Improve your French listening comprehension with this free exercise from the Inner French podcast. It’s 35 seconds long and 65 words. Take our transcription quiz and improve your understanding of French!
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.
In the middle of
This expression has always interested me. My brain loves that it sounds like English of being on the train, being on the train of eating a baguette, or on the train of learning French. But that’s not what it means. I’m sure it’s not even a false friend, but my brain always went there. It doesn’t really matter, because while that’s not what it means, it still seems like it.
It’s funny when my 3 year old speaks, sometimes it’s a mish mash of grammar rules. She takes words she thinks she understood one way, and words somewhere else, and puts them together. The meaning is clear, I know what she’s trying to say, but it’s just not how we say it.
It’s something my friend used to tell me back when I lived in Beijing. I’d create my own four character expressions. A native speaker can understand what I mean, but it’s not natural, it’s not what a fluent speaker would say, but just as easily I’ve communicated my point.
Does grammar matter that much? I suppose if you asked a teacher of French, the answer is 100%. I’m not a teacher, it’s what has led me to set up this site this way. I’ve learned multiple languages. Grammar was a core part of my English education in grade school and I believe it led me to learn the rules to write a certain way, and to break a few rules when it makes sense. But all that sentence diagramming and classical education, with every book report and exam written in cursive, didn’t serve my speaking ability. On the contrary, that was shaped in the real world, responding to teachers, parents, friends, coaches, and every other human being I’ve interacted in my brief time on this planed.
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?
L’apprentissage, au contraire, c’est quelque chose de conscient, c’est un processus conscient. Quand vous êtes à l’école, vous prenez un cours de français, par exemple, et vous savez que vous êtes en train d’apprendre le français. C’est quelque chose de conscient. Par exemple, vous apprenez les règles de grammaire pour comprendre comment fonctionne le français, quelles sont les règles qu’il faut respecter pour parler français.
Learning, on the contrary, is a conscious process. When you are in school, you take a French class, for example, and you know that you are learning French. It’s a conscious thing. For example, you learn the rules of grammar to understand how French works, what are the rules you have to respect to speak French.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “en train de” mean?
Despite its literal translation as “in train of”, the French expression “en train de” does not have anything to do with trains or railways.
“En train de” is a prepositional phrase that is commonly used in French to express that someone is currently doing something or is in the process of doing it. It is formed by combining the preposition “en” (which means “in” or “while”) with the noun “train” (which means “train” or “progress”).
The expression has evolved over time to mean “in the process of” or “in the middle of” doing something, and its usage has become a standard part of the French language. The origin of the expression is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have emerged in the late 19th century and has since become a common way to express ongoing actions.
This expression can be used with a wide range of verbs to describe ongoing actions or activities. For example:
- Je suis en train de manger. (I am in the process of eating.)
- Elle est en train d’étudier pour ses examens. (She is in the middle of studying for her exams.)
- Nous sommes en train de préparer le dîner. (We are in the process of preparing dinner.)
“En train de” is a common and natural way to express ongoing actions in French, and it can be used in a wide range of contexts. However, it is not always the most appropriate choice. For example, it may not be the best option when discussing habitual or repeated actions, or when the action being described is not ongoing or in progress. In these cases, other expressions or verb tenses may be more suitable.
It’s worth noting that “en train de” is a colloquial expression that is widely used in spoken French, but it may be considered less formal than other options in certain contexts. In more formal or written language, alternative expressions such as “en cours” or “en train de faire” may be preferred.
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