Shadow short French phrases: a café and daily-routine phrasebook

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated 12 October 2026 · About the library

Choose a short French line, follow a spoken model and practise one feature at a time. Includes café phrases, routine phrases and a recording checklist.

B1
11 phrases
3 situations
Learn this in the B1 notebook →

In short

Shadowing means speaking just behind a spoken model, following its timing. Choose one short line, understand it, then listen for one feature before joining in. Start with a line from your recording or ask a French speaker to read a phrase below.

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An adult practising a short café request with headphones and a small recorder beside an espresso. — A familiar request supports la répétition. Illustration: Atelier

At the café

Follow the whole request. Keep the final polite phrase connected.

PartnerQu’est-ce que vous prenez ?What will you have?

YouJe voudrais un café, s’il vous plaît.I’d like a coffee, please.Listen through to the end of s’il vous plaît; keep the request in one comfortable stretch.

YouNon merci, pas de sucre.No thanks, no sugar.Notice the small break after merci in your model.

YouEt un verre d’eau, s’il vous plaît.And a glass of water, please.D’eau is one syllable. The apostrophe already shows the elision.

Talking about your morning

Listen to the time expression as a group, then follow the complete line.

PartnerTu te lèves à quelle heure ?What time do you get up?

YouJe me lève à sept heures.I get up at seven.

YouJe me douche et je m’habille.I have a shower and get dressed.Keep je m’habille together; the written form is already elided.

YouÀ midi, je déjeune avec mes amis.At midday, I have lunch with my friends.In mes amis, listen for the linking /z/ sound.

Ask for a useful model

Use these lines when practising with a partner.

YouVous pouvez répéter la phrase, s’il vous plaît ?Could you repeat the sentence, please?

YouEncore une fois, à la même vitesse ?Once more, at the same speed?

PartnerOui. Écoutez d’abord, puis répétez avec moi.Yes. Listen first, then repeat with me.

How do you practise shadowing in French?

Listen with your mouth still. Locate the start and end of the line.
Repeat after the model once to settle the words.
Play it again and begin speaking just after the speaker starts. Follow the model’s groups and pauses.
Record your attempt. Compare the feature you chose, then try again.

Put the café words in view

After copying the line, change one detail: Je me lève à huit heures or Je voudrais un thé, s’il vous plaît. Say the new sentence to your partner. Keep its meaning clear while carrying over the phrase shape you practised.