French

Les Questions

In English, we use all kinds of questions every day. Here are some examples of different questions. Statement: You are in town. You are in town? In this question, you take the statement and simply raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence. Are you in town? In this question, you are expecting a simple yes or no answer. Why are you going to town? In this question, you are asking for specific information. These are the who-what-when-where-why questions in English. QuestionEnglishAudio ExampleExpected ResultsIntonationVous êtes en ville?You are in town? The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Oui./Non.est-ce que (est-ce qu')Est-ce que vous êtes en ville?Est-ce qu' Anne va en ville?Are you in town? The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Oui./Non.Question wordsQui est en ville?Où est-ce qu'ils sont?Who is in town?Where are they? The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.(Agreement) Oui./Non. When you are speaking and you want to ask a yes or no question, you can change a statement to a question by raising the pitch of your voice on the last syllable of the sentence: Tu es à l'école? The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. Another way to ask a question is to put "est-ce que" in front of a statement: Est-ce que tu es à la banque? The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. If the statement begins with a vowel sound, use "est-ce qu'": Est-ce qu'elle est à la banque? The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. If you want someone only to agree with you on an affirmative statement, use "n'est-ce pas" at the end of the statement: Tu es à la banque, n'est-ce pas? (Oui, ... ) The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Guy est à la banque, n'est-ce pas? (Non, ... ) The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. "Est-ce que" is an example of a phrase that does not translate very well into English. It literally means "Is it that ...?" In English, we rearrange the subject and a verb: "You are ..." becomes "Are you ...?" or "You do ..." becomes "Do you ...?" for these yes/no questions.

Le Pluriel des Noms

In French, you usually cannot tell from the pronunciation of the noun whether it is singular or plural since the final "s" is not pronounced. stylo = stylos The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. Since both words sound the same, the article, not the noun, tells you whether it is singular or plural. This is just the opposite of English. le stylo = les stylos The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. Study the following chart to learn the plural forms of the articles and some nouns that we have learned. When you speak, pronounce the "s" of "les" and "des" like a "z" before words that begin with a vowel sound. Definite ArticlesIndefinite ArticlesPlural Masculineles livres The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.les examens The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.des livres The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.des examens The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Plural Feminineles chaises The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.les affiches The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.des chaises The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.des affiches The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.

Ce and cest

C'est le hamburger. (holding one hamburger) Ce sont les hamburgers. (holding two hamburgers) C'est le sandwich. (holding one sandwich) Ce sont les sandwichs. (holding two sandwiches) C'est le CD. (holding one CD) Ce sont les CD. (holding two CDs) C'est l'orangeade. (holding orange soda) Ce sont les orangeades. (holding two orange sodas)

Imperative (Command forms—telling someone what to do) sois!

Example: Sois gentil! Be nice! (one person informal) The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. soyez! Example: Soyez gentil! Be nice! (one person formal) Soyez gentils! Be nice! (group) The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. soyons! Example: Soyons gentils! Let's be nice!

Infinitive: être = to be

Je suis = I amThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Tu es = You areThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Il est = He isThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Elle est = She isThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.On est = We are (informal), one isThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. Nous sommes = We areThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Vous êtes = You (plural or formal singular when referring to older people or people you do not know very well or higher hierarchy) areThe Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Ils sont = They are (masculine)The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.Elles sont = They are (feminine)The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.

La Famille Applications

La Famille Applications © 2011 Jupiterimages Corporation Jean-Michel: Salut, ça va? Chantal: Oui. Où est-ce que tu vas? Jean-Michel: Je ne sais pas. Chez Alain ou chez Renaud. Et toi? Chantal: Moi. Je vais à la piscine avec Charlotte. Jean-Michel: Charlotte. C'est une copine? Chantal: Non. C'est ma sœur. Regarde, elle arrive. Jean-Michel: (très intéressé ) Ah ... Alors ... Eh bien ... dans ce cas moi aussi je vais à la piscine.

etre

Le verbe être The verb "être" is one of the most commonly used verbs in the French language. From it, we get verbs such as is, are, am. Let's learn to make the various forms of this verb in French. "Être" is the infinitive of the French verb meaning to be.In English, an infinitive is a verb with "to" in front.Example: I am going to be there at noon. In French, it is the form of the verb given in the dictionary.

Questions

Now that you know how to ask questions, let's learn how to answer questions. Question Word + est-ce queEnglishQuiQui est-ce que tu aimes?Who do you like?PourquoiPourquoi est-ce que tu aimes le football?Why do you like soccer?OùOù est-ce que tu aimes manger?Where do you like to eat?QuandQuand est-ce que tu aimes regarder des films?When do you like to watch films?CommentComment est-ce que tu vas à l'école?How do you go to school? When you have to answer a question in French, it can sometimes overwhelm you. You may understand what the question is asking you, but you find it difficult to create a complete sentence to respond. Good news! It really isn't that hard, as you can recycle many words from the question to use in your response. Think about the questions in English first: Whom do you like? And how you would answer it in English: I like Marie. Do you notice that you "recycled" two words in your answer that were already in your question? Then you had to change the subject from you to I. When asking a "yes" or "no" question in English, you also borrow words from the question to phrase your answer: Do you like John? Yes, I like John! You had to change the subject from you to I, and then you had to answer the question with Yes or No/don't. When answering a question in French, you will also recycle words from the question to formulate your answer: Qui est-ce que tu aimes? J'aime Marie. Est-ce que tu aimes John? Non, je n'aime pas John. Note: the spelling changes between "tu aimes" and "j'aime" as you switch from "tu" (you) to je (I). You will learn why verb endings change when their subjects change later in your course. In summary: Pay close attention to the interrogative word to provide the right information in your response. Find the subject and the verb and determine which subject you need to use in your response (you may need to change the verb ending). Don't forget to proofread your response for spelling, punctuation, and accent marks.

Some nouns form their plurals differently.

Singular nouns ending in "eau" and "x": le bureau = les bureaux The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. Those ending in "al" change the "al" to "aux": l'hôpital = les hôpitaux The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page.The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. French has many nouns that are made up of more than one word, such as, "la salle de classe." Look at how their plural is formed. la salle de classe = les salles de classe The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. la feuille de papier = les feuilles de papier The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. The Speech Tool is only available with Chrome. For additional practice and recording options, select the Speech Tool link at the top of the page. When you are identifying things, use "ce sont" before plural nouns. C'est un crayon. = Ce sont des crayons. C'est la cassette de Laurie. = Ce sont les cassettes de Laurie.

Etre

When you want to describe what people or things are like, or to tell where they are, you will use "être."Comment est ton amie? Elle est adorable. Où sont les photos? Elles sont sur la table. To tell people how to act, use "sois," "soyons," and "soyez."Sois poli! Ne soyez pas timides! Soyons aimables! The final "t" of "est" and "sont" frequently is pronounced before a vowel sound. The final consonants of the other forms may also be pronounced in front of vowel sounds.Il est adorable. Elles sont aimables. The "s" in the forms "es" and "est" is almost never pronounced.

Etre in negative

You can use "être" in the negative or affirmative to give a command, that is, to tell someone else what to do. In this activity, practice telling people what to do. You are going to tell the people to be whatever you want (within reason). Use "sois" with a person whom you would address as "tu." Use "soyez" for those you would address as "vous." Use "soyons" if you are going to include yourself, saying, Let's be ...