Collins Dictionaries - Easy Learning French Conversation

Alternatively, you can use the future tense in French, as in English.

In English we often say I’m going to to talk about the future. French works the same way. To say that you’re going to do something, put je vais( I’m going to ) or on va( we’re going to ) before the verb. vaisand vacome from the verb aller.For more information on aller,see here.

If you want to say that you intend to do something, you can use j’ai l’intention deor je compte( I intend to ).

Unfortunately the service you get in your accommodation may not always be perfect. A very simple way of complaining is to say what the problem is using il y a,which means both there is and there are or il n’y a pas dewhich means there isn’t or there aren’t .

You can also use the verb être( to be ) to describe what the problem is.

BON À SAVOIR!

Remember that in French to talk about the weather, you use the verb faire.For more information on this use of faire,see here.

Here are some phrases you are likely to hear when you’re looking for somewhere to stay.

Lifestyle Tips

• The proportion of propriétaires( homeowners ) in France is much lower than it is in Britain. People tend to rent a lot more. Long-term rented accommodation is usually unfurnished; locataires( tenants ) often even have to supply their own appareils ménagers( white goods ) and meubles de cuisine( kitchen units ).

• It is not as common for professionals to share a flat – être en colocation– in France as it is in Britain, although high rents have changed this over the past few years, especially in cities.

• If you’re flat-hunting in France, you will hear flats described as F1, F2, F3and so on. These refer to the number of rooms in a flat, not including the bathroom and kitchen. A studiois a studio, an F1is a one-room flat, an F2is a two-room flat, and so on.

• One good way of getting to know an area and its locals is to stay in a gîte rural– a cottage or apartment in the country. Some offer self-catering facilities, but others give you the chance to stay in an apartment within the house of the host family.

• The equivalent of B&Bs in France are chambres d’hôte,usually a room in someone’s house. Some of these places also offer table d’hôte,which means that they will provide a meal using local produce, or even food grown on the farm. If there aren’t any vacancies you will see a “Complet”( “Full” ) sign.

• When staying in a camping( campsite ), you will have to pay des arrhes( a deposit ) which is part of the full amount you will pay at the end of your stay. When renting accommodation you may also have to pay une caution( a security deposit ).