French · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Science and technology
Sciences et technologies
Explain how an online scam works, say what was done to you with se faire + infinitive, use the passive with care, and link causes and effects.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Explain how something works, step by step
- Say what happened to you with se faire + infinitive
- Know when French can't use the passive
- Link causes and effects with grâce à, puisque and c'est pourquoi
Listen
In Reims, Monique thinks someone has got into her email account. Her grandson Enzo, an engineering student, explains what happened. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Monique
Enzo, tu as cinq minutes ? Je crois que je me suis fait pirater mon compte mail.
Enzo, have you got five minutes? I think my email account has been hacked.
Enzo
Ah bon ? Qu'est-ce qui te fait dire ça ?
Really? What makes you say that?
Monique
Mes amies ont reçu des messages envoyés depuis mon adresse. On leur demande de l'argent !
My friends have received messages sent from my address. They're being asked for money!
Enzo
Je vois. Tu n'aurais pas cliqué sur un lien bizarre, ces derniers jours ?
I see. You haven't clicked on a strange link in the last few days, by any chance?
Monique
Si… J'ai reçu un mail de la banque qui me demandait de changer mon mot de passe.
I have, actually… I got an email from the bank asking me to change my password.
Enzo
Ça devait être un faux. Ça s'appelle l'hameçonnage : le mail est fait pour ressembler à un vrai mail de ta banque.
It must have been a fake. It's called phishing: the email is made to look like a real email from your bank.
Monique
Mais comment ils ont eu mon mot de passe ?
But how did they get my password?
Enzo
C'est simple : le lien ouvrait un faux site. Tout ce que tu as tapé a été enregistré et envoyé aux pirates. Et si tu as le même mot de passe pour ton compte mail, ils ont pu y entrer aussi.
It's simple: the link opened a fake website. Everything you typed was recorded and sent to the hackers. And if you use the same password for your email account, they were able to get into that too.
Monique
Quelle idiote ! Je me suis fait avoir.
What an idiot I am! I was taken in.
Enzo
Mais non, ça arrive à tout le monde. Les pirates sont de plus en plus forts. D'abord, on change ton mot de passe. Ensuite, on active la double authentification : grâce à ça, un code sera envoyé sur ton portable à chaque connexion.
Of course not, it happens to everyone. Hackers are getting better and better. First, we'll change your password. Then we'll turn on two-factor authentication: that way, a code will be sent to your mobile each time you log in.
Monique
Et si on a utilisé ma carte bancaire ?
And what if someone has used my bank card?
Enzo
Appelle ta banque tout de suite. Si quelqu'un a payé avec ta carte, tu pourras normalement te faire rembourser.
Call your bank straight away. If someone has paid with your card, you should be able to get your money back.
Understand
Se faire + infinitive: it happened to me
+ infinitive says that something is done to you, often something bad: (My account got hacked), (He had his bike stolen). means “I was taken in, I got conned”.
It can also mean that you get someone to do something for you: (to get your money back), (to get help), (to have your hair cut). In the passé composé, never agrees: .
Without , + infinitive means “to have something done”: (I'm having my computer repaired).
The passive and its limits
Only a verb with a direct object can become passive. English says “I was asked for my password”, but takes before the person, so French uses : The same goes for , and .
To explain how things work, French also likes reflexive verbs (, : it shows) and impersonal phrases such as (it is advisable to) and (it is forbidden to).
| English | French |
|---|---|
| I was asked for my password. | |
| My friends were sent messages. | |
| Everything you typed was recorded. | |
| It's called phishing. | |
| You are advised to change your password. |
Cause and effect
(thanks to) gives a cause with a good result, (because of) one with a bad result. (since) gives a reason that the listener already knows or can't deny. (because, as) is common in writing.
To give a result, use , or, more formally, (that's why). + infinitive means “which makes it possible to”.
- Grâce à ce code, ton compte est mieux protégé.Thanks to this code, your account is better protected.
- Mon compte a été piraté à cause d'un faux mail.My account was hacked because of a fake email.
- Puisque tu es là, tu peux m'aider ?Since you're here, can you help me?
- Un code est envoyé sur ton portable, ce qui permet de vérifier que c'est bien toi.A code is sent to your mobile, which makes it possible to check that it's really you.
More in the grammar: The passive: être + past participle
New words
- piraterto hack · : hacker; also pirate
- le mailemail · also ; the official word is
- cliquer surto click on
- le lienlink
- le mot de passepassword
- faux / faussefalse, fake · : a fake
- l'hameçonnagephishing · masculine; many people also say
- ressembler àto look like
- taperto type; to hit
- enregistrerto record, to save
- l'idiot / l'idioteidiot · : what an idiot (I am)!
- se faire avoirto be taken in, to get conned · informal
- de plus en plusmore and more · : better and better
- tout de suitestraight away, right now
Practise
1.“She had her bag stolen.” Which sentence is correct?
2.Complete: “If someone has paid with your card, you'll be able to get your money back.”
If someone has paid with your card, you'll be able to get your money back.
3.Complete with or .
My account was hacked because of this fake email.
4.“I was asked for my password.” Which sentence is correct?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.My account got hacked.
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 crois que je me suis fait pirater mon compte.
I think my account has been hacked.
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.