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Lesson 99 of 240

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Getting off in French

Gaspard is on the bus with a croissant, and he misses the stop. Sam has to talk to the driver.

You'll ask to get off, name the next stop, and say you missed yours.

Then you'll ask if you can buy a ticket on the bus, and where to buy one.

The driver gets vous. Keep the questions short.

By the end of this lesson

Ask to get off, say you missed your stop, and buy a ticket.

  • Je dois descendre à ___.I need to get off at ___
  • Quel est le prochain arrêt ?What's the next stop?
  • Je descends ici.I'm getting off here
  • J'ai raté mon arrêt.I missed my stop
  • Je peux acheter un ticket dans le bus ?Can I buy a ticket on the bus?
  • Où est-ce que je peux acheter un ticket ?Where can I buy a ticket?

Scene — the croissant

A bus on the boulevard near Parmentier. Sam stands by a pole. Gaspard takes two seats, croissant in both hands.

Morning light hits the aisle. The doors hiss, and the next stop is coming up fast.

Morning inside a Paris bus on a boulevard, Sam standing by an aisle pole while Gaspard occupies two seats with a croissant in each hand.

Learn — getting off

Six lines cover getting off, the next stop, a missed stop, and buying a ticket.

You tell the driver where you get off, then you ask for a ticket.

  1. From over Gaspard's shoulder, Sam stands in the aisle holding a pole and looking toward the doors as the next stop comes up.

    Je dois descendre à ___.

    I need to get off at ___

    When to use it: Say this to name the stop where you need to get off.

    Put the stop name in the blank after à.

    Say it: The en in descendre is a nasal sound.

  2. Gaspard's hands hold a croissant each while Gaspard sits across two seats, leaning forward and ignoring the street.

    Quel est le prochain arrêt ?

    What's the next stop?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the name of the next stop.

    Arrêt is a masculine word, so it takes quel and le.

    Say it: In prochain arrêt, the n links to the next vowel as /n/.

  3. Sam stands in the open bus doorway with one foot on the step, leaving the bus into morning light.

    Je descends ici.

    I'm getting off here

    When to use it: Say this when you want to get off at this stop.

    With je, the verb is descends, with an s.

    Say it: The last s in descends is silent.

  4. Gaspard twists toward a side window on two seats, watching a stop go by, a croissant still in each hand.

    J'ai raté mon arrêt.

    I missed my stop

    When to use it: Say this when the bus has already passed your stop.

    J'ai is je and ai said as one piece.

    Say it: J'ai drops the e of je before ai.

  5. Sam leans toward the driver at the front of the bus, asking about buying a ticket.

    Je peux acheter un ticket dans le bus ?

    Can I buy a ticket on the bus?

    When to use it: Ask this if you still need a ticket once you are on the bus.

    Un ticket is a paper ticket, not a travel pass.

    Say it: The t at the end of ticket is silent.

  6. A ticket machine stands on the sunlit boulevard sidewalk, with Sam in the background looking for where to buy a ticket.

    Où est-ce que je peux acheter un ticket ?

    Where can I buy a ticket?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need a place that sells tickets.

    Est-ce que after Où turns this into a where question.

    Say it: The t in est-ce is silent.

Story — he missed it

Watch Gaspard miss the stop over a croissant. Sam has to ask the driver what comes next.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The bus rolls toward Parmentier. Gaspard holds a croissant with both hands.
  2. SamJe dois descendre à Oberkampf.I need to get off at Oberkampf.
  3. GaspardOui, oui. Le croissant d'abord.Yes, yes. The croissant first.
  4. He does not look at the street. The bus leaves a stop.
  5. GaspardJ'ai raté mon arrêt.I missed my stop.
  6. Sam walks up to the driver at the front of the bus.
  7. SamExcusez-moi. Quel est le prochain arrêt ?Excuse me. What's the next stop?
  8. DriverC'est Oberkampf.It's Oberkampf.
  9. SamJe descends ici.I'm getting off here.
  10. DriverD'accord.Okay.
  11. SamJe peux acheter un ticket dans le bus ?Can I buy a ticket on the bus?
  12. DriverNon, pas dans le bus.No, not on the bus.
  13. SamOù est-ce que je peux acheter un ticket ?Where can I buy a ticket?
  14. DriverAu distributeur, à la station.At the machine, at the station.
  15. SamMerci.Thank you.

Practice — the next stop

Eleven short exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay on the bus, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Je descends ici.Drop the English here
    J'ai raté mon arrêt.Drop the English here
    Où est-ce que je peux acheter un ticket ?Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You are still on the way. Tell the driver you need to get off at Oberkampf.

  4. Fill the gap

    I missed my stop

    J'ai ____ mon arrêt.

  5. Pick the reply

    Driver says:

    On est à Oberkampf, votre arrêt.

    We're at Oberkampf, your stop.

    And you reply with:

  6. What does it mean?

    Je peux acheter un ticket dans le bus ?

  7. Swap the word

    Ask the driver what the next stop is.

    Quel est le ____ arrêt ?

  8. Build the line

    Where can I buy a ticket?

    -  ?

    Tap the words in order.

  9. Fill the gap

    Can I buy a ticket on the bus?

    Je peux ____ un ticket dans le bus ?

  10. What do you say?

    You need the bus driver's attention.

  11. Pick the reply

    Driver says:

    Au distributeur, à la station.

    At the machine, at the station.

    And you reply with:

Say it — tell the driver

Now you're Sam on the bus with Gaspard and the driver. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. GaspardJ'ai raté mon arrêt.I missed my stop.
  2. Sam (you)Get the driver's attention, the polite way.

    Excusez-moi.

    Excuse me (polite)

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je dois descendre à ___.I need to get off at ___
Quel est le prochain arrêt ?What's the next stop?
Je descends ici.I'm getting off here
J'ai raté mon arrêt.I missed my stop
Je peux acheter un ticket dans le bus ?Can I buy a ticket on the bus?
Où est-ce que je peux acheter un ticket ?Where can I buy a ticket?
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