In this workshop you practise a small but very useful conversation: asking for a landmark near a place, listening to a short answer, and checking which building the other person means. You will use two question patterns and two answer patterns. Each French line is played from the recording, so listen first, then repeat aloud. You can play both roles: the person asking and the person answering. There is no automatic scoring, so use the answer keys and self-checks to judge your own speaking.
Asking for a landmark
Start with a polite opener and a simple question. The recording «Quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?» means 'What's a good landmark near the station?' The word 'repère' is the everyday word for a landmark or reference point you can see. A second, very common spoken pattern is «Qu'est-ce qu'il y a comme repère près d'ici ?», which means 'What landmarks are there near here?' Here 'comme repère' means 'as a landmark' and invites a short list. Say both lines slowly, then at a natural speed. Keep the melody of the question: the voice rises at the end. When you play the role of the person asking, you only need these two questions; you do not need to invent new phrases.
Understanding the answer
The key structure in an answer is 'il y a', which means 'there is' or 'there are'. The line «Il y a une grande place, juste devant la gare.» means 'There's a big square, right in front of the station.' Notice 'devant la gare': in front of the station. A more precise answer is «C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque.», which means 'It's the building with the tower, next to the bank.' Here 'à côté de' means 'next to'. Listen for the landmark word first, then the position word. In «Il y a une grande place, juste devant la gare.» the position is 'devant la gare'; in «C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque.» it is 'à côté de la banque'. Repeat each line and point in the air to the position as you say it.
Putting the exchange together
Now combine the parts. In the recorded exchange, the first speaker asks «Excusez-moi, quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?», which means 'Excuse me, what's a good landmark near the station?' The answer «Il y a une grande place avec une fontaine, juste devant la gare.» means 'There's a big square with a fountain, right in front of the station.' The first speaker then asks «D'accord. Et c'est quel bâtiment, exactement ?», which means 'OK. And which building is it, exactly?' The answer «C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque. Vous voyez la fontaine ?» means 'It's the building with the tower, next to the bank. Do you see the fountain?' This is a complete, realistic exchange. Play it once and listen only. Play it again and repeat each line. Then play one role and leave a silent gap for the other role.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?
What's a good landmark near the station?
kel eh tuhn bohn ruh-PEHR preh duh la GAHR
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a comme repère près d'ici ?
What landmarks are there near here?
kess keel yah kohm ruh-PEHR preh dee-SEE
Il y a une grande place, juste devant la gare.
There's a big square, right in front of the station.
eel yah ewn grahnd PLAHSS, zhewest duh-VAHN la GAHR
C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque.
It's the building with the tower, next to the bank.
say luh bah-tee-MAHN ah-vek la TOOR, ah ko-TAY duh la BAHNK
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Excusez-moi, quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?
Excuse me, what's a good landmark near the station?Il y a une grande place avec une fontaine, juste devant la gare.
There's a big square with a fountain, right in front of the station.D'accord. Et c'est quel bâtiment, exactement ?
OK. And which building is it, exactly?C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque. Vous voyez la fontaine ?
It's the building with the tower, next to the bank. Do you see the fountain?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 near a station and want a landmark. Play the recording of the answer, then respond aloud with the recorded question. You can play both roles.
Your task: Play «Il y a une grande place avec une fontaine, juste devant la gare.» and repeat it aloud as the person answering. Then play «Excusez-moi, quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?» and repeat it aloud as the person asking. Do this three times: first while reading, then while looking away, then without looking at any text.
Reply comprehension: which landmark?
Listen to a recorded answer and choose what it describes. This checks listening, not speaking.
Your task: Play «Il y a une grande place, juste devant la gare.» and decide: is the landmark in front of the station or next to the bank? Then play «C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque.» and decide: is the landmark a square or a building with a tower? Say your choice aloud in English, then repeat the French line.
Recall with correct roles
Rebuild the recorded exchange from memory, keeping the roles correct. One person asks, the other answers.
Your task: Without reading, say the question from «Excusez-moi, quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?», then the answer from «Il y a une grande place avec une fontaine, juste devant la gare.», then the follow-up question from «D'accord. Et c'est quel bâtiment, exactement ?», then the final answer from «C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque. Vous voyez la fontaine ?». Play each recording after you say your version to compare.
Common questions
What does 'repère' mean, and can I use it for any landmark?
'Repère' means a landmark or reference point you can see, and it is the everyday word in the recorded questions. In «Quel est un bon repère près de la gare ?» it appears as 'un bon repère', meaning 'a good landmark'. In «Qu'est-ce qu'il y a comme repère près d'ici ?» it appears as 'comme repère', meaning 'as a landmark'. Use it when you want a visible point to help you find your way.
How do I know if the answer means 'in front of' or 'next to'?
Listen for the position words. In «Il y a une grande place, juste devant la gare.» you hear 'devant la gare', which means 'in front of the station'. In «C'est le bâtiment avec la tour, à côté de la banque.» you hear 'à côté de la banque', which means 'next to the bank'. The landmark word comes first, then the position. Repeat each line and point to the position as you say it.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask for landmarksChecked September 2026
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