Course 02
The café
A breakfast order that introduces articles, everyday café vocabulary, and how French often asks questions with simple rising intonation.
Dialogue
Read first, then play a line only when you need the model.
Monsieur, madame, vous désirez ?
IPA/məsjø madam vu deziʁe/
vous désirez
One of the easiest ways to ask a question in French is to keep the affirmative form and raise your intonation: `Vous désirez ?`
Pronunciation
The written final `z` is not pronounced here, so `désirez` ends on the same open `é` sound you hear in the guide.
Deux cafés et deux croissants, s'il vous plaît.
IPA/dø kafe e dø kʁwasɑ̃ sil vu plɛ/
Deux cafés
It can mean both the drink and the place. In France, ordering `un café` usually brings a shot of espresso.
s'il vous plaît
Literally 'if it pleases you', but in actual usage it is the normal, everyday way to say 'please'.
Pronunciation
On its own, `deux` ends without a pronounced final consonant, so what you hear is the rounded vowel sound written in the IPA as `dø`.
Pronunciation
The written plural endings do not add a strong extra sound here, so the rhythm stays close to the singular forms you already know.
Non, je préfère une tartine beurrée pour le petit-déjeuner.
IPA/nɔ̃ ʒə pʁefɛʁ yn taʁtin bœʁe puʁ lə pəti deʒøne/
une tartine beurrée
A slice of buttered bread. It also introduces adjective agreement: `beurrée` matches the feminine noun `tartine`.
le petit-déjeuner
Literally 'the little lunch', which is why it means breakfast in French.
Donc, deux expressos, un croissant et une tartine ?
IPA/dɔ̃k dø.z‿ɛkspʁɛso œ̃ kʁwasɑ̃ e yn taʁtin/
un croissant et une tartine
French nouns are masculine or feminine. This lesson pairs `un/le` with masculine nouns and `une/la` with feminine ones.
Pronunciation
The final sound of `deux` is heard as a linking `z` before the vowel in `expressos`, which is why the IPA shows `dø.z‿ɛkspʁɛso`.
Oui, c'est ça. Le croissant est pour moi et la tartine pour elle.
IPA/wi sɛ sa lə kʁwasɑ̃.t‿ɛ puʁ mwa e la taʁtin puʁ ɛl/
Pronunciation
This lesson pairs two very common words that are pronounced alike in isolation, so you have to rely on context rather than sound alone.
un café
a coffee / an espresso
un croissant
a croissant
une tartine
a slice of bread
beurrée
buttered
feminine adjective form
le petit-déjeuner
breakfast
c'est ça
that's right
pour moi / pour elle
for me / for her
Exercise 1
Translate from audio.
Prompt 1
I prefer a croissant for breakfast.
Hint: Start with `Je préfère...` and keep `petit-déjeuner` with its article.
Prompt 2
A coffee, please.
Hint: Use the same courtesy formula as the dialogue.
Prompt 3
Yes, that's right.
Hint: Reuse the short confirmation from line 5.
Prompt 4
The slice of bread is for her.
Hint: Use the feminine definite article.
Prompt 5
And the espresso is for me.
Hint: Start with `Et` and keep `pour moi` at the end.
Exercise 2
Fill in the missing words.
Prompt 1
Complete the breakfast order.
Hint: Use the masculine article for `café` and the feminine article + adjective for `tartine`.
Prompt 2
Complete with the definite articles.
Hint: Use both definite articles.
Prompt 3
Complete the café request.
Hint: Use the quantity word from the dialogue and the same polite formula.
Prompt 4
Complete the correction.
Hint: Start with the correction phrase `Non, en fait...`
Prompt 5
Complete the greeting.
Hint: Address both people together, just like the textbook answer key.