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fluentbyear
🇫🇷 French · Fluency Level 2

PART 3 · LESSON 25 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The Drive South, Mamie's Youth

Hear a ninety-five-year-old tell her youth on a long drive, in the imperfect that French stories are made of, and ask the questions that keep her talking.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

The motorway south, Mamie in the front seat by right, Emma driving, and six hours that pass in forty minutes.

Flashcards

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.
Et vous, Mamie, quand vous aviez vingt ans, vous faisiez quoi ?ay voo, mah-mee, kah(n) voo zah-vyay va(n) tah(n), voo fuh-zyay KWAHAnd you, Mamie, when you were twenty, what did you do? Politely.
À l'époque, je travaillais à la poste. On n'avait pas de voiture. On allait à Lyon en car.ah lay-pok, zhuh trah-vah-yeh ah lah post, oh(n) nah-veh pah duh vwah-tewr, oh(n) nah-leh ah lyoh(n) ah(n) KAHRAt the time, I worked at the post office. We didn't have a car. We went to Lyon by coach.
On n'avait pas de voiture.oh(n) nah-veh pah duh vwah-TEWRWe didn't have a car.
Et vous alliez danser ?ay voo zah-lyay dah(n)-SAYAnd you went dancing? Politely.
Tous les samedis. C'est là que j'ai rencontré ton grand-père. Il dansait mal.too lay sahm-dee, seh lah kuh zhay rah(n)-koh(n)-tray toh(n) grah(n)-pehr, eel dah(n)-seh MAHLEvery Saturday. That's where I met your grandfather. He danced badly. To a friend.
Et vous l'avez épousé quand même.ay voo lah-vay zay-poo-zay kah(n) MEHMAnd you married him all the same. Politely.
Je l'ai épousé quand même. Il dansait mal, mais il parlait bien.zhuh lay ay-poo-zay kah(n) mehm, eel dah(n)-seh mahl, meh eel par-leh BYA(N)I married him all the same. He danced badly, but he talked well.
Je l'ai épousé quand même.zhuh lay ay-poo-zay kah(n) MEHMI married him all the same.
Et après ?ay ah-PREHAnd then?
Après, soixante ans. Racontez, racontez. Tu me fais parler comme un livre.ah-preh, swah-sah(n) tah(n), rah-koh(n)-tay, rah-koh(n)-tay, tew muh feh par-lay kom a(n) LEEVRThen, sixty years. Tell, tell. You've got me talking like a book. To a friend.