About This Lesson
Use Preparing to go out in the rain to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Il pleut dehors.
eel pluh duh-OR It is raining outside.
B
Mets tes bottes avant de partir.
meh tay boht ah-VAHN duh par-TEER Wear your boots before you leave.
A
Il y a des flaques sur le chemin.
eel ee ah day FLAHK syur luh shuh-MAN There are puddles on the path.
B
Contourne-les doucement.
kohn-TOORN lay dooss-MAHN Step around them slowly.
A
Mon sac pourrait être mouillé.
mohn sahk poo-RAY EH-truh moo-YAY My bag might get wet.
B
Garde-le sous ton manteau.
gard luh soo tohn mahn-TOH Keep it under your coat.
A
Je devrais aussi prendre un parapluie.
zhuh duh-VRAY oh-SEE prahn-druh uhn pah-rah-PLOO-ee I should take an umbrella too.
B
Ça t'aidera à rester au sec.
sah tay-duh-RAH ah reh-STAY oh SEHK That will help keep you dry.Word by Word
Il
In "Il pleut dehors", "Il" is the impersonal subject used for the weather; it does not refer to a person or object. Use "Il" in weather expressions such as "Il pleut".
pleut
In "Il pleut dehors", "pleut" says that it is raining. It is the form of "pleuvoir" used with the impersonal subject "Il". Use "Il pleut" to describe rain.
dehors
In "Il pleut dehors", "dehors" means outside and locates the rain outdoors. It can be used after a weather expression to specify where something is happening.
Mets
In "Mets tes bottes", "Mets" tells one person to put on or wear something. It is the command form of "mettre". Use "Mets" followed by the item being put on, such as "Mets tes bottes".
tes
In "tes bottes", "tes" means your and refers to more than one thing. It comes before the plural noun "bottes". Use "tes" before a plural noun belonging to the person you are addressing.
bottes
In "Mets tes bottes", "bottes" means boots. The plural form refers to the pair of boots in this context. Use it with a possessive such as "tes" when referring to someone's boots.
avant
In "avant de partir", "avant" means before and places one action earlier than another. With an action, it is used in the pattern "avant de" followed by an infinitive. Here, putting on the boots happens before leaving.
de
In "avant de partir", "de" links "avant" to the infinitive "partir". The whole expression means before leaving. A common reusable pattern is "avant de" plus an infinitive.
partir
In "avant de partir", "partir" means to leave. It follows "de" as the action that has not yet happened at that point. Use "de partir" after "avant de" when referring to leaving.
y
In "Il y a des flaques", "y" is part of the expression used to say that something exists or is present. The whole expression "Il y a", not "y" alone, introduces the puddles. Use "Il y a" followed by the thing or things that are present.
a
In "Il y a des flaques", "a" is the form of "avoir" used in the expression for there is or there are. The meaning comes from the whole expression "Il y a". Use "Il y a" before a noun to say that something is present.
des
In "des flaques", "des" introduces an unspecified plural noun, meaning some puddles here. It comes directly before the plural noun "flaques". Use "des" before a plural noun when the items are not specified individually.
flaques
In "Il y a des flaques", "flaques" means puddles. It refers to the pools of water on the path. Use it with a plural article such as "des" when referring to puddles in general or to several puddles.
sur
In "sur le chemin", "sur" means on and shows the location of the puddles. It is followed here by the place where they are found. Use "sur" with a surface or location to say that something is on it.
le
In "le chemin", "le" is the definite article meaning the before the singular noun "chemin". Together, "le chemin" identifies a specific path. Use "le" before a singular masculine noun when referring to a particular one.
chemin
In "sur le chemin", "chemin" means path. It is the place where the puddles are located. Use it after a location expression such as "sur le" when referring to a path.
Contourne-les
"Contourne-les" tells one person to go around them, referring here to the puddles. "Contourne" gives the instruction, and "-les" refers to the plural things being avoided; the pronoun follows the command and is joined by a hyphen. Use this kind of instruction when telling someone to move around objects already mentioned.
doucement
In "Contourne-les doucement", "doucement" means slowly or gently and describes how to go around the puddles. It is placed after the action here. Use it with an action when advising a careful manner.
Mon
In "Mon sac", "Mon" means my and shows that the bag belongs to the speaker. It comes before the singular noun "sac". Use "Mon" before a singular masculine noun that belongs to the speaker.
sac
In "Mon sac pourrait être mouillé", "sac" means bag. It is the item that might become wet. Use it after a possessive such as "mon" when referring to a bag belonging to the speaker.
pourrait
In "Mon sac pourrait être mouillé", "pourrait" expresses possibility: the bag might be wet. It is a form of "pouvoir" used before another verb. A common pattern is a subject followed by "pourrait" plus an infinitive.
être
In "pourrait être mouillé", "être" means be and links the bag to its possible state of being wet. It follows "pourrait" as an infinitive. Use "être" with an adjective to describe a state.
mouillé
In "être mouillé", "mouillé" describes the bag as wet. It names the possible condition of "mon sac" after "être". Use "être" plus "mouillé" to describe something that is wet.
Garde-le
"Garde-le" tells one person to keep it, referring here to the bag. "Garde" gives the instruction, and "-le" refers to the singular object; the pronoun follows the command and is joined by a hyphen. Use this pattern when telling someone to keep an object already mentioned.
sous
In "sous ton manteau", "sous" means under and shows where the bag should be kept. It is followed by the object that provides the cover. Use "sous" plus a noun to describe a position underneath something.
ton
In "ton manteau", "ton" means your and shows that the coat belongs to the person being addressed. It comes before the singular noun "manteau". Use "ton" before a singular masculine noun belonging to the person you are addressing.
manteau
In "sous ton manteau", "manteau" means coat. It is the covering under which the bag should be kept. Use it after a possessive such as "ton" when referring to someone's coat.
Je
In "Je devrais prendre", "Je" means I and identifies the speaker as the subject. It comes before the verb. Use "Je" plus a verb to describe the speaker's action or intention.
devrais
In "Je devrais aussi prendre un parapluie", "devrais" expresses what the speaker ought to do or considers advisable. It is a form of "devoir" used before an infinitive. A common pattern is "Je devrais" plus an action.
aussi
In "Je devrais aussi prendre un parapluie", "aussi" means also or too and adds taking an umbrella to the other preparations. It comes before the action "prendre" here. Use it to mark an additional action or item.
prendre
In "prendre un parapluie", "prendre" means take, as in taking an umbrella along. It follows "devrais" as an infinitive and takes "un parapluie" as its object. Use "prendre" plus an object when describing what someone will take.
un
In "un parapluie", "un" means a and introduces one unspecified umbrella. It comes before the singular noun "parapluie". Use "un" before a singular masculine noun when referring to one non-specific item.
parapluie
In "prendre un parapluie", "parapluie" means umbrella. It is the item the speaker considers taking because of the rain. Use it after an article such as "un" when referring to an umbrella.
Ça
In "Ça t'aidera", "Ça" means that or it and refers back to the umbrella or the action just mentioned. It serves as the subject of "t'aidera". Use "Ça" plus a verb to refer to a thing or situation already understood from the context.
t'aidera
In "Ça t'aidera à rester au sec", "t'aidera" means will help you. "t'" refers to the person being helped, and "aidera" is a form of "aider". A reusable pattern is "aider quelqu'un à" plus an infinitive.
à
In "t'aidera à rester", "à" links the verb "aidera" to the infinitive "rester". The whole pattern means help someone to do something. Use "aider" plus a person, "à", and an infinitive.
rester
In "rester au sec", "rester" means stay or remain. It follows "à" after "t'aidera" and describes the state the umbrella will help maintain. Use "rester" plus a state or place when describing continuing in that condition or position.
au sec
In "rester au sec", "au sec" means dry or protected from getting wet. "au" is the contracted form of "à" and "le", while "sec" names the dry state; together they complete the expression "rester au sec". Use "rester au sec" when talking about staying protected from rain or water.
Grammar Points
Il y a + nom
Il y a mon sac sous ton manteau.
eel ee AH mohn sahk soo tohn mahn-TOHThere is my bag under your coat.
Il y a introduces the existence or presence of something; it means “there is” or “there are.”
t' + aidera (futur simple)
Ça t'aidera.
sah tay-duh-RAHThat will help you.
The ending -a in aidera marks the simple future; t’ is the object pronoun “you” before the verb.
French Vocabulary
avant
prep
ah-VAHN
before
Mets tes bottes avant de partir.
botte
noun
BOHT
boot
bottes
Mets tes bottes avant de partir.
chemin
noun
shuh-MAN
path
Il y a des flaques sur le chemin.
contourner
verb
kohn-toor-NAY
to go around; to avoid
Contourne
Contourne-les doucement.
dehors
adv
duh-OR
outside
Il pleut dehors.
flaque
noun
FLAHK
puddle
flaques
Il y a des flaques sur le chemin.
il y a
phrase
eel ee AH
there is; there are
Il y a des flaques sur le chemin.
les
pron
lay
them
Contourne-les doucement.
mettre
verb
MEHTR
to put on; to wear
Mets
Mets tes bottes avant de partir.
partir
verb
par-TEER
to leave
Mets tes bottes avant de partir.
pleuvoir
verb
pluh-VWAR
to rain
pleut
Il pleut dehors.
sur
prep
syur
on
Il y a des flaques sur le chemin.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
It is raining outside.
Show Answer
Il pleut dehors.Wear your boots before you leave.
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Mets tes bottes avant de partir.Step around them slowly.
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Contourne-les doucement.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to rain
Show Answer
pleutbefore
Show Answer
avantto leave
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partiroutside