French course

Lesson 79 of 240

New here? This is lesson 79 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

Once a week in French

Sam joins Karim and Odile at Café des Tilleuls in the 11th. Karim says he comes once a week, but Odile remembers yesterday.

You'll ask how often an activity happens, give a weekly or monthly rhythm, and say how long it lasts.

The café banter stays friendly; the odd mystery on the blank postcard remains open.

By the end of this lesson

Say how often you do something and how long it lasts.

  • Je ___ une fois par semaine.I ___ once a week.
  • Tu ___ combien de fois par semaine ?How many times a week do you ___?
  • Je fais ça une fois par mois.I do that once a month.
  • Je viens toutes les deux semaines.I come every two weeks.
  • Environ trois fois par semaine.About three times a week.
  • Je fais ça pendant une heure.I do it for an hour.

Scene — yesterday, too

It is Saturday at Café des Tilleuls. Sam is at a table with Odile and Karim, who has just come over from his market stall.

Gaspard sits at the next table with his unfinished café crème. The window table remains empty, with its blank brass sign in place.

On Saturday morning Sam, Odile and Karim share a café table, small in the room, while a window table stays empty.

Learn — how often and how long

Learn ways to say once a week, once a month, every two weeks, or about three times a week.

Then add a simple phrase for how long an activity lasts.

  1. Karim comes in from the market, pulling out a chair and tipping a thumb toward the street.

    Je ___ une fois par semaine.

    I ___ once a week.

    When to use it: Use this frame to say you do an activity once each week.

    The blank takes an action; viens makes this mean you come once a week.

  2. Over Sam’s shoulder, Odile leans across the table with an open-handed question while Karim turns to answer.

    Tu ___ combien de fois par semaine ?

    How many times a week do you ___?

    When to use it: Ask a friend how often they do an activity during the week.

    Combien de fois asks for a number of repetitions; par semaine sets the period.

  3. Sam’s open palms and a small shrug at the café table show that the habit is rare.

    Je fais ça une fois par mois.

    I do that once a month.

    When to use it: Use this to say an activity happens once each month.

    Une fois par mois gives a monthly rhythm.

  4. From above, Gaspard turns from the next table toward the talk, an unfinished café crème in front of him, keeping two chairs.

    Je viens toutes les deux semaines.

    I come every two weeks.

    When to use it: Use this to say you come every other week.

    Toutes agrees with the feminine plural semaines.

  5. Odile stands beside the table with a coffee pot, nodding at a weekly count while Karim answers from his chair.

    Environ trois fois par semaine.

    About three times a week.

    When to use it: Use this to give an approximate weekly frequency.

    Environ means the number is approximate.

  6. In profile, Karim sits with both hands around a cup, taking a long café pause from the market.

    Je fais ça pendant une heure.

    I do it for an hour.

    When to use it: Use this to say how long an activity lasts.

    Pendant introduces the length of time an activity lasts.

Story — a weekly visit

Karim talks about a few routines while Sam and Odile compare notes at the café.

Listen for the different ways he describes a weekly habit, a monthly one, and an activity's length.

  1. SamTu fais quoi pour t'amuser ?What do you do for fun?
  2. KarimJe cours, et je vais au cinéma.I run, and I go to the cinema.
  3. SamÇa arrive souvent ?Does that happen often?
  4. KarimJe fais ça une fois par mois.I do that once a month.
  5. SamTu cours combien de fois par semaine ?How many times a week do you run?
  6. KarimEnviron trois fois par semaine.About three times a week.
  7. OdileEt tu cours pendant combien de temps ?And how long do you run for?
  8. KarimJe fais ça pendant une heure.I do it for an hour.
  9. OdileEt pour le cours de photo, tu viens souvent ?And for the photography class, do you come often?
  10. KarimJe viens toutes les deux semaines.I come every two weeks.
  11. OdileEt au café, tu viens souvent ?And do you come to the café often?
  12. KarimJe viens une fois par semaine.I come once a week.
  13. OdileMais tu étais là hier, Karim !But you were here yesterday, Karim!
  14. KarimPour livrer les pommes, pas pour boire un café.To deliver the apples, not to have a coffee.

Practice — count the rhythm

Listen for the frequency, fill a gap, build a line, and choose the best fit.

A few quick checks will help you tell a repeating schedule from a duration.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    Je viens toutes les deux semaines.

  2. What do you say?

    Use venir in the blank to say you come once a week.

  3. Fill the gap

    I do that once a month.

    Je fais ça une fois par ____.

  4. Build the line

    I do it for an hour.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  5. Match the pairs

    French

    Je ___ une fois par semaine.Drop the English here
    Tu ___ combien de fois par semaine ?Drop the English here
    Je fais ça une fois par mois.Drop the English here
    Je viens toutes les deux semaines.Drop the English here
    Je fais ça pendant une heure.Drop the English here

    English

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

  6. Swap the word

    The activity lasts exactly one hour. Say how long you do it.

    Je fais ça pendant une ____.

  7. Find the mistake

  8. True or false?

    This means you come every two weeks.

  9. What do you say?

    Ask a friend what they do for fun.

  10. What do you say?

    Ask whether something happens often.

  11. What did you hear?

Say it — talk about your routine

Take Sam's place in a conversation about routines with Karim and Odile.

When it is your turn, say the line aloud; you can listen first, and your recording stays on your device.

  1. KarimMoi, je cours.I run.
  2. Sam (you)Ask him how many times he runs each week.

    Tu ___ combien de fois par semaine ?

    How many times a week do you ___?

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je ___ une fois par semaine.I ___ once a week.
Tu ___ combien de fois par semaine ?How many times a week do you ___?
Je fais ça une fois par mois.I do that once a month.
Je viens toutes les deux semaines.I come every two weeks.
Environ trois fois par semaine.About three times a week.
Je fais ça pendant une heure.I do it for an hour.
Next: lesson 80Always, often, never

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick Yak Cards round can help you remember weekly rhythms and durations.

Open Yak Cards