Faire les magasins
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Identify common clothing and shopping items.
- Describe clothing using color and other common adjectives, with correct gender and number agreement and correct placement.
- Count and use the numbers 0–100 needed to state and understand prices.
- Ask and state prices, and ask about color and size using controlled, practical expressions.
- Complete a short, polite service encounter in a clothing shop.
- Recognize and begin to use the direct object pronouns le, la, l', and les before a single conjugated verb to refer back to a familiar item.
- Read a short shop advertisement and write a short shopping note or product description.
Communication Scenario
Léa needs a new jacket before winter arrives, so she goes to a clothing shop in her neighborhood. A salesperson helps her look at two jackets, ask about size, and decide which one to buy. This chapter continues Unit II, La vie quotidienne, by completing its sequence of everyday practical communication: after home and neighborhood (Chapter 6), daily routines (Chapter 7), and food and drink (Chapter 8), learners now practice a shopping transaction that requires describing items, asking about size and price, and referring back to an item without repeating its name.
- This chapter introduces adjective placement and agreement at an ordinary production level, numbers 0–100, prices, bounded size language, and an early, controlled introduction to the direct object pronouns le, la, and les before one conjugated verb.
- This chapter does not introduce comparison, explanation with parce que, relative clauses, object pronouns before an infinitive, or unscheduled spelling-change verbs. Those systems belong to later chapters. Vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1–8, including the partitive article, quantity expressions, and polite requests with je voudrais, remain active and should be recycled wherever natural.
Core Vocabulary: Clothing, Colors, and Numbers
The following productive vocabulary supports this chapter's communication goal: describing clothing and completing a shopping transaction. Nouns are listed with their gender, since gender determines the form of the color adjective that follows.
| French | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| la veste | f. | jacket |
| le manteau | m. | coat |
| la chemise | f. | shirt |
| le pantalon | m. | pants |
| la robe | f. | dress |
| les chaussures | f. pl. | shoes |
| le pull | m. | sweater |
| la jupe | f. | skirt |
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| noir | noire | black |
| blanc | blanche | white |
| bleu | bleue | blue |
| rouge | rouge | red |
| vert | verte | green |
| gris | grise | gray |
| cher | chère | expensive |
| bon marché | bon marché | inexpensive, a good deal (invariable) |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Combien ça coûte ? | How much does it cost? |
| Ça coûte... euros. | It costs... euros. |
| C'est trop cher. | That's too expensive. |
| Je peux essayer cette veste ? | Can I try on this jacket? |
| Quelle taille faites-vous ? | What size do you wear? |
| Je fais du 38. | I'm a size 38. |
Pronunciation: Numbers, Liaison, and Enchaînement
Several numbers change how they sound depending on what follows them. It is important to distinguish two separate systems: liaison, in which a normally silent final consonant is pronounced only because a vowel-initial word follows, and enchaînement, in which a final consonant that is already pronounced simply carries forward smoothly onto the next vowel.
- six livres [si livʁ] — before a consonant, the final x of six is silent.
- six euros [siz øʁo] — before a vowel, the normally silent x is pronounced [z] and links forward. This is liaison.
- dix euros [diz øʁo] — the same liaison pattern applies to dix: a normally silent final consonant appears as [z] only before a vowel.
- huit livres [ɥi livʁ] — before a consonant, the final t of huit is normally not pronounced.
- huit euros [ɥit øʁo] — before a vowel, the final t of huit is pronounced [t] and connects smoothly to the following vowel. This connection is generally treated as enchaînement rather than liaison, because here the [t] belongs to the number's own pronounced form in this environment rather than being a normally silent letter activated only by the following vowel, as happens with the [z] in six euros and dix euros.
vingt et un: the final t of vingt is pronounced here, giving [vɛ̃t e œ̃]. un keeps its nasal vowel and does not end with a pronounced [n].
Language Focus: Adjectives, Prices, and Direct Objects
Purpose: describe clothing precisely, ask about size, state and understand prices from 0 to 100 euros, and refer back to an item already mentioned without repeating its name.
9.1 Adjective placement
Most French adjectives, including all the color adjectives in this chapter, are placed after the noun they describe. A small set of very common, short adjectives are placed before the noun instead. This chapter uses two of them productively: grand (big, tall) and petit (small). Both still agree in gender and number with the noun.
- une veste noire a black jacket
- un grand manteau a big coat
- une petite jupe verte a small green skirt petite (before noun) + jupe + verte (after noun)
Do not assume every descriptive adjective goes before the noun, as it typically does in English. Other before-noun adjectives exist in French, but they are not activated for production in this chapter.
9.2 Numbers and prices
To state and understand prices from 0 to 100 euros, you need both the individual number words and the patterns used to build compound numbers.
| 0–5 | 6–10 | 11–16 | 17–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq | six, sept, huit, neuf, dix | onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze, seize | dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, vingt |
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| Decades 20–60 plus a unit | vingt-deux, trente-cinq, quarante-huit, cinquante-neuf, soixante-trois |
| Decade + et un (21, 31, 41, 51, 61) | vingt et un, trente et un, quarante et un, cinquante et un, soixante et un |
| 70–79: soixante- + 10–19 | soixante-dix (70), soixante et onze (71), soixante-douze (72) ... soixante-dix-neuf (79) |
| 80: quatre-vingts (with -s when it ends the number) | quatre-vingts (80) |
| 81–89: quatre-vingt- + unit, no -s, no et at 81 | quatre-vingt-un (81), quatre-vingt-cinq (85), quatre-vingt-neuf (89) |
| 90–99: quatre-vingt- + 10–19 | quatre-vingt-dix (90), quatre-vingt-onze (91) ... quatre-vingt-dix-neuf (99) |
| 100 | cent |
Compound numbers below 100 are hyphenated, except when et joins the last part, as in vingt et un and soixante et onze. Note that quatre-vingts keeps its final -s only when no further number follows it.
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice: write the number in words. Write out each number using the patterns above.
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice: write the price. Write out each price using the pattern [number] euros.
9.3 Asking about size
Use the following controlled expressions to ask about and respond to questions of size and fit.
- Quelle taille faites-vous ? What size do you wear?
- Je fais du 38. I'm a size 38.
- Je cherche une taille M. I'm looking for a size M.
- Vous avez cette veste en taille L ? Do you have this jacket in size L?
- C'est trop grand. / C'est trop petit. It's too big. / It's too small.
- Cette taille est bonne pour moi. This size is good for me.
Clothing-size numbers and letters vary across Francophone regions and even across individual stores. This chapter uses the number and letter sizing common in France as the default productive model; treat other regional sizing systems as receptive or comparative information rather than a second system to memorize.
9.4 Introducing direct object pronouns: le, la, les
A direct object receives the action of the verb directly, without a preposition: in I'll take the jacket, "the jacket" is the direct object of "take." French can replace a direct-object noun phrase with a short pronoun placed directly before the conjugated verb: le (masculine singular), la (feminine singular), or les (plural). Before a vowel sound, le and la both elide to l'.
| Pronoun | Replaces | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le / l' | a masculine singular noun | Je prends le pull. → Je le prends. |
| la / l' | a feminine singular noun | Je prends la veste. → Je la prends. |
| les | any plural noun | Je prends les chaussures. → Je les prends. |
- Tu aimes cette veste ? — Oui, je l'aime beaucoup. Do you like this jacket? — Yes, I like it a lot.
- Tu prends le pantalon ? — Non, je ne le prends pas. Are you taking the pants? — No, I'm not taking them.
At this stage, place le, la, and les only directly before a single conjugated verb, as shown above. Placement with infinitives, compound tenses, and combinations with other pronouns is developed in later chapters. This pronoun system is newly introduced in this chapter: expect controlled, guided practice rather than independent mastery.
This chapter recycles negation with ne...pas from Chapter 7 directly around the new object pronoun: notice that ne moves in front of the pronoun, as in je ne le prends pas.
le and la become l' before a vowel or a silent h muet, as in l'hiver (the winter). They do not elide before an h aspiré, a small set of words where the initial h blocks elision and liaison even though no consonant is pronounced, as in le hall (the [store] hall/lobby). You do not need to memorize the full h aspiré list now; simply recognize that it exists and that not every vowel-like beginning triggers elision.
Model Dialogue: Faire les magasins
Context: Léa is shopping for a winter jacket at a clothing shop. A salesperson helps her.
Note the affirmative si used to contradict a negative question (Vous ne l'aimez pas ? — Si...), a common conversational pattern presented here formulaically.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly.
- What are the two sweater colors, and how much does each one cost?
- What size does Thomas wear?
- Which sweater does Thomas take?
- What expression does Thomas use to say goodbye?
Speaking Practice
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice: describe and price an item
Say each sentence aloud, choosing the correct adjective form and placement: C'est un ___ manteau. (grand) J'aime cette veste ___. (noir) La jupe coûte ___ euros. (15) Je fais du ___. (38)
Tâche communicative — Communicative task: at the clothing shop
With a partner, role-play a salesperson and a customer. The customer asks about at least two items, including their color, size, and price, and states a purchase decision. Where natural, the customer refers back to the chosen item using le, la, or les (for example, Je la prends.).
Pratique individuelle — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing three items of clothing you own, giving their color, size (grand or petit, or a size number), and an approximate price in euros.
Reading Practice
Une petite annonce — A small advertisement
Boutique Céline vend des vêtements pour toute la famille. Cette semaine, il y a une promotion. Un manteau noir coûte soixante euros. Une robe rouge coûte trente-cinq euros. Des chaussures grises coûtent quarante euros. Un pantalon bleu coûte vingt-cinq euros. Un pantalon noir coûte trente-deux euros. La boutique a des tailles S, M, L et XL. Le magasin est ouvert du lundi au samedi. Les vendeurs et les vendeuses sont très polis.
Tâche de lecture — Reading task:
- List each item mentioned, its color, and its price.
- How much do the blue pants and the black pants each cost?
- What sizes does the shop offer?
- Which days is the shop open?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.
Tâche 1 — Place and agree the adjective: Rewrite each phrase, placing the adjective correctly and making it agree.
Tâche 2 — Shopping note: Write a short shopping list or product card for three clothing items. For each item, write one controlled sentence stating its color and one controlled sentence stating its price. Example format:
Tâche 3 — Short customer message (optional supported extension): Write three to four short sentences as a customer message to a shop, asking about an item's color, size, and price, and stating whether you will take it. If natural, include one sentence using le, la, or les to refer back to the item, such as Je la prends.
- Complete the adjective-placement phrases first. Confirm each adjective's position and agreement against the Language Focus section.
- Choose three clothing items for your shopping note. Confirm you know the gender of each noun before choosing the color adjective form.
- Draft your shopping note using separate controlled sentences. Keep every verb form, article, and expression within Chapters 1–9. Do not connect sentences into a longer paragraph.
- If you attempt Tâche 3, keep every sentence short and factual. Ask about item, color, size, and price, and state your decision.
- Read your work aloud once. Listen for liaison after numbers like six and dix before vowel-initial nouns, and for correct enchaînement after huit.
Liste de révision — Editing checklist:
- Color adjectives follow the noun and agree in gender and number.
- grand and petit precede the noun and agree in gender and number.
- Prices are written with the correct number word and euros.
- Any object pronoun used (le, la, l', les) agrees with the noun it replaces and stands directly before the conjugated verb.
- No connected paragraph, comparison, parce que, relative clause, or pronoun-before-infinitive has been used.
- No vocabulary or grammar from outside Chapters 1–9 has been used.
Culture and Communication
In many French clothing shops, a salesperson will typically greet a customer on entry and offer help, and it is common courtesy to return the greeting rather than to ignore it. Asking to try on an item before buying is standard and expected practice, not a special request, and taking time to check size and price on a few options is generally seen as ordinary rather than indecisive.
This chapter uses euros, the currency used in France and many other European Francophone regions, and clothing sizes common in France. In Quebec, prices are given in Canadian dollars (dollars) and sizing more often follows North American conventions; in parts of West and Central Africa, prices are commonly given in the West African or Central African CFA franc (franc CFA). The sentence patterns Ça coûte... and Je fais du... remain the same across regions; only the currency name and the size numbers or letters change. This textbook uses euros and French sizing as the default productive model.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying une noire veste, following English adjective order.
Correction: Most French adjectives, including all colors, follow the noun: une veste noire. Only a small set of common short adjectives such as grand and petit come before the noun.
Error: Saying je le prends to refer back to la veste.
Correction: Since la veste is feminine, use la: je la prends. Match the pronoun to the gender and number of the noun it replaces, not to the noun's meaning.
Error: Saying je ne prends les pas instead of keeping the pronoun directly before the verb.
Correction: The object pronoun stays directly before the conjugated verb, and ne...pas wraps around both: je ne les prends pas.
Error: Saying Je peux la essayer ? or Je peux l'essayer ? to ask about trying on an item.
Correction: At this stage, keep the noun after the infinitive instead: Je peux essayer cette veste ? Placing an object pronoun before an infinitive is a later-chapter system.
Chapter Review
Partie A — Compréhension (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- What two jackets does the salesperson show Léa, and how much does each cost?
- What size does Léa wear, and which jacket does she take?
Partie B — Écriture (Writing)
1. Rewrite each phrase with the adjective correctly placed and agreeing: une jupe (vert), un pull (grand), des chaussures (noir).
2. Write one sentence using le, la, or les to refer back to an item of clothing.
Partie C — Lecture (Reading)
1. Return to "Une petite annonce," and list every item, its color, and its price.
Partie D — Oral (Speaking)
1. With a partner, ask about the color, size, and price of two items, then state your purchase decision for one of them.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 9 Practical Check
Faire les magasins : Describing, Pricing, and Choosing an Item
Complete the following connected tasks, in order.
- Read "Une petite annonce." Answer the reading questions above before continuing.
- Select one or two items from the advertisement. Note their color, an approximate size, and their price.
- Role-play a short customer–employee exchange. Ask about item, color, size, and price; respond politely; and state a purchase decision.
- Prepare a short shopping note. Use the format from the Writing Workshop: separate controlled sentences, not a connected paragraph.
- Where it feels natural, replace one familiar noun with le, la, or les in a supported sentence, such as Je la prends.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Task completion | The learner completes a shopping transaction: identifying an item, asking about size and price, and stating a decision. |
| Adjective placement and agreement | The learner places color adjectives after the noun and grand/petit before the noun, with correct gender and number agreement. |
| Number and price accuracy | The learner states and asks about prices using correct numbers and the verb coûter. |
| Shopping vocabulary and politeness | The learner uses appropriate shopping vocabulary, vous, and polite requests and thanks. |
| Comprehensibility and pronunciation | The learner is understandable, with reasonable control of the numbers, liaison, and enchaînement patterns practiced in this chapter. |
Use of le, la, or les may be observed and noted as developing, supported evidence of progress. Because this pronoun system is newly introduced in this chapter, it is not a required, independently scored criterion for successful completion. It becomes assessable in Chapter 10.
This checkpoint uses only material introduced in Chapters 1–9.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- The salesperson shows a gray jacket (fifty euros) and a black jacket (seventy-five euros).
- Léa wears a size 38 and takes the gray jacket.
Writing
- une jupe verte; un grand pull; des chaussures noires
- Sample answer: J'aime cette veste ; je la prends.
Speaking — Controlled practice
- C'est un grand manteau.
- J'aime cette veste noire.
- La jupe coûte quinze euros.
- Je fais du 38.
Write the number in words
- vingt et un
- trente-huit
- soixante et onze
- quatre-vingts
- quatre-vingt-un
- quatre-vingt-quinze
Write the price in words
- trente-huit euros
- quatre-vingt-un euros
Place and agree the adjective
- une veste noire
- un grand manteau
- une petite jupe verte
- des chaussures chères
Reading
- A black coat (60 euros), a red dress (35 euros), gray shoes (40 euros), blue pants (25 euros), and black pants (32 euros).
- The blue pants cost twenty-five euros; the black pants cost thirty-two euros.
- The shop offers sizes S, M, L, and XL.
- The shop is open Monday through Saturday.
Listening
- A blue sweater (thirty euros) and a black sweater (forty-five euros).
- Thomas wears a size 40.
- Thomas takes the black sweater.
- Thomas says au revoir to say goodbye.
Looking Ahead
Ce que vous savez déjà faire — What you can do now
You can describe clothing with correctly placed and agreeing adjectives, count and state prices from 0 to 100 euros, ask about and respond to questions of size, and use the direct object pronouns le, la, and les in simple, controlled sentences. This completes the everyday-transactions sequence of Unit II: La vie quotidienne, which began with home and neighborhood, continued through daily routines and food and drink, and now concludes with shopping.