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Lesson 63 of 240

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And then what happened in French

Inès drops into Café des Tilleuls after a night shift, still half in the story.

Gaspard sits at the next table, croissant close, café crème untouched.

Sam wants the next beat, not a lecture. You'll ask what happened after, when it was, where it was, how it felt, what they mean, and why they think that.

Keep the questions short so Inès can keep talking.

By the end of this lesson

Ask follow-up questions that keep a story going.

  • Et après, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?And then what happened?
  • C'était quand, ça ?When was that?
  • C'était où, ça ?Where was that?
  • Tu t'es senti comment ?How did you feel about it?
  • Tu veux dire quoi ?What do you mean?
  • Pourquoi tu penses ça ?Why do you think that?

Scene — after the night shift

Same corner café on rue des Tilleuls. Inès comes in after a night at the hospital, denim jacket still on, and sits with Sam.

Gaspard is at the table next to the window table, on two chairs. His café crème is still full. The blank brass sign stays on the window table.

Inès settles in across from Sam at the window table while Gaspard sits on two chairs at the next table with a full cup.

Learn — what happened next

Six questions help you keep a story moving: what happened after, when, where, how it felt, what they mean, and why.

You'll ask a man how he felt. The note shows the form for a woman.

  1. Sam leans far forward over the window table with both palms open, urging Inès to keep telling what happened.

    Et après, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?

    And then what happened?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want the next event in a story.

    This asks for the next event, not more detail on the same moment.

    Say it: In qu'est-ce, the e of que drops before est.

  2. Inès pauses at the café table with one hand hovering above the wood, thinking back to when it happened.

    C'était quand, ça ?

    When was that?

    When to use it: Ask this to pin down when a past story happened.

    C'était puts the question in the past, unlike C'est quand.

    Say it: The d in quand is silent.

  3. Over Inès's shoulder, Sam sits more upright and opens one hand toward the window as he asks where it happened.

    C'était où, ça ?

    Where was that?

    When to use it: Ask this to pin down where a past story happened.

    Où asks where it happened, not what came next.

  4. From above, Inès leans in over the window table with both hands around a cup, telling what happened next.

    Tu t'es senti comment ?

    How did you feel about it?

    When to use it: Ask a man this after he tells you something that happened.

    Ask a woman with sentie, not senti.

    Say it: t'es is te plus es, said as one short word.

  5. Sam turns in his chair toward Gaspard, one elbow on the table and one hand lifted in a hold-on gesture, asking what he means.

    Tu veux dire quoi ?

    What do you mean?

    When to use it: Ask this when a line is unclear and you need it said another way.

    Use this to make someone say the same thing more clearly.

    Say it: The x in veux is silent before dire.

  6. Inès sits slightly back with one palm open toward Sam while Gaspard leans in from the next table, and Sam questions why Gaspard thinks that.

    Pourquoi tu penses ça ?

    Why do you think that?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want the reason behind someone's idea.

    Tu is right with Inès and Gaspard; they are friends and regulars.

    Say it: The last s in penses is silent.

Story — gaspard answers

Watch Inès start a night shift story at the café. Sam asks what came next, and Gaspard answers from the next table.

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

  1. Morning light on the zinc counter. Inès sits down still in her denim jacket.
  2. InèsSalut.Hi.
  3. SamSalut.Hi.
  4. InèsCette nuit, c'était un peu bizarre.Last night was a bit weird.
  5. SamC'était quand, ça ?When was that?
  6. InèsVers deux heures du matin.Around two in the morning.
  7. SamC'était où, ça ?Where was that?
  8. InèsAux urgences. Un homme cherchait quelqu'un.In the ER. A man was looking for someone.
  9. SamEt après, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?And then what happened?
  10. InèsIl a cherché partout, puis il est parti.He looked everywhere, then he left.
  11. Gaspard leans in from the next table. He saw the same man come in here. The window table stays empty.
  12. GaspardIl a commandé un croissant.He ordered a croissant.
  13. SamTu veux dire quoi ?What do you mean?
  14. GaspardIl avait faim, je pense.He was hungry, I think.
  15. SamPourquoi tu penses ça ?Why do you think that?
  16. GaspardParce qu'il a commandé un croissant.Because he ordered a croissant.
  17. SamTu t'es senti comment ?How did you feel about it?
  18. GaspardUn peu gêné, voilà.A bit awkward, there you go.

Practice — keep the story going

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a question.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'était quand, ça ?Drop the English here
    C'était où, ça ?Drop the English here
    Tu veux dire quoi ?Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What does it mean?

    C'était quand, ça ?

  4. Fill the gap

    Where was that?

    C'était ____, ça ?

  5. What do you say?

    Gaspard just told you his side of a story. Ask how he felt.

  6. Build the line

    What do you mean?

     ?

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Gaspard has a theory about Inès's story. Ask why he thinks that.

    Pourquoi tu ____ ça ?

  8. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Cette nuit vers deux heures, un homme est arrivé aux urgences.

    Last night around two, a man arrived at the ER.

    And you reply with:

  9. True or false?

    This asks where something happened.

  10. What do you say?

    Inès walks into the café after her night shift. Greet her as a friend.

Say it — ask the next bit

Now you're Sam at the café table with Inès. 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. InèsSalut.Hi.
  2. Sam (you)Say hi back. She is a close friend.

    Salut.

    Hi

0 of 7 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Et après, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?And then what happened?
C'était quand, ça ?When was that?
C'était où, ça ?Where was that?
Tu t'es senti comment ?How did you feel about it?
Tu veux dire quoi ?What do you mean?
Pourquoi tu penses ça ?Why do you think that?
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your next-event questions ready for a story.

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