About This Lesson
Use Buying a train ticket to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Tu as déjà un billet de train ?
too ah day-ZHAH uhn bee-YEH duh trehN Do you already have a train ticket?
B
Pas encore. Je dois en acheter un.
pahz ahn-KOR. zhuh dwah zahn ahsh-TAY uhn. Not yet. I need to buy one.
A
Il y a des machines à billets près de l'entrée.
eel yah day ma-SHEEN ah bee-YEH preh duh lahn-TRAY. There are ticket machines by the entrance.
B
Je vais acheter le mien là-bas.
zhuh veh ahsh-TAY luh MYEHN lah-BAH. I'll get mine there.
A
J'ai mon billet sur mon téléphone.
zhay mohN bee-YEH syoor mohN tay-lay-FOHN. I have my ticket on my phone.
B
Alors, je vais te retrouver ici après avoir acheté le mien.
ah-LOR, zhuh veh tuh ruh-troo-VAY ee-SEE ah-PRAY ah-VWAR ahsh-TAY luh MYEHN. Then I'll meet you back here after I buy mine.
A
Je vais attendre près des machines.
zhuh veh ah-TAHN-druh preh day ma-SHEEN. I'll wait near the machines.
B
Cherche-moi à côté des machines.
SHERSH-mwah ah koh-TAY day ma-SHEEN. Look for me beside them.Word by Word
Tu
In “Tu as déjà un billet de train ?”, Tu identifies the person being addressed: you. It is used here to ask one person whether they already have a ticket. A reusable pattern is “Tu + verb ... ?” when asking that person a question.
as
In “Tu as déjà un billet de train ?”, as expresses having or possessing something. It is followed here by the object “un billet de train”. Use “Tu as ... ?” to ask whether someone has something.
déjà
In “Tu as déjà un billet de train ?”, déjà means already and asks whether the ticket has been obtained before now. It commonly appears with a verb when checking whether something has happened. This is useful when asking about preparation or completed actions.
un
In “un billet de train”, un introduces one unspecified ticket, meaning a ticket. It comes directly before the singular noun “billet”. Use “un” before a singular masculine noun when referring to one unspecified item.
billet
In “un billet de train”, billet means ticket, specifically the ticket being discussed for the journey. It is the noun after “un” and before “de train”. This word is useful when buying or showing a train ticket at a station.
de
In “billet de train”, de links billet with train and identifies the kind of ticket: a train ticket. It connects a noun with another noun that specifies its type or purpose. The pattern “noun + de + type or thing” is reusable in similar noun groups.
train
In “billet de train”, train identifies the transport connected with the ticket: train. It follows “de” to specify what kind of billet it is. This expression is useful when buying or discussing transport tickets.
Pas
In “Pas encore”, Pas supplies the negation, meaning not. Together with “encore”, the expression means not yet. Use “Pas encore” when something has not happened by the expected time.
encore
In “Pas encore”, encore refers to a time that has not been reached yet. The complete expression “Pas encore” answers that the ticket has not been bought at this point. It is useful when replying briefly to a question about whether something is ready.
Je
In “Je dois en acheter un”, Je identifies the speaker: I. It appears before the verb form “dois”. Use “Je + verb” to describe the speaker’s action, need, or situation.
dois
In “Je dois en acheter un”, dois says that the speaker needs to or must buy one. It is followed by the infinitive “acheter”. The reusable pattern “Je dois + infinitive” expresses a personal need or obligation.
en
In “en acheter un”, en refers back to the tickets already mentioned, so the speaker can say to buy one without repeating “billet”. The full sequence “en acheter un” means to buy one of them, and en comes before “acheter”. This pattern is useful when the item has already been identified.
acheter
In “Je dois en acheter un”, acheter means to buy. It stays in this infinitive form after “dois” and is also used after “vais” in “Je vais acheter le mien”. Use it after a verb expressing need or an intended action.
Il
In “Il y a des machines à billets”, Il is the fixed subject element of the expression used to say that something exists or is present. It does not refer to a person in this sentence. This expression is useful for pointing out what is available at a place.
y
In “Il y a des machines à billets”, y is part of the fixed existence expression “Il y a”. Together, “Il y a” means there is or there are. Use this expression before the thing that is present, such as “Il y a ...”.
a
In “Il y a des machines à billets”, a is the verb form used inside “Il y a” to state that something is present. The meaning comes from the complete expression rather than from a alone. Use “Il y a + noun” when telling someone that something is available or located there.
des
In “des machines à billets”, des introduces more than one unspecified machine. It comes directly before the plural noun “machines”. Use “des” before plural nouns when referring to unspecified items.
machines
In “des machines à billets”, machines means machines, here the ticket machines at the station entrance. It follows “des” and is specified by “à billets”. This word is useful when giving directions to an automated station facility.
à
In “machines à billets”, à links the machines with their function: machines for tickets. This meaning belongs to the complete expression “machines à billets”, not to à alone. The pattern “machine à + purpose” can describe a machine designed for a particular task.
billets
In “machines à billets”, billets means tickets and identifies what the machines provide. The plural form matches the plural machines and follows “à”. This expression is useful when directing someone to ticket machines in a station.
près
In “près de l'entrée”, près means near and describes a short distance from the entrance. It is used with “de” before the place or thing that is nearby. Use “près de + place or thing” when giving a location.
l'entrée
In “près de l'entrée”, l'entrée means the entrance. The form includes l' before entrée and names the place used as the reference point for “près de”. This is useful when arranging to meet near a station entrance.
vais
In “Je vais acheter le mien là-bas”, vais expresses an intended or imminent action with “acheter”. It is followed by an infinitive in the pattern “Je vais + infinitive”. Use this pattern when saying what you are going to do next.
le
In “le mien”, le is part of the possessive expression meaning mine and matches the ticket being referred to. It comes before “mien” rather than standing alone with its full meaning here. Use “le mien” to refer back to a masculine singular item that belongs to the speaker.
mien
In “le mien”, mien means mine and refers back to the speaker’s ticket. Together with “le”, it replaces a repeated noun such as “mon billet”. This is useful when comparing or identifying the speaker’s item after another item has been mentioned.
là-bas
In “Je vais acheter le mien là-bas”, là-bas means there, referring to a place away from the speakers, here the ticket machines. It comes after the action to indicate where it will happen. Use it when pointing to a visible or previously identified place.
J'ai
In “J'ai mon billet sur mon téléphone”, J'ai means I have and combines the speaker with the verb of possession. It introduces the object “mon billet” and explains that the ticket is already available. Use “J'ai + object” to say that you have something.
mon
In “mon billet”, mon means my and identifies the ticket as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before “billet”. Use “mon + noun” when identifying something that belongs to or is associated with the speaker.
sur
In “sur mon téléphone”, sur means on and indicates that the ticket is located on the phone. It comes before the device that contains or displays the item. Use “sur + device” when saying that information or an item is on that device.
téléphone
In “sur mon téléphone”, téléphone means phone and identifies the device where the ticket is stored. It follows “sur” and is preceded by “mon”. This expression is useful when explaining that a digital ticket can be shown from a phone.
Alors
In “Alors, je vais te retrouver ici”, Alors introduces the next step or consequence: then. It connects the other person’s ticket purchase with the plan to meet again. Use it at the start of a reply when moving from one fact to the next action.
te
In “te retrouver”, te identifies the person whom the speaker will meet again: you. It comes before the infinitive “retrouver”. Use this object-pronoun position when referring to the person affected by the action.
retrouver
In “te retrouver ici”, retrouver means to meet or find someone again, here to meet the other person back at this place. The person is placed before it in “te retrouver”. This expression is useful when arranging to meet someone again after separating.
ici
In “te retrouver ici”, ici means here and identifies the place where the meeting will happen. It follows the action “retrouver” and specifies the meeting location. Use it when referring to the speaker’s current or indicated place.
après
In “après avoir acheté le mien”, après means after and places one action later than another. It is followed here by “avoir acheté”, the completed action that happens first. Use “après + action” when explaining what will happen once something else is finished.
avoir
In “après avoir acheté le mien”, avoir is the infinitive used with “acheté” to express having bought the ticket. Together, “avoir acheté” describes the purchase as completed before the meeting. This pattern is useful after “après” when referring to a completed action.
acheté
In “avoir acheté le mien”, acheté means bought and describes the completed purchase of the ticket. It appears after “avoir” in the expression “avoir acheté”. Use this combination when saying that an item has been bought before another action.
attendre
In “Je vais attendre près des machines”, attendre means to wait. It follows “vais” in the pattern “Je vais attendre”, which expresses the speaker’s next action. This is useful when telling someone where you will stay until they return.
Cherche-moi
“Cherche-moi” directly tells the other person to look for me. The form combines the action “Cherche” with “moi”, the person to look for, joined by a hyphen. Use this kind of direct instruction when telling someone how to find you.
côté
In “à côté des machines”, côté means side and is part of the location expression meaning beside the machines. The complete pattern “à côté de + place or thing” gives a position next to something. Use it when giving a precise meeting point or direction.
Grammar Points
à côté de + les → à côté des
à côté des machines
ah koh-TAY day ma-SHEENbeside the machines
À côté de devient à côté des devant un nom pluriel avec l’article les.
le mien
le mien
luh MYEHNmine
Le mien remplace un nom masculin singulier déjà compris et s’accorde avec ce nom.
French Vocabulary
acheter
verb
ahsh-TAY
to buy
Je dois en acheter un
attendre
verb
ah-TAHN-druh
to wait
Je vais attendre près des machines
avoir
verb
ah-VWAR
to have
as
Tu as déjà un billet
billet
noun
bee-YEH
ticket
un billet de train
chercher
verb
shair-SHAY
to look for
Cherche
Cherche-moi à côté des machines
déjà
adv
day-ZHAH
already
encore
adv
ahn-KOR
yet; still
Pas encore
entrée
noun
ahn-TRAY
entrance
l'entrée
près de l'entrée
machine
noun
ma-SHEEN
machine
machines
des machines à billets
retrouver
verb
ruh-troo-VAY
to meet again; to find
je vais te retrouver ici
téléphone
noun
tay-lay-FOHN
phone
mon téléphone
sur mon téléphone
train
noun
trehN
train
un billet de train
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I'll get mine there.
Show Answer
Je vais acheter le mien là-bas.I have my ticket on my phone.
Show Answer
J'ai mon billet sur mon téléphone.I'll wait near the machines.
Show Answer
Je vais attendre près des machines.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
machine
Show Answer
machinesto meet again; to find
Show Answer
retrouverto wait
Show Answer
attendreto buy