► To say something hurts or that you have an ache, you can use avoir mal à (body part):
J'ai mal à la tête. I have a headache. J'ai mal à l'estomac. I have a stomach ache. Elle a mal au bras. Her arm hurts. Tu as mal au genou? Your knee hurts? Il a mal aux orteils. His toes hurt.
However, if someone is causing you pain, use faire mal (to hurt) plus the indirect pronoun.
Tu me fais mal. You're hurting me. Ne lui faites pas mal. Don't hurt him / her.
► When describing hair color or eye color, you use blonds, châtain, bruns, roux for hair; and bleus, verts, marron, noirs for eyes. Notice that châtain and marron do not agree in gender or number.
Elle a les cheveux roux. Elle est rousse. She has red hair. She is a red-head. Il a les yeux marron. He has brown eyes.
Combien mésures-tu ? / Combien fais-tu ? How tall are you? Combien pèses-tu ? How much do you weigh? Je fais 1m60. I am 1 m 60 cm. Je pèse 50 kilos. I weigh 50 kilos.
1) Invert the subject and verb form and add a hyphen. Instead of Vous parlez anglais? use Parlez-vous anglais? But if you invert il, elle, or on, you must put a t between the verb form (if it ends in a vowel) and the subject for ease of pronunciation. Parle-il anglais? is incorrect and must become Parle-t-il anglais? And je is usually only inverted with pouvoir or devoir. However, if je is inverted with pouvoir, you don't use peux, but puis. Puis-je ?(pweezh) is Can I?
2) Add n'est-ce pas ?(ness pah) to the end of the sentence. It is equivalent to isn't it, don't you, aren't we, won't you, etc.
3) If the question requires a yes or no answer, put Est-ce que(ess kuh) at the beginning. It contracts to Est-ce qu' before a word beginning with a vowel, such as elle, il or on. You can also use interrogative words (quand, comment, où, etc.) at the beginning of the sentence and then add est-ce que.
4) With interrogative words, you can also use inversion: Quand tes parents partent-ils en vacances ? Or you can use an interrogative with est-ce que and normal word order: Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes ici ?
5) Quel / Quelle / Quels / Quelles (which, what) agrees with the noun it modifies. It precedes the noun or the verb être, it may follow a preposition, and it can be used with inversion or with est-ce que. Quelle est la date ? A quelle heure partez-vous ? Quels bagages est-ce que vous prenez ? Notice that the forms of quel can also be used in exclamatory sentences. Quel beau jour ! / Quelle belle journée ! What a beautiful day!
6) With negative questions, negative expressions remain in their usual place (i.e. around the verb, or verb and subject if inverted). Tu ne travailles pas ? Est-ce que tu ne travailles pas ? Ne travailles-tu pas ? Pourquoi n'as-tu pas travaillé ?
► Asking Questions with the Passé Composé
Only the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and the subject pronoun are inverted. The past participle follows. A-t-il été surpris ? Was he surprised? T'es-tu amusé ?Did you have fun?
64. Interrogative Pronouns
To ask about people:
Long Form
Short Form
Translation
Subject
Qui est-ce qui Qui est-ce qui est venu?
Qui Qui est venu?
Who came?
Direct Object
Qui est-ce que Qui est-ce que tu as vu?
Qui Qui as-tu vu?
Whom did you see?
Object of Preposition
Preposition + qui est-ce que A qui est-ce que tu as parlé?
Preposition + qui A qui as-tu parlé?
Whom did you speak to?
To ask about things:
Long Form
Short Form
Translation
Subject
Qu'est-ce qui Qu'est-ce qui est arrivé?
No short form
What happened?
Direct Object
Qu'est-ce que Qu'est-ce que tu as fait?
Que Qu'as-tu fait?
What did you do?
Object of Preposition
Preposition + quoi est-ce que De quoi est-ce que tu as parlé?
Preposition + quoi De quoi as-tu parlé?
What did you talk about?
► Use of Inversion when Subject is Noun:
a. With qui and quoi, inversion pattern is regular. Qui Marie a-t-elle vu? Whom did Marie see? De quoi Marc a-t-il besoin? What does Marc need?
b. With que, the noun subject must be inverted directly. Que veut Jean? What does Jean want? Que font les autres? What are the others doing?
c. However, if the sentence contains more than a subject and verb, or if the verb is in a compound tense (such as the passé composé), the short form is not used. Qu'est-ce que Luc veut faire aujourd'hui? What does Luc want to do today? Qu'est-ce que les autres ont fait?What did the others do?
► Verb Agreement:
a. Interrogative pronouns are usually masculine singular.
Les voitures font du bruit. Qu'est-ce qui fait du bruit? Cars make noise. What makes noise?
Les enfants sont arrivés. Qui est arrivé? The children arrived. Who arrived?
b. Exception: when qui is followed by a conjugated form of être, the verbs agrees with the noun that follows.
Qui étaient Les Trois Mousquetaires? Who were the three Musketeers?
► Qu'est-ce que (or qui) vs. Quel:
a. Qu'est-ce que c'est que is used to ask for a definition, and quel asks for specific information. Qu'est-ce que c'est que le camembert?What is "camembert"? Quel est le problème? What is the problem?
b. When followed by a conjugated form of être, quel is used if être is followed by a noun and qu'est-ce qui is used if être is followed by anything other than a noun. Quelle est la date? What is the date? Qu'est-ce qui est bon? What is good?
► Written vs. Spoken French with Questions
In spoken French, inversion and the use of est-ce que are usually dropped, but they must be used in written French. Additionally, some forms are contracted or the word order may differ. It's also very common to use qui c'est qui in place of qui or qui est-ce qui.
Written forms
Spoken forms
Translation
Parlez-vous français ?
Est-ce que vous parlez français ?
Quand es-tu arrivé ?
Quand est-ce que tu es arrivé ?
Quand t'es arrivé ?
T 'es arrivé quand ?
When did you arrive?
De quoi parlent-ils ?
De quoi est-ce qu'ils parlent ?
De quoi ils parlent ?
Ils parlent de quoi ?
What are they talking about?
Pourquoi me regardes-tu ?
Pourquoi est-ce que tu me regardes ?
Pourquoi tu me regardes ?
Why are you looking at me?
Qui t'a dit ça ?
Qui est-ce qui t'a dit ça ?
Qui c'est qui t'a dit ça?
Who told you that?
65. Forms of Lequel
Lequel is a pronoun that replaces the adjective quel and the noun it modifies. It expresses Which one? as a question, but which in a statement (usually preceded by a preposition).
Adjective
Pronoun
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
Masculine
Quel livre lis-tu?
Quels livres lis-tu?
Lequel lis-tu?
Lesquels lis-tu?
Feminine
Quelle page lis-tu?
Quelles pages lis-tu?
Laquelle lis-tu?
Lesquelles lis-tu?
Lequel contracts with à and de in the plural and masculine singular forms:
Singular
Plural
Masculine
à + lequel = auquel
à + lesquels = auxquels
de + lequel = duquel
de + lesquels = desquels
Feminine
à + laquelle = à laquelle
à + lesquelles = auxquelles
de + laquelle = de laquelle
de + lesquelles = desquelles
Voilà le portrait sans retouche de l'homme auquel j'appartiens. - That's the unaltered portrait of the man to which I belong. [Edith Piaf - La Vie en Rose]
Et des amours desquelles nous parlons. - And the loves about which we talk. [by Jean-Denis Bredin]
► You can also use another preposition + form of lequel to translate preposition + which: on which, to which, in which, etc.
La table sur laquelle j'ai mis la bouteille est là-bas. - The table on which I put the bottle is over there.
Le bâtiment dans lequel j'habite est très vieux. - The building in which I live is very old.
66. Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns join sentences together. These words signal a relative clause which explains the noun, called the antecedent. If the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause (a verb immediately follows), use qui. If the relative pronoun is the direct object of the clause (subject + verb follows), use que. If the verb of the dependent clause requires the preposition de, use dont to replace it. Also use dont to mean whose. Qui, que, and dont can all mean that or who, depending on the sentence. If the antecedent is a place or time, use où to mean where or when. When there is no specific antecedent, ce is added as an artificial one before que, qui or dont; but it can refer to only things, not people. Ce qui, ce que and ce dont generally mean what.
Je mange des choses qui sont bonnes.
I eat things that are good.
qui is subject
Je mange des choses que j'aime.
I eat things that I like.
que is object
C'est ce que je disais.
That's what I said.
no antecedent
La femme dont le mari est mort...
The woman whose husband is dead...
whose
Voici ce dontj'ai besoin.
Here is what I need.
avoir besoin is followed by de
C'est un restaurant où on sert du poisson.
It's a restaurant where they serve fish.
restaurant is a place
Dont can also be translated as including or of which. Sept morts, dont 6 civils, dans l'attentat. Seven dead, including six civilians, in the attack.
► After verbs of declaration or opinion (dire, affirmer, prétendre, jurer, déclarer, reconnaître, avouer, penser, croire), you do not need to use a relative pronoun or to repeat the subject. As long as the subject is the same in both clauses, you can replace que + subject + conjugated verb with the infinitive.
Je pense que je peux le faire. = Je pense pouvoir le faire. I think that I can do it. Elle dit qu'elle le connais. = Elle dit le connaître. She says that she knows him. Vous avouez que vous avez menti. = Vous avouez avoir menti. You admit that you lied.
67. Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns translate to the one(s), or that/those when replacing a noun. There are four forms, but they are not often used alone. De, qui, que, dont and -ci or -là usually follow them.
Masc.
Fem.
Singular
celui
celle
Plural
ceux
celles
Donnez-moi mon billet et celui de Guillaume. Give me my ticket and William's. (or: the one of William)
Il porte ses propres livres et ceux de sa sœur. He is carrying his own books and his sister's. (or: those of his sister)
Quelles fleurs aimes-tu, celles-ci ou celles-là? Which flowers do you like, these (ones) or those (ones)? Ceux qui travaillent dur réussissent. Those who work hard succeed.
C'est celui dont je parle. That's the one I'm talking about.
The indefinite demonstrative pronouns ceci (this), cela (that) and ça (this/that) refer to indefinite things or ideas.
J'aime ça. I like that.
Prenez ceci. Take this.
68. To Read, To Say / Tell, & To Laugh
lire-to read
dire-to say/tell
rire-to laugh
lis
lisons
dis
disons
ris
rions
lis
lisez
dis
dites
ris
riez
lit
lisent
dit
disent
rit
rient
The past participles are: lu, dit and ri, and all three are conjugated with avoir.
69. Disjunctive Pronouns
1. As mentioned above, disjunctives are mostly used after prepositions and can only replace people, not things. However, if the preposition is à, there are two possible rules:
à + person = indirect pronoun
à + person + à = disjunctive pronoun, in these cases:
se fier à
to trust
s'habituer à
to get used to
s'intéresser à
to be interested in
penser à
to think about
rêver à
to dream about
2. They can also be used alone, to emphasize a subject, with être à (to belong to) or in compound subjects.
Moi, j'ai faim. Me, I am hungry.
Ses amis et lui, ils aiment manger. His friends and he, they like to eat.
Ce livre est à moi ! That book is mine!
3. They can be added to -même to mean -self.
elle-même = herself
4. They are also used with ne...que.
Ce n'est que lui. It's only him.
70. Y & En
Y and en are both pronouns that go before the verb. Y(ee) means it or there. En(awn) means some or some (of them), or of it. They replace prepositional phrases. In French, the phrases will begin with à (or any contraction of it), en, sur, sous, chez, devant, derrière, dans, etc.for y; and de (or any contraction of it)or a number for en. They cannot replace people unless the person is introduced with an indefinite article, partitive, number or quantity. Sometimes y and en have no direct translation in English. Remember that they go before the verb, except in a command, in which they follow the verb and are connected with a hyphen. The -er verbs also add the -s they lost when forming the you (familiar) command.
Sample Sentences
Do you want some apples?
Voulez-vous des pommes?
Do you want some?
En voulez-vous?
I have three sisters.
J'ai trois sœurs.
I have three (of them).
J'en ai trois.
It is in the drawer
Il est dans le tiroir.
It is there.
Il y est.
I am going to Detroit.
Je vais à Détroit.
I am going there.
J'y vais.
I am going to go to Atlanta.
Je vais aller à Atlanta.
I am going to go there.
Je vais y aller.
Answer the telephone!
Répondez au téléphone !
Answer it! (formal)
Répondez-y !
Stay there! (familiar)
Restes-y !
Don't stay there! (familiar)
N'y reste pas.
Y and en can also replace a phrase or clause, especially with verbs that require à or de after them:
I think a lot about these stories.
Je réfléchis beaucoup à ces histoires.
I think about them a lot.
J'y réfléchis beaucoup.
He obeyed the rules.
Il a obéi aux règles.
He obeyed them.
Il y a obéi.
We don't need this book.
On n'a pas besoin de ce livre.
We don't need it.
On n'en a pas besoin.
She's using the computer.
Elle se sert de l'ordinateur.
She's using it.
Elle s'en sert.
Notice y and en don't go after the verb in negative commands. Treat them like pronouns. Ne or Je plus y or en all contract to N'y, J'y, N'en, and J'en. When you have a conjugated verb plus an infinitive (vais and aller), the y or en go in between the two verbs.
71. To See, To Believe, & To Write
Verbs take a direct object if they do not need a preposition to connect it to the noun. Verbs that take indirect objects use prepositions after the verb. Voir-to see (vwahr) and croire-to believe (krwahr) take a direct and écrire-to write (ay-kreer) takes an indirect.
voir-to see
croire-to believe
écrire-to write
vois(vwah)
voyons(vwah-yohn)
crois (krwah)
croyons (krwah-yohn)
écris(ay-kree)
écrivons (ay-kree-vohn)
vois
voyez (vwah-yay)
crois
croyez (krwah-yay)
écris
écrivez (ay-kree-vay)
voit
voient (vwah)
croit
croient (krwah)
écrit
écrivent (ay-kreev)
The past participles are: vu, cru, and écrit.
You can sometimes tell if a verb takes a direct or indirect object by using the verbs in English. We say "I see her" or "She believes him" or "He writes to them." In French, it would be "Je la vois" (direct), "Elle le croit" (direct) and "Il leur écrit." (indirect) But don't always count on English to help you out. Téléphoner (à) and obéir (à) both take indirect objects in French but you can't tell that in English. In this case, you can tell by the à that follows the infinitive.
Writing Vocabulary
writing
l'écriture (f)
question mark
le point d'interrogation
"at" sign (@)
l'arobase (f)
punctuation
la ponctuation
exclamation point
le point d'exclamation
asterisk
l'astérisque (m)
period
le point
quotation marks
les guillemets (m)
brackets
le crochet
comma
la virgule
parentheses
la parenthèse
slash
la barre
colon
les deux points (m)
apostrophe
l'apostrophe (f)
uppercase
majuscule
semi-colon
le point-virgule
hyphen
le trait d'union
lowercase
minuscule
When typing in French, you must leave an extra space before a punctuation mark that has two components, such as a colon, semi-colon, question mark, exclamation point, etc.
72. Animals
ant
la fourmi
giraffe
la girafe
pig
le cochon
antelope
l'antilope
goat
la chèvre
pigeon
le pigeon
antenna
l'antenne
goose
l'oie (f)
pike
le brochet
bat
la chauve-souris
gorilla
le gorille
pony
le poney
beak
le bec
grasshopper
la sauterelle
puppy
le chiot
bear
l'ours (m)
hamster
le hamster
rabbit
le lapin
bee
l'abeille (f)
hare
le lièvre
raccoon
le raton laveur
bird
l'oiseau (m)
hen
la poule
rat
le rat
blackbird
le merle
herring
la hareng
rooster
le coq
bull
le taureau
hoof
le sabot
salmon
le saumon
butterfly
le papillon
horn
la corne
scale
l'écaille (f)
calf
le veau
horse
le cheval
scorpion
le scorpion
cat
le chat
hummingbird
le colibri
sea gull
la mouette
caterpillar
la chenille
iguana
l'iguane
seal
le phoque
cheetah
le guépard
insect
l'insecte (m)
shark
le requin
chicken
le poulet
jellyfish
la méduse
sheep
le mouton
chimpanzee
le chimpanzé
kitten
le chaton
shrimp
la crevette
claw
la griffe
ladybug
la coccinelle
slug
la limace
cockroach
le cafard
lamb
l'agneau (m)
snail
l'escargot (m)
cod
la morue
lark
l'alouette (f)
snake
le serpent
cocoon
le cocon
lion
le lion
sparrow
le moineau
cow
la vache
lizard
le lézard
spider
l'araignée (f)
crab
le crabe
lobster (spiny)
la langouste
squid
le calamar
crayfish
l'écrevisse (f)
louse
le pou
squirrel
l'écureuil (m)
crocodile
le crocodile
mackerel
le maquereau
starfish
l'étoile de mer
crow
le corbeau
mole
la taupe
swallow
l'hirondelle (f)
deer
le cerf
monkey
le singe
swan
le cygne
dog
le chien
mosquito
le moustique
tadpole
le têtard
donkey
l'âne (m)
moth
le papillon de nuit
tail
la queue
dragonfly
la libellule
mouse
la souris
tiger
le tigre
duck
le canard
mule
le mulet
toad
le crapaud
eagle
l'aigle (m)
mussel
la moule
trout
la truite
eel
l'anguille (f)
nest
le nid
tuna
le thon
elephant
l'éléphant (m)
nightingale
le rossignol
turkey
le dindon
feather
la plume
octopus
la pieuvre
turtle
la tortue
fin
la nageoire
ostrich
l'autruche
wasp
la guêpe
fish
le poisson
owl
le hibou
weasel
la belette
flea
la puce
ox
le bœuf
whale
la baleine
fly
la mouche
oyster
l'huître (f)
wing
l'aile (f)
fox
le renard
parrot
le perroquet
wolf
le loup
frog
la grenouille
partridge
la perdrix
worm
le ver
gill
la branchie
penguin
le pingouin
zebra
le zèbre
sit
assis
to bark
aboyer
lie down
couche-toi
to growl
grogner
shake
donne la patte
to pant
haleter
dog/cat food
les croquettes
to whine/whimper
gémir
leash
la laisse
to drool
baver
collar
le collier
to meow
miauler
to take/let dog out
sortir le chien
to scratch
griffer
to climb on
grimper sur
to pounce on
se jeter sur
73. Plaire & Manquer
plaire-to please, enjoy
manquer-to miss, be lacking
plais
plaisons
manque
manquons
plais
plaisez
manques
manquez
plaît
plaisent
manque
manquent
The past participle of plaire is plu. To say that someone likes something, you have to switch the subject and object around, so that literally it translates to "something or someone pleases." As a reflexive verb, se plaire means to enjoy being somewhere. Faire plaisir à can also be used to mean "to delight or to like."
Cette chienne plaît à Dominique. Dominique likes this dog. (Literally: This dog is pleasing to Dominique.) Ça t'a plu? Did you like it? Ils se plaisent à Londres. They enjoy being in London. Cela me fait plaisir de vous revoir. I am happy to see you again.
Manquer has several meanings: to miss, to lack, or to regret the absence (miss). The last meaning uses inverted word order just like plaire. Manquer à means "to fail to do."
Elle a manqué le train. She missed the train. Vous manquez de courage. You lack courage. Tu me manques. I miss you. (Literally: You are missing to me) Ils ont manqué aux devoirs. They failed to do the homework.
74. Pluperfect (Past Perfect)
This compound tense is used for flashbacks or anything that had happened before the time of the narration. It's formed with the imperfect tense of avoir or être and the past participle of the main verb. This tense is comparable to the passé composé.
Imperfect of avoir or être
avais
avions
étais
étions
avais
aviez
étais
étiez
+ past participle
avait
avaient
était
étaient
Je n'avais pas fini mon travail quand il est arrivé. I had not finished my work when he arrived. Vous aviez faim parce que vous n'aviez pas du tout mangé. You were hungry because you hadn't eaten at all. Nous avions manqué le rendez-vous parce que le bus était en retard. We had missed the meeting because the bus was late.
75. Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to no one or nothing in particular, such as someone or something.
someone/body
quelqu'un
each
chacun(e)
something
quelque chose (de + adjective)
not one, none
aucun(e)
some
quelques-uns / quelques-unes
anything
n'importe quoi
somewhere
quelque part
anyone
n'importe qui
several
plusieurs
anywhere
n'importe où
some...others
certains...d'autres
any time
n'importe quand
another
un(e) autre
nowhere
nulle part
Do not confuse chacun with chaque (each, every). Chacun is a pronoun and replaces a noun, while chaque is an adjective that describes a noun.
76. Subjunctive Mood
If a sentence expresses a subjective statement of opinion, the subjunctive mood is used rather than the indicative. The subjunctive is used in dependent clauses introduced by the word que. The main clause must express personal opinions or feelings and have a different subject from the dependent clause. If the two subjects are the same, the infinitive is used.
Je doute que Marc soit là. I doubt that Marc is here. (shows judgment and opinion) Je veux venir. NOT: Je veux que je vienne. (use infinitive, same subject)
To form the subjunctive, use the ils/elles form of the present indicative tense. This is also the form for the ils/elles form of the subjunctive. For je, tu, il/elle, drop the -ent and add -e, -es, and -e. Nous and vous use the imperfect forms.
-e
-ions
-es
-iez
-e
-ent
Conjugations in the Subjunctive
avoir
être
faire
aller
aie
ayons
sois
soyons
fasse
fassions
aille
allions
aies
ayez
sois
soyez
fasses
fassiez
ailles
alliez
ait
aient
soit
soient
fasse
fassent
aille
aillent
vouloir
pouvoir
savoir
pleuvoir
veuille
voulions
puisse
puissions
sache
sachions
veuilles
vouliez
puisses
puissiez
saches
sachiez
veuille
veuillent
puisse
puissent
sache
sachent
pleuve
These verbs and conjunctions are followed by the subjunctive:
Verbs
Verbal Expressions
Conjunctions
douter
il faut que
avant que
suggérer
il vaut mieux que
pour / afin que
vouloir
il est important que
jusqu'à ce que
proposer
il se peut que
à moins que
avoir peur
il est possible que
bien que / quoique
regretter
il est temps que
sans que
craindre
c'est dommage que
en attendant que
être content(e)/triste/désolé(e)/surpris(e), etc.
penser/croire/trouver (negative and interrogative forms only)
Je veux que tu viennes avec moi. I want you to come with me. Il est content que nous soyons là. He's happy that we are here. Est-ce que vous pensez qu'elle puisse le faire ? Do you think that she can do it? Il faut que je fasse la vaisselle. I have to do the dishes. Elle sera là jusqu'à ce que vous partiez. She will be there until you leave.
► However, douter, jusqu'à ce que, à moins que, and bien que / quoique use the subjunctive whether there is a change in subject or not. And when using avant before an infinitive, the construction is avant de + infinitive. Note, also, that the subjunctive is not used with espérer or il est probable, although the subjunctive may be used with these words in other Romance languages.
► The word ne is used after certain conjunctions (most notably avant que and à moins que) that take the subjunctive, but this does not make the phrase negative: Finissez le travail avant que la classe ne se termine. Finish the work before class ends.
77. Falloir & Valoir
Falloir (to be necessary) and valoir (to be worth) are two very common impersonal verbs used in several phrases and situations. Their conjugations are:
imperfect
il fallait
il valait
present perfect
il a fallu
il a valu
present
il faut
il vaut
future
il faudra
il vaudra
conditional
il faudrait
il vaudrait
Falloircan be translated as must, have to, be required to, etc. It can be followed directly by an infinitive, or a subject and the subjunctive mood. Il faut rester à la maison aujourd'hui. You must stay at home today. Il faut pas le faire ! You must not do it! Il faut qu'il parte à 8h. He must leave at 8.
In addition to worth, valoir mieux is used in translating "it's better." Ça ne vaut pas la peine. It's not worth it. Il vaut mieux en rire qu’en pleurer. It's better to laugh about it than cry.
78. Adverbs
bien
well
quelquefois
sometimes
mieux
better
toujours
always
mal
badly
vite
quickly
peu
little
donc
therefore
déjà
already
encore
yet
bientôt
soon
quelque part
somewhere
ici
here
maintenant
now
là
there
tôt
early
dedans
inside
tard
late
dehors
outside
peut-être
maybe
souvent
often
jamais
(n)ever
d'habitude
usually
nulle part
nowhere
To form an adverb, simply take the feminine form of an adjective and add -ment to the end. If the masculine form ends in -e, you just add the -ment to that. Adjectives ending in -ent or -ant take the endings -emment and -amment.
Masculine
Feminine
Adverb
naturel
naturelle
naturellement
heureux
heureuse
heureusement
lent
lente
lentement
facile
facile
facilement
probable
probable
probablement
intelligent
intelligente
intelligemment
brillant
brillante
brillamment
récent
récente
récemment
Some adverbs such as actuellement (currently, now) and éventuellement (possibly, perhaps) can be deceiving.
A Few Irregular Adverbs
vrai
vraiment
gentil
gentiment
profond
profondément
bref
brièvement
précis
précisément
Adverbs are placed right after the verb in a simple tense. Adverbs of opinion and time usually go at the beginning or end of the sentence. When peut-être and sans doute begin a sentence or clause, they are usually followed by que. With the passé composé, most adverbs are placed between the auxiliary verb and past participle. In negative sentences, pas precedes the adverb, except with peut-être, sans doute, sûrement, and probablement. Adverbs of time and place generally follow the past participle.
79. Tools & Hobbies
tools
les outils
chisel
le ciseau
toolbox
la boîte à outils
measuring tape
le mètre
hammer
le marteau
chainsaw
la tronçonneuse
screwdriver
le tournevis
file
la lime
nail
le clou
do-it-yourself
le bricolage
screw
la vis
handicrafts
l'artisanat
wrench
la clé
embroidery
la broderie
adjustable wrench
la clé à molette
cross-stitch
le point de croix
bolt
le boulon
needlework
la couture
nut
l'écrou (m)
needle
l'aiguille (f)
pliers
les pinces (f)
thread
le fil
saw
la scie
painting
peindre
blade
la lame
jewelry making
faire des bijoux
handle
le manche
gardening
le jardinage
anvil
l'enclume (f)
knitting
le tricot
clamp / vise
l'étau (m)
photography
la photographie
shovel
la pelle
woodworking
la menuiserie
pick axe
la pioche
pottery
la poterie
drill
la perceuse
drawing
le dessin
drill bit
la mèche
cooking
la cuisine
Other expressions related to hobbies/leisure time:
bavarder - to chat bronzer - to tan faire la grasse matinée - to sleep in late faire la sieste - to take a nap faire une pause - to take a break faire une promenade - to take a walk faire un tour - to go out for a while prendre un bain de soleil - to sunbathe prendre un verre - to go out for a drink se détendre - to relax se reposer - to rest
80. False Cognates
Les faux-amis or false cognates are a common pitfall among language students. The following are some common words that you may be deceived by:
Abus is used to mean excess or overindulgence, and usually not abuse. Disposer means to arrange or to have available, not to dispose of. Une injure is an insult, not an injury. Actuel and actuellement mean current and currently. Avertissement is a warning, not an advertisement. Une recette is a recipe, not a receipt. Fournitures refers to supplies, not furniture. Original means new or innovative. Humeur means mood, not humor. Formel is used to mean strict, not formal.
Déjeuner du matin
Jacques Prévert
Il a mis le café
Dans la tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il a allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis
Son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Et moi j'ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré.
Breakfast Jacques Prévert
He put the coffee
In the cup
He put the milk
In the cup of coffee
He put the sugar
In the café au lait
With the coffee spoon
He stirred
He drank the café au lait
And he set down the cup
Without a word to me
He lit
A cigarette
He made smoke-rings
With the smoke
He put the ashes
In the ashtray
Without a word to me
Without a look at me
He got up
He put
His hat upon his head
He put
his raincoat on
Because it was raining
And he left
In the rain
Without a word
And I, I took
My head in my hand
And I cried.
Translated by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, fromParolesby Prévert
Le Corbeau et le Renard Jean de la Fontaine
Maître corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage,
Maître renard, par l'odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage:
<<Eh bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le phénix des hôtes de ces bois.>>
A ces mots, le corbeau ne se sent pas de joie;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le renard s'en saisit, et dit: <<Mon bon monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l'écoute.
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage sans doute.>>
Le corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus.
The Crow and the Fox Jean de la Fontaine
Master Crow perched on a tree,
Was holding a cheese in his beak.
Master Fox attracted by the smell
Said something like this:
"Well, Hello Mister Crow!
How beautiful you are! how nice you seem to me!
Really, if your voice
Is like your plumage,
You are the phoenix of all the inhabitants of these woods."
At these words, the Crow is overjoyed.
And in order to show off his beautiful voice,
He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall
The Fox grabs it, and says: "My good man,
Learn that every flatterer
Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him.
This lesson, without doubt, is well worth a cheese."
The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed,
Swore, but a little late, that he would not be taken again
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