Holiday disaster?
Catastrophe de vacances ?
- Report stolen or lost items at the police station.
- Asking for help with documents at the embassy or consulate.
- Contact emergency services.
This lesson on reporting theft and emergencies in French teaches key phrases like "volé" (stolen), "porter plainte" (to file a complaint), and "numéro d'urgence" (emergency number). Practice dialogues for reporting lost items at the police station, seeking help at the embassy, and calling emergency services help build practical vocabulary for travel mishaps.
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 bad things can happen on a trip? (What bad things can happen on a trip? )
- What can you do when it happens to you? (What can you do when it happens to you?)
- Has one of those situations ever happened to you? (Has one of those situations ever happened to you?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Votre argent peut être volé. Your money can get stolen. |
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Quelqu'un peut voler votre sac. Somebody can steal your bag. |
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Vous pouvez vous perdre en randonnée. You can get lost on a hike. |
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Vous pouvez toujours demander de l'aide aux gens. You can always ask people for help. |
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Il est important d'avoir une assurance voyage. It is important to have a travel insurance. |
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J'ai déjà perdu mon téléphone une fois. I have already lost my phone once. |
| ... |
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. Hier, on m'a ___ mon sac dans le métro.
(Yesterday, my bag was ___ from me in the subway.)2. J'ai ___ de l'aide à la police après le vol.
(I ___ the police for help after the theft.)3. Ils ont ___ le numéro d'urgence très rapidement.
(They ___ the emergency number very quickly.)4. L'assurance voyage a ___ mon voyage à cause de l'accident.
(The travel insurance ___ my trip because of the accident.)Exercise 4: A Vacation Disaster?
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Voler - Steal
Passé composé
- j'ai volé
- tu as volé
- il/elle/on a volé
- nous avons volé
- vous avez volé
- ils/elles ont volé
Atteindre - Reach
Passé composé
- j'ai atteint
- tu as atteint
- il/elle/on a atteint
- nous avons atteint
- vous avez atteint
- ils/elles ont atteint
Demander - Ask
Imparfait
- je demandais
- tu demandais
- il/elle/on demandait
- nous demandions
- vous demandiez
- ils/elles demandaient
Appeler - Call
Passé composé
- j'ai appelé
- tu as appelé
- il/elle/on a appelé
- nous avons appelé
- vous avez appelé
- ils/elles ont appelé
Venir - Come
Passé composé
- je suis venu(e)
- tu es venu(e)
- il est venu / elle est venue / on est venu(e)(s)
- nous sommes venus(es)
- vous êtes venu(e)(s)
- ils sont venus / elles sont venues
Annuler - Cancel
Passé composé
- j'ai annulé
- tu as annulé
- il/elle/on a annulé
- nous avons annulé
- vous avez annulé
- ils/elles ont annulé
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!
Voler to steal Share Copied!
passe_compose
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') ai volé | I stole |
| (tu) as volé | you stole |
| (il/elle/on) a volé | he/she/one stole |
| (nous) avons volé | we stole |
| (vous) avez volé | You stole |
| (ils/elles) ont volé | they stole |
Atteindre to reach Share Copied!
passe_compose
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') ai atteint | I reached |
| (tu) as atteint | you have reached |
| (il/elle/on) a atteint | he/she/one reached |
| (nous) avons atteint | we reached |
| (vous) avez atteint | You have reached |
| (ils/elles) ont atteint | they reached |
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Lesson Overview: Handling Holiday Emergencies in French
This A2-level lesson focuses on practical language skills for managing unexpected problems during holiday travel, such as theft, lost documents, or emergencies. It covers key dialogues and vocabulary you would need when reporting a theft, asking for help at the embassy, or calling emergency services.
Key Topics and Content
- Reporting a Theft to the Police: Practice dialogues like "Bonjour, je voudrais signaler un vol." (Hello, I would like to report a theft.) and describing stolen items, e.g., "Mon sac à dos a été volé hier dans le train." (My backpack was stolen yesterday on the train.)
- Requesting Assistance at the Embassy: Learn how to ask for help after losing important documents and understand the formal process: "C'est regrettable. Avez-vous une pièce d'identité sur vous ?" (That’s unfortunate. Do you have any ID with you?)
- Calling Emergency Services: Simulate calls to emergency numbers reporting accidents or fires with clear phrases such as "Allô, ici un touriste, j'ai besoin d'aide." (Hello, this is a tourist, I need help.)
Highlighted Vocabulary and Expressions
- voler (to steal) – "Mon sac a été volé" (My bag was stolen)
- porter plainte (to file a complaint) – "Je viens porter plainte" (I am here to file a complaint)
- dossier de perte (loss report) and document provisoire (temporary document)
- numéro d'urgence (emergency number) – important for calling immediate help
Focus on Verbs and Tenses
This lesson emphasizes using the passé composé tense for past actions (e.g., j'ai volé, j'ai appelé) and the imparfait for background actions or ongoing past actions (e.g., je demandais). You will also see essential verbs like atteindre (to reach), annuler (to cancel), and venir (to come) conjugated in context.
Practical Mini-Story
The mini-story recounts a holiday mishap with clear verb highlights to consolidate grammar and vocabulary:
La semaine dernière, nous avons atteint la montagne pour nos vacances. Malheureusement, mon sac a été volé pendant que je demandais de l'aide à l'office de tourisme. J'ai appelé le numéro d'urgence et la police est venue rapidement. Heureusement, grâce à l'assurance voyage, nous avons annulé certaines réservations sans problème.
Differences Between English and French in This Context
French requires specific verb tenses like the passé composé to express completed past actions, which is often conveyed using the simple past in English. Also, the formal vocabulary used when dealing with authorities, such as porter plainte (to file a complaint) and faire une déclaration (to make a report), should be noted by English speakers as more formal than casual English equivalents.
Useful phrases include:
Bonjour, je voudrais signaler un vol. (Hello, I would like to report a theft.)
Je viens porter plainte. (I am here to file a complaint.)
J'ai perdu mon passeport. (I lost my passport.)
Appelez le 112. (Call 112.)
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