New here? This is lesson 141 of a free 240-lesson French course.
The usual in French
Sam is a regular at Café des Tilleuls now. Odile already knows his order, and she keeps a stamp card behind the bar.
Today Odile asks how things are, he orders the usual, and they check the card.
It is always one stamp short. Gaspard's card is the same.
By the end, you'll check in, order the usual, and talk about that last missing stamp.
By the end of this lesson
Ask how things are, order the usual, and talk about a stamp card.
- Ça roule ?How's it going?
- Bof.Meh.
- Comme d'habitude.The usual.
- La même chose, s'il te plaît.The same, please.
- Il manque encore un tampon.It's still one stamp short.
- Tu prends toujours la même chose.You always order the same thing.
Scene — the stamp card
Morning on rue des Tilleuls. Sam walks into Café des Tilleuls like he does most days. Odile is at the zinc counter with the stamp cards.
Gaspard sits at the table next to the window table, on two chairs, café crème still full. The blank brass sign is still on the window table.
Learn — the usual
Six lines cover a casual check-in, a so-so answer, the usual order, and the stamp that is always missing.
Odile already talks to you with tu.
Ça roule ?
How's it going?
When to use it: Ask a friend or a café regular how things are.
Use this tu check-in with friends and regulars, not new staff.
Say it: The final e in roule is silent.
Bof.
Meh.
When to use it: Give this so-so answer when things are not great.
Bof stands alone as a short answer, with no verb.
Comme d'habitude.
The usual.
When to use it: Order what you always have without naming it.
The d' is de plus habitude, said as one piece.
Say it: The d' links straight into habitude.
La même chose, s'il te plaît.
The same, please.
When to use it: Ask a regular for the same order again.
Te goes with tu; a stranger at the counter gets vous.
Say it: In s'il, si drops its i before il.
Il manque encore un tampon.
It's still one stamp short.
When to use it: Say this when a stamp card still needs one more.
Un tampon is masculine, so it stays un, not une.
Say it: The on in tampon is a nasal sound.
Tu prends toujours la même chose.
You always order the same thing.
When to use it: Tease a friend who never changes their order.
Tu is for a regular; a new guest would get vous.
Say it: The s at the end of toujours is silent.
Story — one stamp short
Watch Sam order the usual and check his stamp card. Odile already knows what he drinks.
The window table stays empty beside them.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Morning light on the zinc counter. Odile already has the stamp cards out.
OdileBonjour.Hello.
SamBonjour.Hello.- OdileÇa roule ?How's it going?
- SamBof.Meh.
- OdileTu prends toujours la même chose.You always order the same thing.
- SamComme d'habitude. La même chose, s'il te plaît.The usual. The same, please.
- Odile stamps Sam's card, then frowns at the last empty box.
- OdileIl manque encore un tampon.It's still one stamp short.
- She holds Gaspard's card next to it. The window table stays empty.
GaspardIl manque encore un tampon.It's still one stamp short.- OdileÇa roule ?How's it going?
- GaspardBof.Meh.
Practice — order again
Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, build a line, and pick what fits at the counter.
They stay small, so the round moves fast.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
French
Ça roule ?Drop the English hereBof.Drop the English hereComme d'habitude.Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
You walk into Café des Tilleuls in the morning. Odile looks at you from the counter.
Pick the reply
Odile says:
Pick the reply
Ça roule ?
How's it going?
And you reply with:
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
It's still one stamp short.
Il manque encore un ____.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Comme d'habitude.
Swap the word
Swap the word
Odile teases Sam because he never changes his drink.
Tu prends ____ la même chose.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
The same, please.
La même chose, s'il te ____.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Ça va ?
What do you say?
What do you say?
Odile already knows your drink. Ask for the same again, the friendly way.
Say it — say the usual
Now you're Sam at the counter. 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.
- OdileBonjour.Hello.
- Sam (you)Say hello back. It is still morning.
Say hello back. It is still morning.
Bonjour.
Hello
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| French | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Ça roule ? | How's it going? | |
| Bof. | Meh. | |
| Comme d'habitude. | The usual. | |
| La même chose, s'il te plaît. | The same, please. | |
| Il manque encore un tampon. | It's still one stamp short. | |
| Tu prends toujours la même chose. | You always order the same thing. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want these café lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the usual order ready at the counter.
Open Yak Cards