Buying something at a street kiosk in French
Bonjour, monsieur.
“Hello (to a man).”
When: the first second at any counter or kiosk
The moment
You stop at a street kiosk near Place de la République on a warm afternoon. Greet the vendor, ask the price of two different items, buy one of them, thank him and say goodbye.
A1 · Unit 1 · First words · Checkpoint
This is the unit’s checkpoint: one roleplay that puts the unit’s scenes together.
The lines
Open with Bonjour
Nothing happens at a French counter until you greet the person behind it, so lead with "Bonjour, monsieur." before you ask for a single thing.
Bonjour, monsieur.
“Hello (to a man).”
When to use it: the first second at any counter or kiosk
What you’ll hear back: Bonjour ! Je vous écoute. (Hello! What can I get you?)
Ask the price of anything
You asked "C'est combien ?" for the first item; for the second one, just point and add "Et ça, c'est combien ?". Listen for ça fait followed by a number.
Et ça, c'est combien ?
“And this one, how much is it?”
When to use it: pointing at an item on the counter
What you’ll hear back: Ça fait deux euros. (That's two euros.)
Words for this scene
| French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je prends celui-là. | zhuh pron suh-lwee-LAH | I'll take that one. |
Je prends celui-là, s'il vous plaît. I'll take that one, please. Tip: Point as you say it; for feminine items say celle-là. | ||
| Merci beaucoup | mehr-SEE boh-KOO | thank you very much |
Merci beaucoup, monsieur ! Thank you very much, sir! Tip: Add monsieur or madame; a bare merci can sound clipped. | ||
| Au revoir, bonne journée ! | oh ruh-VWAHR, bun zhoor-NEH | goodbye, have a good day! |
Merci, au revoir, bonne journée ! Thanks, goodbye, have a good day! Tip: Say both as you leave; the vendor will echo it back. | ||
Your objective
Greet the vendor, ask what two things cost, buy one of them, then say thank you and goodbye.
- a greeting
- two prices
- thanks and a goodbye
Lines that get it done
- Bonjour, monsieur.
- Et ça, c'est combien ?
- Merci, au revoir, bonne journée ! · Thanks, goodbye, have a good day!
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You walk up to the kiosk counter. What comes out of your mouth first?
- Bonjour, monsieur.
- C'est combien ?
- Merci beaucoup.
- Je prends celui-là.
Show the answer
Bonjour, monsieur.
In France the greeting always comes before the request.
2. The vendor says "Ça fait quatre euros cinquante." What do you owe?
- 4,50 euros
- 4 euros
- 14,50 euros
- 5,40 euros
Show the answer
4,50 euros
Quatre euros cinquante means four euros and fifty cents.
3. You have your drink and you are stepping away. What is the natural sign-off?
- Merci, au revoir, bonne journée !
- Bonjour, s'il vous plaît !
- Pardon, c'est combien ?
- Salut, je vous en prie !
Show the answer
Merci, au revoir, bonne journée !
Thanks, goodbye and bonne journée is the standard three-part exit.