Dialogue
En revanche: compare two bags in a French dialogue
Practise en revanche while choosing a bag: size, weight and comfort. Read both sides of the comparison, hide your lines and try a three-question check.
- B1
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
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En revanche means “on the other hand” or “by contrast”. It balances an earlier point with a different feature: Cette valise est grande. En revanche, elle est lourde. You can also contrast two things on the same feature.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
You are choosing a bag for a weekend away. Size matters, but so does carrying it. Read the whole conversation, then hide your lines and use the English cues.
- Vendeuse
Vous cherchez un bagage pour un long voyage ?
English
Are you looking for luggage for a long trip?
- You
Non, je pars seulement deux jours.
Say you are only going away for two days.
English
No, I’m only going away for two days.
- Vendeuse
Cette valise est grande. Vous pouvez emporter beaucoup d’affaires.
English
This suitcase is large. You can take lots of things.
- You
En revanche, elle est lourde, même vide.
Balance the size advantage: the suitcase is heavy even empty.
English
On the other hand, it’s heavy, even empty.
- Vendeuse
C’est vrai. Ce sac à dos est beaucoup plus léger.
English
That’s true. This backpack is much lighter.
- You
Il est plus petit. En revanche, il est facile à porter.
Say it is smaller, then balance that with how easy it is to carry.
English
It’s smaller. On the other hand, it’s easy to carry.
- Vendeuse
Vous allez marcher longtemps ?
English
Will you be walking for a long time?
- You
Oui, il faut une demi-heure à pied pour aller de la gare à l’appartement de mon amie.
Say you will walk for half an hour from the station to your friend’s home.
English
Yes, it’s a half-hour walk from the station to my friend’s flat.
- Vendeuse
Alors, le sac à dos sera plus pratique pour vous.
English
Then the backpack will be more practical for you.
- You
Oui. La valise a des roulettes ; le sac, en revanche, se porte sur le dos.
Contrast the suitcase’s wheels with carrying the bag on your back.
English
Yes. The suitcase has wheels; the bag, by contrast, is carried on your back.
- Vendeuse
Et toutes vos affaires tiennent dedans ?
English
And do all your things fit inside?
- You
Oui, je voyage léger. Je prends le sac à dos.
Say you travel light and choose the backpack.
English
Yes, I travel light. I’ll take the backpack.
Four bags, four useful contrasts
Find:
Where does en revanche go in a French sentence?
| French | Position |
|---|---|
| Ce sac est petit. En revanche, il est léger. | At the start of the new sentence. |
| La valise est lourde. Le sac, en revanche, est léger. | Inside the contrasting sentence. |
Mais also makes a simple contrast: Ce sac est petit, mais léger. With en revanche, you give the second point more space. Keep a full statement with its subject and verb. In the dialogue, en revanche balances size against weight or contrasts how two bags are carried.