The audio sample and transcription is from a radio advertisement. We do not own the content. We are not paid for this content, it is for educational purposes. The above audio sample and transcription is from a radio ad. We do not own the content. We are not paid for this content, it is for…
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baskets
I was in the car the other day and an E.Leclerc ad came on, followed shortly by a Carrefour. It was a lot of numbers and a lot of speech. All in a short amount of time. Try it today.
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The snippet in English
What does “hé, mon” mean?
hé, mon… is a clipped vocative from phrases like hé, mon gars / mon vieux / mon pote (hey, buddy / dude / pal).
very casual; friendly among peers, but can sound brusque or condescending with strangers. In some contexts it reads “dad-ish” (hé, mon grand). Avoid in formal settings.
What usually follows: mon gars, mon vieux, mon pote, mon grand. Feminine spins exist but feel marked: hé, ma grande / ma belle—use carefully.
Pronunciation: hé, mon ≈ [e mɔ̃] with nasal mon.
Examples: Hé, mon gars, t’arrives ? (Hey, dude, you coming?) Hé, mon vieux, tranquille ! (Hey man, chill!) Pitfall: don’t use it with people you don’t know—it can feel rude.
What does “mes baskets” mean?
des baskets (sneakers/trainers). Feminine plural in practice; singular une basket exists but sounds odd—people say the pair.
Usage/nuance: everyday catch-all for sneakers in France. en baskets (in sneakers), mettre ses baskets (put on sneakers). baskets montantes/basses (high-/low-tops).
Close terms: des tennis (old-school for canvas sneakers), des sneakers (fashion/US vibe), des chaussures de sport (generic/sporty, broader).
Pitfalls: not the sport—le basket (basketball). Not un basket for one shoe. Adjectives agree plural fem.: des baskets blanches.
Examples: Je viens en baskets, c’est plus pratique. (I’m coming in sneakers, it’s more practical.) Il collectionne les baskets. (He collects sneakers.)
What does “le plus classe” mean?
le plus classe (the classiest / the coolest, most stylish). Informal adjective classe = “stylish/classy,” usually invariable.
Usage: fashion, objects, attitudes. Superlative with le/la/les plus agrees with the noun article, not with classe: la tenue la plus classe (the classiest outfit), les baskets les plus classe (often heard), though some say les plus classes—both circulate.
Register/nuance: praise with a chic vibe, less formal than le plus élégant; cooler than le plus distingué; close to le plus stylé.
Exclamations: trop classe ! (so classy/cool!), classe ! (nice!).
Avoid confusion: la classe (the class; swagger) vs the adjective. In formal writing prefer le plus élégant / le plus raffiné.
What does “la rentrée” mean?
la rentrée (back-to-school/return after summer). In France it’s a national reset: schools reopen (early September), offices switch from summer mode, new cultural/TV seasons launch, bookstores push les romans de la rentrée, and politicians resume work (la rentrée politique).
Usage: la rentrée des classes (start of school), faire sa rentrée (make one’s return/debut), rentrée littéraire (fall book season), rentrée scolaire (school start).
Nuance: bigger than US “back to school”—it’s the country collectively restarting. Ad calendars, sales, memberships, and policy speeches align to it.
How not to use: don’t say rentrée for returning home daily; that’s la rentrée à la maison (rare) or simply je rentre. For January “return,” say la reprise (work resuming).
Close terms: la reprise (resumption after a break), la sortie (release), le début de l’année scolaire (start of the school year). Antonym-ish: les grandes vacances (summer holidays).
Examples: La rentrée des classes est le 2 septembre cette année. (Back-to-school is Sept 2 this year.) Il fait sa rentrée sur scène. (He’s returning to the stage.) On lance l’offre spéciale rentrée. (We’re launching a back-to-school special.)
“la rentrée libre” a French pun: Intersport’s back-to-school tagline plays on entrée libre (free entry) and the cultural weight of la rentrée (national “restart” in September). Sense: “a rentrée with freedom” (choice, movement, budget).
Wait, “Levi’s” is pronounced les vis ?
Short answer: Levi’s is said roughly “luh-VEES” → [lə.vis] in French—so it can sound like les vis, but it isn’t. You’ll hear un jean Levi’s, des Levi’s.
Quick roundup (how it’s actually said in France; common pitfalls).
Levi’s → [lə.vis]. Usage: un jean Levi’s
Nike → [najk] (“naik”), not [niːki]
Adidas → [a.di.das]; nickname: adi
Puma → [py.ma]
Reebok → [ʁi.bɔk]
Converse → [kɔ̃.vɛʁs]
Vans → [vanz]
New Balance → [nju ba.lɑ̃s] (Frenchified) or English-ish in boutiques.
Asics → [a.ziks]
Timberland → [tɛ̃.bɛʁ.lɑ̃d] (FR) vs English [ˈtɪmbərlænd]; both heard.
What does “InterSport” mean?
Intersport is a European-born retail cooperative: national groups pool buying/branding under INTERSPORT International (HQ Bern), then local stores run semi-independently—especially strong in France.
Culturally it positions itself as the community/club ally more than a pure “sports temple,” with slogans like “Le sport, la plus belle des rencontres,” grassroots club partnerships, and CSR stories about access and affordability.
In France the chain is ubiquitous in retail parks and mid-size towns, competing with Decathlon but leaning on house brands (Energetics, McKinley, Pro Touch, etc.) and local franchise agility for promos like “la rentrée libre.” Recent snapshots: ~5,400+ stores in 40+ countries; group revenue around €14B; France is a growth engine and regularly touts expansion and amateur-sport support. (November 2025)
What does “des rencontres” mean?
des rencontres (meetings/encounters; also matches in sports). Plural of une rencontre.
Nuance/usage: faire des rencontres (to meet people, often serendipitous); de belles rencontres (memorable connections); in sports, des rencontres = fixtures/games. Not an “appointment” → that’s un rendez-vous; not a formal “meeting” → une réunion.
Culture: common in narratives and dating talk (sites de rencontres = dating sites). Warm, human vibe vs administrative réunion.
Close terms: des retrouvailles (reunion after time apart); des matches/rencontres (games). Verb phrase: aller à la rencontre de (to go meet).
Examples: En voyage, on fait des rencontres incroyables. (When traveling, you meet amazing people.) Le week-end, il y a des rencontres de Ligue 1. (On weekends there are Ligue 1 matches.) Grâce au club, j’ai fait de belles rencontres. (Thanks to the club, I made great connections.)
What does “Il y a eu” mean?
il y a eu (there was / there have been). Passé composé of il y a → completed event(s).
Usage: newsy, countable happenings. Il y a eu un accident ce matin. (There was an accident this morning.) Il y a eu des retards. (There were delays.)
Contrast: il y avait = background/ongoing. Il y avait du monde, puis il y a eu un incident. (There were people around, then there was an incident.)
Near-synonyms: il s’est passé…, ça s’est produit…, il s’est produit…. For scheduled events: ça a eu lieu / l’événement a eu lieu (took place).
Pitfalls: not for “ago.” Il y a trois ans = (three years ago), not il y a eu trois ans. Avoid il y a eu lieu → say a eu lieu.
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If you’ve ever wondered how to truly immerse yourself in French without being in France, look no further than the humble radio ad. These quick, high-energy clips are bursts of real-life language — fast-paced, full of cultural references, and packed with everyday vocabulary.
They’re perfect for sharpening your ear to the speed and rhythm of authentic spoken French. In just 30 seconds, you’ll encounter everything from slang to regional accents. And here on French IRL, we make it accessible.
Just like in our post on how to immerse in French when you’re not in France, it’s about building immersion into your life — not waiting for the perfect classroom setup.
And if you’ve been practicing daily with our listening practice clips or read about how we make the most of the learning space, radio ads are the next level: short, intense, and incredibly revealing of how French is used in everyday persuasion and humor.
So tune in, listen up, and let a few seconds of French advertising do what textbooks can’t — bring the language to life.
Find all Advertisement Clips here.
🎙️ Why Learn with French Advertisements?
If you’ve ever wondered how to truly immerse yourself in French without being in France, look no further than the humble radio ad. These quick, high-energy clips are bursts of real-life language — fast-paced, full of cultural references, and packed with everyday vocabulary.
They’re perfect for sharpening your ear to the speed and rhythm of authentic spoken French. In just 30 seconds, you’ll encounter everything from slang to regional accents. And here on French IRL, we make it accessible.
Just like in our post on how to immerse in French when you’re not in France, it’s about building immersion into your life — not waiting for the perfect classroom setup.
And if you’ve been practicing daily with our listening practice clips or read about how we make the most of the learning space, radio ads are the next level: short, intense, and incredibly revealing of how French is used in everyday persuasion and humor.
So tune in, listen up, and let a few seconds of French advertising do what textbooks can’t — bring the language to life.
Find all Advertisement Clips here.
What is opening up for you?
Comment below with the words you thought you heard, where you struggled, where you surprised yourself, or what you thought about this clip. Every little bit inspires other learners, thank you for being that inspiration to others on their French fluency journey!
The audio sample and transcription is from a radio advertisement. We do not own the content. We are not paid for this content, it is for educational purposes. The above audio sample and transcription is from a radio ad. We do not own the content. We are not paid for this content, it is for…
Start quiz, type what you hear, then join the conversation.
Did you find this one challenging or easy? Did you hear something diffferent? What surprised you? What levels did you complete? Comment below and share what’s opening up for you with this quiz.
