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Grammar review · From · De
The 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
Formation
| First person | Second person | Third person | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | mon (m) ma (f) mes |
 |
my | ton (m) ta (f) tes |
|
your (tu form) | son (m) sa (f) ses |
|
his her its |
| Plural | notre nos |
|
our | votre vos |
|
your (vous form) | leur leurs |
|
their |
Usage
Possessive 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
| 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
Monuments, visited, travelled, eated...
Grammar · Regular -ir verbs · Les verbes en -ir
The second category of regular French verbs is -ir verbs.
Formation
To 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 | |
| tu | -is | finis | |
| il/elle | -it | finit | |
| nous | -issons | finissons | |
| vous | -issez | finissez | |
| ils/elles | -issent | finissent | |
Supplementary vocabulary · Example -ir verbs
| abolir | | to abolish | |||
| approfondir | | to deepen, to consider more thoroughly | |||
| choisir | | to choose | |||
| convertir | | to convert | |||
| investir | | to invest | |||
| obéir | | to obey | Tout corps matériel obéit à la loi de gravitation universelle. | Any material body obeys the law of universal gravitation. | |
| polir | | to polish, to refine | |||
| établir | | to establish, to prove | |||
| refroidir | | to cool, to cool off | |||
| affaiblir | | to weaken | L’âge affaiblit la mémoire. Les débauches affaiblissent le corps. | Age weakens the memory. Debauchery weaken the body. |
Vocabulary
| l'aéroport (m) | | airport | |||
| le billet | | ticket | for train, airplane | ||
| la poste | | post office | |||
| la station | | station | |||
| le métro | | subway, underground | |||
| les bagages | | baggage | |||
| le ticket | | ticket | for bus, métro | ||
| la valise | | suitcase | |||
| Vehicles | |||||
| l'auto (f) | | car | |||
| l'avion (m) | | airplane | |||
| l'autobus (m) | | bus | |||
| le bateau | | boat | |||
| le train | | train | |||
| le taxi | | taxi | |||
| la voiture | | car | |||
| Hotels | |||||
| la chambre | | room | |||
| la chambre de libre | free room | ||||
Grammar · To take · Prendre
Prendre is an irregular -re verb, and is conjugated differently.
Formation
prendre  | to take |
|---|---|
| je prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | I take |
| tu prends /pʁɑ̃/ (prah(n)) | you take |
| il prend | he takes |
| nous prenons | we take |
| vous prenez | you take |
| ils prennent | they take |
| pris /pʁi/ | taken |
Examples
| Prends ma main. | Take my hand. |
| apprendre | | to learn | |||
| comprendre | | to comprehend/understand | |||
| méprendre | | to make a mistake | |||
| surprendre | | to surprise |
Supplementary vocabulary · Related expressions
| prendre | | 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
Sometimes 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 | | the post office |
| la gare | | the train station |
| le supermarché | | the supermarket |
| le stade | | the football stadium |
| le camping | | the camping grounds |
| la plage | | the beach |
| le parc | | the park |
| Vous prenez… | You take… | |
| la première rue | the first street | |
| à gauche | | to the left |
| à droite | to the right | |
| tout droit | straight ahead | |
| Merci beaucoup! | Thanks so much! | |
| De rien. | | You're welcome / No worries. |
Dialogue
Exercises
French : Lessons · Vocabulary · Grammar · Appendices · Texts
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