Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts
Grammar review · From · De
editThe preposition de /də/ means from:
- Il est de Paris.He is from Paris.
De becomes d' before a vowel, due to elision:
- Nous sommes d'Orléans.We are from Orléans.
The definite article is included with countries:
- Vous êtes de la Suisse ?Are you from Switzerland?
The contraction du /dy/ is used in place of de le:
- Elles sont du Luxembourg.They are from Luxembourg.
Likewise, the contraction des /dɛ/ is used in place of de les:
- Nous sommes des Pays-Bas.We are from the Netherlands.
De also has other translations, which depend on context. For example, it is used to indicate an amount:
- 5 kilos de pommes5 kilograms of apples
Grammar review · Possessive adjectives · Les adjectifs possessifs
editFormation
editFirst person | Second person | Third person | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | mon (m) ma (f) mes |
/mɔ̃/ (help·info) /ma/ (help·info) /me/ (help·info) |
my | ton (m) ta (f) tes |
/tɔ̃/ (help·info) /ta/ (help·info) /te/ (help·info) |
your (tu form) | son (m) sa (f) ses |
/sɔ̃/ (help·info) /sa/ (help·info) /sɛ/ (help·info) |
his her its |
Plural | notre nos |
/nɔtʁ/ (help·info) /no/ (help·info) |
our | votre vos |
/vɔtʁ/ (help·info) /vo/ (help·info) |
your (vous form) | leur leurs |
/lœʁ/ (help·info) /lœʁ/ (help·info) |
their |
Usage
editPossessive adjectives are used to express possession of an object:
- C'est mon passeport.It's my passport.
In English the possessive adjective agrees with the subject (his sister, her brother). But in French, possessive adjectives act like all other adjectives: they must agree with the noun they modify.
Masculine noun le frère |
Feminine noun la sœur | ||
---|---|---|---|
le frère de Marc Marc's brother |
son frère his brother |
la sœur de Marc Marc's sister |
sa sœur his sister |
les frères de Marc Marc's brothers |
ses frères his brothers |
les sœurs de Marc Marc's sisters |
ses sœurs his sisters |
le frère de Marie Marie's brother |
son frère her brother |
la sœur de Marie Marie's sister |
sa sœur her sister |
les frères de Marie Marie's brothers |
ses frères her brothers |
les sœurs de Marie Marie's sisters |
ses sœurs her sisters |
Whether son, sa and ses translate to his or her is indicated by context:
- Oui, elle a son billet.Yes, she has her ticket.
Notre, votre, and leur modify singular nouns, regardless of gender; nos, vos, and leurs modify plural nouns:
- le chalet (m) : C'est notre chalet.It's our chalet.
- la caravane: C'est notre caravane.It's our caravan.
Examples
edit This section is a stub. You can help Wikibooks by expanding it. |
Ton auberge de jeunesse est bruyante. | Your youth hostel is noisy. | auberge is feminine, but begins with a vowel | |||
J’ai son billet. | I have his/her ticket. | le billet is masculine | |||
Elle est la femme de mon ami. | She's my friend's wife. | l'ami is maculine |
Dialogue · vacations · vacances
editMonuments, visited, travelled, eated...
This section is a stub. You can help Wikibooks by expanding it. |
Grammar · Regular -ir verbs · Les verbes en -ir
editThe second category of regular French verbs is -ir verbs.
Formation
editTo conjugate, drop the -ir to find the stem or root. Add endings to the root based on the subject and tense.
Pronoun | Ending | Verb | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|---|
je | -is | finis | /fi.ni/ (help·info) |
tu | -is | finis | /fi.ni/ (help·info) |
il/elle | -it | finit | /fi.ni/ (help·info) |
nous | -issons | finissons | /fi.ni.sɔ̃/ (help·info) |
vous | -issez | finissez | /fi.ni.se/ (help·info) |
ils/elles | -issent | finissent | /fi.nis/ (help·info) |
abolir | /a.bɔ.liʁ/ (help·info) | to abolish | Il faut abolir l'esclavage. | Slavery needs to be abolished. | |
approfondir | /a.pʁɔ.fɔ̃.diʁ/ (help·info) | to deepen, to consider more thoroughly | Je vais approfondir ce sujet. | I 'm going to consider more thoroughly this subject. | |
choisir | /ʃwaziʀ/ (help·info) | to choose | Je vais choisir pour toi. | I'll choose for you. | |
convertir | /kɔ̃.vɛʁ.tiʁ/ (help·info) | to convert | Comment tu convertis les mètres en pieds? | How do you convert meters to feets? | |
investir | /ɛ̃.vɛs.tiʁ/ (help·info) | to invest | Je vais investir dans cette entreprise. | I'll invest in this enterprise. | |
obéir | /ɔ.be.iʁ/ (help·info) | to obey | Tout corps matériel obéit à la loi de gravitation universelle. | Any material body obeys the law of universal gravitation. | |
polir | /pɔ.liʁ/ (help·info) | to polish, to refine | J'ai poli cette pière. | I polished this stone. | |
établir | /e.ta.bliʁ/ (help·info) | to establish, to prove | J'ai établit ce fait. | I established this fact. | |
refroidir | /fʁwa.diʁ/ (help·info) | to cool, to cool off | Le congélateur est en train de refroidir la viande. | The freezer is cooling off the meat. | |
affaiblir | /a.fe.bliʁ/ (help·info) | to weaken | L’âge affaiblit la mémoire. Les débauches affaiblissent le corps. |
Age weakens the memory. Debauchery weaken the body. |
Vocabulary
editl'aéroport (m) | /a.e.ʁɔ.pɔʁ/ (help·info) | airport | |||
le billet | /bi.jɛ/ (help·info) | ticket | for train, airplane | ||
la poste | /pɔst/ (help·info) | post office | |||
la station | /sta.sjɔ̃/ (help·info) | station | |||
le métro | /met.ʁɔ/ (help·info) | subway, underground | |||
les bagages | /ba.ɡaʒ/ (help·info) | baggage | |||
le ticket | /ti.kɛ/ (help·info) | ticket | for bus, métro | ||
la valise | /va.liz/ (help·info) | suitcase | |||
Vehicles | |||||
l'auto (f) | /o.to/ (help·info) | car | |||
l'avion (m) | /a.vjɔ̃/ (help·info) | airplane | |||
l'autobus (m) | /o.to.bys/ (help·info) | bus | |||
le bateau | /bato/ (help·info) | boat | |||
le train | /tʁɛ̃/ (help·info) | train | |||
le taxi | /tak.si/ (help·info) | taxi | |||
la voiture | /vwa.tyʁ/ (help·info) | car | |||
Hotels | |||||
la chambre | /ʃɑ̃bʁ/ (help·info) | room | |||
la chambre de libre | free room |
Grammar · To take · Prendre
editPrendre is an irregular -re verb, and is conjugated differently. nous, vous and ils don't have the letter 'd' which you would otherwise expect in a normal -re verb. In ils the n is also doubled up.
Formation
editprendre /pʁɑ̃dʁ/ (prah(n)dr) | to take |
---|---|
je prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | I take |
tu prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | you take |
il prend /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | he takes |
nous prenons /pʁə.nɔ̃/ (pruh-noh(n)) | we take |
vous prenez /pʁǝ.ne/ (pruh-nay) | you take |
ils prennent /pʁɛn/ (prehn) | they take |
pris /pʁi/ | taken |
Examples
editPrends ma main. | Take my hand. | ||||
Ils ont pris mon chien. | They took my dog. | ||||
Nous prenons, c'est tout. | We take, that's all. | ||||
Je prends ce que je veux. | I take what I want. | ||||
Qu'allez vous prendre? | What are you going to take? | ||||
Il a pris une bouteille d'eau. | He took a bottle of water. | ||||
Tu prends quoi? | What are you taking? |
Supplementary vocabulary · Related expressions
editprendre | /pʁɑ̃.dʁə/ (help·info) | to have something to eat, to buy | |||
prendre en compte | to take into account | ||||
prendre fin | to come to an end | ||||
prendre conscience (de) | to become aware (of) | ||||
prendre position | to make a stand (of) | ||||
prendre des mesures | to take steps (to initiate a course of action) | ||||
prendre des kilos | to gain weight | ||||
prendre part (à) | to take part (in) | prendre part au vote | take part in the vote | ||
prendre la parole | to start talking | ||||
prendre le pas sur | to surpass | ||||
prendre rendez-vous | to make an appointment | ||||
prendre un verre | to have a drink | On va prendre un verre en ville. | We’re going to have a drink in town. | ||
prendre un café | to have a coffee |
Vocabulary · Directions
editSometimes when you go out, you may get lost, or come across someone who is lost. This should help you ask for and give directions.
Pardonnez-moi/Excusez-moi, mademoiselle/madame/monsieur. |
Excuse me, Miss/Mrs/Mr. | ||||
Je suis perdu. | I am lost. | ||||
Je cherche… | I'm looking for… | ||||
la poste | /pɔst/ (help·info) | the post office | |||
la gare | /ɡaʁ/ (help·info) | the train station | |||
le supermarché | /sy.pɛʁ.maʁ.ʃe/ (help·info) | the supermarket | |||
le stade | /stad/ (help·info) | the football stadium | |||
le camping | /kɑ̃.piɳ/ (help·info) | the camping grounds | |||
la plage | /plaːɡə/ (help·info) | the beach | |||
le parc | /paʁk/ (help·info) | the park | |||
Vous prenez… | You take… | ||||
la première rue | the first street | ||||
à gauche | Fr-à gauche.ogg (help·info) | to the left | |||
à droite | to the right | ||||
tout droit | straight ahead | ||||
Merci beaucoup! | Thanks so much! | ||||
De rien. | /də ʁjɛ̃/ (help·info) | You're welcome / No worries. |
Dialogue
edit This section is a stub. You can help Wikibooks by expanding it. |
Exercises
edit This section is a stub. You can help Wikibooks by expanding it. |
French : Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts