5 Minutes of French is a nice and short French lesson that can be done under 5 minutes. Its purpose is to make the French language learning fast and effective. The 5 minutes of French is a task-based approach. It covers only the most useful and pragmatic vocabulary, grammar and everyday French expressions significant to any beginner of intermediate learner of French. Now you have no excuse not to learn French !
Simple French lesson on how to order a coffee in a typical French brasserie. You will also learn the two most popular types of coffee ordered in France: un expresso and un café allongé. Enjoy your lesson !
1. Dialogue: Au café
S: Serveur ( awaiter ), Mme: Madame , M: Monsieur
S: Qu’est-ce que vous prendrez Messieurs, Dames ? Mme: Pour moi un café. S: Un café serré ou allongé ? Mme: Ah.., quelle est la différence entre les deux, s’il-vous-plaît ? S: Un café serré est un petit café, un expresso si vous préférez.On l’appelle également un “café court”. M: Et qu’est-ce qu’un café allongé ? S: Un café allongé est toutsimplement un café court avec deux fois plus d’eau. M: D’accord. Un café allongé pour moi s’il-vous-plaît. S: Et pour vous Madame ? Mme: Moi, je prendrai un café court s’il-vous-plaît.
2. Notes
French word
Pronunciation
prendrai /ɛ/
prendrez /e/
Messieurs, Dames /
M’sieurs-Dames
café /e/
serré /e/
allongé /ɔ̃/
expresso
court
This lesson introduces the use of the Simple Future Tense (Le futur simple).
The futur simple is heavily used when making orders in a café, bar or a restaurant. You can also use it when you imagine what your future will look like or when you make projects. In short:
Future Simple:
imagining the future:
Quand je serai grand, je ferai le tour du monde. When I’m big, I will go on a round the world trip.
making projects:
Je prendrai un verre de vin. I will take / have a glass of wine.
Qu’est-ce que vous prendrez Monsieur? What will you take / have, sir ?
Distinctive feature of the French Simple Future Tense :
lots of r sound !
This can be quite daunting for the beginning learners of French. Fortunately, there is a remedy exercise on Simple-French to help you tame the pronunciation of the French “R” sound.
Simple Future Conjugation (La conjugaison au Futur simple)
prendre
être
je prendrai
tu prendras
il / elle / on prendra
nous prendrons
vous prendrez
ils prendront
je serai
tu seras
il / elle / on sera
nous serons
vous serez
ils seront
Conjugation of Futur Simple with examples:
prendre
Je prendrai un thé.
Tu prendras ce que voudras.
Il / elle / on prendra deux cafés.
Nous prendrons un taxi.
Vous prendrez la première à gauche.
Ils prendront la même chose.
Dialogue Vocabulary
French
English
Les verbes
Verbs
prendre
to take
commander
to order
boire
to drink
préférer
to prefer
Les noms
Nouns
un serveur / une serveuse
a waiter / a waitress
Monsieur-Dames
a common French expression to address both a man and a woman at the same time (if both are present). It is pronounced as one word.
la différence
difference
un café
a coffee
eau
water
Les adjectifs
Adjectives
serré
pressed / squeezed (du verbe serrer: to thighten / to press)
petit
small
grand
big
court
short / brief
alongé
stretched out / extended (du verbe allonger: to extend, to prolong)
d’accord
OK / All right ! (from: être d’accord = to agree / to be in agreement)
Additional Vocabulary:
Les boissons:
Drinks:
un café au lait
milky coffee / latte
un café crème
a middle cup of coffee and milk
un petit / grand café
a small / big coffee
(un) sucre
Je prendrai du sucre avec mon café s’il-vous-plaît.
Imagine you are on a trip to Paris. You have been walking for 2 hours and now you want to make a break. You have spotted unebrasserie and you decide to enter inside to have a coffee. Write a dialogue in which:
You have to order 1 coffee with milk for you, an espresso for you friend and two teas for two other people who are with you.
You need to speak for yourself (I will take …) and for your friend (he / she will take …) and the two other people ( they will take …).