French course

Lesson 66 of 240

New here? This is lesson 66 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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What the neighbourhood is like in French

Sam has Inès at the window of his fourth-floor walk-up on rue des Tilleuls. She asks what the neighbourhood is like.

He wants to say it is quiet, handy, and well placed.

You will describe your area, name a nearby shop, and say how long you have lived there.

Karim's cargo bike may ruin the quiet.

By the end of this lesson

Describe the neighbourhood where you live.

  • Mon quartier est ___.My neighbourhood is ___.
  • Il y a une boulangerie à côté.There's a bakery next door.
  • C'est pratique pour le métro.It's handy for the metro.
  • Ça fait combien de temps que tu habites là ?How long have you lived there?
  • J'habite ici depuis deux semaines.I've lived here for two weeks.
  • C'est bien situé.It's well located.

Scene — the window on rue des Tilleuls

Inès is at Sam's fourth-floor window on rue des Tilleuls. Below, the street looks empty for a moment.

A cargo bike is about to rattle past. Karim is on it, crates shaking on the back.

The bakery is two doors down, and the metro is a short walk away.

Karim on a cargo bike is about to roll into an empty stretch of rue des Tilleuls while Inès and Sam look down from an upper-floor window.

Learn — your neighbourhood

Six short lines help you describe your area, name a shop nearby, and say how long you have lived there.

You also get a line for a place that is well located.

  1. From a low angle in the apartment, Sam stands at the open window looking out over the neighbourhood.

    Mon quartier est ___.

    My neighbourhood is ___.

    When to use it: Use this to describe the area of the city where you live.

    Quartier means your part of the city, not just your street.

  2. Over Inès's shoulder, Inès leans from the window and points at a bakery a couple of doors down.

    Il y a une boulangerie à côté.

    There's a bakery next door.

    When to use it: Use this to mention a bakery close by.

    Une goes with boulangerie because that shop word is feminine.

  3. In profile on the narrow balcony, Sam points down the street toward a distant metro entrance.

    C'est pratique pour le métro.

    It's handy for the metro.

    When to use it: Say this when a place is easy to reach by metro.

    Pratique here means handy, not a lesson or a drill.

    Say it: The t in C'est is silent before pratique.

  4. Close-up of Inès turned away from the street toward the room, head tilted in a question.

    Ça fait combien de temps que tu habites là ?

    How long have you lived there?

    When to use it: Ask a friend how long they have lived in a place.

    Tu is for a friend; keep the whole question as one piece.

    Say it: The s in temps is silent.

  5. A detail of the still-new apartment, with Sam standing in the room and Gaspard sitting on chairs pushed together, both soft in the background.

    J'habite ici depuis deux semaines.

    I've lived here for two weeks.

    When to use it: Say how long you have lived in this place.

    Depuis with a length of time means the stay still goes on.

    Say it: The e of je drops, so j'habite is one word.

  6. From a high angle, Inès looks out from the window over the bakery, bikes, linden trees, and a metro canopy a short walk away.

    C'est bien situé.

    It's well located.

    When to use it: Praise a place for sitting in a useful spot.

    This talks about the area, not about a person.

Story — almost quiet

Inès asks Sam about the street below. He calls it quiet, then a cargo bike argues.

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

  1. Saturday morning. Inès is at Sam's window on the fourth floor. The street looks empty.
  2. InèsTu habites où ?Where do you live?
  3. SamJ'habite à Paris.I live in Paris.
  4. InèsEt le quartier ?And the neighbourhood?
  5. SamMon quartier est calme.My neighbourhood is quiet.
  6. InèsÇa fait combien de temps que tu habites là ?How long have you lived there?
  7. SamJ'habite ici depuis deux semaines.I've lived here for two weeks.
  8. InèsIl y a quoi, autour ?What's around?
  9. SamIl y a une boulangerie à côté.There's a bakery next door.
  10. InèsEt le métro ?And the metro?
  11. SamC'est pratique pour le métro. C'est bien situé.It's handy for the metro. It's well located.
  12. A cargo bike rattles under the window. Karim looks up from the crates.
  13. KarimSalut !Hi!
  14. InèsC'est calme.It's quiet.
  15. SamPresque.Almost.

Practice — how long, and where

Eleven short exercises wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay on the neighbourhood, not on rent or rooms.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    You want to know where a close friend lives.

  3. Fill the gap

    I've lived here for two weeks.

    J'habite ici depuis deux ____.

  4. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Ça fait combien de temps que tu habites là ?

    How long have you lived there?

    And you reply with:

  5. Build the line

    There's a bakery next door.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. What does it mean?

    C'est bien situé.

  7. Swap the word

    Say you have lived here for two weeks.

    J'habite ici ____ deux semaines.

  8. What do you say?

    Ask a close friend how long they have lived there.

  9. True or false?

    This means you feel calm.

  10. What do you say?

    A friend asks which city you live in now.

  11. What do you say?

    A friend asks you to describe your part of the city.

Say it — tell her about the street

Now you're Sam at the window with Inès. 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. InèsC'est comment, ton quartier ?What's your neighbourhood like?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her your neighbourhood is quiet.

    Mon quartier est ___.

    My neighbourhood is ___.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Mon quartier est ___.My neighbourhood is ___.
Il y a une boulangerie à côté.There's a bakery next door.
C'est pratique pour le métro.It's handy for the metro.
Ça fait combien de temps que tu habites là ?How long have you lived there?
J'habite ici depuis deux semaines.I've lived here for two weeks.
C'est bien situé.It's well located.
Next: lesson 67How my family is

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