Using the library printer | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a library, one person asks how to use the printer, choose print settings, and collect the printed pages..

EN → FR / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Using the library printer to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Comment utiliser l'imprimante de la bibliothèque ?

koh-MAHN ew-tee-lee-ZAY lahn-pree-MAHNT duh lah bee-blee-oh-TEK How do I use the printer in the library?
B

D'abord, sélectionne l'imprimante sur cet écran.

duh-BOR, shwah-ZEE lah pree-MAHNT say-tay-KRAHN First, choose the printer on this screen.
A

Est-ce que je peux choisir l'impression recto verso ?

ess-kuh zhuh puh shwah-ZEER lan-preh-SYON REK-toh VEHR-soh Can I choose double-sided printing?
B

Change le réglage avant d'imprimer.

SHAHNZH luh ray-GLAHZH ah-VAHN dan-pree-MAY Change the setting before you print.
A

J'ai seulement besoin d'imprimer un court document.

zhay suh-luh-MAHN buh-ZWAN dan-pree-MAY uhn KOOR doh-kyoo-MAHN I only need to print a short document.
B

Alors, vérifie l'aperçu avant de commencer.

ah-LOR vay-ree-FEE la-pehr-SEW ah-VAHN duh koh-mahn-SAY Then check the preview before you start.
A

Où sortent les pages imprimées ?

oo SORT lay PAHZH an-pree-MAY Where do the printed pages come out?
B

Elles sortent dans le bac en dessous.

el SORT dahn luh BAHK ahn duh-SOO They come out in the tray below.

Word by Word

Comment Comment asks how an action is done in “Comment utiliser l'imprimante de la bibliothèque ?”. It commonly comes before an infinitive or a question about a method, as in this request for instructions.
utiliser utiliser means “to use” in “Comment utiliser l'imprimante de la bibliothèque ?”. The infinitive follows Comment to ask how to carry out an action; it can also be used after a verb such as vouloir.
l'imprimante l'imprimante means “the printer” in this library question. The form combines the article l' with the noun for a printer, and it is the object of utiliser in “utiliser l'imprimante”.
de de links l'imprimante to the library in “l'imprimante de la bibliothèque”, meaning the printer belonging to or associated with the library. A common reuse pattern is noun de noun for an association between two things.
la la is the article “the” before bibliothèque in “de la bibliothèque”. It introduces the feminine singular noun in this phrase; the same article appears before a known feminine singular place or object.
bibliothèque bibliothèque means “library” in “de la bibliothèque”. Here it identifies which printer is being discussed, and it can be used after de la to name the library associated with something.
D'abord D'abord means “first” and marks the first step in the instructions. It is useful at the beginning of a sequence when telling someone what to do before the later steps.
sélectionne sélectionne tells one person to choose the printer in “sélectionne l'imprimante sur cet écran”. It is used directly before the object being selected, so the reusable pattern is sélectionne + object.
sur sur means “on” in “sur cet écran”, locating the printer choice on the screen. It commonly introduces the surface, display, or place where something appears or is selected.
cet cet means “this” before écran in “cet écran”. It points to one specific screen near the speakers, and it is used before a singular masculine noun beginning with a vowel sound.
écran écran means “screen” in “sur cet écran”. It names the display where the printer is chosen, and it can follow sur when describing something shown on a screen.
Est-ce que Est-ce que turns “je peux choisir l'impression recto verso” into a yes-or-no question. The construction contains Est-ce and que and is used before a normal statement word order to ask whether something is possible or allowed.
je je means “I” in “je peux choisir l'impression recto verso”. It identifies the speaker as the person asking about the action, and it commonly comes before the verb in a simple statement or question.
peux peux expresses “can” or “am able to” in “je peux choisir”. Here it asks whether the speaker may or is able to choose an option; a reusable pattern is je peux + infinitive.
choisir choisir means “to choose” in “je peux choisir l'impression recto verso”. It remains an infinitive after peux, and the same pattern can express the ability or permission to choose an object or option.
l'impression l'impression means “the printing” or “the print setting” in “choisir l'impression recto verso”. It names the printing option being chosen, and l' is used before this noun because its following sound begins with a vowel.
recto recto refers to the front side of a page in “l'impression recto verso”. Together with verso, it identifies double-sided printing; recto alone names the front side within that expression.
verso verso refers to the back side of a page in “l'impression recto verso”. Together with recto, it describes printing on both sides, with verso contributing the back-side meaning.
Change Change tells one person to change the setting in “Change le réglage avant d'imprimer”. It is a direct instruction followed by the thing to change, giving the reusable pattern Change + object.
le le means “the” before réglage in “le réglage”. It introduces this specific masculine singular setting, and it is used before a known masculine singular noun.
réglage réglage means “setting” in “Change le réglage”. It refers to the printer option that must be adjusted, and it commonly follows le when naming a particular setting.
avant avant means “before” in “avant d'imprimer”. It places the action of printing after the required change, and it can introduce a time relationship before an action.
d'imprimer d'imprimer means “to print” after avant in “avant d'imprimer”. The d' connects avant to the infinitive because the next word begins with a vowel sound; the pattern is avant de + infinitive.
J'ai J'ai means “I have” in “J'ai seulement besoin d'imprimer un court document”. It introduces what the speaker needs, and it is used with besoin in the reusable expression J'ai besoin de + noun or infinitive.
seulement seulement means “only” in “J'ai seulement besoin d'imprimer un court document”. It limits the speaker's need to printing one short document, and it can be placed near the verb or expression being limited.
besoin besoin means “need” in the expression “J'ai seulement besoin d'imprimer un court document”. With avoir, the pattern avoir besoin de + noun or infinitive expresses needing something or needing to do something.
un un means “a” or “one” before document in “un court document”. It introduces one non-specific masculine singular document, and it can come before an adjective plus noun.
court court means “short” in “un court document”. It describes the length of the document, and the pattern adjective + noun places this description before document here.
document document means “document” in “un court document”. It is the thing the speaker needs to print, and it can follow an article and an adjective to identify a particular type of document.
Alors Alors means “then” in “Alors, vérifie l'aperçu avant de commencer”. It connects the previous information to the next instruction, and it commonly introduces a resulting or consequent action.
vérifie vérifie tells one person to check the preview in “vérifie l'aperçu avant de commencer”. It is followed by the object being checked, so a reusable pattern is vérifie + object.
l'aperçu l'aperçu means “the preview” in “vérifie l'aperçu”. It refers to the on-screen view to inspect before starting, and l' is used before aperçu because the noun begins with a vowel sound.
commencer commencer means “to start” in “avant de commencer”. It is the action that comes after checking the preview, and the pattern avant de + infinitive means “before doing something”.
Où Où asks “where” in “Où sortent les pages imprimées ?”. It requests the location of the pages, and it commonly appears at the beginning of a question about where something is or goes.
sortent sortent means “come out” in “Où sortent les pages imprimées ?”. It describes the pages emerging from the printer, and the verb is used with the plural subject les pages in this question.
les les means “the” before pages in “les pages imprimées”. It introduces the plural pages already understood in the situation, and it is used before a plural noun regardless of its gender.
pages pages means “pages” in “les pages imprimées”. It identifies what comes out of the printer, and it can be followed by imprimées to describe the pages.
imprimées imprimées means “printed” in “les pages imprimées”. It describes the pages that have come from the printer and matches the plural feminine form of pages; the pattern noun + description identifies which pages are meant.
Elles Elles means “they” and refers back to the printed pages in “Elles sortent dans le bac en dessous”. It lets the speaker avoid repeating les pages, and it is used as the subject before the verb.
dans dans means “in” in “dans le bac en dessous”. It places the pages inside the tray, and it commonly introduces a container or location where something is found.
bac bac means “tray” in “dans le bac en dessous”. It names the part of the printer where the pages come out, and it follows dans with the article le to form a location phrase.
en en is part of the location expression “en dessous”, which means “below” in this dialogue. Here it should be learned together with dessous rather than treated as independently meaning “in”; the expression indicates a lower position.
dessous dessous means “below” in “en dessous”. Together, en dessous locates the tray underneath the relevant part of the printer, and the expression can be used to describe something in a lower position.

Grammar Points

avant de + infinitif

Avant d'imprimer, vérifie l'aperçu.

ah-VAHN dan-pree-MAY, vay-ree-FEE la-pehr-SEW

Before printing, check the preview.

Use avant de followed by an infinitive to express an action that happens before another action.

pouvoir + infinitif

Tu peux choisir l'impression recto verso.

tew puh shwah-ZEER lan-preh-SYON REK-toh VEHR-soh

You can choose double-sided printing.

Peux is followed directly by an infinitive to express ability or permission.

French Vocabulary

bibliothèque noun
bee-blee-oh-TEK library la bibliothèque
change verb
SHAHNZH change
choisir verb
shwah-ZEER to choose
comment adv
koh-MAHN how
d'abord adv
duh-BOR first
écran noun
ay-KRAHN screen cet écran
impression recto verso phrase
lan-preh-SYON REK-toh VEHR-soh double-sided printing
imprimante noun
lan-pree-MAHNT printer l'imprimante
peux verb
puh can
réglage noun
ray-GLAHZH setting le réglage
sélectionne verb
say-lek-SYON select
utiliser verb
ew-tee-lee-ZAY to use

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

First, choose the printer on this screen.

Show AnswerD'abord, sélectionne l'imprimante sur cet écran.

Change the setting before you print.

Show AnswerChange le réglage avant d'imprimer.

Then check the preview before you start.

Show AnswerAlors, vérifie l'aperçu avant de commencer.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to choose

Show Answerchoisir

to use

Show Answerutiliser

select

Show Answersélectionne

can

Show Answerpeux