Lesson 3 – Greetings & Classroom Language
What will you learn?
In this lesson, you will learn how to:
- Greet people in French
- Ask and answer “How are you?”
- Use polite expressions
- Understand and use basic classroom instructions
- Respond correctly in class
1. Greetings in French
A. Basic Greetings
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello (formal) |
| Salut | Hi (informal) |
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
Usage:
- Bonjour → teachers, adults, formal situations
- Salut → friends
- Bonsoir → evening
Examples:
- Bonjour Madame
- Salut Paul
2. Asking “How are you?”
A. Question
Ça va ?
Meaning: How are you?
B. Answers
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça va bien | I am fine |
| Ça va mal | I am not well |
| Comme ci, comme ça | So-so |
Example:
A: Ça va ?
B: Ça va bien
3. Polite expressions
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Merci | Thank you |
| S’il te plaît | Please (informal) |
| S’il vous plaît | Please (formal) |
| Pardon | Sorry / excuse me |
Examples:
- Merci beaucoup
- S’il vous plaît, Madame
4. Classroom language (very important)
These expressions help you understand the teacher.
A. Instructions
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Écoutez | Listen |
| Répétez | Repeat |
| Regardez | Look |
| Ouvrez le livre | Open the book |
| Fermez le livre | Close the book |
B. Participation
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Levez la main | Raise your hand |
| Répondez | Answer |
| Lisez | Read |
Examples:
- Écoutez et répétez
- Ouvrez le livre
5. Useful expressions
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je ne comprends pas | I don’t understand |
| Pouvez-vous répéter ? | Can you repeat? |
| Comment on dit… ? | How do you say…? |
Examples:
- Je ne comprends pas
- Pouvez-vous répéter ?
6. Sentence structure
Asking:
- Ça va ?
- Comment tu t’appelles ?
Answering:
- Ça va bien
- Je m’appelle…
7. Mini dialogue
A: Bonjour !
B: Bonjour !
A: Ça va ?
B: Ça va bien
A: Merci
B: De rien
8. Common mistakes
1. Using “Salut” with teacher
Incorrect: Salut Madame
Correct: Bonjour Madame
2. Forgetting politeness
Incorrect: Donne-moi le livre
Correct: S’il vous plaît
3. Mixing formal/informal
Incorrect: S’il te plaît Madame
Correct: S’il vous plaît Madame
9. Exercises
Exercise 1 – Match
- Bonjour → ___
- Merci → ___
- Écoutez → ___
a. Listen
b. Thank you
c. Hello
Exercise 2 – Complete
- Ça va ______
- ______ Madame
- Merci ______
Exercise 3 – Write
Write a short dialogue (4 lines):
- Greeting
- Asking “How are you?”
- Answer
- Thank you
10. Speaking task
Speak with a partner:
- Greet
- Ask “Ça va ?”
- Answer
- Use “merci”
11. Writing task
Write 5–6 sentences:
“En classe”
Include:
- Greeting
- One instruction
- One polite expression
Lesson summary
You can now:
- Greet people correctly
- Ask and answer “Ça va ?”
- Use polite expressions
- Understand classroom instructions
Always be polite in French:
Say:
Bonjour + Merci + S’il vous plaît