Un train pour Marseille
At a glance
- A2 French
- A2 French short story with 6 interactive lines and sentence-level English support.
- Practice focus
- Practices passe compose, polite questions through a story-first reading task.
- Story value
- Includes 5 glossary items, a comprehension quiz, and line-linked vocabulary anchors.
Read in French, tap highlighted words when you need help
Interactive story reader
Inès est arrivée à la gare avec une valise trop lourde et un café encore chaud à moitié fini. Elle n'a pas compris le premier message vocal sur le , alors elle a demandé à une agente souriante où attendre le train pour Marseille. L'agente a montré l'écran : dix minutes de , mais le ne changeait pas encore. Inès a acheté une bouteille d'eau et a écrit dans son carnet les mots voyage, et mer. Pendant le trajet, elle regardait les oliviers et les petites maisons blanches qui passaient vite. En arrivant, elle a senti l'odeur du sel et du poisson grillé, et elle a pensé que Marseille commençait avant même la sortie de la station.
Show full English translation
Inès reached the station hauling a suitcase that outweighed her willpower and a coffee gone lukewarm mid-sip. She missed the first platform announcement, so she asked a smiling attendant where to wait for Marseille. The screen promised only a ten-minute delay with the same quai—so far. She grabbed water and scribbled voyage, correspondance, mer into a notebook like charms. Olive trees and whitewashed cottages streaked past the window until salt and grilled fish hit her before she even reached the exit tunnel.
Vocabulary recap
Comprehension check
Check what you understood
1. Pourquoi Inès parle-t-elle à l'agente?
Check answer
Parce qu'elle n'a pas compris l'annonce
2. Que note-t-elle dans son carnet?
Check answer
Les mots voyage, correspondance et mer
3. Qu'est-ce qu'elle sent en arrivant?
Check answer
L'odeur du sel et du poisson grillé
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What you get on this page vs in the app
This page is a free graded reader. MeloLingua adds everything you need to turn input into listening and speaking practice—plus stories that adapt to you across Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
| Experience | This page | MeloLingua app |
|---|---|---|
| Audio narration | Read silently | Native speaker audio in the app |
| Speaking practice | — | Guided pronunciation feedback |
| Personalized stories | — | Stories generated for your level and interests |
| Translation | English below the French text | Toggle translations on or off while you read |
| Comprehension | Self-check with the glossary | Short quizzes tied to each story |
| Vocabulary | Glossary on this page | Flashcards from story context |
| Languages | This story’s language only | Spanish, French, German, Italian |
| Where to use it | Web reader | Android app; iOS waitlist |
Quick answers
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- This page is text-first for free reading. In MeloLingua, stories include native speaker narration with text you can follow along—built for listening, not just silent reading.
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- Open the same kind of content in the app: you get speaking practice with feedback so you can align your rhythm and sounds with the narration.
- Which languages does MeloLingua cover?
- Spanish, French, German, and Italian—with level-matched libraries and personalized story options in the app.
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