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Lesson 237 of 240

New here? This is lesson 237 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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The Lyon story, told properly in French

Sam is back at Café des Tilleuls with the Lyon weekend still in his pocket.

He wants to tell it in order this time: the wrong train, a traboule, the snack they ordered twice.

Inès sits two stools down. She already knows she will add a floor.

By the end, you'll open a story, mark the snag, drop the funny bit, and land the punchline.

By the end of this lesson

Retell one story with details and a punchline.

  • Au départ, tout se passait bien.At the start, everything was going fine.
  • Sauf qu'on a pris le mauvais train.Except we got on the wrong train.
  • Le détail, c'est qu'Inès jurait du contraire.The thing is, Inès swore the opposite.
  • Et là, on s'est retrouvés dans une traboule.And that's when we found ourselves in a traboule.
  • Tu vas rire : on l'a commandée deux fois.You'll laugh: we ordered it twice.
  • La chute, c'est qu'elle raconte encore plus fort.The punchline is she tells it even bigger now.

Scene — two stools down

Evening at Café des Tilleuls. Sam has a stool at the zinc counter. Inès is two stools down, denim jacket on, already smiling.

Odile wipes a glass and waits for the story. Gaspard sits at the table next to the window table, café crème untouched, two chairs as usual.

The blank brass sign stays on the window table.

A wide evening view of Café des Tilleuls with Sam at the zinc, Inès two stools down, and Odile wiping a glass.

Learn — start to punchline

Six lines walk a story from a calm start to the punchline.

You'll mark the snag, the detail, the turn, the laugh, and how it grows.

  1. Sam sits on a stool at the zinc with one hand lifted toward Odile, who listens with a glass and a cloth.

    Au départ, tout se passait bien.

    At the start, everything was going fine.

    When to use it: Open a story by saying things were going fine at first.

    Au départ sets the start of the story, before you name what went wrong.

  2. Inès leans in at the zinc with an open-palmed shrug.

    Sauf qu'on a pris le mauvais train.

    Except we got on the wrong train.

    When to use it: Add the first snag after a story that started well.

    Sauf que introduces the exception, and que plus on is written qu'on.

    Say it: In qu'on, the e of que drops before on.

  3. From behind Inès, Sam turns on his stool with one hand aimed at her.

    Le détail, c'est qu'Inès jurait du contraire.

    The thing is, Inès swore the opposite.

    When to use it: Add the detail that someone else remembers it differently.

    C'est que plus a name drops the e, so you write qu'Inès.

    Say it: In Inès, the final s is silent.

  4. From above, Gaspard sits on two chairs by the window with one arm raised and a café crème left untouched.

    Et là, on s'est retrouvés dans une traboule.

    And that's when we found ourselves in a traboule.

    When to use it: Mark the moment the story takes its turn.

    Et là points to that moment; keep traboule as itself in the line.

    Say it: In retrouvés, the final s is silent.

  5. Two identical unmarked plates sit on the zinc while Inès leans toward Odile.

    Tu vas rire : on l'a commandée deux fois.

    You'll laugh: we ordered it twice.

    When to use it: Warn a friend that a funny bit is coming next.

    L'a is the object plus a; commandée matches the thing they ordered.

    Say it: In l'a, le or la drops the vowel before a.

  6. From the customer side of the zinc, Odile pauses mid-wipe and looks toward Inès's stool out of frame.

    La chute, c'est qu'elle raconte encore plus fort.

    The punchline is she tells it even bigger now.

    When to use it: Close the story by naming the punchline.

    La chute is the punchline; qu'elle keeps que elided before elle.

Story — she adds a floor

Sam tells the Lyon weekend in order at the counter. Inès is two stools down and cannot help herself.

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

  1. Evening lamps. Sam has a stool; Inès is two stools down.
  2. OdileAlors, ce week-end à Lyon ?So, that weekend in Lyon?
  3. SamAu départ, tout se passait bien.At the start, everything was going fine.
  4. OdileEt après ?And then?
  5. SamSauf qu'on a pris le mauvais train.Except we got on the wrong train.
  6. GaspardLe mauvais train ?The wrong train?
  7. SamLe détail, c'est qu'Inès jurait du contraire.The thing is, Inès swore the opposite.
  8. InèsJ'étais sûre, moi.I was sure, I was.
  9. Odile sets the glass down. The window table stays empty.
  10. OdileEt vous êtes arrivés où, alors ?And where did you end up, then?
  11. SamEt là, on s'est retrouvés dans une traboule.And that's when we found ourselves in a traboule.
  12. GaspardDans une traboule.In a traboule.
  13. OdileEt la tarte ?And the tart?
  14. SamTu vas rire : on l'a commandée deux fois.You'll laugh: we ordered it twice.
  15. InèsDeux fois, et un étage de plus dans ma version.Twice, and one extra floor in my version.
  16. SamLa chute, c'est qu'elle raconte encore plus fort.The punchline is she tells it even bigger now.
  17. OdilePlus tu racontes, plus ça grossit.The more you tell it, the more it grows.
  18. InèsUn peu, oui.A bit, yes.

Practice — tell it in order

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, build a line, and pick the right moment.

They stay short, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Sauf qu'on a pris le mauvais train.

  3. What do you say?

    You're past the train snag. Add the detail that Inès swore you had it right.

  4. Fill the gap

    And that's when we found ourselves in a traboule.

    Et là, on s'est retrouvés dans une ____.

  5. Swap the word

    You're about to tell Odile the snack bit. Warn her she'll laugh.

    Tu vas ____ : on l'a commandée deux fois.

  6. Build the line

    The punchline is she tells it even bigger now.

    , .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Deux fois, et un étage de plus dans ma version.

    Twice, and one extra floor in my version.

    And you reply with:

  8. What do you say?

    Odile wants the short fact, not the whole setup. Tell her you got the wrong train.

  9. True or false?

    This line is the punchline: she tells the story even bigger now.

  10. Match the pairs

    French

    Au départ, tout se passait bien.Drop the English here
    Le détail, c'est qu'Inès jurait du contraire.Drop the English here
    La chute, c'est qu'elle raconte encore plus fort.Drop the English here

    English

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

  11. Put the chat in order

    1. SamWhat comes first?
    2. Odile…
    3. Sam…
    4. Inès…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

Say it — your turn to tell it

Now you're Sam at the counter, telling the Lyon weekend in order. 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. OdileAlors, ce week-end à Lyon ?So, that weekend in Lyon?
  2. Sam (you)Start the story: at first, everything was going fine.

    Au départ, tout se passait bien.

    At the start, everything was going fine.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Au départ, tout se passait bien.At the start, everything was going fine.
Sauf qu'on a pris le mauvais train.Except we got on the wrong train.
Le détail, c'est qu'Inès jurait du contraire.The thing is, Inès swore the opposite.
Et là, on s'est retrouvés dans une traboule.And that's when we found ourselves in a traboule.
Tu vas rire : on l'a commandée deux fois.You'll laugh: we ordered it twice.
La chute, c'est qu'elle raconte encore plus fort.The punchline is she tells it even bigger now.
Next: lesson 238Renew the lease

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps the start, the snag, and the punchline ready.

Open Yak Cards