About This Lesson
Use Choosing the stronger bag for work to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Quel sac dois-je choisir ?
kell sahk dwahzh shwah-ZEER Which bag should I choose?
B
Celui-ci est léger.
suh-lwee-SEE eh leh-ZHAY This one is light.
A
L'autre sac semble plus solide.
LOHTR sahk sahmbl ploo soh-LEED The other bag looks stronger.
B
Il a aussi deux poches.
eel ah oh-SEE duh posh It also has two pockets.
A
J'ai besoin d'un sac pour le travail.
zhay buh-ZWAN duh̃ sahk poor luh trah-VY I need a bag for work.
B
Alors, le plus solide est un choix logique.
ah-LOR luh ploo soh-LEED eh uh̃ shwah loh-ZHEEK Then the stronger one makes sense.
A
Je peux mettre mes papiers dans les poches.
zhuh puh MEHT may pah-PYAY dah̃ lay posh I can put my papers in the pockets.
B
Ça devrait bien vous convenir.
sah duh-VRAY byeh̃ voo kohn-vuh-NEER That should work well for you.Word by Word
Quel
In « Quel sac dois-je choisir ? », « Quel » asks which item is being selected and comes directly before « sac ». A reusable pattern is « Quel + noun » when choosing or identifying one item; use it when asking someone to select among options.
sac
Here, « sac » means bag and names the item being compared. It appears after « Quel » and again in « L'autre sac »; use this noun when discussing a bag in an everyday choice or shopping situation.
dois
In « dois-je choisir », « dois » expresses that the speaker should or must choose; it is a form of « devoir ». With « je », the inverted word order makes this a question about what the speaker ought to do.
je
In « dois-je choisir » and « Je peux mettre », « je » refers to the speaker who is choosing and putting the papers away. It is used before a verb in ordinary statements and appears after the verb in the question inversion « dois-je ».
choisir
« choisir » means to choose and is the action the speaker is asking about in « Quel sac dois-je choisir ? ». It follows « dois » as an infinitive; use this form when talking about selecting one option.
Celui-ci
In « Celui-ci est léger », « Celui-ci » means this one and points to the bag currently indicated. It is a demonstrative pronoun used to select one nearby item, especially when the noun does not need to be repeated.
est
In « Celui-ci est léger », « est » links the selected bag with the description « léger » and means is; it is a form of « être ». This pattern places a description after « est » when describing an item.
léger
Here, « léger » describes the selected bag as light in weight. It follows « est » in « Celui-ci est léger »; use it when describing an object that is easy to carry because it weighs little.
L'autre
In « L'autre sac », « L'autre » identifies the second bag, the one different from the bag already mentioned. It comes before « sac » as part of the noun phrase; use this expression when distinguishing one item from another.
semble
In « semble plus solide », « semble » means seems or looks and presents the stronger appearance as an impression; it is a form of « sembler ». A reusable pattern places a description after « semble » when something appears to have a quality.
plus
In « plus solide », « plus » adds the meaning more and forms the comparison with « solide ». It is useful when comparing two objects and saying that one has a quality to a greater degree.
solide
Here, « solide » describes the other bag as strong or sturdy, especially in comparison with the first bag. In « plus solide », it follows « plus » to express the quality being compared; use it when judging whether an object can withstand use.
Il
In « Il a aussi deux poches », « Il » refers to the other bag and means it. It stands before « a » as the subject; use this pronoun to continue talking about an already identified masculine-named object such as « sac ».
a
In « Il a aussi deux poches », « a » says that the bag has or contains two pockets; it is a form of « avoir ». It is followed by the thing possessed, here « deux poches », and is useful for describing an object's features.
aussi
In « Il a aussi deux poches », « aussi » means also and adds another positive feature to the bag. It commonly appears near the verb or before the added information when giving an additional reason for a choice.
poches
Here, « poches » means pockets and names the two compartments in the bag. The word follows « deux » and is plural; use it when describing where small items or papers can be stored in a bag.
J'ai
In « J'ai besoin d'un sac », « J'ai » means I have and begins the French expression for expressing a need; it contains « je » and the form « ai » of « avoir ». Use the pattern « J'ai besoin de + noun » when explaining that you need something.
besoin
In « J'ai besoin d'un sac », « besoin » names the need the speaker has, but the whole meaning of need comes from « J'ai besoin de ». It is followed by « de » or its contracted form before the needed item; use this construction when stating a practical requirement.
d'un
In « besoin d'un sac », « d'un » introduces the item that is needed and means of a or a in this construction. It is the contracted form of « de » and « un »; use it before a singular item after « besoin ».
pour
In « pour le travail », « pour » introduces the purpose or intended use of the bag and means for. It connects an item with what it is intended for; use it to explain the purpose of something.
le
In « le travail », « le » means the and introduces the specific noun « travail ». It comes before the noun in this phrase; use this definite article when referring to work as the relevant activity or context.
travail
Here, « travail » means work and explains the intended use of the bag. It follows « pour le » in « pour le travail »; use this noun when discussing work-related needs or activities.
Alors
At the start of « Alors, le plus solide est un choix logique », « Alors » means then and signals a conclusion based on what was just said. Use it when moving from a reason or situation to a resulting decision.
un
In « un choix logique », « un » introduces one possible choice and means a. It comes before the noun « choix »; use this article when presenting one item or option without making it previously specific.
choix
Here, « choix » means choice and names the selected option in « un choix logique ». It appears after « un » and before « logique »; use it when discussing a decision among alternatives.
logique
In « un choix logique », « logique » describes the choice as sensible given the need for a sturdy work bag. It follows « choix » in this noun phrase; use it to evaluate a decision that follows clearly from the available reasons.
peux
In « Je peux mettre mes papiers », « peux » means can and expresses the speaker's ability or possibility; it is a form of « pouvoir ». It is followed by the infinitive « mettre »; use this pattern to say what you are able to do.
mettre
In « mettre mes papiers dans les poches », « mettre » means to put and describes placing the papers inside the pockets. It follows « peux » as an infinitive and is followed by the item being placed; use it when describing where you put something.
mes
In « mes papiers », « mes » means my and identifies the papers as belonging to the speaker. It comes before the plural noun « papiers »; use it before plural things that belong to or are associated with you.
papiers
Here, « papiers » means papers or documents that the speaker wants to carry in the bag. It follows « mes » and appears after « mettre » as the thing being placed; use it for work-related papers or documents.
dans
In « dans les poches », « dans » means in and indicates that the papers will be placed inside the pockets. It introduces the location after « mettre »; use it when describing something being inside a place or container.
les
In « les poches », « les » means the and refers to the pockets as a definite plural group. It comes before the plural noun « poches »; use it when the listener can identify the particular plural items being discussed.
Ça
In « Ça devrait bien vous convenir », « Ça » means that or it and refers to the proposed bag or choice in the conversation. It is a subject pronoun used to refer to a situation or thing already understood; use it when responding to an option just mentioned.
devrait
In « devrait bien vous convenir », « devrait » expresses that the bag or choice should suit the person; it is a conditional form of « devoir ». It is followed by the infinitive « convenir » and presents an expected or likely result rather than a firm guarantee.
bien
In « bien vous convenir », « bien » means well and reinforces that the choice is expected to suit the person successfully. It appears before « vous convenir »; use it to describe how well something works or fits a person’s needs.
vous
In « vous convenir », « vous » identifies the person for whom the proposed bag is suitable and means you. It appears before the infinitive « convenir »; use this position when saying that something suits or is appropriate for someone.
convenir
In « Ça devrait bien vous convenir », « convenir » means to suit or be suitable for someone. It follows « devrait » as an infinitive and is used with the person who will find something suitable; use it when recommending an option for another person.
Grammar Points
Quel sac dois-je choisir ?
Quel sac dois-je choisir ?
kell sahk dwahzh shwah-ZEERWhich bag should I choose?
French forms a formal question by inverting the verb and subject pronoun: dois-je.
Ça devrait bien vous convenir.
Ça devrait bien vous convenir.
sah duh-VRAY byeh̃ voo kohn-vuh-NEERThat should suit you well.
Devrait + infinitive expresses a likely or expected result, similar to “should” in English.
French Vocabulary
aussi
adv
oh-SEE
also
celui-ci
pron
suh-lwee-SEE
this one
choisir
verb
shwah-ZEER
to choose
deux
num
duh
two
dois-je
verb
dwahzh
should I
l'autre
det
LOHTR
the other
léger
adj
leh-ZHAY
light
plus solide
phrase
ploo soh-LEED
stronger
poches
noun
posh
pockets
quel
det
kell
which
sac
noun
sahk
bag
semble
verb
sahmbl
seems
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Which bag should I choose?
Show Answer
Quel sac dois-je choisir ?This one is light.
Show Answer
Celui-ci est léger.The other bag looks stronger.
Show Answer
L'autre sac semble plus solide.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
light
Show Answer
légerto choose
Show Answer
choisirwhich
Show Answer
quelseems