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Lesson 144 of 240

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A strike day in French

Tomorrow is a strike day in Paris. At Café des Tilleuls, Odile tells Sam the news before he plans his commute.

Gaspard sits at the next table and taps his Navigo, as if that will help.

You'll check which lines still run, say the metro is a mess, and plan to work from home.

No opinions on why. Just how to get through the day.

By the end of this lesson

Get ready for a strike day and work from home.

  • Demain, il y a grève.There's a strike tomorrow.
  • Quelles lignes marchent ?Which lines are running?
  • Je vais télétravailler.I'm going to work from home.
  • Le métro est très perturbé.The metro is badly disrupted.
  • Je ne bouge pas de chez moi.I'm not leaving the house.
  • Il n'y a presque pas de bus.There are almost no buses.

Scene — the radio is on

Late afternoon on rue des Tilleuls. Sam is at the zinc counter. Odile has the radio on low. The window table still has its blank brass sign.

Gaspard sits on two chairs at the next table, café crème unfinished, Navigo on a cord.

Wide café interior with Sam at the zinc, Odile by the radio, and Gaspard on two chairs at the next table.

Learn — strike day plans

Six lines cover a strike tomorrow, which lines run, a disrupted metro, and almost no buses.

You'll also say you'll work from home and stay in.

  1. Profile of Odile behind the zinc with one hand on a small radio, turned toward a customer off-frame.

    Demain, il y a grève.

    There's a strike tomorrow.

    When to use it: Say this to warn someone that tomorrow is a strike day.

    Il y a means there is, said as one piece.

    Say it: The last e in grève is silent.

  2. Close on Sam at the zinc leaning forward with both palms open in a questioning pose.

    Quelles lignes marchent ?

    Which lines are running?

    When to use it: Ask this to check which metro or bus lines still run.

    Quelles matches lignes, a feminine plural word.

    Say it: The final s in Quelles is silent before lignes.

  3. High angle of Gaspard on two chairs tapping a blank transit pass on a cord against the table.

    Je vais télétravailler.

    I'm going to work from home.

    When to use it: Say this when you will work from home, not go in.

    Use the whole line for a work day at home.

  4. Over Sam's shoulder toward Odile behind the zinc, Odile answering with both hands open over the counter.

    Le métro est très perturbé.

    The metro is badly disrupted.

    When to use it: Use this when the metro is barely running that day.

    Perturbé stays masculine here to match métro.

    Say it: The final s in très is silent before perturbé.

  5. Low angle of Sam by the café door stepping back into the room with one palm raised in a staying-put gesture.

    Je ne bouge pas de chez moi.

    I'm not leaving the house.

    When to use it: Say this when you will stay home and not go out.

    Keep ne and pas around the verb for not.

  6. The café window and empty street, with Gaspard on two chairs kept soft in the background.

    Il n'y a presque pas de bus.

    There are almost no buses.

    When to use it: Use this when almost no buses are running that day.

    Presque pas means almost none, not a full no.

    Say it: N'y shows the e of ne has dropped.

Story — he taps his pass

Odile has news about tomorrow. Sam needs to know which lines still run.

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

  1. Late afternoon. Odile turns the radio down behind the bar.
  2. OdileDemain, il y a grève.There's a strike tomorrow.
  3. Sam still has a hand on the counter. The window table stays empty.
  4. SamQuelles lignes marchent ?Which lines are running?
  5. OdileLa 3 et la 9 roulent encore. Le métro est très perturbé.Lines 3 and 9 are still running. The metro is badly disrupted.
  6. OdileIl n'y a presque pas de bus.There are almost no buses.
  7. SamD'accord.Okay.
  8. SamJe vais télétravailler.I'm going to work from home.
  9. OdileBon.Right.
  10. SamJe ne bouge pas de chez moi.I'm not leaving the house.
  11. Gaspard taps the Navigo on his cord against the table, as if that will help.
  12. GaspardJe valide mon Navigo.I'm tapping my Navigo.

Practice — which lines run

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay on the strike, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Quelles lignes marchent ?Drop the English here
    Le métro est très perturbé.Drop the English here
    Il n'y a presque pas de bus.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Odile just told you there is a strike tomorrow. You need the metro and bus news.

  4. What does it mean?

    Je vais télétravailler.

  5. Fill the gap

    The metro is badly disrupted.

    Le métro est très ____.

  6. Find the mistake

  7. Build the line

    I'm not leaving the house.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    Buses are scarce tomorrow, but a few may still run.

    Il n'y a ____ pas de bus.

  9. True or false?

    This means the metro gates will work tomorrow.

  10. What do you say?

    It's a normal weekday. No strike. You tell Odile how you get to work.

  11. Which one doesn’t belong?

Say it — work from home

Now you're Sam at the counter, getting ready for a strike day. 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. OdileDemain, il y a grève.There's a strike tomorrow.
  2. Sam (you)Ask which lines are still running.

    Quelles lignes marchent ?

    Which lines are running?

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Demain, il y a grève.There's a strike tomorrow.
Quelles lignes marchent ?Which lines are running?
Je vais télétravailler.I'm going to work from home.
Le métro est très perturbé.The metro is badly disrupted.
Je ne bouge pas de chez moi.I'm not leaving the house.
Il n'y a presque pas de bus.There are almost no buses.
Next: lesson 145The lost umbrella

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want these strike-day lines on your phone? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A short Yak Cards round keeps strike-day lines ready before you check the metro.

Open Yak Cards