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Lesson 45 of 240

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Where I live in French

Odile asks Sam where he lives. He names the city, the flat, and the quiet street by the café.

She already knows the building. She points at the shoe-repair shop and does not look up.

By the end, you'll ask where someone lives, say you live in Paris, in a flat, alone, and near a place, and say it is quiet.

This is home talk, chez moi. Keys and stairs wait for later.

By the end of this lesson

Say where you live and what the place is like.

  • Tu habites où ?Where do you live?
  • J'habite à Paris.I live in Paris.
  • J'habite dans un appartement.I live in a flat.
  • J'habite seul.I live alone.
  • J'habite près de ___.I live near ___.
  • C'est calme.It's quiet.

Scene — she already knows

Same café on rue des Tilleuls. Sam is at the zinc counter. Odile wipes a cup and still does not look up.

Gaspard sits at the table next to the window table, with a café crème he has not touched.

Across the street, the shoe-repair shop sits under Sam's walk-up.

Wide café interior with Sam at the zinc, Odile wiping a cup without looking up, and Gaspard at the table beside the window table with an untouched café crème.

Learn — where you live

Six short lines cover where you live, in a city, in a flat, alone, near a place, and a quiet street.

You'll ask with tu, then answer about home.

  1. Close-up of Odile's hands wiping a cup at the zinc, still not looking up.

    Tu habites où ?

    Where do you live?

    When to use it: Ask a friend or a café regular where they live.

    Learn it as one piece when you ask a friend.

    Say it: The h in habites is silent.

  2. Medium two-shot of Sam and Odile at the zinc as Sam answers from the counter.

    J'habite à Paris.

    I live in Paris.

    When to use it: Say this when someone asks which city you live in.

    Learn it as one piece for the city you live in.

    Say it: The j' is je joined onto habite.

  3. Profile of Sam turning from the zinc and tipping a chin toward the walk-up across the street.

    J'habite dans un appartement.

    I live in a flat.

    When to use it: Say this to tell someone you live in a flat.

    Learn it as one piece for the kind of home.

    Say it: The last t in appartement is silent.

  4. Close-up of Sam reacting along an empty stretch of zinc, one palm against the chest.

    J'habite seul.

    I live alone.

    When to use it: Say this if you live on your own.

    Learn it as one piece. A woman says seule.

  5. High angle of Odile pointing from the zinc toward the shoe-repair shop under the walk-up, with Sam at the counter.

    J'habite près de ___.

    I live near ___.

    When to use it: Say this to name a place near your home.

    Learn it as one piece and add the place.

    Say it: The s in près is silent.

  6. Detail of the empty still street and the shoe-repair shop under the walk-up, with Sam and Odile soft in the café windows.

    C'est calme.

    It's quiet.

    When to use it: Say this about a street, a flat, or a café.

    Learn it as one piece for a quiet place.

    Say it: The last e in calme is silent.

Story — the shop below

Watch Odile ask where Sam lives. She already knows the shop below his windows.

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

  1. Odile wipes a cup at the zinc counter. She still does not look up.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. OdileTu habites où ?Where do you live?
  5. SamJ'habite à Paris.I live in Paris.
  6. OdileC'est près d'ici ?Is it near here?
  7. SamJ'habite près de la cordonnerie.I live near the shoe-repair shop.
  8. She points at the shoe-repair shop across the street, still not looking up.
  9. OdileC'est ici.It's here.
  10. SamJ'habite dans un appartement.I live in a flat.
  11. SamJ'habite seul.I live alone.
  12. OdileC'est calme.It's quiet.

Practice — city, flat, quiet

Eleven quick 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 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    Odile asks where you live. You name the city.

  3. Fill the gap

    I live in a flat.

    J'habite dans un ____.

  4. What does it mean?

    J'habite seul.

  5. Swap the word

    Odile asked where you live. Name the city.

    J'habite à ____.

  6. Build the line

    It's quiet.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. What do you say?

    You already named Paris. Now say you live near a place.

  8. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    Tu habites où ?

    Where do you live?

    And you reply with:

  9. True or false?

    This is the daytime hello at the café door.

  10. What does it mean?

    C'est près d'ici ?

  11. Fill the gap

    It's here.

    C'est ____.

Say it — say it at the counter

Now you're Sam at the counter. 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. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Say hello back. It is still morning.

    Bonjour.

    Hello

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Tu habites où ?Where do you live?
J'habite à Paris.I live in Paris.
J'habite dans un appartement.I live in a flat.
J'habite seul.I live alone.
J'habite près de ___.I live near ___.
C'est calme.It's quiet.
Next: lesson 46Keys from the landlord

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