Letting someone with a baby go first | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a public line, one person offers to let someone managing a baby and stroller go ahead..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Letting someone with a baby go first to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Excusez-moi, cette file doit être difficile à gérer avec un bébé et une poussette.

ehk-skoo-ZAY-MWAH, set FEEL dwa EH-truh dee-fee-SEEL ah zhay-RAY ah-VEK uhn bay-BAY ay ewn poo-SET. Excuse me, this line must be hard to manage with a baby and a stroller.
B

C'est un peu compliqué.

say-tuhn puh kohm-plee-KAY. It has been tricky.
B

J'essaie de garder la poussette immobile et le bébé calme pendant que nous attendons.

zheh-SEH duh gar-DAY lah poo-SET ee-moh-BEEL ay luh bay-BAY kahlm pahn-DAHN kuh noo-zah-tahn-DOHN. I am trying to keep the stroller still and the baby calm while we wait.
A

Voulez-vous passer devant moi ?

voo-lay-VOO pah-SAY duh-VAHN MWAH? Would you like to go before me?
B

C'est très attentionné. Vous êtes sûr ?

say tray ah-tahn-syoh-NAY. voo-ZET SOOR? That is very considerate. Are you sure?
A

J'en suis sûr.

zhahn swee SOOR. I am sure.
A

Je ne suis pas pressé.

zhuh nuh swee pah pray-SAY. I am not in a hurry.
A

Ça a l'air difficile à gérer.

sah ah LAIR dee-fee-SEEL ah zhay-RAY. This looks hard to manage.
B

Ça nous aiderait vraiment.

sah noo-zay-DRAY vreh-MAHN. That would make a real difference.
A

Cela ne me fera attendre qu'un court moment de plus.

seh-LAH nuh muh fuh-RAH ah-TAHN-druh kuhn koor moh-MAHN duh PLOO. It will only add a short wait for me.
B

Passer devant vous nous aiderait avant que le bébé ne devienne plus agité.

pah-SAY duh-VAHN VOO noo-zay-DRAY ah-VAHN kuh luh bay-BAY nuh duh-VYEN ploo-zah-zhee-TAY. Going ahead of you would help us before the baby gets more restless.
A

J'espère que quelqu'un fera de même pour moi.

zhes-PAIR kuh kel-KUHN fuh-RAH duh MEM poor MWAH. I would hope someone would offer the same help to me.
B

Je vous remercie. Cela rend l'attente beaucoup moins stressante.

zhuh voo ruh-mair-SEE. seh-LAH rahn lah-TAHNT boh-KOO mwan stress-AHNT. I appreciate it. This makes the wait much less stressful.

Word by Word

Excusez-moi Excusez-moi is the complete polite expression used to get someone’s attention or apologize briefly. Excusez contributes the request to excuse, and moi identifies the speaker as the person being excused. It is useful at the beginning of a polite request.
cette Cette means this in cette file, pointing to the particular line the speakers are in. It comes directly before the noun it identifies. A common pattern is cette + noun.
file File means line or queue in cette file. Here it refers to the public line where the speakers are waiting. It commonly follows a word such as cette when identifying a particular queue.
doit Doit means must be or is expected to be in cette file doit être difficile à gérer, expressing the speaker’s assessment. It is a form of devoir. A useful pattern is devoir + infinitive, as in doit être.
être Être means be in doit être difficile, completing the idea that the line is expected to be difficult to manage. It is the infinitive form used after doit. It commonly follows a verb such as devoir before an adjective.
difficile Difficile means difficult or hard in difficile à gérer. It describes managing the line with a baby and stroller as challenging. The pattern difficile à + infinitive expresses that something is hard to do.
à À links difficile to the action gérer in difficile à gérer, giving the meaning hard to manage. Here it introduces the infinitive that names the difficult action. A common pattern is adjective + à + infinitive.
gérer Gérer means manage or handle in gérer une file avec un bébé et une poussette. It names the practical task that is difficult in this situation. It commonly follows à after an adjective such as difficile.
avec Avec means with in avec un bébé et une poussette, identifying what makes managing the line difficult. It introduces the people or things accompanying an action or situation. A common pattern is avec + noun.
un Un is the indefinite article before bébé in un bébé, meaning a baby. In qu'un, the same article appears after the contracted que. It commonly comes directly before a noun when introducing one nonspecific person or thing.
bébé Bébé means baby in un bébé and le bébé. Here it identifies the child being cared for while the speakers wait. It can follow an indefinite article such as un or a definite article such as le.
et Et means and, connecting un bébé and une poussette in the description of the situation. It joins two related nouns or ideas. A common pattern is noun et noun.
une Une is the indefinite article before poussette in une poussette, meaning a stroller. It introduces the stroller as one item in the situation. It commonly comes directly before a noun.
poussette Poussette means stroller in une poussette. It is the object that the speaker is trying to keep still while waiting. It commonly follows an article such as une.
C'est C'est means it is or that is in C'est un peu compliqué, introducing an assessment of the situation. It is a common way to identify or describe something. A useful pattern is C'est + adjective.
peu Peu means a little in un peu compliqué, softening the statement so that the situation is described as somewhat complicated. It commonly appears in un peu + adjective.
compliqué Compliqué means complicated or tricky in C'est un peu compliqué. It describes the experience of waiting with the baby and stroller. It commonly follows C'est and can be softened by un peu.
J'essaie J'essaie means I try or I am trying in J'essaie de garder la poussette immobile et le bébé calme. It presents an effort that is happening in the current situation. It is a form of essayer, and a common pattern is J'essaie de + infinitive.
de De introduces the infinitive garder after J'essaie in J'essaie de garder. Together, this construction means try to keep. A reliable pattern is essayer de + infinitive.
garder Garder means keep in garder la poussette immobile et le bébé calme. It describes maintaining the stroller and baby in particular states while waiting. A useful pattern is garder + object + adjective.
immobile Immobile means still or motionless in garder la poussette immobile. It describes the state the stroller is being kept in. It can follow garder + object when describing a maintained state.
calme Calme means calm in garder le bébé calme. It describes the state the speaker is trying to maintain for the baby. It can follow garder + object when describing the desired state of that object.
pendant Pendant means during or while in pendant que nous attendons, locating the effort in the same period as the waiting. Here it is part of a time expression introducing a clause. A common pattern is pendant que + clause.
que Que links the time expression pendant que nous attendons and introduces the clause describing what is happening during that time. It also appears in avant que le bébé ne devienne plus agité, where it introduces another clause. The exact meaning depends on the construction it follows.
nous Nous means we in pendant que nous attendons, referring to the speaker and baby together. Here it is the subject of attendons. A common pattern is nous + verb.
attendons Attendons means we wait or we are waiting in pendant que nous attendons. It is a form of attendre and describes the ongoing wait in the line. It follows the subject nous in this clause.
Voulez Voulez means would you like or do you want in Voulez-vous passer devant moi ? It is a form of vouloir used in a polite question. A useful pattern is Voulez-vous + infinitive when offering or asking about an action.
vous Vous addresses one person formally or more than one person. In Voulez-vous and Vous êtes sûr, it is the person being addressed as the subject; in devant vous, it means you after a preposition. The surrounding construction shows its role.
passer Passer means pass or go in passer devant moi and passer devant vous. In this dialogue it means move ahead of someone in the line. A common pattern is passer devant + person.
devant Devant means in front of or ahead of in passer devant moi and passer devant vous. Here it describes moving to a position before another person in the line. It commonly combines with a person after it.
moi Moi means me in devant moi, identifying the person whose position is being moved ahead of. It is used after the preposition devant. The pattern devant moi means in front of me or ahead of me.
très Très means very in C'est très attentionné, strongly intensifying the description of the offer. It commonly comes directly before an adjective such as attentionné.
attentionné Attentionné means considerate or thoughtful in C'est très attentionné, describing the offer to let someone go first. It evaluates an action as caring toward another person. It commonly follows C'est and can be intensified by très.
êtes Êtes means are in Vous êtes sûr ?, asking whether the other person is certain. It is a form of être used with vous. A common pattern is Vous êtes + adjective.
sûr Sûr means sure or certain in Vous êtes sûr ? and J'en suis sûr. It expresses certainty about the offer. It commonly appears with être to describe someone’s certainty.
J'en J'en suis sûr means I am sure of it. J' represents I before a vowel sound, and en refers back to the matter being confirmed; together with suis sûr, the expression confirms certainty about it. It is useful when agreeing that a previously mentioned point is certain.
suis Suis means am in J'en suis sûr and Je ne suis pas pressé. It is a form of être used with Je. A common pattern is je suis + adjective.
Je Je means I when it appears separately, as in Je ne suis pas pressé. Before a vowel, it is contracted in J'en and J'espère. It commonly comes before the verb when the speaker describes an action, state, or opinion.
ne Ne is the first part of the negation ne...pas in Je ne suis pas pressé. It also appears in avant que le bébé ne devienne plus agité, where it belongs to that clause and does not make the statement negative. Its meaning depends on the construction around it.
pas Pas completes the negation ne...pas in Je ne suis pas pressé, making the statement mean I am not in a hurry. It normally works together with ne in this dialogue. The reusable pattern is ne + verb + pas.
pressé Pressé means in a hurry in Je ne suis pas pressé. The speaker says that waiting a little longer is not a problem. It commonly appears with être to describe whether someone is in a hurry.
Ça Ça means that or it in Ça a l'air difficile and Ça nous aiderait vraiment, pointing to the situation or the proposed action. It functions as the subject of each expression. A common pattern is Ça + verb.
a l'air In Ça a l'air difficile à gérer, a l'air is the complete construction meaning looks or seems. A is the form of avoir in the construction, while l'air supplies the idea of appearance. A useful pattern is Ça a l'air + adjective.
aiderait Aiderait means would help in Ça nous aiderait vraiment, presenting the offer as something that would improve the situation. It is a form of aider. A common pattern is Ça aiderait + person or group.
vraiment Vraiment means really in Ça nous aiderait vraiment, emphasizing how much the offer would help. It commonly follows the verb or expression it intensifies. Here it strengthens aiderait.
Cela Cela means that or it in Cela ne me fera attendre and Cela rend l'attente, referring to the offer or its result. It is the subject of both statements. A common pattern is Cela + verb.
me Me means me in Cela ne me fera attendre, identifying the person who will be made to wait. It appears before the conjugated verb in this construction. The expression ne me fera attendre means will not make me wait.
fera Fera means will make or will cause in Cela ne me fera attendre qu'un court moment de plus. It is a future form of faire and introduces the effect on the speaker. A useful pattern is faire + person + infinitive, meaning make someone do something.
attendre Attendre means wait in fera attendre. With fera, the full construction fera attendre means will make someone wait. It is the infinitive form used after faire in this sentence.
qu'un Qu'un is the written contraction of que and un in ne me fera attendre qu'un court moment de plus. Together with ne, it forms the restriction ne...que, meaning only, while un introduces moment. A common pattern is ne...qu'un + noun for only one or a single noun.
court Court means short in un court moment de plus, describing the additional waiting period as brief. It comes directly before moment here. A useful pattern is un court moment.
moment Moment means moment or period of time in un court moment de plus. Here it refers to the small additional period the speaker will wait. It commonly combines with an adjective such as court and the expression de plus.
plus Plus means additional or more in un court moment de plus, but it means more in plus agité. In the first expression it adds another period of time; in the second it increases the degree of restlessness. The surrounding construction determines which meaning applies.
avant Avant means before in avant que le bébé ne devienne plus agité. It places the proposed action before a later change in the baby’s state. A common pattern is avant que + clause.
le Le is the definite article before bébé in le bébé, referring to the particular baby already being discussed. It comes directly before the noun. A common pattern is le + noun when the person or thing is identifiable.
devienne Devienne means becomes or gets in avant que le bébé ne devienne plus agité. It is a form of devenir and describes a change into a more restless state. It follows avant que in this clause and commonly appears before an adjective describing the new state.
agité Agité means restless or agitated in plus agité, describing the baby’s possible increased restlessness. It completes the expression le bébé ne devienne plus agité. It can follow devenir when describing a change of state.
J'espère J'espère means I hope in J'espère que quelqu'un fera de même pour moi. It introduces the speaker’s hope about a possible future action. It is a form of espérer, and a common pattern is J'espère que + clause.
quelqu'un Quelqu'un means someone in J'espère que quelqu'un fera de même pour moi. It refers to an unspecified person who might offer the same help. It commonly serves as the subject before a verb.
de même De même means the same or likewise in fera de même pour moi, referring back to offering the same help. De links the action to a manner, and même marks that manner as the same one. It commonly follows a verb when the speaker refers to repeating an earlier action.
pour Pour means for in de même pour moi, marking the person who would receive the same help. It commonly comes before a person or noun to identify the beneficiary. Here, pour moi means for me.
remercie Remercie means thank or appreciate in Je vous remercie. It is a form of remercier, and the complete expression politely thanks the other person for the offer. A common reusable expression is Je vous remercie.
rend Rend means makes or renders in Cela rend l'attente beaucoup moins stressante. It describes the offer as changing the wait into a less stressful experience. A useful pattern is rendre + noun + adjective.
l'attente L'attente means the wait or waiting in rend l'attente beaucoup moins stressante. It names the period spent waiting in the line. It can be the noun affected by a construction such as rend l'attente + adjective.
beaucoup Beaucoup means much or a lot in beaucoup moins stressante, strongly increasing the degree of reduction. It commonly appears before moins when modifying a comparison. Here it means much less.
moins Moins means less in beaucoup moins stressante, comparing the wait with its earlier, more stressful state. It comes directly before the adjective it modifies. A common pattern is moins + adjective.
stressante Stressante means stressful in l'attente beaucoup moins stressante, describing the wait after the considerate offer. It completes the pattern rendre + noun + adjective. Here, beaucoup moins stressante means much less stressful.

Grammar Points

devoir + infinitif

Il doit garder le bébé immobile.

eel dwa gar-DAY luh bay-BAY ee-moh-BEEL.

He must keep the baby still.

After devoir, use the infinitive to express necessity or obligation.

avoir l'air + adjectif

Le bébé a l'air agité.

luh bay-BAY ah LAIR ah-zhee-TAY.

The baby looks restless.

Avoir l'air is followed by an adjective to describe how someone or something seems.

French Vocabulary

bébé noun
bay-BAY baby
calme adj
kahlm calm
compliqué adj
kohm-plee-KAY complicated; tricky
devoir verb
duh-VWAHR must; to have to doit
difficile adj
dee-fee-SEEL difficult; hard
essayer verb
eh-say-YAY to try essaie
excusez-moi phrase
ehk-skoo-ZAY-MWAH excuse me

Excusez-moi, cette file doit être difficile à gérer...

file noun
FEEL line; queue
garder verb
gar-DAY to keep
gérer verb
zhay-RAY to manage; to handle
immobile adj
ee-moh-BEEL still; motionless
poussette noun
poo-SET stroller

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

It has been tricky.

Show AnswerC'est un peu compliqué.

Would you like to go before me?

Show AnswerVoulez-vous passer devant moi ?

I am sure.

Show AnswerJ'en suis sûr.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

must; to have to

Show Answerdoit

difficult; hard

Show Answerdifficile

stroller

Show Answerpoussette

to manage; to handle

Show Answergérer