French · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Hobbies and free time
Les loisirs
Talk about sports and hobbies in French with faire and jouer, say how often you do things, and invite a friend with pouvoir and vouloir.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about sports and hobbies with faire and jouer
- Say how often you do something
- Invite someone, and accept or say no politely
Listen
It's Friday in Lille. Sophie and her colleague Nicolas talk about the weekend. They get on well and use tu. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Nicolas
Qu'est-ce que tu fais le week-end ?
What do you do at the weekend?
Sophie
Je fais souvent du vélo. Et le dimanche, je joue au tennis.
I often go cycling. And on Sundays I play tennis.
Nicolas
Au tennis ? Moi aussi, j'adore ça.
Tennis? Me too, I love it.
Sophie
Tu veux jouer avec moi dimanche ?
Do you want to play with me on Sunday?
Nicolas
Dimanche, je ne peux pas. Je vais chez mes parents.
I can't on Sunday. I'm going to my parents' place.
Sophie
Et samedi matin ? On peut jouer à dix heures.
And Saturday morning? We can play at ten.
Nicolas
Samedi, oui, avec plaisir. C'est où ?
Saturday, yes, I'd love to. Where is it?
Sophie
Au club de tennis, en face de la gare.
At the tennis club, opposite the station.
Nicolas
Parfait. À samedi.
Perfect. See you on Saturday.
Understand
Sports and hobbies: faire and jouer
For most activities, use (to do) + , or de l': , . For sports and games you play against someone, use (to play) + , or : .
is irregular, so learn its forms by heart. In , the ai sounds like the e of : “fuh-zo(n)”. ends in -tes, like .
| Subject | (to do) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | (I go cycling.) | |
| you (to a friend) | (Do you do any sport?) | |
| he / she / we () | / / | (She goes swimming.) |
| we | (We do yoga.) | |
| you (polite or plural) | (What do you do?) | |
| they | / | (They go cycling.) |
- Je joue au tennis.I play tennis.
- Il joue au foot.He plays football.
- On joue aux cartes ?Shall we play cards?
Can, want, come: pouvoir, vouloir, venir
(can, to be able to) and (to want) are both followed by a verb in the infinitive: You already know a polite form of : .
To invite a friend, ask + infinitive? Say yes with (I'd love to) or . Say no politely with (a woman writes ). (to come) is irregular too, and just as useful: (Are you coming with me?)
| Subject | (can) | (to want) | (to come) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | |||
| you (to a friend) | |||
| he / she / we () | / / | / / | / / |
| we | |||
| you (polite or plural) | |||
| they | / | / | / |
- Tu veux jouer au tennis samedi ? — Avec plaisir.Do you want to play tennis on Saturday? — I'd love to.
- Désolée, je ne peux pas.Sorry, I can't.
How often?
Words like (often) usually go right after the verb: (never) works like , with before the verb: After , and become , as after .
| French | English |
|---|---|
| always | |
| often | |
| sometimes | |
| ne… jamais | never |
| every day | |
| once a week | |
| on Sundays |
More in the grammar: Articles: le, la, les, un, une, des, du · Negation: ne… pas and friends
New words
- faireto do, to make
- le week-endweekend, at the weekend
- souventoften
- faire du véloto go cycling · : bike
- jouer au tennisto play tennis
- tu veux… ?do you want (to)…?
- avec moiwith me
- je ne peux pasI can't
- chezat the home of · : at my parents' place
- avec plaisirI'd love to (literally “with pleasure”)
- le clubclub
- la natationswimming
- désolé / désoléesorry · a woman writes ; same sound
- parfoissometimes
Practise
1.Which is correct for “I go cycling”?
2.Complete the sentence: “I play tennis.”
I play tennis.
3.Complete with the right form of .
I can't on Sunday.
4.A friend invites you, but you're busy. What do you say?
5.Put the words in order to invite a friend.
Tap the words below in the right order.Do you want to play tennis on Saturday?
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Tu veux jouer au tennis samedi ?
Do you want to play tennis on Saturday?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.