French for Pelgrims

[Gwaihir]

Hi Pelerins,

My camino goes through Belgium and France. Countries where they speak... french.
My french is very limited (the standard "bonjour, je me apelle" and some words we use in Dutch).

I think I can learn how to ask for things, like for example whether I can stay somewhere for the night. However I´m not so sure I can understand their ANSWER.

So I was wondering what common questions and answers are, that you might encounter as a pélerin.

Sidenote:

I speak Spanish, so if anybody wants the favor returned, just ask!

 

[Paul McAmino]

You might want to ask them to speak slowly, as you don’t speak much French:

« Je ne parle pas beaucoup de français, mais si vous parlez lentment, je vous comprendrai »

(I claim ownership of all errors in my French. You can’t have them, but you’re welcome to improve on this. ;-) )

 

[JeepsNRoses]

Hi Pelerins,

My camino goes through Belgium and France. Countries where they speak... french.
My french is very limited (the standard "bonjour, je me apelle" and some words we use in Dutch).

I think I can learn how to ask for things, like for example whether I can stay somewhere for the night. However I´m not so sure I can understand their ANSWER.

So I was wondering what common questions and answers are, that you might encounter as a pélerin.

Sidenote:

I speak Spanish, so if anybody wants the favor returned, just ask!

Try the free lesson on this website. https://www.pimsleur.com/learn-french?autoplay=true You will learn enough to make it over the initial I don’t understand French but I am trying do you speak .. hump with confidence (and sounding like Gerard Depardieu in his glory days if you mimic the male speaker’s accent). If you register they will send you a discounted offer for 10 lessons. Moons ago I purchased the full course on cassette (many moons) prior to a solo vacation in Paris. I only studied 10 or so lessons (several on the plane then one per day while there). My first half day in Paris I actually had the conversation in the first (free) lesson almost verbatim. The French are required to take 6 years of English in school. If you try, they will try. As an aside, several years later while working in France our company’s contracted French teacher told me that whenever I used phrases I learned in that course’s lessons, my accent was perfect. I remember the lessons even still. My cassette player & the tapes melted years ago It doesn't matter if you don’t understand their response. Everything will sort itself out in the end. I also has a few pages of the Berlitz pocket guide, just 2 pages that translate menu items. Big help.

 

[janinedawn]

You might want to ask them to speak slowly, as you don’t speak much French:

« Je ne parle pas beaucoup de français, mais si vous parlez lentment, je vous comprendrai »

(I claim ownership of all errors in my French. You can’t have them, but you’re welcome to improve on this. ;-) )

Or simply, “Lentement, s’il vous plait.”