Celebrating Bastille Day: A French Story for Festive Vocabulary

A2 · Elementary75 sentences·

Follow Lucas during a village Bastille Day celebration as he carries a strawberry pie, falls, and gets a second chance with Madame Arnaud. This comprehensible story highlights one key word per sentence and includes a glossary for festive, food, and everyday action vocabulary.

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The lesson

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75 sentences · 125 new words
  • 01ouvre · opens
    , ouvre .
    suh ma-tan, loo-kah oovr lay yuh tray toh
    This morning, Lucas opens his eyes very early.
  • 02brille · shines
    brille .
    luh soh-lay breey duh-or
    The sun shines outside.
  • 03sourit · smiles
    sourit.
    loo-kah soo-ree
    Lucas smiles.
  • 04juillet · July
    juillet !
    say luh ka-torz zhwee-yay
    It's July 14th!
  • 05accrochent · hang
    , accrochent , .
    dahn luh vee-lazh lay zhahn za-krosh day dra-poh bluh blahn ay roozh
    In the village, people hang blue, white and red flags.
  • 06mettent · put
    mettent .
    eel met day tah-bl ay day shez syur lah plahs
    They put tables and chairs on the square.
  • 07fête · party
    fête .
    lah fet ko-mahns byan-toh
    The party begins soon.
  • 08appelle · calls
    appelle .
    ma-dam ar-noh a-pel loo-kah duh-vahn sah port
    Madame Arnaud calls Lucas from her doorway.
  • 09montre · shows
    montre .
    el mohn-tr un grahn pla-toh a-vek oon tart oh frez
    She shows a big tray with a strawberry pie.
  • 10portes · carry
    : , portes ,
    el dee loo-kah too port luh gah-toh ah lah plahs seel tuh play
    She says: "Lucas, can you carry the cake to the square, please?"
  • 11Oui · yes
    : Oui
    loo-kah dee wee ma-dam
    Lucas says: "Yes, ma'am!"
  • 12prend · takes
    prend .
    eel prahn luh pla-toh a-vek say duh man
    He takes the tray with both hands.
  • 13marche · walks
    marche .
    eel marsh lahn-tuh-mahn dahn lah roo doo vee-lazh
    He walks slowly down the village street.
  • 14regarde · looks
    regarde .
    loo-kah ruh-gard ahn oh
    Lucas looks up.
  • 15voit · sees
    voit .
    eel vwah un nwa-zoh dahn luh syel
    He sees a bird in the sky.
  • 16regarde · looks
    regarde .
    eel nuh ruh-gard ploo say pyay
    He no longer looks at his feet.
  • 17touche · touches
    touche .
    sohn pyay toosh oon pyair syur lah root
    His foot touches a stone on the road.
  • 18tombe · falls
    tombe.
    loo-kah tohmb
    Lucas falls.
  • 19tombe · falls
    tombe .
    luh pla-toh tohmb oh-see
    The tray falls too.
  • 20gâteau · cake
    gâteau .
    luh gah-toh ay par tair
    The cake is on the ground.
  • 21cassé · broken
    cassé .
    eel ay kah-say ahn mor-soh
    It is broken into pieces.
  • 22lève · gets up
    lève .
    loo-kah suh lev ay ruh-gard luh gah-toh
    Lucas gets up and looks at the cake.
  • 23visage · face
    visage .
    sohn vee-zazh duh-vyan blahn
    His face goes pale.
  • 24dit · says
    dit .
    eel nuh dee ryan
    He says nothing.
  • 25ramasse · picks up
    ramasse .
    eel rah-mahs luh pla-toh
    He picks up the tray.
  • 26court · runs
    court .
    eel koor veet shay ma-dam ar-noh
    He runs quickly to Madame Arnaud's house.
  • 27frappe · knocks
    frappe .
    eel frahp ah lah port
    He knocks on the door.
  • 28désolé · sorry
    : « désolé … »
    eel dee too bah ma-dam zhuh swee day-zoh-lay luh gah-toh ay tohm-bay
    He says quietly: "Ma'am… I'm sorry… the cake fell…"
  • 29ouvre · opens
    ouvre .
    ma-dam ar-noh oovr lah port
    Madame Arnaud opens the door.
  • 30regarde · looks
    regarde .
    el ruh-gard luh pla-toh veed
    She looks at the empty tray.
  • 31visage · face
    visage .
    el ruh-gard luh vee-zazh duh loo-kah
    She looks at Lucas's face.
  • 32crie · shouts
    crie .
    el nuh kree pah
    She doesn't shout.
  • 33doucement · gently
    doucement : « . »
    el dee doos-mahn vyan
    She says gently: "Come."
  • 34emmène · takes
    emmène .
    el ahm-en loo-kah dahn lah kwee-zeen
    She takes Lucas into the kitchen.
  • 35voit · sees
    voit .
    loo-kah vwah un duh-zyem pla-toh syur lah tah-bl
    Lucas sees a second tray on the table.
  • 36autre · another
    autre !
    eel yah oon oh-tr tart oh frez
    There is another strawberry pie!
  • 37dernière · last
    : « L' dernière, . »
    ma-dam ar-noh dee la-nay dair-nyair luh gah-toh ay tohm-bay oh-see
    Madame Arnaud says: "Last year, the cake fell too."
  • 38sourit · smiles
    sourit.
    el soo-ree
    She smiles.
  • 39donne · gives
    donne .
    el don un puh-tee tah-blee-ay ah loo-kah
    She gives a small apron to Lucas.
  • 40aides · help
    : « m'aides ? »
    el dee too med
    She says: "Will you help me?"
  • 41Oui · yes
    : Oui
    loo-kah dee wee
    Lucas says: "Yes!"
  • 42content · happy
    content.
    eel ay kohn-tahn
    He is happy.
  • 43pose · places
    pose , .
    loo-kah pohz lay frez syur luh gah-toh oon par oon
    Lucas places the strawberries on the cake, one by one.
  • 44Bien · good
    : Bien
    ma-dam ar-noh ruh-gard ay dee byan tray byan
    Madame Arnaud looks and says: "Good! Very good!"
  • 45raconte · tells
    raconte .
    el rah-kohnt lah fet doo ka-torz zhwee-yay kahn el ay-tay puh-teet dahn suh vee-lazh
    She tells about the July 14th party when she was little in this village.
  • 46écoute · listens
    écoute.
    loo-kah ay-koot
    Lucas listens.
  • 47continue · continues
    continue .
    eel kohn-tee-noo ah trah-vay-yay
    He continues to work.
  • 48prêt · ready
    prêt.
    luh gah-toh ay pray
    The cake is ready.
  • 49beau · beautiful
    beau.
    eel ay tray boh
    It is very beautiful.
  • 50pose · places
    pose .
    loo-kah pohz oon fuhy duh mahnt syur luh duh-soo
    Lucas places a mint leaf on top.
  • 51prend · takes
    prend .
    ma-dam ar-noh prahn un koh-tay doo pla-toh
    Madame Arnaud takes one side of the tray.
  • 52prend · takes
    prend l' .
    loo-kah prahn loh-tr koh-tay
    Lucas takes the other side.
  • 53marchent · walk
    marchent .
    eel marsh ahn-sahmbl vair lah plahs
    They walk together towards the square.
  • 54posent · place
    posent .
    eel pohz luh gah-toh syur lah grahnd tah-bl
    They place the cake on the big table.
  • 55regardent · look
    regardent .
    lay zhahn doo vee-lazh ruh-gard luh gah-toh
    The village people look at the cake.
  • 56disent · say
    disent : ,
    eel deez oh keel ay boh kee ah fay sah
    They say: "Oh, how beautiful! Who made that?"
  • 57montre · points to
    montre .
    ma-dam ar-noh mohn-tr loo-kah
    Madame Arnaud points to Lucas.
  • 58aidé · helped
    : aidé
    el dee say loo-kah eel ah ay-day
    She says: "It's Lucas! He helped!"
  • 59devient · becomes
    devient .
    loo-kah duh-vyan too roozh
    Lucas turns all red.
  • 60sourit · smiles
    sourit.
    eel soo-ree
    He smiles.
  • 61mange · eats
    , mange .
    la-pray-mee-dee too luh vee-lazh mahnzh ay dahns syur lah plahs
    In the afternoon, the whole village eats and dances on the square.
  • 62prend · takes
    prend .
    loo-kah prahn un mor-soh duh tart oh frez
    Lucas takes a piece of strawberry pie.
  • 63mange · eats
    mange.
    eel mahnzh
    He eats.
  • 64meilleur · best
    meilleur .
    say luh may-yur gah-toh keel ah mahn-zhay
    It's the best cake he has ever eaten.
  • 65soir · evening
    soir, .
    luh swahr luh syel duh-vyan sohmbr
    In the evening, the sky grows dark.
  • 66feu d'artifice · fireworks
    feu d'artifice .
    luh fuh dar-tee-fees ko-mahns
    The fireworks begin.
  • 67couleurs · colors
    couleurs , , .
    lay koo-lur mohnt dahn luh syel roozh blahn bluh
    The colors rise in the sky — red, white, blue.
  • 68assis · sitting
    assis .
    loo-kah ay tah-see ah koh-tay duh ma-dam ar-noh
    Lucas is sitting next to Madame Arnaud.
  • 69regardent · look
    regardent .
    eel ruh-gard luh syel ahn-sahmbl
    They look at the sky together.
  • 70pose · places
    pose .
    ma-dam ar-noh pohz sah man syur lay-pohl duh loo-kah
    Madame Arnaud places her hand on Lucas's shoulder.
  • 71hoche · nods
    hoche .
    el osh lah tet
    She nods her head.
  • 72dit · says
    dit .
    el nuh dee ryan
    She says nothing.
  • 73comprend · understands
    comprend.
    loo-kah kohn-prahn
    Lucas understands.
  • 74regarde · looks
    regarde .
    eel ruh-gard luh syel loo-mee-nuh
    He looks at the bright sky.
  • 75sourit · smiles
    sourit.
    eel soo-ree
    He smiles.
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