Over the next few lessons, we will learn several ways to ask a question in French. The easiest way is by changing the intonation of your voice, raising the pitch near the end. We also do this in English. I’m eating some candies. You’re eating some candies? Je mange des bonbons. Tu manges des bonbons? … Read more
French does not have the handy “apostrophe s” that English uses so freely to indicate possession. Whereas we might say in English, “This is Paul’s bicycle,” the French equivalent, “C’est la bicyclette de Paul,” translates as, “This is the bicycle of Paul.” This sounds awkward in English, but is perfectly acceptable in French. As you … Read more
s’il vous plaît (SEEL voo PLAY = please) To say “please” in French, we use the phrase s’il vous plaît. This polite expression literally means, “if it pleases you.” Perhaps you have received an invitation that contains the initials R.S.V.P. This is short for the French phrase répondez s’il vous plaît, which means “please respond.” … Read more
One of the key differences between English and French is that French nouns have gender. Gender exists in many languages such as Spanish, Italian, German and some of the oldest documented languages that we are still familiar with today, Latin and Classical Greek. Whenever you learn a new noun in French you must be sure … Read more
How can one travel? To show a means of transportation in French, it is important to choose the correct preposition. Ask yourself, “In or on?” If it’s “in,” use en. If it’s “on” use à. Par exemple: by car (in a car) = en voiture by bicycle (on a bicycle) = à bicyclette entrain, bateau, … Read more
When we study verbs in French we arrange the information in an easy to understand format called conjugation. Starting in the singular (just one person or thing as subject), verbs are listed in the order of first person, second person, third person masculine and feminine. Then the plural (more than one person or thing as … Read more
The French language uses an alphabet that is identical to the English alphabet. The names of the letters and their sounds are not the same however! Compare the French letter names with their English counterparts. (Please note that the guides to pronunciation only give a rough idea of what things really sound like in French. … Read more