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🇫🇷 French · Intermediate Level 1

PART 1 · LESSON 1 OF 30 · 40 MINUTES Free

Be Yourself

The night before he meets Emma's parents, Hugo is scared, and on a bench by the Saone Emma tells him to be himself. Then a call from the airport in Chicago shows that her father is scared too. Say what someone has to do, what you want someone to do and what you're afraid of, with the new form of the verb that French uses after them, and say "that's easy to say", "there's no need" and "I'll do my best".

Audio instruction: English

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Lesson 1 · Be Yourself

French · 40 minutes

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THE STORY

It's Sunday the first of August, eight in the evening. Hugo's last kayak class of the day is over, and he and Emma are sitting on a bench by the Saone. Tomorrow is Emma's thirty-first birthday, and her parents land in Lyon. Hugo is going to meet them, and he's scared. At eleven o'clock, Emma's phone rings. It's her mother, at the airport in Chicago. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

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Words and phrases

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je rencontrezhuh rah(n)-KOH(N)TRI meet, I'm meeting
Demain, je rencontre tes parents.duh-MA(N) zhuh rah(n)-koh(n)tr tay pah-RAH(N)Tomorrow, I'm meeting your parents.
qu'ils ne m'aiment paskeel nuh mehm PAHthat they won't like me
J'ai peur qu'ils ne m'aiment pas.zhay puhr keel nuh mehm PAHI'm afraid they won't like me.
Tout le monde t'aime !too luh moh(n)d TEHMEveryone likes you!
un mot d'anglaisa(n) moh dah(n)-GLEHa word of English
Je ne parle pas un mot d'anglais.zhuh nuh parl pah-za(n) moh dah(n)-GLEHI don't speak a word of English.
Il parle un peu. Lentement.eel parl a(n) PUH lah(n)t-MAH(N)He speaks a little. Slowly.
je diszhuh DEEI say
Qu'est-ce que je dis ?kehs kuh zhuh DEEWhat do I say?
spécialspay-SYAHLspecial
Rien de spécial.rya(n) duh spay-SYAHLNothing special.
que tu soiskuh tew SWAHthat you be
toi-mêmetwah-MEHMyourself
Il faut que tu sois toi-même.eel foh kuh tew swah twah-MEHMYou have to be yourself.
moi-mêmemwah-MEHMmyself
C'est facile à dire !seh fah-seel ah DEERThat's easy to say!
un autre joura(n) noh-truh ZHOORanother day
Je peux venir un autre jour ?zhuh puh vuh-neer a(n) noh-truh ZHOORCan I come another day?
que tu les rencontreskuh tew lay rah(n)-KOH(N)TR(I want) you to meet them
Je veux que tu les rencontres.zhuh vuh kuh tew lay rah(n)-KOH(N)TRI want you to meet them.
adorerah-doh-RAYto love, to adore
Ils vont t'adorer.eel voh(n) tah-doh-RAYThey're going to love you.
que tu aieskuh tew EHthat you have
Il ne faut pas que tu aies peur.eel nuh foh pah kuh tew eh PUHRYou mustn't be scared.
Ce n'est pas la peine.suh neh pah lah PEHNThere's no need.
que je dormekuh zhuh DORMthat I sleep
Il faut que je dorme.eel foh kuh zhuh DORMI need to sleep.
L'avion part dans une heure !lah-vyoh(n) par dah(n)-zew-NUHRThe plane leaves in an hour!
J'ai hâte de vous voir !zhay aht duh voo VWAHRI can't wait to see you! To two people.
Il a peur que Hugo ne l'aime pas !eel ah puhr kuh ew-goh nuh lehm PAHHe's afraid Hugo won't like him!
Mon français n'est pas très bon.moh(n) frah(n)-SEH neh pah treh BOH(N)My French isn't very good.
que tu metteskuh tew MEHTthat you wear, that you put on
Je vais faire de mon mieux.zhuh veh fehr duh moh(n) MYUHI'll do my best.