À la salle de sport
Going to the gym · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Excusez-moi, où se trouvent les haltères ?
Excuse me, where are the dumbbells?
Literal Excuse me, where are the dumbbells located?
A polite way to ask staff or other members where equipment is. 'Se trouver' means 'to be located' and sounds more natural than 'être' when asking where things are.
- 'Se trouver' is a reflexive verb meaning 'to be located' or 'to be found'
- Using 'où' with inversion makes the question formal and polite
Je fais de la musculation trois fois par semaine.
I do weight training three times a week.
Literal I do some weight training three times per week.
'Faire de la musculation' is the standard phrase for weight training. 'Fois par semaine' is the natural way to express weekly frequency.
- 'Faire de la' + activity is the standard construction for sports and physical activities
- 'Fois par semaine' expresses weekly frequency
Il faut s'échauffer avant de commencer l'entraînement.
You need to warm up before starting the workout.
Literal It is necessary to warm oneself up before starting the training.
'Il faut' expresses necessity impersonally — it applies to everyone. 'Avant de' + infinitive links two actions in sequence, meaning 'before doing something'.
- 'Il faut' + infinitive = it is necessary to / one must
- 'Avant de' + infinitive = before doing something
- 'S'échauffer' is a reflexive verb meaning to warm up
Pouvez-vous me surveiller pendant que je fais ce développé couché ?
Can you spot me while I do this bench press?
Literal Can you watch over me while I do this lying press?
'Surveiller' literally means to watch over or supervise — used here for spotting at the gym. 'Pendant que' + a conjugated verb links two simultaneous actions.
- 'Pouvez-vous' + infinitive is a polite formal request
- 'Pendant que' introduces a simultaneous action and requires a conjugated verb, not an infinitive
Je travaille surtout les bras et les épaules aujourd'hui.
I'm working mostly arms and shoulders today.
Literal I work mostly the arms and the shoulders today.
'Travailler' a body part is natural gym language meaning to train that muscle group. 'Surtout' softens the focus without excluding other muscles.
- 'Travailler' + body part = to train or work a muscle group
- Definite articles (les) are used with body parts in French, not possessives
Les machines cardio sont au fond de la salle.
The cardio machines are at the back of the room.
Literal The cardio machines are at the bottom of the room.
'Au fond de' means 'at the back of' or 'at the far end of' — very useful for navigating any space. 'La salle' is short for 'la salle de sport' when context is clear.
- 'Au fond de' = at the back / far end of a space
- 'La salle' is a shorthand for 'la salle de sport' when the gym context is established
Mon objectif est de perdre cinq kilos d'ici l'été.
My goal is to lose five kilos by summer.
Literal My objective is to lose five kilos from here until summer.
'Est de' + infinitive introduces a goal or aim. 'D'ici' + time expression means 'by' or 'between now and' — handy for setting personal deadlines.
- '[noun] est de' + infinitive expresses a goal or purpose
- 'D'ici' + time = by a certain point in time
Tu t'étires toujours après ta séance ?
Do you always stretch after your session?
Literal You stretch yourself always after your session?
A casual question using rising intonation instead of inversion — completely natural in spoken French. 'S'étirer' is reflexive; 'ta séance' means your workout session.
- Rising intonation without inversion is the most common question form in conversational French
- 'S'étirer' is a reflexive verb: je m'étire, tu t'étires, il s'étire
Je commence à voir des résultats après deux mois.
I'm starting to see results after two months.
Literal I begin to see some results after two months.
'Commencer à' + infinitive means 'to start doing something'. 'Des résultats' is the indefinite plural article, indicating an unspecified number of results.
- 'Commencer à' + infinitive = to start doing something
- 'Des résultats' uses the indefinite plural article 'des' for an unspecified number of countable results
On peut se reposer une minute entre les séries.
We can rest for a minute between sets.
Literal One can rest oneself a minute between the series.
'On' is frequently used in conversational French to mean 'we'. 'Se reposer' is reflexive for 'to rest'. 'Les séries' refers to exercise sets.
- 'On' is the most common informal equivalent of 'nous' (we) in spoken French
- 'Se reposer' is a reflexive verb: on se repose, je me repose
- 'Les séries' = sets in an exercise context
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
l'haltère
dumbbell
Passe-moi l'haltère de cinq kilos, s'il te plaît.
Hand me the five-kilo dumbbell, please.
Can refer to a barbell as well; 'les haltères' in plural is the general term for free weights
s'échauffer
to warm up
Il faut toujours s'échauffer avant de soulever des poids.
You should always warm up before lifting weights.
Literally 'to heat oneself up'; also used figuratively for getting into any activity
la musculation
weight training
Elle fait de la musculation depuis un an.
She has been doing weight training for a year.
Used broadly for strength training; not limited to competitive bodybuilding
la séance
session / workout
Ma séance dure environ une heure.
My workout lasts about an hour.
Used for any scheduled session: gym, training, film screening — context determines meaning
s'étirer
to stretch
Je m'étire pendant dix minutes après chaque séance.
I stretch for ten minutes after each workout.
Reflexive; 'étirer quelque chose' without the pronoun means to stretch an object or fabric
l'entraînement
training / workout
Son entraînement commence à sept heures du matin.
His training starts at seven in the morning.
Slightly more formal than 'séance'; common in sports coaching and athletic contexts
surveiller
to watch over / to spot
Tu peux me surveiller pour ce squat ?
Can you spot me for this squat?
General meaning is to supervise or keep watch; spotting someone at the gym is a natural application
les abdominaux
abs / abdominal muscles
Je travaille les abdominaux trois fois par semaine.
I work my abs three times a week.
Shortened to 'les abdos' in casual speech
la salle de sport
gym
Il y a une nouvelle salle de sport près de chez moi.
There is a new gym near my place.
Often shortened to 'la salle' when context is clear; also called 'la salle de fitness'
les séries
sets (exercise)
Je fais quatre séries de douze répétitions.
I do four sets of twelve repetitions.
Singular: 'une série'; the same word also means a TV series or a mathematical series
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Chaque matin, Lucas arrive à la salle de sport avec son sac rouge et commence par s'échauffer sur le tapis roulant pendant dix minutes. Il faut toujours préparer le corps avant de soulever des poids. Ensuite, il travaille les jambes et les épaules, en faisant quatre séries de chaque exercice. Son ami Théo lui surveille souvent la barre pendant les squats lourds. Après l'entraînement, les deux amis s'étirent ensemble et parlent de leurs objectifs pour l'été.
Sentence by sentence
Chaque matin, Lucas arrive à la salle de sport avec son sac rouge
Every morning, Lucas arrives at the gym with his red bag
'Chaque matin' establishes a habitual routine. 'Arriver à' + place is the standard arrival construction; 'la salle de sport' is the gym.
et commence par s'échauffer sur le tapis roulant pendant dix minutes
and starts by warming up on the treadmill for ten minutes
'Commencer par' + infinitive means 'to start by doing'; contrast with 'commencer à' (to start doing). 'Le tapis roulant' is the French word for treadmill.
Il faut toujours préparer le corps avant de soulever des poids
One must always prepare the body before lifting weights
'Il faut' expresses universal necessity, meaning 'one must' or 'it is necessary'; it is stronger than 'il est important' (it is important). 'Avant de' + infinitive shows sequence. 'Soulever des poids' = to lift weights.
il travaille les jambes et les épaules, en faisant quatre séries de chaque exercice
he works his legs and shoulders, doing four sets of each exercise
The gérondif 'en faisant' (while doing / by doing) adds simultaneous detail. 'Chaque exercice' = each exercise.
Son ami Théo lui surveille souvent la barre pendant les squats lourds
His friend Théo often spots him on the bar during heavy squats
'Surveiller la barre' = to watch the bar / to spot. 'Lui' is an indirect object pronoun referring to Lucas.
les deux amis s'étirent ensemble et parlent de leurs objectifs pour l'été
the two friends stretch together and talk about their goals for the summer
'S'étirer' is reflexive. 'Parler de' = to talk about. 'Leurs objectifs' uses the plural possessive for goals shared between two people.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Il faut + infinitive — expressing necessity
'Il faut' is an impersonal expression meaning 'it is necessary to' or 'one must'. It is always followed by an infinitive and applies universally to everyone in the context. It is one of the most practical constructions in French for giving advice, stating rules, or describing what needs to be done. To make it negative, use 'il ne faut pas' + infinitive.
Il faut + [infinitive]
Il faut s'échauffer avant l'entraînement.
You need to warm up before the workout.
Il faut boire beaucoup d'eau pendant l'effort.
You must drink plenty of water during exercise.
Il faut respecter les règles de la salle.
One must follow the gym rules.
Il ne faut pas oublier de s'étirer.
You must not forget to stretch.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: 'I do weightlifting three times a week.'
Fill in the blank: 'Il faut _____ avant de commencer l'entraînement.'
Hint What do you do to prepare your body before exercise?
Translate to English: 'Tu t'étires toujours après ta séance ?'
Complete the sentence: 'On peut se reposer une minute _____.'
Rewrite using the grammar pattern 'Il faut + infinitive': 'You must warm up before beginning the workout.'
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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