Reading

Journal or magazine: a newspaper, a diary or the TV news?

Read a short French scene with a newspaper, a travel magazine, a diary and the TV news. Practise journaux and avoid the magazine/magasin spelling trap.

In short

Un journal is often a newspaper, but un journal intime is a diary and le journal télévisé is the TV news. Un magazine is a magazine; on television, it can also be a programme about a topic. The plural of journal is journaux.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A quiet French sitting-room still life of a folded completely blank newspaper, an unlettered travel magazine with a simple landscape picture, a closed plain blue diary and a TV remote.
The blue notebook is un journal intime. Illustration: Atelier

What is on the table?

Un dimanche chez Nora

Sur la table de Nora, il y a un journal local et un magazine de voyage. Son frère Sami feuillette1 le magazine. Il regarde les photos et lit un article sur les trains de nuit. Nora, elle, lit la une2 du journal. Un nouveau parc va ouvrir dans leur quartier.

« Tu lis les journaux tous les jours ? » demande Sami. « Pas toujours. Mais je regarde souvent le journal télévisé3 », répond Nora. Elle montre ensuite un petit carnet bleu. « Et ça, c’est mon journal intime4. J’y écris ce que j’ai fait et ce que je ressens. »

À vingt heures, Sami allume la télévision. « On regarde les informations ? » propose-t-il. « Oui, puis le magazine scientifique. Il y a un reportage sur les océans ce soir. » Nora ferme son carnet et prend la télécommande.

Read it in English

On Nora’s table, there is a local newspaper and a travel magazine. Her brother Sami leafs through the magazine. He looks at the photos and reads an article about night trains. Nora reads the newspaper’s front page. A new park is going to open in their neighbourhood.

“Do you read the newspapers every day?” Sami asks. “Not always. But I often watch the TV news,” Nora replies. Then she points to a little blue notebook. “And this is my diary. I write about what I’ve done and how I feel.”

At eight, Sami turns on the television. “Shall we watch the news?” he suggests. “Yes, then the science programme. There’s a report about the oceans tonight.” Nora closes her notebook and picks up the remote.

A small spelling change, a different word
FrenchEnglish
un journal / des journauxa newspaper / newspapers
un magazine / des magazinesa magazine / magazines
un magasin / des magasinsa shop / shops
tenir un journalkeep a diary

Un magazine scientifique can be a publication or a programme. In the story, the television and the word reportage establish the programme meaning. Un journal intime makes the personal-diary meaning explicit.

Question 1No account needed
What does Sami read on paper?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Un magazine de voyage.. Sami leafs through the travel magazine and reads about night trains.

Question 2No account needed
Where does Nora write about her feelings?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Dans son journal intime.. Nora says she writes what she has done and feels in her diary.

Question 3No account needed
What follows the news on television?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Un magazine scientifique.. The dialogue puts the science programme after the TV news.