A2 · Français des urgences

Clés perdues: French dialogue with IPA and English

Follow all six turns, inspect the pronunciation, and practise the contrasts that matter inside this situation.

Practise this dialogue in Parle Read the six turns

Six turns from the current app scene

French conversation, IPA, and English meaning

Moi
J'ai perdu mes clés, je suis coincé dehors!
/ʒ'ai pɛʀdy məs kles, ʒɛ sɥis kɔɛ̃se dəɔʀs! /
I lost my keys, I'm locked out!
Serrurier
Ne paniquez pas, je peux intervenir de suite.
/nə panikɛz pas, ʒɛ pœks ɛ̃tɛʀvɛniʀ dɛ sɥitə./
Don't panic, I can come right away.
Moi
Ça va me coûter combien pour l'ouverture?
/sa va mə kutɛʀ kɔ̃bjɛ̃ puʀ l'uvɛʀtyʀə? /
How much will it cost me for the opening?
Serrurier
Le forfait de nuit est de cent cinquante euros.
/lə fɔʀfɛt dɛ nɥit ɛst dɛ sɑ̃t sɛ̃kɑ̃tə œʀɔs./
The night rate is one hundred and fifty euros.
Moi
C'est cher, mais je n'ai pas le choix.
/k'ɛst ʃəʀ, mɛs ʒɛ n'ai pas lə ʃwaks./
It's expensive, but I have no choice.
Serrurier
J'arrive dans quinze minutes, restez devant.
/ʒ'aʀʀivə dɑ̃s kɛ̃zɛ minytɛs, ʀɛstɛz dəvɑ̃t./
I'll be there in fifteen minutes, stay outside.

Culture and context in French

Read the situation beyond the individual lines.

Si vous perdez vos clés, appelez un serrurier. Demandez le prix avant son arrivée. Vérifiez aussi si votre assurance peut payer une partie de la facture.

Four sound contrasts from this scene

Minimal pairs before another full read

Alternate each pair, return to the dialogue, and listen for whether the intended word remains clear inside the sentence.

clé versus claie

/kle/ vs /klə/

porte versus poste

/pɔʀt/ vs /pɔst/

trousseau versus troupeau

/tʀuso/ vs /tʀupo/

serrure versus suture

/sɛʀʀyʀ/ vs /sytyʀ/

Role-play routine

Keep the intention; change one detail.

Read the exchange once for meaning without stopping at every IPA symbol.
Repeat one speaker's turns and keep the other turns as prompts.
Change one time, place, object, or preference while preserving the structure.
Switch roles and answer without reading the original line word for word.
Use the app for model audio, recording, and a guided response sequence.

Safety boundary

This is language practice, not professional advice.

The dialogue does not diagnose, treat, provide emergency instructions, replace a clinician, or replace local emergency services. Use qualified help for real medical, legal, financial, or safety decisions.

Continue the clés perdues dialogue in Parle.

Hear the reviewed model, record your turns, and practise a response instead of only reading the script.

Get Parle on the App Store