Our house
Notre maison
- Describe all the rooms and floors of a house.
- Understand a house rental or sales ad.
- The impersonal form: "Il y a", "C'est"
Discover essential French vocabulary for the home, including rooms like la cuisine and le salon, and key expressions using "Il y a" and "C'est" to describe what is in a house.
Listening and reading
Start this class by listening to the audio and completing the corresponding exercises.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Sort these words into two groups: those that refer to rooms in the house and those that refer to elements found in a room.
Pièces de la maison
Éléments dans une pièce
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Un appartement
An apartment
2
La chambre
The room
3
Décorer
To decorate
4
La fenêtre
The window
5
Vivre ensemble
Living together
Exercice 5: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Nommez les pièces de votre maison ou appartement. (Name the rooms of your house or appartment.)
- Décrire différents types de logement. (Describe different housing types.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Cette maison a six pièces. This house has six rooms. |
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Le salon est au rez-de-chaussée, à côté du hall d'entrée. The living room is on the ground level, next to the entrance hall. |
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Il y a un balcon au premier étage. There is a balcony on the first floor. |
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Mon appartement a une cuisine, une chambre et une salle de bain. My apartment has a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. |
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La chambre a un balcon. The bedroom has a balcony. |
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Je cherche un appartement d'une chambre. I am looking for a one-bedroom apartment. |
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Le loyer du studio comprend tous les coûts mensuels. The rent for the studio includes all monthly costs. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Je ___ la fenêtre avant d’entrer dans le salon.
(I ___ the window before entering the living room.)2. Il y ___ une grande cuisine avec beaucoup de lumière.
(There ___ a large kitchen with lots of light.)3. Nous ___ la salle de bain chaque semaine pour qu’elle soit propre.
(We ___ the bathroom every week so that it is clean.)4. C'___ la chambre où vivent mes enfants.
(This ___ the room where my children live.)Exercise 8: Our house
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Fermer - Close
Présent
- je ferme
- tu fermes
- il/elle ferme
- nous fermons
- vous fermez
- ils/elles ferment
Nettoyer - Clean
Présent
- je nettoie
- tu nettoies
- il/elle nettoie
- nous nettoyons
- vous nettoyez
- ils/elles nettoient
Exercise 9: La forme impersonnelle: "Il y a", "C'est"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The impersonal form: "Il y a", "C'est"
Show translation Show answersCe sont, C'est, Il y a
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Fermer to close Share Copied!
Present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') je ferme | I close |
| tu fermes | You close |
| il/elle/on ferme | He/She/One closes |
| nous fermons | We close |
| vous fermez | You close |
| ils/elles ferment | They close |
Nettoyer to clean Share Copied!
Present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') nettoie | I clean |
| (tu) nettoies | You clean |
| (il/elle/on) nettoie | he/she/one cleans |
| (nous) nettoyons | we clean |
| (vous) nettoyez | You clean |
| (ils/elles) nettoient | they clean |
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Welcome to the Lesson "Our House"
This lesson introduces you to vocabulary and expressions related to the house and its rooms, focusing on everyday terms to describe a home environment. It also teaches how to use impersonal forms in French such as "Il y a" (there is/are) and "C'est" (it is/this is), which are essential for describing locations and characteristics of objects and places.
Key Vocabulary: Rooms and Elements in the House
You'll learn the names of common rooms and objects found in a home. These include:
- Rooms: la chambre (bedroom), la cuisine (kitchen), le salon (living room), la salle de bain (bathroom), le couloir (hallway)
- Elements inside a room: la fenêtre (window), le mur (wall), le sol (floor), la porte (door)
Important Expressions
The lesson focuses on phrases such as:
- Il y a une grande fenêtre dans le salon. (There is a large window in the living room.)
- C'est la cuisine où nous préparons les repas. (This is the kitchen where we prepare meals.)
- Fermez la porte du salon avant de sortir. (Close the living room door before going out.)
The Impersonal Forms "Il y a" and "C'est"
These expressions are indispensable in describing what exists or where things are located in a house. "Il y a" means "there is" or "there are," used to state the presence of an object or place, while "C'est" means "it is" or "this is," useful for identifying or describing a place or thing.
Differences Between French and English Instruction
In English, describing a house often uses the verb "to be" or "there is/are," similar to French. However, French uses structure like "Il y a" consistently for "there is/are," but English also has flexible word orders and auxiliary verbs. Another difference is the use of articles: French uses the definite article le/la even when referring generally to rooms (e.g., la cuisine), whereas English can omit articles sometimes.
Useful phrases to remember:
Il y a = there is/there are
C'est = it is/this is
Fermer la porte = to close the door
Summary
This lesson equips you to talk about your home, its rooms, and contents in simple French using key impersonal expressions. The vocabulary and structures are ideal for beginner learners (A1 level) wanting to describe typical home environments gracefully and naturally.
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