French course

Lesson 146 of 240

New here? This is lesson 146 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

A birthday at the café in French

It is Odile's birthday at Café des Tilleuls. Sam walks in with a small cake from the bakery two doors down.

Gaspard is already there, and he almost sits at the window table, then thinks better of it.

By the end, you'll wish someone a happy birthday, hand over a gift, and answer when a gift feels like too much.

Odile still will not let anyone sit at that table.

By the end of this lesson

Wish someone a happy birthday and give a small gift.

  • Joyeux anniversaire !Happy birthday!
  • C'est pour toi.This is for you.
  • Fais un vœu.Make a wish.
  • J'ai apporté un gâteau.I brought a cake.
  • Il ne fallait pas.You shouldn't have.
  • Merci, c'est trop gentil.Thanks, that's too kind.

Scene — a box on the counter

Same afternoon on rue des Tilleuls. It is Odile's birthday, and the café feels a little dressed up.

Sam has a small cake in a box from the bakery. Gaspard sits at the table next to the window table, on two chairs. His café crème is still unfinished.

A dressed-up café in afternoon light with the lamps on, Sam holding a small bakery box, Odile looking up from the zinc counter, and Gaspard the yak sitting on two chairs near the window.

Learn — a wish and a cake

Six short lines cover the birthday wish, a gift, a cake, and two warm ways to say the gift is too much.

You'll also tell someone to make a wish.

  1. Sam entering the café and walking toward Odile at the zinc counter with a small bakery box, one hand raised in a greeting.

    Joyeux anniversaire !

    Happy birthday!

    When to use it: Say this to someone on their birthday.

    Use the whole line as one birthday wish.

    Say it: The x in Joyeux links as z into anniversaire.

  2. Sam standing at the zinc counter and holding the closed bakery box out so Odile can take it.

    C'est pour toi.

    This is for you.

    When to use it: Hand someone a gift and say this as you give it.

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

  3. Odile at the zinc counter drawing back and lifting both palms toward the bakery box in a polite protest.

    Fais un vœu.

    Make a wish.

    When to use it: Say this when someone is about to blow out the candles.

    Fais is the tu form; you say this to a friend.

    Say it: In « Fais un », the final s links to un as z.

  4. Sam lowering a small cake with a tiny candle onto Odile’s window table beside the open bakery box, seen from above.

    J'ai apporté un gâteau.

    I brought a cake.

    When to use it: Tell people you brought a cake to share.

    « J'ai apporté » is a past form; it says you already brought it.

    Say it: J'ai is one word: the e of je drops.

  5. Odile gathering the small bakery box toward herself with both hands at the window table.

    Il ne fallait pas.

    You shouldn't have.

    When to use it: Say this when a gift feels like too much.

    Treat this as one set phrase when a gift surprises you.

    Say it: The t in fallait is silent.

  6. Over Odile’s shoulder, Gaspard the yak sitting on two chairs at the next table and gesturing toward the small cake.

    Merci, c'est trop gentil.

    Thanks, that's too kind.

    When to use it: Thank someone when a gift or favor feels big.

    Trop here means too much, in a warm way.

    Say it: The l in gentil is silent.

Story — he almost sits

Watch Sam bring a cake to Odile at the counter. Gaspard almost sits at the window table, then does not.

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

  1. The lamps are on. Odile looks up from the zinc counter.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour. Joyeux anniversaire !Hello. Happy birthday!
  4. OdileMerci beaucoup.Thank you very much.
  5. Sam sets a small box on the counter.
  6. SamJ'ai apporté un gâteau. C'est pour toi.I brought a cake. This is for you.
  7. OdileIl ne fallait pas.You shouldn't have.
  8. She opens the box. A small cake sits inside.
  9. OdileMerci, c'est trop gentil.Thanks, that's too kind.
  10. SamDe rien.You're welcome.
  11. Gaspard stands and takes a step toward the window table.
  12. GaspardJoyeux anniversaire !Happy birthday!
  13. OdileMerci.Thank you.
  14. He looks at the blank brass sign, then sits back on his two chairs.
  15. GaspardFais un vœu.Make a wish.

Practice — gift or thanks

Eleven quick 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. Match the pairs

    French

    Joyeux anniversaire !Drop the English here
    C'est pour toi.Drop the English here
    J'ai apporté un gâteau.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You hand Odile a small box on her birthday.

  4. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    C'est pour toi.

    This is for you.

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    I brought a cake.

    J'ai apporté un ____.

  6. What does it mean?

    Fais un vœu.

  7. Build the line

    Thanks, that's too kind.

    , .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    Odile is a regular. Hand her the box and say it is for her.

    C'est pour ____.

  9. What do you say?

    You walk into Café des Tilleuls in the afternoon. Odile looks up and waits.

  10. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    Merci, c'est trop gentil.

    Thanks, that's too kind.

    And you reply with:

  11. Fill the gap

    Thank you very much

    Merci ____.

Say it — hand it over

Now you're Sam on Odile's birthday at the café. 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)Wish her a happy birthday.

    Joyeux anniversaire !

    Happy birthday!

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Joyeux anniversaire !Happy birthday!
C'est pour toi.This is for you.
Fais un vœu.Make a wish.
J'ai apporté un gâteau.I brought a cake.
Il ne fallait pas.You shouldn't have.
Merci, c'est trop gentil.Thanks, that's too kind.
Next: lesson 147Talking about luck

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your birthday wishes ready.

Open Yak Cards