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Lesson 159 of 240

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Mixed feelings in French

Claire wants a short audio tour for a small museum. The museum wants every room. Sam has to weigh both sides without stalling the meeting.

You will say you have mixed feelings, show you see both views, then lean one way.

You will also ask what makes someone say that, and call a point fair.

Sam writes partagé. A woman writes partagée.

By the end of this lesson

Say you have mixed feelings and weigh both sides.

  • Je suis partagé sur ___.I have mixed feelings about ___
  • Je comprends les deux points de vue.I can see both sides
  • Je penche plutôt pour ___.I'm leaning toward ___
  • Qu'est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?What makes you say that?
  • Ça me semble raisonnable.That seems reasonable to me
  • C'est un bon argument.That's a fair point

Scene — two plans

Same small office two metro stops from the café. Claire has her laptop and a museum-guide kit on the desk.

The courtyard window is open. She wants a short tour. The museum wants every room. Sam sits across from her.

A wide view of the small office with the courtyard window open, Claire at the desk with a laptop and a museum-guide kit, and Sam sitting across the desk.

Learn — both sides

Six lines let you sit on the fence, name both sides, then lean.

You also get a question for the reason, and two ways to call a point fair.

  1. Sam holds both hands open above the blank museum-guide kit as if weighing two choices.

    Je suis partagé sur ___.

    I have mixed feelings about ___

    When to use it: Use this when both options look fair and you have not chosen.

    A man says partagé. A woman says partagée on the same line.

  2. From above, Claire sits at the desk with both palms open in a balanced gesture while Sam sits across the desk.

    Je comprends les deux points de vue.

    I can see both sides

    When to use it: Say this when two people disagree and you see a case on each side.

    Keep points de vue as one piece for both sides of an argument.

    Say it: The last d in comprends is silent.

  3. Over Claire's shoulder, Sam leans in and rests a hand on one side of the museum-guide kit.

    Je penche plutôt pour ___.

    I'm leaning toward ___

    When to use it: Use this when you start to pick a side after hearing both.

    Plutôt shows a lean, not a final locked choice.

  4. Claire leans across the desk, head tilted, with one hand lifted in a questioning beat.

    Qu'est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?

    What makes you say that?

    When to use it: Ask a friend this when you want the reason behind their view.

    Te goes with tu. Claire uses tu with Sam at work now.

    Say it: The apostrophe in Qu'est stands in for the e of que.

  5. In profile, Sam sits eased in the visitor chair and offers a small nod toward the desk.

    Ça me semble raisonnable.

    That seems reasonable to me

    When to use it: Say this when an idea sounds fair and you can live with it.

    Semble is how it looks to you, not a proof.

  6. The open courtyard window fills the foreground while Claire sits back with a hand on the kit and Sam stays soft across the desk.

    C'est un bon argument.

    That's a fair point

    When to use it: Say this when you accept a reason, even if you still see both sides.

    This praises the point, not the whole plan.

    Say it: The t in C'est links into un.

Story — she wants it short

Claire and Sam weigh the museum tour. She wants it short. The museum wants every room.

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

  1. Claire has the museum kit open on the desk. The courtyard window is behind her.
  2. ClaireLe musée veut toutes les salles dans le guide.The museum wants every room in the guide.
  3. SamJe suis partagé sur la durée.I have mixed feelings about the length.
  4. ClaireMoi, je veux un tour court.I want a short tour.
  5. SamQu'est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?What makes you say that?
  6. ClaireLes visiteurs n'ont pas deux heures.Visitors don't have two hours.
  7. SamC'est un bon argument.That's a fair point.
  8. ClaireBon. Et le musée, lui, veut tout.Right. And the museum wants everything.
  9. SamJe comprends les deux points de vue.I can see both sides.
  10. She taps the laptop, then looks at Sam.
  11. ClaireLe musée va dire oui, tu crois ?Do you think the museum will say yes?
  12. SamÇa dépend.It depends.
  13. ClaireEt toi, tu veux quoi ?And you, what do you want?
  14. SamJe penche plutôt pour un tour court.I'm leaning toward a short tour.
  15. ClaireJe préfère ça.I prefer that.
  16. SamÇa me semble raisonnable.That seems reasonable to me.
  17. ClaireOn reste sous quarante minutes ?We keep it under forty minutes?
  18. SamJe pense que oui.I think so.

Practice — lean or wait

Eleven quick items mix listening, building, a gap, and a swap.

You will hear a lean, pick a mixed-feelings line, and catch a gender slip on partagé.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    Claire wants a short tour. The museum wants every room. You have no preference, and both sides persuade you equally.

  3. What does it mean?

    Ça me semble raisonnable.

  4. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    Un tour court, c'est mieux.

    A short tour is better.

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    I'm leaning toward ___

    Je penche ____ pour ___.

  6. Build the line

    That's a fair point

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Claire and the museum disagree. Show you see both sides.

    Je ____ les deux points de vue.

  8. Find the mistake

  9. True or false?

    This line means you do not care either way.

  10. Fill the gap

    I think so

    Je ____ que oui.

  11. What do you say?

    Claire offers a forty-minute tour, the option you want.

Say it — lean one way

Now you're Sam in the meeting. 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. ClaireLe musée veut toutes les salles dans le guide.The museum wants every room in the guide.
  2. Sam (you)Say you have mixed feelings about the length.

    Je suis partagé sur ___.

    I have mixed feelings about ___

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je suis partagé sur ___.I have mixed feelings about ___
Je comprends les deux points de vue.I can see both sides
Je penche plutôt pour ___.I'm leaning toward ___
Qu'est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?What makes you say that?
Ça me semble raisonnable.That seems reasonable to me
C'est un bon argument.That's a fair point
Next: lesson 160I agree

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these mixed-feelings lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps both-sides lines ready for a meeting.

Open Yak Cards