👉 Do you understand real French spoken by natives?

The one at the café.
The one at the market.
The one between friends.
The one that goes fast.
The one that doesn’t sound like textbooks.

In this article, we’re going to test your A2/B1 level with real-life situations from everyday life in France — and most importantly, understand what blocks you (or not).

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A2/B1 Test: Can You Survive a Real Conversation in France?

Here are the rules of the challenge:

  • Read each dialogue only once

  • Do not translate word for word

  • Respond instinctively

  • Understand the intention, not every single word

Ready? Let’s begin.

 

Situation 1: Ordering a Coffee in France

Dialogue

— Bonjour. (Hello.)
— Bonjour. Un café serré, s’il vous plaît. (Hello. A strong espresso, please.)
— C’est pour boire ici ou à emporter ? (Is it for here or to go?)
— Sur place. (For here.)
— Et avec ceci ? (Anything else?)
— C’est tout. (That’s all.)
— Ça marche, deux euros cinquante, s’il vous plaît. (Alright, that’ll be two euros fifty.)
— Vous avez de la monnaie sur un billet de 5 ? (Do you have change for a 5-euro bill?)
— Oui, pas de souci. Tenez. (Yes, no problem. Here you go.)
— Merci, bonne journée. (Thank you, have a nice day.)

 

Question 1: For here or to go?

The person will drink their coffee in the café.

The expression “sur place” means consuming it inside the establishment.
“À emporter” means taking the order to consume it elsewhere.

This is essential vocabulary if you travel to France.

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Situation 2: Shopping at a Market in France

Dialogue

— Bonjour ! (Hello!)
— Bonjour. (Hello.)
— Qu’est-ce qu’il vous faut aujourd’hui ? (What can I get you today?)
— Des tomates, s’il vous plaît. (Some tomatoes, please.)
— Lesquelles ? (Which ones?)
— Celles-là, elles ont l’air d’avoir beaucoup de chair. (Those ones, they seem to have a lot of flesh.)
— Il vous en faut combien ? (How many do you need?)
— Un kilo. (One kilo.)
— J’ai un kilo et 120 grammes. (I have one kilo and 120 grams.)
— Oui, c’est bon. (Yes, that’s fine.)
— Je vous mets un peu de persil avec ? (Shall I add a bit of parsley?)
— Oui, volontiers. (Yes, gladly.)
— Ça vous fait 3,80. (That comes to 3.80.)
— Je peux payer en sans contact ? (Can I pay contactless?)
— Ah, on accepte pas la carte, désolée. (Ah, we don’t accept cards, sorry.)

 

Situation 3: Asking for Directions in France

Dialogue

— Excusez-moi, vous pouvez m’indiquer comment se rendre à la mairie ? (Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the town hall?)
— Vous continuez tout droit jusqu’au feu. (Go straight ahead until the traffic light.)
— D’accord. (Okay.)
— Là, vous prenez à gauche, mais pas la première, la deuxième. (Then take a left, but not the first one, the second one.)
— La deuxième à gauche. (The second on the left.)
— Voilà. Après, vous longez le bâtiment gris, et la mairie est juste derrière. (That’s it. Then walk along the grey building, and the town hall is just behind it.)

 

Situation 4: Informal French Between Friends

Dialogue

— T’as vu le message du boss ? (Did you see the boss’s message?)
— Ouais… (Yeah…)
— Franchement, il est relou. (Honestly, he’s really annoying.)
— Grave. (Totally.)
— Il m’a saoulé avec son histoire de délais. (He really pissed me off with his deadline story.)
— À deux doigts de poser ma dem’ ! (I’m this close to handing in my resignation!)
— Sérieux ? (Seriously?)
— Ça me traverse l’esprit parfois. (It crosses my mind sometimes.)
— Che pas, élever des moutons dans le Périgord. (Dunno, maybe raise sheep in the Périgord.)
— Pfff t’es bête ! (Pfff, you’re ridiculous!)

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