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Lesson 198 of 240

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Giving advice in French

Sam is back at Café des Tilleuls after the Lyon weekend, laptop open, ready to rewrite the whole audio guide overnight.

Inès drops in for a coffee before her night shift and hears the plan.

By the end, you'll give friendly advice with you should and if I were you, and take it without a fuss.

Ask Claire first, she says. The window table stays empty.

By the end of this lesson

Give friendly advice, and take it without a fuss.

  • Tu devrais ___.You should ___
  • Si j'étais toi, je ___.If I were you, I'd ___
  • Pourquoi tu n'essaies pas ?Why don't you give it a try?
  • Tu ferais mieux de demander d'abord.You'd be better off asking first.
  • C'est une bonne idée, merci.That's a good idea, thanks
  • Je vais y réfléchir.I'll think it over

Scene — night-shift coffee

Evening at Café des Tilleuls. Sam has his laptop on a round table. Inès, still in her denim jacket, has a coffee before a night shift.

Gaspard sits on two chairs at the next table, café crème untouched. The window table keeps its blank brass sign.

Evening at Café des Tilleuls, with Sam at a round table and a laptop, Inès with a coffee, and Gaspard on two chairs at the next table beside an untouched café crème.

Learn — you should

Six lines cover three ways to advise a friend, then two calm ways to take that advice.

You'll use should, if I were you, and you'd be better off.

  1. Inès leans across the round café table toward Sam and his laptop, one hand open as she advises him.

    Tu devrais ___.

    You should ___

    When to use it: Tell a friend they should do something.

    With tu, devrais is a should, not a hard order.

    Say it: The s at the end of devrais is silent.

  2. Inès in profile leans toward Sam to say what she would do in his place, while Gaspard sits on two chairs at the next table.

    Si j'étais toi, je ___.

    If I were you, I'd ___

    When to use it: Say this when you put yourself in a friend's place.

    J'étais stays in that past form for a present what-if.

    Say it: The e of je drops before étais.

  3. Close-up of Inès at the café table with one palm up, inviting Sam to give it a try.

    Pourquoi tu n'essaies pas ?

    Why don't you give it a try?

    When to use it: Use this to nudge a friend to try something.

    This is a suggestion, not a real why question.

    Say it: The e of ne drops before essaies.

  4. Over Sam's shoulder toward Inès, who holds a lowered cautioning palm as she tells him he would be better off asking first.

    Tu ferais mieux de demander d'abord.

    You'd be better off asking first.

    When to use it: Say this when asking first is the wiser move.

    Ferais mieux de and then an action means you'd be better off doing it.

  5. From a low angle, Sam looks up from the laptop toward Inès and nods in thanks, hands lifted off the keys.

    C'est une bonne idée, merci.

    That's a good idea, thanks

    When to use it: Use this to take advice without a fuss.

    Bonne is feminine here because idée is feminine.

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

  6. High angle of Sam looking down at the laptop, one hand raised, thinking it over.

    Je vais y réfléchir.

    I'll think it over

    When to use it: Use this when you need a moment before you decide.

    The y points back to the idea, so you skip repeating it.

    Say it: The s in vais links to y as a z.

Story — ask first

Watch Inès talk Sam down from an all-night rewrite. She wants him to ask Claire first.

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

  1. Inès sets her cup down and looks at Sam's screen.
  2. InèsTu as l'air fatigué.You look tired.
  3. SamJe veux tout réécrire ce soir.I want to rewrite the whole thing tonight.
  4. She leans in. The laptop shows a long audio-guide script.
  5. InèsToute la nuit ? Le guide entier ?All night? The whole guide?
  6. SamOui. Claire veut une nouvelle version.Yes. Claire wants a new version.
  7. SamJe dois faire quoi ?What should I do?
  8. InèsTu devrais lui en parler demain.You should talk to her about it tomorrow.
  9. SamJe n'ai pas le temps d'attendre.I don't have time to wait.
  10. InèsSi j'étais toi, je demanderais d'abord.If I were you, I'd ask first.
  11. SamEt si elle dit non ?And if she says no?
  12. InèsPourquoi tu n'essaies pas ?Why don't you give it a try?
  13. SamEssayer de lui demander, c'est tout ?Try asking her, that's all?
  14. InèsTu ferais mieux de demander d'abord.You'd be better off asking first.
  15. SamC'est une bonne idée, merci.That's a good idea, thanks.
  16. Inès glances at the dark window table, then back at him.
  17. InèsTu devrais te reposer un peu.You should get some rest.
  18. SamJe vais y réfléchir.I'll think it over.

Practice — take it well

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

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Pourquoi tu n'essaies pas ?

  3. What do you say?

    A friend wants to rewrite a whole project overnight. Tell them they should.

  4. Fill the gap

    You'd be better off asking first.

    Tu ferais ____ de demander d'abord.

  5. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Tu ferais mieux de demander d'abord.

    You'd be better off asking first.

    And you reply with:

  6. Build the line

    I'll think it over

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    A male friend wants to rewrite everything overnight. Start your advice with 'If I were you…'

    Si j'étais ____, je ___.

  8. Match the pairs

    French

    Tu devrais ___.Drop the English here
    Pourquoi tu n'essaies pas ?Drop the English here
    Tu ferais mieux de demander d'abord.Drop the English here

    English

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

  9. True or false?

    This tells a friend they should get some rest.

  10. What do you say?

    You have no plan for the rewrite. Ask a friend what you should do.

Say it — give and take

Now you're Sam at the café 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. InèsJe vais échanger ma nuit sans rien dire.I'm going to swap my night without saying anything.
  2. Sam (you)If you were her, say what you'd do.

    Si j'étais toi, je ___.

    If I were you, I'd ___

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Tu devrais ___.You should ___
Si j'étais toi, je ___.If I were you, I'd ___
Pourquoi tu n'essaies pas ?Why don't you give it a try?
Tu ferais mieux de demander d'abord.You'd be better off asking first.
C'est une bonne idée, merci.That's a good idea, thanks
Je vais y réfléchir.I'll think it over
Next: lesson 199Asking for a recommendation

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