À la sécurité de l'aéroport
Going through airport security · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Bonjour, voici mon passeport et ma carte d'embarquement.
Hello, here is my passport and my boarding pass.
Literal Hello, here is my passport and my boarding card.
This is the standard opening when approaching a security checkpoint. 'Voici' is the natural way to present documents.
- 'voici' is used to present something nearby
- 'mon' and 'ma' are possessive adjectives matching noun gender (masculine/feminine)
Je dois enlever mes chaussures et ma ceinture ?
Do I need to take off my shoes and my belt?
Literal I must remove my shoes and my belt?
Using 'devoir' plus infinitive expresses obligation. Raising intonation at the end turns it into a question without inversion.
- 'devoir' + infinitive = obligation or necessity
- Question by intonation: no inversion needed in casual speech
Mettez vos affaires dans le bac, s'il vous plaît.
Please put your belongings in the tray.
Literal Put your things in the tray, if you please.
This imperative instruction is commonly heard from security officers. 'Bac' refers to the plastic tray used at screening.
- Imperative: 'mettez' = formal/plural 'you put'
- 's'il vous plaît' softens a command politely
Est-ce que j'ai le droit de garder mon ordinateur dans mon sac ?
Am I allowed to keep my laptop in my bag?
Literal Is it that I have the right to keep my computer in my bag?
'Avoir le droit de' means 'to be allowed to.' This is a practical phrase for asking about security rules.
- 'Est-ce que' introduces a yes/no question without inversion
- 'avoir le droit de' + infinitive = to be allowed to
Non, il faut le sortir et le poser séparément.
No, you need to take it out and place it separately.
Literal No, it is necessary to take it out and to place it separately.
'Il faut' is an impersonal expression meaning 'it is necessary.' It is the go-to structure for stating rules.
- 'il faut' + infinitive = it is necessary to / you must
- Impersonal: no specific subject required
J'ai des liquides dans une pochette transparente.
I have some liquids in a clear pouch.
Literal I have some liquids in a transparent pouch.
Knowing how to describe what you carry is essential. 'Transparente' refers to the required clear bag for liquids.
- 'avoir' present tense: j'ai = I have
- 'des' is the plural indefinite article meaning 'some'
Passez dans le portique, s'il vous plaît.
Please walk through the metal detector.
Literal Pass through the gate, if you please.
'Portique' is the standard French word for the metal detector arch. This direct instruction is heard at every security checkpoint.
- Imperative: 'passez' = formal/plural 'you pass'
- 'dans' is a preposition of location meaning 'in/inside'; the sense of movement comes from the verb 'passez,' not from 'dans'
Est-ce que cette valise est à vous ?
Is this suitcase yours?
Literal Is it that this suitcase is to you?
Officers use this phrase to identify bag owners. 'Être à' + person expresses possession in French.
- 'être à' + person = to belong to someone
- 'cette' is a feminine demonstrative adjective (this)
Oui, elle est à moi. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ?
Yes, it's mine. What is it?
Literal Yes, it is to me. What is there?
'Elle est à moi' claims ownership naturally. 'Qu'est-ce qu'il y a?' asks what the issue is without sounding hostile.
- 'être à moi' = it is mine (possession)
- 'qu'est-ce qu'il y a' = what is there / what's the matter
Merci, bonne continuation et bon voyage !
Thank you, carry on and have a good trip!
Literal Thank you, good continuation and good journey!
'Bonne continuation' is a distinctly French farewell meaning 'carry on with what you're doing.' 'Bon voyage' is the classic send-off.
- 'bonne' is the feminine form of 'bon' (good)
- Both are fixed expressions used as warm farewells
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
le passeport
the passport
Montrez-moi votre passeport, s'il vous plaît.
Show me your passport, please.
Keep it accessible at every checkpoint
la carte d'embarquement
the boarding pass
J'ai ma carte d'embarquement sur mon téléphone.
I have my boarding pass on my phone.
le bac
the tray
Mettez vos chaussures dans le bac.
Put your shoes in the tray.
The plastic tray used at the security screening belt
enlever
to remove / to take off
Il faut enlever votre veste.
You need to take off your jacket.
le portique
the metal detector arch
Passez lentement dans le portique.
Walk slowly through the metal detector.
les liquides
the liquids
Les liquides doivent être dans un sac transparent.
Liquids must be in a clear bag.
interdit
forbidden / prohibited
Les couteaux sont interdits dans les bagages à main.
Knives are prohibited in carry-on luggage.
la ceinture
the belt
Retirez votre ceinture avant de passer.
Remove your belt before going through.
fouiller
to search / to inspect
L'agent va fouiller mon sac.
The agent is going to search my bag.
déclarer
to declare
Vous devez déclarer les objets de valeur.
You must declare valuable items.
Used at customs and security checkpoints alike
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Clara arrive au contrôle de sécurité avec sa valise et son sac à dos. Elle sort son passeport et sa carte d'embarquement, puis enlève ses chaussures et sa ceinture. Un agent lui demande de mettre ses affaires dans le bac. Elle place son ordinateur séparément, comme il faut. Elle passe dans le portique sans problème et récupère ses affaires de l'autre côté. « Bon voyage, madame ! » dit l'agent avec un sourire.
Sentence by sentence
Elle sort son passeport et sa carte d'embarquement
She takes out her passport and her boarding pass
Uses 'sortir' (to take out) with possessive adjectives 'son/sa' agreeing in gender with each noun
Un agent lui demande de mettre ses affaires dans le bac
An agent asks her to put her belongings in the tray
'demander à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose' = to ask someone to do something; 'lui' = to her (indirect object)
Elle place son ordinateur séparément, comme il faut
She places her laptop separately, as required
'comme il faut' is an idiomatic phrase meaning 'as one should' or 'properly' — very common in spoken French
Elle passe dans le portique sans problème
She walks through the metal detector without any issues
'sans problème' (without a problem) is a handy phrase for describing smooth outcomes
elle récupère ses affaires de l'autre côté
she collects her things on the other side
'récupérer' means to collect or retrieve; 'de l'autre côté' = on the other side, a useful spatial phrase
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Il faut + infinitive — Stating rules and necessity
'Il faut' is an impersonal expression meaning 'it is necessary to' or 'you must.' It takes no personal subject and is followed directly by an infinitive. It is the natural structure for stating airport rules and procedures.
Il faut + infinitive
Il faut enlever vos chaussures.
You must take off your shoes.
Il faut sortir les liquides de votre sac.
You need to take the liquids out of your bag.
Il faut présenter votre passeport.
You must show your passport.
Il ne faut pas garder son téléphone dans sa poche.
You must not keep your phone in your pocket.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: I need to take off my shoes.
Hint Use 'Je dois' (I must) + infinitive, and 'enlever' (to take off)
Mettez vos affaires dans le bac, s'il vous plaît.
Hint Affaires = belongings, bac = tray
Est-ce que j'ai le droit de garder mon ordinateur dans mon sac? Non, il faut le _______ et le poser séparément.
Hint This verb means 'to take out' or 'to remove.' Think about what you do with your laptop at security.
Which is the correct way to say 'You must go through the scanner'?
Rewrite this informal command in polite, formal French: 'Enlève tes chaussures!'
Hint Use 'Veuillez' for politeness and 'vous' for formality instead of the informal 'tu.'
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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