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Lesson 240 of 240

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

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The last morning in French

Sam's last morning of the year at Café des Tilleuls starts like the first: Odile, the zinc, the window table.

Odile puts her glasses on and looks at the postcard behind the bar. She sees her mother in the drawing.

She takes the brass sign off. Gaspard sits at the window, finishes his crème, and stays for one more.

You'll recognise an old drawing, take a sign off a table, and say a real goodbye. The last line is ordinary.

By the end of this lesson

Recognise an old drawing, take a sign off a table, and say a real goodbye.

  • Je mets mes lunettes, un instant.I'll put my glasses on a second.
  • C'est le dessin de ma mère, ça.That's the drawing of my mother.
  • Je retire le panneau, ça suffit.I'm taking the sign off; that's enough.
  • Un crème, comme la première fois.A crème, like the first time.
  • Je m'installe ici, et je le finis.I'll sit here, and I'll finish it.
  • Un dernier crème, alors.One last crème, then.

Scene — the postcard again

Last morning on rue des Tilleuls. Sam pushes the café door. Odile is at the zinc, glasses on a chain, the postcard still pinned behind the bar.

The window table still has its blank brass sign. Gaspard sits at the next table on two chairs, his Navigo pass on a cord.

Sam pushes open the café door while Odile stands at the zinc and Gaspard sits beside the window table with its blank brass plaque.

Learn — glasses, a drawing, a sign

Six lines for this last morning: glasses on, a mother in a drawing, a sign coming off, a crème like the first time, a seat at the window, and one last cup.

You'll hear who sits, who lifts the sign, and who stays.

  1. Odile at the zinc lifts her glasses on a chain toward her face for a moment.

    Je mets mes lunettes, un instant.

    I'll put my glasses on a second.

    When to use it: Say this when you need a second to see something clearly.

    Use the present as you reach for the glasses, not after they are on.

    Say it: The s in mets is silent.

  2. Odile holds the pencil drawing from behind the bar and looks at it as if seeing it for the first time.

    C'est le dessin de ma mère, ça.

    That's the drawing of my mother.

    When to use it: Say this when you recognise someone in a drawing.

    Ça at the end points back at the picture in front of you.

  3. Odile lifts the blank brass plaque off the window table.

    Je retire le panneau, ça suffit.

    I'm taking the sign off; that's enough.

    When to use it: Say this when you take a reserved sign off a table.

    Ça suffit ends the decision: the sign comes off, and that is that.

  4. Gaspard leans at the zinc facing Odile and points toward an empty white cup.

    Un crème, comme la première fois.

    A crème, like the first time.

    When to use it: Order this when you want the same coffee as the first time.

    Un crème stays un because it stands for un café crème.

  5. Gaspard sits at the window table on a pair of chairs to stay and finish a crème.

    Je m'installe ici, et je le finis.

    I'll sit here, and I'll finish it.

    When to use it: Say this when you sit down and mean to finish your drink.

    Le points back to the crème already on the table.

    Say it: The e drops, so m'installe is one smooth piece.

  6. Odile pours a last crème at the espresso machine, seen past Sam's shoulder.

    Un dernier crème, alors.

    One last crème, then.

    When to use it: Offer or take one more coffee before you really leave.

    Alors follows on from the drink just finished, not a new topic.

Story — she lifts the sign

Watch Odile look again at the postcard. She puts her glasses on, and the year finally makes sense.

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

  1. The lamps are still on. Odile takes the postcard from behind the bar.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. OdileJe mets mes lunettes, un instant.I'll put my glasses on a second.
  5. SamPrends ton temps.Take your time.
  6. She looks at the pencil drawing. There is no stamp and no name.
  7. OdileC'est le dessin de ma mère, ça.That's the drawing of my mother.
  8. SamC'est vraiment elle ?Is that really her?
  9. OdileOui. Je n'avais jamais vraiment regardé.Yes. I had never really looked.
  10. SamEt le panneau, alors ?And the sign, then?
  11. OdileJe retire le panneau, ça suffit.I'm taking the sign off; that's enough.
  12. She lifts the blank brass sign. The window table is free.
  13. GaspardUn crème, comme la première fois.A crème, like the first time.
  14. OdileComme la première fois. D'accord.Like the first time. All right.
  15. GaspardJe m'installe ici, et je le finis.I'll sit here, and I'll finish it.
  16. OdileD'accord, mon grand.All right, dear.
  17. He sits at the window on two chairs. He drinks. The cup is empty.
  18. GaspardAu revoir.Goodbye.
  19. OdileUn dernier crème, alors.One last crème, then.
  20. GaspardOui. Je reste.Yes. I'm staying.
  21. SamÀ demain.See you tomorrow.
  22. OdileÀ demain.See you tomorrow.
  23. GaspardÀ demain.See you tomorrow.

Practice — one last crème

Eleven short exercises. You'll listen, match, fill a gap, build a line, and swap a word.

They stay on this last morning at the café, so the round stays clear.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est le dessin de ma mère, ça.Drop the English here
    Je retire le panneau, ça suffit.Drop the English here
    Un crème, comme la première fois.Drop the English here
    Un dernier crème, alors.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You look at the old postcard and recognise your mother in the pencil drawing.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm taking the sign off; that's enough.

    Je retire le ____, ça suffit.

  5. What does it mean?

    Prends ton temps.

  6. Build the line

    I'll sit here, and I'll finish it.

    , .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    He has finished. Offer one last milky coffee.

    Un dernier ____, alors.

  8. Put the chat in order

    1. OdileWhat comes first?
    2. Sam…
    3. Odile…
    4. Sam…
    5. Odile…

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

  9. Pick the reply

    Gaspard says:

    Oui. Je reste encore un peu.

    Yes. I'm staying a bit longer.

    And you reply with:

  10. True or false?

    You say this when you expect to see the person the next day.

  11. What do you say?

    You walk into Café des Tilleuls in the morning. Odile looks up.

Say it — see you tomorrow

Now you're Sam on this last morning. 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.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Say hello back. It is still morning.

    Bonjour.

    Hello

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je mets mes lunettes, un instant.I'll put my glasses on a second.
C'est le dessin de ma mère, ça.That's the drawing of my mother.
Je retire le panneau, ça suffit.I'm taking the sign off; that's enough.
Un crème, comme la première fois.A crème, like the first time.
Je m'installe ici, et je le finis.I'll sit here, and I'll finish it.
Un dernier crème, alors.One last crème, then.

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A last pass with the Yak Cards keeps the glasses, the drawing, the sign, and tomorrow's hello ready.

Open Yak Cards