Ask for a Swimming Pool in French: Directions and Opening Hours

Asking where the pool is

Start with a polite question. The recorded line «Où est la piscine, s'il vous plaît ?» means "Where is the swimming pool, please?" and «La piscine municipale, c'est par où ?» means "Which way is the municipal swimming pool?" Both are useful when you stop someone in the street. Say them slowly and clearly, with a friendly tone. If you want to be extra polite before asking, you can begin with «Bonjour, excusez-moi. Où est la piscine municipale, s'il vous plaît ?», which means "Hello, excuse me. Where is the municipal swimming pool, please?" This longer line combines a greeting, an apology for interrupting, and the question. Practise each line aloud two or three times. Focus on the rhythm: the question rises slightly at the end. You do not need to change any words; just copy the recording as closely as you can.

Understanding the answer

When you ask for directions, the other person may give a location and a distance. The recorded reply «C'est tout droit, à deux cents mètres. Elle est à côté du parc.» means "It's straight ahead, two hundred metres away. It's next to the park." This tells you three things: the direction is straight ahead, the distance is two hundred metres, and there is a park nearby. Listen for the word for "straight ahead" and the number. You can also ask about opening hours. «Elle ouvre à quelle heure ?» means "What time does it open?" and «C'est ouvert le lundi ?» means "Is it open on Mondays?" A possible answer is «Aujourd'hui, c'est ouvert de dix heures à dix-neuf heures. Le lundi, c'est fermé.», which means "Today it's open from ten to seven. On Mondays it's closed." Notice that the answer gives both a positive time and a closed day. When you hear a reply, repeat it silently to yourself, then check if you understood the key details: direction, distance, opening time, and closed day.

Putting the exchange together

Now combine the question and the answer. A full exchange could start with «Bonjour, excusez-moi. Où est la piscine municipale, s'il vous plaît ?» from you, followed by «C'est tout droit, à deux cents mètres. Elle est à côté du parc.» from the other person. Then you can thank them and ask about hours with «Merci. Elle ouvre à quelle heure aujourd'hui ?», which means "Thank you. What time does it open today?" The reply could be «Aujourd'hui, c'est ouvert de dix heures à dix-neuf heures. Le lundi, c'est fermé.». This gives you a complete, realistic conversation. Practise both roles: first as the person asking, then as the person answering. When you play the answering role, use the recorded lines exactly. Pay attention to the order: greeting and question, then answer, then thank-you and follow-up question, then final answer. Keep your voice calm and natural. You can pause the audio between lines to give yourself time to respond.

Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.

Checking available voices…

Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.

Common questions