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Lesson

28

Plus PublicationsBramleyDouglas RoadCorkIreland(t) 353-(0)21-4847444(f) 353-(0)21-4847675(e) [email protected](i) www.learnfrenchbypodcast.com

LEARN FRENCHBY PODCASTAUDIO PODCASTSFOR LEARNERS OF FRENCH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

“Do you have internet at home?”

�� © Plus Publications, 2006. All rights reserved.

Lesson 28: Wednesday, October 25th, 2006Level: intermediate. “Do you have internet at home?”

• se compliquer la vie avec: [to make life difficult for oneself/to complicate one’s life]• ne pas avoir de [+ noun]• ne… rien: [nothing]• Je [ne] sais pas : [(I) don’t know…]• [Il] faudrait que…: [(I) would have to ask…]• Ce serait bien que [+ subjunctive]: [It would be good if …]

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Where you see this symbol…

… it’s your turn to repeat what you’ve heard. Then we’ll repeat once more.

Hello and welcome to Learn French by Podcast. My name is Hugh Nagle and here with me is Amélie Verdier. Bonjour, Amélie!

Bonjour!

In this lesson, lesson 28, we’re going to hear a conversation which will focus on Internet-related vocabulary. We’ll start with a short dialogue. Before we begin, don’t forget the accompanying Lesson Guide, available from www.learnfrenchbypodcast.com.

As you’re listening, try and figure out the answer to the following questions:

1. What, specifically, does Amélie wish to send to Xavier?

2. What does Amélie say is possible with ADSL?

Let’s hear the dialogue:J’aimerais vous envoyer les photos de nos vacances en Corse. Avez-vous Internet à la maison ?

Non. On ne veut pas se compliquer la vie avec ça ! Il paraît que ça ne cause que des soucis !

Vous n’avez pas d’adresse email ? Non. Enfin, j’en ai une au travail, mais je ne m’en sers jamais !

Mais si je vous envoie les photos sur votre adresse email au travail, vous allez les recevoir ?

Je veux bien essayer, mais je ne promets rien !Parfait, mais avez-vous l’ADSL ?

L’A… quoi ?L’ADSL, c’est la connexion Internet haut débit. Ça permet d’envoyer et de recevoir de gros fichiers, comme des photos, par exemple.

Ah, ça je sais pas. Faudrait que je demande.Ce serait bien que vous l’ayez, c’est devenu très bon marché récemment, et c’est tellement pratique à utiliser.

Note… [une] adresse email…

Watch it! There’s just one “d” in French.

Note… je ne m’en sers jamais… [= I never use it.]

[verb: se servir de = to use/make use of]

Ils se servent de leurs ordinateurs personnels pour conduire leurs enquêtes.

Il se sert de sa voiture pour …

Note… Vous allez les recevoir?… [= Are you going to

receive them?]This is an example of le Futur immédiat (also called le futur proche). It combines the verb aller with a second infinitive.

Note… … récemment.

Listen carefully! Like fréquemment, évidemment and violemment, the pronunciation is with an “a” sound, not an “e”.

Note… … de gros fichiers.

Why not “des”? We’re talking about several big files, aren’t we?…That’s true but, in the case of adjectives that precede the noun, the plural indefinite article des contracts to de (or d’).

Note… J’aimerais…

That’s aimer in the Conditional: “I would like…”

le présent le conditionnel

j’aime j’aimerais

nous aimons nous aimerions

The Conditional form of «–er» (1st Group) verbs is formed by adding the Imperfect endings (–ais, –ais, –ait, –ions, –iez, –aient) to the infinitive.

Note… Il paraît que… [verb: paraître]

That’s “It seems that…”. Consider also: Il paraît que le premier ministre a été contrarié par

ces résultats. Il paraît que ce genre de télévision est promis à un bel

avenir. Cela paraît intéressant, n’est-ce pas?

se compliquer la vie

© Plus Publications, 2006. All rights reserved. �

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eLesson 28: Wednesday, October 25th, 2006Level: intermediate. “Do you have internet at home?”




Let’s listen one more time…J’aimerais vous envoyer les photos de nos vacances en Corse. Avez-vous Internet à la maison ?







Now, the answers to those questions were that:1. Amélie wanted to send Xavier photographs which

were taken while on holiday in Corsica, and2. Amélie said that, with ADSL, one can send large

files – “de gros fichiers” – like photos, for example.

You asked if X had Internet at home. He said no, saying that he didn’t wish to make life difficult for himself with that sort of thing. The key verb here is “se�compliquer�la�vie”: let’s hear what he said…

On ne veut pas se compliquer la vie avec ça ! On ne veut pas se compliquer la vie avec ça !

The pronoun “on”, here, was referring to everyone – in other words, “us all”, in the house. If�he�had�specifically�referred�to�himself, we would have heard:

Je ne veux pas me compliquer la vie …Je ne veux pas me compliquer la vie …

If we were talking about someone at work with relationship problems, for example, we might hear that “she doesn’t wish to make life difficult for herself any more!”

Elle ne veut plus se compliquer la vie!Elle ne veut plus se compliquer la vie!

Note… … des soucis [= worries]

un souci is a masculine noun. The noun can also be used with the verb faire, as follows:

Elle se fait du souci pour la santé de son fils. [Je me fais du souci pour…] [Ils se font du souci pour…, etc.]

Note… … si je vous envoie les photos sur votre adresse

email

That’s “… if I send you the photos to your email address…”

Note… … en

The pronoun en is versatile. Note its different meanings here:

J’en ai une au travail. [= I have one [of them] at work.]

Je ne m’en sers jamais. [= I never use it.]

Note… … ça permet d’envoyer et de recevoir

= “… it allows sending and receiving…”

Note that, in French, both verbs are in their infinitive forms.

ne pas avoir de [+ noun]

en avoir un/une

ne … rien

Je [ne] sais pas

[Il] faudrait que…




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You wondered if Xavier had an email address. In a surprised way, you asked your question in the negative. “You don’t have an email address?!” Let’s hear that:

Vous n’avez pas d’adresse email ?Vous n’avez pas d’adresse email ?

Now, it’s an email address. But we heard the question: “Vous n’avez pas d’adresse email?” We must remember that, when we wish to say we don’t have something – that is, using “avoir” in the negative – the indefinite articles “un”, “une” and “des” will all become “de”. Consider a few other examples: let’s listen.

Je n’ai pas de chat.Je n’ai pas de frère.Il n’a pas d’argent.

In response to the question about an email address, Xavier said he had one at work. Let’s see how he says “I have one”.

J’en ai une.J’en ai une.

We hear “une” because it relates to “une adresse” – a feminine noun. If he were talking about some masculine noun, we’d hear “J’en ai un”.

To continue, Xavier said he’d see if he could receive the photos at work, but he was promising nothing. Let’s listen for “ne…” followed by “rien”:

Je ne promets rien!Je ne promets rien!

When you asked if X had high-speed Internet, he didn’t know and said he’d have to ask. That was…

Ah, ça je sais pas. Faudrait que je demande…Ah, ça je sais pas. Faudrait que je demande…

Note that, as commonly happens in spoken French, the “ne” in “je ne sais pas” disappears:

Je sais pas…Je sais pas…

And, instead of “Il faudrait que je demande…”, the pronoun “il” disappears, too: we hear…

Faudrait que je demande…Faudrait que je demande…

Note… Il n’a pas d’argent…

Though our examples here all relate to singular nouns, the same contraction of the indefinite article des also applies to plural nouns:

Je n’ai pas de photos.

Note… Je ne promets rien…

Consider some other examples with ne… rien:

Mon père n’arrête pas de me dire que je ne fais rien…

Nous ne savons rien de ce groupe mais… On m’avait dit que Nice était hors de prix ! Mais, ce

n’est rien comparé à Dublin.

© Plus Publications, 2006. All rights reserved. �

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eLesson 28: Wednesday, October 25th, 2006Level: intermediate. “Do you have internet at home?”




Finally, you said it would be good if Xavier had this high-speed Internet. You said:

Ce serait bien que vous ayez une connexion haut débit…Ce serait bien que vous l’ayez…

“It would be good …”: that was the verb “être” in the Conditional:

Ce serait bien …Ce serait bien …

And then, “… if you have…” – we need the verb “avoir”:… que vous ayez… que vous ayez

“… que vous ayez.” We don’t have the normal, present tense of “avoir”. It’s because we have an expression which requires the subjunctive: “Ce serait bien que…” – “It would be good if…”. Once again, the formula was:

Ce serait bien que vous ayez…

You’ll find the conjugated Subjunctive form of “avoir” in the PDF Guide.

Now that we’ve looked closely at the dialogue, let’s hear it once again in its entirety. Don’t forget that you’ll find all this information, and a lot more, in the accompanying Lesson Guide, downloadable from www.learnfrenchbypodcast.com.

Here’s that dialogue, once again…J’aimerais vous envoyer les photos de nos vacances en Corse. Avez-vous Internet à la maison ?







Amélie, we’ve covered a lot in this lesson. Until next time!A la prochaine!

Note… Ce serait…

That’s être in the Conditional: “It would be…”

le présent le conditionnel

je suis je serais

tu es tu serais

il est il serait

nous sommes nous serions

vous êtes vous seriez

ils sont ils seraient

Note… Ce serait bien que vous ayez…

That’s avoir in the present subjunctive:

the “normal” present [the Present Indicative]

the present subjunctive

j’ai … que j’aie

tu as … que tu aies

il a … que il ait

nous avons … que nous ayons

vous avez … que vous ayez

ils ont … que ils aient

What’s this “subjunctive” all about? Generally speaking, the Subjunctive indicates something that is doubtful, possible, virtual while the Indicative – the “normal” tenses we’re used to – indicates what is factual, real, absolute.

There are many situations in French where the Subjunctive form of the verb is required. We’ll be dealing with specific situations as we meet them. In this particular situation, there is doubt: it would be good if Xavier had high-speed internet, but there is doubt as to whether he actually has it or not. Consequently, the Subjunctive form of the verb is necessary.




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If you understood our lesson, then you should be able to translate…

1. My father doesn’t want to make life difficult for himself.

2. She doesn’t have an email address?!

3. They don’t have raincoats?! [imperméable (m)]

4. I have three (of them).

5. He’s promising us nothing.

6. I don’t know. You’ll have to ask.

7. It would be better if he’s there this evening.

8. It would be better if you work this afternoon. [Suppose you’re talking to 2 people.]

9. I’m sending you a big file.

See the answers at http://www.learnfrenchbypodcast.com/FTEW_pages/answers.htm

Now

it’s

your

turn

…

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Vocab extra!• arrêter ..................... to stop• avenir (m) ............... future• bel ........................... good• ça ............................ that• causer ...................... to cause• comme .................... like, as• compliquer, se ~ la vie to complicate life for oneself• conduire .................. to carry out• connexion (f)........... connection• contrarier ................ to upset• Corse (f) .................. Corsica• débit, haut ~ ........... high-speed• demander ............... to ask• devenir .................... to become• dire .......................... to say, to tell• enfin ........................ at last, in fact• enquête (f) .............. inquiry, survey• envoyer ................... to send• essayer .................... to try• évidemment ............ obviously• falloir....................... to be necessary• fichier (m) ............... file• fils (m)..................... son• fréquemment .......... frequently• genre (m) ................ kind, genre• gros ......................... large• hors (de) .................. out of• mais ........................ but• maison, à la ~ ......... at home• marché, bon ~ ........ cheap• ordinateur (m) ......... computer• paraître ................... to seem• parfait ..................... perfect• père (m) .................. father• pour ........................ for, in order to• pratique .................. practical• prix (m) ................... price• prix, hors de ~ ........ very expensive• promettre ................ to promise• récemment .............. recently• recevoir ................... to receive• résultat (m) ............. result• santé (f) .................. health• savoir....................... to know• servir, se ~ de ......... to use• souci (m) ................. worry• tellement ................ so• travail (m) ............... work• très .......................... very• utiliser• vacances (f pl) ......... holiday(s)• vie (f) ...................... life• violemment ............. violently• voiture (f) ................ car• vouloir ..................... to want, to

wish

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