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Lesson 186 of 240

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Small steps in French

Sam is at the office with Claire. The museum audio guide is taking shape, but the verbs still slow him down.

She wants a plan in plain words, not a long speech.

By the end, you'll say how you're doing, name the hard part, and set a small next step.

Claire keeps it short: one step, then the next meeting.

By the end of this lesson

Report progress, name what is hard, and set a small next step.

  • Je fais des progrès en ___.I'm making progress with ___.
  • Le plus difficile, c'est ___.The hardest part is ___.
  • Comment tu comptes y arriver ?How are you going to get there?
  • Je me fixe de petits objectifs.I'm setting myself small goals.
  • Ça peut prendre du temps, mais je peux y arriver.It may take a while, but I think I can get there.
  • Un pas après l'autre.One step at a time.

Scene — thursday at the office

Same Thursday at the small office two metro stops from rue des Tilleuls.

Claire has a laptop under one arm and a short look that means the meeting will not run long.

Sam sits with headphones around his neck and the script open on his desk.

Claire stands in the small office with a laptop under one arm while Sam sits at a desk with headphones around the neck and Gaspard sits across two chairs.

Learn — progress and the next step

Six lines cover progress, the hard part, a plan of small goals, and one step at a time.

You'll also ask how someone means to get there.

  1. Claire stands beside Sam's desk after setting the laptop down while Sam looks up from the open script with one finger on the page.

    Je fais des progrès en ___.

    I'm making progress with ___.

    When to use it: Say this when a skill is getting better and you want to report it.

    Progrès stays masculine and plural in this chunk, even for one skill.

    Say it: The final s in progrès is silent.

  2. Sam pauses over the open script with one hand at the back of the neck, stuck on a hard stretch of the work.

    Le plus difficile, c'est ___.

    The hardest part is ___.

    When to use it: Use this to name the one thing that is slowing you down.

    After c'est, name the hard thing in a short noun phrase.

    Say it: The s in plus is silent before difficile.

  3. Over Sam's shoulder, Claire stands a few steps away with one palm open in a question.

    Comment tu comptes y arriver ?

    How are you going to get there?

    When to use it: Ask this of a friend who has a goal but no clear plan.

    Tu is for a friend or a teammate you already know well.

    Say it: The final s in comptes is silent; the t is pronounced before y.

  4. Sam's hands split the open script into a few small stacks on the desk.

    Je me fixe de petits objectifs.

    I'm setting myself small goals.

    When to use it: Say this when you answer with a small next step, not a big dream.

    Petits agrees with objectifs because both are plural.

  5. Sam leans back in the chair with headphones around the neck and looks toward the courtyard window.

    Ça peut prendre du temps, mais je peux y arriver.

    It may take a while, but I think I can get there.

    When to use it: Say this when the goal is still far but you believe you can do it.

    Du temps is the set way to say something takes time.

    Say it: The p and s in temps are silent.

  6. Claire stands at the office doorway with a laptop under one arm, taking one step over the threshold, while Sam remains at the desk behind.

    Un pas après l'autre.

    One step at a time.

    When to use it: Say this to keep a plan small when someone is rushing ahead.

    L'autre is one piece: the apostrophe marks the missing e of le.

    Say it: The final e in autre is silent.

Story — the verbs

Watch Sam tell Claire how the script is going. The hard part is still the verbs.

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

  1. Claire sets the laptop down. The courtyard window is grey.
  2. ClaireBon. Le script, ça avance ?Right. How is the script coming along?
  3. SamOui. Je fais des progrès en français.Yes. I'm making progress with French.
  4. ClairePour le reste, ça avance bien.As for the rest, it's going well.
  5. SamLe plus difficile, c'est les verbes.The hardest part is the verbs.
  6. ClaireComment tu comptes y arriver ?How are you going to get there?
  7. SamJe me fixe de petits objectifs.I'm setting myself small goals.
  8. ClaireContinue comme ça.Keep going.
  9. SamÇa peut prendre du temps, mais je peux y arriver.It may take a while, but I think I can get there.
  10. ClaireUn pas après l'autre.One step at a time.
  11. SamD'accord.Okay.
  12. She shrugs and taps the calendar on her laptop.
  13. ClaireOn se voit à la prochaine réunion ?Shall we meet at the next meeting?
  14. SamOui, je te tiens au courant.Yes, I'll keep you posted.
  15. ClaireParfait. On s'arrête là pour aujourd'hui.Perfect. Let's stop there for today.

Practice — small goals

Ten 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 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Je fais des progrès en ___.Drop the English here
    Le plus difficile, c'est ___.Drop the English here
    Pour le reste, ça avance bien.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Claire asks if your French on the script is getting better, not what is hard.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm setting myself small goals.

    Je me fixe de ____ objectifs.

  5. What does it mean?

    Le plus difficile, c'est ___.

  6. Pick the reply

    Sam says:

    Je veux y arriver, mais je n'ai pas de plan.

    I want to get there, but I don't have a plan.

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    You think you can get there even if it takes a while.

    Ça peut prendre du temps, mais je ____ y arriver.

  8. Build the line

    One step at a time.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  9. What do you say?

    Sam has just told you his plan of small goals. Tell him to keep going that way.

  10. Fill the gap

    I'll keep you posted.

    Je te tiens au ____.

Say it — tell claire

Now you're Sam in the office with Claire. 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. ClaireBon. Le script, ça avance ?Right. How is the script coming along?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her you are making progress with French.

    Je fais des progrès en ___.

    I'm making progress with ___.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je fais des progrès en ___.I'm making progress with ___.
Le plus difficile, c'est ___.The hardest part is ___.
Comment tu comptes y arriver ?How are you going to get there?
Je me fixe de petits objectifs.I'm setting myself small goals.
Ça peut prendre du temps, mais je peux y arriver.It may take a while, but I think I can get there.
Un pas après l'autre.One step at a time.
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