Learn French Vocabulary + French Culture: Sales in France

Can you understand this French dialogue? Get better at understanding REAL spoken French while learning all about “les soldes”: sales season in France!
💾 Read, save and/or print the full written lesson here (free): www.commeunefr...
🎓 Join my Everyday French crash course (free): www.commeunefr...
In some countries, like the United States and Canada, “sales” are a regular thing. Maybe you’re used to “end of season” sales or big shopping events like Black Friday. We don’t have this in France! Instead, our sales seasons are regulated and only happen twice a year.
In today’s lesson, you can learn more about this aspect of French culture and improve your oral comprehension by listening to a dialogue between a shopper and a sales assistant in a French store. What can you understand? Did you learn anything new - whether it’s a French word or just something about French culture you didn’t know before? Let me know in the comments!
Take care and stay safe.
😘 from Grenoble, France.
Géraldine

[@unaffiliatedwealth1798]

Je suis americain et j'aime ces classes ici. J'apprende la langue français parce je veux voyager.

[@cyruschang1904]

J'apprendS la langue françaisE parce QUE ...

[@indricotherium4802]

I don't know which part of France Géraldine lives but where I am to go into a shop and be greeted with 'Je peux vous aider?' would see me collapse to the floor in shock.

[@kdmathesen]

😂

[@davebirkett6219]

Où ça ?

[@indricotherium4802]

@@davebirkett6219 : Salle 'Charrière', Bagne de Cayenne, Ile du Diable, Guyane, Amérique du Sud. Svp envoyez-moi une carte postale.

[@Kitiwake]

Why?

[@prajulp]

That was a really good class 👍💖

[@supaspydamn]

OMG! I loooove going to Paris pendant les soldes. Don't care what the French think about it lol I LOVE to brag about my new -70% off coat or sweater!

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

Aren't they fun? I was in Paris during les soldes d'hiver 2019 where I found a pair of black shoes with gold dragons on them. I just couldn't pass them up!

[@stevenfrey8034]

Good job. So much care in your classes.

[@sams3015]

To make more confusing: in French speaking Switzerland, they say “Action”, I think it’s carried from German. Almost like “take action before it sells out” lol

[@GregSparrow1]

Oui, en allemand, une "Action" liée à la vente est une promotion 🙂 mais le plus souvent pour les produits alimentaires

[@ajs41]

What does "Action" mean in French speaking Switzerland?

[@GregSparrow1]

@@ajs41 In german language we say "Aktion" for promotions (e.g. "Schnitzel in Aktion"), I guess the french speaking swiss adopt the german word into french

[@TMD3453]

Good vocabulary to know. Plus I am still improving my pronunciation even though I’ve studied a long time! Going slow enough to hear all the nuances really helps. Merci, Geraldine!!! 🇫🇷

[@davebirkett6219]

Régler est donc plus poli que payer ?

[@user-hu2em6gd4k]

Oui!

[@homiebreadpill]

ahh thank you!! i'm going to be in frace during the summer sales

[@blue_jm]

Does the regulations also apply to say electronics stores? Can they have individual promotions off the actual sale season?

[@supaspydamn]

Not all stores participate but yes electronics too.

[@amyschmelzer6445]

Pourquoi? As an American I don’t understand why the government tells the stores when they can and cannot discount their goods. I will be visiting France during les soldes d’été 2022. I need to work on my French before then. Beaucoup de travail.

[@supaspydamn]

Lol that's the way the French government works. They are much more in control of the commerce versus our laissez-faire economy in the US. In 2020 the French government closed some stores while allowing others to remain open.

[@bradleyjeansonne8768]

Les Soldes are the only times during the year the stores are allowed to sell items below cost. It's designed to prevent anti-competitive behavior. If they could all do that whenever they wanted, then only the larger stores would survive, and the smaller stores with less stock would be crushed by the lack of demand. Basically, it would WalMart-ify France more quickly.

[@ellendeman8417]

Very helpfull. Thanks!

[@alexthomson7465]

What a fantastic teacher you are! I am so glad to have discovered your channel. Real French language rather than dry textbook stuff. Thankyou so much!

[@misiam2937]

I love France 🇫🇷 and I’ve just begun learning French, with you!!

[@stephengraham1153]

Très intéressant et très utile. Merci.

[@Nayaaa88]

Bonjour Bonjour, J aurai tellement aimé de trouver un professeur sur KZbin qui donne les même cours que toi mais de français en anglais. J'ai ai regardé certaines de tes vidéos sont vraiment géniaux 😊

[@windpower1880]

Dear author, can you recommend a good French book to read? It must be not boring, with good intelligent humour? For example, French about English or Germans, etc. I learn French must read every day. Thanks.

[@syedshah7474]

Excellent job.... Fantastic

[@MOOMALQURESHI]

Merci pour le bon leçon.

[@thespunkavenue3471]

whats the difference btw a vente and vendre on one side and les soldes and soldees

[@christophernation4793]

A vente means, literally, that the object is available for you to buy. Vendre means 'to sell'. Les Soldes means what in the US is 'on sale' meaning it is reduced in price. In the UK we would say 'it's IN the sales' .

[@krzysztofciuba271]

tre bien. La Birgiddte Bardot, elle est a combien?

[@christophernation4793]

One thing that handbag will not be, as the Brigette Bardot model, is in leather. She has been determined and active, not to say controversial in animal welfare, for decades.

[@valeriemcdonald440]

Au Canada, les soldes d'été et les soldes d'hiver sont les meilleures. Le vin et le fromage ne font pas partie de les soldes. Je n'ai rien acheté ce mois-ci parce que j'ai dépensé trop d'argent pour Noël.