About This Lesson
Use Borrowing a book in a quiet library to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Cette bibliothèque est très calme.
set bee-blee-yoh-TEK eh treh KAHLM This library is very quiet.
B
Nous parlons doucement pour que les gens puissent étudier.
noo par-LON doo-suh-MON poor kuh lay ZHAHN pweess ay-tew-dee-YAY We keep our voices low so people can study.
A
Je veux emprunter ce livre.
zhuh vuh ahm-pruhn-TAY suh LEEVR I want to borrow this book.
B
Je peux vous aider à l'emprunter au bureau.
zhuh puh voo zay-DAY ah lahn-pruhn-TAY oh bew-ROH I can check it out for you at the desk.
A
Où est-ce que je dois le rendre ?
oo ehss kuh zhuh dwah luh RAHNDR Where should I return it?
B
Rapportez-le au bureau quand vous avez fini.
rah-por-TAY luh oh bew-ROH kahn voo zah-VAY fee-NEE Bring it back to the desk when you are finished.
A
La place près de la fenêtre a l'air confortable.
lah PLAHS preh duh lah fuh-NEHTR ah LAIR kohn-for-TAHBL The window seat looks comfortable.
B
Vous pouvez vous asseoir là et lire avant de partir.
voo poo-VAY voo zah-SWAHR lah ay leer ah-VAHN duh par-TEER You can sit there and read before you leave.Word by Word
Cette
In "Cette bibliothèque", "Cette" means "this" and points to the specific library. It comes directly before the noun it identifies.
bibliothèque
Here, "bibliothèque" means library, the place being described as quiet. It follows "Cette" in "Cette bibliothèque" to name the place.
est
In "Cette bibliothèque est très calme", "est" links the library to the description "très calme", meaning is. A useful pattern is a subject followed by "est" and a description.
très
Here, "très" strengthens "calme" to mean very quiet. It is placed immediately before the adjective it intensifies, as in "très calme".
calme
In "Cette bibliothèque est très calme", "calme" describes the library as quiet. It is used after "est" to describe the atmosphere of a place.
Nous
Here, "Nous" means we and includes the speaker with other people. It is the subject before "parlons" and identifies who is speaking softly.
parlons
In "Nous parlons doucement", "parlons" means speak or talk and is the form used with "Nous". It describes how the group speaks in the library.
doucement
Here, "doucement" tells how "Nous parlons" happens: softly or quietly. It follows the verb in "Nous parlons doucement" and is useful when describing a gentle manner of speaking.
pour
In "pour que les gens puissent étudier", "pour" helps introduce the purpose: people should be able to study. With "que", it connects the main action to the purpose clause.
que
Here, "que" links the purpose introduced by "pour" to the clause "les gens puissent étudier". The exact construction "pour que" is used before a purpose clause.
les
In "les gens", "les" means the before a plural noun. It comes directly before "gens" to refer to the people in the library.
gens
Here, "gens" means people, the people who need to study. It appears after "les" in "les gens" and names the people referred to in the clause.
puissent
In "les gens puissent étudier", "puissent" expresses that the people can or are able to study. This form is used in the purpose clause after "pour que" and is followed by the infinitive "étudier".
étudier
Here, "étudier" means study and names the action the people should be able to do. It follows "puissent" in "puissent étudier".
Je
In "Je veux emprunter", "Je" means I and is the speaker's subject. It appears before the verb and identifies who wants to borrow the book.
veux
Here, "veux" means want and is the form used with "Je" in "Je veux emprunter". It is followed by an infinitive to name the desired action, here "emprunter".
emprunter
In "emprunter ce livre", "emprunter" means borrow. It follows "veux", and the borrowed object comes after it: "emprunter ce livre".
ce
Here, "ce" means this and identifies the specific book in "ce livre". It comes directly before the masculine noun "livre".
livre
In "ce livre", "livre" means book, the item the visitor wants to borrow. It follows the determiner "ce" in the noun phrase.
peux
In "Je peux vous aider", "peux" means can and expresses ability or availability. It is used with "Je" and is followed by the infinitive "aider".
vous
The exact form "vous" means you in this dialogue. It is the person being helped in "vous aider" and is also the subject in "vous avez fini" and "Vous pouvez"; it can address one person politely or more than one person.
aider
Here, "aider" means help in "vous aider". It follows "peux" and is part of the practical offer "Je peux vous aider".
à
In "aider à l'emprunter", "à" links "aider" to the action of borrowing it. It appears before the infinitive phrase "l'emprunter"; a reusable construction is helping someone with a specific action.
l'emprunter
Here, "l'emprunter" means borrow it: "l'" refers back to the book and "emprunter" names the action. The object pronoun appears before the infinitive, as in "à l'emprunter".
au
In "au bureau", "au" means at the or to the and is the contracted form of à + le. It places the desk after a location or destination preposition.
bureau
Here, "bureau" means desk, the place where the librarian can help with borrowing. It follows "au" in "au bureau" to name the location.
Où
At the start of "Où est-ce que", "Où" means where and asks for a location. It introduces the question about where the book should be returned.
est-ce que
The exact phrase "est-ce que" opens a direct question. Within it, "est-ce" supplies the question frame and "que" links that frame to the following clause.
dois
In "Je dois le rendre", "dois" means should or must and expresses the speaker's obligation. It is the form used with "Je" and is followed by the infinitive "rendre".
le
Here, "le" means it and refers to the book in "le rendre". It is placed before the infinitive "rendre" as the object pronoun, unlike the article in "le livre".
rendre
In "le rendre", "rendre" means return the book. It follows "dois" and takes "le" before it, giving the reusable structure "dois le rendre".
Rapportez
At the start of "Rapportez-le", "Rapportez" means bring back or return and gives a direct instruction. It addresses one person politely or several people, with the object pronoun placed after the command.
quand
In "quand vous avez fini", "quand" means when and introduces the time for returning the book. It comes before a clause that tells when an action should happen.
avez
Here, "avez" means have in "vous avez fini". It is the form used with "vous" and works with "fini" to say that the activity is finished.
fini
In "vous avez fini", "fini" contributes the meaning finished, so the phrase says you have finished. It follows "avez" and describes a completed activity.
La
At the start of "La place", "La" means the and is the feminine singular definite article before "place". The same article appears lowercase in "de la fenêtre".
place
Here, "place" means seat or place; in "La place près de la fenêtre", it means the seat by the window. It follows the article "La" and is specified by "près de la fenêtre".
près
In "près de la fenêtre", "près" expresses nearness, meaning near. It works with "de" to introduce the thing used as the reference point.
de
Here, "de" has two roles in the dialogue: in "près de la fenêtre" it links "près" to the window, and in "avant de partir" it introduces the infinitive "partir". Its meaning depends on the construction around it.
fenêtre
In "près de la fenêtre", "fenêtre" means window, the reference point for the seat's location. It follows "la" in the phrase.
a l'air
The exact expression "a l'air confortable" means looks comfortable or seems comfortable. In it, "a" supplies the verb form meaning has, while "l'air" contributes the idea of appearance; together they describe how something seems.
confortable
Here, "confortable" means comfortable and describes the window seat in "a l'air confortable". It follows "a l'air" to give the quality the seat appears to have.
pouvez
In "Vous pouvez vous asseoir", "pouvez" means can and indicates that sitting is possible or allowed. It is the form used with "Vous" and is followed by the infinitive "vous asseoir".
s'asseoir
Here, "s'asseoir" means sit down and is the action allowed in "Vous pouvez vous asseoir". It is a reflexive infinitive after "pouvez", used when the person sits themself.
là
In "Vous pouvez vous asseoir là", "là" means there and points to the window seat. It comes after the action phrase to identify where the person can sit.
et
Here, "et" means and and joins the two actions "vous asseoir" and "lire". It shows that both actions are included in what the visitor can do before leaving.
lire
In "vous asseoir là et lire", "lire" means read. It is coordinated with "vous asseoir" after "pouvez", so the same person can do both actions.
avant
In "avant de partir", "avant" means before and places reading earlier than leaving. It is followed by "de" and an infinitive when the following action is expressed as "partir".
partir
Here, "partir" means leave in "avant de partir". It is an infinitive after "de", and the phrase expresses an action that happens before leaving.
Grammar Points
avant de + infinitif
Avant de partir
ah-VAHN duh par-TEERBefore leaving
Use avant de followed by an infinitive when the subject is the same in both actions.
avoir l'air + adjectif
a l'air confortable
ah LAIR kohn-for-TAHBLlooks comfortable
Avoir l'air means “to look” or “to seem”; it is followed by an adjective.
French Vocabulary
aider
verb
ay-DAY
to help
bibliothèque
noun
bee-blee-yoh-TEK
library
calme
adj
KAHLM
quiet; calm
doucement
adv
doo-suh-MON
softly; quietly
emprunter
verb
ahm-pruhn-TAY
to borrow
étudier
verb
ay-tew-dee-YAY
to study
gens
noun
ZHAHN
people
livre
noun
LEEVR
book
parler
verb
par-LAY
to speak; to talk
parlons
pouvoir
verb
poo-VWAHR
can; to be able to
puissent
vouloir
verb
voo-LWAHR
to want
veux
vous
pron
VOO
you
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
This library is very quiet.
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Cette bibliothèque est très calme.I want to borrow this book.
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Je veux emprunter ce livre.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
library
Show Answer
bibliothèquesoftly; quietly
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doucementpeople
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gensquiet; calm