Dialogue
French dialogue at a ticket gate: when the barcode won't scan
Your e-ticket won't scan at the station gate. Explain the problem in French, find the right barcode and get help from staff. Full dialogue with practice mode.
- A1
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
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In short
Say Excusez-moi, mon billet ne passe pas (my ticket won't go through) or Le code-barres ne marche pas. Staff may ask Vous pouvez augmenter la luminosité ? (turn up the brightness) or open le portillon (the gate) for you.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
- You
Excusez-moi, mon billet ne passe pas. J'ai essayé trois fois.
Say your ticket won't go through; you've tried three times.
English
Excuse me, my ticket won't go through. I've tried three times.
- Agent
Vous avez le billet sur votre téléphone ?
English
Do you have the ticket on your phone?
- You
Oui, le voilà.
Say yes and show it.
English
Yes, here it is.
- Agent
Ah, ça, c'est la confirmation de réservation. Il faut le code-barres, le carré noir et blanc.
English
Ah, that's the booking confirmation. You need the barcode, the black-and-white square.
- You
D'accord. Où est-ce que je le trouve ?
Ask where to find it.
English
OK. Where do I find it?
- Agent
Dans l'application, touchez « Mes billets », puis votre voyage.
English
In the app, tap "My tickets", then your journey.
- You
Ça y est, je l'ai. Mais l'écran est un peu sombre.
Say you've found it, but the screen is dark.
English
There we go, I've got it. But the screen is a bit dark.
- Agent
Augmentez la luminosité et posez le téléphone à plat sur le lecteur.
English
Turn up the brightness and put the phone flat on the reader.
- You
Voilà… ça ne marche toujours pas !
Say it still doesn't work.
English
There… it still doesn't work!
- Agent
Ce n'est pas grave. Je scanne avec mon appareil… C'est bon, je vous ouvre le portillon.
English
No problem. I'll scan it with my device… That's fine, I'll open the gate for you.
- You
Merci beaucoup ! Le train pour Lyon, c'est quel quai ?
Thank them and ask which platform for Lyon.
English
Thanks very much! Which platform is the Lyon train?
- Agent
Voie sept. Il part dans dix minutes, vous avez le temps.
English
Platform seven. It leaves in ten minutes, you've got time.
What do you say when a ticket won’t scan in French?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le portillon | ticket gate |
| le code-barres / le QR code | barcode / QR code |
| le lecteur | scanner, reader |
| la voie / le quai | track / platform |
| composter | to validate (old paper tickets) |
| le contrôleur | ticket inspector |
Departure boards show la voie (track number), which is what you need to find your train. Old paper tickets had to be compostés (stamped) in a yellow machine; most tickets today are e-tickets checked by gates or on board by le contrôleur.