French · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 12 of 12
A weekend away
Partir en week-end
Tell a friend about a weekend trip and help them plan one, combining the past tenses, the future, the imperative and pronouns like en.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Tell the story of a trip with the passé composé and the imparfait
- Give advice for someone else's trip
- Use en for quantities: j'en ai acheté trois
Listen
On Monday morning, Mélanie tells her colleague Olivier about her weekend with her husband in Amboise, in the Loire Valley. Olivier would like to go there too. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Olivier
Alors, Mélanie, ce week-end à Amboise, c'était comment ?
So, Mélanie, how was your weekend in Amboise?
Mélanie
Super. On est partis vendredi soir, et on est arrivés à l'hôtel vers vingt-deux heures.
Great. We left on Friday evening and got to the hotel at around ten pm.
Olivier
Vous avez visité des châteaux ?
Did you visit any châteaux?
Mélanie
Oui, on en a visité deux. Le château d'Amboise était très beau, mais il y avait beaucoup de monde.
Yes, we visited two. The Château d'Amboise was very beautiful, but it was very crowded.
Olivier
Et il a fait beau ?
And was the weather nice?
Mélanie
Samedi, oui. Mais dimanche, il pleuvait, alors on est restés à l'hôtel le matin.
On Saturday, yes. But on Sunday it was raining, so we stayed at the hotel in the morning.
Olivier
Moi, je voudrais y aller en mai avec ma femme. Tu connais un bon hôtel ?
I'd like to go there in May with my wife. Do you know a good hotel?
Mélanie
Oui, l'hôtel du Parc. Il est calme et moins cher que les hôtels du centre. Je t'envoie l'adresse ce soir.
Yes, the Hôtel du Parc. It's quiet and cheaper than the hotels in the centre. I'll send you the address tonight.
Olivier
Merci. Et vous avez pris le train ?
Thanks. And did you take the train?
Mélanie
Non, on a pris la voiture. Mais prenez le train : à Amboise, vous n'aurez pas besoin de voiture.
No, we took the car. But take the train: in Amboise you won't need a car.
Olivier
Bonne idée. Et tu as acheté des bouteilles de vin ?
Good idea. And did you buy any bottles of wine?
Mélanie
Oui, j'en ai acheté trois. Il y en a une pour toi.
Yes, I bought three. There's one for you.
Understand
En: some, any, of them
replaces a noun that comes after , , or a quantity. It often means “some”, “any” or “of it, of them”, and English often leaves it out: (Yes, I bought some.)
With a number or a quantity word, replaces the noun and the number stays after the verb: (I bought three), (There's one for you), (I have a lot). Like the other pronouns, goes before the verb, or before in the passé composé:
- Des châteaux ? On en a visité deux.Châteaux? We visited two.
- Tu veux du café ? — Non, merci, je n'en veux pas.Would you like some coffee? — No, thanks, I don't want any.
- Il y a des magasins ? — Oui, il y en a beaucoup.Are there any shops? — Yes, there are lots.
- Tu as des frères ? — Oui, j'en ai un.Do you have any brothers? — Yes, I have one.
Telling the story of a trip
A story about a trip mixes the two past tenses. The passé composé tells what happened, step by step: The imparfait describes the background: the weather, the place, how it was: ( is the imparfait of .)
When means “we”, the participle after usually agrees with the people it stands for. Mélanie went with her husband, so she writes . You can't hear it, and it's also fine to leave it without -s. In the same way, Olivier says to Mélanie when he means her and her husband:
| What happened (passé composé) | The background (imparfait) |
|---|---|
Small words before the verb
In A2 you've met several pronouns that go before the verb. Each one replaces a different kind of word. In a positive instruction, they come after the verb instead: , .
| Pronoun | Replaces | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a person or thing | ||
| + a person | ||
| a place (after , , …) | ||
| , , + a noun, or a quantity |
More in the grammar: Comparing: plus, moins, aussi, meilleur · Object pronouns: le, la, les, lui, leur · The futur simple: will · The imparfait: describing the past · The imperative: giving instructions · The passé composé: talking about the past · The pronouns y and en
New words
- partir en week-endto go away for the weekend
- visiterto visit (a place) · for people, use
- le châteaucastle, château
- ensome, any, of it, of them · : I bought three (of them)
- beau / bellebeautiful, lovely · before a vowel:
- il y avaitthere was, there were
- beaucoup de mondea lot of people, crowded
- il pleuvaitit was raining
- connaîtreto know (a person or a place) · : you know
- l'adresseaddress · feminine
- envoyerto send · : I'll send you
- le vinwine
- il y en a un / unethere's one (of them)
Practise
1. How do you say “Yes, I bought two”?
2.Complete with the imparfait of : “It was raining on Sunday.”
It was raining on Sunday.
3.Complete with or .
Amboise? I'd like to go there in May.
4.Which sentence describes the background of the story?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.We stayed at the hotel in the morning.
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
C'était comment, ton week-end ?
How was your weekend?
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.