In this workshop you will practice asking how long a lease must be and understanding simple replies. You will hear short questions about the minimum lease and a reply that states the minimum length. You will also see a follow-up question about flexibility and a reply that says no but mentions discussing the rent. Use the recordings to guide your speaking, then check your answers with the keys provided.
Asking About the Minimum Lease
When you want to know the shortest allowed rental period, you can ask a direct question. The recording «Quel est le bail minimum ?» means “What's the minimum lease?” It is a short, neutral way to ask. A slightly fuller version is «Quelle est la durée minimale du bail ?», which means “What is the minimum duration of the lease?” Both ask for the same information. If you prefer to ask how many months, you can use «Le bail est de combien de mois ?», which means “The lease is for how many months?” This phrasing asks for a number of months. You can also check whether a minimum exists at all with «Est-ce qu'il y a un bail minimum ?», meaning “Is there a minimum lease?” In a real conversation, you might begin with a greeting and then ask, as in «Bonjour, quel est le bail minimum pour cet appartement ?», which means “Hello, what's the minimum lease for this apartment?” Practice saying these questions clearly, with a rising intonation for the question.
Understanding the Reply and a Follow-Up
After you ask about the minimum lease, the other person may give a direct answer. The recording «Le bail minimum est de douze mois.» means “The minimum lease is twelve months.” This tells you the required length. If you want to know whether the length can change, you can ask «Est-ce que la durée est flexible ?», which means “Is the duration flexible?” A possible reply is «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.», which means “No, but we can discuss the rent.” This reply says the duration is not flexible, but it opens a different topic: the rent. Notice that the reply does not change the lease length; it only suggests that rent is negotiable. When you hear a reply like «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.», you can understand that the duration is fixed and that the rent may be discussed.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Quel est le bail minimum ?
What's the minimum lease?
kel ɛ lə baj mi.ni.mɔm
Quelle est la durée minimale du bail ?
What is the minimum duration of the lease?
kɛl ɛ la dy.ʁe mi.ni.mal dy baj
Le bail est de combien de mois ?
The lease is for how many months?
lə baj ɛ də kɔ̃.bjɛ̃ də mwa
Est-ce qu'il y a un bail minimum ?
Is there a minimum lease?
ɛs k‿il ja œ̃ baj mi.ni.mɔm
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, quel est le bail minimum pour cet appartement ?
Hello, what's the minimum lease for this apartment?Le bail minimum est de douze mois.
The minimum lease is twelve months.Est-ce que la durée est flexible ?
Is the duration flexible?Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.
No, but we can discuss the rent.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Ask and Answer
You are a customer asking about an apartment. Your partner plays the staff member. Use the recordings to guide your lines.
Your task: First, greet and ask about the minimum lease using «Bonjour, quel est le bail minimum pour cet appartement ?». Your partner replies with «Le bail minimum est de douze mois.». Then ask if the duration is flexible using «Est-ce que la durée est flexible ?». Your partner replies with «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.». After you finish, swap roles and repeat the same order: greeting and question, reply, follow-up question, reply.
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Correct Response
You hear a question about the lease. Choose the best reply from the options. Use only the taught recordings.
Your task: Question: «Quel est le bail minimum ?». Options: A) «Le bail minimum est de douze mois.» B) «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.» C) «Est-ce que la durée est flexible ?». Choose the option that directly answers the question about the minimum lease. Then question: «Est-ce que la durée est flexible ?». Options: A) «Le bail minimum est de douze mois.» B) «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.» C) «Quel est le bail minimum ?». Choose the option that directly answers whether the duration is flexible.
Recall and Role Swap
Work with a partner. One of you is the customer, the other is the staff member. Use the recordings from memory as much as possible.
Your task: Customer: say the greeting and question from «Bonjour, quel est le bail minimum pour cet appartement ?». Staff: reply with «Le bail minimum est de douze mois.». Customer: ask the follow-up from «Est-ce que la durée est flexible ?». Staff: reply with «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.». Then swap roles and repeat the same order. Do not change the order of the lines.
Common questions
What does «Le bail minimum est de douze mois.» mean?
«Le bail minimum est de douze mois.» means “The minimum lease is twelve months.” It directly answers a question about the minimum lease length by stating the required duration.
What does «Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.» mean?
«Non, mais on peut discuter du loyer.» means “No, but we can discuss the rent.” It answers that the duration is not flexible, and it suggests that the rent can be discussed instead.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask about lease lengthChecked September 2026
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