A Reference Summary of Grammar Elements in French
A Supplement Prepared for Encore!!! Language Learning Application
Dr. Jasprit Singh, President Gurmentor, Inc.
A Learning Company
Professor Emeritus, Electrical Engg. & Comp. Sci. and Applied Physics
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Summary
-
Articles and Nouns
- Singular definite articles
- Plural definite articles
- Singular indefinite articles
- Plural indefinite articles
- Genders of Nouns
- Feminine Gender Nouns
- French masculine nouns
- Categories of French Objects with Specific Genders
- Number of Nouns: How to make French nouns plural
- How Definite Articles Combine with Prepositions à and de
- When to Use Definite Articles
- When to use indefinite articles
- When to omit articles
- Verb Tenses and Moods
- Direct and Indirect Speech (or Reported Speech)
- Pronouns In French
- Prepositions Use in French
- Adjectives in French
- Adverbs Use in French
Summary
The Encore!!! Learning App is a unique app that combines Logic Based Learning with Memorization. You can make playlists based on grammatical themed items and then listen and speak out these items as many times as you wish to develop long term memory. In the app you can make a playlist and then choose how many times you wish to hear each time as well as the pause between each item so you can have time to speak out the item and then “Play” the Playlist and use the “Listen-Speak-Repeat and Master” method to learn the contents of the playlist. The playlist can be made from the included library of the app as well as any new content you add on your own from other sources.
The library included in the Encore!!! Learning App has several sections ranging from “Vocabulary” “Grammar Guide” “Verb Conjugations” “Sentences” “Greetings” “Casual Conversations”.
The contents in the LIBRARY section can be used to assemble into PLAYLISTS that can be played to use the unique Encore!!! Learning method Which Combines Logic Based Learning with Memorization.
In this document we provide a general overview of some of the important grammar elements of languages. Most of these grammar elements are shared by all languages as they are needed to convey information accurately from one person to another.
1. Articles and Nouns
In languages nouns represent people, places, animals, objects, feelings and ideas. In French, in general, nouns are gendered (in addition to having singular and plural forms). As in English depending on the case the nouns are preceded by articles. In English nouns don’t have any gender and we only have the definite article “the” and the indefinite article “a” (or “an” for nouns that begin with a vowel). In French we have a number of definite articles and indefinite articles that represent gender as well as numbers corresponding to the noun.
Singular definite articles
Feminine (DFS): la; l’
Masculine (DMS): le; l’
The article used for nouns that start with a vowel of a silent h is l’.
Plural definite articles
Feminine (DFP): les
Masculine (DMP): les
Singular indefinite articles
Feminine (IFS): une
Masculine (IMS): un
Plural indefinite articles
Feminine (IFP): des
Masculine (IMP): des
There are also “Partitive” articles that refer to some portion of uncountable nouns – like “some pie” or “some pizza”:
Singular Masculine: du
Plural Masculine: des
Singular Feminine:
de la
Plural Feminine: des
Singular with a noun starting with a
vowel or silent h: de l’
Genders of Nouns
To be able to use a correct article in French we need to know the gender and number of nouns. There are some general rules to know this although there are many exceptions and for these one has to memorize the gender.
Feminine Gender Nouns
Feminine French nouns generally have these endings:
-ade; -aie; -aine; -ine; -aison; -oison; -ence; -ance; -ande; -ée; -esse; -osse; -ousse; -ette; -ie, -rie; -ise; -aille; -ille; -ouille; -ique; -gion; -nion; -sion; -ssion; -tion; -xion; -ite; -té; -tié; -ode; -tude; -ure; -ice; -aire; -oire; -oi; -ois; -oix
French masculine nouns
Masculine noun endings: (with exceptions!)
-age; -ige; -ège; -oge; -uge; -ail, -euil; ain; -al; -ament; -ement; -ard; -eau; -ou; -el; -ent; -ant; -er; -ier; -yer; -at; -et; -t; -eur; -ien; illon; -in; -is; -isme; -oir; oin; -on; -om; -phone; -scope; -a; -as; -ème, -ôme; -aume; -ble; -cle; -gle; -ple; -ac; -ak; -ic; -ou;-uc; -ng; -o; -op; -os; -ot, -ours; -us-r; -re; -x; -xe
We see that the rules for knowing the gender of a noun are not simple in French. The best way to get a working knowledge is to learn each noun with the article.
There are some general categories of nouns that are associated with masculine or feminine genders as given below.
Categories of French Objects with Specific Genders
wines are masculine
french cheeses are mostly masculine
french noun colors are masculine
metric units are masculine
metals are masculine
languages are masculine
trees are masculine
days of the week are masculine
seasons are masculine
months are masculine
car brands are feminine
watch brands are feminine
most river names are feminine
Number of Nouns: How to make French nouns plural
For most nouns, simply add an -s at the end of the word.
a year -> some years Un an -> des ans
a day > some days Un jour -> des jours
Nouns ending in -au become -aux.
A boat -> some boats Un bateau -> des bateaux
Nouns ending in -ou usually become -ous, but some take a -oux.
A madman -> some mad men Un fou -> des fous
A jewel -> some jewels Un bijou -> des bijoux
Nouns ending in -al become -aux.
An animal -> some animals Finally, nouns ending in -s,
Un animal -> des animaux
-x, or -z are invariable i.e. have the same
singular and plural form.
A mouse -> some mice A lynx -> some lynxes A nose -> some noses Une souris -> des souris
Un lynx -> des lynx
Un nez -> des nez
How Definite Articles Combine with Prepositions à and de
When definite articles are combined with prepositions à and de for the masculine article there is a contraction as shown below. For the feminine article there is no such contraction.
à + le –> au: Je vais au cinéma. I’m going to the market.
à + les –> aux: Je vais aux États-Unis. I’m going to the United States.
de + le–> du : Je viens du marché. I’m coming from the market.
de + les–> des: Je viens des Pays-Bas. I come from Netherlands.
à + la (No Change) : Je vais à la poste I’m going to the Post Office.
à + l’ (No Change) : Je vais à l’hôtel. I’m going to the Hotel.
de + la (No Change) : Je viens de la piscine. I’m coming from the swimming pool
de + l’ (No Change) : Je viens de l’auberge de jeunesse I’m going from the Youth Hostel.
When to Use Definite Articles
Things in general: Use definite articles in French to refer to people or things in general. This is not the case in English.
Cats are hiding Les chats se cachent
Dogs can be dangerous Les chiens peuvent être dangereux
Animals are beautiful Les animaux sont beaux
The last Bond movie was not so good. Le dernier film de Bond n’était pas si bon.
The demonstration was peaceful La manifestation était pacifique
Talking about languages:
In French, you use a definite article with names of languages when they are the subject of a sentence. This is also the opposite in English.
English is very difficult. L’anglais est très difficile.
French is a romance language. Le français est une langue romane.
Latin and Sanskrit are an old languages Le latin et le sanskrit sont des langues anciennes
Talking about body parts: Use definite articles to refer to body parts in French. This is another difference between English and French, as in English, we’d use a possessive pronoun.
My stomach hurts. J’ai mal à l’estomac.
The hands are dirty. Les mains sont sales.
Talking about possession: In English: sentences with noun’s portion Use definite articles to talk about possession.
Maria´s house is white. La maison de Maria est blanche.
My brother’s dogs are black. Les chiens de mon frère sont noirs.
My sister’s children are very young. Les enfants de ma sœur sont très jeunes.
When to use indefinite articles
Talking about one thing:
Use the indefinite article in French for singular feminine and masculine nouns if there is one thing involved.
There is a cat. Il y a un chat.
That is a flower. C’est une fleur.
Describing a person with a noun:
Rather than using adjectives to describe someone, you can add an indefinite article before the noun being modified.
He is a genius. C’est un génie.
Describing an approximate amount:
Use the indefinite article before the noun when the exact number isn’t stated, so you give an estimated amount.
I had some pizza. J’ai mangé de la pizza.
I bought some sodas. J’ai acheté des sodas.
The definite article is used before days of the week only to indicate a recurring or habitual action:
Le mardi, les musées sont fermés. On Tuesdays the museums are closed.
Le samedi, je vais à la gym. On Saturdays I go to the gym.
The definite article is used with dates:
(I was born on June 16, 1980. Je suis né le 16 juin 1980.)
When to omit articles
Omit the definite article when mentioning days of the week. The days are not capitalized in French.
Today is Monday. C’est lundi aujourd’hui.
Tomorrow is Tuesday. Demain, c’est mardi.
Day after tomorrow is Wednesday. Après-demain, c’est mercredi.
You can omit the French indefinite article for “a” after the verb when the noun is related to a profession, a nationality, or a religion, among others.
I am a doctor. Je suis médecin.
He is a teacher. Il est enseignant.
I am a baker. Je suis boulanger.
I am Nicaraguan. Je suis nicaraguayen.
I am french. Je suis français.
With proper names
She is with Maria. Elle est avec Maria.
Go to the beach with Carla. Allez à la plage avec Carla.
Talking about plurals:
I have many toys. J’ai beaucoup de jouets.
He has many books. Il a de nombreux livres.
Ordinal numbers
You can omit the definite article if you are using ordinal numbers for names of kings and queens:
Henry the 8th was a bad man. Henri VIII était un méchant.
Leticia the 1st had a difficult life. Leticia 1ère a eu une vie difficile.
2. Verb Tenses and Moods
Tense: The tense of a verb indicates the time when the action occurs. It may be in the past, present, or future. The tenses also have several sub-categories that will be discussed below. In addition to tenses one has “moods” which are described next. There are four moods that are used in French and in English.
Indicative: The indicative mood, or evidential mood, is used for factual statements and positive beliefs. It is the mood of reality.
Conditional: The conditional mood is used for speaking of an event whose realization is dependent upon another condition.
Subjunctive: The subjunctive mood, sometimes called conjunctive mood, has several uses in dependent clauses. Examples include discussing imaginary or hypothetical events and situations, expressing opinions or motions, or making polite requests.
Imperative: The imperative mood expresses direct commands, prohibitions, and requests.
Let us now start by learning the many tenses and moods used in French and English. We will focus on tenses and moods that are most used in French. Then we will learn about how these tenses are created. The imperative mood has one tense form.
Tenses in The Indicative Mood
Le Présent Present Tense
Expresses what happens or is happening
I play soccer every day
You eat meat every Sunday
I am a doctor
English has the progressive tense (-ing form of the verb but French does not have this tense.
L’imparfait Imperfect Past
Expresses what was happening in the past or what used to happen
I played
you ate
In French we can have different verb conjugation rules for near future and remote future. For the near future we can use the present tense of the verb “aller” or “to go” to describe what is about to happen.
Le Futur Proche Near Future
Expresses what is about to happen soon
I’m going to play
You will eat
I’m going to be happy
Le Futur Simple Simple Future
Expresses what will happen
I will play
You are going to eat
I will be
The tenses described above also have a “completed form” or “perfect form. ” This is created by using the helping verb “avoir” (i.e. “to have”) or for some verbs the helping verb “être” or “to be” along with the past participle of the verb.
Le Passé Composé – Past Tense
This is another past tense used in French. The passé composé is formed in the exact same way as the English present perfect. It takes the verb “avoir”, conjugated depending on the subject, paired with the past participle. The French past tense is used for all kinds of past tense situations, from completed actions to sudden feelings. For some verbs the auxiliary verb is “être”.
I have spoken to my father
He has eaten his breakfast
They have been to the market
The Conditional mood
Conditional tense is used when you are speculating about what could happen in the future if only certain things happened; Or maybe you are speculating about the past; Or if you are being very polite with other people while asking them for something.
The present conditional is regular in its formation; for all verbs, it is made simply by adding the imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient) to the conditional stem (which is the same as the future stem).
For most verbs the stem consists of the infinitive, less any final “e.” Use of Present Conditional
The present conditional is used in following three contexts:
1. To indicate politeness:
Je voudrais la carte, s’il vous plaît. (I would like the menu, please.) Auriez-vous deux minutes? (Would you have a couple of minutes?)
2. To express “reported speech.” Compare the regular future (as used in direct speech) with the future of the past (used in reported speech): Direct speech: Elle a dit, “je viendrai à la fête.” (She said, “I will come to the party. ”)
Reported speech: Elle a dit qu’elle viendrait à la fête. (She said she would come to the party.)
3. In si constructions expressing possible or hypothetical situations. These sentences follow a pattern using a “si-clause” and a “result clause”: “Si + imperfect” followed by “present conditional” Si j’avais le temps, je ferais la vaisselle; (If I had time I would clean the dishes.)
The Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is used to express varied states of unreality or uncertainty like some kind of judgment, wish, possibility, opinion, doubt, emotion, or something that has not occurred yet. There is no future tense usage of the subjunctive, only past and present. If it is set to happen in the future, the present tense is being used.
In French, we use the subjunctive after certain words and conjunctions that have two parts and two different subjects.
Example:
Nous voulons qu’elle soit heureuse. We want her to be happy.
The first part of the sentence uses nous as the subject, while the second part uses elle. Therefore, the subjunctive soit is necessary.
How to form the French subjunctive
The verb stem for the subjunctive is the same as the stem for present tense.
Verbs that end in -er and -re have the same endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
Verbs that end in -ir have the following endings in the subjunctive mood: -isse, -isses, -isse, -issions, -issiez, -issen
For most verbs this rule works (there are several important exceptions):
take the stem of the “ils” form in present tense (i.e. what is left after removing the “-ent” ending): Then add the following endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, and -ent
Subjunctive Irregular Verbs
There are important and widely used verbs that are irregular verbs in the subjunctive. Here are some:
Aller (to go): Participe passé allé j’ aille; tu ailles; il;elle;on aille; nous allions; vous alliez; ils;elles aillent
Avoir (to have): Participe passé eu je aie; tu aies; il;elle;on ait; nous ayons; vous ayez; ils;elles aient
Devoir (be required to): Participe passé dû je doive; tu doives; il;elle;on doive; nous devions; vous deviez; ils;elles doivent
Dire (to say): Participe passé dit je dise; tu dises; il;elle;on dise; nous disions; vous disiez; ils;elles disent
Être (to be): Participe passé été je sois; tu sois; il;elle;on soit; nous soyons; vous soyez; ils;elles soient
Faire (to do): Participe passé fait je fasse; tu fasses; il;elle;on fasse; nous fassions; vous fassiez; ils;elles fassent
Pouvoir (to be able to): Participe passé pu je puisse; tu puisses; il;elle;on puisse; nous puissions; vous puissiez; ils;elles puissent Prendre (to take): Participe passé pris je prenne; tu prennes; il;elle;on prenne; nous prenions; vous preniez; ils;elles prennent
Savoir (to know): Participe passé su je sache; tu saches; il;elle;on sache; nous sachions; vous sachiez; ils;elles sachent
Venir (to come): Participe passé venu je vienne; tu viennes; il;elle;on vienne; nous venions; vous veniez; ils;elles viennent
Vouloir (to want): Participe passé voulu je veuille; tu veuilles; il;elle;on veuille; nous voulions; vous vouliez; ils;elles veuillent
The subjunctives usually appear after the following verbs:
wishing something: vouloir que and désirer que
To like or want something: aimer que, aimer mieux que and préférer que fearing something: avoir peur que
giving your opinion: valoir mieux que (which means would be better) Saying how you feel:
i) regretter que (meaning to be sorry that) ii) être content que (meaning to be pleased that) iii) être surpris que (meaning to be surprised that)
The subjunctive may also appear in some expressions that begin with il.
il faut que (it is necessary that) il vaut mieux que (it is better that)
Imperative Verb form
This mood is to give orders or suggestions to someone.
For regular verbs in French, the imperative is the same as the tu, nous and vous forms of the present tense, except that you do not say the pronouns tu, nous and vous. Also, in the tu form of –er verbs like donner, the final -s is dropped.
Donner (to give)
(tu) donne you give
(nous) donnons let’s give
(vous) donnez give
Finir (to finish)
(tu) finis finish
(nous) finissons let’s finish
(vous) finissez finish
Attendre (to wait)
(tu) attends wait
(nous) attendons let’s wait
(vous) attendez wait
French Regular Verbs
French verbs have three endings: -er; -ir; and -re. Many of the verbs are regular in their conjugation and follow regular patterns so that if one learns the conjugations for one verb the same endings can be applied to other verbs in the same group. However, there are many irregular verbs so one has to learn their conjugations as well. Fortunately there are categories of irregular verbs with the same endings.
We start with the regular verbs.
-er verb group
To conjugate a regular -er verb, drop the -er of the infinitive to get the stem. Then add the endings given below for the verb “parler” (to talk) for the various tenses and moods:
Indicative Present: I speak, you speak, he speaks, we speak, you speak, they speak je parle; tu parles; il parle; nous parlons; vous parlez; ils;elles parlent
Past: I spoke, you spoke, he spoke, we spoke, you spoke, they spoke j’ ai parlé; tu as parlé; il a parlé; nous avons parlé; vous avez parlé; ils;elles ont parlé
Past Imperfect: I used to speak, you used to speak, he used to speak, we used to speak,you used to speak,they used to speak,
je parlais; tu parlais;; il parlait;; nous parlions; vous parliez; ils;elles parlaient
Future: I will speak; you will speak; he will speak; we will speak; you will speak; they will speak; je parlerai; tu parleras; il parlera; nous parlerons; vous parlerez; ils;elles parleront
Conditional Present: I would speak; you would speak; he would speak; we would speak; you would speak; they would speak
je parlerais; tu parlerais; il parlerait; nous parlerions; vous parleriez; ils;elles parleraient
Subjunctive Present: that I speak; that you speak; that he speak; that we speak; that you speak; that they speak.
je parle; tu parles; il parle; nous parlions; vous parliez; ils;elles parlent
Imperative: you speak! we speak! you all speak!
tu parle; nous parlons; vous parlez
-ir verb group.
Present: I finish; you finish; he finishes; we finish; you finish; they finish je finis; tu finis; il finit; nous finissons; vous finissez; ils;elles finissent
Past Perfect: I finished; you finished; he finished; we finished; you finished; they finished
j’ ai fini; tu as fini; il a fini; nous avons fini; vous avez fini; ils;elles ont fini
Past Imperfect: I used to finish; you used to finish; he used to finish; we used to finish; you used to finish; they used to finish; je finissais; tu finissais; il finissait; nous finissions; vous finissiez; ils; elles finissaient
Future: I will finish; you will finish; he will finish; we will finish; you will finish; they will finish; je finirai; tu finiras; il finira; nous finirons; vous finirez; ils;elles finiront
Conditional: I would finish; you would finish; he would finish; we would finish; you would finish; they would finish;
je finirais; tu finirais; il finirait;nous finirions; vous finiriez; ils;elles finiraient
Subjunctive Present: that I finish: that you finish; that he finishes; that we finish; that you finish; that they finish je finisse; tu finisses; il finisse; nous finissions; vous finissiez; ils;elles finissent
Imperative: You finish! we finish! you all finish!
tu finis; nous finissons; vous finissez
-re verb group
Present: I sell; you sell; he sells; we sell; you sell; they sell
je vends; tu vends; il vend; nous vendons; vous vendez; ils;elles vendent Past: I sold; you sold; he sold; we sold; you sold; they sold j’ ai vendu; tu as vendu; il a vendu; nous avons vendu; vous avez vendu; ils;elles ont vendu
Past Imperfect: I used to sell; you used to sell; he used to sell; we used to sell; you used to sell; they used to sell je vendais; tu vendais; ; il vendait; nous vendions; vous vendiez; ils;elles vendaient
Future: I will sell; you will sell; he will sell; we will sell; you will sell; they will sell je vendrai; tu vendras; il vendra; nous vendrons; vous vendrez; ils;elles vendront
Conditional present: I would sell; you would sell; he would sell; we would sell; you would sell; they would sell je vendrais; tu vendrais; il vendrait; nous vendrions; vous vendriez; ils;elles vendraient
Subjunctive present: that I sell; that you sell; that he sells; that we sell; that you sell; that they sell
je vende; tu vendes; il vende; nous vendions; vous vendiez; ils;elles vendent
Imperative: you sell!; we sell! you all sell! tu vends; nous vendons; vous vendez
Near Past and Near Future Tense Passé récent et Le Futur proche
In French recent past and recent future can be expressed by using the verbs “venir” (to come) and “aller” (to go).
The use of the present tense of (conjugated according to the subject) “venir de” + infinitive verb’ expresses the idea of something that just happened. Similarly the use of the present tense of (according to the subject) “aller + infinitive” can be used to express something about to happen.
Here are some examples:
Recent Past Passé récent I just talked to him.
Je viens de lui parler.
You just talked with your mom.
Tu viens de parler avec ta mère.
She just talked to her lawyer
Elle vient de parler à son avocat
We just talked to our children.
Nous venons de parler à nos enfants.
You all just talked to your lawyers.
Vous venez tous de parler à vos avocats.
They just talked to their parents.
Ils viennent de parler à leurs parents.
Le Futur Proche Near Future
I am going to talk to him je vais lui parler
You are going to talk to your teacher.
Tu vas parler à votre professeur.
She is going to talk to her mom.
Elle va parler à sa maman.
We are going to talk to our electrician.
Nous allons parler à notre électricien.
You are going to talk to your children.
Vous allez parler à vos enfants.
They are going to talk to their gardner.
Ils vont parler à leur jardinier.
Irregular Verbs
There are many irregular verbs in French. It is important to learn the present tense, past participle and future tense conjugations of these verbs. The simple past tense can be made using the auxiliary verb and past participle form.
We start with giving the future tense stems for some of the irregular verbs: Note that the endings used for future tense are the same as for regular verbs once the future stem is used. The future tense stem is also used for the conditional present tense.
acheter achèter-
aller ir-
Appler appeller-
avoir aur-
courir courr-
devoir devr-
employer emploier-
envoyer enverr-
être ser-
faire fer-
falloir faudr-
mourir mourr-
obtenir obtiendr-
pleuvoir pleuvr-
pouvoir pourr-
recevoir recevr-
savoir saur-
tenir tiendr-
venir viendr-
voir verr-
vouloir voudr-
The present tense forms of some of the important irregular verbs is given below:
Aller (to go): Past Participle – allé: Je vais; Tu vas; Il/Elle va; Nous allons;
Vous allez; Ils/Elles vont
Avoir (to have): Past Participle – eu; J’ai; Tu as; Il/Elle a; Nous avons; Vous avez; Ils/Elles ont
dire (to say, to tell): Past Participle – dit; Je dis; Tu dis; Il/Elle dit; Nous disons; Vous dites; Ils/Elles disent
être (to be): Past Participle – été; Je suis; Tu es; Il/Elle est; Nous sommes; Vous êtes; Ils/Elles sont faire (to make, to do): Past Participle – fait: Je fais; Tu fais; Il/Elle fait; Nous faisons; Vous faites; Ils/Elles – font falloir (to be necessary): Past Participle – fallu: Il faut pouvoir (to be able to do): Past Participle – pu: Je peux; Tu peux; Il/Elle peut; Nous pouvons; Vous pouvez; Ils/Elles peuvent
savoir (to know, to know how to): Past Participle – su: Je sais; Tu sais; Il/Elle sait; Nous savons; Vous savez; Ils/Elles savent
voir (to see): Past Participle – vu: Je vois; Tu vois; Il/Elle voit; Nous voyons; Vous voyez; Ils/Elles voient
vouloir (to want to): Past Participle – voulu: Je veux; Tu veux; Il/Elle veut; Nous voulons; Vous voulez; Ils/Elles veulent
Common Irregular Verb Patterns
There are some irregular verbs that have similar conjugations i.e. they belong to irregular verb categories. Some such categories are given below.
Category of Verbs Like Prendre
Verbs ending in –prendre are all conjugated like prendre:
Prendre (to take): Past Participle – pris: Je prends; Tu prends; Il/Elle prend; Nous prenons; Vous prenez; Ils/Elles prennent
Verbs that conjugate like Prendre
apprendre – to learn comprendre – to understand entreprendre – to undertake méprendre – to mistake prendre – to take reprendre – to retake, to take again surprendre – to surprise
Category of Verbs Like Mettre
Mettre and the verbs ending in –mettre all follow the same pattern of conjugation.
mettre (to put, to place): Past Participle – mis: Je mets; Tu mets; Il/Elle met; Nous mettons; Vous mettez; Ils/Elles mettent
Verbs that conjugate like Mettre admettre – to admit commettre – to commit compromettre – to compromise mettre – to put, to place permettre – to permit promettre – to promise remettre – to turn in work, to postpone soumettre – to submit transmettre – to transmit
Category of Verbs Like Tenir and Venir
Tenir and venir are two similar verbs that have their own pattern of conjugation.
Tenir (to keep; to hold): Past Participle – tenu: Je tiens; Tu tiens; Il/Elle tient; Nous tenons; Vous tenez; Ils/Elles tiennent
Venir (to come): Past Participle – venu: :Je viens; Tu viens; Il/Elle vient; Nous venons; Vous venez; Ils/Elles viennent
abstenir – to refrain, to abstain from advenir – to happen appartenir – to belong to circonvenir – to circumvent contenir – to contain convenir – to suit, to be suitable détenir – to detain devenir – to become
entretenir – to look after, to support intrevenir – to intervene maintenir – to maintain obtenir – to obtain parvenir – to reach, to achieve prévenir – to warn retenir – to retain soutenir – to support souvenir – to remember subvenir – to provide for survenir – to occur, to take place tenir – to hold, to keep venir – to come
Verbs That Need Spelling Changes in Some Conjugations
Several verbs in French are regular except for small changes in spellings in some conjugations. These spelling changes are done to ensure that the pronunciations of the conjugations sound correct.
Verbs with endings in -ger: Verbs like Manger
In the -ger ending verbs like manger (to eat) when g is followed by e it has a “j” like sound as in the word “jar”. However when g is followed by o or a it has a “g” like sound as in the English word “grip”. To maintain consistent pronunciation in all conjugations, wherever the stem is followed by “o” or “a” an extra “e” is added i.e. o→ eo and a → ea.
Manger (to eat): Past Participle – mangé: Je mange; Tu manges; Il/Elle mange; Nous mangeons; Vous mangez; Ils/Elles mangent
bouger – to move changer – to change corriger – to correct décourager – to discourage déménager – to move déranger – to disturb diriger – to direct encourager – to encourage engager – to bind exiger – to demand juger – to judge loger – to lodge manger – to eat mélanger – to mix nager – to swim obliger – to oblige partager – to share rédiger – to write voyager – to travel
Verbs with endings -cer:
Certain verbs like Lancer and bouger that end in -cer or -ger conjugate almost regularly except that in certain tenses the spellings are changed for the purpose of “better” pronunciation.
The letter c followed by e, as in the verb lancer, is pronounced “s”. However, when c is followed by an o, or a, c is pronounced “k”. To avoid the change in pronunciation and to maintain the “s” sound c is changed to a ç (c cédille) to maintain an s sound. In the present tense this change is made for the nous conjugation. The change also impacts the Past
Imperfect conjugations where c is followed by a in several conjugations and is therefore changed to ç.
Lancer ( to throw): Past Participle – lancé: Je lance; Tu lances; Il/Elle lance; Nous lançons; Vous lancez; Ils/Elles lancent
Verbs like Lancer: changes to improve “pronunciation” annoncer – to announce avancer – to advance commencer – to commence dénoncer – to denounce divorcer – to divorce effacer – to erase lancer – to throw menacer – to threaten placer – to put prononcer – to pronounce remplacer – to replace renoncer – to renounce
Verbs that end in ayer: Verbs Like Payer
Verbs that end in -ayer have the option of making a spelling change or retaining the normal regular form for -er verbs. The option is to change the -y to an -i in the je, tu, il, and ils forms. This change is optional
Paye (to pay): Past Participle – payé: Je paie; Tu paies; Il/Elle paie; Nous payons; Vous payez; Ils/Elles paient
Verbs that conjugate like Payer (to pay):
aboyer – to bark balayer – to sweep effrayer – to frighten s’ennuyer – to be bored envoyer – to send essayer – to try essuyer – to wipe nettoyer – to clean payer – to pay
renvoyer – to send back, to fire
Verbs Like Acheter
Some verbs, like acheter, change the -e in the root to -è in the je, tu, il, and ils forms.
Acheter (to buy): Past Participle – acheté: J’achète; Tu achètes; Il/Elle achète; Nous achetons; Vous achetez; Ils/Elles achètent
acheter – to buy amener – to bring enlever – to take off espérer – to hope geler – to freeze se lever – to get up posséder – to own préférer – to prefer se promener – to take a stroll répéter – to repeat suggérer – to suggest
Verbs Like Appeler
Finally, there are verbs like appeler that have a double final consonant in the je, tu, il, and ils forms.
appeler (to call): Past Participle – appelé: J’appelle; Tu appelles; Il/Elle appelle; Nous appelons; Vous appelez; Ils/Elles appellent
appeler – to call épeler – to spell out étinceler – to sparkle feuilleter – to leaf through a book jeter – to jump renouveler – to renew
Passé composé: Avoir or Être?
Most of the French verbs use “avoir”+Past participle (Participe passé) to form the past tense Passé composé. However, there are certain verbs that use Être + Past participle (Participe passé) to form this past tense. Verbs that use “avoir” don’t have to agree with gender or number. However, verbs that use “être” need to agree with gender and number. The ending (e) is needed for feminine nouns; (es) for plural feminine nouns; and (s) for plural masculine nouns.
Here are the verbs that use Être:
Devenir – to become – (être) devenu(e)(s)
Revenir – to come back – (être) revenu(e)(s)
Monter – to go up – (être) monté(e)(s)
Rester – to stay – (être) resté(e)(s)
Sortir – to exit – (être) sorti(e)(s)
Venir – to come – (être) venu(e)(s)
Aller – to go – (être) allé(e)(s)
Naître – to be born – (être) né(e)(s)
Descendre – to descend – (être) descendu(e)(s)
Entrer – to enter – (être) entré(e)(s)
Retourner – to return – (être) retourné(e)(s)
Tomber – to fall – (être) tombé(e)(s)
Rentrer – to re-enter – (être) rentré(e)(s)
Arriver – to arrive – (être) arrivé(e)(s)
Mourir – to die – (être) mort(e)(s)
Partir – to leave – (être) parti(e)(s)
Here are examples of how the passé composé endings change with gender and number:
La fille est restée sur la montagne; The girl has stayed on the mountain.
Le garçon est resté sur la montagne; The boy has stayed on the mountain. Les filles sont restées sur la montagne; The girls have stayed on the mountain.
Les garçons sont restés sur la montagne; The boys have stayed on the mountain.
3. Direct and Indirect Speech (or Reported Speech)
Direct speech and indirect speech are two ways to express the words of another person. In direct speech the expression is conveyed as spoken using quotation marks eg.
In direct speech:
Mark said “I want a new car” or in French:
Mark a dit “Je veux une nouvelle voiture”
In indirect speech the same information is conveyed:
Mike said that he wants a new car;
In French: Mike a dit qu’il voulait une nouvelle voiture.
When one goes from direct speech to indirect speech there can be a change in the subject (or subject pronoun), verb conjugation as well as the object.
Creating Indirect Speech
To report a command, a statement, or a question in French, you need to use the formula:
Subject + Verb + Object
Le professeur veut que Miguel (subject) répète (verb) l’examen (object). The teacher wants Miguel to repeat the exam.
Maman a dit que Carlos (subject) pouvait apporter (verb) un gâteau (object).
Mom said that Carlos could bring a cake..
Monica demande si vous (subject) avez (verb) son téléphone (object). Monica asks if you have her phone.
Subject pronouns and verbs need to adapt to agree with the new subject in indirect speech.
Direct speech:
Monica a dit “Je suis fatiguée”. Monica said “I am tired.” Indirect Speech:
Monica a dit qu’elle était fatiguée. Monica said that she was tired.
Notice how in the direct speech sentence the subject is je (so the verb suis), and the verb is conjugated in the first person singular: suis. In the indirect speech sentence the subject is elle, and the verb is conjugated in the third person singular: était.
The Importance of ‘que’ on Indirect Speech
Notice that there is a “que” located just before the subject. In indirect speech “que” is a part of the sentence (like “that” in English).
Le président a dit : « J’ai aidé les citoyens.
The president said, “I have helped the citizens.”
Le président a dit qu’il avait aidé les citoyens. The president said that he has helped the citizens
Direct and Reported Speech for Questions and Question Words
Indirect question
When dealing with an indirect question the word “si” (if) is used in indirect speech. The personal pronoun tu becomes je.
DIRECT
«Tu travailles? Est-ce que tu travailles?»
“You working? Are you working?”
INDIRECT
Il me demande si je travaille.
He asks me if I’m working.
Qu’est-ce qui in a question becomes ce qui.
DIRECT
«Qu’est-ce qui est difficile?»
“What’s difficult?”
INDIRECT
Il me demande ce qui est difficile.
“He asks me what’s difficult?”
Qu’est-ce que
Qu’est-ce que becomes ce que.
DIRECT
«Qu’est-ce que tu manges?» “What are you eating?
INDIRECT
Il me demande ce que je mange.
He asks me what I’m eating.
Information questions
For questions seeking information using «Ou est-ce que?», «Quand est-ce que?», «Comment est-ce que» etc., the est-ce que is disappears in the indirect speech.
DIRECT
«A quelle heure est-ce que tu t’en vas? Quand est-ce que tu retournes?»
“What time are you leaving? When are you coming back?”
INDIRECT Je me demande à quelle heure il s’en vas et quand il retourne. I wonder when he’s leaving and when he’s coming back.
Reporting Verbs
On the direct vs indirect French topic, there are a few verbs that you have to use to repeat what someone else said. These verbs are known as “reporting verbs” and you can use them either in direct or indirect speech.
affirmer— to say, claim
annoncer — to announce
assurer — to ensure, maintain
avouer — to admit, confess
confier — to confide
Constater — to note, notice
crier — to shout
délarer — to state
dire — to say
expliquer — to explain
Insister — to insist
observer — to observe, notice
prétendre — to claim
proclamer — to proclaim
promettre — to promise
remarquer — to notice
répondre — to answer
réléver — to reveal
s’apercevoir — to realize
savoir — to know
se rendre compte — to realize
soutenir— to maintain
In general verb tenses need to change as one goes from direct to indirect speech:
If the verb in the main clause is in the present tense, there are no changes to be made:
Direct speech:
Papa dit: “J’ai faim.
“Dad says,
“I’m hungry.”
Indirect speech:
Papa dit qu’il a faim.
Dad says he’s hungry.
Notice how both verbs dire and avoir are in the present tense, both in the direct speech sentence as in the indirect speech one.
However, when the reporting verb is conjugated in the past tense, you have to be careful as indirect speech becomes a little bit more complicated, as the verb in the subordinate clause needs to change. In the following example let’s say you are reporting what was said at a time later than the time when the direct speech was made:
Direct speech:
Papa a dit: “J’ai faim.” Dad said, “I’m hungry.” Indirect speech:
Papa a dit qu’il avait faim.
Dad said he was hungry.
Notice how in direct speech the reporting verb is in past tense, while the second one “avoir” is in present tense. However, in indirect speech the second verb “avait” is conjugated in the imperfect.
The most common indirect speech tense change in the reported fragment is from present simple to imperfect, as in the example given above. But, there are a couple of other tense changes that you need to take into consideration:
Mon patron a dit “Je vais déjeuner”
My boss said “I am going for lunch”
Mon patron a dit qu’il allait déjeuner.
My boss said that he was going for lunch.
Preterite to Pluscuamperfecto Direct speech: Discours direct:
Erika a déclaré: “L’année dernière, je suis allée à Paris.”
Erika said, “Last year I went to Paris.”
Indirect speech: Discours indirect:
Erika a dit qu’elle était allée à Paris l’année dernière.
Erika said she had gone to Paris last year.
Direct speech: Discours direct:
Maman a dit: “Je mangerai plus tard.”
Mom said: “I will eat later.”
Indirect speech:
Maman a dit qu’elle mangerait plus tard. Mom said she would eat later.
Verb Change: From Direct to Indirect Speech
We see from the examples above that verb tenses usually change when we switch from direct to reported speech. In the table below we illustrate these changes:
Direct speech tenses Indirect speech
Présent or Imparfait Imparfait
Passé composé Plus-que-parfait
Plus-que-parfait Plus-que-parfait
Futur or Conditionnel Conditionnel Subjonctif
Subjonctif
Active and Passive Voice Use
A sentence can be written in an active or passive voice. In sentences in active voice, the “doer” of the action is the subject of the verb. In passive voice, the receiver of an action becomes the subject. This is often done to move the focus from the doer to whatever was done.
Two approaches are used to create a passive sentence:
The passive voice is formed by combining the required tense of être (to be) with the main verb’s past participle and the word par (by).
Active Voice
L’homme achète la voiture. The man buys a car.
Passive voice
La voiture est achetée par l’homme. The car is purchased by the man.
Active voice
Le boulanger fait un gâteau. The baker makes a cake.
Passive voice
Le gâteau est fait par le boulanger. The cake is made by the baker.
Active Voice
Jean a écrit un livre. John wrote a book.
Passive Voice
Le livre a été écrit par John The book was written in by John
Active Voice
Je fais un gâteau. I am making a cake.
Passive voice
Le gâteau est fait par moi. The cake is being made by me.
Active Voice
Mon père faisait cuire la pizza dans ce four. My father cooked the pizza in that oven.
Passive Voice
La pizza était cuite par mon père dans ce four. The pizza was cooked by my father in that oven.
4. Pronouns In French
In general, in a sentence we have a subject, a verb, a direct object and an indirect object. A subject tells us who or what is performing the action of the verb. A direct object reflects who is being acted on by the verb. Finally an indirect object is one who the verb is indirectly impacting. Since we need not repeat nouns in a language, the nouns are replaced by pronouns.
John read the book to his daughter John a lu le livre à sa fille.
He read it to her. Il le lui a lu.
In the first sentence John is the subject because he reads. The book is the direct object and his daughter is the indirect object. In the second sentence the nouns have been replaced by the pronouns.
Subject Pronouns
Subject Pronouns: I, you, he or she; we, you (plural), they
Pronoms sujets : je, tu, il ou elle ; nous, vous (pluriel), ils
In French one needs to use the subject pronouns as unlike other Romance languages the endings of the conjugated verbs do not convey the subject
I used to live in Milan J’habitais à Milan
You used to live in Rome Tu vivais à Rome
He used to live in France Il a vécu en France
We used to live in the United States. Nous avons vécu aux États-Unis
You all used to live in Capri Vous avez tous vécu à Capri They used to live in the Alps Ils vivaient dans les Alpes
Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns
In French one has direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns. Within the direct object pronouns one has unstressed object pronouns and stressed object pronouns. Stressed object pronouns are used for extra emphasis on the object or for clarification. A direct object is an object which is acted on directly by verb, without being mediated by a preposition
Unstressed Direct object pronouns: me, you, him or her, us, you, them
Pronoms objets directs non accentués : Me/M’ ;Te/T’ ; Le/L’ ; La/L’ ; Nous ;
Vous ; Les
If the following verb starts with a vowel: Me becomes M’ ;Te becomes T’ ; Le become L’ ; La becomes L’
I love you Je vous aime
He was looking at her il la regardait
We know them well on les connait bien I am
inviting him to my party je l’invite à ma fête You
made me tea. Tu m’as fait du thé.
He told me the news. Il m’a annoncé la nouvelle.
I told you the news. Je t’ai dit la nouvelle.
I have an apple and I eat it. J’ai une pomme et je la mange.
Stressed Object Pronouns or Prepositional Pronouns
Stressed Object Pronouns or Prepositional pronouns: me, you, him or her, oneself; us, you, them (masculine); them (feminine) moi; toi; lui; elle; soi; nous; vous; eux; elles.
These are a set of pronouns which you use after prepositions, when you want to emphasize something
He searched for you; He searched only for you. Il t’a cherché; Il n’a cherché que toi.
Me? Yes I like it. Moi? Oui j’aime ça.
And you, do you like to cook? Et vous, aimez-vous cuisiner ?
I love you; I only love you Je t’aime; je n’aime que toi
he was looking at her il la regardait
we know them well nous les connaissons bien
I’m inviting him to my party Je l’invite à ma fête
Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns: me, you, him/ her, us, you, them
Pronoms objets indirects non accentués : Me/M’ ;Te/T’ ; Lui / Lui ; Nous ;
Vous ; Leur
M’ ; T’ are used if the verb that follows starts with a vowel; Lui (him) ; Lui
(her); Plural form : Nous ; Vous ; Leur
For your birthday I’ll give you a surprise.
Pour ton anniversaire, je te ferai une surprise.
I told her the truth.
Je lui ai dit la vérité.
I gave him the map.
Je lui ai donné la carte.
I’ll ask him for permission.
Je vais lui demander la permission.
I phoned him.
Je lui ai téléphoné.
I’ll write to her.
Je vais lui écrire.
If you see them ask them to come. Si vous les voyez, demandez-leur de venir.
Jean was there. They gave her the gift. Jean était là. Ils lui ont fait le cadeau.
The pronoun “se” is used for reflexive and reciprocal (like “each other”) pronouns.
They wrote to each other during the whole summer.
Elles se sont écrit pendant tout l’été.
Order of Object Pronouns
In general the pronoun order in French is direct object pronoun-indirect object pronoun. These are then followed by the verb.
I’ll send it to you right away. Je te l’envoie tout de suite.
You promised them to her. Tu les lui as promis.
I bring them to them. Je les leur apporte.
Ricardo sent it to him. Ricardo le lui a envoyé.
1)In case a sentence has only direct object pronouns the object pronouns come before the verb. An indirect object pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun.
Can you see them? Peux-tu les voir?
Have you seen it? L’as tu vu?
2)If the verb is of the imperative affirmative form, the object pronoun comes after the verb. If there is a direct and indirect object pronoun the indirect pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun.
Help me. Aide-moi.
Come with us. Viens avec nous.
Clean it for me now. Nettoie-le pour moi maintenant
Buy it for me! Achetez-le pour moi!
3)If the verb is of the negative imperative form the object pronoun comes before the verb.
Don’t waste it! Ne le gaspillez pas !
Don’t clean it now! Ne le nettoyez pas maintenant !
Don’t give it to her! Ne lui donne pas !
4)If the indirect object pronoun is “le” or “les” and the direct object pronoun is “lo;la; los; las” the indirect object pronoun is written and spoken as “se”. This is to avoid having to say words like “lelo” or “lela” etc.
Noelia se lo escribe Noelia writes it to her.
Ricardo se lo mandó. Ricardo sent it to him.
Possessive Pronouns and Adjective Pronouns
Consider the following two sentences:
These apples are mine. Ces pommes sont à moi.
These are my apples. Ce sont mes pommes.
In the first case we are using a possessive pronoun “mine” while in the second we are using an adjective pronoun (my followed by the noun apples). In the case of possessive pronouns we note that in French the pronouns change depending on number and gender.
English possessive pronouns: masculine singular: mine, yours, his, our, yours, theirs
French pronoms possessifs : masculin singulier : le mien, le tien, le sien, le notre, le tien, le leur
English possessive pronouns: feminine singular: mine, yours, his, ours, yours, theirs
French pronoms possessifs : féminin singulier : la mienne, la tienne, la sienne, la nôtre, la tien, la leur
English possessive pronouns: masculine plural: mine, yours, hers, ours, yours, theirs
French pronoms possessifs : masculin pluriel : les miens, les tiens, les siens, les nôtres, les vôtres, les leurs
English possessive pronouns: feminine plural: mine, yours, hers, ours, yours, theirs
French pronoms possessifs : féminin pluriel : les miennes, les tiennes, les siennes, les nôtres, les vôtres, les leurs
This bag’s not mine, it’s yours. Ce sac n’est pas à moi, c’est à tien. It’s
not mine, it’s yours, sir. Ce n’est pas le mien, c’est le vôtre, monsieur.
Our house is small, yours is big. Notre maison est petite, la vôtre est grande.
These books are yours. Ces livres sont les vôtre.
These apples are hers Ces pommes sont les vôtre.
That big house is his. Cette grande maison est la vôtre.
English possessive adjectives: my; your; his/her; our; your ; their
French Pronoms possessifs adjectifs : mon, ma, mes ; ton, ta, tes ; son, sa, ses; notre, nos; votre, vos; leur, leurs possessive adjectives: mon (Masculine-S), ma (Feminie-s); mes (Masculine/Feminine-(P); ton (M-S), ta (F-S), tes (M/F-P) ; son (M-S), sa (F-S), ses (M/F-P); notre (M/F-S), nos (M/F-P); votre(M/F-S), vos (M/F-P) ; leur (M/F-S), leurs (M/F-P); In front of feminine pronouns starting with a vowel or silent h – feminine pronouns ma, ta, sa take the masculine form mon, ton, son.
This is my book; These are my books; This is my apple; These are my apples.
C’est mon livre; Ce sont mes livres; C’est ma pomme; Ce sont mes pommes.
This is your book; These are your books; This is your apple; These are your apples.
C’est ton livre; Ce sont ta livres; Ceci est tes pomme; Ce sont tes pommes.
This is his book; These are his books; This is his apple; These are his apples.
C’est son livre; Ce sont ses livres; C’est sa pomme; Ce sont ses pommes.
This is her book; These are her books; This is her apple; These are her apples.
C’est son livre; Ce sont ses livres; C’est sa pomme; Ce sont ses pommes.
Relative Pronouns
English Relative Pronouns: who; which; whom
French Pronoms relatifs (Invariables) : qui, que, dont, où, and lequel.
That lady who has the little black dog
Cette dame qui a le petit chien noir
My father, who is sixty, is retiring.
Mon père, qui a soixante ans, prend sa retraite.
The person whom I dislike was in the office today
La personne que je n’aime pas était au bureau aujourd’hui
The man that they’ve arrested was my boss.
L’homme qu’ils ont arrêté était mon patron.
The team that won was from my gym.
L’équipe qui a gagné était de mon gymnase.
The dessert that you made was delicious
Le dessert que tu as fait était délicieux
Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns
French demonstrative adjectives for this and these.
Les adjectifs démonstratifs français sont ce, cet, ces et cette et se traduisent par this et these. ce – singluar masculine; cet- singluar masculine for nouns beginning with a vowel or silent h; cette for singular feminine and ces for plurals.
For demonstrative adjectives: “these objects here” or “those objects there”, or “over there”.
Pour les adjectifs démonstratifs, les particules -ci et -là peuvent être attachées après le nom. For demonstrative adjectives, the particles -ci and -là can be attached after the noun to indicate this object or “these objects here” or “those objects there”, or over there.
French demonstrative pronouns for “the one” and “the ones”.
Les pronoms démonstratifs français sont celui, celle, ceux et celles (cellui – singular masculine; celle- singular feminine; ceux – plural masculine; celles- plural feminine).
Compound demonstrative pronouns used to compare objects: “one here” or the “one there”.
Les pronoms démonstratifs composés utilisés pour comparer des objets: celui-ci, celui-la; celle-ci, celle-la; ceux-ci; ceux-la; et celles-ci; celles-la.
The demonstrative pronouns “this” or “that” are used for indefinite things or items previously ideas. Les pronoms démonstratifs Ceci, cela et ça. The demonstrative pronouns Ceci – this, cela- that and ça- previously spoken idea.
This apple is green and that apple is red.
Cette pomme est verte et cette pomme est rouge.
These books are heavier than those books.
Ces livres sont plus lourds que ces livres.
This tree is bigger than that one.
Cet arbre est plus grand que celui-là.
These books are heavier than those ones.
Ces livres sont plus lourds que ceux-là.
These houses are bigger than those ones.
Ces maisons sont plus grandes que celles-là.
These houses are bigger than those ones.
Ces maisons sont plus grandes que celles-là.
These bananas are more delicious than those ones. Ces bananes sont plus délicieuses que celles-là.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive Pronouns: I Myself, You yourself, He himself or She herself, We ourselves, You yourselves, They themselves
Pronoms réfléchis : moi-même, vous-même, vous-même, nous-mêmes, vous-mêmes, eux-mêmes
Reflexive Pronouns: Myself, yourself, himself or herself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Pronoms réfléchis : me/m’; te/t’; se/s’; nous; vous; se/s’
Are you enjoying yourself madam?
Vous vous amusez madame ?
I’m getting used to the work.
Je m’habitue au travail.
Don’t burn yourself!
Ne te brûle pas !
Don’t worry!
Ne t’inquiète pas!
I get up early.
Je me lève tôt.
My sister’s getting dressed.
Ma sœur s’habille.
They’re always complaining.
Ils se plaignent toujours.
I’m getting ready for the marathon.
Je me prépare pour le marathon.
I’m enjoying myself je m’amuse
5. Prepositions Use in French
Prepositions are an essential part of any language and they allow us to provide precise information during communication. A preposition is a word that shows direction, location, or time, or that introduces an object. Prepositions are typically followed by an object, which can be a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun.
How Definite Articles Combine with Prepositions à and
The most widely used prepositions in French which reflect “to” and “from” are à and de. These prepositions change their form when they are combined with definite articles.
When definite articles are combined with prepositions à and de for the masculine article there is a contraction as shown below. For the feminine article there is no such contraction.
à + le –> au: Je vais au cinéma. I’m going to the market.
à + les –> aux: Je vais aux États-Unis. I’m going to the United States.
de + le–> du : Je viens du marché. I’m coming from the market.
de + les–> des: Je viens des Pays-Bas. I come from Netherlands.
à + la (No Change) : Je vais à la poste I’m going to the Post Office.
à + l’ (No Change) : Je vais à l’hôtel. I’m going to the Hotel.
de + la (No Change) : Je viens de la piscine. I’m coming from the swimming pool
de + l’ (No Change) : Je viens de l’auberge de jeunesse I’m going from the Youth Hostel.
Here are some useful prepositions:
From depuis
During pendant
Between entre
Except sauf
Toward vers
Until jusqu’à
according to selon
Without sans
about, above environ, au-dessus
due to, because of à cause de, à cause de
Along le long de
Through à travers
about, concerning à propos de, concernant
outside of en dehors de
beside, next to à côté de
Before avant
Under sous
near, about, approximately près, à peu près, à peu près
Against contre
in front of devant
within, inside of dans, à l’intérieur de
on, upon, on top of sur, sur, au-dessus de
across from en face de
close to, right next to près de, juste à côté de
far from loin de
About à propos
Behind derrière
After après
6. Adjectives in French
Adjectives are a type of modifier of nouns; that is, they describe nouns and let us know qualities like the size, shape, weight, color, nationality, or any of a myriad other possible qualities of nouns.
French Adjectives not only modify nouns they must agree in gender and number with the nouns being described. Adjectives usually follow nouns. While English adjectives have a single form, French adjectives can have up to 4 forms, according to the gender and number of the nouns they modify:
masculine singular masculine plural
feminine singular feminine plural
The default adjective given in a dictionary is of the masculine singular form.
There are some rules that can be used to get the feminine and plural forms:
1)For regular adjectives, these endings are -e for feminine and -s for plural.
For example
petit (small)
le petit verre the small glass
les petits verres the small glasses
la petite tasse. the little cup
les petites tasses the little cups
2)When a masculine adjective ends in -s or -x, the masculine singular and plural forms are the same. The feminine forms need an added -e for singular and -es for plural.
surpris (surprised)
L’homme est surpris The man is surprised
Les hommes sont surpris The men are surprised
La femme est surprise The woman is surprised
Les femmes sont surprises. The women are surprised
3) When the default form of the adjective ends in -a, -e, or -o, the masculine and feminine forms are the same.
calme (calm)
un homme calme a calm man
les hommes calmes the calm men
une femme calme a calm woman
les femmes calmes the calm women
c –> che
frank: franc franche
c –> que
The formation of plurals is made by addition of s:
C’est un homme franc. He is a frank man.
C’est une femme franche. She is a frank woman.
Ce sont des hommes francs. They are frank men.
Ce sont des femmes franches. They are frank women.
er —> ère
expensive: cher chère
C’est un portefeuille cher. This is an expensive wallet.
C’est une montre chère. This is an expensive watch.
Ce sont des portefeuilles chers. These are expensive walets.
Ce sont des montres chères. These are expensive watches.
et —> ète
secret: secret secrète
eur —> euse
singer: un chanteur une chanteuse
eur —> rice migratory: migrateur
migratrice eux > euse
happy: heureux heureuse
f —> ve
naive: naïf naïve
g —> gue
long: long longue
gu > güe, guë
acute: aigu aigüe, aiguë
l —> lle
formal: formel formelle
n > nne
cute: mignon mignonne
s > sse
low: bas basse
t > tte
clean / tidy net nette
Comparative adjectives in French
To make comparisons in French, “plus” (meaning more) or “moins” (meaning less) is used before the adjective.
Ce canapé est moins cher.
This sofa is cheaper.
Le rouge est plus cher.
The red one is more expensive.
La chemise verte est moins chère.
The green shirt is less expensive.
To introduce the person or thing you are comparing with in French we use que (which means than).
Il est plus grand que toi.
He is taller than you.
L’autre voiture est plus chère que celle-ci.
The other car is more expensive than this one.
Ce vélo est moins cher que l’autre.
This bike is less expensive than the other.
Il est plus en colère qu’il n’en a l’air. He’s more angry than he looks.
Superlative adjectives in French
Le superlatif expresses the highest degree of a quality. In English we have words like good, better, best but in French one constructs the superlative by using le/la/les plus + adjective or le/la/les moins + adjective.
le cheval le plus vieux the oldest horse la plus petite maison the smallest house les hôtels les moins chers the cheapest hotels les pommes les plus chères the most expensive apples Qui est le plus grand ?
Who’s the tallest? l’homme le moins sympathique the least likable man les salariés (féminins) les moins travailleurs the least hardworking (female) employees Qui est le moins travailleur ?
Who’s the least hardworking?
Note that in phrases in the phrases below we use “de” to convey the superlative:
Le garçon le plus intelligent de l’école.
The most intelligent boy in the school.
L’homme le plus grand du monde
The tallest man in the world
Placement of French Adjectives
In most cases French adjectives come after the noun (unlike the case in English). In some cases they can come before the noun or after the noun without changing the meaning of the sentence. In some cases the meaning changes if the adjectives are before the noun
Adjectives related to beauty: beau, belle (handsome); joli(e) (pretty) come before the noun.
Adjectives related to age: jeune (young); vieux, vielle (old); nouveau, nouvelle (new) come before the noun.
Adjectives related to goodness: bon(ne) (good); mauvais(e) (bad,evil); gentil(lle) (kind) come before the noun.
Adjectives related to size: gros(se) (fat); grand(e) (tall); petit(e) (small); long(ue) (long); court(e) (short) come before the noun.
Adjective Placement that Changes the Meaning of a Sentence
In the following examples we see when an adjective is placed after the noun the adjective meaning is literal. On the other hand if it is placed before the noun the meaning is conceptual. my previous house; an old house mon ancienne maison; une maison ancienne
a respectable man; a brave man un
brave homme; un homme brave
a certain age; I am sure/I am certain
un certain âge; j’en suis certain
Dear friend; This is an expensive bag
cher ami; c’est un sac cher
an odd story; a curious man une
curieuse histoire; un homme curieux
last week; the most recent week
la dernière semaine; la semaine dernière
a strange story; a funny story
une drôle d’histoire; une histoire drôle
a tall man; a great man
un grand homme; un homme grand
the pitiable man; a poor man with no money
le pauvre homme; un homme pauvre
the next time; the coming week
la prochaine fois; la semaine prochaine
my own room; my clean room
ma propre chambre; ma chambre propre
a pure formality; the clean air
une pure formalité; l’air pur
a hell of a great book; a holy book
un sacré livre; un livre sacré
a disgusting story; a dirty room
une sale histoire; une chambre sale
A Few Additional Rules for French Adjectives Use
If the nouns are mixed masculine and feminine one uses the masculine plural adjectives.
Paolo and Paula are ready; Paola and Marta are ready.
Paolo et Paula sont prêts. Paola et Marta sont prêtes.
The children are tired; The girls are tired.
Les enfants sont fatigués. Les filles sont fatiguées.
If several adjectives are used to describe a noun, in French each adjective is separated from the other and are arranged so adjectives in the BAGS (beauty, age, goodness, size) category come before the noun:
Susan is the tall lady and is his new girlfriend
Susan est la grande dame et est sa nouvelle petite amie
That’s an old red house
C’est une vieille maison rouge
Marco is an old dear friend of mine
Marco est un vieil ami très cher
I have an new expensive green bag
J’ai un nouveau sac vert cher
7. Adverbs Use in French
An adverb is an important part of grammar and is a word that modifies (describes) a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence. In English most adverbs have “ly” endings while in French they often have “ment” endings. In French, while adjectives and nouns in general change with number and gender, adverbs have the same form. Some of the adverbs in French can be constructed from adjectives.
Transforming Adjectives to Adverbs
Creating adverbs from feminine singular adjectives
If an masculine adjective ends in a consonant add “ment” to the feminine singular adjectives
Masculine Adjective: clair meaning clear
Feminine Adjective: claire meaning clear
Adverb: clairement meaning clearly
Masculine Adjective: naturel meaning natural
Feminine Adjective: naturelle meaning natural
Adverb: naturellement meaning naturally
Masculine Adjective: soigneux meaning careful
Feminine Adjective: soigneuse meaning careful
Adverb: soigneusement meaning carefully
Creating adverbs from masculine singular adjectives
In case the masculine form of an adjective ends in -i, -é or -u (although not if it ends in -oi, -eau or -ou), add “ment” to the masculine singular adjectives
For example:
Masculine Adjective: joli meaning pretty
Feminine Adjective: jolie meaning pretty
Adverb: joliment meaning prettily
Masculine Adjective: vrai meaning true
Feminine Adjective: vraie meaning true
Adverb: joliment meaning trul
Creating adverbs from adjectives ending in -ant or -ent
Some adjectives end in -ant, and in these cases the adverb ends in -amment. Some adjectives end in -ent, and for these cases the adverb ends in -emment.
courant → couramment fluent → fluently
récent → récemment recent → recently
Prudent → prudemment careful → carefully
Suffisant → suffisamment sufficient → sufficiently
Évident → évidemment evident → evidently
brillant → brillamment brilliant → brilliantly
Some Irregular Adverbs
There are some irregular verbs in French that differ from the adjective form:
Here are some examples:
Adjective : bon Meaning: good
Adverb: bien Meaning: well
Adjective: gentil Meaning : nice, kind
Adverb: gentiment Meaning: nicely, kindly
Adjective: mauvais Meaning: bad
Adverb: mal Meaning: badly
Adjective: meilleur Meaning: better, best
Adverb: mieux Meaning : better
Adjective: petit Meaning: small
Adverb: peu Meaning: little
Adjective: pire Meaning: worse
Adverb: pis Meaning: worse
Elle travaille bien. She works well.
C’est un emploi très mal payé. It’s a very badly paid job.
Types of Adverbs
There are many types of adverbs – all needed to accurately describe what is happening.
An adverb of manner describes how an action is performed or how something happens.
Adverbs of degree are used to qualify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs by expressing extent or degree. Some common adverbs of degree include:
“extremely,” “absolutely,” “slightly,” “quite,” and “enough.”
An adverb of place provides information about the location of an action (e.g., position, distance, and direction). .
Adverbs of time (e.g., “yesterday,” “today,” “tomorrow”) describe when something happens. Adverbs of frequency describe how often something happens.
There are also adverbs of certainty which describe how certain one is about an action.
Comparative And Superlative Adverbs In French
Comparative adverbs are created in French using comparison words like plus que or poin que:
plus … (que) more … (than)
Tu marches plus vite que moi.
You walk faster than me.
Elle chante plus fort que les autres.
She’s singing louder than the others.
moins… (que) less … (than)
Parle moins vite!
Don’t speak so fast! (Please speak less fast)
Nous nous voyons moins souvent qu’avant.
We see each other less often than before.
aussi… que as … as
Je parle français aussi bien que toi!
I can speak French as well as you!
Viens aussi vite que possible.
Come as quickly as possible.
Superlative adverbs are created in French in a manner similar to that used to create superlative adjectives – by adding definite articles in front of the adverbs. However, for adverbs the definite articles are le or les and don’t change with gender or numbers.
le plus… (que) the most… (that)
Marianne parle le plus vite.
Marianne speaks fastest.
Les enfants crient le plus fort.
The children shout loudest.
le moins … (que) the least … (that)
Il travaille le moins vite.
He works slowest.
C’est lui qui nous visite le moins souvent.
He’s the one who visits us the least.,
Adverbs of Time
already déjà
no longer plus maintenant
not any more pas plus
now maintenant
right now tout de suite
formerly auparavant
before avant
scarcely à peine
afterward après
right away tout de suite
then alors
then, afterward puis, après
a long time before longtemps avant
always toujours
subsequently ensuite
late en retard
early tôt
still toujours
yet encore
not yet pas encore
Adverbs of Place or Location
on the right sur la droite
on the left sur la gauche
down bas
downstairs en bas
underneath sous
in back à l’arrière
at the bottom au fond
next to it à côté de cela
next door la porte à côté
upstairs à l’étage
above au-dessus de
behind derrière
nearby proche
up there là-haut
on top en haut
outside dehors
far away loin
somewhere quelque part
nowhere nulle part
French Adverb Placement in a Sentence
Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, clauses and it is important to know where to place adverbs in a sentence.
Adverbs that Modify Verbs:
For simple verbs (i.e. verb forms that don’t require an auxiliary verb) French adverbs go after the conjugated verb they modify.
For example:
Je lis souvent. I read often
Adverbs that modify compound tenses
A compound tense is when a phrase consists of a main verb and an auxiliary verb like être (to be), avoir (to have) or aller (to go).
In these cases, the adverb goes after the first conjugated verb. For example:
J’ai beaucoup dormi. I slept a lot
Placement of French adverbs that modify adjectives
In French as in English, adverbs usually come in front of the adjectives they modify. Tous les voyageurs que je connais sont vraiment sympas. All of the travelers I know are truly nice.
Le film était trop bizarre pour moi.
The film was too weird for me.
Where to place French adverbs that modify other adverbs
When an adverb modifies another adverb, it goes before that adverb.
Il danse très mal.
He dances very poorly.
Where to place French adverbs that modify clauses
If your adverb is modifying the entire clause—in other words, the entire thought—it often comes at the beginning of the sentence.
Souvent nous mangeons à ce restaurant.
Often, we eat at this restaurant.
How to Use Contents in this folder
