A room inquiry needs the right date as well as a yes or no. In this fictional exchange, a general question receives a yes, but a follow-up about tonight receives a no. Practise asking both questions and listening for which date the answer covers. You will also learn why an available room is not necessarily free of charge. Listen to the dialogue, then rehearse each role aloud.
Ask with two polite forms
Ask «Est-ce que vous avez des chambres disponibles ?» (Do you have any rooms available?). Another option is «Vous avez une chambre libre ?» (Do you have a room available?). Here «libre» means available or unoccupied, not free of charge. Both questions concern availability. Neither gives a price or explicitly names a date. Practise asking each one, then listen for the receptionist's reply. If your dates have not been established, check the date you need before treating a general yes as useful confirmation.
Understand the first yes and check tonight
The first reply, «Oui, nous avons une chambre.» (Yes, we have a room.), does not explicitly name a date. In this practice dialogue, the guest follows up with «Très bien. Et il reste une chambre pour ce soir ?» (Very good. And is there a room left for tonight?). The answer is «Non, désolé, nous sommes complets ce soir.» (No, sorry, we are fully booked tonight.). The final answer is the relevant one for tonight. In a real conversation, a short yes can refer to dates already discussed; here, the clarification reveals that tonight is unavailable.
Use the negative answer correctly
Listen to «Non, désolé, nous sommes complets.» (No, sorry, we are fully booked.). The longer reply «Non, désolé, nous sommes complets ce soir.» adds tonight. As the receptionist, practise giving each reply after an availability question. As the guest, explain the outcome in English: the hotel is full for the time being discussed. For the four-line dialogue, that time is tonight. The exchange gives no availability information for tomorrow and makes no booking, so keep those conclusions separate from what you actually heard.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Est-ce que vous avez des chambres disponibles ?
Do you have any rooms available?
ess-kuh voo-zah-vay day shahmbruh dee-spo-neebluh
Vous avez une chambre libre ?
Do you have a free room?
voo-zah-vay oon shahmbruh leebruh
Oui, nous avons une chambre.
Yes, we have a room.
wee, noo-zah-vohn oon shahmbruh
Non, désolé, nous sommes complets.
No, sorry, we are fully booked.
nohn, day-zoh-lay, noo sohm kohn-pleh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, est-ce que vous avez des chambres disponibles ?
Hello, do you have any rooms available?Oui, nous avons une chambre.
Yes, we have a room.Très bien. Et il reste une chambre pour ce soir ?
Very good. And is there a room left for tonight?Non, désolé, nous sommes complets ce soir.
No, sorry, we are fully booked tonight.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided availability exchange
Play the recorded dialogue with Speaker A asking about rooms and Speaker B answering. Then replay it and speak Speaker A's lines yourself while the recording supplies Speaker B.
Your task: Say «Bonjour, est-ce que vous avez des chambres disponibles ?» Then, after the recorded yes, ask «Très bien. Et il reste une chambre pour ce soir ?» Listen for the recorded no.
Choose the question or interpret the reply
Try two guest questions and two listening checks. Cover the model phrases first, then uncover them after choosing your answer.
Your task: To ask generally about available rooms, say «Est-ce que vous avez des chambres disponibles ?». To check tonight after the first reply, say «Très bien. Et il reste une chambre pour ce soir ?». Now explain «Oui, nous avons une chambre.» and «Non, désolé, nous sommes complets ce soir.» in English. Which answer decides whether you can stay tonight?
Recall with correct speaker roles
Cover the transcript. Replay the recorded dialogue once. Then rebuild the exchange from memory with the correct speaker roles.
Your task: Say who asks «Est-ce que vous avez des chambres disponibles ?» and who answers «Oui, nous avons une chambre.» Then say who asks about tonight and who gives the negative reply.
Common questions
Does «Oui, nous avons une chambre.» mean a room is available tonight?
Not by itself in this example. The sentence says “Yes, we have a room,” without naming a date. A yes can refer to dates already discussed, but this dialogue clarifies tonight afterward and receives a no. Use the date-specific answer here, and do not infer availability tomorrow.
Does «libre» mean free of charge?
No. In «une chambre libre», «libre» means available or unoccupied. It does not mean free of charge. The recorded questions ask about availability, not price.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask about room availabilityChecked September 2026
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