French · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 12 of 12
Telling your story
Raconter sa vie
Tell your life story and talk about your plans, combining all the B1 tenses, and stress an idea with ce qui and ce que.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Tell the story of your life, from birth to today
- Talk about what you like, what you miss and your plans
- Stress an idea with ce qui… c'est and ce que… c'est
Listen
In Brest, Lucas is making a podcast about the people of his neighbourhood. He interviews Jeanne Le Gall, a retired nurse, in her home. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Lucas
Bonjour, madame Le Gall. Merci de me recevoir chez vous.
Hello, Ms Le Gall. Thank you for having me in your home.
Jeanne
Avec plaisir. Mais il faut que vous parliez fort : je n'entends plus très bien.
With pleasure. But you'll need to speak up: my hearing isn't very good any more.
Lucas
D'accord. Racontez-moi votre vie. Vous êtes née à Brest ?
All right. Tell me about your life. Were you born in Brest?
Jeanne
Oui, en 1953. Mon père était marin, et ma mère travaillait à l'hôpital. C'est elle qui m'a donné envie de devenir infirmière.
Yes, in 1953. My father was a sailor, and my mother worked at the hospital. She's the one who made me want to become a nurse.
Lucas
Et vous avez toujours vécu ici ?
And have you always lived here?
Jeanne
Non. Après mes études, je suis partie à Paris. J'y ai travaillé pendant vingt ans, et c'est là que j'ai rencontré mon mari.
No. After my studies I went to Paris. I worked there for twenty years, and that's where I met my husband.
Lucas
Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes revenue en Bretagne ?
Why did you come back to Brittany?
Jeanne
Mon mari avait toujours rêvé de vivre au bord de la mer. Alors, quand nos enfants sont devenus grands, nous nous sommes installés ici.
My husband had always dreamt of living by the sea. So when our children had grown up, we settled here.
Lucas
Et aujourd'hui, qu'est-ce que vous aimez le plus ici ?
And today, what do you like most here?
Jeanne
Ce que j'aime, c'est le port et les gens du quartier. Ce qui me manque, c'est Paris, parfois… mais pas le métro.
What I love is the harbour and the people in the neighbourhood. What I miss is Paris, sometimes… but not the metro.
Lucas
Et si vous pouviez recommencer, vous feriez les mêmes choix ?
And if you could start again, would you make the same choices?
Jeanne
Oui, sans hésiter. Et j'ai encore des projets : l'année prochaine, j'irai au Japon avec ma petite-fille.
Yes, without a doubt. And I still have plans: next year I'm going to Japan with my granddaughter.
Understand
Ce qui, ce que: what
To say “what” inside a sentence (not in a question), use or . Like and , is the subject of the next verb and is its object: (What I miss is Paris). (What I love is the harbour).
Starting with ce qui… c'est or ce que… c'est is a very French way to stress an idea. and also follow verbs like , and .
- Ce qui est important, c'est la famille.What matters is family.
- Dites-moi ce que vous voulez.Tell me what you want.
- Je ne comprends pas ce qui se passe.I don't understand what's happening.
A life story: all the tenses together
The story of a life, , brings together the tenses of A2 and B1. (to be born) takes , and “I was born” is the passé composé: or . , and reflexive verbs like also take .
| Tense | In a life story | Example |
|---|---|---|
| passé composé | events | |
| imparfait | background and habits | |
| plus-que-parfait | what had happened earlier | |
| futur simple | plans | |
| conditionnel | what you would do | |
| subjonctif | after , feelings, wishes |
I miss it: ça me manque
(to be missed by) works the other way round from English: the thing or person you miss is the subject. means “I miss Paris” (literally “Paris is missing to me”). means “I miss you”, and means “you miss me”.
- Ce qui me manque, c'est Paris.What I miss is Paris.
- Tu me manques.I miss you.
- Mes enfants me manquent.I miss my children.
More in the grammar: The passé composé: talking about the past · Relative pronouns: qui, que, où, dont · The plus-que-parfait: had done
New words
- fortloudly; strong · : to speak up
- raconterto tell (a story)
- naîtreto be born · /
- le marinsailor
- donner envie deto make (someone) want to
- l'infirmier / l'infirmièrenurse
- revenirto come back · like :
- au bord de la merby the sea, at the seaside
- s'installerto settle, to move in
- le portharbour, port
- les genspeople · masculine plural
- manquer àto be missed by · : I miss it
- le choixchoice · plural:
- la petite-fillegranddaughter · : grandson
Practise
1.“What I like is the harbour.” Which sentence is correct?
2.Complete with or .
What I miss is Paris.
3.Complete with the passé composé of .
I was born in Brest in 1953.
4.How do you say “I miss you” (to a friend)?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.That's where I met my husband.
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
Je suis né à Brest, en 1990.
I was born in Brest in 1990.
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.