Building a realistic healthy routine | Learn French in English

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Use Building a realistic healthy routine to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Je veux avoir une routine plus saine, mais j'abandonne toujours au bout d'une semaine.

zhuh vuh ah-VWAR ewn roo-TEEN ploo SAHN, meh zha-bahn-DON too-ZHOOR oh BOO dewn suh-MEN. I want a healthier routine, but I always quit after a week.

Peut-être que tu essaies de changer trop de choses en même temps.

puht-ETR kuh tew eh-SAY duh shahn-ZHAY troh duh SHOZ ahn MEM TAHN. Maybe you are trying to change too much at once.

D'habitude, je prévois de faire de l'exercice, de cuisiner et de me coucher plus tôt en même temps.

dah-bee-TEWD, zhuh pray-VWAH duh FAIR duh lex-er-SEES, duh kwee-ZEE-NAY ay duh suh koo-SHAY ploo TOH ahn MEM TAHN. I usually plan exercise, cooking, and earlier sleep all at the same time.

Choisis d'abord une seule habitude et regarde ce qui te bloque.

shwah-ZEE dah-BOR ewn SEWL ah-bee-TEWD ay ruh-GAHRD suh kee tuh BLOK. Pick one habit first and look at what gets in the way.

Le principal problème, c'est que je manque d'énergie après le travail.

luh pran-see-PAHL proh-BLEM, say kuh zhuh mahnk day-nair-ZHEE ah-PRAY luh trah-VAI. The main problem is that I have low energy after work.

Alors, commence par faire une petite promenade avant le dîner.

ah-LOR, koh-MAHNS par FAIR ewn puh-TEET proh-muh-NAHD ah-VAHN luh dee-NAY. Then start with a short walk before dinner.

Ça me paraît réaliste et pas trop difficile.

sah muh pah-RAY ray-ah-LEEST ay pah troh dee-fee-SEEL. That feels realistic and not too demanding.

Tu pourras ajouter des repas équilibrés plus tard, quand la marche te semblera naturelle.

tew poo-RAH ah-zhoo-TAY day ruh-PAH ay-kee-lee-BRAY ploo TAR, kahn lah MARSH tuh sahm-BLUR nah-tew-RELL. You can add balanced meals later, once walking feels natural.

Le suivre trois fois par semaine me semble mieux que d'essayer tous les jours.

luh SVEER trwah FWAH pahr suh-MEN muh SAHM-bluh MYUH kuh day-SAY-yay too lay ZHOOR. Tracking it three times a week sounds better than trying every day.

Les objectifs flexibles sont plus faciles à tenir sur la durée.

lay zob-zhək-TEEF flek-SEEBL sohn ploo fah-SEEL ah tuh-NEER sewr lah deh-RAY. Flexible goals are easier to keep over time.

Word by Word

Je “Je” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person who wants the routine. It is used before the verb in “Je veux”; a common pattern is Je + verb.

veux “veux” means “want” here, as in “Je veux avoir” (“I want to have”). It is a form of vouloir used with an infinitive to state a desire.

avoir “avoir” means “to have” in “Je veux avoir une routine”. It follows “veux” as the action the speaker wants to do; vouloir + infinitive is a useful pattern.

une “une” is the feminine singular indefinite article, meaning “a” here in “une routine”. It comes before the feminine noun it introduces.

routine “routine” means “routine”, specifically the healthy routine the speaker wants to have. It is used after “une”; a useful pattern is une + noun.

plus “plus” means “more” in “plus saine”, making the routine healthier than before. It comes before an adjective to express a greater degree.

saine “saine” means “healthy” and describes “routine” in “une routine plus saine”. It is the feminine form related to sain, matching the feminine noun; plus + adjective is a reusable pattern.

mais “mais” means “but” and introduces the contrast between wanting a healthier routine and quitting after a week. It connects two contrasting parts of a sentence.

j'abandonne “j'abandonne” means “I quit” or “I give up” in “j'abandonne toujours”. It is a form of abandonner with je shortened before the vowel; je + abandonne describes the speaker’s action.

toujours “toujours” means “always” here and shows that quitting happens repeatedly. It commonly appears with the verb it describes, as in “j'abandonne toujours”.

au “au” contributes to “au bout d'une semaine”, meaning “at the end of a week”. It is the contracted form of à + le and is used in the fixed expression au bout de + period.

bout “bout” means “end” in the expression “au bout d'une semaine”. Together, au bout de + time period indicates when something happens after that period has ended.

d'une “d'une” means “of a” in “au bout d'une semaine”. It combines de + une before the feminine noun “semaine”; au bout d'une + time period is a useful expression.

semaine “semaine” means “week” and names the period in “au bout d'une semaine”. It follows the feminine article “une” inside the expression for the end of a period.

Peut-être “Peut-être” means “maybe” and introduces a suggestion rather than a certainty. It appears at the beginning of “Peut-être que tu essaies...” before the clause it qualifies.

que “que” means “that” in “Peut-être que tu essaies...”, introducing the clause that contains the suggestion. It commonly follows expressions such as “Peut-être” before a full clause.

tu “tu” means “you” when speaking to one person informally. In “tu essaies”, it identifies the person who is trying; tu + verb is the basic informal singular pattern.

essaies “essaies” means “are trying” in “tu essaies de changer”. It is a form of essayer and is followed here by de + infinitive to state what the person is trying to do.

de “de” links “essaies” to the infinitive “changer” in “essaies de changer”. The pattern essayer de + infinitive expresses trying to do something.

changer “changer” means “to change” in “de changer trop de choses”. It is an infinitive after “essaies de”; essayer de + infinitive is a reusable structure.

trop “trop” means “too much” in “trop de choses”, showing that the amount is excessive. The pattern trop de + plural noun expresses too many of something.

choses “choses” means “things” and refers to the many habits being changed. It is plural after “trop de”; trop de + noun describes an excessive amount.

en “en” contributes to the expression “en même temps”, meaning “at the same time”. In this phrase it combines with “même temps” to show that several actions happen together.

même “même” means “same” in “en même temps”. It helps form the expression for actions happening at the same time and comes before “temps”.

temps “temps” means “time” in “en même temps”. Together with en même, it forms a common expression meaning “at the same time”.

D'habitude “D'habitude” means “usually” and introduces something the speaker normally does. It is a common sentence adverb placed at the beginning of “D'habitude, je prévois...”.

prévois “prévois” means “plan” in “je prévois de faire”. It is a form of prévoir and is followed by de + infinitive to state what is planned.

faire “faire” means “to do” in the expression “faire de l'exercice”. Here it is an infinitive after “prévois de”; faire de l'exercice is a common way to talk about exercising.

l'exercice “l'exercice” means “exercise” in “faire de l'exercice”. The form uses l' before the vowel of exercice; faire de l'exercice refers to doing physical exercise.

cuisiner “cuisiner” means “to cook” in the list of activities planned by the speaker. It is an infinitive coordinated with “faire” and “me coucher” after “prévois de”.

et “et” means “and” and connects the planned activities in the list. It links words or phrases of the same role, including “de cuisiner” and “de me coucher”.

me “me” means “myself” in “me coucher” and shows that the speaker goes to bed themself. It appears before the infinitive in the reflexive expression se coucher when used with je.

coucher “coucher” contributes to “me coucher”, meaning “to go to bed”. With the reflexive pronoun “me”, the infinitive expresses the speaker’s bedtime action.

tôt “tôt” means “early” in “me coucher plus tôt”, referring to going to bed earlier than before. It follows the expression for going to bed and can be modified by plus.

Choisis “Choisis” means “choose” or “pick” in the direct suggestion “Choisis d'abord une seule habitude”. It is the informal singular imperative form related to choisir and directly addresses one person.

d'abord “d'abord” means “first” and sets the order of the suggested actions. It appears with the imperative in “Choisis d'abord...” to say which action should come before the others.

seule “seule” means “single” or “only” in “une seule habitude”, emphasizing that there should be just one habit. It is the feminine form related to seul and matches “habitude”.

habitude “habitude” means “habit”, the routine behavior to choose first. It appears after “une seule”; une seule habitude identifies one specific habit.

regarde “regarde” means “look at” in the suggestion “regarde ce qui te bloque”. It is the informal singular imperative form related to regarder and introduces what the listener should examine.

ce “ce” contributes to “ce qui te bloque”, meaning “what blocks you” or “that which blocks you”. It introduces the thing being identified, while “qui” connects it to the clause.

qui “qui” means “what” or “that which” in “ce qui te bloque”. It introduces the thing that performs the action “bloque”; ce qui is a reusable way to refer to what does something.

te “te” means “you” in “te bloque”, marking the person who is being held back. It is placed before the verb in this informal singular object-pronoun pattern.

bloque “bloque” means “blocks” or “holds back” in “ce qui te bloque”. It is a form of bloquer; the pattern ce qui + verb identifies what causes an effect.

Le “Le” is the masculine singular definite article in “Le principal problème”. It introduces the specific main problem being discussed.

principal “principal” means “main” in “Le principal problème”. It is the masculine form describing “problème” and identifies the most important problem.

problème “problème” means “problem”, specifically the lack of energy after work. It appears in “Le principal problème, c'est que...” to introduce an explanation of the problem.

c'est “c'est” means “it is” or “that is” in “Le principal problème, c'est que...”. It is formed from ce + est and links the stated problem to the following explanation.

manque “manque” means “am lacking” in “je manque d'énergie”. It is a form of manquer; manquer de + noun expresses not having enough of something.

d'énergie “d'énergie” means “of energy” and completes “je manque d'énergie”, meaning that the speaker lacks energy. It combines de + énergie in the pattern manquer de + noun.

après “après” means “after” and places the low energy later than the work period. It comes before “le travail” in the time expression “après le travail”.

travail “travail” means “work” in “après le travail”. It follows the masculine article “le”; après + noun is used to locate something in time.

Alors “Alors” means “then” or “so” and introduces a suggestion that responds to the stated problem. It appears at the beginning of “Alors, commence...” to move the conversation toward an action.

commence “commence” means “start” in “commence par faire”. It is the informal singular imperative form related to commencer and is followed here by par + infinitive.

par “par” contributes to “commence par faire”, meaning “start by doing”. The pattern commencer par + infinitive identifies the first action in a process.

petite “petite” means “small” or “short” in “une petite promenade”, describing a walk that is not long or demanding. It is the feminine form related to petit and matches “promenade”.

promenade “promenade” means “walk” in “faire une petite promenade”. It names the manageable activity suggested before dinner; faire une promenade is a common expression for going for a walk.

avant “avant” means “before” and places the walk earlier than dinner. It comes before “le dîner” in the time expression “avant le dîner”.

dîner “dîner” means “dinner” here, after the masculine article “le”. In “avant le dîner”, it names the meal that follows the walk.

Ça “Ça” means “that” or “it” and refers to the suggested short walk. As the subject of “Ça me paraît réaliste”, it introduces the thing that seems realistic to the speaker.

paraît “paraît” means “seems” in “Ça me paraît réaliste”. It is a form of paraître and combines with “me” to express how something appears to the speaker.

réaliste “réaliste” means “realistic” and describes the suggested routine as manageable. It follows “me paraît” in the pattern quelque chose me paraît + adjective.

pas “pas” marks negation in “pas trop difficile”, meaning “not too difficult”. It appears before the adjective phrase whose meaning is being denied or limited.

difficile “difficile” means “difficult” and describes the suggested walk in “pas trop difficile”. With pas trop, it expresses that the activity is not excessively demanding.

pourras “pourras” means “will be able to” or “can” in “Tu pourras ajouter...”, referring to a later possibility. It is a form of pouvoir and is followed by an infinitive.

ajouter “ajouter” means “to add” in “pourras ajouter des repas équilibrés”. It is an infinitive after “pourras”; pouvoir + infinitive expresses what someone can do.

des “des” is the plural indefinite article, meaning “some” in “des repas équilibrés”. It comes before a plural noun when referring to meals without specifying exactly which ones.

repas “repas” means “meals” in “des repas équilibrés”. It is the object of “ajouter”; ajouter des + plural noun is a useful pattern for adding several items.

équilibrés “équilibrés” means “balanced” and describes the plural noun “repas”. It is the plural form related to équilibré and agrees with “repas” in “des repas équilibrés”.

tard “tard” means “later” in “plus tard”, indicating a time after the walking habit has become natural. The expression plus tard is commonly used to refer to a later point in time.

quand “quand” means “when” and introduces the condition or time at which walking will feel natural. It begins the clause “quand la marche te semblera naturelle”.

la “la” is the feminine singular definite article in “la marche”. It introduces the specific walking activity being discussed.

marche “marche” means “walking” or “the walk” in “la marche”. It is a noun here and serves as the subject of “te semblera naturelle”.

semblera “semblera” means “will seem” or “will feel” in “la marche te semblera naturelle”. It is a future form of sembler and describes how the walking activity will appear to the listener.

naturelle “naturelle” means “natural” in “la marche te semblera naturelle”. It is the feminine form related to naturel and agrees with the feminine noun “marche”.

suivre “suivre” means “to track” in “Le suivre trois fois par semaine”, referring to tracking the habit. It is an infinitive after the pronoun “le”; le + infinitive can name an activity involving that object.

trois “trois” means “three” in “trois fois par semaine”. It gives the number of occasions and comes directly before “fois”.

fois “fois” means “times” in “trois fois par semaine”. The pattern number + fois par + time period expresses how often something happens.

semble “semble” means “seems” in “me semble mieux”, expressing the speaker’s judgment. It is a form of sembler and combines with “me” to mean “seems better to me”.

mieux “mieux” means “better” in “me semble mieux”. It compares the proposed frequency with trying every day; sembler mieux expresses a judgment that one option is preferable.

d'essayer “d'essayer” means “trying” in “mieux que d'essayer tous les jours”. It combines de + essayer, and follows que to introduce the activity being compared.

tous “tous” contributes to “tous les jours”, meaning “every” day. It is the masculine plural form related to tout and matches the plural noun “jours” in this expression.

les “les” is the plural definite article in “tous les jours”. Together with “tous”, it forms the common expression meaning “every day”.

jours “jours” means “days” in “tous les jours”. It is the plural noun after “les”; tous les jours is used to express daily frequency.

objectifs “objectifs” means “goals” or “objectives” in “Les objectifs flexibles”. It is the plural form related to objectif and refers to the aims that are easier to maintain.

flexibles “flexibles” means “flexible” and describes the goals as adaptable rather than rigid. It is the plural form related to flexible and agrees with “objectifs”.

sont “sont” means “are” in “Les objectifs flexibles sont...”. It is a form of être linking the subject to the description that follows.

faciles “faciles” means “easy” in “plus faciles à tenir”. It is the plural form related to facile and describes the plural subject “objectifs”.

à “à” links “faciles” to the infinitive “tenir” in “faciles à tenir”. The pattern adjective + à + infinitive describes what is easy or difficult to do.

tenir “tenir” means “to maintain” or “to stick to” in “faciles à tenir”, referring to maintaining flexible goals over time. It is an infinitive after à in the construction adjective + à + infinitive.

sur “sur” contributes to the expression “sur la durée”, meaning “over time” or “in the long term”. It is followed by the noun phrase “la durée”.

durée “durée” means “duration” in “sur la durée”, which refers to the whole period over which the goals are maintained. The expression sur la durée is used for something continuing over time.

Grammar Points

trop de + nom

Tu essaies de changer trop de choses en même temps.

tew eh-SAY duh shahn-ZHAY troh duh SHOZ ahn MEM TAHN

You try to change too many things at the same time.

After a quantity expression such as trop, use de before the noun.

ce qui + verbe

Ce qui te bloque, c'est manquer d'énergie.

suh kee tuh BLOK, say mahn-KAY day-nair-ZHEE

What gets in your way is lacking energy.

Ce qui introduces the thing that performs the following verb; it means “what” or “that which.”

French Vocabulary

abandonner verb

ah-bahn-doh-NAY to quit; to give up j'abandonne

au bout d'une semaine phrase

oh BOO dewn suh-MEN after a week; at the end of a week

changer verb

shahn-ZHAY to change

d'habitude adv

dah-bee-TEWD usually; ordinarily

en même temps phrase

ahn MEM TAHN at the same time

essayer verb

eh-SAY-yay to try essaies

je pron

zhuh I

peut-être adv

puht-ETR maybe

plus saine adj

ploo SAHN healthier

routine noun

roo-TEEN routine

trop de choses phrase

troh duh SHOZ too many things

vouloir verb

voo-LWAR to want veux

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to want

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veux

to change

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changer

to try

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essaies

routine

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routine