MICHEL THOMAS FRENCH (BUILDER) COURSE, 2 CDs
TRANSCRIPT

This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too. 

Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying the recordings.

Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. An asterisk denotes a phrase that is highlighted in the booklet which accompanies the recordings. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Page numbers in the booklet are also shown in brackets.

Version 2, Jan 15th 2006
Transcribed by JK

CD 1 (79.18)
(Track 1, 9.47)
*I want... 
I want it
I want that 
I want to have it 
I want to have that 
*I would like...
...to see it/him/her 
...very much like to see her 
*I must... 
...speak with her/him 
...talk to him/her 
*I like, I love... 
...to do it
(You could say Je voudrais aller là for "I would like to go there", but it is much better to use y.  y means "to it" or "there" and as a pronoun comes before the verb.  You can push the -s of je voudrais into y aller)
I am going to go there 
I am going there 
*sometimes 
once, twice, three times
for the first/last time 
for the next time 
(p8)
I go there sometimes 
...but not often 
very often / not very often
...but not very often
*It's rare 
It isn't very interesting
(You can push the -s of très into intéressant)
*besides... 
...I don't like to do it
*It is too far 
It is very far 
It is very far from here 
And besides, it's too far from here
Is it far from here? / How far is it from here? 
It's not far 
*It is near 
It is near here (near from here) 
*to go on foot / to walk 
You can go on foot / walk 
It is too far to walk there 
(When "to"in English means "in order to" you use pour followed by the verb)
You can take a taxi 
One must go there by car (in car) 
(p9)
(You can push the t of doit into y aller)
One can / must take a taxi to go there 
(Track 2, 6.49)
*It's all right (it goes, it is going) 
Ça va
It's fine, it's going fine 
It's all right that way / like that 
It's better 
It's going better now 
Everything is going better now 
It's going much better that way / like that 
What do you prefer? 
I prefer it like that 
I like it... 
...that way 
...better that way 
...much better that way 
I don't like to go there now 
*really 
I don't really like it 
I don't really like to go there
not really
(vraiment means "really" or "truly".  vrai means "true"; c'est vrai means "it's true"; Ah vraiment? means "Is that so?")
(p10)
*at any rate (in all case)... 
...not tonight 
...because I am too tired 
I prefer (to stay) staying here 
I like better staying here 
*I don't feel like... 
...going out 
(avoir envie de means "to feel like something".  A noun or an adjective needs de if it is followed by verb)
I don't feel like...
...doing it
...seeing it 
...staying here
I don't feel like... 
...going to see it 
...going there tonight 
I really feel like going to the movies tonight 
I feel like seeing this picture
I feel like going to see this picture 
*It appears, it seems 
It appears that it is very interesting
It appears that it is a very interesting picture 
I feel like seeing it
(p11)
*It interests me 
It interests me very much 
It doesn't interest me
*not at all
It doesn't interest me at all 
*I find it, I think it is... 
...very interesting
What do you think? (What is it that you think?) 
What do you think of it? 
In my opinion... 
...one/we can go there
...we can go there 
(on meaning "one" is very often used for "we" instead of the nous form)
(Track 3, 8.15)
*It is worth the trouble 
It is worth doing it 
It is not worth doing it 
It is not worth going there
(For "It's not worth it" you can also say Ce n'est pas la peine)
*I think/believe that... 
...it's worth it 
...it's worth going there to see it 
*perhaps 
But perhaps not tonight 
Perhaps tomorrow night... 
(p12)
...if you like 
...if you feel like doing it 
(You can push the z of avez into envie)
*It appeals to me, it pleases me, I like it 
I would like to have it because I like it 
It pleases me very much 
It pleases you?  Do you like it?  
(plaît as in s'il vous plaît meaning "please", literally "if it pleases you")
You want it? 
Do you want it?  (Is it that you want it?) 
You want to have it? 
(Forming a question: The simplest way of forming a question is to say a statement in a question in tone.  Another easy way is to put Est-ce que… "is it that..." at the beginning of a statement)
*You want some of it? 
You want to have some of it? 
How much of it do you want? 
I want some 
I don't want any 
I don't want any more of it 
(en means "of it"; it is a pronoun and comes before the verb)
*too bad, so what
(tant means "so much", pis means "worse", literally "so much the worse")
(p13)
*so much the better 
so much the better for me
so much the worse for you 
*How much is it? 
How much is it worth? 
It's not worth much (big thing)
I like it very much 
*I must have it
*How much do I owe you? 
(Je dois means both "I must" and "I owe")
*I don't like it 
Do you like it?
Does it appeal to you, do you like it?  (Is it that you like it?) 
I don't like doing it 
*I am very glad... 
*...to see you 
*I am very happy... 
...to see you 
...to arrange it for you 
*fortunately, happily
Fortunately it will be possible to do it 
(p14)
*unfortunately 
But unfortunately I can't do it today 
I cannot do it 
I cannot do anything... 
...but possibly tomorrow 
*If it is all right with you (if it goes to you) 
(Track 4, 6.27)
*there is, there are...
*There are many people 
(le monde means "world", as in tout le monde "everybody", literally "all the world")
Everybody is there 
There are too many people
*There is a message for you
There are no messages
Are there any messages? 
*Nothing today 
Nothing any more 
There is nothing any more 
*I would like to leave a message 
Can I leave a message? 
(laisser means "to leave" or "to leave behind")
(p15)
*I am looking for it... 
...everywhere 
I see it everywhere 
I'm looking for it everywhere but... 
...I cannot find it 
(chercher means "to look for" or "to search", as in chercher la femme, "to look for the woman")
*I don't know where it is 
*Look!  It's there 
It's over there 
(regarder means "to look"; chercher means "to look for")
*I know where it is (emphasising I) 
(Use moi to emphasise "I".  In English, for emphasis, we raise our voice instead)
*Will you bring it? 
Will you bring it to me? 
I'm bringing it 
I'm bringing it to you 
(apporter means "to bring"; porter means "to carry" and also "to wear")
*of course 
*naturally 
(aller + chercher means "to get", so je vais le chercher doesn't mean "I'm going to look for it", but "I'm going to get it".  "I will look for it" is je le chercherai)
(p16)
*I know where it is and I am going to get it
*I must hurry (I must dispatch myself) 
I am going to hurry
Will you hurry? 
*I am in a hurry, I am pressed for time 
I'm very much in a hurry 
I must hurry because... 
...I am very pressed for time
(Track 5, 13.52)
*There is a lot of...
...traffic 
It is going to take a very long time... 
...to get there 
*late 
I am going to be late 
I will be there late 
I will be there in a few minutes 
(In French there is a difference between "late" meaning "belated" as in Je suis en retard and "late" as in "It is too late" C'est trop tard)
*something
Is there something for me? 
No, there isn't anything
What do you have for me? 
(p17)
*something to... 
Do you have something to eat? 
I have something to tell you 
I have many things to do
I have nothing to do now 
Nothing doing
*It doesn't matter (It doesn't do anything) 
It isn't very important to do it 
It doesn't have much importance 
*It gives me pleasure (it makes me pleasure) 
I'm very pleased... 
...to see you 
...to do it for you 
It will give me great pleasure to see you, I am looking forward to seeing you 
I am tired 
I am exhausted 
I must rest (I must rest myself) 
I am going to have a rest (rest myself) 
*There is much noise 
There is too much noise 
One is making too much noise 
It makes too much noise 
It disturbs me (It deranges me) 
(p18)
It disturbs me very much 
It doesn't disturb me 
It doesn't disturb me at all 
It annoys me 
It doesn't annoy me 
*I have the impression that... 
...she doesn't want it
...she doesn't want to do it 
I want to do it but I won't do it today... 
...because I am too busy to (in order to) do it today 
(You can push the p of trop into occupé)
*It seems (me) that... 
...she doesn't feel like going there 
*In my opinion... 
...I agree (I am in accord) with you 
It's OK 
OK, agreed 
*It interests me a great deal 
It interests me enormously 
But unfortunately it doesn't interest me at all 
*I don't think (believe) that... 
...he is going to be there this afternoon 
(p19)
(après means "after" and midi means "mid-day" or "noon"; à midi means "at noon")
*...but we will see 
I don't know if I can do it but we will see 
It won't be possible to do it this way 
I don't think so, I don't believe it 
I don't think so 
Are you sure? 
Of course 
Of course I'm sure
Look! 
It's on the table 
(sûr means "sure" and sur means "on")
Will you put it... 
...under the table? 
...on the floor (terra, land)? 
It's on the floor 
I'm going to put it on the floor 
Will you put it there on the floor? 
(Track 6, 10.04)
*We have to / must go there 
*One / we must...
...go there now 
...go there right away 
(p20)
(You can push the t of faut into the vowel sound at the beginning of y aller)
I would like to have it right away
I must have it straightaway 
*One / We must not... 
...buy it 
We must not buy it... 
...because it's too expensive
I need this book, that's all 
*That's all (that)... 
...I want 
...you want 
That's all I need (all that is necessary to me) 
Do you need anything else? 
No thank you 
That will be all 
Will you show me? 
*Will you let me (made me) see? 
I am going to show you something else 
I can show you something else 
Will you show me what you have? 
*Will you let me (make me) know? 
I will let you (make you) know tomorrow 
(p21)
I am going to let you know tomorrow 
Will you let me know... 
...at what time it will be ready? 
...at what time it is going to be ready? 
*to find out (to enquire oneself) 
to teach 
enquiries window 
I'm going to find out 
Will you find out? 
I need (I have need of) information 
I need some information 
I must find out... 
...and I will let you know tomorrow 
...and I am going to let you know tomorrow 
*to be able to 
the power
He does not have the power to do it
He cannot do it 
I cannot do it 
I am not going to be able to do it 
I will be able to do it 
I will not be able to do it 
(In the future tense, pouvoir contracts.  Other verbs ending in -oir are similar in the future tense: voir (je verrai), savoir (je saurai), devoir (je devrai) and so on)
I won't be able to find it here 
(p22)
*Do you have any (of it)?
No, I don't have any (of it) 
*There is / are some (of it) 
There is / are still some, there is / are still some left
I don't have any more (of it) 
There is / are no more (of it) (We're out of it)
There isn't / aren't any (of it)
*I'm sorry...
...but the aren't any more of it
(Track 7, 8.13)
*How are you?  (How are you going?) 
I'm fine (going well).  And you? 
I'm / It's fine, I'm / It's all right 
*I get by, I manage, I am managing 
I get by in French 
I will manage, I will find a way (to do something) 
I don't know how but... 
...I am going to manage 
(You use de after demander, dire and decider if they are followed by a full (infinitive) verb)
*I am going to decide to... 
I am going to decide to do it 
I cannot decide to do it 
(p23)
I'm going to ask him / her 
I'm going to ask them 
I'm going to ask him / her... 
...if he can / if she can do it
...to come with us 
*I would like to ask you... 
...to come with us 
*Will you tell him / her... 
...to wait? 
Will you ask him / her to call me later? 
I think that he will decide to do it
I am decided / determined to do it immediately 
to try, to try on 
*I would like...
I would like to try it on 
May I? 
May I see it? 
Can I see it? 
Is it all right?  May I?  (You permit?) 
(You use de after essayer and oublier if a verb follows)
*I am going to try... 
...to do it 
I don't know if I can do it... 
...but I am going to try to do it 
(p24)
*I am not going to forget... 
...to do it
...to tell you 
...to give it to you 
...to give it to him / her 
(When there are two l- words, as in le lui and le leur, le comes before the pronoun beginning with l-.  When there is only one l- words, all other pronouns such as me, te, nous, vous come before le)
I would like to give it to you
I would like to give it to him / her 
I'm not going to forget... 
I won't forget... 
...to give it to him / her 
(Track 8, 5.51)
*I really feel like doing it... 
...but I don't know if I can do it
*I will / I am going to try to do it 
She would like to try on the dress 
He would like to try it on 
*Is it worth going there? 
It's not worth doing it 
One / We can go there now if you want 
(p25)
(You can push the t of peut into y aller)
*Will you ask him / her to wait for me? 
Will you tell him / her to wait for me? 
Will you come with me? Do you want to come with me? 
*Yes, certainly 
*I would like to 
I want to 
Agreed, certainly 
Gladly 
You are very nice 
It's very nice of you 
*OK?  Is it OK? 
Does it agree with you? (It goes with you?) Is it OK with you? 
Is it all right with you?  (It convenes with you?) 
It's all right with me 
It's going well 
It's not all right with me, it's not convenient for me 
I like that 
It pleases me 
It's a good idea 
I like that idea
That is a good idea 

(end of recording)

CD 2 76.06

(Track 1, 3.27, p26)
*I like... 
I like very much... 
I like very much to travel, I very much like travelling
*to spend time 
to spend the weekend 
I think (believe) that I am going to spend my vacation 
...first in France 
...and then / later in Italy
*I plan on... 
(penser means "to think" and also "to plan")
I plan on leaving (think to leave) soon 
When do you plan on leaving (think to leave)? 
How long do you plan on staying? 
I plan on leaving Monday 
I plan on leaving next Monday 
(Days of the week: Most of the Days of the week are named after Latin and Greek gods and the planets:)
(Track 2, 3.46)
*Monday
*Tuesday 
(p27)
next Tuesday, Tuesday morning 
*Wednesday 
next Wednesday, Wednesday evening 
*Thursday
*Friday 
*Saturday 
*Sunday 
Sunday morning 
(Months of the year)
*January 
in January, in the month of January 
the next month, next month 
in a month 
*February, in the month of February 
*March, April, May, June, July
*August, September, October 
*November, December 
(Track 3, 3.58)
*I plan on... 
...spending a few weeks in France 
*I expect to, I hope to... 
...spend a few weeks in France 
*I intend to... 
...spend a few weeks in France 
I expect/hope to spend several weeks in France
(p28)
I intend to leave next week 
I will see you / I'm going to see you... 
...in a week
eight days ago 
*I am going to leave... 
...in two weeks / in a fortnight
I am going to / I will see... 
...in two weeks 
We will arrive in two weeks 
(Asking for directions: If you stop a policeman to ask for directions you will say Pardon Monsieur.  Simply say Pour aller à... "to go to...", the place you want to go to and s'il vous plaît? "please?". Using a questioning tone of voice you can even say just the name and the place and s'il vous plaît?)
(Track 4, 4.46)
Excuse me... 
...(can you tell me) the way to 
Place de l'Opéra please? 
...(can you tell me) the way to Lyon / the road for Lyon?
*Cross the street... 
*...then you continue / keep going straight ahead 
...turn left 
...turn right 
(p29)
...at the third street you turn right 
*It is on the right side / to your right 
It is on the left side / to your left 
(Note the difference between tout droit "straight ahead" and à droite "on the right".  The t is sounded there)
*It is right in front 
It is on this side 
*It is on the other side 
I thank you very much 
Thanks a thousand times / many times 
*It is this way 
You can find it... 
...this way 
...that way 
You will find it that way
It is that way 
It is at the corner 
It is on the corner of the road 
It is not far from here, it is on the corner of the street 
It is at the end of the street
It is right there at the end of the street 
It is there, It is over there (there down) 
You can find it over there 
Vous pouvez le trouver là-bas
(aussi...que means "as...as"; aussi by itself means "also"; non plus means "neither")
(Track 5, 3.21, p30)
Will you ask him... 
...to send it to me? 
*...as quickly as possible? 
I will also do it 
It pleases me also, I like it also 
I don't want it 
I don't want it any more 
Me neither 
*Can you do it as soon as possible? 
Can you be here as quickly as possible? 
I am going to arrange it for you as quickly as possible 
*I beg you to... 
...do it
...arrange it for me
Will you... 
...do it please? 
...arrange it for me please 
Will you come with me... 
...please?
...I beg you? 
(Je vous prie, from prier "to beg" is a more emphatic form of "please") 
(Track 6, 7.46)
*It is... 
...terrible
...horrible
...awful 
(p31)
I am going to find out (inform myself) 
I must find out 
I have just found out (I come from finding out) 
*Will you try to... 
...get it for me? 
I am going to try to... 
...get it for you 
...do it
I am going to take the plane... 
...to go (in order to go) to London
*It works, it functions (it marches)
It works well like that 
*It doesn't work 
It doesn't work well 
(Use faire for "to have something done")
*I want to get /space have my shirts washed 
Will you... 
...have my suit cleaned (made neat)? 
...have the dress cleaned?
...have it cleaned? 
...have it repaired? 
...have it washed? 
...have it ironed? 
...have him wait, make him wait?
...have him come up to my room? 
...have my luggage taken down? 
(p32)
...have it taken up? 
...have my breakfast brought up? 
...have me awakened / woken up tomorrow morning at eight o'clock? 
...let me know? 
(monter means "to go up", "to come up", "to bring up", "to take up", "to carry up" etc; descendre means "to go down", "to bring down", "to take down", "to carry down")
I will let you know 
I am going to let you know
Will you have it changed? 
Can you show me something else? 
Can you show me something else?  (Can you make me see...?) 
*I'm going to have it done (to make it do) 
Will you have it done / made for me? 
Will you get (make come) a doctor? 
Will you get a taxi? 
Will you call a taxi? 
Will you pass the sugar? 
*May I...? 
May I see it? 
(If you are reaching out the something, you will say Vous permettez? "You permit?", "May I?".  Or, if someone says this to you, you will apply Je vous prie "I beg you" or Je vous en prie "I beg you of it", "please do")
Will you repair it for me? 
Will you have it repaired for me? 
(Track 7, 7.00, p33)
Pardon?  Pardon me?  Excuse me? (When you want someone to repeat something) 
Pardon?  Pardon me?  Excuse me? (How?) 
Will you repeat it, please? (You are saying?) 
I would like to say it... 
...but I don't know how to express it in French 
I would like to know how to express myself better in French 
*How does one say it in French? How do you say it...? (How does it say itself?) 
I would like to know how it is being said in French 
Will you / Could you tell me how one says it in French? 
*How do you spell it in French? (How does it write itself?) 
I am certain / short that he is going to have a lot of trouble 
(English words ending in -ty: All English words ending in -ty end in -té in French: "liberty" liberté, "opportunity" opportunité, "facility" facilité, "difficulty" difficulté. Similarly, English words ending in -em end in -ème in French: "problem" problème, "system" système)
(p34)
One is going to have many problems 
*to mean 
You mean... (You want to say...) 
*I mean... 
That's not what I mean 
What do you mean? (What do you want to say?) 
I don't understand what you mean 
*It means... 
Will you explain what you mean? 
Can you explain what that means? 
*What does it mean? 
I don't understand what it means 
*Do you want a drink? 
Will you have a drink with me? 
As you like 
If you like, If you want 
I don't care (It is equal to me)
It's not worth insisting 
Why insist?  Don't bother insisting 
*It is evident 
(Track 8, 10.20)
(English words ending in -ly: To form the equivalent of -ly words in English, in general you simply add -ment to the adjective in French - probable, probablement.  For all words ending in -ant and -ent, such as "evident" and "constant", drop the ending and add -amment or -emment, e.g. evidemment, constamment)
*possible, possibly 
comfortable, comfortably 
evident, evidently 
recent, recently 
constant, constantly 
He is doing it constantly
He is doing the same thing constantly 
not very frequently 
to frequent, to go often to 
I like to frequent this restaurant 
*It doesn't matter (It doesn't do anything) 
It is all the same to me, I don't care 
Really, Is that so?  (Truly?) 
So much the better
It's much better that way 
Too bad, So much the worse, So what? 
There are no problems 
I am angry 
*evening, day, morning 
Thank you for that lovely evening 
to give an evening party 
(p36)
It is / was a pleasant (agreeable) evening 
to spend a (whole) day
to spend a (whole) morning 
*together 
If you want, we can go to the movies together 
We can drive there by car 
It is ridiculous
It is too bad 
I thank you 
*It seems to me that...
...everything is all right (is going well) 
*at least (at less) 
I would like to go there... 
...at least I will see what it is 
*specially 
It is very special 
the speciality 
What speciality do you have? 
What is the speciality of the house? 
Especially if you can tell me what you think 
*Above all / Mainly if you can tell me... 
*to reflect, to think about 
I am going to think about it 
Let me think about it 
(p37)
I am going to let you know in a week 
I will let you know... 
It is going very well 
It is going much better
*to feel 
I feel it 
*I feel fine (feel myself) 
I feel better 
I feel much better today 
I feel much better when I am alone 
I work much better when I am alone 
*I don't need / have need of anything 
I don't need / have need of it 
I need / have need of that
I need / have need of it
(Track 9, 6.31)
*There are too many people here
Everybody is here 
Everybody is going to be here 
Everybody is going to be there tonight 
There are many people
I don't want to stay here... 
...because there are too many people here 
...also it is very warm here
(p38)
There is no air-conditioning here
It is not air-conditioned 
I cannot stand the heat 
(To say "it is..." when you are talking about whether, use il fait… "it makes...", not c'est...)
*It is... 
...warm, hot 
...fine, beautiful weather 
...fine, beautiful weather 
...cold 
*to be (to have) cold / warm 
I am (have) warm 
Are you cold? 
(Note: If you say Êtes-vous froid? this means "are you a cold person?")
We are warm here 
It is warm here 
I am cold... 
...because it is cold here 
*to be hungry / thirsty 
I am hungry (I have hunger / famine) 
I am not hungry 
I would like to eat something... 
...because I am hungry 
I am thirsty 
I would like to drink something...
...because I am thirsty
What do you want to drink? 
(p39)
*to take, to have (food or drink) 
What would you like to have (to eat or drink)? 
(If you want to say "have" referring to food or drink, never use avoir.  Instead use prendre meaning "to take, intake")
I am going to have (take) a cup of coffee 
I am going to have my breakfast 
Will you have breakfast with me? 
At what time do you want to have breakfast tomorrow morning? 
I am going shopping (to do purchases) 
(Track 10, 7.32)
*myself 
I think I can do it myself 
I am going to try to do it myself 
*anyway, even so 
I am going to do it anyway 
I will do it anyway 
*even if... 
Even if you tell me that I cannot do it... 
...I am going to try to do it anyway 
(p40)
I am going to do it slowly 
It is not going very well 
It is going badly 
It astonishes me, surprises me 
I am surprised 
He is surprised
*He is quite surprised 
(bien before an adjective means "quite")
*She is surprised 
Are you surprised? 
(If you are talking about a woman, add -e to surpris to make it feminine)
*It doesn't surprise me 
*It is... 
*...magnificent 
...superb 
...great 
...fantastic, tremendous 
*bad / badly 
It is very bad 
I don't like it because it is very bad 
He is doing it badly 
It is going badly 
It is not going badly today 
On the contrary, it is going very well 
(p41)
*It is very light
It is very heavy 
It is too heavy 
*to lift / to get up 
I am lifting it up 
I am getting up (lifting myself up) 
I am going to get up 
I am going to get up early 
I am going to get up earlier 
It is too early 
I am going to get up early (of good hour) tomorrow morning 
*It is very heavy 
I cannot lift it up...
...because it is too heavy 
*It is full 
It is too full 
*to fill up / to fill in (a form)
Will you fill in the form? 
It is very empty (void) 
It is too empty 
*to empty 
I am going to empty it 
Will you fill up the glass? 
Will you fill up the bottle? 
It is not clean 
Will you clean it up? 
It is very dirty 
It is too dirty 
(Track 11, 6.50, p42)
*to answer (respond) 
to give an answer 
Will you give me an answer? 
I am waiting for your answer 
Will you answer me? 
It is perfect 
It is really perfect 
Where do you want to put it? 
I would like to know where it is 
*It is (finds itself)... 
I would like to know where it is located 
I would like to know where is the restaurant 
The restaurant is near here 
The restaurant is quite near here
You can walk there 
It is not far 
*anyway, any place, no matter where 
You can get it anywhere 
You can find it anyplace 
*anybody 
Anybody can tell you 
*any time, no matter when 
You can come any time 
*at any time 
You can come at any time 
(p43)
You can do it at any time / no matter when 
anyhow, no matter how 
*I am looking for it everywhere... 
...but you can find it anyplace 
*without
I can't do it without you 
without worries 
without... 
...telling me 
...finding it
...leaving 
...saying a word 
He is going to leave without saying a word
(For verbs in English which end in -ing such as "doing", "making" says and which follow a preposition such as sans, you use the whole infinitive verb in French)
*It is enough
*It / That is enough (It suffices) 
It is enough for today 
It is enough like that 
Good trip! 
Good luck!
*to wish 
I wish you good luck 
to your wishes (said after sneezing) 
until soon 

(end of recording)