Dialogue
Enregistrer or sauvegarder: a French dialogue about saving files
Save a document, record your voice and make a backup in French. Practise a twelve-line dialogue, learn the equipment and check the three actions.
- B1
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
Enregistrer means saving a document or recording sound and video. Sauvegarder means saving or backing up data. To make the backup meaning clear, say faire une sauvegarde sur un autre support — make a backup on another storage medium.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
| Your action | French | What the extra words tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Save your edits | Enregistrer le document. | The object is a document. |
| Save under another name | Enregistrer sous un autre nom. | The name changes. |
| Capture sound | Enregistrer sa voix. | The object is a voice. |
| Make a backup | Faire une sauvegarde sur un disque dur externe. | The copy goes onto an external drive. |
A button labelled Sauvegarder can also mean Save. In your own sentence, une copie, sous un autre nom and sur un autre support make the action precise.
Save the article, record your voice, keep a copy
You have finished an article and are preparing a speaking exercise. Read both parts, then use practice mode to hide your lines and answer Sam from the English cues.
- Sam
Tu as terminé ton article ?
English
Have you finished your article?
- You
Oui. J’enregistre le document avant de le fermer.
Say yes, and that you are saving the document before closing it.
English
Yes. I’m saving the document before closing it.
- Sam
Tu veux garder la première version ?
English
Do you want to keep the first version?
- You
Oui. J’enregistre cette version sous un autre nom.
Say you are saving this version under another name.
English
Yes. I’m saving this version under another name.
- Sam
Et pour ton exercice oral, tu utilises le micro ?
English
And for your speaking exercise, are you using the microphone?
- You
Oui, je m’enregistre pour réécouter ma prononciation.
Say you are recording yourself to listen to your pronunciation again.
English
Yes, I’m recording myself to listen to my pronunciation again.
- Sam
Tu enregistres seulement le son ?
English
Are you only recording the sound?
- You
Oui, aujourd’hui j’enregistre ma voix, pas de vidéo.
Say you are recording your voice today, with no video.
English
Yes, today I’m recording my voice, with no video.
- Sam
Et tes fichiers, tu les sauvegardes où ?
English
And where do you back up your files?
- You
Je fais une sauvegarde du dossier sur un disque dur externe.
Say you make a backup of the folder on an external hard drive.
English
I make a backup of the folder on an external hard drive.
- Sam
Donc tu gardes une copie sur un autre support.
English
So you keep a copy on another storage medium.
- You
Exactement. J’enregistre mon travail, puis je fais une sauvegarde.
Confirm: you save your work, then make a backup.
English
Exactly. I save my work, then I make a backup.
The equipment in the conversation
Find:
What is the difference between enregistrer and sauvegarder?
Nous enregistrons un dialogue.
We are recording a dialogue.
Nous enregistrons keeps the ordinary -ons ending.
Vous sauvegardez vos fichiers où ?
Where do you back up your files?
The destination can follow sur or dans: sur un disque, dans un dossier.
L’enregistrement est terminé.
The recording is finished.
In an audio exercise, un enregistrement is a recording. Une sauvegarde is a backup.