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# 🇫🇷👂Extracting Pure French: Jean-François' E-Dropping Technique ⚗️
- URL: https://realspokenfrench.com/004-snippet-002/
- Published: 2025-03-21T12:31:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-23T18:21:06.000Z
- Author: Valentin Prat

Bonjour! 

As promised, here's more on Jean-François Roussot and how he uses his copper stills...

## Start with life, not with grammar

🖼️

Watch this brief intro to set the scene. No need to understand anything yet - it just provides context for what comes next.

In a nutshell: Passionate herbalist Jean-François Roussot shows his copper stills and distils linden/lime tree leaves to extract their flavour. 

### Your Ear Training Challenge

Listen as Jean-François recalls childhood memories and thinks out loud about why he does what he does:

Here's an excerpt from the [full lesson](https://realspokenfrench.com/french-subtitles-off-lesson-004/): 

### 🤺👂 Listening Challenge #5 - 'E' Dropping

[⏮️ Previous challenge](https://realspokenfrench.com/french-subtitles-off-lesson-004/)  
[⏭️ Next challenge](https://realspokenfrench.com/french-subtitles-off-lesson-004/)  
[📋Challenges List](https://realspokenfrench.com/french-subtitles-off-lesson-004/)

**First Example:**

0:00

/1.207437

1×

#### Honest Spelling: What you hear 

🗣️👂 ****pt**i

#### What we write

🔡📜 p****e**tit  
 → ****p't**it **(non-standard spelling used in comic books)* 

[🎬Spot that phrase in the clip](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxXyfHwsWz-Jxf5tjjWzGQiMqba4HDNr%5Fr?si=SYQDQV0mz9-Tn9cc&ref=realspokenfrench.com) **(YouTube clips can't be shorter than 5 seconds, so this clip includes extra words.)*

#### What it means

🇬🇧🇺🇸 small/little

**Second Example:**

0:00

/1.532517

1×

#### Honest Spelling: What you hear

🗣️👂**ã*\-vi****\-dr**e-vivr

Note: the tiny squished 'N' on top of the **ã* signals a **Nasalised* sound. We spell that sound **"an"* but we make exactly **zero* N sound, so it makes more sense to use a special character. More on that in a future lesson.

#### What we write

🔡📜 envie ****de r**evivre  
 → envie ****d'r**evivre **(non-standard spelling used in comic books)* 

[🎬Spot that phrase in the clip](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxUwnJnfD08-sfJrB3MmvP8e61bIMKLPuG?si=b0Ak53ZSbI32UDWF&ref=realspokenfrench.com) **(YouTube clips can't be shorter than 5 seconds, so this clip includes extra words.)*

#### What it means

🇬🇧🇺🇸 feeling like reliving

**Explanation: The 'E' Dropping Pattern**

Let's break down what's happening here:

1. In real spoken French, the letter 'e' often disappears completely when it appears in certain positions
2. This is especially common with the unstressed 'e' (also called schwa) in the middle or end of words
3. This is NOT a sloppy habit - it's how French is actually spoken by everyone, including politicians, professors, and yes, herbalists like Jean-François!

**Why this matters:**  
If you've ever thought "Why can't I understand French people when they speak? I know the vocabulary!" - this is one big reason. When you drop a bunch of 'e's, words blend together in ways textbooks never prepare you for. 

**Your challenge this week:**

1. Listen to normal conversations (YouTube, podcasts, etc.)
2. Try to spot when native speakers drop their 'e's
3. Practice saying common phrases both ways - textbook style and "real French" style

We naturally speak relatively fast, but once you start tuning your ears in to these patterns, everything gradually slows down. 

---

I hope this was helpful. As always, *merci* for your interest in my language.

*Bonne journée,* 
*Valentin*

PS - Get the full lesson [here](https://realspokenfrench.com/french-subtitles-off-lesson-004/). Get a special launch price for the Learner tier [here](https://realspokenfrench.com/early-believer-l) and for the Doer tier [here](https://realspokenfrench.com/early-believer-d).