Improve your French listening skills with this clip from the Inner French podcast. It’s 56 words in 31 seconds. Start at any level, take our transcription quiz to improve your listening comprehension.
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.
To use properly
I don’t believe there’s any way to learn “the right way” it’s all about what works for you. That’s why I have a hard time with this hypothesis – if there’s an order to language acquisition, then there is one true and only way to learn the language, right? By extension, I assume yes. But I still believe language learning is personal.
I can’t tell you how you pick up the language, all I know is for me the best way has been the environment. And that’s why I created this site, to give myself the environment. Using it properly is just about using it regularly, so you continue to give yourself the environment.
What’s opening up for you in this clip? 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?
Chaque langue a son propre ordre. Par exemple en français, les articles, c’est quelque chose d’assez difficile à apprendre, à maîtriser. On commence à les utiliser dès le début mais, en général, les étudiants font beaucoup, beaucoup d’erreurs. Ça prend très, très longtemps d’être capable de bien utiliser les articles. Ça, c’est l’ordre naturel d’une langue.
Each language has its own order. For example, in French, articles are quite difficult to learn, to master. You start using them right from the beginning but, in general, students make many, many mistakes. It takes a very, very long time to be able to use articles well. That’s the natural order of a language.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “de bien utiliser” mean?
The construction “de bien” + infinitive is used in French to indicate the manner in which an action is done. The word “bien” means “well” or “properly,” and when combined with “de” it creates the phrase “de bien,” which can be translated as “in a good way” or “in a proper manner.”
So, “de bien utiliser” would mean “to use in a good way” or “to use properly.” This construction can be used with a wide range of verbs, such as “parler” (to speak), “écrire” (to write), “manger” (to eat), and many others.
It’s important to note that this construction is not always necessary in French, and can sometimes be replaced by other expressions such as “correctement” (correctly) or “adéquatement” (adequately). However, using “de bien” + infinitive can add emphasis or clarity to the way in which an action is performed.
For example:
- J’essaie de bien comprendre les instructions. (I’m trying to understand the instructions well.)
- Elle a besoin de bien dormir cette nuit. (She needs to sleep well tonight.)
- Nous avons décidé de bien réfléchir avant de prendre une décision. (We’ve decided to think carefully before making a decision.)
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