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A1.16: Daily routines

Routines quotidiennes

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Learn to describe daily routines in French using reflexive pronouns like "je me réveille" and frequency adverbs such as "toujours" and "souvent". Practice essential verbs: se réveiller, se doucher, s'habiller, and se coucher.

Listening & reading materials

Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.

French A1.16.1 Louis's routine

A1.16.1 Histoire courte

La routine de Louis

Louis's routine

Vocabulary (16)

Le quotidien: the daily routine (French)

Le quotidien

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The daily routine Show

L' horaire: the timetable (French)

L' horaire

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The timetable Show

Avoir du temps: To have time (French)

Avoir du temps

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To have time Show

Se coucher (to go to bed) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Se coucher

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To go to bed Show

Se reveiller (to wake up) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Se reveiller

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To wake up Show

Se laver (to wash oneself) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Se laver

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To wash oneself Show

Rentrer (return home) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Rentrer

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Return home Show

Se doucher: to have a shower (French)

Se doucher

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To have a shower Show

Journalier: daily (French)

Journalier

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Daily Show

S'habiller (to get dressed) - Verb conjugation and exercises

S'habiller

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To get dressed Show

Se coiffer (to do one's hair) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Se coiffer

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To do one's hair Show

Rêver (to dream) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Rêver

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To dream Show

Dormir (to sleep) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Dormir

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To sleep Show

Au jour le jour: Day to day (French)

Au jour le jour

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Day to day Show

Dîner (to dine) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Dîner

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To dine Show

Se baigner (to bathe) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Se baigner

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To bathe Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercise 1: Reorder sentences

Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.

Show answers
1.
journée. | Je me | commencer ma | réveille toujours | heures pour | à 7
Je me réveille toujours à 7 heures pour commencer ma journée.
(I always wake up at 7 o'clock to start my day.)
2.
douche rapidement. | je me | petit déjeuner, | Après le
Après le petit déjeuner, je me douche rapidement.
(After breakfast, I quickly take a shower.)
3.
avant de | travail ? | partir au | Tu te | coiffes souvent
Tu te coiffes souvent avant de partir au travail ?
(Do you often do your hair before leaving for work?)
4.
habillons en | l’horaire du | jour. | fonction de | Nous nous
Nous nous habillons en fonction de l’horaire du jour.
(We dress according to the day's schedule.)
5.
couchent rarement | Ils se | la semaine. | tard pendant
Ils se couchent rarement tard pendant la semaine.
(They rarely go to bed late during the week.)
6.
promène tous | du temps | Elle se | pour elle. | les jours | pour avoir
Elle se promène tous les jours pour avoir du temps pour elle.
(She goes for a walk every day to have some time for herself.)

Exercise 2: Match a word

Instruction: Match the translations

Je me réveille toujours à sept heures du matin. (I always wake up at seven in the morning.)
Nous dînons souvent après le travail. (We often have dinner after work.)
Tu te couches rarement avant minuit. (You rarely go to bed before midnight.)
Elle range sa chambre tous les week-ends. (She tidies her room every weekend.)

Exercise 3: Cluster the words

Instruction: Sort the words according to whether they correspond to a morning or evening activity in the daily routine.

Activités du matin

Activités du soir

Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.

1

Se reveiller

To wake up

2

Se doucher

To have a shower

3

Rentrer

Return home

4

Dîner

To dine

5

S'habiller

To get dressed

Exercice 5: Conversation exercise

Instruction:

  1. Tell at what hour Raul does what activity. (Tell at what hour Raul does what activity.)
  2. Describe your daily routine. (Describe your daily routine.)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Daily Routines

Example phrases:

À 7h00, Raul se réveille.

At 7:00 Raul wakes up.

À sept heures et quart, Raul prend une douche.

At quarter past seven Raul showers.

Raul se couche à onze heures et demie du soir.

Raul lies down at half past eleven at night.

Je me lève à sept heures trente.

I get up at half past seven.

Je prends mon petit-déjeuner à huit heures moins le quart.

I have breakfast at quarter to eight.

Je me couche à vingt-deux heures.

I lie down at ten in the evening.

...

Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

1

Se réveiller et commencer la journée

2

À la pause café au travail

3

Parler de sa routine du soir

Exercise 7: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Je ______ toujours à six heures du matin.

(I ______ always at six in the morning.)

2. Ensuite, je ______ rapidement avant le petit déjeuner.

(Then, I ______ quickly before breakfast.)

3. Après le travail, je ______ souvent à la maison vers 18 heures.

(After work, I ______ often home around 6 pm.)

4. Je ______ rarement avant 23 heures.

(I ______ rarely before 11 pm.)

Exercise 8: My daily routine

Instruction:

Chaque matin, je (Se réveiller - Présent) à 7 heures. Ensuite, je (Se laver - Présent) le visage et je (Se doucher - Présent) rapidement. Après, je (S'habiller - Présent) et je prépare le petit-déjeuner pour ma famille. Mon mari et moi, nous (Se coucher - Présent) toujours après avoir mis les enfants au lit. Le week-end, nous aimons jouer dehors quand il fait beau, mais en semaine, nous rentrons vite à la maison pour préparer le dîner et nous reposer.

Every morning, I wake up at 7 o'clock. Then, I wash my face and shower quickly. Afterwards, I get dressed and prepare breakfast for my family. My husband and I always go to bed after putting the children to bed. On weekends, we like to play outside when the weather is nice, but during the week, we quickly return home to prepare dinner and rest.

Verb Tables

Se réveiller - To wake up

Présent

  • Je me réveille
  • Tu te réveilles
  • Il/Elle/On se réveille
  • Nous nous réveillons
  • Vous vous réveillez
  • Ils/Elles se réveillent

Se laver - To wash

Présent

  • Je me lave
  • Tu te laves
  • Il/Elle/On se lave
  • Nous nous lavons
  • Vous vous lavez
  • Ils/Elles se lavent

Se doucher - To shower

Présent

  • Je me douche
  • Tu te douches
  • Il/Elle/On se douche
  • Nous nous douchons
  • Vous vous douchez
  • Ils/Elles se douchent

S'habiller - To get dressed

Présent

  • Je m'habille
  • Tu t'habilles
  • Il/Elle/On s'habille
  • Nous nous habillons
  • Vous vous habillez
  • Ils/Elles s'habillent

Se coucher - To go to bed

Présent

  • Je me couche
  • Tu te couches
  • Il/Elle/On se couche
  • Nous nous couchons
  • Vous vous couchez
  • Ils/Elles se couchent

Exercise 9: Les pronoms réflexifs

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Grammar: Reflexive pronouns

Show translation Show answers

te, se, nous, vous, me

1.
Le week-end je ... réveille tard.
(At the weekend I wake up late.)
2.
Nous ... couchons tôt ces derniers jours.
(We have been going to bed early these last few days.)
3.
Tu ... laves à l'eau chaude ou froide ?
(Do you wash yourself with hot or cold water?)
4.
Il ... lave les mains avant et après les repas.
(He washes his hands before and after meals.)
5.
Vous ... réveillez à quelle heure ?
(What time do you wake up?)
6.
Tu ... couches après la douche.
(You lie down after the shower.)
7.
Nous ... lavons avant de dormir.
(We wash ourselves before going to sleep.)
8.
Ils ... couchent sans dire bonne nuit à leurs parents.
(They go to bed without saying good night to their parents.)

Exercise 10: Les adverbes de fréquence: "Toujours, Jamais, Souvent, Rarement"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Grammar: The adverbs of frequency: "Toujours, Jamais, Souvent, Rarement"

Show translation Show answers

souvent, jamais, rarement, toujours

1. A chaque fois:
Mes enfants mangent ... à la même heure.
(My children always eat at the same time.)
2. 0 fois:
Je vais ... au marché le lundi.
(I never go to the market on Mondays.)
3. Plusieurs fois:
Nous nous lavons ... après le sport.
(We often wash ourselves after sport.)
4. Plusieurs fois:
Tu te réveilles ... avant le petit-déjeuner.
(You often wake up before breakfast.)
5. 0 fois:
Je me réveille ... en retard.
(I never wake up late.)
6. Très peu de fois:
Ils rentrent ... avant le dîner.
(They rarely come home before dinner.)
7. 0 fois:
Elle se couche ... tôt le dimanche.
(She never goes to bed early on Sundays.)
8. Très peu de fois:
On rentre ... avant huit heures.
(We rarely get home before eight o'clock.)

Grammar

It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!

A1.16.2 Grammaire

Les pronoms réflexifs

Reflexive pronouns

A1.16.3 Grammaire

Les adverbes de fréquence: "Toujours, Jamais, Souvent, Rarement"

The adverbs of frequency: "Toujours, Jamais, Souvent, Rarement"

Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

Se coucher to go to bed

Present

French English
(je/j') je me couche I go to bed
tu te couches you go to bed
il/elle/on se couche he/she/one goes to bed
nous nous couchons We go to bed
vous vous couchez You go to bed
ils/elles se couchent They go to bed

Exercises and examples phrases

Se reveiller to wake up

Present

French English
(je/j') je me réveille / j' me réveille I wake up
tu te réveilles you wake up
il/elle/on se réveille He/she/one wakes up
nous nous réveillons we wake up
vous vous réveillez You wake up
ils/elles se réveillent They wake up

Exercises and examples phrases

Se laver to wash oneself

Present

French English
(je/j') je me lave I wash myself
tu te laves You wash yourself
il/elle/on se lave He/she/one washes oneself
nous nous lavons we wash ourselves
vous vous lavez You wash yourself
ils/elles se lavent They wash themselves

Exercises and examples phrases

Rentrer return home

Present

French English
(je/j') rentre I return home
(tu) rentres You return home
(il/elle/on) rentre he/she/one returns home
(nous) rentrons we return home
(vous) rentrez You return home
(ils/elles) rentrent they return home

Exercises and examples phrases

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Lesson Overview: Daily Routines in French

This lesson focuses on everyday activities expressed through daily routines, emphasizing the use of reflexive pronouns and common frequency adverbs in French. It is designed for A1 level learners who want to build foundational vocabulary and sentence structures to describe typical daily habits.

Key Grammar Topics

  • Reflexive Pronouns: These pronouns (such as "je me", "tu te", "il/elle se") are used with verbs that reflect the action back on the subject, essential for many actions related to daily care and routine (e.g., "se réveiller" - to wake up).
  • Adverbs of Frequency: Commonly used words like toujours (always), jamais (never), souvent (often), and rarement (rarely) help describe how often actions happen.

Useful Vocabulary and Expressions

Students will become familiar with practical verbs and expressions about morning and evening routines, for example:

  • Je me réveille toujours à 7 heures. (I always wake up at 7 o'clock.)
  • Tu te couches rarement avant minuit. (You rarely go to bed before midnight.)
  • Elle se promène tous les jours. (She walks every day.)
  • Nous nous habillons selon l'horaire. (We get dressed according to the schedule.)

Practical Application: Dialogues and Exercises

The lesson includes dialogues helping students practice talking about their own routines and interactions during typical moments, such as morning wake-ups and coffee breaks, using reflexive verbs and frequency adverbs in context.

Important Language Notes

Unlike English, French often employs reflexive verbs for everyday personal actions, which include a reflexive pronoun agreeing with the subject. For example, "I wake up" translates to "je me réveille," not just "je réveille." This reflects a grammatical difference in expressing these actions.

Some useful phrases for learners:

  • Se réveiller : to wake up
  • Se doucher : to shower
  • Se coucher : to go to bed
  • Je me réveille toujours à 6 heures. (I always wake up at 6 o'clock.)
  • Tu te reposes souvent après le déjeuner ? (Do you often rest after lunch?)

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