French course

Lesson 114 of 240

New here? This is lesson 114 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Making plans in French

Inès drops by Café des Tilleuls, and Sam wants Saturday lunch. Gaspard is at the next table, croissant in reach, café crème untouched.

You'll ask if a friend is free, suggest eating together, and check what time works.

Place and a firm yes come later. For now you invite, and Inès gets tu.

By the end of this lesson

Invite someone, suggest a time, and ask what works.

  • Tu es libre ___ ?Are you free ___?
  • Quelle heure te va ?What time works for you?
  • On va manger ensemble ?Want to go eat together?
  • ___, ça te dit ?How about ___?
  • On se voit quand ?When shall we meet?
  • Je suis libre samedi.I'm free on Saturday.

Scene — saturday lunch

Same café on rue des Tilleuls. Inès sits down across from Sam, denim jacket still on.

Gaspard sits on two chairs at the next table. His café crème is still full. The window table keeps its blank brass sign.

Inès has just sat down across from Sam at the window table while Gaspard occupies two chairs at the next table beside an untouched café crème.

Learn — free, invite, a time

Six lines cover asking if someone is free, inviting them to eat, and checking a time.

You'll also say you are free on Saturday.

  1. Sam leans forward across the table toward Inès with an open palm, asking whether she is free.

    Tu es libre ___ ?

    Are you free ___?

    When to use it: Ask a friend if they have time, and put a day in the blank.

    Use tu with a friend like Inès, not with strangers or staff.

    Say it: The last e in libre is silent.

  2. A blank watch on Sam's wrist is tapped on the café table while Inès's open palm asks what time works.

    Quelle heure te va ?

    What time works for you?

    When to use it: Ask a friend what time is good after you start a plan.

    te is the friend form in this question about time.

    Say it: Quelle runs into heure because the h is silent.

  3. Over Inès's shoulder, Sam opens both hands in an invitation to eat together, with Gaspard at the next table.

    On va manger ensemble ?

    Want to go eat together?

    When to use it: Invite a friend to a meal when you have not picked a place.

    On means we in this invite, as people say it in Paris.

  4. In profile, Sam points toward the street in an offering gesture, proposing a time to Inès.

    ___, ça te dit ?

    How about ___?

    When to use it: Suggest a day or a time and check if your friend likes it.

    ça te dit checks if the idea sounds good to your friend.

    Say it: The last t in dit is silent.

  5. Close on Inès with a small shrug and one palm up, her pose asking when they should meet.

    On se voit quand ?

    When shall we meet?

    When to use it: Ask when to meet after you both want to get together.

    On means we when you ask when to meet.

  6. From above, Gaspard leans in from the next table toward Sam and Inès while his café crème stays full and Sam sits back with open hands.

    Je suis libre samedi.

    I'm free on Saturday.

    When to use it: Say this when Saturday is free and you can make a plan.

    There is no article before samedi when you mean on Saturday.

Story — he hears saturday

Watch Sam ask Inès about Saturday lunch. Gaspard is close enough to hear.

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

  1. Inès hangs her bag on the chair. Morning light hits the empty window table.
  2. InèsSalut.Hi.
  3. SamSalut. Tu es libre samedi ?Hi. Are you free on Saturday?
  4. InèsJe suis libre samedi.I'm free on Saturday.
  5. SamOn va manger ensemble ?Want to go eat together?
  6. InèsQuelle heure te va ?What time works for you?
  7. SamMidi, ça te dit ?How about noon?
  8. InèsÇa me va.That works for me.
  9. Gaspard leans in from the next table. His café crème is still full.
  10. GaspardJe suis libre samedi. On se voit quand ?I'm free on Saturday. When shall we meet?

Practice — what works

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

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

    What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    What do you say?

    You sit with Inès at the café. Ask if she is free on Saturday.

  3. Fill the gap

    Fill the gap

    I'm free on Saturday.

    Je suis libre ____.

  4. What does it mean?

    What does it mean?

    Quelle heure te va ?

  5. Build the line

    Build the line

    What time works for you?

     ?

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Swap the word

    Swap the word

    Ask Inès what time works for her.

    Quelle heure ____ va ?

  7. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Pick the reply

    Quelle heure te va ?

    What time works for you? Suggest noon.

    And you reply with:

  8. Match the pairs

    French

    Quelle heure te va ?Drop the English here
    On va manger ensemble ?Drop the English here
    On se voit quand ?Drop the English here

    English

  9. Find the mistake

    Find the mistake

  10. True or false?

    True or false?

    Use this as your first word to Odile at the counter.

  11. What do you say?

    What do you say?

    Inès asks if noon works. Tell her that time is good.

Say it — ask inès

Now you're Sam at the café table with 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. InèsSalut.Hi.
  2. Sam (you)Ask if she is free on Saturday.

    Ask if she is free on Saturday.

    Tu es libre ___ ?

    Are you free ___?

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

Every line from this lesson
FrenchEnglishPlay
Tu es libre ___ ?Are you free ___?
Quelle heure te va ?What time works for you?
On va manger ensemble ?Want to go eat together?
___, ça te dit ?How about ___?
On se voit quand ?When shall we meet?
Je suis libre samedi.I'm free on Saturday.
Next: lesson 115Fix the time and place

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your invites ready for a friend.

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