Catching the Train | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: During rush hour near a station, two adults hurry to the platform and prepare to board the train together..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Catching the Train to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

La route est vraiment très fréquentée aujourd'hui.

lah ROOT eh vreh-MAHN tray fray-kahn-TAY oh-zhoor-DWEE The road is really busy today.
B

L'heure de pointe a commencé.

LUHR duh PWANT ah koh-mahn-SAY Rush hour has started.
A

Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?

poo-VOHN-noo zahn-KOR PRAHN-druh luh proh-SHAN TRAN Can we still catch the next train?
B

Nous devrions pouvoir. La gare est juste devant nous.

noo duh-vree-YOHN poo-VWAHR. lah GAHR eh ZHÜST duh-VAHN NOO We should. The station is just ahead.
A

Je vois l'entrée maintenant.

zhuh VWAH lahn-TRAY meh-tuh-NAHN I can see the entrance now.
B

Allons directement au quai.

ah-LOHN dee-rekt-MAHN oh KAY Let's head straight to the platform.
A

Le train entre déjà en gare.

luh TRAN AHN-truh day-ZHAH ahn GAHR The train is pulling in already.
B

Reste près de moi, et on montera ensemble.

REST pray duh MWAH ay ohn mohn-tuh-RAH ahn-SAHMBL Stay close, and we'll board together.

Word by Word

La In “La route”, “La” means “the” and introduces the specific road being discussed. It appears before the feminine noun “route”; use the same pattern with a specific feminine noun, such as “la gare”. You would use it when identifying a particular person, place, or thing.
route In “La route est vraiment très fréquentée”, “route” means “road”. It is the road whose traffic is being described, and it follows “La”. Use “route” when talking about a road while travelling or describing traffic.
est In “La route est vraiment très fréquentée”, “est” means “is” and links the road to its description. It is used before an adjective or descriptive expression, as in “est fréquentée”. You would use it to describe a place or thing.
vraiment In “est vraiment très fréquentée”, “vraiment” means “really” and strengthens the description. It is placed before the expression it emphasizes. Use it when you want to stress that a description is true.
très In “très fréquentée”, “très” means “very” and makes the description stronger. It is placed directly before the descriptive word. Use “très” before a description when you want to express a high degree.
fréquentée In “La route est vraiment très fréquentée”, “fréquentée” describes the road as very busy or heavily used. Its form matches the feminine noun “route” in this sentence. You would use it to describe a road, place, or other location that many people use.
aujourd'hui In “aujourd'hui”, the word means “today” and places the situation on the current day. It appears at the end of the sentence after the description. Use it when saying when something is happening or being described.
L'heure In “L'heure de pointe”, “L'heure” means “the hour” or “the time period” and begins the expression for rush hour. The apostrophe joins “le” to “heure” before the vowel sound. Use it in time expressions such as “l'heure de pointe” when referring to a particular period.
de In “L'heure de pointe”, “de” links “heure” with “pointe” and helps form the meaning “peak hour”. It appears between the two nouns in this expression. Use “de” to connect related nouns in a fixed or descriptive phrase.
pointe In “L'heure de pointe”, “pointe” contributes the idea of a peak or busiest period. Together with “L'heure de”, it refers to rush hour, not to a separate physical point. Use this expression when discussing the busiest travel period.
a In “a commencé”, “a” helps express that the starting has happened: “has started”. It comes before “commencé” in this sentence. Use “a” with a completed action when reporting that something has happened.
commencé In “L'heure de pointe a commencé”, “commencé” means “started” and says that rush hour has begun. It follows “a” in the expression “a commencé”. You would use it to say that an event, period, or activity has begun.
Pouvons In “Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?”, “Pouvons” expresses “can” for “we”. The inverted form “Pouvons-nous” makes the sentence a question. Use this question pattern to ask whether you and another person can do something.
nous In “Pouvons-nous”, “nous” means “we” and identifies the people who may catch the train; in “Nous devrions pouvoir”, it also means “we”. It can appear after the verb in this question and before the verb in the statement. Use “nous” when speaking about yourself together with at least one other person.
encore In “Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?”, “encore” means “still” and shows that catching the train may remain possible. It is placed before the action expression “prendre le prochain train”. Use it when asking whether an opportunity or situation continues.
prendre In “prendre le prochain train”, “prendre” means “to take” or, in this travel context, “to catch” the next train. It is followed by the thing being taken, “le prochain train”. Use “prendre” with a means of transport when saying that you will take it.
le In “le prochain train” and “Le train”, “le” means “the” and introduces the specific train being discussed. Its capitalized form begins the sentence in “Le train”; the lowercase form follows another word. Use it before a specific masculine noun.
prochain In “le prochain train”, “prochain” means “next” and identifies the train that comes after the current one. It appears before the noun “train” in this expression. Use it before an upcoming event or transport option when choosing the next one.
train In “le prochain train” and “Le train entre déjà en gare”, “train” means “train”. It is the transport the speakers are trying to catch and board. Use it when talking about travelling by rail or a particular train.
devrions In “Nous devrions pouvoir”, “devrions” expresses “should” and gives the speakers’ expectation that they can manage it. It is followed by “pouvoir” in this sentence. Use this pattern to express that something is expected to be possible or advisable.
pouvoir In “devrions pouvoir”, “pouvoir” means “to be able to” and completes the idea that they should be capable of catching the train. It follows “devrions” in the expression “Nous devrions pouvoir”. Use it before another action when talking about ability or possibility.
gare In “La gare est juste devant nous”, “gare” means “station”. It is the station that is directly ahead of the speakers. Use “gare” when referring to a train station or the place where trains arrive and leave.
juste In “juste devant nous”, “juste” means “just” and limits the distance, showing that the station is directly ahead. It appears before the location expression “devant nous”. Use it to emphasize that something is immediately or precisely in a stated place.
devant In “juste devant nous”, “devant” means “ahead” or “in front”. With “nous”, it says that the station is in front of the speakers. Use “devant” to describe the position of a person or thing relative to someone else.
Je In “Je vois l'entrée maintenant”, “Je” means “I” and identifies the person who can see the entrance. It comes before the verb “vois”. Use “Je” when stating what you yourself see, do, or think.
vois In “Je vois l'entrée maintenant”, “vois” means “see” and reports the speaker’s visual perception. It is followed by what is seen, “l'entrée”. Use it to tell someone that you can see a person, place, or thing.
l'entrée In “Je vois l'entrée maintenant”, “l'entrée” means “the entrance”. The apostrophe joins the article to “entrée”, and the word is the thing the speaker sees. Use it when identifying the way into a building or station.
maintenant In “Je vois l'entrée maintenant”, “maintenant” means “now” and shows that the entrance has become visible at this moment. It appears at the end of the sentence. Use it to indicate the present time or a change that has just become relevant.
Allons In “Allons directement au quai”, “Allons” invites the people to go together, meaning “let's go”. It begins the suggestion and is followed by the direction “directement au quai”. Use it when urging someone to move somewhere with you.
directement In “Allons directement au quai”, “directement” means “directly” or “straight” and says that they should go without taking another route. It modifies the movement toward “au quai”. Use it when giving a direct route or instruction.
au In “au quai”, “au” means “to the” and marks the destination, the platform. It is the form used before the masculine noun “quai” in this phrase. Use “au” before a masculine destination when saying that someone is going to it.
quai In “au quai”, “quai” means “platform”, specifically the place at the station where the train is reached. It follows “au” to form the destination expression. Use it when directing someone to a train platform.
entre In “Le train entre déjà en gare”, “entre” means “enters” and describes the train arriving into the station area. It is followed by “en gare”, which gives the destination or setting of this movement. Use it to describe a train entering a station.
déjà In “entre déjà en gare”, “déjà” means “already” and shows that the train is entering sooner or earlier than expected. It appears after “entre” and before “en gare”. Use it when an action has happened by the relevant time.
en In “en gare”, “en” helps express movement into or arrival at the station setting. It appears before “gare” in the expression describing where the train enters. Use it in this kind of location expression when describing a train arriving at a station.
Reste In “Reste près de moi”, “Reste” tells one person to stay, meaning “stay”. It is followed by the location expression “près de moi”. Use it as an instruction when asking someone not to move away.
près In “près de moi”, “près” means “close” or “near”. It is followed by “de” and the person who is the reference point, “moi”. Use the pattern “près de” to say that someone or something is near another person or thing.
moi In “près de moi”, “moi” means “me” and identifies the person to whom the other person should stay close. It follows the preposition “de”. Use “moi” after a preposition when referring to yourself.
et In “Reste près de moi, et on montera ensemble”, “et” means “and” and connects the instruction with what will happen next. It joins two related parts of the message. Use it to connect actions, statements, or consequences.
on In “on montera ensemble”, “on” refers to the speakers together, meaning “we” in this dialogue. It comes before “montera” as the subject of the future action. Use “on” in everyday speech when referring to a group that includes the speaker.
montera In “on montera ensemble”, “montera” says that the group will get on or board the train together. It follows “on” and expresses the planned action after staying close. Use it when saying that someone will get on or move up in a later action.
ensemble In “on montera ensemble”, “ensemble” means “together” and shows that the speakers will board as a group. It comes after the action “montera”. Use it when emphasizing that people will do something jointly rather than separately.

Grammar Points

Impératif : allons / reste + complément

Allons directement au quai. Reste près de moi.

ah-LOHN dee-rekt-MAHN oh KAY. REST pray duh MWAH

Let's go straight to the platform. Stay close to me.

The imperative gives an instruction or suggestion. French uses allons for “let's” and reste for an informal singular command.

French Vocabulary

commencer verb
koh-mahn-SAY to start; to begin a commencé

L'heure de pointe a commencé.

encore adv
ahn-KOR still

Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?

fréquenté adj
fray-kahn-TAY busy; heavily used fréquentée

La route est vraiment très fréquentée aujourd'hui.

gare noun
GAHR station

La gare est juste devant nous.

heure de pointe phrase
UHR duh PWANT rush hour L'heure de pointe

L'heure de pointe a commencé.

juste devant nous phrase
ZHÜST duh-VAHN NOO just ahead of us

La gare est juste devant nous.

prendre le train phrase
PRAHN-druh luh TRAN to catch the train; to take the train prendre le prochain train

Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?

prochain adj
proh-SHAN next

Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?

route noun
ROOT road

La route est vraiment très fréquentée aujourd'hui.

train noun
TRAN train

Pouvons-nous encore prendre le prochain train ?

voir verb
VWAHR to see vois

Je vois l'entrée maintenant.

vraiment adv
vreh-MAHN really

La route est vraiment très fréquentée aujourd'hui.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Rush hour has started.

Show AnswerL'heure de pointe a commencé.

I can see the entrance now.

Show AnswerJe vois l'entrée maintenant.

Let's head straight to the platform.

Show AnswerAllons directement au quai.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

train

Show Answertrain

really

Show Answervraiment

next

Show Answerprochain

busy; heavily used

Show Answerfréquentée