Latest / Learn French with Fexingo / French at the Market - Buying Vegetables
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey Luna, welcome back to Learn French with Fexingo. Episode 125 already — can you believe it? Luna: I know, right? I've been practicing my possessive adjectives from last time. 'C'est notre podcast.' How was that? Lucas: Perfect. Today we're doing something practical — a French market. Imagine you're at a outdoor market in Provence, and you want to buy some vegetables. Luna: Oh, I love that. I can almost smell the lavender. So what's the first thing I say? Lucas: You walk up to the stand and say 'Je voudrais des tomates.' That means 'I would like some tomatoes.' Let's break it down: Je voudrais — I would like. Des tomates — some tomatoes. Luna: Je voudrais des tomates. Je voudrais des tomates. Got it. Simple enough. Lucas: Exactly. And the seller might ask you 'Combien vous en faut-il?' which means 'How many do you need?' But for today, let's focus on your side. After you say what you want, you'll want to ask the price. Luna: Right, 'Combien ça coûte?' — how much does it cost? We've done that one before. Lucas: You're on a roll. So you point at the tomatoes and say 'Je voudrais des tomates. Combien ça coûte?' The seller says 'C'est trois euros le kilo.' That's three euros per kilo. Luna: Okay, three euros per kilo. That sounds reasonable. But what if it's too expensive? How do I say 'that's too expensive'? Lucas: Great question. You say 'C'est trop cher.' Let's hear it: C'est trop cher. Trop means too, cher means expensive. Luna: C'est trop cher. C'est trop cher. So if I think three euros per kilo is too much, I'd say 'C'est trop cher.' Lucas: Exactly. And the seller might offer a lower price, or you might decide to buy anyway. If you want to say 'I'll take it,' you say 'Je prends ça.' Je prends — I take, ça — that. Luna: Je prends ça. Je prends ça. So after I agree on the price, I say 'Je prends ça.' Then I pay, and I say 'Merci, bonne journée.' Lucas: Perfect. 'Merci, bonne journée' — thank you, have a nice day. Let's put it all together. You walk up to the stand: 'Je voudrais des tomates. Combien ça coûte?' The seller says three euros. You say 'C'est trop cher.' But then maybe they say two fifty, and you say 'D'accord, je prends ça. Merci, bonne journée.' Luna: Okay, let me try the full scene. 'Je voudrais des tomates. Combien ça coûte?' — 'Trois euros le kilo.' — 'C'est trop cher.' — 'D'accord, deux cinquante.' — 'Je prends ça. Merci, bonne journée.' Lucas: That was excellent. Your pronunciation is really coming along. You know, it's funny — when we started this show, you could barely say 'bonjour', and now you're haggling at the market. Luna: Well, credit to Fexingo. And to you, Lucas. And honestly, it's been so helpful that listeners like you all chip in to keep this ad-free. If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with French, a small monthly donation at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo really helps us keep going. Just a handful of people already make a big difference. Lucas: Yeah, it's true. Every little bit helps us keep the episodes coming. Now, back to our market scene. Let's practice with a different vegetable. How about 'Je voudrais des courgettes'? Luna: Je voudrais des courgettes. And then 'Combien ça coûte?' Let's say they're two euros per kilo. That's not too bad. Lucas: Right, so you'd say 'Je prends ça.' And don't forget 'Merci, bonne journée.' Luna: Merci, bonne journée. I think I'm ready for a real French market now. Maybe I'll go find one this weekend. Lucas: Do it. And remember, the key phrases: Je voudrais... Combien ça coûte? C'est trop cher. Je prends ça. Merci, bonne journée. Practice those, and you'll be a pro. Luna: I will. Thanks, Lucas. And thanks to all our listeners. See you next time for more French fun. Lucas: See you then. Keep practicing, and don't forget to check out Fexingo for more episodes.