Le nouveau vélo
The New Bike
A boy gets a new bike for his birthday and makes a new friend on his first ride to the park.
- friendship
- hobbies
Tap an underlined word to see its meaning.
What you'll encounter
- Grammar
- present tense
- aller + infinitive (futur proche)
- Vocabulary
- family and birthday vocabulary
- bike and park vocabulary
- Skills
- reading a simple first-time-experience narrative
- following basic dialogue between two children
Léo attend ce jour depuis longtemps. Chaque soir, avant de dormir, il regarde des photos de vélos dans un vieux magazine. Il espère un vélo rouge, sa couleur préférée, mais il n’est pas sûr.
Show English
Léo has been waiting for this day for a long time. Every evening, before falling asleep, he looks at pictures of bikes in an old magazine. He hopes for a red bike, his favorite color, but he isn't sure.
Aujourd’hui, c’est enfin l’anniversaire de Léo. Il a dix ans. Léo habite à Lyon, dans un petit appartement avec ses parents et son chien, Max. Ce matin, toute la famille est réunie dans la cuisine.
Show English
Today is finally Léo's birthday. He is ten years old. Léo lives in Lyon, in a small apartment with his parents and his dog, Max. This morning, the whole family is gathered in the kitchen.
Le père de Léo sort un grand de derrière la porte. « Joyeux anniversaire, Léo ! » dit-il. Léo le papier rapidement. C’est un vélo tout neuf, rouge et brillant, exactement comme il l’espère.
Show English
Léo's father brings out a big gift from behind the door. "Happy birthday, Léo!" he says. Léo unwraps the paper quickly. It's a brand-new bike, red and shiny, exactly like the one he hoped for.
Léo regarde le vélo avec de grands yeux. Il a une argentée et un à l’avant. « Il est magnifique ! » dit Léo. Il touche le et sourit. Max, le chien, joyeusement autour de lui.
Show English
Léo looks at the bike with wide eyes. It has a silver bell and a basket on the front. "It's wonderful!" says Léo. He touches the handlebars and smiles. Max, the dog, barks happily around him.
« Je peux l’essayer maintenant ? » demande Léo. Sa mère sourit. « D’accord, mais tu restes dans le quartier et tu mets ton . » Léo met son casque rouge et sort avec son vélo. Il va directement au parc près de chez lui.
Show English
"Can I try it now?" asks Léo. His mother smiles. "All right, but you stay in the neighborhood and you wear your helmet." Léo puts on his red helmet and goes out with his bike. He heads straight for the park near their home.
Il fait beau et le ciel est bleu. Au parc, il y a beaucoup d’arbres, un petit lac et des familles qui se promènent. Des oiseaux chantent dans les branches. Léo roule lentement sur le chemin, très fier de son nouveau vélo.
Show English
The weather is nice and the sky is blue. At the park, there are many trees, a small lake, and families out for a walk. Birds sing in the branches. Léo rides slowly along the path, very proud of his new bike.
Il voit une fille assise sur un banc, près des fleurs. Elle regarde son vélo avec intérêt. « Il est nouveau, ton vélo ? » demande-t-elle. « Oui, c’est mon cadeau d’anniversaire ! » répond Léo, .
Show English
He sees a girl sitting on a bench, near the flowers. She looks at his bike with interest. "Is your bike new?" she asks. "Yes, it's my birthday present!" answers Léo, proud.
« Il est très beau », dit-elle. « Moi, je m’appelle Jade. » La fille a aussi un vélo, bleu et un peu vieux. « On fait un tour ensemble ? » -t-elle. Léo accepte avec plaisir.
Show English
"It's very nice," she says. "My name is Jade." The girl also has a bike, blue and a little old. "Shall we ride together?" she suggests. Léo happily agrees.
Ils roulent autour du lac. Près de l’eau, des canards nagent tranquillement. Léo et Jade s’arrêtent un moment pour les regarder, puis ils repartent.
Show English
They ride side by side around the lake. Near the water, ducks swim peacefully. Léo and Jade stop for a moment to watch them, then ride on.
« On fait la course jusqu’au grand arbre ? » demande Jade avec un sourire . « D’accord ! » répond Léo. Ils pédalent vite, et ils rient fort pendant la course. Jade arrive première, de peu.
Show English
"Shall we race to the big tree?" asks Jade with a mischievous smile. "Okay!" answers Léo. They pedal fast, laughing loudly during the race. Jade arrives first, just barely.
Pendant la promenade, ils parlent de l’école, des jeux vidéo et de leurs familles. Jade habite juste en face du parc. Elle vient ici tous les week-ends avec son vélo. Léo trouve qu’elle est très .
Show English
During the ride, they talk about school, video games, and their families. Jade lives right across from the park. She comes here every weekend with her bike. Léo finds her very friendly.
Le soleil va bientôt , mais les deux enfants continuent à rouler encore un peu. Le ciel devient orange et rose au-dessus du lac. Ils rient et racontent encore des histoires drôles.
Show English
The sun is about to set, but the two children keep riding a little longer. The sky turns orange and pink above the lake. They laugh and tell more funny stories.
Avant de rentrer, Léo et Jade se disent au revoir. « À demain, au parc ? » demande Jade. « Oui, à demain ! » répond Léo avec un grand sourire. Il rentre chez lui à vélo, très content de sa journée, le meilleur anniversaire de sa vie.
Show English
Before heading home, Léo and Jade say goodbye to each other. "Same time tomorrow, at the park?" asks Jade. "Yes, see you tomorrow!" answers Léo with a big smile. He rides home, very happy with his day, the best birthday of his life.
Show full English translation
Léo has been waiting for this day for a long time. Every evening, before falling asleep, he looks at pictures of bikes in an old magazine. He hopes for a red bike, his favorite color, but he isn't sure.
Today is finally Léo's birthday. He is ten years old. Léo lives in Lyon, in a small apartment with his parents and his dog, Max. This morning, the whole family is gathered in the kitchen.
Léo's father brings out a big gift from behind the door. "Happy birthday, Léo!" he says. Léo unwraps the paper quickly. It's a brand-new bike, red and shiny, exactly like the one he hoped for.
Léo looks at the bike with wide eyes. It has a silver bell and a basket on the front. "It's wonderful!" says Léo. He touches the handlebars and smiles. Max, the dog, barks happily around him.
"Can I try it now?" asks Léo. His mother smiles. "All right, but you stay in the neighborhood and you wear your helmet." Léo puts on his red helmet and goes out with his bike. He heads straight for the park near their home.
The weather is nice and the sky is blue. At the park, there are many trees, a small lake, and families out for a walk. Birds sing in the branches. Léo rides slowly along the path, very proud of his new bike.
He sees a girl sitting on a bench, near the flowers. She looks at his bike with interest. "Is your bike new?" she asks. "Yes, it's my birthday present!" answers Léo, proud.
"It's very nice," she says. "My name is Jade." The girl also has a bike, blue and a little old. "Shall we ride together?" she suggests. Léo happily agrees.
They ride side by side around the lake. Near the water, ducks swim peacefully. Léo and Jade stop for a moment to watch them, then ride on.
"Shall we race to the big tree?" asks Jade with a mischievous smile. "Okay!" answers Léo. They pedal fast, laughing loudly during the race. Jade arrives first, just barely.
During the ride, they talk about school, video games, and their families. Jade lives right across from the park. She comes here every weekend with her bike. Léo finds her very friendly.
The sun is about to set, but the two children keep riding a little longer. The sky turns orange and pink above the lake. They laugh and tell more funny stories.
Before heading home, Léo and Jade say goodbye to each other. "Same time tomorrow, at the park?" asks Jade. "Yes, see you tomorrow!" answers Léo with a big smile. He rides home, very happy with his day, the best birthday of his life.
Words to know
- cadeau
- — gift
- déballe
- — unwraps
- sonnette
- — bell
- panier
- — basket
- guidon
- — handlebars
- aboie
- — barks
- casque
- — helmet
- fier
- — proud
- propose
- — suggests
- côte à côte
- — side by side
- espiègle
- — mischievous
- sympathique
- — nice, friendly
- se coucher
- — set (of the sun)