French course

Lesson 121 of 240

New here? This is lesson 121 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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What I did today in French

Sam is back from the Saturday market, bags in hand and still hungry. He sits with Gaspard at Café des Tilleuls.

The window table stays empty. Gaspard has a croissant he has not finished.

You'll say what you did this morning, what you bought, and that lunch has not happened yet.

You'll also ask a friend if they have already eaten. Déjeuner here is lunch, not breakfast.

By the end of this lesson

Say what you did today and what you have not done yet.

  • Ce matin, je suis allé au marché.This morning I went to the market.
  • J'ai acheté du fromage et des pommes.I bought some cheese and some apples.
  • J'ai pris le petit-déjeuner.I had breakfast.
  • Je n'ai pas encore déjeuné.I haven't had lunch yet.
  • J'ai fait les courses.I did the shopping.
  • Et toi, tu as mangé ?Have you eaten?

Scene — still hungry

Sam comes in from the boulevard market with a bag of apples. Odile is at the zinc counter.

Gaspard sits on two chairs at the table next to the window, croissant still whole, café crème untouched.

The blank brass sign stays on the window table. Sam looks hungry and sits down with him.

Wide morning view of the café with Sam sitting down beside Gaspard at the window table and Odile at the zinc counter.

Learn — this morning and lunch

Six lines cover this morning's market, what you bought, breakfast, and lunch that has not happened yet.

You'll also ask a friend if they have already eaten.

  1. Sam pauses in the café doorway with a cloth market bag, backlit by morning street light.

    Ce matin, je suis allé au marché.

    This morning I went to the market.

    When to use it: Tell a friend you went to the market this morning.

    Sam is a man so he says allé, and a woman says allée.

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

  2. Sam tips apples and a paper-wrapped cheese from a market bag onto the café table.

    J'ai acheté du fromage et des pommes.

    I bought some cheese and some apples.

    When to use it: Name the food you bought after a shop run.

    Du is some cheese, and des is for more than one apple.

  3. In profile, Sam sits back at the window table with an empty cup while Gaspard's breakfast stays untouched.

    J'ai pris le petit-déjeuner.

    I had breakfast.

    When to use it: Say this after you have already had breakfast today.

    Pris here means you had breakfast, not that you grabbed it.

    Say it: The r at the end of déjeuner is silent.

  4. From a low angle, Sam leans toward an untouched croissant with a hand on the stomach, still waiting for lunch.

    Je n'ai pas encore déjeuné.

    I haven't had lunch yet.

    When to use it: Say this when you still have not had lunch today.

    Déjeuner means lunch here, not the morning meal.

    Say it: The e of ne drops before ai in n'ai.

  5. From above, Sam stands in the aisle and lowers a full market bag onto a chair.

    J'ai fait les courses.

    I did the shopping.

    When to use it: Say this after you did today's food shopping.

    Les courses is the shopping, not a running race.

  6. Over Sam's shoulder, Sam turns an open hand toward Gaspard and the untouched breakfast.

    Et toi, tu as mangé ?

    Have you eaten?

    When to use it: Ask a friend if they have already eaten.

    Tu is for a friend or regular, not for a stranger.

Story — the croissant waits

Watch Sam sit down hungry after the market. Gaspard wants to know if he has eaten.

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

  1. Sam sets a bag of apples on the table next to Gaspard. The window table stays empty.
  2. GaspardBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. GaspardAlors, tu as fait quoi ce matin ?So, what did you do this morning?
  5. SamCe matin, je suis allé au marché.This morning I went to the market.
  6. SamJ'ai fait les courses.I did the shopping.
  7. GaspardTu as acheté quoi ?What did you buy?
  8. SamJ'ai acheté du fromage et des pommes.I bought some cheese and some apples.
  9. GaspardTu as déjà mangé ?Have you already eaten?
  10. SamJ'ai pris le petit-déjeuner.I had breakfast.
  11. SamJe n'ai pas encore déjeuné.I haven't had lunch yet.
  12. Sam glances at the croissant. It is still whole.
  13. GaspardTu as faim ?Are you hungry?
  14. SamJ'ai faim.I'm hungry.
  15. SamEt toi, tu as mangé ?Have you eaten?
  16. Gaspard looks at the croissant and does not pick it up.
  17. GaspardPas encore.Not yet.

Practice — done or not yet

Eleven short 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. What does it mean?

    J'ai pris le petit-déjeuner.

  3. What do you say?

    You just walked in with a shopping bag. Tell Gaspard you went to the market this morning.

  4. Fill the gap

    I bought some cheese and some apples.

    J'ai acheté du ____ et des pommes.

  5. Pick the reply

    Gaspard says:

    Tu as déjà déjeuné ?

    Have you had lunch already?

    And you reply with:

  6. Build the line

    I did the shopping.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    It is past noon. Tell Gaspard lunch has not happened yet.

    Je n'ai pas encore ____.

  8. Match the pairs

    French

    J'ai acheté du fromage et des pommes.Drop the English here
    J'ai pris le petit-déjeuner.Drop the English here
    J'ai fait les courses.Drop the English here

    English

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

  9. What do you say?

    You already told Gaspard about your morning. Ask if he has eaten.

  10. True or false?

    This line means you have already had lunch.

  11. Pick the reply

    Gaspard says:

    Bonjour.

    Hello.

    And you reply with:

Say it — tell him about today

Now you're Sam after the market, still hungry at Gaspard's table. 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. GaspardBonjour. Tu as fait quoi ce matin ?Hello. What did you do this morning?
  2. Sam (you)Tell him you went to the market this morning.

    Ce matin, je suis allé au marché.

    This morning I went to the market.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Ce matin, je suis allé au marché.This morning I went to the market.
J'ai acheté du fromage et des pommes.I bought some cheese and some apples.
J'ai pris le petit-déjeuner.I had breakfast.
Je n'ai pas encore déjeuné.I haven't had lunch yet.
J'ai fait les courses.I did the shopping.
Et toi, tu as mangé ?Have you eaten?
Next: lesson 122Have you ever

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