Picture scene
Find an item in a French shop: departments, floors and landmarks
Explore a French shop and ask where to find notebooks. Learn department and floor phrases, follow the assistant’s directions and check the destination.
- A1
- 8 things to find
- Tap to explore
- Find-it game
- Learn this in the A1 notebook →
In short
Start with Bonjour, je cherche des carnets (Hello, I’m looking for notebooks). Ask Dans quel rayon ? for the department and À quel étage ? for the floor. Repeat the location with C’est bien au premier étage ?
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Explore the shop: find the notebooks
Find:
How do you ask where something is in a French shop?
- You
Bonjour, je cherche des carnets. Vous pouvez m’aider ?
Hello, I’m looking for notebooks. Can you help me?
- Assistant
Oui, au rayon papeterie, au premier étage. Prenez l’escalier, puis tournez à droite.
Yes, in the stationery department, on the first floor. Take the stairs, then turn right.
- You
Au premier étage, à droite de l’escalier ?
On the first floor, to the right of the stairs?
- Assistant
Oui. Vous verrez les stylos d’abord. Les carnets sont juste après.
Yes. You’ll see the pens first. The notebooks are just beyond them.
- You
Très bien, merci beaucoup.
Lovely, thank you very much.
| You need | Question | A possible reply |
|---|---|---|
| The department | Dans quel rayon ? | Au rayon papeterie. |
| The floor | À quel étage ? | Au premier étage. |
| The part of the floor | Où exactement ? | Au fond, à droite. |
Le rez-de-chaussée is the ground floor; le premier étage is the floor above it. D’abord means first, and juste après means just after or just beyond. Here the pens mark the way to the notebooks.
How do you describe something when you don’t know the word?
Je cherche de petites boîtes pour ranger des boutons. Dans quel rayon dois-je aller ?
I’m looking for small boxes for storing buttons. Which department should I go to?
Vous avez encore des carnets à spirale ?
Do you still have any spiral notebooks?
This follow-up asks about availability once you know the department.