at the barbershop
Learn English With Jokes
The Barber's House
Intermediate · Past Simple · Indirect Questions
✦
Survolez les mots en ambre pour voir les définitions en français.
This guy sticks his headPASSE LA TÊTE into a barbershopSALON DE COIFFURE and asks, “How longCOMBIEN DE TEMPS before I can get a haircutCOUPE DE CHEVEUX?”
The barber looks aroundREGARDE AUTOUR DE LUI the shop and says, “About two hours.”
The guy leaves.
A few days later, the same guy sticks his head in the door and asks the same question.
The barber looks around at his shop full of customers and says, “About two hours.”
The guy leaves.
A week later, the same guy sticks his head in the shop and asks again.
The barber looks around the shop and says, “About an hour and a half.”
The guy leaves.
The barber looks over at a friend in the shop and says, “Hey, Jimmy, follow that guy and see where he goes.”
In a little while, Jimmy comes back into the shop laughing hystericallyRIT AUX ÉCLATS.
The barber asks, “Jimmy, where did that guy go when he left here?”
Jimmy looks at him and says, “To your house.”
📘 Key Vocabulary
📖 Grammar Points
1. Past simple for narrative
The story uses past simple verbs such as stuck, asked, looked, said, left, came and went to tell completed actions in the past. This creates a clear sequence of events.
2. Indirect questions in reported speech
Instead of the direct question “How long before I can get a haircut?”, the barber reports it indirectly. Notice how the barber asks Jimmy: “...see where he goes” (indirect question after “follow and see”).
🔁 Synonyms & Alternatives
Both fit the tone: he burst out laughing or the local hair salon.
💬 Mini Dialogue
Context: Two colleagues, Sophie and Thomas, talking about a strange plumber.
Sophie: “This guy sticks his headPASSE LA TÊTE into the office and asks how longCOMBIEN DE TEMPS before he can fix the sink.”
Thomas: “What did you tell him?”
Sophie: “I looked aroundREGARDE AUTOUR DE LUI and said about two hours. Later Jimmy came back laughing hystericallyRIT AUX ÉCLATS.”
Thomas: “Where did the guy go?”
Uses past simple narrative, indirect questions, and key vocabulary naturally.
Comments