In this workshop you practise a short, realistic bike-rental conversation in French. You will ask where you can rent a bike, ask about the price, and understand a reply that gives a place, a duration question, a price, and a requirement. The native lines are provided as recordings, so you can listen and repeat before you speak. You do not need to invent new sentences; use the recorded lines as your model and change only your role.
Ask where you can rent a bike
Start with a polite greeting and a question. The recorded dialogue line «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» means "Hello, where can I rent a bike?" It combines a greeting with the request. The recorded phrase «Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» means "Where can I rent a bike?" and is the direct question without the greeting. You can also hear a more general recorded form, «Où peut-on louer un vélo ?», which means "Where can one rent a bike?" or "Where can you rent a bike?" Use «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» when you want to greet the person first, and «Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» when you want a direct question. Practise saying each line slowly, then at a natural speed. Keep the question intonation clear at the end.
Ask about the price and understand the reply
After you know where to rent, ask about the cost. The recorded line «Combien ça coûte par jour ?» means "How much does it cost per day?" Another recorded question, «C'est combien pour une journée ?», means "How much is it for one day?" Both ask for a price, but «Combien ça coûte par jour ?» mentions a daily rate and «C'est combien pour une journée ?» mentions one day. In the model exchange, the staff member replies with a place and a question about duration: «Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?» means "You can rent a bike at the train station. For how long?" Then the customer answers with a duration and repeats the price question: «Pour une journée. Combien ça coûte ?» means "For one day. How much does it cost?" Finally, the staff member gives the price and a requirement: «C'est quinze euros par jour, et il faut une pièce d'identité.» means "It is fifteen euros per day, and you need an ID." Listen for the place, the duration question, the price, and the ID requirement.
Keep the conversation in order
A rental conversation has a natural order: greeting and request, reply with place and duration question, answer with duration and price question, then reply with price and requirement. In the model, the customer begins with «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?», the staff member answers with «Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?», the customer continues with «Pour une journée. Combien ça coûte ?», and the staff member finishes with «C'est quinze euros par jour, et il faut une pièce d'identité.». If you swap roles, you still keep this order. The person playing the customer says the greeting and the price question; the person playing the staff member says the place, the duration question, the price, and the ID requirement. Do not begin with the answer before the question. Practise the exchange until you can say your part without reading.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?
Where can I rent a bike?
oo es-kuh zhuh puh loo-AY un vay-LO
Où peut-on louer un vélo ?
Where can one rent a bike? / Where can you rent a bike?
oo puh-ton loo-AY un vay-LO
Combien ça coûte par jour ?
How much does it cost per day?
kom-BYEN sa KOOT par ZHOOR
C'est combien pour une journée ?
How much is it for one day?
say kom-BYEN poor oon zhoor-NAY
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?
Hello, where can I rent a bike?Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?
You can rent a bike at the train station. For how long?Pour une journée. Combien ça coûte ?
For one day. How much does it cost?C'est quinze euros par jour, et il faut une pièce d'identité.
It is fifteen euros per day, and you need an ID.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: customer and staff
You are the customer. The staff member is a partner or an audio track. Use the recorded lines in order. The customer speaks first.
Your task: Say the greeting and the bike question using «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?». Then listen to the staff reply «Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?». Answer with the duration and the price question using «Pour une journée. Combien ça coûte ?». Then listen to the final reply «C'est quinze euros par jour, et il faut une pièce d'identité.». Repeat the exchange once more, trying to speak without looking at the text.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct response
Read or listen to the staff line «Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?»: it gives a place and asks for how long. Then choose the best customer reply from the three options below.
Your task: Option A: «Pour une journée. Combien ça coûte ?». Option B: «Combien ça coûte par jour ?». Option C: «Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?». Which option answers the duration question and continues the conversation? Say your choice aloud, then say the full line.
Recall with correct roles
Cover the text. You will rebuild the conversation from memory with a partner or by playing both roles with the audio. The customer speaks first.
Your task: Customer: say the greeting and bike question. Staff: give the place and ask for how long. Customer: give the duration and ask the price. Staff: give the price and the ID requirement. Use the recorded lines as your model: «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?», «Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?», «Pour une journée. Combien ça coûte ?», «C'est quinze euros par jour, et il faut une pièce d'identité.».
Common questions
Can I use «Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» instead of «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» at the start?
Yes. «Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» means "Where can I rent a bike?" and «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» means "Hello, where can I rent a bike?" The difference is the greeting. Use «Bonjour, où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» when you want to greet first, and «Où est-ce que je peux louer un vélo ?» when you want a direct question.
What should I listen for in the staff reply?
Listen for four things: the place, the duration question, the price, and the ID requirement. In the model, «Vous pouvez louer un vélo à la gare. C'est combien de temps ?» gives the place and asks for how long, and «C'est quinze euros par jour, et il faut une pièce d'identité.» gives the price and says you need an ID.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask for a bicycle rentalChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's French into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr