About This Lesson
Use Finding a conference room to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Pouvez-vous me dire où est la salle de conférence ?
poo-VAY voo muh DEER oo eh lah SAHL duh kohn-fay-RAHNS Could you tell me where the conference room is?
B
Passez le hall d'entrée. C'est près des ascenseurs.
pah-SAY luh ahl dahn-TRAY. seh preh day-zah-sahn-SUHR Go past the lobby. It's near the elevators.
A
Est-ce que je dois prendre l'ascenseur ici ?
ess-kuh zhuh DWAH PRAHNDR lah-sahn-SUHR ee-SEE Should I take the elevator from here?
B
Montez d'un étage avec l'ascenseur.
mohn-TAY dun ay-TAHZH ah-VEK lah-sahn-SUHR Take it up one floor.
B
Ensuite, tournez à gauche dans le couloir.
ahn-SWEET toor-NAY ah GOHSH dahn luh koo-LWAHR Then turn left into the hallway.
A
Est-ce qu'il y a un plan que je peux utiliser ?
ess-kuh eel ee YAH uhn PLAHN kuh zhuh puh oo-tee-lee-ZAY Is there a map I can use?
B
Il y en a un à côté du comptoir d'accueil.
eel ee ahn ah uhn ah koh-TAY doo kohn-TWAHR dah-KUH-yuh There's one by the reception desk.
A
Ça m'aide. C'est la première fois que je viens dans ce bâtiment.
sah MED. seh lah pruh-MYEHR FWAH kuh zhuh VYEN dahn suh bah-tee-MAHN That helps. It's my first time in this building.
B
La salle est indiquée vers le bout du couloir.
lah SAHL eh ahn-dee-KAY vehr luh BOO doo koo-LWAHR The room is marked near the end of the hall.Word by Word
Pouvez
In Pouvez-vous me dire où est la salle de conférence ?, Pouvez means “can” or “could” in a polite request. It is used with vous before the request. A reusable pattern is Pouvez-vous me dire followed by a question.
vous
In Pouvez-vous me dire..., vous means “you” and addresses one person formally or several people. It appears between Pouvez and the rest of the request. The pattern Pouvez-vous... is useful when asking someone politely for information.
me
In Pouvez-vous me dire..., me means “me” and identifies the person receiving the information. It comes before dire. A reusable pattern is me dire + information, meaning “tell me + information.”
dire
In Pouvez-vous me dire où est la salle de conférence ?, dire means “tell” or “say,” specifically “tell me” here. It follows Pouvez in this request. A reusable pattern is me dire où..., meaning “tell me where...”.
où
In où est la salle de conférence ?, où means “where” and asks about the room’s location. It introduces the location question after me dire. A reusable pattern is où est + a place or thing.
est
In où est la salle de conférence ?, est means “is” and identifies the location of the room. It appears after où in the location question. The pattern où est... is useful for asking where something is.
la
In la salle de conférence, la means “the” before the feminine singular noun salle. It appears as La in La salle est indiquée when it begins the sentence. It is reused before salle in both expressions.
salle
In la salle de conférence, salle means “room.” The phrase salle de conférence specifies that it is a conference room. A reusable pattern is salle de + a type or purpose.
de
In salle de conférence, de links the room with its purpose, giving the meaning “conference room.” It comes between salle and conférence. A reusable pattern is noun de noun for a relationship such as purpose or type.
conférence
In salle de conférence, conférence means “conference.” It identifies what kind of room salle is. The reusable expression salle de conférence refers to a conference room.
Passez
In Passez le hall d'entrée, Passez gives the instruction “go past” or “pass” the lobby. It is used to give directions to the visitor. A reusable direction pattern is Passez + a place.
le
In le hall d'entrée, le means “the” before the masculine singular noun hall. It identifies the specific lobby or hall the visitor should pass. The pattern le + noun is used for a definite masculine singular place.
hall
In le hall d'entrée, hall means “lobby” or “hall.” Together with d'entrée, it identifies the entrance lobby. A reusable expression is hall d'entrée for an entrance hall or lobby.
d'entrée
In hall d'entrée, d'entrée identifies the hall as an entrance or entry hall. It follows hall to specify its function. The pattern noun d'entrée can identify something connected with an entrance.
C'est
In C'est près des ascenseurs, C'est means “it is” and gives the location of the conference room. It introduces the location statement. A reusable pattern is C'est près de + a place.
près
In C'est près des ascenseurs, près means “near.” It describes the room’s position relative to the elevators. It is commonly used in the pattern près de + a place or thing.
des
In près des ascenseurs, des means “the” before the plural noun ascenseurs. Here it is the combined form of de and les, because près de is followed by the elevators. The pattern près des + plural noun means “near the...”.
ascenseurs
In près des ascenseurs, ascenseurs means “elevators.” The plural form refers to the elevators near the room. A reusable pattern is près des ascenseurs when giving a location near elevators.
Est-ce que
Est-ce que je dois prendre l'ascenseur ici ? is a yes-or-no question meaning “Should I take the elevator here?” The exact parts Est-ce begin the question and que links that question to the clause je dois prendre l'ascenseur ici; the meaning comes from the whole construction. A reusable pattern is Est-ce que + a statement.
je
In je dois prendre l'ascenseur, je means “I” and is the person asking about the action. It comes before dois. A reusable pattern is je + a verb when speaking about your own action.
dois
In je dois prendre l'ascenseur ici ?, dois expresses “must” or “should” for the speaker’s action. It is followed by the infinitive prendre. A reusable pattern is je dois + an action.
prendre
In prendre l'ascenseur, prendre means “take,” referring to using the elevator. It follows dois in the question. The reusable expression prendre l'ascenseur means “take the elevator.”
l'ascenseur
In prendre l'ascenseur, l'ascenseur means “the elevator.” The article l' is used before ascenseur in this exact expression. A reusable pattern is prendre l'ascenseur when choosing the elevator as transportation inside a building.
ici
In prendre l'ascenseur ici, ici means “here” and refers to the visitor’s current location. It asks whether the elevator should be taken at this place. A reusable pattern is faire quelque chose ici, meaning to do something here.
Montez
In Montez d'un étage avec l'ascenseur, Montez gives the direction “go up” or “go upward.” It tells the visitor to move up using the elevator. A reusable direction pattern is Montez d'un étage.
d'un
In Montez d'un étage, d'un introduces the amount of one floor: “up one floor.” It combines de and un in this expression. The pattern Montez d'un étage gives a clear instruction about the distance to go up.
étage
In Montez d'un étage, étage means “floor” or “story” of a building. It specifies the distance the visitor should go upward. A reusable pattern is d'un étage when describing movement up one floor.
avec
In avec l'ascenseur, avec means “with” and indicates that the elevator is the means used to go up. It comes before l'ascenseur. A reusable pattern is avec + a means or object used for an action.
Ensuite
In Ensuite, tournez à gauche..., Ensuite means “then” or “next.” It marks the next step after taking the elevator. It is useful for ordering directions or instructions.
tournez
In tournez à gauche, tournez gives the instruction “turn.” It tells the visitor what to do at the next point. A reusable direction pattern is tournez à + a direction.
à
In tournez à gauche, à helps introduce the direction “to the left.” It appears directly before gauche in this instruction. The reusable expression tournez à gauche means “turn left.”
gauche
In tournez à gauche, gauche means “left.” Together with tournez à, it gives the visitor a direction. The expression tournez à gauche is used when telling someone to turn left.
dans
In dans le couloir, dans means “in” or “into.” It shows that the turn leads into the hallway. A reusable pattern is entrer dans + a place or tourner dans + a place.
couloir
In dans le couloir, couloir means “hallway” or “corridor.” It identifies the passage the visitor should enter. A reusable expression is dans le couloir for something located in the hallway.
plan
In un plan que je peux utiliser, plan means “map” in the context of the building. It is something the visitor can use for navigation. A reusable pattern is utiliser un plan, meaning “use a map.”
que
In un plan que je peux utiliser, que connects plan with the clause je peux utiliser and means “that” or “which.” It introduces information about what the map can be used for. A reusable pattern is noun que + a clause.
peux
In je peux utiliser, peux means “can” or “am able to.” It expresses the visitor’s ability to use the map and is followed by utiliser. A reusable pattern is je peux + an action.
utiliser
In que je peux utiliser, utiliser means “use.” It describes the action the visitor can do with the plan. It follows peux in the pattern je peux utiliser + an object.
Il
In Il y en a un à côté du comptoir d'accueil, Il is part of the existential expression meaning “there is one.” It does not refer to a particular person. The reusable pattern Il y a + a thing states that something exists or is available.
y
In Il y en a un, y belongs to the existential expression il y a, which means “there is” or “there are.” Here it helps state that one map is available. It is not a separate reference to a place in this sentence.
en
In Il y en a un, en refers back to the plan mentioned in the question. Together with un, it means that there is one of them. This pattern is useful for answering that one item is available without repeating the noun.
a
In Il y en a un, a is part of il y a, the expression for “there is” or “there are.” Here it helps say that one map is available. A reusable pattern is Il y a + a thing.
un
In Il y en a un, un means “one,” referring back to the plan. It avoids repeating plan after the question about a map. The pattern Il y en a un means “there is one.”
côté
In à côté du comptoir d'accueil, côté means “side.” Together with à and du, it forms the expression “next to” or “beside.” A reusable pattern is à côté de + a place or object.
comptoir
In le comptoir d'accueil, comptoir means “desk” or “counter.” Here it identifies the reception desk where the map is located. A reusable expression is comptoir d'accueil for a reception desk.
d'accueil
In comptoir d'accueil, d'accueil identifies the desk as the reception desk. It follows comptoir to specify its function. The expression comptoir d'accueil is used for the desk where visitors are received.
Ça
In Ça m'aide, Ça means “that” or “it” and refers to the information just given. It is the subject of the statement that the information helps. A reusable expression is Ça m'aide when something is helpful.
m'aide
In Ça m'aide, m'aide means “helps me.” The form m' represents me before aide. The reusable expression Ça m'aide is a natural way to say that information or assistance is helpful.
première
In C'est la première fois, première means “first.” It describes fois and shows that this is the visitor’s first occasion in the building. The reusable expression la première fois means “the first time.”
fois
In la première fois que je viens dans ce bâtiment, fois means “time” or “occasion.” Together with première, it refers to the first occasion of coming to the building. A reusable pattern is C'est la première fois que + a clause.
viens
In que je viens dans ce bâtiment, viens means “come” in the clause describing the visitor’s visit to the building. It is used after je. A reusable pattern is je viens dans + a place.
ce
In ce bâtiment, ce means “this” or “that” before the masculine singular noun bâtiment. It points to the particular building being discussed. The pattern ce + masculine singular noun identifies a specific thing.
bâtiment
In ce bâtiment, bâtiment means “building.” It identifies the place where the visitor is for the first time. A reusable pattern is dans ce bâtiment, meaning “in this building.”
indiquée
In La salle est indiquée vers le bout du couloir, indiquée means “marked” or “indicated.” It describes where the room is shown, such as on a map or sign. The form is feminine here because it describes salle.
vers
In vers le bout du couloir, vers means “toward” or “near,” giving an approximate location. It places the room toward the end of the hallway. A reusable pattern is vers + a place when the position is approximate.
bout
In le bout du couloir, bout means “end.” It identifies the far end or final part of the hallway. The reusable expression le bout du couloir means “the end of the hallway.”
du
In le bout du couloir, du means “of the” and links the end with the hallway. It is the combined form of de and le before couloir. The pattern le bout du + place identifies the end of a particular place.
Grammar Points
Pouvez-vous + infinitif… ?
Pouvez-vous dire où sont les ascenseurs ?
poo-VAY voo DEER oo sohn lay-zah-sahn-SUHRCould you tell me where the elevators are?
French uses inversion in this polite question: the verb comes before vous.
French Vocabulary
ascenseurs
noun
ah-sahn-SUHR
elevators
dire
verb
DEER
to tell
ensuite
adv
ahn-SWEET
then; next
étage
noun
ay-TAHZH
floor; story
hall d'entrée
noun
ahl dahn-TRAY
lobby
montez
verb
mohn-TAY
go up; take up
où
adv
OO
where
passez
verb
pah-SAY
go past
pouvez-vous
verb
poo-VAY voo
could you
prendre
verb
PRAHNDR
to take
près de
prep
PREH duh
near
salle de conférence
phrase
SAHL duh kohn-fay-RAHNS
conference room
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Take it up one floor.
Show Answer
Montez d'un étage avec l'ascenseur.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to tell
Show Answer
direelevators
Show Answer
ascenseursgo past
Show Answer
passezto take