Borrowing a Tissue from a Bag | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Tissue from a Bag to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Est-ce que je peux prendre un mouchoir dans ton sac ?

ess-kuh zhuh puh PRAHNdruh uhn moo-SHWAHR dahn tohn sahk Could I borrow a tissue from your bag?

Ils sont dans la poche sur le côté.

eel sohn dahn lah posh syur luh koh-TAY They're in the side pocket.

Est-ce que je peux l'ouvrir ?

ess-kuh zhuh puh loo-VRAY May I open it?

Tu préfères en prendre un ?

tyoo pray-FEHR ahn PRAHNdruh uhn Would you rather get one?

Tu peux l'ouvrir.

tyoo puh loo-VREH You can open it.

J'en ai un maintenant.

zhahn-NAY uhn mahn-tuh-NAHN I've got one now.

Ferme la poche quand tu as fini, s'il te plaît.

fairm lah posh kahn tyoo ah fee-NEE, seel tuh PLAY Please close the pocket when you're done.

Je vais la fermer soigneusement.

zhuh vay lah fair-MAY swan-yuhz-MAHN I'll close it carefully.

Garde-en un autre avec toi si tu en as besoin.

gard-ahn uhn OH-truh ah-VEK twah see tyoo ahn ah buh-ZWAN Keep another with you if you need it.

Word by Word

Est-ce que “Est-ce que” opens a yes-or-no question, here to ask permission to take a tissue. In this construction, “Est-ce” forms the question and “que” introduces the clause that follows. It is a reusable question opener before a subject and verb.

je “je” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “je peux prendre” and “Je vais la fermer.” It is placed before the verb when the speaker describes their own action. A common reuse pattern is je + verb.

peux In “je peux prendre” and “je peux l’ouvrir,” “peux” means “can” or “may,” including permission in these questions. “peux” is a form of pouvoir used with je. It commonly comes before an infinitive such as “prendre” or “l’ouvrir”.

prendre “prendre” means “take” or “get” in “prendre un mouchoir” and “en prendre un.” It names the action the speaker is asking about or suggesting. It follows “peux” or “préfères” as an infinitive.

un In “un mouchoir,” “un” means “a” and introduces one tissue. In “en prendre un,” “J’en ai un,” and “un autre,” it identifies one item when the noun is not repeated. It is used before a noun or after a verb when referring to one item.

mouchoir “mouchoir” means “tissue” in “un mouchoir.” The speaker asks to take one from the other person’s bag. A common reuse is un mouchoir for one tissue.

dans “dans” means “in” or “inside” in “dans ton sac” and “dans la poche.” It places the bag or pocket as the location of the tissues. It commonly comes before a noun phrase naming an enclosed place.

ton “ton” means “your” in “ton sac,” referring to the bag belonging to the person addressed with tu. It comes directly before the noun it describes. A reusable pattern is ton + noun when speaking to one familiar addressee.

sac “sac” means “bag” in “ton sac.” It identifies the place from which the speaker wants to take a tissue. It can follow a possessive such as “ton”.

Ils “Ils” means “they” in “Ils sont dans la poche,” referring here to the tissues. It is the subject of the statement about where those items are. A common reuse pattern is Ils sont + location.

sont “sont” means “are” in “Ils sont dans la poche,” stating where the tissues are. “sont” is a form of être used with Ils. It commonly appears before a location phrase such as “dans la poche.”

la “la” means “the” in “la poche,” identifying the particular pocket being discussed. It comes before “poche” as part of the noun phrase. It is reused before a specific noun in the same way.

poche “poche” means “pocket” in “la poche sur le côté.” It identifies the part of the bag where the tissues are. A common reuse is la poche for a particular pocket.

sur “sur” contributes the relation “on” in “sur le côté”; the whole phrase identifies the side location of the pocket. It links “poche” with “le côté” to specify which pocket is meant. It commonly comes before a noun phrase naming a surface or position.

le “le” means “the” in “le côté,” identifying the particular side mentioned in the description. It comes before “côté” as part of the noun phrase. It is used before a specific noun in this type of expression.

côté “côté” means “side” in “sur le côté.” Together, “sur le côté” specifies that the pocket is on the side. It can follow “le” in a phrase that identifies a particular side.

l'ouvrir “l’ouvrir” means “open it” in “Est-ce que je peux l’ouvrir ?” and “Tu peux l’ouvrir.” “l’” refers to the pocket, while “ouvrir” names the action of opening it. The pronoun comes before the infinitive in this construction.

Tu “Tu” means “you” when addressing the other person directly, as in “Tu préfères” and “Tu peux.” It is also understood in the command “Garde-en.” It commonly appears before a verb when speaking to one familiar addressee.

préfères “préfères” means “prefer” in “Tu préfères en prendre un ?” and asks which option the other person would choose. “préfères” is a form of préférer used with Tu. It commonly comes before an infinitive when asking about a preferred action.

en In “en prendre un,” “en” refers back to the tissues, while “un” identifies one of them. In “J’en ai un” and “Garde-en un autre,” it likewise points back to the tissues without repeating “mouchoirs.” It is useful with a quantity or number when referring to some or one of something already mentioned.

J'en “J’en” means “I have one of them” in “J’en ai un,” referring to a tissue. It combines “J’,” the shortened form of je before a vowel, with “en,” which refers back to the tissues. A reusable pattern is J’en ai + quantity or item description.

ai “ai” means “have” in “J’en ai un,” telling the listener that the speaker now has one tissue. “ai” is a form of avoir used with je. It commonly appears after the subject and before the item or quantity possessed.

maintenant “maintenant” means “now” in “J’en ai un maintenant,” marking the current moment when the speaker has a tissue. It adds the timing of the statement rather than naming another object. It can be placed with a verb to say that something is true now.

Ferme “Ferme” tells the other person to close the pocket in “Ferme la poche.” It is an instruction directed at the person addressed with tu. It commonly comes before the object being closed.

quand “quand” means “when” in “quand tu as fini,” linking the closing instruction to the time when the person is done. It introduces the clause that gives the timing. A reusable pattern is quand + clause for an action’s timing.

as “as” means “have” in “tu as fini,” where it helps express that the person is done. “as” is a form of avoir used with tu. It appears before “fini” in this expression.

fini “fini” means “finished” or “done” in “tu as fini.” Together, “tu as fini” says that the person has finished the action. It follows “as” in this expression.

s'il te plaît “s’il te plaît” is the polite expression “please” in “Ferme la poche quand tu as fini, s’il te plaît.” The whole expression makes the instruction more polite; “s’il” combines si and il, “te” refers to the person addressed, and “plaît” contributes the idea of pleasing. It is commonly placed at the end of a request to one familiar addressee.

vais “vais” indicates an intended upcoming action in “Je vais la fermer soigneusement,” meaning “I am going to close it.” “vais” is a form of aller used with je. It commonly comes before an infinitive such as “fermer.”

fermer “fermer” means “close” in “la fermer,” referring to closing the pocket. It names the action after “vais.” It commonly follows vais in a pattern describing an intended action.

soigneusement “soigneusement” means “carefully” in “Je vais la fermer soigneusement.” It describes how the speaker will close the pocket. It commonly follows the verb or verb phrase to describe the manner of an action.

Garde-en “Garde-en” tells the other person to keep some of the tissues. “Garde” gives the instruction to keep, while “en” refers back to the tissues; the dialogue completes the phrase with “un autre.” A reusable pattern is Garde-en + quantity or description when telling someone to keep some of an item already mentioned.

autre “autre” means “another” in “un autre,” referring to one more tissue of the same kind. The whole phrase “un autre” means “another one” here, with the noun understood from the context. It commonly follows un when identifying one additional item.

avec “avec” means “with” in “avec toi,” expressing that the other tissue should stay with the person. It links the action of keeping something to the person who has it. It commonly comes before a person or thing accompanying someone.

toi “toi” means “you” in “avec toi.” It is used after the preposition “avec” to identify the person who keeps the tissue. The reusable expression “avec toi” means “with you.”

si “si” means “if” in “si tu en as besoin,” introducing the condition for keeping another tissue. It connects the suggestion to the situation in which the person needs it. A common pattern is si + clause.

besoin “besoin” means “need” in “tu en as besoin,” referring to the need for a tissue. The surrounding expression says that the person needs the item mentioned earlier. It commonly appears with a form of avoir when expressing that someone has a need.

Grammar Points

si besoin

Si besoin.

see buh-ZWAN

If needed.

This fixed expression means “if needed” and is commonly used without a subject or verb.

French Vocabulary

côté noun

koh-TAY side

Ils sont dans la poche sur le côté.

dans prep

dahn in; into

Ils sont dans la poche sur le côté.

en pron

ahn some; one of them

Tu préfères en prendre un ?

être verb

EH-truh to be sont

Ils sont dans la poche sur le côté.

mouchoir noun

moo-SHWAHR tissue

Est-ce que je peux prendre un mouchoir dans ton sac ?

ouvrir verb

oo-VREER to open

Est-ce que je peux l'ouvrir ?

poche noun

posh pocket

Ils sont dans la poche sur le côté.

pouvoir verb

puh-VWAHR can; to be able to peux

Est-ce que je peux prendre un mouchoir dans ton sac ?

préférer verb

pray-fay-RAY to prefer préfères

Tu préfères en prendre un ?

prendre verb

PRAHN-druh to take

Est-ce que je peux prendre un mouchoir dans ton sac ?

sac noun

sahk bag

Est-ce que je peux prendre un mouchoir dans ton sac ?

sur prep

syur on

Ils sont dans la poche sur le côté.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

May I open it?

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Est-ce que je peux l'ouvrir ?

Would you rather get one?

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Tu préfères en prendre un ?

You can open it.

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Tu peux l'ouvrir.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to take

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prendre

can; to be able to

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peux

tissue

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mouchoir

pocket

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poche