Assimil · French

Contents

Course 01

Comment allez-vous ?

How are you?

A first encounter built around greetings, introductions, and the difference between formal and familiar ways of asking how someone is doing.

18 minA short sidewalk introduction between Jeanne and Chloé.

Dialogue

1

Bonjour Jeanne, comment allez-vous ?

IPA/bɔ̃ʒuʁ ʒan kɔmɑ̃.t‿a.le vu/

2

Bien, et vous ?

IPA/bjɛ̃ e vu/

3

Ça va très bien, merci.

IPA/sa va tʁɛ bjɛ̃ mɛʁsi/

4

Je vous présente ma fille, Chloé.

IPA/ʒə vu pʁezɑ̃t ma fij klo.e/

5

Bonjour, Chloé. Comment ça va ?

IPA/bɔ̃ʒuʁ klo.e kɔmɑ̃ sa va/

Vocabulary

bonjour

hello / good morning

comment allez-vous ?

how are you? (formal)

bien

well / fine

merci

thank you

je vous présente

let me introduce

ma fille

my daughter

comment ça va ?

how are you doing? (familiar)

Exercises

Exercise 1

Translate from audio.

Prompt 1

Hello, how are you?

Hint: Start with `Bonjour`, then use the formal `Comment allez-vous ?`.

Prompt 2

I'm very well.

Hint: Use the same reply pattern as line 3, without `merci`.

Prompt 3

How are you, Jean?

Hint: This one uses the more familiar `ça va` form.

Prompt 4

Let me introduce my daughter.

Hint: Use `Je vous présente ...` from the dialogue.

Prompt 5

Chloé is very well.

Hint: Reuse `va très bien` from the dialogue.

Exercise 2

Fill in the missing words.

Prompt 1

How are you?

allez-vous ?

Hint: Use the formal question from the opening line.

Prompt 2

Very well, thank you.

Ça
très bien,
.

Hint: Reuse the compact reply from line 3.

Prompt 3

Let me introduce Jeanne and Chloé.

Je vous
Jeanne
Chloé.

Hint: Use the introduction verb from the dialogue, then join the names.

Prompt 4

Well, and you?

et vous ?

Hint: This is the short reply from line 2.

Prompt 5

My first lesson.

Ma
leçon.

Hint: Use the feminine form of `first` to agree with `leçon`.

After the lesson

French has two forms of address: formal and familiar. We'll start by learning the honorific, or formal, mode, marked by the pronoun vous, because this is the one you are most likely to encounter when visiting France and interacting with people you don't know. In other French-speaking countries, such as Canada, the informal address, marked by tu, is used more frequently. Which form to use in which circumstances is a much-debated issue, but we've adopted the rule of thumb that tu is strictly for family and friends.

Congratulations! In a short space of time, and without too much effort, you've learned some important and useful words and phrases. Remember that the best way to make progress is to learn a little every day. That's the secret of the Assimil method!