Talking About Entertainment and Cultural Events
7.3.1. The Main Idea
To talk about entertainment and cultural events, you can use words like un concert, un film, un spectacle, and une exposition.
un concert | a concert |
un film | a movie / film |
un spectacle | a show / performance |
une exposition | an exhibition |
une pièce de théâtre | a play |
You can combine these words with verbs such as aller, voir, regarder, and écouter.
7.3.2. Common Events
un concert | a concert |
un film | a movie / film |
un spectacle | a show / performance |
une exposition | an exhibition |
une pièce de théâtre | a play |
un festival | a festival |
un match | a game / match |
une conférence | a lecture / conference |
un musée | a museum |
un cinéma | a movie theater |
un théâtre | a theater |
7.3.3. Going to an Event
Je vais à un concert. | I am going to a concert. |
Je vais au cinéma. | I am going to the movie theater. |
Je vais au théâtre. | I am going to the theater. |
Je vais au musée. | I am going to the museum. |
Je vais à une exposition. | I am going to an exhibition. |
Je vais à un festival. | I am going to a festival. |
Use aller à to say someone is going to an event or place.
7.3.4. Seeing or Watching an Event
Je vais voir un film. | I am going to see a movie. |
Je regarde un film. | I am watching a movie. |
Je vais voir un spectacle. | I am going to see a show. |
Je vais voir une pièce de théâtre. | I am going to see a play. |
Je vais voir une exposition. | I am going to see an exhibition. |
Use voir for going to see an event.
Use regarder when you are watching something.
7.3.5. Asking About Plans
Tu vas où ce soir ? | Where are you going tonight? |
Tu vas voir quoi ? | What are you going to see? |
Tu vas voir quel film ? | Which movie are you going to see? |
Tu vas à quel concert ? | Which concert are you going to? |
Tu veux aller au cinéma ? | Do you want to go to the movies? |
Tu veux voir un spectacle ? | Do you want to see a show? |
7.3.6. Talking About Past Events
Hier, je suis allé au cinéma. | Yesterday, I went to the movie theater. masculine speaker |
Hier, je suis allée au cinéma. | Yesterday, I went to the movie theater. feminine speaker |
J’ai vu un film. | I saw a movie. |
J’ai regardé un spectacle. | I watched a show. |
J’ai écouté un concert. | I listened to a concert. |
J’ai visité un musée. | I visited a museum. |
7.3.7. Giving a Simple Opinion
C’était intéressant. | It was interesting. |
C’était amusant. | It was fun / entertaining. |
C’était beau. | It was beautiful. |
C’était excellent. | It was excellent. |
C’était ennuyeux. | It was boring. |
C’était bizarre. | It was strange. |
Use c’était to say it was.
7.3.8. Useful Time Expressions
ce soir | this evening / tonight |
demain soir | tomorrow evening / tomorrow night |
ce week-end | this weekend |
hier soir | last night |
la semaine dernière | last week |
l’année dernière | last year |
bientôt | soon |
7.3.9. Core Patterns
aller à + event/place | to go to an event/place |
Je vais au cinéma. | I am going to the movie theater. |
Je vais voir + event. | I am going to see ___. |
J’ai vu + event. | I saw ___. |
Je suis allé(e) à + place/event. | I went to ___. |
C’était ___ . | It was ___. |
7.3.10. Practice
I am going to a concert. |
I am going to the movie theater. |
I am going to see a movie. |
Which movie are you going to see? |
Yesterday, I went to the theater. masculine speaker |
I saw a show. |
It was interesting. |
It was boring. |
7.3.11. Answers
I am going to a concert. | Je vais à un concert. |
I am going to the movie theater. | Je vais au cinéma. |
I am going to see a movie. | Je vais voir un film. |
Which movie are you going to see? | Tu vas voir quel film ? |
Yesterday, I went to the theater. masculine speaker | Hier, je suis allé au théâtre. |
I saw a show. | J’ai vu un spectacle. |
It was interesting. | C’était intéressant. |
It was boring. | C’était ennuyeux. |
7.3.12. Short Dialogue
A : Tu vas où ce soir ? | A: Where are you going tonight? |
B : Je vais au cinéma. Je vais voir un film. Et toi ? | B: I am going to the movie theater. I am going to see a movie. And you? |
A : Je vais à un concert. | A: I am going to a concert. |
B : Très bien ! | B: Very good! |
7.3.13. Short Dialogue: Past Event
A : Qu’est-ce que tu as fait hier soir ? | A: What did you do last night? |
B : Je suis allé au théâtre. J’ai vu un spectacle. | B: I went to the theater. I saw a show. |
A : C’était comment ? | A: How was it? |
B : C’était excellent. | B: It was excellent. |
7.3.14. Checkpoint
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to talk about concerts, films, shows, museums, exhibitions, and festivals, ask what someone is going to see, describe future plans with aller + infinitive, describe past cultural events with the passé composé, and give a simple opinion with c’était.
7.3.15. Try It Out
Try saying this in French:
Where are you going tonight?
I’m going to a concert.
Possible answer:
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