Responding politely to noise in a quiet area | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a library silent area, two adults decide how to politely respond when nearby people are talking..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Responding politely to noise in a quiet area to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Les personnes derrière nous parlent dans l'espace silencieux.

lay pair-SON deh-RYEHR NOO PARL dahn less-PASS see-lahn-SYUH The people behind us are talking in the silent area.
B

C'est gênant, mais nous pouvons gérer la situation poliment.

seh zhay-NAHN, may NOO poo-VOHN zhay-RAY lah see-twa-SYOHN poh-lee-MAHN It's distracting, but we can handle it politely.
A

Est-ce que je devrais leur parler ou demander au bibliothécaire ?

ess-kuh zhuh duh-VRAY luhr par-LAY oo duh-mahn-DAY oh bee-blee-oh-teh-KAIR Should I speak to them or ask the librarian?
B

Essaie d'abord de leur faire une remarque discrète, sauf si tu ne te sens pas à l'aise.

eh-SAY duh-BOR duh LUHR fair EWN ruh-MARK dee-SKREHT, SOHF see too nuh tuh SOHN pah ah LEZ Try a quiet reminder first, unless that feels uncomfortable.
A

Je pourrais leur demander de continuer la conversation dehors.

zhuh poo-DRAY luhr duh-mahn-DAY duh kohn-tee-NOO-AY lah kohn-vair-sa-SYOHN duh-OR I could ask them to take the conversation outside.
B

Cela reste clair sans paraître impoli.

suh-LAH REST KLAIR sahn pah-RAITR an-poh-LEE That keeps it clear without sounding rude.
A

Si ces personnes continuent à parler, nous pouvons demander au bibliothécaire d'intervenir.

see say pair-SON kohn-tee-NOO ah par-LAY, NOO poo-VOHN duh-mahn-DAY oh bee-blee-oh-teh-KAIR dan-tair-vuh-NEER If they keep talking, we can ask the librarian to step in.
B

Comme ça, la situation ne dégénérera pas.

kohm SAH lah see-twa-SYOHN nuh day-zhay-nuh-RAH pah That way, it doesn't turn into a scene.
A

Je préfère faire ça plutôt que de me plaindre à voix haute.

zhuh pray-FAIR fair SAH ploo-TOH kuh duh muh PLAIN-druh ah vwah OHT I'd rather do that than complain loudly.
B

Demandons-leur discrètement, puis retournons étudier.

duh-mahn-DOHN LUHR dee-SKREHT-MAHN, pwee ruh-toor-NOHN ay-too-DYAY Let's ask quietly, then get back to studying.

Word by Word

Les Les means “the” before personnes in Les personnes. Use it before a plural noun when referring to specific people or things, such as the people in a place.
personnes Personnes means people in Les personnes derrière nous. It is a common way to refer to people, and it can be used after a definite article such as Les.
derrière Derrière means behind, showing the position of the people relative to us. Use derrière + a person or place to describe where something is located; here it is followed by nous.
nous Nous means us in derrière nous and refers to the two speakers. After a preposition such as derrière, nous identifies the people whose position is being described.
parlent Parlent means are talking in Les personnes derrière nous parlent. It is the form of parler used with Les personnes here; use parler when describing what people say or do with their voices.
dans Dans means in and places the action inside a location. Here it introduces l'espace silencieux; use dans + a place to say where something happens.
l'espace L'espace means the space or area in dans l'espace silencieux. The form l'espace is used before this noun, and the phrase identifies the specific area where the people are talking.
silencieux Silencieux describes l'espace as silent or quiet. In this dialogue it identifies a library area where people are expected to keep quiet; it can follow a noun to describe its character.
C'est C'est means it is in C'est gênant and introduces an assessment of the situation. Use C'est + an adjective to say how something is judged or experienced.
gênant Gênant means distracting or bothersome here, describing the nearby talking. It follows C'est to evaluate a situation, and it is useful when an action makes it difficult to concentrate.
mais Mais means but and contrasts the distraction with the speakers' ability to respond politely. Use mais to connect an expected problem with a contrasting point.
pouvons Pouvons means can in nous pouvons gérer la situation. It is the form of pouvoir used with nous and introduces an action that the speakers are able to take.
gérer Gérer means handle or manage in gérer la situation. After pouvons, it stays in this infinitive form; use pouvoir + an infinitive to describe an action someone can take.
la La means the before situation in la situation. Use la before a singular noun when referring to a specific thing, here the particular situation caused by the talking.
situation Situation means situation in gérer la situation. It refers to the noise problem as a whole, and it commonly follows verbs such as gérer when someone is dealing with a circumstance.
poliment Poliment means politely and describes how the speakers can handle the situation. It can be placed after an action to show that the action is carried out in a respectful manner.
Est-ce que Est-ce que introduces a yes-or-no question in Est-ce que je devrais leur parler ou demander au bibliothécaire ? Est, ce, and que work together as this question marker rather than contributing separate meanings here. Use Est-ce que before a statement when asking whether something is the case.
je Je means I and identifies the speaker who is considering what to do. Use je before a verb when describing your own action, choice, or opinion.
devrais Devrais means should in je devrais leur parler. It presents a possible or advisable action for the speaker; use je devrais + an infinitive when asking what you ought to do.
leur Leur means to them in leur parler and leur demander. It refers to the people who are talking and is placed before the verb when the action is directed toward them.
parler Parler means speak or talk in leur parler. It is used after devrais and with leur to express speaking to those people; a reusable pattern is parler à someone, represented here by leur.
ou Ou means or and presents two possible actions: speaking to the people or asking the librarian. Use ou between alternatives in a question or statement.
demander Demander means ask in demander au bibliothécaire. It introduces a request for help or information, and a common pattern is demander à a person to identify whom the request is made to.
au Au means to the in demander au bibliothécaire. It marks the librarian as the person receiving the request; au is used in this expression before the masculine singular noun bibliothécaire.
bibliothécaire Bibliothécaire means librarian, the person who can help deal with the noise. In demander au bibliothécaire, it identifies the person being asked to act.
Essaie Essaie means try and gives one person a direct suggestion in Essaie d'abord. Use Essaie de + an infinitive to recommend trying an action.
d'abord D'abord means first and places the quiet reminder before any stronger response. Use d'abord to show that an action should be attempted at the beginning of a sequence.
de De links Essaie to the action faire in Essaie de leur faire une remarque. The construction essayer de + an infinitive means to try to do something.
faire Faire means make or give in faire une remarque, where the action is to make a remark to the people. Use faire + a noun for actions expressed through a noun, such as making a remark.
une Une means a or one before remarque in une remarque. Use une before a singular noun when introducing one non-specific item or action.
remarque Remarque means remark or reminder in faire une remarque discrète. Here it is a brief, quiet comment intended to address the talking without creating conflict.
discrète Discrète describes the remarque as discreet or quiet. In une remarque discrète, it presents the comment as restrained; the adjective follows the noun it describes.
sauf Sauf means unless in sauf si tu ne te sens pas à l'aise. It introduces an exception to the suggestion, and the reusable pattern sauf si + a clause states when the suggestion does not apply.
si Si means if in sauf si tu ne te sens pas à l'aise. It introduces the condition that would make the speaker choose another response.
tu Tu means you and addresses one person directly in tu ne te sens pas à l'aise. Use tu before a verb when speaking directly to one person in this form of address.
ne Ne is the first part of the negation ne ... pas in ne te sens pas à l'aise. It appears before the verb and works with pas to say that the person does not feel comfortable.
te Te refers back to tu in te sens and forms part of the expression for feeling comfortable. In this reflexive use, it comes before the verb and refers to the person experiencing the feeling.
sens Sens means feel in te sens pas à l'aise. It is the form of sentir used with tu here; use it with an expression such as à l'aise to describe how someone feels.
pas Pas completes the negation ne ... pas in ne te sens pas à l'aise. Together, ne and pas show that the person does not feel comfortable in this situation.
à l'aise À l'aise means comfortable or at ease as a whole in ne te sens pas à l'aise. À links the person to the state, while l'aise expresses ease; use se sentir à l'aise to describe feeling comfortable in a situation.
pourrais Pourrais means could in Je pourrais leur demander. It presents a possible action the speaker might take; use je pourrais + an infinitive to suggest one possible response.
continuer Continuer means continue in continuer la conversation. Here it takes la conversation as the activity being continued; use continuer + a noun when continuing an activity or thing.
conversation Conversation means conversation in continuer la conversation. It refers to the talking that should be moved outside, and it can follow continuer to identify what continues.
dehors Dehors means outside in continuer la conversation dehors. It gives the destination or location for continuing the conversation, useful when moving an activity out of the current place.
Cela Cela means that or it and refers back to the suggested way of handling the noise. In Cela reste clair, it serves as the subject of the following evaluation; use Cela + a verb to refer to an idea or action already mentioned.
reste Reste means remains or stays in Cela reste clair. It describes how the suggested communication continues to be clear, and rester + an adjective can describe an unchanged quality.
clair Clair means clear in reste clair, referring to a message that is understandable and direct. Use rester clair to say that communication stays easy to understand.
sans Sans means without in sans paraître impoli. It introduces an action or result that is avoided, and the pattern sans + infinitive expresses doing something without producing that result.
paraître Paraître means seem or appear in sans paraître impoli. After sans, it remains in the infinitive form; here it describes how the speaker's action might be perceived.
impoli Impoli means rude in paraître impoli. It describes the impression the request should avoid creating, especially when speaking to people in a shared quiet space.
ces Ces means these in ces personnes and points to the people already mentioned. Use ces before a plural noun when identifying particular people or things.
continuent Continuent means continue in ces personnes continuent à parler. It is the form of continuer used with ces personnes; the pattern continuer à + an infinitive describes continuing an activity.
intervenir Intervenir means intervene or step in in demander au bibliothécaire d'intervenir. It describes the librarian becoming involved to help resolve the noise; use demander à someone de + an infinitive to request this kind of action.
Comme Comme means as or in the way that in Comme ça, but with ça the whole expression means that way or so. Use Comme ça to introduce the result or method of an action just discussed.
ça Ça means that or this way in Comme ça and refers to the proposed quiet approach. Together, Comme ça can introduce what will happen as a result of using that approach.
dégénérera Dégénérera describes the situation becoming worse in la situation ne dégénérera pas. In this dialogue the negated form says that the situation will not escalate; use dégénérer for a situation that develops in a more disorderly or serious direction.
préfère Préfère means prefer in Je préfère faire ça. It expresses the speaker's chosen option; use je préfère + an infinitive to state which action you would rather take.
plutôt Plutôt means rather in plutôt que de me plaindre. Together with que de, it marks the alternative the speaker prefers not to choose; the pattern préférer one action plutôt que de do another compares two options.
me Me refers back to je in me plaindre and means myself in this reflexive expression. It comes before the infinitive after préfère, forming the action the speaker would rather avoid.
plaindre Plaindre means complain in me plaindre. With me, it expresses the speaker's own act of complaining; use me + plaindre when je is the person carrying out this action.
à voix haute À voix haute means aloud or out loud as a whole in me plaindre à voix haute. À links the action to its manner, voix means voice, and haute describes the voice as high or loud; use the expression after an action to describe speaking volume.
Demandons Demandons means let's ask and proposes a shared action for the two speakers. Use Demandons + the person or people being asked to suggest making a request together.
discrètement Discrètement means discreetly or quietly and describes how the speakers should ask. It can follow an action to show that it is done without drawing attention or causing a disturbance.
puis Puis means then and places the next action after asking. Use puis to connect two actions in their intended order.
retournons Retournons means let's return or go back and proposes resuming the previous activity. In retournons étudier, it introduces the activity the speakers will go back to after asking.
étudier Étudier means study in retournons étudier. It remains in the infinitive after retournons and identifies the activity the speakers plan to resume.

Grammar Points

continuer à + infinitif

continuer à parler

kohn-tee-NOO-AY ah par-LAY

to keep talking

Après continuer, on utilise à avant un verbe à l’infinitif pour exprimer une action qui se poursuit.

French Vocabulary

bibliothécaire noun
bee-blee-oh-teh-KAIR librarian

au bibliothécaire

demander verb
duh-mahn-DAY to ask

demander au bibliothécaire

derrière prep
deh-RYEHR behind

Les personnes derrière nous parlent.

espace noun
ess-PASS space; area

dans l'espace silencieux

gênant adj
zhuh-NAHN distracting; bothersome

C'est gênant.

gérer verb
zhay-RAY to handle; to manage

nous pouvons gérer la situation

parler verb
par-LAY to speak; to talk parlent

Les personnes derrière nous parlent.

parler à quelqu'un phrase
par-LAY ah kel-KUN to speak to someone

Je devrais leur parler.

personne noun
pair-SON person personnes

Les personnes derrière nous parlent.

poliment adv
poh-lee-MAHN politely

gérer la situation poliment

silencieux adj
see-lahn-SYUH silent; quiet

l'espace silencieux

situation noun
see-twa-SYOHN situation

gérer la situation

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That keeps it clear without sounding rude.

Show AnswerCela reste clair sans paraître impoli.

Let's ask quietly, then get back to studying.

Show AnswerDemandons-leur discrètement, puis retournons étudier.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

space; area

Show Answerespace

silent; quiet

Show Answersilencieux

politely

Show Answerpoliment

to speak; to talk

Show Answerparlent