Dialogue
Visiter or rendre visite? Plan a flat viewing and a visit to a friend
Practise a French dialogue about viewing a flat and visiting a friend. Learn visiter un appartement, rendre visite à, lui and leur with clear examples.
- A2
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Use visiter for a place you explore or view: visiter un appartement. For a social visit, use rendre visite à quelqu’un or aller voir quelqu’un. Compare Je le visite (the flat) and Je lui rends visite (the person).
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Take Camille’s part below. She has two plans for Saturday: view a flat, then see her friend Nora. In practice mode, use the English cues to say her lines before revealing them.
- Alex
Tu es libre samedi matin ?
English
Are you free on Saturday morning?
- Camille
Pas avant onze heures. Je visite un appartement à neuf heures.
Say you’re busy until eleven because you’re viewing a flat at nine.
English
Not before eleven. I’m viewing a flat at nine.
- Alex
L’appartement près de la gare ?
English
The flat near the station?
- Camille
Oui, je le visite avec l’agent immobilier.
Confirm and say you’re viewing it with the estate agent.
English
Yes, I’m viewing it with the estate agent.
- Alex
Et après, tu rentres chez toi ?
English
And afterwards, are you going home?
- Camille
Non, je rends visite à Nora. Elle habite dans la rue à côté.
Say you’re visiting Nora, who lives in the next street.
English
No, I’m visiting Nora. She lives in the next street.
- Alex
Tu lui rends souvent visite ?
English
Do you often visit her?
- Camille
Oui, je vais la voir presque tous les samedis.
Say you go to see her almost every Saturday.
English
Yes, I go to see her almost every Saturday.
- Alex
Ses parents sont là ce week-end ?
English
Are her parents there this weekend?
- Camille
Oui. Je leur rends visite aussi.
Say you’re visiting them too, using a pronoun.
English
Yes. I’m visiting them too.
- Alex
Alors, on peut déjeuner ensemble vers midi ?
English
So, can we have lunch together around noon?
- Camille
Bonne idée ! Je te retrouve au café après ma visite.
Agree and say you’ll meet Alex at the café after your visit.
English
Good idea! I’ll meet you at the café after my visit.
| Full noun | With a pronoun | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je visite cet appartement. | Je le visite. | I’m viewing it. |
| Je rends visite à Nora. | Je lui rends visite. | I’m visiting her. |
| Je rends visite à mes voisins. | Je leur rends visite. | I’m visiting them. |
| Je vais voir Nora. | Je vais la voir. | I’m going to see her. |
Places you can visit or view
Find:
Visiter la maison de Nora focuses on looking around the house. Rendre visite à Nora focuses on spending time with Nora. For everyday social visits, aller voir is also very natural. You may hear visiter quelqu’un in regional usage; rendre visite à is a useful choice across these situations.
Nous rendons visite à nos amis dimanche.
We are visiting our friends on Sunday.
Visite stays singular in this expression, even with several visitors or hosts.