Introduction to French
Introduction to French by Rita Palacios is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Conestoga College Institution of Technology and Advanced Learning
Kitchener, Ontario
Introduction to French by Rita Palacios is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
1
This textbook is an adaption of three works, each produced and distributed under a Creative Commons license:
Francais Interactif, by the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services, and The Department of French and Italian at the University of Texas at Austin is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Liberté, by Gretchen Angelo, is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Tex’s French Grammar, by the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning at the University of Texas at Austin is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
This adapted edition is produced by Rita M. Palacios and Conestoga Library Services for Conestoga College Institute of Advanced Technology and Learning. Audio recordings courtesy of Michel Singh.
This adaptation has reformatted, reorganized and integrated excerpts from the original texts, and modified their content to suit the needs of Canadian college students. Unless otherwise stated, this work is made available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Cover art image:
“Rainy Day” by photographymontreal is licensed under CC PDM 1.0
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for formal and and informal introductions and greetings. You’ll also learn to ask people how they are doing. Lastly, you will also begin learning the vocabulary for the numbers 1 to 10.
1.1 Introductions
1.2 Greetings
1.3 Numbers 1 to 10
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to greetings. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=22
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Je me présente | Let me introduce myself |
| Je m’appelle… | My name is … |
| Je suis de … | I am from … |
| Je suis étudiant en… (commerce, comptabilité, etc.) | I am a (male) student in… (business, accounting, etc.) |
| Je suis étudiante en…(commerce, comptabilité, etc.) | I am a (female) student in… (business, accounting, etc.) |
Use the next table to review the vocabulary words related to subjects of study. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=22
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| le commerce | business |
| la comptabilité | accounting |
| les langues (f) | languages |
| l’anglais (m) | English |
| l’espagnol (m) | Spanish |
| les soins infirmiers (m) | nursing |
| l‘ébénisterie (f) | woodworking |
| l’administration des bureaux (f) | office administration |
| le génie électrique (m) | electrical engineering |
| l’éducation préscolaire (f) | early childhood education |
| l’informatique (f) | computer science |
Complete the following sentences:
Je me présente. Je m’appelle [Blank 1 – nom].
Je suis de [Blank 2 – ville].
Je suis étudiant(e) en [Blank 3 – matière].
Introduce yourself to two of your classmates using the sentences above and listen as two of your classmates introduce themselves to you. Complete the following sentences according to the information they tell you.
Student 1
Il/Elle s’appelle [Blank 1].
Il/Elle est de [Blank 2].
Il/Elle est étudiant(e) en [Blank 3].
Student 2
Il/Elle s’appelle [Blank 1].
Il/Elle est de [Blank 2].
Il/Elle est étudiant(e) en [Blank 3].
Introduce one of your classmates to the class.
Modèle: Je vous présente Robert. Il est de Cambridge. Il est étudiant en commerce.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to greetings. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=24
| ENGLISH | FRENCH |
|---|---|
| Monsieur / Madame / Mademoiselle | Sir / Mrs. / Miss |
| Bonjour, Monsieur | Hello, Sir |
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
| Au revoir | Goodbye |
| Salut! | Hi! or Bye! |
| À tout à l’heure! | See you in a little while. (same day) |
| À ce soir. | See you this evening. |
| À demain. | See you tomorrow. |
| À bientôt. | See you soon. |
| Comment vous appelez-vous? | What’s your name? (formal) |
| Comment tu t’appelles? | What’s your name? (informal) |
| Je m’appelle… | My name is… |
| Comment ça va ? / Ça va ? | How are you? |
| Comment allez-vous ? | How are you? (formal) |
| Comment vas-tu ? | How are you? (informal) |
| Je vais très bien, merci. | I am very well, thank you. |
| Je vais bien, merci. | I am fine, thank you. |
| Pas mal, merci. | Not bad, thank you. |
| Bien, merci! | Great, thanks! |
| Ça va. | O.K. |
| Ça va bien/mal. | Good / bad |
| Comme ci, comme ça. | So-so |
| Et vous ? / Et toi ? | And you? (formal/informal) |
In general, ‘tu’ is used with friends, family, and children. ‘Vous’ is used to express politeness, formality, and social distance. In Quebec, the use of ‘tu’ is far more common, though ‘vous’ is still used to show respect.
Linguistic differences can teach us a great deal about cultural differences. Do you think it is significant that French-speaking cultures have two different words for “you,” while English-speaking cultures do not, or do you think it’s just a coincidence? How does English distinguish formal from informal relationships?
Discuss whether the person speaking in each of the following situations would use tu or vous.
Observe the image and read the accompanying dialogue. Determine if it is a formal or informal exchange.
Marc: Salut, Christophe !
Christophe: Ah, bonjour, Marc! Ça va?
Marc: Comme ci, comme ça. Et toi, Christophe? Comment ça va?
Christophe: Ça va bien, merci.
Marc: Au revoir.
Christophe: Salut.
Replace the names in the previous dialogue with your own name and that of a classmate. Practice it and present it to the class!
Write a brief dialogue for each of the situations below. Don’t forget to decide whether the situation requires a formal or informal form of address.
In many French-speaking countries, people kiss each other on the cheek or shake hands when they meet. In everyday situations, female friends kiss, while men and mixed couples will kiss or shake hands depending on their level of acquaintance. This action is expressed by the French phrase ‘faire la bise’. While the number of kisses exchanged varies by region, the most common practice is two kisses, one on each cheek, although it is not uncommon to exchange three or even four. In an informal situation, young adults will most often ‘faire la bise’. Older adults or men would normally shake hands. In a formal situation, it is necessary to shake hands with everyone.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to numbers. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=26
| NUMBER | FRENCH SPELLING |
|---|---|
| 0 | zéro |
| 1 | un |
| 2 | deux |
| 3 | trois |
| 4 | quatre |
| 5 | cinq |
| 6 | six |
| 7 | sept |
| 8 | huit |
| 9 | neuf |
| 10 | dix |
What is the number that corresponds to each of the words below?
What is the word that corresponds to the each of the numbers below?
Turn to your neighbour and ask him/her for her telephone number. Don’t forget to include the area code!
You: Quel est ton numéro de téléphone? / What is your phone number?
Your Neighbour: Mon numéro est le [Blank 1]. My phone number is [Blank 1 repeated].
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY.
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for classroom items and activities. Following this, you will begin to explore nouns, articles, subject pronouns and the verb être. You’ll finish the chapter by learning the vocabulary for the numbers 11 to 59.
2.1 In the Classroom
2.2 Nouns and Articles
2.3 Subject Pronouns
2.4 The Verb Être
2.5 Les Nombres 11-59
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to items found in the classroom. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=31
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| La salle de classe | The classroom |
| Qu’est-ce que c’est? | What is it? |
| C’est… | It’s… |
| C’est une salle de classe. | It’s a classroom. |
| Dans la salle de classe, il y a… | In the classroom, there is… |
| une porte | door |
| une fenêtre | window |
| un tableau | blackboard |
| une télévision | television |
| une carte (du monde) | map (of the world) |
| une affiche | poster |
| une chaise | chair |
| un bureau | desk |
| Sur le bureau, il y a… | On the desk, there is… |
| une craie | chalk |
| un crayon | pencil |
| un stylo | pen |
| un cahier | notebook |
| un livre | book |
| un dictionnaire | dictionary |
| un sac à dos | backpack |
This section includes content derived from Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
A noun is a person, place, or thing. Like English, nouns in French may be singular or plural. However, unlike English, French nouns can be either masculine or feminine . The easiest way of determining the gender of the noun is to learn the noun along with its corresponding definite article.
A definite article is specific, it defines the number and gender of the noun it corresponds to. In English, the only definite article is the, whereas in French there are four of them: la, le, l’ and les.
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | le, l’ | les |
| Feminine | la, l’ | les |
Please note, le or la change to l’ before a noun beginning in a vowel or an h (the h is silent in French).
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | le livre
l’homme |
les livres
les hommes |
| Feminine | la chaise
l’amie |
les chaises
les amies |
In the examples above, note that le and la both become l’ when they come before a noun beginning with a vowel or a silent h: l’homme, l’université. This is called élision.
When les is followed by a word starting with a vowel, the normally silent final s of les is pronounced, making a /z/ sound. This additional sound linking two words is called liaison.
Based on the definite article that appears in front of each noun below, indicate whether the noun is masculine or feminine, or whether you don’t know.
As in English, the plural is generally formed by adding an s to the end of the singular form of the noun. Note, however, that the s is not pronounced. In spoken language, the article is often the only indication that a noun is singular or plural.
Generally, to form plurals, you can follow these rules:
Keep in mind that there are exceptions and that not all nouns follow the rules above.
Rewrite the following nouns using its proper definite article based on the noun’s gender and number. Note that the gender is specified in the brackets with an (m) for masculine and an (f) for feminine. An asterisk (*) indicates the plural form of the noun.
Modèle: stylo (m) / le stylo.
The second type of articles in French are indefinite articles. These correspond to the English a (an) (singular) and some (plural). Just like the definite article, the indefinite article has different forms for masculine, feminine, and plural.
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | un | des |
| Feminine | une | des |
Don’t forget that to write the plural form of most singular nouns, you add an s to the end of the word.
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | un livre | des livres |
| Feminine | une craie | des craies |
Rewrite each definite article-noun pairing below using the correct indefinite article.
Modèle: la table / une table
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
A subject pronoun stands for the subject in a sentence. In French, subject pronouns indicate number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine or feminine).
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Je | I |
| 2nd person | Tu | You |
| 3rd person | Il Elle On |
He/it She/it One/we (colloquial) |
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Nous | We |
| 2nd person | Vous | You |
| 3rd person | Ils Elles |
They (masculine) They (feminine) |
Identify the French subject in each of the following sentences and give its English equivalent.
Modèle: In the sentence “Elle est américaine,” elle is the French subject, and she is its English equivalent.
Indicate which French subject pronoun you would use to correspond to the subject in each of the following sentences.
Modèle: In the sentence “My sister is tall”, the French subject pronoun that corresponds with sister is elle.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
The verb être (to be) is an irregular verb in the present tense. In il/elle/on est form, the s is not pronounced. In the vous êtes form, the s is pronounced as a or z to link with the vowel ê in êtes.
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Je suis | I am |
| 2nd person | Tu es | You are |
| 3rd person | Il est Elle est On est |
He/it is She/it is One/we is |
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Nous sommes | We are |
| 2nd person | Vous êtes | You are (formal or plural) |
| 3rd person | Ils sont Elles sont |
They (masc.) are They (fem.) are |
Write the proper form of the verb être in each blank. Then write an English translation for each sentence. If you do not know what a word means, make your best guess.
Now write an English translation for each sentence. If you do not know what a word means, make your best guess.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to numbers. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=39
| NUMBER | FRENCH SPELLING |
|---|---|
| 11 | onze |
| 12 | douze |
| 13 | treize |
| 14 | quatorze |
| 15 | quinze |
| 16 | seize |
| 17 | dix-sept |
| 18 | dix-huit |
| 19 | dix-neuf |
| 20 | vingt |
| 21 | vingt etun |
| 22 | vingt-deux |
| 23 | vingt-trois |
| 24 | vingt-quatre |
| 25 | vingt-cinq |
| 26 | vingt-six |
| 27 | vingt-sept |
| 28 | vingt-huit |
| 29 | vingt-neuf |
| 30 | trente |
| 31 | trente et un |
| 32 | trente-deux |
| 33 | trente-trois |
| 34 | trente-quatre |
| 35 | trente-cinq |
| 36 | trente-six |
| 37 | trente-sept |
| 38 | trente-huit |
| 39 | trente-neuf |
| 40 | quarante |
| 41 | quarante et un |
| 42 | quarante-deux |
| 43 | quarante-trois |
| 44 | quarante-quatre |
| 45 | quarante-cinq |
| 46 | quarante-six |
| 47 | quarante-sept |
| 48 | quarante-huit |
| 49 | quarante-neuf |
| 50 | cinquante |
| 51 | cinquante-et-un |
| 52 | cinquante-deux |
| 53 | cinquante-trois |
| 54 | cinquante-quatre |
| 55 | cinquante-cinq |
| 56 | cinquante-six |
| 57 | cinquante-sept |
| 58 | cinquante-huit |
| 59 | cinquante-neuf |
Write the numbers that correspond to the words.
Write out the following numbers in words.
Ask five different people in the classroom about their age. Write down their name (prénom) and age (âge).
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for days, months and dates. Following this, you will begin to explore adjectives and the verb Avoir. Lastly, you’ll finish the chapter by learning words for family members, and applying possessive adjectives to describe your relationship to family members.
3.1 La Date
3.2 Adjectives
3.3 The Verb Avoir
3.4 La Famille
3.5 Possessive Adjectives
In French, the days of the week (le jours de la semaine) are not capitalized, and the week (la semaine) begins on Monday (lundi).
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to days of the week. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=44
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| le calendrier | the calendar |
| le jour | the day |
| Quels sont les jours de la semaine? | What are the days of the week? |
| lundi | Monday |
| mardi | Tuesday |
| mercredi | Wednesday |
| jeudi | Thursday |
| vendredi | Friday |
| samedi | Saturday |
| dimanche | Sunday |
| C’est quel jour? | What day is it? |
| C’est lundi. | It’s Monday. |
| aujourd’hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
| la semaine | the week |
| la semaine prochaine | next week |
| la semaine dernière | last week |
| le week-end ou le fin de semaine | the weekend |
In French, the months (les mois) are also not capitalized. The date (la date) is written in the following manner: le + cardinal number + month. The only exception is the first of the month, which requires the use of an ordinal number (le premier)/the first).
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to months and dates. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=44
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Quelle est la date? | What’s the date? |
| C’est le premier septembre. | It’s September 1st. |
| C’est le deux octobre. | It’s October 2nd. |
| C’est le 30 août. | It’s August 30th. |
| le mois | the month |
| Quels sont les mois de l’année? | What are the months of the year? |
| janvier | January |
| février | February |
| mars | March |
| avril | April |
| mai | May |
| juin | June |
| juillet | July |
| août | August |
| septembre | September |
| octobre | October |
| novembre | November |
| décembre | December |
An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. The major differences between adjectives in French and English are agreement and placement. In English, an adjective usually comes before the noun it modifies and it does not change. In French, an adjective is usually placed after the noun it modifies and must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words that are examples of common adjectives. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=46
| French | English |
|---|---|
| ennuyeux / ennuyeuse | boring |
| heureux / heureuse | happy |
| intelligent / intelligente | intelligent |
| intéressant / intéressante | interesting |
| nerveux / nerveuse | nervous |
| paresseux / paresseuse | lazy |
| sérieux / sérieuse | serious |
| sportif / sportive | athletic |
| timide | shy, timid |
| travailleur / travailleuse | hard-working |
| bon / bonne | good |
| grand / grande | tall, big |
| gros / grosse | big, fat |
| jeune | young |
| mauvais / mauvaise | bad |
| petit / petite | little |
In French, adjectives agree in both number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine or feminine) with the noun or pronoun they modify. For regular adjectives, the masculine form is the base form to which endings are added.
Generally, the feminine adjective is formed by adding an e and the plural adjective is formed by adding s:
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | intelligent | intelligents |
| Feminine | intelligente | intelligentes |
If the masculine singular ends in e: do not change feminine, add an s for plural:
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | timide | timides |
| Feminine | timide | timides |
If the masculine singular adjective ends in an s, add an e for feminine and s for feminine plural, but do not add an s for masculine plural:
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | français | français |
| Feminine | française | françaises |
Two other common changes occur with adjectives ending in f and x. If the masculine singular adjective ends in f, then it changes to ve in the feminine:
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | actif | actifs |
| Feminine | active | actives |
If the masculine singular adjective ends in x, then it changes to se in the feminine (but remains x in the masculine plural):
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | heureux | heureux |
| Feminine | heureuse | heureuses |
In French, most adjectives come after the noun, unlike in English where the adjective precedes the noun:
However, some adjectives are placed before the noun:
The following are adjectives commonly placed before the noun:
| French | english |
|---|---|
| Un beau livre. | A beautiful book. |
| Un bon professeur. | A good professor. |
| Un grand ordinateur. | A big computer. |
| Un gros dictionnaire. | A fat dictionary. |
| Une jeune fille. | A young girl. |
| Un mauvais étudiant. | A bad student |
| Un nouveau sac à dos. | A new backpack. |
| Un petit garçon. | A small boy. |
Follow the General Rules on adjective formation outlined above. For each term below, provide the correct form for the four different types of form: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural and feminine plural.
Each of the following pairs or groups of friends have a lot in common. Use the adjective given to complete the accompanying sentence; make sure the adjective agrees in gender and number with the people it describes.
Name people who fit each of the descriptions. Don’t forget to look up any words you don’t recognize.
This section includes content derived from Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY, Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
Like être, the verb avoir (to have) is an irregular verb in the present tense. That means that its conjugation does not follow a regular pattern and all its forms must be memorized.
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | J’ai | I have |
| 2nd person | Tu as | You have |
| 3rd person | Il a Elle a On a |
He/it has She/it has One has |
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Nous avons | We have |
| 2nd person | Vous avez | You have (formal or plural) |
| 3rd person | Ils ont Elles ont |
They (masc.) have They (fem.) have |
To show possession:
To talk about age (avoir + number + ans):
To express “there is/there are”:
Use the proper form of the verb avoir to write sentences with the information provided below.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
Review the following vocabulary words related to the family.
| ENGLISH | FRENCH |
|---|---|
| la famille | the family |
| un homme | man |
| une femme | woman, wife |
| un mari | husband |
| un fiancé / une fiancée | fiancé / fiancée |
| des parents | parents, relatives |
| un père, un papa | father, dad |
| une mere, une maman | mother, mom |
| un/une enfant | child |
| un fils | son |
| une fille | daughter |
| un fils unique | only child (male) |
| une fille unique | only child (female) |
| un frère | brother |
| une soeur | sister |
| des grands-parents (m) | grandparents |
| un grand-père | grandfather |
| une grand-mère | grandmother |
| un oncle | uncle |
| une tante | aunt |
| un neveu | nephew |
| une nièce | niece |
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=51
Read the following description of Hélène’s family. Use the family tree below to familiarize yourself with each of Hélène’s family members.
Based on the description of Hélène’s family, name the following people:
Use the following Wikipedia article to research The Simpsons family relationships.
Then use the family vocabulary outlined at the start of section 3.4 to complete the following chart of family relationships. Don’t forget to include definite articles!
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY.
As demonstrated in the previous exercise, in French you can indicate possession by using the preposition de:
Le livre de Marie. / Marie’s book
Les cousins de Joseph. / Joseph’s cousins
You can also indicate possession by using a possessive adjective, the equivalent of “my,” “her,” “our,” etc. Possessive adjectives are used before the noun and must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Thus , if the noun is feminine, the possessive article must be feminine. For example, the feminine noun famille requires a feminine form.
Mon sac est bleu. / My purse is blue.
Ta mère s’appelle Renée. / Your mother is named Renée.
Leurs enfants sont grands. / Their children are big.
| MASCULINE SINGULAR | FEMININE SINGULAR | PLURAL | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|---|
| mon | ma | mes | my |
| ton | ta | tes | your (familiar) |
| son | sa | ses | his or her or its |
| notre | notre | nos | our |
| votre | votre | vos | your (formal or plural) |
| leur | leur | leurs | their |
Note that the possessive adjective sa has three potential translations in English: his, her, or its. To determine which meaning is intended, you must look at the context.
Select the correct form of the possessive adjective. Don’t forget to make sure that the possessive adjective corresponds to the noun in gender and number.
In this exercise, each person has his or her own possessions. Complete the sentence with the correct possessive adjective.
This section includes content derived from Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY, Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
Describe your family with an adjective for each family member. Make sure you use different adjectives for each person.
Draw your family tree (un arbre généalogique) and explain it to a classmate.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for describing places in the city, and use this vocabulary to express where you are going, where you are from, and where you are located. Lastly, you will learn the the vocabulary for the numbers 60 to 100.
4.1 La Ville
4.2 Aller
4.3 Expressions with Être
4.4 Les Nombres 60-100
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to parts of a city. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=60
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| la ville | city |
| une place | public square |
| une rue | street |
| un boulevard | boulevard |
| une avenue | avenue |
| un quartier | neighbourhood |
| l’arrondissement (m) |
administrative district in a large city (e.g. Paris) |
| le centre-ville | downtown |
| la banlieue | suburbs |
| un bâtiment | building |
| un bureau | office |
| un immeuble | apartment building |
| une maison | house |
| un hôtel | hotel |
| une boutique |
boutique |
| un magasin | store |
| un centre commercial |
shopping center, mall |
| un supermarché | supermarket |
| un café | café |
| un restaurant | restaurant |
| un musée | museum |
| un cinéma | movie theater |
| une boîte de nuit / une discothèque | a nightclub, dance club |
| un théâtre | theater |
| un stade | stadium |
| un parking | parking lot |
| un parc | park |
| un jardin public | park, large garden |
| un fleuve | river |
| un pont | bridge |
| une banque | bank |
| un bureau de poste | post office |
| une boîte aux lettres |
mailbox |
| une cabine téléphonique | phone booth |
| une laverie | laundromat |
| l’hôtel de ville (m) | city hall, mayor’s office |
| la mairie |
city hall, mayor’s office |
| l’offce du tourisme (m) | tourist information office |
| un hôpital | hospital |
| un aéroport | airport |
| une gare | train station |
| une école (6 ans à 11 ans) | school |
| un collège (11 ans à 15 ans) |
junior high, middle school |
| un lycée (15 ans à 18 ans) | high school |
| une université | university |
| une bibliothèque | library |
| une église | church |
| une cathédrale |
cathedral |
| une mosquée | mosque |
| une synagogue | synagogue |
| un temple (protestant) |
temple |
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| une épicerie | grocery store |
| une boucherie | butcher shop |
| une charcuterie | pork butcher’s shop, deli |
| un traiteur | deli, catering shop |
| une boulangerie | bakery |
| une pâtisserie | pastry shop |
| un bureau de tabac |
tobacco shop |
| une librairie | bookstore |
| une papeterie | paper/stationery store |
| une pharmacie | pharmacy |
What places are associated with the icons/images below?
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to asking for and giving directions / getting your bearings. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=60
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Où se trouve…? | Where is…? |
| (Où se trouve la poste?) | (Where is the post office?) |
| à côté (de) | beside, next to |
| à deux pas (de) |
just a step from |
| à droite (de) | on the right |
| à gauche (de) | on the left |
| au bout (de) | at the far end of |
| au carrefour (de) |
at the intersection of |
| au centre | in the center |
| au coin (de) | at the corner of |
| chez | at someone’s house |
| derrière | behind |
| devant | in front of |
| en face (de) | facing, opposite |
| en ville | in the city |
| loin (de) | far |
| près (de) | near, close |
| sous | under |
| sur | on |
| sur votre droite/gauche |
on your right/left |
| tout droit | straight ahead |
| tout près | nearby |
Translate the following sentences into French.
This section includes content derived from Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY.
The verb aller is irregular in the present tense. In the nous and vous forms liaison occurs; the “s” of the pronoun is linked to the following vowel sound and pronounced like a [z].
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Je vais | I go |
| 2nd person | Tu vas | You go |
| 3rd person | Il va Elle va On va |
He/it goes She/it goes One/we goes |
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Nous allons | We go |
| 2nd person | Vous allez | You go (formal or plural) |
| 3rd person | Ils vont Elles vont |
They (masculine) go They (feminine) go |
To express that you are going somewhere in French, you must use the correct form of the present tense of the verb aller and the preposition à:
The preposition à must change form before the masculine definite or plural definite article that accompanies the noun (place). The various combinations of à + aller are as follows:
Decide which of the above à + aller + place combinations you need for each place below.
Translate each sentence. Use the correct form of aller and the preposition à.
Conjugate the verb and combine the elements qui et où (who and where) with the correct form of the preposition à to indicate in a phrase (sentence) where each person is going. Remember that the preposition à must change form before the masculine definite or plural definite article.
| QUI | OÙ | PHRASE |
|---|---|---|
| Jacques | la banque | Jacques va à la banque. |
| Nous | la gare | [Blank – Phrase #1] |
| Tu | l’université | [Blank – Phrase #2] |
| Mes frères | l’école | [Blank – Phrase #3] |
| Je | la mosquée | [Blank – Phrase #4] |
| Vous | le restaurant | [Blank – Phrase #5] |
| Charles et Sylvie | la bibliothèque | [Blank – Phrase #6] |
| Ma mère et moi | l’église | [Blank – Phrase #7] |
| Luc | Montréal | [Blank – Phrase #8] |
| Mon père | le café | [Blank – Phrase #9] |
| Je | le musée | [Blank – Phrase #10] |
| Christophe et Paul | le supermarché | [Blank – Phrase #11] |
| Tu | le jardin public | [Blank – Phrase #12] |
| Yasmine | la librairie | [Blank – Phrase #13] |
| Ton ami et toi | le cinéma | [Blank – Phrase #14] |
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
To express a place of origin (where you are from), you can use the verb être and the preposition de (from):
être + de + ville/pays
Je suis de Paris / I am from Paris
To express where you are located (at), you can use the verb être and the preposition à (at):
être + à + place.
Nous sommes au supermarché. / We are at the supermarket.
Don’t forget that it is necessary to make changes to the preposition à if it is followed by a masculine definite article (à + le = au) or plural definite article (à + les = aux).
Translate the following sentences into French.
Translate the following sentences into French.
From 60-99, numbers in standard French are counted by 20s instead of by 10s. This means that to say “77,” you say “60-17.”
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to numbers. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=66
| NUMBER | FRENCH SPELLING |
|---|---|
| 60 | soixante |
| 61 | soixante et un |
| 62 | soixante-deux |
| 63 | soixante-trois |
| 64 | soixante-quatre |
| 65 | soixante-cinq |
| 66 | soixante-six |
| 67 | soixante-sept |
| 68 | soixante-huit |
| 69 | soixante-neuf |
| 70 | soixante-dix |
| 71 | soixante et onze |
| 72 | soixante-douze |
| 73 | soixante-treize |
| 74 | soixante-quatorze |
| 75 | soixante-quinze |
| 76 | soixante-seize |
| 77 | soixante-dix-sept |
| 78 | soixante-dix-huit |
| 79 | soixante-dix-neuf |
| 80 | quatre-vingts |
| 81 | quatre-vingt-un* |
| 82 | quatre-vingt-deux |
| 83 | quatre-vingt-trois |
| 84 | quatre-vingt-quatre |
| 85 | quatre-vingt-cinq |
| 86 | quatre-vingt-six |
| 87 | quatre-vingt-sept |
| 88 | quatre-vingt-huit |
| 89 | quatre-vingt-neuf |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix |
| 91 | quatre-vingt-onze* |
| 92 | quatre-vingt-douze |
| 93 | quatre-vingt-treize |
| 94 | quatre-vingt-quatorze |
| 95 | quatre-vingt-quinze |
| 96 | quatre-vingt-seize |
| 97 | quatre-vingt-dix-sept |
| 98 | quatre-vingt-dix-huit |
| 99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf |
| 100 | cent |
In most French-speaking countries, including France, Canada, and former French colonies in Africa and the Caribbean, numbers from 60 to 100 are counted by 20s instead of by 10s. This is generally considered to be a remnant of the Celtic language spoken in France before the Romans invaded. French speakers in Belgium, Switzerland, and the former Belgian colonies in Africa have adopted somewhat easier systems. In the Belgian system, soixante-dix = septante and quatre-vingt-dix = nonante. However, the vast majority of French speakers use the standard French form.
Write the number that corresponds to each of the words below.
Write out the following numbers in words.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for describing pastimes and activities, and use this vocabulary to engage in related conversations. Secondly, you’ll explore the singular and plural forms of regular verbs commonly used in conversation. Lastly, you will learn the the vocabulary for the numbers 100 to 30 000!
5.1 Les Passe-Temps et Les Activités
5.2 Regular Verbs
5.3 Les Nombres 100-30 000
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to pastimes and activities. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=71
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| aimer | to like, to love |
| la musique classique | classical music |
| le jazz | jazz |
| le hip-hop | hip-hop |
| le basket | basketball |
| le golf | golf |
| le hockey | hockey |
| le tennis | tennis |
| le football | football |
| le volleyball | volleyball |
| les cartes (f) | cards |
| jouer à (+ a sport) | to play (+ a sport) |
| jouer de (+ an instrument) | to play (+ an instrument) |
| la guitare | guitar |
| le piano | piano |
Ask a neighbour about his favourite music, past time or activity.
Q: Quel est ton passe-temps préféré?
R: Mon passe-temps préféré est [blank 1 – passe-temps ou activité].
Q : Quel est ta musique préféré?
R: Ma musique préféré est [blank 2 – musique].
The verbs aimer (to like, to love) and jouer (to play) are regular –er verbs in the present tense. This means that when they are conjugated they follow a similar pattern.
Every verb has two parts: the stem and the ending. The stem is the verb’s main part, it generally remains unchanged as it conveys the meaning. The ending for its part, will change to indicate the subject who is performing the action and the verb tense (past, present or future). For example, in the infinitive (the unconjugated form) the verb aimer is made up of the stem (“aim”) and the ending (“er”).
To conjugate the verb, the first step is to drop the infinitive ending (“er”) and add the ending that is specific to the subject (e, es, e, ons, ez, ent ).
The verb aimer (to love, to like) can be used to express preferences or likes and dislikes:
Examples:
J’aime le golf. / I love golf.
Tu n’aimes pas le hip hop. / You don’t like hip hop.
In French, to negate an affirmative sentence or to write a negative sentence ne … pas is placed around the conjugated verb. Note that the ne changes to n’ before a verb beginning with a vowel or a silent h.
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | J’ aime | I love |
| 2nd Person Singular | Tu aimes | You love |
| 3rd Person Singular | Il/elle/on aime | He/she/one loves |
| 1st Person Plural | Nous aimons | We love |
| 2nd Person Plural | Vous aimez | You love (formal or plural) |
| 3rd Person Plural | Ils/elles aiment | They love |
The verb jouer (to play) is typically used to talk about playing a sport or an instrument, but in French it requires a preposition, as you will see later on.
Examples:
Il joue au football. / He plays football.
Marie et toi ne jouez pas du piano. / Marie and you don’t play (the) piano.
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Singular | Je joue | I play |
| 2nd Person Singular | Tu joues | You play |
| 3rd Person Singular | Il/elle/on joue | He/she/one plays |
| 1st Person Plural | Nous jouons | We play |
| 2nd Person Plural | Vous jouez | You play (formal or plural) |
| 3rd Person Plural | Ils/elles jouent | They play |
Important Notes
To talk about playing certain sports, we use the verb jouer:
Note that that the noun (sport) must be accompanied by a definite article (le, la l’, les) and as a result the preposition à may require a change (à + le = au, à + les = aux).
We can also use the verb jouer (to play) with the preposition de to talk about playing an instrument:
The preposition de requires certain changes when accompanied by a definite article:
Part A
Conjugate the verbs in the brackets using the correct form in the present tense.
Part B
Rewrite the above sentences in the negative. Don’t forget to use ne…pas.
To conjugate other regular verbs that end in “er”, you follow the same pattern: using the verb stem (after dropping the infinitive ending “er”), you need to add the ending that corresponds to the subject.
Regular Verb Conjugation
verb stem + ending (e, es, e, ons, ez, ent)
For example, ils + danser (they + to dance) becomes ils dansent (they dance).
Review the following list of activities.
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| chanter (du karaoké) | to sing (karaoke) |
| danser | to dance |
| écouter | to listen |
| étudier (le français) | to study (French) |
| parler (à la fête) | to speak (at the party) |
| manger (de la pizza) | to eat (pizza) |
| surfer sur internet | to surf the internet |
| téléphoner (à un ami) | to phone (a friend) |
| utiliser (l’ordinateur) | to use (the computer) |
| acheter* | to buy |
* Please note, the e in the last syllable of the acheter stem changes to è for all the conjugations, except nous and vous (j’achète, tu achètes, il/elle/on achète, nous achetons, vous achetez, ils/elles achètent).
Several of the activities are depicted in the pictures below. Write a sentence describing what each person is the pictures below is doing. Don’t forget to conjugate the verb!
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA, and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC BY 3.0.
Numbers from 100-999 simply combine the different numbers you have already learned.
For example:
532 = cinq-cent-trente-deux
397 = trois-cent-quatre-vingt-dix-sept
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to numbers. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=75
| NUMBER | FRENCH SPELLING |
|---|---|
| 100 | cent |
| 102 | cent-deux |
| 103 | cent-trois |
| 200 | deux-cents |
| 300 | trois-cents |
| 400 | quatre-cents |
| 500 | cinq-cents |
| 600 | six-cents |
| 700 | sept-cents |
| 800 | huit-cents |
| 900 | neuf-cents |
| 1 000 | mille |
| 2 000 | deux-mille |
| 3 000 | trois-mille |
| 10 000 | dix-mille |
| 30 000 | trente-mille |
Important notes
Write the numbers that correspond to the following words.
Write out the following numbers in words.
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for describing the weather and seasons. You will also continue your exploration of irregular verbs by reviewing the uses of the verb faire (to do or make).
6.1 Le Temps
6.2 Les Saisons
6.3 The Verb Faire
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to the weather Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=80
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Quel temps fait-il? | What’s the weather? |
| Il fait beau. | It’s nice. |
| Il fait chaud. | It’s hot. |
| Il fait du soleil. / Il y a du soleil. | It’s sunny. |
| Il fait frais. | It’s cool. |
| Il fait mauvais. | It’s bad. |
| Il fait froid. | It’s cold. |
| Il fait du brouillard. / Il y a du brouillard. | It’s foggy. |
| Il fait du vent. / Il y a du vent. | It’s windy. |
| Il y a des nuages. | It’s cloudy. |
| Il y a des orages. | There are storms. |
| Il pleut. | It’s raining. |
| Il neige. | It’s snowing. |
This section includes content derived from Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to the seasons. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=83
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le printemps / au printemps | spring / in the spring |
| l’été (masculine) / en été | summer / in the summer |
| l’automne (masculine) / en automne | fall / in the fall |
| l’hiver (masculine) / en hiver | winter / in the winter |
In what season do you do the activities below? Ask a neighbour and report back!
Paying attention to the season and the location, determine what the weather is like in each of the places below.
Quel temps fait-il à Paris en été? A Paris en été, il fait très chaud et il y a du soleil.
Using the weather map of Canada, complete the following chart.
| VILLE | QUEL TEMPS FAIT-IL? |
|---|---|
| [Blank 1] | Il fait froid. |
| Regina | [blank 2] |
| [Blank 3] | Il fait beau. |
| Yellowknife | [Blank 4] |
| Victoria | [Blank 5] |
| [Blank 6] | Il pleut. |
| Saskatoon | [Blank 7] |
| [Blank 8] | Il y a des nuages. |
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA
The verb faire (to do or to make) is an irregular verb, used both literally, meaning to do or to make, and in many expressions. For example, as you have just learned, for certain weather expressions we use faire. When we talk about sports, we can also use faire:
You can use the verb faire to ask a question: “Qu’est-ce que vous faites?” (“What are you doing?”). Usually you will reply not with the verb faire itself, but with the verb that describes the activity you are doing.
Q: Charles, que fais-tu? (Charles, what are you doing?)
R: Je mange un sandwich. (I’m eating a sandwich.)
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person singular | Je fais | I do/make |
| 2nd person singular | Tu fais | You do/make |
| 3rd Person singular | Il/elle/on fait | He/she does/makes |
| 1st person plural | Nous faisons | We do/make |
| 2nd person plural | Vous faites | You do/make (formal or plural) |
| 3rd person plural | Ils/elles font | They make |
Write the proper form of the verb faire in each blank. Then write an English translation for each sentence. If you do not know what a word means, make your best guess.
Conjugate the verb faire in the question and the regular “er” verb in the answer.
Question: Charles, que [Blank 1 – faire]-tu?
Response: Je [Blank 2 – manger] un sandwich.
Question: Alors, les amis, qu’est-ce que nous [Blank 3 – faire] ce soir?
Response: Nous [Blank 4 – rencontrer] Paul et Stéphane au cinéma, bien sûr!
Question: Que [Blank 5 – faire] Marie?
Response: Elle [Blank 6 – étudier] pour l’examen.
Question: Monsieur, qu’est-ce que vous [Blank 7 – faire]?
Response: Je [Blank 8 – chercher] mes clés.
Question: Qu’est-ce qu’ils [Blank 9 – faire], les enfants?
Response: Ils [Blank 10 – jouer] au foot.
Question: Madame, qu’est-ce que je [Blank 11 – faire] après l’exercice?
Response: Vous [Blank 12 – continuer] vos devoirs, Marthe.
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA
In this chapter, you will practice using the vocabulary for describing items used at the table, and various foods. You will learn when and how to use partitive articles. Lastly, you will explore vocabulary terms for various type of stores where food can be purchased.
7.1 Sur La table
7.2 Les Aliments
7.3 Partitive Articles
7.4 Les Magasins D’alimentation
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to items found at the dinner table. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=90
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| un verre | glass |
| une tasse | cup |
| un bol | bowl |
| une assiette | plate |
| un couteau | knife |
| une fourchette | fork |
| une cuillère | spoon |
| la cuisine | kitchen |
| les repas | meals |
| le déjeuner (QC) | breakfast |
| le dîner (QC) | lunch |
| le souper(QC) | dinner |
In Quebec, Switzerland and Belgium the three main meals are: le déjeuner, le dîner et le souper (breakfast, lunch and dinner). In France these meals have slightly different names: le petit-déjeuner, le déjeuner et le dîner.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to foods. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=92
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| Des fruits (masculine) | Fruits |
| des bananes (feminine) | bananas |
| des fraises (feminine) | strawberries |
| des oranges (feminine) | oranges |
| des pommes (feminine) | apples |
| des kiwis (masculine) | kiwis |
| des melons d’eau (masculine) | watermelons |
| Des légumes (masculine) | Vegetables |
| de l’ail (masculine) | garlic |
| des carottes (feminine) | carrots |
| des choux (masculine) | cabbages |
| une/de la laitue | lettuce |
| des poivrons rouges (masculine) | red peppers |
| des pommes de terre (feminine) | potatoes |
| des tomates (feminine) | tomatoes |
| Les aliments | Food |
| de la viande | meat |
| du poulet | chicken |
| du poisson | fish |
| du porc | pork |
| du pain | bread |
| des œufs | eggs |
| du jambon | ham |
| du lait | milk |
Make a list of the foods you like and don’t like to eat.
J’aime (I love)…
Je déteste (I hate)…
Partitive articles are used both in English and in French to express quantities that cannot be counted. While the indefinite article (un, une, des) is used with countable quantities (un oeuf, deux oeufs, etc.), the partitive article is used before nouns that are indivisible or uncountable. In English, we use the article “some” to that end, but it is often omitted.
Examples:
Elle mange du pain. (She’s eating bread.)
Elle mange des pommes. (She’s eating apples.)
There are three partitive articles in French:
| ARTICLE | EXAMPLE | ENGLISH TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| du | du pain (masculine) | (some) bread |
| de la | de la viande (feminine) | (some) meat |
| de l’ (masculine) | de l’ail (masculine) | (some) garlic |
| de l’ (feminine) | de l’eau (feminine) | (some) water |
While the definite article designates something in its totality or as a whole, the partitive article designates a part of the whole. Depending on what you want to say, the same noun may be introduced by a definite, an indefinite, or a partitive article. Compare these examples:
In negative sentences, partitive articles (du, de la, des, de l’) change to de:
Example:
Joe mange de la viande. Joe eats meat.
Tammy ne mange pas de viande. Tammy doesn’t eat meat
This section includes content derived from Francais Interactif, originally released under CC-BY and Tex’s French Grammar, originally released under CC-BY 3.0.
Use the table below to review the vocabulary words related to specialty food shops. Listen to the French pronunciations using the following audio recording.
An audio element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can listen to it online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/frenchcopy/?p=96
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le supermarché | supermarket |
| le marché | farmer’s market |
| la fromagerie | cheese shop |
| la boucherie | butcher shop |
| la charcuterie | deli |
| la poissonnerie | fish shop |
| l’épicerie | local grocery store |
| le dépanneur (QC) | corner store |
| la boulangerie | bakery |
| la pâtisserie | pastry shop |
Les dépanneurs (also known as deps) are a type of corner store in Quebec. They are very popular given that they are always nearby, are open late, and sell beer, wine and food staples. The word comes from the French en panne, which means out of order or not working, so dépanneur would loosely translate as “get out of trouble” or “troubleshoot.”
Complete the table below by writing in the items that you can buy at each of the specialty food shops. Don’t forget to include the correct partitive article.