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Lesson 164 of 240

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Why that way in French

Claire has the museum audio guide on her laptop, and three rooms are gone from the list. She wants to know why Sam cut them.

He did not cut at random. Time was short, one recording was weak, and he guessed visitors get tired.

You will check a reason, name one of several, and say why you asked.

You will also say you cut something because of time, or because it felt too long.

By the end of this lesson

Explain why you chose something and why it happened.

  • C'est pour ça que ___ ?Is that why ___?
  • Une des raisons, c'est que ___.One of the reasons is that ___.
  • Si je demande, c'est parce que le musée attend une réponse.The reason I ask is that the museum is waiting for an answer.
  • Il y a plusieurs raisons.There are several reasons.
  • J'ai décidé de couper à cause du temps.I decided to cut it because of the time.
  • Je pensais que c'était trop long, alors j'ai coupé.I thought it was too long, so I cut it.

Scene — three rooms gone

Same small office two metro stops from the café. Claire has the museum audio guide on her laptop, three room names already gone.

Sam sits across from her. The courtyard window is open. She wants a short why, not a speech.

A wide view of the small office with Claire at an open laptop, Sam seated across from her, the courtyard window open, and Gaspard occupying a pair of chairs.

Learn — why you chose that

These six lines help you explain a choice at work, not just say because.

You will check a reason, start a list of reasons, and say why you asked.

  1. Claire leans toward the laptop with one finger on the bezel, waiting to hear why the rooms were cut.

    C'est pour ça que ___ ?

    Is that why ___?

    When to use it: Ask this to check that a reason you just heard is the right one.

    C'est pour ça points back to a reason already on the table.

  2. Sam sits back with both palms open toward Claire, offering one reason.

    Une des raisons, c'est que ___.

    One of the reasons is that ___.

    When to use it: Use this when you will name one reason among several.

    This names one reason and shows it is not the only one.

    Say it: The on in raisons is a nasal sound.

  3. Over Sam’s shoulder, Claire looks up from the laptop and lifts a blank folder toward him.

    Si je demande, c'est parce que le musée attend une réponse.

    The reason I ask is that the museum is waiting for an answer.

    When to use it: Use this to say why you are asking, not to set a condition.

    Here si je demande means the reason I ask, not a real if.

    Say it: The final d in attend is silent before une.

  4. Sam stands beside the desk and holds up several fingers while Claire stays seated at the laptop.

    Il y a plusieurs raisons.

    There are several reasons.

    When to use it: Say this when more than one reason is coming.

    Plusieurs tells the listener to expect more than one reason.

  5. Sam’s hands make a short chopping cut over a stack of blank pages beside the laptop.

    J'ai décidé de couper à cause du temps.

    I decided to cut it because of the time.

    When to use it: Use this to say time is why you decided to cut something.

    À cause du is de plus le, used before a masculine word like temps.

  6. In profile, Sam slides a blank sheet off the pile toward Claire.

    Je pensais que c'était trop long, alors j'ai coupé.

    I thought it was too long, so I cut it.

    When to use it: Use this when a thought about length is why you cut.

    Alors links the thought you had to the action you took.

    Say it: The last s in pensais is silent.

Story — she wants reasons

Watch Sam explain the three missing rooms. Claire wants reasons, not a long speech.

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

  1. Claire has the museum script on her laptop. Three room names are gone from the list.
  2. ClaireBon. Tu as coupé trois salles.Right. You cut three rooms.
  3. ClaireTu pensais que les visiteurs se fatiguaient ? C'est pour ça que tu as coupé trois salles ?You thought visitors were getting tired? Is that why you cut three rooms?
  4. SamIl y a plusieurs raisons.There are several reasons.
  5. SamUne des raisons, c'est que les visiteurs se fatiguent.One of the reasons is that visitors get tired.
  6. ClaireQu'est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?What makes you say that?
  7. SamJe pensais que c'était trop long, alors j'ai coupé.I thought it was too long, so I cut it.
  8. She looks at the timeline on the wall. Friday is circled.
  9. SamJ'ai décidé de couper à cause du temps.I decided to cut it because of the time.
  10. ClaireEt le son, dans la salle du fond ?And the sound, in the back room?
  11. SamUne des raisons, c'est que l'enregistrement est faible.One of the reasons is that the recording is weak.
  12. ClaireC'est un bon argument.That's a fair point.
  13. SamOn envoie cette version au musée ?Shall we send this version to the museum?
  14. ClairePourquoi tu demandes ça maintenant ?Why are you asking that now?
  15. SamSi je demande, c'est parce que le musée attend une réponse.The reason I ask is that the museum is waiting for an answer.
  16. ClaireC'est noté. On envoie aujourd'hui.Noted. We'll send it today.

Practice — name the reason

Eleven short items wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, build a line, and pick a reply.

They stay on the meeting, so the reason you give has to fit.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Une des raisons, c'est que ___.Drop the English here
    Il y a plusieurs raisons.Drop the English here
    J'ai décidé de couper à cause du temps.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Sam just said visitors get tired on long visits. Check that that is why he cut three rooms.

  4. Fill the gap

    One of the reasons is that ___.

    Une des ____, c'est que ___.

  5. What does it mean?

    Si je demande, c'est parce que le musée attend une réponse.

  6. Build the line

    There are several reasons.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    Pourquoi tu demandes ça maintenant ?

    Why are you asking that now?

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    You cut the rooms because time was short, not because of noise.

    J'ai décidé de couper à cause du ____.

  9. True or false?

    This means you disagree and you will not follow the plan.

  10. What do you say?

    Sam just said visitors get tired. Ask what makes him say that.

  11. What does it mean?

    C'est un bon argument.

Say it — explain the cut

Now you're Sam in that 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. ClaireTu pensais que les visiteurs se fatiguaient ? C'est pour ça que tu as coupé trois salles ?You thought visitors were getting tired? Is that why you cut three rooms?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her there is more than one reason.

    Il y a plusieurs raisons.

    There are several reasons.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
C'est pour ça que ___ ?Is that why ___?
Une des raisons, c'est que ___.One of the reasons is that ___.
Si je demande, c'est parce que le musée attend une réponse.The reason I ask is that the museum is waiting for an answer.
Il y a plusieurs raisons.There are several reasons.
J'ai décidé de couper à cause du temps.I decided to cut it because of the time.
Je pensais que c'était trop long, alors j'ai coupé.I thought it was too long, so I cut it.
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A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your why-lines ready for a meeting.

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