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Lesson 140 of 240

New here? This is lesson 140 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Packages and delivery in French

Sam is at his fourth-floor flat when a delivery driver rings. The parcel can go to the caretaker downstairs, not into the busy stairwell.

Gaspard is visiting with a tote already packed full. He has his own thoughts about parcels, but not much room to carry one.

You'll say what you need to collect, locate a pickup point, buzz a visitor in, and give two clear delivery instructions.

Use vous with the driver. The story stays in the 11th, where a parcel can turn a quiet morning into teamwork.

By the end of this lesson

Arrange a parcel pickup or tell a delivery driver where to leave a parcel.

  • J'ai un colis à récupérer.I've got a parcel to pick up.
  • C'est au point relais.It's at the pickup point.
  • Laissez-le chez la gardienne.Leave it with the caretaker.
  • Posez-le devant la porte.Leave it in front of the door.
  • Le livreur a sonné.The delivery driver rang.
  • Je vous ouvre.I'll buzz you in.

Scene — a parcel at the door

Sam is in his fourth-floor flat on rue des Tilleuls. Gaspard is visiting, his canvas tote already full.

A delivery driver is downstairs with a parcel. The building's caretaker is in, and the intercom is ringing.

Sam's sunlit living room with Gaspard by a full tote, the wall intercom glowing, and a delivery driver with a parcel beside the caretaker far below the window.

Learn — pick up or leave a parcel

These six lines help with a parcel you need to collect and a delivery arriving at home.

You'll practise buzzing the driver in and choosing where the parcel should go.

  1. Sam and Gaspard talk in the living room while Sam holds a small card and keys sit on the table.

    J'ai un colis à récupérer.

    I've got a parcel to pick up.

    When to use it: Say this when you need to collect a parcel.

    Récupérer means to collect or pick up something that is waiting for you.

    Say it: Je becomes j' before ai, joining the vowel sounds.

  2. Gaspard's hands rest on a stuffed canvas tote while one hand lifts a small card.

    C'est au point relais.

    It's at the pickup point.

    When to use it: Use this to say a parcel is at a pickup point.

    Au combines à and le before the masculine noun point.

  3. From behind Sam's shoulder, Sam speaks toward a delivery driver at the apartment door and points downstairs toward the caretaker.

    Laissez-le chez la gardienne.

    Leave it with the caretaker.

    When to use it: Tell a delivery driver to leave a parcel with the caretaker.

    Use vous with a delivery driver you do not know.

  4. The closed apartment door and the floor in front of it, with Gaspard soft in the background reaching toward the door.

    Posez-le devant la porte.

    Leave it in front of the door.

    When to use it: Tell a delivery driver to leave a parcel in front of the door.

    Posez-le is a polite instruction to one person using vous.

  5. Gaspard turns sharply toward the glowing wall intercom.

    Le livreur a sonné.

    The delivery driver rang.

    When to use it: Say this when the delivery driver has rung your doorbell.

    A sonné is the past form of sonner, meaning to ring.

  6. Sam in profile presses the door-release on the wall intercom.

    Je vous ouvre.

    I'll buzz you in.

    When to use it: Say this when you are buzzing a visitor into the building.

    Use vous with a delivery driver you do not know.

    Say it: In vous ouvre, the final s links to ouvre as a z sound.

Story — the full tote

Sam and Gaspard talk about parcels as the intercom rings. Then Sam gives the driver clear directions.

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

  1. At Sam's flat, Gaspard's tote is already full. The intercom buzzes downstairs.
  2. SamLe livreur a sonné.The delivery driver rang.
  3. GaspardTu attends un colis ?Are you waiting for a parcel?
  4. SamJ'ai un colis à récupérer.I've got a parcel to pick up.
  5. GaspardIl est au point relais ?Is it at the pickup point?
  6. SamC'est au point relais.It's at the pickup point.
  7. GaspardMon sac est déjà plein.My bag is already full.
  8. The driver reaches the building entrance and calls from the intercom.
  9. LivreurBonjour, c'est le livreur.Hello, it's the delivery driver.
  10. SamBonjour.Hello.
  11. LivreurVous pouvez m'ouvrir ?Can you buzz me in?
  12. SamJe vous ouvre.I'll buzz you in.
  13. A moment later, the driver is at Sam's fourth-floor door with the parcel.
  14. LivreurJe le pose devant la porte ?Should I put it in front of the door?
  15. SamLa dernière fois, j'ai dit : « Posez-le devant la porte. »Last time, I said: “Leave it in front of the door.”
  16. SamLaissez-le chez la gardienne.Leave it with the caretaker.
  17. LivreurD'accord, merci.Okay, thank you.

Practice — give the driver directions

Eleven quick exercises let you listen, answer the driver, build a direction, and spot a small mistake.

Keep the situation in mind: a new delivery driver gets vous.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    C'est au point relais.

  2. What do you say?

    A friend asks what you need to do with a parcel waiting for you.

  3. Pick the reply

    Livreur says:

    Je le pose devant la porte ?

    The driver asks whether to leave it at your door. Tell him to leave it with the caretaker instead.

    And you reply with:

  4. Build the line

    Leave it in front of the door.

    - .

    Tap the words in order.

  5. Fill the gap

    The delivery driver rang.

    Le livreur a ____.

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Swap the word

    Tell someone you have a parcel waiting to be collected, not sent.

    J'ai un colis à ____.

  8. Find the mistake

  9. Match the pairs

    French

    J'ai un colis à récupérer.Drop the English here
    C'est au point relais.Drop the English here
    Je vous ouvre.Drop the English here

    English

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

  10. What do you say?

    You enter a shop in the morning. Greet the person behind the counter.

  11. What does it mean?

    Merci.

Say it — handle a delivery

Now you're Sam answering the intercom and giving the driver directions. Speak when it is your turn.

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

  1. LivreurBonjour, c'est le livreur.Hello, it's the delivery driver.
  2. Sam (you)Tell the driver you will buzz him in.

    Je vous ouvre.

    I'll buzz you in.

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
J'ai un colis à récupérer.I've got a parcel to pick up.
C'est au point relais.It's at the pickup point.
Laissez-le chez la gardienne.Leave it with the caretaker.
Posez-le devant la porte.Leave it in front of the door.
Le livreur a sonné.The delivery driver rang.
Je vous ouvre.I'll buzz you in.
Next: lesson 141The usual

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards helps you keep pickup and delivery phrases ready.

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