Learn French
1.Greetings
| Bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʀ/ Hello / Good day / Good morning | Bonsoir /bɔ̃swaʀ/ Good evening | Bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ Good night (only said when going to bed) |
| Salut /saly/ Hi / Bye | Au revoir /ɔʀ(ə)vwaʀ/ Goodbye | S'il vous plaît / S'il te plaît /sil vu plɛ/ Please (formal / informal) |
| Merci (beaucoup) /mɛʀsi boku/ Thank you (very much) | De rien. /də ʀjɛ̃/ You're welcome. | Je vous en prie. /ʒəvu zɑ̃ pri/ You're welcome. (formal) / Go ahead. |
| Bienvenu(e) /bjɛ̃vəny/ Welcome (also You're welcome in Quebec) | Allons-y! /alɔ̃ zi/ Let's go! | A tout à l'heure/a tu ta lœʀ/ See you in a little while |
| A plus tard /a ply taʀ/ See you later | A bientôt /a bjɛ̃to/ See you soon | A demain /a dəmɛ̃/ See you tomorrow |
| Je suis désolé(e) /dezɔle/ I'm sorry | Pardon ! /paʀdɔ̃/ Excuse me! (pushing through a crowd) / Sorry! (stepped on someone's foot) | Excusez-moi ! /ekskyze mwa/ Excuse me! (getting someone's attention) / I'm sorry! (more formal apology) |
| Comment allez-vous ? /kɔmɑ̃ tale vu/ How are you? (formal) | Je vais bien /ʒə ve bjɛ̃/ I'm fine. | Très bien / mal / pas mal /tʀɛ bjɛ̃/ /mal/ /pa mal/ Very good / bad / not bad |
| Ça va ? /sa va/ How are you? (informal) | Ça va. /sa va/ I'm fine. (informal response to Ça va ?) | Oui / non /wi/ /nɔ̃/ Yes / no |
| Comment vous appelez-vous ? /kɔmɑ̃ vu zaple vu/ What's your name? (formal) | Tu t'appelles comment ? /ty tapɛl kɔmɑ̃/ What's your name? (informal) | Je m'appelle... /ʒə mapɛl/ My name is... |
| Enchanté(e) /ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te/ Nice to meet you. | Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle /məsjø/ /madam/ /madwazɛl/ Mister, Misses, Miss | Mesdames et Messieurs /medam/ /mesjø/ Ladies and gentlemen |
| Vous êtes d'où ? / Vous venez d'où ? /vu zɛt du/ /vu vəne du/ Where are you from? (formal) | Tu es d'où ? / Tu viens d'où ? /ty ɛ du/ /ty vjɛ̃ du/ Where are you from? (informal) | Je suis de... / Je viens de... /ʒə sɥi də/ /ʒə vjɛ̃ də/ I am from... |
| Où habitez-vous ? /u abite vu/ Where do you live? (formal) | Tu habites où ? /ty abit u/ Where do you live? (informal) | J'habite à... /ʒabit a/ I live in... |
| Quel âge avez-vous ? /kɛl ɑʒ ave vu/ How old are you? (formal) | Tu as quel âge ? /ty ɑ kɛl ɑʒ/ How old are you? (informal) | J'ai ____ ans. /ʒe __ ɑ̃/ I am ____ years old. |
| Parlez-vous français ? / Tu parles anglais ? /paʀle vu frɑ̃sɛ/ /ty paʀl ɑ̃glɛ/ Do you speak French? (formal) / Do you speak English? (informal) | Je parle allemand. /ʒə paʀl almɑ/̃ I speak German. | Je ne parle pas espagnol. /ʒə nə paʀl pa ɛspaɲɔl/ I don't speak Spanish. |
| Comprenez-vous? / Tu comprends? /kɔ̃pʀəne vu/ /ty kɔ̃pʀɑ̃/ Do you understand? (formal / informal) | Je comprends /ʒə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃/ I understand | Je ne comprends pas /ʒə nə kɔ̃pʀɑ̃ pa/ I don't understand |
| Pouvez-vous m'aider ? / Tu peux m'aider ? /puve vu mede/ /ty pø mede/ Can you help me? (formal / informal) | Bien sûr. /bjɛ̃ syʀ/ Of course. | Comment ? /kɔmɑ̃/ What? Pardon? |
| Tenez / Tiens /təne/ /tjɛ̃/ Hey / Here (formal / informal) | Je sais /ʒə sɛ/ I know | Je ne sais pas /ʒən sɛ pa/ I don't know |
| Où est ... / Où sont ... ? /u ɛ/ /u sɔ̃/ Where is ... / Where are ... ? | Voici / Voilà /vwasi/ /vwala/ Here is/are... / There it is. | Il y a ... / Il y avait... /il i a/ /il i avɛ/ There is / are... / There was / were... |
| Comment dit-on ____ en français
? /kɔmɑ̃ di tɔ̃ __ ɑ̃ fʀɑ̃sɛ/ How do you say ____ in French? | Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ? /kɛs kə sɛ kə sa/ What is that? | Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ? /kɛs kil i a/ What's the matter? |
| Ça ne fait rien. /sa nə fɛ ʀjɛ̃/ It doesn't matter. | Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? /kɛs ki sə pas/ What's happening? | Je n'ai aucune idée. /ʒə ne okyn ide/ I have no idea. |
| Je suis fatigué(e) / Je suis malade. /ʒə sɥi fatiɡe/ /ʒə sɥi malad/ I'm tired / I'm sick. | J'ai faim / J'ai soif. /ʒe fɛ̃/ /ʒe swaf/ I'm hungry / I'm thirsty. | J'ai chaud / J'ai froid. /ʒe ʃo/ /ʒe fʀwɑ/ I'm hot / I'm cold. |
| Je m'ennuie. /ʒə mɑ̃nɥi/ I'm bored. | Ça m'est égal. / Je m'en
fiche. /sa mɛ teɡal/ /ʒə mɑ̃ fiʃ/ It's the same to me / I don't care. (informal) | Ne vous en faites pas. / Ne t'en fais pas. /nə vu ɑ̃ fɛt pa/ /nə tɑ̃ fɛ pa/ Don't worry (formal / informal) |
| Ce n'est pas grave. /sə nɛ pa gʀav/ It's no problem. / It's alright. | J'ai oublié. /ʒe ublije/ I forgot. | Je dois y aller. /ʒə dwa i ale/ I must go. |
| A vos souhaits ! / A tes souhaits ! /a vo swɛ/ /a te swɛ/ Bless you! (formal / informal) | Félicitations ! /felisitasjɔ̃/ Congratulations! | Bonne chance ! /bɔn ʃɑ̃s/ Good luck! |
| C'est à vous ! / C'est à toi ! /sɛ ta vu/ /sɛ ta twɑ/ It's your turn! (formal / informal) | Taisez-vous ! / Tais-toi ! /tɛze vu/ /tɛ twɑ/ Shut up! / Be quiet! (formal / informal) | Je vous aime / Je t'aime /ʒə vu zɛm/ /ʒə tɛm/ I love you (formal & plural / informal) |
| Tu me manques. /ty mə mɑ̃k/ I miss you. (informal) | Quoi de neuf ? /kwɑ də nœf/ What's new? | Pas grand-chose. /pa gʀɑ̃ ʃoz/ Not a whole lot. |
Notice that French has informal and formal ways of saying things. This is because there is more than one meaning to "you" in French (as well as in many other languages.) The informal you is used when talking to close friends, relatives, animals or children. The formal you is used when talking to someone you just met, do not know well, or someone for whom you would like to show respect (a professor, for example.) There is also a plural you, used when speaking to more than one person. Also notice that some words take an extra e, shown in parentheses. If the word refers to a woman or is spoken by a woman, then the e is added in spelling; but in most cases, it does not change the pronunciation. To make verbs negative, French adds ne before the verb and pas after it. However, the ne is frequently dropped in spoken French, although it must appear in written French.
2. Pronunciation / la prononciation.
French Vowels
|
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| IPA | Phonetic spelling | Sample words | General spellings |
| [i] | ee | vie, midi, lit, riz | i, y |
| [y] | ee rounded | rue, jus, tissu, usine | u |
| [e] | ay | blé, nez, cahier, pied | é, et, final er and ez |
| [ø] | ay rounded | jeu, yeux, queue, bleu | eu |
| [ɛ] | eh | lait, aile, balai, reine | e, è, ê, ai, ei, ais |
| [œ] | eh rounded | sœur, œuf, fleur, beurre | œu, eu |
| [a] | ah | chat, ami, papa, salade | a, à, â |
| [ɑ] | ah longer | bas, âne, grâce, château | a, â |
| [u] | oo | loup, cou, caillou, outil | ou |
| [o] | oh | eau, dos, escargot, hôtel | o, ô |
| [ɔ] | aw | sol, pomme, cloche, horloge | o |
| [ə] | uh | fenêtre, genou, cheval, cerise | e |
[ɑ]
is disappearing in modern French, being replaced by [a].
Vowels that do not exist in English are marked in blue.
French semi-vowels
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| IPA | Phonetic spelling | Sample words | General spelling |
| [w] | w | fois, oui, Louis | oi, ou |
| [ɥ] | ew-ee | lui, suisse | ui |
| [j] | yuh | oreille, Mireille | ill, y |
French nasal vowels
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|||
| IPA | Phonetic spelling | Sample words | General spelling |
| [ã] | awn | gant, banc, dent | en, em, an, am, aon, aen |
| [ɛ̃] | ahn | pain, vin, linge | in, im, yn, ym, ain, aim, ein, eim, un, um, en, eng, oin, oing, oint, ien, yen, éen |
| [œ̃] | uhn | brun, lundi, parfum | un |
| [õ] | ohn | rond, ongle, front | on, om |
[œ̃]
is being replaced with [ɛ̃]
in modern French
In words beginning with in-, a nasal is only used if the
next letter is a consonant. Otherwise, the in- prefix is pronounce
een before a vowel.
French Consonants
|
||
| ex + vowel | egz | examen, exercice |
| ex + consonant | eks | exceptionnel, expression |
| ch (Latin origin) | sh | architecte, archives |
| ch (Greek origin) | k | orchestre, archéologie |
| ti + vowel (except é) | see | démocratie, nation |
| c + e, i, y; or ç | s | cent, ceinture, maçon |
| c + a, o, u | k | caillou, car, cube |
| g + e, i, y | zh | genou, gingembre |
| g + a, o, u | g | gomme, ganglion |
| th | t | maths, thème, thym |
| j | zh | jambe, jus, jeune |
| qu, final q | k | que, quoi, grecque |
| h | silent | haricot, herbe, hasard |
| vowel + s + vowel | z | rose, falaise, casino |
| x + vowel | z | six ans, beaux arts |
| final x | s | six, dix, soixante (these 3 only!) |
There are a lot of silent letters in French, and you usually
do not pronounce the final consonant, unless that final consonant is C,
R, F or L (except verbs that end in -r).
Liaison: French slurs most words together
in a sentence, so if a word ends in a consonant that is not pronounced
and the next word starts with a vowel or silent h, slur the two together
as if it were one word. S and x are pronounced as z; d as t; and f as
v in these liaisons. Liaison is always made in the following cases:
- after a determiner: un ami, des amis
- before or after a pronoun: vous avez, je les ai
- after a preceding adjective: bon ami, petits enfants
- after one syllable prepositions: en avion, dans un livre
- after some one-syllable adverbs (très, plus, bien)
- after est
Silent e: Sometimes the e is dropped in words and phrases, shortening the syllables and slurring more words.
- rapid(e)ment, lent(e)ment, sauv(e)tage /ʀapidmɑ̃/ /ɑ̃tmɑ̃/ /sovtaʒ/
- sous l(e) bureau, chez l(e) docteur /sul byʀo/ /ʃel dɔktoʀ/
- il y a d(e)... , pas d(e)... , plus d(e)... /yad/ /pad/ / plyd/
- je n(e), de n(e) /ʒən/ /dən/
- j(e) te, c(e) que /ʃt/ /skə/ (note the change of the pronunciation of the j as well)
3. Alphabet / l'alphabet.
| a | /a/ | j | /ʒi/ | s | /ɛs/ | ||
| b | /be/ | k | /ka/ | t | /te/ | ||
| c | /se/ | l | /ɛl/ | u | /y/ | ||
| d | /de/ | m | /ɛm/ | v | /ve/ | ||
| e | /ə/ | n | /ɛn/ | w | /dubləve/ | ||
| f | /ɛf/ | o | /o/ | x | /iks/ | ||
| g | /ʒɜ/ | p | /pe/ | y | /igrɛk/ | ||
| h | /aʃ/ | q | /ky/ | z | /zɛd/ | ||
| i | /i/ | r | /ɛʀ/ |
All nouns in French have a gender, either masculine or feminine. For the most part, you must memorize the gender, but there are some endings of words that will help you decide which gender a noun is. Nouns ending in -age and -ment are usually masculine, as are nouns ending with a consonant. Nouns ending in -ure, -sion, -tion, -ence, -ance, -té, and -ette are usually feminine.
Articles and adjectives must agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify. And articles have to be expressed even though they aren't always in English; and you may have to repeat the article in some cases. Demonstratives are like strong definite articles.
| Masculine | Feminine | Before Vowel | Plural | |||
| le lit /lə li/ the bed |
la pomme /la pɔm/ the apple |
l'oiseau /lwazo/ the bird |
les gants /le ɡɑ̃/ the gloves |
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | ||
| un lit /œ̃̃ li/ a bed |
une pomme / yn pɔm/ an apple |
des gants /de ɡɑ̃/ some gloves |
| Masc. | Masc, Before Vowel | Fem. | Plural | |||
| ce lit /sə li/ this/that bed |
cet oiseau /sɛ twazo/ this/that bird |
cette pomme /sɛt pɔm/ this/that apple |
ces gants /se ɡɑ̃/ these/those gloves |
5. Useful Words / les mots utiles.
| It's / That's | c'est | /sɛ/ | There is/are | il y a | /il i a/ |
| There is/are | voilà | /vwala/ | Here is/are | voici | /vwasi/ |
| and | et | /e/ | always | toujours | /tuʒuʀ/ |
| but | mais | /mɛ/ | often | souvent | /suvɑ̃/ |
| now | maintenant | /mɛ̃tnɑ̃/ | sometimes | quelquefois | /kɛlkəfwa/ |
| especially | surtout | /syʀtu/ | usually | d'habitude | /dabityd/ |
| except | sauf | /sof/ | also, too | aussi | /osi/ |
| of course | bien sûr | /bjɛ̃ syʀ/ | again | encore | /ɑ̃kɔʀ/ |
| so so | comme ci, comme ça | /kɔm si, kɔm sa/ | late | en retard | /ɑ̃ʀətaʀ/ |
| not bad | pas mal | /pa mal/ | almost | presque | /pʀɛsk/ |
| book | le livre | /lə livʀ/ | friend (fem) | une amie | /y nami/ |
| pencil | le crayon | /lə kʀɛjɔ̃/ | friend (masc) | un ami | /œ̃ nami/ |
| pen | le stylo | /lə stilo/ | woman | une femme | /yn fam/ |
| paper | le papier | /lə papje/ | man | un homme | /œ̃ nɔm/ |
| dog | le chien | /lə ʃjɛ̃/ | girl | une fille | /yn fij/ |
| cat | le chat | /lə ʃa/ | boy | un garçon | /œ̃̃ gaʀsɔ̃/ |
| money | l'argent (m) | /laʀʒɑ̃/ | job / work | le travail | /lə tʀavaj/ |
The expression il y a is
reduced to y a in everyday speech. When il y a is followed
by a number, it means ago. Il y a cinq minutes means
five minutes ago. Some common slang words for money include: le
fric, le pèze, le pognon, des sous and for job/work:
le boulot.
| je | /ʒə/ | I | nous | /nu/ | We |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu | /ty/ | You (informal) | vous | /vu/ | You (formal and plural) |
| il elle on |
/il/ /ɛl/ /ɔ̃/ |
He She One |
ils elles |
/il/ /ɛl/ |
They (masc.) They (fem.) |
Tutoyer and vouvoyer are two verbs that have no direct translation into English. Tutoyer means to use tu or be informal with someone, while vouvoyer means to use vous or be formal with someone.
| I am | je suis | /ʒə sɥi/ | We are | nous sommes | /nu sɔm/ |
| You are | tu es | /ty ɛ/ | You are | vous êtes | /vu zɛt/ |
| He is She is One is |
il est elle est on est |
/il ɛ/ /ɛl ɛ/ /ɔ̃ nɛ/ |
They are They are |
ils sont elles sont |
/il sɔ̃/ /ɛl sɔ̃/ |
| I was | j'étais | /ʒetɛ/ | We were | nous étions | /nu zetjɔ̃/ |
| You were | tu étais | /tu etɛ/ | You were | vous étiez | /vu zetje/ |
| He was She was One was |
il était elle était on était |
/il etɛ/ /ɛl etɛ/ /ɔ̃ netɛ/ |
They were They were |
ils étaient elles étaient |
/il zetɛ/ /ɛl zetɛ/ |
Je and any verb form that starts with a vowel
(or silent h) combine together for ease of pronunciation.
| I will be | je serai | /ʒə səʀe/ | We will be | nous serons | /nu səʀɔ̃/ |
| You will be | tu seras | /ty səʀa/ | You will be | vous serez | /vu səʀe/ |
| He will be She will be One will be |
il sera elle sera on sera |
/il səʀa/ /ɛl səʀa/ /ɔ̃ səʀa/ |
They will be They will be |
ils seront elles seront |
/il səʀɔ̃/ /ɛl səʀɔ̃/ |
| I have | j'ai | /ʒe/ | We have | nous avons | /nu zavɔ̃/ |
| You have | tu as | /ty ɑ/ | You have | vous avez | /vu zave/ |
| He has She has One has |
il a elle a on a |
/il ɑ/ /ɛl ɑ/ /ɔ̃ nɑ/ |
They have They have |
ils ont elles ont |
/il zɔ̃/ /ɛl zɔ̃/ |
| I had | j'avais | /ʒavɛ/ | We had | nous avions | /nu zavjɔ̃/ |
| You had | tu avais | /ty avɛ/ | You had | vous aviez | /vu zavje/ |
| He had She had One had |
il avait elle avait on avait |
/il avɛ/ /ɛl avɛ/ /ɔ̃ navɛ/ |
They had | ils avaient elles avaient |
/il zavɛ/ /ɛl zavɛ/ |
| I will have | j'aurai | /ʒoʀe/ | We will have | nous aurons | /nu zoʀɔ̃/ |
| You will have | tu auras | /ty oʀɑ/ | You will have | vous aurez | /vu zoʀe/ |
| He will have She will have One will have |
il aura elle aura on aura |
/il oʀa/ /ɛl oʀa/ /ɔ̃ noʀa/ |
They will have They will have |
ils auront elles auront |
/il zoʀɔ̃/ /ɛl zoʀɔ̃/ |
In spoken French, the tu forms of verbs that begin with a vowel contract with the pronoun: tu es = t'es /tɛ/, tu as = t'as /tɑ/, etc. In addition, it is very common to use on (plus 3rd person singular conjugation) to mean we instead of nous.
Common Expressions with avoir and
Être
Avoir and être are used in many common and idiomatic expressions that should be memorized:
| avoir chaud | /avwaʀ ʃo/ | to be hot | être de retour | /ɛtʀ də ʀətuʀ/ | to be back |
| avoir froid | /avwaʀ fʀwa/ | to be cold | être en retard | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ ʀətaʀ/ | to be late |
| avoir peur | /avwaʀ pœʀ/ | to be afraid | être en avance | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ navɑ̃s/ | to be early |
| avoir raison | /avwaʀ ʀɛzɔ̃/ | to be right | être d'accord | /ɛtʀ dakɔʀ/ | to be in agreement |
| avoir tort | /avwaʀ tɔʀ/ | to be wrong | être sur le point de | /ɛtʀ syʀ lə pwɛ̃ də/ | to be about to |
| avoir faim | /avwaʀ fɛ̃/ | to be hungry | être en train de | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ tʀɛ̃ də/ | to be in the act of |
| avoir soif | /avwaʀ swaf/ | to be thirsty | être enrhumée | /ɛtʀ ɑ̃ʀyme/ | to have a cold |
| avoir sommeil | /avwaʀ sɔmɛj/ | to be sleepy | nous + être (un jour) | /ɛtʀ œ̃̃̃ ʒuʀ/ | to be (a day) |
| avoir honte | /avwaʀ ʽɔ̃t/ | to be ashamed | |||
| avoir besoin de | /avwaʀ bəzwɛ̃ də/ | to need | |||
| avoir l'air de | /avwaʀ ɛʀ də/ | to look like, seem | |||
| avoir l'intention de | /avwaʀ ɛ̃tɑ̃sjɔ̃/ | to intend to | |||
| avoir envie de | /avwaʀ ɑ̃vi də/ | to feel like | |||
| avoir de la chance | /avwaʀ də la ʃɑ̃s/ | to be lucky |
| J'ai froid. I'm cold. Tu avais raison. You were right. Il aura sommeil ce soir. He will be tired tonight. Elle a de la chance ! She's lucky! Nous aurons faim plus tard. We will be hungry later. Vous aviez tort. You were wrong. Ils ont chaud. They are hot. Elles avaient peur hier. They were afraid yesterday. |
Je suis en retard! I'm late! Tu étais en avance. You were early. Elle sera d'accord. She will agree. Nous sommes lundi. It is Monday. Vous étiez enrhumé. You had a cold. Ils seront en train d'étudier. They will be (in the act of) studying. Elles étaient sur le point de partir. They were about to leave. On est de retour. We/you/they/the people are back. |
8. Question Words / les interrogatifs
| Who | Qui | /ki/ |
| What | Quoi | /kwa/ |
| Why | Pourquoi | /puʀkwa/ |
| When | Quand | /kɑ̃/ |
| Where | Où | /u/ |
| How | Comment | /kɔmɑ̃/ |
| How much / many | Combien | /kɔ̃bjɛ̃/ |
| Which / what | Quel(le) | /kɛl/ |
| Zero | Zéro | /zeʀo/ |
| One | Un | /œ̃̃̃/ |
| Two | Deux | /dø/ |
| Three | Trois | /tʀwɑ/ |
| Four | Quatre | /katʀ/ |
| Five | Cinq | /sɛ̃k/ |
| Six | Six | /sis/ |
| Seven | Sept | /sɛt/ |
| Eight | Huit | /ʽɥit/ |
| Nine | Neuf | /nœf/ |
| Ten | Dix | /dis/ |
| Eleven | Onze | /ɔ̃z/ |
| Twelve | Douze | /duz/ |
| Thirteen | Treize | /tʀɛz/ |
| Fourteen | Quatorze | /katɔʀz/ |
| Fifteen | Quinze | /kɛ̃z/ |
| Sixteen | Seize | /sɛz/ |
| Seventeen | Dix-sept | /disɛt/ |
| Eighteen | Dix-huit | /dizɥit/ |
| Nineteen | Dix-neuf | /diznœf/ |
| Twenty | Vingt | /vɛ̃/ |
| Twenty-one | Vingt et un | /vɛ̃t e œ̃̃̃/ |
| Twenty-two | Vingt-deux | /vɛ̃ dø/ |
| Twenty-three | Vingt-trois | /vɛ̃ tʀwɑ/ |
| Thirty | Trente | /tʀɑ̃t/ |
| Thirty-one | Trente et un | /tʀɑ̃t e œ̃̃̃/̃/ |
| Thirty-two | Trente-deux | /tʀɑ̃t dø/ |
| Forty | Quarante | /kaʀɑ̃t/ |
| Fifty | Cinquante | /sɛ̃kɑ̃t/ |
| Sixty | Soixante | /swasɑ̃t/ |
| Seventy | Soixante-dix | /swasɑ̃tdis/ |
| (Belgium & Switzerland) | Septante | /sɛptɑ̃t/ |
| Seventy-one | Soixante et onze | /swasɑ̃t e ɔ̃z/ |
| Seventy-two | Soixante-douze | /swasɑ̃t duz/ |
| Eighty | Quatre-vingts | /katʀəvɛ̃/ |
| (Belgium & Switzerland) | Octante | /ɔktɑ̃t/ |
| Eighty-one | Quatre-vingt-un | /katʀəvɛ̃ tœ̃̃̃/ |
| Eighty-two | Quatre-vingt-deux | /katʀəvɛ̃ dø/ |
| Ninety | Quatre-vingt-dix | /katʀəvɛ̃ dis/ |
| (Belgium & Switzerland) | Nonante | /nɔnɑ̃t/ |
| Ninety-one | Quatre-vingt-onze | /katʀəvɛ̃ ɔ̃z/ |
| Ninety-two | Quatre-vingt-douze | /katʀəvɛ̃ duz/ |
| One Hundred | Cent | /sɑ̃/ |
| One Hundred One | Cent un | /sɑ̃ tœ̃̃̃/ |
| Two Hundred | Deux cents | /dø sɑ̃/ |
| Two Hundred One | Deux cent un | /dø sɑ̃ tœ̃̃̃/ |
| Thousand | Mille | /mil/ |
| Two Thousand | Deux mille | /dø mil/ |
| Million | Un million | /õ miljɔ̃/ |
| Billion | Un milliard | /õ miljaʀ/ |
French switches the use of commas and
periods. 1,00 would be 1.00 in English. Belgian and Swiss
French use septante and nonante in place of the standard French
words for 70 and 90 (though some parts of Switzerland use huitante for 80 and octante is barely used anymore). Also, when the numbers 5, 6, 8, and 10 are
used before a word beginning with a consonant, their final consonants
are not pronounced. Phone numbers in France are ten digits, beginning
with 01, 02, 03, 04, or 05 depending on the geographical region, or 06
and 07 for cell phones. They are written two digits at a time, and pronounced
thus: 01 36 55 89 28 = zéro un, trente-six, cinquante-cinq, quatre-vingt-neuf,
vingt-huit.
Ordinal Numbers / Les nombres ordinaux
| first | premier / première |
| second | deuxième / second |
| third | troisième |
| fourth | quatrième |
| fifth | cinquième |
| sixth | sixième |
| seventh | septième |
| eighth | huitième |
| ninth | neuvième |
| tenth | dixième |
| eleventh | onzième |
| twelfth | douzième |
| twentieth | vingtième |
| twenty-first | vingt et unième |
| thirtieth | trentième |
The majority of numbers become ordinals
by adding -ième. But if a number ends in an e, you must drop
it before adding the -ième. After a q, you must add a u before
the -ième. And an f becomes a v before the -ième.
10. Days of the Week / Les jours de la semaine
| Monday | lundi | /lœ̃di/ |
| Tuesday | mardi | /maʀdi/ |
| Wednesday | mercredi | /mɛʀkʀədi/ |
| Thursday | jeudi | /ʒødi/ |
| Friday | vendredi | /vɑ̃dʀədi/ |
| Saturday | samedi | /samdi/ |
| Sunday | dimanche | /dimɑ̃ʃ/ |
| day | le jour | /lə ʒuʀ/ |
| week | la semaine | /la s(ə)mɛn/ |
| today | aujourd'hui | /oʒuʀdɥi/ |
| yesterday | hier | /jɛʀ/ |
| tomorrow | demain | /dəmɛ̃/ |
| next | prochain / prochaine | /pʀɔʃɛ̃/ /pʀɔʃɛn/ |
| last | dernier / dernière | /dɛʀnje/ /dɛʀnjɛʀ/ |
| day before yesterday | avant-hier | /avɑ̃tjɛʀ/ |
| day after tomorrow | après-demain | /apʀɛdmɛ̃/ |
| the following day | le lendemain | /lə lɑ̃dəmɛ̃/ |
| the day before | la veille | /la vɛj/ |
11. Months of the Year / Les mois de l'annEe
| January | janvier | /ʒɑ̃vje/ |
| February | février | /fevʀije/ |
| March | mars | /maʀs/ |
| April | avril | /avʀil/ |
| May | mai | /mɛ/ |
| June | juin | /ʒɥɛ̃/ |
| July | juillet | /ʒɥijɛ/ |
| August | août | /u(t)/ |
| September | septembre | /sɛptɑ̃bʀ/ |
| October | octobre | /ɔktɔbʀ/ |
| November | novembre | /nɔvɑ̃bʀ/ |
| December | décembre | /desɑ̃bʀ/ |
| month | le mois | /lə mwa/ |
| year | l'an / l'année | /lɑ̃/ /lane/ |
| decade | la décennie | /deseni/ |
| century | le siècle | /lə sjɛkl/ |
| millennium | le millénaire | /milenɛʀ/ |
12. Seasons / Les saisons
| Summer | l'été | /lete/ | in the summer | en été | /ɑ̃ nete/ |
| Fall | l'automne | /lotɔn/ | in the fall | en automne | /ɑ̃ notɔn/ |
| Winter | l'hiver | /livɛʀ/ | in the winter | en hiver | /ɑ̃ nivɛʀ/ |
| Spring | le printemps | /lə pʀɛ̃tɑ̃/ | in the spring | au printemps | /o prɛ̃tɑ̃/ |
| on the left | à gauche | /a goʃ/ |
| on the right | à droite | /a dʀwɑt/ |
| straight ahead | tout droit | /tu dʀwɑ/ |
| North | le nord | /lə nɔʀ/ | Northeast | le nord-est | /lə nɔʀ(d)ɛst/ |
| South | le sud | /lə syd/ | Northwest | le nord-ouest | /lə nɔʀ(d)wɛst/ |
| East | l'est | /lɛst/ | Southeast | le sud-est | /sydɛst/ |
| West | l'ouest | /lwɛst/ | Southwest | le sud-ouest | /sydwɛst/ |
14. Colors & Shapes / Les couleurs & les formes
| Red | rouge | /ʀuʒ/ | square | le carré | /kaʀe/ |
| Orange | orange | /ɔʀɑ̃ʒ/ | circle | le cercle | /sɛʀkl/ |
| Yellow | jaune | /ʒon/ | triangle | le triangle | /tʀijɑ̃gl/ |
| Green | vert / verte | /vɛʀ/ /vɛʀt/ | rectangle | le rectangle | /ʀɛktɑ̃gl/ |
| Blue | bleu / bleue | /blø/ | oval | l'ovale | /ɔval/ |
| Purple | violet / violette | /vjɔlɛ/ /vjɔlɛt/ | cube | le cube | /kyb/ |
| White | blanc / blanche | /blɑ̃/ /blɑ̃ʃ/ | sphere | la sphère | /sfɛʀ/ |
| Brown | brun / brune marron |
/bʀõ/ /bʀyn/ /maʀɔ̃/ |
cylinder | le cylindre | /silɛ̃dʀ/ |
| Black | noir / noire | /nwaʀ/ | cone | le cône | /kon/ |
| Pink | rose | /ʀoz/ | octagon | l'octogone | /ɔktogɔn/ |
| Gold | doré / dorée | /dɔʀe/ | box | la boîte | /bwat/ |
| Silver | argenté / argentée | /aʀʒɑ̃te/ | light | clair / claire | /klɛʀ/ |
| Gray | gris / grise | /gʀi/ /gʀiz/ | dark | foncé / foncée | /fɔ̃se/ |
15. Weather / Le temps qu'il fait
| What's the weather like? | Quel temps fait-il ? | /kɛl tɑ̃ fɛ til/ |
| It's nice | Il fait bon | /il fɛ bɔ̃/ |
| bad | Il fait mauvais | /il fɛ mɔve/ |
| cool | Il fait frais | /il fɛ fʀɛ/ |
| cold | Il fait froid | /il fɛ fʀwɑ/ |
| warm, hot | Il fait chaud | /il fɛ ʃo/ |
| cloudy | Il fait nuageux | /il fɛ nyaʒ/ |
| beautiful | Il fait beau | /il fɛ bo/ |
| mild | Il fait doux | /il fɛ du/ |
| stormy | Il fait orageux | /il fɛ ɔʀaʒ/ |
| sunny | Il fait soleil | /il fɛ sɔlɛj/ |
| humid | Il fait humide | /il fɛ ymid/ |
| muggy | Il fait lourd | /il fɛ luʀ/ |
| windy | Il fait du vent | /il fɛ dy vɑ̃/ |
| foggy | Il fait du brouillard | /il fɛ dy bʀujaʀ/ |
| snowing | Il neige | /il nɛʒ/ |
| raining | Il pleut | /il plø/ |
| freezing | Il gèle | /il ʒɛl/ |
| hailing | Il grêle | /il gʀɛl/ |
| It is ____ degrees. | Il fait ____ degrés. | /il fɛ __ dəgʀe/ |
.
16. Time / Le temps qui passe
| What time is it? | Quelle heure est-il ? | /kɛl œʀ ɛ til/ |
| It is... | Il est... | /il ɛ/ |
| one o'clock | une heure | /yn œʀ/ |
| two o'clock | deux heures | /dø zœʀ/ |
| noon | midi | /midi/ |
| midnight | minuit | /minɥi/ |
| a quarter after three | trois heures et quart | /tʀwɑ zœʀ e kaʀ/ |
| one o'clock sharp | une heure précise | /yn œʀ pʀesiz/ |
| four o'clock sharp | quatre heures précises | /katʀœʀ pʀesiz/ |
| twelve thirty | midi (minuit) et demi | /midi (minɥi) e dəmi/ |
| six thirty | six heures et demie | /si zœʀ e dəmi/ |
| a quarter to seven | sept heures moins le quart | /sɛt œʀ mwɛ̃ lə kaʀ/ |
| five twenty | cinq heures vingt | /sɛ̃k œʀ vɛ̃/ |
| ten fifty | onze heures moins dix | /ɔ̃z œʀ mwɛ̃ dis/ |
| in the morning/AM | du matin | /dy matɛ̃/ |
| in the afternoon/PM | de l'après-midi | /də lapʀɛmidi/ |
| in the evening/PM | du soir | /dy swaʀ/ |
| Family | la famille | /famij/ | Niece | la nièce | /njɛs/ |
| Relatives | des parents | /paʀɑ̃/ | Nephew | le neveu | /n(ə)vœ/ |
| Parents | les parents | /paʀɑ̃/ | Grandchildren | les petits-enfants | /p(ə)tizɑ̃fɑ̃/ |
| Grandparents | les grands-parents | /gʀɑ̃paʀɑ̃/ | Granddaughter | la petite-fille | /p(ə)tit fij/ |
| Mom | la mère / maman | /mɛʀ/ /mɑmɑ̃/ | Grandson | le petit-fils | /p(ə)tifis/ |
| Stepmother/Mother-in-Law | la belle-mère | /bɛlmɛʀ/ | Godfather | le parrain | /paʀɛ̃/ |
| Dad | le père / papa | /pɛʀ/ /papa/ | Godmother | la marraine | /maʀɛn/ |
| Stepfather/Father-in-Law | le beau-père | /bopɛʀ/ | Godson | le filleul | /fijœl/ |
| Daughter | la fille | /fij/ | Goddaughter | la filleule | /fijœl/ |
| Son | le fils | /fis/ | Distant Relatives | des parents éloignés | /paʀɑ̃ elwaɲe/ |
| Sister | la sœur | /sœʀ/ | Single | célibataire | /selibatɛʀ/ |
| Half/Step Sister | la demi-sœur | /dəmi sœʀ/ | Married | marié(e) | /maʀje/ |
| Sister-in-Law | la belle-sœur | /bɛlsœʀ/ | Separated | séparé(e) | /sepaʀe/ |
| Stepdaughter/Daughter-in-Law | la belle-fille | /bɛl fij/ | Divorced | divorcé(e) | /divɔʀse/ |
| Brother | le frère | /fʀɛʀ/ | Widower | veuf | /vœf/ |
| Half/Step Brother | le demi-frère | /dəmi fʀɛʀ/ | Widow | veuve | /vœv/ |
| Brother-in-Law | le beau-frère | /bo fʀɛʀ/ | |||
| Stepson/Son-in-Law | le beau-fils | /bo fis/ | Dog | le chien / la chienne (m) / (f) | /ʃjɛ̃/ /ʃjɛn/ |
| Twins (m) | les jumeaux | /ʒymo/ | Cat | le chat / la chatte (m) / (f) | /ʃa/ /ʃat/ |
| Twins (f) | les jumelles | /ʒymɛl/ | Puppy | le chiot | /ʃjo/ |
| Uncle | l'oncle | /ɔ̃kl/ | Kitten | le chaton | /ʃatɔ̃/ |
| Aunt | la tante | /tɑ̃t/ | Pig | le cochon | /kɔʃɔ̃/ |
| Grandmother | la grand-mère | /gʀɑ̃mɛʀ/ | Rooster | le coq | /kɔk/ |
| Grandfather | le grand-père | /gʀɑ̃pɛʀ/ | Rabbit | le lapin | /lapɛ̃/ |
| Cousin (f) | la cousine | /kuzin/ | Cow | la vache | /vaʃ/ |
| Cousin (m) | le cousin | /kuzɛ̃/ | Horse | le cheval | /ʃ(ə)val/ |
| Wife | la femme | /fam/ | Duck | le canard | /kanaʀ/ |
| Husband | le mari | /maʀi/ | Goat | la chèvre | /ʃɛvʀ/ |
| Woman | la femme | /fam/ | Goose | l'oie | /wa/ |
| Man | l'homme | /ɔm/ | Sheep | le mouton | /mutɔ̃/ |
| Child (m) / (f) | un enfant / une enfant | /ɑ̃fɑ̃/ | Lamb | l'agneau | /aɲo/ |
| Girl | la fille | /fij/ | Donkey | l'âne | /ɑn/ |
| Boy | le garçon | /gaʀsɔ̃/ | Mouse | la souris | /suʀi/ |
Le gendre /ʒɑ̃dʀ/ is another word for son-in-law.
| The entire family | toute la smala | /tut la smala/ | Sister | la frangine | /fʀɑ̃ʒin/ |
| Grandma | mémé / mamie | /meme/ /mami/ | Brother | le frangin | /fʀɑ̃ʒɛ̃/ |
| Grandpa | pépé / papi | /pepe/ /papi/ | Son | le fiston | /fistɔ̃/ |
| Children | des gosses | /gɔs/ | Aunt | tata / tatie | /tata/ /tati/ |
| Kid | un gamin / une gamine | /gamɛ̃/ /gamin/ | Uncle | tonton | /tɔ̃tɔ̃/ |
| Woman | une nana | /nana/ | Dog | le cabot / clébard | /kabo/ /klebaʀ/ |
| Man | un mec / type / gars | /mɛk/ /tip/ /gaʀ/ | Cat | le minou | /minu/ |
| connaître-to know people /kɔnɛtʀ/ | savoir-to know facts /savwaʀ/ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| connais | /kɔnɛ/ | connaissons | /kɔnɛsɔ̃/ | sais | /sɛ/ | savons | /savɔ̃/ |
| connais | /kɔnɛ/ | connaissez | /kɔnɛse/ | sais | /sɛ/ | savez | /save/ |
| connaît | /kɔnɛ/ | connaissent | /kɔnɛs/ | sait | /sɛ/ | savent | /sav/ |
There is another form of savoir commonly used in the expressions que je sache that I know (of) and pas que je sache not that I know (of).
Je connais ton frère. I know your brother.
Je sais que ton frère s'appelle Jean. I know that your brother is named John.
Connaissez-vous Grenoble ? Do you know (Are you familiar with) Grenoble? / Have you ever been to Grenoble?
Oui, nous connaissons Grenoble. Yes, we know (are familiar with) Grenoble. / Yes, we've been to Grenoble.
Tu sais où Grenoble se trouve. You know where Grenoble is located.https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6605271622966469171#editor/target=post;postID=3165177201904002153;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname
Ils savent nager. They know how to swim.
Je sais que ton frère s'appelle Jean. I know that your brother is named John.
Connaissez-vous Grenoble ? Do you know (Are you familiar with) Grenoble? / Have you ever been to Grenoble?
Oui, nous connaissons Grenoble. Yes, we know (are familiar with) Grenoble. / Yes, we've been to Grenoble.
Tu sais où Grenoble se trouve. You know where Grenoble is located.https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6605271622966469171#editor/target=post;postID=3165177201904002153;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname
Ils savent nager. They know how to swim.
Connaître can be translated
several ways into English:
Tu connais le film, Les Enfants ? Have you seen the film, Les Enfants?
Tu connais Lyon ? Have you ever been to Lyon?
Tu connais la tartiflette ? Have you ever eaten tartiflette?
Tu connais le film, Les Enfants ? Have you seen the film, Les Enfants?
Tu connais Lyon ? Have you ever been to Lyon?
Tu connais la tartiflette ? Have you ever eaten tartiflette?
| To make a noun plural, you usually add an -s (which
is not pronounced). But there are some exceptions: |
Sing.
|
Plural
|
|
| If a noun already ends in an -s, add nothing. | bus(es) | le bus | les bus |
| If a noun ends in -eu or -eau, add an x. | boat(s) | le bateau | les bateaux |
| If a masculine noun ends in -al or -ail, change it to -aux. | horse(s) | le cheval | les chevaux |
| Some nouns ending in -ou add an -x instead of -s. | knee(s) | le genou | les genoux |
Exceptions: festival, carnaval, bal, pneu, bleu, landau, détail,
chandail all add -s. There are only seven nouns ending in -ou
that add -x instead of -s: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, pou,
joujou, hibou. There are, of course, some irregular exceptions:
un œil (eye) - des yeux (eyes); le ciel
(sky) - les cieux (skies); and un jeune homme (a young
man) - des jeunes gens (young men).
Notice that the only time the pronunciation will
change in the plural form is for masculine nouns that change -al or -ail
to -aux and for the irregular forms. All other nouns are pronounced the same in the singular and the plural - it is only the article that changes pronunciation (le, la, l' to les).
| Masc. | Fem. | Plural | |
| My | mon /mɔ̃/ | ma /ma/ | mes /mɛ/ |
| Your | ton /tɔ̃/ | ta /ta/ | tes /tɛ/ |
| His/Her/Its | son /sɔ̃/ | sa /sa/ | ses /sɛ/ |
| Our | notre /nɔtʀ/ | notre /nɔtʀ/ | nos /no/ |
| Your | votre /vɔtʀ/ | votre /vɔtʀ/ | vos /vo/ |
| Their | leur /lœʀ/ | leur /lœʀ/ | leurs /lœʀ/ |
Possessive pronouns go before the noun.
When a feminine noun begins with a vowel, you must use the masculine
form of the pronoun for ease of pronunciation. Ma amie is
incorrect and must be mon amie, even though amie is feminine.
Remember that adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number,
not the possessor! Sa mère can mean his mother or her
mother even though sa is the feminine form, because it agrees
with mère and not the possessor (his or her).
C'est ma mère et mon père. This
is my mother and my father.
Ce sont vos petits-enfants ? These are your grandchildren?
Mes parents sont divorcés. My parents are divorced.
Sa grand-mère est veuve. His grandmother is a widow.
Notre frère est marié, mais notre sœur est célibataire. Our brother is married, but our sister is single.
Ton oncle est architecte, n'est-ce pas ? Your uncle is an architect, isn't he?
Leurs cousines sont néerlandaises. Their cousins are Dutch.
21. To Do or Make / Faire
School Subjects / Les Matieres
You can also use dessus and dessous
as adverbs to mean over it / on top of it and beneath it
/ underneath it, respectively. They are not followed by nouns or
pronouns, unlike prepositions.
The masculine forms of the nationalities are
also used for the language. Adjectives of nationalities and languages
are not capitalized in written French. The definite article is not used
before a language when it follows the verb parler (to speak): Je parle
anglais. Notice that French also uses hollandais when referring
to Dutch people and sometimes the Dutch language, but this is not exactly
correct (just as it is not correct to use Holland when referring to the
Netherlands in English). Also notice that you do not use the definite article with Israël or Malte.
25. Negative Sentences.
Notice how several conjugations are pronounced the same. This is why you must use the subject pronouns in French.
If a verb is followed by à
(like répondre) you have to use the à and any contractions
after the conjugated verb. Ex: Je réponds au
téléphone. I answer the phone.
* The 2nd -ir verbs are considered irregular sometimes because there are only a few verbs which follow that pattern. Other verbs like partir are sortir /sɔʀtiʀ/ (to go out), dormir /dɔʀmiʀ/ (to sleep), mentir /mɑ̃tiʀ/ (to lie), sentir /sɑ̃tiʀ/ (to smell, feel) and servir /sɛʀviʀ/ (to serve.)
These verbs are conjugated like normal verbs, but they require an extra pronoun before the verb. Most indicate a reflexive action but some are idiomatic and can't be translated literally. The pronouns are:
When used in the infinitive, such as after another verb, the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject of the sentence.
Je vais me coucher maintenant. I'm going to go to bed.
Tu veux t'asseoir ? Do you want to sit down?
2. Verbs that add or change to an accent grave: Some verbs add or change to an accent grave (è) in all the forms except the nous and vous.
Then conjugate avoir and add the past participle:
To make it negative, put the ne and pas around the conjugated form of avoir.
To form the negative of pronominal verbs, place ne before the reflexive pronoun, and pas after the auxiliary verb: Je ne me suis pas amusé.
Lettuce can also be referred to as la salade verte.
Avoir, Devoir, Pouvoir, Savoir, and Vouloir
These verbs change meanings, according to whether they are used in the imperfect or the passé composé.
I walk to school. = Je vais à l'école à pied. (I go to school on foot.)
I'm flying to New York. = Je vais à New York en avion. (I go to New York by plane.)
Voulez-vous? can mean Do you want? or Will you? The past participles are voulu and pu and both are conjugated with avoir. The conditional forms of vouloir are used in the expression "would like" i.e. I'd like = je voudrais, you'd like = tu voudrais, he'd/she'd like = il/elle voudrait, we'd like = nous voudrions, you'd like = vous voudriez, they'd like = ils/elles voudraient.
► You do not need to use pouvoir after verbs that involve the senses, such as voir (to see) and entendre (to hear). Je ne vois pas / Je n'entends pas can mean I don't see or I can't see / I don't hear or I can't hear depending on the context.
Monte le son. / Baisse le son. Turn up the volume. /
Turn down the volume.
Allume la lumière. / Eteinds la télé. Turn on the light. / Turn off the television.
Simply add le, la or les before the comparative if you are using an adjective. With adverbs, always use le. After a superlative, de is used to mean in. If the adjective follows the noun, the superlative follows the noun also, surrounding the adjective.
50. To Wear
Other exceptions: For appeler and jeter, double the consonant. For nettoyer and payer, change the y to i. For acheter, add an accent grave. For préférer, the accents all remain the same.
To form the futur antérieur (will have + past participle), use the future of either avoir or être (whichever the main verb takes) and the past participle of the main verb.
Quand ils reviendront, ils auront changé. When they come back, they will have changed.
Dès qu'ils seront revenus, ils voudront repartir. As soon as they have returned, they will want to leave again.
52. Preceding & Plural Adjectives
The masculine singular and plural are pronounced the same, as are the feminine singular and plural. These are the most common adjectives that go before the noun. An acronym to remember which ones go before the noun is BRAGS: Beauty, Resemblance (même and autre), Age/Order (premier and dernier), Goodness, and Size. All other adjectives, except numbers, go after the noun. The five words in parentheses (bel, fol, mol, nouvel, and vieil) are used before masculine singular words beginning with a vowel or a silent h.
A few adjectives can be used before or after the noun, and the meaning changes accordingly. When used before the noun, they take a figurative meaning; and when used after, they take a literal meaning.
Before plural adjectives preceding plural nouns, you use de instead of des to mean some. Ex: Some old monuments. De vieux monuments.
Almost all adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Most adjectives are given in the masculine form, so to change to the feminine forms, follow these rules:
To form the feminine plural, just add an -s, unless it already ends in an s, then add nothing. To form the masculine plural, just add an -s, except in these cases: -al becomes -aux (exceptions: banal - banals; final - finals); and if it ends in an x or s already, add nothing.
And of course there are more exceptions... some adjectives are invariable and do not have feminine or plural forms. Compound adjectives, such as bleu clair (light blue) and vert foncé (dark green), adjectives that are also nouns, such as or (gold), argent (silver), marron (chestnut), and the words chic (stylish), bon marché or meilleur marché (inexpensive) never change.
Remember the first word is the masculine and the second is the feminine. The addition of an e for the feminine form allows the last consonant to be voiced. These adjectives go after the noun.
Il est vachement sympa. = He is really nice.
Elle est drôlement triste. = She is very sad.
The past participle of vivre is vécu and it is conjugated with avoir. Habiter is another verb that means to live, but it means to live in a place. Vivre is used to mean the state of being alive. A subjunctive form of vivre, vive, is often used in exclamations.
Vive la France ! Long live France!
61. Personal Pronouns
Tu me fais mal. You're hurting me.
Ne lui faites pas mal. Don't hurt him / her.
► When describing hair color or eye color, you use blonds, châtain, bruns, roux for hair; and bleus, verts, marron, noirs for eyes. Notice that châtain and marron do not agree in gender or number.
Elle a les cheveux roux. Elle est rousse. She has red hair. She is a red-head.
Il a les yeux marron. He has brown eyes.
Combien mésures-tu ? / Combien fais-tu ? How tall are you?
Combien pèses-tu ? How much do you weigh?
Je fais 1m60. I am 1 m 60 cm.
Je pèse 50 kilos. I weigh 50 kilos.
63. Asking Questions 1) Invert the subject and verb form and add a hyphen. Instead of Vous parlez anglais? use Parlez-vous anglais? But if you invert il, elle, or on, you must put a t between the verb form (if it ends in a vowel) and the subject for ease of pronunciation. Parle-il anglais? is incorrect and must become Parle-t-il anglais? And je is usually only inverted with pouvoir or devoir. However, if je is inverted with pouvoir, you don't use peux, but puis. Puis-je ? (pweezh) is Can I?
2) Add n'est-ce pas ? (ness pah) to the end of the sentence. It is equivalent to isn't it, don't you, aren't we, won't you, etc.
3) If the question requires a yes or no answer, put Est-ce que (ess kuh) at the beginning. It contracts to Est-ce qu' before a word beginning with a vowel, such as elle, il or on. You can also use interrogative words (quand, comment, où, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence and then add est-ce que.
4) With interrogative words, you can also use inversion: Quand tes parents partent-ils en vacances ? Or you can use an interrogative with est-ce que and normal word order: Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes ici ?
5) Quel / Quelle / Quels / Quelles (which, what) agrees with the noun it modifies. It precedes the noun or the verb être, it may follow a preposition, and it can be used with inversion or with est-ce que. Quelle est la date ? A quelle heure partez-vous ? Quels bagages est-ce que vous prenez ? Notice that the forms of quel can also be used in exclamatory sentences. Quel beau jour ! / Quelle belle journée ! What a beautiful day!
6) With negative questions, negative expressions remain in their usual place (i.e. around the verb, or verb and subject if inverted). Tu ne travailles pas ? Est-ce que tu ne travailles pas ? Ne travailles-tu pas ? Pourquoi n'as-tu pas travaillé ?
► Asking Questions with the Passé Composé
Only the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and the subject pronoun are inverted. The past participle follows.
A-t-il été surpris ? Was he surprised?
T'es-tu amusé ? Did you have fun?
64. Interrogative Pronouns
► Use of Inversion when Subject is Noun:
a. With qui and quoi, inversion pattern is regular.
Qui Marie a-t-elle vu? Whom did Marie see?
De quoi Marc a-t-il besoin? What does Marc need?
b. With que, the noun subject must be inverted directly.
Que veut Jean? What does Jean want?
Que font les autres? What are the others doing?
c. However, if the sentence contains more than a subject and verb, or if the verb is in a compound tense (such as the passé composé), the short form is not used.
Qu'est-ce que Luc veut faire aujourd'hui? What does Luc want to do today?
Qu'est-ce que les autres ont fait? What did the others do?
► Verb Agreement:
a. Interrogative pronouns are usually masculine singular.
Les voitures font du bruit. Qu'est-ce qui fait du bruit? Cars make noise. What makes noise?
Les enfants sont arrivés. Qui est arrivé? The children arrived. Who arrived?
b. Exception: when qui is followed by a conjugated form of être, the verbs agrees with the noun that follows.
Qui étaient Les Trois Mousquetaires? Who were the three Musketeers?
► Qu'est-ce que (or qui) vs. Quel:
a. Qu'est-ce que c'est que is used to ask for a definition, and quel asks for specific information.
Qu'est-ce que c'est que le camembert? What is "camembert"?
Quel est le problème? What is the problem?
b. When followed by a conjugated form of être, quel is used if être is followed by a noun and qu'est-ce qui is used if être is followed by anything other than a noun.
Quelle est la date? What is the date?
Qu'est-ce qui est bon? What is good?
Lequel is a pronoun that replaces the adjective quel and the noun it modifies. It expresses Which one? as a question, but which in a statement (usually preceded by a preposition).
66. Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns join sentences together. These words signal a relative clause which explains the noun, called the antecedent. If the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause (a verb immediately follows), use qui. If the relative pronoun is the direct object of the clause (subject + verb follows), use que. If the verb of the dependent clause requires the preposition de, use dont to replace it. Also use dont to mean whose. Qui, que, and dont can all mean that or who, depending on the sentence. If the antecedent is a place or time, use où to mean where or when. When there is no specific antecedent, ce is added as an artificial one before que, qui or dont; but it can refer to only things, not people. Ce qui, ce que and ce dont generally mean what.
Demonstrative pronouns translate to the one(s), or that/those when replacing a noun. There are four forms, but they are not often used alone. De, qui, que, dont and -ci or -là usually follow them.
68. To Read, To Say / Tell, & To Laugh
69. Disjunctive Pronouns
70. Y & En
Y and en are both pronouns that go before the verb. Y (ee) means it or there. En (awn) means some or some (of them), or of it. They replace prepositional phrases. In French, the phrases will begin with à (or any contraction of it), en, sur, sous, chez, devant, derrière, dans, etc. for y; and de (or any contraction of it) or a number for en. They cannot replace people unless the person is introduced with an indefinite article, partitive, number or quantity. Sometimes y and en have no direct translation in English. Remember that they go before the verb, except in a command, in which they follow the verb and are connected with a hyphen. The -er verbs also add the -s they lost when forming the you (familiar) command.
Y and en can also replace a phrase or clause, especially with verbs that require à or de after them:
Notice y and en don't go after the verb in negative commands. Treat them like pronouns. Ne or Je plus y or en all contract to N'y, J'y, N'en, and J'en. When you have a conjugated verb plus an infinitive (vais and aller), the y or en go in between the two verbs.
71. To See, To Believe, & To Write
The past participles are: vu, cru,
and écrit.
72. Animals
Je n'avais pas fini mon travail quand il est arrivé. I had not finished my work when he arrived.
Vous aviez faim parce que vous n'aviez pas du tout mangé. You were hungry because you hadn't eaten at all.
Nous avions manqué le rendez-vous parce que le bus était en retard. We had missed the meeting because the bus was late.
Conjugations in the Subjunctive
These verbs and conjunctions are followed by the subjunctive:
81. Colloquial Expressions Il faut + infinitive (it is necessary, one must)
Il faut tourner à gauche. It is necessary to turn left.
Il faut faire les devoirs. One must do homework.
Il lui faut aller à l'école. He must go to school.
Il faut + noun (need)
Il faut du fromage. You need some cheese.
Il faut un jeton. You need a token.
Il me faut un stylo. I need a pen.
Il reste (there remains)
Il reste une chambre. There is one room left.
Il n'en reste plus. There are no more left.
Il me reste trois jours. I have three days left.
Notice that il faut and il reste can both take an object pronoun to indicate a person.
Il vaut mieux + infinitive (it is better)
Il vaut mieux prendre le bus. It is better to take the bus.
Il vaut mieux apprendre les langues que la politique. It's better to learn languages than politics.
Il s'agit de (it's a question of, it's a matter of, it's about)
De quoi s'agit-il ? What's is about?
Il ne s'agit pas de ça ! That's not the point!
Il s'agit de ton avenir. It's a matter of your future.
Avoir beau (although, despite the fact, however much)
J'ai beau étudier cette langue, je ne la parle pas. Although I study this language, I don't speak it.
Il a beau faire froid, nous sortirons. Although is it cold, we will go out.
Avoir l'air + adjective (to seem/look)
Ça a l'air délicieux. That looks delicious.
Vous avez l'air fatigué. You seem tired.
Ça n'a pas l'air d'aller. Things don't look so good.
Ça vous dit ? / Ça vous dirait de... ? (Would you like to? / How would you feel about...? / Does that interest you? / Does that ring a bell?)
Ça vous dirait de regarder un film ce soir ? Are you interested in watching a movie tonight? / Would you like to watch a movie tonight?
Non, ça me dit rien. No, that doesn't interest me. / No, I don't want to.
Ça te dit quelque chose ? Does that ring a bell? / Does that remind you of anything?
Non, ça me dit rien. No, that doesn't ring a bell. / That doesn't remind me of anything.
Ça ne me dit pas grande chose. That does nothing for me.
Ça parle de quoi / qui ? (What / Who is it about?)
Ça parle de quoi, le livre que tu écris ? What's the book about that you're writing?
Ça y est ! ( There! That's it ! It's done!)
Ça a été (How did it go? / It went well.)
Ton examen, ça a été ? How did your exam go?
Oui, ça a été. It went well.
On dirait... [ça ressemble à] (It seems / it looks like / it tastes like / it smells like / it feels like / it sounds like)
On dirait un chat. It looks like a cat.
pas terrible (terrible actually means terrific in this phrase)
C'est pas terrible, ce film. This movie is not very good.
pas mal de (a lot of, lots of, tons of - synonym of beaucoup)
J'ai pas mal de trucs à faire aujourd'hui. I have lots of things to do today.
82. Conjunctions & Connecting Words
The word soit has several meanings. It is also the third person singular form of être in the present subjunctive. Je veux qu'il soit là. I want him to be here. It can also be used to mean i.e. or that is when introducing a clause. Le contenu du CD est bilingue, soit français et anglais. The contents of the CD are bilingual, i.e. French and English.
83. Forms of Tout
84. Babies & Children
85. Primary & Secondary School
86. Passive Voice
87. Depuis, il y a, & pendant in past contexts
89. To Receive
Some verbs require à or de before an infinitive:
And some verbs require no prepositions in French, while others use different prepositions from English:
91. Adjectives + a or de + infinitives
The past participle of suivre is suivi. Suivre can also be used with school subjects to mean "to take a course."
Suivez le guide ! Follow the guide!
Suivez les instructions. Follow the instructions.
Je suis un cours de maths. I'm taking a math class.
French uses portable to refer to a laptop computer and a
cell phone.
96. Ne Expletif
Sometimes ne must be inserted in a phrase even when it is not expressing the negative. (However, do not confuse the use of ne explétif with the verbs that can exist in the negative with only using ne and not pas in formal, written language: cesser, daigner, oser, pouvoir, savoir).
It is used 1) after certain conunctions: avant que, à moins que; 2) after expressions and verbs of fear: de crainte que, de peur que, craindre que, avoir peur que, redouter que, trembler que, empêcher que, éviter que; 3) before a verb that follows a comparison of inequality: plus, moins, autre; and 4) after adverbs of doubt and negation used in the negative to express a positive idea.
Je sors ce soir à moins qu'il ne pleuve. I'll go out this evening unless it rains.
Il craint que tu ne sois fatigué après le voyage. He's afraid that you'll be tired after the trip.
Nous sommes plus forts qu'elle ne pense. We are stronger than she thinks.
Je ne doute pas que vous ne fassiez des progrès. I don't doubt that you are making progress.
97. Conditional Tenses: Present & Past
The present conditional tense corresponds to "would." It is used after the imperfect in a conditional sentence. Most conditionals sentences begin with si (if). However, do not confuse the conditional would with the would that expresses a repeated action in the past. If would means used to, then the imperfect tense is used. Another use of the conditional is in news reports to indicate that the information is not confirmed.
Si j'étais (imperfect) dans une autre famille, est-ce que je serais (conditional) plus heureuse ? If I were in another family, would I be happier?
Quand nous étions (imperfect) en vacances, nous dormions (imperfect) jusqu'à midi. When we were on vacation, we would (used to) sleep until noon.
Un otage étranger serait mort en route pour l'hôpital. A foreign hostage (probably) died on the way to the hospital.
To form the conditional, use the infinitive and add the imperfect endings (but remember to drop the -e on -re verbs). You use the same irregular stems and exceptions for the conditional that are used for the future tense.
The past conditional is formed by using the conditional of avoir or être and a past participle. It corresponds to "would have" and is used in hypothetical sentences.
Il n'aurait jamais dit ça ! He would have never said that!
► If... sentences: When si (if) is used in sentences of condition, the verb tenses change. These pretty much correspond to English usage.
1. Si + present tense + present, imperative, or future
Si je suis fatiguée, je me repose. If I'm tired, I rest.
Repose-toi si tu es fatigué. Rest if you're tired.
Si je suis fatigué demain, je me reposerai. If I am tired tomorrow, I will rest.
2. Si + imperfect + present conditional
Si j'étais riche, je pourrais acheter un château. If I were rich, I would buy a castle.
Il deviendrait roi s'il avait plus de courage. He would become king if he had more courage.
3. Si + pluperfect + past conditional
Si j'avais su, j'aurais compris. If I had known, I would have understood.
It is possible to have past conditional with the imperfect, and it is also possible to have present conditional with pluperfect. However, you can never have the future or conditional tenses directly following si. They must be in the other clause.
101. Camping
106. Abbreviations
In everyday speech, it is common to shorten some words:
107. Past Infinitive
Je meurs de faim ! I'm dying of hunger / I'm starving!
The simple past tense is used in works of literature in place of the passé composé and is very rarely spoken. You most likely will never need to form this tense, but you should be able to recognize it for reading purposes. Add the following endings to the stem:
Irregular verbs that follow a pattern: Some
verbs use their past participle as a stem, and then add endings for the simple
past. In this case, the six endings are -s, -s, -t, -^mes, -^tes, -rent.
114. Religion
115. Music & Art
116. Acquerir - to acquire & resoudre - to resolve
117. Imperfect & Past Subjunctive
The subjunctive in past tenses is not used very often in French in everyday speech, but grammatically, it should be used if the verb in the main clause is in the past tense. The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the simple past, while the the past and pluperfect subjunctive forms are composed of two elements: the present subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle for the past subjunctive and the imperfect subjunctive of the avoir or être + past participle for the pluperfect subjunctive.
Use the il/elle form of the simple past to form the imperfect subjunctive endings. Sometimes, the only difference between the il/elle forms of the simple past and the imperfect subjunctive is the circumflex for the imperfect subjunctive.
118. Translating Phrasal Verbs: English to French
Most English phrasal verbs translate as one verb without any prepositions or adverbs in French. Make sure to pay attention to the correct meaning of the phrasal verb in English, however, before deciding on the correct French translation.
119. Other Translation Difficulties: English to French
120. Quebecois French
C'est pas du français. It's not grammatically correct, formal French. [not the French language in general]
La Norvège n'est pas en Europe. Norway is not in the European Union. [not Europe as a continent]
J'ai laissé un petit mot pour toi. I left a little note for you. [not word]
Tu déjeunes pas ? You aren't eating breakfast? [not lunch]
Normalement, elle arrive à 15h. If everything goes as planned, she will arrive at 3 PM. [not normally or usually]
Tes parents s'ennuient de toi ? Do your parents miss you? [not get bored with]
Tu veux te baigner aujourd'hui ? Do you want to go swimming today? [not take a bath]
J'ai mal aux reins. My lower back hurts. [not kidneys]
On a déjà donné à manger au chat. We've already fed the cat. [not give to eat]
Elle l'a connu en Italie. She met him in Italy. [not known]
Filling out forms
Remember the date format in France is day/month/year instead of month/day/year and that you generally capitalize your last name, but not your first name: Jean-Paul BOUCHER.
Asking for clarification or help
Excusez-moi de vous déranger, monsieur/madame, mais j'ai un problème. Sorry for bothering you, mister/miss, but I have a problem.
Est-ce que je peux vous poser une question ? Can I ask you a question?
Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit ? What did you say?
Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? Can you repeat that, please?
Je n'ai pas entendu ce que vous avez dit. I didn't hear what you said.
Comment est-ce qu'on écrit ça ? / Ça s'écrit comment ? How is that written?
Comment est-ce qu'on prononce ça ? / Ça se prononce comment ? How is that pronounced?
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire? / Ça veut dire quoi ? What does that mean?
Food & Eating
Qu'est-ce que je vous offre ? / Qu'est-ce que je vous sers ? What can I get you?
Quelque chose à boire ? Something to drink?
J'ai la dalle ! J'ai les crocs ! Je meurs de faim ! I'm starving!
J'ai trop mangé. / J'ai trop bouffé. I ate too much.
On the phone / Au tElEphone
Allô, est-ce que je pourrais parler à... ? Hello, may I speak to...?
C'est de la part de qui ? Who is calling?
Qui est à l'appareil ? Who is on the phone?
Un instant, s'il vous plaît. One moment, please.
Ne quittez pas. Please hold.
Je vous la passe. I'm putting you through to her.
Il ne répond pas. He is not answering.
Il n'est pas là. He is not here.
Est-ce que vous voulez laisser un message ? Do you want to leave a message?
Pouvez-vous rappeler plus tard ? Can you call back later?
La ligne est occupée. The line is busy.
Vous vous êtes trompé(e)(s) de numéro. You have the wrong number.
Je me suis trompé(e) de numéro. I got the wrong number.
Going shopping / Faire les magasins
Est-ce que je peux vous aider ? / Je peux vous renseigner ? / Vous désirez ? Can I help you?
Non, je regarde seulement. No, I'm just looking.
Je vais réfléchir. I'll think about it.
Quelle est votre taille ? Vous faites du combien ? What is your size? What size do you wear?
Quelle est votre pointure ? Vous chaussez du combien ? What is your shoe size? What size shoe do you wear?
Ça va, la taille ? C’est la bonne taille ? Is the size right?
C’est trop grand. / C'est trop serré. It’s too big / too small.
Ça coûte combien ? How much does this cost?
C'est en solde ? Is it on sale?
Quelle escroquerie ! / Quelle arnaque ! What a rip-off!
Avez-vous une carte de fidélité ? Do you have a club card?
Vous réglez comment ? / Vous payez comment ? How are you paying?
En espèces/par carte bleue. Cash/with a bank card.
Going to the doctor / Chez le docteur
Je voudrais prendre rendez-vous, s'il vous plaît. I'd like to make an appointment, please.
Où est-ce que vous avez mal ? Where does it hurt?
Est-ce que vous êtes allergique à quelque chose ? Are you allergic to anything?
Je me suis écorché la main en tombant. I skinned my hand by falling.
Je me suis fait mal. I hurt myself.
The French health care system (called la Sécurité Sociale) generally reimburses 70% of your health costs (including dentist and eye doctor visits). If you want to be reimbursed for the other 30%, you have to join a mutuelle and pay a monthly fee. Everyone covered by la Sécu receives a Carte Vitale to use at the doctor's consultation and when filling prescriptions at any pharmacie. If you are a recent immigrant to France and have not yet received your Carte Vitale, you will receive feuille de soins forms to fill out in order to be reimbursed.
The emergency medical service in France is called SAMU (Service d'aide médicale d'urgence) and the phone number is 15. You can dial 17 to reach the police, and 18 to reach the pompiers (firefighters). The general emergency number used throughout the European Union is 112. In Belgium, you can also dial 100 for emergency services; in Switzerland, it's 144, and in Canada, it's 911.
Going to the dentist or eye doctor / Chez le dentiste ou l'ophtalmologiste
Getting your eyes checked and then choosing your frames are two different
processes in France. You go to an ophtalmologiste to
get your eyes checked and you will receive a prescription for your glasses/contacts.
Then you must go to an opticien in order to choose your
frames and turn in your prescriptions. They are not in the same office
like in the US.
At the hair salon / Chez le coiffeur
There is a slight difference between se couper les cheveux
(to cut one's hair - by oneself) and se faire couper les cheveux
(to get one's hair cut - by someone else). The same is true of se
teindre les cheveux (to dye one's hair - by oneself) and se
faire teindre les cheveux (to get one's hair dyed - by someone
else).
Opening a bank account / Ouvrir un compte bancaire
Je voudrais ouvrir un compte. I would like to open an account.
Bordereau de remise de chèques. Checks deposited slip.
Post Office / La Poste
Currently, the price of timbres (stamps) is 58 Euro
cents to send mail within France, 75 cents within the EU & Switzerland,
and 87 cents to the rest of the world (for a letter or postcard under
20 grams).
Renting an apartment / Louer un appartement
Apartments are generally listed as F1/T1, F2/T2, F3/T3, etc. regarding the number of rooms. This number does not include the kitchen or bathroom, but it does include the living room. If a kitchen is équipée, it will probably have a refrigerator and burners, but may or may not have an oven. If a kitchen is non-équipée, there will be no appliances at all. Some apartments do not have ovens, but they might have plaques électriques / plaquettes (burners, similar to a stove). A cuisinière is also electric burners without an oven.
J'habite en colocation. I live with roommates.
Je cherche un colocataire pour un appartement avec 2 chambres. I'm looking for a roommate for a 2 bedroom apartment.
Le bail sera signé dès votre arrivée à la résidence. The lease will be signed as soon as you arrive at the dorms.
Les charges sont comprises dans le prix (eau, éléctricité, chauffage). Utilities are included in the price (water, electricity, heat).
Cooking & Kitchen Utensils
For verbs that involve cooking methods, you add faire before them when they are transitive verbs (when they take a direct object). So to cook something is faire cuire, to fry something is faire frire, to boil something is faire bouillir, etc. If you bake American foods in France, you will most likely need to look for certain ingredients that are not used very often in French cooking: condensed milk - lait concentré sucré; evaporated milk - lait concentré non-sucré; baking soda - bicarbonate alimentaire; baking powder - levure chimique and yeast - levure du boulanger. It is also very common to use le sopalin instead of essui-tout for paper towel.
Christmas Vocabulary
Transportation
Merci d'oblitérer votre ticket. Thank you for validating your ticket.
Où est l'arrêt de bus le plus proche ? Where is the closest bus stop?
Pour aller au centre-ville ? How do I get downtown?
Vous vous installez ici, madame ? Do you want to sit here, ma'am?
Vous descendez ? Are you getting off here?
Je descends ici. I'm getting off here.
School & Education
La rentrée scolaire a lieu début septembre. The
return to school takes place at the beginning of September.
Les vacances d'été s'appellent les grandes vacances. The summer vacation is called the big vacation.
Il a eu de mauvais résultats et il a dû redoubler. He got bad marks and he had to stay in the same grade.
Cette année, il passe dans la classe supérieure. This year, he's passing into the next grade.
Si je rate / Si j'échoue mon bac, je suis obligé de redoubler ma terminale. If I fail my final exam, I have to do my last year of school over again.
Ils ont seché les cours aujourd'hui. They skipped classes today.
Tu as eu combien ? What (grade) did you get?
J'ai eu 13, pas mal. I got a 13, not bad.
Note: In French schools, the grades/marks range from 1 to 20 (though 10 is considered passing, so it cannot be easily changed into percentages); and the grades/years descend instead of increasing: sixième is the first year of collège, while troisième is the last year. Ecole maternelle is ages 2-6, école élémentaire is ages 6-11 (CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, CM2), collège is ages 11-15 (6e, 5e, 4e, 3e), and lycée is ages 15-18 (2nde, 1ère, T).
News
Politics
The current major political parties in France include: Parti Socialiste
(PS) and Parti Communiste Français (PCF) - left-wing, Union pour
la Démocratie Française (UDF) - centrist, Union pour un
Mouvement Populaire (UMP) - right-wing, and Front National (FN) - far
right-wing.
Television
Programs do not start at the hour or half hour in France, and the majority
of "prime time" shows begin at 8:50 pm (20h50) with more than
one episode each week. The nightly new is always on at 8 pm (20h). Commercials
are rarely shown during the programs, but more likely between the shows.
Soccer
Zodiac Signs
Marriage & Civil Unions
Ils sont tombés amoureux l'un de l'autre. They
fell in love with each other.
Ils vivent en concubinage / en union libre. They live with each other (without being married).
C'est mon copain / ma copine. This is my boyfriend / girlfriend.
J'ai une grande amitié pour lui. I have a great friendship with him.
Il a de l'affection pour elle. He has affection for her.
Mais elle n'éprouve aucun sentiment pour lui. But she has no feelings for him.
On se disputait sans cesse. We fought all the time.
Tu m'en veux ? Are you mad at me?
Je t'aime bien. / Je t'aime. I like you. / I love you
Si on allait au cinéma ce soir ? How about if we go to the movies tonight?
Tu es libre, samedi soir ? Are you free Saturday night?
Je n'ai rien de prévu pour ce week-end. I have no plans for this weekend.
When pulling petals off of a daisy, the French have 5 sayings instead of just He/she loves me; He/she loves me not:
1. Il/Elle m'aime. He/She loves me.
2. Un peu. A little.
3. Beaucoup. A lot.
4. A la folie. Like crazy.
5. Pas du tout. Not at all.
English used in French
There are many, many English words used in French, but some of them have a different meaning than in English. Sometimes the French pronunciation is radically different from the English pronunciation, so you may only be able to understand the word in writing but not in speech. Almost all English nouns borrowed into French are masculine, unless otherwise noted below. I've marked which words are used as adjectives in French, even though the original English word may be a noun. (Also check out Informal French & Slang as many words borrowed from French are considered slang.)
Those marked in color are pronounced as a word, rather than each letter individually.
Regions & Departments of France
Your name and address should be placed in the top left corner. The receiver's address is placed below yours, on the right. The city you are in and the date is placed below the addresses, and on the left. (Remember to use French date formats: le 7 octobre 2008).
Common formal endings:
In less formal situations, such as in certain e-mails, you can just use cordialement.
Informal Ways of Speaking
Similar to the reduced forms in English (wanna, gonna, doncha, etc.), there are several informal ways of speaking in French. You will hear these forms very often, but you do not have to speak this way if you don't want to. However, you must be able to understand reduced forms in order to understand real spoken French. You may see these forms in informal written French (such as on blogs or in chat rooms), but you should still write the formal way.
Fillers in speech are words that don't add any real meaning to the sentence, except for maybe emphasis. Examples in English include uh, um, well, I mean, I guess, you know?, so, ok, etc. You should get used to just ignoring these words when you hear them, so that you can focus on the key words in the sentence.
Aïe ! / Ouïe ! / Ouille ! Ouch !
Beurk ! Berk ! Yuck!
Boum ! Boom! Bang!
Chiche ! I dare you! Go ahead!
Chut ! Shush! Be quiet!
Gla gla! Brrrrrrr!
Ho ! / Hé ! Wow! or Hey!
Holà ! Hey! Whoa!
Hop là ! Got it! There ya go! Whoopsie-daisy!
Merde ! Shit! [not as strong as in English] / Break a leg!
Miam miam ! Yum yum!
Mince ! / Zut ! Darn! Dang it!
Ouf ! Phew!
Oups ! Oops!
Pan ! Bang!
Putain ! [the general all-purpose swear word in French]
Toc, toc ! Knock knock!
Vlan ! Slam!
Youpi ! Yay!
Several suffixes are commonly used to form slang words from regular words. This may help you determine the meaning of the slang word, which you probably cannot find in a dictionary, by identifying the root word, which you can find in a dictionary. For example, folle is a regular adjective meaning crazy. Follasse is the slang word derived from the adjective that means crazy woman.
Je n'en reviens pas - I can't believe it
C'est du gâteau ! - It's a piece of cake!
Revenons à nos moutons - Let's get back to the subject
Ça saute aux yeux - That's obvious
C'est dans la poche - It's a sure thing
Quand les poules auront des dents - When pigs fly
Ça ne tourne pas rond - Something's wrong
C'est pas vrai ! - You're kidding!
Ce n'est pas la mer à boire - It's not the end of the world
C'est pas sorcier - It's not rocket science
Je vais jeter un œil - I'll take a look
Ça n'a rien à voir avec... - That has nothing to do with...
Ça vaut le coup - It's worth it
On voit que dalle - You can't see anything
Ça va être chaud ! It's going to be tough!
Tu dois me tirer de là ! - You gotta help me out!
Ç'est parti ! Here we go / we're off !
Ça gaze ? How are things? What's up?
Oh purée ! Oh my goodness!
Ça fait un bail ! It's been a long time !
Ça craint ! / C'est nul ! - That sucks!
Fais voir - Show me / Let me see
Je suis prems ! - I'm first!
Rien que d’en parler... - Just talking about it...
If you can't remember the name of a thing, you can use ce truc, ce machin, ce bidule or cet engin similarly to the English thingy, thingamajig, whatchamacallit, etc.
What's-his-name is Monsieur Untel and what's-her-name is Madame Unetelle. You can also use Machin but it has a more derogative meaning, as if you are saying the person is merely an object.
balancer - to throw (away)
en baver - to have a hard time
bosser - to work
bouffer - to eat
bourrer - to stuff, cram
bousiller - to break, damage
chialer - to cry
chopper - to get, to catch
débarquer - to arrive without notice
dégoter - to find, come up with, dig up
encarrer - to enter
engueuler - to tell someone off / chew someone out / give someone hell
épater / scier - to astonish, surprise
être à deux doigts (de faire quelque chose) - to be on the verge (of doing something)
être à la bourre - to be in a hurry
être à mourir d'ennui - to be very boring
faire gaffe - be careful, pay attention
farfouiller - to rummage
filer - to give, hand over
filer à l'anglaise - to leave without saying goodbye / to take a French leave
flipper - to go crazy, flip out
fourrer - to cram, stick, shove
foutre - to put, throw / to give / to do
foutre le bordel - to make a mess
gaver - to be sick of
gerber - to puke
gober - to believe naively / to fall for
gonfler - to annoy
louper - to miss
mater / zieuter - to look
papoter - to chatter, gossip
paumer - to lose
piger - to understand
piquer - to steal
planquer - to hide
poireauter - to wait
repêcher - to find
rigoler / se marrer - to laugh
roupiller - to sleep
schlinguer - to stink
se planter - to make a mistake
se pointer / radiner - to show up
se tirer / se barrer / se casser - to leave
vadrouiller - to rove around
The verb foutre
This slang verb has several meanings in French: to put, to give, to do, etc. It is conjugated thus: fous - fous - fout - foutons - foutez - foutent. The pronominal verb s'en foutre means to not care, while the adjective foutu(e) usually means screwed/screwed up. Fiche is a milder verb that is very common too. It is conjugated: fiche - fiches - fiche - fichons - fichez - fichent and the past participle is fichu(e).
Je m'en fous / Je m'en fiche. I don't care.
Qu'est-ce qu'il fout là-bas ? What's he doing over there? / What the hell is he doing over there??
J'en ai rien à foutre. I don't care. [stronger] / I don't give a damn.
Je m'en fous de tes problèmes. I don't care about your problems.
Tu t'en fous de ce que les autres pensent. You don't care about what others think.
On s'en fout de foot ! We don't care about soccer!
Ils s'en foutent des jeunes. They don't care about young people.
Fous-moi la paix ! Leave me alone! / Give me a break!
Fous le camp ! F you!
Va te faire foutre ! Go to hell!
The adjective foutu does not always have a negative connotation, however:
un mec bien foutu a well-built/muscular guy
Common Adjectives
bidon - phoney, fake
chapeau - bravo, hats off!
chelou - shady, suspicious
chiant - annoying
collant - clingy
cradingue / crado - filthy
débile - pathetic, stupid
dégueulasse - disgusting
déjanté - oddball
dingue / cinglé / timbré / givré / barjo / loufoque - crazy
farfelu - eccentric
futé - cunning, crafty, sly
génial / chouette - great
godiche - silly, awkward
gratos- free
impec - great, terrific
kif-kif - same difference; it's the same
mal barré / mal foutu - "in dire straits" / screwed
marrant / rigolo - funny
moche - ugly
nickel - very clean
nunuche - silly, stupid
pas terrible - not good
radin - cheap
roublard - devious, cunning
salé - expensive
sympa - nice, likable
vache - mean
zinzin - nuts
Common Intensifiers / Adverbs
carrément - completely
rudement - very, terribly
pas mal de / un paquet de - a lot of
super / mega / hyper - very, ultra
vachement - very, really
foutrement - extremely
Oh la vache ! - Oh wow!
espèce de + adjectif - stupid + adjective
adjectif + de chez + adjectif - really, completely + adjective
→ Ce livre est nul de chez nul. This book majorly sucks.
nom + de malheur - darned + noun
nom + d'enfer - really good + noun
Verlan is a popular form of slang that involves reversing the syllables in regular words.
mère - reum
père - reup
femme - meuf
mec - keum
fête - teuf
flic - keuf
louche - chelou
cher - reuch
énervé - vénère
boudin - doubin
capote - poteca
toi - ouat
moi - ouam
babines (f) - lips
barbouze (f) - beard
bide / bidon (m) - belly
→ Mon chat a un bide énorme ! My cat has a huge belly!
caillou / ciboulot (m) - head
carcasse (f) - body
couille / roubignole (f) - testicle
esgourdes (f) - ears
gueule (f) / bec (m) - mouth
→ Ferme ta gueule ! Shut up!
jambons / gigots (m) - thighs
mirettes (f) - eyes
nichons (m) - breasts
palpitant / battant (m) - heart
paluche / pince (f) - hand
panard / ripaton (m) - foot
patte / gambette / guibole / quille (f) - leg
pif / blair (m) - nose
riquiqui (m) - pinkie finger
tifs (m) - hair
tignasse (f) - mop of hair
→ J’ai une tignasse frisée qui m’arrive en bas du dos. I have curly hair that goes all the way down my back.
tronche (f) - face, head
se casser la gueule - to break one's neck
passer sur le billard - to have an operation
avoir la pêche / la patate - to be on top of the world, to feel good
avoir mal au cœur - to feel nauseated / to feel like vomiting
gerber / dégueuler - to puke
crever / clamser - to die (figuratively), to "croak"
avoir mauvaise / bonne mine - to look bad / good
être maigre comme un clou - to be really skinny
attraper la crève - to catch a terrible cold
tomber dans les pommes / les vapes - to pass out
requinquer - to perk up
se débarbouiller - to wash your face
à l'article de la mort - at death's door
bien roulée - good body
mal fichu - sick
l'hosto [l'hôpital] - hospital
crevé / lessivé / nase / mort / cassé / vanné / HS [hors-service] - really tired, exhausted
avoir le cafard / le blues / le spleen - to be sad, depressed
être de mauvais poil - to be in a bad mood
en avoir marre / en avoir ras-le-bol / en avoir soupé - to be fed up, angry
→ J'en ai marre de ces pubs ! I'm so sick of these ads!
avoir les boules / les glandes / les nerfs / la haine - to be really angry
raffoler de quelque chose - to be crazy about something
être accro à quelque chose - to be addicted to something
avoir le mal du pays - to be homesick
se barber - to get bored
avoir la trouille / la frousse / le trac - to be scared
fiche la trouille / frousse à quelqu'un - to scare somebody
→ C'est la première fois qu'une BD me fiche la frousse. That's the first time a comic book scared me.
déconner - to joke / mess around
se planter - to make a mistake / to fall
péter les plombs / péter un cable - to go crazy
perdre la boule / les pédales - to lose one's mind
s'engueuler / bagarrer - to fight, yell
rififi (m) / bagarre (f) - fight
raclée / saucée / trempe (f) - scolding
filer une baffe / une claque / une beigne à quelqu'un - to slap someone
coller un pain / une mandale / une chataigne / un marron à quelqu'un - to punch someone
coquard (m) - black eye
furax - furious, angry
blairer quelqu'un - to not be able to stand someone
ne pas sentir quelqu'un - to not like, not be able to stand someone
casser les pieds à quelqu'un / prendre la tête à quelqu'un - to annoy someone
être casse-bonbons / casse-pieds / casse-couilles - to be a pain in the neck/ass
cafter quelqu'un - to tell on someone, to snitch
faire du pétard - to make a fuss
→ Il fait du pétard quand les choses ne vont pas comme il veut. He makes a fuss when things aren't how he wants them to be.
rouscailler - to complain
gonfler quelqu'un / emmerder quelqu'un - to get on someone's nerves, be a pain
faire chier quelqu'un - to really annoy someone, to piss someone off
→ Ça me fait chier de refaire une année, puis encore deux années en BTS. That pisses me off to repeat a grade, and then still have two more years of BTS.
monter sur ses grands chevaux - to get angry
se mettre en pétard - to get crabby, angry
se faire de la bile - to get all worked up
en faire toute une salade - to make a big deal about it
taper sur les nerfs à quelqu'un - to get on someone's nerves
chambrer / taquiner quelqu'un - to tease, bother someone
Tu te fous de ma gueule ? - Are you kidding me? / Do you think I'm an idiot?
Tu me prends pour qui ? - Who do you think you're dealing with? / Do you think I'm stupid?
Lâche-moi les baskets ! - Give me a break! Leave me alone!
Ce sont pas tes oignons ! / T'occupe ! - Mind your own business!
Laisse béton ! - Nevermind! Forget it!
Ta gueule ! / La ferme ! - Shut up!
avoir la cosse / flemme - to be lazy
avoir un poil dans la main - to be really lazy
avoir la bougeotte - to be fidgety
flemmard / feignant - lazy
glander / glandouiller - to waste time, to bum around
→ Il glande tous les jours chez lui. He does nothing all day at home.
se pavaner - to strut about, show off
frimer - to show off
frimeur (m) - showoff
→ C'est un mec qui a l'air sympathique ; c'est pas un frimeur à ce que je sache ! He seems like a nice guy; he's not a showoff as far as I know!
lèche-bottes (f) - suckup, brown-noser
raté (m) - loser
débile / taré - stupid, idiotic
con (m) / conne (f) - idiot
→ "Casse-toi, pauvre con !" Get lost, stupid idiot! - quote from French president, Nicolas Sarkozy
quiche (f) - stupid person
bourrique (m/f) - a blockhead
avoir l'air vaseux - to seem dazed
bête noire (f) - pet peeve
galère (f) - problem, difficulty
donner un coup de main - to give someone a hand / to help someone
dépanner quelqu'un - to do someone a favor
retirer une épine du pied à quelqu'un - to do someone a big favor
pot (m) - luck / drink
bol (m) - luck
→ J'ai vachement de bol, j'ai pas de gosses et j'ai une voiture. I'm really lucky, I don't have kids and I have a car.
guigne / déveine / poisse (f) - bad luck
guignard(e)(m/f) - unlucky person
avoir de la veine - to be lucky
branché - with it, hip, cool
peinard / pénard - calm, tranquil
→ Cette année, c'est pénard, mais l'année prochaine, le bac ! This year is calm, but next year is the bac [final exam]!
zen - cool, calm, laid-back
bahut (m) - school (also truck, taxi)
→ Mon bahut est en grève ! My school is on strike!
bizut (m) - freshman / pledge (to a fraternity/sorority)
bizutage (m) - hazing
bouquin (m) - book
bûcher / potasser - to study hard, to cram
calé en - good/smart in
cartonner à un examen - to ace an exam
chouchou (m) - teacher's pet
colle (f) - difficult question
coller un élève - to punish a student / give a student detention
→ Mon fils est collé deux heures par son prof de math. My son got two hours of detention from his math teacher.
être collé - to have detention
fac (f) - university
piger - to understand, to get (it)
plancher - to be grilled/interrogated by a teacher
potache (m) - student
se faire étendre / coller à un examen - to flunk a test
sécher un cours - to skip class
cailler - to freeze
cramer - to burn
flotter - to rain
flotte (f) - water
froid de canard - really cold weather
temps de chien - lousy weather
tomber des cordes - to rain heavily, to pour
il pleut comme vache qui pisse - it's pouring / it's really coming down
saucée (f) - shower
se peler les miches - to freeze one's ass off
→ Je suis frileuse et je me pèle les miches été comme hiver. I'm always cold and I freeze my ass off in summer like in winter.
entre chien et loup - at dusk, sunset
il y a des lustres - a long time ago
pige (f) - year
un de ces quat' - one of these days
avoir de la tchatche - to talk a lot
avoir un mot sur le bout de la langue - to have a word on the tip of your tongue
baratin (m) - nonsense
baratiner - to sweet talk
bavarder / causer - to chat
→ Elle aime causer et tout le monde la connaît. She likes to chat and everyone knows her.
blaze (m) - name
casser les oreilles à quelqu'un - to talk someone's ear off
chanter comme une casserole - to sing really badly
charabia (m) - gibberish
charrier - to exaggerate
dégoiser - to talk a lot, rattle on
déjanter - to talk nonsense, to go crazy
donner un coup de fil - to call, telephone
et patati et patata - blah blah blah
jacter - to speak, chatter
parler une langue comme une vache espagnole - to speak a language really badly
passer du coq à l'âne - to quickly change the subject
quand on parle du loup - speak of the devil
ragots - rumors, gossip, the "dirt"
→ Si quelqu'un dit des ragots sur moi, alors je m'en fous. If someone spreads rumors about me, I don't care.
rouspéter - to complain, moan
tchatcher - to chat
tuyau (m) / astuce (f) - tip, piece of advice
avoir la dalle - to be starving
→ J'ai la dalle et je sais pas quoi faire à manger. I'm starving and I don't know what to make to eat.
avoir la gueule de bois - to have a hangover
avoir les crocs - to be very hungry
avoir un petit creux - to be a little hungry
arroser - to drink to celebrate something
barbaque / bidoche (f) - bad meat
Berk ! - Yuck!
blonde (f) - ale
boire un verre / un coup / un pot - to have a drink
bouffe / boustifaille (f) - food
bouffer - to eat
boui-boui (m) - dive, bad restaurant
bourré / pété / rond / saoul / défoncé / plein - drunk
ça fouette - that stinks (said of cheese)
casser la croûte - to have a snack
→ On a cassé la croûte avec une vue magnifique depuis le nord au sud du Mont-Blanc. We had a snack with a magnificent view from the north to south of Mont Blanc.
chaud - tipsy, buzzed
chopine (f) - bottle of wine
dégueulasse - disgusting
gavé - stuffed (ate too much)
se goinfrer / s'empiffrer / se taper - to pig out
gueuleton (m) - feast, huge spread of food
Miam ! - Yum!
péter - to fart (also: to burst, blow up, snap)
picole (f) - alcohol, booze
picoler - to drink alcohol
picoleur, picoleuse - drinker
pinard (m) - cheap wine
pochtron / poivrot (m) - drunkard
prendre une cuite - to get wasted/plastered
pression (f) - draft beer
régaler - to treat, pay
repu - full (of food)
roter - to burp
tituber - to stumble (drunkenly)
→ Il titubait et hurlait dans les couloirs, complètement bourré. He was stumbling and yelling in the hall, completely drunk.
tournée (f) - round of drinks
trinquer - to toast, to drink to [this can also mean to be devastated, to suffer: Dans un divorce, ce sont toujours les enfants qui trinquent. In a divorce, it's always the children who suffer.]
beauf (m) - brother-in-law / lower-class Frenchman
belle-doche (f) - mother-in-law
canaille (f) - rascal, scoundrel
copain / copine (m/f) - friend, pal
fiston (m) - son
frangin (m) - brother
frangine (f) - sister
gamin/e (m/f) - kid, brat
gars (m) - boy
gosse (m/f) - kid [be careful: this means testicles in Quebecois French!]
loulou / loulotte - boyfriend / girlfriend
mec / keum / type (m) - guy
meuf [Verlan for femme] - wife
môme (m/f) - kid, brat
moutards / lardons / marmots / morveux (m) - kids
nana / gonzesse (f) - girl, chick
pote (m) - buddy, mate
racaille (f) - scum
reum [Verlan for mère] - mother
reup [Verlan for père] - father
ricain(e) - American
vieux (m) - parents
voyou / gouape - punk, hooligan
clébard (m) - mutt, hound
piaf (m) - bird
piaule / crèche (f) - bedroom
pieu / plumard / pageot (m) - bed
crècher - to crash, to live
pioncer / roupiller - to sleep
truc / machin (m) - a thing, thingamajig
bordel (m) / bazar (m) / galère (f) - mess
→ C'est quoi ce bordel ? What is all this mess?
bagnole / caisse (f) - car
baraque (f) - shed, stand, house
bled perdu (m) - nowheresville, in the boonies
→ Je viens du fin fond de la Bretagne dans un bled perdu où il n'y a rien à faire. I come from the boonies at the far end of Brittany, where there's nothing to do.
coin (m) - place in general
se taper 10 bornes à pied - to walk 10 kilometers
borne (f) - kilometer
arnaquer - to rip off, cheat
arnaqueur (m) - con artist
balle (f) - franc (many French people still think in francs instead of euros)
BCBG [bon chic bon genre] - posh, stylish, preppy
bo-bo [Bourgeois Bohême] - person with good job and Bohemian lifestyle
boîte (f) - company
bosser / taffer - to work
boulot (m) - work, job
bourge (n) - bourgeois, middle class
claquer - to blow money
clodo / clochard (m) - bum, homeless person
douloureuse (f) - bill (that you know is going to be high)
être plein aux as - to have a lot of money
fric / pognon / blé / des sous / pèze / l'oseille (m) - money
fauché / à sec / raide / dans la dèche - broke
faux jeton (m) - two-sided, hypocritical (politician)
flic / keuf / poulet (m) - cop
grippe-sou (f) - penny pincher
gyneco [gynécologue] - gynecologist
kiné [kinésithérapeute] - physiotherapist
mettre au clou - to hock, pawn
prolo (m) - working class
proprio [propriétaire] - landlord, landlady
psy [psychologue] - psychologist
radin - cheap
reuch - expensive
richard (m) - very wealthy man
rmiste (m) - someone who earns the jobseeker's allowance (RMI)
salé - expensive (a bill)
se faire arnaquer - to get ripped off
smicard (m) - someone who earns minimum wage (SMIC)
taffe (m) - job, work
thune (f) - money / coin
toubib (m) - doctor
turbin (m) - job, daily grind
Ça coûte la peau des fesses ! / Ça douille ! - That's really expensive!
amourettes (f) - passing love affairs
avoir le béguin pour / craquer pour / en pincer pour / flasher sur quelqu'un - to have a crush on someone
avoir le coup de foudre - to be in love at first sight
avoir un cœur d'artichaut - to be fickle (in love)
brancher quelqu'un - to try to seduce someone
bombe (f) - attractive woman
boudin / thon / pou (m) - ugly person [these are mean words!]
canon (m) - hot, very attractive person
capote (f) / chapeau / gant (m) - condom
choper / emballer / embarquer quelqu'un - to succesfully seduce / pick up someone
draguer / flirter - to flirt
en cloque - pregnant / "knocked up"
se faire jeter / se prendre une veste - to get denied, turned down
gars / mec / type / bonhomme / keum - guy, man
jules - boyfriend, lover
kiffer - to like
lové - cuddly, snuggly
larguer / plaquer - to leave, dump (a person)
mater quelqu'un - to check out (someone)
moche - ugly
nana / nénette / minette / gonzesse / meuf - woman, girl, chick
se remettre de quelqu'un - to get over someone
rencard (m) - date
rouler un patin / une pelle à quelqu'un - to French kiss someone
poser un lapin à quelqu'un - to stand someone up (for a date)
tripoter / peloter - to grope, fondle
baskets (m) - tennis shoes / sneakers
bermuda (m) - knee-length shorts
body (m) - bodysuit/onesie for a baby
costard (m) - suit
fringues (f) - clothing
futal (m) - pants
godasse (f) - shoe
jogging / survêt / training (m) - jogging suit
pébroc / pépin / chamberlain (m) - umbrella
pompe (f) - shoe
shorty (m) - "boy short" underwear for women
string (m) - thong underwear
sweat (m) - sweatshirt
brushing (m) - blowdry
fringué / sapé - dressed
lifting (m) - face lift
rabais - discount
relooking (m) - makeover
ringard - old fashioned, out of style
clope / sèche (f) - cigarette
came (f) - drugs
défoncé - high
boîte (f) - nightclub, bar
court-jus (m) - short circuit
boum / teuf (f) - party
resto (m) - restaurant
se faire un resto - to go out to eat
s'éclater - to have fun
se marrer - to laugh
mater la téloche - to watch TV
se faire un ciné / se faire une toile - to go to the movies
cinoche (m) - movie theather
faire un tabac - to be a hit, success (a film, a song, etc.)
tube (f) - hit song
play-back (m) - lip-synching
zapping (m) - channel surfing
buter - to bump off, kill
taule / calèche (f) - jail, slammer
maton (m) - prison guard
se faire la belle / se carapater - to run away, escape
cavale (f) - escape (from prison)
pétard (m) - gun / joint
potin (m) - gossip
people / pipol (m) - celebrities
casting (m) - audition
book (m) - portfolio (for a model, actor, etc.)
faire dodo - to go beddy-bye
avoir un bobo - to have a booboo
faire pipi - to go peepee
faire caca - to go poopoo
mamie / mémé - grandma
pappy / pépé - grandpa
tata / tatie - aunt
tonton - uncle
doudou (m) - favorite stuffed animal / blankie
joujoux (m) - toys
nounours (m) - teddy bear
toto (m) - car
lolo (m) - milk
minet (m) - kitty
toutou (m) - doggy
dada (f) - horsie
A la tienne, Etienne ! Cheers!
Ça glisse, Alice ! It's slippery!
Tu parles, Charles ! You bet!
Tranquille, Emile ! Calm down!
C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. Practice makes perfect.
Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait. If the young knew, if the old could.
Tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner. To understand is to forgive.
Vouloir, c'est pouvoir. Where there's a will, there's a way.
Un de perdu, dix de retrouvés. There's other fish in the sea.
L'habit ne fait pas le moine. Clothes doesn't make the man.
Animals
avoir d'autres chats à fouetter - to have better things to do; other fish to fry
avoir un chat dans la gorge - to have a frog in your throat
doux comme un agneau - soft/gentle like a lamb
un froid de canard - very cold
appeler un chat un chat - to call a spade a spade
s'entendre comme chien et chat - to get along like cats and dogs
un mal de chien - difficulties
une vie de chien - difficult life
passer du coq à l'âne - to change subjects quickly
avoir une mémoire d'éléphant - to have a good memory
avoir une faim de loup - to be starving
marcher à pas de loup - to walk silently
revenir à ses moutons - to get back to the subject
avoir la chair de poule - to have goosebumps
quand les poules auront les dents - when pigs fly
une peau de vache - a mean person
une langue de vipère - a person who often speaks badly of others
chercher la petite bête - to nitpick, split hairs
avoir le cafard - to be down, depressed
entre chien et loup - at dusk, sundown
avaler des couleuvres - to swallow one's pride
la brebis galeuse de la famille - black sheep of the family
le bouc émissaire / le dindon de la farce - scapegoat
avoir une araignée au plafond - to have bats in the belfry
être heureux comme un poisson dans l'eau - to be as happy as a clam at high tide
il y a anguille sous la roche - I smell a rat
il faut ménager la chèvre et le chou - you have to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
jetter quelqu'un dans la fosse aux lions - to throw someone to the wolves
se jeter dans la gueule du loup - to put one's hand in the lion's mouth
courir deux lièvres à la fois - to ride two horses at the same time
mettre la charue avant les bœufs - to put the cart before the horse
ce n'est pas à un vieux singe qu'on apprend à faire des grimaces - you can't teach an old dog new tricks
être hardi comme un coq sur son fumier - to be a showoff
avoir une fièvre de cheval - to have a high fever
Body Parts se creuser la tête - to think really hard
se croire sorti de la cuisse de Jupiter - to think oneself is better than everyone else
se mettre le doigt dans l'œil - to make a mistake
rester bouche cousue - to not say anything; keep a secret
avoir le coeur sur la main - to wear one's heart on one's sleeve
avoir un cheveu sur la langue - to lisp
ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche - to be talkative
avoir la langue bien pendue - to know how to answer/talk
faire la tête - to pout
garder la tête froide - to keep one's calm
ne pas avoir froid aux yeux - to not be scared
avoir/mettre l'eau à la bouche - to want/drool over something
rester bouche bée - to be speechless
ne rien faire de ses dix doigts - to be lazy
avoir l'estomac dans les talons - to be hungry
prendre ses jambes à son cou - to leave quickly
ne pas lever le nez - to concentrate on something
à l'œil - without paying, for free
faire la sourde oreille - to not listen/hear
être bête comme ses pieds - to be stupid
mettre les pieds dans le plat - to say/do something stupid
coûter les yeux de la tête - to cost an arm and a leg
se payer la tête de quelqu-'un - to pull someone's leg
donner sa langue au chat - to give up
avoir les dents longues - to be ambitious
avoir le bras long - to have influence, connections
être au bout de la langue - to be at the tip of your tongue
avoir un poil dans la main - to be lazy, to avoid work
casser les pieds à quelqu'un - to get on someone's nerves
manger sur le pouce - to grab a bite to eat
enlever une épine du pied à quelqu'un - to help someone out
dormir sur les deux oreilles - to sleep soundly
prendre la lune avec les dents - to try to do the impossible
rebattre les oreilles - to repeat the same story over and over
Numbers en moins de deux - very quickly
chercher midi à quatorze heures - to make things complicated
comme deux et deux font quatre - sure, certain
les deux font la paire - both are the same
jamais deux sans trois - something that's happened twice, will happen a third time
ni une ni deux - without hesitating, very fast
quatre à quatre - quickly
dire des quatre vérités à quelqu'un - to say what you think of someone
se mettre en quatre - to give oneself a hard task
un de ces quatre - one of these days
être tiré à quatre épingles - to be dressed well
tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche - to take time to think before speaking
voir trente-six chandelles - to see stars
faire les cent pas - to pace back and forth, come and go
faire les quatre cents coups - to have a hectic and chaotic life; to sow one's wild oats
se mettre sur son trente et un - to be dressed to kill
Colors blanc bonnet et bonnet blanc - the same thing
être blanc comme un linge - to be white from fear
passer une nuit blanche - to spend a sleepless night
donner carte blanche à quelqu'un - to let someone do what they want
être un cordon bleu - to be a good cook
être fleur bleu - to be sentimental
avoir une peur bleue - to be scared stiff
être la bete noire - to be the person that no one likes
avoir des idées noires - to be sad
voir la vie en rose - to see the good side of things, to be optimistic
donner le feu vert - to give the green light to someone
se mettre au vert - to rest in the countryside
devenir pourpre - to get red with embarassment
Food appuyer sur le champignon - to go very fast, accelerate
être haut comme trois pommes - to be small
ne pas être dans son assiette - to not feel yourself
sucrer les fraises - to be senile, crazy
tomber dans les pommes - to faint, pass out
couper la poire en deux - to meet halfway
jeter de l'huile sur le feu - to add fuel to the fire
tondre des œufs - to be cheap, a skinflint
pédaler dans la semoule - to become insane, senile
c'est la goutte d'eau qui fait déborder la vase - it's the straw that broke the camel's back
mettre du beurre dans les épinards - to help financially
casser du sucre sur son dos - to spread lies about someone, talk about someone behind his/her back
être dans le pétrin - to be in a jam
être dans ses petits souliers - to not feel comfortable
avoir des oursins dans la poche - to be stingy, cheap
faire d'une pierre deux coups - to kill two birds with one stone
ne pas être de la dernière pluie - to not be born yesterday
pendre la crémaillère - to have a house-warming party
vendre la mèche - to let the cat out of the bag, to tell a secret
n'y voir que du feu - to be taken in / to be had
ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuillière - to not be subtle about something
faire un chèque en bois - to write a bad check
manger les pissenlits par la racine - to push up daisies, to be dead and buried
tourner autour du pot - to beat around the bush
se mettre à table - to confess, come clean
mettre des bâtons dans les roues de quelqu'un - to throw a monkey wrench in someone's business
reprendre ses billes - to renege on a deal
un coup d'épée dans l'eau - a wasted effort
être au four et au moulin - to be in two places at once
faire le pont - to take a long weekend
tirer les plans sur la comète - to count one's chickens before they have hatched
ce n'est pas la mer à boire - it's not as bad as all that
c'est au bout du monde - it's halfway around the world
ce n'est pas le Pérou - it's nothing to write home about / it's no great fortune
tirer le diable par la queue - to barely get by, have a hard time
il ne faut pas déshabiller Pierre pour payer Paul - you shouldn't rob Paul to pay Peter
parler à quelqu'un à brûle-pourpoint - to ask someone point-blank
raconter des histoires à dormir debout - to tell tall tales
prendre la poudre d'escampette - to leave quickly
tirer son épingle du jeu - to get out of a difficult situation
mener en bateau - to lead someone on, to lie
Ce sont vos petits-enfants ? These are your grandchildren?
Mes parents sont divorcés. My parents are divorced.
Sa grand-mère est veuve. His grandmother is a widow.
Notre frère est marié, mais notre sœur est célibataire. Our brother is married, but our sister is single.
Ton oncle est architecte, n'est-ce pas ? Your uncle is an architect, isn't he?
Leurs cousines sont néerlandaises. Their cousins are Dutch.
21. To Do or Make / Faire
Present tense
|
Past tense (imperfect)
|
Future tense
|
|||||||||
| fais | /fɛ/ | faisons | /fəzɔ̃/ | faisais | /fəzɛ/ | faisions | /fəzjɔ̃/ | ferai | /fəʀɛ/ | ferons | /fəʀɔ̃/ |
| fais | /fɛ/ | faites | /fɛt/ | faisais | /fəzɛ/ | faisiez | /fəzje/ | feras | /fəʀa/ | ferez | /fəʀe/ |
| fait | /fɛ/ | font | /fɔ̃/ | faisait | /fəzɛ/ | faisaient | /fəzɛ/ | fera | /fəʀa/ | feront | /fəʀɔ̃/ |
Another past tense (passé composé) uses the
present tense forms of avoir plus the past participle of faire:
fait. J'ai fait translates as I
did/made whereas je faisais translates as I was doing/making,
I used to do/make (continuous action in the past).
Faire is used in expressions of weather
(il fait beau) and many other idiomatic expressions:
faire de (a sport) - to play (a sport)
faire le sourd / l'innocent - to act deaf / innocent
faire le (subject in school) - to do / study (subject)
faire le ménage - to do the housework
faire la cuisine - to do the cooking
faire la lessive - to do laundry
faire la vaisselle - to do the dishes
faire une promenade - to take a walk
faire un voyage - to take a trip
faire les courses - to go (grocery) shopping
faire des achats - to go shopping
faire de l'exercice - to exercise
faire attention - to pay attention
faire la queue - to stand in line
faire de (a sport) - to play (a sport)
faire le sourd / l'innocent - to act deaf / innocent
faire le (subject in school) - to do / study (subject)
faire le ménage - to do the housework
faire la cuisine - to do the cooking
faire la lessive - to do laundry
faire la vaisselle - to do the dishes
faire une promenade - to take a walk
faire un voyage - to take a trip
faire les courses - to go (grocery) shopping
faire des achats - to go shopping
faire de l'exercice - to exercise
faire attention - to pay attention
faire la queue - to stand in line
| Masculine | Feminine | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| actor / actress | l'acteur | /aktœʀ/ | l'actrice | /aktʀis/ |
| singer | le chanteur | /ʃɑ̃tœʀ/ | la chanteuse | /ʃɑ̃tøz/ |
| architect | l'architecte | /aʀʃitɛkt/ | l'architecte | /aʀʃitɛkt/ |
| accountant | le comptable | /kɔ̃tabl/ | la comptable | /kɔ̃tabl/ |
| judge | le juge | /ʒyʒ/ | la juge | /ʒyʒ/ |
| business person | l'homme d'affaires | /ɔm dafɛʀ/ | la femme d'affaires | /fam dafɛʀ/ |
| baker | le boulanger | /bulɑ̃ʒe/ | la boulangère | /bulɑ̃ʒɛʀ/ |
| hair dresser | le coiffeur | /kwafœʀ/ | la coiffeuse | /kwaføz/ |
| computer programmer | le programmeur | /pʀɔgʀamœʀ/ | la programmeuse | /pʀɔgʀamøz/ |
| secretary | le secrétaire | /səkʀetɛʀ/ | la secrétaire | /səkʀetɛʀ/ |
| electrician | l'électricien | /elɛktʀisjɛ̃/ | l'électricienne | /elɛktʀisjɛn/ |
| mechanic | le mécanicien | /mekanisjɛ̃/ | la mécanicienne | /mekanisjɛn/ |
| cook | le cuisinier | /kɥizinje/ | la cuisinière | /kɥizinjɛʀ/ |
| salesperson | le vendeur | /vɑ̃dœʀ/ | la vendeuse | /vɑ̃døz/ |
| fire fighter | le pompier | /pɔ̃pje/ | la pompier | /pɔ̃pje/ |
| plumber | le plombier | /plɔ̃bje/ | la plombier | /plɔ̃bje/ |
| librarian | le bibliothécaire | /biblijɔtekɛʀ/ | la bibliothécaire | /biblijɔtekɛʀ/ |
| police officer | l'agent de police | /aʒɑ̃ də pɔlis/ | l'agent de police | /aʒɑ̃ də pɔlis/ |
| reporter | le journaliste | /ʒuʀnalist/ | la journaliste | /ʒuʀnalist/ |
| blue-collar worker | l'ouvrier | /uvʀije/ | l'ouvrière | /uvʀijɛʀ/ |
| banker | le banquier | /bɑ̃kje/ | la banquière | /bɑ̃kjɛʀ/ |
| lawyer | l'avocat | /avɔka/ | l'avocate | /avɔkat/ |
| postal worker | le facteur | /faktœʀ/ | la factrice | /faktʀis/ |
| carpenter | le charpentier | /ʃaʀpɑ̃tje/ | la charpentière | /ʃaʀpɑ̃tjɛʀ/ |
| engineer | l'ingénieur | /ɛ̃ʒenjœʀ/ | l'ingénieure | /ɛ̃ʒenjœʀ/ |
| doctor | le médecin | /mɛdsɛ̃/ | la médecin | /mɛdsɛ̃/ |
| nurse | l'infirmier | /ɛ̃fiʀmje/ | l'infirmière | /ɛ̃fiʀmjɛʀ/ |
| pharmacist | le pharmacien | /faʀmasjɛ̃/ | la pharmacienne | /faʀmasjɛn/ |
| psychologist | le psychologue | /psikɔlɔg/ | la psychologue | /psikɔlɔg/ |
| dentist | le dentiste | /dɑ̃tist/ | la dentiste | /dɑ̃tist/ |
| veterinarian | le vétérinaire | /veteʀinɛʀ/ | la vétérinaire | /veteʀinɛʀ/ |
| taxi driver | le chauffeur de taxi | /ʃofœʀ də taksi/ | la chauffeur de taxi | /ʃofœʀ də taksi/ |
| writer | l'écrivain | /ekʀivɛ̃/ | l'écrivaine | /ekʀivɛn/ |
| teacher (primary school) | l'instituteur | /ɛ̃stitytœʀ/ | l'institutrice | /ɛ̃stitytʀis/ |
| teacher / professor | le professeur | /pʀɔfesœʀ/ | la professeur | /pʀɔfesœʀ/ |
| student | l'étudiant | /etydjɑ̃/ | l'étudiante | /etydjɑ̃t/ |
| intern | le stagiaire | /staʒjɛʀ/ | la stagiaire | /staʒjɛʀ/ |
| retired person | le retraité | /ʀətʀete/ | la retraitée | /ʀətʀete/ |
Notice that some professions are always
masculine, even if the person is a woman. There are also words that
are always feminine (such as la victime) even if the person is
a man.
School Subjects / Les Matieres
| Math | les mathématiques | /matematik/ | Geography | la géographie | /ʒeɔgʀafi/ |
| Algebra | l'algèbre | /alʒɛbʀ/ | Physics | la physique | /fizik/ |
| Calculus | le calcul | /kalkyl/ | Biology | la biologie | /bjɔlɔʒi/ |
| Geometry | la géométrie | /ʒeɔmetʀi/ | Chemistry | la chimie | /ʃimi/ |
| Business/Trade | le commerce | /kɔmɛʀs/ | Zoology | la zoologie | /zɔɔlɔʒi/ |
| Accounting | la comptabilité | /kɔ̃tabilite/ | Botany | la botanique | /bɔtanik/ |
| Economics | les sciences économiques | /sjɑ̃ zekɔnɔmik/ | Art | les arts-plastiques | /aʀ plastik/ |
| Foreign Languages | les langues vivantes | /lɑ̃g vivɑ̃t/ | Music | la musique | /myzik/ |
| Linguistics | la linguistique | /lɛ̃gɥistik/ | Dance | la danse | /dɑ̃s/ |
| Literature | la littérature | /liteʀatyʀ/ | Drawing | le dessin | /desɛ̃/ |
| Philosophy | la philosophie | /filɔzɔfi/ | Painting | la peinture | /pɛ̃tyʀ/ |
| Psychology | la psychologie | /psikɔlɔʒi/ | Computer Science | l'informatique | /ɛ̃fɔʀmatik/ |
| Political Science | les sciences politiques | /sjɑ̃s pɔlitik/ | Technology | la technologie | /tɛknɔlɔʒi/ |
| History | l'histoire (f) | /istwaʀ/ | Physical Education | l'éducation physique (f) | /edykasjɔ̃ fizik/ |
Notice that you do not use an indefinite article before professions,
unless they are preceded by an adjective.
Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ? What
do you do for a living?
Je suis avocate. I am a lawyer. (fem.)
Je suis professeur. I am a professor.
Je suis étudiant. I am a student (masc.)
Où est-ce que vous faites vos études ? Where do you study?
Je vais à l'université de Michigan. I go to the university of Michigan.
Je fais mes études à l'université de Toronto. I study at the University of Toronto.
Qu'est-ce que vous étudiez ? What do you study?
Quelles matières étudiez-vous ? What subjects do you study?
J'étudie les langues étrangères et la linguistique. I study foreign languages and linguistics.
Je fais des mathématiques. I study/do math.
Ma spécialisation est la biologie. My major is biology.
Je suis avocate. I am a lawyer. (fem.)
Je suis professeur. I am a professor.
Je suis étudiant. I am a student (masc.)
Où est-ce que vous faites vos études ? Where do you study?
Je vais à l'université de Michigan. I go to the university of Michigan.
Je fais mes études à l'université de Toronto. I study at the University of Toronto.
Qu'est-ce que vous étudiez ? What do you study?
Quelles matières étudiez-vous ? What subjects do you study?
J'étudie les langues étrangères et la linguistique. I study foreign languages and linguistics.
Je fais des mathématiques. I study/do math.
Ma spécialisation est la biologie. My major is biology.
Slang words/abbreviations for school:
| dictionary | un dico | /diko/ | student | un potache | /potaʃ/ |
| paper / essay | une disserte | /disɛʀt/ | book | un bouquin | /bukɛ̃/ |
| college / faculty | la fac | /fak/ | to work | bosser | /bɔse/ |
| quiz | une interro | /ɛ̃tɛʀɔ/ | to understand | piger | /piʒe/ |
| to have detention | être collé(e) avoir une colle |
/kɔle/ /kol/ |
to skip (a class) | sécher (un cours) | /seʃe/ |
| at / to / in | à | /a/ | during | pendant | /pɑ̃dɑ̃/ |
| from / of / about | de | /də/ | since / for | depuis | /dəpɥi/ |
| at the house of | chez | /ʃe/ | among | parmi | /paʀmi/ |
| in | dans / en | /dɑ̃/ /ɑ̃/ | between | entre | /ɑ̃tʀ/ |
| for | pour | /puʀ/ | around | autour de | /otuʀdə/ |
| by / through | par | /paʀ/ | against | contre | /kɔ̃tʀ/ |
| in front of | devant | /dəvɑ̃/ | toward | vers / envers | /vɛʀ/ /ɑ̃nvɛʀ/ |
| behind | derrière | /dɛʀjɛʀ/ | through / across | à travers | /atʀavɛʀ/ |
| before | avant | /avɑ̃/ | with | avec | /avɛk/ |
| after | après | /apʀɛ/ | without | sans | /sɑ̃/ |
| up | en haut | /ɑ̃no/ | inside | dedans / à l'intérieur | /dədɑ̃/ /alɛ̃teʀjœʀ/ |
| down | en bas | /ɑ̃ba/ | outside | dehors / à l'extérieur | /dəɔʀ/ /alɛksteʀjœʀ/ |
| on | sur | /syʀ/ | outside of | hors de / en dehors de | /ɔʀdə/ /ɑ̃ndəɔʀdə/ |
| over / above | au-dessus de | /odəsydə/ | because of | à cause de | /akozdə/ |
| under / below | sous / au-dessous de | /su/ /odəsudə/ | according to | selon / d'après | /səlɔ̃/ /dapʀɛ/ |
| across from | en face de | /ɑ̃fasdə/ | approximately | environ | /ɑ̃viʀɔ̃/ |
| near | près de | /pʀɛdə/ | in spite of | malgré | /malgʀe/ |
| far from | loin de | /lwɛ̃də/ | as for | quant à | /kɑ̃ta/ |
| à + le = au | /o/ | at / to / in the |
| à + les = aux | /o/ | at / to / in the (pl.) |
| de + le = du | /dy/ | of / from / about the |
| de + les = des | /de/ | of / from / about the (pl.) |
In: Dans vs. En
Dans is used to show the time when an action will begin, while en shows the length of time an action takes.
Dans is used to show the time when an action will begin, while en shows the length of time an action takes.
Je pars dans quinze minutes. I'm leaving
in 15 minutes.
Il peut lire ce livre en une demi-heure. He can read this book in a half hour.
Il peut lire ce livre en une demi-heure. He can read this book in a half hour.
With: Avec vs. De vs. A vs. Chez
Avec implies doing something or going along with someone; de is used in phrases of manner and in many idiomatic expressions; à is used when referring to someone's attributes; and chez is used to mean "as far as (person) is concerned." To describe the way a person carries him/herself, no extra word is used.
Avec implies doing something or going along with someone; de is used in phrases of manner and in many idiomatic expressions; à is used when referring to someone's attributes; and chez is used to mean "as far as (person) is concerned." To describe the way a person carries him/herself, no extra word is used.
Je vais en France avec ma sœur. I'm going
to France with my sister.
Elle me remercie d'un sourire. She thanks me with a smile.
L'homme aux cheveux roux est très grand. The man with the red hair is very tall.
Chez cet enfant, tout est simple. With this child, everything is simple.
Il marche, les mains dans les poches. He walks with his hands in his pockets.
Elle me remercie d'un sourire. She thanks me with a smile.
L'homme aux cheveux roux est très grand. The man with the red hair is very tall.
Chez cet enfant, tout est simple. With this child, everything is simple.
Il marche, les mains dans les poches. He walks with his hands in his pockets.
| Africa | l'Afrique (f) | /afʀik/ | Hebrew (lang.) | hébreu | /ebʀø/ |
| African | africain/e | /afʀikɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Italy | l'Italie (f) | /itali/ |
| Albania | l'Albanie (f) | /albani/ | Italian | italien/ne | /italjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Albanian | albanais/e | /albanɛ/ /ɛz/ | Japan | le Japon | /ʒapɔ̃/ |
| Algeria | l'Algérie (f) | /alʒeʀi/ | Japanese | japonais/e | /ʒapɔnɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Algerian | algérien/ne | /alʒeʀjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Korea | la Corée | /kɔʀe/ |
| America | l'Amérique (f) | /ameʀik/ | Korean | coréen/ne | /kɔʀeɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| American | américain/e | /ameʀikɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Latvia | la Lettonie | /letɔni/ |
| Argentina | l'Argentine (f) | /aʀʒɑ̃tin/ | Latvian | letton/ne | /letɔ̃/ /ɔn/ |
| Argentine | argentin/e | /aʀʒɑ̃tɛ̃/ /in/ | Lithuania | la Lituanie | /litɥani/ |
| Asia | l'Asie (f) | /azi/ | Lithuanian | lituanien/ne | /litɥanjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Asian | asiatique | /azjatik/ | Luxembourg | le Luxembourg | /lyksɑ̃buʀ/ |
| Australia | l'Australie (f) | /ostʀali/ | Luxembourger | luxembourgeois/e | /lyksɑ̃buʀʒwa/ /az/ |
| Australian | australien/ne | /ostʀaljɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Macedonia | la Macédoine | /masedwan/ |
| Austria | l'Autriche (f) | /otʀiʃ/ | Macedonian | macédonien/ne | /masedɔnjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Austrian | autrichien/ne | /otʀiʃjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Malta | Malte (f) | /malt/ |
| Belgium | la Belgique | /bɛlʒik/ | Maltese | maltais/e | /maltɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Belgian | belge | /bɛlʒ/ | Morocco | le Maroc | /maʀɔk/ |
| Bosnia | la Bosnie | /bɔsni/ | Moroccan | marocain/e | /maʀɔkɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Bosnian | bosniaque | /bɔsniak/ | Netherlands | les Pays-Bas | /peibɑ/ |
| Brazil | le Brésil | /bʀezil/ | Dutch | néerlandais/e | /neɛʀlɑ̃dɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Brazilian | brésilien/ne | /bʀeziljɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Dutch (person) | hollandais/e | /'ɔlɑ̃ dɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Bulgaria | la Bulgarie | /bylgaʀi/ | New Zealand | la Nouvelle-Zélande | /nuvɛlzelɑ̃d/ |
| Bulgarian | bulgare | /bylgaʀ/ | New Zealander | néo-zélandais/e | /neozelɑ̃dɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Cambodia | le Cambodge | /kɑ̃bɔdʒ/ | Norway | la Norvège | /nɔʀvɛʒ/ |
| Cambodian | cambodgien/ne | /kɑ̃bɔdʒjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Norwegian | norvégien/ne | /nɔʀveʒjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Canada | le Canada | /kanada/ | Poland | la Pologne | /pɔlɔɲ/ |
| Canadian | canadien/ne | /kanadjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Polish | polonais/e | /pɔlɔnɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| China | la Chine | /ʃin/ | Portugal | le Portugal | /pɔʀtygal/ |
| Chinese | chinois/e | /ʃinwa/ /az/ | Portuguese | portugais/e | /pɔʀtygɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Croatia | la Croatie | /kʀɔasi/ | Quebec | le Québéc | /kebɛk/ |
| Croatian | croate | /kʀɔat/ | Quebecker | québécois/e | /kebekwa/ /az/ |
| Czech Republic | la République Tchèque | /ʀepyblik tʃɛk/ | Romania | la Roumanie | /ʀumani/ |
| Czech | tchèque | /tʃɛk/ | Romanian | roumain/e | /ʀumɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Denmark | le Danemark | /danmaʀk/ | Russia | la Russie | /ʀysi/ |
| Danish | danois/e | /danwa/ /az/ | Russian | russe | /ʀys/ |
| Egypt | l'Egypte (f) | /eʒipt/ | Scotland | l'Ecosse | /ekɔs/ |
| Egyptian | égyptien/e | /eʒipsjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Scottish | écossais/e | /ekɔsɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| England | l'Angleterre (f) | /ɑ̃glətɛʀ/ | Senegal | le Sénégal | /senegal/ |
| English | anglais/e | /ɑ̃glɛ/ /ɛz/ | Senegalese | sénégalais/e | /senegalɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Estonia | l'Estonie | /ɛstɔni/ | Serbia | la Serbie | /sɛʀbi/ |
| Estonian | estonien/ne | /ɛstonjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Serbian | serbe | /sɛʀb/ |
| Europe | l'Europe (f) | /øʀɔp/ | Slovakia | la Slovaquie | /slɔvaki/ |
| European | européen/ne | /øʀɔpeɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Slovak | slovaque | /slɔvak/ |
| Finland | la Finlande | /fɛ̃lɑ̃d/ | Slovenia | la Slovénie | /slɔveni/ |
| Finnish | finnois/e | /finwa/ /az/ | Slovene | slovène | /slɔvɛn/ |
| France | la France | /fʀɑ̃s/ | Spain | l'Espagne (f) | /ɛspaɲ/ |
| French | français/e | /fʀɑ̃sɛ/ /ɛz/ | Spanish | espagnol/e | /ɛspaɲɔl/ |
| Germany | l'Allemagne (f) | /almaɲ/ | Sweden | la Suède | /sɥɛd/ |
| German | allemand/e | /almɑ̃/ /ɑ̃d/ | Swedish | suédois/e | /sɥedwa/ /az/ |
| Great Britain | la Grande-Bretagne | /gʀɑ̃dbʀətaɲ/ | Switzerland | la Suisse | /sɥis/ |
| British | britannique | /bʀitanik/ | Swiss | suisse | /sɥis/ |
| Greece | la Grèce | /gʀɛs/ | Taiwan | Taïwan | /tajwan/ |
| Greek | grec / grecque | /gʀɛk/ | Taiwanese | taïwanais/e | /tajwanɛ/ /ɛz/ |
| Hungary | la Hongrie | /'ɔ̃gʀi/ | Tunisia | la Tunisie | /tynizi/ |
| Hungarian | hongrois/e | /'ɔ̃gʀwa/ /az/ | Tunisian | tunisien/ne | /tynizjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Iceland | l'Islande | /islɑ̃d/ | Turkey | la Turquie | /tyʀki/ |
| Icelandic | islandais/e | /islɑ̃dɛ/ /ɛz/ | Turk | turc / turcque | /tyʀk/ |
| India | l'Inde | /ɛ̃d/ | Ukraine | l'Ukraine | /ykʀɛn/ |
| Indian | indien/ne | /ɛ̃djɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Ukrainian | ukrainien/ne | /ykʀɛnjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Indonesia | l'Indonésie (f) | /ɛ̃dɔnezi/ | United Kingdom | la Royaume-Uni | /ʀwajomyni/ |
| Indonesian | indonésien/ne | /ɛ̃dɔnezjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | United States | les Etats-Unis | /etazyni/ |
| Ireland | l'Irlande (f) | /iʀlɑ̃d/ | Vietnam | le Vietnam | /viɛtnam/ |
| Irishman | irlandais/e | /iʀlɑ̃dɛ/ /ɛz/ | Vietnamese | vietnamien/ne | /vjɛtnamjɛ̃/ /ɛn/ |
| Israel | Israël | /isʀael/ | Wales | le Pays-de-Galles | /peidəgal/ |
| Israeli | israëlien/ne | /isʀaeljɛ̃/ /ɛn/ | Welsh | gallois/e | /galwɑ/ /ɑz/ |
25. Negative Sentences.
To make sentences negative, simply put ne and pas
around the verb. In spoken French, however, the ne is frequently
omitted, but it cannot be omitted in written French. And when you
are replying "yes" to a negative question, you use si and not oui (though in Quebec, it is perfectly fine to just use oui).
Je suis du Canada. I am from Canada.
Je ne suis pas du Mexique. I am not from Mexico.
Je suis française. I am French (feminine.)
Je ne suis pas suisse. I am not Swiss. (masculine or feminine)
Il est australien. He is Australian.
Elle n'est pas danoise. She is not Danish.
Elles sont des Etats-Unis. They are from the United States.
Ils ne sont pas du Portugal. They are not from Portugal.
Je parle chinois et japonais. I speak Chinese and Japanese.
Je ne parle pas suédois. I don't speak Swedish.
Vous n'êtes pas du Brésil ? You aren't from Brazil?
Si, nous sommes du Brésil. Yes, we are from Brazil.
Je ne suis pas du Mexique. I am not from Mexico.
Je suis française. I am French (feminine.)
Je ne suis pas suisse. I am not Swiss. (masculine or feminine)
Il est australien. He is Australian.
Elle n'est pas danoise. She is not Danish.
Elles sont des Etats-Unis. They are from the United States.
Ils ne sont pas du Portugal. They are not from Portugal.
Je parle chinois et japonais. I speak Chinese and Japanese.
Je ne parle pas suédois. I don't speak Swedish.
Vous n'êtes pas du Brésil ? You aren't from Brazil?
Si, nous sommes du Brésil. Yes, we are from Brazil.
| Places | Cities | Countries | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. | au | du | à | de | au | du | ||
| Fem. | à la | de la | à | de | en | de | ||
| Vowel | à l' | de l' | à | d' | en | d' | ||
| Plural | aux | des | aux | des | aux | des | ||
If the name of a country ends in-e, the gender is
feminine. If it ends in anything else, it is masculine. All continents
are feminine. The country exceptions are le Cambodge, le Mexique,
le Zaïre, le Zimbabwe, and le Mozambique. Some cities have
an article as well, such as La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans).
Je vais à la boulangerie. I'm going
to the bakery.
Il vient de Londres. He comes from London.
On va en France demain. We're going to France tomorrow.
Tu viens du Mexique ? You come from Mexico?
Il vient de Londres. He comes from London.
On va en France demain. We're going to France tomorrow.
Tu viens du Mexique ? You come from Mexico?
| To / In | From | |
| Feminine |
en
|
de
|
| Islands |
à
|
de / d'
|
| Masc. w/ Vowel |
en / dans l'
|
d' / de l'
|
| Masc. w/ Consonant |
au / dans le
|
du
|
In general, if a region, province or state ends in
-e, it is feminine. Californie, Caroline du Nord / Sud, Floride,
Géorgie, Louisiane, Pennsylvanie, and Virginie are the feminine
American states; while Maine is masculine. For French régions or
départements that begin with Haut(e), the h is an aspirate h, and
therefore, there is no elision with preceding words, i.e. de Haut-Rhin,
la Haute-Normandie, etc.
Elles habitent en Californie. They live
in California.
Il est de Haute-Savoie. He is from Haute-Savoie.
Ce fromage vient du Nord. This cheese comes from Nord.
Je veux voyager dans le Texas. I want to travel in Texas.
Il est de Haute-Savoie. He is from Haute-Savoie.
Ce fromage vient du Nord. This cheese comes from Nord.
Je veux voyager dans le Texas. I want to travel in Texas.
Venir-to come /vəniʀ/
|
|||||||||||
Present
|
Past (Imperfect)
|
Future
|
|||||||||
| viens | /vjɛ̃/ | venons | /vənɔ̃/ | venais | /vənɛ/ | venions | /vənjɔ̃/ | viendrai | /vijɛndʀɛ/ | viendrons | /vijɛndʀɔ̃/ |
| viens | /vjɛ̃/ | venez | /vəne/ | venais | /vənɛ/ | veniez | /vənje/ | viendras | /vijɛndʀa/ | viendrez | /vijɛndʀe/ |
| vient | /vjɛ̃/ | viennent | /vijɛn/ | venait | /vənɛ/ | venaient | /vənɛ/ | viendra | /vijɛndʀa/ | viendront | /vijɛndʀɔ̃/ |
Aller-to go /ale/
|
|||||||||||
Present
|
Past (Imperfect)
|
Future
|
|||||||||
| vais | /vɛ/ | allons | /alɔ̃/ | j'allais | /ʒalɛ/ | allions | /alijɔ̃/ | j'irai | /ʒiʀɛ/ | irons | /iʀɔ̃/ |
| vas | /va/ | allez | /ale/ | allais | /alɛ/ | alliez | /alije/ | iras | /iʀa/ | irez | /iʀe/ |
| va | /va/ | vont | /vɔ̃/ | allait | /alɛ/ | allaient | /alɛ/ | ira | /iʀa/ | iront | /iʀɔ̃/ |
Other verbs that are conjugated like venir: tenir
- to hold, devenir - to become, obtenir - to get, revenir
- to come back.
Je viens des Etats-Unis. I come from the United States.
Il tient un crayon. He's holding a pencil.
Nous allons en Espagne. We're going to Spain.
Tu ne vas pas au Brésil cet été. You're not going to Brazil this summer.
Il tient un crayon. He's holding a pencil.
Nous allons en Espagne. We're going to Spain.
Tu ne vas pas au Brésil cet été. You're not going to Brazil this summer.
► Aller + an infinitive means "going to
do something."
Ils vont aller en Angleterre. They are going to go to England.
Elle va parler russe. She's going to speak Russian.
Je vais devenir professeur. I'm going to become a professor.
Ils vont aller en Angleterre. They are going to go to England.
Elle va parler russe. She's going to speak Russian.
Je vais devenir professeur. I'm going to become a professor.
► Aller is also used idiomatically when
talking about health.
Comment vas-tu ? How are you?
Je vais bien. I'm fine.
Comment vas-tu ? How are you?
Je vais bien. I'm fine.
► Venir de + an infinitive means "to have
just done something."
Il vient d'aller en Finlande. He just went to Finland.
Vous venez de manger une pomme. You just ate an apple.
Il vient d'aller en Finlande. He just went to Finland.
Vous venez de manger une pomme. You just ate an apple.
Verbs in French end in -er, -re, or -ir. The verb before
it is conjugated is called the infinitive. Removing the last two
letters leaves you with the stem (aimer is the infinitive, aim-
is the stem.) The present indicative tense indicates an ongoing
action, general state, or habitual activity. Besides the simple
present tense (I write, I run, I see); there are two other forms
of the present tense in English: the progressive (I am writing, I am running,
etc.) and the emphatic (I do write, I do run, etc.) However, these
three English present tenses are all translated by the present indicative
tense in French.
To conjugate verbs in the present tense, use the stem and
add the following endings.
| -er | -re | 1st -ir | 2nd -ir* | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -e | -ons | -s | -ons | -is | -issons | -s | -ons | |||
| -es | -ez | -s | -ez | -is | -issez | -s | -ez | |||
| -e | -ent | - | -ent | -it | -issent | -t | -ent | |||
| aimer - to like, love | vendre - to sell | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aime | /em/ | aimons | /emɔ̃/ | vends | /vɑ̃/ | vendons | /vɑ̃dɔ̃/ | |
| aimes | /em/ | aimez | /eme/ | vends | /vɑ̃/ | vendez | /vɑ̃de/ | |
| aime | /em/ | aiment | /em/ | vend | /vɑ/̃ | vendent | /vɑ̃d/ | |
| finir - to finish | partir - to leave | |||||||
| finis | /fini/ | finissons | /finisɔ̃/ | pars | /paʀ/ | partons | /paʀtɔ̃/ | |
| finis | /fini/ | finissez | /finise/ | pars | /paʀ/ | partez | /paʀte/ | |
| finit | /fini/ | finissent | /finis/ | part | /paʀ/ | partent | /paʀt/ | |
| -er | -re | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aimer | /eme/ | to like, love | vendre | /vɑ̃dʀ/ | to sell | |
| chanter | /ʃɑ̃te/ | to sing | attendre | /atɑ̃dʀ/ | to wait for | |
| chercher | /ʃɛʀʃe/ | to look for | entendre | /ɑ̃tɑ̃dʀ/ | to hear | |
| commencer | /kɔmɑ̃se/ | to begin | perdre | /pɛʀdʀ/ | to lose | |
| donner | /dɔne/ | to give | répondre (à) | /ʀepɔ̃dʀ/ | to answer | |
| étudier | /etydje/ | to study | descendre | /dɛsɑ̃dʀ/ | to go down | |
| fermer | /fɛʀme/ | to close | 1st -ir | |||
| habiter | /abite/ | to live | bâtir | /bɑtiʀ/ | to build | |
| jouer | /ʒwe/ | to play | finir | /finiʀ/ | to finish | |
| manger | /mɑ̃ʒe/ | to eat | choisir | /ʃwaziʀ/ | to choose | |
| montrer | /mɔ̃tʀe/ | to show | punir | /pyniʀ/ | to punish | |
| parler | /paʀle/ | to speak | remplir | /ʀɑ̃pliʀ/ | to fill | |
| penser | /pɑ̃se/ | to think | obéir (à) | /ɔbeiʀ/ | to obey | |
| travailler | /tʀavaje/ | to work | réussir | /ʀeysiʀ/ | to succeed | |
| trouver | /tʀuve/ | to find | guérir | /geʀiʀ/ | to cure, heal | |
* The 2nd -ir verbs are considered irregular sometimes because there are only a few verbs which follow that pattern. Other verbs like partir are sortir /sɔʀtiʀ/ (to go out), dormir /dɔʀmiʀ/ (to sleep), mentir /mɑ̃tiʀ/ (to lie), sentir /sɑ̃tiʀ/ (to smell, feel) and servir /sɛʀviʀ/ (to serve.)
These verbs are conjugated like normal verbs, but they require an extra pronoun before the verb. Most indicate a reflexive action but some are idiomatic and can't be translated literally. The pronouns are:
| me | /mə/ | nous | /nu/ |
| te | /tə/ | vous | /vu/ |
| se | /sə/ | se | /sə/ |
| s'amuser | /samyze/ | to have fun | se brosser | /səbʀɔse/ | to brush |
| se lever | /sələve/ | to get up | se maquiller | /səmakije/ | to put on makeup |
| se laver | /səlave/ | to wash (oneself) | se casser | /səkase/ | to break (arm, leg, etc.) |
| se dépêcher | /sədepeʃe/ | to hurry | se réveiller | /səʀeveje/ | to wake up |
| se peigner | /səpeɲe/ | to comb | se raser | /səʀɑze/ | to shave |
| s'habiller | /sabije/ | to get dressed | s'ennuyer | /sɑ̃nɥije/ | to get bored |
| se marier | /səmaʀje/ | to get married | se promener | /səpʀɔmne/ | to take a walk |
| se reposer | /səʀəpoze/ | to rest | s'intéresser à | /sɛ̃teʀese a/ | to be interested in |
| se souvenir de | /səsuvniʀ də/ | to remember | s'entraîner | /sɑ̃tʀene/ | to train/practice |
| s'entendre bien | /sɑ̃tɑ̃dʀbjɛ̃/ | to get along well | se détendre | /sədetɑ̃dʀ/ | to relax |
| se coucher | /səkuʃe/ | to go to bed |
When used in the infinitive, such as after another verb, the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject of the sentence.
Je vais me coucher maintenant. I'm going to go to bed.
Tu veux t'asseoir ? Do you want to sit down?
| Sample Irregular Pronominal Verb | |||
|---|---|---|---|
s'asseoir - to sit down /saswaʀ/
|
|||
| je m'assieds | /ʒəmasjɛ/ | nous nous asseyons | /nunuzasejɔ̃/ |
| tu t'assieds | /tytasjɛ/ | vous vous asseyez | /vuvusaseje/ |
| il s'assied | /ilsasjɛ/ | ils s'asseyent | /ilsasej/ |
1. Verbs that end in -ger and -cer:
The nous form of manger isn't mangons, but mangeons.
The e has to stay so the g can retain the soft sound. The
nous form of commencer isn't commencons, but commençons.
The c must have the accent (called a cedilla) under it to make the
c sound soft.
| manger-to eat /mɑ̃ʒe/ | commencer-to begin /kɔmɑ̃se/ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mange | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | mangeons | /mɑ̃ʒɔ̃/ | commence | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | commençons | /kɔmɑ̃sɔ̃/ | |
| manges | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | mangez | /mɑ̃ʒe/ | commences | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | commencez | /kɔmɑ̃se/ | |
| mange | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | mangent | /mɑ̃ʒ/ | commence | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | commencent | /kɔmɑ̃s/ | |
2. Verbs that add or change to an accent grave: Some verbs add or change to an accent grave (è) in all the forms except the nous and vous.
| acheter-to buy /aʃte/ | espérer-to hope /ɛspeʀe/ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| j'achète | /aʃɛt/ | achetons | /aʃtɔ̃/ | j'espère | /ɛspɛʀ/ | espérons | /ɛspeʀɔ̃/ |
| achètes | /aʃɛt/ | achetez | /aʃte/ | espères | /ɛspɛʀ/ | espérez | /ɛspeʀe/ |
| achète | /aʃɛt/ | achètent | /aʃɛt/ | espère | /ɛspɛʀ/ | espèrent | /ɛspɛʀ/ |
3. Verbs that are conjugated as -er verbs: Some -ir
verbs are conjugated with -er endings. Examples: ouvrir-to open /uvʀiʀ/, couvrir-to cover /kuvʀiʀ/, découvrir-to
discover /dekuvʀiʀ/ and souffrir-to suffer /sufʀiʀ/
| j'offre | /ɔfʀ/ | offrons | /ɔfʀɔ̃/ |
| offres | /ɔfʀ/ | offrez | /ɔfʀe/ |
| offre | /ɔfʀ/ | offrent | /ɔfʀ/ |
4. Verbs that end in -yer: Change the y
to an i in all forms except the nous and vous. Examples: nettoyer-to
clean /netwaje/, payer-to pay /peje/, and essayer-to try /eseje/
| j'envoie | /ɑ̃vwa/ | envoyons | /ɑ̃vwajɔ̃/ |
| envoies | /ɑ̃vwa/ | envoyez | /ɑ̃vwaje/ |
| envoie | /ɑ̃vwa/ | envoient | /ɑ̃vwa/ |
5. Verbs that double the consonant: Some verbs,
including jeter-to
throw /ʒəte/, double the consonant in all forms
except the nous and vous.
| j'appelle | /apɛl/ | appelons | /aplɔ̃/ |
| appelles | /apɛl/ | appelez | /aple/ |
| appelle | /apɛl/ | appellent | /apɛl/ |
31. Present Perfect Tense or Passe Compose
You have learned the present indicative so far, which expresses what happens, is happening, or does happen now; but if you want to say something happened, or has happened, you use the passé composé. The passé composé is used for actions that happened only once, a specified number of times or during a specified period of time, and as a result or consequence of another action. All you need to learn are the past participles of the verbs.
You have learned the present indicative so far, which expresses what happens, is happening, or does happen now; but if you want to say something happened, or has happened, you use the passé composé. The passé composé is used for actions that happened only once, a specified number of times or during a specified period of time, and as a result or consequence of another action. All you need to learn are the past participles of the verbs.
Regular Verbs: Formation of the Past Participle
| -er | -é |
| -re | -u |
| -ir | -i |
Then conjugate avoir and add the past participle:
| J'ai aimé le concert. | I liked the concert. |
| Tu as habité ici ? | You lived here? |
| Il a répondu au téléphone. | He answered (or has answered) the telephone. |
| Nous avons fini le projet. | We finished (or have finished) the project. |
| Elles ont rempli les tasses. | They filled (or have filled) the cups. |
To make it negative, put the ne and pas around the conjugated form of avoir.
| Je n'ai pas aimé le concert. | I didn't like the concert. |
| Il n'a pas répondu. | He didn't answer (or hasn't answered). |
| Elles n'ont pas rempli les tasses. | They didn't fill (or haven't filled) the glasses. |
| avoir | to have | eu | /y/ | had |
| connaître | to know | connu | /kɔny/ | known |
| croire | to believe | cru | /kʀy/ | believed |
| devoir | to have to | dû | /dy/ | had to |
| dire | to tell | dit | /di/ | said |
| écrire | to write | écrit | /ekʀi/ | written |
| être | to be | été | /ete/ | been |
| faire | to do, make | fait | /fɛ/ | made |
| lire | to read | lu | /ly/ | read |
| mettre | to put | mis | /mi/ | put |
| permettre | to permit | permis | /pɛʀmi/ | permitted |
| promettre | to promise | promis | /pʀɔmi/ | promised |
| ouvrir | to open | ouvert | /uvɛʀ/ | opened |
| offrir | to offer | offert | /ɔfɛʀ/ | offered |
| pouvoir | to be able to | pu | /py/ | was able to |
| prendre | to take | pris | /pʀi/ | taken |
| apprendre | to learn | appris | /apʀi/ | learned |
| comprendre | to understand | compris | /kɔ̃pʀi/ | understood |
| surprendre | to surprise | surpris | /syʀpʀi/ | surprised |
| recevoir | to receive | reçu | /ʀəsy/ | received |
| rire | to laugh | ri | /ʀi/ | laughed |
| savoir | to know | su | /sy/ | known |
| voir | to see | vu | /vy/ | seen |
| vouloir | to want | voulu | /vuly/ | wanted |
Seventeen so-called "house" verbs and all pronominal verbs
are conjugated with être, and they must agree in gender
and number with the subject. Irregular past participles are highlighted.
| to go | aller | allé / allée | to go by / pass | passer | passé / passée |
| to arrive | arriver | arrivé / arrivée | to return home | rentrer | rentré / rentrée |
| to go down | descendre | descendu / descendue | to stay | rester | resté / restée |
| to become | devenir | devenu / devenue | to return | retourner | retourné / retournée |
| to enter | entrer | entré / entrée | to come back | revenir | revenu / revenue |
| to go up | monter | monté / montée | to go out | sortir | sorti / sortie |
| to die | mourir | mort / morte | to fall | tomber | tombé / tombée |
| to be born | naître | né / née | to come | venir | venu / venue |
| to leave | partir | parti / partie |
A mnemonic device to remember these 17 verbs is DR
& MRS P VANDERTRAMP. Each letter in the name corresponds to the
first letter of the verbs. Five of these verbs (monter, descendre, sortir, rentrer,
and passer) are conjugated with avoir if they
are used with a direct object.
Je suis sortie. I went out.
J'ai sorti la poubelle. I took the trash out.
J'ai sorti la poubelle. I took the trash out.
| Je suis resté(e) | Nous sommes resté(e)s |
| Tu es resté(e) | Vous êtes resté(e)(s) |
| Il est resté | Ils sont restés |
| Elle est restée | Elles sont restées |
Add e for feminine and s for
plural.
Sometimes adding an -e causes the pronunciation to change, i.e.
the preceding consonant that is silent in the masculine form is
pronounced in the feminine form:
Il est mort /mɔʀ/ vs. Elle est morte /mɔʀt/ To form the negative, place ne...pas
around the auxiliary verb: Je ne suis pas resté.
| Je me suis amusé(e) | Nous nous sommes amusé(e)s |
| Tu t'es amusé(e) | Vous vous êtes amusé(e)(s) |
| Il s'est amusé | Ils se sont amusés |
| Elle s'est amusée | Elles se sont amusées |
To form the negative of pronominal verbs, place ne before the reflexive pronoun, and pas after the auxiliary verb: Je ne me suis pas amusé.
There are only two cases with pronominal verbs where
the past participle does not agree with the subject:
1. When the pronominal verb is followed by a direct object.
Compare: Elles se sont lavées, but: elles se sont lavé les mains.
2. With verbs where the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object, such as se parler, se demander, se dire, s'écrire, se sourire, and se téléphoner.
Ils se sont téléphoné.
1. When the pronominal verb is followed by a direct object.
Compare: Elles se sont lavées, but: elles se sont lavé les mains.
2. With verbs where the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object, such as se parler, se demander, se dire, s'écrire, se sourire, and se téléphoner.
Ils se sont téléphoné.
| Breakfast | le petit déjeuner | /pti deʒœne/ | Egg | l'œuf (m) | /œf/ |
| Lunch | le déjeuner | /deʒœne/ | Cake | le gâteau | /gɑto/ |
| Dinner | le dîner | /dine/ | Pie | la tarte | /taʀt/ |
| Cup | la tasse | /tɑs/ | Milk | le lait | /lɛ/ |
| Slice | la tranche | /tʀɑ̃ʃ/ | Coffee | le café | /kafe/ |
| Bowl | le bol | /bɔl/ | Butter | le beurre | /bœʀ/ |
| Glass | le verre | /vɛʀ/ | Water | l'eau (f) | /o/ |
| Salt and Pepper | le sel et le poivre | /sɛl/ /pwavʀ/ | Ham | le jambon | /ʒɑ̃bɔ̃/ |
| Fork | la fourchette | /fuʀʃɛt/ | Fish | le poisson | /pwasɔ̃/ |
| Spoon | la cuillère | /kɥijɛʀ/ | Tea | le thé | /te/ |
| Knife | le couteau | /kuto/ | Salad | la salade | /salad/ |
| Plate | l'assiette (f) | /asjɛt/ | Jam | la confiture | /kɔ̃fityʀ/ |
| Napkin | la serviette | /sɛʀvjɛt/ | Meat | la viande | /vjɑ̃d/ |
| Ice cream | la glace | /glas/ | French fries | les frites (f) | /fʀit/ |
| Juice | le jus | /ʒy/ | Beer | la bière | /bjɛʀ/ |
| Fruit | le fruit | /fʀɥi/ | Wine | le vin | /vɛ̃/ |
| Cheese | le fromage | /fʀɔmaʒ/ | Sugar | le sucre | /sykʀ/ |
| Chicken | le poulet | /pulɛ/ | Soup | le potage | /pɔtaʒ/ |
| Cereal | des céréales | /seʀeal/ | Ketchup | le ketchup | /kɛtʃœp/ |
| Oil | l'huile (f) | /ɥil/ | Mustard | la moutarde | /mutaʀd/ |
| Vinegar | le vinaigre | /vinɛgʀ/ | Mayonnaise | la mayonnaise | /majɔnɛz/ |
| Yogurt | le yaourt | /jauʀt/ | Pasta | des pâtes | /pɑt/ |
In France, it is common to use déjeuner
to mean to have breakfast as well as to have lunch.
In Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland, the meals are le déjeuner,
le dîner, and le souper. The plural
of un œuf is des œufs, but
fs is not pronounced: /œf/ vs. /ø/. Food is generally
divided into two categories: sucré (sweet/sugary)
and salé (savoury/salty). Le
pain /pɛ̃/ is the general word for bread; if you want to specify
white bread, use le pain de mie /pɛ̃ də mi/ . Because the French
eat dinner so late in the evening (8 pm), young children have l'heure
de goûter (snack time) after school. Le yaourt
refers to fruit yogurts and sweet puddings and they are eaten as desserts
in France. La glace is also a common dessert, and you
can find several parfums /paʀfœ̃/ (flavors). The word for scoops
(of ice cream) is boules /bul/. Many restaurants now offer
take out food options, which is called à emporter
(to take away). The opposite is sur place.
| fruit | un fruit | /fʀɥi/ | corn | le maïs | /mais/ |
| apple | une pomme | /pɔm/ | cucumber | un concombre | /kɔ̃kɔ̃bʀ/ |
| apricot | un abricot | /abʀiko/ | eggplant | une aubergine | /obɛʀʒin/ |
| banana | une banane | /banan/ | lettuce | la laitue | /lɛty/ |
| blueberry | une myrtille | /miʀtij/ | mushroom | un champignon | /ʃɑ̃piɲɔ̃/ |
| cherry | une cerise | /səʀiz/ | onion | un oignon | /ɔɲɔ̃/ |
| coconut | une noix de coco | /nwadəkoko/ | peas | les pois | /pwa/ |
| date | une datte | /dat/ | pepper | un piment | /pimɑ̃/ |
| fig | une figue | /fig/ | potato | une pomme de terre | /pɔmdətɛʀ/ |
| grape | un raisin | /ʀɛzɛ̃/ | pumpkin | une citrouille | /sitʀuj/ |
| grapefruit | un pamplemousse | /pɑ̃pləmus/ | rice | le riz | /ʀi/ |
| lemon | un citron | /sitʀɔ̃/ | spinach | des épinards | /epinaʀ/ |
| lime | un citron vert | /sitʀɔ̃ vɛʀ/ | squash | une courge | /kuʀʒ/ |
| melon | un melon | /məlɔ̃/ | tomato | une tomate | /tɔmat/ |
| olive | une olive | /ɔliv/ | turnip | un navet | /navɛ/ |
| orange | une orange | /ɔʀɑ̃ʒ/ | zucchini | des courgettes | /kuʀʒɛt/ |
| peach | une pêche | /pɛʃ/ | meat | la viande | /vjɑ̃d/ |
| pear | une poire | /pwaʀ/ | bacon | du lard, du bacon | /laʀ/ /bekɔn/ |
| pineapple | un ananas | /ananas/ | beef | le bœuf | /bœf/ |
| plum | une prune | /pʀyn/ | chicken | le poulet | /pulɛ/ |
| prune | un pruneau | /pʀyno/ | duck | le canard | /kanaʀ/ |
| raisin | un raisin sec | /ʀɛzɛ̃ sɛk/ | goat | la chèvre | /ʃɛvʀ/ |
| raspberry | une framboise | /fʀɑ̃bwaz/ | ham | le jambon | /ʒɑ̃bɔ̃/ |
| strawberry | une fraise | /fʀɛz/ | lamb | l'agneau (m) | /aɲo/ |
| watermelon | une pastèque | /pastɛk/ | liver | le foie | /fwa/ |
| vegetable | un légume | /legym/ | meatballs | des boulettes de viande | /bulɛtdəvjɑ̃d/ |
| artichoke | un artichaut | /aʀtiʃo/ | pork chop | une côtelette de porc | /kotlɛtdəpɔʀ/ |
| asparagus | des asperges | /aspɛʀʒ/ | rabbit | le lapin | /lapɛ̃/ |
| beet | une betterave | /bɛtʀav/ | hamburger | le steak haché | /stɛkaʃe/ |
| broccoli | le brocoli | /bʀɔkɔli/ | sausage | la saucisse | /sosis/ |
| cabbage | un chou | /ʃu/ | dried sausage | le saucisson | /sosisɔ̃/ |
| carrot | une carotte | /kaʀɔt/ | turkey | la dinde | /dɛ̃d/ |
| cauliflower | un chou-fleur | /ʃuflœʀ/ | veal | le veau | /vo/ |
| celery | un céleri | /sɛlʀi/ | venison | le chevreuil | /ʃəvʀœj/ |
Lettuce can also be referred to as la salade verte.
| Prendre - to take, eat or drink /pʀɑ̃dʀ/ | Boire - to drink /bwaʀ/ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| prends | /pʀɑ̃/ | prenons | /prənɔ̃/ | bois | /bwa/ | buvons | /buvɔ̃/ |
| prends | /pʀɑ̃/ | prenez | /prəne/ | bois | /bwa/ | buvez | /buve/ |
| prend | /pʀɑ̃/ | prennent | /pʀɛn/ | boit | /bwa/ | boivent | /bwav/ |
Other verbs that are conjugated like prendre: apprendre
/apʀɑ̃dʀ/ - to learn, comprendre /kɔ̃pʀɑ̃dʀ/ - to understand and surprendre
/syʀpʀɑ̃dʀ/ - to surprise
When you want to say "I am having
wine," the French translation is "Je prends du vin." You
must use de and le, la, l', or les and the proper
contractions (called partitives) because in French you
must always express some. So "je prends de la bière"
literally means "I am having some beer" even though in English
we would usually only say I am having beer.
Manger is a regular verb meaning "to eat," but
manger is used in a general sense, such as Je mange du poulet tous
les samedis. I eat chicken every Saturday. Boire
is literally the verb to drink and is also used in a general sense only.
Je bois du vin tout le temps. I drink wine all the time.
| assez de | enough (of) | un morceau de | a piece of | une douzaine de | a dozen of |
| une assiette de | a plate of | un peu de | a little (bit) of | un paquet de | a packet of |
| beaucoup de | a lot of | une tasse de | a cup of | un panier de | a basket of |
| une boîte de | a box of | une tranche de | a slice of | une poignée de | a handful of |
| une bouteille de | a bottle of | trop de | too much, many | plus de | more |
| un kilo de | a kilo of | un verre de | a glass of | un bouquet de | a bunch of |
With quantities and negatives, you
never use partitives. The construction is always de or
d' + noun.
Je voudrais prendre du fromage, mais pas de fruit.
I would like to have some cheese, but no fruit.
Il prend de la viande. He is eating some meat.
Nous prenons du riz et des brocolis. We are having some rice and broccoli.
Il y a trop de lait dans la tasse. There is too much milk in the cup.
Je voudrais un morceau de tarte. I would like one piece of pie.
Est-ce que je peux prendre un verre de vin ? May I have a glass of wine?
Je prends du vin. I'm drinking some wine.
Je ne prends pas de vin. I am not drinking any wine.
Il prend de la viande. He is eating some meat.
Nous prenons du riz et des brocolis. We are having some rice and broccoli.
Il y a trop de lait dans la tasse. There is too much milk in the cup.
Je voudrais un morceau de tarte. I would like one piece of pie.
Est-ce que je peux prendre un verre de vin ? May I have a glass of wine?
Je prends du vin. I'm drinking some wine.
Je ne prends pas de vin. I am not drinking any wine.
| Use the vous, tu and nous forms for commands. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vous form | Polite and Plural | Same as verb form | Restez ! | Stay! | |
| Tu form | Familiar | Same as verb form, but drop -s for -er verbs |
Regarde ! | Look/Watch! | |
| Nous form | Let's... | Same as verb form | Allons-y ! | Let's go! | |
When using pronominal verbs as commands, the pronoun
is placed after the verb connected by a hyphen. Tu te dépêches
becomes Dépêche-toi !
And in negative commands, the pronoun precedes the verb, as in Ne
nous reposons pas.
| être (be) | avoir (have) | savoir (know) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tu | sois | /swa/ | tu | aie | /ɛ/ | tu | sache | /saʃ/ |
| nous | soyons | /swajɔ̃/ | nous | ayons | /ajɔ̃/ | nous | sachons | /saʃɔ̃/ |
| vous | soyez | /swaje/ | vous | ayez | /aje/ | vous | sachez | /saʃe/ |
Ne sois pas méchant avec ta sœur ! Don't be mean to your sister!
N'ayez pas peur ! Don't be afraid!
Sachez que j'apprécie votre aide. Know that I appreciate your help.
N'ayez pas peur ! Don't be afraid!
Sachez que j'apprécie votre aide. Know that I appreciate your help.
| ne...plus | /nə...ply/ | no longer |
| ne...jamais | /nə...ʒamɛ/ | never |
| ne...rien | /nə...ʀjɛ̃/ | nothing |
| ne...aucun(e) | /nə...okœ̃/ /yn/ | not a single one |
| ne...que | /nə...kə/ | only |
| ne...personne | /nə...pɛʀsɔn/ | nobody |
| ne...ni...ni | /nə...ni...ni/ | neither...nor |
| ne...nulle part | /nə...nyl paʀ/ | nowhere |
The que in ne...que is placed directly before
the noun it limits. Rien and personne may be used
as subjects: Personne n'est ici. Aucun(e) by definition is singular, so the verb and nouns must also be changed
to the singular. With ni...ni, all articles are dropped
except definite articles. Je n'ai ni caméra ni caméscope,
but Je n'aime ni les chats ni les chiens.
Il n'aime plus travailler. He no longer
likes to work. (Or: He doesn't like to work anymore)
Nous ne voulons faire des achats que lundi. We want to go shopping only on Monday.
Elle ne déteste personne. She hates no one. (Or: She doesn't hate anyone.)
Nous ne voulons faire des achats que lundi. We want to go shopping only on Monday.
Elle ne déteste personne. She hates no one. (Or: She doesn't hate anyone.)
Negatives with Passé Composé
1. Ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais, and ne...rien
Ne comes before auxiliary verb, and the other part is between auxiliary and past participle.
Nous n'avons rien fait. We did nothing.
Vous ne vous êtes pas ennuyés. You were not bored.
1. Ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais, and ne...rien
Ne comes before auxiliary verb, and the other part is between auxiliary and past participle.
Nous n'avons rien fait. We did nothing.
Vous ne vous êtes pas ennuyés. You were not bored.
2. Ne...personne, ne...aucun, ne...ni...ni, ne...nulle
part, and ne... que
Ne comes before the auxiliary verb, but the other part is after the past participle.
Il n'a écouté personne. He listened to no one.
Il n'a fait aucune faute. He made not a single mistake.
Ne comes before the auxiliary verb, but the other part is after the past participle.
Il n'a écouté personne. He listened to no one.
Il n'a fait aucune faute. He made not a single mistake.
* Use of ne ... pas de: In negative sentences,
the partitives and indefinite articles become de before the noun
(unless the verb is être, then nothing changes.)
Partitive: Je prends du pain et du beurre. I'm having some bread and butter.
Negative: Je ne prends pas de pain ou de beurre. I am not having any bread or butter.
Indefinite: J'ai un chien. I have a dog.
Negative: Je n'ai pas de chien. I don't have a dog.
Verb is être: C'est une chatte brune. It's a brown cat.
Negative: Ce n'est pas une chatte brune. It's not a brown cat.
Partitive: Je prends du pain et du beurre. I'm having some bread and butter.
Negative: Je ne prends pas de pain ou de beurre. I am not having any bread or butter.
Indefinite: J'ai un chien. I have a dog.
Negative: Je n'ai pas de chien. I don't have a dog.
Verb is être: C'est une chatte brune. It's a brown cat.
Negative: Ce n'est pas une chatte brune. It's not a brown cat.
| Merry Christmas | Joyeux Noël |
| Happy New Year | Bonne Année |
| Happy Thanksgiving | Joyeux Thanksgiving |
| Happy Thanksgiving (Canada) | Bonne Action de grâces |
| Happy Easter | Joyeuses Pâques |
| Happy Halloween | Bonne fête d'Halloween |
| Happy Valentine's Day | Joyeuse Saint-Valentin |
| Happy Birthday | Bon Anniversaire Joyeux Anniversaire |
| Happy Saint Day | Bonne Fête |
| Happy Holidays | Joyeuses Fêtes |
| Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve | le Réveillon |
| New Year's Eve | la Saint-Sylvestre |
If someone is named after a saint, you can wish them bonne
fête on that saint's feast day. In Quebec, bonne fête is used for Happy Birthday.
by Claude-Joseph Rouget de L'Isle
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
Contre nous, de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé,
l'étendard sanglant est levé.
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces farouches soldats.
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
égorger vos fils, vos compagnes.
Aux armes citoyens! Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons.
Le jour de gloire est arrivé.
Contre nous, de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé,
l'étendard sanglant est levé.
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces farouches soldats.
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
égorger vos fils, vos compagnes.
Aux armes citoyens! Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons.
Amour sacré de la Patrie,
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs.
Liberté, liberté chérie,
Combats avec tes défenseurs;
Sous nos drapeaux, que la victoire
Accoure à tes mâles accents;
Que tes ennemis expirants
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire !
Aux armes citoyens !
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons.
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs.
Liberté, liberté chérie,
Combats avec tes défenseurs;
Sous nos drapeaux, que la victoire
Accoure à tes mâles accents;
Que tes ennemis expirants
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire !
Aux armes citoyens !
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons !
Qu'un sang impur Abreuve nos sillons.
Ye sons of France, awake to glory, Hark, hark, what
myriads bid you rise: Your children, wives and grandsires
hoary, Behold their tears and hear their cries, see their
tears and hear their cries! Shall hateful tyrants mischief
breeding with hireling hosts, a ruffian band
Affright and desolate the land, while peace and liberty lie bleeding?
To arms, to arms, ye brave! Th'avenging sword unsheathe!
March on! March on! All hearts resolved on victory or death.
myriads bid you rise: Your children, wives and grandsires
hoary, Behold their tears and hear their cries, see their
tears and hear their cries! Shall hateful tyrants mischief
breeding with hireling hosts, a ruffian band
Affright and desolate the land, while peace and liberty lie bleeding?
To arms, to arms, ye brave! Th'avenging sword unsheathe!
March on! March on! All hearts resolved on victory or death.
O sacred love of france, undying,
Th'avenging arm uphold and guide
Thy defenders, death defying,
Fight with Freedom on their side.
Soon thy sons shall be victorious
When the banner high is raised;
And thy dying enemies, amazed,
Shall behold thy triumph, great and glorious.
To arms, to arms, ye brave! Th'avenging sword unsheathe!
March on! March on! All hearts resolved on victory or death.
Th'avenging arm uphold and guide
Thy defenders, death defying,
Fight with Freedom on their side.
Soon thy sons shall be victorious
When the banner high is raised;
And thy dying enemies, amazed,
Shall behold thy triumph, great and glorious.
To arms, to arms, ye brave! Th'avenging sword unsheathe!
March on! March on! All hearts resolved on victory or death.
Translation by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1st verse)
and Mary Elizabeth Shaw (2nd verse) (This is
not a literal translation.)
O Canada, terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux.
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix.
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Noble Belgique, à jamais terre chérie,
À toi nos cœurs, à toi nos bras,
Par le sang pur répandu pour toi, Patrie!
Nous le jurons d'un seul cri: tu vivras!
Tu vivras toujours grande et belle
Et ton invincible unité
Aura pour devise immortelle
Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté!
Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté!
La Liberté!
À toi nos cœurs, à toi nos bras,
Par le sang pur répandu pour toi, Patrie!
Nous le jurons d'un seul cri: tu vivras!
Tu vivras toujours grande et belle
Et ton invincible unité
Aura pour devise immortelle
Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté!
Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté!
La Liberté!
Noble Belgium, forever beloved land,
Thine our hearts, thine our arms,
By the pure blood shed for you Fatherland!
We swear it in a single shout: thou shalt live!
Thou shalt live, ever great and beautiful
And thy invincible unity
Shall have for everlasting motto:
The King, the Law, Liberty!
The King, the Law, Liberty!
Liberty!
Thine our hearts, thine our arms,
By the pure blood shed for you Fatherland!
We swear it in a single shout: thou shalt live!
Thou shalt live, ever great and beautiful
And thy invincible unity
Shall have for everlasting motto:
The King, the Law, Liberty!
The King, the Law, Liberty!
Liberty!
by Charles Chatelanat
Sur nos monts, quand le soleil
Annonce un brillant réveil,
Et prédit d'un plus beau jour le retour,
Les beautés de la patrie
Parlent à l'âme attendrie;
Au ciel montent plus joyeux
Les accents d'un cœur pieux,
Les accents émus d'un cœur pieux.
Annonce un brillant réveil,
Et prédit d'un plus beau jour le retour,
Les beautés de la patrie
Parlent à l'âme attendrie;
Au ciel montent plus joyeux
Les accents d'un cœur pieux,
Les accents émus d'un cœur pieux.
Lorsqu'un doux rayon du soir
Joue encore dans le bois noir,
Le cœur se sent plus heureux près de Dieu.
Loin des vains bruits de la plaine,
L'âme en paix est plus sereine,
Au ciel montent plus joyeux
Les accents d'un cœur pieux,
Les accents émus d'un cœur pieux.
Joue encore dans le bois noir,
Le cœur se sent plus heureux près de Dieu.
Loin des vains bruits de la plaine,
L'âme en paix est plus sereine,
Au ciel montent plus joyeux
Les accents d'un cœur pieux,
Les accents émus d'un cœur pieux.
Lorsque dans la sombre nuit
La foudre éclate avec bruit,
Notre cœur pressent encore le Dieu fort;
Dans l'orage et la détresse
Il est notre forteresse;
Offrons-lui des coeurs pieux:
Dieu nous bénira des cieux,
Dieu nous bénira du haut des cieux.
La foudre éclate avec bruit,
Notre cœur pressent encore le Dieu fort;
Dans l'orage et la détresse
Il est notre forteresse;
Offrons-lui des coeurs pieux:
Dieu nous bénira des cieux,
Dieu nous bénira du haut des cieux.
Des grands monts vient le secours;
Suisse, espère en Dieu toujours!
Garde la foi des aïeux, Vis comme eux!
Sur l'autel de la patrie
Mets tes biens, ton cœur, ta vie!
C'est le trésor précieux
Que Dieu bénira des cieux,
Que Dieu bénira du haut des cieux.
Suisse, espère en Dieu toujours!
Garde la foi des aïeux, Vis comme eux!
Sur l'autel de la patrie
Mets tes biens, ton cœur, ta vie!
C'est le trésor précieux
Que Dieu bénira des cieux,
Que Dieu bénira du haut des cieux.
41. Imperfect Tense
This past tense corresponds to "was, were or used to." This tense
is used for repeated, continuous, or ongoing actions; as well as for verbs
that describe background and circumstances, such as weather, time, and
physical, mental, and emotional states. (Use the passé composé
for actions that happened once and are done.) Verbs that express
mental and emotional states that are descriptive in nature are generally
used in the imperfect more than the passé composé. These
verbs are: aimer, avoir, croire, détester, espérer, être,
penser, and préférer.
To form the stem, use the nous form of the present tense
and drop the -ons. Then add these endings:
| -ais | /ɛ/ | -ions | /jɔ̃/ |
| -ais | /ɛ/ | -iez | /je/ |
| -ait | /ɛ/ | -aient | /ɛ/ |
The only exception is être for which you must use
the stem ét-, but still the same endings. Verb stems
that end in -c must use a cedilla (ç) under the c to make it soft.
Verb stems ending in -g keep the e before all forms except nous and vous.
| être | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| étais | /etɛ/ | étions | /etjɔ̃/ |
| étais | /etɛ/ | étiez | /etje/ |
| était | /etɛ/ | étaient | /etɛ/ |
| commencer | manger | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| commençais | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | commencions | /kɔmɑ̃sjɔ̃/ | mangeais | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ | mangions | /mɑ̃ʒjɔ̃/ |
| commençais | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | commenciez | /kɔmɑ̃sje/ | mangeais | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ | mangiez | /mɑ̃ʒje/ |
| commençait | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | commençaient | /kɔmɑ̃sɛ/ | mangeait | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ | mangeaient | /mɑ̃ʒɛ/ |
Avoir, Devoir, Pouvoir, Savoir, and Vouloir
These verbs change meanings, according to whether they are used in the imperfect or the passé composé.
| Imperfect | Passé Composé | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
avoir
|
j'avais | I had | j'ai eu | I got, received |
devoir
|
je devais | I was supposed to | j'ai dû | I must have, I had to (and did) |
pouvoir
|
je pouvais | I was capable | j'ai pu je n'ai pas pu |
I was able to (and did), succeeded I couldn't, failed |
savoir
|
je savais | I knew | j'ai su | I found out, discovered |
vouloir
|
je voulais | I wanted to | j'ai voulu je n'ai pas voulu |
I tried, decided, insisted I refused |
The imperfect tense is also used with these constructions:
| être en train de + infinitive = to be in the middle of doing something | |
| J'étais en train d'étudier quand vous êtes arrivés. | I was (in the process of ) studying when you arrived. |
| être sur le point de + infinitive = to be just about to do something | |
| J'étais sur le point de vous rappeler. | I was just about to call you back. |
| aller + infinitive = going to do something | |
| J'allais sortir quand le téléphone a sonné. | I was going to leave when the phone rang. |
| venir de + infinitive = to have just done something | |
| Je venais de manger, alors je n'avais plus faim. | I had just eaten, so I wasn't hungry anymore. |
| school | l'école (f) | /ekɔl/ | university | l'université (f) | /ynivɛʀsite/ |
| bathroom | les toilettes (f) | /twalɛt/ | bank | la banque | /bɑ̃k/ |
| locker | le casier | /kɑzje/ | train station | la gare | /gaʀ/ |
| drinking fountain | la fontaine | /fɔ̃tɛn/ | airport | l'aéroport (m) | /aeʀɔpɔʀ/ |
| store | le magasin | /magazɛ̃/ | telephone | le téléphone | /telefɔn/ |
| library | la biblio(thèque) | /biblijɔtɛk/ | apartment | l'appartement (m) | /apaʀtəmɑ̃/ |
| office | le bureau | /byʀo/ | hotel | l'hôtel (m) | /otɛl/ |
| stadium | le stade | /stad/ | village | le village | /vilaʒ/ |
| cafe | le café | /kafe/ | factory | l'usine (f) | /yzin/ |
| cafeteria | la cafétéria | /kafeteʀja/ | garden | le jardin | /ʒaʀdɛ̃/ |
| movie theater | le cinéma | /sinema/ | castle | le château | /ʃato/ |
| church | l'église (f) | /egliz/ | cathedral | la cathédrale | /katedʀal/ |
| museum | le musée | /myze/ | zoo | le zoo | /zo/ |
| pool | la piscine | /pisin/ | bakery | la boulangerie | /bulɑ̃ʒʀi/ |
| countryside | la campagne | /kɑ̃paɲ/ | monument | le monument | /mɔnymɑ̃/ |
| beach | la plage | /plaʒ/ | pharmacy | la pharmacie | /faʀmasi/ |
| theater | le théâtre | /teɑtʀ/ | butcher shop | la boucherie | /buʃʀi/ |
| park | le parc | /paʀk/ | candy store | la confiserie | /kɔ̃fizʀi/ |
| restaurant | le restaurant | /ʀɛstɔʀɑ̃/ | police station | la gendarmerie | /ʒɑ̃daʀm(ə)ʀi/ |
| hospital | l'hôpital (m) | /ɔpital/ | town hall | la mairie | /mɛʀi/ |
| post office | la poste | /pɔst/ | square | la place | /plas/ |
| home | la maison | /mɛzɔ̃/ | bookstore | la librairie | /libʀɛʀi/ |
| city | la ville | /vil/ | grocery store | l'épicerie (f) | /episʀi/ |
| supermarket | le supermarché | /sypɛʀmaʀʃe/ | pastry shop | la pâtisserie | /pɑtisʀi/ |
| delicatessen | la charcuterie | /ʃaʀkytʀi/ | fish market | la poissonnerie | /pwasɔnʀi/ |
Nowadays, la médiathèque /medjatɛk/ is replacing
bibliothèque because most libraries also have DVDs and CDs to
lend, not just books. You may also hear la cantine
/kɑ̃tin/ to refer to the cafeteria in a school.
| by bike | en vélo (m) | /ɑ̃ velo/ |
| by bus | en bus (m) | /ɑ̃ bus/ |
| by moped | en scooter (m) | /ɑ̃ skutœʀ/ |
| by car | en voiture (f) | /ɑ̃ vwatyʀ/ |
| by motorcycle | en moto (f) | /ɑ̃ moto/ |
| by subway | en métro (m) | /ɑ̃ metʀo/ |
| on foot | à pied (m) | /a pje/ |
| by plane | en avion (m) | /ɑ̃ navjɔ̃/ |
| by train | en train (m) | /ɑ̃ tʀɛ̃/ |
| by boat | en bateau (m) | /ɑ̃ bato/ |
Instead of using a specific verb of movement (drive, fly, walk) before
a location, French actually uses a more general verb + the location
+ the manner of movement.
I walk to school. = Je vais à l'école à pied. (I go to school on foot.)
I'm flying to New York. = Je vais à New York en avion. (I go to New York by plane.)
Common slang words for car/automobile are
une bagnole /baɲɔl/ or une caisse /kɛs/. In Quebec,
it's un char /ʃaʀ/.
vouloir /vulwaʀ/ -to want and
pouvoir /puvwaʀ/ - to be able to, can
| Present | Imperfect | Future | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| veux | /vø/ | voulons | /vulɔ̃/ | voulais | /vulɛ/ | voulions | /vuljɔ̃/ | voudrai | /vudʀɛ/ | voudrons | /vudʀɔ̃/ |
| veux | /vø/ | voulez | /vule/ | voulais | /vulɛ/ | vouliez | /vulje/ | voudras | /vudʀa/ | voudrez | /vudʀe/ |
| veut | /vø/ | veulent | /vœl/ | voulait | /vulɛ/ | voulaient | /vulɛ/ | voudra | /vudʀa/ | voudront | /vudʀɔ̃/ |
| peux | /pø/ | pouvons | /puvɔ̃/ | pouvais | /puvɛ/ | pouvions | /puvjɔ̃/ | pourrai | /puʀɛ/ | pourrons | /puʀɔ̃/ |
| peux | /pø/ | pouvez | /puve/ | pouvais | /puvɛ/ | pouviez | /puvje/ | pourras | /puʀa/ | pourrez | /puʀe/ |
| peut | /pø/ | peuvent | /pœv/ | pouvait | /puvɛ/ | pouvaient | /puvɛ/ | pourra | /puʀa/ | pourront | /puʀɔ̃/ |
Voulez-vous? can mean Do you want? or Will you? The past participles are voulu and pu and both are conjugated with avoir. The conditional forms of vouloir are used in the expression "would like" i.e. I'd like = je voudrais, you'd like = tu voudrais, he'd/she'd like = il/elle voudrait, we'd like = nous voudrions, you'd like = vous voudriez, they'd like = ils/elles voudraient.
► You do not need to use pouvoir after verbs that involve the senses, such as voir (to see) and entendre (to hear). Je ne vois pas / Je n'entends pas can mean I don't see or I can't see / I don't hear or I can't hear depending on the context.
| House | la maison | /mɛzɔ̃/ | Yard | le jardin | /ʒaʀdɛ̃/ |
| Apartment | l'appartement (m) | /apaʀtəmɑ̃/ | Shrub | l'arbuste (m) | /aʀbyst/ |
| Bedroom | la chambre | /ʃɑ̃bʀ/ | Lawn/grass | le gazon / la pelouse | /gazɔ̃/ /p(ə)luz/ |
| Hallway | le couloir | /kulwaʀ/ | Bush | le buisson | /bɥisɔ̃/ |
| Kitchen | la cuisine | /kɥizin/ | Tree | l'arbre (m) | /aʀbʀ/ |
| Storeroom | le débarras | /debaʀa/ | Lawn mower | la tondeuse à gazon | /tɔ̃dœzagazɔ̃/ |
| Stairs | l'escalier (m) | /ɛskalje/ | Hose | le tuyau d'arrosage | /tɥijodaʀozaʒ/ |
| Floor | l'étage (m) | /etaʒ/ | Watering can | l'arrosoir (m) | /aʀozaʒ/ |
| Living Room | le living / le salon | /liviŋ/ /salɔ̃/ | Rake | le râteau | /ʀɑto/ |
| Closet | la penderie | /pɑ̃dʀi/ | Hoe | la bêche | /bɛʃ/ |
| Room | la pièce | /pjɛs/ | Clippers | le cisaille | /sizɑj/ |
| Ground Floor | le rez-de-chaussée | /ʀɛdʃose/ | Shovel | la pelle | /pɛl/ |
| Dining Room | la salle à manger | /salamɑ̃ʒe/ | Sprinkler | l'arroseur (m) | /aʀozœʀ/ |
| Bathroom | la salle de bains | /saldəbɛ̃/ | Lock (door) | la serrure | /seʀyʀ/ |
| Terrace, patio | la terrasse | /tɛʀas/ | Lock (bolt) | le verrou | /vɛʀu/ |
| Attic | le grenier | /gʀənje/ | Padlock | le cadenas | /kadna/ |
| Chimney | la cheminée | /ʃ(ə)mine/ | Hinges | la charnière | /ʃaʀnjɛʀ/ |
| Roof | le toit | /twɑ/ | Key | la clé | /kle/ |
| Garage | le garage | /gaʀaʒ/ | Keychain | le porte-clé | /pɔʀtkle/ |
| Driveway | l'allée (f) | /ale/ | Keyhole | le trou de la serrure | seʀyʀ/ |
| Sidewalk | le trottoir | /tʀɔtwaʀ/ | Doorknob | la poignée de porte | /pwaɲedəpɔʀt/ |
| Porch | le porche | /pɔʀʃ/ | Tile roofing | les tuiles (f) | /tɥil/ |
| Basement | le sous-sol | /susɔl/ | Clapboard/Shingle | les bardeaux (m) | /baʀdo/ |
| Cellar | la cave | /kav/ | Slate roofing | l'ardoise (f) | /aʀdwaz/ |
You may also see the words la loggia /lɔdʒja/ (small room off
a large room - sometimes like a pantry) and la veranda
/veʀɑ̃da/ (enclosed porch/balcony), as well as les toilettes /twalɛt/ (a
separate room just for the toilet), for parts of a house or apartment.
| Furniture | les meubles | /mœbl/ | Appliances | l'électroménager | /elɛktʀomenaʒe/ |
| Shelf | l'étagère (f) | /etaʒɛʀ/ | Thermostat | le thermostat | /tɛʀmɔsta/ |
| Desk | le bureau | /byʀo/ | Air Conditioner | le climatiseur | /klimatizœʀ/ |
| Chair | la chaise | /ʃɛz/ | Fan | le ventilateur | /vɑ̃tilatœʀ/ |
| Dresser | la commode | /kɔmɔd/ | Rocking chair | le fauteuil à bascule | /fotœjabaskyl/ |
| Curtain | le rideau | /ʀido/ | Stool | le tabouret | /tabuʀɛ/ |
| Curtain rod | la tringle | /tʀɛ̃gl/ | Cushion | le coussin | /kusɛ̃/ |
| Shutters | les volets (m) | /vɔlɛ/ | Carpet | la moquette | /mɔkɛt/ |
| Blinds | les stores (m) | /stɔʀ/ | Mixer / Beater | le batteur électrique | /batœʀelɛktʀik/ |
| Window | la fenêtre | /fənɛtʀ/ | Blender | le mixeur | /miksœʀ/ |
| Bed | le lit / le plumard | /li/ /plymaʀ/ | Can opener | l'ouvre-boîtes (m) | /uvʀəbwat/ |
| Door | la porte | /pɔʀt/ | Toaster | le grille-pain | /gʀijpɛ̃/ |
| Closet | le placard | /plakaʀ/ | Coffee maker | la cafétière | /kaftjɛʀ/ |
| Rug | le tapis | /tapi/ | Coffee press | le moulin à café | /mulɛ̃ na kafe/ |
| Lamp | la lampe | /lɑ̃p/ | Kettle | la bouilloire | /bujwaʀ/ |
| Nightstand | la table de nuit | /tabldənɥi/ | Sheet | le drap | /dʀa/ |
| Answering machine | le répondeur | /ʀepɔ̃dœʀ/ | Blanket | la couverture | /kuvɛʀtyʀ/ |
| Stereo | la chaîne hi fi | /ʃɛn i fi/ | Mattress | le matelas | /matla/ |
| Television | la télé(vision) | /televizjɔ̃/ | Bunkbeds | les lits superposés (m) | /lisypɛʀpoze/ |
| VCR | le magnétoscope | /maɲetɔskɔp/ | Lightswitch | l'interrupteur (m) | /ɛ̃teʀyptœʀ/ |
| Remote Control | la télécommande | /telekɔmɑ̃d/ | Lampshade | l'abat-jour (m) | /abaʒuʀ/ |
| Computer | l'ordinateur (m) | /ɔʀdinatœʀ/ | Faucet | le robinet | /ʀɔbinɛ/ |
| Radio | la radio | /ʀadjo/ | Drain/Piping | la canalisation | /kanalizasjɔ̃/ |
| Fridge | le frigo | /fʀigo/ | Towel bar | le porte-serviettes | /pɔʀtsɛʀvjɛt/ |
| Refrigerator | le réfrigérateur | /ʀefʀiʒeʀatœʀ/ | Laundry room | la buanderie | /bɥɑ̃dʀi/ |
| Freezer | le congélateur | /kɔ̃ʒelatœʀ/ | Bleach | la javel | /ʒavɛl/ |
| (Coffee) Table | la table (basse) | /tabl bas/ | Laundry basket | le panier à linge | /panje a lɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Sink | l'évier (m) | /evje/ | Clothespin | la pince à linge | /pɛ̃s a lɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Bathtub | la baignoire | /bɛɲwaʀ/ | Washing Machine | la machine à laver / le lave-linge | /maʃinalave/ /lavlɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Stove | la cuisinière | /kɥizinjɛʀ/ | Clothes Dryer | le sèche-linge | /sɛʃlɛ̃ʒ/ |
| Oven | le four | /fuʀ/ | Iron | le fer à repasser | /fɛʀaʀəpase/ |
| Dishwasher | le lave-vaisselle | /lavvɛsɛl/ | Ironing board | la planche à repasser | /plɑ̃ʃaʀəpase/ |
| Microwave | le four à micro-ondes | /fuʀamikʀoɔ̃d/ | Hanger | le cintre | /sɛ̃tʀ/ |
| Shower | la douche | /duʃ/ | Vacuum | l'aspirateur (m) | /aspiʀatœʀ/ |
| Pillow | l'oreiller | /ɔʀɛje/ | Broom | le balai | /balɛ/ |
| Mirror | le miroir | /miʀwaʀ/ | Dustpan | la pelle | /pɛl/ |
| Ceiling | le plafond | /plafɔ̃/ | Mop | la serpillière | /sɛʀpijɛʀ/ |
| Floor | le plancher | /plɑ̃ʃe/ | Garbage | les ordures (f) | /ɔʀdyʀ/ |
| Armchair | le fauteuil | /fotœj/ | Garbage bag | le sac poubelle | /sakpubɛl/ |
| Clock | la pendule | /pɑ̃dyl/ | Garbage can | la poubelle | /pubɛl/ |
| Bedspread | le couvre-lit | /kuvʀəli/ | Flyswatter | la tapette à mouche | /tapɛtamuʃ/ |
| Vase | le vase | /vɑz/ | Clothes Dryer | le séchoir | /seʃwaʀ/ |
| Bathroom sink | le lavabo | /lavabo/ | Hair Dryer | le sèche-cheveux | /seʃaʃəvø/ |
| Futon couch | le clic-clac | /klik klak/ | Couch/Sofa | le canapé / le sofa | /kanape/ /sɔfa/ |
| DVD Player | le lecteur de DVD | /lɛktœʀdədevede/ |
Allume la lumière. / Eteinds la télé. Turn on the light. / Turn off the television.
| aussi (adj or adv) que | as (adj or adv) as |
| moins (adj or adv) que | less (adj or adv) than |
| plus (adj or adv) que | more (adj or adv) than |
| plus de (noun) que | more (noun) than |
| autant de (noun) que | as many (noun) as |
| moins de (noun) que | less (noun) than |
| She is taller than Colette. | Elle est plus grande que Colette. |
| I am smarter than you. | Je suis plus intelligente que toi. |
| Peter runs less quickly than me. | Pierre court moins rapidement que moi. |
| The kitchen is as big as the living room. | La cuisine est aussi grande que le salon. |
| I have more books than she. | J'ai plus de livres qu'elle. |
| We have as many cars as he. | Nous avons autant de voitures que lui. |
Verbs can also be compared with plus/aussi/moins (+
que):
Il travaille moins qu'elle. He works less
than she.
Ils dorment plus. They sleep more.
SuperlativesIls dorment plus. They sleep more.
Simply add le, la or les before the comparative if you are using an adjective. With adverbs, always use le. After a superlative, de is used to mean in. If the adjective follows the noun, the superlative follows the noun also, surrounding the adjective.
| It's the biggest city in the world. | C'est la plus grande ville du monde. |
| She is the most beautiful woman in this room. | Elle est la plus belle femme de cette salle. |
| This neighborhood is the least expensive in Paris. | Ce quartier est le moins cher de Paris. |
| It's the most dreaded punishment in the world. | C'est la punition la plus redoutable du monde. |
| She works the most courageously of everyone. | Elle travaille le plus courageusement de tous. |
In French, sometimes you don't use any articles, as compared
to English:
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même
chose. The more things change, the more
they stay the same.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bon | good | meilleur/e | better | le/la meilleur/e | best |
| mauvais | bad | pire | worse | le/la pire | worst |
| petit | small | moindre | less | le/la moindre | least |
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative | |||
| bien | well | mieux | better | le mieux | best |
| beaucoup | much | plus | more | le plus | most |
| mal | badly | pis | worse | le pis | worst |
| peu | little | moins | less | le moins | least |
Only use the irregular forms of mauvais
in the abstract sense. If the idea is concrete, you may use plus/moins
mauvais and le/la mauvais.
| pajamas | le pyjama | boxer shorts | le caleçon |
| jewelry | le bijou | briefs | le slip |
| necklace | le collier | panties | la culotte |
| jeans | le jean | tuxedo | le smoking |
| pants | le pantalon | bowtie | le nœud papillon |
| sweater | le pull | vest/cardigan | le gilet |
| turtleneck | le col roulé | flip flops | les tongs |
| raincoat | l'imperméable (m) | sleeve | la manche |
| blouse | le chemisier | la poche | |
| bra | le soutien-gorge | decorative scarf | la foulard |
| slip | le jupon | man's suit | le costume |
| coat | le manteau | woman's suit | le tailleur |
| tennis shoes | des tennis (m) | slippers | des pantoufles (f) |
| swimsuit | le maillot de bain | jacket | le blouson |
| shorts | le short | underwear | les sous-vêtements |
| bracelet | le bracelet | gloves | les gants (m) |
| charm | le porte-bonheur | mittens | les moufles (f) |
| t-shirt | le tee-shirt | belt | la ceinture |
| hat | le chapeau | cap | la casquette |
| ring | la bague | skirt | la jupe |
| chain | la chaînette | dress | la robe |
| earrings | les boucles d'oreilles (f) | sandal | la sandale |
| pin | l'épingle (f) | boots | des bottes (f) |
| sock | la chaussette | blazer/coat | la veste |
| shoe | la chaussure | scarf | l'écharpe (f) |
| man's shirt | la chemise | tie | la cravate |
| hooded jacket | l'anorak | slipper shoes | des chaussons |
| sneakers | des baskets | high heels | des escarpins |
| track suit | le jogging | long shorts | le bermuda |
| size (clothes) | la taille | size (shoes) | la pointure |
Les bas (stockings) and les collants
(tights) are popular in France. Chaussures à talons hauts
are high-heeled shoes, while chaussures à talons plats
are flat shoes. Chaussures de ville are dress shoes.
A slang word for clothes is les fringues.
50. To Wear
Present
|
Imperfect
|
Future
|
|||||||||
| mets | /mɛ/ | mettons | /mɛtɔ̃/ | mettais | /mɛtɛ/ | mettions | /mɛtjɔ̃/ | mettrai | /mɛtʀɛ/ | mettrons | /mɛtʀɔ̃/ |
| mets | /mɛ/ | mettez | /mɛte/ | mettais | /mɛtɛ/ | mettiez | /mɛtje/ | mettras | /mɛtʀa/ | mettrez | /mɛtʀe/ |
| met | /mɛ/ | mettent | /mɛt/ | mettait | /mɛtɛ/ | mettaient | /mɛtɛ/ | mettra | /mɛtʀa/ | mettront | /mɛtʀɔ̃/ |
Other verbs that are conjugated like mettre: promettre
- to promise and permettre - to permit. The past participle of
mettre is mis and it is conjugated with avoir.
Porter is actually the verb to wear, but
the French use mettre also.
| Il / Elle te va bien. | It looks good on you. (informal) |
| Il / Elle vous va bien. | It looks good on you. (formal) |
| Ils / Elles te vont bien. | They look good on you. (informal) |
| Ils / Elles vous vont bien. | They look good on you. (formal) |
The futur simple expresses an action that will take
place [will + infinitive]. The futur antérieur expresses an action
that will have taken place before another future action [will have
+ past participle]. The future tense is used just like it is in
English, however, in French, the future is always used after quand
or lorsque (when), dès que or aussitôt que
(as soon as) and tant que (as long as.)
To form the future tense, use the infinitive and add these
endings that resemble those of avoir. However, you drop the -e from
-re verbs.
| -ai | /ɛ/ | -ons | ɔ̃/ |
| -as | /a/ | -ez | /e/ |
| -a | /a/ | -ont | /ɔ̃/ |
parler
|
choisir
|
perdre
|
|||
| parlerai | parlerons | choisirai | choisirons | perdrai | perdrons |
| parleras | parlerez | choisiras | choisirez | perdras | perdrez |
| parlera | parleront | choisira | choisiront | perdra | perdront |
And of course, there are exceptions. Here are the
irregular stems for the future tense (these will also be used in the conditional
tense):
| aller | ir- | pleuvoir | pleuvr- |
| avoir | aur- | pouvoir | pourr- |
| courir | courr- | recevoir | recevr- |
| devoir | devr- | savoir | saur- |
| envoyer | enverr- | tenir | tiendr- |
| être | ser- | valoir | vaudr- |
| faire | fer- | venir | viendr- |
| falloir | faudr- | voir | verr- |
| mourir | mourr- | vouloir | voudr- |
être
|
aller
|
||
| serai | serons | j'irai | irons |
| seras | serez | iras | irez |
| sera | seront | ira | iront |
Other exceptions: For appeler and jeter, double the consonant. For nettoyer and payer, change the y to i. For acheter, add an accent grave. For préférer, the accents all remain the same.
jeter
|
payer
|
acheter
|
préférer
|
|||||||
| jetterai | jetterons | paierai | paierons | achèterai | achèterons | préférerai | préférerons | |||
| jetteras | jetterez | paieras | paierez | achèteras | achèterez | préféreras | préférerez | |||
| jettera | jetteront | paiera | paieront | achètera | achèteront | préférera | préféreront | |||
To form the futur antérieur (will have + past participle), use the future of either avoir or être (whichever the main verb takes) and the past participle of the main verb.
Quand ils reviendront, ils auront changé. When they come back, they will have changed.
Dès qu'ils seront revenus, ils voudront repartir. As soon as they have returned, they will want to leave again.
52. Preceding & Plural Adjectives
| Masculine | Feminine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjective | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | ||
| beautiful | beau (bel) | beaux | belle | belles | ||
| good | bon | bons | bonne | bonnes | ||
| dear | cher | chers | chère | chères | ||
| crazy | fou (fol) | foux | folle | folles | ||
| nice | gentil | gentils | gentille | gentilles | ||
| big | grand | grands | grande | grandes | ||
| large | gros | gros | grosse | grosses | ||
| young | jeune | jeunes | jeune | jeunes | ||
| pretty | joli | jolis | jolie | jolies | ||
| long | long | longs | longue | longues | ||
| bad | mauvais | mauvais | mauvaise | mauvaises | ||
| better, best | meilleur | meilleurs | meilleure | meilleures | ||
| soft | mou (mol) | moux | molle | molles | ||
| new | nouveau (nouvel) | nouveaux | nouvelle | nouvelles | ||
| little | petit | petits | petite | petites | ||
| old | vieux (vieil) | vieux | vieille | vieilles | ||
The masculine singular and plural are pronounced the same, as are the feminine singular and plural. These are the most common adjectives that go before the noun. An acronym to remember which ones go before the noun is BRAGS: Beauty, Resemblance (même and autre), Age/Order (premier and dernier), Goodness, and Size. All other adjectives, except numbers, go after the noun. The five words in parentheses (bel, fol, mol, nouvel, and vieil) are used before masculine singular words beginning with a vowel or a silent h.
A few adjectives can be used before or after the noun, and the meaning changes accordingly. When used before the noun, they take a figurative meaning; and when used after, they take a literal meaning.
Before plural adjectives preceding plural nouns, you use de instead of des to mean some. Ex: Some old monuments. De vieux monuments.
Almost all adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Most adjectives are given in the masculine form, so to change to the feminine forms, follow these rules:
| Masculine | Feminine | Adjective | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add -e | brun | brune | brown | ||
| fatigué | fatiguée | tired | |||
| If it already ends in -e, add nothing | jeune | jeune | young | ||
| -x changes to -se | généreux | généreuse | generous | ||
Exceptions:
|
faux | fausse | false | ||
| roux | rousse | red (hair) | |||
| doux | douce | sweet, soft | |||
| -il, -el, and -eil change to -ille, -elle, and -eille |
naturel | naturelle | natural | ||
| -et changes to -ète | inquiet | inquiète | worried | ||
Exceptions:
|
muet | muette | silent | ||
| coquet | coquette | stylish | |||
| -en and -on change to -enne and -onne |
Italien | Italienne | Italian | ||
| -er changes to -ère | cher | chère | dear, expensive | ||
| -f changes to -ve | actif | active | active | ||
| -c changes to -che | blanc | blanche | white | ||
Exceptions:
|
public | publique | public | ||
| grec | grecque | Greek | |||
| -g changes to -gue | long | longue | long | ||
| -eur changes to -euse if adjective is derived from verb |
menteur | menteuse | liar | ||
| -eur changes to -rice if adjective is not same as verb |
créateur | créatrice | creator | ||
| -eur changes to -eure with adjectives of comparison |
inférieur | inférieure | inferior | ||
| And a few completely irregular ones: | épais | épaisse | thick | ||
| favori | favorite | favorite | |||
| frais | fraîche | fresh, cool | |||
To form the feminine plural, just add an -s, unless it already ends in an s, then add nothing. To form the masculine plural, just add an -s, except in these cases: -al becomes -aux (exceptions: banal - banals; final - finals); and if it ends in an x or s already, add nothing.
| Masculine Singular | Masculine Plural | |
| national | national | nationaux |
| general | général | généraux |
| Feminine Singular | Feminine Plural | |
| national | nationale | nationales |
| general | générale | générales |
And of course there are more exceptions... some adjectives are invariable and do not have feminine or plural forms. Compound adjectives, such as bleu clair (light blue) and vert foncé (dark green), adjectives that are also nouns, such as or (gold), argent (silver), marron (chestnut), and the words chic (stylish), bon marché or meilleur marché (inexpensive) never change.
| short (length) | court/e | different | différent/e | boring | ennuyeux/euse |
| loud, noisy | bruyant/e | situated | situé/e | crazy | fou/folle |
| elegant | élégant/e | big | gros/se | interesting | intéressant/e |
| tight, narrow | étroit/e | curious | curieux/euse | sensitive | sensible |
| several | plusieurs | nervous | nerveux/euse | athletic | sportif/sportive |
| pointed | pointu/e | only | seul/e | stubborn | têtu/e |
| bright | vif/vive | amusing | amusant/e | shy | timide |
| cute | mignon/ne | touching | émouvant/e | hard-working | travailleur/euse |
| perfect | parfait/e | funny | drôle, marrant/e | optimistic | optimiste |
| ready | prêt/e | heavy | lourd/e | pessimistic | pessimiste |
| sad | triste | careful | prudent/e | tolerant | tolérant/e |
| clever | malin/maligne | dirty | sale | pretentious | prétentieux/euse |
| lazy | paresseux/euse | tired | fatigué/e | ambitious | ambitieux/se |
| generous | généreux/euse | angry | fâché/e | pleasant | agréable |
| famous | célèbre | annoyed | irrité/e | enthusiastic | enthousiaste |
| decorated | décoré/e | old | âgé/e | honest | honnête |
Remember the first word is the masculine and the second is the feminine. The addition of an e for the feminine form allows the last consonant to be voiced. These adjectives go after the noun.
Normally, the verb rendre means to give something that you
owe to someone, such as On rend ses devoirs au professeur. It
can also be used in the sense of to represent. But rendre
+ adjective means to make someone or something + adjective.
Tu me rends si heureuse ! You make me so happy!
Le fait qu'il ne possède pas de voiture le rend triste. The fact that he doesn't have a car makes him sad.
Le fait qu'il ne possède pas de voiture le rend triste. The fact that he doesn't have a car makes him sad.
Some common slang adjectives that are used constantly in
everyday speech:
| chouette | great, good | minable | mediocre |
| con / conne | stupid, dumb | moche | ugly, unpleasant |
| débile | idiotic | sensass | sensational |
| dégueu(lasse) | disgusting, bad | super | marvellous |
| extra | extraordinary | sympa | nice, pleasant |
| génial | very interesting | tarte | inane |
| impec | perfect | tocard | ridiculous, deplorable |
The intensifiers vachement and drôlement
are also used often, meaning very or really.
Il est vachement sympa. = He is really nice.
Elle est drôlement triste. = She is very sad.
Some verbs in French present problems because they have several
translations in English. Other verbs can have several translations in
French, but fewer meanings in English.
visiter - to visit places
rendre visite à - to visit people
rendre visite à - to visit people
apporter - to bring things to some place
emporter - to take things from some place
amener - to bring someone to some place
emmener - to take someone from some place
emporter - to take things from some place
amener - to bring someone to some place
emmener - to take someone from some place
apprendre quelque chose - to learn something
apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un - to teach someone something
apprendre quelque chose à quelqu'un - to teach someone something
rencontrer - to meet
faire la connaissance de - to meet someone for the first time
retrouver - to meet (for an appointment)
faire la connaissance de - to meet someone for the first time
retrouver - to meet (for an appointment)
partir - to leave (from or for a place)
quitter - to leave (a person or place)
sortir - to go out
s'en aller - to go away
laisser - to leave something behind
quitter - to leave (a person or place)
sortir - to go out
s'en aller - to go away
laisser - to leave something behind
retourner - to go back (to where speaker
is not)
revenir - to come back (to where speaker currently is)
rentrer - to come or go home
rendre - to return or give something back
revenir - to come back (to where speaker currently is)
rentrer - to come or go home
rendre - to return or give something back
faire - to make
fabriquer - to produce
obliger - to make someone do something
rendre - to make someone + adjective
fabriquer - to produce
obliger - to make someone do something
rendre - to make someone + adjective
► After some verbs, the word ne is required,
but this does not imply negation: craindre, redoûter, empêcher
Je crains qu'il ne fasse trop froid. I'm afraid that it's too cold.
Je crains qu'il ne fasse trop froid. I'm afraid that it's too cold.
► And a few verbs only require ne and not
pas in the negative, but this is elevated or literary language:
cesser, oser, pouvoir, savoir
Je ne peux vivre sans toi. I cannot live without you.
Je ne peux vivre sans toi. I cannot live without you.
C'est + adjective + à + infinitive is used
when the idea has already been mentioned; while il est + adjective
+ de + infinitive is used when the idea has not yet been mentioned.
Also, the c'est construction is used when you do not use a direct
object after the infinitive of the transitive verb, and the il est
construction is used when you do.
Est-ce qu'on peut apprendre le chinois en un an ? Can
you learn Chinese in one year?
Non, c'est impossible à apprendre en un an ! No, it's impossible to learn in one year! (The idea, Chinese, has already been mentioned, and there is no direct object.)
OR:
Non, il est impossible d'apprendre le chinois en un an ! (This sentence contains the direct object after the infinitive.)
Il est facile d'apprendre l'italien. It is easy to learn Italian. (The idea has not already been mentioned, and the direct object is used.)
Non, c'est impossible à apprendre en un an ! No, it's impossible to learn in one year! (The idea, Chinese, has already been mentioned, and there is no direct object.)
OR:
Non, il est impossible d'apprendre le chinois en un an ! (This sentence contains the direct object after the infinitive.)
Il est facile d'apprendre l'italien. It is easy to learn Italian. (The idea has not already been mentioned, and the direct object is used.)
► Adjectives that express a certain emotion require de
before the infinitive: content, désolé, furieux, heureux,
triste
Je suis contente de vous voir. I am happy to see you.
Je suis contente de vous voir. I am happy to see you.
► Other adjectives require à before the infinitive:
agréable, pénible, terrible, amusant, intéressant,
ennuyeux, léger, lourd, lent, rapide, premier, dernier, prêt,
seul
Il est prêt à partir. He is ready to leave.
Il est prêt à partir. He is ready to leave.
A longer list of adjectives that require à or
de before an infinitive can be found at
quelque chose d'intéressant = something interesting
quelque chose d'intéressant = something interesting
| Soccer | le football | Softball | le softball |
| Hockey | le hockey | Golf | le golf |
| Football | le football américain | Bicycling | le vélo |
| Basketball | le basket | Surfing | le surf |
| Baseball | le base-ball | Dirt/Motor biking | le bicross |
| Horse-back riding | l'équitation; du cheval | French horn | le cor d'harmonie |
| Tennis | le tennis | violin | le violon |
| Skiing | le ski | guitar | la guitare |
| Volleyball | le volley | drum | le tambour |
| Wrestling | la lutte / le catch | tuba | le tuba |
| Jogging | le jogging | flute | la flûte |
| Ice-skating | le patin à glace | trombone | le trombone |
| Swimming | la natation | clarinet | la clarinette |
| Track and Field | l'athlétisme | cello | le violoncelle |
| Bowling | le bowling | harp | la harpe |
La lutte is regular wrestling (the real Greco-Roman
sport), while le catch is professional/fake wrestling.
Faire de + a sport means to play. Jouer à
+ a sport also means to play, as does jouer de + an instrument.
Tu fais du foot. You play soccer.
J'aime jouer au tennis. I like to play tennis.
Je peux jouer de la guitare. I can play the guitar.
Nous jouons de la clarinette. We play the clarinet.
Il veut jouer du tuba. He wants to play the tuba.
J'aime jouer au tennis. I like to play tennis.
Je peux jouer de la guitare. I can play the guitar.
Nous jouons de la clarinette. We play the clarinet.
Il veut jouer du tuba. He wants to play the tuba.
.
| air | l'air (m) | frost | la gelée | rose | la rose |
| archipelago | l'archipel (m) | grass | l'herbe (f) | sand | le sable |
| bank | la rive | gulf | le golfe | sea | la mer |
| bay | la baie | hail | la grêle | shadow | l'ombre (f) |
| barn | la grange | hay | le foin | sky | le ciel |
| beach | la plage | high tide | la marée haute | snow | la neige |
| branch | la branche | hill | la colline | soil | la terre |
| bridge | le pont | ice | la glace | south | le sud |
| bud | le bouton | island | I'île (f) | spring (water) | la source |
| bush | le buisson | isthmus | l'isthme | star | l'étoile (f) |
| cape | le cap | jungle | la jungle | stem | la tige |
| cave | la caverne | lake | le lac | storm | l'orage (m) / la tempête |
| city | la ville | leaf | la feuille | strait | le détroit |
| climate | le climat | light | la lumière | stream | le ruisseau |
| cloud | le nuage | lightning | l'éclair (m) | street | la rue |
| coast | la côte | lily | le lis | sun | le soleil |
| comet | la comète | low tide | la marée basse | sunflower | le tournesol |
| constellation | la constellation | meadow | le pré | thaw | la fonte |
| country | le pays | moon | la lune | thunder | le tonnerre |
| country(side) | la campagne | mountain | la montagne | tornado | la tornade |
| current | le courant | mountain range | la chaîne de montagnes | tree | l'arbre (m) |
| daffodil | la jonquille | mouth (river) | l'embouchure (f) | trunk | le tronc |
| daisy | la marguerite | mud | la vase | tulip | la tulipe |
| darkness | l'obscurité (f) | nature | la nature | valley | la vallée |
| desert | le désert | north | le nord | view | la vue |
| dew | la rosée | peninsula | la péninsule | water | l'eau (f) |
| dust | la poussière | plain | la plaine | fresh water | l'eau douce |
| earth | la terre | planet | la planète | salt water | l'eau salée |
| east | l'est (m) | plant | la plante | watering can | l'arrosoir (m) |
| farm | la ferme | pond | l'étang (m) | waterfall | la cascade |
| field | le champ | pot (for plants) | le pot de fleurs | wave | la vague / l'onde (f) |
| flower | la fleur | rain | la pluie | weather | le temps |
| foam | l'écume (f) | rainbow | l'arc-en-ciel (m) | west | l'ouest (m) |
| fog | le brouillard | river | le fleuve | wind | le vent |
| foliage | le feuillage | rock | le rocher | world | le monde |
| forest | la forêt | root | la racine |
vivre - to live, be alive (vee-vruh)
Present
|
Imperfect
|
Future
|
|||||||||
| vis | vivons | vivais | vivions | vivrai | vivrons | ||||||
| vis | vivez | vivais | viviez | vivras | vivrez | ||||||
| vit | vivent | vivait | vivaient | vivra | vivront | ||||||
The past participle of vivre is vécu and it is conjugated with avoir. Habiter is another verb that means to live, but it means to live in a place. Vivre is used to mean the state of being alive. A subjunctive form of vivre, vive, is often used in exclamations.
Vive la France ! Long live France!
61. Personal Pronouns
| Subject | Direct Object | Indirect Object | Disjunctives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | I | me | me | me | to me | moi | me |
| tu | you | te | you | te | to you | toi | you |
| il | he | le | him | lui | to him | lui | him |
| elle | she | la | her | lui | to her | elle | her |
| nous | we | nous | us | nous | to us | nous | us |
| vous | you | vous | you | vous | to you | vous | you |
| ils | they | les | them | leur | to them | eux | them |
| elles | they | les | them | leur | to them | elles | them |
You have already learned the subject
pronouns. They go before the conjugated verb forms. The Direct
and Indirect Object pronouns go before the verb even though in
English they go after it. They also go after the ne in a
negative sentence and right before the verb. The disjunctive always go
after prepositions, or can be used alone for emphasis.
Sample Sentences:
| J'achète des pantalons. | I buy some pants. |
| Je les achète. | I buy them. |
| Je vous donne la boîte. | I give the box to you. |
| Je vous la donne. | I give it to you. |
| Après toi. | After you. (familiar) |
| Nous allons avec elle. | We go with her. |
| Il ne la quitte pas. | He doesn't leave her. |
| Il la quitte. | He leaves her. |
| Je t'aime. or Je vous aime. | I love you. |
| Elle ne l'aime pas. | She doesn't love him. |
When you have more than one pronoun;
me, te, nous, or vous come first, then le, la, or
les, then lui or leur. Me, te, le, and
la contract to m', t', and l' when they precede a vowel,
the same way je does. In commands, the pronouns go after
the verb, connected with a hyphen. And the pronoun order changes
a little too: Le, la, or les come first; then moi,
toi, (Me and te become moi and toi in commands) nous, or vous;
then lui, or leur.
If you have pronouns, they go before the complete
verb in regular sentences; but after the ne and before the form
of avoir in negative sentences.
| Nous lui avons parlé. | We spoke to him/her. |
| Vous en avez écouté trois. | You've listened to three of them. |
| Je t'ai demandé du pain. | I asked you for some bread. |
| Il ne l'a pas aimé. | He didn't like it/her/him. |
| Tu n'y as pas habité. | You didn't live there. |
| Je ne vous ai pas parlé. | I didn't speak (or haven't spoken) to you. |
| Nous ne l'avons pas fini. | We didn't finish (or haven't finished) it. |
In the passé composé with avoir,
direct object pronouns only must agree in gender and number with
the past participle.
| Je les ai aimés. | I liked them. |
| Il l'a regardée. | He watched her. |
| Elles nous ont écouté(e)s. | They listened to us. |
Add an e if the pronoun is feminine,
and an s if it is plural. The l' could mean him
or her, so you might not need to put the extra e on the past
participle. The same for nous and vous. They must have an
s because they are plural, but it is unclear as to whether they
are masculine or feminine.
| Standard French | Slang | |
| head | la tête | la caboche / le crâne |
| hair | les cheveux | les tifs |
| face | la figure / le visage / la face | |
| forehead | le front | |
| cheek | la joue | |
| ear | l'oreille | les esgourdes |
| eye/s | l'œil / les yeux | les mirettes |
| beard | la barbe | la barbouse |
| mustache | la moustache | |
| mouth | la bouche | la gueule / la boîte |
| lip | la lèvre | |
| nose | le nez | le blair / le pif |
| tongue | la langue | |
| tooth | la dent | les crocs |
| neck | le cou | |
| eyebrows | les sourcils | |
| eyelashes | les cils | |
| chin | le menton | |
| throat | la gorge | |
| skin | la peau | |
| blood | le sang | |
| bone | l'os | |
| shoulder | l'épaule | |
| chest | la poitrine | |
| waist | la taille | |
| belly button | le nombril | |
| back | le dos | |
| heart | le cœur | |
| lungs | les poumons | |
| brain | le cerveau | |
| liver | le foie | |
| kidney | le rein | |
| bladder | la vessie | |
| rib | la côte | |
| arm | le bras | |
| elbow | le coude | |
| wrist | le poignet | |
| fist | le poing | |
| hand | la main | |
| fingers | les doigts | |
| stomach / belly | l'estomac / le ventre | le buffet / le bide |
| butt | les fesses | les miches |
| body | le corps | |
| hip | la hanche | |
| leg | la jambe | |
| knee | le genou | |
| foot | le pied | le penard / les arpions |
| toes | les orteils | |
| ankle | la cheville | |
| thigh | la cuisse | |
| shin | le tibia | |
| calf | le mollet | |
| thumb | le pouce | |
| nails | les ongles | |
| tattoo | le tatouage | |
| piercing | le piercing | |
| blond | blond/e | |
| brunette | brun/e | |
| red-head | roux/rousse | |
| light brown | châtain |
► To say something hurts or that you have an ache, you can
use avoir mal à (body part):
J'ai mal à la tête. I
have a headache.
J'ai mal à l'estomac. I have a stomach ache.
Elle a mal au bras. Her arm hurts.
Tu as mal au genou? Your knee hurts?
Il a mal aux orteils. His toes hurt.
However, if someone is causing you pain, use faire mal (to hurt)
plus the indirect pronoun.
J'ai mal à l'estomac. I have a stomach ache.
Elle a mal au bras. Her arm hurts.
Tu as mal au genou? Your knee hurts?
Il a mal aux orteils. His toes hurt.
Tu me fais mal. You're hurting me.
Ne lui faites pas mal. Don't hurt him / her.
► When describing hair color or eye color, you use blonds, châtain, bruns, roux for hair; and bleus, verts, marron, noirs for eyes. Notice that châtain and marron do not agree in gender or number.
Elle a les cheveux roux. Elle est rousse. She has red hair. She is a red-head.
Il a les yeux marron. He has brown eyes.
Combien mésures-tu ? / Combien fais-tu ? How tall are you?
Combien pèses-tu ? How much do you weigh?
Je fais 1m60. I am 1 m 60 cm.
Je pèse 50 kilos. I weigh 50 kilos.
63. Asking Questions 1) Invert the subject and verb form and add a hyphen. Instead of Vous parlez anglais? use Parlez-vous anglais? But if you invert il, elle, or on, you must put a t between the verb form (if it ends in a vowel) and the subject for ease of pronunciation. Parle-il anglais? is incorrect and must become Parle-t-il anglais? And je is usually only inverted with pouvoir or devoir. However, if je is inverted with pouvoir, you don't use peux, but puis. Puis-je ? (pweezh) is Can I?
2) Add n'est-ce pas ? (ness pah) to the end of the sentence. It is equivalent to isn't it, don't you, aren't we, won't you, etc.
3) If the question requires a yes or no answer, put Est-ce que (ess kuh) at the beginning. It contracts to Est-ce qu' before a word beginning with a vowel, such as elle, il or on. You can also use interrogative words (quand, comment, où, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence and then add est-ce que.
4) With interrogative words, you can also use inversion: Quand tes parents partent-ils en vacances ? Or you can use an interrogative with est-ce que and normal word order: Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes ici ?
5) Quel / Quelle / Quels / Quelles (which, what) agrees with the noun it modifies. It precedes the noun or the verb être, it may follow a preposition, and it can be used with inversion or with est-ce que. Quelle est la date ? A quelle heure partez-vous ? Quels bagages est-ce que vous prenez ? Notice that the forms of quel can also be used in exclamatory sentences. Quel beau jour ! / Quelle belle journée ! What a beautiful day!
6) With negative questions, negative expressions remain in their usual place (i.e. around the verb, or verb and subject if inverted). Tu ne travailles pas ? Est-ce que tu ne travailles pas ? Ne travailles-tu pas ? Pourquoi n'as-tu pas travaillé ?
► Asking Questions with the Passé Composé
Only the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and the subject pronoun are inverted. The past participle follows.
A-t-il été surpris ? Was he surprised?
T'es-tu amusé ? Did you have fun?
64. Interrogative Pronouns
| To ask about people: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Long Form
|
Short Form
|
Translation
|
|
| Subject | Qui est-ce qui Qui est-ce qui est venu? |
Qui Qui est venu? |
Who came? |
| Direct Object | Qui est-ce que Qui est-ce que tu as vu? |
Qui Qui as-tu vu? |
Whom did you see? |
| Object of Preposition | Preposition + qui est-ce que A qui est-ce que tu as parlé? |
Preposition + qui A qui as-tu parlé? |
Whom did you speak to? |
| To ask about things: | |||
Long Form
|
Short Form
|
Translation
|
|
| Subject | Qu'est-ce qui Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé? |
No short form
|
What happened? |
| Direct Object | Qu'est-ce que Qu'est-ce que tu as fait? |
Que Qu'as-tu fait? |
What did you do? |
| Object of Preposition | Preposition + quoi est-ce que De quoi est-ce que tu as parlé? |
Preposition + quoi De quoi as-tu parlé? |
What did you talk about? |
► Use of Inversion when Subject is Noun:
a. With qui and quoi, inversion pattern is regular.
Qui Marie a-t-elle vu? Whom did Marie see?
De quoi Marc a-t-il besoin? What does Marc need?
b. With que, the noun subject must be inverted directly.
Que veut Jean? What does Jean want?
Que font les autres? What are the others doing?
c. However, if the sentence contains more than a subject and verb, or if the verb is in a compound tense (such as the passé composé), the short form is not used.
Qu'est-ce que Luc veut faire aujourd'hui? What does Luc want to do today?
Qu'est-ce que les autres ont fait? What did the others do?
► Verb Agreement:
a. Interrogative pronouns are usually masculine singular.
Les voitures font du bruit. Qu'est-ce qui fait du bruit? Cars make noise. What makes noise?
Les enfants sont arrivés. Qui est arrivé? The children arrived. Who arrived?
b. Exception: when qui is followed by a conjugated form of être, the verbs agrees with the noun that follows.
Qui étaient Les Trois Mousquetaires? Who were the three Musketeers?
► Qu'est-ce que (or qui) vs. Quel:
a. Qu'est-ce que c'est que is used to ask for a definition, and quel asks for specific information.
Qu'est-ce que c'est que le camembert? What is "camembert"?
Quel est le problème? What is the problem?
b. When followed by a conjugated form of être, quel is used if être is followed by a noun and qu'est-ce qui is used if être is followed by anything other than a noun.
Quelle est la date? What is the date?
Qu'est-ce qui est bon? What is good?
► Written vs. Spoken French with Questions
In spoken French, inversion and the use of est-ce que are
usually dropped, but they must be used in written French. Additionally,
some forms are contracted or the word order may differ. It's also very
common to use qui c'est qui in place of qui
or qui est-ce qui.
| Written forms | Spoken forms | Translation |
| Parlez-vous français ? Est-ce que vous parlez français ? |
Vous parlez français ? | Do you speak French? |
| Comment l'avez-vous appris ? Comment est-ce que vous l'avez appris ? |
Vous l'avez appris comment ? | How did you learn it? |
| Quand es-tu arrivé ? Quand est-ce que tu es arrivé ? |
Quand t'es arrivé ? T 'es arrivé quand ? |
When did you arrive? |
| De quoi parlent-ils ? De quoi est-ce qu'ils parlent ? |
De quoi ils parlent ? Ils parlent de quoi ? |
What are they talking about? |
| Pourquoi me regardes-tu ? Pourquoi est-ce que tu me regardes ? |
Pourquoi tu me regardes ? | Why are you looking at me? |
| Qui t'a dit ça ? Qui est-ce qui t'a dit ça ? |
Qui c'est qui t'a dit ça? | Who told you that? |
Lequel is a pronoun that replaces the adjective quel and the noun it modifies. It expresses Which one? as a question, but which in a statement (usually preceded by a preposition).
| Adjective | Pronoun | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular
|
Plural
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
|
| Masculine | Quel livre lis-tu? | Quels livres lis-tu? | Lequel lis-tu? | Lesquels lis-tu? |
| Feminine | Quelle page lis-tu? | Quelles pages lis-tu? | Laquelle lis-tu? | Lesquelles lis-tu? |
Lequel contracts with à and de in
the plural and masculine singular forms:
Singular
|
Plural
|
|
| Masculine | à + lequel = auquel | à + lesquels = auxquels |
| de + lequel = duquel | de + lesquels = desquels | |
| Feminine | à + laquelle = à laquelle | à + lesquelles = auxquelles |
| de + laquelle = de laquelle | de + lesquelles = desquelles |
Voilà le portrait sans retouche de l'homme auquel
j'appartiens. - That's the unaltered portrait of the man to which I
belong. [Edith Piaf - La Vie en Rose]
Et des amours desquelles nous parlons. - And the loves about which we talk. [by Jean-Denis Bredin]
Et des amours desquelles nous parlons. - And the loves about which we talk. [by Jean-Denis Bredin]
► You can also use another preposition + form of lequel
to translate preposition + which: on which, to which, in which,
etc.
La table sur laquelle j'ai mis la bouteille est là-bas.
- The table on which I put the bottle is over there.
Le bâtiment dans lequel j'habite est très vieux. - The building in which I live is very old.
Le bâtiment dans lequel j'habite est très vieux. - The building in which I live is very old.
66. Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns join sentences together. These words signal a relative clause which explains the noun, called the antecedent. If the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause (a verb immediately follows), use qui. If the relative pronoun is the direct object of the clause (subject + verb follows), use que. If the verb of the dependent clause requires the preposition de, use dont to replace it. Also use dont to mean whose. Qui, que, and dont can all mean that or who, depending on the sentence. If the antecedent is a place or time, use où to mean where or when. When there is no specific antecedent, ce is added as an artificial one before que, qui or dont; but it can refer to only things, not people. Ce qui, ce que and ce dont generally mean what.
| Je mange des choses qui sont bonnes. | I eat things that are good. | qui is subject |
| Je mange des choses que j'aime. | I eat things that I like. | que is object |
| C'est ce que je disais. | That's what I said. | no antecedent |
| La femme dont le mari est mort... | The woman whose husband is dead... | whose |
| Voici ce dont j'ai besoin. | Here is what I need. | avoir besoin is followed by de |
| C'est un restaurant où on sert du poisson. | It's a restaurant where they serve fish. | restaurant is a place |
Dont can also be translated as including or
of which. Sept morts, dont 6 civils, dans l'attentat.
Seven dead, including six civilians, in the attack.
► After verbs of declaration or opinion (dire, affirmer, prétendre,
jurer, déclarer, reconnaître, avouer, penser, croire),
you do not need to use a relative pronoun or to repeat the subject.
As long as the subject is the same in both clauses, you can replace
que + subject + conjugated verb with the infinitive.
Je pense que je peux le faire. = Je pense pouvoir le faire.
I think that I can do it.
Elle dit qu'elle le connais. = Elle dit le connaître. She says that she knows him.
Vous avouez que vous avez menti. = Vous avouez avoir menti. You admit that you lied.
Elle dit qu'elle le connais. = Elle dit le connaître. She says that she knows him.
Vous avouez que vous avez menti. = Vous avouez avoir menti. You admit that you lied.
Demonstrative pronouns translate to the one(s), or that/those when replacing a noun. There are four forms, but they are not often used alone. De, qui, que, dont and -ci or -là usually follow them.
| Masc. | Fem. | |
| Singular | celui | celle |
| Plural | ceux | celles |
Donnez-moi mon billet et celui de Guillaume. Give
me my ticket and William's. (or: the one of William)
Il porte ses propres livres et ceux de sa sœur. He is carrying his own books and his sister's. (or: those of his sister)
Quelles fleurs aimes-tu, celles-ci ou celles-là? Which flowers do you like, these (ones) or those (ones)?
Ceux qui travaillent dur réussissent. Those who work hard succeed.
C'est celui dont je parle. That's the one I'm talking about.
Il porte ses propres livres et ceux de sa sœur. He is carrying his own books and his sister's. (or: those of his sister)
Quelles fleurs aimes-tu, celles-ci ou celles-là? Which flowers do you like, these (ones) or those (ones)?
Ceux qui travaillent dur réussissent. Those who work hard succeed.
C'est celui dont je parle. That's the one I'm talking about.
The indefinite demonstrative pronouns ceci (this),
cela (that) and ça (this/that) refer to indefinite
things or ideas.
J'aime ça. I like that.
Prenez ceci. Take this.
Prenez ceci. Take this.
68. To Read, To Say / Tell, & To Laugh
| lire-to read | dire-to say/tell | rire-to laugh | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lis | lisons | dis | disons | ris | rions |
| lis | lisez | dis | dites | ris | riez |
| lit | lisent | dit | disent | rit | rient |
The past participles are: lu, dit
and ri, and all three are conjugated with avoir.
69. Disjunctive Pronouns
1. As mentioned above, disjunctives are mostly used after
prepositions and can only replace people, not things. However, if
the preposition is à, there are two possible rules:
à + person = indirect pronoun
à + person + à = disjunctive pronoun,
in these cases:
| se fier à | to trust |
| s'habituer à | to get used to |
| s'intéresser à | to be interested in |
| penser à | to think about |
| rêver à | to dream about |
2. They can also be used alone, to emphasize a subject,
with être à (to belong to) or in compound subjects.
Moi, j'ai faim. Me, I am hungry.
Ses amis et lui, ils aiment manger. His friends and he, they like to eat.
Ce livre est à moi ! That book is mine!
Ses amis et lui, ils aiment manger. His friends and he, they like to eat.
Ce livre est à moi ! That book is mine!
3. They can be added to -même to mean -self.
elle-même = herself
4. They are also used with ne...que.
Ce n'est que lui. It's only him.
70. Y & En
Y and en are both pronouns that go before the verb. Y (ee) means it or there. En (awn) means some or some (of them), or of it. They replace prepositional phrases. In French, the phrases will begin with à (or any contraction of it), en, sur, sous, chez, devant, derrière, dans, etc. for y; and de (or any contraction of it) or a number for en. They cannot replace people unless the person is introduced with an indefinite article, partitive, number or quantity. Sometimes y and en have no direct translation in English. Remember that they go before the verb, except in a command, in which they follow the verb and are connected with a hyphen. The -er verbs also add the -s they lost when forming the you (familiar) command.
| Do you want some apples? | Voulez-vous des pommes? |
| Do you want some? | En voulez-vous? |
| I have three sisters. | J'ai trois sœurs. |
| I have three (of them). | J'en ai trois. |
| It is in the drawer | Il est dans le tiroir. |
| It is there. | Il y est. |
| I am going to Detroit. | Je vais à Détroit. |
| I am going there. | J'y vais. |
| I am going to go to Atlanta. | Je vais aller à Atlanta. |
| I am going to go there. | Je vais y aller. |
| Answer the telephone! | Répondez au téléphone ! |
| Answer it! (formal) | Répondez-y ! |
| Stay there! (familiar) | Restes-y ! |
| Don't stay there! (familiar) | N'y reste pas. |
Y and en can also replace a phrase or clause, especially with verbs that require à or de after them:
| I think a lot about these stories. | Je réfléchis beaucoup à ces histoires. |
| I think about them a lot. | J'y réfléchis beaucoup. |
| He obeyed the rules. | Il a obéi aux règles. |
| He obeyed them. | Il y a obéi. |
| We don't need this book. | On n'a pas besoin de ce livre. |
| We don't need it. | On n'en a pas besoin. |
| She's using the computer. | Elle se sert de l'ordinateur. |
| She's using it. | Elle s'en sert. |
Notice y and en don't go after the verb in negative commands. Treat them like pronouns. Ne or Je plus y or en all contract to N'y, J'y, N'en, and J'en. When you have a conjugated verb plus an infinitive (vais and aller), the y or en go in between the two verbs.
71. To See, To Believe, & To Write
Verbs take a direct object if they do not need a preposition
to connect it to the noun. Verbs that take indirect objects use
prepositions after the verb. Voir-to see (vwahr) and
croire-to believe (krwahr) take a direct and écrire-to
write (ay-kreer) takes an indirect.
| voir-to see | croire-to believe | écrire-to write | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vois (vwah) | voyons (vwah-yohn) | crois (krwah) | croyons (krwah-yohn) | écris (ay-kree) | écrivons (ay-kree-vohn) |
| vois | voyez (vwah-yay) | crois | croyez (krwah-yay) | écris | écrivez (ay-kree-vay) |
| voit | voient (vwah) | croit | croient (krwah) | écrit | écrivent (ay-kreev) |
You can sometimes tell if a verb takes a direct or indirect
object by using the verbs in English. We say "I see her" or "She
believes him" or "He writes to them." In French, it would be "Je
la vois" (direct), "Elle le croit" (direct) and "Il leur écrit."
(indirect) But don't always count on English to help you out. Téléphoner
(à) and obéir (à) both take indirect objects
in French but you can't tell that in English. In this case, you
can tell by the à that follows the infinitive.
Writing Vocabulary
| writing | l'écriture (f) | question mark | le point d'interrogation | "at" sign (@) | l'arobase (f) |
| punctuation | la ponctuation | exclamation point | le point d'exclamation | asterisk | l'astérisque (m) |
| period | le point | quotation marks | les guillemets (m) | brackets | le crochet |
| comma | la virgule | parentheses | la parenthèse | slash | la barre |
| colon | les deux points (m) | apostrophe | l'apostrophe (f) | uppercase | majuscule |
| semi-colon | le point-virgule | hyphen | le trait d'union | lowercase | minuscule |
When typing in French, you must leave an extra space before
a punctuation mark that has two components, such as a colon, semi-colon,
question mark, exclamation point, etc.
72. Animals
| ant | la fourmi | giraffe | la girafe | pig | le cochon |
| antelope | l'antilope | goat | la chèvre | pigeon | le pigeon |
| antenna | l'antenne | goose | l'oie (f) | pike | le brochet |
| bat | la chauve-souris | gorilla | le gorille | pony | le poney |
| beak | le bec | grasshopper | la sauterelle | puppy | le chiot |
| bear | l'ours (m) | hamster | le hamster | rabbit | le lapin |
| bee | l'abeille (f) | hare | le lièvre | raccoon | le raton laveur |
| bird | l'oiseau (m) | hen | la poule | rat | le rat |
| blackbird | le merle | herring | la hareng | rooster | le coq |
| bull | le taureau | hoof | le sabot | salmon | le saumon |
| butterfly | le papillon | horn | la corne | scale | l'écaille (f) |
| calf | le veau | horse | le cheval | scorpion | le scorpion |
| cat | le chat | hummingbird | le colibri | sea gull | la mouette |
| caterpillar | la chenille | iguana | l'iguane | seal | le phoque |
| cheetah | le guépard | insect | l'insecte (m) | shark | le requin |
| chicken | le poulet | jellyfish | la méduse | sheep | le mouton |
| chimpanzee | le chimpanzé | kitten | le chaton | shrimp | la crevette |
| claw | la griffe | ladybug | la coccinelle | slug | la limace |
| cockroach | le cafard | lamb | l'agneau (m) | snail | l'escargot (m) |
| cod | la morue | lark | l'alouette (f) | snake | le serpent |
| cocoon | le cocon | lion | le lion | sparrow | le moineau |
| cow | la vache | lizard | le lézard | spider | l'araignée (f) |
| crab | le crabe | lobster (spiny) | la langouste | squid | le calamar |
| crayfish | l'écrevisse (f) | louse | le pou | squirrel | l'écureuil (m) |
| crocodile | le crocodile | mackerel | le maquereau | starfish | l'étoile de mer |
| crow | le corbeau | mole | la taupe | swallow | l'hirondelle (f) |
| deer | le cerf | monkey | le singe | swan | le cygne |
| dog | le chien | mosquito | le moustique | tadpole | le têtard |
| donkey | l'âne (m) | moth | le papillon de nuit | tail | la queue |
| dragonfly | la libellule | mouse | la souris | tiger | le tigre |
| duck | le canard | mule | le mulet | toad | le crapaud |
| eagle | l'aigle (m) | mussel | la moule | trout | la truite |
| eel | l'anguille (f) | nest | le nid | tuna | le thon |
| elephant | l'éléphant (m) | nightingale | le rossignol | turkey | le dindon |
| feather | la plume | octopus | la pieuvre | turtle | la tortue |
| fin | la nageoire | ostrich | l'autruche | wasp | la guêpe |
| fish | le poisson | owl | le hibou | weasel | la belette |
| flea | la puce | ox | le bœuf | whale | la baleine |
| fly | la mouche | oyster | l'huître (f) | wing | l'aile (f) |
| fox | le renard | parrot | le perroquet | wolf | le loup |
| frog | la grenouille | partridge | la perdrix | worm | le ver |
| gill | la branchie | penguin | le pingouin | zebra | le zèbre |
| sit | assis | to bark | aboyer |
| lie down | couche-toi | to growl | grogner |
| shake | donne la patte | to pant | haleter |
| dog/cat food | les croquettes | to whine/whimper | gémir |
| leash | la laisse | to drool | baver |
| collar | le collier | to meow | miauler |
| to take/let dog out | sortir le chien | to scratch | griffer |
| to climb on | grimper sur | to pounce on | se jeter sur |
| plaire-to please, enjoy | manquer-to miss, be lacking | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plais | plaisons | manque | manquons | ||||
| plais | plaisez | manques | manquez | ||||
| plaît | plaisent | manque | manquent | ||||
The past participle of plaire is plu. To say
that someone likes something, you have to switch the subject and object
around, so that literally it translates to "something or someone pleases."
As a reflexive verb, se plaire means to enjoy being somewhere.
Faire plaisir à can also be used to mean "to delight
or to like."
Cette chienne plaît à Dominique.
Dominique likes this dog. (Literally: This dog is
pleasing to Dominique.)
Ça t'a plu? Did you like it?
Ils se plaisent à Londres. They enjoy being in London.
Cela me fait plaisir de vous revoir. I am happy to see you again.
Ça t'a plu? Did you like it?
Ils se plaisent à Londres. They enjoy being in London.
Cela me fait plaisir de vous revoir. I am happy to see you again.
Manquer has several meanings: to miss, to lack,
or to regret the absence (miss). The last meaning uses inverted
word order just like plaire. Manquer à means
"to fail to do."
Elle a manqué le train. She
missed the train.
Vous manquez de courage. You lack courage.
Tu me manques. I miss you. (Literally: You are missing to me)
Ils ont manqué aux devoirs. They failed to do the homework.
Vous manquez de courage. You lack courage.
Tu me manques. I miss you. (Literally: You are missing to me)
Ils ont manqué aux devoirs. They failed to do the homework.
This compound tense is used for flashbacks or anything
that had happened before the time of the narration. It's
formed with the imperfect tense of avoir or être and the past
participle of the main verb. This tense is comparable to the passé
composé.
| Imperfect of avoir or être | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| avais | avions | étais | étions | |||
| avais | aviez | étais | étiez | + past participle | ||
| avait | avaient | était | étaient | |||
Je n'avais pas fini mon travail quand il est arrivé. I had not finished my work when he arrived.
Vous aviez faim parce que vous n'aviez pas du tout mangé. You were hungry because you hadn't eaten at all.
Nous avions manqué le rendez-vous parce que le bus était en retard. We had missed the meeting because the bus was late.
Indefinite pronouns refer to no one or nothing in particular,
such as someone or something.
someone/body
|
quelqu'un
|
each | chacun(e) |
something
|
quelque chose (de + adjective)
|
not one, none
|
aucun(e)
|
some
|
quelques-uns / quelques-unes
|
anything
|
n'importe quoi
|
somewhere
|
quelque part
|
anyone
|
n'importe qui
|
several
|
plusieurs
|
anywhere
|
n'importe où
|
some...others
|
certains...d'autres
|
any time | n'importe quand |
another
|
un(e) autre
|
nowhere
|
nulle part
|
Do not confuse chacun with chaque (each,
every). Chacun is a pronoun and replaces a noun, while chaque
is an adjective that describes a noun.
If a sentence expresses a subjective statement of opinion,
the subjunctive mood is used rather than the indicative. The subjunctive
is used in dependent clauses introduced by the word que. The
main clause must express personal opinions or feelings and have a different
subject from the dependent clause. If the two subjects are the
same, the infinitive is used.
Je doute que Marc soit là. I
doubt that Marc is here. (shows judgment and opinion)
Je veux venir. NOT: Je veux que je vienne. (use infinitive, same subject)
Je veux venir. NOT: Je veux que je vienne. (use infinitive, same subject)
To form the subjunctive, use the ils/elles form of the
present indicative tense. This is also the form for the ils/elles
form of the subjunctive. For je, tu, il/elle, drop the -ent and
add -e, -es, and -e. Nous and vous use the imperfect forms.
| -e | -ions |
| -es | -iez |
| -e | -ent |
Conjugations in the Subjunctive
| avoir | être | faire | aller | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aie | ayons | sois | soyons | fasse | fassions | aille | allions |
| aies | ayez | sois | soyez | fasses | fassiez | ailles | alliez |
| ait | aient | soit | soient | fasse | fassent | aille | aillent |
| vouloir | pouvoir | savoir | pleuvoir | ||||
| veuille | voulions | puisse | puissions | sache | sachions | ||
| veuilles | vouliez | puisses | puissiez | saches | sachiez | ||
| veuille | veuillent | puisse | puissent | sache | sachent | pleuve | |
These verbs and conjunctions are followed by the subjunctive:
| Verbs | Verbal Expressions | Conjunctions |
|---|---|---|
| douter | il faut que | avant que |
| suggérer | il vaut mieux que | pour / afin que |
| vouloir | il est important que | jusqu'à ce que |
| proposer | il se peut que | à moins que |
| avoir peur | il est possible que | bien que / quoique |
| regretter | il est temps que | sans que |
| craindre | c'est dommage que | en attendant que |
| être content(e)/triste/désolé(e)/surpris(e), etc. | ||
| penser/croire/trouver (negative and interrogative forms only) |
Je veux que tu viennes avec moi. I want you to come
with me.
Il est content que nous soyons là. He's happy that we are here.
Est-ce que vous pensez qu'elle puisse le faire ? Do you think that she can do it?
Il faut que je fasse la vaisselle. I have to do the dishes.
Elle sera là jusqu'à ce que vous partiez. She will be there until you leave.
Il est content que nous soyons là. He's happy that we are here.
Est-ce que vous pensez qu'elle puisse le faire ? Do you think that she can do it?
Il faut que je fasse la vaisselle. I have to do the dishes.
Elle sera là jusqu'à ce que vous partiez. She will be there until you leave.
► However, douter, jusqu'à ce que, à moins
que, and bien que / quoique use the subjunctive whether there
is a change in subject or not. And when using avant before an
infinitive, the construction is avant de + infinitive. Note,
also, that the subjunctive is not used with espérer
or il est probable, although the subjunctive may be used with
these words in other Romance languages.
► The word ne is used after certain conjunctions
(most notably avant que and à moins que)
that take the subjunctive, but this does not make the phrase negative:
Finissez le travail avant que la classe ne se termine. Finish the work before class ends.
Finissez le travail avant que la classe ne se termine. Finish the work before class ends.
Falloir (to be necessary) and valoir
(to be worth) are two very common impersonal verbs used in several
phrases and situations. Their conjugations are:
| imperfect | il fallait | il valait |
| present perfect | il a fallu | il a valu |
| present | il faut | il vaut |
| future | il faudra | il vaudra |
| conditional | il faudrait | il vaudrait |
Falloir can be translated
as must, have to, be required to, etc. It can be followed directly
by an infinitive, or a subject and the subjunctive mood.
Il faut rester à la maison aujourd'hui. You must stay at home today.
Il faut pas le faire ! You must not do it!
Il faut qu'il parte à 8h. He must leave at 8.
Il faut rester à la maison aujourd'hui. You must stay at home today.
Il faut pas le faire ! You must not do it!
Il faut qu'il parte à 8h. He must leave at 8.
In addition to worth, valoir mieux is used
in translating "it's better."
Ça ne vaut pas la peine. It's not worth it.
Il vaut mieux en rire qu’en pleurer. It's better to laugh about it than cry.
Ça ne vaut pas la peine. It's not worth it.
Il vaut mieux en rire qu’en pleurer. It's better to laugh about it than cry.
| bien | well | quelquefois | sometimes |
| mieux | better | toujours | always |
| mal | badly | vite | quickly |
| peu | little | donc | therefore |
| déjà | already | encore | yet |
| bientôt | soon | quelque part | somewhere |
| ici | here | maintenant | now |
| là | there | tôt | early |
| dedans | inside | tard | late |
| dehors | outside | peut-être | maybe |
| souvent | often | jamais | (n)ever |
| d'habitude | usually | nulle part | nowhere |
To form an adverb, simply take the feminine form of
an adjective and add -ment to the end. If the masculine form
ends in -e, you just add the -ment to that. Adjectives ending
in -ent or -ant take the endings -emment and -amment.
| Masculine | Feminine | Adverb |
|---|---|---|
| naturel | naturelle | naturellement |
| heureux | heureuse | heureusement |
| lent | lente | lentement |
| facile | facile | facilement |
| probable | probable | probablement |
| intelligent | intelligente | intelligemment |
| brillant | brillante | brillamment |
| récent | récente | récemment |
Some adverbs such as actuellement
(currently, now) and éventuellement (possibly, perhaps)
can be deceiving.
| vrai | vraiment |
| gentil | gentiment |
| profond | profondément |
| bref | brièvement |
| précis | précisément |
Adverbs are placed right after the verb
in a simple tense. Adverbs of opinion and time usually go at the
beginning or end of the sentence. When peut-être and
sans doute begin a sentence or clause, they are usually followed
by que. With the passé composé, most adverbs
are placed between the auxiliary verb and past participle. In
negative sentences, pas precedes the adverb, except with peut-être,
sans doute, sûrement, and probablement. Adverbs
of time and place generally follow the past participle.
| tools | les outils | chisel | le ciseau |
| toolbox | la boîte à outils | measuring tape | le mètre |
| hammer | le marteau | chainsaw | la tronçonneuse |
| screwdriver | le tournevis | file | la lime |
| nail | le clou | do-it-yourself | le bricolage |
| screw | la vis | handicrafts | l'artisanat |
| wrench | la clé | embroidery | la broderie |
| adjustable wrench | la clé à molette | cross-stitch | le point de croix |
| bolt | le boulon | needlework | la couture |
| nut | l'écrou (m) | needle | l'aiguille (f) |
| pliers | les pinces (f) | thread | le fil |
| saw | la scie | painting | peindre |
| blade | la lame | jewelry making | faire des bijoux |
| handle | le manche | gardening | le jardinage |
| anvil | l'enclume (f) | knitting | le tricot |
| clamp / vise | l'étau (m) | photography | la photographie |
| shovel | la pelle | woodworking | la menuiserie |
| pick axe | la pioche | pottery | la poterie |
| drill | la perceuse | drawing | le dessin |
| drill bit | la mèche | cooking | la cuisine |
Other expressions related to hobbies/leisure time:
bavarder - to chat
bronzer - to tan
faire la grasse matinée - to sleep in late
faire la sieste - to take a nap
faire une pause - to take a break
faire une promenade - to take a walk
faire un tour - to go out for a while
prendre un bain de soleil - to sunbathe
prendre un verre - to go out for a drink
se détendre - to relax
se reposer - to rest
bronzer - to tan
faire la grasse matinée - to sleep in late
faire la sieste - to take a nap
faire une pause - to take a break
faire une promenade - to take a walk
faire un tour - to go out for a while
prendre un bain de soleil - to sunbathe
prendre un verre - to go out for a drink
se détendre - to relax
se reposer - to rest
Les faux-amis or false cognates are a common pitfall among
language students. The following are some common words that you
may be deceived by:
Abus is used to mean excess or overindulgence,
and usually not abuse.
Disposer means to arrange or to have available, not to dispose of.
Une injure is an insult, not an injury.
Actuel and actuellement mean current and currently.
Avertissement is a warning, not an advertisement.
Une recette is a recipe, not a receipt.
Fournitures refers to supplies, not furniture.
Original means new or innovative.
Humeur means mood, not humor.
Formel is used to mean strict, not formal.
Disposer means to arrange or to have available, not to dispose of.
Une injure is an insult, not an injury.
Actuel and actuellement mean current and currently.
Avertissement is a warning, not an advertisement.
Une recette is a recipe, not a receipt.
Fournitures refers to supplies, not furniture.
Original means new or innovative.
Humeur means mood, not humor.
Formel is used to mean strict, not formal.
81. Colloquial Expressions Il faut + infinitive (it is necessary, one must)
Il faut tourner à gauche. It is necessary to turn left.
Il faut faire les devoirs. One must do homework.
Il lui faut aller à l'école. He must go to school.
Il faut + noun (need)
Il faut du fromage. You need some cheese.
Il faut un jeton. You need a token.
Il me faut un stylo. I need a pen.
Il reste (there remains)
Il reste une chambre. There is one room left.
Il n'en reste plus. There are no more left.
Il me reste trois jours. I have three days left.
Notice that il faut and il reste can both take an object pronoun to indicate a person.
Il vaut mieux + infinitive (it is better)
Il vaut mieux prendre le bus. It is better to take the bus.
Il vaut mieux apprendre les langues que la politique. It's better to learn languages than politics.
Il s'agit de (it's a question of, it's a matter of, it's about)
De quoi s'agit-il ? What's is about?
Il ne s'agit pas de ça ! That's not the point!
Il s'agit de ton avenir. It's a matter of your future.
Avoir beau (although, despite the fact, however much)
J'ai beau étudier cette langue, je ne la parle pas. Although I study this language, I don't speak it.
Il a beau faire froid, nous sortirons. Although is it cold, we will go out.
Avoir l'air + adjective (to seem/look)
Ça a l'air délicieux. That looks delicious.
Vous avez l'air fatigué. You seem tired.
Ça n'a pas l'air d'aller. Things don't look so good.
Ça vous dit ? / Ça vous dirait de... ? (Would you like to? / How would you feel about...? / Does that interest you? / Does that ring a bell?)
Ça vous dirait de regarder un film ce soir ? Are you interested in watching a movie tonight? / Would you like to watch a movie tonight?
Non, ça me dit rien. No, that doesn't interest me. / No, I don't want to.
Ça te dit quelque chose ? Does that ring a bell? / Does that remind you of anything?
Non, ça me dit rien. No, that doesn't ring a bell. / That doesn't remind me of anything.
Ça ne me dit pas grande chose. That does nothing for me.
Ça parle de quoi / qui ? (What / Who is it about?)
Ça parle de quoi, le livre que tu écris ? What's the book about that you're writing?
Ça y est ! ( There! That's it ! It's done!)
Ça a été (How did it go? / It went well.)
Ton examen, ça a été ? How did your exam go?
Oui, ça a été. It went well.
On dirait... [ça ressemble à] (It seems / it looks like / it tastes like / it smells like / it feels like / it sounds like)
On dirait un chat. It looks like a cat.
pas terrible (terrible actually means terrific in this phrase)
C'est pas terrible, ce film. This movie is not very good.
pas mal de (a lot of, lots of, tons of - synonym of beaucoup)
J'ai pas mal de trucs à faire aujourd'hui. I have lots of things to do today.
82. Conjunctions & Connecting Words
| auparavant | before | de même | similarly | par exemple | for example |
| d'abord | first | en/de plus | moreover / furthermore | pour / afin de | in order to |
| ensuite / puis | then | d'ailleurs | besides | par contre / en revanche | on the contrary |
| plus tard | later | plutôt | rather | d'autre part | on the other hand |
| après | after | surtout | especially | au moins | at least |
| alors | so | quand même | anyway | malgré / en dépit de | in spite of |
| ainsi | thus | au fait | by the way | sauf | except |
| donc | therefore | en fait | actually | cependant / pourtant | however / yet |
| finalement / enfin | finally | c'est-à-dire | that is to say | même si | even if |
| quand / lorsque | when | en d'autres termes | in other words | par conséquent | consequently |
| aussitôt / dès que | as soon as | c'est pour ça que | that's why | comme si | as though |
| tant que | as long as | parce que | because | néanmoins | nevertheless |
| depuis | since | car | for / because | soit... soit | either... or |
| bien que | although | puisque / comme | since | en conclusion | in conclusion |
| alors / tandis que | while / whereas | à cause de | because of | en bref | in brief / in short |
The word soit has several meanings. It is also the third person singular form of être in the present subjunctive. Je veux qu'il soit là. I want him to be here. It can also be used to mean i.e. or that is when introducing a clause. Le contenu du CD est bilingue, soit français et anglais. The contents of the CD are bilingual, i.e. French and English.
83. Forms of Tout
As an adjective, tout precedes and agrees with the noun.
| masc. sing. | tout le train | the whole train |
| fem. sing. | toute la journée | the whole day |
| masc. pl. | tous les enfants | all the kids |
| fem. pl. | toutes les mères | all the moms |
► As a pronoun, tout can be used alone; it then means everything and is
invariable.
Tout va bien. Everything's fine.
Je ne peux pas tout faire. I can't do everything.
Tout va bien. Everything's fine.
Je ne peux pas tout faire. I can't do everything.
► It can also reinforce the subject. (The s of tous is pronounced when tous is a pronoun.)
Ils sont tous là. They are all here.
Ils sont tous là. They are all here.
► Tout can also be used with direct object pronouns. The forms of tout
follow the verb in a simple tense and go between the auxiliary and past
participle in a compound tense.
Je les ai toutes. I have them all.
Je ne les ai pas tous eu. I didn't have them all.
Je les ai toutes. I have them all.
Je ne les ai pas tous eu. I didn't have them all.
Idiomatic Expressions with Tout
| en tout cas | in any case |
| tout le monde | everyone |
| tout de suite | right away |
| de toute façon | anyway |
| tout à fait | completely |
| toutes sortes de | all kinds of |
| pas du tout | not at all |
| malgré tout | in spite of it all |
| tout à l'heure | in a little while |
84. Babies & Children
| baby | le bébé | carousel | le manège |
| fetus | le fœtus | toys | les jouets (m) |
| diaper | la couche | ball | le ballon |
| safety pin | l'épingle à nourrice (f) | marbles | les billes (f) |
| rattle | le hochet | doll | la poupée |
| pacifier | la tétine | stuffed animals | les peluches (f) |
| bottle | le biberon | teddybear | le nounours |
| carriage | le landau | blocks | les cubes (m) |
| stroller | la poussette | top | la toupie |
| high chair | la chaise haute | puppet | la marionnette |
| bib | le bavoir | kite | le cerf-volant |
| crib | le lit de bébé | balloon | le ballon |
| cradle | le berceau | rollerblades | les rollers (m) |
| kids | les gosses (m) | rollerskates | le patin à roulettes |
| slide | le toboggan | wagon | le petit chariot |
| seesaw | la balançoire à bascule | maze | le labyrinthe |
| swing | la balançoire | hopscotch | la marelle |
A doudou refers to a favorite stuffed animal.
85. Primary & Secondary School
| school | l'école (f) | pencil | le crayon |
| teacher (m) | l'enseignant | mechanical pencil | le porte-mine |
| teacher (f) | l'enseignante | pen | le stylo |
| elem. teacher (m) | l'instituteur | eraser | la gomme |
| elem. teacher (f) | l'institutrice | ink | l'encre (f) |
| secondary teacher | le professeur | ink jar | l'encrier (f) |
| chalkboard | le tableau | pencil sharpener | le taille-crayons |
| chalk | la craie | glue | la colle |
| desk | le pupitre | scissors | les ciseaux (m) |
| student | l'élève | ruler | la règle |
| university student | l'étudiant(e) | highlighter | le surligneur |
| book | le livre | crayons | les crayons de couleur (m) |
| backpack | le sac à dos | marker | le marqueur |
| schoolbag | le cartable | piece of paper | la feuille |
| locker | le casier | spiral notebook | le carnet de notes à spirale |
| globe | le globe terrestre | folder | la chemise |
| diploma | le diplôme | notebook | le cahier |
| school supplies | les fournitures scolaires | binder | le classeur |
| pencil case | la trousse | notepad | le bloc-notes |
Students of all ages use a trousse in France.
They're not just for elementary students!
86. Passive Voice
As in English, the passive voice in French is composed of a tense
of the verb to be and a past participle. However, only a direct
object in French can become the subject of the passive form. The active
form, le chat mange la souris is made passive thus: La souris
est mangée par le chat. The cat eats the mouse becomes the
mouse is eaten by the cat. The subject in the active sentence (le chat)
becomes the object of the passive. The direct object of the active sentence
(la souris) becomes the subject of the passive sentence preceded by "par." The
verb of the active sentence is changed into a past participle (mange becomes
mangée, notice the agreement!) preceded by a form of être.
Elle est portée par Jean. She is carried by
John.
Elles ont été inspirées par Van Gogh. They were inspired by Van Gogh.
Il avait été tué par les soldats français. He had been killed by French soldiers.
Elles ont été inspirées par Van Gogh. They were inspired by Van Gogh.
Il avait été tué par les soldats français. He had been killed by French soldiers.
► Notice how pronominal verbs change from active to passive:
Active: Je me suis réveillée. I woke up.
Passive: J'ai été réveillée par quelque chose. I was awakened by something.
Active: Je me suis réveillée. I woke up.
Passive: J'ai été réveillée par quelque chose. I was awakened by something.
Passive is Not Possible
► If a verb takes an indirect object, it cannot be transformed into
the passive voice in French. In this case, on is used in the active
construction, as long as the agent is not specified and the action is performed
by a human being (i.e. no natural forces, such as weather).
On a donné un cadeau à ma mère. My
mother was given a present. [Someone gave a present to my mother.]
On lui a dit de retrouver le conservateur au musée. He was told to meet the curator at the museum. [Someone told him to meet the curator at the museum.]
On lui a dit de retrouver le conservateur au musée. He was told to meet the curator at the museum. [Someone told him to meet the curator at the museum.]
Alternatives to the Passive
► In addition to using on as the subject of an active
construction to replace the passive, you can also use the pronominal constructions:
se voir [to see oneself], s'entendre [to hear
oneself], se faire [to get oneself] and se laisser
[to let oneself] + infinitive. These verbs can be used when the agent is specified,
unlike the active construction with on.
Je me suis vu promettre une augmentation. I have
been promised a raise.
Elle s'est entendu dire qu'il allait mourir. She was told that he was going to die.
Jean s'est fait arrêter. John got arrested.
Ils se sont laissé tomber malade. They let themselves get sick.
Elle s'est entendu dire qu'il allait mourir. She was told that he was going to die.
Jean s'est fait arrêter. John got arrested.
Ils se sont laissé tomber malade. They let themselves get sick.
► You can also use a pronominal verb to translate the passive, as
long as the agent is not specified. However, this does not work for all verbs.
Ça s'écrit comment? How is that written?
Ça ne se dit plus. That is not said anymore.
Ça ne se dit plus. That is not said anymore.
► Use être à + infinitive to translate
must + English passive:
Ce monument est à voir ! This monument must
be seen!
Ce rapport est à refaire. This report must be redone.
Ce rapport est à refaire. This report must be redone.
87. Depuis, il y a, & pendant in past contexts
1. To express an action that has been going on, depuis (or il y a ... que)
is used with the present tense.
| Depuis quand avez-vous votre ordinateur ? Depuis combien de temps avez-vous votre ordinateur ? How long have you had your computer ? |
Je l'ai depuis deux ans. Ça fait deux ans que je l'ai. Il y a deux ans que je l'ai. I've had it for two years. |
| Je conduis depuis longtemps. | I have been driving for a long time. |
2. But to express an action that had been going on for some time when something
else happened,
depuis is used with the imperfect.
| Nous conduisions depuis deux heures, quand j'ai proposé de prendre le volant. |
We had been driving for two hours when I volunteered to drive. |
3. To express an action that you have not done for some time, use depuis
with the passé composé.
| Je n'ai pas conduit depuis mon mariage. | I haven't driven since I've been married. |
4. To express an action that was done for a period of time, pendant
is used, usually with the passé composé. But for an action
that was completed some time ago, use il y a, also with the passé
composé.
| J'ai loué une voiture pendant deux semaines. | I rented a car for two weeks. |
| J'ai appris à conduire il y a deux ans. | I learned to drive two years ago. |
| post office | la poste | bank | la banque |
| letter | la lettre | teller | le caissier / la caissière |
| postcard | la carte postale | bill | le billet |
| stamp | le timbre | check | le chèque |
| phone booth | la cabine téléphonique | checkbook | le chéquier |
| mailbox | la boîte à lettres | ATM | le guichet automatique |
| mail slot | la fente | key | la clé |
| address | l'adresse | lock | la serrure |
| return address | l'expéditeur | filing cabinet | le classeur |
| label | l'étiquette | safety deposit box | le coffre |
| packing tape | le ruban adhésif | notepad | le bloc-notes |
| package | le paquet | credit card | la carte de crédit |
| postmark | le cachet de la poste | security camera | la caméra de surveillance |
| rubber band | l'élastique | security guard | le gardien |
| ink pad | le tampon encreur | drive-thru window | le drive-in |
| string | la ficelle | safe | le coffre-fort |
89. To Receive
| reçois | recevons |
| reçois | recevez |
| reçoit | reçoivent |
The past participle of recevoir is reçu.
Some verbs require à or de before an infinitive:
Verb + à + infinitive
|
Verb + de + infinitive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aider à | to help | accepter de | to accept | conseiller de | to advise |
| s'amuser à | to have fun | arrêter de | to stop | convenir de | to agree upon |
| apprendre à | to learn | avoir envie de | to feel like | craindre de | to fear |
| arriver à | to manage | avoir honte de | to be ashamed | désespérer de | to despair |
| chercher à | to look for | avoir peur de | to be afraid | dissuader de | to dissuade |
| commencer à | to begin | avoir raison de | to be right | entreprendre de | to undertake |
| consister à | to consist | avoir tort de | to be wrong | envisager de | to contemplate |
| continuer à | to continue | choisir de | to choose | s'étonner de | to astonish |
| donner à | to give | décider de | to decide | se garder de | to keep oneself |
| encourager à | to encourage | défendre de | to forbid | négliger de | to neglect |
| enseigner à | to teach | demander de | to ask | persuader de | to persuade |
| s'exercer à | to practice/learn | se dépêcher de | to hurry up | prier de | to beg |
| s'habituer à | to get used to | dire de | to say | recommander de | to recommend |
| hésiter à | to hesitate | empêcher de | to prevent | reprocher de | to reproach |
| insister à | to insist | essayer de | to try | ||
| inviter à | to invite | être heureux de | to be happy | ||
| renoncer à | to give up | être obligé de | to be required | ||
| réussir à | to succeed | éviter de | to avoid | ||
| songer à | to consider | s'excuser de | to apologize | ||
| s'appliquer à | to apply to | finir de | to finish | ||
| s'attacher à | to become attached | interdire de | to forbid | ||
| se décider à | to decide | menacer de | to threaten | ||
| s'employer à | to use | oublier de | to forget | ||
| inciter à | to incite | permettre de | to permit | ||
| s'obstiner à | to insist | promettre de | to promise | ||
| parvenir à | to succeed | refuser de | to refuse | ||
| persister à | to persist in | regretter de | to regret | ||
| pousser à | to push | remercier de | to thank | ||
| provoquer à | to provoke | rêver de | to dream | ||
| se risquer à | to risk | risquer de | to risk | ||
| veiller à | to look after | venir de | to have just | ||
| viser à | to aim | cesser de | to stop | ||
► Venir de + infinitive means "to have just" + past participle
in English. Je viens de manger. I just ate.
Some verbs require à or de before nouns:
Verb + à + noun
|
Verb + de + noun
|
||
| aller à | to suit | s'apercevoir de | to notice |
| assister à | to attend | s'approcher de | to approach |
| demander à | to ask (someone) | avoir besoin de | to need |
| dire à | to tell (someone) | changer de | to change |
| convenir à | to suit | dépendre de | to depend on |
| jouer à | to play (sport/game) | douter de | to doubt |
| nuire à | to harm | hériter de | to inherit |
| obéir à | to obey | jouer de | to play (instrument) |
| penser à | to think of | jouir de | to enjoy |
| plaire à | to please | manquer de | to lack |
| renoncer à | to give up | se méfier de | to distrust |
| répondre à | to answer | penser de | to think/have an opinion about |
| resister à | to resist | remercier de | to thank for |
| ressembler à | to resemble | rire de | to laugh at |
| songer à | to consider | se servir de | to use |
| survivre à | to survive | se souvenir de | to remember |
| téléphoner à | to phone | vivre de | to live on |
And some verbs require no prepositions in French, while others use different prepositions from English:
No prepositions in French
|
Different prepositions from English
|
||
| approuver | to approve of | entrer dans | to enter |
| attendre | to wait for | consister en | to consist of |
| chercher | to look for | se fâcher contre | to get angry with |
| demander | to ask for | ||
| écouter | to listen to | ||
| espérer | to hope for | ||
| payer | to pay for | ||
| rappeler | to remind of | ||
| regarder | to look at | ||
| sentir | to smell of/like | ||
| viser | to aim at | ||
Tu me rappelle mon père. You remind
me of my father.
Ça sent la pluie. It smells like rain.
Ça sent la pluie. It smells like rain.
91. Adjectives + a or de + infinitives
Adjective + à + infinitive
|
Adjective + de + infinitive
|
||
| accessible à | accessible | accusé de | accused |
| agréable à | pleasant | assuré de | assure/insured |
| amusant à | fun | capable de | capable |
| antérieur à | previous/earlier | certain de | certain |
| attaché à | attached | chargé de | charged/loaded |
| conforme à | standard | connu de | known |
| contraire à | contrary | conscient de | conscious |
| dernier à | last | content de | content/satisfied |
| ennuyeux à | boring | dénudé de | naked/bare |
| étranger à | foreign | désireux de | desirous |
| exposé à | exposed | désolé de | sorry |
| favorable à | favorable | différent de | different |
| inférieur à | inferior/lower | digne de | fit/worthy |
| intéressant à | interesting | exempt de | exempt |
| léger à | light | furieux de | furious |
| lent à | slow | heureux de | happy |
| lourd à | heavy | honteux de | ashamed |
| opposé à | opposite | impatient de | impatient |
| pénible à | difficult | plein de | full |
| premier à | first | privé de | private |
| prêt à | ready | proche de | close/near |
| rapide à | fast | rempli de | full |
| semblable à | similar | soucieux de | worried |
| seul à | only | sûr de | sure |
| supérieur à | superior/higher | triste de | sad |
| terrible à | terrible | vide de | empty |
| utile à | useful | ||
| suis | suivons |
| suis | suivez |
| suit | suivent |
The past participle of suivre is suivi. Suivre can also be used with school subjects to mean "to take a course."
Suivez le guide ! Follow the guide!
Suivez les instructions. Follow the instructions.
Je suis un cours de maths. I'm taking a math class.
Faire + an infinitive is called the faire causative. It translates
to "have something done by someone or cause something to be done by someone,"
or "to cause someone to do something."
Je répare la voiture. I'm fixing the car.
Je fais réparer la voiture. I'm having the car fixed.
Il peint son appartement. He's painting his apartment.
Il fait peindre son appartement. He's having his apartment painted.
Le bébé mange. The baby is eating.
Elle fait manger le bébé. She's feeding the baby.
Je fais réparer la voiture. I'm having the car fixed.
Il peint son appartement. He's painting his apartment.
Il fait peindre son appartement. He's having his apartment painted.
Le bébé mange. The baby is eating.
Elle fait manger le bébé. She's feeding the baby.
► When replacing the object with a pronoun, the pronoun precedes faire. And
in past tenses, the past participle remains invariable.
Je la fais réparer. I'm having it fixed.
Il leur a fait apprendre les verbes. He had them learn the verbs.
Il les leur a fait apprendre. He had them learn them.
Il leur a fait apprendre les verbes. He had them learn the verbs.
Il les leur a fait apprendre. He had them learn them.
► Se faire + infinitive is usually translated as "to get"
+ (oneself) + verb.
Tu vas te faire tuer. You're going to get yourself
killed.
Il va se faire casser la gueule. He's going to break his neck.
Se faire soigner sans se faire arrêter. Get treated/looked after without getting arrested.
Évitez de vous faire piquer. Avoid getting stung.
Il va se faire casser la gueule. He's going to break his neck.
Se faire soigner sans se faire arrêter. Get treated/looked after without getting arrested.
Évitez de vous faire piquer. Avoid getting stung.
Direct discourse relates exactly what someone has said or written, using
quotation marks and the original wording. Indirect discourse relates
indirectly, without quotation marks, what someone has said or written. It
works the same way in French as it does in English.
| Direct Discourse | Indirect Discourse | |
| Main verb is present | Il me dit: <<Je pars en vacances et ma famille a loué une villa.>> |
Il me dit qu'il part en vacances et que sa famille a loué une villa. |
| Main verb in past | Il m'a dit: <<Je pars en vacances et ma famille a loué une villa.>> |
Il m'a dit qu'il partait en vacances et que sa famille avait loué une villa. |
Note that if the main verb is in the present tense, no tense changes occur
when using indirect discourse. However, if the main verb is in a past
tense, the following tense changes occur:
Present → Imperfect
Passé Composé → Pluperfect
Passé Composé → Pluperfect
The Imperfect and Pluperfect do not change. Remember to use que
to introduce each dependent clause, and adjust personal pronouns and possessive
adjectives.
In questions, the following (rather uncomplicated) changes occur:
1. Yes/no questions = si + declarative sentence
Je t'ai demandé si tu avais faim.
Je t'ai demandé si tu avais faim.
2. Où, quand, comment, etc. = interrogative word + declarative
sentence
Il m'a demandé à quelle heure j'allais revenir.
Il m'a demandé à quelle heure j'allais revenir.
3. Interrogative pronouns are a little trickier:
| qui est-ce qui qui est-ce que |
qui | Il m'a demandé qui était resté. Elle m'a demandé qui j'avais vu. |
|---|---|---|
| qu'est-ce qui | ce qui | Ils m'ont demandé ce qui s'était passé. |
| qu'est-ce que | ce que | Elles m'ont demandé ce que j'avais dit. |
| computer | l'ordinateur | scanner | le scanner |
| disk | la disquette | laptop | le portable |
| document | le document | internet | l'internet |
| CD-ROM | le cédérom | internet user | l'internaute |
| monitor | l'écran | online | en-ligne |
| keyboard | le clavier | link | le lien |
| mouse | la souris | bookmark | le signet |
| printer | l'imprimante | le courriel / le mail | |
| memo | la note de service | password | le mot de passe |
| fax machine | le télécopieur | search engine | le moteur de recherche |
| photocopier | la photocopieuse | chat room | la salle de tchatche |
| typewriter | la machine à écrire | bulletin board | le forum |
| software | le logiciel | homepage | la page d'accueil |
| file | le dossier | website | le site |
| cabinet | le placard | web browser | le navigateur |
| memory card | la carte mémoire | cable | le câble |
| flashdrive | la clé USB | DSL | l'ADSL |
| external HD | le disque dur externe | to sign on / off | se connecter / déconnecter |
| attachment | la pièce jointe | to scroll up / down | dérouler le texte |
| to attach | joindre | to download | télécharger |
96. Ne Expletif
Sometimes ne must be inserted in a phrase even when it is not expressing the negative. (However, do not confuse the use of ne explétif with the verbs that can exist in the negative with only using ne and not pas in formal, written language: cesser, daigner, oser, pouvoir, savoir).
It is used 1) after certain conunctions: avant que, à moins que; 2) after expressions and verbs of fear: de crainte que, de peur que, craindre que, avoir peur que, redouter que, trembler que, empêcher que, éviter que; 3) before a verb that follows a comparison of inequality: plus, moins, autre; and 4) after adverbs of doubt and negation used in the negative to express a positive idea.
Je sors ce soir à moins qu'il ne pleuve. I'll go out this evening unless it rains.
Il craint que tu ne sois fatigué après le voyage. He's afraid that you'll be tired after the trip.
Nous sommes plus forts qu'elle ne pense. We are stronger than she thinks.
Je ne doute pas que vous ne fassiez des progrès. I don't doubt that you are making progress.
97. Conditional Tenses: Present & Past
The present conditional tense corresponds to "would." It is used after the imperfect in a conditional sentence. Most conditionals sentences begin with si (if). However, do not confuse the conditional would with the would that expresses a repeated action in the past. If would means used to, then the imperfect tense is used. Another use of the conditional is in news reports to indicate that the information is not confirmed.
Si j'étais (imperfect) dans une autre famille, est-ce que je serais (conditional) plus heureuse ? If I were in another family, would I be happier?
Quand nous étions (imperfect) en vacances, nous dormions (imperfect) jusqu'à midi. When we were on vacation, we would (used to) sleep until noon.
Un otage étranger serait mort en route pour l'hôpital. A foreign hostage (probably) died on the way to the hospital.
To form the conditional, use the infinitive and add the imperfect endings (but remember to drop the -e on -re verbs). You use the same irregular stems and exceptions for the conditional that are used for the future tense.
| -ais | -ions |
| -ais | -iez |
| -ait | -aient |
The past conditional is formed by using the conditional of avoir or être and a past participle. It corresponds to "would have" and is used in hypothetical sentences.
Il n'aurait jamais dit ça ! He would have never said that!
► If... sentences: When si (if) is used in sentences of condition, the verb tenses change. These pretty much correspond to English usage.
1. Si + present tense + present, imperative, or future
Si je suis fatiguée, je me repose. If I'm tired, I rest.
Repose-toi si tu es fatigué. Rest if you're tired.
Si je suis fatigué demain, je me reposerai. If I am tired tomorrow, I will rest.
2. Si + imperfect + present conditional
Si j'étais riche, je pourrais acheter un château. If I were rich, I would buy a castle.
Il deviendrait roi s'il avait plus de courage. He would become king if he had more courage.
3. Si + pluperfect + past conditional
Si j'avais su, j'aurais compris. If I had known, I would have understood.
It is possible to have past conditional with the imperfect, and it is also possible to have present conditional with pluperfect. However, you can never have the future or conditional tenses directly following si. They must be in the other clause.
► Translating Would, Could, Should
In general, you use the conditional tense of a verb to express would
+ infinitive, such as je dirais - I would say.
Again, make sure to use the imperfect of the verb if you're referring to repeated
actions in the past (i.e. used to). You can also use the conditional of pouvoir
to mean could, as long as the meaning is something that is yet to happen.
Il pourrait m'aider. He could help me. Otherwise,
you use the imperfect or passé composé to mean could if you're
referring to the past of can (i.e. was/were not able to). Elle ne pouvait
pas s'arrêter de rire. She couldn't stop laughing. Should
is usually translated by using the conditional of devoir. Tu ne devrais
pas dire ça. You shouldn't say that. For would
have, could have and should have, you use the past conditional
of the verb, past conditional of pouvoir + infinitive, and past conditional
of devoir + infinitive, respectively. Just remember that would and would have
are not followed by infinitives in French.
| would | conditional of verb | il dirait | he would say |
| could | conditional of pouvoir + infinitive | il pourrait dire | he could say |
| should | conditional of devoir + infinitive | il devrait dire | he should say |
| would have | past conditional of verb | il aurait dit | he would have said |
| could have | past conditional of pouvoir + infinitive | il aurait pu dire | he could have said |
| should have | past conditional of devoir + infinitive | il aurait dû dire | he should have said |
| horn | le klaxon | directional signal | le clignotant |
| hood | le capot | license plate | la plaque d'immatriculation |
| brake | le frein | brake light (on car) | le stop |
| steering wheel | le volant | car | la voiture |
| windshield wipers | les essuie-glaces | window | la vitre |
| dashboard | le tableau de bord | door | la portière |
| accelerator | l'accélérateur | gas tank | le réservoir |
| headlights | les phares | wheel | la roue |
| windshield | le pare-brise | tire | le pneu |
| motor | le moteur | bumper | le pare-chocs |
| trunk | le coffre | fender | l'aile |
| body (of car) | la carrosserie | door handle | la poignée de portière |
| driver's license | le permis de conduire | air conditioning | la climatisation |
| gasoline | l'essence | heater | le chauffage |
| traffic lights | les feux | battery | la batterie |
| oil | l'huile | gas cap | le bouchon de réservoir d'essence |
| hubcap | l'enjoliveur | gas pump | la pompe à essence |
| air hose | la pompe à air |
The most common types of cars in France are Peugeot, Clio, Renault,
and Fiat, and the majority are manual drive. Automatic cars
in Europe are generally reserved for handicapped people. The driving age in
France is 18, and young drivers who have just gotten their licenses have a
red A sticker on their car.
| conduis | conduisons |
| conduis | conduisez |
| conduit | conduisent |
The past participle of conduire is conduit. Other
verbs conjugated like conduire are: traduire - to translate,
produire - to produce, and construire - to
construct.
| suitcase | la valise |
| clothes | les vêtements |
| passport | le passeport |
| diary | le journal |
| traveler's checks | les chèques de voyage |
| dictionary | le dictionnaire |
| flight | le vol |
| baggage | les bagages |
| Euro | l'euro |
| bill | le billet |
| coin | la pièce |
| change | la monnaie |
| cent | le centime |
| arrival | l'arrivée |
| departure | le départ |
| Where is/are... | Où est / Où sont... |
| currency exchange | le bureau de change |
| passport check | le contrôle des passeports |
| customs | la douane |
| entrance | l'entrée |
| lost and found | les objets trouvés |
| information | les renseignements |
| exit | la sortie |
| taxi stand | les taxis |
| restroom | les toilettes |
When asking Where is/are..., Où
est is the singular form and Où sont is the plural form,
even if it's singular in English. Where is the entrance? would
be Où est l'entrée ? and Where is the lost and found?
would be Où sont les objets trouvés ?
| right there | juste là | zhoost lah | across from | en face de | awn fawz duh |
| here | ici | ee-see | between | entre | awn-truh |
| over there | là-bas | lah bah | next to | à côté de | ah koh-tay duh |
| to the right of | à droite de | ah dwaht duh | near | près de | preh duh |
| to the left of | à gauche de | ah gohsh duh | far (from) | loin de | lwahn duh |
| straight ahead | tout droit | too dwah | at the end of | au fond de | oh fohn duh |
| in front of | devant | duh-vawn | at the top of | en haut de | awn oh duh |
| behind | derrière | dare-ee-air |
| camping | le camping | axe | la hache |
| shelter | l'abri (m) | stump | la souche |
| tent | la tente | canteen | le bidon |
| spike | la sardine | hammock | le hamac |
| sleeping bag | le sac de couchage | backpack | le sac à dos |
| flashlight | la lampe torche | path | le chemin / le sentier |
| lantern | la lanterne | bench | le banc |
| torch | le flambeau | rock | le rocher |
| compass | la boussole | stone | la pierre |
| map | la carte | pebble | le caillou |
| binoculars | les jumelles (f) | canoe | le canoë |
| campfire | le feu de camp | oar | la pagaie |
Devoir is one of the trickiest verbs to translate and use in
French. The following is a list of the different meanings of devoir
used in various tenses.
| Present Tense | must, have to probably |
Je dois étudier. Il doit être malade. |
I must (have to) study. He's probably sick. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passé Composé | had to (and did), must have |
Il a dû partir. | He had to leave. |
| Imperfect | was supposed to, used to have to |
Elle devait chanter ce soir. | She was supposed to sing tonight. |
| Future | will have to | Tu devras payer l'argent. | You will have to pay money. |
| Conditional | should | Vous devriez manger les fruits. | You should eat fruits. |
| Past Conditional | should have | Ils auraient dû jouer. | They should have played. |
In the present tense, you can also express I am supposed to
with Je suis censé + infinitive. To express you
don't have to instead of you must not, use vous n’êtes
pas obligé de instead of vous ne devez pas
or il ne faut pas.
| toothbrush | la brosse à dents | hair spray | la laque | blush | le blush |
| toothpaste | le dentifrice | hair dryer | le sèche-cheveux | foundation | le fond de teint |
| dental floss | le fil dentaire | nail polish | le vernis à ongles | eye liner | l'eye liner |
| hair brush | la brosse | mascara | le mascara | eye shadow | l'ombre à paupières |
| comb | le peigne | lipstick | le rouge à lèvres | bubble bath | le bain moussant |
| shampoo | le shampooing | powder | la poudre | shower gel | le gel douche |
| curling iron | le fer à friser | soap | le savon | deodorant | le déodorant |
| shaving cream | la crème à raser | makeup | le maquillage | lotion | la lotion / la crème |
| razor | le rasoir | perfume | le parfum | pads | les serviettes hygiéniques |
| mousse | la mousse | cologne | l'eau de Cologne | tampons | les tampons |
| AIDS | le sida | food poisoning | l'intoxication alimentaire (f) |
| ambulance | l'ambulance (f) | hospital | l'hôpital (m) |
| anesthetic | l'anésthésie (f) | infection | l'infection (f) |
| antidote | l'antidote | intensive care | la réanimation |
| bandage | le bandage | medecine | la médecine |
| band-aid | le pansement | medication | le médicament |
| cancer | le cancer | nurse | l'infirmier (m) |
| cane | la canne | pills | les cachets (m) |
| capsule | la capsule | pneumonia | la pneumonie |
| cast | le plâtre | poison | le poison |
| chicken pox | la varicelle | sling | l'écharpe (f) |
| cold | le rhume | stethoscope | le stéthoscope |
| crutches | les béquilles (f) | stretcher | la civière |
| cure | le remède | surgeon | le chirurgien |
| diabetes | le diabète | surgery | la chirurgie |
| diagnosis | le diagnostic | syringe | la seringue |
| disease | la maladie | tablet | le comprimé |
| doctor | le médecin | tumor | la tumeur |
| first aid kit | la trousse de secours | wheelchair | le fauteuil roulant |
| flu | la grippe | X-ray | la radio |
Present participles can be used as adjectives, as verbs, or like
a qui clause. When an adjective, it agrees with the noun it modifies.
When it functions as a verb, it is invariable. Preceded by en,
(equivalent to while, by, upon or in), it corresponds to the English -ing gerund
form. Used without en, the present participle can act like a qui
clause. To form this participle, drops the -ons ending of the nous form
in the present tense and add -ant. (There are only three irregular present participles:
ayant, étant, sachant - having, being, knowing.)
Je me suis cassé le poignet en tombant.
I broke my wrist by falling.
C'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron. Practice makes perfect.
Ce restaurant ne propose pas d'eau pétillante. This restaurant doesn't serve sparkling water.
C'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron. Practice makes perfect.
Ce restaurant ne propose pas d'eau pétillante. This restaurant doesn't serve sparkling water.
106. Abbreviations
In everyday speech, it is common to shorten some words:
| advertisement | la publicité | la pub |
| afternoon | l'après-midi | l'aprèm |
| apartment | l'appartement | l'apparte |
| car | l'automobile | l'auto |
| cinema | le cinéma | le ciné |
| college | la faculté | la fac |
| demonstration | la manifestation | le manif |
| dictionary | le dictionnaire | le dico |
| drink before dinner | l'apéritif | l'apéro |
| extraordinary | extraordinaire | extra |
| friendly | sympathique | sympa |
| have a good meal | bon appétit | bon app |
| intellectual | intellectuel | intello |
| laboratory | le laboratoire | le labo |
| microphone | le microphone | le micro |
| owner | le propriétaire | le proprio |
| photography | la photographie | la photo |
| raincoat | l'imperméable | l'imper |
| slide | la diapositive | la diapo |
| soccer | le football | le foot |
| television | la télévision | la télé |
| terrific | sensationnel | sensas |
| usually | d'habitude | d'hab |
107. Past Infinitive
The past infinitive is used to express something that has already
happened. Verbs such as s'excuser, regretter, and remercier are often
used in this tense. It is formed with the infinitive of the auxiliary
verb (avoir or être) and the past participle of the main verb. And
the past participle can have agreement as well, with either the subject or the
object, depending on the sentence. Whenever après is followed by a verb,
it is always a past infinitive. And note that negative expressions precede
an infinitive.
| Je vous remercie d'être venus. | I thank you for coming (or having come.) |
| Excusez-moi d'être arrivé(e) en retard. | Excuse me for arriving (or having arrived) late. |
| Après avoir fini mes études, je veux devenir professeur. |
After finishing (or having finished) my studies, I want to become a teacher. |
| Elle regrette de ne pas avoir posé de questions. | She regrets not asking (or having asked) any questions. |
| barnacle | la bernacle | fish hook | le hameçon |
| bubble | la bulle | mask | le masque |
| wet suit | la combinaison de plongée | scuba diver | le plongeur sous-marin |
| fishing line | la ligne de pêche | sand | le sable |
| jellyfish | la méduse | treasure chest | le trésor |
| flipper | la palme | snorkel | le tuba |
| clam | la palourde | shipwreck | l'épave |
| wave | la vague | seaweed | les algues |
| anchor | l'ancre | starfish | l'étoile de mer |
| oxygen tank | le ballon d'oxygène | sea horse | l'hippocampe |
| seashell | le coquillage | sea urchin | l'oursin |
| coral | le corail | helm | la barre |
| crab | le crabe |
| meurs | mourons |
| meurs | mourez |
| meurt | meurent |
The past participle is mort / morte and it is conjugated
with être. You will most likely use this verb in the past tense, but
it is used in some present tense sayings.
Je meurs de faim ! I'm dying of hunger / I'm starving!
| alien | l'extra-terrestre (m) | nebula | la nébuleuse |
| asteroid | l'astéroïde (m) | planet | la planète |
| astronaut | l'astronaute (m) | rings | les anneaux |
| beaker | le gobelet | robot | le robot / l'automate |
| comet | la comète | rocket | la fusée interplanétaire |
| constellation | la constellation | satellite | le satellite |
| control panel | le tableau de bord | solar panel | le panneau solaire |
| crater | le cratère | solar system | le système solaire |
| Earth | la terre | space shuttle | la navette spatiale |
| galaxy | la galaxie | space station | la station spatiale |
| laboratory | le laboratoire | space suit | le scaphandre de cosmonaute |
| landing capsule | la capsule d'atterrissage | spaceship | la soucoupe volante |
| lunar rover | la jeep lunaire | star | l'étoile (f) |
| meteor shower | la pluie de météores | sun | le soleil |
| moon | la lune | test tube | l'éprouvette (f) |
Possessive pronouns replace nouns used with possessive adjectives.
They agree in gender and number with noun they replace as well.
Singular
|
Plural
|
|||
| Masc. | Fem. | Masc. | Fem. | |
| mine | le mien | la mienne | les miens | les miennes |
| yours | le tien | la tienne | les tiens | les tiennes |
| his/hers/its | le sien | la sienne | les siens | les siennes |
| ours | le nôtre | la nôtre | les nôtres | les nôtres |
| yours | le vôtre | la vôtre | les vôtres | les vôtres |
| theirs | le leur | la leur | les leurs | les leurs |
C'est ma pomme. Voilà la tienne. That's
my apple. Here's yours.
Il a son sac. Elle a le sien. He has his bag. She has hers.
C'est le mien, pas le tien ! That's mine, not yours!
Ils aiment leur voiture. Nous aimons la nôtre. They like their car. We like ours.
Il a son sac. Elle a le sien. He has his bag. She has hers.
C'est le mien, pas le tien ! That's mine, not yours!
Ils aiment leur voiture. Nous aimons la nôtre. They like their car. We like ours.
The simple past tense is used in works of literature in place of the passé composé and is very rarely spoken. You most likely will never need to form this tense, but you should be able to recognize it for reading purposes. Add the following endings to the stem:
| -er | -ir / -re | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ai | -âmes | -is | -îmes | |
| -as | -âtes | -is | -îtes | |
| -a | -èrent | -it | -irent | |
avoir
|
croire
|
lire
|
dire
|
dormir
|
devoir
|
recevoir
|
vivre
|
||||||||
| eus | eûmes | crus | crûmes | lus | lûmes | dis | dîmes | dormis | dormîmes | dus | dûmes | reçus | reçûmes | vécus | vécûmes |
| eus | eûtes | crus | crûtes | lus | lûtes | dis | dîtes | dormis | dormîtes | dus | dûtes | reçus | reçûtes | vécus | vécûtes |
| eut | eurent | crut | crurent | lut | lurent | dit | dirent | dormit | dormirent | dut | durent | reçut | reçurent | vécut | vécurent |
prendre
|
sortir
|
vouloir
|
mettre
|
connaître
|
savoir
|
pouvoir
|
|||||||||
| pris | prîmes | sortis | sortîmes | voulus | voulûmes | mis | mîmes | connus | connûmes | sus | sûmes | pus | pûmes | ||
| pris | prîtes | sortis | sortîtes | voulus | voulûtes | mis | mîtes | connus | connûtes | sus | sûtes | pus | pûtes | ||
| prit | prirent | sortit | sortirent | voulut | voulurent | mit | mirent | connut | connurent | sut | surent | put | purent | ||
Other verbs do not use their past participles as stems (but they still take
the same endings), so you should memorize these forms.
être
|
faire
|
écrire
|
venir
|
voir
|
conduire
|
||||||
| fus | fûmes | fis | fîmes | écrivis | écrivîmes | vins | vînmes | vis | vîmes | conduisis | conduisîmes |
| fus | fûtes | fis | fîtes | écrivis | écrivîtes | vins | vîntes | vis | vîtes | conduisis | conduisîtes |
| fut | furent | fit | firent | écrivit | écrivirent | vint | vinrent | vit | virent | conduisit | conduisirent |
mourir
|
naître
|
ouvrir
|
craindre
|
battre
|
|||||||
| mourus | mourûmes | naquis | naquîmes | ouvris | ouvrîmes | craignis | craignîmes | battis | battîmes | ||
| mourus | mourûtes | naquis | naquîtes | ouvris | ouvrîtes | craignis | craignîtes | battis | battîtes | ||
| mourut | moururent | naquit | naquirent | ouvrit | ouvrirent | craignit | craignirent | battit | battirent | ||
| archer | l'archer (m) | fairy | la fée | moat | les douves (f) |
| armor | l'armure | fantasy | la fantaisie | monster | le monstre |
| arrow | la flèche | fork | la fourche | mummy | la momie |
| ax | la hache | genie | le génie | pillory | le pilori |
| bow | l'arc (m) | ghost | le fantôme | pirate | le pirate |
| cackle | ricaner | giant | le géant | prince | le prince |
| castle | le château | grave | la tombe | princess | la princesse |
| cauldron | le chaudron | haunted house | la maison hantée | queen | la reine |
| caveman | l'homme des cavernes (m) | headstone | la pierre tombale | scarecrow | l'épouvantail (m) |
| cemetery | le cimetière | hobgoblin | le lutin | shield | le bouclier |
| coffin | le cercueil | humpback | le bossu | spear | la lance |
| crown | la couronne | jester | le fou | squire | l'écuyer (m) |
| demon | le démon | king | le roi | sword | l'épée (f) |
| devil | le diable | knight | le chevalier | throne | le trône |
| dragon | le dragon | lamp | la lampe | tower | la tour |
| drawbridge | le pont-levis | lance | la lance | troubadour | le troubadour |
| dungeon | le donjon | magic wand | la baguette magique | unicorn | la licorne |
| dwarf | le nain | mermaid | la sirène | witch | la sorcière |
| elf | le lutin | minstrel | le ménestrel | wizard | le sorcier |
| executioner | le bourreau | moan | gémir | zombie | le mort vivant |
114. Religion
| altar | l'autel (m) | Judaism | le judaïsme |
| angel | l'ange (m) | mass | la messe |
| baptism | le baptême | minaret | le minaret |
| bell | la cloche | monastery | le monastère |
| Bible | la Bible | mosque | la mosquée |
| bishop | l'évêque (m) | munk | le moine |
| bliss | la béatitude | Muslim | le musulman |
| Buddhism | le bouddhisme | nun | la religieuse / bonne sœur |
| candle | le cierge | organ | l'orgue (m) |
| cathedral | la cathédrale | pillar | le pilier |
| choir | la chorale | Pope | le pape |
| Christian | le chrétien | prayer | la prière |
| Christianity | la chrétienté | priest | le prêtre |
| church | l'église (f) | prophet | le prophète |
| convent | le couvent | Protestant | le protestant |
| cross | la croix | religion | la religion |
| dome | la coupole | reverend | le curé |
| faith | la foi | rosary | le chapelet |
| fast | le jeûne | saint | le saint |
| God | le Dieu | sermon | le sermon |
| gold ring | l'auréole (f) | sin | le pêché |
| Gospel | l'Evangile (m) | suffering | la souffrance |
| heaven | le ciel / le paradis | temple | le temple |
| hell | l'enfer (m) | torture | le supplice |
| Islam | l'islam (m) | vow | le vœu |
| Jew | le juif / la juive | worship/service | le culte |
115. Music & Art
| accordion | l'accordéon (m) | xylophone | le xylophone |
| bagpipe | la cornemuse | acteur | l'acteur |
| band | la bande / le groupe | actress | l'actrice |
| bass clef | la clef de fa | applaud | les applaudissements (m) |
| conductor | le chef d'orchestre | art | l'art (m) |
| conductor's stick | le bâton | audience | le public |
| drum | le tambour | boo | la huée (f) |
| drumstick | la baguette | bust | le buste |
| flute | la flûte | canvas | la toile |
| French horn | le cor d'harmonie | director | le metteur en scène |
| guitar | la guitare | easel | le chevalet |
| guitar strings | les cordes (f) | film | le film |
| harp | la harpe (f) | film bob | la bobine |
| horns | les cors (m) | frame | le cadre |
| keyboard | le synthétiseur | light | le projecteur |
| music | la musique | mask | le masque |
| music stand | le pupitre à musique | model | le modèle |
| orchestra | l'orchestre (m) | museum | le musée |
| piano | le piano | paint | la peinture |
| piano keys | les touches (f) | paintbrush | le pinceau |
| saxophone | le saxophone | painter | le peintre |
| sheet music | la partition | painting | le tableau |
| tambourine | le tambourin | pallette | la palette |
| treble clef | la clef de sol | pedastel | le piédestal |
| trombone | le trombone | projector | le projecteur |
| trumpet | la trompette | screen | l'écran (m) |
| tuba | le tuba | sculptor | le sculpteur |
| tuning fork | le diapason | stage | la scène |
| cello | le violoncelle | star | la vedette, la star |
| violin | le violon | statue | la statue |
| violin bow | l'archet (m) | tickets | les billets (m) |
viola - l'alto (m)
116. Acquerir - to acquire & resoudre - to resolve
acquérir - to
acquire
|
résoudre - to
resolve
|
||
| acquiers | acquérons | résous | résolvons |
| acquiers | acquérez | résous | résolvez |
| acquiert | acquièrent | résout | résolvent |
The past participles are acquis and
résolu, and both verbs are conjugated with avoir.
117. Imperfect & Past Subjunctive
The subjunctive in past tenses is not used very often in French in everyday speech, but grammatically, it should be used if the verb in the main clause is in the past tense. The imperfect subjunctive is formed from the simple past, while the the past and pluperfect subjunctive forms are composed of two elements: the present subjunctive of avoir or être + past participle for the past subjunctive and the imperfect subjunctive of the avoir or être + past participle for the pluperfect subjunctive.
Use the il/elle form of the simple past to form the imperfect subjunctive endings. Sometimes, the only difference between the il/elle forms of the simple past and the imperfect subjunctive is the circumflex for the imperfect subjunctive.
avoir
|
être
|
couper
|
finir
|
lire
|
tenir
|
Use the simple past to form the stems
|
|||||
| il eut | il fut | il coupa | il finit | il lut | il tint |
Imperfect Subjunctive
|
|||||
| eusse | fusse | coupasse | finisse | lusse | tinsse |
| eusses | fusses | coupasses | finisses | lusses | tinsses |
| eût | fût | coupât | finît | lût | tînt |
| eussions | fussions | coupassions | finissions | lussions | tinssions |
| eussiez | fussiez | coupassiez | finissiez | lussiez | tinssiez |
| eussent | fussent | coupassent | finissent | lussent | tinssent |
118. Translating Phrasal Verbs: English to French
Most English phrasal verbs translate as one verb without any prepositions or adverbs in French. Make sure to pay attention to the correct meaning of the phrasal verb in English, however, before deciding on the correct French translation.
| add up | additionner | make up | inventer / se réconcilier |
| back up | soutenir / sauvegarder | make up for | compenser / rattraper |
| beat up | tabasser | mess around | faire l'imbécile / s'amuser / toucher à |
| bend down | se baisser | mess up | mettre en désordre / gâcher / bâcler |
| bend over | se pencher | miss out | omettre / sauter |
| blow out | souffler | miss out on | laisser passer / louper |
| blow up | gonfler / sauter / faire sauter | mix up | confondre / embrouiller / mélanger |
| break down | tomber en panne / enfoncer | mouth off | se vanter / parler à tort et à travers |
| break in | entrer par effraction | move forward | avancer |
| break up | rompre / se terminer | move in | emménager |
| breathe in | inspirer | move off | se mettre en route |
| breathe out | expirer | move out | déménager |
| brighten up | s'éclaircir / se dégager | move over | se pousser |
| bring back | rapporter / ramener | muddle up | mélanger / embrouiller |
| bring up | élever / soulever | note down | noter |
| bump into | rentrer dans / renconter par hasard | own up | avouer |
| burst into | éclater / fondre (en larmes) | part with | se séparer de |
| call back | rappeler | pass for | se faire passer pour |
| call off | annuler | pass on | transmettre |
| call on | rendre visite à | pass out | s'évanouir / distribuer |
| call round | passer | pay back | rembourser |
| calm down | se calmer | pay for | payer |
| care about | se soucier de | peel off | détacher |
| care for | s'occuper de / aimer | phone back | rappeler |
| carry on | continuer | pick on | s'en prendre à / harceler |
| catch up | rattraper | pick up | ramasser / chercher / apprendre / draguer |
| chase after | courir après | pile up | s'entasser / s'empiler / s'accumuler |
| chase away | chasser | plug in | brancher |
| check in | se présenter à l'enregistrement / la réception | point out | montrer / faire remarquer |
| check out | régler sa note / regarder | pop in | passer |
| check over | vérifier / examiner | pull ahead | prendre la tête |
| cheer up | remonter le moral à / retrouver le moral | pull down | démolir / baisser |
| chop down | abattre | pull in | s'arrêter |
| clean up | nettoyer | pull out | arracher / retirer |
| clear off | dégager / filer | pull over | se ranger / se garer sur la côté |
| clear out | vider | pull through | s'en sortir |
| clear up | ranger / s'éclaircir | pull together | faire un effort |
| climb down | descendre | pull up | remonter / s'arrêter |
| climb over | passer par-dessus | pump up | gonfler |
| climb up | monter | push in | resquiller |
| cloud over | se couvrir / s'assombrir | put away | ranger |
| come around | venir / reprendre connaissance | put back | remettre |
| come back | revenir | put down | poser |
| come down | descendre / baisser | put off | remettre à plus tard / dissuader / dégoûter / déranger / éteindre |
| come in | entrer | put on | mettre / allumer / prendre / monter / faire marcher |
| come off | se détacher | put out | éteindre / tendre / sortir / déranger |
| come out | sortir / partir | put together | monter |
| come over | venir | put up | ériger / monter / mettre / augmenter / héberger |
| come to | reprendre connaissance | put up with | supporter |
| come up | monter / soulever / être soulevé | reach out | tendre la main |
| come up to | arriver à / s'approcher de | read out | lire à haute voix |
| come up with | proposer / suggérer | read up on | parcourir / lire en entier |
| cool down | refroidir / refraîchir | rely on | compter sur |
| cross off | rayer | ring back | rappeler |
| cross out | barrer | ring up | appeler / téléphoner à |
| cross over | traverser | roll up | rouler / retrousser |
| cry out | pousser un cri | rub out | effacer |
| cut off | couper | rule out | exclure |
| cut out | découper | run away | s'enfuir |
| deal with | s'occuper de / traiter de | run out | s'épuiser |
| dig up | déterrer | run over | renverser / écraser |
| do away with | se débarasser / supprimer | save up | mettre de l'argent de côté |
| do up | fermer / attacher / boutonner / retaper | scare away | faire fuir / effrayer |
| do without | se passer de | search for | chercher |
| dress up | se déguiser / s'habiller | see off | dire au revoir à |
| drop by | passer | see to | s'occuper de |
| drop off | déposer / laisser | send back | renvoyer |
| end up | finir / se retrouver | send for | appeler / faire venir |
| face up to | faire face à | send off | expulser |
| fall apart | s'effondrer | set off | partir / se mettre en route / faire partir / faire exploser / déclencher |
| fall down | tomber | set out | partir / se mettre en route |
| fall off | tomber | set up | créer / installer / monter |
| fall out | tomber / se brouiller | settle down | se calmer / s'installer |
| fall over | tomber / trébucher sur | show off | frimer |
| fight back | se défendre | show up | arriver |
| figure out | comprendre / calculer | shut up | se taire |
| fill in | remplir / boucher | sit down | s'asseoir |
| fill out | remplir | slave away | trimer |
| fill up | remplir | sleep in | faire la grasse matinée |
| find out | se renseigner / découvrir | sleep over | passer la nuit chez quelqu'un |
| finish off | terminer / finir | slip off | filer / s'éclipser |
| flick off | éteindre | slow down | ralentir |
| flick on | allumer | sort out | ranger / régler / s'occuper de |
| flip through | feuilleter | speak out | parler en faveur / défendre |
| fly away | s'envoler | speed up | aller plus vite |
| get away | s'échapper / partir / s'en aller | spin around | tourner / se retourner |
| get back | rentrer / récuperer / reculer | split up | se séparer |
| get down | descendre | spread out | se disperser |
| get in | entrer / monter dans | stand for | vouloir dire / tolérer |
| get off | descendre (de) | stand out | ressortir |
| get on | monter dans / s'entendre | stand up | se lever |
| get out | sortir / descendre | stand up for | défendre |
| get up | se lever | start off/out | partir |
| give in | céder | stay away | ne pas s'approcher |
| give out | distribuer | stay in | rester chez soi |
| give up | abandonner / arrêter | stay out | ne pas rentrer |
| go away | partir | stay up | ne pas se coucher |
| go back | retourner / rentrer | step forward | avancer |
| go down | descendre / baisser | stick out | dépasser / tirer |
| go in | entrer | stretch out | tendre / allonger / s'allonger |
| go off | exploser / sonner / partir / tourner | sum up | résumer |
| go on | continuer / se passer | swell up | enfler / gonfler |
| go out | sortir / s'éteindre | switch off | éteindre / arrêter |
| go under | couler | switch on | allumer / mettre en marche |
| go up | monter / augmenter | take after | tenir de |
| go without | se passer de | take apart | démonter |
| grow up | grandir | take aside | prendre à part |
| hand in | rendre | take away | enlever / emporter / emmener |
| hand out | distribuer | take back | rapporter |
| hand over | remettre / céder | take down | démonter / enlever / noter |
| hang on | attendre | take off | décoller / enlever |
| hang out | fréquenter / traîner | take on | embaucher / prendre |
| hang up | accrocher / suspendre / raccrocher | take out | sortir / retirer |
| head for | se diriger vers | take over | remplacer / prendre la relève |
| hear from | avoir des nouvelles de | take up | se mettre à / prendre |
| hear of | entendre parler de | talk through | expliquer / prévenir |
| heat up | faire réchauffer / (faire) chauffer | tear down | démolir |
| help out | venir en aide | tear out | arracher |
| hold on | attendre / s'accrocher | tear up | déchirer |
| hold out | tendre | tell off | gronder |
| hold up | lever / retarder / attaquer | think about | penser à / penser de / réfléchir à |
| hurry up | se dépêcher | think of | penser de |
| join in | participer (à) | throw away | jeter |
| jump in | sauter dedans / plonger | throw out | jeter / mettre à la porte |
| keep out | ne pas entrer dans | throw up | vomir |
| keep up | suivre / continuer | tidy up | ranger |
| knock down | renverser | tie up | ficeler / attacher |
| knock out | assommer / éliminer | tip off | prévenir / avertir |
| knock over | renverser | tip over | renverser / se renverser |
| know about | être au courant de / s'y connaître en | toss away/out | jeter |
| laugh at | se moquer de | track down | retrouver |
| lean over | se pencher | try on/out | essayer |
| leave aside | laisser de côté | turn around | se retourner / faire demi-tour / tourner (dans l'autre sens) |
| leave out | oublier | turn back | faire demi-tour |
| let down | laisser tomber | turn down | rejeter / baisser |
| let in | faire entrer / laisser entrer | turn into | changer en / transformer en / se transformer en |
| let off | ne pas punir / faire partir, tirer | turn off | éteindre |
| lie down | s'allonger / se coucher | turn on | allumer |
| lift off | décoller | turn over | retourner / se retourner |
| line up | faire la queue | turn up | mettre plus fort / venir / arriver |
| lock in | enfermer | wait for | attendre |
| lock out | enfermer dehors | wake up | réveiller / se réveiller |
| log in/on | se connecter | walk out | partir |
| look after | s'occuper de | warm up | réchauffer / faire réchauffer / se réchauffer / s'échauffer |
| look at | regarder | wash up | faire la vaisselle (UK) / se laver (US) |
| look down | baisser les yeux | watch out | faire attention |
| look down on | regarder de haut | wear out | user / s'user / épuiser |
| look for | chercher | weigh down | alourdir |
| look forward to | attendre avec impatience | well up | avoir les larmes aux yeux |
| look out | faire attention | wind up | se retrouver / se terminer / remonter |
| look out for | chercher / s'occuper de | wipe up | essuyer |
| look round | se retourner / regarder / visiter | work out | trouver / résoudre / calculer / comprendre / se passer / faire de l'exercice |
| look up | lever les yeux / chercher | wrap up | emballer / envelopper / récapituler / se couvrir |
| look up to | admirer | write back | répondre |
| make out | déchiffrer / comprendre / prétendre | write down | noter |
119. Other Translation Difficulties: English to French
| be getting / going + adjective | devenir + adjective | let somebody know | faire savoir |
| do nothing but | ne faire que | let's just hope that | pourvu que |
| forgive somebody for [verb]-ing | excuser quelqu'un de + infinitive | let's [verb] / how about we [verb]? | Et si on...? |
| get oneself + past participle | se faire + infinitive | may / might | il se peut / pourrait que |
| how come...? | comment se fait-il que...? | may... | puisse... |
| however / no matter (much) | avoir beau | no matter | peu importe |
| I can't help [verb]-ing | Je ne peux pas m'empêcher de + infinitive | no sooner... | n'avoir pas si tôt |
| I hate/loathe/can't stand [verb]-ing | J'ai horreur de + infinitive | see to it that | veiller à ce que |
| I miss + [verb]-ing | ça me manque de ne pas | so far | jusqu'à présent |
| I was going to / I had planned to | J'avais prévu de | The way + subject + verb | La façon dont + subject + verb |
| I wish (regret) | Je regrette de ne pas | There is no + [verb]-ing | Il n'y a pas de moyen de |
| I wish + imperfect | si seulement + imperfect | There/it happens to | Il se trouve que |
| I wish + past perfect | J'aurais aimé que + subjunctive | to sit, stand, lie | être assis, debout, allongé |
| I'd rather that | J'aimerais mieux que + subjunctive | What / How about + [verb]-ing? | Que dirais tu de + infinitive ? |
| In order (not) to | dans le but de (ne pas) + infinitive | What if? | et si? |
| It's about time | il serait grand temps | whatever | quel que soit |
| it's no use / you needn't | il est inutile que | whatever | quoi que |
| It's typical of him/her | ça lui ressemble | whenever | chaque fois |
| It's usual for | il est d'usage que | wherever | où que + subjunctive |
| just because... doesn't mean | le simple fait que... ne veut pas dire | Whether you like it or not | Que ça te plaise ou non. |
| keep on [verb]-ing | ne cesser pas de + infinitive | whoever | quiconque |
| let (permission) | Que + subjunctive | You just have to + infinitive | Tu n'as qu'à + infinitive |
120. Quebecois French
Differences in vocabulary:
| Quebec | France | Quebec | France |
| l'arrêt | le stop | achaler / gosser quelqu'un | embêter quelqu'un |
| un breuvage | une boisson | asteure | à cette heure |
| une broue | une bière | avoir les yeux dans la graisse de binnes | avoir l'air fatigué |
| des bébelles | des jouets | bienvenu | de rien |
| un bécyque | une bicyclette | brailler | piquer une crise |
| des bidoux / du foin | de l'argent | ça adonne bein | ça tombe bien |
| un bleuet | une myrtille | ça pas d'allure | ça n'a aucun sens |
| ma blonde | ma petite amie | ça pas de tes affaires | ça ne te regarde pas |
| une buanderie | une blanchisserie | câlisser une volée | donner une raclée |
| une calotte | une casquette | c'est dispendieux | c'est cher |
| une canneberge | une airelle | c'est pas fort | c'est pas terrible |
| un char | une automobile | chauffer | conduire un véhicule |
| une chicane | une dispute | débarquer (d'un char) | descendre (d'une voiture) |
| le déjeuner | le petit déjeuner | embarquer (dans un char) | monter (dans une voiture) |
| un dépanneur | un petit magasin | être tanné | en avoir marre |
| le dîner | le déjeuner | faire dur | avoir mauvaise mine |
| la fin de semaine | le week-end | faire la baboune | bouder |
| un frigidaire | un réfrigérateur | faire son épicerie | faire ses courses |
| la gang | la bande d'amis | il mouille | il pleut |
| une guénille | un chiffon | jaser | causer / bavarder |
| la job | le boulot | magasiner | se promener dans les magasins |
| une joke | une blague | marquer | inscrire / noter |
| une lampe de poche | une lampe-torche | maudit niaiseux ! | espèce de crétin ! |
| une laveuse | une machine à laver | minoucher | caresser |
| un melon d'eau | un pastèque | pantoute | pas du tout |
| un minou | un chat | pogner | attraper / tripoter / avoir du succès |
| le nettoyeur | le pressing | prendre une marche | faire une promenade à pied |
| une patente | une chose | présentement | maintenant |
| une piastre/piasse | un dollar | sacrer son camp | ficher le camp |
| un pitou | un chien | se câler (une pizza / un taxi) | commander / appeler |
| une sécheuse | une machine à sécher | tabernacle / tabarnak ! | zut ! |
| le souper | le dîner | tiguidou | c'est d'accord |
| la tabagie | le tabac | tu es fin | tu es gentil |
| une vadrouille | une serpillière | y a du monde à la messe | il y a foule |
Differences in pronunciation:
1. An affrication of the consonants "t" and "d" before the vowels
"u" and "i." For example, "tu es parti" is pronounced "tsu es partsi."
2. There is a reduction of the pronoun "il" to"y": Y'est malade,
Y'a pas le temps; as well as a reduction of "elle" to "a" ("elle a" becomes
"aa"): Aa pas le temps, aa mal au dos.
3. "Chu" is a contraction for "je suis": Chu fatigué, chu
en retard.
4. A "t" sound still exists in the expressions: "il fait frette"
(froid), "mon litte" (lit), "viens icitte" (ici). And the old pronunciation
for the "oi" sound (as oé) is still used sometimes: moi, toi, and verb forms such as bois, boit, vois, voit,
reçoit, etc. are pronounced moé, toé, boé, etc.
reçoit, etc. are pronounced moé, toé, boé, etc.
5. "Tu" is often added after questions: Il en veut-tu ? Tu m'écoutes-tu
? Je l'ai-tu ?
6. Many people end their statements with: T'sais ? (a reduction
of: tu sais)
7. The verb pogner is a very popular word with several translations:
to catch, to get, to grab, to be successful, to come, to get caught, to take,
to be stuck, etc.
Quossé qui't'pogne, toi? What's going on with you?
Arrête de pogner les nerfs. Stop getting worked up.
Quossé qui't'pogne, toi? What's going on with you?
Arrête de pogner les nerfs. Stop getting worked up.
Some examples of Anglicisms used in Quebec:
Bummer, spinner, slaquer, kiquer, faker, domper, frencher, puncher, backer,
rusher, spotter, tripper, checker, avoir un good time, être cheap, être
opène, faire son show, etc.
Confusions
The following are sentences that initially confused me because I
was translating them literally into English.C'est pas du français. It's not grammatically correct, formal French. [not the French language in general]
La Norvège n'est pas en Europe. Norway is not in the European Union. [not Europe as a continent]
J'ai laissé un petit mot pour toi. I left a little note for you. [not word]
Tu déjeunes pas ? You aren't eating breakfast? [not lunch]
Normalement, elle arrive à 15h. If everything goes as planned, she will arrive at 3 PM. [not normally or usually]
Tes parents s'ennuient de toi ? Do your parents miss you? [not get bored with]
Tu veux te baigner aujourd'hui ? Do you want to go swimming today? [not take a bath]
J'ai mal aux reins. My lower back hurts. [not kidneys]
On a déjà donné à manger au chat. We've already fed the cat. [not give to eat]
Elle l'a connu en Italie. She met him in Italy. [not known]
Filling out forms
| contact information | les coordonnées | passport | le passeport |
| last name | nom | visa | le visa |
| first name | prénom | residency card | la carte de séjour |
| address | adresse | receipt | le récépissé |
| birthdate | date de naissance | application | le formulaire / la candidature |
| place of birth | lieu de naissance | enrollment form | la demande d'inscription |
| Signed [city] ... date | Fait à ... le | to apply (for a job) | postuler |
| birth certificate | l'acte de naissance | to apply/enroll (in university) | s'inscrire à |
Remember the date format in France is day/month/year instead of month/day/year and that you generally capitalize your last name, but not your first name: Jean-Paul BOUCHER.
Asking for clarification or help
Excusez-moi de vous déranger, monsieur/madame, mais j'ai un problème. Sorry for bothering you, mister/miss, but I have a problem.
Est-ce que je peux vous poser une question ? Can I ask you a question?
Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit ? What did you say?
Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? Can you repeat that, please?
Je n'ai pas entendu ce que vous avez dit. I didn't hear what you said.
Comment est-ce qu'on écrit ça ? / Ça s'écrit comment ? How is that written?
Comment est-ce qu'on prononce ça ? / Ça se prononce comment ? How is that pronounced?
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire? / Ça veut dire quoi ? What does that mean?
Food & Eating
| cold cuts | la charcuterie | beefstew with carrots | du bœuf-carottes |
| raw vegetables | les crudités (f) | beefstew in red wine | du bœuf bourguignon |
| salad (with bacon) | une salade (avec des lardons) | chicken in red wine | du coq au vin |
| onion soup | la soupe à l'oignon | Steak & French fries | un steak-frites |
| melted cheese (w/ potatoes & cold cuts) | la raclette | potatoes au gratin | le gratin dauphinois |
| cheese, ham & potato casserole | la tartiflette | ham & cheese quiche | la quiche lorraine |
| melted cheese (with bread) | la fondue | dumplings (flavored w/ meat or fish) | les quenelles |
| grilled ham and cheese | le croque-monsieur | vegetarian | végétarien/ne |
| grilled ham & cheese with egg | le croque-madame | vegan | végétalien/ne |
Qu'est-ce que je vous offre ? / Qu'est-ce que je vous sers ? What can I get you?
Quelque chose à boire ? Something to drink?
J'ai la dalle ! J'ai les crocs ! Je meurs de faim ! I'm starving!
J'ai trop mangé. / J'ai trop bouffé. I ate too much.
On the phone / Au tElEphone
Allô, est-ce que je pourrais parler à... ? Hello, may I speak to...?
C'est de la part de qui ? Who is calling?
Qui est à l'appareil ? Who is on the phone?
Un instant, s'il vous plaît. One moment, please.
Ne quittez pas. Please hold.
Je vous la passe. I'm putting you through to her.
Il ne répond pas. He is not answering.
Il n'est pas là. He is not here.
Est-ce que vous voulez laisser un message ? Do you want to leave a message?
Pouvez-vous rappeler plus tard ? Can you call back later?
La ligne est occupée. The line is busy.
Vous vous êtes trompé(e)(s) de numéro. You have the wrong number.
Je me suis trompé(e) de numéro. I got the wrong number.
Cell Phone Vocabulary
| pay as you go plan | sans engagement | text message | SMS |
| credit/minutes | le crédit | photo message | MMS |
| to recharge your account | recharger votre compte | call waiting | le double appel |
| contract plan | le forfait | caller ID | la présentation du numro |
| extra charges | hors forfait | unlimited calls | les appels illimités |
| payment plan | le plan tarifaire | PIN code | le code PIN / secret |
| land line | la ligne fixe | SIM card | la carte SIM |
| voicemail | la messagerie vocale | locked | bloqué |
| account summary | le suivi conso | to download | télécharger |
| empty / no credit | épuisé | ringtone | la sonnerie |
Le suivi conso is short for le suivi
de consommation.
Going shopping / Faire les magasins
| department store | la grande surface | fitting room | la cabine d'essayage |
| outlet store | le magasin d'usine | club/loyalty card | la carte de fidelité |
| second-hand shop | la boutique d'articles d'occasion | heels | des talons |
| discount store (such as Aldi) | le magasin hard discount | flip-flops | des tongs |
| flea market | le marché aux puces | tank/halter top | le débardeur |
| department | le rayon | underwire bra | le balconnet |
| to go window-shopping | faire du lèche-vitrine | thong | le string |
| to go grocery shopping | faire les courses | spotted | à pois |
| mini market | la supérette | flowery | à fleurs |
| supermarket (food) | le supermarché | frilly | à frous-frous |
| super store (everything) | l'hypermarché (m) | glittery | à paillettes |
| shopping center | le centre commercial | striped | à rayures |
Est-ce que je peux vous aider ? / Je peux vous renseigner ? / Vous désirez ? Can I help you?
Non, je regarde seulement. No, I'm just looking.
Je vais réfléchir. I'll think about it.
Quelle est votre taille ? Vous faites du combien ? What is your size? What size do you wear?
Quelle est votre pointure ? Vous chaussez du combien ? What is your shoe size? What size shoe do you wear?
Ça va, la taille ? C’est la bonne taille ? Is the size right?
C’est trop grand. / C'est trop serré. It’s too big / too small.
Ça coûte combien ? How much does this cost?
C'est en solde ? Is it on sale?
Quelle escroquerie ! / Quelle arnaque ! What a rip-off!
Avez-vous une carte de fidélité ? Do you have a club card?
Vous réglez comment ? / Vous payez comment ? How are you paying?
En espèces/par carte bleue. Cash/with a bank card.
Going to the doctor / Chez le docteur
| allergy | l'allergie (f) | swollen | enflé/e |
| illness | la maladie | dizziness | le vertige |
| cold | le rhume | drops | les gouttes (f) |
| fever | la fièvre | pills | les pilules (f) |
| flu | la grippe | tablet | le cachet |
| migraine | la migraine | ointment | la pommade |
| bump | la bosse | bandage | le sparadrap |
| itching | les démangeaisons (f) | prescription | l'ordonnance (f) |
| poisoning | l'intoxication (f) | medicine | les médicaments (m) |
| sting / bite | la piqûre | vitamins | les vitamines (f) |
| scratch | l'égratignure (f) | lozenge | la pastille |
| scar | la cicatrice | sleeping pills | les somnifères (m) |
| scab | la croûte | to skin | s'écorcher |
| blister | l'ampoule (f) | to sprain | se fouler |
| sprain | la foulure | to crush | s'écraser |
| ear infection | l'otite (f) | to break | se casser |
Je voudrais prendre rendez-vous, s'il vous plaît. I'd like to make an appointment, please.
Où est-ce que vous avez mal ? Where does it hurt?
Est-ce que vous êtes allergique à quelque chose ? Are you allergic to anything?
Je me suis écorché la main en tombant. I skinned my hand by falling.
Je me suis fait mal. I hurt myself.
The French health care system (called la Sécurité Sociale) generally reimburses 70% of your health costs (including dentist and eye doctor visits). If you want to be reimbursed for the other 30%, you have to join a mutuelle and pay a monthly fee. Everyone covered by la Sécu receives a Carte Vitale to use at the doctor's consultation and when filling prescriptions at any pharmacie. If you are a recent immigrant to France and have not yet received your Carte Vitale, you will receive feuille de soins forms to fill out in order to be reimbursed.
The emergency medical service in France is called SAMU (Service d'aide médicale d'urgence) and the phone number is 15. You can dial 17 to reach the police, and 18 to reach the pompiers (firefighters). The general emergency number used throughout the European Union is 112. In Belgium, you can also dial 100 for emergency services; in Switzerland, it's 144, and in Canada, it's 911.
Going to the dentist or eye doctor / Chez le dentiste ou l'ophtalmologiste
| cavity | la carie | glasses | les lunettes |
| wisdom tooth | la dent de sagesse | frames | la monture |
| baby tooth | la dent de lait | glasses case | l'étui de lunettes (m) |
| gums | la gencive | contact lenses | les lentilles |
| jaw | la mâchoire | cleaning solution | la solution de nettoyage |
| crown | la couronne | contact case | l'étui de lentilles (m) |
| filling | le plombage | near-sighted | myope |
| cleaning | le détartrage | far-sighted | hypermétrope |
| root canal | le canal dentaire | clear | net |
| to pull out, remove (tooth) | arracher | blurry | flou |
At the hair salon / Chez le coiffeur
| bangs | la frange | braid | la natte / les tresses |
| highlights | les mèches / le balayage | ponytail | la queue-de-cheval |
| hair cut | la coupe de cheveux | barette | la barrette |
| blowdry | le brushing | head band | le serre-tête |
| curly | bouclés | hair clips | les pinces à cheveux |
| wavy | ondulés | hairband | l'élastique (m) |
| frizzy | frisés / crépus | hairpin | l'épingle à cheveux (f) |
| straight | raides | buzz cut | la coupe en brosse |
| dyed | teints | completely shaved head | la boule à zéro |
| lightened | décolorés | bald | chauve |
| layered | dégradé | part | la raie |
Opening a bank account / Ouvrir un compte bancaire
| savings account | le compte d'épargne | bank / debit card | la carte bancaire / la carte bleue |
| checking account | le compte-chèques | ATM | le distributeur / le guichet (automatique) |
| deposit | le dépôt | check | le chèque |
| direct deposit | le dépôt direct | checkbook | le carnet de chèques |
| cash | les espèces / du liquide | balance | le bilan |
| credit card | la carte de crédit | sum, amount | le montant |
| loan | l'emprunt (m) / le prêt | bank statement | le relevé de compte |
| debt | la dette | salary | le traitement |
| wages | le salaire | raise | l'augmentation de salaire (f) |
| estimate | le devis | payment | le versement |
| automatic payment | le prélèvement | transfer/deposit | le virement |
| to deposit | déposer / remettre | to write a check | faire un chèque |
| to withdraw | retirer | to cash a check | encaisser / toucher un chèque |
| to earn | gagner | to pay cash | payer en espèces |
| to spend | dépenser | to save money | faire des économies |
Je voudrais ouvrir un compte. I would like to open an account.
Bordereau de remise de chèques. Checks deposited slip.
Post Office / La Poste
| accusé de réception | acknowledgement of receipt | imprimés | printed matter |
| avis de réception | notice of receipt | lettre recommandée | registered letter |
| adresse de l'expéditeur | return address | mandat cash | money order |
| adresse de réexpédition | forwarding address | par avion | air mail |
| colis | parcel / package | port payé | postage paid |
| destinataire | addressee | retour à l'envoyeur | return to sender |
| expéditeur | sender | tarifs postaux | postage rate |
| envoi en nombre | bulk mail | trier | to sort |
Renting an apartment / Louer un appartement
| housing | le logement | lease | le bail |
| apartment | l'appartement | bill (telephone, etc.) | la facture |
| rent | le loyer | insurance | l'assurance (f) |
| rent receipt | la quittance de loyer | conditions / evaluation of apt. | l'état des lieux (m) |
| utilities / fees | les charges / les frais | taxes | les impôts (m) |
| expenses | les dépenses | furnished | meublé |
| (rental) charges | les charges (locatives) | building | immeuble |
| agency fees | les honoraires / frais d'agence | landlord | le propriétaire |
| private landlord | le particulier | renting | location |
| security deposit | la caution / le dépôt de garantie | renter | locataire (m) / locatrice (f) |
| guarantor needed | le garant exigé | renting with roommates | colocation |
| short-term rental | location courte | roommate / flatmate / housemate | colocataire (m) / colocatrice (f) |
Apartments are generally listed as F1/T1, F2/T2, F3/T3, etc. regarding the number of rooms. This number does not include the kitchen or bathroom, but it does include the living room. If a kitchen is équipée, it will probably have a refrigerator and burners, but may or may not have an oven. If a kitchen is non-équipée, there will be no appliances at all. Some apartments do not have ovens, but they might have plaques électriques / plaquettes (burners, similar to a stove). A cuisinière is also electric burners without an oven.
J'habite en colocation. I live with roommates.
Je cherche un colocataire pour un appartement avec 2 chambres. I'm looking for a roommate for a 2 bedroom apartment.
Le bail sera signé dès votre arrivée à la résidence. The lease will be signed as soon as you arrive at the dorms.
Les charges sont comprises dans le prix (eau, éléctricité, chauffage). Utilities are included in the price (water, electricity, heat).
You can download a sample contrat de location, état
des lieux, and quittance de loyer at
this site.
Cooking & Kitchen Utensils
| to chop / grind | hacher | cooking pot | la marmite |
| to grate | râper | lid | le couvercle |
| to peel | peler / éplucher | saucepan | la casserole |
| to pit | dénoyauter | frying pan | la poêle |
| to mix | mélanger | skillet | la sauteuse |
| to stir | remuer | casserole dish | la cocotte / daubière |
| to beat | battre | baking sheet | la plaque à gâteaux |
| to whip | fouetter | cooling rack | la grille de refroidissement |
| to sift | tamiser | cake tin | le moule à gâteaux |
| to pour | verser | pie tin | la tourtière |
| to cook | cuire | mixing bowl | le bol à mixer / le saladier |
| to roast | rôtir | strainer / colander | la passoire |
| to fry | frire | peeling knife | l'économe (m) |
| to steam | cuire à l'étouffée / faire cuire à la vapeur | slotted spoon / skimmer | l'écumoire (f) |
| to boil | bouillir | ladle | la louche |
| to simmer | mijoter | spatula | la spatule |
| to melt | fondre | (cheese) grater | la râpe (à fromage) |
| to stew | cuire en ragoût | whisk | le fouet |
| to broil / grill | griller | rolling pin | le rouleau à pâtisserie |
| to moisten | mouiller | can opener | l'ouvre-boîte (m) |
| to soften | faire revenir | aluminum foil | le papier d'aluminium |
| to sprinkle | saupoudrer | plastic wrap | le film transparent |
| to drain | égoutter | wax paper | le papier cuisson |
For verbs that involve cooking methods, you add faire before them when they are transitive verbs (when they take a direct object). So to cook something is faire cuire, to fry something is faire frire, to boil something is faire bouillir, etc. If you bake American foods in France, you will most likely need to look for certain ingredients that are not used very often in French cooking: condensed milk - lait concentré sucré; evaporated milk - lait concentré non-sucré; baking soda - bicarbonate alimentaire; baking powder - levure chimique and yeast - levure du boulanger. It is also very common to use le sopalin instead of essui-tout for paper towel.
Christmas Vocabulary
| Merry Christmas! | Joyeux Noël ! |
| angel | l’ange (m) |
| bell | la cloche / la clochette |
| bow | le nœud |
| bulb | la boule |
| candle | la bougie / la chandelle |
| candy cane | la canne en bonbon |
| chimney | la cheminée |
| Christmas card | la carte de Noël |
| Christmas carols | les chansons de Noël |
| Christmas Eve | la veille de Noël |
| Christmas Eve dinner | le réveillon de Noël |
| Christmas market | le marché de Noël |
| Christmas tree | le sapin de Noël |
| decorations | les décorations |
| egg nog | le lait de poule |
| elf | le lutin |
| fake tree | le sapin artificiel |
| garland | la guirlande |
| holly | le houx |
| lights | la guirlande électrique / lumineuse |
| mistletoe | le gui |
| nativity scene | la crèche |
| North Pole | le pôle nord |
| present | le cadeau |
| present name tags | les étiquettes |
| reindeer | le renne |
| ribbon | le bolduc / le ruban |
| Santa Claus | le Père Noël |
| Santa’s hat | le bonnet de Noël |
| Santa’s sack | la hotte du Père Noël |
| Santa’s workshop | l’atelier du Père Noël |
| sleigh | le traineau |
| sleigh bell | le grelot |
| snow | la neige |
| snowflake | le flocon de neige |
| snowman | le bonhomme de neige |
| star | l’étoile (f) |
| stocking | la chaussette de Noël |
| toy | le jouet |
| wrapping paper | le papier d’emballage |
| wreath | la couronne |
| Yule log | la bûche de Noël |
Transportation
| connection | la correspondance | subway map | le plan de métro |
| track | le quai | book of ten tickets | le carnet |
| platform | la voie | monthly pass | la carte orange |
| restaurant car | le wagon-restaurant | subway/bus line | la ligne |
| intersection | le carrefour | bus ticket | le ticket |
| sedan (4 door) | la berline | van | la camionnette |
| coupe (2 door) | le coupé | minivan | le monospace |
| station wagon | le break | pick-up truck | le pick-up |
| convertible | le cabriolet | SUV / large truck | le 4x4 (quatre-quatre) |
| semi-truck | le camion | trailer | le remorque |
Merci d'oblitérer votre ticket. Thank you for validating your ticket.
Où est l'arrêt de bus le plus proche ? Where is the closest bus stop?
Pour aller au centre-ville ? How do I get downtown?
Vous vous installez ici, madame ? Do you want to sit here, ma'am?
Vous descendez ? Are you getting off here?
Je descends ici. I'm getting off here.
School & Education
| school district | l'académie (f) | middle school principal | principal |
| urban district | l'arrondissement (m) | high school principal | proviseur |
| department / division | le département | exam after middle school | brevet |
| region / area | la région | exam after high school | baccalauréat |
| town | la commune | mathematics | mathématiques |
| pre-school | l'école maternelle | economics & sociology | sciences économique et sociale (SES) |
| elementary education | l'école primaire | living/foreign language | langue vivante (LV) |
| elementary student | écolier/ère | physics | physique |
| secondary education | secondaire | chemistry | chimie |
| middle school | le collège | biology | biologie |
| middle school student | collègien/ne | life/earth science | sciences de la vie et de la terre (SVT) |
| high school | le lycée | engineering | sciences de l'ingénieur (SI) |
| high school student | lycéen/ne | history/geography | histoire-géographie |
| higher education | supérieur | philosophy | philosophie |
| university student | étudiant/e | literature | littérature |
| university | l'université / la faculté | research project/seminar | travaux personnels encadrés (TPE) |
| prestigious universities | les grandes écoles | P.E. / Gym | éducation physique et sportive (EPS) |
| library | le CDI | report card | le bulletin scolaire |
Les vacances d'été s'appellent les grandes vacances. The summer vacation is called the big vacation.
Il a eu de mauvais résultats et il a dû redoubler. He got bad marks and he had to stay in the same grade.
Cette année, il passe dans la classe supérieure. This year, he's passing into the next grade.
Si je rate / Si j'échoue mon bac, je suis obligé de redoubler ma terminale. If I fail my final exam, I have to do my last year of school over again.
Ils ont seché les cours aujourd'hui. They skipped classes today.
Tu as eu combien ? What (grade) did you get?
J'ai eu 13, pas mal. I got a 13, not bad.
Note: In French schools, the grades/marks range from 1 to 20 (though 10 is considered passing, so it cannot be easily changed into percentages); and the grades/years descend instead of increasing: sixième is the first year of collège, while troisième is the last year. Ecole maternelle is ages 2-6, école élémentaire is ages 6-11 (CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, CM2), collège is ages 11-15 (6e, 5e, 4e, 3e), and lycée is ages 15-18 (2nde, 1ère, T).
| LG = Lycée Général | Bac = baccalauréat |
| LT= Lycée Technique | L = Littéraire |
| LPO= Lycée Polyvalent | ES = économique et sociale |
| LGT= Lycée Général et Technique | S = scientifique |
| CLG= Collège | STT = sciences et technologies tertiaires |
| EE= Ecole Elémentaire | STI = sciences et technologies industrielles |
| IA= Inspecteur Académique | STL = sciences et technologies de laboratoire |
| IEN= Inspecteur d’Education Nationale | SMS = sciences médico-sociales |
| IUFM = Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Maîtres | CAP = certificat d'aptitudes professionnelles |
| CP = Cours préparatoire | BEP = brevet d'études professionnelles |
| CE1 = Cours élémentaire 1ère année | BTS = brevet de technicien supérieur |
| CE2 = Cours élémentaire 2e année | CPGE = classes préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles |
| CM1 = Cours moyen 1ère année | CDI = centre de documentation et d'information |
| CM2 = Cours moyen 2e année | CPE = conseillers principaux d'éducation |
| T = Terminale | COP = conseiller d'orientation psychologue |
| Premier degré = maternelle & élémentaire | Second degré = collège & lycée |
News
| news | les informations / le journal | poverty | la pauvreté |
| news shows | le magazine d'actualités | homeless | les sans-abri |
| current events | l'actualité (f) | murder | le crime / le meurtre |
| weather report | la météo | genocide | le génocide |
| protest | la protestation | riot | l'émeute (m) |
| demonstration | la manifestation | curfew | le couvre-feu |
| earthquake | le tremblement de terre | harassment | le harcèlement (m) |
| hurricane | l'ouragan (m) | epidemic | l'épidémie (f) |
| flood | l'inondation (f) | plague | la peste |
| tsunami | le tsunami / le raz-de-marée | cloning | le clonage |
| drought | la sécheresse | drug addiction | la toxicomanie |
| burglary | le cambriolage | drug trafficking | le trafic de drogue |
| assault | l'agression (f) | trial | le procès |
| crime | le délit | testimony | le témoignage |
| robbery | le vol | evidence | la preuve |
| military | les militaires (m) | ceasefire | le cessez-le-feu |
| army | l'armée (f) | gun | le revolver |
| navy | la marine | rifle | le fusil |
| air force | les forces aériennes | troops | les troupes (f) |
| invasion | l'invasion (f) | soldier | le soldat |
| battle | la bataille | hostage | l'otage (m) |
| retreat | la retraite | casualty | les pertes (f) |
| treaty | le traité | winners | les vainqueurs (m) |
| truce | la trêve | losers | les vaincus (m) |
Politics
| prime minister | le premier ministre | citizen | le citoyen |
| president | le président | senator | le sénateur |
| vice president | le vice-président | representative | le député |
| dictator | le dictateur | mayor | le maire |
| nationality | la nationalité | law | la loi |
| community | la communauté | bill | le projet de loi |
| society | la société | policy | la politique |
| government | le gouvernement | proposal | la proposition |
| election | l'élection (f) | grant | la subvention |
| referendum | le référendum | legislation | la législation |
| vote | le vote | negotiation | la négociation |
| environment | l'environnement (m) | regulation | la réglementation |
| democracy | la démocratie | democrat | démocrate |
| anarchy | l'anarchie (f) | liberal | libéral/e |
| capitalism | le capitalisme | conservative | conservateur/trice |
| socialism | le socialisme | socialist | socialiste |
| communism | le communisme | communist | communiste |
Television
| the news | les infos | to be on (TV) | passer |
| series/program | la série | to act (in) | jouer |
| soap opera | le feuilleton | to channel surf | zapper |
| tv movie | le téléfilm | to turn on the TV | allumer la télé |
| documentary | le documentaire | to turn off the TV | éteindre la télé |
| channel | la chaîne | push the button | appuyer sur le bouton |
| remote control | la télécommande | turn up the volume | monter le son |
| subtitles | les sous-titrages | turn down the volume | baisser le son |
| commercials | les publicités (pub) | to plug in | brancher |
| actor/actress | le/la comédien/ne | to unplug | débrancher |
| director | le réalisateur | what's it about? | ça parle de quoi ? |
| comedian | l'humoriste | to be continued | à suivre |
| assault | l'agression (f) | prosecutor | le procureur |
| blackmail | le chantage | rape | le viol |
| blackmailer | le maître-chanteur | sketch | le portrait-robot |
| criminal record | le casier judiciaire | stabbed | poignardé |
| defendant | l'accusé (m) | strangled | étranglé |
| evidence | la pièce à conviction | surveillance | la filature |
| federal case | délit fédéral | suspect | le suspect |
| gun | le flingue | to arrest | arrêter |
| handcuffs | les menottes (f) | to con/cheat | escroquer |
| homicide | l'homicide (f) | to harass | harceler |
| investigation | l'enquête (f) | to press charges | porter plainte |
| kidnapping | l'enlèvement (m) | to report missing | porter disparu |
| laundering | le blanchiment | to run away | s'enfuir |
| lead | la piste / l'indice | to shoot | tirer |
| loaded (gun) | chargé | warrant | le mandat |
| murder | le meurtre | weapon | l'arme (m) |
| paperwork | la paperasse | witness | le témoin |
Soccer
| ball | le ballon | pass | une passe |
| captain | le capitaine | penalty kick | un penalty |
| captain armband | un brassard de capitaine | player | un joueur |
| cleats | les crampons | playoffs | le tableau final |
| coach | l'entraîneur / le selectionneur | quarter-finals | les quarts de finale |
| coin toss | un tirage à pile ou face | red card | carton rouge |
| corner kick | un corner | referee | l'arbitre |
| defense | un défenseur | replacement | le remplaçant |
| fans | les supporters | semi-finals | les demi-finales |
| final | la finale | shinguards | les protège-tibias |
| forward | un attaquant | shorts | la culotte |
| foul/penalty | une faute | shot | un tir |
| game | un match | slide tackle | un tacle |
| goal | un but | socks | les chausettes |
| goal post | les cages | standings | les classements |
| goalie | un gardien de but | starter player | le titulaire |
| goalie box | la surface de réparation | team | une équipe |
| group (in tournaments) | la poule / le groupe | tie game | un match nul |
| header | une tête | to pass | passer |
| jersey | un maillot | to score | marquer |
| kickoff | un coup d'envoi / un engagement | to shoot | tirer |
| midfield | un milieu de terrain | to throw in the ball | faire une touche |
| net | le filet | tournament | le tournoi |
| off-sides | hors-jeu | wave | la ola |
| out of bounds (behind the goals) | une sortie de but | What's the score? | Quel est le score? |
| out of bounds (on the sides) | en touche | yellow card | carton jaune |
Zodiac Signs
| signs of the Zodiac | les signes du zodiaque |
| horoscope | l'horoscope (m) |
| astrology | l'astrologie (f) |
| Aries | Bélier |
| Taurus | Taureau |
| Gemini | Gémeaux |
| Cancer | Cancer |
| Leo | Lion |
| Virgo | Vierge |
| Libra | Balance |
| Scorpio | Scorpion |
| Sagittarius | Sagittaire |
| Capricorn | Capricorne |
| Aquarius | Verseau |
| Pisces | Poisson |
Marriage & Civil Unions
| couple | le couple | to enter a PACS contract | se pacser |
| date | le rendez-vous | to get engaged | se fiancer |
| relationship | la relation | to get married | se marier |
| civil union | le PACS (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) | to break up / leave | rompre / quitter |
| engagement | les fiançailles (f) | to get divorced | divorcer |
| wedding | le mariage | to cheat on | tromper |
| wedding announcement | le faire-part de mariage | to meet | se rencontrer |
| honeymoon | la lune de miel | to separate | se séparer |
Ils vivent en concubinage / en union libre. They live with each other (without being married).
C'est mon copain / ma copine. This is my boyfriend / girlfriend.
J'ai une grande amitié pour lui. I have a great friendship with him.
Il a de l'affection pour elle. He has affection for her.
Mais elle n'éprouve aucun sentiment pour lui. But she has no feelings for him.
On se disputait sans cesse. We fought all the time.
Tu m'en veux ? Are you mad at me?
Je t'aime bien. / Je t'aime. I like you. / I love you
Si on allait au cinéma ce soir ? How about if we go to the movies tonight?
Tu es libre, samedi soir ? Are you free Saturday night?
Je n'ai rien de prévu pour ce week-end. I have no plans for this weekend.
When pulling petals off of a daisy, the French have 5 sayings instead of just He/she loves me; He/she loves me not:
1. Il/Elle m'aime. He/She loves me.
2. Un peu. A little.
3. Beaucoup. A lot.
4. A la folie. Like crazy.
5. Pas du tout. Not at all.
English used in French
There are many, many English words used in French, but some of them have a different meaning than in English. Sometimes the French pronunciation is radically different from the English pronunciation, so you may only be able to understand the word in writing but not in speech. Almost all English nouns borrowed into French are masculine, unless otherwise noted below. I've marked which words are used as adjectives in French, even though the original English word may be a noun. (Also check out Informal French & Slang as many words borrowed from French are considered slang.)
| agenda | planner / calendar | ||
| baby-foot | foosball | meeting | rally |
| barman | bartender | nickel | clean / perfect |
| basket | basketball | parking | parking lot |
| baskets | sneakers | people | celebrities |
| bermudes | bermuda shorts | planning | schedule |
| black (adj. / noun) | refers to skin color | play-back | lip-synching |
| body | onesie / body suit | pom-pom girl | cheerleader |
| bowling | bowling alley | pressing | dry cleaner's |
| break | station wagon | radio (f) | X-ray |
| brushing | blowdry | recordman | record holder |
| caddie | (shopping) cart | relax | lounge chair |
| camping | campground | relooking | makeover |
| camping-car | motorhome / camper | rollers | rollerblades |
| catch | pro wrestling | scotch | tape |
| clean (adj.) | sober | self (adj.) | self service |
| clip | music video | shorty | boy shorts |
| cornflakes | cereal | slip | boxers / briefs / underwear |
| dancing | dance hall | smoking | tuxedo |
| dressing | walk-in closet | speed (adj.) | hectic, busy |
| drive | drive-thru | string | thong underwear |
| entourage | group of friends | sweat | sweatshirt |
| fashion (adj.) | trendy | tennisman | tennis player |
| fast-food | fast food restaurant | tongs | flip-flops |
| flipper | pinball | le top | the best |
| foot | soccer | trench | trench coat |
| footing | jogging | tube | hit song |
| hard discount (adj.) | discount | tuning | tune up |
| jogging | jogging suit | type | guy |
| lifting | facelift | volley | volleyball |
| light (adj.) | diet | zapping | channel surfing |
| look | style | zen (adj.) | cool / laid-back |
| lové (adj.) | cuddly / snuggly |
Those marked in color are pronounced as a word, rather than each letter individually.
| ANAEM | Agence Nationale de l'Accueil des Etrangers et des Migrations | PC | Parti communiste |
| ANPE* | Agence nationale pour l'emploi | PDG | président-directeur général |
| ASSEDIC* | Association pour l'emploi dans l'industrie et le commerce | PJ | pièces joints |
| BCBG | bon chic bon genre | PS | Parti socialiste |
| BD | bande dessinée | PTT | Postes, télégraphes et téléphones |
| BN | Bibliothèque nationale | QG | quartier général |
| BNP | Banque nationale de Paris | RATP | Régie autonome des transports parisiens |
| BP | boîte postale | RDC | rez-de-chaussée |
| CAF | Caisse d'allocations familiales | RER | Réseau express régional |
| CDD | Contrat durée déterminée | RF | République française |
| CDI | Contrat durée indéterminée | RMI | Revenu minimum d'insertion |
| CDS | Carte de séjour | RV | rendez-vous |
| DALF | diplôme approfondi de langue française | SDF | Sans domicile fixe |
| DEA | diplôme d'études approfondies | SIDA | syndrome immunodéficitaire acquis |
| DELF | diplôme d'études en langue française | SMIC | Salaire minimum interprofessional de croissance |
| DOM-TOM | Départements d'outre-mer et Territoires d'outre-mer | SNCF | Société nationale de chemin de fer |
| EDF | Electricité de France | SPA | Société protectrice des animaux |
| ENA | Ecole Nationale d'Administration | SVP | s'il vous plaît |
| FLQ | Front de la libération du Québec | TER | Transport express régional |
| FNAC | Fédération nationale des achats de cadres | TGB | Très grande bibliothèque |
| GDF | Gaz de France | TGV | Train à grande vitesse |
| HLM | Habitation à loyer modéré | TTC | toutes taxes comprises |
| INSEE | Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques | TVA | taxe à la valeur ajoutée |
| MGEN | Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale | UE | Union européenne |
| MJC | Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture | UDF | Union pour la démocratie française |
| MLF | Mouvement pour la libération de la femme | UMP | Union pour un Mouvement Populaire |
| MRAP | Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l'amitié entre les peuples | VF | version française |
| OMI | Office des Migrations Internationales | VO | version originale |
| ONU | Organisation des Nations Unies | VOST | version originale sous-titrée |
| OTAN | Organisation du trait de l'Atlantique du Nord | VTT | vélo tout terrain |
| OVNI | Objet volant non identifié | X | l'École Polytechnique |
| PV | procès-verbal |
* ANPE and ASSEDIC no longer exist. They were merged
together in 2009 to form Pôle Emploi.
Regions & Departments of France
Régions de France
métropolitaine
|
English Translations
|
| Alsace | Alsace |
| Aquitaine | Aquitaine |
| Auvergne | Auvergne |
| Basse-Normandie | Lower-Normandy |
| Bretagne | Brittany |
| Bourgogne | Burgundy |
| Centre | Center |
| Champagne-Ardenne | Champagne-Ardenne |
| Corse | Corsica |
| Franche-Comté | Franche-Comte |
| Haute-Normandie | Upper-Normandy |
| Ille-de-France | Paris-Isle-of-France |
| Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Limousin | Limousin |
| Lorraine | Lorraine |
| Midi-Pyrénées | Midi-Pyrenees |
| Nord-Pas-de-Calais | North-Calais |
| Pays-de-la-Loire | Pays-de-la-Loire |
| Picardie | Picardy |
| Poitou-Charentes | Poitou-Charentes |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Provence-Alpes-Azur |
| Rhône-Alpes | Rhone-Alps |
Régions/Départements d'outre-mer
|
Overseas Regions/Departments |
| Guadeloupe | Guadeloupe |
| Martinique | Martinique |
| Guyane | French Guiana |
| La Réunion | Reunion |
Each région is divided into départements,
except for the overseas regions (they exist as régions as well
as départements.) Each département is assigned a two-digit
number that begins the zip code (the numbers somewhat correspond to alphabetical
order). For example, the département of Ain is 01 and the département
of Vosges is 88.
DOM-TOM means départements d'outre-mer
and térritoires d'outre-mer. French territories (also called
collectivities) include Polynésie française, Mayotte, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon,
Wallis-et-Futuna, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
Nouvelle Calédonie has a special status (sui generis)
and will vote for independence from France in the next ten years.
The 96 departments of mainland France, grouped according
to their region, are:
| 67 Bas-Rhin | Alsace | 11 Aude | Languedoc-Roussillon | |
| 68 Haut-Rhin | 30 Gard | |||
| 34 Hérault | ||||
| 24 Dordogne | Aquitaine | 48 Lozère | ||
| 33 Gironde | 66 Pyrénées-Orientales | |||
| 40 Landes | ||||
| 47 Lot-et-Garonne | 19 Corrèze | Limousin | ||
| 64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 23 Creuse | |||
| 87 Haute-Vienne | ||||
| 03 Allier | Auvergne | |||
| 15 Cantal | 54 Meurthe-et-Moselle | Lorraine | ||
| 43 Haute-Loire | 55 Meuse | |||
| 63 Puy-de-Dôme | 57 Moselle | |||
| 88 Vosges | ||||
| 14 Calvados | Basse-Normandie | |||
| 50 Manche | 09 Ariège | Midi-Pyrénées | ||
| 61 Orne | 12 Aveyron | |||
| 31 Haute-Garonne | ||||
| 21 Côte-d'Or | Bourgogne | 32 Gers | ||
| 58 Nièvre | 46 Lot | |||
| 71 Saône-et-Loire | 65 Hautes-Pyrénées | |||
| 89 Yonne | 81 Tarn | |||
| 82 Tarn-et-Garonne | ||||
| 22 Côtes-d'Armor | Bretagne | |||
| 29 Finistère | 59 Nord | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | ||
| 35 Ille-et-Vilaine | 62 Pas-de-Calais | |||
| 56 Morbihan | ||||
| 44 Loire-Atlantique | Pays de la Loire | |||
| 18 Cher | Centre | 49 Maine-et-Loire | ||
| 28 Eure-et-Loir | 53 Mayenne | |||
| 36 Indre | 72 Sarthe | |||
| 37 Indre-et-Loire | 85 Vendée | |||
| 41 Loir-et-Cher | ||||
| 45 Loiret | 02 Aisne | Picardie | ||
| 60 Oise | ||||
| 08 Ardennes | Champagne-Ardenne | 80 Somme | ||
| 10 Aube | ||||
| 51 Marne | 16 Charente | Poitou-Charentes | ||
| 52 Haute-Marne | 17 Charente-Maritime | |||
| 79 Deux-Sèvres | ||||
| 2A Corse-du-Sud | Corse | 86 Vienne | ||
| 2B Haute-Corse | ||||
| 04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | Provence-Alpes- Côte d'Azur |
|||
| 25 Doubs | Franche-Comté | 05 Hautes-Alpes | ||
| 39 Jura | 06 Alpes-Maritimes | |||
| 70 Haute-Saône | 13 Bouches-du-Rhône | |||
| 90 Territoire de Belfort | 83 Var | |||
| 84 Vaucluse | ||||
| 27 Eure | Haute-Normandie | |||
| 76 Seine-Maritime | 01 Ain | Rhône-Alpes | ||
| 07 Ardèche | ||||
| 75 Paris | Île-de-France | 26 Drôme | ||
| 77 Seine-et-Marne | 38 Isère | |||
| 78 Yvelines | 42 Loire | |||
| 91 Essonne | 69 Rhône | |||
| 92 Hauts-de-Seine | 73 Savoie | |||
| 93 Seine-Saint-Denis | 74 Haute-Savoie | |||
| 94 Val-de-Marne | ||||
| 95 Val-d'Oise |
The 50 most populous cities in France (including the DOM-TOMs)
are:
| City | Department | Region |
| Paris | Paris | Île-de-France |
| Marseille | Bouches-du-Rhône | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Lyon | Rhône | Rhône-Alpes |
| Toulouse | Haute-Garonne | Midi-Pyrénées |
| Nice | Alpes-Maritimes | Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur |
| Nantes | Loire-Atlantique | Pays de la Loire |
| Strasbourg | Bas-Rhin | Alsace |
| Montpellier | Hérault | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Bordeaux | Gironde | Aquitaine |
| Lille | Nord | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Rennes | Ille-et-Vilaine | Bretagne |
| Reims | Marne | Champagne-Ardenne |
| Le Havre | Seine-Maritime | Haute-Normandie |
| Saint-Étienne | Loire | Rhône-Alpes |
| Toulon | Var | Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur |
| Grenoble | Isère | Rhône-Alpes |
| Angers | Maine-et-Loire | Pays de la Loire |
| Dijon | Côte-d'Or | Bourgogne |
| Brest | Finistère | Bretagne |
| Nîmes | Gard | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Le Mans | Sarthe | Pays de la Loire |
| Aix-en-Provence | Bouches-du-Rhône | Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur |
| Clermont-Ferrand | Puy-de-Dôme | Auvergne |
| Saint-Denis | La Réunion | La Réunion |
| Tours | Indre-et-Loire | Centre |
| Limoges | Haute-Vienne | Limousin |
| Villeurbanne | Rhône | Rhône-Alpes |
| Amiens | Somme | Picardie |
| Metz * | Moselle | Lorraine |
| Besançon | Doubs | Franche-Comté |
| Perpignan | Pyrénées-Orientales | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| Orléans | Loiret | Centre |
| Mulhouse | Haut-Rhin | Alsace |
| Caen | Calvados | Basse-Normandie |
| Boulogne-Billancourt | Hauts-de-Seine | Île-de-France |
| Rouen | Seine-Maritime | Haute-Normandie |
| Nancy | Meurthe-et-Moselle | Lorraine |
| Argenteuil | Val-d'Oise | Île-de-France |
| Montreuil | Seine-Saint-Denis | Île-de-France |
| Saint-Paul | La Réunion | La Réunion |
| Roubaix | Nord | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Saint-Denis | Seine-Saint-Denis | Île-de-France |
| Avignon | Vaucluse | Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur |
| Tourcoing | Nord | Nord-Pas-de-Calais |
| Fort-de-France | Martinique | Martinique |
| Créteil | Val-de-Marne | Île-de-France |
| Poitiers | Vienne | Poitou-Charentes |
| Nanterre | Hauts-de-Seine | Île-de-France |
| Versailles | Yvelines | Île-de-France |
| Courbevoie | Hauts-de-Seine | Île-de-France |
People who live in Metz pronounce the city more like mess,
whereas most other French people pronounce it metz.
Geographical Features of France:
| la Loire | Loire river |
| la Garonne | Garonne river |
| le Rhône | Rhône river |
| la Seine | Seine river |
| les Alpes (f) | the Alps |
| le Mont-Blanc | Mont Blanc (highest mountain in W. Europe) |
| le Jura | the Jura |
| les Pyrénées (f) | the Pyrenees |
| le Massif Central | the Massif Central |
| les Vosges (f) | the Vosges |
| la mer Méditerranée | Mediterranean Sea |
| l'océan Atlantique (m) | Atlantic Ocean |
| la Mer du Nord | North Sea |
| la Manche | English Channel |
| le Golfe de Gascogne | Bay of Biscay |
Your name and address should be placed in the top left corner. The receiver's address is placed below yours, on the right. The city you are in and the date is placed below the addresses, and on the left. (Remember to use French date formats: le 7 octobre 2008).
| Your name Your address Zip Code & City
Receiver's Name
City, le # mois 2009Receiver's Address Zip Code & City Madame ou Monsieur, |
- Dans l’attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments respectueux.
- Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
- Je vous prie de croire, Monsieur, à l'assurance de mes sentiments distingués.
In less formal situations, such as in certain e-mails, you can just use cordialement.
Informal Ways of Speaking
Similar to the reduced forms in English (wanna, gonna, doncha, etc.), there are several informal ways of speaking in French. You will hear these forms very often, but you do not have to speak this way if you don't want to. However, you must be able to understand reduced forms in order to understand real spoken French. You may see these forms in informal written French (such as on blogs or in chat rooms), but you should still write the formal way.
- Tu + verb beginning with a vowel The most common contractions with tu are t'as and t'es, which replace tu as and tu es. You can also contract tu + other verbs that begin with a vowel, such as t'aimes or t'ouvres, which replace tu aimes and tu ouvres.
- Unstressed e The letter e is often dropped between twoconsonants (e caduc) if it is unstressed, such as in samedi, and also at the end of short words, such as ce, de, je, le, me, que, se, te. It's also common in future and conditional tenses of verbs: donnerai = donn'rai; aimerais = aim'rais
- Reduced forms: il(s), elle(s), puis, parce que, quelque The pronouns il and ils reduce to y, while elle and elles reduce to è when followed by a consonant. When followed by a vowel, il and elle reduce to l' whereas ils becomes y z' or just z' and elles becomes è'z'. The word puis is more commonly pronounced pis, parce que is pronounced pasque, and quelque is pronounced quèque.
- Use on instead of nous The pronoun on is used much more often to mean we than nous. It always take the third person singular form of the verb even though it's always plural in English.
- Drop ne in negatives Although the ne in negatives should always be written, it is very rarely used in informal speech.
- Drop -re at end of words You usually do not pronounce -re at the end of a word, whether it's a verb (mettre) or adjective (notre).
- Word order in questions Word order in questions is less difficult to master in informal spoken French. Inversion and est-ce que are generally not used, and word order is simply subject - verb - question word OR question word - subject - verb.
- Forget grammatical rules Sometimes you can forget the grammar rules that you have learned when speaking informally. An example of this is using à to show possession (in grammatically correct French, you should use de).
T'as fini de manger ? Have you finished eating?
T'es fatigué ou quoi ? Are you tired or what?
T'as beau essayer, t'y arrives pas. No matter how much you try, you won't succeed.
T'as rien compris ! Laisse-moi t'expliquer. You didn't understand! Let me explain it to you.
Il s'lève de bonne heure. He gets up early.
C'est c'que je veux. That's what I want.
Faut que j'parte maintenant. I have to leave now.
Avec ce travail, je ne manqu'rai pas d'argent. With this job, I won't lack money.
Y pense qu'elle l'aime, mais c'est pas le cas. He thinks that she loves him, but that's not the case.
On va aller au restaurant, et pis après on se fera un ciné. We'll go to the restaurant, and then after we'll go to the movies.
Pourquoi tu dois m'obéir ? Pasque je suis ton père ! Why must you obey me? Because I'm your father!
Y a quèque chose la-dessous ! Regarde voir ! There's something down there! Look!
On peut y aller ? Tout le monde est là ? Can we go ? Is everybody here ?
C'est pasqu'on est frères que je te fais confiance. It's because we are brothers that I trust you.
Pourrait-on accélérer ? On va pas assez vite ! Could we speed it up? We're not going fast enough!
Ça va pas ! C'est nul ! That doesn't work! That's stupid!
Si tu veux pas voir ce film, lequel veux-tu voir ? If you don't want to see this movie, which one do you want to see?
Je peux pas m'acheter cette voiture. C'est pas possible. I can't buy myself this car. It's not possible.
Allez, à bientôt ! A un de ces quat' ! See you soon one of these days!
C'est pas vot' problème, c'est not' problème. It's not your problem, it's our problem.
Y faut pas êt' si bête. You shouldn't be so stupid.
Tu fais quoi ? What are you doing?
On va où ? Where are we going?
Il parle de quoi ? What's he talking about?
Pourquoi t'as dit ça ? Why did you say that?
Quand elle va arriver ? When is she going to arrive?
Quelle heure il est ? What time is it?
In addition, ça frequently follows an interrogative to add emphasis, such as in qui ça ? or c'est quoi, ça ?
On est dans la chambre à Cyril. We are in Cyril's room.
Another example is using (r)amener to mean to bring things (back) to some place. In grammatically correct French, you should only use (r)amener with people, and (r)apporter with things.
J'ai ramené les livres à la médiathèque. I brought the books back to the library.
Fillers in speech are words that don't add any real meaning to the sentence, except for maybe emphasis. Examples in English include uh, um, well, I mean, I guess, you know?, so, ok, etc. You should get used to just ignoring these words when you hear them, so that you can focus on the key words in the sentence.
- Quoi is the most common filler that I hear in everyday
speech. It can be used to add emphasis to emotions or thoughts or to
show impatience. It is usually said at the very end of the sentence.
- Voilà is often used with quoi at the end of
the sentence.
- A la limite is mostly used by young people, and can
be translated as I suppose or I mean.
- Tu vois ? is the closest approximation for you
know?
- Bon begins or ends a thought, similar to ok.
It also can express anger or impatience, similar to fine! (Ah,
bon ? actually means "really?" and not "good.")
- Ben (pronounced liked bain) adds emphasis to questions,
statements, commands and yes or no.
- Bon ben is used to wrap up a thought or conversation.
Translated as ok or well.
- Donc emphasizes a question or command.
- Alors emphasizes an interjection and yes or no.
- Moi is commonly added to commands involving the
senses. The closest translation in English is "just." Regarde-moi-ça
! Just look at that!
- Eh bien means well... at the beginning
of a sentence or thought.[not recorded yet]
- Hein ? is similar to eh? at the end of a sentence.
- Euh... is the filler equivalent to uh or um when you're thinking of what to say next.
- Voyons... is similar to let's see.
Aïe ! / Ouïe ! / Ouille ! Ouch !
Beurk ! Berk ! Yuck!
Boum ! Boom! Bang!
Chiche ! I dare you! Go ahead!
Chut ! Shush! Be quiet!
Gla gla! Brrrrrrr!
Ho ! / Hé ! Wow! or Hey!
Holà ! Hey! Whoa!
Hop là ! Got it! There ya go! Whoopsie-daisy!
Merde ! Shit! [not as strong as in English] / Break a leg!
Miam miam ! Yum yum!
Mince ! / Zut ! Darn! Dang it!
Ouf ! Phew!
Oups ! Oops!
Pan ! Bang!
Putain ! [the general all-purpose swear word in French]
Toc, toc ! Knock knock!
Vlan ! Slam!
Youpi ! Yay!
Several suffixes are commonly used to form slang words from regular words. This may help you determine the meaning of the slang word, which you probably cannot find in a dictionary, by identifying the root word, which you can find in a dictionary. For example, folle is a regular adjective meaning crazy. Follasse is the slang word derived from the adjective that means crazy woman.
| - aille (r) | - ard | - arès | - asse | - ace | - oche |
| - os | - osse | - ouille | - ouse | - ouze | - uche |
Je n'en reviens pas - I can't believe it
C'est du gâteau ! - It's a piece of cake!
Revenons à nos moutons - Let's get back to the subject
Ça saute aux yeux - That's obvious
C'est dans la poche - It's a sure thing
Quand les poules auront des dents - When pigs fly
Ça ne tourne pas rond - Something's wrong
C'est pas vrai ! - You're kidding!
Ce n'est pas la mer à boire - It's not the end of the world
C'est pas sorcier - It's not rocket science
Je vais jeter un œil - I'll take a look
Ça n'a rien à voir avec... - That has nothing to do with...
Ça vaut le coup - It's worth it
On voit que dalle - You can't see anything
Ça va être chaud ! It's going to be tough!
Tu dois me tirer de là ! - You gotta help me out!
Ç'est parti ! Here we go / we're off !
Ça gaze ? How are things? What's up?
Oh purée ! Oh my goodness!
Ça fait un bail ! It's been a long time !
Ça craint ! / C'est nul ! - That sucks!
Fais voir - Show me / Let me see
Je suis prems ! - I'm first!
Rien que d’en parler... - Just talking about it...
If you can't remember the name of a thing, you can use ce truc, ce machin, ce bidule or cet engin similarly to the English thingy, thingamajig, whatchamacallit, etc.
What's-his-name is Monsieur Untel and what's-her-name is Madame Unetelle. You can also use Machin but it has a more derogative meaning, as if you are saying the person is merely an object.
balancer - to throw (away)
en baver - to have a hard time
bosser - to work
bouffer - to eat
bourrer - to stuff, cram
bousiller - to break, damage
chialer - to cry
chopper - to get, to catch
débarquer - to arrive without notice
dégoter - to find, come up with, dig up
encarrer - to enter
engueuler - to tell someone off / chew someone out / give someone hell
épater / scier - to astonish, surprise
être à deux doigts (de faire quelque chose) - to be on the verge (of doing something)
être à la bourre - to be in a hurry
être à mourir d'ennui - to be very boring
faire gaffe - be careful, pay attention
farfouiller - to rummage
filer - to give, hand over
filer à l'anglaise - to leave without saying goodbye / to take a French leave
flipper - to go crazy, flip out
fourrer - to cram, stick, shove
foutre - to put, throw / to give / to do
foutre le bordel - to make a mess
gaver - to be sick of
gerber - to puke
gober - to believe naively / to fall for
gonfler - to annoy
louper - to miss
mater / zieuter - to look
papoter - to chatter, gossip
paumer - to lose
piger - to understand
piquer - to steal
planquer - to hide
poireauter - to wait
repêcher - to find
rigoler / se marrer - to laugh
roupiller - to sleep
schlinguer - to stink
se planter - to make a mistake
se pointer / radiner - to show up
se tirer / se barrer / se casser - to leave
vadrouiller - to rove around
The verb foutre
This slang verb has several meanings in French: to put, to give, to do, etc. It is conjugated thus: fous - fous - fout - foutons - foutez - foutent. The pronominal verb s'en foutre means to not care, while the adjective foutu(e) usually means screwed/screwed up. Fiche is a milder verb that is very common too. It is conjugated: fiche - fiches - fiche - fichons - fichez - fichent and the past participle is fichu(e).
Je m'en fous / Je m'en fiche. I don't care.
Qu'est-ce qu'il fout là-bas ? What's he doing over there? / What the hell is he doing over there??
J'en ai rien à foutre. I don't care. [stronger] / I don't give a damn.
Je m'en fous de tes problèmes. I don't care about your problems.
Tu t'en fous de ce que les autres pensent. You don't care about what others think.
On s'en fout de foot ! We don't care about soccer!
Ils s'en foutent des jeunes. They don't care about young people.
Fous-moi la paix ! Leave me alone! / Give me a break!
Fous le camp ! F you!
Va te faire foutre ! Go to hell!
The adjective foutu does not always have a negative connotation, however:
un mec bien foutu a well-built/muscular guy
Common Adjectives
bidon - phoney, fake
chapeau - bravo, hats off!
chelou - shady, suspicious
chiant - annoying
collant - clingy
cradingue / crado - filthy
débile - pathetic, stupid
dégueulasse - disgusting
déjanté - oddball
dingue / cinglé / timbré / givré / barjo / loufoque - crazy
farfelu - eccentric
futé - cunning, crafty, sly
génial / chouette - great
godiche - silly, awkward
gratos- free
impec - great, terrific
kif-kif - same difference; it's the same
mal barré / mal foutu - "in dire straits" / screwed
marrant / rigolo - funny
moche - ugly
nickel - very clean
nunuche - silly, stupid
pas terrible - not good
radin - cheap
roublard - devious, cunning
salé - expensive
sympa - nice, likable
vache - mean
zinzin - nuts
Common Intensifiers / Adverbs
carrément - completely
rudement - very, terribly
pas mal de / un paquet de - a lot of
super / mega / hyper - very, ultra
vachement - very, really
foutrement - extremely
Oh la vache ! - Oh wow!
espèce de + adjectif - stupid + adjective
adjectif + de chez + adjectif - really, completely + adjective
→ Ce livre est nul de chez nul. This book majorly sucks.
nom + de malheur - darned + noun
nom + d'enfer - really good + noun
Verlan is a popular form of slang that involves reversing the syllables in regular words.
mère - reum
père - reup
femme - meuf
mec - keum
fête - teuf
flic - keuf
louche - chelou
cher - reuch
énervé - vénère
boudin - doubin
capote - poteca
toi - ouat
moi - ouam
babines (f) - lips
barbouze (f) - beard
bide / bidon (m) - belly
→ Mon chat a un bide énorme ! My cat has a huge belly!
caillou / ciboulot (m) - head
carcasse (f) - body
couille / roubignole (f) - testicle
esgourdes (f) - ears
gueule (f) / bec (m) - mouth
→ Ferme ta gueule ! Shut up!
jambons / gigots (m) - thighs
mirettes (f) - eyes
nichons (m) - breasts
palpitant / battant (m) - heart
paluche / pince (f) - hand
panard / ripaton (m) - foot
patte / gambette / guibole / quille (f) - leg
pif / blair (m) - nose
riquiqui (m) - pinkie finger
tifs (m) - hair
tignasse (f) - mop of hair
→ J’ai une tignasse frisée qui m’arrive en bas du dos. I have curly hair that goes all the way down my back.
tronche (f) - face, head
se casser la gueule - to break one's neck
passer sur le billard - to have an operation
avoir la pêche / la patate - to be on top of the world, to feel good
avoir mal au cœur - to feel nauseated / to feel like vomiting
gerber / dégueuler - to puke
crever / clamser - to die (figuratively), to "croak"
avoir mauvaise / bonne mine - to look bad / good
être maigre comme un clou - to be really skinny
attraper la crève - to catch a terrible cold
tomber dans les pommes / les vapes - to pass out
requinquer - to perk up
se débarbouiller - to wash your face
à l'article de la mort - at death's door
bien roulée - good body
mal fichu - sick
l'hosto [l'hôpital] - hospital
crevé / lessivé / nase / mort / cassé / vanné / HS [hors-service] - really tired, exhausted
avoir le cafard / le blues / le spleen - to be sad, depressed
être de mauvais poil - to be in a bad mood
en avoir marre / en avoir ras-le-bol / en avoir soupé - to be fed up, angry
→ J'en ai marre de ces pubs ! I'm so sick of these ads!
avoir les boules / les glandes / les nerfs / la haine - to be really angry
raffoler de quelque chose - to be crazy about something
être accro à quelque chose - to be addicted to something
avoir le mal du pays - to be homesick
se barber - to get bored
avoir la trouille / la frousse / le trac - to be scared
fiche la trouille / frousse à quelqu'un - to scare somebody
→ C'est la première fois qu'une BD me fiche la frousse. That's the first time a comic book scared me.
déconner - to joke / mess around
se planter - to make a mistake / to fall
péter les plombs / péter un cable - to go crazy
perdre la boule / les pédales - to lose one's mind
s'engueuler / bagarrer - to fight, yell
rififi (m) / bagarre (f) - fight
raclée / saucée / trempe (f) - scolding
filer une baffe / une claque / une beigne à quelqu'un - to slap someone
coller un pain / une mandale / une chataigne / un marron à quelqu'un - to punch someone
coquard (m) - black eye
furax - furious, angry
blairer quelqu'un - to not be able to stand someone
ne pas sentir quelqu'un - to not like, not be able to stand someone
casser les pieds à quelqu'un / prendre la tête à quelqu'un - to annoy someone
être casse-bonbons / casse-pieds / casse-couilles - to be a pain in the neck/ass
cafter quelqu'un - to tell on someone, to snitch
faire du pétard - to make a fuss
→ Il fait du pétard quand les choses ne vont pas comme il veut. He makes a fuss when things aren't how he wants them to be.
rouscailler - to complain
gonfler quelqu'un / emmerder quelqu'un - to get on someone's nerves, be a pain
faire chier quelqu'un - to really annoy someone, to piss someone off
→ Ça me fait chier de refaire une année, puis encore deux années en BTS. That pisses me off to repeat a grade, and then still have two more years of BTS.
monter sur ses grands chevaux - to get angry
se mettre en pétard - to get crabby, angry
se faire de la bile - to get all worked up
en faire toute une salade - to make a big deal about it
taper sur les nerfs à quelqu'un - to get on someone's nerves
chambrer / taquiner quelqu'un - to tease, bother someone
Tu te fous de ma gueule ? - Are you kidding me? / Do you think I'm an idiot?
Tu me prends pour qui ? - Who do you think you're dealing with? / Do you think I'm stupid?
Lâche-moi les baskets ! - Give me a break! Leave me alone!
Ce sont pas tes oignons ! / T'occupe ! - Mind your own business!
Laisse béton ! - Nevermind! Forget it!
Ta gueule ! / La ferme ! - Shut up!
avoir la cosse / flemme - to be lazy
avoir un poil dans la main - to be really lazy
avoir la bougeotte - to be fidgety
flemmard / feignant - lazy
glander / glandouiller - to waste time, to bum around
→ Il glande tous les jours chez lui. He does nothing all day at home.
se pavaner - to strut about, show off
frimer - to show off
frimeur (m) - showoff
→ C'est un mec qui a l'air sympathique ; c'est pas un frimeur à ce que je sache ! He seems like a nice guy; he's not a showoff as far as I know!
lèche-bottes (f) - suckup, brown-noser
raté (m) - loser
débile / taré - stupid, idiotic
con (m) / conne (f) - idiot
→ "Casse-toi, pauvre con !" Get lost, stupid idiot! - quote from French president, Nicolas Sarkozy
quiche (f) - stupid person
bourrique (m/f) - a blockhead
avoir l'air vaseux - to seem dazed
bête noire (f) - pet peeve
galère (f) - problem, difficulty
donner un coup de main - to give someone a hand / to help someone
dépanner quelqu'un - to do someone a favor
retirer une épine du pied à quelqu'un - to do someone a big favor
pot (m) - luck / drink
bol (m) - luck
→ J'ai vachement de bol, j'ai pas de gosses et j'ai une voiture. I'm really lucky, I don't have kids and I have a car.
guigne / déveine / poisse (f) - bad luck
guignard(e)(m/f) - unlucky person
avoir de la veine - to be lucky
branché - with it, hip, cool
peinard / pénard - calm, tranquil
→ Cette année, c'est pénard, mais l'année prochaine, le bac ! This year is calm, but next year is the bac [final exam]!
zen - cool, calm, laid-back
bahut (m) - school (also truck, taxi)
→ Mon bahut est en grève ! My school is on strike!
bizut (m) - freshman / pledge (to a fraternity/sorority)
bizutage (m) - hazing
bouquin (m) - book
bûcher / potasser - to study hard, to cram
calé en - good/smart in
cartonner à un examen - to ace an exam
chouchou (m) - teacher's pet
colle (f) - difficult question
coller un élève - to punish a student / give a student detention
→ Mon fils est collé deux heures par son prof de math. My son got two hours of detention from his math teacher.
être collé - to have detention
fac (f) - university
piger - to understand, to get (it)
plancher - to be grilled/interrogated by a teacher
potache (m) - student
se faire étendre / coller à un examen - to flunk a test
sécher un cours - to skip class
cailler - to freeze
cramer - to burn
flotter - to rain
flotte (f) - water
froid de canard - really cold weather
temps de chien - lousy weather
tomber des cordes - to rain heavily, to pour
il pleut comme vache qui pisse - it's pouring / it's really coming down
saucée (f) - shower
se peler les miches - to freeze one's ass off
→ Je suis frileuse et je me pèle les miches été comme hiver. I'm always cold and I freeze my ass off in summer like in winter.
entre chien et loup - at dusk, sunset
il y a des lustres - a long time ago
pige (f) - year
un de ces quat' - one of these days
avoir de la tchatche - to talk a lot
avoir un mot sur le bout de la langue - to have a word on the tip of your tongue
baratin (m) - nonsense
baratiner - to sweet talk
bavarder / causer - to chat
→ Elle aime causer et tout le monde la connaît. She likes to chat and everyone knows her.
blaze (m) - name
casser les oreilles à quelqu'un - to talk someone's ear off
chanter comme une casserole - to sing really badly
charabia (m) - gibberish
charrier - to exaggerate
dégoiser - to talk a lot, rattle on
déjanter - to talk nonsense, to go crazy
donner un coup de fil - to call, telephone
et patati et patata - blah blah blah
jacter - to speak, chatter
parler une langue comme une vache espagnole - to speak a language really badly
passer du coq à l'âne - to quickly change the subject
quand on parle du loup - speak of the devil
ragots - rumors, gossip, the "dirt"
→ Si quelqu'un dit des ragots sur moi, alors je m'en fous. If someone spreads rumors about me, I don't care.
rouspéter - to complain, moan
tchatcher - to chat
tuyau (m) / astuce (f) - tip, piece of advice
avoir la dalle - to be starving
→ J'ai la dalle et je sais pas quoi faire à manger. I'm starving and I don't know what to make to eat.
avoir la gueule de bois - to have a hangover
avoir les crocs - to be very hungry
avoir un petit creux - to be a little hungry
arroser - to drink to celebrate something
barbaque / bidoche (f) - bad meat
Berk ! - Yuck!
blonde (f) - ale
boire un verre / un coup / un pot - to have a drink
bouffe / boustifaille (f) - food
bouffer - to eat
boui-boui (m) - dive, bad restaurant
bourré / pété / rond / saoul / défoncé / plein - drunk
ça fouette - that stinks (said of cheese)
casser la croûte - to have a snack
→ On a cassé la croûte avec une vue magnifique depuis le nord au sud du Mont-Blanc. We had a snack with a magnificent view from the north to south of Mont Blanc.
chaud - tipsy, buzzed
chopine (f) - bottle of wine
dégueulasse - disgusting
gavé - stuffed (ate too much)
se goinfrer / s'empiffrer / se taper - to pig out
gueuleton (m) - feast, huge spread of food
Miam ! - Yum!
péter - to fart (also: to burst, blow up, snap)
picole (f) - alcohol, booze
picoler - to drink alcohol
picoleur, picoleuse - drinker
pinard (m) - cheap wine
pochtron / poivrot (m) - drunkard
prendre une cuite - to get wasted/plastered
pression (f) - draft beer
régaler - to treat, pay
repu - full (of food)
roter - to burp
tituber - to stumble (drunkenly)
→ Il titubait et hurlait dans les couloirs, complètement bourré. He was stumbling and yelling in the hall, completely drunk.
tournée (f) - round of drinks
trinquer - to toast, to drink to [this can also mean to be devastated, to suffer: Dans un divorce, ce sont toujours les enfants qui trinquent. In a divorce, it's always the children who suffer.]
beauf (m) - brother-in-law / lower-class Frenchman
belle-doche (f) - mother-in-law
canaille (f) - rascal, scoundrel
copain / copine (m/f) - friend, pal
fiston (m) - son
frangin (m) - brother
frangine (f) - sister
gamin/e (m/f) - kid, brat
gars (m) - boy
gosse (m/f) - kid [be careful: this means testicles in Quebecois French!]
loulou / loulotte - boyfriend / girlfriend
mec / keum / type (m) - guy
meuf [Verlan for femme] - wife
môme (m/f) - kid, brat
moutards / lardons / marmots / morveux (m) - kids
nana / gonzesse (f) - girl, chick
pote (m) - buddy, mate
racaille (f) - scum
reum [Verlan for mère] - mother
reup [Verlan for père] - father
ricain(e) - American
vieux (m) - parents
voyou / gouape - punk, hooligan
clébard (m) - mutt, hound
piaf (m) - bird
piaule / crèche (f) - bedroom
pieu / plumard / pageot (m) - bed
crècher - to crash, to live
pioncer / roupiller - to sleep
truc / machin (m) - a thing, thingamajig
bordel (m) / bazar (m) / galère (f) - mess
→ C'est quoi ce bordel ? What is all this mess?
bagnole / caisse (f) - car
baraque (f) - shed, stand, house
bled perdu (m) - nowheresville, in the boonies
→ Je viens du fin fond de la Bretagne dans un bled perdu où il n'y a rien à faire. I come from the boonies at the far end of Brittany, where there's nothing to do.
coin (m) - place in general
se taper 10 bornes à pied - to walk 10 kilometers
borne (f) - kilometer
arnaquer - to rip off, cheat
arnaqueur (m) - con artist
balle (f) - franc (many French people still think in francs instead of euros)
BCBG [bon chic bon genre] - posh, stylish, preppy
bo-bo [Bourgeois Bohême] - person with good job and Bohemian lifestyle
boîte (f) - company
bosser / taffer - to work
boulot (m) - work, job
bourge (n) - bourgeois, middle class
claquer - to blow money
clodo / clochard (m) - bum, homeless person
douloureuse (f) - bill (that you know is going to be high)
être plein aux as - to have a lot of money
fric / pognon / blé / des sous / pèze / l'oseille (m) - money
fauché / à sec / raide / dans la dèche - broke
faux jeton (m) - two-sided, hypocritical (politician)
flic / keuf / poulet (m) - cop
grippe-sou (f) - penny pincher
gyneco [gynécologue] - gynecologist
kiné [kinésithérapeute] - physiotherapist
mettre au clou - to hock, pawn
prolo (m) - working class
proprio [propriétaire] - landlord, landlady
psy [psychologue] - psychologist
radin - cheap
reuch - expensive
richard (m) - very wealthy man
rmiste (m) - someone who earns the jobseeker's allowance (RMI)
salé - expensive (a bill)
se faire arnaquer - to get ripped off
smicard (m) - someone who earns minimum wage (SMIC)
taffe (m) - job, work
thune (f) - money / coin
toubib (m) - doctor
turbin (m) - job, daily grind
Ça coûte la peau des fesses ! / Ça douille ! - That's really expensive!
amourettes (f) - passing love affairs
avoir le béguin pour / craquer pour / en pincer pour / flasher sur quelqu'un - to have a crush on someone
avoir le coup de foudre - to be in love at first sight
avoir un cœur d'artichaut - to be fickle (in love)
brancher quelqu'un - to try to seduce someone
bombe (f) - attractive woman
boudin / thon / pou (m) - ugly person [these are mean words!]
canon (m) - hot, very attractive person
capote (f) / chapeau / gant (m) - condom
choper / emballer / embarquer quelqu'un - to succesfully seduce / pick up someone
draguer / flirter - to flirt
en cloque - pregnant / "knocked up"
se faire jeter / se prendre une veste - to get denied, turned down
gars / mec / type / bonhomme / keum - guy, man
jules - boyfriend, lover
kiffer - to like
lové - cuddly, snuggly
larguer / plaquer - to leave, dump (a person)
mater quelqu'un - to check out (someone)
moche - ugly
nana / nénette / minette / gonzesse / meuf - woman, girl, chick
se remettre de quelqu'un - to get over someone
rencard (m) - date
rouler un patin / une pelle à quelqu'un - to French kiss someone
poser un lapin à quelqu'un - to stand someone up (for a date)
tripoter / peloter - to grope, fondle
baskets (m) - tennis shoes / sneakers
bermuda (m) - knee-length shorts
body (m) - bodysuit/onesie for a baby
costard (m) - suit
fringues (f) - clothing
futal (m) - pants
godasse (f) - shoe
jogging / survêt / training (m) - jogging suit
pébroc / pépin / chamberlain (m) - umbrella
pompe (f) - shoe
shorty (m) - "boy short" underwear for women
string (m) - thong underwear
sweat (m) - sweatshirt
brushing (m) - blowdry
fringué / sapé - dressed
lifting (m) - face lift
rabais - discount
relooking (m) - makeover
ringard - old fashioned, out of style
clope / sèche (f) - cigarette
came (f) - drugs
défoncé - high
boîte (f) - nightclub, bar
court-jus (m) - short circuit
boum / teuf (f) - party
resto (m) - restaurant
se faire un resto - to go out to eat
s'éclater - to have fun
se marrer - to laugh
mater la téloche - to watch TV
se faire un ciné / se faire une toile - to go to the movies
cinoche (m) - movie theather
faire un tabac - to be a hit, success (a film, a song, etc.)
tube (f) - hit song
play-back (m) - lip-synching
zapping (m) - channel surfing
buter - to bump off, kill
taule / calèche (f) - jail, slammer
maton (m) - prison guard
se faire la belle / se carapater - to run away, escape
cavale (f) - escape (from prison)
pétard (m) - gun / joint
potin (m) - gossip
people / pipol (m) - celebrities
casting (m) - audition
book (m) - portfolio (for a model, actor, etc.)
faire dodo - to go beddy-bye
avoir un bobo - to have a booboo
faire pipi - to go peepee
faire caca - to go poopoo
mamie / mémé - grandma
pappy / pépé - grandpa
tata / tatie - aunt
tonton - uncle
doudou (m) - favorite stuffed animal / blankie
joujoux (m) - toys
nounours (m) - teddy bear
toto (m) - car
lolo (m) - milk
minet (m) - kitty
toutou (m) - doggy
dada (f) - horsie
A la tienne, Etienne ! Cheers!
Ça glisse, Alice ! It's slippery!
Tu parles, Charles ! You bet!
Tranquille, Emile ! Calm down!
C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. Practice makes perfect.
Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait. If the young knew, if the old could.
Tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner. To understand is to forgive.
Vouloir, c'est pouvoir. Where there's a will, there's a way.
Un de perdu, dix de retrouvés. There's other fish in the sea.
L'habit ne fait pas le moine. Clothes doesn't make the man.
Animals
avoir d'autres chats à fouetter - to have better things to do; other fish to fry
avoir un chat dans la gorge - to have a frog in your throat
doux comme un agneau - soft/gentle like a lamb
un froid de canard - very cold
appeler un chat un chat - to call a spade a spade
s'entendre comme chien et chat - to get along like cats and dogs
un mal de chien - difficulties
une vie de chien - difficult life
passer du coq à l'âne - to change subjects quickly
avoir une mémoire d'éléphant - to have a good memory
avoir une faim de loup - to be starving
marcher à pas de loup - to walk silently
revenir à ses moutons - to get back to the subject
avoir la chair de poule - to have goosebumps
quand les poules auront les dents - when pigs fly
une peau de vache - a mean person
une langue de vipère - a person who often speaks badly of others
chercher la petite bête - to nitpick, split hairs
avoir le cafard - to be down, depressed
entre chien et loup - at dusk, sundown
avaler des couleuvres - to swallow one's pride
la brebis galeuse de la famille - black sheep of the family
le bouc émissaire / le dindon de la farce - scapegoat
avoir une araignée au plafond - to have bats in the belfry
être heureux comme un poisson dans l'eau - to be as happy as a clam at high tide
il y a anguille sous la roche - I smell a rat
il faut ménager la chèvre et le chou - you have to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
jetter quelqu'un dans la fosse aux lions - to throw someone to the wolves
se jeter dans la gueule du loup - to put one's hand in the lion's mouth
courir deux lièvres à la fois - to ride two horses at the same time
mettre la charue avant les bœufs - to put the cart before the horse
ce n'est pas à un vieux singe qu'on apprend à faire des grimaces - you can't teach an old dog new tricks
être hardi comme un coq sur son fumier - to be a showoff
avoir une fièvre de cheval - to have a high fever
Body Parts se creuser la tête - to think really hard
se croire sorti de la cuisse de Jupiter - to think oneself is better than everyone else
se mettre le doigt dans l'œil - to make a mistake
rester bouche cousue - to not say anything; keep a secret
avoir le coeur sur la main - to wear one's heart on one's sleeve
avoir un cheveu sur la langue - to lisp
ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche - to be talkative
avoir la langue bien pendue - to know how to answer/talk
faire la tête - to pout
garder la tête froide - to keep one's calm
ne pas avoir froid aux yeux - to not be scared
avoir/mettre l'eau à la bouche - to want/drool over something
rester bouche bée - to be speechless
ne rien faire de ses dix doigts - to be lazy
avoir l'estomac dans les talons - to be hungry
prendre ses jambes à son cou - to leave quickly
ne pas lever le nez - to concentrate on something
à l'œil - without paying, for free
faire la sourde oreille - to not listen/hear
être bête comme ses pieds - to be stupid
mettre les pieds dans le plat - to say/do something stupid
coûter les yeux de la tête - to cost an arm and a leg
se payer la tête de quelqu-'un - to pull someone's leg
donner sa langue au chat - to give up
avoir les dents longues - to be ambitious
avoir le bras long - to have influence, connections
être au bout de la langue - to be at the tip of your tongue
avoir un poil dans la main - to be lazy, to avoid work
casser les pieds à quelqu'un - to get on someone's nerves
manger sur le pouce - to grab a bite to eat
enlever une épine du pied à quelqu'un - to help someone out
dormir sur les deux oreilles - to sleep soundly
prendre la lune avec les dents - to try to do the impossible
rebattre les oreilles - to repeat the same story over and over
Numbers en moins de deux - very quickly
chercher midi à quatorze heures - to make things complicated
comme deux et deux font quatre - sure, certain
les deux font la paire - both are the same
jamais deux sans trois - something that's happened twice, will happen a third time
ni une ni deux - without hesitating, very fast
quatre à quatre - quickly
dire des quatre vérités à quelqu'un - to say what you think of someone
se mettre en quatre - to give oneself a hard task
un de ces quatre - one of these days
être tiré à quatre épingles - to be dressed well
tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche - to take time to think before speaking
voir trente-six chandelles - to see stars
faire les cent pas - to pace back and forth, come and go
faire les quatre cents coups - to have a hectic and chaotic life; to sow one's wild oats
se mettre sur son trente et un - to be dressed to kill
Colors blanc bonnet et bonnet blanc - the same thing
être blanc comme un linge - to be white from fear
passer une nuit blanche - to spend a sleepless night
donner carte blanche à quelqu'un - to let someone do what they want
être un cordon bleu - to be a good cook
être fleur bleu - to be sentimental
avoir une peur bleue - to be scared stiff
être la bete noire - to be the person that no one likes
avoir des idées noires - to be sad
voir la vie en rose - to see the good side of things, to be optimistic
donner le feu vert - to give the green light to someone
se mettre au vert - to rest in the countryside
devenir pourpre - to get red with embarassment
Food appuyer sur le champignon - to go very fast, accelerate
être haut comme trois pommes - to be small
ne pas être dans son assiette - to not feel yourself
sucrer les fraises - to be senile, crazy
tomber dans les pommes - to faint, pass out
couper la poire en deux - to meet halfway
jeter de l'huile sur le feu - to add fuel to the fire
tondre des œufs - to be cheap, a skinflint
pédaler dans la semoule - to become insane, senile
c'est la goutte d'eau qui fait déborder la vase - it's the straw that broke the camel's back
mettre du beurre dans les épinards - to help financially
casser du sucre sur son dos - to spread lies about someone, talk about someone behind his/her back
être dans le pétrin - to be in a jam
être dans ses petits souliers - to not feel comfortable
avoir des oursins dans la poche - to be stingy, cheap
faire d'une pierre deux coups - to kill two birds with one stone
ne pas être de la dernière pluie - to not be born yesterday
pendre la crémaillère - to have a house-warming party
vendre la mèche - to let the cat out of the bag, to tell a secret
n'y voir que du feu - to be taken in / to be had
ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuillière - to not be subtle about something
faire un chèque en bois - to write a bad check
manger les pissenlits par la racine - to push up daisies, to be dead and buried
tourner autour du pot - to beat around the bush
se mettre à table - to confess, come clean
mettre des bâtons dans les roues de quelqu'un - to throw a monkey wrench in someone's business
reprendre ses billes - to renege on a deal
un coup d'épée dans l'eau - a wasted effort
être au four et au moulin - to be in two places at once
faire le pont - to take a long weekend
tirer les plans sur la comète - to count one's chickens before they have hatched
ce n'est pas la mer à boire - it's not as bad as all that
c'est au bout du monde - it's halfway around the world
ce n'est pas le Pérou - it's nothing to write home about / it's no great fortune
tirer le diable par la queue - to barely get by, have a hard time
il ne faut pas déshabiller Pierre pour payer Paul - you shouldn't rob Paul to pay Peter
parler à quelqu'un à brûle-pourpoint - to ask someone point-blank
raconter des histoires à dormir debout - to tell tall tales
prendre la poudre d'escampette - to leave quickly
tirer son épingle du jeu - to get out of a difficult situation
mener en bateau - to lead someone on, to lie
