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Lesson 208 of 240

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Passing on a message in French

Claire has a short message for Sam: Friday, no later. He has to pass it on without adding a word.

Inès lives two floors below and likes a bigger story.

By the end, you will report what someone said, name the source, and keep the message short.

Sam repeats the same Friday line until it stays small.

By the end of this lesson

Pass on a message accurately.

  • Elle a dit que ___.She said that ___
  • Il a dit qu'il ne pouvait pas venir.He said he couldn't come
  • D'après Claire, c'est pour vendredi.According to Claire, it's for Friday
  • Tu peux lui dire que je l'attends ?Can you tell him I'm waiting?
  • C'est tout ce qu'elle a dit.That was all she said
  • Qui t'a dit ça ?Who told you that?

Scene — friday, no later

Thursday in the small office two metro stops from rue des Tilleuls. Claire has a laptop under her arm. She keeps Friday short, and names the museum's project lead.

Later Sam takes the stairs to Inès, two floors below. He will pass both facts, and he will not let the story grow.

A wide view of a small Paris office where Claire stands with a laptop under one arm, Sam listens from a desk, and Gaspard sits across extra chairs.

Learn — what she said

These six lines help you pass a message on. You report what she said, what he said, and you name Claire as the source.

You also ask someone to tell him, and you stop the story there.

  1. Sam stands on the lower landing with both hands a small width apart while Inès listens beside a desk.

    Elle a dit que ___.

    She said that ___

    When to use it: Use this to start passing on a woman's words.

    After dit que, add what she said in your own words.

  2. Close on an empty chair as Inès opens a hand toward it, with Sam only at the edge of the frame.

    Il a dit qu'il ne pouvait pas venir.

    He said he couldn't come

    When to use it: Use this to report that a man could not come.

    After he said, the next verb often moves back, like pouvait.

    Say it: Que and il join as one sound in qu'il.

  3. Over Inès's shoulder, Sam leans on a desk and raises one finger to keep the message to a single point.

    D'après Claire, c'est pour vendredi.

    According to Claire, it's for Friday

    When to use it: Name Claire when you pass on her Friday deadline.

    D'après names the source. You are not adding a new fact.

    Say it: D'après is de cut short before après.

  4. Claire stands at the office doorway with an open hand toward the corridor while Sam half-rises from a chair.

    Tu peux lui dire que je l'attends ?

    Can you tell him I'm waiting?

    When to use it: Ask a friend to tell someone you are waiting.

    Lui is the person who should get the message, him or her.

    Say it: Le and attends join as l'attends.

  5. From below, Sam holds a flat palm forward to stop the report from growing, with Inès only at the edge of the frame.

    C'est tout ce qu'elle a dit.

    That was all she said

    When to use it: Use this to keep the message from growing.

    This stops a friend who wants to add extra details.

    Say it: Que and elle join as qu'elle.

  6. Close on Inès after stepping closer, head tilted and one palm up, asking who the source was.

    Qui t'a dit ça ?

    Who told you that?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want the source of a story.

    Use tu with a friend. This is not for staff or strangers.

    Say it: Te and a join as t'a.

Story — he keeps it short

Claire keeps it short. Then Sam finds Inès on the landing and passes the same facts without adding extra story.

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

  1. Thursday afternoon in the small office. Claire has her laptop under one arm. The museum's project lead has just written.
  2. ClaireC'est pour vendredi, pas plus tard.It's for Friday, no later.
  3. SamC'est noté.Noted.
  4. ClaireLe responsable du musée. Il a dit qu'il ne pouvait pas venir.The museum's project lead. He said he couldn't come.
  5. SamD'accord.Okay.
  6. ClaireTu peux lui dire que je l'attends ?Can you tell him I'm waiting?
  7. SamOui.Yes.
  8. After work, Inès is on the landing two floors below, her bag on her shoulder.
  9. InèsSalut.Hi.
  10. SamSalut.Hi.
  11. SamElle a dit que c'est pour vendredi.She said that it's for Friday.
  12. InèsQui t'a dit ça ?Who told you that?
  13. SamD'après Claire, c'est pour vendredi.According to Claire, it's for Friday.
  14. InèsC'est tout ?Is that all?
  15. SamLe responsable du musée. Il a dit qu'il ne pouvait pas venir.The museum's project lead. He said he couldn't come.
  16. InèsVendredi, et on part plus tôt après, non ?Friday, and we leave earlier after that, right?
  17. SamC'est tout ce qu'elle a dit.That was all she said.
  18. SamElle a dit que c'est pour vendredi.She said that it's for Friday.
  19. InèsTu veux que je lui écrive ?Do you want me to write to him?
  20. SamOui, tu peux lui dire que Claire l'attend.Yes, you can tell him Claire is waiting for him.
  21. InèsC'est noté.Noted.

Practice — pass it on

Eleven short exercises wait here. You will listen, pick, fill a gap, build a line, and swap a word.

They stay on the same Friday message, so you do not add extra story.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Qui t'a dit ça ?

  3. What do you say?

    Inès asks what Claire told you. Pass it on: she said it's for Friday.

  4. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Je vais le voir. Tu veux que je lui dise quelque chose ?

    I'm going to see him. Do you want me to tell him something?

    And you reply with:

  5. Build the line

    He said he couldn't come

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Fill the gap

    That was all she said

    C'est ____ ce qu'elle a dit.

  7. Match the pairs

    French

    Elle a dit que ___.Drop the English here
    D'après Claire, c'est pour vendredi.Drop the English here
    C'est tout ce qu'elle a dit.Drop the English here

    English

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

  8. Swap the word

    You pass Claire's deadline to Inès. Keep the day she named.

    D'après Claire, c'est pour ____.

  9. True or false?

    This reports that a man said he was unable to come.

  10. What do you say?

    Inès is on the landing. She is your close friend.

  11. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    C'est pour vendredi, pas plus tard.

    It's for Friday, no later.

    And you reply with:

Say it — the same line again

Now you are Sam. Claire gave you a short line, and Inès is on the landing.

When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. ClaireC'est pour vendredi, pas plus tard.It's for Friday, no later.
  2. Sam (you)Tell her you have noted it.

    C'est noté.

    Noted.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Elle a dit que ___.She said that ___
Il a dit qu'il ne pouvait pas venir.He said he couldn't come
D'après Claire, c'est pour vendredi.According to Claire, it's for Friday
Tu peux lui dire que je l'attends ?Can you tell him I'm waiting?
C'est tout ce qu'elle a dit.That was all she said
Qui t'a dit ça ?Who told you that?
Next: lesson 209Festivals and traditions

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps Friday's message short when you pass it on.

Open Yak Cards