French · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Home and housing
Chercher un logement
Visit a flat to rent, ask about the rent and the neighbourhood, and compare places with plus, moins, aussi and meilleur.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask about the rent and the neighbourhood
- Compare two places with plus, moins and aussi
- Say which one is the best
Listen
Pauline and Romain are looking for a flat to rent in Grenoble. An estate agent shows them one near the centre. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Agent
Voilà l'appartement : un grand salon, deux chambres et une cuisine.
Here's the flat: a big living room, two bedrooms and a kitchen.
Pauline
Oh, le salon est plus grand que dans l'appartement d'hier.
Oh, the living room is bigger than in yesterday's flat.
Romain
Oui, et il est plus clair.
Yes, and it's brighter.
Pauline
Et le loyer, c'est combien ?
And how much is the rent?
Agent
Neuf cent cinquante euros par mois, charges comprises.
Nine hundred and fifty euros a month, including service charges.
Romain
C'est plus cher que l'autre appartement.
That's more expensive than the other flat.
Agent
Oui, mais il est moins loin du centre, et le quartier est très calme.
Yes, but it's not as far from the centre, and the neighbourhood is very quiet.
Pauline
Il y a des magasins près d'ici ?
Are there any shops near here?
Agent
Oui, une boulangerie et un supermarché, et le tram est à cinq minutes à pied.
Yes, a bakery and a supermarket, and the tram is a five-minute walk away.
Romain
Pauline, pour moi, c'est le meilleur appartement.
Pauline, for me, it's the best flat.
Pauline
Pour moi aussi. Il est libre quand ?
For me too. When is it available?
Agent
Le premier octobre.
On 1 October.
Understand
Comparing: plus, moins, aussi… que
To compare two things, put (more), (less) or (as) before the adjective, and (than, as) after it: Before a vowel, becomes qu': .
English often adds “-er” (bigger, brighter), but French always uses a separate word. (less expensive) is the usual way to say “cheaper”. The adjective still agrees with its noun:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| bigger than | |
| smaller than | |
| more expensive than | |
| cheaper than | |
| not as far as | |
| as quiet as |
Better and the best: meilleur
(good) has its own word for “better”: . Never say plus bon. It agrees like other adjectives: , , , .
To say “the best”, “the biggest” and so on, add , or : , . When the adjective comes after the noun, repeat the article: . “In” after “the best” is : .
- La boulangerie de la place est meilleure.The bakery on the square is better.
- C'est le meilleur appartement.It's the best flat.
- C'est la plus grande chambre.It's the biggest bedroom.
- C'est le quartier le plus calme de Grenoble.It's the quietest neighbourhood in Grenoble.
Renting a flat
is the rent. are the extra costs of the building, such as cleaning the stairs or water. In adverts, (or ) means they're included in the price.
For big numbers, is 100 and is 1,000. takes an s when it's multiplied and no other number follows it: , but . never changes: .
| Number | French |
|---|---|
| 100 | |
| 200 | |
| 250 | |
| 950 | |
| 1,000 | |
| 1,200 |
More in the grammar: French numbers: from 0 to a million · Comparing: plus, moins, aussi, meilleur
New words
- grand / grandebig, large
- plus… quemore… than
- clair / clairebright, light
- le loyerrent
- centa hundred · : 950
- par moisa month, per month
- les chargesservice charges · : charges included
- cher / chèreexpensive
- l'autrethe other one
- moins… queless… than, not as… as
- le quartierneighbourhood, area
- calmequiet, calm
- le magasinshop
- la boulangeriebakery
Practise
1.How do you say “cheaper than”?
2.Complete: “The kitchen is bigger than the bedroom.”
The kitchen is bigger than the bedroom.
3.Complete with the word for “better”.
The bread here is better than the bread from the supermarket.
4.Your flat and your friend's flat are both 60 square metres. What do you say?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.It's bigger than the other flat.
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
Le loyer, c'est combien ?
How much is the rent?
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.