Dialogue
Donner or offrir? Give a gift and offer a drink in French
Follow a birthday conversation to practise donner and offrir. Compare giving information, choosing a present and offering a drink, with picture cards.
- A2
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Donner is the general verb for giving: donner son adresse, donner un conseil. Offrir can mean giving a present or offering something: offrir un cadeau, offrir un café. Both can describe giving a gift; offrir highlights the gesture.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
donnergive; provide
Focus: the transfer of an object or information
donner quelque chose à quelqu’un
Je donne mon adresse à Léa.
I give Léa my address.
Elle me donne un conseil.
She gives me some advice.
offrirgive as a present; offer
Focus: a gift or something proposed for someone to accept
offrir quelque chose à quelqu’un
Je lui offre un carnet pour son anniversaire.
I give her a notebook for her birthday.
Je t’offre un café ?
Can I get you a coffee?
A birthday visit
Find:
Practise your part of the visit
- Nora
Salut, entre !
English
Hi, come in!
- You
Bon anniversaire ! Je t’offre ce carnet.
Wish Nora a happy birthday and give her the notebook as a present.
English
Happy birthday! This notebook is my present to you.
- Nora
Merci, il est très joli !
English
Thank you, it’s lovely!
- You
Je sais que tu aimes dessiner.
Say you know she likes drawing.
English
I know you like drawing.
- Nora
Oui ! Je peux te donner mon ancienne boîte de crayons, si tu veux.
English
Yes! I can give you my old box of pencils, if you’d like.
- You
Merci, c’est gentil. Je veux bien.
Thank her and accept the pencils.
English
Thank you, that’s kind. I’d like that.
- Nora
Je t’offre un café ?
English
Can I get you a coffee?
- You
Je préfère un verre d’eau, merci.
Ask for water instead, with thanks.
English
I’d prefer a glass of water, thank you.
- Nora
Bien sûr. Tu peux me donner ton adresse ? Je voudrais t’envoyer une carte.
English
Of course. Can you give me your address? I’d like to send you a card.
- You
Oui, je te la donne tout de suite.
Say you will give her your address straight away.
English
Yes, I’ll give it to you straight away.
- Nora
Parfait. Tu peux poser le carnet ici.
English
Perfect. You can put the notebook here.
- You
D’accord. Merci pour l’eau !
Agree and thank her for the water.
English
All right. Thanks for the water!
Je t’offre ce carnet describes giving the present. Je t’offre un café ? proposes a drink; the guest chooses water. The reply tells you what happens next. In je te la donne, te is the recipient and la replaces feminine l’adresse.
For a present, Il lui donne un cadeau and Il lui offre un cadeau both work. For a temporary loan, use prêter: Je te prête mes crayons jusqu’à demain. That adds a different arrangement: the pencils are to come back.