French course

Lesson 70 of 240

New here? This is lesson 70 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

School and study in French

Thursday evening, Sam walks to the mairie for his French class. The room is small, with chairs in a circle, and last week's photocopy is still in his hand.

The teacher looks up and asks what page they are on.

By the end, you'll say what you study, when class is, what you like best, and ask about a test.

A contrôle is a test. Evening classes meet after work.

By the end of this lesson

Say what you study, when classes are, and what you like best.

  • J'étudie le français.I'm studying French.
  • J'ai cours de ___ le ___.I have ___ class on ___.
  • Ma matière préférée, c'est l'histoire.My favorite subject is history.
  • C'est quand, le contrôle ?When's the test?
  • On est à quelle page ?What page are we on?
  • Je prends des cours du soir.I take evening classes.

Scene — thursday at the mairie

The community room at the mairie is already lit. Chairs sit in a loose circle. Sam comes in with last week's photocopy still in his hand.

The teacher stands by a small table with a stack of papers. The chalkboard on the wall is blank.

A wide evening view of a lit municipal community room with chairs in a loose circle, Sam arriving with a blank photocopy, classmates already seated, Gaspard on two chairs, and a teacher by a small table under a blank chalkboard.

Learn — what you study

Six short lines cover what you study, when class is, a favorite subject, a test, and evening classes.

You'll also ask what page you are on.

  1. Close-up of Sam just inside the community-room doorway, holding last week's blank photocopy in the warm evening light.

    J'étudie le français.

    I'm studying French.

    When to use it: Say this when someone asks what you study.

    Use le with français; language names take le or l'.

    Say it: The last s in français is silent.

  2. Medium shot of Inès seated in the circle, a blank unmarked sheet on her lap, turning toward the teacher's table as if giving her class day.

    J'ai cours de ___ le ___.

    I have ___ class on ___.

    When to use it: Use this to name the subject and the day of class.

    After de you name the subject; after le you name the day.

  3. Slightly low wide shot of Gaspard filling two chairs in the circle with an unmarked booklet open on his coat.

    Ma matière préférée, c'est l'histoire.

    My favorite subject is history.

    When to use it: Say this to name the school subject you like most.

    Préférée takes e because matière is feminine.

    Say it: Histoire starts with a silent h, so you use l'.

  4. Close-up of Karim leaning forward in his chair toward the teacher's stack of blank papers, tense about a coming test.

    C'est quand, le contrôle ?

    When's the test?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the date of a test.

    A contrôle is a class test, not a check at the door.

    Say it: The on in contrôle is a nasal sound.

  5. Over-the-shoulder view of Sam turning a blank photocopy toward the circle, checking where the group is in the papers.

    On est à quelle page ?

    What page are we on?

    When to use it: Ask this in class when you need the page number.

    Quelle goes with page because page is feminine.

    Say it: The t in est can link into à.

  6. Medium shot from across the circle of Sam settled in a chair with a bag at his feet and a dark evening window behind him.

    Je prends des cours du soir.

    I take evening classes.

    When to use it: Say this when your classes meet after work.

    Des cours means more than one class; du soir marks the evening.

    Say it: The s in des is silent before cours; there is no liaison.

Story — last week's photocopy

Watch Sam's Thursday class at the mairie. The teacher asks what page they are on, and Sam still has last week's photocopy.

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

  1. Thursday evening. The community room at the mairie is already lit.
  2. TeacherBonsoir.Good evening.
  3. SamBonsoir.Good evening.
  4. TeacherAsseyez-vous.Please sit down.
  5. Sam sits. Last week's photocopy is still in his hand.
  6. TeacherAlors, vous étudiez quoi ?So, what are you studying?
  7. SamJ'étudie le français.I'm studying French.
  8. TeacherEt le soir ?And in the evening?
  9. SamJe prends des cours du soir.I take evening classes.
  10. TeacherQuel cours, et quel jour ?Which class, and which day?
  11. SamJ'ai cours de français le jeudi.I have French class on Thursday.
  12. TeacherEt la matière préférée ?And your favorite subject?
  13. SamMa matière préférée, c'est l'histoire.My favorite subject is history.
  14. SamC'est quand, le contrôle ?When's the test?
  15. TeacherLa semaine prochaine. Bonne chance.Next week. Good luck.
  16. The teacher looks at the photocopy in his hand.
  17. TeacherOn est à quelle page ?What page are we on?
  18. SamJe ne sais pas.I don't know.

Practice — class and test

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

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    J'étudie le français.Drop the English here
    J'ai cours de ___ le ___.Drop the English here
    Ma matière préférée, c'est l'histoire.Drop the English here
    C'est quand, le contrôle ?Drop the English here
    Je prends des cours du soir.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You walk into the mairie classroom on Thursday evening. The teacher looks up.

  4. What does it mean?

    J'étudie le français.

  5. Fill the gap

    I have ___ class on ___.

    J'ai ____ de ___ le ___.

  6. Build the line

    I take evening classes.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Teacher says:

    Il y a un contrôle.

    There's a test.

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    A classmate asks what subject you like most.

    Ma matière préférée, c'est ____.

  9. What do you say?

    Another student looks nervous. The test is soon.

  10. Put the chat in order

    1. TeacherWhat comes first?
    2. Sam…
    3. Teacher…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  11. True or false?

    This is how a teacher politely asks you to sit down.

Say it — your turn in class

Now you're Sam at Thursday's class in the mairie. 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. TeacherBonsoir.Good evening.
  2. Sam (you)Say good evening back.

    Bonsoir.

    Good evening

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
J'étudie le français.I'm studying French.
J'ai cours de ___ le ___.I have ___ class on ___.
Ma matière préférée, c'est l'histoire.My favorite subject is history.
C'est quand, le contrôle ?When's the test?
On est à quelle page ?What page are we on?
Je prends des cours du soir.I take evening classes.
Next: lesson 71Homework and tests

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 class lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your class lines ready for Thursday.

Open Yak Cards