Borrowing a Laptop Adapter Before a Presentation | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a shared workspace, one adult borrows a laptop adapter before a presentation and tests the projector before returning it..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Laptop Adapter Before a Presentation to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Je ne trouve plus l'adaptateur de mon ordinateur portable, et ma présentation commence bientôt.

zhuh nuh troov ploo lah-dap-tah-TUR duh mohn or-dee-nah-TUR por-TAH-bluh, ay mah pray-zahn-tah-SYOHN kuh-mahns byan-TOH. My laptop adapter is missing, and my presentation starts soon.
B

J'en ai un que tu peux utiliser.

zhahn-nay uhn kuh tyoo puh oo-tee-lee-ZAY. I have one you can use.
B

Mais vérifions qu'il fonctionne avec ton ordinateur portable.

meh veh-ree-FYOHN keel fohnk-SYON ah-VEK tohn or-dee-nah-TUR por-TAH-bluh. But let's check that it works with your laptop.
A

Il s'insère dans le port. Je dois quand même tester le projecteur.

eel sahn-SAIR dahn luh pohr. zhuh dwah kahn MEMM tehs-TAY luh პრო-zhek-TUR. It fits the port. I still need to test the projector.
B

Fais-le maintenant ; les petits problèmes deviennent plus difficiles à gérer sous pression.

feh-luh man-tuh-NAHN; lay puh-TEE პრო-BLEM duh-VYENN ploo dee-fee-SEEL ah zhay-RAY soo pray-SYOHN. Do it now; small problems get harder under pressure.
A

L'image s'affiche correctement, donc tout est prêt.

lee-MAHZH sah-FEESH koh-rekt-muh-MAHN, dohn too eh PRAY. The screen is showing correctly, so we're set.
B

Garde une copie de sauvegarde de tes diapositives sur un deuxième appareil, au cas où.

gard ewn koh-PEE duh soh-vuh-GARD duh tay dyah-poh-zee-TEEV soo-r uhn duh-ZYEM ah-pah-RAY, oh kah-ZOO. Keep a backup copy of your slides on a second device, just in case.
A

J'en mettrai une sur un autre appareil avant de commencer.

zhahn meh-TRAY ewn soor uhn OH-truh ah-pah-RAY ah-VAHN duh koh-mahn-SAY. I'll put one on another device before I start.
B

Tu pourrais me rapporter l'adaptateur après la séance ? J'en aurai besoin plus tard.

tyoo poo-RAY muh rah-por-TAY lah-dap-tah-TUR ah-PRAY lah say-AHNS? zhahn oh-RAY buh-ZWAN ploo TAR. Could you bring the adapter back after the session? I need it later.
A

Je le rendrai dès que la séance sera terminée.

zhuh luh rahn-DRAY day kuh lah say-AHNS suh-RAH tair-mee-NAY. I'll return it as soon as the session ends.
B

Cela devrait te donner une chose de moins à gérer.

suh-LAH duh-VRAY tuh doh-NAY ewn SHOHZ duh mwan-ZAH zhay-RAY. That should give you one less thing to worry about.

Word by Word

Je Je means “I” here and is the subject of “Je ne trouve plus”. It is used before a verb to identify the speaker as the person acting, as in “Je dois tester”.
ne ne is the first part of the negation in “Je ne trouve plus”, which means “I can no longer find”. A reusable pattern is ne + verb + plus for saying that something no longer happens.
trouve trouve means “find” in “Je ne trouve plus”, describing the speaker’s inability to locate the adapter. It is the form used with Je; a common pattern is “Je trouve + object” when saying that you find something.
plus plus means “no longer” in “Je ne trouve plus”, rather than “more”. With ne and a verb, “ne ... plus” shows that the action has stopped being possible or true.
l'adaptateur l'adaptateur means “the adapter”, the item the speaker can no longer find. The form l' is used before the vowel at the beginning of adaptateur; a useful pattern is “l'adaptateur de + owner or device”.
de de links “l'adaptateur” to “mon ordinateur portable”, showing which device the adapter belongs to or is for. A common reuse pattern is noun + de + noun, as in “l'adaptateur de mon ordinateur portable”.
mon mon means “my” before “ordinateur portable”, identifying the speaker’s laptop. It is placed directly before the noun phrase it describes, as in “mon ordinateur”.
ordinateur ordinateur means “computer” in “mon ordinateur portable”. Together with the following word, it forms the expression “ordinateur portable” for a laptop.
portable portable specifies “ordinateur” as a portable computer, so “ordinateur portable” means “laptop”. It follows the noun in this expression and can be reused as part of that same noun phrase.
et et means “and” and connects the speaker’s missing adapter with the presentation that starts soon. It can join two clauses or pieces of information, as in “X, et Y”.
ma ma means “my” before “présentation”, identifying the presentation as the speaker’s. It is placed before the noun it describes, as in “ma présentation”.
présentation présentation means “presentation”, the event that is about to begin. It is used here as the subject of “ma présentation commence bientôt”.
commence commence means “starts” in “ma présentation commence bientôt”. It describes the beginning of the presentation; a common pattern is “[event] commence + time expression”.
bientôt bientôt means “soon” and tells us that the presentation starts in the near future. It commonly appears with a verb, as in “commence bientôt”.
J'en J'en means “I have one” here as part of “J'en ai un”. en refers back to an adapter, while the complete expression says that the speaker has one available; a reusable pattern is “J'en ai un” when offering one item of something already mentioned.
ai ai means “have” in “J'en ai un”, saying that the speaker possesses an adapter available for use. This is the form of avoir used with Je; a common pattern is “J'ai + object” or “J'en ai + quantity”.
un un means “one” in “J'en ai un” and identifies one adapter. It stands for the masculine item already mentioned, so the object does not need to be repeated.
que que introduces the clause “que tu peux utiliser”, which describes the item being offered as something you can use. A reusable pattern is a noun or pronoun + que + clause to add information about it.
tu tu means “you” and is the subject of “tu peux utiliser”. It addresses one person directly in this conversation; a common pattern is “tu + verb”.
peux peux means “can” in “tu peux utiliser”, expressing that the other person is able or allowed to use the adapter. It is the form of pouvoir used with tu and is followed here by an infinitive.
utiliser utiliser means “use” and follows “peux” in “tu peux utiliser”. A reliable pattern is pouvoir + infinitive, as in “tu peux utiliser”.
Mais Mais means “but” and introduces a limitation or additional step after the offer of the adapter. It commonly connects two contrasting ideas or changes the direction of a conversation.
vérifions vérifions means “let’s check” and proposes checking the adapter together. It is used to introduce the thing being checked, as in “vérifions que + clause”.
qu'il qu'il means “that it” in “vérifions qu'il fonctionne”. It introduces a clause about the adapter and combines que with il; a useful pattern is “vérifier qu'il + verb” when checking whether something works.
fonctionne fonctionne means “works” in “qu'il fonctionne avec ton ordinateur portable”. It describes whether the adapter operates with the laptop; a common pattern is “fonctionner avec + device or system”.
avec avec means “with” and indicates the laptop with which the adapter must work. It is commonly used in the pattern “fonctionner avec + device”.
ton ton means “your” before “ordinateur portable”, referring to the laptop belonging to the person addressed. It is placed before the noun phrase, as in “ton ordinateur portable”.
Il Il means “it” here and refers to the adapter. It is the subject of “Il s'insère dans le port”, a common way to begin a sentence about what an object does.
s'insère s'insère means “fits” or “inserts itself” in “Il s'insère dans le port”. It describes an object going into a suitable opening; a useful pattern is “s'insérer dans + opening or space”.
dans dans means “in” or “into” and shows that the adapter goes into the port. It is used in the pattern “s'insérer dans + noun”.
le le means “the” before “port”, referring to a specific port known in the situation. A common pattern is le + singular masculine noun.
port port means “port” or “socket”, the opening into which the adapter fits. It appears in the useful phrase “s'insérer dans le port”.
dois dois means “must” or “need to” in “Je dois quand même tester”. It expresses that testing is necessary; a common pattern is devoir + infinitive.
quand même quand même means “still” or “nevertheless” here, showing that testing is necessary despite the adapter fitting the port. quand and même form the expression together, so the meaning comes from the whole phrase; a reusable pattern is “Je dois quand même + infinitive”.
tester tester means “test” after “Je dois quand même”. It names the action that the speaker still needs to perform; a common pattern is devoir + tester + object.
projecteur projecteur means “projector”, the equipment the speaker still needs to test. It is used as the object of “tester” in “tester le projecteur”.
Fais-le Fais-le means “do it” and gives a direct instruction to carry out the test. le stands for the action or task already understood; a reusable pattern is “Fais-le + time expression” for telling someone to do something.
maintenant maintenant means “now” and tells the other person to perform the action immediately. It commonly appears with an imperative, as in “Fais-le maintenant”.
les les means “the” before the plural noun “petits problèmes”. It introduces specific problems in the situation; a common pattern is les + plural noun.
petits petits means “small” and describes the problems as minor at first. It comes before “problèmes” in this phrase and has the plural form used with that noun.
problèmes problèmes means “problems”, referring to issues that can become harder to handle under pressure. It is the subject of “les petits problèmes deviennent...”.
deviennent deviennent means “become” or “get” in “les petits problèmes deviennent plus difficiles”. It describes a change in difficulty; a common pattern is devenir + adjective.
difficiles difficiles means “difficult” or “harder” in “deviennent plus difficiles à gérer”. It describes the problems and is followed by “à gérer” to say what becomes difficult.
à à links “difficiles” to the action “gérer” in “difficiles à gérer”, meaning “difficult to handle”. A reusable pattern is adjective + à + infinitive.
gérer gérer means “manage” or “handle” in “difficiles à gérer”. It names the action that becomes difficult; a common pattern is “difficile à gérer” for a situation or problem.
sous sous means “under” in “sous pression”, describing the conditions in which problems become harder to handle. The expression “sous pression” is used for being affected by pressure.
pression pression means “pressure” in the expression “sous pression”. It refers to the demanding situation before or during the presentation; a common pattern is “être sous pression”.
L'image L'image means “the image” or “the display” in “L'image s'affiche correctement”. It refers to what appears on the screen; l' is used before the vowel at the beginning of image.
s'affiche s'affiche means “is displayed” or “shows” in “L'image s'affiche correctement”. It describes the image appearing properly; a useful pattern is “s'afficher correctement”.
correctement correctement means “correctly” and explains that the image is displaying as it should. It modifies “s'affiche” and can commonly follow the verb it describes.
donc donc means “so” or “therefore” and introduces the conclusion that everything is ready. It connects a result or observation with its consequence.
tout tout means “everything” in “tout est prêt”, referring to the presentation setup as a whole. A common pattern is “tout est + adjective” to describe the overall situation.
est est means “is” in “tout est prêt”. It links the subject “tout” with the description “prêt”; this is the form of être used with il, elle, or a singular subject.
prêt prêt means “ready” or “set” in “tout est prêt”. It describes the setup as prepared for the presentation; a common pattern is “être prêt”.
Garde Garde means “keep” and gives advice to retain a backup copy. It is an instruction directed at one person; a common pattern is “Garde + object”.
une une introduces “copie” as one singular feminine copy in “une copie de sauvegarde”. It has the meaning “a” here rather than standing alone for “one”.
copie copie means “copy” in “une copie de sauvegarde”. It refers to an additional version of the slides; a useful pattern is “une copie de + noun”.
sauvegarde sauvegarde means “backup” in “copie de sauvegarde”, identifying the copy as one kept for protection. Together, “copie de sauvegarde” means “backup copy”.
tes tes means “your” before the plural noun “diapositives”, referring to several slides belonging to the person addressed. It is placed directly before the plural noun it describes.
diapositives diapositives means “slides”, referring to the presentation slides. It is the object of “Garde” and is described by “tes”.
sur sur means “on” and indicates where the backup copy should be kept: “sur un deuxième appareil”. A common pattern is garder or mettre something sur + device or surface.
deuxième deuxième means “second” and identifies the device as an additional one. It comes before “appareil” in “un deuxième appareil”.
appareil appareil means “device” in “un deuxième appareil”. It refers to another piece of equipment on which the backup slides can be stored; a common pattern is “sur un appareil”.
au cas où au cas où means “just in case”, introducing a possible situation to prepare for. au is the contracted form of à and le, cas means “case”, and où introduces the possible circumstance; a reusable pattern is “au cas où + clause”.
mettrai mettrai means “will put” in “J'en mettrai une sur un autre appareil”. It describes a future action of placing a copy on another device; it is the future form of mettre used with Je.
autre autre means “another” in “un autre appareil”, identifying a device different from the one already considered. A common pattern is un autre + singular noun.
avant avant means “before” in “avant de commencer”. It places the action of putting the copy earlier than the start of the presentation; a common pattern is avant de + infinitive.
commencer commencer means “start” or “begin” after “avant de”. It names the event that has not yet begun; a common pattern is “avant de commencer”.
pourrais pourrais means “could” in “Tu pourrais me rapporter l'adaptateur ?”. It makes the request polite rather than presenting it as a direct command; a common pattern is “Tu pourrais + infinitive”.
me me means “to me” in “me rapporter l'adaptateur”, identifying the person who should receive the adapter back. It appears before the infinitive in this request; a useful pattern is “me rapporter + object”.
rapporter rapporter means “bring back” or “return” in “me rapporter l'adaptateur”. It describes bringing the borrowed adapter back to the speaker; a common pattern is “rapporter + object + à quelqu'un”.
après après means “after” in “après la séance”. It places the return after the session; a common pattern is après + noun.
la la means “the” before “séance”, referring to the specific session in the situation. A common pattern is la + singular feminine noun.
séance séance means “session”, the presentation or work period after which the adapter should be returned. It appears in the time expression “après la séance”.
aurai aurai means “will have” in “J'en aurai besoin”, but the whole expression means “I will need it”. en refers to the adapter, and aurai is the future form of avoir used in the expression avoir besoin de.
besoin besoin means “need” in the expression “J'en aurai besoin”. Together with avoir, it expresses needing something; a common pattern is avoir besoin de + noun or pronoun.
tard tard contributes the time meaning “later” in “plus tard”. The complete phrase “plus tard” means “later” and is used to refer to a time after the current moment.
rendrai rendrai means “will return” in “Je le rendrai”. It describes the speaker’s future action of giving the adapter back; it is the future form of rendre and is followed here by the object pronoun le.
dès que dès que means “as soon as” and marks the moment when the return will happen. dès contributes the idea of an immediate starting point, while que introduces the following clause; a reusable pattern is “dès que + clause”.
sera sera means “will be” in “la séance sera terminée”. It places the session’s finished state in the future; it is the future form of être used with “la séance”.
terminée terminée means “finished” or “ended” in “la séance sera terminée”. It describes the session after it ends and follows “sera” in the expression for a future finished state.
Cela Cela means “that” or “this” and refers to the plan just discussed, including returning the adapter. It is the subject of “Cela devrait te donner...” and can introduce a consequence of a previous action.
devrait devrait means “should” in “Cela devrait te donner une chose de moins à gérer”. It expresses an expected result; a common pattern is devrait + infinitive.
te te means “to you” in “te donner”, identifying the person who receives the benefit of the situation. It appears before the verb; a common pattern is donner + te + object.
donner donner means “give” in “devrait te donner une chose de moins à gérer”. It describes providing the other person with one less concern; a common pattern is donner quelque chose à quelqu'un.
chose chose means “thing” in “une chose de moins à gérer”. It refers to one concern or task that no longer needs to be handled; a useful pattern is “une chose de moins à + infinitive”.
moins moins means “less” or “fewer” in “une chose de moins”, meaning that there is one fewer thing to deal with. The reusable expression is “une chose de moins à gérer” for a reduced burden.

Grammar Points

ne ... plus

Je ne trouve plus l'adaptateur.

zhuh nuh troov ploo lah-dap-tah-TUR.

I can no longer find the adapter.

French surrounds the verb with ne and plus to express that something no longer happens.

au cas où

Au cas où, j'ai une copie de sauvegarde.

oh kah-ZOO, zhay ewn koh-PEE duh soh-vuh-GARD.

Just in case, I have a backup copy.

This fixed expression introduces a precaution or possibility that something may be needed.

French Vocabulary

adaptateur noun
ah-dap-tah-TUR adapter l'adaptateur
avoir verb
ah-VWAR to have ai
bientôt adv
byan-TOH soon
devoir verb
duh-VWAR to have to; must dois
fonctionner verb
fohnk-syoh-NAY to work fonctionne
ne plus trouver phrase
nuh ploo troo-VAY to no longer be able to find ne trouve plus
ordinateur portable phrase
or-dee-nah-TUR por-TAH-bluh laptop mon ordinateur portable
port noun
pohr port le port
présentation noun
pray-zahn-tah-SYOHN presentation ma présentation
s'insérer verb
sahn-sair-RAY to fit into s'insère
utiliser verb
oo-tee-lee-ZAY to use
vérifier verb
veh-ree-fee-AY to check vérifions

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to check

Show Answervérifions

soon

Show Answerbientôt

to work

Show Answerfonctionne

to use

Show Answerutiliser