French · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 23
Les vêtementsClothes
Clothes and sizes. Vocabulary: le tee-shirt, la chemise, le pantalon, les chaussures, la robe, la taille, la couleur, rouge, bleu, noir. Key point: the colour adjective goes AFTER the noun and AGREES in gender and number: une chemise NOIRE, un pantalon NOIR, des chaussures NOIRES. English speakers don't change the adjective (« une robe noir » ✗ → « une robe noire » ✓). Useful exception: « rouge » doesn't change in the feminine (rouge/rouges), like « jaune ». Ask the size: « C'est quelle taille? ». Culture corner: The market & paying.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
noir / noire
- VendeuseBonjour. Vous cherchez un vêtement ?Hello. Are you looking for a piece of clothing?
- MikeOui, je veux la chemise noir.Yes, I want the black shirt. (slip: chemise is feminine — say "noire")
- VendeuseLa chemise noire. La couleur s'accorde : chemise est féminin.The black shirt (noire). The colour agrees: chemise is feminine.
- MikeAh, je veux la chemise noire. C'est quelle taille ?Ah, I want the black shirt. What size is it?
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Une robe rouge— A Red Dress
- CamilleJe veux une robe rouge. Vous en avez ?I want a red dress. Do you have one?
- VendeuseOui. C'est quelle taille ?Yes. What size?
- CamilleTaille moyenne. Combien coûte la robe ?Medium. How much is the dress?
- VendeuseElle coûte quarante euros. C'est bon marché.It costs forty euros. It is cheap.
Vocabulary
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- tee-shirt
n.m.T-shirt (m)
- chemise
n.f.shirt (f)
- pantalon
n.m.trousers, pants (m)
- chaussures
n.f.plshoes (f pl)
- robe
n.f.dress (f)
- taille
n.f.size (f)
- couleur
n.f.colour (f)
- rouge
adjectivered (rouge/rouges — no gender change)
- bleu
adjectiveblue (bleue/bleus/bleues)
- noir
adjectiveblack (noire/noirs/noires)
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Colour agreement: noir / noire
Explanation
In French, the colour adjective comes AFTER the noun and AGREES with it in gender and number. « Noir » has four forms: noir (m sg), noire (f sg), noirs (m pl), noires (f pl). You say « un pantalon noir », « une chemise noire », « des chaussures noires ». Same for « bleu »: bleu/bleue/bleus/bleues. English speakers leave the adjective unchanged (« une robe noir » ✗ → « une robe noire » ✓). Useful exception: « rouge » (and « jaune », « rose ») doesn't change in the feminine — only in the plural: rouge (sg), rouges (pl). Handy: fewer forms to remember.
Examples
- La chemise noire est jolie.The black shirt is pretty.
- Le pantalon noir est cher.The black trousers are expensive.
- Les chaussures bleues sont bien.The blue shoes are nice.
- Je veux une robe rouge.I want a red dress.
Culture
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
Le marché et payerThe market & paying
In France, shopping at the market is still an everyday pleasure: stalls of fruit, vegetables and cheese, the smell of bread, and the famous « Bonjour! » before anything else. Knowing how to behave at the market — and how people pay today — makes life much easier.
The neighbourhood market
The open-air market takes place one or two mornings a week on the neighbourhood square. You buy by weight: « une livre de tomates » (500 g) or « un kilo de pommes ». You don't touch the fruit yourself — the vendor picks it. He often asks « Et avec ça? » (Anything else?) to see if you want something more. The golden rule in France: you always say « Bonjour » when you arrive and « Merci, au revoir » when you leave. Politeness matters as much as the produce.
You don't haggle
Unlike in other countries, you almost never haggle in France. Prices are displayed and fixed, at the market as in the shop. At most, late in the morning, a vendor might round the price down or add an apple « pour vous » (for you). But asking for a discount on every item isn't part of the culture — it can even be awkward. The real « bargaining chip » is politeness and loyalty: the customer who comes back every week and always says hello will be served far better.
How you pay
The bank card, often « contactless », is accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts. Cash is still handy for the market and tips. Good news for the traveller: the displayed price is always TTC — taxes are already included — and in a restaurant « service compris » means no tip is required. You sometimes leave a few coins for very good service, but it's a gesture, not a rule. To ask for the bill: « L'addition, s'il vous plaît. »
In short: the market is fresh and friendly, you don't haggle, and you pay for almost everything by card, tax and service included. By saying « Bonjour » and « Merci », shopping in France becomes a real everyday pleasure.
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →