French - Giving Examples

Lesson 41 of 159

A friendly learner practicing French examples and hypotheticals; English-language learners practicing French examples.

Goal: How to introduce and ask for examples in French

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to play with examples? In this lesson you'll learn natural ways to introduce hypothetical situations and concrete examples in French. Practice by listening, repeating, and using short dialogues—it's a friendly way to build confidence.

Level B1: In this lesson we'll practice common French phrases for giving examples, introducing hypotheticals, and asking for examples (tu form). You'll hear phrases like "Supposons que tu...", "Ça arrive avec...", and "Tu peux me donner un exemple de...?" in a short conversation and then practice with quizzes and speaking prompts. This CEFR-aligned lesson helps you explain ideas more clearly in everyday conversations.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and use 12 natural French chunks to introduce examples and hypotheticals.
  • Practice these phrases in a short mini-conversation (listening + repeating).
  • Speak each phrase aloud to build fluency and confidence at B1 level.
Two people discussing examples in French, showing conversational practice for English learners studying French.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Disons que tu ___.

Say you ___.

Meaning: Say you ___.

When to use: Use this informal frame to propose a simple hypothetical about someone (tu).

Tip: Don't use complex formal verbs right after 'que' without adjusting the clause; keep the structure simple for spoken French.

Disons que tu arrives en retard, que fais-tu ?
Say you arrive late — what do you do?
Disons que tu as un entretien demain, tu te prépareras ce soir.
Say you have an interview tomorrow — you'll prepare tonight.

Supposons que tu ___.

Suppose you ___.

Meaning: Suppose you ___.

When to use: A slightly more formal alternative to 'Disons que' for suggesting a possible situation with tu.

Supposons que tu perdes ton passeport, que ferais-tu ?
Suppose you lose your passport — what would you do?
Supposons que tu travailles de chez toi demain, est-ce plus calme ?
Suppose you work from home tomorrow — is it quieter?

Ça arrive avec ___.

This happens with ___.

Meaning: This happens with ___.

When to use: Point out a category, object, or situation where something commonly occurs.

Ça arrive avec les nouvelles technologies qui changent vite.
This happens with new technologies that change quickly.
Ça arrive avec des plats très épicés : certaines personnes toussent.
This happens with very spicy dishes: some people cough.

On voit ça quand ___.

You see this when ___.

Meaning: You see this when ___.

When to use: Describe a situation where a pattern or effect is typically observed.

On voit ça quand les équipes n'ont pas communiqué avant le projet.
You see this when teams didn't communicate before the project.
On voit ça quand il pleut beaucoup — les rues inondent.
You see this when it rains a lot — the streets flood.

Un cas typique, c'est quand ___.

A typical case is when ___.

Meaning: A typical case is when ___.

When to use: Introduce a clear, typical situation that illustrates your point.

Un cas typique, c'est quand le chauffage tombe en panne en hiver.
A typical case is when the heating breaks down in winter.
Un cas typique, c'est quand quelqu'un oublie le mot de passe.
A typical case is when someone forgets the password.

Je pense à des cas où ___.

I'm thinking of cases where ___.

Meaning: I'm thinking of cases where ___.

When to use: Use this to mention the examples that come to your mind when explaining a point.

Je pense à des cas où les réunions commencent sans ordre du jour.
I'm thinking of cases where meetings start without an agenda.
Je pense à des cas où les étudiants étudient ensemble le soir.
I'm thinking of cases where students study together in the evening.

C'est pareil dans ___.

The same thing happens in ___.

Meaning: The same thing happens in ___.

When to use: Show that your point also applies in another area or context.

C'est pareil dans les petites entreprises où chacun porte plusieurs casquettes.
The same thing happens in small businesses where everyone has multiple roles.
C'est pareil dans l'enseignement supérieur : la charge peut être lourde.
The same thing happens in higher education: the workload can be heavy.

___, ___, et ainsi de suite.

___, ___, and so on.

Meaning: ___, ___, and so on.

When to use: Use this when listing a few examples and implying the list continues.

Les pages se chargent lentement, les vidéos bégayent, et ainsi de suite.
Pages load slowly, videos stutter, and so on.
Les lampes clignotent, les fusibles sautent, et ainsi de suite.
Lights flicker, fuses blow, and so on.

___, ___, et ce genre de choses.

___, ___, and things like that.

Meaning: ___, ___, and things like that.

When to use: Use this spoken phrase to show your examples are not exhaustive.

Les retards, les absences non justifiées, et ce genre de choses posent problème.
Delays, unjustified absences, and things like that cause problems.
Le bruit, les voisins qui invitent du monde, et ce genre de choses dérangent.
Noise, neighbors having guests, and things like that disturb people.

Ça peut être ___, par exemple.

It could be ___, for example.

Meaning: It could be ___, for example.

When to use: Offer one possible example while showing there are other possibilities.

Ça peut être un problème de connexion, par exemple.
It could be a connection problem, for example.
Ça peut être un manque d'information, par exemple.
It could be a lack of information, for example.

Un exemple simple : ___.

For a simple example, ___.

Meaning: For a simple example, ___.

When to use: Introduce a concrete, short example to clarify a general point.

Un exemple simple : oubliez une facture, vous recevez un rappel.
A simple example: forget a bill, you receive a reminder.
Un exemple simple : une chaîne de courriels mal organisée cause des erreurs.
A simple example: a poorly organized email thread causes mistakes.

Tu peux me donner un exemple de ___ ?

Can you give me an example of ___?

Meaning: Can you give me an example of ___?

When to use: Ask someone to provide a specific example (informal tu).

Tip: Remember to switch to 'vous' in formal contexts: 'Vous pouvez me donner un exemple de... ?'

Tu peux me donner un exemple de problème fréquent ici ?
Can you give me an example of a common problem here?
Tu peux me donner un exemple de ce que tu veux dire ?
Can you give me an example of what you mean?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Two colleagues discussing how to explain a problem with examples.

Anna and David using French phrases to give examples and hypotheticals; useful for English-speaking learners of French.

What are Anna and David doing in the conversation?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Je prépare une présentation sur les retards de livraison.

I'm preparing a presentation about delivery delays.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Supposons que tu montres des causes : ça arrive avec les fournisseurs lents.

Suppose you show causes: this happens with slow suppliers.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Un cas typique, c'est quand la communication a échoué entre équipes.

A typical case is when communication failed between teams.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Oui — on voit ça quand il n'y a pas de point de contact clair.

Yes — you see this when there's no clear point of contact.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Ça peut être des erreurs de commande, par exemple, ou des problèmes de logistique.

It could be ordering errors, for example, or logistics problems.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Parfait. Et si quelqu'un demande un exemple, je dirai : « Tu peux me donner un exemple de retard ? »

Perfect. And if someone asks for an example, I'll say: 'Can you give me an example of a delay?'

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which French phrase would you use to ask someone informally for a specific example?

Which phrase best introduces one possible example among others?

Which phrase would you use to point out a typical situation that illustrates your point?

Which phrase is used to list a few items and imply the list continues?

Tu peux me donner un exemple de ___ ? — Can you give me an example of ___?

When you want to ask a friend informally for a specific example, say: '___'

___, ___, et ce genre de choses. — ___, ___, and things like that.

If you want to signal your list is not complete, say: '___'

Supposons que tu ___. — Suppose you ___.

To introduce a short hypothetical scenario you might start: '___'

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Disons que tu ___.

Say you ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Supposons que tu ___.

Suppose you ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ça arrive avec ___.

This happens with ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

On voit ça quand ___.

You see this when ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Un cas typique, c'est quand ___.

A typical case is when ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je pense à des cas où ___.

I'm thinking of cases where ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est pareil dans ___.

The same thing happens in ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

___, ___, et ainsi de suite.

___, ___, and so on.

Say this phrase out loud:

___, ___, et ce genre de choses.

___, ___, and things like that.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ça peut être ___, par exemple.

It could be ___, for example.

Say this phrase out loud:

Un exemple simple : ___.

For a simple example, ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Tu peux me donner un exemple de ___ ?

Can you give me an example of ___?