French course

Lesson 76 of 240

New here? This is lesson 76 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

Evening and weekend routine in French

Sam climbs the walk-up after work. Inès is already two steps above him on the landing, and she wants the evening in order.

You'll say when you get home, what you start with, a shower, a stop at the corner shop, then dinner.

Weekends get their own line: they are a bit different.

Keep the steps in order, and use around for a time that is not exact.

By the end of this lesson

Describe your evening after work in order.

  • Je rentre chez moi vers ___.I get home around ___.
  • Je commence ma journée par ___.I start my day with ___.
  • Le soir, je prends une douche.In the evening I have a shower.
  • Après le travail, je passe à la supérette.After work I stop by the corner shop.
  • Le week-end, c'est un peu différent.Weekends are a bit different.
  • Ensuite, je prépare à manger.Then I get dinner ready.

Scene — two steps ahead

Same worn wooden stairs, no lift. Sam comes in from work with a mustard backpack and a bag from the corner shop.

Inès is two steps above on the landing, denim jacket, green bag. A bicycle rests against the mottled wall.

A wide view of a worn wooden walk-up stairwell with Sam just in at the bottom and Inès on the landing above beside a bicycle.

Learn — after work, then dinner

Six lines take you from getting home to dinner, plus a weekend note.

You will also start the day with something, and say around what time you walk in.

  1. Sam stepping in at the ground-floor stairwell door after work with a mustard backpack and a shop bag, looking up the flights.

    Je rentre chez moi vers ___.

    I get home around ___.

    When to use it: Say this when you walk in around a time, not on the dot.

    Vers plus a time means around then, not exactly.

    Say it: The s at the end of vers is silent.

  2. A close-up of Inès on the landing, one hand on the banister, looking down the stairs and waiting for what comes next.

    Je commence ma journée par ___.

    I start my day with ___.

    When to use it: Say this for the first thing you do in the morning.

    Journée is feminine, so you say ma journée, not mon.

    Say it: The « en » in « commence » is a nasal vowel.

  3. An over-the-shoulder view of Sam at a steamy bathroom doorway inside the apartment, pausing before an evening shower.

    Le soir, je prends une douche.

    In the evening I have a shower.

    When to use it: Say this for a shower in the evening after work.

    Douche is feminine, so it takes une, not un.

    Say it: The « en » in « prends » is nasal; the final d and s are silent.

  4. A high-angle view down the stairwell of Sam on the lower flight holding out a corner-shop bag toward Inès.

    Après le travail, je passe à la supérette.

    After work I stop by the corner shop.

    When to use it: Say this when you pop into the corner shop after work.

    À la matches feminine supérette, the small corner shop.

    Say it: The s at the end of Après is silent.

  5. A profile of Inès sitting on a stair with a small shrug, the landing bicycle behind, while Sam waits a flight below.

    Le week-end, c'est un peu différent.

    Weekends are a bit different.

    When to use it: Say this when Saturday and Sunday do not follow the work plan.

    Un peu différent means a bit different, not a total change.

    Say it: The t in c'est links into un.

  6. A close-up of Sam unpacking an open shop bag at the kitchen counter, getting dinner ready.

    Ensuite, je prépare à manger.

    Then I get dinner ready.

    When to use it: Say this for the next step, after the shower or the shop.

    Ensuite means then: the next thing in the order.

    Say it: The En in Ensuite is a nasal sound.

Story — she already knows

Inès is already two steps ahead on the stairs. Sam lists the evening in order.

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

  1. The worn stairs, no lift. Sam has a bag from the corner shop. Inès is already two steps above.
  2. InèsSalut. Tu fais quoi après le travail ?Hi. What do you do after work?
  3. SamAprès le travail, je passe à la supérette.After work I stop by the corner shop.
  4. InèsEt après ?And then?
  5. SamJe rentre chez moi vers dix-neuf heures.I get home around seven p.m.
  6. InèsEt après ?And then?
  7. SamLe soir, je prends une douche.In the evening I have a shower.
  8. She is still two steps above him. She already has the next word.
  9. InèsEt ensuite ?And then?
  10. SamEnsuite, je prépare à manger. Je dîne le soir.Then I get dinner ready. I have dinner in the evening.
  11. She is already on her landing, two floors below his door.
  12. InèsLe week-end, c'est un peu différent.Weekends are a bit different.
  13. SamJe commence ma journée par un café.I start my day with a coffee.
  14. InèsJe me lève à sept heures. Et toi ?I get up at seven. And you?
  15. SamMoi aussi. Je me lève à sept heures.Me too. I get up at seven.

Practice — shop, shower, then cook

Eleven short items mix listen, match, gap, build, and swap.

Stay with the evening order: the shop, a shower, then dinner.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Le soir, je prends une douche.Drop the English here
    Le week-end, c'est un peu différent.Drop the English here
    Ensuite, je prépare à manger.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Inès is two steps above you on the landing. Say around when you walk in.

  4. Fill the gap

    In the evening I have a shower.

    Le soir, je prends une ____.

  5. What does it mean?

    Le week-end, c'est un peu différent.

  6. Build the line

    Then I get dinner ready.

    , .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Tell Inès when you have a shower: in the evening, not the morning.

    Le ____, je prends une douche.

  8. Pick the reply

    Inès says:

    Et le matin ?

    And in the morning?

    And you reply with:

  9. True or false?

    This line says you get up at seven.

  10. What do you say?

    You already said you cook. Tell her you have dinner in the evening.

  11. Fill the gap

    Then I get dinner ready.

    ____, je prépare à manger.

Say it — tell her the evening

Now you're Sam on the stairs. 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 fais quoi après le travail ?What do you do after work?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her you stop by the corner shop after work.

    Après le travail, je passe à la supérette.

    After work I stop by the corner shop.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je rentre chez moi vers ___.I get home around ___.
Je commence ma journée par ___.I start my day with ___.
Le soir, je prends une douche.In the evening I have a shower.
Après le travail, je passe à la supérette.After work I stop by the corner shop.
Le week-end, c'est un peu différent.Weekends are a bit different.
Ensuite, je prépare à manger.Then I get dinner ready.
Next: lesson 77What I usually 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 evening steps handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the after-work order ready.

Open Yak Cards