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Lesson 138 of 240

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Fruit and bargaining in French

Saturday is closing at Karim's stall on the boulevard. Crates are almost empty, and Sam wants fruit for today.

Karim uses tu with everyone. He is loud, generous, and messy with change.

By the end, you'll order by the kilo, ask for ripe fruit, and request a small extra at closing.

This is a closing-time favour, not a long haggle.

By the end of this lesson

Buy fruit by the kilo and ask for a small extra at closing.

  • Un kilo de ___.A kilo of ___
  • Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.Ripe ones, please
  • Une barquette de fraises.A punnet of strawberries
  • C'est pour manger aujourd'hui.They're to eat today
  • Tu me fais un petit geste ?Can you knock a bit off?
  • Je prends les pêches.I'll take the peaches

Scene — the stall is closing

Karim's fruit stall is on the boulevard. It is late, and most crates are empty. His cargo bike sits beside the stall.

Sam walks up with his mustard backpack. Gaspard stands beside the stall, a baguette sticking out of his canvas tote.

On a Paris boulevard at dusk, Karim stands behind a nearly empty fruit stall with a cargo bike beside it, Sam walks up with a mustard backpack, and Gaspard waits by the crates with a baguette in a canvas tote.

Learn — kilo and ripe fruit

Six lines cover a kilo, ripe fruit, a punnet of strawberries, eating today, a small extra, and taking the peaches.

Karim already knows you, so these lines use tu.

  1. From above, leftover peaches sit in a nearly empty crate as Sam points at them for a kilo while Karim looks on from behind the stall.

    Un kilo de ___.

    A kilo of ___

    When to use it: Use this to order fruit by weight at a stall.

    Put the fruit after de, like Un kilo de pêches.

  2. In profile, Sam holds a peach up to the dusk light to check that it is ripe while Karim waits across the stall.

    Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.

    Ripe ones, please

    When to use it: Ask for ripe fruit when you will eat it soon.

    mûres matches feminine fruit; use mûrs if the fruit is masculine.

    Say it: The last s in mûres is silent.

  3. Over Karim's shoulder, Sam reaches toward a small punnet of strawberries on the stall while Gaspard waits by the empty crates.

    Une barquette de fraises.

    A punnet of strawberries

    When to use it: Use this to ask for a small box of strawberries.

    Une matches barquette, a feminine word.

    Say it: The last t in barquette is silent.

  4. Close on Karim nodding toward the leftover peaches after hearing they are to eat today.

    C'est pour manger aujourd'hui.

    They're to eat today

    When to use it: Say this so the seller picks fruit that is ready now.

    C'est here points to the fruit you want.

  5. Sam leans across the stall toward Karim with a small lowering hand gesture, bargaining, the cargo bike beside the empty crates.

    Tu me fais un petit geste ?

    Can you knock a bit off?

    When to use it: Ask this at closing for a small extra, not a long haggle.

    Tu is right with Karim; this is a small favour.

    Say it: The s in fais links as z into un.

  6. From a low angle beside a crate, Sam reaches for the last peaches while Karim gathers extra ones and Gaspard waits nearby.

    Je prends les pêches.

    I'll take the peaches

    When to use it: Say this when you decide which fruit to buy.

    Les matches more than one peach.

    Say it: The s in pêches is silent.

Story — extra peaches

Watch Sam buy fruit at closing. Karim will add extra peaches and then count the coins too fast.

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

  1. Most crates are empty. Karim wipes his hands on his market apron.
  2. KarimBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. KarimIl reste des pêches.There are peaches left.
  5. SamUn kilo de pêches. Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.A kilo of peaches. Ripe ones, please.
  6. KarimC'est pour quand ?When is it for?
  7. SamC'est pour manger aujourd'hui.They're to eat today.
  8. KarimEt des fraises ?And some strawberries?
  9. SamUne barquette de fraises.A punnet of strawberries.
  10. SamC'est combien ?How much is it?
  11. KarimSix euros.Six euros.
  12. SamTu me fais un petit geste ?Can you knock a bit off?
  13. KarimAllez, deux pêches en plus.Go on, two extra peaches.
  14. Gaspard waits by the crates, a baguette sticking out of his tote.
  15. SamJe prends les pêches.I'll take the peaches.
  16. SamEn espèces.In cash.
  17. Sam holds out a ten-euro note. Karim counts the coins too fast.
  18. KarimSur dix euros, voilà trois.On ten euros, here's three.
  19. He looks at the coins in his palm again.
  20. KarimNon, quatre euros. Pardon.No, four euros. Sorry.

Practice — a small geste

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, swap a word, build a line, and pick what to say at the stall.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.Drop the English here
    Une barquette de fraises.Drop the English here
    Je prends les pêches.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. Swap the word

    At Karim's stall, order fruit by weight.

    Un ____ de ___.

  4. What does it mean?

    Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.

  5. Pick the reply

    Karim says:

    C'est pour quand ?

    When is it for?

    And you reply with:

  6. What do you say?

    It is closing. You want a small extra from Karim, not a long haggle.

  7. Build the line

    I'll take the peaches

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. What does it mean?

    Bonjour.

  9. True or false?

    Say this when you pay by card.

  10. What do you say?

    Karim has put the fruit on the scale. You want to know the price.

Say it — buy the peaches

Now you are Sam at Karim's fruit stall near closing. When it is your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap play first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. KarimIl reste des pêches.There are peaches left.
  2. Sam (you)Ask for ripe ones, the friendly way.

    Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.

    Ripe ones, please

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Un kilo de ___.A kilo of ___
Des bien mûres, s'il te plaît.Ripe ones, please
Une barquette de fraises.A punnet of strawberries
C'est pour manger aujourd'hui.They're to eat today
Tu me fais un petit geste ?Can you knock a bit off?
Je prends les pêches.I'll take the peaches
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