French course

Lesson 86 of 240

New here? This is lesson 86 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Try it on in French

Sam needs a coat near Oberkampf. A clerk waits by the fitting rooms, and Gaspard stays outside because they are too small for a yak.

By the end, you'll ask to try something on, ask for another size or colour, check if it suits you, and decide.

The first coat is tight in the shoulders. Gaspard, outside, would need two.

By the end of this lesson

Ask to try something on, ask for other sizes and colours, and decide.

  • Je peux l'essayer ?Can I try this on?
  • C'est trop petit.It's too small.
  • Vous avez une autre taille ?Do you have another size?
  • Il y a d'autres couleurs ?Do you have other colours?
  • Ça me va bien ?Does it suit me?
  • Je le prends.I'll take it.

Scene — near Oberkampf

A small clothes shop near Oberkampf, a few streets from Café des Tilleuls. Coats hang by the fitting rooms. The clerk waits at a low counter.

Sam holds a dark coat. Gaspard stays on the pavement outside, too wide for one fitting room, and watches through the glass.

A small clothes shop near Oberkampf with Sam inside holding a dark coat while Gaspard watches from the pavement through the glass.

Learn — try it on

Six short lines cover trying something on, saying it is too small, and asking for another size or colour.

You'll also check if it suits you, then decide to take it.

  1. Sam holds a dark coat up toward the clerk and turns toward the fitting-room curtains.

    Je peux l'essayer ?

    Can I try this on?

    When to use it: Ask this in a shop when you want to try clothes on.

    The l' is le before a vowel, so l'essayer is one piece.

    Say it: The e of le drops, so you hear l'essayer as one run.

  2. Sam steps out of a fitting-room doorway in a dark coat that will not close.

    C'est trop petit.

    It's too small.

    When to use it: Say this when a piece of clothing does not fit because it is small.

    Petit is the form you use for a masculine item such as this coat.

    Say it: The last t in petit is silent.

  3. From behind the clerk, Sam holds out the too-small dark coat and gestures toward other coats on a rail.

    Vous avez une autre taille ?

    Do you have another size?

    When to use it: Ask shop staff this when you need a different size.

    Shop staff get vous; tu is for a friend or a regular.

    Say it: The s in vous links into avez as a z.

  4. Sam's hands compare a dark coat with a blue coat at a hanging rail.

    Il y a d'autres couleurs ?

    Do you have other colours?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want the same item in another colour.

    D'autres is the form for other colours of the same item.

    Say it: The d' in d'autres is an elision of de.

  5. Sam stands in a dark coat that fits with both hands on the lapels toward the clerk, while Gaspard taps the glass from the street.

    Ça me va bien ?

    Does it suit me?

    When to use it: Ask this with the item on when you want an opinion.

    Ça me va is one piece for it suits me.

  6. Sam lays the chosen dark coat on the low counter and rests a palm on it toward the clerk.

    Je le prends.

    I'll take it.

    When to use it: Say this when you decide to buy the item.

    Le stands for the coat, and a feminine item would take la.

    Say it: The d at the end of prends is silent.

Story — tight in the shoulders

Watch Sam try on a coat near Oberkampf. The first one is tight in the shoulders, so he asks for another size.

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

  1. The clerk looks up from a pile of coats.
  2. SamBonjour.Hello.
  3. ClerkBonjour.Hello.
  4. SamJe peux l'essayer ?Can I try this on?
  5. ClerkOui, allez-y.Yes, go ahead.
  6. Sam comes out. The coat pulls at the shoulders.
  7. SamC'est trop petit. Vous avez une autre taille ?It's too small. Do you have another size?
  8. ClerkOui, voilà.Yes, here you are.
  9. Sam puts on the larger coat.
  10. ClerkC'est la bonne taille.It's the right size.
  11. SamIl y a d'autres couleurs ?Do you have other colours?
  12. ClerkOui, en bleu aussi.Yes, in blue as well.
  13. SamÇa me va bien ?Does it suit me?
  14. ClerkOui, ça vous va.Yes, it suits you.
  15. Gaspard taps the glass from the street.
  16. GaspardC'est trop petit.It's too small.
  17. He shrugs at his own shoulders. One coat would never cover him.
  18. SamJe le prends. Merci.I'll take it. Thank you.

Practice — size and colour

Ten 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 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est trop petit.Drop the English here
    Vous avez une autre taille ?Drop the English here
    Il y a d'autres couleurs ?Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    The coat is tight in the shoulders. Ask the clerk for a different size.

  4. Fill the gap

    It's too small.

    C'est trop ____.

  5. What does it mean?

    Ça me va bien ?

  6. Build the line

    I'll take it.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    You like this coat but want it in another colour.

    Il y a d'autres ____ ?

  8. What do you say?

    You walk into the clothes shop in the afternoon. What do you say first to greet the clerk?

  9. Pick the reply

    Clerk says:

    Bonne journée !

    Have a good day.

    And you reply with:

  10. True or false?

    This line means the coat is too small.

Say it — I'll take it

Now you're Sam in the coat shop near Oberkampf. 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. ClerkBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Ask if you can try the coat on.

    Je peux l'essayer ?

    Can I try this on?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je peux l'essayer ?Can I try this on?
C'est trop petit.It's too small.
Vous avez une autre taille ?Do you have another size?
Il y a d'autres couleurs ?Do you have other colours?
Ça me va bien ?Does it suit me?
Je le prends.I'll take it.
Next: lesson 87Refunds and holds

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps try-on lines ready for the shop.

Open Yak Cards