Acheter un nouveau jeu
Buying a new game · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Je cherche un jeu de rôle pour ma console.
I'm looking for a role-playing game for my console.
Literal I look-for a game of role for my console.
A natural opener when approaching a store employee. 'Chercher' means 'to look for' and requires no preposition after it, unlike English.
- 'chercher' = 'to look for' — no preposition follows
- 'un jeu' = masculine indefinite article + noun
- 'pour' = for
Est-ce que vous avez des jeux en promotion ?
Do you have any games on sale?
Literal Is it that you have some games in promotion?
'Est-ce que' is the most common spoken question form in French — it leaves word order unchanged. 'En promotion' is the natural phrase for 'on sale' or 'discounted'.
- 'Est-ce que' = yes/no question opener, no inversion needed
- 'des jeux' = plural indefinite article + noun
- 'en promotion' = on sale (fixed phrase)
Je voudrais quelque chose avec une bonne histoire.
I would like something with a good story.
Literal I would-want something with a good story.
'Voudrais' is the conditional of 'vouloir' — far more polite than 'je veux'. This is the go-to phrase for making requests in shops. 'Bonne' precedes the noun, as most short adjectives do.
- 'voudrais' = conditional of 'vouloir' (polite register)
- 'quelque chose' = something (invariable)
- adjective 'bonne' precedes feminine noun 'histoire'
Quel est le meilleur jeu du moment selon vous ?
What is the best game right now in your opinion?
Literal Which is the best game of-the moment according to you?
'Meilleur' is the irregular comparative/superlative of 'bon'. 'Du moment' (= du → de + le) means 'right now'. 'Selon vous' politely invites a personal opinion.
- 'meilleur' = better/best — irregular comparative of 'bon'
- 'du moment' = de + le contracted before masculine noun
- 'selon vous' = in your opinion (formal)
Ce jeu est moins cher que l'autre, mais lequel est meilleur ?
This game is cheaper than the other one, but which one is better?
Literal This game is less expensive than the other, but which-one is better?
'Moins... que' forms an inferiority comparison. 'Lequel' is a masculine singular interrogative pronoun meaning 'which one', agreeing with 'jeu'. 'L'autre' uses elision of 'le autre'.
- 'moins cher que' = less expensive than (comparative of inferiority)
- 'lequel' = which one (masc. sing. interrogative pronoun)
- 'l'autre' = elision of 'le autre'
J'ai déjà joué à ce titre et je l'ai beaucoup aimé.
I already played this title and I really liked it.
Literal I have already played at this title and I it-have much liked.
Passé composé marks a completed past action. Notice 'l'' before 'ai' — it is the direct object pronoun replacing 'ce titre'. The pronoun always comes before the auxiliary in passé composé.
- passé composé: avoir + past participle for completed action
- 'l'ai aimé' = direct object pronoun 'le' contracts before vowel, placed before 'avoir'
- 'déjà' = already, inserted between auxiliary and participle
Est-ce qu'il y a une démo disponible avant d'acheter ?
Is there a demo available before buying?
Literal Is it that there is a demo available before of-buying?
'Il y a' means 'there is/are'. Wrapping it with 'est-ce que' turns it into a question. 'Avant de + infinitive' expresses 'before doing something' — a highly reusable structure.
- 'est-ce qu'il y a' = is there (question form of 'il y a')
- 'avant de + infinitive' = before doing something
- elision: 'de acheter' → 'd'acheter'
Mon ami me l'a recommandé la semaine dernière.
My friend recommended it to me last week.
Literal My friend me it-has recommended the week last.
Two object pronouns appear together: 'me' (indirect — to me) and 'l'' (direct — it). In French, they cluster before the verb. 'La semaine dernière' is a fixed past-time expression.
- double object pronouns: 'me' (indirect) + 'l'' (direct) before auxiliary
- passé composé: a + recommandé
- 'la semaine dernière' = last week
J'aimerais comparer les deux versions avant de décider.
I would like to compare both versions before deciding.
Literal I would-love to compare the two versions before of deciding.
'J'aimerais' (conditional of 'aimer') is another polite alternative to 'je voudrais'. Using both in one lesson shows learners there are multiple ways to soften a request. 'Avant de + infinitive' reappears to reinforce the structure.
- 'aimerais' = conditional of 'aimer' (polite wish, interchangeable with 'voudrais')
- 'comparer' = infinitive directly after conditional
- 'avant de décider' = before deciding (avant de + infinitive)
Je vais le prendre, merci pour vos conseils !
I'll take it, thank you for your advice!
Literal I go it to-take, thank-you for your advice!
'Je vais + infinitive' is the futur proche — used for an immediate decision. 'Le' is the direct object pronoun (it, masculine) placed before 'prendre'. 'Vos conseils' uses formal 'vos' to match the earlier 'vous'.
- futur proche: aller (conjugated) + infinitive for immediate future
- 'le' = direct object pronoun before 'prendre'
- 'vos conseils' = formal possessive + plural noun (conseil → conseils)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
un jeu
a game
Je cherche un jeu de rôle.
I'm looking for a role-playing game.
Plural: des jeux
recommander
to recommend
Pouvez-vous me recommander un bon jeu ?
Can you recommend a good game to me?
Regular -er verb
meilleur(e)
better / best
Quel est le meilleur jeu de l'année ?
What is the best game of the year?
Irregular comparative/superlative of 'bon'
en promotion
on sale / discounted
Ces jeux sont en promotion ce week-end.
These games are on sale this weekend.
disponible
available
Est-ce que ce titre est disponible en ligne ?
Is this title available online?
comparer
to compare
Je voudrais comparer les deux prix.
I would like to compare the two prices.
Regular -er verb
un conseil
a piece of advice
Merci pour vos conseils !
Thank you for your advice!
Plural: des conseils
une histoire
a story
Ce jeu a une histoire passionnante.
This game has a captivating story.
acheter
to buy
Je vais acheter ce jeu en ligne.
I'm going to buy this game online.
Spelling-change verb: j'achète, tu achètes…
une console
a console
Ce jeu est compatible avec ma console.
This game is compatible with my console.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Lucas entre dans la boutique de jeux vidéo et s'approche du vendeur. Il cherche un jeu de rôle avec une bonne histoire, mais il ne sait pas lequel choisir. Le vendeur lui en recommande deux : l'un est moins cher, mais l'autre est meilleur selon la plupart des clients. Lucas voudrait comparer les deux versions avant de décider. Finalement, il prend le plus populaire et remercie le vendeur pour ses précieux conseils.
Sentence by sentence
Lucas entre dans la boutique de jeux vidéo
Lucas enters the video game shop
'Entrer dans' = to enter (into). 'La boutique de jeux vidéo' = the video game shop — 'de jeux vidéo' functions as a descriptor, not a possessive.
il ne sait pas lequel choisir
he doesn't know which one to choose
'Savoir + infinitive' = to know how/which to do something. 'Lequel' = which one (masculine singular, replacing 'jeu').
Le vendeur lui en recommande deux
The sales assistant recommends two to him
'Lui' = indirect object pronoun (to him). 'En' = pronoun replacing a partitive quantity — here meaning 'of them'. Both cluster before the verb.
l'un est moins cher, mais l'autre est meilleur
one is cheaper, but the other is better
'L'un… l'autre' = one… the other. 'Moins cher' = cheaper (inferiority comparative). 'Meilleur' = better (irregular comparative of 'bon').
Lucas voudrait comparer les deux versions avant de décider
Lucas would like to compare both versions before deciding
'Voudrait' = conditional (polite wish, third person). 'Avant de + infinitive' = before doing — same structure seen in the lesson sentences.
il prend le plus populaire
he takes the most popular one
'Le plus populaire' = the most popular (superlative). The noun 'jeu' is implied; only the article and adjective remain, which is natural in French.
remercie le vendeur pour ses précieux conseils
thanks the sales assistant for his valuable advice
'Remercier quelqu'un pour quelque chose' = to thank someone for something. 'Conseils' (plural) echoes the closing sentence of the lesson.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Conditional Mood for Polite Requests: je voudrais / j'aimerais
Using the conditional mood softens requests and sounds far more natural than the blunt present tense. 'Je veux' (I want) can feel demanding; 'je voudrais' (I would like) is polite and widely expected in shops, restaurants, and any service interaction. Both 'vouloir' → 'voudrais' and 'aimer' → 'aimerais' work this way and are interchangeable in most contexts. They are always followed by an infinitive.
je voudrais / j'aimerais + [infinitive]
Je voudrais essayer ce jeu avant de l'acheter.
I would like to try this game before buying it.
J'aimerais voir les jeux en promotion.
I would like to see the games on sale.
Je voudrais comparer les prix en ligne.
I would like to compare the prices online.
J'aimerais trouver un jeu avec une longue histoire.
I would like to find a game with a long story.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Which phrase is the most polite way to ask about game promotions?
Translate to French: 'I would like to compare the two games before deciding.'
Hint Use 'j'aimerais' for a polite request and remember the word 'comparer'.
Complete the sentence: 'Mon ami me l'a ____ la semaine dernière.'
Hint What did your friend do? Use the past participle of 'recommander'.
Translate to English: 'Est-ce qu'il y a une démo disponible avant d'acheter?'
Rewrite this sentence using the conditional mood for politeness: 'Je veux un jeu de rôle pour ma console.'
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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