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B1 Lesson 2 of 3 · Real Spoken French: What Natives Really Say

“Ben”, “du coup”, “genre”: the little words

The words that fill every conversation, what each one does, and the questions natives actually ask.

13 min · 11 activities

In this lesson you will

  • Understand the role of filler words
  • Ask questions with intonation
  • Sound more natural without overdoing it
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Lesson summary

The key points to remember, for revision.

  • 1Du coup = so; en fait = actually; bref = in short; genre = like; ben = well.
  • 2Spoken questions: statement + rising voice, question word at the end (Tu vas où ?).
  • 3Understand all filler words; use only a few, and never in formal situations.

Key vocabulary

carrémenttotally, absolutely
du coupso, as a result
brefanyway, in short
à moins le quartat quarter to