Paying and separating items at checkout | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At a shop checkout, a customer pays on a screen and asks staff to separate heavy and glass items while bagging..

EN → FR / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Paying and separating items at checkout to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Est-ce que cette caisse est ouverte maintenant ?

ess-kuh set kess eh oo-VEHRT meh(n)-tuh-NAHN Is this checkout open now?
B

Vous pouvez poser vos articles ici.

voo poo-VAY poh-ZAY voh-zar-TEEKL ee-SEE You can place your items here.
A

Est-ce que je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer ?

ess-kuh zhuh dwah oo-tee-lee-ZAY lay-KRAHN poor pay-YAY Should I use the screen to pay?
B

Utilisez l'écran à votre droite.

oo-tee-lee-ZAY lay-KRAHN ah votr drwaht Use the screen on your right.
A

Le sac me semble trop plein.

luh sak muh sahmbl troh pleh(n) The bag feels too full.
B

Je peux mettre l'article lourd dans un autre sac.

zhuh puh MEH-tr lar-TEEKL loor dah(n)-zuh(n) OH-tr sak I can move the heavy item to another bag.
A

Mettez les articles en verre dans un sac séparé, s'il vous plaît.

meh-TAY lay-zar-TEEKL ahn VAIR dah(n)-zuh(n) sak say-pah-RAY seel voo PLAY Please put the glass items in a separate bag.
B

Je ferai attention en les mettant dans le sac.

zhuh fuh-RAY ah-tahn-SYOHN ahn lay meh-TAHN dah(n) luh sak I'll be careful while bagging them.

Word by Word

Est-ce que Est-ce que introduces a yes-or-no question here: Est-ce que cette caisse est ouverte maintenant ? Est-ce and que work together in this question pattern. Use Est-ce que before a statement when asking for a yes-or-no answer, for example in a new question.
cette Cette means this and identifies the checkout being pointed to in cette caisse. It is placed directly before the noun it identifies. Use cette before a singular feminine noun when referring to a particular thing nearby.
caisse Caisse means checkout or cash register here, as in cette caisse. In a shop, it names the place or station where the customer pays. Use caisse with a shop-payment context, such as asking whether a caisse is open.
est Est means is and links cette caisse with its state in cette caisse est ouverte. It is the form of être used with this subject in the dialogue. Use est before a description or state when the subject is a single third-person noun.
ouverte Ouverte means open and describes the state of cette caisse in cette caisse est ouverte. The form matches the feminine noun caisse in this sentence. Use ouverte after être to describe a feminine thing that is open.
maintenant Maintenant means now and asks whether the checkout is open at the present time. It adds the time reference to Est-ce que cette caisse est ouverte maintenant ? Use maintenant to specify that something is happening or true at this moment.
Vous Vous means you in Vous pouvez poser vos articles ici. It addresses one person formally or more than one person. Use Vous before a verb when speaking to a customer formally or addressing several people.
pouvez Pouvez means can in Vous pouvez poser vos articles ici, indicating that the person addressed is able or allowed to place the items there. It is a form of pouvoir used with Vous. Use pouvez before an infinitive to express what the person addressed can do.
poser Poser means to place or put down, specifically placing the items at the checkout in poser vos articles ici. It remains in the infinitive after pouvez. Use poser with an object that is being placed, such as poser vos articles.
vos Vos means your and identifies the items as belonging to the person or people addressed in vos articles. It comes directly before a plural noun. Use vos before a plural noun when addressing someone formally or addressing several people.
articles Articles means items or goods here, referring to the things the customer places at the checkout. It is the object of poser in poser vos articles ici. Use articles for shop goods when discussing several items.
ici Ici means here and indicates the place where the customer should put the items. It completes the location in poser vos articles ici. Use ici to point out the place where an action should happen.
je Je means I in Je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer and Je peux mettre l'article lourd dans un autre sac. It marks the speaker as the person who must use the screen or can move the item. Use je before a verb when stating what the speaker does, must do, or can do.
dois Dois means must or should in Est-ce que je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer ?, where the speaker asks whether using the screen is required. It is a form of devoir used with je. Use dois before an infinitive when asking or saying whether the speaker has to do something.
utiliser Utiliser means to use, referring to using the screen for payment in utiliser l'écran pour payer. It stays in the infinitive after dois. Use utiliser with the thing being used, such as utiliser l'écran.
l'écran L'écran means the screen in l'écran pour payer and l'écran à votre droite. It names the screen used for payment and then identified by its position. The article and noun appear as l'écran before a vowel sound. Use l'écran when referring to a particular screen.
pour Pour introduces the purpose in pour payer: the screen is used in order to pay. Here it is followed by the infinitive payer. Use pour + an infinitive to express the purpose of an action.
payer Payer means to pay in pour payer, describing the purpose of using the screen. It is an infinitive after pour. Use payer after pour when stating that an action is done in order to pay.
Utilisez Utilisez means use in Utilisez l'écran à votre droite. It gives the person addressed a direct instruction to use the screen. This form of utiliser is used for a formal or plural instruction; use it before the object being used.
à À indicates the screen's position in à votre droite: it is on the right side of the person addressed. It links the location phrase to l'écran. Use à with a position or location phrase when identifying where something is.
votre Votre means your in à votre droite, identifying the right side of the person addressed. It comes before the singular noun droite. Use votre before a singular noun when addressing someone formally or addressing several people.
droite Droite means right side in à votre droite. Together with votre, it identifies the side on which the screen is located. Use à votre droite to point out something positioned on the addressee's right.
Le Le means the and identifies sac as the particular bag being discussed in Le sac me semble trop plein. It comes directly before the noun sac. Use le before a singular masculine noun when referring to a specific thing.
sac Sac means bag in Le sac me semble trop plein and dans un autre sac. Here it refers to the bag holding the shopping items. Use sac with expressions about putting items in a bag or describing how full a bag is.
me Me means to me in Le sac me semble trop plein, marking the speaker's personal impression of the bag. It appears before semble. Use me with semble when saying that something seems a certain way to the speaker.
semble Semble presents the bag's appearance or felt condition as an impression in Le sac me semble trop plein. Together with me, it means that the bag seems too full to the speaker. Use me semble before an adjective or description to express a personal impression.
trop Trop means too in trop plein, showing that the bag is full beyond a comfortable or suitable amount. It comes before the adjective plein. Use trop before an adjective when describing an excessive degree.
plein Plein means full and describes the condition of the bag in Le sac me semble trop plein. With trop, it means that the bag feels excessively full. Use plein after être or sembler to describe a bag or container that has no comfortable space left.
peux Peux means can in Je peux mettre l'article lourd dans un autre sac, where the speaker offers the ability to move the item. It is a form of pouvoir used with je. Use peux before an infinitive to state what the speaker can do.
mettre Mettre means to put or place, describing moving the heavy item into another bag in mettre l'article lourd dans un autre sac. It remains in the infinitive after peux. Use mettre with an object and a destination, such as mettre un article dans un sac.
l'article L'article means the item in l'article lourd, referring to the particular item that is heavy. It is the object of mettre. The article and noun appear as l'article before a vowel sound. Use l'article when referring to one specific shop item.
lourd Lourd means heavy and describes l'article in l'article lourd. It identifies which item the speaker can move to another bag. Use lourd after a noun to describe an item with considerable weight.
dans Dans means in or into in dans un autre sac, indicating the bag that will receive the item. It introduces the destination of mettre. Use mettre something dans a container when saying where it is placed.
un Un means a or one in un autre sac, introducing one other bag as the destination. It comes before autre sac. Use un before a singular masculine noun when referring to one non-specific item.
autre Autre means another in un autre sac, indicating a bag different from the one already being used. It comes before sac in this expression. Use autre before a noun when choosing a different item or place.
Mettez Mettez means put in Mettez les articles en verre dans un sac séparé, s'il vous plaît. It gives a direct request to place the glass items in a separate bag. This form of mettre is used for a formal or plural instruction; use it before the object being placed.
les Les means the and identifies several specific items in les articles en verre. It comes before the plural noun articles. Use les before a plural noun when referring to particular things.
en En indicates the material in en verre: the items are made of glass. It comes before the material noun verre. Use en + a material to describe what an object is made of, as in en verre.
verre Verre means glass in les articles en verre, identifying the items that should be handled separately. In this expression, en verre describes their material. Use en verre after a noun when describing something made of glass.
séparé Séparé means separate in un sac séparé, describing the bag requested for the glass items. It shows that this bag should be kept apart from the other bag. Use a noun followed by séparé when describing a separate item or place.
s'il vous plaît S'il vous plaît means please and makes Mettez les articles en verre dans un sac séparé a polite request. S'il, vous, and plaît form one established polite expression, so the whole phrase carries the request function. Use s'il vous plaît at the end of a request when speaking politely.
ferai Ferai means will do in Je ferai attention, where the speaker promises to take care. It is the future form of faire used with je. Use ferai in Je ferai attention to promise careful behavior in a situation.
attention Attention means care or attention in the expression Je ferai attention. With ferai, it describes taking care while putting the items in the bag. Use faire attention when saying that you will be careful or pay attention.
mettant Mettant means putting or placing in en les mettant dans le sac, referring to putting the glass items into the bag. It follows en and keeps les as the items being placed. Use en + a present participle to describe an action happening while another action or attitude is expressed.

Grammar Points

pouvoir/devoir + infinitif

Vous pouvez utiliser l'écran.

voo poo-VAY oo-tee-lee-ZAY lay-KRAHN

You can use the screen.

After pouvoir or devoir, use the infinitive directly. The modal verb is conjugated for the subject.

accord de l'adjectif au féminin

La caisse est ouverte.

lah kess eh oo-VEHRT

The checkout is open.

The adjective ouverte agrees with the feminine noun caisse; ouvert becomes ouverte.

French Vocabulary

article noun
ar-TEEKL item; article articles

Vous pouvez poser vos articles ici.

caisse noun
KESS checkout

Est-ce que cette caisse est ouverte maintenant ?

devoir verb
duh-VWAHR must; to have to dois

Est-ce que je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer ?

droite noun
drwaht right; right-hand side

Utilisez l'écran à votre droite.

écran noun
ay-KRAHN screen

Est-ce que je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer ?

maintenant adv
meh(n)-tuh-NAHN now

Est-ce que cette caisse est ouverte maintenant ?

ouvert adj
oo-VAIR open ouverte

Est-ce que cette caisse est ouverte maintenant ?

payer verb
pay-YAY to pay

Est-ce que je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer ?

poser verb
poh-ZAY to put down; to place

Vous pouvez poser vos articles ici.

pouvoir verb
poo-VWAHR can; to be able to pouvez

Vous pouvez poser vos articles ici.

sac noun
SAK bag

Le sac me semble trop plein.

utiliser verb
oo-tee-lee-ZAY to use

Est-ce que je dois utiliser l'écran pour payer ?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

You can place your items here.

Show AnswerVous pouvez poser vos articles ici.

Use the screen on your right.

Show AnswerUtilisez l'écran à votre droite.

The bag feels too full.

Show AnswerLe sac me semble trop plein.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

item; article

Show Answerarticles

can; to be able to

Show Answerpouvez

to put down; to place

Show Answerposer

now

Show Answermaintenant