Getting Help with a Hotel Room Heating Problem | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: From a hotel room, a guest calls the front desk about broken heating and asks about repair or another room..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Getting Help with a Hotel Room Heating Problem to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

J'appelle depuis ma chambre parce que le chauffage ne fonctionne pas.

zhah-PELL duh-PWEE mah SHAHM-bruh pair-SKUH luh shoh-FAHZH nuh fohnk-SYON pah I am calling from my room because the heating is not working.
B

Je suis désolé pour cela. La chambre est-elle froide depuis votre arrivée ?

zhuh swee day-zoh-LAY poor suh-LAH. Lah SHAHM-bruh ESS-tell frawd duh-PWEE voh-truh ah-ree-VAY? I am sorry about that. Has the room been cold since you arrived?
A

Elle est froide depuis mon arrivée cet après-midi.

ELL eh frawd duh-PWEE mohn ah-ree-VAY seh-tah-preh-mee-DEE It has been cold since I checked in this afternoon.
B

Je peux envoyer la maintenance pour l'inspecter tout de suite.

zhuh puh ahn-vwah-YAY lah mayn-tuh-NAHNS poor lan-spehk-TAY too duh SWEET I can send maintenance to inspect it right away.
A

Si on ne peut pas réparer le chauffage ce soir, est-ce qu'une autre chambre est disponible ?

see ohn nuh puh pah ray-pah-RAY luh shoh-FAHZH suh SWAHR, ESS-kuhn OH-truh SHAHM-bruh eh dee-spoh-NEEBL? If it cannot be fixed tonight, is another room available?
B

Je vais vérifier les disponibilités et mettre de côté une chambre similaire si nous en avons une.

zhuh vay vay-ree-fee-YAY lay dee-spoh-nee-bee-lee-TAY ay MEHTR duh koh-TAY oon SHAHM-bruh see-mee-LAIR see noo zahn ah-VOHNZ oon I will check availability and hold a similar room if we have one.
A

Je n'ai pas besoin d'un surclassement, juste d'une chambre chaude pour dormir.

zhuh nay pah buh-ZWAN dun soor-klahs-MAHN, zhoost doon SHAHM-bruh showd poor dor-MEER I do not need an upgrade, just a warm room for sleeping.
B

Nous allons d'abord essayer de réparer le chauffage et garder une autre chambre prête si nécessaire.

noo zah-LOHN dah-BOR ess-ay-YAY duh ray-pah-RAY luh shoh-FAHZH ay gar-DAY oon OH-truh SHAHM-bruh PREHT see nay-sess-AIR We will try the repair first and keep another room ready if needed.
A

Appelez-moi, s'il vous plaît, avant que la maintenance monte.

ahp-lay-MWAH, seel voo PLAY, ah-VAHN kuh lah mayn-tuh-NAHNS MOHNT Please call before maintenance comes up.
B

Je vous appellerai avant qu'ils ne montent et de nouveau quand j'aurai des nouvelles.

zhuh voo zahp-luh-RAY ah-VAHN keel nuh MOHNT ay duh noo-VOH kahn zhoh-RAY day noo-VELL I will call you before they come up and again when I have an update.

Word by Word

J'appelle “J'appelle” means “I am calling” here, as the guest begins a call from the room. It is the form used with Je; reuse “J'appelle” + depuis + a place to say where you are calling from.
depuis “depuis” means “from” in “depuis ma chambre,” identifying the place where the call is made. It can also express “since” when followed by a starting time or event, as in “depuis votre arrivée.”
ma “ma” means “my” before “chambre,” so “ma chambre” means “my room.” Reuse “ma” before a singular noun when referring to something belonging to the speaker.
chambre “chambre” means “room,” specifically the guest’s hotel room in “ma chambre.” A useful hotel pattern is “une chambre” or “la chambre” when asking about or referring to a room.
parce que “parce que” means “because” and gives the reason for the call: the heating is not working. The components “parce” and “que” together form this reason-giving expression; reuse “parce que” + a clause to explain why something happens.
le “le” means “the” before “chauffage,” referring to the particular heating system in the room. Reuse “le” before a singular noun when the thing is identifiable in the situation.
chauffage “chauffage” means “heating” here, the system that is not working and may need repair. In a hotel problem report, reuse it in expressions such as “le chauffage fonctionne” or “réparer le chauffage.”
ne “ne” is the first part of the negation in “ne fonctionne pas,” which says that the heating does not work. Reuse “ne” together with “pas” around the verb in a negative statement.
fonctionne “fonctionne” means “works” or “functions” in “le chauffage ne fonctionne pas.” It is the form used with “le chauffage”; reuse “fonctionne” for a device or service that is operating.
pas “pas” completes the negation in “ne fonctionne pas,” making the meaning “does not work.” Reuse it with “ne” to negate a verb, as in “ne fonctionne pas.”
Je “Je” means “I,” the speaker who is calling and describing the room problem. Reuse “Je” as the subject when talking about your own actions, needs, or experiences.
suis “suis” means “am” in “Je suis désolé,” an apology from the receptionist. It is the form of être used with “Je”; reuse “Je suis” before a description or feeling.
désolé “désolé” expresses an apology in “Je suis désolé pour cela,” meaning “I am sorry about that.” Reuse “Je suis désolé” when responding politely to a problem or inconvenience.
pour “pour” means “for” or “about” in “désolé pour cela,” introducing what the speaker is apologizing about. A useful pattern is “désolé pour” + a problem or situation.
cela “cela” means “that” and refers to the heating problem just mentioned. Reuse “pour cela” to refer back to a previously described situation without repeating it.
La “La” means “the” before “chambre,” referring to the guest’s room. It is capitalized here because it starts the sentence; reuse “la” before the same kind of singular noun elsewhere in a sentence.
est-elle “est-elle” asks “is it” in the question “La chambre est-elle froide ?” The verb and subject pronoun are inverted to form a direct question; reuse this pattern for a formal question about a known subject.
froide “froide” means “cold,” describing the room in “La chambre est-elle froide ?” and “Elle est froide.” Reuse “être” + “froide” when describing a room or another thing as cold.
votre “votre” means “your” in “votre arrivée,” referring politely to the guest’s arrival. Reuse “votre” before a singular noun when addressing one guest formally or addressing several people.
arrivée “arrivée” means “arrival” in “depuis votre arrivée,” the point from which the room has been cold. Reuse “depuis” + “arrivée” or another starting event to describe how long a situation has continued.
Elle “Elle” means “it” here and refers back to “la chambre,” not to a person. Reuse “Elle est” to describe a previously mentioned feminine noun such as the room.
est “est” means “is” in “Elle est froide,” describing the current condition of the room. It is the form of être used with “elle”; reuse “est” before an adjective or other description.
mon “mon” means “my” in “mon arrivée,” referring to the speaker’s own arrival. Reuse “mon” before a singular noun when referring to something belonging to or connected with the speaker.
cet “cet” means “this” in “cet après-midi,” referring to the current afternoon. Reuse “cet” before a singular noun beginning with a vowel sound in a time or other expression.
après-midi “après-midi” means “afternoon” in “cet après-midi,” specifying when the guest checked in. Reuse it with a time expression such as “cet après-midi” to refer to this afternoon.
peux “peux” means “can” in “Je peux envoyer la maintenance,” offering to arrange an action. It is the form of pouvoir used with “Je”; reuse “Je peux” + an infinitive to offer or state an ability.
envoyer “envoyer” means “to send” in “envoyer la maintenance,” referring to sending maintenance staff to the room. Reuse “envoyer” + a person or service + a purpose when arranging help.
maintenance “maintenance” refers to the maintenance staff in this hotel-service context. Reuse it as the service or team responsible for inspecting and repairing a room problem.
l'inspecter “l'inspecter” means “to inspect it,” with “l'” referring to the heating and “inspecter” naming the action. Reuse “inspecter” after a verb such as “envoyer” when someone is sent to examine an already known object.
tout de suite “tout de suite” means “right away” or “immediately” in “l'inspecter tout de suite.” The components “tout,” “de,” and “suite” together form this fixed time expression; reuse it after an action to request or promise immediate action.
Si “Si” means “if” at the start of the condition “Si on ne peut pas réparer...” It introduces a possible situation and its consequence; reuse “si” + a clause when discussing what will happen under a condition.
on “on” means “one” or “we” in “on ne peut pas réparer,” referring generally to the hotel staff rather than naming one person. Reuse “on” with a verb for a general statement or an action carried out by a group.
peut “peut” means “can” in “on ne peut pas réparer,” saying that the heating may not be repairable at that time. It is the form of pouvoir used with “on”; reuse “on peut” + an infinitive to describe what can be done.
réparer “réparer” means “to repair” or “to fix” the heating. Reuse “réparer” after a verb of ability or intention, as in “peut réparer” or “essayer de réparer.”
ce “ce” means “this” in “ce soir,” referring to the current evening or tonight. Reuse “ce” in a time expression before a singular time noun.
soir “soir” means “evening,” and “ce soir” means “tonight” in the condition about repairing the heating. Reuse “ce soir” when arranging or discussing an action for tonight.
est-ce “est-ce” is part of the question marker in “est-ce qu'une autre chambre est disponible ?” It helps form a direct question; reuse “est-ce que” before a statement when asking for information.
qu'une “qu'une” is the contraction of “que” and “une” in “est-ce qu'une autre chambre...” It links the question marker to “une autre chambre”; reuse “est-ce qu'une” before a singular noun when asking whether one is available.
autre “autre” means “another” in “une autre chambre,” referring to a room different from the current one. Reuse “une autre” before a singular noun when requesting an alternative.
disponible “disponible” means “available” in the question about another room. Reuse “être disponible” when asking whether a room, service, or option can be used.
vais “vais” means “am going to” or “will” in “Je vais vérifier,” expressing an action the receptionist intends to do next. It is the form of aller used with “Je”; reuse “Je vais” + an infinitive for a near-future action.
vérifier “vérifier” means “to check” or “to verify” in “Je vais vérifier les disponibilités.” Reuse “vérifier” + the information or resource being checked, such as “les disponibilités.”
les “les” means “the” before “disponibilités,” referring to the relevant room availability. Reuse “les” before a plural noun when referring to a specific set or category.
disponibilités “disponibilités” means “availability” here, especially which rooms can be offered. The common hotel-service pattern “vérifier les disponibilités” means to check what options are available.
et “et” means “and,” linking the two actions “vérifier les disponibilités” and “mettre de côté une chambre similaire.” Reuse “et” to join related actions or pieces of information.
mettre de côté “mettre de côté” means “to set aside” or “to hold” in “mettre de côté une chambre similaire,” meaning to reserve it temporarily. The components “mettre,” “de,” and “côté” form the whole expression; reuse “mettre de côté” + an object when keeping it reserved for later use.
similaire “similaire” means “similar” in “une chambre similaire,” describing a room comparable to the current one. Reuse “similaire” after a noun when identifying an alternative with similar characteristics.
nous “nous” means “we” in “si nous en avons une,” referring to the hotel staff; the same pronoun appears as “Nous” in “Nous allons...” at the start of a sentence. Reuse “nous” as the subject for an action carried out by the speaker and others.
en “en” means “of them” or “some” in “si nous en avons une,” referring back to similar rooms. Together with “une,” “en avons une” means “have one”; reuse “en” to avoid repeating a previously mentioned quantity or noun.
avons “avons” means “have” in “nous en avons une,” stating that the hotel has one available room. It is the form of avoir used with “nous”; reuse “nous avons” to state what the hotel or group has.
une “une” means “a” in “une chambre” and “one” in “en avons une.” Reuse it before a singular noun as an indefinite article, or after “en” when referring to one item of a previously mentioned type.
n'ai “n'ai” is the contracted form used in “Je n'ai pas besoin,” which means “I do not have” as part of the expression “I do not need.” Reuse “Je n'ai pas besoin de” + a noun to say that something is not needed.
besoin “besoin” expresses “need” in the fixed expression “n'ai pas besoin d'un surclassement.” Reuse “avoir besoin de” + a person, thing, or action to state what is needed.
d'un “d'un” is the contraction of “de” and “un” in “besoin d'un surclassement,” meaning “of an upgrade” after “avoir besoin.” Reuse “avoir besoin d'un” before a singular masculine noun.
surclassement “surclassement” means “upgrade” in the hotel context, such as moving to a higher room category. Here it is the thing the guest says is not needed; reuse it when discussing a hotel room upgrade.
juste “juste” means “just” or “simply” in “juste d'une chambre chaude,” limiting the request to a warm room. Reuse “juste” before the requested thing when emphasizing that no additional option is required.
d'une “d'une” is the contraction of “de” and “une” in “juste d'une chambre chaude,” meaning “of a” after the expression about needing something. Reuse “d'une” before a singular noun when it follows “besoin de” or a similar construction.
chaude “chaude” means “warm” in “une chambre chaude,” describing the condition the guest wants. Reuse “une chambre chaude” when requesting a room that is warm enough for sleeping.
dormir “dormir” means “to sleep” in “pour dormir,” explaining the purpose of the warm room. Reuse “pour” + an infinitive to state the purpose of an object or action.
allons “allons” means “are going to” or “will” in “Nous allons d'abord essayer,” expressing the hotel’s planned next action. It is the form of aller used with “Nous”; reuse “Nous allons” + an infinitive for a shared near-future plan.
d'abord “d'abord” means “first,” showing that the repair will be attempted before keeping the other room ready. Reuse “d'abord” to put one action before another in a plan or explanation.
essayer “essayer” means “to try” in “essayer de réparer le chauffage.” Reuse “essayer de” + an infinitive when describing an attempt to carry out an action.
de “de” links “essayer” to the infinitive “réparer” in “essayer de réparer,” giving the pattern “try to repair.” Reuse “de” between “essayer” and the action being attempted.
garder “garder” means “to keep” in “garder une autre chambre prête,” meaning to keep another room ready as a backup. Reuse “garder” + an object + a description when maintaining something in a particular state.
prête “prête” means “ready” in “garder une autre chambre prête,” describing the backup room’s state. Reuse “garder” + a room or item + “prête” when keeping it prepared for use.
nécessaire “nécessaire” means “necessary” in the shortened expression “si nécessaire,” meaning “if needed.” Reuse “si nécessaire” to say that an action will happen only when the situation requires it.
Appelez-moi “Appelez-moi” means “call me” and is a direct polite request to the receptionist. The pronoun “moi” is attached to the imperative form; reuse this pattern when asking someone to contact the speaker.
s'il vous plaît “s'il vous plaît” means “please” and makes “Appelez-moi” more polite. The components “s'il,” “vous,” and “plaît” together form the fixed expression used when making a request; reuse it after or before a polite request.
avant “avant” means “before” in “avant que la maintenance monte,” placing the call before the maintenance staff comes up. Reuse “avant que” + a clause to set an earlier time for another action.
que “que” introduces the clause after “avant” in “avant que la maintenance monte.” Together, “avant que” means “before”; reuse “que” in this construction to connect the earlier action with the later one.
monte “monte” means “comes up” in “la maintenance monte,” referring to maintenance staff coming up to the guest’s room. It is the form used with “la maintenance”; reuse it after “avant que” when describing that staff’s movement upward or to the room.
vous “vous” means “you” in “Je vous appellerai,” referring politely to the guest as the person who will receive the call. Reuse “Je vous” before a verb when addressing someone formally or addressing more than one person.
appellerai “appellerai” means “will call” in “Je vous appellerai,” promising a future call to the guest. It is the future form of appeler used with “Je”; reuse “Je vous appellerai” + a time clause when promising to contact someone.
qu'ils “qu'ils” is the contraction of “que” and “ils” in “avant qu'ils ne montent,” introducing the clause about the maintenance staff. Here “ils” refers to the staff members; reuse “avant qu'ils ne” before an action that should happen later.
montent “montent” means “come up” in “avant qu'ils ne montent,” referring to the maintenance staff coming up to the room. The “ne” in this expression does not make the action negative; reuse “avant qu'ils ne montent” to say before they come up.
nouveau “nouveau” contributes to “de nouveau,” which means “again” in “et de nouveau quand j'aurai des nouvelles.” Reuse “de nouveau” before or after an action when it will happen another time.
quand “quand” means “when” and introduces the time clause “quand j'aurai des nouvelles.” Reuse “quand” + a clause to say when an action or update will occur.
j'aurai “j'aurai” means “I will have” in “quand j'aurai des nouvelles,” referring to the receptionist having an update. It combines “je” with a future form of avoir; reuse “quand j'aurai” before the information or result that will become available.
des “des” means “some” in “des nouvelles,” referring to news or an update. Reuse “des” before a plural noun when referring to an unspecified amount or set.
nouvelles “nouvelles” means “news” or “updates” in the expression “avoir des nouvelles.” The phrase “j'aurai des nouvelles” means that the receptionist will have an update to give the guest; reuse “avoir des nouvelles” when expecting information about a situation.

Grammar Points

depuis + présent

J'appelle depuis cet après-midi.

zhah-PELL duh-PWEE seh-tah-preh-mee-DEE

I have been calling since this afternoon.

French often uses the present tense with « depuis » for an action that began in the past and continues now.

avant que + subjonctif

Avant que la maintenance monte.

ah-VAHN kuh lah mayn-tuh-NAHNS MOHNT

Before the maintenance staff comes up.

« Avant que » normally requires the subjunctive; « monte » has the same spelling here.

French Vocabulary

arrivée noun
ah-ree-VAY arrival

depuis votre arrivée

cet après-midi phrase
seh-tah-preh-mee-DEE this afternoon

mon arrivée cet après-midi

chambre noun
SHAHM-bruh room

ma chambre

chauffage noun
shoh-FAHZH heating

le chauffage

depuis prep
duh-PWEE from; since

J'appelle depuis ma chambre.

désolé adj
day-zoh-LAY sorry

Je suis désolé pour cela.

envoyer verb
ahn-vwah-YAY to send

Je peux envoyer la maintenance.

fonctionne verb
fohnk-SYON works; is working

le chauffage ne fonctionne pas

froide adj
frawd cold

La chambre est-elle froide ?

inspecter verb
an-spehk-TAY to inspect

pour l'inspecter

j'appelle verb
zhah-PELL I am calling

J'appelle depuis ma chambre.

maintenance noun
mayn-tuh-NAHNS maintenance staff

la maintenance

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

from; since

Show Answerdepuis

works; is working

Show Answerfonctionne

sorry

Show Answerdésolé

heating

Show Answerchauffage