAnd if I fail?
T'es déjà plus française que moi. Allez, on fête ça. Du coup.teh day-zhah plew frah(n)-sehz kuh mwah, ah-lay, oh(n) feht sah, dew KOOYou're already more French than me. Come on, let's celebrate. So. To a friend, a woman, in spoken French.
Allez, on fête ça.ah-lay, oh(n) feht SAHCome on, let's celebrate.