Spoken French • L'auberge Espagnole
Practice spoken French with this hilarious clip from a French comedy
This month we’re also diving deep into the work of one of France’s most interesting contemporary directors: Cédric Klapisch. You might not recognize the name but you certainly know Call My Agent (Dix pour cent) on Netflix. He directed the first season.
Below, I’ve put together a scene from his cult film L’Auberge Espagnole, with:
✓ Carefully crafted subtitles ✓ In-depth cultural and grammatical analysis ✓ A full vocabulary breakdown ✓ A step-by-step listening guide
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✓ Full access to all blog content and scene analyses ✓ Monthly live workshops (this month: active consumption) ✓ The private subscriber chat ✓ A new podcast every Friday
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If you can’t turn on subtitles, click “Watch on YouTube”. Check below for the technique on how to use this content in an active way.
How to use this content
Watch once without subtitles. Try to grasp the scene. Don’t worry about understanding everything. In real life, there are no subtitles.
Watch again with a pen and paper. Pause, rewind, write down what you catch.
Watch with subtitles. Compare with what you understood.
Build your French bible. In a dedicated notebook, write down the words and expressions that resonated. Review it regularly.
Shadow. Replay the scene phrase by phrase, pause, and repeat, matching the tone, rhythm, and speed exactly.
The full grammar notes, and cultural explanations are available below — exclusive to premium subscribers.
Analyse du dialogue
« C’est un bordel innommable. »
“It’s an indescribable mess.”
Un bordel is one of the most common intensifiers in informal French. Literally a brothel, it’s used as a noun (quel bordel !) or adjective to mean chaos, mess, or disaster.