Bonjour and welcome to the Rocket French Members Newsletter! This newsletter finds Alain and Nathalie about to enjoy a wonderful lunch at one of Paris’s most famous Bistro. So far, they have managed to settle in to their hotel and find their way around the métro to the district of Montmartre.
You can listen to all of the conversations and vocabulary lists in this lesson by clicking on the play buttons.
» Audio 1 Double Click Play To Hear Audio
Nathalie:
J’ai faim et j’ai très soif!
Alain:
Moi aussi! Nous sommes presque là!
Nathalie:
Ce restaurant est de quelle époque?
Alain:
Je pense que c’était le premier vrai bistro de Paris. J’ai entendu dire que bistro est en effet un nom russe.
Nathalie:
Qu’est ce que ça veut dire "bistro" en russe?
Alain:
Ca veut dire "vite".
Nathalie and Alain arrive at La Mere Catherine, very close to Montmartre ’s famous Sacre Cœur church. The entire district of Montmartre houses literary and artistics haunts favored by some of the world’s more colorful personalities, Salvador Dali and Modigliani amongst them. Its a good idea to allow for plenty of time when planning a visit through Montmartre!
Let’s read through the above dialogue this time in English.
Nathalie:
I’m hungry and I’m very thirsty!
Alain:
Me too! We are nearly there!
Nathalie:
From which era is this restaurant?
Alain:
I think it was Paris ’s first true bistro. I heard that bistro is actually a Russian word.
Nathalie:
What does "bistro" mean in Russian?
Alain:
It means "quick".
Time is beginning to run out, as Alain realizes that it’ already 1 o’clock and that they are planning to get to the St. Ouen market in the same day. First, they both look through the menu and choose their meal as the waiter approaches their table.
» Audio 2 Double Click Play To Hear Audio
La serveuse:
Messieurs/Dames, bonjour, que désirez-vous prendre aujourd’hui?
Nathalie:
Tu vas prendre un hors d’œuvre Alain?
Alain:
Moi, je vais directement au plat principal. Je prendrai une noisette d’agneau.
La serveuse:
Alors, une noisette d’agneau pour vous monsieur, et pour vous madame?
Nathalie:
Bon alors, moi aussi je prendrai un plat principal aujourd’hui. Ou, plutôt, non. Je prendrai une soupe a l’oignon et puis des fromages et un dessert.
La serveuse:
C’est parfait, un potage pour madame, et quel dessert souhaitez vous madame?
Nathalie:
Alors voila, je prendrai la Tarte aux Myrtilles! Merci!
Alain:
Nous n’avons pas beaucoup de temps aujourd’hui, il faut qu’on se dépêche!
La serveuse:
C’est entendu ! Je ferai de mon mieux!
Nathalie is probably already used to having bread with meals, which is served with most orders in French cafes, bistros and restaurants. Its worth remembering when ordering a meal, as the light crunchy and flavorsome French baguette is always super fresh and irresistible with anything!
Here is Alain and Nathalie’s conversation in English:
The waitress:
Sir, madam, what would you like to order today?
Nathalie:
Are you going to have a starter Alain?
Alain:
I will go straight to the main dish. I’ll have a sautéed lamb cutlet.
La serveuse:
So, one lamb cutlet for you sir, and for madam?
Nathalie:
So ok, I will also take a main dish today. Or, rather, no. I will have an onion soup and then the cheese board and a dessert.
La serveuse:
That’s fine, a soup for madam, and which dessert would you like madam?
Nathalie:
Ok, so I will have the Blueberry tart! Thank you!
Alain:
We don’t have much time today, we are in a bit of a hurry!
La serveuse:
Fine! I will do my best for you!
When ordering food, you will want to be familiar with a number of different ways to express yourself and make choices from the menu.
» Audio 3 Double Click Play To Hear Audio
I’m hungry
J’ai faim
I’m thirsty
J’ai soif
Me too
Moi aussi
Cafe/restaurant
Bistro
What would you like to have?
Que désirez-vous prendre?
I will have
Je vais prendre
Starter
Une entrée/un hors d’oeuvre
A main course
Un plat principal
The cheese board
Les fromages
Desserts
Les desserts
And then
Et puis
Ok then
Alors bon
Ok, let’s see
Bon voila
We are in a bit of a hurry
Il faut qu’on se dépêche
We don’t have much time
Nous n’avons pas beaucoup de temps
I will do my best
Je ferai de mon mieux
What does it mean?
Qu’est ce que ça veut dire?
We leave Alain and Nathalie to enjoy their meal and will meet up with them again to wander around the Flea Markets of St Ouen to hear about the good deals they have made!
P.S. When Nathalie said that she was hungry and thirsty, did you notice anything about how she said it ? One of the peculiar things in French is that some issues like appetite or morality are expressed as "having hunger" or "having reason". There are lots of exciting uses for the verb "to have" in French, and you will really need to understand this peculiarity of the French language.
Here is a list of the most common uses of "to have" as it relates to expressing feelings.
J’ai faim
I am hungry
J’ai soif
I am thirsty
J’ai raison
I am right
J’ai tort
I am wrong
J’ai du chagrin
I am sad
J’ai mal
I am in pain
J’ai envie
I want
J’ai peur
I am afraid
P.P.S. Take a moment to answer the exercise below.
Exercise 1. Check the exercise and see if you can complete the blanks!
J’____ faim! Alain, allons manger a ____Mère Catherine! Nous n’______ pas beaucoup de _______ aujourd’hui! Il faut qu’on se _________ pour aller au marche! Tu vas prendre un plat _______ ou une entrée? Moi, je _______ du fromage et un ________ après ma soupe a l’oignon.
