The open o of porte, the closed o of rose in French

1. 1
   porte/pɔʁt/

   doornoun

   A movable panel that closes an entrance.
2. 2
   pomme/pɔm/

   applenoun

   A round, crunchy fruit from the apple tree.
3. 3
   robe/ʁɔb/

   dressnoun

   A garment that joins the top and the skirt.
4. 4
   sortir/sɔʁtiʁ/

   to go outverb

   To go from the inside to the outside.
5. 5
   fort/fɔʁ/

   strongadjective

   Having a lot of strength.
6. 6
   rose/ʁoz/

   pinkadjective

   A very pale red.
7. 7
   drôle/dʁol/

   funnyadjective

   That makes you laugh.
8. 8
   chose/ʃoz/

   thingnoun

   What you talk about without naming it.
9. 9
   pause/poz/

   breaknoun

   A short stop in an activity.
10. 10
    côte/kot/

    coastnoun

    The edge of the land along the sea.

The sentences

1. Vous pouvez fermer la porte derrière vous, s'il vous plaît ?

   Could you close the door behind you, please?

2. Je prends une pomme et un café, merci.

   I'll have an apple and a coffee, thanks.

3. Vous avez cette robe en rose, s'il vous plaît ?

   Do you have this dress in pink, please?

4. Pardon, on peut sortir par cette porte ?

   Excuse me, can we go out through this door?

5. Le vent est très fort sur la côte ce matin.

   The wind is very strong on the coast this morning.

6. Le ciel est tout rose ce soir.

   The sky is all pink this evening.

7. Ton frère est vraiment drôle, tu sais.

   Your brother is really funny, you know.

8. Excusez-moi, je peux vous demander une chose ?

   Excuse me, may I ask you something?

9. On fait une petite pause avant de repartir ?

   Shall we take a short break before heading off?

10. On loue une petite maison sur la côte cet été.

    We're renting a little house on the coast this summer.

Pronunciation

• porte/pɔʁt/

  The o is open, like in bol, not closed like in rose.

• fort/fɔʁ/

  The final t is silent; in the feminine, forte, you hear it.

• rose/ʁoz/

  The o is closed, as in "beau".

• pause/poz/

  The au is said like the closed o of rose, not like the o of porte.

• côte/kot/

  The ô is closed like in rose, not open like in botte.

Good to know

pourboire

Service is usually included in the price shown at a restaurant. Leaving a tip is optional, and a few coins or a small round-up is often enough.

bonjour

You say bonjour when you walk into a shop or café, before you ask for anything. Then you add s'il vous plaît and merci.

vouvoiement

You use vous with strangers, staff and older people. Tu is kept for friends, family and often young people among themselves.

Questions

How do I ask someone to close the door in French?

You can say "Vous pouvez fermer la porte derrière vous, s'il vous plaît ?" The o in porte is open, like in bol.

How do I ask for something in a shop in French?

You can say "Vous avez cette robe en rose, s'il vous plaît ?" Rose has a closed o, like in beau.

How do I say the o in côte and pause?

Both have a closed o, like in rose, not an open o like in porte or botte.