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Lesson 88 of 240

New here? This is lesson 88 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Excuse me, may I? in French

Sam ducks into the boulangerie two doors down. A woman is already at the counter, taking her time.

He starts to speak. She says after you, then goes back to choosing.

By the end, you will interrupt politely, join a queue, and check whose turn it is.

Après vous is for strangers. Toi d'abord is for a friend.

By the end of this lesson

Interrupt, queue, and take turns politely.

  • Je peux vous interrompre un instant ?May I interrupt you for a moment?
  • Après vous.After you.
  • C'est mon tour ?Is it my turn?
  • Je me mets derrière vous.I'll queue behind you.
  • Je vous dérange ?Am I interrupting?
  • Toi d'abord.You first.

Scene — the bakery queue

Same morning on rue des Tilleuls. Sam steps into the small boulangerie two doors down from the café.

Wooden shelves of bread, a glass case of pastries. A woman stands at the counter and has not chosen yet.

The clerk holds an empty paper bag. Inès is a few minutes behind Sam on the street.

Sam has just come in; a customer stands at the pastry case and the clerk holds an empty paper bag.

Learn — interrupt and take turns

Six lines cover interrupting, joining a queue, and checking whose turn it is.

You also get after you for strangers, and you first for a friend.

  1. Sam stands a step behind the customer with a hand raised in a polite interrupt.

    Je peux vous interrompre un instant ?

    May I interrupt you for a moment?

    When to use it: Use this with a stranger or staff before you cut in.

    Vous is for a stranger, and a friend would hear tu.

    Say it: The x in peux is silent.

  2. Sam steps aside and ushers the customer forward toward the counter.

    Après vous.

    After you.

    When to use it: Let a stranger or staff member go first.

    Keep vous here, because this is not for a close friend.

    Say it: The s in Après is silent.

  3. Sam stands square at the counter, checking with the clerk whether it is time to order.

    C'est mon tour ?

    Is it my turn?

    When to use it: Ask this when you think the queue has reached you.

    Tour is masculine, so everyone says mon, not ma.

  4. Inès steps in from the street to join the queue while Sam looks at the bread shelves.

    Je me mets derrière vous.

    I'll queue behind you.

    When to use it: Say this when you join a queue behind a stranger.

    Vous is for the person in front, not a friend.

    Say it: The s in mets is silent.

  5. Sam tucks into the corner of the counter, checking that this is not an interruption.

    Je vous dérange ?

    Am I interrupting?

    When to use it: Check this before you speak to someone who looks busy.

    Vous marks this as polite, and a friend would get tu.

    Say it: The an in dérange is a nasal sound.

  6. Inès stands beside Sam, steps aside, and motions Sam forward to the counter.

    Toi d'abord.

    You first.

    When to use it: Let a friend go first, not a stranger or staff.

    Toi is for a friend, and a new person gets vous.

    Say it: The e of de is dropped in d'abord.

Story — she says after you

Watch Sam in the bakery queue. The woman in front says after you, then takes her time.

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

  1. The clerk looks up from the paper bags. The woman is still choosing.
  2. ClerkBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. Sam starts to speak. The woman at the counter turns.
  5. SamJe peux vous interrompre un instant ?May I interrupt you for a moment?
  6. StrangerAprès vous.After you.
  7. She looks back at the tartines. She does not move.
  8. SamJe me mets derrière vous.I'll queue behind you.
  9. StrangerJe vous dérange ?Am I interrupting?
  10. SamNon, non.No, no.
  11. A long minute. The clerk looks at the queue.
  12. SamC'est mon tour ?Is it my turn?
  13. ClerkUn instant.One moment.
  14. Inès slips in beside him, denim jacket, green bag.
  15. InèsToi d'abord.You first.
  16. ClerkOui ?Yes?
  17. SamUn croissant, s'il vous plaît.A croissant, please.

Practice — stranger or friend

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?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Après vous.Drop the English here
    C'est mon tour ?Drop the English here
    Toi d'abord.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    A woman is in the bakery doorway with a baguette. Let her go first.

  4. Fill the gap

    Is it my turn?

    C'est mon ____ ?

  5. What does it mean?

    Je vous dérange ?

  6. Build the line

    I'll queue behind you.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    A friend is with you at the counter. Let her go first.

    Toi ____.

  8. What do you say?

    You're unsure whether the queue has reached you. Ask.

  9. True or false?

    You say this when you walk into the bakery, before you speak.

  10. Fill the gap

    A croissant, please.

    Un ____, s'il vous plaît.

  11. What do you say?

    You stepped on someone's bag in the queue. Apologise politely to a stranger.

Say it — your turn

Now you're Sam in the bakery queue. 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. StrangerVous entrez ?Are you going in?
  2. Sam (you)Let her go through the door first.

    Après vous.

    After you.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je peux vous interrompre un instant ?May I interrupt you for a moment?
Après vous.After you.
C'est mon tour ?Is it my turn?
Je me mets derrière vous.I'll queue behind you.
Je vous dérange ?Am I interrupting?
Toi d'abord.You first.
Next: lesson 89Small everyday reactions

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your queue lines ready for the bakery.

Open Yak Cards