CONTENTS

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Verbs

Negation

Articles

Nouns

Pronouns

Adjectives

Adverbs

Syntax

Prepositions

Conjunctions

Idioms

Miscellaneous

Glossary

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VERBS

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Present Tense

Imperfect Tense

Past Historic Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Future Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Literary Past Perfect

Past Perfect Tense

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive

Participles

Modal Auxiliaries

Reflexive Verbs

Imperative Form

Passive Voice


NEGATION

Negative Statements


ARTICLES

The Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

The Partitive Article


NOUNS

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Compound Nouns


PRONOUNS

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Interrogatives

Reflexive Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns


ADJECTIVES

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives

Comparative Forms

Superlative Forms

Demonstrative Adjectives

Possessive Adjectives


ADVERBS

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Intensity and Quantity

Position of Adverbs

Comparative and Superlative of Adverbs


SYNTAX

Questions

Conditionals

Use of the Subjunctive

Tense Agreement


MISCELLANEOUS

The Clock and the Calendar

Cardinal & Ordinal Numbers

Title Forms

Non-Grammatical Forms

Commonly Used Abbreviations


SUMMARY OF TENSES

The following is a summary of the French tenses and their approximate English equivalents.  Each of these tenses is discussed separately in the sections that follow.  Notes on usage and charts for each category of verbs (er, ir, re) are also included, as are conjugations of être and avoir.

French	English

Present Tenses

Présent (aimer):	Present:	Present Continuous:

J'aime	 	I love	I am loving

Past Tenses

Imparfait:	Imperfect:	Past Continuous:

J'aimais	I loved	I was loving

Passé simple:	Past Historic:

J'aimai	I loved

 	Perfect Tense

Passé composé:	Present Perfect	Simple Past:

J'ai aimé	I have loved 	I loved

Future Tenses

Futur simple:	Future (will + inf.) 	Future Continuous:

J'aimerai	I will love 	I will be loving

Futur proche (with aller):	Future (going to + inf.):

Je vais aimer	I am going to love

Futur antérieur:	Future Perfect:	Future Perfect Continuous:

J'aurai aimé	I will have loved	I will have been loving

Past Perfect Tenses

Passé antérieur:	Literary Past Perfect:

J'eus aimé 	I had loved

Plus-que-parfait:	Past Perfect:	Past Perfect Continuous:

J'avais aimé	I had loved	I had been loving

Conditionals

Conditionnel présent:	Present Conditional:

J'aimerais	I would love

Passé du conditionnel:	Past Conditional:

J'aurais aimé	I would have loved

Subjunctives

Présent du subjonctif:	Present Subjunctive:

que j'aime	that I love

Imparfait du subjonctif:	Imperfect Subjunctive:

que j'aimasse	that I loved

Passé du subjonctif:	Present Perfect Subjunctive:

que j'aie aimé	that I would have loved

Plus-que-parfait du subjonctif:	Past Perfect Subjunctive:

que j'eusse aimé	that I had loved


ÊTRE & AVOIR

Conjugations

The French verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have) are irregular.  They are conjugated as follows:

Être:

Simple Tenses

Present:	Imperfect:

Je suis 	J'étais

Tu es	Tu étais

Il est	Il était

Nous sommes	Nous étions

Vous êtes	Vous étiez

Ils sont	Ils étaient

Past Historic:	Future:

Je fus	Je serai

Tu fus	Tu seras

Il fut	Il sera

Nous fûmes	Nous serons

Vous fûtes	Vous serez

Ils furent	Ils seront

Compound Tenses

Present Perfect:	Past Perfect:

J'ai été	J'avais été

Tu as été	Tu avais été

Il a été	Il avait été

Nous avons été	Nous avions été

Vous avez été	Vous aviez été

Ils ont été	Ils ont été

Literary Past Perfect:	Future Perfect:

J'eus été	J'aurai été

Tu eus été	Tu auras été

Il eut été	Il aura été

Nous eûmes été	Nous aurons été

Vous eûtes été	Vous aurez été

Ils eurent été	Ils auront été

Conditionals

Present Conditional:	Past Conditional:

Je serais	J'aurais été

Tu serais	Tu aurais été

Il serait	Il aurait été

Nous serions	Nous aurions été

Vous seriez	Vous auriez été

Ils seraient	Ils auraient été

Subjunctives

Present Subjunctive:	Imperfect Subjunctive:

Que je sois	Que je fusse

Que tu sois	Que tu fusses

Qu'il soit	Qu'il fût

Que nous soyons	Que nous fussions

Que vous soyez	Que vous fussiez

Qu'ils soient	Qu'ils fussent

Present Perfect Subjunctive:	Past Perfect Subjunctive:

Que j'aie été	Que j'eusse été

Que tu aies été	Que tu eusses été

Qu'il ait été	Qu'il eût été

Que nous ayons été	Que nous eussions été

Que vous ayez été	Que vous eussiez été

Qu'ils aient été	Qu'ils eussent été

Imperative Forms

Sois 	singular / informal

Soyons 	1st person plural / informal

Soyez 	2nd person singular formal / plural informal

USAGE:

As an auxiliary, être (to be) is used with:

1.	The following sixteen verbs:

aller	to go	partir	to leave

arriver	to arrive	passer	to go through

descendre	to go / come down	rentrer	to go home

devenir	to become	rester	to remain

entrer	to go / come in	retourner	to return

monter	to go / come up	sortir	to go / come out

mourir	to die	tomber	to fall

naître	to be born	venir	to come

EXAMPLES:

Elle est arrivée ce matin.

She arrived this morning.

Elle est née hier.

She was born yesterday.

2.	All Reflexive Verbs:

Ils se sont lavés.

They washed themselves.

3.	Verbs in Passive Voice:

Ils ont été reçus.

They have been received.

NOTE:  Some verbs can take either être or avoir as an auxiliary.  As a general rule, the

auxiliary avoir is used to emphasize an action, while être is used to express a state or

condition.

J'ai écrit un livre.

I wrote a book.

C'est écrit dans ce livre.

It is written in this book.

Passer can also be conjugated with avoir:

Il a passé trois jours à Paris.

He spent three days in Paris.

Descendre, monter, rentrer, retourner, and sortir are conjugated with avoir instead of

être when they are followed by a direct object.

Les élèves sont sortis de la salle.

The students left the room.

Les élèves ont sorti leurs cahiers.

The students got out their workbooks.

Avoir:

Simple Tenses

Present:	Imperfect:

J'ai 	J'avais

Tu as	Tu avais

Il a	Il avait

Nous avons	Nous avions

Vous avez	Vous aviez

Ils ont	Ils avaient

Past Historic:	Future:

J'eus	J'aurai

Tu eus	Tu auras

Il eut	Il aura

Nous eûmes	Nous aurons

Vous eûtes	Vous aurez

Ils eurent	Ils auront

Compound Tenses

Present Perfect:	Past Perfect:

J'ai eu	J'avais eu

Tu as eu	Tu avais eu

Il a eu	Il avait eu

Nous avons eu	Nous avions eu

Vous avez eu	Vous aviez eu

Ils ont eu	Ils avaient eu

Literary Past Perfect:	Future Perfect:

J'eus eu	J'aurai eu

Tu eus eu	Tu auras eu

Il eut eu	Il aura eu

Nous eûmes eu	Nous aurons eu

Vous eûtes eu	Vous aurez eu

Ils eurent eu	Ils auront eu

Conditionals

Present Conditional:	Past Conditional:

J'aurais	J'aurais eu

Tu aurais	Tu aurais eu

Il aurait	Il aurait eu

Nous aurions	Nous aurions eu

Vous auriez	Vous auriez eu

Ils auraient	Ils auraient eu

Subjunctives

Present Subjunctive:	Imperfect Subjunctive:

Que j'aie	Que j'eusse

Que tu aies	Que tu eusses

Qu'il ait	Qu'il eût

Que nous ayons	Que nous eussions

Que vous ayez	Que vous eussiez

Qu'ils aient	Qu'ils eussent

Present Perfect Subjunctive:	Past Perfect Subjunctive:

Que j'aie eu	Que j'eusse eu

Que tu aies eu	Que tu eusses eu

Qu'il ait eu	Qu'il eût eu

Que nous ayons eu	Que nous eussions eu

Que vous ayez eu	Que vous eussiez eu

Qu'ils aient eu	Qu'ils eussent eu

Imperative Forms

Aie	singular / informal

Ayons 	1st person plural / informal

Ayez 	2nd person singular formal / plural informal

USAGE:

As an auxiliary, avoir is used:

1.	With all transitive verbs:

Elle a appris sa leçon.

She has learned her lesson.

2.	With most intransitive verbs:

Elle a dîné.

She has dined.

Elle avait dîné.

She had dined.

3.	With all impersonal verbs:

Il a neigé.

It had snowed.

Il avait neigé.

It had snowed.

4. 	In forming the Present Perfect Tense of être and avoir:

j'ai eu...

I have had...

j'ai été...

I have been...

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Present Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive

Reflexive Verbs

Passive Voice


PRESENT TENSE

The French Present Tense (Présent) is formed with the following verb endings:

1st group: -er 	2nd group: -ir	3rd group: -re

-e	-is	-s

-es	-is	-s

-e	-it	---

-ons	-issons	-ons

-ez	-issez	-ez

-ont	-issent	-ent

EXAMPLES:

aimer - to like	finir - finish	rendre - to make, render, or return

J'aime	Je finis	Je rends

Tu aimes	Tu finis	Tu rends

Il aime	Il finit	Il rend

Nous aimons	Nous finissons	Nous rendons

Vous aimez	Vous finissez	Vous rendez

Ils aiment	Ils finissent	Ils rendent

USAGE:

The Present Tense is used to express:

1.	An action or state presently occurring:

L'enfant joue dans le jardin.

The child is playing in the garden.

2.	A general fact that is permanently true:

La terre est ronde.

The earth is round.

3.	An habitual action:

Tous les matins, je me lève à sept heures.

Every morning I wake up at seven o'clock.

4.	A progressive action:

Je lis le journal.

I am reading the newspaper.

NOTE:  It is also used for the "universal present," a sentiment that may extend indefinitely into the past and forward into the future:

Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive


IMPERFECT TENSE

The French Imperfect Tense (Imparfait) is formed using the following verb endings:

1st group: -er	2nd group: -ir	3rd group: -re

-ais	-issais	-ais

-ais	-issais	-ais

-ait	-issait	-ait

-ions	-issions	-ions

-iez	-issiez	-iez

-aient	-issaient	-aient

EXAMPLES:

aimer - to like	finir - finish	rendre - to give back, return

J'aimais	Je finissais	Je rendais

Tu aimais	Tu finissais	Tu rendais

Il aimait	Il finissait	Il rendait

Nous aimions	Nous finissions	Nous rendions

Vous aimiez	Vous finissiez	Vous rendiez

Ils aimaient	Ils finissaient	Ils rendaient

USAGE:

The Imperfect Tense (Imparfait) is used to express:

1.	An act that was in process in the past:

Le soleil se couchait.

The sun was setting.

2.	Two actions taking place at the same time in the past:

Pendant que vous étiez en France, j'étais en Angleterre.

While you were in France, I was in England.

3.	An action that was repeated in the past:

Chaque année, je passais l'été à la plage.

Every year I spent the summer at the beach.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Past Historic Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Literary Past Perfect

Past Perfect Tense

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive


PAST HISTORIC TENSE

The French Past Historic Tense (Passé simple) is formed using the following verb endings:

1st group:  -er	2nd group:  -ir	3rd group:  -re

-ai	-is	-is

-as	-is	-is

-a	-it	-it

-âmes	-îmes	-îmes

-âtes	-îtes	-îtes

-èrent	-irent	-irent

EXAMPLES:

aimer - to like	finir - finish	rendre - to give back, return

J'aimai	Je finis	Je rendis

Tu aimas	Tu finis	Tu rendis

Il aima	Il finit	Il rendit

Nous aimâmes	Nous finîmes	Nous rendîmes

Vous aimâtes	Vous finîtes	Vous rendîtes

Ils aimèrent	Ils finirent	Ils rendirent

USAGE:

The Past Historic (Passé simple) is used to express an action that happened at a precise moment in the past. It most often occurs in narration and is usually replaced in spoken French by the Present Perfect (Passé composé).

EXAMPLE:

Soudain, quelqu'un frappa à la porte.

Suddenly, someone knocked at the door.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Imperfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Literary Past Perfect

Past Perfect Tense


PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

The French Present Perfect  Tense (Passé composé) is formed with the auxiliary verb (être or avoir) conjugated in the Present Tense + past participle:

J'ai donné	Nous avons donné

Tu as donné	Vous avez donné

Il a donné	Ils ont donné

EXAMPLES:

Il est allé à Dijon.

He went to Dijon.

Elle a visité sa soeur à Cologne.

She visited her sister in Cologne.

NOTE:  Intransitive verbs generally form their Present Perfect Tense with être.

EXAMPLES:

Je suis allé(e)	Nous sommes allé(e)s

Tu es allé(e)	Vous êtes allé(e)s

Il est allé / Elle est allée	Ils sont allés / Elles sont allées

USAGE:

The Present Perfect Tense (Passé composé) is used to express an action that occurred at a specific moment in the past:

Hier je suis allé en ville.

Yesterday I went to town.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Literary Past Perfect

Past Perfect Tense

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive

Past Participles


FUTURE TENSE

The French Future Tense (Futur simple) is formed using the following verb endings:

1st group:  -er	2nd group:  -ir	3rd group:  -re

-erai	-irai	-rai

-eras	-iras	-ras

-era	-ira	-ra

-erons	-irons	-rons

-erez	-irez	-rez

-eront	-iront	-ront

EXAMPLES:

aimer - to like	finir - finish	rendre - to give back, return

J'aimerai	Je finirai	Je rendrai

Tu aimeras	Tu finiras	Tu rendras

Il aimera	Il finira	Il rendra

Nous aimerons	Nous finirons	Nous rendrons

Vous aimerez	Vous finirez	Vous rendrez

Ils aimeront	Ils finiront	Ils rendront

USAGE:

The Future Tense is used to express:

1.	An action that will take place in the near future:

Ils arriveront à trois heures.

They will come at three o'clock.

2.	An action that will take place at a given time in the future:

La conférence commencera lundi matin.

The conference will begin Monday morning.

3.	A present intention that will be realized in the future:

J'irai au marché samedi matin.

I will go to the market on Saturday morning.

NOTE:  Where English uses Present Tense to describe an anticipated event, French sometimes employs Future Tense.

EXAMPLE:

Dites-moi quand il viendra.

Tell me when he comes.

NOTE:  French also uses a future tense formed with aller (to go).  It parallels the English "going to" + infinitive (e.g., He's going to go to a movie with his girlfriend.).

EXAMPLES:

Je vais visiter mon oncle à Paris.

I'm going to visit my uncle in Paris.

Nous allons voyager à Bordeaux par bateau.

We're going to travel to Bordeaux by boat.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Future Perfect Tense

Conditionals


FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

The French Future Perfect Tense (Futur antérieur) is formed with the Future Tense of the auxiliary verb

(être or avoir) + past participle.

Only the auxiliary is conjugated.

For verbs conjugated with avoir, the pattern is:

J'aurai aimé	Nous aurons aimé

Tu auras aimé	Vous aurez aimé

Il aura aimé	Ils auront aimé

With intransitive verbs taking the auxiliary être, the pattern is:

Je serai allé(e)	Nous serons allé(e)s

Tu seras allé(e)	Vous serez allé(e)s

Il sera allé	Ils seront allés

EXAMPLES:

Elle aura fait ses achats.

She will have made her purchases.

J'aurai reçu l'abonnement avant septembre.

I will have received the subscription by September.

USAGE:

The Future Perfect Tense is used to express:

1.	An action that has to take place before another one can occur:

Dès que j'aurai terminé mon travail, je viendrai te voir.

As soon as I've finished (will have finished) my work, I will come to see you.

2.	An hypothesis or assumption:

Il aura sans doute fini bientôt.

He will surely be finished soon.

Vous aurez sans doute mal entendu.

You will undoubtedly have misunderstood.

3.	An action that will end at a precise date in the future:

Dès le mois prochain, nous aurons terminé ce projet.

By next month, we will have finished this project.

EXAMPLES:

Elle aura remboursé les clients.

She will have reimbursed the clients.

J'aurai trouvé du travail avant septembre.

I will have found some work by September.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Future Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Past Participles


LITERARY PAST PERFECT

The Literary Past Perfect (Passé antérieur) is formed with the auxiliary verb conjugated in the Past Historic (Passé simple) + past participle.

For verbs conjugated with avoir, the pattern is:

J'eus aimé	Nous eûmes aimé

Tu eus aimé	Vous eûtes aimé

Il eut aimé	Ils eurent aimé

With intransitive verbs taking the auxiliary être, the pattern is:

Je fus allé(e)	Nous fûmes allé(e)s

Tu fus allé(e)	Vous fûtes allé(e)s

Il fut allé	Ils furent allés

EXAMPLES:

Au bruit qui eut lieu, la multitude fut confondue.

At the sound which arose, the multitude was confounded.

Vous eûtes écrit des lettres.

You had written letters

Ils eurent appris des langues étrangères.

They had learned foreign languages.

USAGE:

It is used to express:

1.	A past action that is immediately preceded by another:

Dès qu'il eut mangé, il nous quitta.

As soon as he had eaten, he left us.

2.	An action that occurred rapidly:

Ils furent vite arrivés.

They came quickly.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations


PAST PERFECT TENSE

The French Past Perfect Tense (Plus-que-parfait) is formed with the auxiliary verb (être or

avoir) in the Imperfect Tense + past participle.  Only the auxiliary is conjugated.

For verbs conjugated with avoir, the pattern is:

J'avais aimé	Nous avions aimé

Tu avais aimé	Vous aviez aimé

Il avait aimé	Ils avaient aimé

With intransitive verbs taking the auxiliary être, the pattern is:

J'étais allé(e)	Nous étions allé(e)s

Tu étais allé(e)	Vous étiez allé(e)s

Il était allé	Ils étaient allés

EXAMPLES:

Ils avaient travaillé pendant longtemps.

They had worked for a long time.

Elles étaient revenues.

They had returned.

USAGE:

The Past Perfect Tense is used:

1.	To express an action in the remote past or to narrate a story.

Les diplomates avaient voyagé en Russie.

The diplomats had traveled to Russia.

2.	To express an action in the past that was interrupted by the occurrence of

another action.

Nous étions à peine partis quand il commença à pleuvoir.

We had just left when it began to rain.

Related Topics:

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Present Perfect Tense

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive

Past Participles


CONDITIONAL MOOD

There are two Conditionals in French and they are:

The Present Conditional, which is formed by adding the following verb endings:

1st group:  -er	2nd group:  -ir	3rd group:  -re

-erais	-irais	-rais

-erais	-irais	-rais

-erait	-irait	-rait

-erions	-irions	-rions

-eriez	-iriez	-riez

-eraient	-iraient	-raient

EXAMPLES:

aimer - to like	finir - to finish	rendre - to give back, return

J'aimerais	Je finirais	Je rendrais

Tu aimerais	Tu finirais	Tu rendrais

Il aimerait	Il finirait	Il rendrait

Nous aimerions	Nous finirions	Nous rendrions

Vous aimeriez	Vous finiriez	Vous rendriez

Ils aimeraient	Ils finiraient	Ils rendraient

The Past Conditional, which is formed with the auxiliary (être or avoir) conjugated in the Conditional + past participle.

aimer / to like	aller / to go

J'aurais aimé	Je serais allé

Tu aurais aimé	Tu serais allé

Il aurait aimé	Il serait allé

Nous aurions aimé	Nous serions allés

Vous auriez aimé 	Vous seriez allés

Ils auraient aimé	Ils seraient allés

USAGE:

The conditional is used to introduce a hypothesis or a supposition.  It can express:

1.	A future action that will occur only if a certain condition is met:

S'il était forcé de partir, nous le suivrions.

If he were forced to leave, we would follow him.

2.	A present or past action the outcome of which depends on an unrealized

condition:

Si j'avais de l'argent, j'achèterais une nouvelle voiture.

If I had some money, I would buy a new car.

Si j'avais su, je serais venu plus tôt.

Had I known, I would have come earlier.

3.	In an independent or main clause, it can express:

An hypothesis about a past action:

Une fête aurait eu lieu au château.

A party (supposedly) took place at the castle.

A desire:

Pourriez-vous vous déplacer?

Could you move?

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Present Tense

Imperfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Participles

Conditionals


SUBJUNCTIVE

The French subjunctive is most commonly used in a subordinate clause, but may also be found in a main clause.  It occurs in several tenses. The two most frequently used are:

The Present Subjunctive is formed as follows:

1st group:  -er	2nd group:  -ir	3rd group:  -re

-e	-isse	-e

-es	-isses	-es

-e	-isse	-e

-ions	-issions	-ions

-iez	-issiez	-iez

-ent	-issent	-ent

EXAMPLES:

aimer - to like     	finir - to finish	rendre - to return

que j'aime	que je finisse	que je rende

que tu aimes	que tu finisses	que tu rendes

qu'il aime	qu'il finisse	qu'il rende

que nous aimions	que nous finissions	que nous rendions

que vous aimiez	que vous finissiez	que vous rendiez

qu'ils aiment	qu'ils finissent	qu'ils rendent

The Past Subjunctive is formed with the auxiliary (conjugated in Present Subjunctive) +

past participle.  Only the auxiliary is conjugated.

aimer / to like	aller / to go

que j'aie aimé	que je sois allé

que tu aies aimé	que tu sois allé

qu'il ait aimé	qu'il soit allé

que nous ayons aimé	que nous soyons allés

que vous ayez aimé	que vous soyez allés

qu'ils aient aimé	qu'ils soient allés

There are two other less frequently used forms of the subjunctive:

The Imperfect Subjunctive is formed by adding the following verb endings:

1st group:  -er	2nd group:  -ir	3rd group:  -re

-asse	-isse	-isse

-asses	-isses	-isses

-ât	-ît	-ît

-assions	-issions	-issions

-assiez	-issiez	-issiez

-assent	-issent	-issent

The Past Perfect Subjunctive is formed with the auxiliary (imperfect subjunctive) +

past participle.

aimer - to like	aller - to go

que j'eusse aimé	que je fusse allé

que tu eusses aimé	que tu fusses allé

qu'il eût aimé	qu'il fût allé

que nous eussions aimé	que nous fussions allés

que vous eussiez aimé	que vous fussiez allés

qu'ils eussent aimé	qu'ils fussent allés

USAGE:

The Subjunctive Mood is used in French in subordinate clauses to express an eventuality, an hypothesis, a desire, doubt, or wish.

EXAMPLES:

Nous y allons, qu'il le veuille ou non.

We are going there, whether he wants us to or not.

Je veux que vous fassiez cela.

I would like you to do this.

NOTE:  The subjunctive may also be found in a main clause or simple statement.

EXAMPLE:

Que Dieu vous bénisse.

God bless you.

Related Topics:

Present Tense

Imperfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense


Participles

The Infinitive,Past Participle and Present Participle are grouped together for functional reasons. These verb forms do not inflect for person and number in the same way as all the other tenses.


PRESENT PARTICIPLES

The Present Participles (equivalent to the English "ing" form) of all French verbs (except être, avoir, and savoir) is formed by dropping the "-ons" of the first person plural (nous form) of the Present Tense and adding "-ant."

EXAMPLES:

Infinitive:	regarder	(to look)

1st person plural	regardons	(we look)

Present Participle	regardant	(looking)

Infinitive:	vouloir	(to want)

1st person plural:	voulons	(we want)

Present Participle:	voulant	(wanting)

Present Participles for être, avoir, and savoir must be learned:

Infinitive:	être

Present Participle:	étant	(being)

Infinitive:	avoir

Present Participle:	ayant	(having)

Infinitive:	savoir

Present Participle:	sachant	(knowing)

USAGE:

Present Participles have several uses in French.  They may serve as:

1.	Adjectives, in which case they must agree in number and gender with the noun(s)

they modify.

un poème émouvant

a moving poem

une conversation stimulante

a stimulating conversation

des jardins florissants

flowering gardens

des nouvelles surprenantes

surprising news

2.	Verbs describing a secondary or peripheral action in a sentence.  This construction

has a parallel in English and requires that the participle be invariable.

en courant vers le marché

running to the market

en faisant ceci et cela

doing this and that

Ils le reconduisirent en chantant.

They led him back singing.

Un homme tenant une lampe à la main s'avança vers moi.

A man holding a lamp in his hand approached me.

NOTE:  Present Participles may be introduced by the preposition "en" and used adverbially.  These phrases parallel the English "in doing," "by doing," "while/when doing."

Elle se sentait mal en voyageant par avion.

She felt sick traveling by airplane.

Nous avons fait le tour de Londres en assistant à la conférence.

We toured London while attending the conference.

En dégustant le vin, ils ont été surpris.

On tasting the wine, they were surprised.

NOTE:  In the participial phrase with "en," the action described by the participle

always refers to the subject of the sentence.

Related Topics:

Past Participles

Prepositions

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives


PAST PARTICIPLES

The French Past Participles are derived from verbs and are formed as follows:

1.	"Er" verbs add é in place of their infinitive ending:

Infinitive:	parler	(to speak)

Past Participle:	parlé	(spoken)

Infinitive:	manger	(to eat)

Past Participle:	mangé	(eaten)

NOTE:  The irregular verbs être and naître also have past participles ending in "é":

Infinitive:	être	(to be)

Past Participle:	été	(been)

Infinitive:	naître	(to be born)

Past Participle:	né	(was/were born)

2.	"Ir" verbs and many irregular verbs ending in "ir" form their past participles with

an "i" ending.

Infinitive:	choisir	(to choose)

Past Participle:	choisi	(chosen)

Infinitive:	grandir	(to grow)

Past Participle:	grandi	(grown)

3.	"Re" verbs can form their past participles in several ways.  Some examples are:

Infinitive:	rendre	(to return)

Past Participle:	rendu	(returned)

Infinitive:	prendre	(to take)

Past Participle:	pris	(taken)

Infinitive:	éteindre	(to extinguish)

Past Participle:	éteint	(extinguished)

Infinitive:	nuire	(to harm)

Past Participle:	nui	(harmed)

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Present Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Conditional Mood

Subjunctive

Present Participles


MODAL AUXILIARIES

French modal auxiliary verbs are combined with infinitives to express such concepts as possibility, necessity, or obligation.  They include:

pouvoir	to be able to

devoir	to have to / must

vouloir	to want to

falloir	to have to / must

savoir	to know

These verbs are irregular and are conjugated in the Present Tense as follows:

Principal Parts

Infinitive:	pouvoir

Present Participle:	pouvant

Past Participle:	pu

Je peux / puis (as in puis-je)

Tu peux

Il peut

Nous pouvons

Vous pouvez

Ils peuvent

Principal Parts

Infinitive:	devoir

Present Participle:	devant

Past Participle:	dû

Je dois

Tu dois

Il doit

Nous devons

Vous devez

Ils doivent

Principal Parts

Infinitive:	vouloir

Present Participle:	voulant

Past Participle:	voulu

Je veux

Tu veux

Il veut

Nous voulons

Vous voulez

Ils veulent

Principal Parts

Infinitive:	savoir

Present Participle:	sachant

Past Participle:	su

Je sais

Tu sais

Il sait

Nous savons

Vous savez

Ils savent

NOTE: Also included among the list of modal verbs is the impersonal "falloir" (to be necessary).  It is used only in the third person.

Principal Parts

Infinitive:	falloir

Present Participle:	---------

Past Participle:	fallu

Impersonal: 	Il faut

EXAMPLES:

Il faut que...	It is necessary that...

Il lui faut de l'argent...	He needs money...

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Present Tense

Present Participles

Past Participles

Use of the Subjunctive

Tense Agreement


REFLEXIVE VERBS

In a reflexive verb, the action is performed by the subject upon itself; thus, the subject pronoun and object pronoun refer to the same person.

EXAMPLES:

Je m'amuse	I amuse myself

Tu t'amuses	You amuse yourself

Il/Elle s'amuse	He/She amuses himself/herself

Nous nous amusons	We amuse ourselves

Vous vous amusez	You amuse yourselves

Ils/Elles s'amusent	They (m. or f.) amuse themselves

NOTE:  The object pronoun is included in the Imperative Form of reflexive verbs:

Amuse-toi!	Amuse yourself!

Amusez-vous!	Amuse yourself/-selves! (formal/informal)

Amusons-nous!	Let's amuse ourselves!

NOTE:  French reflexive verbs frequently drop their object pronouns when translated to English.

Vous vous trompez.	You are mistaken.

Comment t'appelles-tu?	What's your name?

Dépêche-toi!	Hurry up!

Some commonly used reflexive verbs include:

s'amuser	to enjoy oneself, have a good time

s'appeler	to be called

s'arrêter	to stop

s'asseoir	to sit (down)

se battre	to fight

se blesser	to hurt oneself, get hurt

se brosser	to brush oneself

se coucher	to lie down, go to bed, to set (sun)

se dépêcher	to hurry

se déshabiller	to get undressed

s'en aller	to go away

s'endormir	to fall asleep

s'ennuyer	to get bored

se fâcher	to get angry

s'habiller	to dress (oneself), get dressed

se laver	to wash (oneself), get washed

se lever	to get up, to rise (sun)

se marier	to marry, get married

se passer	to happen

se plaindre	to complain

se porter	to feel (of health)

se promener	to take a walk

se rappeler	to recall, remember

se raser	to shave (oneself)

se reposer	to rest

se réveiller	to wake up

se sentir	to feel

se souvenir de	to remember

se taire	to be silent, keep quiet

se tromper	to be mistaken, make a mistake

se trouver	to be, be situated

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Imperative Form

Reflexive Pronouns


IMPERATIVE FORM

The Imperative is used for a command, an order, or a polite request.  In French, these forms are derived from the verb stem in the Present Tense.  Only the second person singular (tu), first person plural (nous), and second person plural (formal and informal) (vous/vous) forms are used.

Viens vite!

Come quickly!

Allons danser!

Let's go dancing!

Prenez garde!

Be careful!

NOTE:  French uses either the formal (vous) or the informal (tu) form of the Imperative, as the situation dictates.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Present Tense

Personal Pronouns


PASSIVE VOICE

Passive Voice is used less frequently in French than in English, but the constructions are parallel.  It occurs when the order of subject and object are reversed or when the subject is omitted altogether.  It is formed using être + past participle.  Only être is conjugated.

Formation in Various Tenses:

Present Tense:

Active:

Ils nous invitent. 	They invited us.

Passive:

Nous sommes invités.	We are invited.

Future Tense:

Active:

Ils nous inviteront.	They will invite us.

Passive:

Nous serons invités.	We will be invited.

Imperfect Tense:

Active:

Ils nous invitaient.	They invited us.

Passive:

Nous étions invités.	We were invited.

Present Perfect Tense:

Active:

Ils nous ont invités.	They invited us.

Passive:

Nous avons été invités.	We have been invited.

Past Perfect Tense:

Active:

Ils nous avaient invité.	They had invited us.

Passive:

Nous avions été invités.	We had been invited.

Future Perfect Tense:

Active:

Ils nous auront invité.	They will have invited us.

Passive:

Nous aurons été invités.	We will have been invited.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Past Participles


NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

The are several ways to express negation in French.  Each indicates a variation of type and degree.  The most frequently used negative words are:

ne ... pas	not	ne ... jamais	never

ne ... point	not at all	ne ... rien	not at all

ne ... plus	no more or	ne ... guère	hardly

no longer

And:

ne ... personne	no one	ne ... ni	neither ... nor

ne ... que	only	ne ... aucun(e)	not any; none

ne ... nulle part	nowhere

NOTE:  ne becomes n' before a vowel or silent h.

POSITION OF NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS

1.	With the simple tenses and Imperative Form, ne comes before the verb and the second

part of the negative expression (e.g., pas) follows it:

Je ne la connais pas.	I don't know her.

N'insistez pas!	Don't insist!

Je n'ai plus d'argent.	I haven't any money left!

Tu ne le sauras jamais!	You will never know.

Ne dis rien!	Don't say anything!

Il n'y a personne!	There's no one here!

Je n'avais que dix francs.	I had only ten francs.

Il n'est nulle part.	It isn't anywhere.

Tu n'as aucun sens de l'humour!	You have no sense of humor.

Ce n'est ni noir ni bleu!	It's neither black nor blue.

2.	With compound tenses, the word order with ne ... pas and the other expressions listed

above is: ne + auxiliary + pas + past participle:

Il n'est pas revenu.	He didn't come back.

Je n'ai plus essayé.	I didn't try any more.

Je n'ai jamais vu Paris.	I have never seen Paris.

On n'a rien fait.	We haven't done anything.

3.	With ne ... personne and the other expressions in the second part of the list above

(ne ... personne, ne ... que, etc.), the word order is: ne + auxiliary + past participle +

personne / que / ne:

Il ne l'a dit à personne.	He didn't say it to anyone.

Tu n'en as acheté qu'un?	Did you only buy one?

Je n'en ai aimé aucun.	I didn't like any of them.

Il n'est allé nulle part.	He hasn't gone anywhere.

4.	With the infinitive, ne ... pas and the other expressions in the first part of the list above

(ne ... pas, ne ... point, etc.) are placed together before the verb:

Je préfère ne pas manger.	I'd rather not eat.

Essaie de ne rien perdre.	Try not to lose anything.

BUT:  The infinitive is enclosed within ne ... personne and the other expressions given

in the second part of the list:

Il a été surpris de ne voir personne. 	He was surprised not to see anybody.

J'ai décidé de n'en préparer aucun. 	I decided not to prepare any of them.

5.	When personne, rien, aucun, or ni ... ni begin a sentence, they are followed by ne:

Personne ne le sait. 	Nobody knows.

Rien n'a changé. 	Nothing has changed.

Ni Lidia ni Bertrande ne sont venues.	Neither Lidia nor Bertrande came.

Aucun secours n'est arrivé. 	No help arrived.

Some combinations of negative expressions that are frequently used include:

ne ... plus jamais

ne ... plus rien

ne ... plus personne

ne ... plus ni ... ni

ne ... plus que

ne ... jamais rien

ne ... jamais personne

ne ... jamais ni ... ni

ne ... jamais que

On ne l'a plus jamais revu.	We never saw him again.

Il n'y a plus rien.	There isn't anything left.

Plus personne ne dansera.	No one will dance anymore.

Tu ne fais jamais rien.	You never do anything.

Je ne bois jamais que de l'eau.	I never drink anything except water.

Je ne vois jamais personne.	I never see anybody.

NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS WITHOUT A VERB

Pas (not) is the most common of all negatives.  It is frequently used without a verb:

Tu l'aimes ? -- Pas beaucoup.	Do you like it? Not much.

Ah non! Pas lui!	Oh no! Not him!

Non merci, pas pour moi.	No thanks, not for me.

Un roman pas très long.	Not a very long novel.

Lui, il viendra, mais pas moi.	He will come, but I won't.

J'aime ça; pas toi?	I like that, don't you?

Ne is not used when the response does not contain a verb:

Qui a crié? -- Personne.	Who shouted? Nobody.

Jamais de la vie!	Not on your life!

Rien! Je ne veux rien!	Nothing! I want nothing!

Rien du tout.	Nothing at all.

Non (no) is always used when the response does not contain a verb:

Tu aimes la natation?	Do you like swimming?

Non, pas du tout.	No, not at all.

Tu viens, oui ou non?	Are you coming, yes or no?

Je crois que non.	I don't think so.

NOTE:  non plus (neither) is often used in short answers.

Je ne le crois pas.  Moi non plus.	I don't believe him.  Neither do I.

Je n'ai rien mangé.  Nous non plus.	I haven't eaten anything. Neither have we.

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Present Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Participles

Questions


THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

The definite article (equivalent to the English "the") precedes a noun with a predetermined meaning. In the singular, it must agree in number and gender with the noun it introduces.  Plural forms of the article are identical for masculine and feminine.  The French definite articles are:

Singular

le garçon	the boy

la fille	the girl

Plural

les garçons	the boys

les filles	the girls

Le and la become l' when they precede a noun that begins with a vowel or a silent h.  The plural remains regular.

Singular	Plural	English

l'enfant	les enfants	the child	the children

l'heure	les heures	the hour	the hours

CONTRACTIONS

When the definite articles le and les are combined with the prepositions de and à, the following contractions result:

à  + le  =   au (to the, sing.)	à  + les  =   aux (to the, pl.)

de + le  =  du (of the, sing.)	de + les  =  des (of the, pl.)

La queue du singe...

The tail of the monkey...

Vous aimez aller au cinéma.

You enjoy going to the movies.

Le journaliste a adressé la parole aux écrivains.

The journalist addressed the writers.

USAGE:

Usage of the French definite article varies slightly from English:

1.	It precedes each noun in a series:

Nous étudions l'histoire, la géographie et l'économie des provinces.

We are studying the history, geography, and economy of the provinces.

2.	It is used when talking about parts of the body:

Je me lave les mains et la figure.

I am washing my hands and face.

3.	It is used when referring to languages:

Jean comprend le russe.

John understands Russian.

Nous apprenons l'allemand.

We are learning German.

4.	It is used when referring to titles of profession or rank, but not when addressing a

person directly:

Le professeur Mersenne arrive.

Professor Mersenne is arriving.

But:  Au revoir, Professeur Mersenne.

5.	It is used with days of the week and dates as an equivalent of the English "on":

Nous ne travaillons pas le samedi.

We don't work on Saturday.

Les écoles sont fermées le samedi et le dimanche.

Schools are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

AND:

C'est aujourd'hui le 5 mai 1992.

Today is May 5, 1992.

6.	It is used as the equivalent of the English "per" or "a":

Les abricots coûtent cinq francs la douzaine.

The apricots cost five francs per dozen.

7.	It is used with the names of the seasons:

L'hiver est très long en Suisse.

Winter is very long in Switzerland.

Au Canada le printemps est doux.

In Canada, spring is mild.

Related Topics:

The Indefinite Article

The Partitive Article

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Gender of Adjectives

The Clock and the Calendar


THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

The indefinite article is equivalent to the English a / an / one and precedes an unspecified noun.  French uses:

Singular

un homme (masc.)	a man

une femme (fem.)	a woman

Plural

des hommes et des femmes (masc. and fem.)	men and women

Related Topics:

The Definite Article

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives


THE PARTITIVE ARTICLE

The partitive article is placed before an uncountable noun to indicate a part or portion of it.  In English, it is not necessary to use an article before nouns such as water, energy, or patience; however, French requires this.  The partitive articles are:

du (de + le); (de l' before a vowel)	masculine singular

de la; (de l' before a vowel)	feminine singular

des (de +les)	masculine and feminine plural

EXAMPLES:

du sel	(some) salt

de la farine	(some) flour

de l'eau	(some) water

des épinards	(some) spinach

Monsieur Comte mange du pain.

Mr. Comte is eating (some) bread.

Y a-t-il encore de l'eau?

Is there any more water (or any water left)?

NOTE:  The partitive article is not omitted before a plural noun modified by a preceding adjective.

Cette rue a de beaux arbres,

This street has (some) lovely trees.

Madame Dupont porte de jolies chaussures.

Mrs. Dupont is wearing (some) snappy shoes.

NOTE:  The partitive article becomes "de" after specific expressions of quantity such as:

assez	enough

beaucoup	a lot

peu	a little

trop	too much

tant	too many

autant	as much

moins	less

And:

une tranche	a slice

une boîte	a box

une bouteille	a bottle

un verre	a glass

un kilo	a kilogram

un litre	a liter

une livre	a pound

une douzaine	a dozen

Exceptions to this rule that take the definite article include:

bien de(s)	a lot of

la plupart de(s)	most of

la majorité de(s)	the majority of

NOTE:  After "ne que" (only), the partitive article is used.

Il ne mange que de la salade.

He only eats salad.

Related Topics:

The Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives


GENDER OF NOUNS

French uses two grammatical genders, masculine and feminine.  Inanimate or abstract nouns can be either masculine or feminine based on their etymology.  Animate nouns describing male human beings or animals are generally of masculine gender while those describing female beings or animals are feminine.  Feminine animate nouns are generally formed by adding an -e at the end of the masculine noun, although other rules may apply.

un ami	une amie

a (male) friend	a (female) friend

Exceptions:

1.	Nouns ending in -el and -eau form the feminine with -elle:

un colonel	une colonelle

un chameau	une chamelle

2.	Nouns ending in -en or -on form the feminine by doubling the final consonant:

un gardien	une gardienne

un champion	une championne

3.	However, nouns ending in -an, -in, and -ian do not double the consonant to form

the feminine:

un orphelin	une orpheline

un gitan	une gitane

4.	Nouns ending in -t:

Nouns ending in -et double the consonant:

un cadet	une cadette

Nouns ending in -at or -ot do not double the consonant:

un idiot	une idiote

un avocat	une avocate

(Except for chat / chatte; linot / linotte; sot / sotte)

5.	Nouns ending in -er form the feminine with -ère:

un jardinier	une jardinière

6.	Nouns ending in -s or -x usually form the feminine with -se:

un époux	une épouse

un français	une française

7.	Nouns ending in -f form the feminine with -ve:

un veuf	une veuve

8.	Nouns ending in -eur form the feminine with -euse:

un joueur	une joueuse

Nouns ending in -teur or -deur form the feminine with -trice, unless the noun has a

corresponding verb that shares the same stem:

un acteur	une actrice	an actor / actress

un ambassadeur	une ambassadrice	an ambassador / ambassador's wife

or ambassador

But:

un chanteur	une chanteuse	a singer

un vendeur	une vendeuse	a salesman / saleswoman

9.	Certain nouns ending in -e form the feminine with -esse:

un traître	une traîtresse

10.	Other nouns do not form a feminine:

masculine or feminine:

un auteur   /   un écrivain

Related Topics:

The Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

The Partitive Article

Plural Formation of Nouns

Gender of Adjectives


PLURAL FORMATION OF NOUNS

In general, plural nouns are formed in French by adding an -s, although other rules apply:

EXAMPLES:

une pomme	des pommes

un fruit	des fruits

Exceptions:

1.	Nouns ending in -s, -x or -z do not change in the plural:

une souris	des souris

une voix	des voix

un nez	des nez

2.	Nouns ending in -al usually form the plural with -aux:

un cheval	des chevaux

Some nouns ending in -al form the plural with -s:

un bal	des bals

3.	Nouns ending in -au, -eu, or -eau usually form the plural with -x:

un tuyau	des tuyaux

un feu	des feux

un cadeau	des cadeaux

Some nouns ending in -au, -eu, or -eau form the plural with -s:

un pneu	des pneus

4.	Nouns ending in -ail form the plural with -s:

un chandail	des chandails

5.	Nouns ending in -ou form the plural with an -s:

un fou	des fous

Exceptions (which form the plural with -x):

bijou	bijoux

caillou	cailloux

chou	choux

genou	genoux

hibou	hiboux

joujou	joujoux

pou	poux

6.	Some irregular plurals are:

l'oeil	les yeux

le ciel	les cieux

PROPER NOUNS

Proper nouns are always capitalized.

les Espagnols

les Suisses

The rules of plural formation for proper nouns are:

1.	Proper nouns referring to famous royal families generally take the plural.

Les Bourbons = The Bourbon family.

2.	Proper nouns referring to common families remain invariable:

Les Dupont

3.	Proper nouns referring to works of art produced by a given artist take the plural form

where required:

Il possède quatre Monets.

He has four Monet paintings.

Related Topics:

The Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

The Partitive Article

Gender of Nouns

Gender of Adjectives


COMPOUND NOUNS

French uses various forms of compound nouns.

1.	Two nouns can be linked:

bon + jour	bonjour

The plural of such nouns is formed according to the general rule:  add (-s).

Exceptions:

bonhomme	bonshommes

monsieur	messieurs

madame	mesdames

2.	When two nouns are linked by a hyphen, both elements take a plural ending:

un chef-lieu	des chefs-lieux

3.	Similarly, when a noun and an adjective are combined, both elements take a plural

ending:

un coffre-fort	des coffres-forts

4.	When a verb + complement are combined, only the second element takes a plural

ending:

un couvre-feu	des couvre-feux

5.	Expressions linked by hyphens are invariable:

le qu'en-dira-t-on

Related Topics:

The Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

The Partitive Article

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns


PERSONAL PRONOUNS

French uses the formal vous to address adults, strangers, superiors, or more than one person.  Tu is used for a relative, friend, classmate, child, or an animal.  Personal pronouns can be either subjects or objects. Their forms vary accordingly.

PRONOUN AS SUBJECT:

Singular	Plural

1st person	je	nous

2nd person	tu	vous

3rd person	il, elle	ils, elles

EXAMPLES:

Il parle.

He speaks.

PRONOUN AS DIRECT OBJECT:

Singular	Plural

1st person	me	nous

2nd person	te	vous

3rd person	le, la	les

EXAMPLES:

Il le prend.

He takes it.

PRONOUN AS INDIRECT OBJECT:

Singular	Plural

1st person	me	nous

2nd person	te	vous

3rd person	lui	leur

EXAMPLES:

Je lui ai donné le livre.

I gave him the book.

PRONOUN AS OBJECT PRECEDED BY A PREPOSITION:

Singular	Plural

1st person	moi	nous

2nd person	toi	vous

3rd person	lui, elle	eux, elles

EXAMPLES:

Ce livre est à toi.

This book is yours.

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns


POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

Possessive pronouns refer to a previously mentioned noun and generally agree in number and gender with that noun.  French is unique in that its possesive pronouns agree with the person,

being, or thing owned, and not with the owner.

NOTE:  Possessive pronouns can include a definite article (le, la, les) contracted with the prepositions à and de:

Il me parle de son travail et je lui parle du mien.

He is talking to me about his job and I am talking to him about mine.

When used as pronouns, nôtre and vôtre take a circumflex accent in all cases.

One object	Several objects

Masculine	Feminine	Masculine	Feminine

le mien	la mienne	les miens	les miennes

le tien	la tienne	les tiens	les tiennes

le sien	la sienne	les siens	les siennes

le nôtre	la nôtre	les nôtres

le vôtre	la vôtre	les vôtres

le leur	la leur	les leurs

EXAMPLES:

Je conduis ma voiture et il conduit la sienne.

I'm driving my car and he's driving his.

Nous prendrons nos boissons et vous prendrez les vôtres.

We will take our drinks and you'll take yours.

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns


POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

Possessive adjectives indicate ownership.  In French, they are:

Singular

One object	Several objects

Masculine	Feminine	Plural

1st person:	mon	ma	mes

2nd person:	ton	ta	tes

3rd person:	son	sa	ses

Plural

One object	Several objects

(Masculine and Feminine)

1st person:	notre	nos

2nd person:	votre	vos

3rd person:	leur	leurs

EXAMPLES:

C'est sa voiture.

It is his car.

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative Adjectives

Relative Pronouns


DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS

French uses two types of demonstrative pronouns:

1.	Those that are variable indicate gender and number and must agree with the

noun they replace.

EXAMPLE:

J'ai aimé tes photos et celles de Marc.

I liked your pictures and Marc's.

2.	Those that are neuter (ceci, cela, ça, ce) and do not indicate gender and number.

They always stand alone.

EXAMPLE:

Ceci est vrai.

This is true.

Demonstrative pronouns can be divided into two groups:

1.	Simple demonstrative pronouns whose demonstrative power is weak.

They must be accompanied by a relative clause that clarifies their meaning.

EXAMPLE:

Donnez-moi celui qui est sur la table (un livre).

Give me the one that is on the table (a book).

2.	Compound demonstrative pronouns that are formed by combining the

variable demonstrative pronouns with -ce or là.  They are used to indicate that

persons or objects are either close to or at a distance from the speaker.

Singular	Plural

Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine	Feminine

Simple forms	celui	celle	ce	ceux	celles

Compound forms	celui-ci	celle-ci	ceci	ceux-ci	celles-ci

celui-là	celle-là	cela  	ceux-là	celles-là

EXAMPLE:

Quel gâteau prenez-vous, celui-ci ou celui-là?

Which cake are you taking, this one or that one?

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Relative Pronouns


DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES

Demonstrative adjectives are used to specify exactly which noun is being referred to.  The French demonstrative adjectives are:

Masculine	Feminine

Singular	ce, cet	cette

Plural	ces

Cet is used when preceding a noun beginning with a vowel.

Cet ami.

That friend.

The demonstrative adjective can be reinforced by adding the adverbs ci or là to the noun:

Cet ami-là.

This friend (over there).

Cet ami-ci.

This friend (over here).

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns


RELATIVE PRONOUNS

Relative pronouns are used to link an object or person to a relative clause that gives further information about him / her / it.  The simple forms of the French relative pronouns are:

qui, que	used for both masculine and feminine, singular or plural

quoi	generally neutral

dont, où	used for both masculine and feminine, singular or plural

The compound forms of relative pronouns are:

Singular	Plural

Masculine	Feminine	Masculine	Feminine

lequel	laquelle	lesquels	lesquelles

duquel	de laquelle	desquels	desquelles

auquel	à laquelle	auxquels	auxquelles

NOTE:  Other compound forms include:

quiconque	whoever

quelconque	whatever

qui que ce soit qui	whoever

quoi que ce soit	whatever

EXAMPLE:

La personne qui est partie.

The person who left.

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Interrogatives


INTERROGATIVES

The interrogative adjective QUEL...? (Which...?, What...?) agrees in number and gender with the noun it refers to.  French uses four forms:

Quel...? 	With a masculine singular noun.

Quelle...? 	With a feminine singular noun.

Quels...? 	With a masculine plural noun.

Quelles...? 	With a feminine plural noun.

It is used in direct questions:

Quel est votre passe-temps favori?	What's your favorite pastime?

Quelle heure est-il?	What time is it?

Quels jours as-tu de libres?	Which days have you got free?

Quelles affaires comptes-tu prendre avec toi? 	Which / what things do you intend to

take with you?

And in indirect questions:

Je ne sais pas quel disque choisir.	I don't know which record to choose.

Il se demande quelle veste lui va le mieux.	He's wondering which jacket suits him

best.

The exclamatory adjective Quel! has the same forms as the interrogative:

Quel dommage! 	What a pity!

Quels imbéciles! 	What idiots!

Quelle belle maison! 	What a beautiful house!

The interrogative pronouns in French are:

Lequel...? / laquelle...?	Which (one)...?

Lesquel(le)s...?	Which ones...?

Lequel agrees in number and gender with the noun for which it stands:

Lequel...?	Which (one)...?	With a masculine sing. noun.

Laquelle...?	Which (one)...?	With a feminine sing. noun.

Lesquels...?	Which (ones)...?	With a masculine plural noun.

Lesquelles...?	Which (ones)...?	With a feminine plural noun.

NOTE:  After the prepositions à and de, lequel contracts to:

à + lequel	=	auquel

à + lesquels	=	auxquels

à + lesquelles	=	auxquelles

de + lequel	=	duquel

de + lesquels?	=	desquels

de + lesquelles	=	desquelles

à / de + laquelle	--	no change

Direct questions are formed using lequel as follows:

Je cherche un hôtel; lequel recommandez-vous?

I am looking for a hotel. Which one do you recommend?

Nous avons plusieurs couleurs; vous préférez laquelle?

We have several colors. Which one do you prefer?

Lesquels de ces livres sont à toi?

Which of these books are yours?

Je voudrais essayer ces chaussures.  Lesquelles?

I would like to try these shoes on. Which ones?

Indirect questions with lequel are formed as follows:

Demande-lui lequel de ces ordinateurs est le moins cher.

Ask him which (one) of these computers is the cheapest.

C'est dans une de ces rues, mais je ne sais plus laquelle.

It's in one of these streets, but I can't remember which one.

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Relative Pronouns

Questions


REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS

The French reflexive pronouns are:

Singular	Plural

1st person:	me	nous

2nd person:	te	vous

3rd person:	se	se

NOTE:  Me, te, and se are contracted to m', t', s' when followed by a verb beginning with a vowel.

EXAMPLES:

Je me tais.

I am keeping quiet.

Nous nous dépêchons.

We are hurrying.

But:

Il s'apaise.

He is calming down.

Related Topics:

Reflexive Verbs

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Passive Voice


INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

Indefinite pronouns are used to indicate a person or an object in very general terms.  The following are the French indefinite pronouns:

aucun / une	any (m., f.)

autre	the other

autrui	others

certains	some people

chacun/une	everyone / each one

chaque	each person

divers	various people

l'un	the one

l'autre	the other

mainte	many

même	the same one / person

n'importe quel	whatever

n'importe qui	whoever

nul	no one

on	equivalent to the English impersonal "one"

pas un	nobody

peu de chose	few things

personne	nobody

plus d'un tel	more than one so-and-so

plusieurs	many

quelconque	whatever / any

quelqu'un	someone

tout	all / everybody

NOTE:  While some of these are indefinite articles or adjectives, they become pronouns when they stand alone.

EXAMPLES:

Plusieurs étudiants lisent Cicéron.

Many students read Cicero.

But:

Plusieurs écoutent les émissions de Radio France.

Many listen to the broadcasts of Radio France.

And:

Nul n'est prophète en son pays.

No one is a prophet in his own country.

Related Topics:

The Indefinite Article

Idioms


GENDER OF ADJECTIVES

French adjectives agree in number and gender with the noun they modify.  Therefore, there are four inflected forms for adjectives: masculine, feminine, masculine plural, and feminine plural.

1.	As a general rule, feminine adjectives are formed by adding an -e to the

masculine adjective:

Un petit garçon.

A small boy.

Une petite fille.

A small girl.

2.	Adjectives ending in -e in the masculine form do not change in the feminine

form:

Un travail facile.

An easy job.

Une question facile.

An easy question.

3.	Adjectives ending in -el and -eil double the -l before adding -e to form the feminine:

Un problème éventuel.

A possible problem.

Une solution éventuelle.

A possible solution.

4.	Adjectives ending in -en or -on double the -n before adding -e to form the feminine:

Un ancien élève.

A former pupil.

Une ancienne élève.

A former pupil.

5.	Adjectives ending in -et double the -t before adding -e to form the feminine:

Un homme muet.

A deaf man.

Une femme muette.

A deaf woman.

Exceptions:

The following adjectives form the feminine by changing -et to -ète:

complet	complète

incomplet	incomplète

concret	concrète

désuet	désuète

discret	discrète

indiscret	indiscrète

inquiet	inquiète

replet	replète

secret	secrète

EXAMPLES:

un plan secret

a secret plan

une pensée secrète

a secret thought

6.	Adjectives ending in -x usually form the feminine with -se (pronounced z):

Un homme généreux.

A generous man.

Une personne généreuse.

A generous person.

Exceptions:

doux	douce

faux	fausse

roux	rousse

vieux	vieille

7.	Adjectives ending in -s usually form the feminine according to the general

rule (-e).

Exceptions:

The following adjectives double the -s before adding -e:

bas	basse	low

gras	grasse	fat

las	lasse	tired

épais	épaisse	thick

gros	grosse	big

métis	métisse	half-caste

Un cheval gras.

A fat horse.

Une vache grasse.

A fat cow.

8.	Adjectives ending in -er form the feminine with -ère:

Un premier pas.

A first step.

Une première fois.

A first time.

9.	Adjectives ending in -f form the feminine with -ve:

Un garçon actif.

An active boy.

Une fille active.

An active girl.

10.	Adjectives ending in -c form the feminine in -que:

Le jardin public.

The public garden.

Une école publique.

A public school.

Exceptions:

grec	grecque	Greek

blanc	blanche	white

franc	franche	frank

sec	sèche	dry

Also:

long	longue	long

11.	Adjectives ending in -eur form the feminine with -euse.

Un homme trompeur.

A deceitful man.

Une action trompeuse.

A deceptive action.

Exceptions:

The following adjectives ending in -eur form the feminine according to the

general rule, by adding -e:

antérieur	antérieure	previous

postérieur	postérieure	subsequent

ultérieur	ultérieure	later

extérieur	extérieure	exterior

intérieur	intérieure	interior

majeur	majeure	major

mineur	mineure	minor

supérieur	supérieure	superior

inférieur	inférieure	inferior

meilleur	meilleure	better

12.	Adjectives ending in -teur form the feminine with -trice:

Un mot modificateur.

A modifying word.

Une condition modificatrice.

A qualifying condition.

Exception:

enchanteur	enchanteresse	an enchanting man/woman

NOTE:  The following irregular adjectives have a second masculine form that is used preceding a vowel or a silent h.

Masculine	Feminine	  Masculine 	English

(Before Vowel)

beau	belle	bel	beautiful

nouveau	nouvelle	nouvel	new

vieux	vieille	vieil	old

fou	folle	fol	crazy

mou	molle	mol	soft

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

The Definite Article

The Indefinite Article

Comparative Forms

Superlative Forms

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Intensity and Quantity

Position of Adverbs


PLURAL ADJECTIVES

The plural of a French adjective is generally formed by adding an -s to the singular form:

un  travail important	des travaux importants

une situation importante	des situations importantes

Exceptions:

Masculine adjectives ending in -s or -x do not change in plural:

l'homme heureux	les hommes heureux

Masculine adjectives ending in -al form the plural with -aux:

un conte original	des contes originaux

The following adjectives take an -s in the plural:

banal

fatal

final

natal

naval

Adjectives ending in -eau take an -x in the plural:

beau	beaux

nouveau	nouveaux

jumeau	jumeaux

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Comparative Forms

Superlative Forms


COMPARATIVE FORMS

French uses the following comparative forms:

1.	Equality:  aussi precedes the adjective and it is followed by que.

Elle est aussi grande que son frère.

She is as tall as her brother.

2.	Superiority:  plus precedes the adjective and it is followed by que.

Elle est plus grande que son frère.

She is taller than her brother.

3.	Inferiority:  moins precedes the adjective and it is followed by que.

Elle est moins grande que son frère.

She is shorter than her brother.

Related Topics:

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives

Superlative Forms


SUPERLATIVE FORMS

French uses plus or moins to indicate the superlative form of its adjectives.  The superlative can be preceded by:

1.	A definite article:

la plus grande des femmes

the tallest of women

la moins grande des femmes

the least tall of women

2.	A possessive adjective:

votre plus grande soeur

your tallest / oldest sister

3.	The preposition de:

Il y en a de plus grands.

There are taller ones.

Related Topics:

Gender of Nouns

Plural Formation of Nouns

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives

Comparative Forms


ADVERBS OF MANNER

Adverbs of manner are usually formed by adding "-ment" (equivalent to the English -ly) to the adjective.

1.	If the adjective ends in a consonant, -ment is added to its feminine form:

Adjective	Adverb

doux, douce (soft)	doucement (softly)

franc, franche (frank)	franchement (frankly)

final, finale (final)	finalement (finally)

2.	If the adjective ends in a vowel, -ment is added to its masculine form:

Adjective	Adverb

absolu (absolute)	absolument (absolutely)

désespéré (desperate)	désespérément (desperately)

vrai (true) 	vraiment (truly)

simple (simple)	simplement (simply)

But:

gai (cheerful)	gaiement (cheerfully)

nouveau (new)	nouvellement (newly)

fou (mad)	follement (madly)

3.	Many adverbs have irregular forms:

a)	Some change the e of the feminine form of the adjective to é before adding -ment:

Adjective	Adverb

commun (common)	communément (commonly)

précis (precise)	précisément (precisely)

profond (profound)	profondément (profoundly)

énorme (enorme)	énormément (enormously)

aveugle (blind)	aveuglément (blindly)

b)	Adjectives that end in -ent and -ant change to -emment and -amment.

(Note:  Both endings are pronounced -amant.)

Adjective	Adverb

prudent (careful)	prudemment (carefully)

évident (evident)	évidemment (evidently)

brillant (brilliant)	brillamment (brilliantly)

But:

lent (slow)	lentement (slowly)

4.	Some adverbs are completely irregular, including some of the most common ones:

Adjective	Adverb

bon (good)	bien (well)

bref (brief)	brièvement (briefly)

gentil (kind)	gentiment (kindly)

mauvais (bad)	mal (badly)

meilleur (better)	mieux (better)

5.	Some adjectives are also used as adverbs in certain set expressions:

parler bas / haut or fort	to speak softly / loudly

coûter/ payer cher	to cost / to pay a lot

s'arrêter court	to stop short

couper court	to cut short

voir clair	to see clearly

marcher droit	to walk straight

travailler dur	to work hard

chanter faux / juste	to sing off key / in tune

sentir mauvais / bon	to smell bad / good

refuser net	to refuse point blank

6.	In French, after verbs of saying and looking, an adverbial phrase is often preferred to

an adverb:

EXAMPLES:

"Tu m'écriras?" dit-il d'une seule voix.

"Are you writing to me?" he said at once.

Elle nous a regardé d'un air dédaigneux.

She looked at us with an air of disdain.

7.	English adverbs may be expressed in French by a preposition followed by a noun:

sans soin	carelessly

avec fierté	proudly

avec amour	lovingly

Related Topics:

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives

Comparative Forms

Superlative Forms

Adverbs of Time

Prepositions


ADVERBS OF TIME

The adverbs of time most commonly used in French are:

alors	then

après	afterwards

aujourd'hui	today

aussitôt	at once

bientôt	soon

d'abord	first

déjà	already

demain	tomorrow

encore	still, again

pas encore	not yet

enfin	at last, finally

hier	yesterday

parfois	sometimes

rarement	rarely

souvent	often

tard	late

tôt	early

toujours	always

tout de suite	immediately

EXAMPLES:

Tu as déjà essayé?

Have you tried before?

Il mange encore!

He's eating again!

Elle n'est pas encore arrivée.

She hasn't arrived yet.

Related Topics:

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Intensity and Quantity

Position of Adverbs


ADVERBS OF PLACE

The adverbs of place most commonly used in French are:

ailleurs	somewhere else

ici	here

là	there

loin	far away

dessus	on top, on it

au-dessus	over, above

dessous	underneath

au-dessous	below

dedans	inside

dehors	outside

devant	in front, ahead

derrière	behind

où	where

partout	everywhere

EXAMPLES:

Ne restez pas dehors!

Don't stay outside!

Mon nom est marqué dessus.

My name is written on it.

Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dedans?

What's inside?

Passez devant!

Go in front!

Related Topics:

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Intensity and Quantity

Position of Adverbs


ADVERBS OF INTENSITY AND QUANTITY

Adverbs of intensity and quantity may be used  with a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.  Those most commonly used are:

à peine	hardly

assez	enough, quite

autant	as much/ many

beaucoup	a lot, much/ many

combien	how much/ many

comme	how

moins	less

plus	more

presque	nearly

peu	little

seulement	only

si	so

tant	so much/ many

tellement	so much/ many

très	very

trop	too, too much/ many

un peu	a little

EXAMPLES:

Vous avez assez bu!

You've had enough to drink!

II ne fait pas assez chaud!

It's not warm enough!

Nous avons beaucoup ri.

We laughed a lot.

Comme c'est amusant!

How funny!

Je vais un peu mieux.

I'm feeling a little better.

Elle parle trop.

She talks too much.

Il est très timide.

He's very shy.

NOTE:  All of these adverbs may be followed by de + noun to express a quantity.

Exceptions:

à peine

comme

presque

si

très

seulement

Related Topics:

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Intensity and Quantity

Position of Adverbs


POSITION OF ADVERBS

In French, adverbs usually follow verbs:

EXAMPLES:

Je vais rarement au théâtre.

I rarely go to the theatre.

Comme vous conduisez prudemment!

You do drive carefully.

1.	With compound tenses, adverbs come between the auxiliary and the past

participle:

J'ai enfin terminé.

I've finally finished.

Nous y sommes souvent allés.

We've often gone there.

Il me l'a déjà dit.

He's already told me.

Elle avait beaucoup souffert.

She had suffered a lot.

2.	But adverbs of place and many adverbs of time follow the past participle:

Je l'ai rencontré hier.

I met him yesterday.

Elle avait cherché partout.

She had looked everywhere.

Mettez-le dehors.

Put it outside.

Tu t'es couché tard?

Did you go to bed late?

3.	Adverbs usually come before adjectives or other adverbs:

très rarement	very seldom

trop vite	very fast

Elle est vraiment belle.

She is really beautiful.

Related Topics:

Gender of Adjectives


COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE OF ADVERBS

The comparative and superlative forms of French adverbs are formed in the same way as they are for adjectives.

Adverb	Comparative	Superlative

souvent	plus souvent (que)	le plus souvent

often	more often (than)	(the) most often

souvent	moins souvent (que)	le moins souvent

less often (than)	(the) least often

souvent	aussi souvent (que)	------------

as often (as)

NOTE:  The superlative form of the adverb always takes the masculine singular form of the definite article le:

EXAMPLES:

Je le vois plus souvent qu'avant.

I see him more often than I used to.

Il conduit moins prudemment que moi.

He drives less carefully than I do.

C'est lui qui conduit le moins prudemment.

He's the one who drives the least carefully.

Je sais cuisiner aussi bien que toi!

I can cook as well as you!

NOTE:  As ... as possible is translated either by aussi ... que possible or  le plus ... possible.

as far as possible	aussi loin que possible

le plus loin possible

NOTE:  After a negative, aussi is often replaced by si:

Pas si vite!	Not so fast!

NOTE:  In French, the idea of not so / not as is often expressed by moins (less):

Parle moins fort!	Don't talk so loudly!

IRREGULAR COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS OF ADVERBS

Adverb	Comparative	Superlative

beaucoup	plus	le plus

much, a lot	more	(the) most

bien	mieux	le mieux

well	better	(the) best

mal	pis or plus mal	le pis or le plus mal

badly	worse	(the) worst

peu	moins	le moins

little	less	(the) least

NOTE:  Mieux / le mieux must not be confused with meilleur / le meilleur, which are adjectives used to modify nouns.

NOTE:  Pis / le pis are only found in certain set expressions:

EXAMPLES:

tant pis

so much the worse, too bad

de mal en pis

from bad to worse

Related Topics:

Gender of Adjectives

Plural Adjectives

Comparative Forms

Superlative Forms

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Intensity and Quantity

Position of Adverbs


PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions introduce a complement.  They are words or expressions used to indicate the relationship (time, space, manner, goal, cause, possession, etc.) that exists between persons and things.  Simple prepositions consist of only one word, while prepositional phrases consist of two or more.

The most commonly used simple prepositions are:

à	to, in	hors	outside of

après	after / according to	jusque	as far as, until

avant	before	malgré	in spite of

avec	with	outre	except, outside of

chez	at / by	par	per, for

compris	including	parmi	among

contre	against / in opposition to	plein	full of

dans	within / inside of	pour	for

de	from, of	près	near to

depuis	since	sans	without

dès	since, from	sauf	except

devant	in front of, in advance of	selon	according to

durant	during	sous	under

en	in	sur	on, upon

entre	between	vers	against

The most commonly used prepositional phrases are:

à cause de	because of

à défaut de	lacking, in the absence of something

à force de	due to

à l'aide de	with the assistance of

à l'égard de	with respect to

à l'exception de	with the exception of

à l'insu de	unknown to

à moins de	unless

afin de	in order to

au-dessus de	under

au lieu de	in place of

au moyen de	by means of

au péril de	at the risk of

autour de	around

aux dépens de	at the expense of

dans le but de	with the purpose of

de façon à	so as to

de manière à	in such a way

de peur de	in fear of

en dépit de	in spite of

en plus de	more than

en raison de	for the reason that / the reason being that

en vue de	in view of the fact that

étant donné	in consideration of

faute de	for want of

grâce à	thanks to

quant à	as for

Related Topics:

Conjunctions

Idioms


CONJUNCTIONS

Coordinating conjunctions are used to link words or phrases of equal grammatical status.  By contrast, subordinating conjunctions are used to link main and subordinate clauses.

The coordinating conjunctions most commonly used in French are:

à savoir	namely	or	now, well

ainsi	thus	ou	or

au contraire	to the contrary	ou bien	or else

aussi	also	ou ... ou (bien)	either ... or (else)

car	for	pourtant	however, nevertheless

cependant	while	puis	often

comme	as	quand	when

donc	therefore	quoique	though, although

ensuite	whereupon, then	si	if

et	and	sinon	otherwise, except

lorsque	then	soit ... ou	either ... or

mais	but	soit ... soit	either ... or

néanmoins	never	toujours	nevertheless

ni...ni	neither...nor

The subordinating conjunctions most commonly used are:

à mesure que	as

afin que	so that, in order that

ainsi que	thus

alors que	whereas, while

après que	after, when

aussitôt que	as soon as

autant que	as much / many as, as far as, as near as

avant que	before

bien que	although

cependant que	while

comme si	as if

d'autant plus que	so much the more that

de façon que	so that

de manière que	in such a way that

de même que	like

de peur que	for fear that, lest

de sorte que	with the result that

depuis que	after

dès que	as soon as

en attendant que	until / pending

en même temps que	at the same time as

jusqu'à ce que	until

non moins que	no less than

parce que	because

pendant que	during

plus que	more than

plutôt que	rather than

pour que	for, in order that

quoique	though

sans que	without

sitôt que	as soon as

tandis que	whereas, while

tant que	as long as, while, as much as

Related Topics:

Subjunctive

Prepositions

Conditionals

Use of the Subjunctive

Tense Agreement


QUESTIONS

Some of the ways in which questions can be formed in French are slightly unusual.  Consider the following:

Direct questions are formed in one of three ways:

1.	In conversation, the pattern most often used is subject + verb (+ question word).

EXAMPLES:

Tu l'as vendu où?

Where did you sell it?

Je peux téléphoner d'ici?

Can I phone from here?

La gare est près d'ici?

Is the train station near here?

C'est comment?

What is it like?

2.	Another commonly used pattern is (question word) + est-ce que + subject + verb.

EXAMPLES:

Est-ce qu'il est là?

Is he there?

Est-ce que ton ami a vécu à Paris?

Did your friend live in Paris?

3.	The most formal is the inversion:  (question word) + verb + subject.

EXAMPLES:

Quand est-il venu?

When did he come?

Où vivez-vous?

Where are you living?

Avez-vous bien travaillé?

Did you work well?

QUESTION WORDS

1.	Qui (who/whom) is used to refer to people.  It can be both subject and object, and can be

used after a preposition.

EXAMPLES:

Qui t'a accompagné?

Who accompanied you?

À qui as-tu téléphoné?

Whom did you phone?

Tu y vas avec qui?

With whom are you going?

C'était pour qui?

Who was it for?

Pour qui vous prenez-vous?

Who do you think you are?

À qui l'as-tu donné?

To whom did you give it?

NOTE:  No elision occurs when qui precedes a vowel or silent h:

Qui est-ce qu'elle attend?

For whom is she waiting?

NOTE:  Qui can be replaced by qui est-ce qui (subject) or qui est-ce que (object) in

direct questions:

Qui est-ce qui veut du thé?

Who wants tea?

Qui can also be replaced by qui est-ce que in direct questions.

Avec qui est-ce que tu sors ce soir?

With whom are you going out tonight?

BUT:  Qui cannot be replaced by qui est-ce qui / qui est-ce que in indirect questions.

J'aimerais savoir qui vous a dit ça.

I would like to know who told you that.

Elle se demandait de qui étaient les fleurs.

She was wondering who the flowers were from.

2.	Que (What?) is used to refer to things.  It is only used in direct questions, is always a

direct object, and cannot be used after prepositions.

Que désirez-vous?

What do you wish?

Qu'a-t-il dit?

What did he say?

NOTE:  Que can be replaced by qu'est-ce qui or qu'est-ce que in spoken French.

3.	Qu'est-ce qui (what) is used as the subject of a verb.  It cannot refer to a person.

Qu'est-ce qui lui est arrivé?

What happened to him?

Qu'est-ce qui la fait rire?

What makes her laugh?

4.	Qu'est-ce que (what) replaces que as the object of a verb.  It becomes qu'est-ce qu'

before a vowel or silent h.

Qu'est-ce que tu aimes lire?

What do you like to read?

Qu'est-ce qu'il va faire pendant les vacances?

What's he going to do during the holidays?

5.	Quoi (what) refers to things.  It is used instead of que or qu'est-ce que after a preposition.

À quoi penses-tu?

What are you thinking about?

Dans quoi l'as-tu mis?

In what did you put it?

And, in indirect questions:

Demandez-lui de quoi il a besoin.

Ask him what he needs.

Je ne sais pas à quoi ça sert.

I don't know what it's for.

6.	Ce qui and ce que (what) are used only in indirect questions.  They replace qu'est-ce qui

and (qu'est-ce) que and serve a purpose similar to that of the relative pronouns

ce qui and ce que.

a)	Ce qui is used as the subject of the verb in an indirect question.

Nous ne saurons jamais ce qui s'est passé.

We'll never know what happened.

b)	Ce que (ce qu' before a vowel or silent h) is used as the object of a verb in an

indirect question.

Je n'ai pas remarqué ce qu'il faisait.

I didn't notice what he was doing.

RELATED TOPICS:

Relative Pronouns

Interrogatives

Prepositions


CONDITIONALS

A conditional sentence consists of two parts:  the conditional or "if" clause, and the main or result clause.  Either clause may be used to begin the sentence.  French uses several tense patterns for its conditionals.

PRESENT & FUTURE CONDITIONAL

1.	When the verb in the "if (si)" clause is in the Present Tense, the main clause takes its

verb in either the Present or Future Tense. This parallels the first conditional in English

(e.g., "If he goes, he sees them," or "If he goes, he will see them") and can indicate

either possibility or routine action.  The Imperative Form can also be used in this

conditional to advise or give a command.

EXAMPLES:

S'il neige, nous ne sortirons pas. 	If it snows, we will not go out.

(Present ....................... Future)

S'il neige, nous ne sortons pas. 	If it snows, we don't go out.

(Present .................... Present)

S'il neige, ne sortez pas.	If it snows, don't go out.

(Present ........... Imperative)

2.	The Conditional Present is used to describe what someone would do / would be doing or

what would happen IF certain conditions prevailed. This parallels the second conditional in

English (e.g., "If he went / were to go, he would see them") and expresses improbability.

EXAMPLES:

Si j'étais riche, j'achèterais un chateau.	If I were rich, I would buy a castle.

(Imperfect ....................Present Conditional)

S'il neigeait, nous ne sortirions pas.	If it snowed / were to snow, we would

(Imperfect .............Present Conditional)	not go out.

NOTE:  This pattern is also used in indirect questions or reported speech instead of the

Future Tense.

EXAMPLES:

Il ne m'a pas dit s'il viendrait.	He didn't tell me whether he would come.

(Past .........................Present Conditional)

PAST CONDITIONAL

The Past Conditional is formed with the main verb in the conditional perfect/past conditional,

and the verb in the clause introduced by "si" is in the Past Perfect Tense.  It expresses what would have happened IF certain conditions had prevailed.  It parallels the third conditional in English (e.g., "If he had gone, he would have seen them") and indicates impossibility.

Si j'avais su, je n'aurais rien dit.

If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything.

Qu'aurais-je fait sans toi?

What would I have done without you?

SUMMARY:  The following tense combinations are possible:

Verb Following "si"	Main Verb

Present, Future, Imperfect	Present

Imperfect	Conditional Present

Past Perfect	Conditional Past

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Conditional Mood

Questions


USE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
USE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE

The Subjunctive Mood expresses a fact or event that is planned, anticipated, desired, expected, or hoped for.  It is most often found in subordinate clauses, but can also be employed in independent or main clauses.

SUBJUNCTIVE WITH "QUE"

1.	In spoken French, only  the Present and Present Perfect Subjunctives are used. The

subjunctive is often preceded by the conjunction que.  Some expressions requiring the

subjunctive include:

être content que	to be pleased that

être déçu que	to be disappointed that

être désolé que	to be sorry that

être étonné que	to be surprised that

être fâché que	to be angry that

être heureux que	to be happy that

And:

avoir peur que ... (ne)	to be afraid that

craindre que ... (ne)	to fear that

regretter que	to regret that

EXAMPLES:

Ils étaient contents que j'aille les voir.

They were pleased that I went to visit them.

Je serais très étonné qu'il mente.

I would be very surprised if he were lying.

On regrette beaucoup que tu n'aies pas pu vendre ta voiture.

We're very sorry that you couldn't sell your car.

And:

Je crains que l'avion ne soit en retard.

I fear that the plane will be late.

NOTE:  After avoir peur que and craindre que, ne is used but it does not convey a

negative meaning.

2.	The subjunctive is also used after verbs of wishing and willing, such as:

aimer que	to like

désirer que	to wish (that)

préférer que	to prefer (that)

souhaiter que	to wish (that)

vouloir que	to want

NOTE:  The English construction that parallels this use of the French subjunctive is the

subjunctive, "I wish that he were here."

EXAMPLES:

Je souhaite que tu réussisses.

I hope you will succeed.

Il aimerait que je lui téléphone plus souvent.

He'd like me to phone him more often.

Voulez-vous que je vous y amène en voiture?

Would you like me to drive you there?

Préférez-vous que je rappelle demain?

Would you rather I called back tomorrow?

3.	Impersonal expressions with il and que also require the subjunctive.

EXAMPLES:

Il faut qu'on se dépêche.

We must hurry.

Il est nécessaire que tu le saches.

It is necesary that you know this.

Il se pourrait qu'elle change d'avis.

She might change her mind.

Il est peu probable qu'ils viennent.

It is improbable that they will come.

Il semble qu'elle ait raison.

It appears that she is right.

Il vaudrait mieux que tu ne promettes rien.

You'd better not promise anything.

C'est dommage que vous vous soyez manqués.

It's a pity you missed each other.

Verbs and impersonal expressions conveying doubt or uncertainty (mainly in questions

and negative statements) also take the subjunctive.

douter que	to doubt (that)

(ne pas) croire que	(not) to believe (that)

(ne pas) penser que	(not) to think (that)

(ne pas) être sûr que	(not) to be sure that

Also:

Il n'est pas certain que	It isn't certain that

Il n'est pas évident que	It isn't clear that

Il n'est pas vrai que	It isn't true that.

EXAMPLES:

Je doute fort qu'il veuille t'aider.

I doubt very much whether he'll want to help you.

Croyez-vous qu'il y ait des places de libres?

Do you think there are any seats available?

On n'était pas sûr que ce soit le bon endroit.

We weren't sure that it was the right place.

Il n'était pas certain qu'elle puisse gagner.

It wasn't certain that she could win.

4.	The subjunctive is also used after attendre que (to wait until, to wait for someone to do

something).

Attendons qu'il revienne.

Let's wait until he comes back.

SUBJUNCTIVE IN INDEPENDENT CLAUSES

When used in a main clause, the subjunctive can express:

1.	A command or wish, using the third person

EXAMPLE:

Qu'elle parte et qu'elle ne revienne plus.

If only she would leave and not return!

2.	A hope or expectation (with or without que)

EXAMPLE:

Que Dieu vous entende!

If only God would hear you!

3.	A concession

EXAMPLE:

Qu'elle le veuille ou non, il viendra.

Whether she likes it or not, he will come.

SUBJUNCTIVE IN SUBORDINATE CLAUSES

French employs subjunctive mood in subordinate clauses when they are introduced by such phrases as:

avant que

en attendant que

jusqu'à ce que

Some subordinating conjunctions frequently used in French include:

bien que	although

quoique	although

sans que	without

pour que	in order that

afin que	in order that

à condition que	on the condition that

pourvu que	provided that

jusqu'à ce que	until

en attendant que	pending

avant que ... (ne)	before doing

à moins que ... (ne)	unless

de peur que ... (ne)	lest

de crainte que ... (ne)	for fear that

de sorte que	with the result that

de façon que	in such a manner that

de manière que	in such a manner that

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être & Avoir; Conjugations

Subjunctive

Conditional Mood

Negative Statements

Questions

Idioms


TENSE AGREEMENT

The following table reflects the tense combinations (concordance des temps) that French requires for sentences containing both main and subordinate clauses:

When the Main Verb is in a

Present or Future Tense:

The Secondary Verb can be

Indicative	Subjunctive

Present	Present

Future	Present

Imperfect

Past Historic	Present Perfect

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

When the Main Verb is in a

Past Tense:

The Secondary Verb can be

Indicative	Subjunctive

Imperfect	Imperfect

Past Historic

Future Perfect	Imperfect

Past Perfect	Past Perfect

Literary Past Perfect

Related Topics:

Summary of Tenses

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Subjunctive

Use of the Subjunctive

Idioms


IDIOMS

WITH "avoir"

avoir besoin de	to need something

avoir chaud	to be warm / hot (of persons)

avoir douze ans	to be twelve years old

avoir envie de	to feel like (doing) something

avoir faim	to be hungry

avoir froid	to be cold (of persons)

avoir honte (de)	to be ashamed (of)

avoir lieu	to take place

avoir mal à 	to have a pain / ache in a part of

(+ part of the body)	one's body; to hurt (in that part)

avoir peur (de)	to be afraid of something

avoir quelque chose	to have something wrong

avoir de quoi (+ inf.)	to have the means to do something

avoir l'air de (+inf.)	to seem to, to look as if

avoir la parole	to have the floor

avoir raison	to be right

avoir soif	to be thirsty

avoir tort	to be wrong

WITH "faire"

faire à sa tête	to do as one pleases

faire de la peine à	to grieve, trouble over something

faire des achats / emplettes	make some purchases, go shopping

faire exprès	to do on purpose

faire la queue	to stand in line

faire savoir (à quelqu'un)	to let (someone) know

faire une partie de	to play a game of

faire venir	to send for

IDIOMS WITH "Il"

Il fait beau.	The weather is fine.

Il fait beau temps.	The weather is beautiful.

Il fait bon.	It's nice, good.

Il fait brumeux.	It's misty.

Il fait chaud.	It's warm / hot.

Il fait clair.	It's clear.

Il fait frais.	It's cool.

Il fait froid.	It's cold.

Il fait jour.	It's daylight.

Il fait mauvais.	The weather's bad.

Il fait nuit.	It's dark.

Il fait un temps calme.	The weather is calm.

Il fait un temps couvert.	The weather is cloudy.

Il fait un temps lourd.	It's muggy.

Il gèle.	It's freezing.

Il grêle.	It's hailing.

Il neige.	It's snowing.

Il pleut.	It's raining.

Il y a du soleil.	It's sunny.

Il y a du vent.	It's windy.

And:

Quelle est la prévision météorologique du temps?

What's the weather forecast?

WITH REFLEXIVE VERBS:

s'agir de (used	it is a question / matter of, it concerns

impersonally with "il")

se charger de	to undertake (something)

s'en aller	to go away, to leave

se fâcher contre	to get angry with

se faire mal	to hurt oneself, to get hurt

se fier à	to trust, to trust in

se marier avec	to marry

se mettre à	to set oneself to (a task), to begin (doing something)

se mettre en route	to start out / off

se moquer de	to make fun of, laugh at

s'occuper de	to take care of, look after (something)

se passer de	to do without (something)

se rendre à	to go to

se rendre compte de (or que)	to realize, understand

se servir de	to use, to help oneself to

se souvenir/rappeler de	to remember

se tirer d'affaire	to get along, manage

OTHER VERBAL IDIOMS:

adresser la parole à	to address, speak to

aller	to feel, be (for health) (as in Je vais bien,

I am / feel fine)

aller à	to fit, suit

aller à la rencontre de / 	to go to meet

aller au-devant de

changer de	to exchange one thing for another

donner sur	to face, look out on

entendre dire que	to hear (something) said

entendre parler de	to hear of

en vouloir à	to have a grudge against, be angry with

être à	to belong to

être bien aisé de	to be very glad to

être d'accord (avec)	to agree with, to be in agreement (with)

être de retour	to be back

être en train de	to be busy (doing something), be in the act

of (doing something)

être sur le point de	to be about to

finir par (+ inf.)	to end by (doing something), to finally (do something)

jouer à	to play (a game)

jouer de	to play (an instrument)

jouir de	to enjoy, take pleasure in (what one possesses)

manquer de 	to fall short of (doing something), to almost

(+ noun) / faillir (+inf.)	(do something), to fail to (do something)

n'en pouvoir plus	to be exhausted

penser à	to think about / of, to plan, anticipate, or consider

(doing something)

penser de 	to have an opinion of, conceive of, or envisage

something.

prendre garde de	to be careful not to

prendre le parti de	to decide to, make up one's mind to

remercier de	to thank for

sauter aux yeux	to be evident

tarder à	to be long (late) in (doing something), to put off

(doing something)

tenir à	to insist upon, to be anxious to, to value (something)

valoir mieux	to be better

venir à	to happen to

venir à bout de	to succeed in, manage to (do something)

venir de	to have just (done something) (used in the present

and imperfect tenses)

vouloir bien	to be willing to (do something) kindly

vouloir dire	to mean, to intend

y être	to understand, to see the point (of something)

IDIOMS INTRODUCED BY "À":

à cause de	because of, on account of

à force de	by, by means of, by dint of

à partir de	from .... on (as in à partir d'aujourd'hui,

from today on), beginning with

à propos de	about, concerning

à demi / à moitié	half, halfway

à part (de)	aside (from)

à peine	hardly, scarcely

à travers	through, across

à haute voix	aloud, out loud

à peu près	nearly, about, approximately

à quoi bon (+ inf.)	What's the use (of doing something)? What purpose

does it serve (to do something)?

à son gré	as one pleases, to one's liking

à temps	in time

à tout prix	at any cost

à vrai dire	to tell the truth

à la bonne heure	Good! Fine! (It's about time!)

à l'étranger	abroad, in a foreign country

à la fin	finally

à la fois	at the same time

à l'heure	on time

à la main	in one's hand, in one's possession

à la mode	in style

au contraire	on the contrary

au bout de	at the end of (place / time), after (time)

au courant de	informed of

au-dessous de	below, beneath

au-dessus de	above, over

au fond de	in the bottom of, at the core / foundation of something

au lieu de	instead of

au loin	in the distance

au milieu de	in the middle of

au moins	at least

au pied de	at the foot of

IDIOMS INTRODUCED BY "DE":

d'abord	first, at first

d'accord	agreed, O.K

d'ailleurs	besides, moreover

d'avance	in advance, beforehand

de bon coeur	willingly, gladly

de bonne heure	early

de l'autre côté (de)	on the other side (of)

de la part de	on behalf of

de mon côté	for my part, as for me

de nouveau / encore une fois	again

d'ordinaire	usually

de parti pris 	deliberately

de plus en plus	more and more, increasingly.....

de rien / Il n'y a pas de quoi	It was nothing. / Don't mention it.

de rigueur	(socially) obligatory, required

de temps en temps / 	from time to time, occasionally

de temps à autre

du côté de	in the direction of, toward

du matin au soir	from morning till night

du moins	at least

IDIOMS INTRODUCED BY OTHER PREPOSITIONS:

autour de	around, at (approximately), circa

chez (+ person)	to (at) the home (in the country) of someone

en arrière	backward(s), behind, in reverse

en bas	downstairs, below

en effet	indeed, as a matter of fact

en face de	opposite

en famille	as a family, within the family

en haut	upstairs, above

en haut de	at the top of

en retard	late, not on time

par conséquent	therefore, as a consequence

par hasard	by chance

par ici	this way, in that direction

par jour / semaine / mois, etc.	per day, week, month, etc.

par là	that way, in that direction, over there

sans doute	undoubtedly, without doubt

MISCELLANEOUS IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS:

bien entendu	of course, indeed

bon gré mal gré	whether one wants to or not

bon marché / meilleur marché	cheap / cheaper

Cela m'est égal.	That makes no difference to me.  That's all the

same to me.

Cela ne fait rien.	That does not matter.  That makes no difference.

c'est-à-dire	that is to say

C'est entendu.	It's agreed, all right.

et ainsi de suite	and so forth

faute de	for lack of

grâce à	thanks to

Il y a (six ans)	(six years) ago

Il y avait une fois	Once upon a time there was/were

Jamais de la vie	Never in my life! Out of the question!

le long de	along

n'importe quand	no matter when

peu à peu	little by little, gradually

quant à	as for

tant bien que mal	rather badly, somehow or other

tant mieux	so much the better

tant pis	so much the worse

tous (les) deux	both (of them)

tout à coup	suddenly

tout à fait	entirely, quite

tout à l'heure	just now, a little while ago, in a little while, presently

tout de même / quand même	just the same

tout de suite / à l'instant	immediately, at once

Related Topics:

Être and Avoir; Conjugations

Reflexive Verbs

Prepositions


THE CLOCK AND THE CALENDAR

The days of the week and the months are written in lower case in French:

DAYS OF THE WEEK

lundi	vendredi

mardi	samedi

mercredi	dimanche

jeudi

NOTE:  The article le is used in front of the days of the week only when regular occurrence is implied; e.g., le mardi = every Tuesday or on Tuesdays.  If you want to say "on Tuesday" (i.e., on a specific Tuesday), you simply say mardi.

in April	en Avril

in 1995	en 1995

on June 26	le 26 juin

on Monday	lundi

on Sundays	le dimanche

MONTHS OF THE YEAR

janvier	juillet

février	août

mars	septembre

avril	octobre

mai	novembre

juin	décembre

COMMON QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, AND EXPRESSIONS

Quel jour sommes-nous?	What's today's date?

Aujourd'hui, nous sommes le 12.	Today's the 12th.

le premier/deux juillet...	The first/ second of July...

aux environs du 4 juillet...	About the 4th of July...

du 14 au 18...	From the 14th to the 18th...

dans les années quatre-vingts / quatre-vingt-dix	in the 1980s / 1990s...

Quand?	When?

Jusqu'à / depuis quand?	Until / since when?

Depuis combien de temps travaillez-vous ici?	How long have you worked here?

hier...	yesterday...

aujourd'hui...	today...

demain...	tomorrow...

après-demain...	the day after tomorrow...

la semaine dernière / prochaine...	last / next week...

le mois / l'an dernier / prochain...	last / next month / year...

tous les jours / tous les vendredis...	every day / every Friday...

un jeudi en octobre...	one Thursday in October...

dans 2 jours...	in 2 days...

Cela va prendra 3 jours.	It will take 3 days.

Je travaille ici depuis 2 ans.	I've worked here for 2 years.

Je suis en Suisse pour 2 jours.	I'm in Switzerland for 2 days.

lls l'ont terminé en 2 jours / semaines / mois.

They finished it in 2 days / weeks / months.

SEASONS OF THE YEAR

le printemps	spring

l'été	summer

l'automne	autumn

l'hiver	winter

TIME OF DAY

The 24-hour clock is used extensively in mainland Europe, so, if a French speaker says sept / huit / neuf / dix / onze heures, he or she usually means 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., etc.

WRITING THE TIME

When writing the time, French speakers use the letter "h" (small or capital).

e.g. 9:00 = 9h, 10:30 = 10h30.

13h  =  treize heures	19h  =  dix-neuf heures

14h  =  quatorze heures	20h  =  vingt heures

15h  =  quinze heures	21h  =  vingt et une heures

16h  =  seize heures	22h  =  vingt-deux heures

17h  =  dix-sept heures	23h  =  vingt-trois heures

18h  =  dix-huit heures

at 10 a.m.  = à 10h

at 4 p.m.    = à 16h

at 11 p.m.  = à 23h

SOME FREQUENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT TIME OF DAY

Quelle heure est-il?	What's the time?

Quelle heure avez-vous?	What time do you have?

Avez-vous l'heure exacte?	Do you have the right time?

Il est une heure.	It's 1 o'clock.

Il est deux heures.	It's 2 o'clock.

Il est quatre heures huit.	It's 8 minutes past 4.

Il est six heures moins dix.	It's 10 to 6.

Il est neuf heures et quart.	It's a quarter past 9.

Il est deux heures moins le quart.	It's a quarter to 2.

Il est huit heures et demie.	It's half past 8.

D'après ma montre il est 2h20.	I have 2:20.

Il est 3h39 à ma montre.	My watch says 3:39.

Il est trois heures passées.	It's just after 3:00.

Il est presque onze heures.	It's nearly 11:00.

Aux environs de huit heures.	About 8 o'clock.

À quelle heure est-ce que cela commence / se termine?	What time does it start / end?

À quelle heure ouvrez-vous/ fermez-vous?	When do you open/ close?

À trois heures exactement, à trois heures précises.	At exactly 3 o'clock.

À midi.	At midday.

À minuit.	At midnight.

Jusqu'à neuf heures.	Until 9 o'clock.

Fermé de une heure et demie à quatre heures et demie.	Closed from 1:30 to 4:30.

Combien de temps est-ce que cela va prendre?	How long will it take?

Combien de temps est-ce que la réunion va durer?	How long will the meeting last?

une demi-heure...	half an hour...

un quart d'heure...	a quarter of an hour...

trois quarts d'heure...	three quarters of an hour...

Quand en avez-vous besoin?	When do you need it?

J'en ai besoin pour dix heures demain matin.	I need it for 10:00 a.m.

tomorrow.

mercredi à seize heures...	by Wednesday at 4 p.m....

à six heures au plus tard...	at / by 6 o'clock at the latest...

DATES

French style is very simple where dates are concerned:

May 31	31 mai

December 25	25 décembre

When saying the date, remember to add the article, le, e.g. the first of May = le premier mai. The French usually say the year as if it were a simple number, e.g. 1995 = mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-quinze. But they will often refer to the year as '95 or '96, etc. (quatre-vingt-quinze, quatre-vingt-seize).

Related Topics:

The Definite Article

Prepositions


CARDINAL & ORDINAL NUMBERS

CARDINAL NUMBERS

The cardinal numbers in French are:

0 = zéro

1 = un(e)

2 = deux

3 = trois

4 = quatre

5 = cinq

6 = six

7 = sept

8 = huit

9 = neuf

10 = dix

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 et un

22 = vingt-deux

23 = vingt-trois

30 = trente

31 = trente et un

32 = trente-deux

33 = trente-trois

40 = quarante

41 = quarante et un

42 = quarante-deux

43 = quarante-trois

50 = cinquante

51 = cinquante et un

60 = soixante

61 = soixante et un

62 = soixante-deux

70 = soixante-dix

71 = soixante et onze

72 = soixante-douze

73 = soixante-treize

80 = quatre-vingts

81 = quatre-vingt-un

82 = quatre-vingt-deux

83 = quatre-vingt-trois

90 = quatre-vingt-dix

91 = quatre-vingt-onze

92 = quatre-vingt-douze

93 = quatre-vingt-treize

99 = quatre-vingt-dix-neuf

100 = cent

101 = cent un

102 = cent deux

110 = cent dix

150 = cent cinquante

182 = cent quatre-vingt-deux

200 = deux cent(s)

300 = trois cent(s)

400 = quatre cent(s)

500 = cinq cent(s)

600 = six cent(s)

700 = sept cent(s)

800 = huit cent(s)

900 = neuf cent(s)

1.000	= mille

1.001	= mille un

1.500	= mille cinq cents

2.000	= deux mille

10.000	= dix mille

100.000	= cent mille

200.000	= deux cent mille

one million	= un million

two million	= deux millions

one billion (1.000 million)	= un milliard

one million units	= un million d'unités

2 billion francs	= 2 milliards de francs

NOTE:  Belgian and Swiss speakers often use septante (instead of soixante-dix) and nonante (instead of quatre-vingt-dix). You may also hear octante / huitante (quatre-vingts).

Deux cents, trois cents, etc. drop their final "s" when followed by another number:

EXAMPLE:  deux cent cinquante...

ORDINAL NUMBERS

The ordinal numbers in French are:

1st	= premier(-ière)

2nd	= deuxième

3rd	= troisième

4th	= quatrième

5th	= cinquième

6th	= sixième

7th	= septième

8th	= huitième

9th	= neuvième

10th	= dixième

11th	= onzième

12th	= douzième

13th	= treizième

14th	= quatorzième

15th	= quinzième

16th	= seizième

17th	= dix-septième

18th	= dix-huitième

19th	= dix-neuvième

20th	= vingtième

NOTE:  Ordinal numbers are not used in dates, with the exception of premier.

DECIMALS

In French, a comma is used where English uses a period:

French	English

3,57 (trois virgule cinquante-sept)	3.57

,08 (virgule zéro huit)	.08

FRACTIONS

1/2	=	un(e) demi(e)

1/3	=	un tiers

1/4	=	un quart

3/4	=	trois quarts

1/2 l	=	un demi-litre

1/2 lb.	=	une demi-livre

1 1/2 l	=	un litre et demi

1 1/2 lbs.	=	une livre et demie

2 1/2 kg.	=	deux kilos et demi

PERCENTAGES

2,5%	=	two and a half percent...

deux et demi pour cent...

20% of the people here are over 65...

20% (vingt pour cent) des gens ici ont plus de soixante-cinq ans...

Production has risen / fallen by 8%.

La production a augmenté / diminué de 8% (huit pour cent).

NUMERICAL NOTATION

To divide large numbers clearly, either a space or a period is often used in French where English places a comma:

French	English

1 000 or 1.000	1,000

2 304 770 or 2.304.770	2,304,770

NOTE:  This does not apply to dates.


Non-Grammatical Forms

The term, Non-Grammatical, is applied to words and expressions that do not fit into any other lexical category.  Non-grammaticals do not inflect for gender, number, person or tense.  Common French non-grammaricals are: oui, non, and merci.


Title Forms

Common French titles applied to persons are Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle, and their associated abbreviations.  These words typically occur before proper nouns and have certain restrictions concerning co-occurance with articles.

Related Topics:

COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS

ARTICLES

NOUNS


COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS

a.b.s.	aux bons soins (c/o)

A.C.F.	Automobile-Club de France

adj.	adjectif

adv.	adverbe

AFNOR	Association française de normalisation

all. ou allem.	allemand

amér.	américain

angl.	anglais

antiq.	antiquité

A.P.	Assistance publique

appel.	appellation

apr. J.-C.	après Jésus-Christ (A.D.)

av. J.-C.	avant Jésus-Christ (B.C.)

arg.	argot

art.	article

A.S.	Assurances sociales

auxil.	auxiliaire

av.	avenue

bd	boulevard

B.E.P.C.	Brevet d'études du premier cycle

B.I.T.	Bureau International du Travail (I.L.O.)

B.N.	Bibliothèque Nationale

B.N.C.I.	Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie

B.O.	Bulletin Officiel

B.P.	Boîte postale

bret.	breton (langue)

Bull.	Bulletin

B.U.S.	Bureau Universitaire de Statistique

bx-arts ou Bx.A.	beaux-arts

c.-à-d.	c'est-à-dire

C.C.	cours complémentaire

C.C.P.	compte de chèques postaux

CD-ROM	CD-ROM

C.E.E.	Communauté Économique Européenne (E.E.C.)

C.E.I.	Communauté des États Indépendants (CIS)

CFA	Communauté financière africaine

C.F.F.	Chemins de Fer Fédéraux

Cf. ou cf.	conférez, comparez

C.F.T.C.	Confédération française de travailleurs chrétiens

C.G.A.	Confédération Générale de l'Agriculture

C.G.A.F.	Confédération Générale de l'Artisanat Français

C.G.C.	Confédération Générale des Cadres

C.G.T.	1) Confédération Générale du Travail (T.U.C.), ou

2) Compagnie Générale Transatlantique

C.G.T.-F.O.	Confédération Générale du Travail - Force Ouvrière

chir.	chirurgie

ch.V.	cheval vapeur (H.P.)

Cie; C(o)	Compagnie

civ.	civil (droit civil)

C.N.P.F.	Conseil National du Patronat Français

C.N.R.	Conseil National de Résistance

C.N.R.S.	Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

C.Q.F.D.	ce qu'il fallait démontrer (Q.E.D.)

C.R.S.	Compagnies républicaines de sécurité

cond. ou condit.	conditionnel

conj.	conjonction

Cte, Ctesse	Comte, Comtesse

C.U.	Charge utile

cv	curriculum vitae

D.B.	Division blindée

D.C.A.	Défense contre avions (A.A.)

dens.	densité

d.i.	date inconnue

div.	divers

dr.	droit

ead	eadem (the same, when author is feminine)

E.A.O.	Enseignement assistée par ordinateur

éd.	édition

élec.	électronique

É.M.	État-major

É.N.	École normale

É.N.S.	École Normale Supérieure

É.N.S.I.	École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs

env.	environ

É.O.R.	Élève-officier de réserve

É.-U.	États-Unis (U.S.A.)

E.V.	En ville (local)

exp.	expéditeur

f. ou fém.	féminin

F.F.I.	Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur

F.F.L.	Forces Françaises Libres

flam.	flamand

F.L.N.	Front de Libération Nationale

fr. ou franç.	français

G.V.	Grande vitesse (Rail)

h	heure

hab.	habitants

H.C.	Hors concours

H.E.C.	Hautes Études Commerciales

hist.	histoire ou historique

H.L.M.	Habitation à loyer modéré

I.A.	Intelligence artificielle

ib.	ibidem, au même endroit, dans la même oeuvre

ibid	ibidem (dans le même livre)

id	idem (the same, when author is masc.)

id.	la même chose

imp.	imparfait

imprim.	d'imprimerie

ind. ou indir.	indirect

I.N.É.D.	Institut National des Études Démographiques

inform.	d'informatique

I.P.E.S.	Institut de préparation aux enseignements du second degré

it. ou ital.	italien

J.-C.	Jésus-Christ

J.O.	Journal Officiel

J.O.C.	Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne

jurid.	juridique

Ko	kilo-octet (KB)

langued.	languedocien

lat.	latin

l.c.	loco citato, à l'endroit cité

L.en D.	Licencié en droit

L. ès Lettres	Licencié ès lettres

L. ès Sciences	Licencié ès sciences

M.	Monsieur

m. ou masc.	masculin

mar.	marine

math.	mathématique

Me	Maître (Law)

méc. ou mécan.	mécanique

méd.	médecine

mérid.	méridional

Mgr	Monseigneur

mil.	milieu

Mlle	Mademoiselle

M.M.	Messieurs

Mme	Madame

Mo	méga-octet (MB)

M.P.C.	Certificat de Mathématiques, Physique et Chimie

M.R.P.	Mouvement Républicain Populaire

ms.	manuscrit

Mtl	Montréal

n.	nom

N.-B.	Nouveau-Brunswick

N.B.	nota bene

N.D.	Notre-Dame

N.-E.	Nouvelle-Ecosse

Néerl.	néerlandais

n.f.	nom féminin

N.F.	Nouveau franc

no	Numéro

n(o) at.	numéro atomique

nom deposé	nom appartenant à une firme commerciale, mais utilisé

comme nom commun

norm.	normand

nucl.	nucléaire

num.	numérique

O.A.S.	Organisation de l'Armée Secrète

O.C.D.É.	Organisation de coopération de développement économique

(O.E.C.D.)

o.i.	origine inconnue ou très incertaine

O.N.M.	Office National Météorologique

O.N.U.	Organisation des Nations Unies (U.N.O.)

op. cit.	opus citatum, ouvrage cité

O.P.	Ordre des prêcheurs (Dominicains)

opt.	optique

O.T.A.N.	Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord (N.A.T.O.)

P.	Paris (dans les références biogr.)

P.A.O.	Publication assistée par ordinateur (DTP)

par anal.	par analogie

par ext.	par extension

PC	ordinateur personnel

P.C.	Parti communiste; Poste du Commandement

P.C.B.	Certificat de Physique, Chimie, Biologie

p.c.c.	pour copie conforme

P.C.N.	Certificat de Physique, Chimie, Sciences Naturelles

P.C.V.	appel téléphonique aux frais du récepteur

P.D.G.	président-directeur général

p.-ê.	peut-être

péj.	péjoratif

pers.	personne

p.ex.	par exemple

P.G.	Prisonnier de guerre (P.O.W.)

P.J.	Police judiciaire (C.I.D.)

phys.	physique

P.M.U.	Pari mutuel urbain

port.	portugais

pp.	pages

p.p.	participe passé / port payé

P.P.C.	Pour prendre congé (R&R)

P.Q.	Province du Québec

pr.	propre

prov.	proverbe ou provençal (langue)

P.S.	Post-scriptum

P.T.T.	Poste, Télégraphes et Téléphones (G.P.O.)

P.V.	Petite vitesse (Rail.)

QC	Québec

qch. ou qqch.	quelque chose

Q.G.	Quartier général (H.Q.)

qqf.	quelquefois

qqn.	quelqu'un

R.A.T.P.	Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens

R.C.	Registre du Commerce

RCA	République centrafricaine

rem.	remarque

R.F.	République Française

R.G.	République gabonaise

R.I.	Régiment d'infanterie

R.N.	route nationale

rom.	romain (antiq. rom.-antiquité romaine)

R.P.F.	Rassemblement du Peuple Français

R.S.V.P.	Répondez s'il vous plaît

R.-U.	Royaume-Uni

s/	sur

s.	siècle ou saint

S.A.	Société Anonyme

S.A.R.	Son Altesse Royale (H.R.H.)

S.A.R.L.	Société Anonyme à Responsabilité limitée (Ltd.)

sc.	scientifique

scol.	scolaire

s.d.	sans date

S.D.N.	Société des Nations

S.Ém.	Son Éminence

s.-ent.	sous-entendu

S.E(xc).	Son Excellence

séc. soc.	Sécurité sociale

seult	seulement

S.F.O.	Section Française de l'Internationale Ouvrière

S.G.D.G.	Sans garantie du gouvernement

S.Gr.	Sa Grandeur

S.I.	Syndicat d'Initiative

SIDA	Syndrome Immuno-Déficitaire Acquis (AIDS)

S.M.	Sa Majesté (H.M.)

S.N.C.B.	Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges

S.N.C.F.	Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français

S.P.	1) Sapeurs-pompiers

2) Service de presse

S.P.A.	Société protectrice des animaux

S.S.	1) Sa Seigneurie

2) Sa Sainteté

3) Sécurité sociale

Sté	Société

subj.	subjonctif

suiv.	suivant

S.V.P.	S'il vous plaît

T.	terme

t.	tome

T.A.O.	Traduction assistée par ordinateur (MT)

T.C.F.	Touring Club de France

tél.	télécommunications

T.G.V.	Train à grande vitesse

T.N.P.	Théâtre National Populaire

tr. pub.	travaux publics

trad.	traduction

T.S.V.P.	Tournez s'il vous plaît (P.T.O.)

T.T.C.	Toutes taxes comprises

T.V.A.	Taxe sur la valeur ajoutée (VAT)

U.R.S.S.	Union des Républiques Socialistes Soviétiques

V.	voir

V.H.S.	VHS

v.i.	verbe intransitif

V.I.P.	VIP

v.t.	verbe transitif

w.c.	water closet


GLOSSARY

Adjectives	Coordinating Conjunctions	Noun	Pronoun

Adverbs	Demonstrative Adjectives	Object	Reflexive Pronoun

Auxiliary Verb	Direct Object	Object of a Preposition	Reflexive Verb

Clause	Elision	Participial Adjective	Relative Clause

Comparative Form	Imperative Form	Passive Voice	Relative Pronouns

Complement	Impersonal Expressions	Past Participles	Simple Tenses

Compound Noun	Indicative	Personal Pronouns	Subject

Compound Tenses	Indirect Object	Possessive Adjectives	Subject Pronouns

Conditional Clause	Indirect Speech	Possessive Pronoun	Subjunctive Mood

Conditional Mood	Infinitive	Predicate	Subordinate Clause

Conjugated	Inflected Verb	Predicate Adjective	Superlative

Conjunction	Intransitive Verb	Predicate Noun	Syntax

Continuous Tenses	Irregular Verbs	Preposition	Transitive Verb

Contraction	Main Clause	Prepositional Phrase	Verb

ADJECTIVES describe or qualify nouns.  They answer the question "What sort of...?".  French adjectives always agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify.  Unlike English, French adjectives are usually placed after the noun.  Exceptions to this rule include:

bon	bonne

mauvais	mauvaise

beau	belle

joli	jolie

grand	grande

petit	petite

gentil	gentille

long	longue

vieux	vieille

jeune	jeune

nouveau	nouvelle

même

autre

premier	première

dernier	dernière

ADVERBS describe or qualify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb and answer the questions "How...?", "When...?",

"Where...?", or "In what manner...?".  In French, most "how" adverbs are formed by adding -ment to the feminine singular form of the adjective.

An AUXILIARY VERB helps in the conjugation of a main verb.  The French auxiliary verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have) are used to form the compound tenses.

EXAMPLES:	J'ai parlé avec lui.

I have spoken with him.

Elle est arrivée

She has arrived.

A CLAUSE is a phrase or group of words that includes at least a subject and a verb and forms part of a larger sentence.  French uses relative pronouns to introduce clauses.

EXAMPLE:	L'artiste qui fait des portraits vit à Toulouse.

The artist who does portraits lives in Toulouse.

The COMPARATIVE FORM expresses a difference in degree or quality (e.g., more than, less than).  It can also indicate equality (e.g., as ... as).  In English, the comparative is formed by adding the ending -er to the adjective.

A COMPLEMENT is a word or group of words that completes the idea conveyed by a verb, noun, etc.

A COMPOUND NOUN is a noun that consists of two or more independent elements.

COMPOUND TENSES consist of a conjugated auxiliary verb plus the past participle of the main verb.  In French, they occur in the Present Perfect, Past Perfect,  Future Perfect, as well as the past tenses of conditionals and subjunctives.

A CONDITIONAL CLAUSE is a phrase or group of words that states the condition under which the action described by the main clause may be realized.

EXAMPLE:	S'il avait une voiture, il pourrait se rendre en Belgique.

If he had a car, he could go to Belgium.

The CONDITIONAL MOOD expresses the hypothetical, unreal, or speculative and states the condition under which another action or event may be realized.

A verb is CONJUGATED when it is listed according to person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular / plural), tense (present, past, future, etc.), and/or conditional or subjunctive mood.

A CONJUNCTION serves as a link between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

CONTINUOUS TENSES are used in English to indicate that an action or condition is ongoing or that an action was in progress when another one took place.  They occur in the Present, Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Tenses, and conditionals.

A CONTRACTION is formed by omitting and/or combining some of the sounds of two words.  In French, à + le is contracted to au; à + les becomes aux; de + le becomes du; and de + les becomes des.

COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS link two independent clauses in a sentence.

DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES point to a definite person or object.  Where English uses this, these, that, and those.  French uses the variable forms, ce, cet, cette, and ces.

The DIRECT OBJECT is the person, place, or thing that is the direct recipient of the action described by a verb.

EXAMPLE:	Il lisait le poème.	He read the poem.

ELISION occurs in French when two vowels stand next to each other (e.g., si + il = s'il)

The IMPERATIVE FORM of a verb is used to give a command or make a suggestion.  These forms are short and derived from the verb stem.

EXAMPLES:	Tais-toi!	Be quiet!

Donnez-moi le cahier.	Give me the notebook.

IMPERSONAL EXPRESSIONS take an indefinite subject and create a sense of objectivity.  They are sometimes expressed using the impersonal reflexive:

EXAMPLE:	Il s'agit de...	It is a matter of

For third person singular (it), French combines il with a verb.

EXAMPLES:	Il fait chaud 	It's hot.

Il vaut la peine.	It's worth the effort.

The INDICATIVE is the mood of the verb used in objective statements or questions.

An INDIRECT OBJECT is the person or thing "to whom" or "for whom" an action is performed.

EXAMPLE:	Il t'a donné un cadeau.

He gave you a gift.

INDIRECT SPEECH is the reporting of the words of an unknown speaker.  French uses the impersonal "on" with the third person singular verb form to express "it is...," "people...," "they...," and "one...."

EXAMPLES:

Indirect Speech:	On dit qu'il a écrit un roman policier.

It is said that he wrote a detective story.

Direct Speech:	Il a écrit un roman policier.

He wrote a detective story.

An INFINITIVE is the basic form of a verb.  It reflects no person, number, or tense.  There are three infinitive ending groups

in French: -er, -ir, and -re.

An INFLECTED VERB is one that has been identified as singular or plural and assigned endings for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person.

EXAMPLE:	Il voyage	(sing., 3rd person, Present Tense)

He travels

An INTRANSITIVE VERB does not describe an action, but merely expresses a state of affairs, change, or natural process.  It therefore does not take an object.

EXAMPLE:	Il pleut.

It's raining.

IRREGULAR VERBS show deviations from the usual pattern of inflection (spelling) in the stem or in the endings.

A MAIN CLAUSE is the independent or principal clause in a sentence.  It does not depend on another clause for its meaning and can stand on its own as a full sentence.

EXAMPLE:	Quand il viendra, je l'informerai.

When he comes, I'll inform him.

A NOUN names a person, place, or thing.

The OBJECT is the recipient of the action expressed by the verb.

The OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION is a noun that follows a preposition.

EXAMPLES:	Long comme un jour sans pain.

Long as a day without bread.

L'institut se trouve entre les deux maisons.

The institute is located between the two buildings.

A PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVE is an adjective derived from a verb.  It must agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies.

EXAMPLE:	Cette histoire est très émouvante.

This story is very moving.

PASSIVE VOICE conveys a sense of anonymity or objectivity.  French uses the impersonal subject "on" as an alternative to passive voice.

EXAMPLES:	Active:	Il a terminé le contrat.	He ended the contract.

Passive:	Le contrat est terminé.	The contract was ended.

Passive:	On a terminé le contrat.	The contract was ended.

PAST PARTICIPLES are formed by adding the Present Perfect endings to the Present Perfect stem of the verb (-é, -i, -u for regular verbs). Irregular past participles vary and must be learned.  English equivalents for regular verbs are formed by adding

-ed, -t, -en, etc. (parked, kept, frozen).  They are used in the compound tenses and in Passive Voice, and they can also serve as adjectives.  When used as adjectives, they must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify.

EXAMPLES:	Ils ont écrit des lettres.

They wrote some letters.

On lit trop rarement les mot écrits.

It is too seldom that we read written words.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS take the place of nouns.  They usually accompany a verb and can be either the subject or the object of the verb.

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES modify nouns and answer the question "Whose...?".  They must be repeated before each noun they modify.

EXAMPLE:	mon père et ma mère...

my father and mother...

A POSSESSIVE PRONOUN is a pronoun that answers the question "Whose...?".

EXAMPLE:	Est-ce que vous préférez conduire ma voiture ou la vôtre?

Do you want to drive my car or yours?

A PREDICATE modifies a subject and includes the verbs, objects, or phrases governed by the verb.  It can also be a verb or linking verb (être = "to be") connecting elements of a sentence.

EXAMPLE:	Elle a pris le métro.

She took the metro.

Il vit à Lyon.

He lives in Lyons.

A PREDICATE ADJECTIVE describes the subject of a predicate.  It must agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies.

EXAMPLE:	Il est généreux.	He is generous.

A PREDICATE NOUN is equivalent in meaning to the subject and is linked to it by the verb "to be" (être).

EXAMPLE:	Elle est chanteuse.	She is a singer.

A PREPOSITION introduces a noun, pronoun, adverb, infinitive, or present participle and can indicate spatial or temporal relationships.

A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE consists of a preposition and its object and modifies the subject or verb.  Prepositional phrases are often used instead of adverbs of manner.

EXAMPLES:	Il parle souvent avec ironie.

He often speaks ironically.

Elles ont joué avec élégance.

They (fem.) played elegantly.

A PRONOUN can substitute for a noun.  Like French nouns, pronouns have gender and number.

A REFLEXIVE PRONOUN accompanies a verb and refers the action expressed by it back to the subject.

With a REFLEXIVE VERB, the subject is also the object of the action performed.  French reflexive verbs are frequently translated into English without their accompanying pronouns.

EXAMPLES:	Il s'est assis.

He sat down.

Je me lave les mains.

I wash my hands.

A RELATIVE CLAUSE is a subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun that describes or qualifies the subject or object of a sentence.  It answers the question "What sort of...?".  The relative clause can contain a subject, verb, and/or object(s).

EXAMPLES:	L'homme que nous connaissons a vendu sa maison.

The man whom we know has sold his house.

Elle porte le chapeau qu'elle vient tout juste d'acheter.

She is wearing the hat that she just bought.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS introduce relative clauses.  Some of the most frequently used French relative pronouns are:

qui	who, which

que	whom, which

quoi	what

lequel	which

dont	which, whose

SIMPLE TENSES consist of a conjugated main verb only.  They occur in the Present, Imperfect, Past, and Future Tenses and the conditionals and subjunctives.

The SUBJECT of a sentence performs the action described by the verb.

SUBJECT PRONOUNS refer to the person or thing that makes up the subject.

The SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD indicates that a situation is hypothetical, unreal, wished or hoped for, or somehow speculative in nature.  French uses special verb forms to indicate the subjunctive in the Present, Present Perfect, Imperfect, and Past Perfect Tenses.  The conjunction que and phrases containing que often signal the subjunctive.

A SUBORDINATE CLAUSE is a secondary clause.  Its meaning depends on an independent or main clause.

EXAMPLE:	Je voudrais rentrer à l'université pour achever un cours de commerce.

I would like  to return to the university in order to complete a business course.

A SUPERLATIVE is an adjective or adverb that expresses the third and highest level of comparison (e.g., most, least).  In English it is formed by adding the ending est to the adjective.  French uses le plus or le moins + adjective.

EXAMPLE:	la plus haute maison...	the tallest building...

SYNTAX is the order in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences.

A TRANSITIVE VERB expresses an action that directly affects someone or something.  It therefore takes a direct object.

EXAMPLE:	Nous avons vu le film.

We saw the film.

A VERB is a word that expresses an action.


def adjectives
Adjectives

ADJECTIVES describe or qualify nouns.  They answer the question "What sort of...?".  French adjectives always agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify.  Unlike English, French adjectives are usually placed after the noun.  Exceptions to this rule include:

bon	bonne

mauvais	mauvaise

beau	belle

joli	jolie

grand	grande

petit	petite

gentil	gentille

long	longue

vieux	vieille

jeune	jeune

nouveau	nouvelle

même

autre

premier	première

dernier	dernière


def Adverbs
Adverbs

ADVERBS describe or qualify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb and answer the questions "How...?", "When...?",

"Where...?", or "In what manner...?".  In French, most "how" adverbs are formed by adding -ment to the feminine singular form of the adjective.


def Auxiliary Verb
Auxiliary Verb

An AUXILIARY VERB helps in the conjugation of a main verb.  The French auxiliary verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have) are used to form the compound tenses.

EXAMPLES:	J'ai parlé avec lui.

I have spoken with him.

Elle est arrivée.

She has arrived.


def Clause
Clause

A CLAUSE is a phrase or group of words that includes at least a subject and a verb and forms part of a larger sentence.  French uses relative pronouns to introduce clauses.

EXAMPLE:	L'artiste qui fait des portraits vit à Toulouse.

The artist who does portraits lives in Toulouse.


def Comparative Form
Comparative Form

The COMPARATIVE FORM expresses a difference in degree or quality (e.g., more than, less than).  It can also indicate equality (e.g., as ... as).  In English, the comparative is formed by adding the ending -er to the adjective.


def Complement
Complement

A COMPLEMENT is a word or group of words that completes the idea conveyed by a verb, noun, etc.


def Compound Noun
Compound Noun

A COMPOUND NOUN is a noun that consists of two or more independent elements.


def Compound Tenses
Compound Tenses

COMPOUND TENSES consist of a conjugated auxiliary verb plus the past participle of the main verb.  In French, they occur in the Present Perfect, Past Perfect,  Future Perfect, as well as the past tenses of conditionals and subjunctives.


def Conditional Clause
Conditional Clause

A CONDITIONAL CLAUSE is a phrase or group of words that states the condition under which the action described by the main clause may be realized.

EXAMPLE:	S'il avait une voiture, il pourrait se rendre en Belgique.

If he had a car, he could go to Belgium.


def Conditional Mood
Conditional Mood

The CONDITIONAL MOOD expresses the hypothetical, unreal, or speculative and states the condition under which another action or event may be realized.


def Conjugated
Conjugated

A verb is CONJUGATED when it is listed according to person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular / plural), tense (present, past, future, etc.), and/or conditional or subjunctive mood.


def Conjunction
Conjunction

A CONJUNCTION serves as a link between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.


def Continuous Tenses
Continuous Tenses

CONTINUOUS TENSES are used in English to indicate that an action or condition is ongoing or that an action was in progress when another one took place.  They occur in the Present, Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Tenses, and conditionals.


def Contraction
Contraction

A CONTRACTION is formed by omitting and/or combining some of the sounds of two words.  In French, à + le is contracted to au; à + les becomes aux; de + le becomes du; and de + les becomes des.


def Coordinating Conjunctions
Coordinating Conjunctions

COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS link two independent clauses in a sentence.


def Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative Adjectives

DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES point to a definite person or object.  Where English uses this, these, that, and those.  French uses the variable forms, ce, cet, cette, and ces.


def Direct Object
Direct Object

The DIRECT OBJECT is the person, place, or thing that is the direct recipient of the action described by a verb.

EXAMPLE:	Il lisait le poème.	He read the poem.


def Elision
Elision

ELISION occurs in French when two vowels stand next to each other (e.g., si + il = s'il)


def Imperative Form
Imperative Form

The IMPERATIVE FORM of a verb is used to give a command or make a suggestion.  These forms are short and derived from the verb stem.

EXAMPLES:	Tais-toi!	Be quiet!

Donnez-moi le cahier.	Give me the notebook.


def Impersonal Expressions
Impersonal Expressions

IMPERSONAL EXPRESSIONS take an indefinite subject and create a sense of objectivity.  They are sometimes expressed using the impersonal reflexive:

EXAMPLE:	Il s'agit de...	It is a matter of

For third person singular (it), French combines il with a verb.

EXAMPLES:	Il fait chaud 	It's hot.

Il vaut la peine.	It's worth the effort.


def Indicative
Indicative

The INDICATIVE is the mood of the verb used in objective statements or questions.


def Indirect Object
Indirect Object

An INDIRECT OBJECT is the person or thing "to whom" or "for whom" an action is performed.

EXAMPLE:	Il t'a donné un cadeau.

He gave a book to you.


def Indirect Speech
Indirect Speech

INDIRECT SPEECH is the reporting of the words of an unknown speaker.  French uses the impersonal "on" with the third person singular verb form to express "it is...," "people...," "they...," and "one...."

EXAMPLES:

Indirect Speech:	On dit qu'il a écrit un roman policier.

It is said that he wrote a detective story.

Direct Speech:	Il a écrit un roman policier.

He wrote a detective story.


def Infinitive
Infinitive

An INFINITIVE is the basic form of a verb.  It reflects no person, number, or tense.  There are three infinitive ending groups

in French: -er, -ir, and -re.


def Inflected Verb
Inflected Verb

An INFLECTED VERB is one that has been identified as singular or plural and assigned endings for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person.

EXAMPLE:	Il voyage	(sing., 3rd person, Present Tense)

He travels


def Intransitive Verb
Intransitive Verb

An INTRANSITIVE VERB does not describe an action, but merely expresses a state of affairs, change, or natural process.  It therefore does not take an object.

EXAMPLE:	Il pleut.

It's raining.


def Irregular Verbs
Irregular Verbs

IRREGULAR VERBS show deviations from the usual pattern of inflection (spelling) in the stem or in the endings.


def Main Clause
Main Clause

A MAIN CLAUSE is the independent or principal clause in a sentence.  It does not depend on another clause for its meaning and can stand on its own as a full sentence.

EXAMPLE:	Quand il viendra, je l'informerai.

When he comes, I'll inform him.


def Noun
Noun

A NOUN names a person, place, or thing.


def Object
Object

The OBJECT is the recipient of the action expressed by the verb.


def Object of a Preposition
Object of a Preposition

The OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION is a noun that follows a preposition.

EXAMPLES:	Long comme un jour sans pain.

Long as a day without bread.

L'institut se trouve entre les deux maisons.

The institute is located between the two buildings.


def Participial Adjective
Participial Adjective

A PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVE is an adjective derived from a verb.  It must agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies.

EXAMPLE:	Cette histoire est très émouvante.

This story is very moving.


def Passive Voice
Passive Voice

PASSIVE VOICE conveys a sense of anonymity or objectivity.  French uses the impersonal subject "on" as an alternative to passive voice.

EXAMPLES:	Active:	Il a terminé le contrat.	He ended the contract.

Passive:	Le contrat est terminé.	The contract was ended.

Passive:	On a terminé le contrat.	The contract was ended.


def Past Participles
Past Participles

PAST PARTICIPLES are formed by adding the Present Perfect endings to the Present Perfect stem of the verb (-é, -i, -u for regular verbs). Irregular past participles vary and must be learned.  English equivalents for regular verbs are formed by adding

-ed, -t, -en, etc. (parked, kept, frozen).  They are used in the compound tenses and in Passive Voice, and they can also serve as adjectives.  When used as adjectives, they must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify.

EXAMPLES:	Ils ont écrit des lettres.

They wrote some letters.

On lit trop rarement les mot écrits.

It is too seldom that we read written words.


def Personal Pronouns
Personal Pronouns

PERSONAL PRONOUNS take the place of nouns.  They usually accompany a verb and can be either the subject or the object of the verb.


def Possessive Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES modify nouns and answer the question "Whose...?".  They must be repeated before each noun they modify.

EXAMPLE:	mon père et ma mère...

my father and mother...


def Possessive Pronoun
Possessive Pronoun

A POSSESSIVE PRONOUN is a pronoun that answers the question "Whose...?".

EXAMPLE:	Est-ce que vous préférez conduire ma voiture ou la vôtre?

Do you want to drive my car or yours?


def Predicate
Predicate

A PREDICATE modifies a subject and includes the verbs, objects, or phrases governed by the verb.  It can also be a verb or linking verb (être = "to be") connecting elements of a sentence.

EXAMPLE:	Elle a pris le métro.

She took the metro.

Il vit à Lyon.

He lives in Lyons.


def Predicate Adjective
Predicate Adjective

A PREDICATE ADJECTIVE describes the subject of a predicate.  It must agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies.

EXAMPLE:	Il est généreux.	He is generous.


def Predicate Noun
Predicate Noun

A PREDICATE NOUN is equivalent in meaning to the subject and is linked to it by the verb "to be" (être).

EXAMPLE:	Elle est chanteuse.	She is a singer.


def Preposition
Preposition

A PREPOSITION introduces a noun, pronoun, adverb, infinitive, or present participle and can indicate spatial or temporal relationships.


def Prepositional Phrase
Prepositional Phrase

A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE consists of a preposition and its object and modifies the subject or verb.  Prepositional phrases are often used instead of adverbs of manner.

EXAMPLES:	Il parle souvent avec ironie.

He often speaks ironically.

Elles ont joué avec élégance.

They (fem.) played elegantly.


def Pronoun
Pronoun

A PRONOUN can substitute for a noun.  Like French nouns, pronouns have gender and number.


def Reflexive Pronoun
Reflexive Pronoun

A REFLEXIVE PRONOUN accompanies a verb and refers the action expressed by it back to the subject.


def Reflexive Verb
Reflexive Verb

With a REFLEXIVE VERB, the subject is also the object of the action performed.  French reflexive verbs are frequently translated into English without their accompanying pronouns.

EXAMPLES:	Il s'est assis.

He sat down.

Je me lave les mains.

I wash my hands.


def Relative Clause
Relative Clause

A RELATIVE CLAUSE is a subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun that describes or qualifies the subject or object of a sentence.  It answers the question "What sort of...?".  The relative clause can contain a subject, verb, and/or object(s).

EXAMPLES:	L'homme que nous connaissons a vendu sa maison.

The man whom we know has sold his house.

Elle porte le chapeau qu'elle vient tout juste d'acheter.

She is wearing the hat that she just bought.


def Relative Pronouns
Relative Pronouns

RELATIVE PRONOUNS introduce relative clauses.  Some of the most frequently used French relative pronouns are:

qui	who, which

que	whom, which

quoi	what

lequel	which

dont	which, whose


def Simple Tenses
Simple Tenses

SIMPLE TENSES consist of a conjugated main verb only.  They occur in the Present, Imperfect, Past, and Future Tenses and the conditionals and subjunctives.


def Subject
Subject

The SUBJECT of a sentence performs the action described by the verb.


def Subject Pronouns
Subject Pronouns

SUBJECT PRONOUNS refer to the person or thing that makes up the subject.


def Subjunctive Mood
Subjunctive Mood

The SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD indicates that a situation is hypothetical, unreal, wished or hoped for, or somehow speculative in nature.  French uses special verb forms to indicate the subjunctive in the Present, Present Perfect, Imperfect, and Past Perfect Tenses.  The conjunction que and phrases containing que often signal the subjunctive.


def Subordinate Clause
Subordinate Clause

A SUBORDINATE CLAUSE is a secondary clause.  Its meaning depends on an independent or main clause.

EXAMPLE:	Je voudrais rentrer à l'université pour achever un cours de commerce.

I would like  to return to the university in order to complete a business course.


def Superlative
Superlative

A SUPERLATIVE is an adjective or adverb that expresses the third and highest level of comparison (e.g., most, least).  In English it is formed by adding the ending est to the adjective.  French uses le plus or le moins + adjective.

EXAMPLE:	la plus haute maison...	the tallest building...


def Syntax
Syntax

SYNTAX is the order in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences.


def Transitive Verb
Transitive Verb

A TRANSITIVE VERB expresses an action that directly affects someone or something.  It therefore takes a direct object.

EXAMPLE:	Nous avons vu le film.

We saw the film.


def Verb
Verb

A VERB is a word that expresses an action.