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Lesson 174 of 240

New here? This is lesson 174 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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The famous snack in French

Inès takes Sam into Vieux Lyon for the snack she promised: tarte aux pralines, bright pink and famous here.

A clerk waits behind a glass case. People already stand in a loose line.

By the end, you'll order the tart, ask if you need to queue, and say how it tastes.

Inès already plans a bigger version of this story for later.

By the end of this lesson

Order a famous local snack and say what it tastes like.

  • C'est une spécialité d'ici ?Is this a local speciality?
  • Je voudrais une tarte aux pralines.I'd like a pink-praline tart.
  • Il faut faire la queue ?Do we need to queue?
  • C'est sucré, avec un goût d'amande.It's sweet, with an almond taste.
  • C'est meilleur que ce que j'imaginais.It's better than I imagined.
  • J'en reprendrais bien un morceau.I wouldn't mind another piece.

Scene — the pink case

Vieux Lyon, a cobbled street of tall ochre buildings. Inès stops Sam at a small pastry shop with a glass case of bright pink tarts.

A clerk stands behind the counter. A few people wait in a short line. Sam has not tried this snack before.

Inès has stopped Sam on a cobbled Vieux Lyon street beside a small pastry shop whose glass case is full of bright pink tarts.

Learn — order and taste

Six lines take you from the glass case to the first bite.

You'll ask if it is local, order the tart, check the queue, then say how it tastes.

  1. Sam leans close to the glass case of bright pink tarts, curious about the pastry.

    C'est une spécialité d'ici ?

    Is this a local speciality?

    When to use it: Ask this at a bakery when you want to know if a food is from here.

    D'ici means from this place, so you are asking if it is local.

    Say it: The t in C'est links into une.

  2. Inès stands at the pastry counter and points to a bright pink tart she wants.

    Je voudrais une tarte aux pralines.

    I'd like a pink-praline tart.

    When to use it: Order this at the counter when you want a pink-praline tart.

    Une tarte names the whole tart; aux is à plus les before plural pralines.

    Say it: The last s in pralines is silent.

  3. Sam looks from the pastry-shop doorway toward the short line of people waiting.

    Il faut faire la queue ?

    Do we need to queue?

    When to use it: Ask this when a shop looks busy and you are not sure where to stand.

    Faire la queue means wait in line, as one piece.

  4. Inès holds out a pink-praline tart and gestures toward it while Sam looks on.

    C'est sucré, avec un goût d'amande.

    It's sweet, with an almond taste.

    When to use it: Say this after a bite when the snack tastes sweet and a bit like almond.

    Goût d'amande names the almond flavour of the tart.

    Say it: The d' in d'amande is de with the e dropped.

  5. Sam takes a bite of the bright pink tart.

    C'est meilleur que ce que j'imaginais.

    It's better than I imagined.

    When to use it: Say this when something tastes better than you expected.

    Meilleur que compares this bite with what you had in mind.

    Say it: The j' in j'imaginais is je with the e dropped.

  6. Inès reaches toward another piece of pink tart on a small plate at an outdoor table.

    J'en reprendrais bien un morceau.

    I wouldn't mind another piece.

    When to use it: Say this when you liked a piece and want a little more.

    En stands for some of that tart, so you need not name it again.

Story — a bite in Vieux Lyon

Watch Sam and Inès order the famous pink tart. She already knows the shop.

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

  1. They stop at a pastry shop. The case is full of pink tarts.
  2. InèsVoilà. C'est ici.Here we are. This is the place.
  3. SamJe veux goûter un truc typique.I want to try something typical.
  4. InèsParfait. Regarde celle-là.Perfect. Look at that one.
  5. SamC'est une spécialité d'ici ?Is this a local speciality?
  6. InèsOui. Ici, tout le monde la connaît.Yes. Everyone here knows it.
  7. SamIl faut faire la queue ?Do we need to queue?
  8. InèsUn peu. C'est bientôt à nous.A bit. We'll be next soon.
  9. They reach the counter. The clerk looks up.
  10. ClerkBonjour.Hello.
  11. SamBonjour. Je voudrais une tarte aux pralines.Hello. I'd like a pink-praline tart.
  12. ClerkTrès bien. Vous la prenez ici ?Very good. Are you having it here?
  13. SamOui. Merci.Yes. Thank you.
  14. The tart arrives, very pink. Inès cuts two slices and already has her phone out.
  15. SamC'est sucré, avec un goût d'amande.It's sweet, with an almond taste.
  16. InèsTrop sucré, même. J'adore.Too sweet, even. I love it.
  17. SamC'est meilleur que ce que j'imaginais.It's better than I imagined.
  18. InèsJe vais raconter ça plus tard. En plus grand.I'll tell this later. A bigger version.
  19. SamJ'en reprendrais bien un morceau.I wouldn't mind another piece.
  20. InèsMoi aussi. Allez, on en reprend un.Me too. Come on, we'll have another.

Practice — sweet and almond

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay on the tart, the queue, and how it tastes.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est une spécialité d'ici ?Drop the English here
    Il faut faire la queue ?Drop the English here
    C'est sucré, avec un goût d'amande.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    A few people stand in a line at the pastry shop. You are not sure you should wait.

  4. Fill the gap

    It's sweet, with an almond taste.

    C'est ____, avec un goût d'amande.

  5. What does it mean?

    C'est une spécialité d'ici ?

  6. Swap the word

    You have had a bite. Tell Inès it beats what you had in mind.

    C'est ____ que ce que j'imaginais.

  7. Build the line

    I wouldn't mind another piece.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Pick the reply

    Clerk says:

    Voilà.

    Here you are.

    And you reply with:

  9. True or false?

    You say this to the clerk when you reach the counter.

  10. What do you say?

    Inès asks what kind of food you want in Lyon. You have not named a dish yet.

Say it — another piece

Now you're Sam at the pastry shop with Inès. 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. InèsRegarde. C'est très rose.Look. It's very pink.
  2. Sam (you)Ask if this is a local speciality.

    C'est une spécialité d'ici ?

    Is this a local speciality?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
C'est une spécialité d'ici ?Is this a local speciality?
Je voudrais une tarte aux pralines.I'd like a pink-praline tart.
Il faut faire la queue ?Do we need to queue?
C'est sucré, avec un goût d'amande.It's sweet, with an almond taste.
C'est meilleur que ce que j'imaginais.It's better than I imagined.
J'en reprendrais bien un morceau.I wouldn't mind another piece.
Next: lesson 175Old streets and passageways

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the tart order ready at the counter.

Open Yak Cards