Easy French Grammar PDF

Easy French STEP-BY-STEP Master High-Frequency Grammar for French Proﬁciency—FAST! Myrna Bell Rochester New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-164221-7 MHID: 0-07-164221-8 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-145387-5, MHID: 0-07-145387-3. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. 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Contents Preface xi I First Elements of French 1 Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 3 Gender and Number of Nouns and Articles 3 The Deﬁnite Article 3 Masculine Nouns 3 Feminine Nouns 4 Masculine and Feminine Articles Before a Vowel Sound or Mute h 4 Singular Nouns and the Deﬁnite Article 5 Learning the Gender of Nouns 5 The Indeﬁnite Article 7 Masculine Nouns 8 Feminine Nouns 8 Plural Nouns 8 Pronouncing the Plural 9 Descriptive Adjectives 11 Agreement of Adjectives in Gender and Number 12 Adjectives of Color 14 Adjectives That Precede the Noun 14 Key Vocabulary 16 Les adjectifs descriptifs (Descriptive Adjectives) 16 Les couleurs (Colors) 16 Key Vocabulary 18 Les nationalités (Nationalities) 18 iii iv Contents 2 The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 21 The Verb 21 The Verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have) 21 Être and Subject Pronouns 22 Subject Pronouns 22 Uses of être 26 Expressions with être 29 Key Vocabulary 30 Conjonctions, qualiﬁcatifs, et adverbes (Conjunctions, Qualiﬁers, and Adverbs) 30 Negation with ne... pas 31 The Verb avoir (to have) 32 Ne... pas de... with avoir 33 Il y a... (There is... , There are... ) 33 Expressions with avoir 35 Key Vocabulary 38 La maison (The House) 38 Reading Comprehension: La maison de Jean-Pierre 40 3 Days and Months, Regular -er Verbs in the Present Tense, and Interrogatives 42 Days of the Week, Months, and Seasons 42 Les jours de la semaine (Days of the Week) 42 Les mois de l’année (Months of the Year) 43 Les saisons (Seasons) 43 Les parties du jour (Parts of the Day) 44 Regular Verbs in the Present Tense 45 Conjugating Regular -er Verbs 45 Uses of the Present Tense 48 Interrogatives and Interrogative Words 52 Yes/No Questions 53 Information Questions 57 Key Vocabulary 62 Noms masculins (Masculine Nouns) 62 Noms féminins (Feminine Nouns) 63 Adjectifs (Adjectives) 63 Conjonctions (Conjunctions) 64 Reading Comprehension: Une petite ville en province 64 4 Numbers, Dates, and Time and Regular -ir Verbs in the Present Tense 66 Cardinal Numbers 66 Numbers from 0 to 99 66 Numbers from 100 69 Contents v Ordinal Numbers 70 The Date and the Year 72 Telling Time 75 Regular -ir Verbs in the Present Tense 78 Key Vocabulary 82 Les magasins et les commerces (Stores and Businesses) 82 Key Vocabulary 83 Les repas et les provisions (Meals and Groceries) 83 Reading Comprehension: Au restaurant 85 5 Regular -re Verbs in the Present Tense and -er Verbs with Spelling Changes 87 Regular -re Verbs in the Present Tense 87 Key Vocabulary 90 Expressions de temps (Expressions of Frequency and Time) 90 Depuis Versus Since 91 -er Verbs with Spelling Changes 93 Verbs like commencer (to begin) 93 Verbs like manger (to eat) 94 Verbs like acheter (to buy) 96 Verbs like préférer (to prefer) 98 Verbs like appeler (to call; to name) and jeter (to throw [away]) 100 Verbs like envoyer (to send) and essayer (to try) 101 Key Vocabulary 104 Les vêtements et les accessoires (Clothing and Accessories) 104 Articles de toilette (Toiletries) 105 Reading Comprehension: En ville 107 6 Expressing the Future with aller, Prepositions, and the Verb faire 109 The Verb aller (to go) 109 Expressing the Future with aller 110 Key Vocabulary 111 Alors, quand vas-tu... ? (So, when are you going to... ?) 111 À, de, and Other Prepositions 113 The Prepositions à and de 114 Prepositions of Location 118 Prepositions of Time and Sequence 119 Interrogatives with Prepositions 122 Qui and quoi in a Question After Prepositions 122 The Interrogative Pronoun lequel 122 Key Vocabulary 124 Des pays du monde (Some Nations of the World) 124 Prepositions with Geographical Names 125 Gender of Geographical Names 125 To, in, and from with Geographical Names 126 vi Contents The Verb faire (to do; to make) 129 The Weather, Day, and Night 129 Idioms with the Verb faire 130 Key Vocabulary 135 Le temps et l’environnement (Weather and the Environment) 135 Reading Comprehension: Des projets de vacances 136 7 Irregular Verbs I and Verb Verb Constructions 138 Learning Irregular Verbs 138 Verbs like partir (to leave, depart) 138 Partir, sortir, and quitter 139 Verbs like venir (to come; to arrive) 140 Special Uses of venir and tenir 141 Dire (to say, tell), lire (to read), and écrire (to write) 143 Verbs like mettre (to put [on], place) 145 Pouvoir (to be able to) and vouloir (to want to, wish to) 147 The Verb devoir (to have to; to owe) 148 Verbs like recevoir (to receive; to have guests) 150 Verb ⫹ Verb Constructions 152 Verbs with No Intervening Preposition 153 Verbs Requiring à Before the Inﬁnitive 153 Verbs Requiring de/d’ Before the Inﬁnitive 154 Key Vocabulary 157 Lire et écrire (Reading and Writing) 157 Reading Comprehension: Mes décisions 158 8 Irregular Verbs II and Relative Pronouns 161 Connaître (to know, be acquainted with) Versus savoir (to know [facts]) 161 Uses of connaître and savoir 162 Voir (to see) and croire (to believe) 165 Courir (to run) and rire (to laugh) 166 The Group offrir (to offer) 167 The Group conduire (to drive; to lead) 169 Suivre (to follow; to take a course) and vivre (to live) 169 The Group craindre (to be afraid of) 170 Relative Pronouns: qui, que, où, dont, and lequel 173 Que, qui, and où 173 Relative Pronouns with Prepositions; lequel and dont 177 Indeﬁnite Relative Pronouns: Statements from Questions 180 Key Vocabulary 182 Les métiers et les professions (Jobs and Professions) 182 Reading Comprehension: Une nouvelle carrière 184 Contents vii 9 Prendre and boire, the Partitive Article, and Object Pronouns 186 The Group prendre and the Verb boire 186 The Partitive Article 189 Uses of the Partitive Article 189 Direct Objects 193 Forms and Placement of Direct Object Pronouns 193 Indirect Objects 196 Indirect Object Pronouns 197 The Pronouns y and en 199 The Pronoun y 199 The Pronoun en 200 Key Vocabulary 204 Les animaux (Animals) 204 Les plantes (Plants) 204 Reading Comprehension: Le jardin zoologique idéal 205 10 Possessives, Demonstratives, Comparatives, and Adverbs 208 Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns 208 Possessive Adjectives 208 Possessive Pronouns 210 Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns 212 Demonstrative Adjectives 212 Demonstrative Pronouns 213 Comparatives and Superlatives 216 The Comparative with Adjectives 216 The Comparative with Nouns 216 Comparing Verbs 217 The Superlative of Adjectives and Nouns 218 Irregular Comparative and Superlative Adjectives 219 Adverbs 221 Common Adverbs and Their Placement 221 Formation of Adverbs with -ment 222 Comparatives and Superlatives of Adverbs 224 Key Vocabulary 226 Adverbes (Adverbs) 226 Key Vocabulary 227 Les membres de la famille (Family Members) 227 Reading Comprehension: La famille française moderne 229 viii Contents II Afﬁrmative and Negative Expressions, Forming the Imperative, and Using Pronominal Verbs 11 Afﬁrmatives Versus Negatives, Stressed Pronouns, and the Imperative 232 More Ways to Say Yes and No 232 Stressed Pronouns 238 Uses of Stressed Pronouns 238 The Imperative and Its Forms 242 The Imperative of -er Verbs 242 The Imperative of -ir Verbs 243 The Imperative of -re Verbs 243 Imperative Forms of Irregular Verbs 244 Negative Commands 245 The Imperative in Sentences 245 The Imperative with an Object Pronoun 246 Key Vocabulary 249 L’entretien de la maison et du jardin (House and Garden Maintenance) 249 Le bricolage (Do-It-Yourself Projects) 250 Reading Comprehension: Un week-end de bricolage 251 12 Reﬂexive Pronouns with Pronominal Verbs and the Present Participle 253 What Is a Pronominal Verb? 253 Reﬂexive Verbs 254 Key Vocabulary 254 La vie quotidienne (Everyday Routines) 254 Pronominal Verbs in Inﬁnitive Constructions 255 Pronominal Verbs: Negative, Interrogative, and Imperative Forms 257 Negatives of Pronominal Verbs 257 Interrogatives of Proniminal Verbs 258 Imperatives of Pronominal Verbs 258 Reﬂexive Verbs with Parts of the Body 261 Reciprocal Reﬂexive Verbs 262 Idiomatic Pronominal Verbs 265 Non-Pronominal Forms of Pronominal Verbs 268 The Present Participle 270 Formation of the Present Participle 270 Uses of the Present Participle 271 Key Vocabulary 273 Les parties du corps (Parts of the Body) 273 Reading Comprehension: Un accueil chaleureux? 274 Contents ix III The Past and Future Tenses, the Conditional, and the Subjunctive Mood 13 Forms and Uses of the passé composé 278 What Is the passé composé? 278 Formation of the passé composé with avoir 278 Regular and Irregular Past Participles 279 Regular Past Participles 279 Irregular Past Participles 281 Negatives, Interrogatives, and Adverbs with the passé composé 284 The passé composé in the Negative 284 The Interrogative of the passé composé 284 Adverbs with the passé composé 284 Key Vocabulary 285 Expressions de transition (Transition Words) 285 The passé composé with être 288 The passé composé with Object Pronouns 291 Agreement of Object Pronouns with the Past Participle 291 The passé composé of Pronominal Verbs 292 When the Past Participle Does Not Agree 293 Key Vocabulary 294 Le sport (Sports) 294 Les distractions (Leisure and Entertainment) 295 Reading Comprehension: Une soirée mouvementée 297 14 The imparfait, Past Narration, and More About Object Pronouns 299 Summary of the passé composé 299 The imparfait (Imperfect Tense) 301 Forms of the imparfait 301 Meanings and Uses of the imparfait 302 Key Vocabulary 305 Expressions de temps au passé (Expressions of Time in the Past) 305 Narration: The passé composé and the imparfait Used Together 306 More About Object Pronouns 309 Double Object Pronouns 309 Double Object Pronouns with Afﬁrmative Imperatives 310 Key Vocabulary 312 Les voyages et le logement (Travel and Lodgings) 312 Reading Comprehension: Un voyage mémorable 314 x Contents 15 The Future Tense, the Conditional, and Indeﬁnite Adjectives and Pronouns 315 The Future Tense 315 Irregular Forms of the Future Tense 316 Uses of the Future Tense 317 The Conditional 319 Uses of the Conditional 321 The Pluperfect and the Past Conditional 323 The Pluperfect 323 The Past Conditional 324 Tout and Other Indeﬁnite Adjectives and Pronouns 326 Forms and Uses of tout 326 Other Indeﬁnite Adjectives and Pronouns 328 Key Vocabulary 330 À la banque (Business and Banking) 330 Reading Comprehension: Rêves d’avenir 332 16 The Subjunctive 334 The Subjunctive Mood 334 Forms of the Present Subjunctive 335 Irregular Subjunctives 336 Seven More Irregular Subjunctive Forms 337 Uses of the Subjunctive 339 The Subjunctive with Expressions of Necessity 339 The Subjunctive with Other Impersonal Expressions 340 The Subjunctive with Personal Expressions of Volition, Emotion, and Doubt 343 Key Vocabulary 347 Liens d’amitié (Friendship Ties) 347 Reading Comprehension: Créer des liens 349 Answer Key 351 Index 375 Preface Easy French Step-by-Step will help you learn the basics of French—for speaking, reading, and writing—as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Prepared for beginners and advanced beginners, this book teaches French grammar and natural, everyday speech in logical order to enable you to develop and build on your language skills. To take full advantage of the grammatical progression of this book, you’ll need to learn each chapter or step—and the sequence within each chap- ter—one after another. We advise you not to skip around. Each step you take will lead you to the next. Chapters consist of clear grammar explana- tions, numerous reinforcement activities (with a complete Answer Key), vo- cabulary study, and short practice readings in French. Try to learn every concept before you undertake the next one. Chapter 1 teaches the basics of French nouns, their articles, and the descriptive adjectives that modify them. Chapters 2 and 3 present the fun- damentals of verb conjugation and verb use in the present tense (to express declarative statements, negation, yes/no questions, and information ques- tions). We start with the most common French verbs, être (to be) and avoir (to have), and the largest group of verbs (those with inﬁ nitives end- ing in -er). Complete model verb conjugations allow you to practice all the forms as you learn their meanings. Chapters 4 through 9 present the rest of the regular and irregular verb system, step-by-step, alongside other top- ics. Vocabulary was selected based on frequency and thematic usefulness. The vocabulary lists will help expand your communicative skills and allow you to function in various settings. A variety of exercises and activities follow each grammar step and vo- cabulary list. You may use them to check your understanding and progress. There is a complete Answer Key in the back of the book, which also includes sample answers to all personalized questions. We suggest that you also keep xi xii Preface a journal or diary, jotting down your own vocabulary lists, questions, and statements so you can practice them aloud. If you take control of your own learning, you’ll never be bored! Original, author-written readings are included in every chapter (starting in Chapter 2). They become more challenging in form and content as the book progresses. Use these Reading Comprehension sections to learn addi- tional vocabulary (a list of new words follows each reading), to practice read- ing aloud, and to gain conﬁdence in reading other materials. Try to answer the follow-up questions in complete sentences. Easy French Step-by-Step is divided into three parts. The ﬁrst part gives you the elements of French, using the present tense. You’ll notice that the word order of English and French is essentially the same. This makes learn- ing in the early stages very quick. The second part explains the use of object nouns and pronouns, pronominal (or reﬂexive) verbs, the present participle (equivalent to the English -ing), and the imperative (or command form). You will ﬁnd some of these structures different from English in syntax (word or- der). The third part of Easy French Step-by-Step expands your competence into the past and future tenses, and the conditional and subjunctive moods, with usage speciﬁc to French. English speakers often say that French is easy enough to read—there are an extraordinary number of cognate (similar) words in the two languages— but that it is difﬁcult to pronounce. French does have several sounds that do not exist in English; you’ll need to learn those. Most French sounds, how- ever, both consonants and vowels, are quite similar to English. Be sure to use the upcoming Guide to Pronunciation section for study, review, and ref- erence. Return to it whenever you wish to check something. Practice the sounds and examples out loud. If possible, try to practice with a native or near-native French speaker. Throughout the book, remember to read all the French examples and activities aloud to help develop your pronunciation. Once you have some experience with the sounds and the letter combina- tions, you will see that they are limited and consistent, which, believe it or not, will make French easy for you to understand and to spell. If you can spell in English, which is notoriously difﬁcult, you will be able to pronounce and spell in French. Supplement your study by listening to French radio and online broadcasts, CDs, movies, videos, and television programs. With mod- ern media, these opportunities are increasingly easy to come by. This book was prepared with a logical approach that makes it accessible, whether you are a self-study learner—starting out, reviewing, or brushing Preface xiii up on your own—or studying in an organized program. With Easy French Step-by-Step, you will see your skills fall quickly into place. In just a few weeks, you will be communicating, reading, and writing in French. If you learn the French in this book, you’ll be well on your way to be- ing able to get along in France and Francophone regions such as Belgium, Luxembourg, French Switzerland, countries in North and West Africa, the province of Quebec, Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Polynesia... not to mention exploring their rich cultural and artistic heritages. We hope you enjoy learning and using your French wherever you need it. Abbreviations adj. adjective m. pl. masculine plural f. or fem. feminine pl. plural fam. familiar, colloquial pol. polite inf. inﬁnitive s. or sing. singular inv. invariable s.o./qqun someone/quelqu’un m. or masc. masculine s.th./qqch something/quelque f. pl. feminine plural chose Acknowledgments Warm thanks to my editors Garret Lemoi and Christopher Brown, as well as to Jenn Tust, Debbie Anderson, Maki Wiering, and Pamela Juárez at McGraw-Hill Professional, and to Barbara Bregstein, who initiated the Easy series. To Leon, I’m more grateful than I can express, for your patient sup- port and tech help. Guide to Pronunciation Easy French Step-by-Step occasionally includes guides to help you pro- nounce certain word combinations. When you read them out loud, pro- nounce them as you would words and syllables in English. French has several sounds not found in English. They are what make French sound like French! You will see the symbols that represent these special sounds in the Pronunciation columns below, in brackets. Some are printed in capital letters, which will help you spot them easily. xiv Preface Vowels Vowels are shown here both with and without accent marks, an important part of French spelling. The sounds of French vowels are clear and short, generally placed for- ward in the mouth. With few exceptions, ﬁnal consonants of French words are silent. Letters and Combinations Pronunciation Examples and Tips a, à, â [ah] sa, là, pâte ai [ay] j’ai, mais eau, au, aux [oh] eau, auto, jaune, aux, bateaux é, er, ez, es, et [ay] pré, parler, parlez, mes, et (closed e) è, ê, e followed by [eh] chèvre, tête, belle, appelle, double consonants, effet and ﬁnal -et (open e) e in one-syllable words, [uh] le, que, de, peu, œufs, bleu and in eu, œu (cf. œufs) To say the sound [uh], hold your tongue as if to make the [ay] sound and round your lips as if to make the [oh] sound. eur, œu, œur [ERR] chanteur, leur, sœur, œuf, œuvre, heure When followed by r or another sounded consonant, this is a more “open” version of the sound [uh]. i, î, and y as a pronoun [ee] cri, fil, ils, île, il y a ill (with double ll) [eel] Pronounced [eel] only in ville, village, mille, million, and tranquille. Otherwise the ill combination contains a semi-vowel (see below). Final o, o before s, [oh] vélo, zoo, roses, hôtel, môme and ô (closed o) o before consonants [uh] bonne, monnaie, homme (not s) (open o) ou, où, oû [oo] sou, où, goûtez, foule Preface xv or [uhR] port, accord, sorbet, ordre u (single u), û [U] tu, rue, jupe, ﬂûte To pronounce [U], hold your tongue as if to make the [ee] sound, and round your lips as if to make the [oh] sound. Semi-Vowels Semi-vowels are written vowel combinations that are pronounced in a single syllable. Letters and Combinations Pronunciation Examples and Tips ill, ail, eil [eey], [ahy], fille, famille, travail, [ayy] Marseille ie, i, and y (not ﬁnal) [y] bien, science, voyage, nation, croyez oi, ua [wah] moi, quoi, revoir, fois, guano oui [wee] oui ui, ue, ua [Uee], huit, fruit, muet, suave [Uay], [Uah] This semi-vowel contains the single u sound [U]. (See Vowels section for pronunciation of [U].) Nasal Vowels French has several “nasalized” vowels, spelled with the letter combina- tions a, e, i, y, o plus the letters n or m (examples: fin, manteau, mon, symbole). The nasalized combinations appear at the end of a syllable or a word, or are followed by a silent or sounded consonant (examples: ﬂan, montagne, lent). Pronounce the nasal vowels as a single sound through your mouth and nose at the same time. The letters n or m are not pronounced in a nasal combination. But they are pronounced when immediately followed by a vowel (examples: ﬁne, guano) or when the n or m is doubled (examples: homme, bonne). xvi Preface Letters and Combinations Pronunciation Examples and Tips an, am, en, em [A n] dans, lampe, trente, exemple en, in, un, ym, im, yn, [In] bien, matin, vingt, un, ain, aim, ein sympathique, train, faim, plein on, om [On] bonbon, son, combien, fondation Consonants Many French consonant sounds (for example: b, c, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, t, v, z) closely resemble their English counterparts. Pronounce the consonants forward in your mouth, and always try to avoid making plosive sounds (puffs of air), particularly with b, p, and t. Here are several consonant sounds speciﬁc to French. Some variants are the same as in English (for example, “hard” c [k], “hard” g [g], and qu [k]. Sounds not listed here are pronounced nearly like English. Letters and Combinations Pronunciation Examples and Tips c, cc before a, o, u, or [k] court, chacun, accord, classe a consonant c before i, e, y, and [s] merci, cercle, cyclisme, the letter ç François ch [sh] chose, machine g before a, o, u, or [g] glace, gare a consonant g before e, i, y [zh] Georges, gigot j [zh] bonjour, joli, jardin gn [ny] montagne, peigner h — The letter h is always silent in French. Some words starting with h don’t elide articles or pronouns (examples: le héros, le hasard). qu, q [k] quelquefois, cinq r, rr [R] riche, bizarre, original The French r (as in bonjour, Robert) is normally pronounced at the back of the throat, with a slight gargling sound. Preface xvii s, initial or double s, [s] salut, fausse, nation, six, dix t in -tion, ﬁnal x s between two vowels [z] mademoiselle, excursion or in -sion th [t] Thomas, thé The English “lisp” th does not exist in French. x before a consonant [ehks] excellent, expression x before a vowel [ehg] examen, exemple Pronunciation Tips When you speak, remember to keep vowel sounds and all syllables short and clear. Syllables in French are considered part of an utterance, not part of a word. Syllables start with a consonant: lesidées [lay-zee-day], vousallez [voo-zah-lay]. Words in a phrase and successive words in a sentence are usually linked. French sounds, except for the “gargled” sound of r [R], are farther for- ward in the mouth than English. There is a slight “fall” or descending intonation on the last word of a sen- tence or syllable of a word. In yes/no questions, intonation rises slightly (Tu arrives?). It tends to fall slightly at the end of information questions (Comment allez-vous?). Greetings Bonjour, Mademoiselle. Hello,/Good morning, Miss. (Madame/Monsieur) (Madam, Ma’am/Sir) Salut, ça va? Hi!/Hi there! How’s it going? (fam.) Ça va bien./Ça va mal. It’s going well./It’s going badly. Comment allez-vous? How are you? (pol.) Comment vas-tu? How are you? (fam.) Très bien, merci, et vous (et toi)? Fine, thanks. And you? Pas mal, merci, et vous (et toi)? Not bad, thanks. And you? Comme ci, comme ça. So-so. Bonsoir. Good evening. Bonne nuit. Good night. (when departing) xviii Preface Je m’appelle Suzanne. My name is Suzanne. Comment vous appelez-vous? What’s your name? Je m’appelle David. My name is David. Enchanté(e). Pleased to meet you. Merci beaucoup. Thank you very much. De rien. You’re welcome. Au revoir. Good-bye. À bientôt. See you soon. I First Elements of French This page intentionally left blank 1 Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives Gender and Number of Nouns and Articles A noun is a person, place, or thing. In French, all nouns are masculine or feminine (gender) and singular or plural (number). The French deﬁnite arti- cle is used more frequently than the is used in English. The Deﬁnite Article The French deﬁnite article agrees with the noun in gender and number. Singular Plural Masculine le les Feminine la les Masculine and feminine l’ les before a vowel sound or mute h Masculine Nouns Masculine singular nouns take the deﬁnite article le. The genders of French nouns are hard to guess. You will learn them as you go along. Pronounce the following nouns with their article. Refer to the Guide to Pronunciation as needed. le chat (the cat) le frère (the brother) le chien (the dog) le garçon (the boy) le cinéma (the cinema, ﬁlm, movies) le livre (the book) le cours (the course, class) le téléphone (the telephone) le football (soccer) le vin (the wine) 3 4 First Elements of French Feminine Nouns Feminine singular nouns take the deﬁnite article la. la banque (the bank) la lampe (the lamp) la boutique (the store, shop) la langue (the language) la chemise (the shirt) la sœur (the sister) la femme (the woman, wife) la table (the table) la jeune ﬁlle (the girl) la voiture (the car) Many feminine nouns end in -e, but please don’t consider this a general rule. The nouns in the following list do not end in -e; however, they are all feminine. Most ﬁnal consonants are silent in French. In the list below, only the ﬁnal -r is sounded. la chaleur (heat, warmth) la forêt (the forest) la croix (the cross) la fourmi (the ant) la distraction (the amusement) la main (the hand) la ﬂeur (the ﬂ ower) la nuit (the night) la fois (the time [occasion]) la radio (the radio) Masculine and Feminine Articles Before a Vowel Sound or Mute h The deﬁnite article l’ is used before all singular nouns, maculine and femi- nine, starting with a vowel or a mute (non-aspirate) h. The -e or -a of the deﬁnite article is dropped (elided). When the noun starts with h, pronounce the vowel that follows the h. Learn the gender (m. or f.) in parentheses for each noun. When you be- gin to attach adjectives to nouns, it will be easier to remember their gender. l’ami (m.) the friend (m.) l’histoire (f.) the story, history l’amie (f.) the friend (f.) l’homme (m.) the man l’anglais (m.) English (language) l’hôtel (m.) the hotel l’architecte (m. or f.) the architect l’île (f.) the island l’emploi (m.) the job l’orange (f.) the orange (fruit) l’énergie (f.) energy l’université (f.) the university l’enfant (m. or f.) the child (m. or f.) l’usine (f.) the factory Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 5 Singular Nouns and the Deﬁnite Article The deﬁnite article indicates a speciﬁc person, place, thing, or idea. It also precedes nouns that are used in a general sense. C’est l’amie de ma mère. That’s (She’s) my mother’s friend. Les Français adorent le football The French love soccer and et le cyclisme. cycling. P Le, la, and l’ Remember: Le is used with masculine singular nouns beginning with a con- sonant; la is used with feminine singular nouns beginning with a consonant; and l’ is used with both masculine and feminine singular nouns beginning with a vowel and for most nouns beginning with the letter h. The Initial Letter h The letter h is always silent in French. Words starting with the letter h— l’homme, for example—are pronounced beginning with the ﬁrst vowel sound. This is called a mute h. However, in front of some French words starting with h, for historical reasons, the article does not elide the -e or -a. For example: la *harpe the harp la *honte shame le *héros the hero le *hors-d’œuvre the appetizer This is called an aspirate h. This h is also a silent letter; it is not pronounced. French dictionaries show the aspirate h with a diacritical mark. In this book, words beginning with an aspirate h are indicated by an asterisk (*). Learning the Gender of Nouns Gender is linked to the noun word, rarely to the physical thing or the per- son. Always learn the gender of a noun with its article: le livre (the book), la fenêtre (the window). Genders of nouns starting with a vowel need to be memorized separately: l’âge (m.) (age), l’hôtel (m.) (the hotel), l’horloge (f.) (the clock). Several rules can help you guess if a French noun is masculine or feminine: Nouns that refer to males are usually masculine; nouns that refer to females are usually feminine: l’homme (m.) (the man); la femme (the woman). 6 First Elements of French The ending of a noun can be a clue to its gender. Here are some common masculine and feminine endings. Be aware of cognate nouns, which are close to English in spelling and meaning. Masculine Feminine -eau le bureau, le château -ence la différence, l’existence -isme le tourisme, l’idéalisme -ie la tragédie, la compagnie -ment le moment, le département -ion la nation, la fonction -té l’université, la diversité -ude l’attitude, la solitude -ure la littérature, l’ouverture Watch out for exceptions: l’eau (f.) (water), la peau (skin), le silence (silence). Nouns adopted from other languages are usually masculine: le jogging, le tennis, le jazz, le basket-ball. Exception: la pizza. Some nouns referring to people indicate gender by their ending. The feminine form often ends in -e. l’Allemand the German (m.) l’Allemande the German (f.) l’Américain the American (m.) l’Américaine the American (f.) l’ami the friend (m.) l’amie the friend (f.) l’étudiant the student (m.) l’étudiante the student (f.) le Français the Frenchman la Française the Frenchwoman Note that ﬁnal d, n, s, and t are silent in the masculine form, as in the examples above. When followed by -e in the feminine form, d, n, s, and t are pronounced. Some nouns that end in -e and the names of some professions have only one singular form, used to refer to both males and females. In this case, the article remains the same whether the actual person is male or female. l’auteur (m.) (the author) la personne (the person) l’écrivain (m.) (the writer) le professeur (the teacher, professor) l’ingénieur (m.) (the engineer) la sentinelle (the guard, watchman) le médecin (the physician) la victime (the victim) Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 7 P Evolving Style In contemporary Canadian French and among some other French speakers, you may also see or read a feminine form for a few traditional professions (la professeure, l’écrivaine, l’auteure). For learners, however, it’s best to continue using the masculine forms of these nouns to refer to both males and females. For certain nouns referring to people, the gender of the individual is sometimes indicated by the article alone. Such nouns most often end in -e; the spelling of the noun does not change when the gender changes. le journaliste/la journaliste the journalist le secrétaire/la secrétaire the secretary le touriste/la touriste the tourist K Exercise 1.1 Write the appropriate singular deﬁnite article for each of the nouns. Pronounce each word in French as you write the answer, making sure you know its meaning. 1. ami 8. publicité 2. homme 9. comédie 3. lampe 10. différence 4. fenêtre 11. médecin 5. hôtel 12. sculpture 6. réalisme 13. prononciation 7. ingénieur 14. gâteau The Indeﬁnite Article The singular indeﬁnite article in French, corresponding to a (an) in English, is un for masculine nouns and une for feminine nouns. The plural of both forms is des, roughly equivalent to some (though it’s usually not translated as some). Depending on the context, un/une can also mean the number one. 8 First Elements of French Singular Plural Masculine un des Feminine une des Masculine Nouns Pronounce the examples, learning the gender of each noun along with its article. The indeﬁnite article is the same for nouns beginning with a conso- nant or a vowel. un ami a friend (m.) un hôtel an hotel un autobus a bus un jardin a garden un billet a ticket un musée a museum un dictionnaire a dictionary un pianiste a pianist (m.) un fauteuil an easy chair un salon a living room Feminine Nouns Pronounce the following examples and learn the meaning of words new to you. A practical way to learn the gender of a noun is to link it with un or une. une amie a friend (f.) une librairie a bookstore une bibliothèque a library une mère a mother une héroïne a heroine une page a (book) page une *Hollandaise a Dutchwoman une valise a suitcase une leçon a lesson une ville a city Note that l’héroïne (f.) (unlike le *héros) is pronounced with a mute h and elides its deﬁnite article. The h of le *héros is an aspirate h (no elision). Plural Nouns The plural deﬁnite article of all nouns is les; the plural indeﬁnite article is des. Most French nouns are made plural by adding an -s to the singular. In addition, note the following plural endings: Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 9 Nouns that end in -s, -x, or -z in the singular stay the same in the plural. un choix des choix a choice, (some) choices le cours les cours the course, the courses le nez les nez the nose, the noses Some plural noun endings are irregular. le bureau les bureaux the desk (or ofﬁce), the desks (or ofﬁces) un hôpital des hôpitaux a hospital, (some) hospitals le lieu les lieux the place, the places le travail les travaux (the) work, the tasks (or jobs) The masculine form is always used to refer to a group (two or more peo- ple) that includes at least one male. un étudiant et six étudiantes des étudiants students un Français et une Française des Français French (people) Pronouncing the Plural The ﬁnal -s is usually not pronounced in French: les touristes [lay too-Reest] Spoken French distinguishes most singular and plural nouns by the pro- nunciation of the deﬁnite article: le touriste [luh too-Reest] versus les touristes [lay too-Reest] When the -s of a plural article (les or des) is followed by a vowel sound, it is pronounced [z] and begins the following syllable; this is called a liaison: lesexercices (m.) [lay-zehg-zehR-sees]; deshommes (m.) [day-zuhm] There is no liaison with the aspirate h. Pronounce the nasal vowel un [I ] before un *héros [In ay-Roh], and do not make the liaison with -s in les n *héros [lay ay-Roh]. Pronounce the following out loud: 10 First Elements of French desartistes [day-zahr-teest] leshommes [lay-zuhm] les cafés [lay kah-fay] des *hors-d’œuvre [day uhr-dERR-vR] desétudiants les restaurants [lay Rehs-toh-RA n] [day-zay-tU-dyA n] NOTE: The word les (or des) *hors-d’œuvre is invariable in the plural; it has no ﬁnal -s. K Exercise 1.2 Write the plural form of each singular noun. Make sure you know its meaning. 1. une artiste 2. un *hors-d’œuvre 3. le milieu 4. l’étudiante 5. un Français 6. un café 7. le chapeau (hat) 8. l’eau 9. la fenêtre 10. un choix 11. une préférence 12. le travail 13. le nez 14. un cours Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 11 K Exercise 1.3 Pronounce the nouns with their articles, then write the English equivalent. If the gender is not clear from the spelling, show it by writing m. or f. 1. la fenêtre 2. le cyclisme 3. les hôpitaux 4. une sentinelle 5. les écrivains 6. les amies 7. des chapeaux 8. le travail 9. des choix 10. un cours 11. des *hors-d’œuvre 12. des hommes 13. la peau 14. l’Allemande 15. les livres 16. un lieu 17. des histoires 18. une horloge 19. des gâteaux 20. la femme Descriptive Adjectives Descriptive adjectives are used to describe nouns. In French, descriptive adjectives usually follow the nouns they modify. Descriptive adjectives may also follow forms of the verb être (to be): il/elle est... (he/she/it is... ); ils/ elles sont... (they are... ). See Chapter 2 for the conjugation of the verb être. 12 First Elements of French un professeur intéressant an interesting teacher un ami sincère a sincere friend Il est pratique. He/It is practical. Elle est sportive. She is athletic. Agreement of Adjectives in Gender and Number In French, adjectives agree in both gender and number with the nouns they modify. The feminine form of adjectives usually ends in -e. The regular plu- ral adds an s. Singular Plural Masculine un ami intelligent des amis intelligents Feminine une amie intelligente des amies intelligentes If the masculine singular form of the adjective ends in an unaccented or silent -e, the ending remains the same in the feminine singular. C’est un homme extraordinaire. He’s an extraordinary man. C’est une femme extraordinaire. She’s an extraordinary woman. Paul est optimiste. Paul is optimistic. Mais Claire est pessimiste. But Claire is pessimistic. If the singular form of an adjective ends in -s or -x, the plural ending remains the same. Bradley est anglais; les amis Bradley is English; Bradley’s de Bradley sont aussi anglais. friends are also English. M. Blin est généreux; ses (his) Mr. Blin is generous; his children enfants sont aussi généreux. are also generous. If a plural subject or group contains one or more masculine items or people, the plural adjective is masculine. Suzanne et Georges Suzanne and Georges are sont intelligents. intelligent. Suzanne et Amélie sont Suzanne and Amélie are intelligentes. intelligent. Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 13 Invariable adjectives or adjectival phrases do not change in gender or number. Ce sont des chaussures chic These are stylish and inexpensive et bon marché. shoes. Some descriptive adjectives have irregular forms. Singular MASCULINE FEMININE ENGLISH conservateur conservatrice conservative courageux courageuse courageous ﬁer ﬁère proud gentil gentille nice naturel naturelle natural parisien parisienne Parisian sportif sportive athletic travailleur travailleuse hardworking Plural MASCULINE FEMININE ENGLISH conservateurs conservatrices conservative courageux courageuses courageous ﬁers ﬁères proud gentils gentilles nice naturels naturelles natural parisiens parisiennes Parisian sportifs sportives athletic travailleurs travailleuses hardworking Other descriptive adjectives with irregular forms include the following examples: canadien (canadienne) Canadian cher (chère) expensive; dear conspirateur (conspiratrice) conspiratorial ennuyeux (ennuyeuse) boring naïf (naïve) naïve paresseux (paresseuse) lazy sérieux (sérieuse) serious 14 First Elements of French Adjectives of Color Adjectives of color normally follow the noun and agree with it in gender and in number. une chemise bleue a blue shirt des livres gris gray books des chaussures vertes green shoes Two adjectives of color, blanc and violet, have irregular feminine forms. un crayon blanc a white pencil une chemise blanche a white shirt des cahiers violets purple notebooks des voitures violettes purple cars Adjectives of color ending in silent -e are spelled the same in both mas- culine and feminine. des cahiers (m. pl.) jaunes yellow notebooks des ﬂeurs (f. pl.) jaunes yellow ﬂ owers une chaise rouge a red chair un manteau rouge a red coat des pull-overs (m. pl.) roses pink sweaters des chaussettes (f. pl.) roses pink socks Two adjectives of color, marron and orange, are invariable in gender and number. des chaussures marron (f. pl.) brown shoes des sacs orange (m. pl.) orange handbags The names of colors are masculine when used as nouns. J’aime le rose et le bleu. I love pink and blue. Adjectives That Precede the Noun Most descriptive adjectives follow the noun, but these adjectives usually precede it: autre other joli(e) pretty beau (m. s.) beautiful, handsome mauvais(e) bad bon(ne) good même same Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 15 grand(e) big, tall; great nouveau (m. s.) new gros(se) fat, big petit(e) small; short jeune young vieux (m. s.) old The adjectives beau (beautiful, handsome), nouveau (new), and vieux (old) are irregular. In addition, each has a second masculine singular form that is used before a vowel sound or mute h. Singular Plural Masculine beau beaux un nouveau livre de nouveaux livres vieux vieux Masculine bel beaux Before Vowel un nouvel objet de nouveaux objets Sound vieil vieux Feminine belle belles une nouvelle auto de nouvelles autos vieille vieilles Pronounce the examples below, and practice by substituting other nouns for maison and homme. What changes do you need to make in the ar- ticles and adjectives? C’est une belle maison. It’s a pretty house. C’est un vieil homme. He’s an old man. C’est le nouveau professeur. That’s the new teacher. When a plural adjective precedes a plural noun, the indeﬁnite article des usually shortens to de/d’, as you may have noticed in the previous chart. de grandes autos (some) big cars de nouvelles idées (some) new ideas d’autres amis (some) other friends However, colloquial French often retains des before the plural. Ce sont des bons copains! They’re good pals! A few adjectives that usually precede nouns can also follow them. This change of position causes a change in meaning. For example: un ancien professeur (a former teacher) une maison ancienne (an ancient [very old] house) le dernier exercice (the ﬁnal exercise) 16 First Elements of French l’année dernière (f.) (last year) un pauvre garçon (an unfortunate boy) un garçon pauvre (a poor [not rich] boy) une chère amie (a dear friend) un repas cher (an expensive meal) Key Vocabulary Learn these common adjectives to answer the question: Comment est... ? (What is... like?) when you want to describe something or someone. Answer with Il est.../Elle est... (He/She/It is...). Les adjectifs descriptifs (Descriptive Adjectives) agréable (pleasant) heureux (-euse) (happy) avare (stingy) idéaliste (idealistic) beau (bel, belle) (beautiful/handsome) intelligent(e) (intelligent) bon (bonne) (good) intéressant(e) (interesting) bon marché (inv.) (inexpensive) jeune (young) cher (chère) (expensive; dear) joli(e) (pretty) chic (inv.) (stylish, chic) laid(e) (ugly) content(e) (happy, pleased) mauvais(e) (bad) costaud(e) (sturdy [person]) mince (thin) dernier (-ière) (last, ﬁnal) nouveau/nouvel/nouvelle (new) désolé(e) (sorry) pauvre (poor) difﬁcile (difﬁcult) petit(e) (small; short) drôle (funny) premier (-ière) (ﬁrst) excellent(e) (excellent) riche (rich) facile (easy) sincère (sincere) fantastique (wonderful) sociable (friendly) fatigué(e) (tired) sympathique (nice) formidable (fabulous) timide (shy, timid) fort(e) (strong) triste (sad) grand(e) (big, tall; great) typique (typical) gros(se) (fat) vieux/vieil/vieille (old) Les couleurs (Colors) blanc(he) (white) blond(e) (blond[e]) bleu(e) (blue) brun(e) (dark-haired) Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 17 gris(e) (gray) rose (pink) jaune (yellow) rouge (red) marron (inv.) (brown) vert(e) (green) noir(e) (black) violet(te) (purple) orange (inv.) (orange) K Exercise 1.4 Write the feminine singular form of the adjectives given. 1. intéressant 11. cher 2. naïf 12. conservateur 3. agréable 13. beau 4. sérieux 14. gros 5. jaune 15. actif 6. marron 16. gentil 7. bleu 17. travailleur 8. costaud 18. drôle 9. ﬁer 19. vieux 10. chic 20. heureux K Exercise 1.5 Complete the phrases with the correct adjective that agrees in gender and number. 1. le (old) homme 2. la situation (difﬁcult) 3. la (beautiful) maison 4. la personne (nice) 5. les ﬂeurs (yellow) 6. des amis (sincere) 7. un (great) homme 18 First Elements of French 8. une voiture (ancient) 9. d’ (former) professeurs 10. des appartements (inexpensive) 11. une comédie (funny) 12. un livre (interesting) Key Vocabulary In French, names of all languages are masculine. They often correspond to the masculine singular form of the noun of nationality: l’anglais (m.) (the English language); l’Anglaise (the Englishwoman). Adjectives of nationality and languages are not capitalized, but nouns are. Les nationalités (Nationalities) ADJECTIFS PERSONNES LANGUES allemand(e) (German) un(e) Allemand(e) l’allemand américain(e) un(e) Américain(e) l’anglais anglais(e) (English) un(e) Anglais(e) l’anglais belge (Belgian) un(e) Belge le français, le ﬂamand canadien(ne) un(e) Canadien(ne) l’anglais, le français chinois(e) un(e) Chinois(e) le chinois espagnol(e) (Spanish) un(e) Espagnol(e) l’espagnol français(e) (French) un(e) Français(e) le français haïtien(ne) un(e) Haïtien(ne) le français, le créole israélien(ne) un(e) Israélien(ne) l’hébreu italien(ne) un(e) Italien(ne) l’italien japonais(e) un(e) Japonais(e) le japonais libanais(e) (Lebanese) un(e) Libanais(e) l’arabe marocain(e) (Moroccan) un(e) Marocain(e) l’arabe, le français mexicain(e) un(e) Mexicain(e) l’espagnol russe (Russian) un(e) Russe le russe sénégalais(e) un(e) Sénégalais(e) le français, le wolof suisse un(e) Suisse l’allemand, le français, l’italien, le romanche vietnamien(ne) un(e) Vietnamien(ne) le vietnamien, le français Nouns, Articles, and Descriptive Adjectives 19 K Exercise 1.6 Write the plural form of each of the noun-adjective phrases. 1. une lampe bleue 2. un ami sérieux 3. le chat gris 4. une Suisse sympathique 5. une personne costaude 6. le bel appartement 7. un jeune garçon 8. un examen difﬁcile 9. le dernier train 10. le quartier ancien K Exercise 1.7 Translate the phrases into French. 1. the dark-haired men 2. the kind woman 3. (some) red shoes 4. the old hotels 5. the beautiful apartments 6. the interesting courses 7. the courageous heroes 8. the rich appetizers 9. (some) expensive cars 10. (some) idealistic Americans 11. the great universities 12. (some) new books 20 First Elements of French 13. the orange hats 14. (some) sad tragedies 15. the hardworking teachers 16. (some) proud people (persons) 2 The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation The Verb The verb in French is the most important element of a statement or ques- tion, since it conveys so much information: the person, the action or state, and the time of the action. An inﬁnitive is the unconjugated form of the verb. For example, to be is an English inﬁnitive. French inﬁnitives are single words; they do not contain the element to. Conjugations are the verb forms that belong to particular subjects. I am and he is are conjugations of the English inﬁnitive to be. The Verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have) Être (to be) and avoir (to have) are the most common French verbs. It makes sense to learn them ﬁrst. You will ﬁnd être and avoir everywhere: in descriptions, in idiomatic expressions, as linking verbs, and as helping (aux- iliary) verbs in compound tenses. Like many common French verbs, être and avoir are irregular—with special conjugation patterns. You will begin to learn regular verbs in Chap- ter 3. Je suis américain. I am American. Nous avons deux enfants. We have two children. 21 22 First Elements of French Être and Subject Pronouns All verb conjugations in French have six “persons.” Three are singular, cor- responding to: I, you (familiar), and he/she/it/one. Three are plural, corre- sponding to: we, you (pol. singular, and fam. or pol. plural), and they. The verb être has six different conjugated forms: Present Tense of être (to be) SINGULAR st 1 Person je suis I am 2nd Person tu es you are (fam.) 3rd Person il est he/it is elle est she/it is on est one is, we/they are PLURAL st 1 Person nous sommes we are 2nd Person vous êtes you are (pol. s.; fam./pol. pl.) 3rd Person ils sont they (m. pl.) are elles sont they (f. pl.) are Subject Pronouns As in English, conjugated forms of French verbs are preceded by one of the following: A common noun (a person, animal, place, thing, or idea) A proper noun (a name) Or a subject pronoun (a word used in place of a noun) Subject Pronouns PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL st 1 je/j’ I nous we 2nd tu you (fam.) vous you (pol. s.; fam./pol. pl.) 3rd il he/it (m.) ils they (m. pl. or mixed) elle she/it (f.) elles they (f. pl.) on one/we/they The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 23 P Gender and Number Remember that all French nouns have gender and number: Every noun is either masculine or feminine (le livre, la table), and either singular or plural (l’hôtel [m.], les hôtels). The subject pronoun of a conjugated verb corresponds to the gender and number of the noun (a person or thing) that it replaces. La table est dans le salon. The table is in the living room. Elle (La table) est dans le salon. It is in the living room. Context will help you determine the person or object the subject pronoun refers to. Uses of Subject Pronouns Conjugated verb forms in French are always preceded by a noun or a subject pronoun. P Verb Forms Without Subjects Verb inﬁnitives, commands (or imperatives; covered in Chapter 11), and present participles (Chapter 12) do not include a noun subject or a subject pronoun. To avoid repetition, the subject pronoun often replaces a noun. Richard est en ville. Richard is downtown. Il est au cinéma. He is at the movies. Mes sœurs sont en voyage. My sisters are on a trip. Elles sont à Lille. They’re in Lille. Je (I). In French, je is capitalized only when it begins a sentence. Like the deﬁnite articles le and la, je drops (elides) the letter -e before a vowel sound. It is replaced by an apostrophe and closed up to the conju- gated verb. Je suis content; j’ai un I am happy; I have a new job. nouveau travail. Tu and vous (you). Tu (with its verb form) is always singular. It is used to speak to one person who is a friend or relative, to a child, or to a pet. Vous is used to speak to someone you don’t know well or to anyone with whom you have a relationship of respect, for example, strangers, new 24 First Elements of French acquaintances, salespeople, or professionals. The plural of both tu and vous is vous (with its conjugated verb form). Sylvie, tu es étudiante? Sylvie, are you a student? Pardon, Madame, vous êtes Excuse me, Ma’am, are you la mère de Sylvie? Sylvie’s mother? Attention les enfants! Vous Children! Are you ready? êtes prêts? P Do as the Natives Do As you get to know a native speaker of French, a good rule of thumb for the nonnative is to wait until your new friend addresses you with tu, before start- ing to use tu with him or her. Il and ils; elle and elles. The English subject pronouns he, she, it (singu- lar), and they (plural) are expressed by il or ils (for masculine nouns) and elle or elles (for feminine nouns). Elles sont formidables! They (fem. persons or things) are fantastic! Il est drôle. He/It (The puppy[?]) is funny. The plural ils (they, m. pl.) refers to any group that includes at least one masculine noun. Voilà Marie, Anne et Patrick. There’s Marie, Anne, and Patrick. —Ils sont en retard! —They’re late! On. The subject pronoun on (third-person singular) is used in French to convey the English indeﬁnite subjects one, we, people, and they. Alors, on est d’accord? O.K., so we agree? Le matin, on est en bonne In the morning, they (we, people) forme. feel good. Modern speech often replaces nous (we) by on. The adjective can be spelled in the singular or the plural. Vous êtes fatigués? You’re tired? —Oui, on est très fatigué(s)! —Yes, we’re all (everybody’s) (—Oui, nous sommes très very tired! fatigué[e]s!) The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 25 K Exercise 2.1 Complete the sentences, translating the subject pronouns that precede the forms of être. Make sure you understand the meaning of each sentence. EXAMPLE: (We) Nous sommes fatigués. 1. (You, pl.) êtes en ville? 2. (I) suis à la maison. 3. (They, f.) sont au travail. 4. (We) sommes très sympathiques! 5. (You, sing.) es architecte? 6. (I) suis grand et beau. 7. (They, m.) sont français. 8. Les Américains sont en voyage. (They) sont dans le train. 9. (Georges and Marilyn, you) êtes drôles! 10. Le prof est absent. (He) est en vacances. K Exercise 2.2 Complete each of the sentences with the correct form of être. Focus on meaning. EXAMPLE: L’homme est beau. La femme est belle aussi. 1. Le parfum de France. 2. Ils médecins. Elle dentiste. 3. Les touristes du Portugal? 4. Les frères de Paul riches! 5. Le vieil hôtel excellent. 6. Nous les amis de Robert. 7. Les chaussures en cuir (leather). 8. La dame et le monsieur suédois. 9. Je de Lyon. Vous aussi, vous de France? 10. L’appartement des étudiants bien situé. 26 First Elements of French Uses of être As you know, être is the equivalent of to be in English. Nous sommes français. We’re French. Tu es au restaurant? You’re (Are you) at the restaurant? Être is often followed by an expression of location (using a preposition) or a descriptive adjective. Marianne est à la campagne. Marianne is in the country. Nous sommes en voiture. We are in the car. When a form of être is followed by an adjective, the adjective agrees with the subject of the sentence in gender and number. Les roses rouges sont belles. Red roses are beautiful. Mon appartement est assez grand. My apartment is rather large. The French deﬁnite article (le/la/les) or indeﬁnite article (un/une/des) is omitted after forms of être for simple (unmodiﬁed) identiﬁcation of nationality, religion, or profession. Je suis dentiste. I’m a dentist. Elles sont protestantes? Are they (f.) Protestant? Chantal est sénégalaise. Chantal is Senegalese. Adjectives of religion, such as protestant(e)(s), and nationality, for ex- ample, sénégalais(e), are not capitalized in French. With nouns that are modiﬁed (accompanied by an adjective or other descriptor), use the indeﬁnite subject pronoun ce (c’est.../ce sont...). With c’est and ce sont, articles or possessive adjectives (Chapter 10) are always used before a noun. At times, the context will identify the person. C’est un professeur d’histoire. He’s/She’s a history teacher. Ce sont mes amies françaises. These/Those are my French friends. C’est le médecin de mon ﬁls. He’s/She’s/That’s my son’s doctor. When you use c’est or ce sont to describe nationalities, be sure to include the article and capitalize the noun of nationality. Voici Bill. C’est un Américain. Here’s Bill. He’s an American. Ce sont des Suisses, de Lausanne. They’re Swiss, from Lausanne. The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 27 K Exercise 2.3 Translate these sentences into French. 1. I am in the garden.. 2. The red ﬂowers are beautiful.. 3. They (f.) are on (sur) the table.. 4. We are in front of (devant) the library.. 5. Charles is a teacher. He’s young and intelligent.. 6. You’re (m., fam.) sad and tired? I’m (f.) sorry! ! 7. Marie-Laure is in the car. She’s late! ! 8. You’re (pol.) from (du) Canada? ? 9. People (On) are nice in this neighborhood (ce quartier).. 10. Sara and Patrick are on a trip. They are in (à) Montreal.. 28 First Elements of French K Exercise 2.4 Complete the paragraph, choosing among: il/elle est, ils/elles sont, c’est, or ce sont. Remember: C’est/ce sont is used when a noun is modiﬁed (either with an article, or an article and an adjective). EXAMPLES: Alain est médecin. C’est un jeune médecin travailleur. Michelle est une voisine (neighbor). Elle est sociable. 1. Jeanne est architecte. travailleuse. 2. Mes parents sont canadiens. des Québécois ﬁers. 3. Loïc est de Bretagne. breton. 4. Mon voisin est gentil. un voisin super sympathique. 5. Nommez une ville américaine d’origine française. La Nouvelle-Orléans. 6. Comment est Claude? Eh bien, très intelligent, mais un peu arrogant. K Exercise 2.5 Complete each sentence using the conjugated forms of être, the subject pronoun ⫹ être, or c’est/ce sont. 1. Voyons, Michel! Nous très en retard! Les amis sûrs que tu toujours ponctuel. Mais, des amis très tolérants! 2. Odette, tu américaine? —Non, je martiniquaise, de Fort-de-France. 3. Rosa et Mario, vous mexicains? —Non, italiens, mais Jorge mexicain. 4. Robert ingénieur. un ingénieur très créatif. Nous ﬁers de lui (of him). 5. Khaled, (pol.) chrétien ou musulman? — musulman, mais une partie de la famille chrétienne. des coptes (Coptic). The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 29 Reread the previous sentences in the exercise, and correct these statements using subject pronouns. 6. Michel est généralement à l’heure. Non,. 7. Odette est américaine. Non,. 8. Rosa et Mario sont mexicains. Non,. 9. Robert est biologiste. Non,. 10. Dans la famille de Khaled, les chrétiens sont catholiques. Non,. Expressions with être Numerous ﬁ xed expressions use the verb être. être à l’heure/en retard/en avance (to be on time/late/early) être d’accord (avec) (to agree [with]) être de retour (to be back [from a trip or outing]) être en coton/en cuir/en briques... (to be made of cotton/leather/brick... ) être en train de/d’ ⫹ inf. (to be [in the midst of] doing [s.th.]) être en vacances (to be on vacation) être prêt(e) (à ⫹ inf. (to be ready [to do s.th.]) être sur le point de/d’ ⫹ inf. (to be about to [do s.th.]) Nous sommes en train de We are (in the midst of) travailler. working. Je suis tout à fait d’accord! I agree completely! (I couldn’t agree more!) Les chaussures sont en cuir. The shoes are (made of) leather. Vous êtes en vacances en août? Are you on vacation in August? Attention, Annie! Tu es déjà Careful, Annie! You are already en retard! late! P Quelle heure est-il? Learn Quelle heure est-il? (What time is it?) as a ﬁxed expression. Quelle heure est-il? What time is it? —Il est deux heures. —It’s two o’clock. You will learn more about question forms in Chapter 3 and about telling time in Chapter 4. 30 First Elements of French K Exercise 2.6 Complete the sentences with expressions chosen from the list. Use each expression once with the correct form of être. être sur le point de être de retour être d’accord être en coton être en train de être prêt(e) être en vacances 1. Claudine et moi voyageons maintenant (now) en Italie. Nous. 2. Les enfants sont très occupés. Ils jouer (play) au volley. 3. Ma sœur rentre (is coming home) de vacances. Elle aujourd’hui. 4. O.K., on ? C’est de la pizza ce soir (this evening)? 5. Mon T-shirt rose? Il. 6. Tu (m.) ? Il est tard. Le ﬁlm commence bientôt (soon). Nous quitter la maison. Key Vocabulary These common words (adverbs and conjunctions) help link ideas and enliven adjectives, nouns, and verbs. Their placement in a sentence closely resem- bles that of their English equivalents. Conjonctions, qualiﬁcatifs, et adverbes (Conjunctions, Qualiﬁers, and Adverbs) assez (fairly, rather) et (and) assez de (enough) ici (here) aujourd’hui (today) là-bas (over there) aussi (also) maintenant (now) beaucoup (de) (much, many, a lot) mais (but) bien (very, well) ou (or) donc (therefore, so) parfois (sometimes) The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 31 peu (hardly, not very) souvent (often) plutôt (rather) toujours (always) quelquefois (sometimes) très (very) rarement (rarely) trop (de) (too, too much [many]) si (if) un peu (de) (a little) Je suis de Bruxelles, mais Sylvie I’m from Brussels, but Sylvie is est de Paris. from Paris. Claude est professeur, donc il Claude is a teacher, so he’s on est en vacances. vacation. Nous sommes parfois mécontents. We are sometimes unhappy. Tu es un peu fatiguée? Are you a little tired? Les repas sont trop chers ici. The meals are too expensive here. K Exercise 2.7 Translate the words in parentheses to complete the sentences. 1. (sometimes, very) Je suis heureuse. 2. (here, today) Il est ? 3. (now) Tu es au travail ? 4. (today, a little) , nous sommes en retard. 5. (rather) Les livres sont chers dans cette librairie. 6. (often) Elles sont au café. 7. (always) Nous sommes à l’heure. 8. (but, very) Sylvie est petite, Sylvain est grand. 9. (very) Vous êtes belles ce soir! 10. (much, too) Le dessert est riche. 11. (a little) Les enfants sont fatigués. 12. (over there) Marc est , devant la pharmacie. Negation with ne... pas To make a sentence negative in French, ne is placed before a conjugated verb and pas after the verb. Ne becomes n’ before a vowel or vowel sound. 32 First Elements of French Je ne suis pas français. I am not French. Elle n’est pas à l’université. She isn’t at the university. Nous ne sommes pas catholiques. We aren’t Catholic. K Exercise 2.8 Answer each of the questions using a complete sentence with the negative of être. Remember, ne becomes n’ before a vowel sound. 1. Arlette est vieille? Non,. 2. Vous êtes acteur (actrice)?. 3. Nous sommes en retard?. 4. Tu es à la maison?. 5. Léon et Chantal sont de retour?. 6. Tes sœurs sont d’accord?. 7. Georges est en train de danser?. 8. Je suis trop ﬁère?. The Verb avoir (to have) Avoir most often expresses ownership or possession. Present Tense of avoir (to have) SINGULAR 1st j’ai I have 2nd tu as you have (fam.) 3rd il/elle/on a he/she/it/one has, we have PLURAL 1st nous avons we have 2nd vous avez you have (pol. s.; fam./pol. pl.) 3rd ils/elles ont they have The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 33 Tu as un chat? Do you have a cat? —Non, mais j’ai un perroquet. —No, but I have a parrot. Nous avons de bons amis. We have good friends. Nos amis ont du temps Our friends have time today. aujourd’hui. Ne... pas de... with avoir In negative sentences with avoir and also with most other verbs, the indeﬁ- nite article un/une/des becomes de/d’ after the negation ne... pas. The form d’ is used before vowel sounds. The noun that follows de/d’ can be singular or plural. Michel a une bicyclette. Michel has a bicycle. Marlène n’a pas de bicyclette Marlène doesn’t have a bicycle, et je n’ai pas de voiture. and I don’t have a car. Nous n’avons pas de bagages. We have no luggage. Vous n’avez pas d’amis? You don’t have (any) friends? P More About Deﬁnite and Indeﬁnite Articles with ne... pas The deﬁnite article le/la/les is always retained after ne... pas. Je n’ai pas les bonnes adresses. I don’t have the right addresses. Tu n’as pas le livre d’Antoine? Don’t you have Antoine’s book? The indeﬁnite article un/une/des is never dropped after the negation of the verb être. Ce n’est pas un vin rouge. This isn’t a red wine. It’s white. Il est blanc. Ce ne sont pas des touristes. Those aren’t tourists. Il y a... (There is... , There are... ) The expression il y a (there is, there are) points out people, ideas, or objects. Il y a is invariable (does not change) in the plural. Il y a des problèmes dans There are problems in this ce document. document. Il y a un médecin dans la salle? Is there a doctor in the room (hall)? 34 First Elements of French Il y a une touriste devant There’s a tourist in front of le musée. the museum. Il y a des arbres dans le parc. There are trees in the park. The negative of il y a is il n’y a pas de/d’, followed by a singular or plu- ral noun. Il n’y a pas d’arbres dans There aren’t any trees in my mon jardin. garden (yard). Il n’y a pas de restaurant ouvert? Isn’t there an open restaurant (a restaurant that’s open)? K Exercise 2.9 Translate each sentence into French using a form of the verb avoir. 1. I have a red bicycle (vélo, m.).. 2. Arthur has a new friend (f.).. 3. You (fam.) have a lot of homework (devoirs)? ? 4. They (f.) don’t have a garden.. 5. I don’t have friends here.. 6. Simon and Annie have an old car.. 7. We don’t have bicycles.. 8. There are too many tourists in town.. 9. There’s a difﬁcult problem in class.. 10. There aren’t enough restaurants at the university.. K Exercise 2.10 Make these statements negative (if afﬁrmative) or afﬁrmative (if negative). 1. Il y a beaucoup de devoirs ce soir.. The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 35 2. Nous n’avons pas de rendez-vous (m.) aujourd’hui.. 3. Il y a une voiture devant la maison.. 4. Je n’ai pas de dictionnaire (m.).. 5. Ils sont en classe ce matin (this morning).. 6. Mes parents ont un nouvel appartement.. 7. Je suis souvent à la montagne le week-end.. 8. Elles n’ont pas d’idées concrètes.. 9. Tu n’as pas de copains (close friends) ici? ? 10. Il n’y a pas assez de livres pour les étudiants.. Expressions with avoir The verb avoir occurs in numerous idiomatic expressions. Many ideas con- veyed with expressions using avoir relate to feelings or sensations. They often have English equivalents that use the verb to be. avoir... ans (to be... years old) avoir chaud (to be warm, hot) avoir froid (to be cold) avoir faim (to be hungry) avoir soif (to be thirsty) avoir sommeil (to be sleepy) avoir envie de (to feel like) avoir besoin de (to need [to]) avoir peur (de) (to be afraid [of]) 36 First Elements of French avoir honte (de) (to be ashamed [of]) avoir mal (à) (to have a pain, a[n] -ache) avoir raison (to be right) avoir tort (to be wrong) avoir l’air (de) (to seem) avoir l’habitude de (to be accustomed, used to) avoir de la chance (to be lucky) avoir lieu (to take place [an event]) J’ai vingt ans. I am twenty years old. J’ai faim et j’ai mal à la tête. I am hungry, and I have a headache. Nous avons de la chance! Les We are lucky! The Olympic games jeux Olympiques ont lieu ici. are taking place here. Elle a tort; je n’ai pas sommeil. She is wrong; I am not sleepy. Nous n’avons pas envie de danser. We don’t feel like dancing. P Avoir... ans: Asking Someone’s Age Learn Quel âge avez-vous? or Quel âge as-tu? (How old are you?) as a ﬁxed expression. You will learn more about question forms in Chapter 3. Quel âge avez-vous? How old are you? —J’ai vingt-neuf ans. —I’m twenty-nine. K Exercise 2.11 Translate the sentences into French, using idiomatic expressions with avoir. 1. I’m cold, and I’m sleepy.. 2. He’s twenty-ﬁve (vingt-cinq) years old.. 3. We need a new apartment.. 4. She’s lucky in (à) Las Vegas! ! The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 37 5. We’re hungry! We feel like having lunch (déjeuner).. 6. Are you (fam.) ashamed of your (tes) bad grades (notes, f.)? ? 7. The children are thirsty.. 8. The meeting (La réunion) takes place this evening.. 9. She doesn’t have a headache today.. 10. They (m.) aren’t accustomed to dining late (dîner tard).. K Exercise 2.12 Answer the personal questions in complete French sentences, using idiomatic ex- pressions with avoir. Then repeat the answers aloud. 1. Quel âge avez-vous?. 2. Vous avez froid en hiver (winter) ici?. 3. Vous avez raison ou tort dans les discussions politiques?. 4. Les fêtes ont lieu le week-end?. 5. Vous avez mal à la tête quand (when) vous avez faim?. 6. Votre chien a l’air intelligent?. 38 First Elements of French 7. Vous avez envie de danser ce soir (this evening)?. 8. Les étudiants ont sommeil en classe? Et le professeur?. 9. Le professeur a toujours raison?. 10. Les petits enfants ont souvent peur des clowns?. Key Vocabulary Your home or apartment and its furnishings make up your most familiar surroundings. La maison (The House) Noms (Nouns) Make sure to learn the gender (masculine or feminine) of each of these nouns. la bibliothèque (library, study) la glace (mirror) le bois (wood) le jardin (garden, yard) le cahier (notebook) la lampe (lamp, light) le canapé (sofa) le lit (bed) la chaise (chair) la maison (house) la chambre (bedroom) le mur (wall) la cheminée (ﬁreplace; chimney) l’ordinateur (m.) (computer) la clé (key) le piano (piano) le crayon (pencil) le placard (cupboard; closet) la cuisine (kitchen) le plafond (ceiling) la cuisinière (stove) le plancher (ﬂ oor) le fauteuil (armchair, easy chair) la porte (door) la fenêtre (window) le réveil (alarm clock) le four (oven) les rideaux (m.) (curtains) le foyer (entryway, hearth) la salle à manger (dining room) le frigo (refrigerator) la salle de bains (bathroom) The Verbs être and avoir, Subject Pronouns, and Negation 39 le salon (living room) le tapis (rug, carpet) le stylo (pen) la terrasse (patio, terrace) le tableau (picture, painting) la vidéo (le DVD) (video [DVD]) Adjectifs (Adjectives) In the following list, the feminine forms of adjectives are shown only if the adjective changes. agréable (pleasant) joli(e) (pretty) ancien(ne) (old; former) long(ue) (long) bleu marine (navy blue) ma, mon, mes (my) confortable (comfortable) privé(e) (private) extérieur(e) (outside) propre (clean) ﬁn(e) (ﬁne, delicate) simple (simple) gris(e) (gray) spacieux (-euse) (spacious) intérieur(e) (inside, interior) Adverbes (Adverbs) assez (de) (rather; enough) en général (generally) aussi (also) toujours (always) beaucoup de (a lot of) très (very) encore (still, yet) Prépositions (Prepositions) avec (with) devant (in front of) dans (in) K Exercise 2.13 Translate the phrases into French. 1. a modern kitchen 2. a pleasant apartment 3. some roomy closets 4. a navy blue armchair 5. in front of the big window 6. an old mirror 40 First Elements of French 7. a clean oven 8. a new computer 9. a private bathroom 10. some long curtains 11. the interior walls 12. a big living room 13. a very beautiful piano 14. a table with six chairs 15. a white refrigerator e Reading Comprehension La maison de Jean-P

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