Talking about taking photos | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Talking about taking photos to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Tu prends des photos ?

tü PRAHN day FOH-toh? Do you take photos?

J'utilise mon petit appareil photo presque tous les jours.

zhü-tee-LEEZ mawn puh-TEE ta-pah-RAY foh-TOH presk too lay ZHOOR. I use my small camera most days.

Qu'est-ce que tu aimes prendre en photo ?

kess-kuh tü EM PRAHN-druh ahn FOH-toh? What do you like to photograph?

Les rues calmes sont mes préférées.

lay RÜ kalm sohn may pray-fay-RAY. Quiet streets are my favorite.

Je peux en voir une ?

zhuh PUH ahn VWAR ühn? Can I see one?

En voici une que j'ai prise près de chez moi.

ahn vwah-SEE ühn kuh ZHAY preez preh duh shay MWAH. Here is one I took near my home.

Elle a l'air simple et nette.

el ah LAIR SEHN-pl ay NET. It looks simple and clear.

Je m'entraîne chaque fois que j'ai le temps.

zhuh sahn-TREN shak FWAH kuh ZHAY luh TAHN. I practice whenever I have time.

Word by Word

Tu Tu means “you” in the question “Tu prends des photos ?”. It addresses one person informally. A common pattern is “Tu + verb” for asking that person about an action.

prends Prends means “take” here, as in “Tu prends des photos ?”. This exact form is used with tu in the expression “prendre des photos”. A new example would be “Tu prends le bus ?” for asking whether someone takes the bus.

des Des introduces the plural object in “des photos”, meaning photos in general or some photos. It is used before a plural noun. A common pattern is “des + plural noun”, such as “des rues” in this dialogue.

photos Photos means “photos” in “prendre des photos”. It is the thing being taken with a camera. A reusable expression is “prendre des photos” for taking photos.

J'utilise J'utilise means “I use” in “J'utilise mon petit appareil photo”. It says what the speaker uses for taking photos. A common pattern is “J'utilise + object” when explaining what tool or item you use.

mon Mon means “my” before the singular masculine noun “appareil”. In “mon petit appareil photo”, it identifies the speaker's camera. A common pattern is “mon + singular noun” for something belonging to the speaker.

petit Petit means “small” in “mon petit appareil photo”. It describes the size of the camera. It appears before the noun here, so “petit + noun” is a useful pattern for describing a small object.

appareil Appareil means “device” in “appareil photo”, the expression for camera. Here it refers to the object used to take photos. Keep “appareil photo” together when referring to a camera.

photo Photo means “photo” inside the expression “appareil photo”, which means camera. In this dialogue it is part of the name of the device, not a separate photo being viewed. The reusable expression is “appareil photo” for a camera.

presque Presque means “almost” in “presque tous les jours”. It makes the frequency less than every day. A common pattern is “presque + frequency expression”, as in “presque tous les jours”.

tous Tous means “every” in “tous les jours”. Together with “les jours”, it expresses the repeated time period “every day”. The reusable pattern is “tous les + plural time expression”.

les Les means “the” before the plural noun “jours” in “tous les jours”. In this expression, it helps form the meaning “every day”. It is used before plural nouns, such as “les rues” in this dialogue.

jours Jours means “days” in “tous les jours”, meaning every day. It names the repeated time period for using the camera. A common pattern is “tous les jours” when describing a daily habit.

Qu'est-ce Qu'est-ce begins the question “Qu'est-ce que tu aimes prendre en photo ?”, asking what the other person likes to photograph. It is part of the question expression “Qu'est-ce que”. Use this expression when asking what something is or what someone does.

que Que completes “Qu'est-ce que” in the question “Qu'est-ce que tu aimes prendre en photo ?”. It connects the question expression to the clause about what the person likes. Keep “Qu'est-ce que” together when forming this kind of question.

aimes Aimes means “like” in “tu aimes prendre en photo”. It describes the subject the person enjoys photographing. A common pattern is “aimer + infinitive”, as in “aimes prendre” here.

prendre Prendre means “take” in “prendre en photo”, which means to photograph. The infinitive follows “aimes” in “tu aimes prendre en photo”. Keep the full expression “prendre en photo” when talking about photographing something.

en En is part of the expression “prendre en photo”, meaning to photograph. In this dialogue, it connects “prendre” with the activity of taking a picture. Use the complete pattern “prendre en photo + object” for what someone photographs.

rues Rues means “streets” in “Les rues calmes”. It identifies the subjects the speaker likes photographing. A common pattern is “les + plural noun” when talking about a group of streets or other things.

calmes Calmes means “quiet” in “Les rues calmes”. It describes the streets that the speaker prefers. It comes after the noun here, so “noun + calmes” is a useful pattern for describing quiet places.

sont Sont means “are” in “Les rues calmes sont mes préférées”. It links the streets to the description “mes préférées”. A common pattern is “plural subject + sont” when describing or identifying several things.

mes Mes means “my” before the plural feminine form “préférées” in “mes préférées”. It shows that these favorites belong to the speaker's preferences. A common pattern is “mes + plural noun or adjective used as a noun”.

préférées Préférées means “favorite ones” in “Les rues calmes sont mes préférées”. It refers back to the feminine plural “rues”, so it describes the streets as the speaker's favorites. Use it after “mes” when referring to feminine plural favorite things.

Je Je means “I” in “Je peux en voir une ?”. It identifies the speaker as the person asking to see one. A common pattern is “Je + verb” for stating an action or asking about the speaker's ability.

peux Peux means “can” in “Je peux en voir une ?”. It asks whether the speaker is allowed or able to see one photo. A common pattern is “Je peux + infinitive” for asking permission or expressing ability.

voir Voir means “see” in “Je peux en voir une ?”. It is the action the speaker asks to do. After “peux”, use an infinitive, as in “peux voir” here.

une Une means “one” in “en voir une”, referring to one photo. Its feminine form matches “photo”, which is feminine in French. A common pattern is “voir une” before a feminine singular noun or feminine thing being referred to.

voici Voici means “here is” in “En voici une”. It introduces and presents one photo to the other person. Use “voici + thing” when showing or pointing out something that is present.

j'ai J'ai means “I have” in “que j'ai prise”. Together with “prise”, it forms the expression for a photo the speaker took. A common pattern is “j'ai + past participle” when referring to something the speaker has done.

prise Prise means “taken” in “une que j'ai prise”, referring to the photo the speaker took. Its feminine form matches “une” and the feminine noun “photo”. In this dialogue, the reusable pattern is “une que j'ai prise” for one feminine thing that the speaker took.

près Près means “near” in “près de chez moi”. It describes the location where the photo was taken. Use it with “de” in the pattern “près de + place or person”.

de De completes the location expression “près de chez moi”, meaning near my home. It introduces the place that is nearby. Keep “près de” together when giving a nearby location.

chez Chez means “at the home or place of” in “chez moi”. Here it refers to the speaker's home. A common pattern is “chez + stressed pronoun”, as in “chez moi” for at my home.

moi Moi means “me” in “chez moi”, which means at my home or place. It is the stressed pronoun used after “chez”. The reusable expression is “chez moi” when talking about the speaker's home.

Elle Elle means “it” here, referring to the feminine noun “photo” in the previous line. In “Elle a l'air simple et nette”, it introduces what the photo looks like. Use “Elle” for a feminine thing when referring back to it.

a A means “has” in the expression “a l'air”, which means “looks” or “seems”. Here it helps describe the appearance of the photo. Keep “a l'air + adjective” together when saying that something looks a certain way.

l'air L'air is part of “a l'air simple et nette”, meaning “looks simple and clear”. It refers to the appearance something presents. A common pattern is “avoir l'air + adjective” for describing how something looks or seems.

simple Simple means “simple” in “a l'air simple”. It describes the appearance of the photo as uncomplicated or plain. It follows “a l'air” in the pattern “a l'air + adjective”.

et Et means “and” in “simple et nette”. It joins the two descriptions of the photo. Use “et” to connect two words or descriptions, as in “adjective et adjective”.

nette Nette means “clear” or “sharp” in “a l'air simple et nette”. It describes the photo's appearance. Its feminine form matches “Elle”, referring to the feminine noun “photo”.

m'entraîne M'entraîne means “I practice” or “I train” in “Je m'entraîne”. It describes practicing photography. A common pattern is “Je m'entraîne + time expression” when saying when or how often you practice.

chaque Chaque means “each” or “every” in “chaque fois que”. It introduces each occasion on which the condition applies. Keep it in the pattern “chaque fois que + clause” for “whenever” or “every time that”.

fois Fois means “time” or “occasion” in “chaque fois que j'ai le temps”. It refers to each occasion when the speaker has time. The common expression is “chaque fois que + clause” for every time something happens.

le Le means “the” before “temps” in “j'ai le temps”. Together, “avoir le temps” means to have time. Use “le” before this masculine noun in the fixed expression “avoir le temps”.

temps Temps means “time” in “j'ai le temps”. The full expression “avoir le temps” means to have time available. In this dialogue, “chaque fois que j'ai le temps” explains when the speaker practices.

Grammar Points

avoir l'air + adjectif

La photo a l'air nette.

lah FOH-toh ah LAIR NET.

The photo looks clear.

« Avoir l'air » means “to look/seem.” The adjective agrees with the noun: « photo » is feminine, so « net » becomes « nette ».

French Vocabulary

aimer verb

ay-MAY to like; to love aimes

Qu'est-ce que tu aimes prendre en photo ?

appareil photo noun

ah-pah-RAY foh-TOH camera

J'utilise mon petit appareil photo presque tous les jours.

calme adj

KAHLM quiet; calm calmes

Les rues calmes sont mes préférées.

jour noun

ZHOOR day jours

presque tous les jours

petit adj

puh-TEE small

mon petit appareil photo

photo noun

FOH-toh photo photos

Tu prends des photos ?

préféré adj

pray-fay-RAY favorite préférées

mes préférées

prendre verb

PRAHN-druh to take prends

Tu prends des photos ?

prendre en photo phrase

PRAHN-druh ahn FOH-toh to photograph; to take a photo of

Qu'est-ce que tu aimes prendre en photo ?

presque adv

PRESK almost

presque tous les jours

rue noun

RÜ street rues

Les rues calmes sont mes préférées.

utiliser verb

ü-tee-lee-ZAY to use J'utilise

J'utilise mon petit appareil photo presque tous les jours.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you take photos?

Show Answer

Tu prends des photos ?

Quiet streets are my favorite.

Show Answer

Les rues calmes sont mes préférées.

Can I see one?

Show Answer

Je peux en voir une ?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

photo

Show Answer

photos

to take

Show Answer

prends

day

Show Answer

jours

almost

Show Answer

presque