Checking the Platform Before Boarding | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At a train station, two adults check the platform sign, manage bags, and watch for changes before boarding..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Checking the Platform Before Boarding to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Sur quel quai devons-nous aller ?

süür keh keh duh-VON-noo-zah-LAY Which platform should we go to?
B

Le panneau indique le quai deux.

luh pah-NOH an-DEEK luh keh DUH The sign points to platform two.
A

Je ne peux pas lire les petits caractères d'ici.

zhuh nuh puh PAH leer lay puh-TEE kah-rak-TEHR dee-SEE I can't read the small letters from here.
B

Il dit que le train part dans dix minutes.

eel DEE kuh luh trahn pahr dahn DEES mee-NÜT It says the train leaves in ten minutes.
A

Je vais aux toilettes avant de monter dans le train.

zhuh VEH oh twah-LEHT ah-VAHN duh mon-TAY dahn luh trahn I'm going to use the restroom before we board.
B

Je vais garder les sacs avec moi.

zhuh VEH gahr-DAY lay SAHK ah-VEHK MWAH I'll keep the bags with me.
A

Reste près de ce panneau, s'il te plaît.

rehst preh duh suh pah-NOH, seel tuh PLAY Please stay near this sign.
B

Je vais regarder le tableau pour voir si le quai change.

zhuh VEH ruh-gahr-DAY luh tah-BLOH poor VWAHR see luh keh SHAHNZH I'll watch the board in case the platform changes.

Word by Word

Sur In "Sur quel quai", "Sur" asks which platform the speakers should go to. It is used before a place or surface, as in "sur le quai" for being on the platform.
quel In "Sur quel quai", "quel" means "which" and identifies the platform being asked about. It comes directly before the noun, as in "quel train" for "which train".
quai Here, "quai" means the train platform. You can reuse it with a number or a location, as in "le quai deux" or "près du quai".
devons-nous In "devons-nous aller", "devons-nous" asks what the speakers should or must do. The form contains "devons" for "we must" with "nous" placed after it in this question pattern; reuse it before an action, as in "Devons-nous attendre ?" as a new example.
aller Here, "aller" means to go to the platform. It is used after "devons-nous" in the pattern "devons-nous aller"; a new example is "aller à la gare".
Le In "Le panneau", "Le" means "the" before the singular noun "panneau". It introduces a specific masculine noun, as in "le train" in the same dialogue.
panneau Here, "panneau" means the sign giving travel information. It can be used with "le" or "ce", as in "ce panneau" in the dialogue.
indique In "Le panneau indique le quai deux", "indique" says that the sign shows or points to platform two. It can be reused before the information being shown, as in "Le panneau indique la sortie" as a new example.
Je Here, "Je" means "I" as the person who cannot read or is going somewhere. It normally comes before the verb, as in "Je vais" and "Je ne peux pas lire" in the dialogue.
ne In "Je ne peux pas lire", "ne" is the first part of the French negation around "peux". With "pas", it forms "ne ... pas" to say that the speaker cannot read; reuse both parts around the verb.
peux Here, "peux" expresses the speaker's ability in "Je ne peux pas lire". With "ne ... pas", it means the speaker cannot do the following action; a new example is "Je peux attendre".
pas In "Je ne peux pas lire", "pas" completes the negation with "ne" and makes the statement negative. The reusable pattern is "ne ... pas" around the verb, as in "Je ne comprends pas" as a new example.
lire Here, "lire" means to read the small letters. It follows "peux" in the pattern "peux lire"; a new example is "lire le panneau".
les In "les petits caractères", "les" means "the" before the plural noun "caractères". It introduces specific plural things, as in "les sacs" in the dialogue.
petits Here, "petits" describes the letters as small. It comes before the plural noun "caractères" and matches that noun in this expression.
caractères In "les petits caractères", "caractères" means the written letters or characters that are difficult to read. It is useful for referring to writing on a sign or display.
d'ici Here, "d'ici" means "from here" and gives the place from which the speaker cannot read the letters. It can follow an action to show a viewpoint or starting place, as in "Je vois le train d'ici" as a new example.
Il In "Il dit que", "Il" refers to the sign as something that gives information, translated here as "it". It comes before the verb in the statement "Il dit".
dit Here, "dit" means "says" in "Il dit que le train part". It can introduce reported information with "que", as in "Le panneau dit que..." as a new example.
que In "Il dit que le train part", "que" introduces the information being reported. Reuse it after a verb such as "dit" when stating what someone or something says.
train Here, "train" means the train that leaves in ten minutes. It can be used after an article, as in "le train", or with an action such as "prendre le train" as a new example.
part In "le train part", "part" means that the train leaves or departs. It is used here as the action of the train, and you can reuse it in a time expression such as "Le train part à huit heures" as a new example.
dans Here, "dans dix minutes" means that the train leaves ten minutes from now. With a time period, "dans" marks the time until a future event; a new example is "dans une heure".
minutes In "dans dix minutes", "minutes" names the ten-minute time period before departure. It can be used after a number in time expressions, as in "cinq minutes" as a new example.
vais Here, "vais" expresses a planned or immediate action in "Je vais aux toilettes" and "Je vais garder les sacs". It is followed by a destination or an action, as in "Je vais attendre" as a new example.
aux In "Je vais aux toilettes", "aux" means "to the" before "toilettes". It is used here to mark the destination of going; the full destination expression is "aller aux toilettes".
toilettes Here, "toilettes" means the restroom. The common destination expression in the dialogue is "aller aux toilettes", used when saying you are going to the restroom.
avant In "avant de monter dans le train", "avant" means "before" and places one action earlier than another. Before an action, it is followed by "de" and an infinitive, as in "avant de partir" as a new example.
de Here, "de" links "avant" to the action "monter" in the pattern "avant de monter". Reuse "avant de" before an infinitive to say that something happens before an action.
monter In "monter dans le train", "monter" means to board or get on the train. With a vehicle, it is followed here by "dans" and the vehicle, preserving the pattern "monter dans le train".
garder Here, "garder" means to keep the bags with oneself. It follows "vais" in "Je vais garder"; a new example is "garder le billet".
sacs In "garder les sacs", "sacs" means the bags that one person will keep. It is used after the article "les" and after the verb "garder" as its object.
avec Here, "avec" means "with" and introduces the person who will have the bags. It is followed by a person, as in "avec moi" or "avec vous" as a new example.
moi In "avec moi", "moi" means "me" after the preposition "avec". This form is used after a preposition to refer to the speaker, as in "pour moi" as a new example.
Reste Here, "Reste" asks one person to stay near the sign. It is a direct request followed by a place expression, as in "Reste ici" as a new example.
près In "près de ce panneau", "près" means "near" and describes the location of the person. It is followed by "de" and the place or thing nearby, as in "près de la gare" as a new example.
ce Here, "ce" means "this" in "ce panneau" and points to the sign near the speakers. It comes directly before the singular noun it identifies.
s'il te plaît "s'il te plaît" politely marks the request "Reste près de ce panneau". Inside this expression, "s'il" means "if it", "te" refers to "you", and "plaît" means "pleases"; together they form the standard polite request expression. Use it after or at the end of a request to one person, as in "Écoute, s'il te plaît" as a new example.
regarder Here, "regarder" means to watch or look at the display board. It follows "vais" in "Je vais regarder"; a new example is "regarder le panneau".
tableau In "regarder le tableau", "tableau" means the station board or display showing travel information. It is used after "le" and can be the object of "regarder".
pour Here, "pour voir si" introduces the purpose of watching the board: finding out whether the platform changes. It can be followed by an infinitive to express purpose, as in "pour comprendre" as a new example.
voir In "pour voir si le quai change", "voir" means to see or find out. It follows "pour" in the purpose pattern "pour voir si...", which is used to check whether something is true.
si Here, "si" introduces the condition or question of whether the platform changes. The pattern "voir si" means to see whether something happens, as in "Je vais voir si le train arrive" as a new example.
change In "si le quai change", "change" means that the platform changes. It is used after the subject "le quai" and can describe a change in travel information, as in "Le programme change" as a new example.

Grammar Points

devoir + infinitif

Nous devons aller.

noo duh-VON-zah-LAY

We must go.

French uses a conjugated form of devoir followed by an infinitive; English uses must plus the base verb.

près de + ce + nom

près de ce tableau

preh duh suh tah-BLOH

near this board

près de is a fixed phrase meaning “near”; ce comes before the noun to mean “this.”

French Vocabulary

aller verb
ah-LAY to go

Sur quel quai devons-nous aller ?

caractère noun
kah-rak-TEHR letter; character caractères

Je ne peux pas lire les petits caractères d'ici.

devoir verb
duh-VWAHR must; should devons

Sur quel quai devons-nous aller ?

dire verb
DEER to say dit

Il dit que le train part dans dix minutes.

ici adv
dee-SEE here

Je ne peux pas lire les petits caractères d'ici.

indiquer verb
an-dee-KAY to indicate; to point to indique

Le panneau indique le quai deux.

lire verb
LEER to read

Je ne peux pas lire les petits caractères d'ici.

panneau noun
pah-NOH sign

Le panneau indique le quai deux.

partir verb
pahr-TEER to leave; to depart part

Il dit que le train part dans dix minutes.

petit adj
puh-TEE small petits

Je ne peux pas lire les petits caractères d'ici.

quai noun
keh platform

Sur quel quai devons-nous aller ?

train noun
trahn train

Il dit que le train part dans dix minutes.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Which platform should we go to?

Show AnswerSur quel quai devons-nous aller ?

The sign points to platform two.

Show AnswerLe panneau indique le quai deux.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

sign

Show Answerpanneau

to indicate; to point to

Show Answerindique

platform

Show Answerquai

small

Show Answerpetits