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Lesson 234 of 240

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News and opinions in French

A local paper says the Saturday market may move one street over.

Karim is loud about it. Sam tries to be fair, and Odile will not pass on rumours.

You'll ask if someone saw the piece, say the neighbourhood is talking, and hold a balanced view.

You'll also wait and see, and say it is not as simple as people claim.

By the end of this lesson

Talk about a local news item and give a balanced view.

  • Tu as vu l'article sur le marché ?Did you see the piece about the market?
  • Tout le quartier en parle.The whole neighbourhood is talking about it.
  • Il y a du vrai des deux côtés.There's some truth on both sides.
  • Ça va changer le quotidien de pas mal de gens.It's going to change daily life for quite a few people.
  • Moi, j'attendrai de voir comment ça se passe.I'll wait and see how it goes.
  • Ce n'est pas aussi simple qu'on le dit.It's not as simple as people say.

Scene — the paper on the zinc

Saturday at Café des Tilleuls. Karim is in from the market in his green apron, a local paper on the zinc.

Odile will not trade rumours. Gaspard sits at the table next to the window table, café crème untouched.

The window table keeps its blank brass sign. Sam wants a fair take, not a fight.

Saturday morning inside the café: Karim at the zinc beside a folded newspaper, Odile behind the bar, and Sam between the bar and the tables, with an empty table by the window.

Learn — a local piece

Six lines help you raise a local story and stay balanced.

You ask about the piece, note the talk, and wait to see how it goes.

  1. Karim leans in at the zinc and rests one finger on the folded newspaper.

    Tu as vu l'article sur le marché ?

    Did you see the piece about the market?

    When to use it: Ask a friend or regular if they saw a local news piece.

    Tu is fine with Karim and Odile now; they are café regulars.

    Say it: The l' in l'article is elision of le before a vowel.

  2. Gaspard sits on two chairs by the window, turning toward the zinc, café crème untouched.

    Tout le quartier en parle.

    The whole neighbourhood is talking about it.

    When to use it: Use this when a local story is already going around the street.

    En points back to the story already named, so you do not repeat it.

  3. From behind Odile at the bar, Sam sits with both palms open at the same height in a calm balancing gesture.

    Il y a du vrai des deux côtés.

    There's some truth on both sides.

    When to use it: Give a balanced view when both sides have a point.

    This keeps you in the middle; it is not a yes or a no.

  4. Karim stands at the zinc with both hands on the bar, body turned toward the café door in a still, weighted pause.

    Ça va changer le quotidien de pas mal de gens.

    It's going to change daily life for quite a few people.

    When to use it: Say this when a change will affect quite a few people's routines.

    Pas mal de means quite a few, not that something is badly done.

    Say it: The an in changer is a nasal vowel.

  5. Odile stands behind the bar, angled away from the newspaper, one hand raised in a small wait-and-see pause.

    Moi, j'attendrai de voir comment ça se passe.

    I'll wait and see how it goes.

    When to use it: Hold back from picking a side until you see what happens.

    J'attendrai is the speaker's own wait-and-see, not advice to someone else.

    Say it: The j' in j'attendrai is elision of je.

  6. Odile's palm lies flat on the zinc, still and firm, while the folded newspaper is left untouched.

    Ce n'est pas aussi simple qu'on le dit.

    It's not as simple as people say.

    When to use it: Push back when people make a local story sound too neat.

    On here means people in general, not a named group.

    Say it: The qu' in qu'on is elision of que before on.

Story — both sides

Karim is loud about the market piece. Sam stays fair, and Odile refuses rumours.

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

  1. Karim drops a paper on the zinc. Odile looks at it, then at Sam.
  2. SamTu as vu l'article sur le marché ?Did you see the piece about the market?
  3. KarimOui, je l'ai vu. Tout le quartier en parle.Yes, I saw it. The whole neighbourhood is talking about it.
  4. He taps the paper with a glove still on.
  5. KarimIls veulent nous déplacer d'une rue. Les clients vont se perdre.They want to move us one street over. Customers will get lost.
  6. OdileJ'ai entendu dire que ça dégagerait le boulevard.I heard that it would clear the boulevard.
  7. SamIl y a du vrai des deux côtés.There's some truth on both sides.
  8. KarimPour moi, c'est simple. On sait où on est le samedi.For me it's simple. People know where we are on Saturday.
  9. SamÇa va changer le quotidien de pas mal de gens.It's going to change daily life for quite a few people.
  10. OdileJe ne fais pas les ragots. Rien n'est signé.I don't do rumours. Nothing is signed.
  11. Gaspard looks up from the next table. His café crème is still full.
  12. GaspardCe n'est pas aussi simple qu'on le dit.It's not as simple as people say.
  13. SamMoi, j'attendrai de voir comment ça se passe.I'll wait and see how it goes.
  14. KarimToi tu attends. Moi, demain, j'ai des caisses.You wait. Me, tomorrow, I've got crates.
  15. KarimIl paraît que c'est vrai.Word is it's true.
  16. Odile wipes the zinc and does not pick up the paper.
  17. OdileOn n'en sait rien encore. On verra samedi.We don't know anything yet. We'll see on Saturday.
  18. SamJe comprends les deux points de vue.I can see both sides.
  19. OdileTrès bien. Ici, on attend les faits.Very good. Here we wait for the facts.

Practice — fair or loud

Eleven short tasks. You'll listen, fill a gap, build a line, and pick a fair reply.

Wrong options are lines a Paris speaker would not use in that moment.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Tout le quartier en parle.

  3. What do you say?

    Someone says only one camp is right. You want to say there is some truth on both sides.

  4. Fill the gap

    It's going to change daily life for quite a few people.

    Ça va changer le ____ de pas mal de gens.

  5. Pick the reply

    Karim says:

    Alors, tu es pour ou contre, toi ?

    So, are you for or against it?

    And you reply with:

  6. Build the line

    It's not as simple as people say.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Ask a friend if they saw the local news piece.

    Tu as ____ l'article sur le marché ?

  8. True or false?

    Use this to pass on that people say the story is true.

  9. What do you say?

    Karim wants you for or against the market move. You can see why stallholders and neighbours both have a case.

  10. Match the pairs

    French

    Tout le quartier en parle.Drop the English here
    Il y a du vrai des deux côtés.Drop the English here
    Ce n'est pas aussi simple qu'on le dit.Drop the English here

    English

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

  11. What do you say?

    You want to pass on a rumour as something you heard, without saying it is certain.

Say it — hold the middle

Now you're Sam at the zinc. Karim still has his market apron on, and Gaspard is at the next table.

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. KarimTu as deux minutes ?Have you got two minutes?
  2. Sam (you)Ask if he saw the local piece.

    Tu as vu l'article sur le marché ?

    Did you see the piece about the market?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Tu as vu l'article sur le marché ?Did you see the piece about the market?
Tout le quartier en parle.The whole neighbourhood is talking about it.
Il y a du vrai des deux côtés.There's some truth on both sides.
Ça va changer le quotidien de pas mal de gens.It's going to change daily life for quite a few people.
Moi, j'attendrai de voir comment ça se passe.I'll wait and see how it goes.
Ce n'est pas aussi simple qu'on le dit.It's not as simple as people say.
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