Handling a misdelivered package politely | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a shared building, one neighbor checks on a misdelivered package and arranges to pick it up from another neighbor's door..

EN → FR / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Handling a misdelivered package politely to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Un colis destiné à mon appartement a été déposé devant votre porte.

uhn koh-LEE deh-stee-NAY ah mohn ah-par-teh-MAHN ah ay day-poh-ZAY duh-VAHN vohtr PORT. A package for my apartment was left outside your door.
B

Je l’ai remarqué et je l’ai gardé près de la porte pour vous.

zhuh lay ruh-mar-KAY ay zhuh lay gahr-DAY pray duh lah PORT poor VOO. I noticed it and kept it by the door for you.
A

J’espérais qu’il n’avait pas disparu.

zhay-spay-RAY keel nah-VAY pah dee-zah-PEW. I was hoping it had not gone missing.
B

C’était probablement une simple erreur d’étiquette.

say-TAY proh-bah-bluh-MAHN uhn SAHM-pluh eh-RUR day-tee-KEHT. It was probably just a label mix-up.
A

Je peux passer dans quelques minutes pour le récupérer.

zhuh puh pah-SAY dahn kelk mee-NEWT poor luh ray-kew-pay-RAY. I can come by in a few minutes to pick it up.
B

Je peux vous l’apporter si c’est plus pratique pour vous.

zhuh puh VOO lah-por-TAY see say ploo prak-TEEK poor VOO. I can bring it over if that is easier for you.
A

Je vous en remercie, mais je suis déjà tout près.

zhuh voo zahn ruh-mair-SEE, may zhuh swee day-ZHAH too PRAY. I appreciate that, but I am nearby already.
B

Je le laisserai près de ma porte jusqu’à ce que vous arriviez.

zhuh luh less-uh-RAY pray duh mah PORT zhoos-KAH suh kuh voo zah-ree-VYAY. I'll leave it by my door until you get here.

Word by Word

Un ‘Un’ means ‘a’ or ‘an’ here and introduces the package as a single, non-specific item. It is used before the masculine noun ‘colis’, as in ‘Un colis’. A speaker might use this pattern when first mentioning an object.
colis ‘Colis’ means ‘package’ or ‘parcel’ in this dialogue. It is the item that was delivered to the wrong place. It commonly appears with a destination or location, as in ‘un colis destiné à mon appartement’.
destiné ‘Destiné’ means ‘intended’ here: the package was meant for the speaker’s apartment. In ‘destiné à mon appartement’, ‘destiné à’ identifies the intended destination. The related verb is ‘destiner’, but this dialogue uses the form ‘destiné’.
à ‘À’ means ‘to’ or ‘for’ in ‘destiné à mon appartement’, marking the package’s intended destination. The pattern ‘destiné à’ is used before the person or place for which something is intended.
mon ‘Mon’ means ‘my’ before ‘appartement’ in the phrase ‘mon appartement’. It shows that the apartment belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It is a possessive form placed directly before the noun.
appartement ‘Appartement’ means ‘apartment’. In ‘mon appartement’, it identifies the speaker’s home as the package’s intended destination. It can be used after a possessive such as ‘mon’.
a ‘A’ is the auxiliary used in ‘a été déposé’, helping form the completed passive statement that the package was left. It comes before ‘été’ in this construction. The same auxiliary pattern is used with a past participle in many completed actions.
été ‘Été’ means ‘been’ in ‘a été déposé’. Together with ‘a’ and ‘déposé’, it helps express that the package was left by someone without naming who did it. The related verb is ‘être’, but the dialogue uses the form ‘été’.
déposé ‘Déposé’ means ‘left’ or ‘deposited’ in ‘a été déposé devant votre porte’. It describes where the package was placed. The related verb is ‘déposer’, while the dialogue uses the form ‘déposé’ in the passive construction.
devant ‘Devant’ means ‘in front of’ and gives the location in ‘devant votre porte’, which is naturally understood as outside your door here. It is placed before the noun naming the reference point. A reusable pattern is ‘devant’ plus a place or object.
votre ‘Votre’ means ‘your’ in ‘votre porte’. It identifies the door as belonging to or being associated with the person being addressed. It is placed directly before the noun ‘porte’.
porte ‘Porte’ means ‘door’. In ‘devant votre porte’, it is the reference point for the package’s location. It can be used after a possessive such as ‘votre’.
Je ‘Je’ means ‘I’ and identifies the speaker as the subject. It appears at the beginning of statements such as ‘Je l’ai remarqué’ and ‘Je peux passer’. It is commonly placed before the conjugated verb.
l’ai ‘L’ai’ represents ‘it’ followed by the auxiliary ‘ai’ in ‘Je l’ai remarqué’ and ‘Je l’ai gardé’. ‘L’ refers to the package, while ‘ai’ helps form the completed actions ‘noticed’ and ‘kept’. An object pronoun such as ‘l’’ is placed before the auxiliary in this pattern.
remarqué ‘Remarqué’ means ‘noticed’ in ‘Je l’ai remarqué’. It describes the speaker becoming aware of the package. The related verb is ‘remarquer’, but the dialogue uses the form ‘remarqué’ after ‘l’ai’.
et ‘Et’ means ‘and’ and links the two actions in ‘Je l’ai remarqué et je l’ai gardé’. It shows that noticing the package and keeping it are connected actions. It can join two verbs, clauses, or other coordinated elements.
gardé ‘Gardé’ means ‘kept’ in ‘je l’ai gardé près de la porte pour vous’. It describes holding the package in a safe place for the other person. The related verb is ‘garder’, while the dialogue uses the form ‘gardé’ after ‘l’ai’.
près ‘Près’ means ‘near’ or ‘close’ in ‘près de la porte’. It describes the package’s location relative to the door. The common pattern is ‘près de’ followed by the nearby person, place, or object.
de ‘De’ completes the location expression ‘près de la porte’ and links ‘près’ to the thing that is nearby. Here it introduces ‘la porte’, the reference point for the package’s location. The reusable pattern is ‘près de’ plus a noun.
la ‘La’ means ‘the’ before ‘porte’ in ‘la porte’. It identifies a specific door known in the situation. It is placed directly before the noun.
pour ‘Pour’ means ‘for’ in ‘pour vous’ and shows who benefits from keeping the package there. It introduces the person for whom an action is done. A reusable pattern is ‘pour’ plus a person or recipient.
vous ‘Vous’ means ‘you’ in ‘pour vous’ and refers politely to the neighbor being addressed. Here it marks the beneficiary of the action. It can refer to one person formally or to more than one person.
J’espérais ‘J’espérais’ means ‘I was hoping’ and expresses the speaker’s hope in ‘J’espérais qu’il n’avait pas disparu’. It presents that hope as an ongoing thought in the past. The related verb is ‘espérer’, and this dialogue uses the form ‘J’espérais’.
qu’il ‘Qu’il’ means ‘that it’ in ‘J’espérais qu’il n’avait pas disparu’. ‘Qu’ introduces the content of the hope, and ‘il’ refers to the package. This pattern places a clause after a verb such as ‘espérer’.
n’avait ‘N’avait’ contributes ‘had’ to the negative expression ‘n’avait pas disparu’, meaning that the package had not gone missing. The ‘n’ begins the written negation around the verb, with ‘pas’ completing it. The related verb is ‘avoir’, while the dialogue uses the form ‘n’avait’.
pas ‘Pas’ completes the negation in ‘n’avait pas disparu’, giving the meaning ‘had not disappeared’. It appears with the negative element ‘n’ around the conjugated verb. The reusable pattern is ‘ne’ or contracted ‘n’ plus a verb plus ‘pas’.
disparu ‘Disparu’ means ‘disappeared’ or ‘gone missing’ in ‘n’avait pas disparu’. It describes the feared possibility that the package could no longer be found. The related verb is ‘disparaître’, but the dialogue uses the form ‘disparu’ after ‘n’avait pas’.
C’était ‘C’était’ means ‘it was’ in ‘C’était probablement une simple erreur d’étiquette’. It introduces the speaker’s explanation of what happened. The related verb is ‘être’, and the dialogue uses the form ‘C’était’.
probablement ‘Probablement’ means ‘probably’ and signals that the explanation is likely but not certain. In ‘C’était probablement une simple erreur d’étiquette’, it modifies the whole explanation. It can be placed near the verb or before the phrase expressing the likely situation.
une ‘Une’ means ‘a’ or ‘an’ before ‘erreur’ in ‘une simple erreur’. It introduces one non-specific mistake. It is placed before the feminine noun it determines.
simple ‘Simple’ means ‘simple’ here and presents the label problem as an uncomplicated mistake. In ‘une simple erreur’, it modifies ‘erreur’ and comes between the article and the noun. This pattern is useful when describing the nature of a mistake or problem.
erreur ‘Erreur’ means ‘mistake’ or ‘error’. In ‘une simple erreur d’étiquette’, it identifies the cause as a mistake involving a label. It commonly appears after an article and can be followed by a phrase specifying the type of mistake.
d’étiquette ‘D’étiquette’ means ‘of a label’ or ‘label-related’ in ‘une simple erreur d’étiquette’. It specifies what kind of error occurred. The form combines ‘de’ with ‘étiquette’ before a vowel, and the pattern ‘erreur de’ plus a noun identifies the subject of an error.
peux ‘Peux’ means ‘can’ in ‘Je peux passer’ and expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility of coming by. It is used with the infinitive ‘passer’. The related verb is ‘pouvoir’, while the dialogue uses the form ‘peux’ after ‘Je’.
passer ‘Passer’ means ‘come by’ or ‘stop by’ in ‘Je peux passer dans quelques minutes’. It describes a short visit to collect the package. It follows ‘peux’ as an infinitive, and the pattern ‘pouvoir’ plus an infinitive expresses a possible action.
dans ‘Dans’ means ‘in’ or ‘within’ in ‘dans quelques minutes’. With this time expression, it indicates that the action will happen after a short period. The reusable pattern is ‘dans’ plus a period of time.
quelques ‘Quelques’ means ‘a few’ in ‘quelques minutes’. It indicates a small, non-specific number and comes before the plural noun ‘minutes’. It is commonly used with a plural countable noun to describe a small quantity.
minutes ‘Minutes’ means ‘minutes’ in ‘dans quelques minutes’. It measures the short period before the speaker comes by. It appears as a plural noun after ‘quelques’.
le ‘Le’ means ‘it’ in ‘pour le récupérer’, referring to the package. Here it is an object pronoun placed before the infinitive ‘récupérer’, rather than an article before a noun. The pattern ‘pour le’ plus an infinitive expresses the purpose of retrieving the object.
récupérer ‘Récupérer’ means ‘pick up’ or ‘retrieve’ in ‘pour le récupérer’. It describes collecting the package from the neighbor’s door. It follows ‘pour’ as an infinitive to express the purpose of coming by.
l’apporter ‘L’apporter’ means ‘bring it over’ in ‘Je peux vous l’apporter’. ‘L’ refers to the package, and ‘apporter’ expresses bringing it to the person addressed. The pattern places the object pronoun before the infinitive, with the recipient also expressed in the sentence.
si ‘Si’ means ‘if’ in ‘si c’est plus pratique pour vous’. It introduces the condition under which bringing the package would be preferable. It commonly introduces a clause that gives a condition for an offer or proposal.
c’est ‘C’est’ means ‘it is’ or ‘that is’ in ‘si c’est plus pratique pour vous’. It introduces the situation being evaluated: whether bringing the package is more convenient. It is a contraction of ‘ce’ and ‘est’ used before a description or identification.
plus ‘Plus’ means ‘more’ in ‘plus pratique’. It forms the comparison that bringing the package may be more convenient for the neighbor. The reusable pattern is ‘plus’ plus an adjective.
pratique ‘Pratique’ means ‘convenient’ or ‘practical’ in ‘plus pratique pour vous’. It evaluates which arrangement is easier for the person addressed. It can follow ‘plus’ to form a comparison and can be followed by ‘pour’ plus a person.
en ‘En’ refers to the offer or help being discussed in ‘Je vous en remercie’, giving the polite meaning ‘I thank you for that’. It is part of the expression used to thank someone for something already mentioned. The phrase combines ‘en’ with ‘remercier quelqu’un’.
remercie ‘Remercie’ means ‘thank’ in ‘Je vous en remercie’. The speaker politely expresses appreciation to the neighbor for the offer. The related verb is ‘remercier’, and the reusable pattern is ‘remercier quelqu’un’ for thanking a person.
mais ‘Mais’ means ‘but’ and contrasts the appreciation in ‘Je vous en remercie’ with the reason the offer is unnecessary. It connects two ideas where the second limits or changes the first. It is commonly used to introduce a polite correction or qualification.
suis ‘Suis’ means ‘am’ in ‘je suis déjà tout près’, describing the speaker’s current location. It is the form of ‘être’ used with ‘je’ in this dialogue. It combines with a location expression such as ‘tout près’.
déjà ‘Déjà’ means ‘already’ and shows that the speaker is near before going to collect the package. In ‘je suis déjà tout près’, it emphasizes that this situation is true now. It can be placed before the location or activity that has occurred sooner than needed.
tout ‘Tout’ intensifies ‘près’ in ‘tout près’, meaning ‘very close’ or ‘right nearby’. It does not describe an object separately here; it strengthens the degree of nearness. The reusable pattern is ‘tout’ plus a location or degree expression.
laisserai ‘Laisserai’ means ‘will leave’ in ‘Je le laisserai près de ma porte’. It states the neighbor’s planned action for the time before the other person arrives. The related verb is ‘laisser’, and the dialogue uses the future form ‘laisserai’ with ‘Je’.
ma ‘Ma’ means ‘my’ before ‘porte’ in ‘ma porte’. It identifies the door as belonging to or being associated with the speaker. It is a possessive form placed directly before the noun.
jusqu’à ce que ‘Jusqu’à ce que’ means ‘until’ and introduces the event that marks the endpoint in ‘jusqu’à ce que vous arriviez’. ‘Jusqu’à’ supplies the idea of continuing up to a point, while ‘ce que’ introduces the clause describing that point. This construction is followed here by the verb form ‘arriviez’.
arriviez ‘Arriviez’ means ‘arrive’ or ‘get here’ in ‘jusqu’à ce que vous arriviez’. The subject is ‘vous’, and the form is used in the clause introduced by ‘jusqu’à ce que’. A reusable pattern is ‘jusqu’à ce que’ plus a clause describing the endpoint.

Grammar Points

jusqu’à ce que + subjonctif

Je laisserai le colis jusqu’à ce que vous arriviez.

zhuh less-uh-RAY luh koh-LEE zhoos-KAH suh kuh voo zah-ree-VYAY.

I will leave the package until you arrive.

After « jusqu’à ce que », French uses the subjunctive: « vous arriviez », not the ordinary present form.

French Vocabulary

appartement noun
ah-par-teh-MAHN apartment

mon appartement

colis noun
koh-LEE package

Un colis

déposer verb
day-poh-ZAY to leave; to place déposé

a été déposé

destiné adj
deh-stee-NAY intended

un colis destiné à mon appartement

devant prep
duh-VAHN in front of; outside

devant votre porte

disparaître verb
dee-spah-REHTR to disappear; to go missing disparu

il n’avait pas disparu

espérer verb
eh-spay-RAY to hope espérais

J’espérais que

garder verb
gahr-DAY to keep gardé

je l’ai gardé

porte noun
PORT door

votre porte

près adv
PRAY near; close to

près de la porte

probablement adv
proh-bah-bluh-MAHN probably

C’était probablement

remarquer verb
ruh-mar-KAY to notice remarqué

Je l’ai remarqué

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I was hoping it had not gone missing.

Show AnswerJ’espérais qu’il n’avait pas disparu.

It was probably just a label mix-up.

Show AnswerC’était probablement une simple erreur d’étiquette.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

in front of; outside

Show Answerdevant

door

Show Answerporte

to keep

Show Answergardé

intended

Show Answerdestiné