French course

Lesson 65 of 240

New here? This is lesson 65 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

Say it a different way in French

Gaspard starts a thought at Café des Tilleuls, then loses it halfway. Sam needs another way in, not a slower repeat.

You'll ask a friend to rephrase, speak up, or say which one they mean. You'll also catch a wrong guess and admit you missed the end.

Odile already knows Gaspard will wander. The window table stays empty, and his café crème stays unfinished.

By the end of this lesson

Ask a friend to rephrase, speak up, or confirm what you heard.

  • Tu peux le dire autrement ?Can you put that another way?
  • Tu peux parler un peu plus fort ?Can you speak up a little?
  • Corrige-moi si je me trompe.Correct me if I'm wrong.
  • Tu veux dire lequel ?Which one do you mean?
  • Ce n'est pas ce que je voulais dire.That's not what I meant.
  • J'ai raté la fin.I missed the last part.

Scene — he loses the thread

Same corner café in the 11th. Sam is at the table next to Gaspard, who sits on two chairs with a croissant and a café crème he has not touched.

Odile wipes the zinc counter. The window table still has its blank brass sign. Gaspard starts a sentence, then trails off.

A wide morning view of the corner café: Sam at the table beside Gaspard on two chairs with an untouched croissant and café crème, Odile wiping the zinc, and a blank brass shape at the window table.

Learn — another way, or louder

Six lines help you ask for another wording, a louder voice, or a check on which one.

You'll also fix a wrong restatement and say you missed the end.

  1. A medium shot of Sam turned toward Gaspard with both palms open, asking him to put it another way.

    Tu peux le dire autrement ?

    Can you put that another way?

    When to use it: Ask a friend to rephrase when the first try is unclear.

    Tu is for a friend or a café regular, not for new staff.

    Say it: The last part of autrement has a nasal vowel.

  2. A medium shot of Odile paused at the zinc counter, turned toward the table and leaning in as if the voices there were too quiet.

    Tu peux parler un peu plus fort ?

    Can you speak up a little?

    When to use it: Ask a friend to raise their voice when you cannot hear.

    Un peu plus fort is one piece for a bit louder.

    Say it: The t at the end of fort is silent.

  3. An over-the-shoulder view past Gaspard toward Sam, who has one hand raised in a careful checking gesture.

    Corrige-moi si je me trompe.

    Correct me if I'm wrong.

    When to use it: Invite a friend to fix what you just guessed.

    Corrige goes with tu; a stranger would get Corrigez.

    Say it: The last e in trompe is silent.

  4. Sam at the table, one hand moving between the croissant and the cup, asking which of the two is meant.

    Tu veux dire lequel ?

    Which one do you mean?

    When to use it: Ask which thing they mean when two options are possible.

    Lequel asks which one among things already in play.

  5. A medium shot of Gaspard on two chairs, one hand held up in a stop, the croissant and café crème still untouched.

    Ce n'est pas ce que je voulais dire.

    That's not what I meant.

    When to use it: Fix a misunderstanding after someone restates your words.

    Keep n'est as the not in this line; do not drop it.

    Say it: N'est joins ne and est with no extra sound.

  6. A close-up of Sam leaning far forward at the café table, frozen as if the last part of the sentence never arrived.

    J'ai raté la fin.

    I missed the last part.

    When to use it: Say this when you heard the start but not the end.

    J'ai is I have, learned as one piece before raté.

    Say it: J'ai joins je and ai into one beat.

Story — she already knows

Watch Gaspard lose the thread at the next table. Sam asks him to say it another way.

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

  1. Gaspard looks at the window table, then at his croissant. The blank brass sign stays put.
  2. GaspardC'était pour la table, mais...It was for the table, but...
  3. SamExcuse-moi. Tu peux le dire autrement ?Excuse me. Can you put that another way?
  4. GaspardLa table près de... euh.The table near... uh.
  5. SamTu peux parler un peu plus fort ?Can you speak up a little?
  6. OdileIl ne finira pas, mon grand.He will not finish, dear.
  7. GaspardLe croissant, ou le café crème, voilà.The croissant, or the coffee with milk, there.
  8. SamCorrige-moi si je me trompe. C'est le croissant ?Correct me if I'm wrong. It's the croissant?
  9. GaspardCe n'est pas ce que je voulais dire.That's not what I meant.
  10. SamTu veux dire lequel ?Which one do you mean?
  11. GaspardLe croissant. Non, le café crème.The croissant. No, the coffee with milk.
  12. He glances at his full café crème, then trails off again.
  13. GaspardC'était... la fin, euh.It was... the end, uh.
  14. SamJ'ai raté la fin.I missed the last part.
  15. OdileTu vois, mon grand. Il se perd.You see, dear. He loses the thread.

Practice — rephrase or volume

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    J'ai raté la fin.

  3. What do you say?

    You heard every word Gaspard said, but he is too quiet. Ask him to speak louder.

  4. Find the mistake

  5. Pick the reply

    Gaspard says:

    Le croissant, ou le café crème.

    The croissant, or the coffee with milk.

    And you reply with:

  6. Build the line

    I missed the last part.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Ask a friend to put that another way.

    Tu peux le dire ____ ?

  8. Match the pairs

    French

    Excuse-moi.Drop the English here
    Tu peux l'écrire, s'il te plaît ?Drop the English here
    Comme ça ?Drop the English here
    J'ai raté la fin.Drop the English here

    English

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

  9. Fill the gap

    Can you speak up a little?

    Tu peux parler un peu plus ____ ?

  10. True or false?

    Use this when you want a friend to fix your guess.

Say it — ask him again

Now you're Sam at the table next to Gaspard. 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. GaspardC'était pour la table, mais...It was for the table, but...
  2. Sam (you)Ask him to put that another way.

    Tu peux le dire autrement ?

    Can you put that another way?

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Tu peux le dire autrement ?Can you put that another way?
Tu peux parler un peu plus fort ?Can you speak up a little?
Corrige-moi si je me trompe.Correct me if I'm wrong.
Tu veux dire lequel ?Which one do you mean?
Ce n'est pas ce que je voulais dire.That's not what I meant.
J'ai raté la fin.I missed the last part.
Next: lesson 66What the neighbourhood is like

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