Borrowing a pen and notebook | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a shared space, one person borrows a pen and notebook for a short list and agrees where to put them back..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a pen and notebook to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Est-ce que je peux utiliser un stylo ?

ess-kuh zhuh puh ew-tee-lee-ZAY uhn stee-LOH Can I use a pen?
B

Prends le noir dans le pot.

prahn luh NWAHR dahn luh POH Take the black one from the cup.
A

J'ai aussi besoin d'un cahier.

zhay oh-SEE buh-ZWAN duhn ka-YAY I need a notebook too.
B

Il y en a un vieux dans le tiroir.

eel yahn-nah uhn VYUH dahn luh tee-RWAHR There is an old one in the drawer.
A

J'ai seulement besoin d'écrire une petite liste.

zhay suhl-MAHN buh-ZWAN day-KREER ewn puh-TEET LEEST I only need to write a short list.
B

Rapporte les deux quand tu as fini.

rah-PORT lay DUH kahn tew ah fee-NEE Bring both back when you finish.
A

Je vais les poser sur ton bureau.

zhuh veh lay poh-ZAY sewr tohn bew-ROH I will put them on your desk.
B

Comme ça, ils sont faciles à trouver.

kohm sah eel sohn fah-SEEL ah trew-VAY That makes them easy to find.

Word by Word

Est-ce In Est-ce que je peux utiliser un stylo ?, Est-ce starts the question form used to ask permission. A common pattern is Est-ce que + subject + verb when asking a yes-or-no question.
que In Est-ce que je peux utiliser un stylo ?, que links the question-forming Est-ce to the rest of the question. It is reused in the pattern Est-ce que + subject + verb.
je Je means I and is the subject of peux in Je peux utiliser un stylo. A useful pattern is je peux + infinitive when saying what you can do or asking permission.
peux Peux expresses can or may in Je peux utiliser un stylo ?, so the speaker is asking whether using a pen is allowed. Peux is the form of pouvoir used with je; reuse je peux + infinitive for a request or ability.
utiliser Utiliser names the action the speaker wants to do: use a pen. It follows peux in je peux utiliser, so a useful pattern is peux + infinitive when describing an action that is possible or permitted.
un In un stylo, un introduces one pen without identifying a specific pen. Reuse un + noun when referring to one item, such as one object someone can use.
stylo Stylo means pen in un stylo, the object the speaker asks to use. A useful pattern is utiliser un stylo when talking about using a pen.
Prends Prends tells one person to take something in Prends le noir dans le pot. It is the form of prendre used for a direct instruction to tu; reuse Prends + object when telling that person what to take.
le In le noir, le helps identify the specific item meant by the following description; the whole phrase means the black one. Reuse le + descriptive word when the noun is understood from the context.
noir Noir identifies the requested item as black; with le, le noir means the black one. A useful pattern is le + color word when choosing one item by its color.
dans Dans places the pen inside the container in dans le pot, meaning in the cup or container. Reuse dans + place when saying where an object is located.
pot Pot means the cup or container holding the pen in le pot. The useful location pattern here is dans le pot when telling someone where to find an item.
J'ai J'ai means I have in J'ai aussi besoin d'un cahier, where the expression says that the speaker needs a notebook. J'ai is the form of avoir used with je; reuse J'ai besoin de + noun or infinitive to state a need.
aussi Aussi adds the notebook as another thing the speaker needs in J'ai aussi besoin d'un cahier. Reuse J'ai aussi besoin de... when adding another needed item or action.
besoin Besoin is the need part of J'ai besoin de, and J'ai besoin d'un cahier means I need a notebook. Reuse avoir besoin de + noun or infinitive when expressing a need.
d'un D'un connects besoin to the noun in besoin d'un cahier and means of a in the structure that translates as need a notebook. It is the contracted form of de + un; reuse besoin d'un + noun for a need involving one item.
cahier Cahier means notebook in d'un cahier. A useful pattern is besoin d'un cahier when saying that a notebook is needed.
Il Il starts the expression Il y en a un vieux, which says that an old one is present. In this existence expression, il is part of the fixed structure Il y a + item; it is useful when introducing something that is available or located somewhere.
y Y contributes there in Il y en a un vieux, referring to the existence or presence of an item. Reuse il y a + noun to say that something is present or available in a place.
en En points to an understood quantity or group of items in Il y en a un vieux, giving the idea that there is an old one. A useful pattern is Il y en a + quantity or description when referring to some items from an understood group.
a A contributes there is in Il y en a un vieux, rather than expressing ordinary possession by itself. A is the form of avoir used in the expression il y a; reuse il y a + item to say that something exists or is present.
vieux Vieux identifies the notebook as old in un vieux, where the noun is understood from the conversation. Reuse un + descriptive word when the item being described is already clear.
tiroir Tiroir means drawer in dans le tiroir, the place where the old notebook is located. Reuse dans le tiroir when saying that something is inside a drawer.
seulement Seulement limits the speaker's need in J'ai seulement besoin d'écrire une petite liste: only writing a short list is needed. Reuse J'ai seulement besoin de... when narrowing a request to one requirement.
d'écrire D'écrire supplies the action needed in besoin d'écrire: to write. It is de + écrire contracted before a vowel; reuse avoir besoin d'écrire + object when stating that writing something is necessary.
une In une petite liste, une introduces one list without identifying a specific list. Reuse une + noun when referring to one item of this type.
petite Petite describes the list as limited in size or length in une petite liste, meaning a short list here. It comes before liste in this phrase; reuse petite + noun when describing a singular item as small or short.
liste Liste means list in une petite liste. A useful pattern from the dialogue is écrire une petite liste when talking about writing a short list.
Rapporte Rapporte tells one person to bring the borrowed items back in Rapporte les deux. It is the form of rapporter used for a direct instruction to tu; reuse Rapporte + object when asking someone to return something.
les Les refers to the known items in two related expressions: les deux means the two or both, while les poser means put them. Reuse les deux for two known items and place les before an infinitive in a phrase such as Je vais les poser.
deux Deux identifies the number of items in les deux, meaning both of the two borrowed items. Reuse les deux when referring to two known things together, especially when returning or checking them.
quand Quand introduces the time condition in quand tu as fini, meaning when you have finished. Reuse quand + subject + verb when linking an action to the time it happens.
tu Tu means you and identifies the person being told to return the items in Rapporte les deux quand tu as fini. Reuse tu + verb when addressing one person as tu.
as As means have in tu as fini and helps express that the person has finished. As is the form of avoir used with tu; reuse tu as fini when referring to the completion of an activity.
fini Fini means finished in tu as fini, so the phrase refers to the point when the person has completed the task. Fini is the form of finir used with as here; reuse avoir + fini to describe a completed activity.
vais Vais expresses the speaker's intention in Je vais les poser, meaning I will put them down. It is the form of aller used with je; reuse Je vais + infinitive to state a planned action.
poser Poser names the action planned in Je vais les poser: to put or place the items. It follows vais in Je vais + infinitive; the dialogue also gives the reusable placement pattern poser ... sur + place.
sur Sur marks the surface where the items will be placed in sur ton bureau, meaning on your desk. Reuse sur + place when describing an object as being on a surface.
ton Ton identifies the desk as belonging to the person being addressed in ton bureau, meaning your desk. Reuse ton + noun when referring to something belonging to that person.
bureau Bureau means desk in ton bureau. A useful pattern is poser quelque chose sur ton bureau when saying that an item will be placed on the person's desk.
Comme Comme is part of Comme ça, meaning in this way or like this. Reuse Comme ça at the start of a statement that explains the result or usefulness of an arrangement.
ça Ça points to the way just described in Comme ça, meaning that way or like this. Reuse Comme ça when referring to an action or arrangement that has just been mentioned.
ils Ils refers back to the pen and notebook in ils sont faciles à trouver. Reuse ils sont + adjective when describing two or more known items.
sont Sont means are in ils sont faciles à trouver and links the items to their description. Sont is the form of être used with ils; reuse ils sont + adjective for a description of plural items.
faciles Faciles describes the two items as easy to find in faciles à trouver. Reuse the pattern être faciles à + infinitive when saying that several actions can be done easily.
à In faciles à trouver, à connects the description faciles to the action trouver, giving the meaning easy to find. Reuse facile or faciles à + infinitive to describe an action that is easy to do.
trouver Trouver names the action of locating the pen and notebook in faciles à trouver. It follows à in the pattern facile or faciles à + infinitive when describing something that is easy to locate or do.

Grammar Points

L’impératif à la 2e personne : prends / rapporte

Prends le stylo noir.

PRAHN luh stee-LOH NWAHR

Take the black pen.

The imperative gives a direct instruction. The subject pronoun is omitted, and the verb form changes: prends.

aller + infinitif : je vais + verbe

Je vais écrire une liste.

zhuh veh ay-KREER ewn LEEST

I’m going to write a list.

Use aller in the present plus an infinitive to express an action that will happen soon.

French Vocabulary

aussi adv
oh-SEE also; too
avoir besoin de phrase
ah-VWAHR buh-ZWAN duh to need besoin d'

I need a notebook too.

cahier noun
ka-YAY notebook
écrire verb
ay-KREER to write
noir adj
NWAHR black one
pot noun
POH cup; pot
prendre verb
PRAHN-druh to take Prends
seulement adv
suhl-MAHN only
stylo noun
stee-LOH pen
tiroir noun
tee-RWAHR drawer
utiliser verb
ew-tee-lee-ZAY to use
vieux adj
VYUH old

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Take the black one from the cup.

Show AnswerPrends le noir dans le pot.

I need a notebook too.

Show AnswerJ'ai aussi besoin d'un cahier.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

old

Show Answervieux

to take

Show AnswerPrends

to use

Show Answerutiliser

notebook

Show Answercahier