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Lesson 239 of 240

New here? This is lesson 239 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Everyone around the counter in French

Everyone is at the zinc counter this morning. Sam wants to thank them one by one, not with a formal note.

Odile, Inès, Karim and Gaspard are all there. The window table still has its blank brass sign.

By the end, you'll thank a group, name what you'll keep doing, and leave one question unasked.

The postcard stays on the wall. Nobody reads it out.

By the end of this lesson

Thank people one by one and say what you will keep doing.

  • Merci à chacun de vous, vraiment.Thank you each of you, really.
  • Odile, je dirai toujours bonjour d'abord.Odile, I'll always say hello first.
  • Inès, je garderai tes vocaux.Inès, I'll keep your voice notes.
  • Karim, je reviendrai au marché.Karim, I'll come back to the market.
  • Gaspard, je t'écoute jusqu'au bout, promis.Gaspard, I'll hear you out to the end, I promise.
  • Il y a une chose que je n'ai jamais demandée.There's one thing I've never asked.

Scene — everyone at the zinc

Late morning at Café des Tilleuls. Odile is behind the zinc counter. Inès has come off a night shift. Karim has parked the cargo bike outside.

Gaspard sits on two chairs at the table next to the window. The blank brass sign is still on the window table.

Sam stands at the counter with all of them in reach.

A wide late-morning interior of Café des Tilleuls with Sam, Odile, and Inès small at the zinc and the window table left empty.

Learn — thanks one by one

Six lines let you thank a group out loud, then promise each person something you will keep doing.

The last line names a question you still have not asked.

  1. A high-angle view of Sam at the zinc with palms open toward Odile and Karim.

    Merci à chacun de vous, vraiment.

    Thank you each of you, really.

    When to use it: Say this out loud when you thank a whole group at once.

    Vous here means the whole group, not a polite vous to one person.

  2. An over-the-shoulder view from behind Odile as Sam offers a greeting across the zinc.

    Odile, je dirai toujours bonjour d'abord.

    Odile, I'll always say hello first.

    When to use it: Use this to promise Odile you will keep her door rule.

    Dirai here means you will say; this is a habit you mean to keep.

    Say it: In d'abord, de loses its e before a vowel.

  3. A profile view of Sam leaning toward Inès at the zinc with a blank phone lying between them.

    Inès, je garderai tes vocaux.

    Inès, I'll keep your voice notes.

    When to use it: Tell a close friend you will keep her voice notes.

    Tes vocaux uses tu because Inès is a close friend.

  4. From the café doorway, Sam steps toward Karim and gestures out at the cargo bike on the street.

    Karim, je reviendrai au marché.

    Karim, I'll come back to the market.

    When to use it: Promise a stallholder you will come back to the market.

    Au is à plus le before a masculine place like marché.

  5. A low-angle view past Gaspard at the window table as Sam leans in to listen beside a blank brass plaque.

    Gaspard, je t'écoute jusqu'au bout, promis.

    Gaspard, I'll hear you out to the end, I promise.

    When to use it: Promise a friend you will listen all the way through.

    T'écoute is te plus écoute; this tu form is for a friend.

    Say it: Te elides to t' before écoute: je t'écoute.

  6. A close-up of Sam's fingers on the edge of a blank brass plaque at the window table.

    Il y a une chose que je n'ai jamais demandée.

    There's one thing I've never asked.

    When to use it: Name a question you have never asked, without asking it yet.

    Demandée takes a final e because it agrees with chose, which is feminine.

    Say it: N'ai is ne plus ai, said as one short beat.

Story — the sign is still there

Watch Sam thank everyone at the zinc, one name at a time.

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

  1. Late morning. Everyone is standing at the zinc. The window table stays empty.
  2. OdileBonjour, mon grand.Hello, my dear.
  3. SamMerci à chacun de vous, vraiment.Thank you each of you, really.
  4. OdileDe rien. Allez, dis ce que tu as à dire.You're welcome. Go on, say what you have to say.
  5. SamOdile, je dirai toujours bonjour d'abord.Odile, I'll always say hello first.
  6. OdileC'est bien. Ici, ça commence comme ça.That's good. Here, that's how it starts.
  7. Inès leans on the counter, still in her jacket from the night shift.
  8. SamInès, je garderai tes vocaux.Inès, I'll keep your voice notes.
  9. InèsTous ? Même ceux de trois minutes ?All of them? Even the three-minute ones?
  10. SamTous. Je les écoute le soir.All of them. I listen to them in the evening.
  11. KarimEt moi, alors ?What about me, then?
  12. SamKarim, je reviendrai au marché.Karim, I'll come back to the market.
  13. KarimTu as intérêt. J'ai des pêches demain.You'd better. I've got peaches tomorrow.
  14. Gaspard has not touched his café crème. The blank brass sign is still on the window table.
  15. SamGaspard, je t'écoute jusqu'au bout, promis.Gaspard, I'll hear you out to the end, I promise.
  16. GaspardBon. Je commence, alors.Right. I'll start, then.
  17. InèsOn t'écoute.We're listening.
  18. SamIl y a une chose que je n'ai jamais demandée.There's one thing I've never asked.
  19. He looks at the window table, then back at Odile. Nobody names the postcard.
  20. OdileBois ton café, Sam.Drink your coffee, Sam.
  21. GaspardPlus tard, peut-être.Later, maybe.
  22. InèsÀ demain, alors ?See you tomorrow, then?

Practice — who you thank

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

They stay short, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    Odile is at the counter. Promise her you will keep her door rule.

  3. Fill the gap

    There's one thing I've never asked.

    Il y a une chose que je n'ai jamais ____.

  4. What does it mean?

    Inès, je garderai tes vocaux.

  5. Pick the reply

    Karim says:

    Et moi, alors ?

    What about me, then?

    And you reply with:

  6. Fill the gap

    Gaspard, I'll hear you out to the end, I promise.

    Gaspard, je ____ jusqu'au bout, promis.

  7. Swap the word

    You still have not asked that one question. Say you have never asked it.

    Il y a une chose que je n'ai ____ demandée.

  8. Match the pairs

    French

    Odile, je dirai toujours bonjour d'abord.Drop the English here
    Inès, je garderai tes vocaux.Drop the English here
    Karim, je reviendrai au marché.Drop the English here

    English

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

  9. What do you say?

    You walk into Café des Tilleuls in the morning. Odile is already looking at you.

  10. What do you say?

    The group just thanked you at the zinc. Answer in the everyday café way.

  11. True or false?

    This is how you thank a group at the counter.

Say it — say it to them

Now you're Sam at the zinc counter. 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. OdileBonjour, mon grand.Hello, my dear.
  2. Sam (you)Thank the whole group, and mean it.

    Merci à chacun de vous, vraiment.

    Thank you each of you, really.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Merci à chacun de vous, vraiment.Thank you each of you, really.
Odile, je dirai toujours bonjour d'abord.Odile, I'll always say hello first.
Inès, je garderai tes vocaux.Inès, I'll keep your voice notes.
Karim, je reviendrai au marché.Karim, I'll come back to the market.
Gaspard, je t'écoute jusqu'au bout, promis.Gaspard, I'll hear you out to the end, I promise.
Il y a une chose que je n'ai jamais demandée.There's one thing I've never asked.
Next: lesson 240The last morning

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A short round with the Yak Cards keeps these thanks ready for the next time everyone is at the counter.

Open Yak Cards