Free French audio course
Learn by copying everyday conversations.
Hear a short scene, understand the useful phrases, copy them out loud, then try your own answers in the pauses.
Episode 3
What would you like?
French · A1 beginner · 10 minutes · No signup
Free to play, download, and read, with no account or email needed.
Voices are AI-generated. Camille, the teacher, and Sam, the learner, are fictional characters.
All episodes
Take them in order: each episode builds on the phrases before it. Every one is free to play, download, and read.
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Episode 1
A1 beginner · 10 minutes
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Episode 2
A1 beginner · 9 minutes
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Episode 3
What would you like?
A1 beginner · 10 minutes · Playing on this page
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Episode 4
A1 beginner · 10 minutes
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Episode 5
A1 beginner · 10 minutes
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Episodes 1–5 out now · more coming soon
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Episodes 1–5 out now · more coming soon
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Episodes 1–5 out now · more coming soon
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Episodes 1–5 out now · more coming soon
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Episodes 1–5 out now · more coming soon
How the lesson works
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1
Hear the scene
A customer orders breakfast at a bakery counter. First, you just listen for one thing: what does she order?
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2
Understand the useful phrases
Camille explains each phrase in English, only as much as helps your next try.
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3
Copy them out loud
Say each phrase in the pause after you hear it. Copy the sound and rhythm before worrying about grammar.
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4
Try your answers
Order from memory, swap in a baguette, then play the customer twice, the second time with no hints. A spoken answer follows every pause, so you can compare.
Missed an answer? Keep listening. The words come back, and you don’t need to touch the screen once the episode is playing.
After this episode
You can greet the person at a shop counter, order politely, answer when they ask if that's all, hand over your money, and say goodbye.
Level A1. Written for adult English speakers starting French. You don’t need any French to begin.
Phrases you’ll say
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Bonjour.
Hello.
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Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît.
I would like a coffee and a croissant, please.
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Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît.
I would like a baguette, please.
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Oui, merci.
Yes, thank you.
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Tenez.
Here you go.
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Au revoir.
Goodbye.
Phrases you’ll recognize
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Vous désirez ?
What would you like?
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Ce sera tout ?
Will that be all?
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Ça fait trois euros, s'il vous plaît.
That comes to three euros, please.
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Merci. Bonne journée.
Thank you. Have a nice day.
Listening with your screen off
The download is the most reliable way. Save the MP3 and play it offline in any audio app. Your browser puts it with your other downloads (on iPhone, in the Files app).
Playing from this page can keep going when you lock your phone, depending on your phone and browser. Some pause when you switch apps or close the tab. If yours does, use the download.
The speaking pauses are optional. If you’re driving, keep your attention on the road: just listen, or skip the speaking parts. The episode says the same.
Transcript
Every word of Episode 3. Choose a time to play from there. “Your turn” marks a pause for you to speak; French is in bold.
Welcome
Sam: It's eight in the morning. There's a bakery on the corner, and it smells of warm croissants.
Camille: Then this is the right lesson. Welcome to Copycat Cafe. I'm Camille.
Sam: And I'm Sam. I'm already in the queue.
Camille: One more thing before we start: Sam and I are AI-generated voices. This is episode three of the free French course. Today you'll order at a bakery counter: say hello first, ask for what you'd like, and pay politely. Listen first. Copy the sound. Then try the words for yourself.
Camille: If you miss an answer, let it go. You'll hear the words again. If you're driving, keep your attention on the road and skip the speaking exercises.
At the counter
Camille: Here's the whole scene. I'm the baker. Sam is the customer. Listen for one thing: what does Sam order?
Camille: Bonjour madame. Vous désirez ?
Sam: Bonjour. Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît.
Camille: Ce sera tout ?
Sam: Oui, merci.
Camille: Ça fait trois euros, s'il vous plaît.
Sam: Tenez.
Camille: Merci. Bonne journée.
Sam: Au revoir.
Hello first
Sam: A coffee and a croissant. My kind of breakfast.
Camille: Un café et un croissant. We'll build that order in a moment. First, notice how it starts. The baker says bonjour madame, and the customer says bonjour before anything else. In a French shop, you greet the person at the counter before you order. Bonjour. Hello. Copy it: bonjour.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
Camille: The baker says madame because Sam is a woman. A man would hear bonjour monsieur. You can greet the baker the same way. Copy this greeting for a male baker: bonjour, monsieur.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Order politely
Camille: Then the baker asks: vous désirez ? What would you like? You don't need to say this one. Just recognise it. When you hear vous désirez, it's your turn to order.
Camille: The order starts with je voudrais. I would like. It's a standard polite way to order. Copy it: je voudrais.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Camille: Un café. A coffee. In France, that usually means a small black coffee. Copy it: un café.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
Camille: Et un croissant. And a croissant. Copy both: un café et un croissant.
Your turn · 4.5-second pause
Camille: To finish: s'il vous plaît. Please. This is the polite please, for someone like the baker. Copy it: s'il vous plaît.
Your turn · 4-second pause
Camille: Now the whole order. Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît. Copy it.
Your turn · 7-second pause
Sam: That's a long sentence before coffee.
Camille: That's why we built it in pieces. Once more. Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît.
Your turn · 7-second pause
Will that be all?
Camille: Next, the baker checks: ce sera tout ? Will that be all? Again, just recognise it. Sam answers: oui, merci. Yes, thank you. Copy it: oui, merci.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
Pay and leave
Camille: Then the price: ça fait trois euros, s'il vous plaît. That comes to three euros, please. Trois means three. You only need to catch the number. When you hand over the money, you say: tenez. Here you go. It's the polite form, for someone you call vous. Copy it: tenez.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
Camille: Tenez. Once more, as you hand over the coins.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
Camille: The baker says: merci. Bonne journée. Thank you. Have a nice day. And the customer answers: au revoir. Goodbye. If you heard the métro episode, you know both. Copy the goodbye: au revoir.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
From memory
Camille: Let's try it without hearing the French first. You walk up to the counter. Greet the baker.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Bonjour. Or bonjour, monsieur. Or bonjour, madame. Now the baker asks what you'd like. Order a coffee and a croissant, politely.
Your turn · 8-second pause
Camille: Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît. Now the baker asks if that will be all. Say yes, thank you.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Oui, merci. And as you hand over the money, say: here you go.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Change the order
Camille: Tenez.
Sam: What if I want bread? Proper French bread.
Camille: Then you want une baguette. With baguette, it's une, not un. You don't need the reason today. Borrow it as one piece: une baguette.
Your turn · 3.5-second pause
Camille: Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît. Same beginning, same ending, a different order. Copy it.
Your turn · 6-second pause
Camille: Now without hearing it first. Order just a coffee, politely.
Your turn · 5.5-second pause
Camille: Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. And now, order a baguette.
Your turn · 5.5-second pause
Listen again
Camille: Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît. Now let's hear the original scene again. No explanations this time. Notice which bits you recognise.
Camille: Bonjour madame. Vous désirez ?
Sam: Bonjour. Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît.
Camille: Ce sera tout ?
Sam: Oui, merci.
Camille: Ça fait trois euros, s'il vous plaît.
Sam: Tenez.
Camille: Merci. Bonne journée.
Sam: Au revoir.
Your turn at the counter
Camille: Now you're the customer. Sam will stay quiet. I'm the baker. After each of my lines, I'll give you a short hint.
Camille: Bonjour. Vous désirez ?
Camille: Say hello, then order a coffee and a croissant.
Your turn · 9-second pause
Camille: Ce sera tout ? Say yes, thank you.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Ça fait trois euros, s'il vous plaît. Hand over the money: here you go.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Merci. Bonne journée. Say goodbye.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Here's one version of your part: bonjour. Je voudrais un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît. Oui, merci. Tenez. Au revoir. If you missed a line, that's fine. These gaps are for practice, not a test.
Another morning
Camille: Another morning, same bakery. This time, you want a baguette. A baguette is cheaper: un euro. One euro. Same steps: greet and order, say yes thank you, here you go, goodbye. No hints now. After each of my lines, it's your turn. Here's the baker.
Camille: Bonjour. Vous désirez ?
Your turn · 7.5-second pause
Camille: Ce sera tout ? Your turn.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Ça fait un euro, s'il vous plaît.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Merci. Bonne journée. Your turn.
Your turn · 5-second pause
Camille: Here's one version: bonjour. Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît. Oui, merci. Tenez. Au revoir. You can say bonne journée back, too.
Sam: So that's coffee, a croissant and a baguette. I'm practically a regular.
Keep the order
Camille: One last one from memory. You're at the counter. Say hello, and order a coffee, politely.
Your turn · 8-second pause
Camille: Bonjour. Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. Keep that order of things: bonjour first, then je voudrais, then s'il vous plaît. You've heard them, had space to copy them, and practised changing the order. You don't need every word from the scene today. Come back and try the gaps again. This is the free Copycat Cafe audio course. The optional paid app adds pronunciation feedback and conversations that respond to you. Today's matching lesson is At the bakery. In the next episode, we bump into a friend and ask how it's going. For now, bonne journée !
Sam: Au revoir ! I'm taking the croissant with me.
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About this episode
Episode 3 of the free Copycat Cafe French audio course. It’s adapted from “At the bakery”, lesson 3 of our French course.
Camille and Sam are fictional characters with AI-generated voices. The music is original.
Want feedback on your pronunciation?
The free course gives you the phrases, the pauses, and an answer to compare with. It can’t hear you. The Copycat Cafe app is a paid app that adds a pronunciation score on every word you say, and conversations with Copy, your AI conversation partner, that respond to what you actually say. In the app, “At the bakery” uses the same scene.
See how Copycat works