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Lesson 145 of 240

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The lost umbrella in French

Sam walks into Café des Tilleuls without his umbrella. Rain is still on his coat.

Odile has three umbrellas behind the bar. None of them is his. Gaspard's stays dry on the extra chair.

You will say you lost it, describe it, and ask at lost and found.

Staff get vous. Leave a number if it is not there yet.

By the end of this lesson

Describe a lost umbrella and ask at lost and found.

  • J'ai perdu mon parapluie.I've lost my umbrella.
  • C'est un parapluie noir.It's a black umbrella.
  • Je l'ai oublié dans le métro.I left it on the metro.
  • Où est le bureau des objets trouvés ?Where is lost and found?
  • Quelqu'un l'a rendu ?Has anyone turned it in?
  • Je vous laisse mon numéro.I'll leave you my number.

Scene — three behind the bar

Same street, a wet afternoon. Sam pushes the café door with no umbrella in his hand.

Odile is at the zinc counter. Three umbrellas sit behind the bar. Gaspard sits on two chairs by the window table, his own umbrella still dry.

On a wet afternoon Sam pushes the café door empty-handed while Odile stands at the zinc with closed umbrellas behind the bar and Gaspard sits on two chairs by the window with a dry umbrella.

Learn — a lost black umbrella

Six lines cover losing an umbrella, describing it, and asking at lost and found.

You also leave your number with staff if nobody has turned it in.

  1. Sam stands just inside the café doorway with both hands empty and no umbrella, rain on the street behind Sam.

    J'ai perdu mon parapluie.

    I've lost my umbrella.

    When to use it: Say this when your umbrella is missing.

    After j'ai, the next word is perdu.

    Say it: J'ai is je plus ai, said as one piece.

  2. Sam stands at the zinc counter and traces the curved shape of an umbrella in the air with both hands while Odile watches.

    C'est un parapluie noir.

    It's a black umbrella.

    When to use it: Use this to say the umbrella is black.

    Parapluie takes un, and noir stays masculine.

  3. Seen over Odile's shoulder, Sam turns toward the open café door and points out at the wet street.

    Je l'ai oublié dans le métro.

    I left it on the metro.

    When to use it: Say this when you left it on the metro.

    L'ai stands for le plus ai, for a masculine thing.

    Say it: L'ai joins le and ai as one sound.

  4. From a low angle, Sam leans on the zinc facing Odile with both palms open in a questioning pose.

    Où est le bureau des objets trouvés ?

    Where is lost and found?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the lost-and-found office.

    Objets trouvés names the lost-and-found office as one piece.

    Say it: The s in des links into objets as z.

  5. From high above, Sam looks past Odile toward the closed umbrellas behind the bar with one hand lifted.

    Quelqu'un l'a rendu ?

    Has anyone turned it in?

    When to use it: Ask staff if anyone has handed it in.

    L'a points back to the umbrella you already named.

    Say it: The un in quelqu'un is a nasal sound.

  6. In close-up, Sam holds out a small blank unmarked card across the zinc and Odile reaches to take it.

    Je vous laisse mon numéro.

    I'll leave you my number.

    When to use it: Leave your number when staff cannot find it yet.

    Vous is for staff at the counter, not tu.

Story — none of them is his

Watch Sam hunt for a black umbrella. Odile's three behind the bar are not his.

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

  1. The terrace is wet. Odile looks up from the zinc counter.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamJ'ai perdu mon parapluie.I've lost my umbrella.
  4. OdileBon, j'en ai trois derrière le bar.Right, I've got three behind the bar.
  5. SamC'est un parapluie noir.It's a black umbrella.
  6. OdileNon, ce n'est pas le tien, mon grand.No, it isn't yours, dear.
  7. She holds up three umbrellas. None of them is his.
  8. SamJe l'ai oublié dans le métro.I left it on the metro.
  9. Gaspard's umbrella sits dry on the extra chair. He does not sit at the window table.
  10. GaspardLe mien est encore sec.Mine is still dry.
  11. SamOù est le bureau des objets trouvés ?Where is lost and found?
  12. OdileAu guichet, à la station.At the counter, at the station.
  13. Later, at the metro counter. A staff member looks up from a carton.
  14. SamExcusez-moi. Quelqu'un l'a rendu ?Excuse me. Has anyone turned it in?
  15. StaffPas encore, monsieur.Not yet, sir.
  16. SamJe vous laisse mon numéro.I'll leave you my number.
  17. StaffTrès bien.Very well.

Practice — lost and found

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?

    C'est un parapluie noir.

  3. What do you say?

    You walk into the café wet, with no umbrella. Tell Odile what happened.

  4. Fill the gap

    I left it on the metro.

    Je l'ai oublié dans le ____.

  5. Pick the reply

    Staff says:

    Vous avez une question sur votre parapluie ?

    Do you have a question about your umbrella?

    And you reply with:

  6. Build the line

    Where is lost and found?

     ?

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Tell them the umbrella is black.

    C'est un parapluie ____.

  8. What do you say?

    Lost and found still does not have it. Leave your number with the agent.

  9. Match the pairs

    French

    Je l'ai oublié dans le métro.Drop the English here
    Où est le bureau des objets trouvés ?Drop the English here
    Quelqu'un l'a rendu ?Drop the English here

    English

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

  10. True or false?

    This is how you say goodbye at the café door.

  11. What do you say?

    You walk up to the metro counter. Get the agent's attention politely.

Say it — leave your number

Now you're Sam with a missing umbrella. 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. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Tell her you have lost your umbrella.

    J'ai perdu mon parapluie.

    I've lost my umbrella.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
J'ai perdu mon parapluie.I've lost my umbrella.
C'est un parapluie noir.It's a black umbrella.
Je l'ai oublié dans le métro.I left it on the metro.
Où est le bureau des objets trouvés ?Where is lost and found?
Quelqu'un l'a rendu ?Has anyone turned it in?
Je vous laisse mon numéro.I'll leave you my number.
Next: lesson 146A birthday at the café

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your lost-item lines ready for the metro.

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