Trying on a shirt | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a clothing shop, a customer asks about a shirt, tries it on, and checks the fit..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Trying on a shirt to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise.

zhay buh-ZWAN dün noo-VELL shuh-MEEZ. I need a new shirt.
B

Quelle couleur cherchez-vous ?

kell koo-LUR shair-SHAY VOO? What color are you looking for?
A

Quelque chose de bleu, si vous en avez.

kellk SHOHZ duh BLUH, see voo-ZAHN ah-nah-VAY. Something blue, if you have it.
B

Voici une chemise à votre taille.

vuh-SEE ün shuh-MEEZ ah VOH-truh TAH-y. Here is one in your size.
A

Je peux l'essayer ?

zhuh PUH lay-say-YAY? Can I try it on?
B

La cabine d'essayage est juste ici.

lah kah-BEEN dess-ay-YAHZH eh ZHÜST ee-SEE. The changing room is just over here.
A

Elle me va très bien.

ell muh vah treh BYAN. It fits really well.
B

Elle vous va bien.

ell voo vah BYAN. It looks nice on you.

Word by Word

J'ai J'ai means “I have” here. In the exact expression “J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise”, it contributes to the meaning “I need a new shirt”; the need is expressed by besoin.
besoin Besoin names the need in “J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise”. Together with J'ai, it forms the expression used to say that something is needed. A common reuse places the thing needed after de or d'.
d'une D'une introduces the thing that is needed in “J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise”. It combines de and une before the feminine noun chemise. The same form can introduce one feminine item after besoin.
nouvelle Nouvelle means “new” here and describes chemise as a new shirt. Its form matches the feminine noun chemise. It can be used before a feminine singular item when describing it as new.
chemise Chemise means “shirt” here. In “J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise”, it names the item the customer wants. The phrase “une chemise” is useful when referring to one shirt.
Quelle Quelle means “what” or “which” here, asking the customer to select a color in “Quelle couleur cherchez-vous ?”. It is placed before the noun couleur in this question. The same pattern can ask which or what feminine singular item is wanted.
couleur Couleur means “color” in “Quelle couleur cherchez-vous ?”. It names the feature the customer is choosing. The phrase “quelle couleur” is used when asking someone what color they want.
cherchez-vous Cherchez-vous means “are you looking for” in this polite shop question. The verb comes before vous in “Quelle couleur cherchez-vous ?”. A common reuse asks what item someone is looking for by placing the item before or after the question structure.
Quelque chose Quelque chose means “something” here, referring to an unspecified item in “Quelque chose de bleu”. The component quelque contributes the idea of “some” or “a certain”, while chose means “thing”; together they form “something”. This expression can be followed by de and a description.
de In “Quelque chose de bleu”, de links the unspecified thing with its description, giving the meaning “something blue”. The reusable pattern is quelque chose de followed by a description.
bleu Bleu means “blue” here and describes the unspecified item in “Quelque chose de bleu”. It gives the requested item its color. It is useful after de when describing the color of something requested.
si Si means “if” in “si vous en avez”. It makes the request conditional on the shop having the requested item. A common reuse is si followed by a condition or situation.
vous Vous means “you” here, referring politely to the person in the shop. In “si vous en avez”, it identifies the person who may have the requested items. The same polite form appears in cherchez-vous, votre, and vous va.
en En means “some” or “of it” in “si vous en avez”. It refers back to items of the requested kind, so the speaker does not repeat them after avez. In availability questions, en can stand for some of an item already mentioned.
avez Avez means “have” in “si vous en avez”. It asks whether the shop has any of the requested item. The form appears with vous in this polite exchange.
Voici Voici means “here is” and introduces the shirt the seller is showing in “Voici une chemise à votre taille”. It directs the customer’s attention to an item that is present. A common reuse places the item being shown after Voici.
une Une is the feminine singular indefinite article meaning “a” or “one” before chemise in “Voici une chemise à votre taille”. It introduces one shirt. It is used before a feminine singular noun when referring to an item for the first time.
à In “à votre taille”, à links the shirt with its size and gives the meaning “in your size”. It is part of the expression used to describe clothing as being the right size for someone. The phrase “à votre taille” can be reused when discussing whether an item is available in someone’s size.
votre Votre means “your” in “à votre taille”. It refers to the customer’s size in this polite shop exchange. It can be placed before a noun when addressing someone politely about something belonging or relating to them.
taille Taille means “size” here, specifically a clothing size in “à votre taille”. It identifies the size that suits the customer. The phrase “votre taille” is useful when asking about or offering clothing sizes.
Je Je means “I” and is the subject of the question “Je peux l'essayer ?”. It identifies the customer as the person asking to try on the shirt. The reusable pattern “Je peux” introduces a request about what the speaker can do.
peux Peux means “can” in “Je peux l'essayer ?”. Together with the question, it asks for permission to try the shirt on. It comes before the action in the reusable pattern Je peux followed by an infinitive.
l'essayer L'essayer means “try it on” in this clothing-shop context. The l' refers to the shirt, and essayer expresses the action of trying it; together they form the meaning of trying the shirt on. In “Je peux l'essayer ?”, this exact form follows peux.
La La means “the” before cabine in “La cabine d'essayage est juste ici”. It introduces the specific changing room being indicated. It is the feminine singular definite article used before a feminine noun.
cabine Cabine means “room” or “booth” here. In “La cabine d'essayage”, it refers specifically to the changing room because d'essayage identifies its purpose. The phrase “la cabine” can refer to a particular booth or small room.
d'essayage D'essayage means “for trying on” in “La cabine d'essayage”. It specifies that the cabine is used for trying on clothes. The full phrase “cabine d'essayage” is the reusable expression for a changing room.
est Est means “is” in “La cabine d'essayage est juste ici”. It connects the changing room with its location. The same subject-plus-location structure can describe where something is.
juste Juste means “just” or “right” in “juste ici”. It adds precision to the location, giving the meaning “right here”. The expression “juste ici” is useful when pointing out a nearby place.
ici Ici means “here” in “La cabine d'essayage est juste ici”. It points to the place near the speaker. Together with juste, it identifies the changing room’s exact nearby location.
Elle Elle means “it” here and refers to the feminine noun chemise in “Elle me va très bien” and “Elle vous va bien”. Because the subject is the shirt, it does not mean “she” in this dialogue. It is used as the subject when evaluating how the shirt fits or suits someone.
me Me identifies the person for whom the shirt fits in “Elle me va très bien”. It means “me” in the expression describing how the shirt suits the customer. The pattern places the person after va.
va Va means “fits” or “suits” in “Elle me va très bien”; it does not refer to physical movement here. With the garment as the subject and me or vous as the person, it describes how the clothing fits that person. The same pattern appears in “Elle vous va bien”.
très Très means “very” or “really” in “Elle me va très bien”. It intensifies bien, showing that the shirt fits especially well. The reusable expression “très bien” gives a strong positive assessment.
bien Bien means “well” in “Elle me va très bien” and “Elle vous va bien”. With va and a person pronoun, it describes how well the clothing fits or suits that person. It can appear with très for a stronger assessment.

Grammar Points

avoir besoin de + nom

Vous avez besoin de quelque chose ?

voo-zah-VAY buh-ZWAN duh kellk SHOHZ?

Do you need something?

French uses avoir besoin de for “to need”; the noun or pronoun follows de.

nouveau / nouvelle + nom

une nouvelle chemise

ün noo-VELL shuh-MEEZ

a new shirt

Nouveau agrees with the noun: nouvelle is the feminine form used with chemise.

French Vocabulary

avoir verb
ah-VWAHR to have avez

si vous en avez

besoin noun
buh-ZWAN need

J'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise

bleu adj
BLUH blue
chemise noun
shuh-MEEZ shirt
chercher verb
shair-SHAY to look for cherchez
couleur noun
koo-LUR color
nouveau adj
noo-VOH new nouvelle

une nouvelle chemise

pouvoir verb
poo-VWAHR can / to be able to peux
quelle det
kell what / which

Quelle couleur

quelque chose pron
kellk-SHOHZ something
taille noun
TAH-y size

à votre taille

voici adv
vuh-SEE here is

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I need a new shirt.

Show AnswerJ'ai besoin d'une nouvelle chemise.

What color are you looking for?

Show AnswerQuelle couleur cherchez-vous ?

Here is one in your size.

Show AnswerVoici une chemise à votre taille.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

need

Show Answerbesoin

shirt

Show Answerchemise

new

Show Answernouvelle

color

Show Answercouleur