Bucket list
Liste de souhaits
- Talk about your bucket list and future plans
Explore how to talk about your future plans and bucket list in French with useful vocabulary like "planifier" (to plan), "rêves" (dreams), and "projets" (projects). Practice expressing ambitions and organizing goals in everyday situations.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- What did you want to be when you were a child? (What did you want to be when you were a child?)
- What plans do you have for the future? Would you like to change your job anytime soon? (What plans do you have for the future? Would you like to change your job anytime soon?)
- How will you accomplish them? (How will you accomplish them?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Quand j'étais petit, je voulais devenir pompier. When I was little I wanted to become a firefighter. |
|
Quand j'étais enfant, je rêvais de devenir médecin. As a child I dreamed of becoming a doctor. |
|
Je veux avoir plus de responsabilités dans mon travail à l'avenir. I want to have more responsibility in my job in the future. |
|
Je veux devenir le patron de mon entreprise dans quelques années. I want to be the boss of my company in a few years. |
|
Je souhaiterais changer de métier bientôt car je ne suis pas satisfait de mon emploi actuel. I would like to change my profession soon because I am not happy with my current job. |
|
Je retournerai à l'université pour devenir enseignant. I will go to university again to become a teacher. |
| ... |
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Quand j'étais jeune, je ________ toujours mes voyages futurs avec soin.
(When I was young, I ________ always planned my future trips carefully.)2. Si j'avais plus de temps, je ________ une aventure inoubliable cette année.
(If I had more time, I ________ an unforgettable adventure this year.)3. Nous ________ un saut en parachute pour le week-end prochain.
(We ________ a parachute jump for next weekend.)4. Si tu ________ mieux tes journées, tu serais plus productif.
(If you ________ your days better, you would be more productive.)Exercise 4: To-Do List
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Planifier - Plan
imparfait
- je planifiais
- tu planifiais
- il/elle/on planifiait
- nous planifiions
- vous planifiiez
- ils/elles planifiaient
Avoir - Have
imparfait
- j'avais
- tu avais
- il/elle/on avait
- nous avions
- vous aviez
- ils/elles avaient
Croire - Believe
imparfait
- je croyais
- tu croyais
- il/elle/on croyait
- nous croyions
- vous croyiez
- ils/elles croyaient
Préparer - Prepare
imparfait
- je préparais
- tu préparais
- il/elle/on préparait
- nous préparions
- vous prépariez
- ils/elles préparaient
Réaliser - Realize
imparfait
- je réalisais
- tu réalisais
- il/elle/on réalisait
- nous réalisions
- vous réalisiez
- ils/elles réalisaient
Apporter - Bring
imparfait
- j'apportais
- tu apportais
- il/elle/on apportait
- nous apportions
- vous apportiez
- ils/elles apportaient
Planifier - Plan
présent
- je planifie
- tu planifies
- il/elle/on planifie
- nous planifions
- vous planifiez
- ils/elles planifient
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Planifier to plan Share Copied!
imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') planifiais | I was planning |
| (tu) planifiais | You were planning |
| (il/elle/on) planifiait | he/she/one was planning |
| (nous) planifiions | we were planning |
| (vous) planifiiez | you were planning |
| (ils/elles) planifiaient | they were planning |
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice French today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Lesson Overview: Talking About Your Bucket List in French
This lesson focuses on discussing personal projects, plans, and dreams using practical dialogues set in everyday contexts such as at a café, at the office, and during a walk. You will learn how to express future intentions and aspirations, organize your "liste de choses à faire" (bucket list), and share your goals with others.
Key Vocabulary and Expressions
- Planifier – to plan
- Liste de choses à faire – bucket list or to-do list
- Projets – projects or plans
- Rêves – dreams
- Objectifs – objectives or goals
- Organiser – to organize
Verb Conjugation Highlight: Planifier in the Imparfait and Present Tense
Essential for talking about past habits and current plans, the verb planifier is introduced with full conjugation in imparfait (imperfect) such as je planifiais (I was planning) and present tense like je planifie (I plan). This enables you to describe how you used to plan things and what you are planning now.
Dialogues for Learning Contextual Usage
The lesson includes realistic conversation extracts where learners practice talking about future ambitions and personal lists to achieve. Example sentences include:
- "Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire cette année?" (What do you want to do this year?)
- "Je voudrais faire un marathon et lire plus de livres." (I would like to run a marathon and read more books.)
- "Tu as une liste de choses à faire?" (Do you have a bucket list?)
Sample Mini-Story to Practice Imparfait
A short narrative helps consolidate the use of the imparfait tense with verbs like planifiais, avais, croyais, and préparait. This context enriches vocabulary and grammar understanding by showing how to describe past routines and feelings about plans.
Useful Notes on French and English Differences
Unlike English, French often uses the imparfait tense to describe past habits and background information rather than the simple past. For example, je planifiais can translate as "I was planning" or "I used to plan". This subtlety helps convey ongoing or repeated past actions.
Several phrases for discussing goals include:
- Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire? – What do you want to do?
- J'aimerais – I would like to
- Je voudrais – I would like (polite, conditional mood)
- C'est important pour organiser mes rêves. – It's important to organize my dreams.
These expressions provide essential ways to express desires and intentions naturally in French conversation.
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
