About This Lesson
Use Choosing a Movie with Friends to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Quel film devrions-nous regarder ?
kel FEELM duh-vree-YON noo ruh-gar-DAY Which movie should we watch?
B
Je veux quelque chose de léger, peut-être une comédie.
zhuh vuh kelk SHOHZ duh lay-ZHAY, puh-TETR oon koh-may-DEE I want something light, maybe a comedy.
A
Ce film a de très bonnes critiques et des sous-titres clairs.
suh FEELM ah duh treh bon kree-TEEK ay day soo-TEETR klahr This film has strong reviews and clear subtitles.
B
Pouvons-nous regarder la bande-annonce avant de choisir ?
poo-VON noo ruh-gar-DAY lah bahnd-ah-NONSS ah-VAHN duh shwah-ZEER Can we watch the trailer before we choose?
A
La bande-annonce devrait nous aider à décider.
lah bahnd-ah-NONSS duh-VRAY noo zay-DAY ah day-see-DAY The trailer should help us decide.
B
L’histoire a l’air amusante, mais pas trop difficile.
lees-TWAHR ah LAIR ah-mew-ZAHNT, may pah troh dee-fee-SEEL The story looks fun but not too difficult.
A
Alors, choisissons ce film.
ah-LOR shwah-zee-SON suh FEELM Then let's choose this film.
B
Prenons quelque chose à grignoter avant que ça commence.
pruh-NON kelk SHOHZ ah gree-nyoh-TAY ah-VAHN kuh sah koh-MAHNSS Let's get a snack before it starts.Word by Word
Quel
“Quel” asks which one in “Quel film”. It comes directly before the noun in the pattern “Quel + noun ?”, for example when choosing between options.
film
“Film” means a film or movie in “Quel film”. It can be used after a choice word such as “Quel” to ask which movie someone wants to watch.
devrions
“Devrions” expresses “should” in the question “devrions-nous regarder”. It is a form of devoir used with “nous”; the pattern “devrions-nous + infinitive ?” asks what we should do.
nous
“Nous” refers to the speakers together in “devrions-nous” and means we. In this question, it appears after the verb in the pattern “devrions-nous + infinitive ?”.
regarder
“Regarder” means to watch in “regarder”. It is an infinitive used after “devrions-nous” to say what the speakers should watch; the reusable pattern is “regarder + a film or another thing”.
Je
“Je” means I in “Je veux”. It identifies the speaker as the person who wants something, and it commonly comes before the verb in a statement.
veux
“Veux” means want in “Je veux quelque chose”. It is the form used with “Je”, followed here by the thing wanted; the pattern is “Je veux + object”.
quelque chose
“Quelque chose” means something in “Je veux quelque chose de léger”. Together, “quelque chose” names an unspecified thing, and the pattern “quelque chose de + adjective” describes it.
de
In “quelque chose de léger”, “de” introduces the adjective that describes the unspecified thing. This pattern is used with “quelque chose de + adjective”, as in “quelque chose de léger”.
léger
“Léger” means light here, describing the kind of film wanted in “quelque chose de léger”. After “quelque chose de”, an adjective can describe the unspecified thing.
peut-être
“Peut-être” means maybe and makes “peut-être une comédie” uncertain rather than definite. It can be placed before a possible choice or suggestion, as in “peut-être + noun”.
une
“Une” means a or one before “comédie” in “une comédie”. It introduces one feminine singular thing, and the pattern is “une + noun” when mentioning one such thing.
comédie
“Comédie” means comedy in “une comédie”. It names a type of film and follows the article “une” in this expression.
Ce
“Ce” means this in “Ce film”. It points to a specific film and comes directly before the noun in the pattern “Ce + noun”.
a
“A” means has in “Ce film a de très bonnes critiques”. It is the form of avoir used with “Ce film”; the pattern “a + noun phrase” states what something has.
très
“Très” means very in “de très bonnes critiques”. It strengthens the adjective “bonnes”, and it is commonly placed directly before an adjective.
bonnes
“Bonnes” means good in “de très bonnes critiques”. It describes the plural noun “critiques” in this expression, and “très bonnes” is a reusable adjective phrase before a noun.
critiques
“Critiques” means reviews in “de très bonnes critiques”. It refers to opinions about the film and can follow an adjective phrase such as “de très bonnes”.
et
“Et” means and in “de très bonnes critiques et des sous-titres clairs”. It joins two pieces of information, and the pattern “A et B” connects related items.
des
“Des” means some in “des sous-titres clairs”. It introduces plural subtitles without specifying exactly which ones, and the pattern is “des + plural noun”.
sous-titres
“Sous-titres” means subtitles in “des sous-titres clairs”. The expression refers to written words displayed with a film, and it follows “des” here.
clairs
“Clairs” means clear in “des sous-titres clairs”. It describes the plural noun “sous-titres” and comes after that noun in this expression.
Pouvons
“Pouvons” expresses can or are able to in “Pouvons-nous regarder”. It is used with “nous” in a question, followed by an infinitive to ask whether the speakers can do something.
la
“La” means the in “La bande-annonce”. It introduces the specific feminine noun “bande-annonce”, and the pattern is “la + noun”.
bande-annonce
“Bande-annonce” means trailer in “La bande-annonce”. It names the short promotional video for a film; the full expression “La bande-annonce” is used when referring to a specific trailer.
avant
“Avant” means before in “avant de choisir”. It places one action earlier than another, and the pattern “avant de + infinitive” means before doing something.
choisir
“Choisir” means to choose in “avant de choisir”. It is an infinitive after “avant de”; the pattern “choisir + object” says what someone chooses.
devrait
“Devrait” expresses should in “La bande-annonce devrait nous aider”. It is used with a singular subject such as “La bande-annonce”, followed here by an infinitive phrase.
aider
“Aider” means to help in “nous aider à décider”. It is followed by the person helped and then “à + infinitive”; the reusable pattern is “aider quelqu’un à + infinitive”.
à
In “aider à décider”, “à” links the verb “aider” to the action that follows. The pattern is “aider quelqu’un à + infinitive”, as in “nous aider à décider”.
décider
“Décider” means to decide in “à décider”. It names the action the trailer may help the speakers carry out; the pattern “décider + object” can identify what someone decides.
L’histoire
“L’histoire” means the story in “L’histoire a l’air amusante”. It refers to the film’s story, and “L’histoire” is used as the subject before the verb phrase.
a l’air
“A l’air” means looks or seems in “L’histoire a l’air amusante”. Together, the expression gives an impression about something, followed by an adjective: “avoir l’air + adjective”.
amusante
“Amusante” means fun or amusing in “a l’air amusante”. It describes “L’histoire” after “a l’air”, and the pattern “avoir l’air + adjective” expresses how something seems.
mais
“Mais” means but in “mais pas trop difficile”. It introduces a qualification or contrast, connecting the positive impression with a limit.
pas
“Pas” contributes the meaning not in “pas trop difficile”. It appears with the negative expression “pas trop + adjective” to say that something is not too much of the stated quality.
trop
“Trop” means too in “pas trop difficile”. It limits the degree of the adjective “difficile”, and the pattern “pas trop + adjective” means not excessively so.
difficile
“Difficile” means difficult in “pas trop difficile”. It describes the story’s level of difficulty, and it can follow “trop” in the pattern “trop difficile”.
Alors
“Alors” means then in “Alors, choisissons ce film”. It signals the next decision or action based on what was just discussed, and it can introduce a conclusion in conversation.
choisissons
“Choisissons” means let’s choose in “choisissons ce film”. It invites the speakers to choose together, followed here by the object “ce film”; the pattern is “choisissons + object”.
Prenons
“Prenons” means let’s get or let’s take in “Prenons quelque chose à grignoter”. It proposes a joint action with “nous” understood, followed by what the speakers will get or take.
grignoter
“Grignoter” means to snack or nibble in “quelque chose à grignoter”. It describes food intended for casual eating, and the pattern “quelque chose à + infinitive” identifies what can be done with the thing.
que
In “avant que ça commence”, “que” introduces the clause describing the later event. The full pattern “avant que + clause” means before something happens.
ça
“Ça” means it or that in “ça commence”, referring here to the start of the film or event. It is a common conversational subject before a verb when the exact noun is understood from context.
commence
“Commence” means starts in “avant que ça commence”. It describes the beginning of the understood event, and the pattern “ça commence” is used to say that something is starting.
Grammar Points
Quel + nom
Quel film regarder ?
kel FEELM ruh-gar-DAYWhich movie should we watch?
Quel agrees with the noun it introduces. Use it before a masculine singular noun such as film.
avoir l’air + adjectif
La comédie a l’air amusante.
lah koh-may-DEE ah LAIR ah-mew-ZAHNTThe comedy looks fun.
Avoir l’air means “to look” or “to seem.” The adjective agrees with the noun: amusante is feminine singular.
French Vocabulary
avant
prep
ah-VAHN
before
bande-annonce
noun
bahnd-ah-NONSS
trailer
clair
adj
klair
clear
clairs
comédie
noun
koh-may-DEE
comedy
critique
noun
kree-TEEK
review
critiques
film
noun
feelm
film; movie
léger
adj
lay-ZHAY
light
peut-être
adv
puh-TETR
maybe; perhaps
quel
det
kel
which
Quel
quelque chose
pron
kelk SHOHZ
something
regarder
verb
ruh-gar-DAY
to watch
sous-titre
noun
soo-TEETR
subtitle
sous-titres
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Which movie should we watch?
Show Answer
Quel film devrions-nous regarder ?Then let's choose this film.
Show Answer
Alors, choisissons ce film.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to watch
Show Answer
regarderlight
Show Answer
légerreview
Show Answer
critiquescomedy