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Lesson 100 of 240

New here? This is lesson 100 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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In, out and up in French

Sam and Gaspard are still in the doorway of the walk-up. Inès is already two floors up, and there is no lift.

Gaspard says let's go, then stays put with his tote.

By the end, you'll suggest leaving together, and say that someone came in, went out, or went up.

Sam is a man, so his lines stay masculine. A woman adds an e: entrée, sortie, montée, descendue.

By the end of this lesson

Say someone came in, went out, or went up, and suggest leaving together.

  • On y va ?Shall we go?
  • Allons-y.Let's go.
  • Je suis entré.I came in.
  • Elle est sortie.She went out.
  • Je suis monté.I went up.
  • Je suis descendu.I went down.

Scene — two floors up

Late afternoon on rue des Tilleuls. The street door of Sam's walk-up is open. There is no lift, only the worn wooden stairs.

Inès is already two floors up on a landing. Sam is still in the doorway with Gaspard, who fills the frame with his tote and a baguette.

The window table at the café stays empty. Gaspard has not finished a café crème today either.

A wide late-afternoon view of rue des Tilleuls with Sam and Gaspard small in the open street doorway, Inès on a landing above, and the café window table empty.

Learn — in, out and up

Six short lines cover shall we go, let's go, and four moves: came in, went out, went up, and went down.

Watch the extra e when the person you talk about is a woman.

  1. Inès on an upstairs landing, leaning over the banister and looking down the stairwell at Sam.

    On y va ?

    Shall we go?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to leave together.

    On here means we, when you suggest going together.

    Say it: The on in On is a nasal sound.

  2. Gaspard filling the open street doorway with a tote and a baguette, leaning forward but not stepping in.

    Allons-y.

    Let's go.

    When to use it: Say this to agree to leave together.

    This is let's go, and y points to the place you head.

    Say it: The s in Allons links into y as a z.

  3. Sam just inside the dim hallway, daylight from the open street door behind him.

    Je suis entré.

    I came in.

    When to use it: Say this after you come in, if you are a man.

    A woman says je suis entrée, with an extra e.

    Say it: The s in suis links into entré as a z.

  4. Odile going out past Gaspard's tote in the open doorway while Sam watches from the hall.

    Elle est sortie.

    She went out.

    When to use it: Say this when a woman has gone out.

    Sortie has an e because you are talking about a woman.

    Say it: The final e in sortie is silent.

  5. Sam climbing the worn wooden stairs toward Inès on the landing above.

    Je suis monté.

    I went up.

    When to use it: Say this after you go upstairs, if you are a man.

    A woman says je suis montée, with an extra e.

  6. Sam at the bottom of the worn wooden stairs, facing Gaspard who is still in the bright open street door.

    Je suis descendu.

    I went down.

    When to use it: Say this after you go downstairs, if you are a man.

    A woman says je suis descendue, with an extra e.

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

Story — he does not move

Watch Sam in the doorway while Inès is already two floors up. Gaspard says let's go and does not move.

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

  1. Inès calls down from a landing two floors up. The street door of the walk-up stands open.
  2. InèsTu es entré ?Did you come in?
  3. SamJe suis entré.I came in.
  4. Gaspard fills the doorway with his tote. He does not step inside.
  5. SamOn y va ?Shall we go?
  6. GaspardAllons-y.Let's go.
  7. He stays where he is. A woman neighbor comes down the stairs and goes out past his tote.
  8. SamElle est sortie.She went out.
  9. GaspardEt Inès ?And Inès?
  10. SamElle est montée.She went up.
  11. Sam takes the wooden stairs. Two floors up, Inès is on the landing.
  12. SamJe suis monté.I went up.
  13. InèsC'est au deuxième étage. Il n'y a pas d'ascenseur. Et Gaspard ?It's on the second floor. There's no lift. And Gaspard?
  14. SamIl est encore en bas.He's still downstairs.
  15. Sam comes back down. Gaspard is still in the doorway.
  16. SamJe suis descendu.I went down.
  17. GaspardAllons-y.Let's go.

Practice — who went where

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

They mix the let's-go pair with who came in, went out, or went up.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Je suis entré.Drop the English here
    Elle est sortie.Drop the English here
    Je suis monté.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Inès asks if you are leaving together. Agree, and go.

  4. Fill the gap

    I came in.

    Je suis ____.

  5. What does it mean?

    Elle est sortie.

  6. Swap the word

    You reached Inès on the landing. Tell her you went up.

    Je suis ____.

  7. Build the line

    I went down.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. What do you say?

    Inès is two floors up and you cannot see her. Ask where she is.

  9. Fill the gap

    She went out.

    Elle est ____.

  10. True or false?

    This line says the walk-up has a lift.

Say it — on the stairs

Now you're Sam, stuck in the doorway with Gaspard. 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. InèsTu es entré ?Did you come in?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her you came in.

    Je suis entré.

    I came in.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
On y va ?Shall we go?
Allons-y.Let's go.
Je suis entré.I came in.
Elle est sortie.She went out.
Je suis monté.I went up.
Je suis descendu.I went down.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps in, out, and let's-go ready for the stairs.

Open Yak Cards