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Lesson 133 of 240

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Looking for a flat in French

Inès has a cousin looking for a studio, two doors down from Sam on rue des Tilleuls.

Monsieur Lefebvre answers from the doorway, a heavy ring of keys in his hand.

You will ask if the flat is still free, what the rent and charges are, and how big the deposit is.

You will also ask when you can visit, and from which date it is empty.

Lefebvre is the landlord, so you stay on vous with him.

By the end of this lesson

Ask if a flat is available, what it costs, and from when.

  • L'appartement est toujours disponible ?Is the flat still available?
  • Le loyer est de combien par mois ?How much is the rent per month?
  • Les charges sont comprises dans le loyer ?Are the charges included in the rent?
  • Le dépôt de garantie est de combien ?How much is the security deposit?
  • Quand est-ce que je peux visiter ?When can I come and see it?
  • C'est libre à partir de quand ?From when is it free?

Scene — two doors down

Same street, two doors down from Sam's walk-up. Inès has come with him for her cousin, who needs a studio.

Monsieur Lefebvre stands in the doorway with a heavy ring of old keys. He does not invite them in yet.

Monsieur Lefebvre stands in a worn walk-up doorway with a heavy key ring while Sam and Inès wait on the sunlit pavement, still not invited in.

Learn — rent, charges, dates

Six short questions cover a flat still free, the monthly rent, extra charges, the deposit, a visit, and the start date.

You keep vous with the landlord at the door.

  1. Sam leans toward Monsieur Lefebvre in the doorway and raises an open hand to ask if the studio is still available.

    L'appartement est toujours disponible ?

    Is the flat still available?

    When to use it: Ask the landlord if the flat is still free to rent.

    Use vous with the landlord; tu is for friends and regulars.

    Say it: The final t in appartement is silent.

  2. Inès stands on the pavement with fingers pinched as if weighing the monthly rent, looking toward the doorway.

    Le loyer est de combien par mois ?

    How much is the rent per month?

    When to use it: Ask the monthly rent before you decide.

    Loyer is the rent you pay each month, not a one-off fee.

  3. From the doorway, Sam ticks points on his fingers on the pavement, checking whether charges are included in the rent.

    Les charges sont comprises dans le loyer ?

    Are the charges included in the rent?

    When to use it: Check if extra building costs sit inside the rent.

    Charges are shared costs like water or the stairs, on top of rent.

    Say it: The t in sont is silent.

  4. Inès holds both palms open toward Monsieur Lefebvre’s key ring, checking the size of the security deposit.

    Le dépôt de garantie est de combien ?

    How much is the security deposit?

    When to use it: Ask how much deposit you must leave.

    Dépôt de garantie is a set phrase for the deposit you should get back.

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

  5. Sam steps toward the threshold and gestures past Monsieur Lefebvre into the dark hall, asking when they can come and see the studio.

    Quand est-ce que je peux visiter ?

    When can I come and see it?

    When to use it: Ask when you can come and look around.

    Est-ce que turns the line into a question without moving je peux.

    Say it: In est-ce, the t is silent.

  6. Inès glances from Monsieur Lefebvre down to the old key ring, checking from when the studio is free.

    C'est libre à partir de quand ?

    From when is it free?

    When to use it: Ask the first day the flat is empty.

    À partir de marks the date it becomes empty, not a visit time.

    Say it: The vowel in quand is nasal; the n is not said on its own.

Story — keys in the door

Watch Sam and Inès at Lefebvre's doorway. They need a studio for her cousin.

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

  1. Two doors down, a worn doorway. Lefebvre waits with the keys. Inès stands one step behind Sam.
  2. SamBonjour monsieur.Hello, sir.
  3. Monsieur LefebvreBonjour.Hello.
  4. InèsC'est pour mon cousin.It's for my cousin.
  5. SamL'appartement est toujours disponible ?Is the flat still available?
  6. Monsieur LefebvreOui, pour l'instant.Yes, for now.
  7. SamLe loyer est de combien par mois ?How much is the rent per month?
  8. Monsieur LefebvreHuit cents euros.Eight hundred euros.
  9. SamLes charges sont comprises dans le loyer ?Are the charges included in the rent?
  10. Monsieur LefebvreOui, l'eau et le chauffage.Yes, water and heating.
  11. SamLe dépôt de garantie est de combien ?How much is the security deposit?
  12. Monsieur LefebvreDeux mois de loyer.Two months of rent.
  13. Inès glances at the dark stairwell, then at Sam.
  14. SamQuand est-ce que je peux visiter ?When can I come and see it?
  15. Monsieur LefebvreDemain à dix heures, si vous voulez.Tomorrow at ten, if you like.
  16. He stays in the doorway. He does not smile.
  17. SamC'est libre à partir de quand ?From when is it free?
  18. Monsieur LefebvreLe premier du mois.The first of the month.
  19. SamAu revoir.Goodbye.

Practice — still free

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay on the doorway questions, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    L'appartement est toujours disponible ?Drop the English here
    Les charges sont comprises dans le loyer ?Drop the English here
    C'est libre à partir de quand ?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 at the doorway and you need the monthly rent.

  4. Fill the gap

    Are the charges included in the rent?

    Les charges sont ____ dans le loyer ?

  5. What does it mean?

    Le dépôt de garantie est de combien ?

  6. Build the line

    When can I come and see it?

    -  ?

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Ask the first day the studio is empty.

    C'est ____ à partir de quand ?

  8. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Demande-lui quand on peut visiter.

    Ask him when we can come and see it.

    And you reply with:

  9. What do you say?

    You arrive at the landlord's doorway in the morning. What do you say first?

  10. True or false?

    Sam says goodbye as they leave the doorway.

Say it — ask the landlord

Now you're Sam on the landing next to Inès. 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. Monsieur LefebvreBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Ask if the flat is still free to rent.

    L'appartement est toujours disponible ?

    Is the flat still available?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
L'appartement est toujours disponible ?Is the flat still available?
Le loyer est de combien par mois ?How much is the rent per month?
Les charges sont comprises dans le loyer ?Are the charges included in the rent?
Le dépôt de garantie est de combien ?How much is the security deposit?
Quand est-ce que je peux visiter ?When can I come and see it?
C'est libre à partir de quand ?From when is it free?
Next: lesson 134Signing the lease

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these flat questions handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps rent and deposit questions ready for the door.

Open Yak Cards