Aux grands magasinsClass 9 French Chapter 4 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: Aux grands magasins

4.1 Mme Lecombe has just phoned Mme Deshmukh, and both families go to the department store. The ladies and Rucha head for the ready-to-wear section; Marc and Karan go to Sports and Leisure, where Karan admires roller skates — Marc says many Parisians skate and even some police officers patrol on skates.

Passing the shoe section, Rucha wants blue trainers to match her new jeans, but her mother refuses: she bought her trainers only last week. Mme Deshmukh suggests a silk blouse; Rucha would rather buy perfume. Mme Lecombe tells her to try the blouse in the changing room first. In the bath section they buy lavender soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, a comb, shampoo and nail polish — and then the boys arrive, already hungry again!

4.2–4.4 Shopping phrases (Ça coûte combien ? Où se trouve le rayon de … ? Payez à la caisse), supermarket sections (épicerie, boulangerie, laiterie, parfumerie, papeterie, sports et loisirs) and materials: en coton, en soie, en laine, en or, en bois, en papier, en acier.

4.5 Grammar: the passé récent = present of venir + de / d' + infinitive (an action just completed); the imperative of reflexive verbs: Repose-toi ! Reposons-nous ! Reposez-vous ! and the negative Ne te repose pas !

4.6 Exercises revise possessive and demonstrative adjectives, plurals in -x, the feminine, directions and the sounds [a], [e], [ɛ]; 4.7 Civilisation compares local shops with French supermarket and hypermarket chains.

Key points to remember

• Passé récent = venir (present) + de / d' + infinitive: Je viens de manger (I have just eaten)
• venir: je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent
• Imperative of reflexive verbs: verb + hyphen + toi / nous / vous — Lève-toi ! Levons-nous ! Levez-vous !
• te becomes toi in the affirmative imperative; in the negative it stays te: Ne te lève pas !
• Materials: en + material, no article — une bague en or, une chaise en bois, un pull en laine
• Shop sections (rayons): épicerie, boulangerie, laiterie, parfumerie, papeterie, sports et loisirs, chaussures, prêt-à-porter
• Shopping phrases: Ça coûte combien ? Montrez-moi … Où se trouve le rayon de … ? Payez à la caisse.
• Nouns and adjectives in -eau / -al / -ou take x in the plural: châteaux, journaux, bijoux
• un caddie = shopping trolley; le salon d'essayage = changing room
• French chains: supermarchés and hypermarchés sell everything under one roof

Aux grands magasins – Notes

1. 4.1 The dialogue — at the department store

• Mme Lecombe has just called Mme Deshmukh (vient de téléphoner). The Deshmukhs go to the big stores with her and her son Marc. The women and Rucha go to 'prêt-à-porter' (ready-made clothes); the boys go to 'Sports et Loisirs'.
• Karan is thrilled by the roller skates (les patins à roulettes) and asks the price. Marc shows him the label (100 € in the book's story) and explains that roller skating is popular in Paris — some police officers even patrol the streets on skates, because it is practical and fast.
• At the shoe section Rucha begs for blue trainers (des baskets) to match her new jeans. Her mother says no — she has just bought her a pair last week (passé récent!) — and tells her to hurry and not stop at every counter: 'Dépêche-toi, ne t'arrête pas …' (imperative of reflexive verbs).
• In ready-to-wear, Mme Deshmukh shows a silk blouse (un chemisier en soie). Rucha would prefer perfume. Mme Lecombe agrees, but first Rucha must try on the blouse in the changing room; then they will go to the perfume counter.
• In 'Bains et douche' they buy lavender soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes; Rucha also wants a comb, shampoo and nail polish. When the boys come back saying they are hungry, Mme Deshmukh is surprised — they have just eaten at the restaurant! Key phrases: Super ! Tiens ! Le prix, c'est … Dépêche-toi ! C'est très commode et rapide !

2. 4.2–4.4 Shopping phrases, sections and materials

• In a shop you hear: Je veux acheter ce manteau. Où se trouve le rayon de … ? (Where is the … section?) Montrez-moi cette jupe ! (Show me this skirt!) Ça coûte combien ? (How much is it?) Payez à la caisse, s'il vous plaît ! (Please pay at the till.)
• Supermarket sections (les rayons): l'épicerie (groceries), la boulangerie (bread), la laiterie (dairy), la parfumerie (perfumes and cosmetics), la papeterie (stationery), sports et loisirs (sports and leisure). You push un caddie (trolley).
• Asking what something is made of: En quoi est le sari ? — Il est en soie. The T-shirt is en coton, the coat en laine (wool), the ring en or (gold), the chair en bois (wood), the sheets of paper en papier, the frying pan en acier (steel).
• Other useful materials: en cuir (leather), en plastique, en verre (glass), en argent (silver), en tissu (cloth). Note: after en there is no article.
• Toiletries: le savon (soap), le dentifrice (toothpaste), une brosse à dents, un peigne (comb), le shampooing, le vernis à ongles (nail polish), le parfum.

3. 4.5 Grammar — le passé récent

• Use: an action completed a very short time ago — English 'have just …'. Form: subject + present of venir + de (d' before a vowel) + infinitive.
• venir in the present: je viens, tu viens, il / elle vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils / elles viennent.
• Example with finir: Je viens de finir mes devoirs. Tu viens de finir … Il vient de finir … Nous venons de finir … Vous venez de finir … Elles viennent de finir …
• Negative is rare, but questions are common: Vous venez de dîner ? Est-ce qu'il vient d'arriver ?
• Compare the three 'times' learnt so far: Je vais manger (futur proche — going to eat), Je mange (present), Je viens de manger (passé récent — have just eaten).

4. 4.5 Grammar — imperative of reflexive verbs

• As with all imperatives, drop the subject. In the affirmative the reflexive pronoun goes AFTER the verb with a hyphen, and te becomes toi: Tu te laves → Lave-toi !
• se reposer — affirmative: Repose-toi ! Reposons-nous ! Reposez-vous ! Negative: Ne te repose pas ! Ne nous reposons pas ! Ne vous reposez pas !
• In the negative, the pronoun stays before the verb and does not change: Ne t'arrête pas ! Ne vous inquiétez pas !
• Everyday commands: Dépêche-toi ! (hurry up), Lève-toi ! (get up), Assieds-toi ! / Asseyez-vous ! (sit down), Calme-toi ! (calm down), Amusez-vous bien ! (have fun).

5. Revision in the exercises

• Plurals in -x: château → châteaux, chapeau → chapeaux, bateau → bateaux, bijou → bijoux, journal → journaux. Adjectives too: un beau château → de beaux châteaux.
• Demonstrative adjectives: ce (m), cet (m before a vowel / mute h), cette (f), ces (pl) — ce monument, cet enfant, cette église, ces bicyclettes.
• Possessive adjectives match the subject: Je téléphone à mes cousins; ils jouent avec leurs camarades; vous vendez votre voiture.
• Feminine of nationalities and nouns: chinois → chinoise, acteur → actrice, ami → amie, père → mère.
• Directions: tournez à gauche / à droite, allez tout droit, prenez l'escalier, montez / descendez, au bout du couloir (at the end of the corridor).

6. Sounds and civilisation

• Phonetics: [a] as in 'battre' (la, Janvier, Paris, habite, Amélie), [e] as in 'jouer' — usually é, -er, -ez (été, étudiant, premier, clés, Président, Élysée) and [ɛ] as in 'chaise' — è, ê, ai, e before two consonants (fait, mère, cherche, est, Palais, française).
• 4.7 Civilisation — Au marché: France, like India, has neighbourhood shops — l'épicerie (grocer's), la boulangerie (baker's), la pâtisserie (cake shop).
• However, many people prefer supermarchés, grandes surfaces and hypermarchés, which sell everything under one roof — very practical.
• Well-known French retail groups include E. Leclerc, Auchan, Carrefour, Géant, Super U and Intermarché. Activity idea: make a chart of French brands in cosmetics, clothing, food or cars.

Le passé récent — venir de + infinitif

Key terms

Aux grands magasins – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

Aux grands magasins – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study Aux grands magasins

⏱ About 1 hour 10 minutes

1. Dialogue and vocabulary (20 min)
   Read 4.1 aloud and list every shop section, item and material; learn the five shopping phrases of 4.2.
2. Grammar (25 min)
   Conjugate venir and make ten passé récent sentences; then practise the reflexive imperative in pairs (Lève-toi ! / Ne te lève pas !).
3. Practise (25 min)
   Do the 'Try it yourself' exercises, take the quiz, revise with flashcards and end with 🎮 Play.