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Lesson 188 of 240

New here? This is lesson 188 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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What's unclear in French

Sam is in a meeting with Claire, staring at a timeline on her screen. He frowns, and she notices.

She asks which part is unclear, then whether anything still feels unsure.

You will learn to pin down the fuzzy bit, offer to make it clearer, and check that the answer helped.

Claire uses tu with Sam now. A man is sûr; a woman is sûre.

By the end of this lesson

Ask which part is unclear and check that the answer helped.

  • Quelle partie n'est pas claire ?Which part isn't clear?
  • Il y a quelque chose dont tu n'es pas sûr ?Is there anything you're unsure about?
  • Ça répond à ta question ?Does that answer your question?
  • Je peux préciser si tu veux.I can make that clearer if you want.
  • Tu veux commencer par quelle partie ?Which part do you want to start with?
  • On reprend depuis le début.Let's go through it from the start.

Scene — the timeline

Sam sits with Claire in the small office, her laptop open to a museum-guide timeline.

He frowns at one stretch of the plan. Claire watches his face, then the screen.

Headphones hang on a hook. The courtyard window is dull. The meeting has stalled.

Sam and Claire sit idle at a small office desk with a laptop open between them.

Learn — which part isn't clear

Six lines help you find the unclear part, offer a clearer pass, and check that it helped.

You'll also choose where to start, or go back to the beginning.

  1. Claire leans in from the side of the laptop and hovers a finger above the screen while looking toward Sam.

    Quelle partie n'est pas claire ?

    Which part isn't clear?

    When to use it: Ask this when one stretch of a plan still looks fuzzy.

    Point at one bit of a talk or a screen, not the whole thing.

    Say it: N'est is ne plus est, said as one short beat.

  2. Claire looks across the desk and waits, hands still in her lap.

    Il y a quelque chose dont tu n'es pas sûr ?

    Is there anything you're unsure about?

    When to use it: Ask a close colleague if one point still feels unsure.

    Sam is a man, so sûr; a woman would be sûre.

    Say it: N'es is ne plus es, said as one short beat.

  3. From behind Sam, Claire looks up from the laptop toward him as he points at the middle of the screen.

    Ça répond à ta question ?

    Does that answer your question?

    When to use it: Check that your answer actually helped the other person.

    Ta is for a friend or a regular colleague, not a stranger.

    Say it: Répond ends in a nasal on; the d stays silent.

  4. Claire turns the laptop and opens one palm toward the screen.

    Je peux préciser si tu veux.

    I can make that clearer if you want.

    When to use it: Offer this when someone still looks lost after your first pass.

    Tu fits Claire and Sam; they already use it at work.

  5. From the office doorway, Claire sits back with both hands on the desk and looks across at Sam.

    Tu veux commencer par quelle partie ?

    Which part do you want to start with?

    When to use it: Ask this to let them pick where you should begin.

    Quelle stays with partie because partie is feminine.

  6. From above, Claire pulls the laptop close and sets a hand at the start of the plan on the screen.

    On reprend depuis le début.

    Let's go through it from the start.

    When to use it: Say this when starting the whole explanation over is easier.

    On here means we, the usual spoken way in a meeting.

    Say it: The d at the end of reprend is silent.

Story — she starts over

Watch Claire catch Sam's frown and find the unclear bit. She starts the timeline over.

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

  1. Claire turns the laptop. A timeline fills the screen.
  2. ClaireSam, tu fronces les sourcils.Sam, you're frowning.
  3. She waits. His eyes stay on the middle of the screen.
  4. ClaireQuelle partie n'est pas claire ?Which part isn't clear?
  5. SamJe ne suis pas sûr de ça.I'm not sure about that.
  6. He points at the middle of the timeline, where the sculpture room sits.
  7. ClaireIl y a quelque chose dont tu n'es pas sûr ?Is there anything you're unsure about?
  8. SamOuais, le milieu. Les durées, surtout.Yeah, the middle. The timings, mostly.
  9. ClaireTu veux commencer par quelle partie ?Which part do you want to start with?
  10. SamPar le milieu, si possible.The middle, if possible.
  11. ClaireD'accord. On reprend depuis le début et on s'arrête au milieu.Okay. Let's go through it from the start and stop at the middle.
  12. She scrolls to the start of the timeline.
  13. ClaireD'abord la visite, ensuite la salle du fond.First the visit, then the back room.
  14. Sam nods, still watching the middle.
  15. ClaireÇa répond à ta question ?Does that answer your question?
  16. SamPresque. Les durées me bloquent encore un peu.Almost. The timings still trip me up a bit.
  17. ClaireJe peux préciser si tu veux.I can make that clearer if you want.
  18. SamOui, vas-y.Yes, go ahead.
  19. ClaireDouze minutes au total, pas une de plus.Twelve minutes in total, not one more.
  20. SamJ'ai compris.I've got it.
  21. ClaireÇa te paraît clair ?Does that make sense to you?
  22. SamOui. Là, on peut avancer.Yes. Now we can move on.
  23. Claire turns the screen a little. The meeting finally moves.

Practice — check it landed

Eleven short exercises wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Il y a quelque chose dont tu n'es pas sûr ?

  3. What do you say?

    Claire says the whole timeline is a mess. You decide to start from the top.

  4. Fill the gap

    Does that answer your question?

    Ça ____ à ta question ?

  5. Build the line

    I can make that clearer if you want.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    Je suis un peu perdue sur le calendrier.

    I'm a bit lost on the timeline.

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    A colleague frowns at the plan. Ask which bit is still fuzzy.

    Quelle ____ n'est pas claire ?

  8. Find the mistake

  9. True or false?

    Sam says this when the whole plan is already clear to him.

  10. What do you say?

    Claire has just gone through the timings again. You finally follow.

  11. Fill the gap

    Does that make sense to you?

    Ça ____ paraît clair ?

Say it — ask and check

Now you're Sam in the same meeting. Claire looks stuck on your notes this time.

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. ClaireAttends, je suis perdue.Hang on, I'm lost.
  2. Sam (you)Ask which bit still looks fuzzy.

    Quelle partie n'est pas claire ?

    Which part isn't clear?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Quelle partie n'est pas claire ?Which part isn't clear?
Il y a quelque chose dont tu n'es pas sûr ?Is there anything you're unsure about?
Ça répond à ta question ?Does that answer your question?
Je peux préciser si tu veux.I can make that clearer if you want.
Tu veux commencer par quelle partie ?Which part do you want to start with?
On reprend depuis le début.Let's go through it from the start.
Next: lesson 189Thinking out loud

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