The setting
Where and whoCharacters: Olivier, Yang Mi (杨幂) (a Chinese actress, here as a customer), and the salesman. Yang Mi is a famous Chinese actress — the bonus chapters feature her as a guest character. As an English-speaking learner you don't need to know who she is to enjoy the dialogue.
Olivier
Your teacher, walking through Le Marais by chance.
Yang Mi · 杨幂
Looking for a dress for a Paris evening event.
The salesman
Very polite, with a Parisian accent.
The dialogue
Read along- Salesman —Bonjour, madame. Qu'est-ce que vous cherchez ? Hello, ma'am. What are you looking for?
- Yang Mi —Bonjour. Je cherche une robe noire pour une soirée. Hello. I'm looking for a black dress for an evening event.
- Salesman —Très bien. Quelle taille faites-vous ? Very well. What size do you wear?
- Yang Mi —Je fais du 36. I'm a size 36 (≈ US 4 / UK 8).
- Salesman —Voilà cette robe noire, et cette robe rouge, très élégante aussi. Here's this black dress, and this red one — very elegant too.
- Olivier —Ah, bonjour Yang Mi ! Quelle surprise ! Oh, hi Yang Mi! What a surprise!
- Yang Mi —Bonjour Olivier ! Vous êtes ici ? Vous habitez à Paris ? Hi Olivier! You're here? Do you live in Paris?
- Olivier —Oui, j'habite dans le Marais. Et vous, qu'est-ce que vous faites à Paris ? Yes, I live in Le Marais. What about you, what brings you to Paris?
- Yang Mi —J'ai une soirée ce soir avec des amis. Cette robe noire, elle vous plaît ? I have a party tonight with friends. Do you like this black dress?
- Olivier —Oui, elle est très jolie. Et la rouge aussi ! Mais ma préférée, c'est la noire. Yes, it's very pretty. The red one too! But my favourite is the black one.
- Yang Mi —D'accord. Combien coûte cette robe noire, monsieur ? OK. How much is this black dress, sir?
- Salesman —Elle coûte 95 euros, madame. 95 euros, ma'am.
- Yang Mi —Ce n'est pas donné… Mais d'accord, je la prends ! It's not cheap… but OK, I'll take it!
- Olivier —Bonne soirée, Yang Mi ! Have a great evening, Yang Mi!
- Yang Mi —Merci, à bientôt ! Thanks, see you soon!
3 new words
Just three to learnThe rest of the vocabulary comes from Lessons 5 to 8.
-
élégant(e)
adj.
elegant, smart
For clothing, a person, a style. Stronger and more refined than joli.
Ex.: Cette robe est très élégante. - une surprise n.f. a surprise When you bump into someone unexpectedly: Quelle surprise! "What a surprise!" / "Fancy meeting you here!"
-
ce n'est pas donné
expr.
it's not cheap (idiom)
Polite French way to say "it's expensive". Literally: "it's not given (away for free)".
Same vibe as the English "that doesn't come cheap".
Ex.: 500 euros? Ce n'est pas donné!
Comprehension
Did you follow?True or false? Vrai ou faux ?
Based on the dialogue, decide whether each sentence is true or false.
1. Yang Mi cherche une robe blanche.
2. Yang Mi fait du 36.
3. Olivier habite dans le Marais.
4. La robe noire coûte 59 euros.
5. Olivier préfère la robe rouge.
6. Yang Mi achète la robe.
Pick the right answer Choisissez la bonne réponse
- Why is Yang Mi looking for a dress?
- What expression does Yang Mi use to say "it's expensive"?
- What does Olivier say when he sees Yang Mi?
- How do you say "elegant" of a piece of clothing?
Why Le Marais?
A historic chic neighbourhood🏛️ The most chic and historic part of Paris
Le Marais is a neighbourhood in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine. It's one of the city's most visited areas:
- Place des Vosges — the oldest planned square in Paris (17th century)
- Hôtels particuliers — grand stone mansions from the 17th century
- The Picasso museum, the Carnavalet museum
- Fashion boutiques, art galleries, trendy cafés
- The historic Jewish quarter on rue des Rosiers
It's also a lively, international neighbourhood — especially on Sundays, one of the few days in Paris when many shops actually stay open.
💡 A bit of etymology: "Le Marais" literally means "the marsh". The neighbourhood actually was a marsh, before the Templar monks drained it in the 12th century. Today it's one of the driest — and priciest — bits of Paris!