Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts
Dialogue
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Culture · Education in France
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Vocabulary · School and students
editl'école (f) | /ekɔl/ (help·info) | school | |||
l'élève (m) | /e.lɛv/ (help·info) | pupil | |||
l'étudiant (m) l'étudiante (f) |
/etydjɑ̃/ (help·info) /etydjɑ̃t/ (help·info) |
student | |||
le collège (classes 6-4) | /kɔ.lɛʒ/ (help·info) | jr. high school (grades 6-9) | |||
le collégien la collégienne |
/kɔ.le.ʒjɛ̃/ (help·info) /kɔ.le.ʒjɛn/ (help·info) |
jr. high school student | |||
le lycée (classes 3-terminale) | /li.se/ (help·info) | high school (grades 10-12) | |||
le lycéen la lycéenne |
/li.se.ɛ̃/ (help·info) /li.se.ɛn/ (help·info) |
high school student | |||
l'université (f) la fac(ulté) |
/y.ni.vɛʁ.si.te/ (help·info) /fak/ (help·info) /fa.kyl.te/ (help·info) |
university | |||
l'enseignement supérieur | higher education graduate school |
Grammar · Present perfect with regular verbs
editThe passé composépresent perfect is a compound tense, and is therefore composed of an auxiliary verb and a past participle. With most verbs, that auxiliary verb is avoir.
Meaning
editIn English, verbs conjugated in the passé composé literally mean have/has ____ed. While there is a simple past tense in French, it is almost always only used in formal writing, so verbs conjugated in the passé composé can also be used to mean the English simple tense.
For example, the passé composé forms of parlerto speak , [avoir] parlé, literally mean has/have spoken, but also means spoke.
Basic formation
editTo conjugate a verb in the passé composé, the helping verb, usually avoir, is conjugated in the present indicative and the past participle is then added.
Auxiliary verb - avoir
editConjugate avoir in the present indicative.
j'ai | I have | nous avons | we have |
---|---|---|---|
tu as | you have | vous avez | you have |
il a | he has | ils ont | they have |
elle a | she has | elles ont | they have |
Past participle
edit- -er verbs: replace -er with é
- -ir verbs: replace -ir with i
- -re verbs: replace -re with u
- irregular verbs: varied; must be memorized
Formation of the past participle
| |||
---|---|---|---|
Verb Group | Infinitive | Stem | Past Participle |
-er verbs | jouer | jou | joué |
-ir verbs | finir | fin | fini |
-re verbs | répondre | répond | répondu |
Avoir + past participle
editJ'ai joué | I have played | Nous avons joué | We have played |
---|---|---|---|
Tu as joué | You have played | Vous avez joué | You have played |
Il a joué | He has played | Ils ont joué | They have played |
Elle a joué | She has played | Elles ont joué | They have played |
Please also note:
Fem. Subject or Person (Elles, Elle, Nous, On etc.)- Add another e with no aigu or grave to end of word- if a female person is partaking in the group.
Plural Subject (On, Nous, Tu, Vous etc.)- Add another "s" to end of word.
Finally, some verbs are irregular for the past participle, such as aller (to go), instead of using avoir to form the past participle, they will use être (to be) to form the past participle.
Always check the verb's irregularities before using to form past participle. Some "past participle" irregulars are regular verbs when forming other tenses.
Examples
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Vocabulary · At school · À l'école
editle professeur[1] la prof |
/pʁɔ.fɛ.sœʁ/ (help·info) /pʁɔf/ (help·info) |
teacher, professor | |||
la bourse | /buʁs/ (help·info) | scholarship | |||
le diplôme (professionnel) | /di.plom/ (help·info) | diploma | |||
le bac(calauréat) | /bak/ (help·info) /bakalɔʀea/ (help·info) |
high school exit exam | |||
la bibliothèque | /bi.bli.jɔ.tɛk/ (help·info) | library | |||
la note | /nɔt/ (help·info) | grade, mark (as on a test) | |||
les cours | /kuʁ/ (help·info) | classes or courses | |||
la classe | /klas/ (help·info) | grade (e.g. 6th Grade) | |||
en cours de [...] | in [...] class | ||||
Pendant les cours | |||||
le tableau | /ta.blɔ/ (help·info) | chalkboard | |||
la craie | /kʁɛ/ (help·info) | chalk | |||
le pupitre | /pypitʁ/ (help·info) | school desk | |||
l'examen (m) | /ɛɡzamɛ̃/ (help·info) | exam, test | |||
les devoirs | /dǝ.vwaʁ/ (help·info) | homework | |||
la classe | /klas/ (help·info) | class | |||
la cantine | /kɑ̃.tin/ (help·info) | cafeteria | |||
la récréation la cour |
/ʁe.kʁe.a.sjɔ̃/ (help·info) /kuʁ/ (help·info) |
recess courtyard |
|||
Describing teachers and students | |||||
intelligent(e) | /ɛ̃teliʒɑ̃/ (help·info) /ɛ̃teliʒɑ̃t/ (help·info) |
intelligent | |||
strict(e) | /stʁikt/ (help·info) | strict |
^ The word professeur is considered masculine at all times, even if the teacher is female. The only case when "professeur" can be preceded by feminine determinant is either when contracting it in colloquial language "la prof", or when adding a few words before : "madame/mademoiselle la/le professeur".
Vocabulary · Actions
editpasser un examen | to take a test | ||||
étudier | /e.ty.dje/ (help·info) | to study | Il étudie nuit et jour. | He studied night and day. | |
écrire | /e.kʁiʁ/ (help·info) | to write | |||
lever (la main) | to raise (your hand) | ||||
poser (une question) | to ask (a question) | ||||
répondre (à) | /re.pɔ̃dʁ/ (help·info) | to answer, to reply (to) | Il a répondu à toutes les questions. | He answered all of the questions. | |
parler | /paʁle/ (help·info) | to speak | Ils ont parlé plusieurs heures avant d'aller se coucher. | They talked for several hours before bedtime. | |
écouter | /ekute/ (help·info) | to listen (to) | J’écoute la radio. | I listen to the radio. | |
entendre | /ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ/ (help·info) | to hear (of) | Elle entend des voix. | She hears voices. | |
regarder | /ʁǝ.ɡaʁ.de/ (help·info) | to watch | |||
déjeuner | /de.ʒœ.ne/ (help·info) | to (eat) lunch | Déjeunez- vous á onze heure ? | You (formal) eat lunch at eleven O'clock? |
In French, you do not "own" body parts. While in English, you would say my hand or your hand, the definite article is almost always used in French:
To and of are part of the verbs écouter and entendre respectively. It is not necessary to add a preposition to the verb. Other verbs, such as répondre (à), meaning to respond (to), are almost always followed by a preposition.
Supplementary examples
editC’est un auteur que j’ai peu étudié. | He is an author that I have little studied. | ||||
On ne devient pas savant sans étudier. | You do not become learned without studying. | ||||
Ce pianiste étudie plusieurs heures par jour. | This pianist exercises several hours a day. | ||||
Il étudie l’écriture sainte. | He studies scripture. | ||||
Elle parle couramment le français. | She speaks French fluently. | ||||
Ne parlez pas si haut. | Do not talk so loud. | ||||
Écoutez, j’ai quelque chose à vous dire. | Listen, I have something to say to you. | ||||
J'ai entendu plusieurs fois ce chanteur à la Scala. | I heard this singer several times at La Scala. | ||||
Tu dois répondre aux questions que je te pose. | You must answer the questions I ask you. | ||||
Il répond à toutes les lettres qu’il reçoit. | He responds to all the letters that he receives. |
Supplementary usage notes · Entendre
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Grammar · To write and to read · Écrire et lire
editÉcrire
editÉcrire is an irregular French verb, meaning to write. It varies from other -re verbs in the plural conjugation, by adding a v. Its past particple, écrit, is also irregular.
écrire /e.kʁiʁ/ | to write |
---|---|
j'écris /e.kʁi/ | I write |
tu écris /e.kʁi/ | you write |
il écrit /e.kʁi/ | he writes |
nous écrivons /e.kʁi.vɔ̃/) | we write |
vous écrivez /e.kʁi.ve/ | you write |
ils écrivent /e.kʁiv/ | they write |
écrit /e.kʁi/ | written |
The verb coécrireto co-write /ko.e.kʁiʁ/ is conjugated the same way. The nouns écriture /e.kʁi.tyʁ/, meaning writing or handwriting, and écrivain /e.kʁi.vɛ̃/, meaning writer, are derived from écrire.
Lire
editLire is an irregular French verb, meaning to read. Its plural conjugation adds an s, and its past participle is lu.
lire /liʁ/ | to read |
---|---|
je lis /'li/ | I read |
tu lis /'li/ | you read |
il lit /'li/ | he reads |
nous lisons /li.zɔ̃/ | we read |
vous lisez /li.ze/ | you read |
ils lisent /liz/ | they read |
lu /ly/ | read |
The verbs élireto elect /e.liʁ/ and relireto reread /ʁǝ.liʁ/ are conjugated the same way. The adjective lisible /lizibl/, meaning readable or legible, is derived from lire.
Examples
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Mon père écrit des poèmes pour ma mère. | My father writes poems for my mother. | ||||
As-tu écrit ce slogan sur le mur ? | Have you written that slogan on the wall? | ||||
Il a une mauvaise écriture. | He has bad handwriting. | ||||
Jean lit très souvent. | Jean reads very often. | ||||
Il faut lire et relire les auteurs de l’antiquité. | You must read and reread the authors of antiquity. | ||||
On a relu le projet de loi. | We have reviewed the bill. | ||||
Son écriture n’est pas belle, mais elle est lisible. | His writing is not beautiful, but it is readable. | ||||
Je pense que ce candidat va être élu, et toi ? | I think this candidate will be elected, and you? | ||||
J'ai coécris ce livre avec Marc. | I wrote this book with Marc. |
Supplementary vocabulary · School supplies · Les fournitures scolaires
editla craie | /kʁɛ/ (help·info) | chalk | J'ai écrit au tableau avec de la craie. | I wrote on the blackboard with chalk. | |
le tableau | /ta.blɔ/ (help·info) | the board | |||
le stylo (stylo à bille) | /stil.o/ (help·info) | (ballpoint) pen | |||
le crayon | /kʀɛ.jɔ̃/ (help·info) | pencil | |||
la calculatrice | /kal.ky.la.tʁis/ (help·info) | calculator | |||
le livre | /livʁ/ (help·info) | book | une livre is a pound | ||
le bouquin | /bu.kɛ̃/ (help·info) | book | colloquial; also rabbit | J'ai commencé un nouveau bouquin hier. | I started a new book yesterday. |
le cahier | /ka.je/ (help·info) | notebook | |||
le papier la feuille de papier |
/pa.pje/ (help·info) | paper sheet of paper |
|||
le bloc-notes | /blɔk.nɔt/ (help·info) | notepad | |||
le sac à dos | /sak.a.dɔ/ (help·info) | backpack | |||
la gomme | Fr-gomme.ogg (help·info) | eraser | |||
la règle | /ʁɛɡl/ (help·info) | ruler | |||
le feutre | /føtʁ/ (help·info) | marker | |||
le cartable | backpack |
Supplementary vocabulary · School subjects · Les matières d'enseignement
editl'informatique (f) | /ɛ̃.fɔʁ.ma.tik/ (help·info) | computer science | |||
la littérature | /li.te.ʁa.tyʁ/ (help·info) | literature | |||
la musique | /myzik/ (help·info) | music | |||
les langues | |||||
l'anglais | /ɑ̃.ɡlɛ/ (help·info) | English | |||
le français | /fʁɑ̃.sɛ/ (help·info) | French | Il parle très bien français. | He speaks French very well. | |
l'espagnol (m) | /ɛs.pa.ɲɔl/ (help·info) | Spanish | |||
l'allemand (m) | /al.mɑ̃/ (help·info) | German | L’allemand est une langue germanique. Mon stagiaire parle un allemand impeccable. |
German is a Germanic language. My trainee speaks perfect German. | |
le russe | /ʁys/ (help·info) | Russian | |||
l'italien (m) | /i.ta.ljɛ̃/ (help·info) | Italian | |||
les sciences naturelles | |||||
la biologie | /bjɔ.lo.ʒi/ (help·info) | biology | |||
la chimie | /ʃi.mi/ (help·info) | chemistry | |||
la physique | /fi.zik/ (help·info) | physics | Ses matières préférées sont la chimie et la physique. | His preferred subjects are chemistry and physics. | |
les mathématiques | |||||
l'algèbre (f) | /al.ʒɛbʁ/ (help·info) | algebra | |||
le calcul | /kal.kyl/ (help·info) | calculus | |||
la géométrie | /ʒe.ɔ.me.tʁi/ (help·info) | geometry | |||
les sciences sociales | |||||
l'économie (f) | /e.kɔ.nɔ.mi/ (help·info) | economics | |||
la géographie | /ʒe.ɔ.ɡʁa.fi/ (help·info) | geography | |||
l'histoire (f) | /is.twaʁ/ (help·info) | history |
Supplementary vocabulary · Classes/grades
editThe way that grades are numbered in France is opposite the way they are in the US. Whereas American grade numbers increase as you approach your senior year, they descend in France.
Classe Terminale | 12th Grade | Age 17-18 | |||
1ère (la première classe) | 11th Grade | Age 16-17 | |||
2ème (la deuxième classe) | 10th Grade | Age 15-16 | |||
3ème (la troisième classe) | 9th Grade | Age 14-15 | |||
4ème (la quatrième classe) | 8th Grade | Age 13-14 | |||
5ème (la cinquième classe) | 7th Grade | Age 12-13 | |||
6ème (la sixième classe) | 6th Grade | Age 11-12 | |||
CM2 (CM = cours moyen) | 5th Grade | Age 10-11 | |||
CM1 | 4th Grade | Age 9-10 | |||
CE2 (CE = cours élémentaire) | 3rd Grade | Age 8-9 | |||
CE1 | 2nd Grade | Age 7-8 | |||
CP (CP = cours préparatoire) | 1st Grade | Age 6-7 |
Text
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Exercises
edit(Highlight or hover over a line to show the answer.) Translate each phrase.
I finished. (finir) | J'ai fini. |
I have listened. (écouter) | J'ai écouté. |
We played. (jouer) | Nous avons joué. |
Jacques has waited. (attendre) | Jacques a attendu. |
We finished. (finir) | Nous avons fini. |
He studied. (étudier) | Il a étudié. |
They watched. (regarder) | Ils ont regardé. |
We studied. (étudier) | Nous avons étudié. |
They listened. (écouter) | Ils ont écouté. |
(Highlight or hover over a line to show the answer.) Rewrite each phrase in the present perfect.
Je regarde | J'ai regardé |
Vous jouez | Vous avez joué |
Elle écoute | Elle a écouté |
Elles finissent | Elles ont fini |
Ils regardent | Ils ont regardé |
Nous entendons | Nous avons entendu |
Elle joue | Elle a joué |
Je finis | J'ai fini |
This section is a stub. You can help Wikibooks by expanding it. |
French : Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts