French course

Lesson 67 of 240

New here? This is lesson 67 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

How my family is in French

Inès sits with Sam at Café des Tilleuls and asks about his family: a brother, parents far away, and how close they still feel.

Gaspard, at the next table, says his family is a herd, then loses the rest of the thought.

You'll say how you get along, give someone's age, say where parents live, and ask what they do for work.

By the end of this lesson

Say how old family members are, where they live, and what they do.

  • On s'entend bien.We get along well.
  • Je suis proche de ma sœur.I'm close to my sister.
  • Mes parents habitent à ___.My parents live in ___.
  • Mon frère a vingt ans.My brother is twenty.
  • Tes parents font quoi dans la vie ?What do your parents do?
  • Je ne les vois pas très souvent.I don't see them very often.

Scene — Inès asks

Same café on rue des Tilleuls, late afternoon. Inès has a coffee with Sam at a round table. Odile is at the zinc counter.

The window table still has its blank brass sign. Gaspard sits next to it on two chairs, café crème untouched, baguette in his tote.

Wide late-afternoon café: Inès and Sam drink coffee at a round table, Odile stands at the zinc, and Gaspard occupies two chairs by the blank brass sign.

Learn — age, city, and work

Six lines cover getting along, being close, where parents live, a brother's age, and what people do.

You'll also say you do not see them often.

  1. Medium shot of Inès at the round table, both palms open toward Sam in an easy, agreeing gesture.

    On s'entend bien.

    We get along well.

    When to use it: Say this when you and family or friends get on well.

    On means we here, the people you just named.

    Say it: The last d in s'entend is silent.

  2. Close-up of Inès leaning in over the table with one hand resting on her chest.

    Je suis proche de ma sœur.

    I'm close to my sister.

    When to use it: Use this for a sister you feel close to.

    Ma goes with sœur because sister is feminine.

  3. Medium-wide side view of Sam reaching toward the window as if placing a town far away, Inès listening across the table.

    Mes parents habitent à ___.

    My parents live in ___.

    When to use it: Name the city or town where your parents live.

    Mes matches parents because you mean more than one.

    Say it: The final -ent in habitent is silent.

  4. Over-the-shoulder from Inès toward Sam, who sits back with both hands around his cup and gives a small nod.

    Mon frère a vingt ans.

    My brother is twenty.

    When to use it: Use this to give your brother's age.

    For age you say a, a number, and ans.

    Say it: In vingt ans, the t links into ans.

  5. Reverse over-the-shoulder from Sam toward Inès, who leans far forward with one palm turned up in a question.

    Tes parents font quoi dans la vie ?

    What do your parents do?

    When to use it: Ask a friend what their parents do for work.

    Tes is for a friend; a stranger would get vos.

  6. Close three-quarter of Sam alone, turned toward the window, looking down at his cup with shoulders slightly drawn in.

    Je ne les vois pas très souvent.

    I don't see them very often.

    When to use it: Say this when you rarely see those people.

    Keep ne and pas around the verb in this line.

    Say it: The final s in « les » is silent before « vois ».

Story — a herd, then nothing

Listen as Inès asks about Sam's family. Gaspard tries to join in, then loses his thread.

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

  1. The café is quiet. Inès looks at Sam over her cup.
  2. InèsÇa va ?How are you?
  3. SamÇa va, merci.I'm good, thanks.
  4. InèsTu as des frères et sœurs ?Do you have any brothers or sisters?
  5. SamJ'ai un frère.I have a brother.
  6. SamMon frère a vingt ans.My brother is twenty.
  7. InèsTes parents habitent où ?Where do your parents live?
  8. SamMes parents habitent à Londres.My parents live in London.
  9. InèsTes parents font quoi dans la vie ?What do your parents do?
  10. SamJe ne sais pas.I don't know.
  11. SamJe ne les vois pas très souvent.I don't see them very often.
  12. InèsJe suis proche de ma sœur.I'm close to my sister.
  13. SamOn s'entend bien.We get along well.
  14. Gaspard leans over from the next table. The window table stays empty.
  15. GaspardBon, ma famille, c'est un troupeau.Right, my family is a herd.
  16. He looks at his croissant and loses the thread.
  17. GaspardLe reste, je ne m'en souviens plus.The rest, I don't remember it any more.

Practice — family details

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay short, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    On s'entend bien.Drop the English here
    Je suis proche de ma sœur.Drop the English here
    Mon frère a vingt ans.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Ça va ?

    How are you?

    And you reply with:

  4. Fill the gap

    My brother is twenty.

    Mon frère a ____ ans.

  5. What does it mean?

    On s'entend bien.

  6. What do you say?

    You want to know if a close friend has brothers or sisters.

  7. Build the line

    I'm close to my sister.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    You barely see your parents these days.

    Je ne les ____ pas très souvent.

  9. What do you say?

    A friend asks where your parents live.

  10. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Tu as des frères et sœurs ?

    Do you have any brothers or sisters?

    And you reply with:

  11. Find the mistake

Say it — tell Inès

Now you're Sam at the café table 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. InèsTu as des frères et sœurs ?Do you have any brothers or sisters?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her your brother is twenty.

    Mon frère a vingt ans.

    My brother is twenty.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
On s'entend bien.We get along well.
Je suis proche de ma sœur.I'm close to my sister.
Mes parents habitent à ___.My parents live in ___.
Mon frère a vingt ans.My brother is twenty.
Tes parents font quoi dans la vie ?What do your parents do?
Je ne les vois pas très souvent.I don't see them very often.
Next: lesson 68What do you do

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these family lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps family ages and cities ready for the café.

Open Yak Cards