Module 9 of 10
Asking the way, and understanding the answer
The easy half is asking. This module is about the other half.
Anyone can learn to ask où est la gare. The difficulty is that the answer comes back at full speed from someone who has no idea you are a beginner, and it contains prenez, continuez, tournez — command forms you have not studied — plus the prepositions from the last course. You do not need to produce those forms. You need to recognise four or five of them, which is a much smaller job: prenez, tournez, continuez, traversez, and the direction words.
Tout droit is the trap. It means straight ahead, and à droite means to the right, and they sound close enough that a wrong turn is the usual result. Say them next to each other until they separate. Then use the honest strategy: ask, listen for one direction and one landmark, repeat them back — à gauche, après la banque ? — and walk. If you get half of it you will get there, and asking twice is cheaper than being lost. This is also where c'est loin ? earns its place: the answer tells you whether you have the right kind of problem.
Played by your device’s own French voice. It is a synthetic voice, not a recording of a teacher — close enough to learn the shape of a word, not close enough to copy exactly.
- Où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ?Where is the station, please?
- Je cherche la posteI am looking for the post office
- Tout droitStraight ahead — not to the right, which is à droite
- À droite / À gaucheTo the right / to the left
- Prenez la première rue à gaucheTake the first street on the left
- C'est loin ?Is it far?
- À cinq minutes à piedFive minutes on foot
- Pardon, vous pouvez répéter plus lentement ?Sorry, can you repeat that more slowly?
Recognising four command forms is enough. Repeat back one direction and one landmark rather than trying to hold the whole answer.