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Dialogue

Imprimer or photocopier: ask for the paper copy you need

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Print a PDF, photocopy a paper form or scan a document: practise a French copy-shop conversation and learn the words for copies, pages and sheets.

In short

Imprimer produces a printout: a file becomes paper. Photocopier makes a paper copy of a paper document. Numériser or scanner turns paper into a digital file.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A French copy-shop worker handing plain paper copies to a customer beside a printer and a scanner.
A paper copy gives context to imprimer and photocopier. Illustration: Atelier
Start here: what goes in, what comes out
ActionYou start withYou get
imprimera digital filea paper printout
photocopiera paper documentanother paper copy
numériser / scannera paper documenta digital file

Four things at the copy shop

What is the difference between imprimer and photocopier?

Your lines are hidden in practice mode. Say them aloud, then reveal to compare.
  1. Employée

    Bonjour, je peux vous aider ?

    English

    Hello, can I help you?

  2. Client

    Bonjour, je voudrais imprimer ce fichier PDF, s’il vous plaît.

    Ask to print this PDF file.

    English

    Hello, I’d like to print this PDF file, please.

  3. Employée

    Combien d’exemplaires ?

    English

    How many copies?

  4. Client

    Deux exemplaires, en noir et blanc et recto verso.

    Ask for two black-and-white, double-sided copies.

    English

    Two copies, in black and white and double-sided.

  5. Employée

    Très bien. Vous avez autre chose ?

    English

    Very good. Anything else?

  6. Client

    Oui, pouvez-vous photocopier ce formulaire ?

    Ask for a photocopy of this form.

    English

    Yes, can you photocopy this form?

  7. Employée

    Bien sûr. Vous voulez garder l’original ?

    English

    Of course. Do you want to keep the original?

  8. Client

    Oui, merci. Et je voudrais numériser cette lettre pour l’envoyer par courriel.

    Say you also want to scan this letter to email it.

    English

    Yes, thank you. And I’d like to scan this letter to email it.

  9. Employée

    D’accord. Je vous rends les originaux avec les copies.

    English

    All right. I’ll return the originals with the copies.

What is the difference between copie, page and feuille?

Deux exemplaires means two complete copies. Trois pages means three pages in each document. Two copies of a three-page document give six printed pages. Une feuille is one sheet of paper; printing on both sides changes the number of sheets.

Add a short instruction
FrenchEnglish
en couleurin colour
en noir et blancin black and white
recto versodouble-sided
sur une seule facesingle-sided
faire une photocopie de ce documentmake a photocopy of this document
Question 1No account needed
Your form is on paper. You want to attach it to an email. What do you ask?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je voudrais le numériser.. Numériser creates the digital file you can attach to the email.

Question 2No account needed
Ask for two complete copies of a five-page PDF.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Deux exemplaires, s’il vous plaît.. Deux exemplaires asks for two copies of the whole document.

Question 3No account needed
Which sentence asks for a paper-to-paper copy?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Pouvez-vous photocopier ce document ?. Photocopier makes another paper copy of the document.

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