Le bureau des objets trouvés

Today in elementary French at the Modern Language School, the class practised how to explain, at the lost property office, what you have lost, what it is like and where you might have lost it.

Sadly, we might all lose something while on holiday, so it is important to be able to explain.

Lost! The first thing of interest is that the lost property office in French is le bureau des objets trouvés (the found objects office), probably because it gives us French less anxiety to think our property has already been found… 🙂

The items lost can vary from un manteau en laine (a woollen coat) to un portefeuille en cuir (a leather wallet) or even un sac à main noir (a black handbag). The phrase you need is J’ai perdu (I have lost).

But what is it like?

• Comment est votre portefeuille?
• Il est en cuir marron, avec une fermeture-éclair à l’intérieur.

What was inside (dedans) can also help you find the item or be the main thing you are worried about, like mon passeport, mes cartes bancaires, une photo de ma fille, des bijoux (une bague en or, un bracelet en argent, des boucles d’oreilles), etc.

• Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dedans?
• Il y a mon passeport, mes cartes bancaires, deux-cents euros et une photo de mon chien Fifi.

You might have an idea of where you lost your property.

Do remember that, if you start your sentence by maybe peut-être you should add que after it, to sound really French. Also the order of words is not the same in English and in French: to say I have lost it, use Je l’ai perdu and I have lost them, je les ai perdus.

• Est-ce que vous savez où vous avez perdu vos skis?
• Peut-être que je les ai perdus dans la montagne. (This might be a lost cause…)

Today’s students worked really well and also learnt je veux (I want), je peux (I can) and je dois (I have to). What a great team!

If you wish to learn useful French for your holidays or work in a French-speaking country, please check out our timetable on https://modernlanguageschool.co.uk/french-timetable-prices.