About This Lesson
Use Buying a train ticket with a transfer to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
J'ai besoin d'aide pour acheter un billet pour ce trajet.
zhay buh-ZWAN DED poor ah-shuh-TAY uh(n) bee-YAY poor suh trah-ZHAY. I need help buying a ticket for this trip.
B
Vous pouvez l'acheter sur cette machine.
voo poo-VAY lah-shuh-TAY syur set mah-SHEEN. You can buy it from this machine.
A
Quelle option dois-je choisir en premier ?
kel op-SYON dwahzh shwah-ZEER ahn pruh-MYAY? Which option should I choose first?
B
Choisissez votre destination sur l'écran.
shwah-zee-SAY votr des-tee-na-SYON syur lay-SKRAHN. Choose your destination on the screen.
A
Comment puis-je vérifier où je dois changer de train ?
koh-MAHN pwee-zhuh vay-ree-FYAY oo zhuh dwah zhahn-ZHAY duh trahn? How do I check where to change?
B
Les détails du trajet s'affichent avant le paiement.
lay day-TYAY dyoo trah-ZHAY sah-FEESH ah-VAHN luh pay-MAHN. The route details appear before payment.
A
Je vois maintenant le point de correspondance.
zhuh vwah man-tuh-NAHN luh PWAN duh koh-rehs-pohn-DAHNS. I can see the transfer point now.
B
Gardez le billet avec vous jusqu'à la fin du trajet.
gar-DAY luh bee-YAY ah-VEK voo zhyus-KAH lah FAN dyoo trah-ZHAY. Keep the ticket with you until the trip is over.Word by Word
J'ai
J'ai means “I have” here, as part of J'ai besoin d'aide (“I need help”). It is the dialogue form of avoir used with je; the reusable pattern is J'ai besoin de + a person or thing.
besoin
Besoin expresses the need in J'ai besoin d'aide: “need.” In this dialogue, it works with avoir in the pattern J'ai besoin de + something, such as J'ai besoin d'aide.
d'aide
D'aide means “of help” and identifies what is needed in J'ai besoin d'aide. The form combines de with aide and is used after besoin de; in this scene, the speaker needs help buying a ticket.
pour
In pour acheter, pour introduces the purpose: “in order to buy.” In pour ce trajet, it links the ticket to the trip, so the same word can connect an action or item with its purpose or intended use.
acheter
Acheter means “to buy” in pour acheter un billet. After pour, this exact form states the purpose of the help; the reusable pattern is pour acheter + an object.
un
Un introduces one unspecified ticket in un billet: “a ticket.” It comes directly before billet and marks the item being bought.
billet
Billet means “ticket” in un billet pour ce trajet. In this scene it refers to the train ticket, and it can be used after acheter to name what someone buys.
ce
Ce means “this” in ce trajet, pointing to the particular trip being discussed. It appears directly before trajet to identify that specific trip.
trajet
Trajet means “trip” or “route” in ce trajet, the journey for which the ticket is needed. It also appears in la fin du trajet, referring to the same journey as it comes to an end.
Vous
Vous means “you” in Vous pouvez l'acheter and addresses the other adult formally or addresses more than one person. It is used as the subject before pouvez in this instruction or offer of help.
pouvez
Pouvez means “can” or “are able to” in Vous pouvez l'acheter. It is followed by l'acheter to express that the listener can buy the ticket, and the reusable pattern is Vous pouvez + an infinitive.
l'acheter
L'acheter means “buy it” in Vous pouvez l'acheter, with l' referring to the ticket and acheter naming the action. The form places the object pronoun before the infinitive after pouvez.
sur
Sur means “on” in sur cette machine, referring to using the ticket machine. It can introduce the device or surface involved in an action, as in the dialogue expression sur cette machine.
cette
Cette means “this” in cette machine and points to the particular machine nearby. It comes directly before machine to identify it.
machine
Machine means “machine” in cette machine, specifically the ticket machine being used. It can follow cette to identify a particular device.
Quelle
Quelle asks “which” or “what” in Quelle option, requesting the choice of an option. It comes before option in a question asking which selection should be made first.
option
Option means “option” in Quelle option, referring to one of the choices on the ticket machine. It is used after Quelle to ask which choice to select.
dois-je
Dois-je means “should I” or “must I” in the question Quelle option dois-je choisir en premier ? The inverted form places the verb before je in a question about what the speaker should do.
choisir
Choisir means “to choose” in dois-je choisir, naming the action the speaker is asking about. It follows dois-je, and the reusable pattern is choisir + an option or other choice.
en
En contributes to the expression en premier, meaning “first” or “as the first step.” Here it helps specify the order in which the option should be chosen.
premier
Premier means “first” in en premier and identifies the initial step in using the machine. The expression en premier is a reusable way to mark what should happen first.
Choisissez
Choisissez means “choose” in the instruction Choisissez votre destination. It is the form used to give a direct instruction to one person formally or to more than one person.
votre
Votre means “your” in votre destination and connects the destination with the person or people being addressed. It comes directly before destination in the instruction Choisissez votre destination.
destination
Destination means “destination,” the place the traveler wants to reach. In Choisissez votre destination, it is the object of the instruction and names what must be selected on the screen.
l'écran
L'écran means “the screen” in sur l'écran, referring to the display where the destination is selected. The form combines the article l' with écran and follows sur in this location expression.
Comment
Comment means “how” in Comment puis-je vérifier, introducing a question about the method of checking the route. It is placed at the beginning of the question to ask how an action can be carried out.
puis-je
Puis-je means “can I” in Comment puis-je vérifier, asking politely whether the speaker can check something. The inverted form places je after the verb in this question.
vérifier
Vérifier means “to check” in puis-je vérifier où je dois changer de train. It names the action the speaker wants to perform, and it follows puis-je in the question.
où
Où means “where” in vérifier où je dois changer de train, introducing the place where the train change happens. It connects vérifier with the information the speaker wants to find.
je
Je means “I” in où je dois changer de train and identifies the person who has to change trains. It appears before dois in this clause.
dois
Dois means “must” or “have to” in je dois changer de train, expressing the speaker's required action. It is followed by changer de train to state what the speaker has to do.
changer
Changer means “to change” in changer de train, referring to changing trains during the journey. In this expression, it is followed by de train rather than standing alone.
de
De links changer with train in changer de train, forming the expression “change trains.” Here it identifies the train involved in the required change.
train
Train means “train” in changer de train, the train from which or to which the traveler changes. It is also the mode of transport named in the ticket-buying scene.
Les
Les means “the” before a plural noun in Les détails du trajet. It introduces the route details being displayed by the machine.
détails
Détails means “details” in Les détails du trajet, referring to the information about the route. It is the subject of s'affichent and names what appears before payment.
du
Du means “of the” in du trajet and links the details to the trip or route. It is used before trajet in the expression Les détails du trajet.
s'affichent
S'affichent means “appear on screen” or “are displayed” in Les détails du trajet s'affichent. The form describes the route details becoming visible before payment, and it is useful for describing information that appears on a display.
avant
Avant means “before” in avant le paiement and places the display of the route details earlier than payment. It is followed here by a noun phrase naming the later event.
le
Le means “the” before paiement in le paiement, referring to the specific payment step on the machine. It introduces the singular noun that follows it.
paiement
Paiement means “payment” in avant le paiement, the step that comes after the route details appear. It can follow avant to name an event that has not happened yet in the sequence.
vois
Vois means “see” in Je vois maintenant le point de correspondance, describing what the speaker can see on the machine. It is followed by the visible object le point de correspondance.
maintenant
Maintenant means “now” and shows that the transfer point has become visible at this moment. It appears between Je vois and the object being seen.
point
Point means “point” in le point de correspondance, identifying a particular place in the route. Together with de correspondance, it refers to the transfer point rather than an abstract point.
correspondance
Correspondance means “transfer” or “connection” in le point de correspondance. It specifies that the point is where the traveler changes trains during the journey.
Gardez
Gardez means “keep” in the instruction Gardez le billet avec vous. It is used as a direct instruction to one person formally or to more than one person, telling the listener not to let go of the ticket.
avec
Avec means “with” in avec vous and indicates that the ticket should remain in the listener's possession. The reusable pattern is garder something avec + a person.
jusqu'à
Jusqu'à means “until” in jusqu'à la fin du trajet and sets the endpoint for keeping the ticket. It is followed here by the event or time point that marks when the instruction ends.
la
La means “the” before fin in la fin du trajet, introducing the specific end of the trip. It comes directly before fin in this time expression.
fin
Fin means “end” in la fin du trajet, naming the point when the journey is over. Together with jusqu'à, it gives the endpoint until which the ticket should be kept.
Grammar Points
avoir besoin de + nom
J'ai besoin d'aide.
zhay buh-ZWAN DED.I need help.
French expresses “to need” with avoir besoin de, literally “to have need of.”
pouvoir + infinitif
Vous pouvez choisir une option.
voo poo-VAY shwah-ZEER yoon op-SYON.You can choose an option.
After pouvoir, use the next verb directly in the infinitive: pouvez choisir.
French Vocabulary
acheter
verb
ah-shuh-TAY
to buy
pour acheter un billet
aide
noun
ED
help
J'ai besoin d'aide
avoir besoin de
phrase
ah-VWAR buh-ZWAN duh
to need
J'ai besoin d'aide
I need help
billet
noun
bee-YAY
ticket
un billet
choisir
verb
shwah-ZEER
to choose
choisir en premier
destination
noun
des-tee-na-SYON
destination
votre destination
écran
noun
ay-SKRAHN
screen
sur l'écran
en premier
adv
ahn pruh-MYAY
first
Quelle option dois-je choisir en premier ?
machine
noun
mah-SHEEN
machine
cette machine
option
noun
op-SYON
option
Quelle option
pouvoir
verb
poo-VWAR
can; to be able to
pouvez
Vous pouvez l'acheter
trajet
noun
trah-ZHAY
trip; journey
pour ce trajet
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
You can buy it from this machine.
Show Answer
Vous pouvez l'acheter sur cette machine.Choose your destination on the screen.
Show Answer
Choisissez votre destination sur l'écran.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to choose
Show Answer
choisirmachine
Show Answer
machinecan; to be able to
Show Answer
pouvezticket