T’as déjà pleuré parce que tu étais si heureuse ? 🥲

Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Coucou ☕️🇫🇷🥐 I'm Amélie Laurent and this is my French newsletter. I supercharge your progress from A2 to B2 through colloquial dialogues.
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Bonjour à tous et à toutes ! 👋

I had a may or may not have had big news planned for today’s edition.. and then on Monday morning a water bottled spilled in my handbag with my laptop in it. 💀

not tears of joy

I thought I had everything backed-up, but my French with Amélie master file hadn’t synced in several weeks. Monday was stressful.

But, I got an emergency appointment, the laptop has come through the wars, and I managed to recover the mission-critical file! The whole episode has just left me a little bit behind schedule.
C'est la vie hein.

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We also have a big milestone coming up 👀—so many exciting things happening huh!—and I really want to celebrate the community.

I’m also loving the polls where I get to see everyone’s opinions directly. Democracy and France have a history together! Power to the newsletter readers! ✊🏼

So my scheme is to do a giveaway to celebrate the milestone (🍾) but I want the prize to be something my readers actually want! And what better way to find that out than to ask you! Please lmk below, and I am wide open to suggestions - what would help you on your French journey.

Ok, that’s all the updates for today, but eye’s peeled for what’s coming! Really good things happening soon (things that involve dry laptops!).
J'ai hâte de partager avec tout le monde. Watch this space.

We all secretly know the only way to truly learn a language is real-life conversations and experiences. Lessons and grammar can only take us so far.
While real-life experiences are difficult to recreate, my colloquial conversational dialogues help you learn authentic French in context. They’re how real French people actually speak.

If you have any questions or concerns - comment below or simply reply to this email.

Gros Bisous! A x

Dialogue du Jour

Léo : As-tu déjà ✪ pleuré parce que tu étais si heureuse ?

Louise : Oh, oui, Léo, ça m'est arrivé. La fois où j'ai obtenu mon premier emploi, j'étais si heureuse que j'ai commencé à pleurer.

Léo : Vraiment ? C'est génial, ça, Louise ! Ça doit être une sensation formidable de réaliser que tu as décroché ✪ quelque chose que tu voulais vraiment.

Louise : Oui, c'était vraiment à couper le souffle ✪. J'étais tellement émue ✪. Et toi, t’as déjà eu une expérience similaire ?

Léo : Oui, je me souviens, c'était quand j'ai appris que j'allais devenir grand-frère. J'étais tellement content que j'ai commencé à pleurer.

Louise : Ça me réjouit d'entendre ça, Léo. La joie peut vraiment nous submerger parfois.

Léo : Oui, c'est vrai. C'est un peu comme un bon film qui te fait rire et pleurer en même temps. On se sent bien dans sa peau ✪.

Louise : Quand on est vraiment heureux, on ne peut pas s'empêcher de le montrer. Parfois, même les larmes sont une bonne façon d'exprimer sa joie.

Léo : C'est sûr. Quand je suis vraiment heureux, j'ai la banane ✪, comme on dit. C'est bon de laisser les émotions s'exprimer.

♡ 𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕨 👇

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✪ Notes

As-tu déjà = have you ever.. - Jamais au grand jamais je n'ai.... (Never have I ever…)

décroché = won/landed/got. ‘J’ai décroché mon diplôme il y a sept ans.’ (I graduated seven years ago)

c’est à couper le souffle✨ = époustouflant = breathtaking, jaw-dropping, stunning. Nous avons vu en Écosse des paysages à couper le souffle.

ému = moved, touched, stirred, filled with emotion

bien dans sa peau✨ = lit. “well in one’s own skin” = feeling content, good (about oneself). A rather beautiful phrase that no English translation does justice. Mostly used in the negative. “Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais je suis mal dans ma peau ce matin."

j'ai la banane✨ = I'm on top form! I’m enthusiastic and full of energy. Alt. J’ai la patate ! No innuendo either - very innocent expressions.

*✨ = especially ‘Frenchie’ words/phrases you should try and use more.

Writing Prompt ✍️

I cried when I lifted the wet laptop out of that handbag! But no that’s not the question! Yes, there have been moments in my life where I've been so happy that tears of joy welled up in my eyes. The one I really remember is when I received a surprise visit from my closest friends after a long absence. The shock + the rush of happiness = tears.

Alors, tu as déjà pleuré parce que tu étais si heureuse ? 💬

All answers are welcome. One word.. or one sentence.
Write me your answer in the comments. I can’t wait to read them! 👇🏼

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Translation

Le: Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Lo: Oh, yes, Le, I have. The time I got my first job, I was so happy I started crying.

Le: Really? That's great, Lo! It must be a great feeling to realise you've landed something you really wanted.

Lo: Yes, it was really breathtaking. I was so moved. Have you ever had a similar experience?

Le: Yes, I remember when I found out I was going to be a big brother. I was so happy that I started to cry.

Lo: I'm glad to hear that, Le. Joy can really overwhelm us sometimes.

Le: Yes, that's true. It's a bit like a good film that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. It makes you feel good about yourself.

Lo: When you're really happy, you can't help showing it. Sometimes, even tears are a good way to express your joy.

Le: That's for sure. When I'm really happy, when I’m on top form, as they say. It's good to let emotions flow.

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Exercise - Fill in the blank 💪

Quickly test your comprehension, accelerate your learning. 🚀

1. As-tu déjà visité les chutes du Niagara? Leur vue est vraiment incroyable, ___.
   Have you ever visited Niagara Falls? Their sight is really breathtaking.

2. À la fin du film, j'étais tellement ___ par l'histoire que j'ai commencé à pleurer.
   At the end of the movie, I was so moved by the story that I started crying.

3. Depuis que j'ai commencé à faire du yoga, je me sens vraiment ___.
   Ever since I started doing yoga, I've been feeling really comfortable in my own skin.

4. Quand j'ai entendu la blague, j'ai tellement ri que ___ toute la journée.
   When I heard the joke, I laughed so much that I had a big smile all day long.

5. ___ essayé cette nouvelle recette que tu as trouvée sur Internet?
   Have you already tried this new recipe you found on the Internet?

1. c’est à couper le souffle 2. ému 3. bien dans ma peau 4. j’ai la banane 5. As-tu déjà

If you’re struggling the ✪ Notes section is always a good place to look. 😉 The answers are all in the dialogue or notes section.

[NO PEAKING] Answer Key: 1. c’est à couper le souffle 2. ému 3. bien dans ma peau 4. j’ai la banane 5. As-tu déjà

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Une Façon d'utiliser ce Dialogue

These dialogues are a very simple tool. Yet this allows them to be versatile and endlessly flexible to you and your learning style. 
Here’s one way you could use the dialogue this week:

• 🎙️ Record yourself reading the dialogue out loud, then listen to it back.

You can repeat this x2-3 times. You will be surprised at how you can self-correct your accent and intonation, and how you will become aware of where you need to study!

Check out my quick guide🔗 for different ways you can learn with these dialogues. Perfect if you’re finding them too easy or too hard. 🙌🏻

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There are 2 ways to supercharge your French:

1. Listen - The single biggest weakness of French students is they don’t listen enough. I recommend French Today’s audiobook →. Ready to progress? Yabla listening comprehension →

2. Speak - If you are serious about becoming fluent, you should to speak French regularly. Lingoda → allows you to do this for free (seriously). Try it for a week (3 group classes), or get 30 lessons free with Lingoda Sprint →! Incroyable.

I know most readers want to learn as easily as possible, so everything here is free to try.

*Students sometimes ask me if I recommend a complete course or app? If that’s you, check out the curriculum at Babbel → and see if it tickles your fancy.

PS. These are affiliate links which means that I receive a commission if you purchase through one of them.

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𝔻𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 ♡ 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕠𝕟 𝕊𝕦𝕓𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕔𝕜👇

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Amélie x