Asking for Help with a Task | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Asking for Help with a Task to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

J'ai besoin d'aide pour cette tâche.

zhay buh-ZWAN ded poor set TASH. I need help with this task.

Quelle partie te semble difficile ?

KEL pahr-TEE tuh SAHMBL dee-fee-SEEL? Which part feels difficult?

La première partie n'est pas claire.

lah pruh-MYEHR pahr-TEE neh pah KLEHR. The first part is unclear.

Je peux te guider.

zhuh puh tuh gee-DAY. I can walk you through it.

Est-ce que je dois commencer par ce fichier ?

ess kuh zhuh DWA koh-mahn-SAY pahr suh fee-YAY? Should I start with this file?

Commence par là, puis montre-moi ce que tu as.

koh-MAHNS pahr LAH, pwee MOHN-truh-MWA suh kuh tew AH. Start there, then show me what you have.

Je vais essayer maintenant.

zhuh veh eh-say-YAY meh(n)-tuh-NAHN. I'll try that now.

Je peux vérifier ton travail après ça.

zhuh puh vay-ree-FYAY tohn trah-VY ah-PREH SAH. I can check your work after that.

Word by Word

J'ai “J'ai” means “I have” in “J'ai besoin d'aide”. It is the exact form used to begin the expression for saying that you need something; a reusable pattern is “J'ai besoin de” followed by a noun or action.

besoin In “J'ai besoin d'aide”, “besoin” expresses a need. It is used with “avoir besoin de” to say that someone needs something, such as help or a file.

d'aide “D'aide” means “of help” and identifies what is needed in “J'ai besoin d'aide”. It follows “besoin de”; the shortened form “d'” appears before the vowel at the start of “aide”.

pour “Pour” means “for” in “pour cette tâche”, showing what the help is related to. A common reuse pattern is “pour” followed by a noun to identify a purpose or task.

cette “Cette” means “this” before “tâche” in “cette tâche”. It points to one specific task that the speakers have in mind and is placed directly before the noun.

tâche “Tâche” means “task” in the workplace situation. It can be used after a demonstrative such as “cette” to identify a particular task.

Quelle “Quelle” means “which” in “Quelle partie”, asking the listener to identify one part. It is placed before the noun in this information question.

partie “Partie” means “part” or “section” in “Quelle partie”. It identifies one section of the task, and it can follow “quelle” when asking which section.

te “Te” refers to “you” in “te semble difficile”, the person to whom something seems difficult. It is used with expressions about someone’s impression, such as asking what seems difficult to that person.

semble “Semble” means “seems” in “te semble difficile”, describing how the part appears to the listener. The reusable pattern is “te semble” followed by an adjective or description.

difficile “Difficile” means “difficult” in “te semble difficile”. It describes the part that feels hard, and it can follow “semble” to describe how something appears.

La “La” means “the” before “première partie” in “La première partie”. It introduces the specific part being discussed and comes directly before the description and noun.

première “Première” means “first” in “La première partie”. It identifies the part that comes at the beginning, and it is placed before the noun it describes.

n'est In “n'est pas claire”, “n'est” is the verb form used with the negative structure meaning “is not”. The following “pas” completes the negation; a reusable pattern is “n'est pas” followed by a description.

pas “Pas” means “not” in “n'est pas claire”. It completes the negative expression with “n'est”, and the pattern “n'est pas” is used before a description.

claire “Claire” means “clear” in “n'est pas claire”, describing the first part as understandable or not understandable. It follows “n'est pas” to say that something is not clear.

Je “Je” means “I” in “Je peux te guider” and “Je vais essayer maintenant”. It is placed before the verb when the speaker says what they can do or intend to do.

peux “Peux” means “can” in “Je peux te guider” and “Je peux vérifier ton travail”. It is followed by an action in its basic form; a reusable pattern is “Je peux” plus an action.

guider “Guider” means “guide” or “help someone know what to do” in “Je peux te guider”. It follows “peux” and names the action the speaker can provide.

Est-ce que “Est-ce que” is a fixed question frame in “Est-ce que je dois commencer par ce fichier ?”, turning the following statement into a yes-or-no question. “Est-ce” begins the question frame, and “que” connects it to the rest of the clause.

dois “Dois” expresses “should” or “must” in “je dois commencer”, asking whether starting is required or expected. It is followed by the basic form of the action, such as “commencer”.

commencer “Commencer” means “start” in “je dois commencer par ce fichier”. It follows “dois” and is used with “par” to identify the point or item where an activity begins.

par “Par” means “with” or “by” in “commencer par ce fichier”, indicating the starting point. A reusable pattern is “commencer par” followed by the first item or step.

ce “Ce” means “this” before “fichier” in “ce fichier”. It points to one specific file and comes directly before the noun.

fichier “Fichier” means “file” in “ce fichier”. It identifies the work item that the speaker is considering as the starting point.

Commence “Commence” means “start” as a direct instruction in “Commence par là”. It tells someone where to begin, and a reusable pattern is “Commence par” followed by a place, item, or step.

là “Là” means “there” in “Commence par là”, referring to the indicated starting point. Together with “par”, it identifies where the person should begin.

puis “Puis” means “then” in “puis montre-moi ce que tu as”. It marks the next action in a sequence and is placed before that action.

montre-moi “Montre-moi” means “show me” in “montre-moi ce que tu as”. It is a direct instruction followed by what should be shown; the hyphen joins the action to “me” in this form.

que In “ce que tu as”, “que” introduces what is being shown: the thing that the other person has. The reusable pattern is “ce que” followed by a subject and an action.

tu “Tu” means “you” as the person doing the action in “tu as”. It is the subject placed before the verb when addressing one person in this dialogue.

as “As” means “have” in “ce que tu as”, referring to the work or material the listener currently possesses. It follows “tu” and can be followed by the thing someone has.

vais “Vais” expresses “am going to” or “will” in “Je vais essayer maintenant”, showing an intended action. The reusable pattern is “Je vais” followed by an action in its basic form.

essayer “Essayer” means “try” in “Je vais essayer maintenant”. It follows “vais” and names the action the speaker intends to do.

maintenant “Maintenant” means “now” in “Je vais essayer maintenant”. It places the intended action in the present moment and can be used to indicate when an action will happen.

vérifier “Vérifier” means “check” in “Je peux vérifier ton travail après ça”. It follows “peux” and names the action of examining the other person’s work.

ton “Ton” means “your” before “travail” in “ton travail”. It links the work to the person addressed and is placed directly before the noun it describes.

travail “Travail” means “work” in “ton travail”, referring to what the learner produces while doing the task. It can be used after a possessive such as “ton” to identify someone’s work.

après “Après” means “after” in “après ça”, showing that the checking will happen later than the earlier action. A reusable pattern is “après” followed by a thing or event.

ça “Ça” means “that” or “it” in “après ça”, referring to the action of trying that was just mentioned. Together, “après ça” means after that action.

Grammar Points

avoir besoin de + nom

Tu as besoin d'aide.

tew AH buh-ZWAN ded.

You need help.

The fixed expression avoir besoin de means “to need”; de stays before a noun.

Impératif + pronom objet : montre-moi

Montre-moi.

MOHN-truh-MWA.

Show me.

In a positive command, the object pronoun follows the verb and connects with a hyphen.

French Vocabulary

besoin d'aide phrase

buh-ZWAN ded need help

claire adj

KLEHR clear

commence verb

koh-MAHNS start

commencer verb

koh-mahn-SAY to start

difficile adj

dee-fee-SEEL difficult

fichier noun

fee-YAY file

guider verb

gee-DAY to guide

partie noun

pahr-TEE part

première adj

pruh-MYEHR first

quelle det

KEL which

semble verb

SAHMBL seems

tâche noun

TASH task

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I need help with this task.

Show Answer

J'ai besoin d'aide pour cette tâche.

Which part feels difficult?

Show Answer

Quelle partie te semble difficile ?

The first part is unclear.

Show Answer

La première partie n'est pas claire.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

part

Show Answer

partie

task

Show Answer

tâche

clear

Show Answer

claire

first

Show Answer

première