Amélie Poulain - Il aime / Elle n'aime pas
Practice spoken French with this short clip
This beautiful voice-over — André Dussollier’s unmistakable voice — from Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001) introduces Amélie’s parents through what they love… and what they hate.
The structure is repetitive, poetic, and deeply French in its rhythm, making it perfect for improving listening comprehension and expanding descriptive vocabulary.
Frustrated by the poor quality of subtitles on YouTube and other platforms, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
On n’est jamais mieux servi que par soi-même.
That’s how my YouTube channel, Spoken French with Timo, was born, dedicated to French videos clips from movies (FR and US in French) with clear, accurate, and truly helpful subtitles for learners.
If you can’t turn on the subtitles, click on “Watch on YouTube”
Dialogue Analysis
Le père d’Amélie, ancien médecin militaire, travaille aux établissements thermaux d’Enghien-les-Bains.
→ “Amélie’s father, a former military doctor, works at the thermal baths of Enghien-les-Bains.”
Formal introduction. Notice how French stacks information with commas instead of breaking into shorter sentences.
Raphaël Poulain n’aime pas pisser à côté de quelqu’un.
→ “Raphaël Poulain doesn’t like peeing next to someone.”
“Pisser” is informal (more casual than uriner). Very typical of everyday French, even in artistic narration.
Il n’aime pas surprendre, sur ses sandales, un regard de dédain.
→ “He doesn’t like catching a disdainful look directed at his sandals.”
Beautiful phrasing. “Un regard de dédain” = “a look of disdain.”
French often uses abstract nouns like this.
Sortir de l’eau et sentir coller son maillot de bain.
→ “Getting out of the water and feeling his swimsuit stick.”
Notice there is no subject here. It’s an infinitive phrase.
Very common in French lists describing habits or sensations.
Raphaël Poulain aime arracher de grands morceaux de papier peint.
→ “Raphaël Poulain likes tearing off big pieces of wallpaper.”
“Arracher” = to rip off forcefully. Strong physical verb.
Aligner toutes ses chaussures et les cirer avec soin.
→ “Lining up all his shoes and polishing them carefully.”
“Cirer” = to polish (shoes).
“Avec soin” = carefully / with care.
Vider sa boîte à outils, bien la nettoyer et tout ranger. Enfin !
→ “Emptying his toolbox, cleaning it well, and putting everything away. Finally!”
“Enfin !” expresses satisfaction and relief.
Notice again: infinitive structure to describe habits.
La mère d’Amélie, Amandine Fouet, institutrice originaire de Gueugnon, a toujours été d’une nature instable et nerveuse.
→ “Amélie’s mother, Amandine Fouet, a schoolteacher from Gueugnon, has always been of a nervous and unstable nature.”
“D’une nature…” is a very French way to describe personality.
Amandine Poulain n’aime pas avoir les doigts plissés par l’eau chaude du bain.
→ “She doesn’t like having wrinkled fingers from hot bath water.”
“Plissé” = wrinkled / creased.
Être, par quelqu’un qu’elle n’aime pas, effleurée de la main.
→ “Being lightly touched by someone she doesn’t like.”
“Effleurer” = to brush against lightly.
Very poetic word.
Avoir les plis des draps imprimés sur la joue le matin.
→ “Having the sheet marks imprinted on her cheek in the morning.”
Again: infinitive structure. Sensory description.
Amandine Poulain aime les costumes des patineurs artistiques sur TF1.
→ “She likes the costumes of figure skaters on TF1.”
Cultural reference: TF1 is a major French TV channel.
Faire briller le parquet avec des patins.
→ “Making the wooden floor shine using polishing pads.”
“Le parquet” = wooden floor.
“Faire briller” = to make shine.
Vider son sac à main, bien le nettoyer, et tout ranger enfin.
→ “Emptying her handbag, cleaning it well, and putting everything back in order at last.”
Parallel structure with the father’s habits.
Repetition creates rhythm and humor.
Key Spoken French Features
Infinitive structures to describe habits (aime arracher, n’aime pas avoir)
Repetition of “aime / n’aime pas” for rhythm
Sensory verbs and physical sensations (sentir, effleurer, coller)
Mix of formal narration and informal vocabulary (pisser vs d’une nature instable)
Parallel sentence structure for poetic effect
Practice these patterns to sound more natural and more expressive in French conversation!
💡 Practice Tip: Shadowing the Rhythm
This scene is not fast, but it has a very specific musical rhythm.
Try shadowing the narration and focus on:
the pauses
the repetition of “aime / n’aime pas”
the smooth linking between words
French flow is about rhythm as much as pronunciation.
Wacth the full movie for Free on French TV : 5 Films You Can Watch for Free on French TV
If you liked this lesson, I made another one this week and you might enjoy it!
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Tu as aimé cet article ? N’hésite pas à mettre un “J’aime” et d’écrire un petit commentaire pour parler des choses que tu aimes et que tu n’aimes pas !
À plus !
J'ai revu le film il y a quelques jours et cette analyse linguistique est très intéressante.