Moving forward in line | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At a counter line, two adults move forward, get ready with a card, and prepare to order..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Moving forward in line to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

La file avance.

lah FEEL ah-VAHNS The line is moving forward.
B

On devrait avancer maintenant.

ohn duh-VREH ah-vahn-SAY meh(n)-tuh-NAHN We should step up now.
A

C’est notre tour ?

seh NOH-truh TOOR? Are we next?
B

Presque, il y a une personne devant nous.

PRESK, eel yah oon pair-SON duh-VAHN NOO. Almost, there is one person ahead of us.
A

J’ai ma carte prête.

zhay mah KART PREHT. I have my card ready.
B

Garde-la dans ta main.

GARD-lah dah(n) tah MAN. Keep it in your hand.
A

Je suis prêt à commander.

zhuh SWEE PREH ah koh-mahn-DAY. I am ready to order.
B

Ils peuvent prendre notre commande ensuite.

eel PUHV PRAHND NOH-truh koh-MAHND ah(n)-SWEET. They can take our order next.

Word by Word

La La means “the” here and comes before the feminine singular noun file. It is used in the reusable pattern la + noun, as in the dialogue form “La file”. Use it when identifying a specific queue or line.
file File means “line” or “queue” here, the people waiting at the counter. In “La file avance”, it is the subject that moves forward. Use “La file” when talking about a queue in this situation.
avance Avance means “moves forward” in “La file avance”. This form describes the line’s movement in the present. Use the pattern subject + avance to say that something is moving forward, especially while waiting in a queue.
On On means “we” in “On devrait avancer maintenant”. It is the subject of the suggestion, referring to the speakers together. Use the pattern On + verb when making a conversational suggestion about what people should do.
devrait Devrait expresses “should” in “On devrait avancer maintenant”. It makes the suggestion less direct than a command. Use the pattern On devrait + infinitive to suggest a shared action, such as moving forward in a line.
avancer Avancer means “to move forward” here and follows devrait in “On devrait avancer”. Its infinitive form names the action being suggested. Use it after devrait when suggesting that someone or a group move forward.
maintenant Maintenant means “now” and specifies that the suggested movement should happen at this moment. It appears at the end of “On devrait avancer maintenant”. Use it to add an immediate time reference to a sentence or suggestion.
C’est C’est contributes the meaning “it is” in the question “C’est notre tour ?”. Together with the rest of the question, the phrase asks whether it is our turn. Use the pattern C’est + noun with question intonation when checking whether a situation applies now.
notre Notre means “our” and describes something belonging to or involving the speakers together. In “C’est notre tour ?”, it comes directly before the singular noun tour. Use notre + noun when referring to something shared by us.
tour Tour means “turn” in “C’est notre tour ?”, referring to a place in a sequence or queue. The phrase notre tour asks whether the speakers are next. Use the pattern c’est notre tour when checking whether it is time for your group to act.
Presque Presque means “almost” in the reply “Presque, il y a une personne devant nous”. It shows that the speakers are nearly next but not quite. It can stand alone as a brief reply when correcting or qualifying an assumption about timing or position.
il Il is part of the fixed construction “il y a”, which means “there is” here. In this construction, il does not refer to a particular person. Use il y a + noun to say that someone or something is present.
y Y is part of “il y a”, the construction used here to say that there is one person ahead. It contributes to the expression of existence or presence rather than referring to a separate place in this sentence. Use il y a + noun when pointing out who or what is present.
a A is the verb form used in “il y a” to express “there is” in this sentence. The complete construction is needed; a by itself does not mean “there is”. Use il y a + noun to introduce a person or thing that is present.
une Une means “a” or “one” before the feminine singular noun personne in “une personne”. It identifies one person ahead of the speakers. Use une + feminine singular noun when referring to one unspecified person or thing.
personne Personne means “person” in “une personne devant nous”. It identifies the individual who is ahead in the queue. Use the pattern une personne when referring to one person.
devant Devant means “ahead of” in “devant nous”. It describes the position of the person in relation to the speakers. Use devant + person or place to indicate that someone or something is in front or ahead.
nous Nous means “us” in “devant nous”. It identifies the speakers as the people whose position is being used for comparison. After a preposition such as devant, use nous to refer to us as the object of that relationship.
J’ai J’ai means “I have” in “J’ai ma carte prête”. It states that the speaker has the card with them and ready. Use J’ai + noun to say that you have or possess something.
ma Ma means “my” and comes before the feminine singular noun carte in “ma carte”. It shows that the card belongs to the speaker. Use ma + noun when referring to one feminine thing that belongs to you.
carte Carte means “card” here, specifically the card the speaker has ready at the counter. It is the object of “J’ai” and the noun described by prête. Use the pattern ma carte when referring to your card in this situation.
prête Prête means “ready” in “ma carte prête”. This is the feminine form used with carte, so it describes the card as ready. Use noun + prête when describing a feminine singular thing as ready.
Garde Garde means “keep” or “hold” in “Garde-la dans ta main”. It is a direct instruction addressed to one person. Use Garde + object when telling one person to keep or hold something.
dans Dans means “in” and introduces the location “dans ta main”. It shows where the card should remain. Use dans + place or container to state where something is located.
ta Ta means “your” before the feminine singular noun main in “ta main”. It identifies the hand belonging to the person being addressed. Use ta + feminine singular noun when referring to one thing belonging to the person you are speaking to.
main Main means “hand” in “dans ta main”. It is the place where the card should be held. Use the pattern dans ta main when telling someone to keep something in their hand.
Je Je means “I” and is the subject of “Je suis prêt à commander”. It identifies the speaker as the person who is ready. Use Je + verb to talk about your own action, state, or intention.
suis Suis means “am” in “Je suis prêt à commander”. It links the speaker with the state of being ready. Use the pattern Je suis + adjective to describe your current state.
prêt Prêt means “ready” in “Je suis prêt à commander”. This is the masculine form used in this sentence to describe the speaker. Use the pattern Je suis prêt à + infinitive to say that you are ready to do something.
à À introduces the action that the speaker is ready to do in “prêt à commander”. Here it corresponds to “to” before the infinitive commander. Use the pattern prêt à + infinitive to express readiness for an action.
commander Commander means “to order” here and follows à in “prêt à commander”. It names the action the speaker is ready to perform at the counter. Use it after prêt à when saying that someone is ready to order.
Ils Ils means “they” in “Ils peuvent prendre notre commande ensuite”. It refers to the people who can take the speakers’ order, such as the counter staff in this scene. Use Ils + verb when talking about several other people.
peuvent Peuvent means “can” in “Ils peuvent prendre notre commande ensuite”. It expresses that the people at the counter are able or available to take the order. Use the pattern Ils peuvent + infinitive to describe what several people can do.
prendre Prendre contributes the action of taking or accepting in “prendre notre commande”. With commande, the full expression means taking our order. Use it after peuvent in the pattern peuvent prendre + object when saying that someone can take something.
commande Commande means “order” in “notre commande”. It refers to the food or drink request that the counter staff will take. Use the pattern prendre notre commande when saying that someone will take our order.
ensuite Ensuite means “next” or “afterwards” in “Ils peuvent prendre notre commande ensuite”. It places taking the order after the current step in the queue. Use it at the end of a sentence to show that one action will happen afterward.

Grammar Points

devrait + infinitif

La file devrait avancer maintenant.

lah FEEL duh-VREH ah-vahn-SAY meh(n)-tuh-NAHN

The line should move forward now.

After devrait, use the infinitive to express what should happen.

French Vocabulary

avance verb
ah-VAHNS moves forward

La file avance.

avancer verb
ah-vahn-SAY to move forward

On devrait avancer maintenant.

carte noun
KART card

J’ai ma carte prête.

devant prep
duh-VAHN in front of; ahead of

Une personne devant nous.

devrait verb
duh-VREH should

On devrait avancer maintenant.

file noun
FEEL line or queue

La file avance.

garde verb
GARD keep

Garde-la dans ta main.

maintenant adv
meh(n)-tuh-NAHN now

On devrait avancer maintenant.

personne noun
pair-SON person

Il y a une personne devant nous.

presque adv
PRESK almost

Presque, il y a une personne devant nous.

prête adj
PREHT ready

J’ai ma carte prête.

tour noun
TOOR turn

C’est notre tour ?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

The line is moving forward.

Show AnswerLa file avance.

We should step up now.

Show AnswerOn devrait avancer maintenant.

Are we next?

Show AnswerC’est notre tour ?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to move forward

Show Answeravancer

person

Show Answerpersonne

almost

Show Answerpresque

moves forward

Show Answeravance