Improve your French listening comprehension with this short clip from the Inner French podcast. It’s 52 words in 26 seconds, how many can you follow in our transcription quiz?
This clip is from the Inner French podcast Episode 001. Listen and fill in what you hear below. Read more and find a translation below. Find the full podcast here.
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The above audio sample and transcription is from the Inner French podcast episode 001. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.
Are you ready?
I’m very interested to see how many of Prof Krashen’s theories align with my own opinions about learning a language. I expect them all to. After all, based on Hugo’s intro I think we are on the same wavelength for learning languages.
It’s why I made the site for French this way, it’s all about listening. That’s how I’ve picked up Chinese, it’s how my Spanish continues to improve. It’s not about grammar rules. It’s about hearing how natural speakers speak, and using the words, phrases, and therefore structures they use. Let’s open our ears. I’m ready.
What do you think of this podcast choice? I’m open to any and all feedback, as always. Let me know.
The snippet in English
Find a translation of this snippet here, how much of this did you hear?
Il faut aussi savoir que moi, j’ai créé ce podcast en utilisant les théories du professeur Stephen Krashen. Donc ça va vous permettre de mieux comprendre pourquoi j’ai fait ce podcast et comment ce podcast peut vous aider à apprendre le français. Est-ce que vous êtes prêts ? Alors, on commence !
You should also know that I created this podcast using the theories of Professor Stephen Krashen. So it will help you understand why I made this podcast and how this podcast can help you learn French. Are you ready? Let’s get started!
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “est-ce que vous êtes prêts ?” mean?
“Est-ce que vous êtes prêts?” is a French phrase that means “Are you ready?” in English. It is formed using the question word “est-ce que” followed by the subject “vous” (which means “you” in the plural form) and the verb “êtes” (the second person plural form of the verb “être,” meaning “to be”), and then the adjective “prêts” (meaning “ready”).
This question can be used in a variety of situations where you want to know if one or more people are prepared or available to do something. For example, a coach might ask their team “Est-ce que vous êtes prêts pour le match?” (Are you ready for the game?), a teacher might ask their students “Est-ce que vous êtes prêts pour l’examen?” (Are you ready for the exam?), or a group of friends might ask each other “Est-ce que vous êtes prêts à partir?” (Are you ready to go?).
It’s worth noting that in French, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. In this case, “prêts” is the masculine plural form of the adjective, which would be used when addressing a group of people that includes at least one male. If you were addressing a group of all females, you would use the feminine plural form “prêtes,” and if you were addressing a mixed-gender group with at least one female, you would use the masculine plural form as a default, as in “Est-ce que vous êtes prêts?”
All about “est-ce que” the French question word
“Est-ce que” is a question word used in French to form a yes-no question. It is a common and very useful construction, particularly for learners of the language who are still working on mastering word order and other aspects of question formation.
Literally, “est-ce que” means “is it that,” and it is placed at the beginning of a sentence to turn a statement into a question. It can be used with any tense or mood, and with any subject-verb combination. Here are a few examples:
- Est-ce que tu viens ce soir ? (Are you coming tonight?)
- Est-ce qu’il a mangé tout le gâteau ? (Did he eat all the cake?)
- Est-ce que vous avez vu le film hier soir ? (Did you see the movie last night?)
“Est-ce que” can also be combined with other question words, such as “qui” (who), “quoi” (what), “où” (where), “comment” (how), and “pourquoi” (why) to form more complex questions. For example:
- Est-ce que tu sais qui a gagné le match ? (Do you know who won the game?)
- Est-ce que vous voulez savoir où se trouve la gare ? (Do you want to know where the train station is?)
- Est-ce que tu peux me dire comment on fait cette recette ? (Can you tell me how to make this recipe?)
Overall, “est-ce que” is a very versatile and important question word in French, and it’s definitely worth mastering if you want to become proficient in the language.
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