Welcome — ready to ask your teacher for help with confidence? This short lesson focuses on polite, useful questions you can use in a French classroom.
Listen, repeat, and practice: you'll hear key phrases, try a mini conversation, and then speak them aloud yourself.
Level A2: In this lesson (Lesson 126) you'll practice polite classroom phrases for asking teachers to repeat, slow down, check answers, and more. You'll also learn how to ask about homework, deadlines, and permissions like going to the restroom. This is CEFR-aligned and made for quick, useful practice.
After this lesson you'll be able to:
Use polite requests with vous to address a teacher (Level A2).
Ask for repetition, slower speech, pronunciation help, or permission.
Check homework, deadlines, and whether to work alone or in pairs.
Ready? Let's go!
When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.
1. Reading + Listening Practice
Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.
Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you repeat that, please?
Meaning: Can you repeat that, please?
When to use: Ask the teacher to say something again when you didn't hear or understand.
Tip: Beginners sometimes use tu instead of vous when speaking to a teacher; use vous here.
Can you repeat that, please? I missed the date.
Asking the teacher to repeat information
During the lesson I said, 'Can you repeat that, please?' because I didn't catch the number.
Used when you need something repeated
Vous pouvez le dire plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you say that more slowly, please?
Meaning: Can you say that more slowly, please?
When to use: Ask the teacher to slow down their speech so you can follow.
Can you say that more slowly, please? The words go by too fast for me.
Requesting slower speech from the teacher
I asked, 'Can you say that more slowly, please?' and the teacher repeated it clearly.
Useful when pronunciation is too fast
Comment on prononce ___ ?
How do you pronounce ___?
Meaning: How do you pronounce ___?
When to use: Ask for the pronunciation of a word or phrase in class.
How do you pronounce 'la bibliothèque'?
Asking for pronunciation of a specific word
If you're unsure of a word, say: 'How do you pronounce ___?'
A general request for pronunciation help
Je peux poser une question ?
Can I ask a question?
Meaning: Can I ask a question?
When to use: Politely ask the teacher for permission to speak in class.
Can I ask a question about the homework?
Requesting permission to ask something
She raised her hand and asked, 'Can I ask a question?' before speaking.
Polite way to get the teacher's attention
J'ai oublié mon/ma ___.
I forgot my ___.
Meaning: I forgot my ___.
When to use: Tell the teacher you left something at home or in another room.
Tip: Choose mon for masculine nouns and ma for feminine nouns; before a vowel sound learners sometimes still use mon for ease.
I forgot my textbook.
Explaining a missing classroom item
I forgot my pencil this morning and asked to borrow one.
Common phrase for forgotten items
Est-ce qu'on a des devoirs ?
Do we have homework?
Meaning: Do we have homework?
When to use: Ask the teacher whether work is assigned after class.
Do we have homework for Monday?
Asking about assigned work
Before leaving, students asked, 'Do we have homework?'
A simple check about homework
C'est à rendre pour quand ?
When is it due?
Meaning: When is it due?
When to use: Ask about the deadline for an assignment or homework.
When is it due? I want to plan my study time.
Checking an assignment deadline
Students asked, 'When is it due?' after the teacher explained the project.
Used to confirm due dates
Est-ce que je peux aller aux toilettes, s'il vous plaît ?
Can I go to the bathroom?
Meaning: Can I go to the bathroom?
When to use: Ask the teacher for permission to leave the room briefly.
Can I go to the bathroom? I need a quick break.
Polite permission to leave class
When you need to go out, say, 'Can I go to the bathroom?' politely.
Standard classroom request
On doit faire quel exercice ?
Which exercise should we do?
Meaning: Which exercise should we do?
When to use: Ask the teacher to point to the specific exercise you must complete.
Which exercise should we do on page 24?
Clarifying which task is required
If instructions are unclear, ask, 'Which exercise should we do?'
Useful when multiple tasks are listed
On doit travailler seuls ou à deux ?
Should we work alone or in pairs?
Meaning: Should we work alone or in pairs?
When to use: Ask whether the activity is individual or requires a partner.
Tip: Remember agreement: seuls changes to seules for an all-female group; watch gender agreement.
Should we work alone or in pairs for this activity?
Checking whether to pair up
The teacher said, 'Should we work alone or in pairs?' before assigning groups.
Used to clarify group work
Vous pouvez vérifier ma réponse ?
Can you check my answer?
Meaning: Can you check my answer?
When to use: Ask the teacher to verify that your answer is correct.
Can you check my answer on number five?
Requesting the teacher to verify an answer
If unsure, say, 'Can you check my answer?' and show the question.
Useful during in-class work
Vous pouvez m'expliquer cette partie ?
Can you explain this part?
Meaning: Can you explain this part?
When to use: Ask the teacher to explain a specific section of the lesson or exercise.
Can you explain this part? I don't understand the instructions.
Requesting clarification on a section
During the exercise I raised my hand and said, 'Can you explain this part?'
Useful for targeted help
J'ai fini.
I'm finished.
Meaning: I'm finished.
When to use: Tell the teacher when you have completed an activity or assignment.
I'm finished — may I hand this in now?
Saying you have completed the task
When the exercise was done she said, 'I'm finished.' and waited.
Common phrase to indicate completion
2. Conversational Listening Practice
Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.
A short exchange before class ends where students ask about homework, permission, and clarification.
What do the students ask about near the end of class?
Anna
Est-ce qu'on a des devoirs ?
Do we have homework?
David
C'est à rendre pour quand ?
When is it due?
Anna
Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you repeat that, please?
David
Est-ce que je peux aller aux toilettes, s'il vous plaît ?
Can I go to the bathroom?
3. Guided Practice
Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.
You didn't hear the page number the teacher said. Which French phrase do you use?
You want to know whether to work with a partner. Which phrase fits?
You need the teacher to check your answer. Which phrase do you choose?
You want to ask for the pronunciation of a new word. Which phrase is correct?
Before you speak, say: 'Can I ask a question?' to ask for permission.
Before you speak, say: __ to ask for permission.
If you need a break, politely say: 'Can I go to the bathroom?'
If you need a break, politely say: __.
To ask when to hand in work you say: 'When is it due?'
To ask when to hand in work you say: __
Match the core phrases
Match the extra phrases
4. Speaking Practice
Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).
Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.
Say this phrase out loud:
Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you repeat that, please?
Say this phrase out loud:
Vous pouvez le dire plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ?
Can you say that more slowly, please?
Say this phrase out loud:
Comment on prononce ___ ?
How do you pronounce ___?
Say this phrase out loud:
Je peux poser une question ?
Can I ask a question?
Say this phrase out loud:
J'ai oublié mon/ma ___.
I forgot my ___.
Say this phrase out loud:
Est-ce qu'on a des devoirs ?
Do we have homework?
Say this phrase out loud:
C'est à rendre pour quand ?
When is it due?
Say this phrase out loud:
Est-ce que je peux aller aux toilettes, s'il vous plaît ?
