Improve your French listening comprehension with this clip from the Balades. It’s 32 words in 12 seconds. How many can you hear and understand? Take our transcription quiz to practice.
This clip is from Balades Episode 3. Listen and fill in what you hear below. Read more and find a translation below. Find the full podcast here.
Press play and take the transcription quiz to practice your French listening comprehension.
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The above audio sample and transcription is from Balades ep. 3. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.
The poor things
I wanted to highlight this expression. It’s one of those things where the intonation or tone when speaking is probably so essential. While it could mean “poor people” in a discriminatory way (as discussed below), I hear this podcaster saying this a couple of times, I think in other episodes. I wonder how frequently it might be used… that’s why I wanted to highlight it here.
I don’t believe you’re a poor thing, you’ve got resources galore at your fingertips for diving into France. And I’m grateful you’re here, so don’t take pity on me. I just hope you understand everything in this clip, otherwise you’d be a poor thing.
If you’re just joining us as a beginner, I recommend you start with the first dfepisode of Balades. Follow along daily for new clips.
How did you find today’s clip compared to yesterday’s clip? I tend to be most comfortable when the clip is around 150wpm. I love Balades for my current level, around A1 (hopefully progressing to A2). Hopefully you’re enjoying these clips, too. This story is fantastic and Even when there’s a fast clip, it’s still manageable. The right amount of challenge. What do you think? Join us for the next quiz.
How are you finding these shorter snippets? 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?
On va donc chercher les parents. Les pauvres ! Quand ils voient les serviteurs du roi, ils craignent d’être punis de ne pas avoir dit la vérité sur l’identité de la poupée.
So we go and get the parents. Poor things! When they see the king’s servants, they fear they will be punished for not telling the truth about the doll’s identity.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “les pauvres” mean in French?
“Les pauvres” can be used in an idiomatic and non-discriminatory way to express sympathy or pity towards a person or a group of people who are in a difficult situation.
For example, “les pauvres, ils n’ont rien” (poor things, they have nothing) could be used to express sympathy or pity towards a group of people who are in a state of poverty.
It’s important to note that even when used in this idiomatic way, the expression “les pauvres” still refers to people who are in a state of poverty and it’s important to avoid using it in a way that could be considered stigmatizing or discriminatory. The term “les personnes en situation de pauvreté” (people in poverty) is more respectful and inclusive.
It’s also important to note that poverty is a complex issue that can have many different causes, and it’s important to avoid making assumptions about the lives of poor people or to stereotype them. It’s important to show empathy and to understand the complex circumstances that lead to poverty, and to support the efforts to combat poverty in a respectful and inclusive way.
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