Borrowing a Laptop Charger at Work | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Laptop Charger at Work to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

La batterie de mon ordinateur portable est presque vide.

la ba-tuh-REE duh mohn or-dee-na-TUR por-TAH-bluh eh PRESK VEED. My laptop battery is almost empty.

Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur jusqu'à la réunion.

tyoo PUH ahn-prun-TAY mohn shar-ZHUR zhus-KAH la ray-oo-NYOHN. You can borrow my charger until the meeting.

Est-ce qu'il est compatible avec mon ordinateur portable ?

ess-kuh-LEH kom-pa-TEEBL ah-VEK mohn or-dee-na-TUR por-TAH-bluh? Is it compatible with my laptop?

Il devrait être compatible, mais vérifie d'abord le connecteur.

eel duh-VRAY EH-truh kom-pa-TEEBL, meh vay-ree-FEE duh-BOR luh kuh-nek-TUR. It should be, but check the connector first.

Ça rentre, et la batterie se recharge maintenant.

sah RAHN-truh, eh la ba-tuh-REE suh ruh-sharZH man-tuh-NAHN. It fits, and the battery is charging now.

Remets-le sur mon bureau quand tu as fini.

ruh-MEH-luh syoor mohn byoo-ROH kahn tyoo ah fee-NEE. Put it back on my desk when you finish.

Je le remettrai avant que tu partes.

zhuh luh ruh-meh-TRAY ah-VAHN kuh tyoo PART. I'll put it back before you leave.

Ça me laisse assez de temps avant d'en avoir besoin à nouveau.

sah muh LESS ah-SAY duh TAHN ah-VAHN dahn ah-VWAR buh-ZWAN ah noo-VOH. That gives me enough time before I need it again.

Word by Word

La “La” means “the” before “batterie” here. It identifies this specific battery, and the same article pattern appears in “La batterie de mon ordinateur portable”.

batterie “batterie” means battery, specifically the laptop battery being discussed. It appears in the useful noun phrase “La batterie de mon ordinateur portable”; use it when talking about a device’s battery.

de “de” links “batterie” to “mon ordinateur portable”, showing the battery’s connection to the laptop. The same relationship appears in “La batterie de mon ordinateur portable”; use “de” to connect a thing with what it belongs to or is associated with.

mon “mon” means my and shows that the laptop belongs to the speaker. Here it comes before “ordinateur portable”; the same possessive form also appears before “chargeur” in “mon chargeur”.

ordinateur “ordinateur” means computer. In “ordinateur portable”, it identifies the device whose battery is empty; use the full phrase when talking about a laptop.

portable “portable” means portable, but after “ordinateur” in “ordinateur portable” the whole phrase means laptop. It follows the noun in this device name; keep the two words together when referring to a laptop.

est “est” means is and links “La batterie” with its condition, “presque vide”. It is the form of être used here; use “La batterie est presque vide” to describe a battery’s current state.

presque “presque” means almost and shows that the battery is not completely empty yet. It comes before the description “vide” in “presque vide”; use “presque” before a description to express an incomplete degree.

vide “vide” means empty and describes the battery’s remaining charge here. In “presque vide”, it follows “presque”; use this pattern when something is nearly empty.

Tu “Tu” means you for one familiar or informal person, here the colleague being addressed. It comes before the verb in “Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur”; use it when speaking informally to one person.

peux “peux” means can or are able to and is the form of pouvoir used with “Tu”. In “Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur”, it introduces what the other person is allowed or able to do; use “Tu peux” before an infinitive to offer or permit an action.

emprunter “emprunter” means borrow, here referring to taking the charger temporarily and returning it later. It follows “peux” in “Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur”; use “peux emprunter” with the borrowed object after it.

chargeur “chargeur” means charger, the item being lent at work. It appears as the object of “emprunter” in “emprunter mon chargeur”; use it when referring to the device that supplies power.

jusqu'à “jusqu'à” means until or up to a stated time. In “jusqu'à la réunion”, it marks the meeting as the endpoint of the borrowing period; use it before a time or event that sets a limit.

réunion “réunion” means meeting, here the event that sets the return deadline. It follows “la” in “jusqu'à la réunion”; use it when referring to a scheduled meeting.

Est-ce “Est-ce” is the question opener used to ask whether something is true. Its parts “Est” and “ce” combine in this standard structure, as in “Est-ce qu'il est compatible avec mon ordinateur portable ?”; use it before a question clause when checking something.

qu'il “qu'il” is the contracted form of “que” and “il”, meaning that it in this question structure. In “Est-ce qu'il est compatible”, it connects the question opener to the clause about the charger; use it before a clause beginning with “il”.

compatible “compatible” means compatible and describes whether the charger works with the laptop. It appears with “avec” in “compatible avec mon ordinateur portable”; use “compatible avec” when checking whether two things work together.

avec “avec” means with and links the charger to the laptop it may work with. The reusable pattern here is “compatible avec” followed by the other item; use it when describing compatibility.

Il “Il” means it here and refers back to the charger. It is the subject of “Il devrait être compatible”; use it to continue talking about that item without repeating the noun.

devrait “devrait” expresses an expectation rather than complete certainty: the charger should be compatible. It is the form of devoir used here with “Il” and is followed by “être”; use “devrait” when something is expected but still needs checking.

être “être” means be and follows “devrait” in “Il devrait être compatible”. It links the charger with the description “compatible”; use this infinitive after “devrait” to state the expected condition.

mais “mais” means but and contrasts the expectation that the charger should work with the instruction to check it. It links the two parts of “Il devrait être compatible, mais vérifie d'abord le connecteur”; use it to add a qualification or contrasting instruction.

vérifie “vérifie” means check here and gives a familiar-singular instruction to “Tu”. It is the imperative form of vérifier in “vérifie d'abord le connecteur”; use it before the thing that should be inspected.

d'abord “d'abord” means first or before anything else. In “vérifie d'abord le connecteur”, it tells the listener to check the connector before continuing; use it to order the first step in a task.

le “le” means “the” before “connecteur” here. It introduces the specific connector that must be checked, as in “le connecteur”; use it before this masculine singular noun in the same phrase.

connecteur “connecteur” means connector, the part that the speaker checks before using the charger. It is the object of “vérifie” in “vérifie d'abord le connecteur”; use it when referring to the connecting part of a device.

Ça “Ça” means it or that and refers here to the fitting situation involving the charger and connector. It is a common spoken subject for a thing or situation, as in “Ça rentre”; use it when the exact noun does not need to be repeated.

rentre “rentre” means fits or goes in here, reporting that the connector fits successfully. It is the form of rentrer used with “Ça” in “Ça rentre”; use this expression when checking whether an object goes into a space.

et “et” means and and links the successful fit with the battery charging. In “Ça rentre, et la batterie se recharge maintenant”, it joins two related observations; use it to connect information.

se “se” is part of “se recharge”; with “la batterie” as the subject, the phrase says that the battery is charging. It comes directly before “recharge” in this verb phrase; learn the two forms together when describing a battery receiving charge.

recharge “recharge” means charges or is charging here in “la batterie se recharge maintenant”. It is the form of recharger used with the battery; use “se recharge” for a battery that is receiving charge.

maintenant “maintenant” means now and places the charging event at the present time. It comes at the end of “la batterie se recharge maintenant”; use it to state that something is happening at this moment.

Remets “Remets” means put back here, as an instruction to one familiar person. It is the imperative form of remettre and appears with the object pronoun in “Remets-le sur mon bureau”; use it when telling someone to return an item.

sur “sur” means on and marks the surface where the charger should be placed. In “sur mon bureau”, it introduces the location; use it before a surface or place where something is put.

bureau “bureau” means desk, here the speaker’s desk where the charger must be returned. It follows “mon” in “mon bureau”; use it when referring to a work desk or office desk.

quand “quand” means when and introduces the time condition for returning the charger. In “quand tu as fini”, it connects the return with the other person finishing; use it before a clause that says when something happens.

as “as” means have in “quand tu as fini” and is the form of avoir used with “tu”. Together with “fini”, it expresses that the person has completed the task; use “tu as fini” after a time connector when the action is complete.

fini “fini” means finished in “tu as fini”. It is the past participle of finir used with “as”; this pattern is useful when saying that one action has been completed before another.

Je “Je” means I and identifies the speaker who promises to return the charger. It comes before the verb in “Je le remettrai”; use it before a verb when describing your own action.

remettrai “remettrai” means will put back and expresses the speaker’s promise to return the charger. It is a future form of remettre used with “Je”; in “Je le remettrai”, the object pronoun “le” comes before it, so use this order when promising to return an item.

avant “avant” means before and sets the return earlier than the other person’s departure. In “avant que tu partes”, it introduces the event that has not happened yet; use “avant que” to say that one action happens before another.

que “que” means that and introduces the clause “que tu partes” after “avant”. It does not carry the whole meaning of “avant que” by itself; here it acts as the linker before the following clause.

partes “partes” means leave in “avant que tu partes”. It is the form of partir used with “tu” in this clause; use “avant que tu partes” when saying that something will happen before the other person leaves.

me “me” means me or to me in “Ça me laisse assez de temps”. It marks the speaker as the person who receives the benefit of having enough time; it comes before “laisse” in this object-pronoun pattern.

laisse “laisse” means leaves or gives here, as in giving the speaker enough time. It is the form of laisser used with “Ça” in “Ça me laisse assez de temps”; use this pattern to say that a situation gives someone time or room to do something.

assez “assez” means enough and expresses a sufficient amount of time. It comes before “de temps” in “assez de temps”; use “assez de” before a noun to say that there is a sufficient quantity.

temps “temps” means time in “assez de temps”. It is the amount available before the speaker needs the charger again; use it after “assez de” when talking about having enough time.

d'en “d'en” means of it here and refers back to the charger in “d'en avoir besoin”. It combines “de” with “en”, where “en” stands for an already mentioned item; use it before “avoir besoin” when the needed object is understood from context.

avoir “avoir” means have in “d'en avoir besoin”, where “avoir besoin” is the expression meaning need. It is an infinitive after “d'en”; use “avoir besoin” when stating that someone needs something.

besoin “besoin” means need in the expression “avoir besoin”. In “en avoir besoin”, the expression means needing the charger, with “en” referring to that already mentioned object; use “avoir besoin” to express a need.

à “à” is part of the expression “à nouveau”, which means again here. Keep it together with “nouveau” rather than translating it separately; use “à nouveau” when something happens or is needed another time.

nouveau “nouveau” is part of “à nouveau”, the full expression meaning again in this dialogue. Learn the two-word expression as a unit; use “à nouveau” to describe repetition.

Grammar Points

avoir besoin de + nom → en avoir besoin

en avoir besoin

ahn ah-VWAR buh-ZWAN

to need it / to need some of it

The pronoun « en » replaces « de + noun » and comes before the infinitive.

Impératif + pronom objet

Remets-le

ruh-MEH-luh

Put it back.

In a positive command, the object pronoun comes after the verb and is joined with a hyphen.

French Vocabulary

batterie noun

ba-tuh-REE battery

La batterie de mon ordinateur portable est presque vide.

chargeur noun

shar-ZHUR charger

Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur jusqu'à la réunion.

compatible adj

kom-pa-TEEBL compatible

Est-ce qu'il est compatible avec mon ordinateur portable ?

connecteur noun

kuh-nek-TUR connector

Il devrait être compatible, mais vérifie d'abord le connecteur.

d'abord adv

duh-BOR first; at first

Il devrait être compatible, mais vérifie d'abord le connecteur.

emprunter verb

ahn-prun-TAY to borrow

Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur jusqu'à la réunion.

jusqu'à prep

zhus-KAH until

Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur jusqu'à la réunion.

ordinateur portable phrase

or-dee-na-TUR por-TAH-bluh laptop

La batterie de mon ordinateur portable est presque vide.

presque adv

PRESK almost

La batterie de mon ordinateur portable est presque vide.

rentrer verb

rahn-TRAY to fit; to go in rentre

Ça rentre, et la batterie se recharge maintenant.

réunion noun

ray-oo-NYOHN meeting

Tu peux emprunter mon chargeur jusqu'à la réunion.

vide adj

VEED empty

La batterie de mon ordinateur portable est presque vide.

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

charger

Show Answer

chargeur

to borrow

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emprunter

empty

Show Answer

vide

meeting

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réunion