French course

Lesson 75 of 240

New here? This is lesson 75 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

How good I am in French

Sam is at Café des Tilleuls with a notebook. Odile asks how French is going, and Gaspard listens from the next table.

You'll say how long you've been at a hobby, how well it's going, and why you like it, even when it is hard.

Sam is still a beginner, and Gaspard will ask Odile what that even means.

By the end of this lesson

Say how long and how well you do a hobby, and why you like it.

  • Je suis encore débutant en ___.I'm still a beginner at ___
  • Je progresse en ___.I'm getting better at ___
  • C'est sympa, mais c'est dur.It's fun, but it's hard.
  • Ça fait six mois que je fais ça.I've been doing this for six months.
  • Je le fais quand j'ai le temps.I do it when I have time.
  • J'aime ça parce que c'est calme.I like it because it's quiet.

Scene — the notebook is open

Late afternoon on rue des Tilleuls. Sam sits at a marble table with a French notebook open.

Odile wipes the zinc counter. Gaspard is on two chairs by the window table, café crème untouched.

The blank brass sign is still on the window table. Nobody sits there.

Wide late-afternoon café interior with Sam at a marble table, Odile wiping the zinc counter, and Gaspard on two chairs beside an empty window table.

Learn — still a beginner

Six lines cover level, progress, how long, when you do it, and why it feels good.

A man says débutant; a woman says débutante.

  1. High-angle view of Sam sitting upright at the marble table, looking down at an open notebook.

    Je suis encore débutant en ___.

    I'm still a beginner at ___

    When to use it: Say this when you have started a hobby but are not skilled yet.

    A man says débutant. A woman says débutante for herself.

    Say it: The "an" in débutant is a nasal vowel.

  2. Over-the-shoulder view past Odile at the zinc counter, looking across toward Sam at the marble table.

    Je progresse en ___.

    I'm getting better at ___

    When to use it: Say this when a skill is getting easier for you.

    En comes before the thing you are getting better at.

  3. Close-up of Sam's hands on the open notebook at the marble table, posture tight with effort.

    C'est sympa, mais c'est dur.

    It's fun, but it's hard.

    When to use it: Use this when a hobby is fun and still hard.

    Mais joins the fun part to the hard part in this line.

  4. Low-angle view of Gaspard settled on two chairs by the window, turning toward Odile, café crème untouched beside the empty window table.

    Ça fait six mois que je fais ça.

    I've been doing this for six months.

    When to use it: Use this to say how long you have been doing something.

    Ça fait plus a time span tells how long you have done it.

    Say it: The x in six is silent before mois.

  5. Profile of Odile wiping along the zinc counter, mid-motion at work.

    Je le fais quand j'ai le temps.

    I do it when I have time.

    When to use it: Say this when you do a hobby in free time, not on a set day.

    J'ai is je plus ai, with the e dropped.

  6. Detail of the empty window table and untouched café crème, with Gaspard soft on two chairs and Sam and Odile softer farther back.

    J'aime ça parce que c'est calme.

    I like it because it's quiet.

    When to use it: Give this reason when someone asks why you like a hobby.

    Parce que adds the reason after you say you like it.

Story — he asks Odile

Sam talks about French as a hobby. Gaspard hears débutant and asks Odile.

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

  1. Sam's notebook is open. Gaspard has not touched his café crème.
  2. OdileAlors, le français, ça va ?So, how's French going?
  3. SamJe suis encore débutant en français.I'm still a beginner at French.
  4. Gaspard nods, then turns to Odile, not to Sam.
  5. GaspardDébutant, ça veut dire quoi ?What does beginner mean?
  6. OdileMon grand, il commence.He's starting, my dear.
  7. SamJ'apprends le français. Ça fait six mois que je fais ça.I'm learning French. I've been doing this for six months.
  8. OdileTu aimes ça ?Do you like that?
  9. SamC'est sympa, mais c'est dur. Je le fais quand j'ai le temps.It's fun, but it's hard. I do it when I have time.
  10. GaspardEt ça avance ?And is it moving along?
  11. SamJe progresse en français.I'm getting better at French.
  12. OdilePourquoi tu aimes ça ?Why do you like it?
  13. SamJ'aime ça parce que c'est calme.I like it because it's quiet.
  14. The window table stays empty. Gaspard stays on two chairs.

Practice — six months of this

Eleven short exercises mix listening, gaps, building, and choosing a line.

You'll also reuse a few lines from earlier lessons here.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est sympa, mais c'est dur.Drop the English here
    Ça fait six mois que je fais ça.Drop the English here
    Je le fais quand j'ai le temps.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    A friend asks how the hobby feels. You want fun and hard in one line.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm getting better at ___

    Je ____ en ___.

  5. What does it mean?

    J'apprends le français.

  6. Build the line

    I do it when I have time.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    Pourquoi tu aimes ça ?

    Why do you like it?

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    Say you have been doing this for six months, not two.

    Ça fait ____ mois que je fais ça.

  9. What do you say?

    A friend shows you a hobby. Ask if they like it.

  10. Find the mistake

  11. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    Il est débutant.

    He is a beginner. You don't understand the word débutant. Ask what it means.

    And you reply with:

Say it — say how it's going

Now you're Sam at the café, talking about French. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. OdileAlors, le français ?So, French?
  2. Sam (you)Say you are still a beginner at French.

    Je suis encore débutant en ___.

    I'm still a beginner at ___

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je suis encore débutant en ___.I'm still a beginner at ___
Je progresse en ___.I'm getting better at ___
C'est sympa, mais c'est dur.It's fun, but it's hard.
Ça fait six mois que je fais ça.I've been doing this for six months.
Je le fais quand j'ai le temps.I do it when I have time.
J'aime ça parce que c'est calme.I like it because it's quiet.
Next: lesson 76Evening and weekend routine

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A short Yak Cards round keeps how long and how well ready for the café.

Open Yak Cards