Reading

A2 French reading: a weekend without a mobile phone

A personal account of 48 hours without a phone: what the writer feared and what really happened. A2 French with glosses, a translation and comparison questions.

In short

An A2 first-person text comparing expectations and reality. Malik leaves his phone at home for a weekend. He expected to be bored and lost; it turned out differently.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A man reading on a bench among Rouen's half-timbered houses.
Without son téléphone, Malik notices the city around him. Illustration: Atelier

Quarante-huit heures sans téléphone

Vendredi dernier, j'ai laissé mon téléphone à la maison pour tout le week-end. Honnêtement, j'avais peur1 : peur de m'ennuyer2, de me perdre3 et de rater un message important.

Samedi, j'ai pris le train pour Rouen avec un plan papier4. Je me suis perdu une fois, alors j'ai demandé mon chemin5 dans un café. Le patron m'a dessiné un petit plan sur une serviette.

L'après-midi, j'ai remarqué6 beaucoup de choses : les vieilles maisons, le bruit des cloches, les visages des gens. J'ai lu un livre entier sur un banc.

Est-ce que mon téléphone m'a manqué7 ? Un peu, dimanche soir, pour regarder la météo. Mais lundi matin, quand je l'ai rallumé, je me suis senti… presque déçu, pas du tout soulagé8. Le mois prochain, je recommence.

Read it in English

Last Friday, I left my phone at home for the whole weekend. To be honest, I was afraid: afraid of getting bored, of getting lost and of missing an important message.

On Saturday, I took the train to Rouen with a paper map. I got lost once, so I asked for directions in a café. The owner drew me a little map on a napkin.

In the afternoon, I noticed lots of things: the old houses, the sound of the bells, people's faces. I read a whole book on a bench.

Did I miss my phone? A little, on Sunday evening, to check the weather. But on Monday morning, when I switched it on again, I felt… almost disappointed, not at all relieved. Next month, I’ll do it again.

Expectations and reality
He was afraid of…What happened
getting boredhe read a whole book and noticed many things
getting losthe got lost once and asked in a café
missing messagesThe account does not report whether an important message was missed; it describes his reaction on switching the phone on.

Notice manquer à: mon téléphone m’a manqué means “I missed my phone” (literally, my phone was missing to me). In this construction, the person or thing missed is the subject: Tu me manques means “I miss you”. Rater is to miss a message, a train or an appointment.

Question 1No account needed
How did Malik find his way when lost?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

He asked in a café.. J'ai demandé mon chemin dans un café.

Question 2No account needed
When did he miss his phone?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

on Sunday evening, for the weather. Un peu, dimanche soir, pour regarder la météo.

Question 3No account needed
"I miss my phone."

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Mon téléphone me manque.. With manquer à, the thing missed is the subject.