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 Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:13 pm
Leçons de Français
[ If you think it's not understandable, PLEASE precise which part isn't, because I can't know, since in my head it absolutely makes sense XD ]
Dickens :
"La difficulté d'écrire l'anglais m'est extrêmement ennuyeuse. Ah, mon Dieu ! si l'on pouvait toujours écrire cette belle langue de France !"
"The difficulty of writing English is most tiresome to me. Oh, God! If only we could write all the time in this beautiful language of France !"
I ) Determinants here
II ) Pronouns here
III ) Vocabulary here
1) Basics
2) Family
3) Animals
4) Days & Months
5) How to count
6) House a) Kitchen
b) Bathroom
c) Living Room
d) Bedroom
IV ) Possession here
1) Possessive Adjectives
2) Possessives Pronouns
V ) Plural here
VI ) Adjectives & Adverbs here
VII ) Conjugation 1 ) Indicative Mode A ) Auxiliarieshere
B) Verbs of the 1st group here
C ) Verbs of the 2nd group here
2 ) Participle [ Present & Past ] here
3) Conditional here
VIII ) Pronounciation [ here ]
IX ) Idioms here
N.B : Any suggestion is very welcome ;] Don't hesitate to ask if there's something you don't understand And if it's too complicated, please say it surprised Online Dictionaryfrench tests
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:14 pm
I ) Les Déterminants / Determinants
Articles Définis / Defined Determinants [ equivalents of 'the ] Le : masculine ( ex : le chat / the cat )
La : feminine ( ex : la chaise / the stool )
Les : plural ( ex : les fruits / the fruits )
-Articles Indéfinis / Undeterminated Forms
Un : Masculine equivalent of 'a' ( ex : un parapluie / an ombrella )
Une : Feminine ( ex : une fenêtre / a window )
Des is the plural undeterminated form of un/une ( ex : des poissons )
- Déterminants Quantitatif / Quantitative determinants
- Du is the contraction of 'de' & 'le' . It is used to talk about something, by meaning a quantity [ Ex : J'aimerais avoir du pain / I'd like to have bread ]
- De la is used in the same cases, except that it is the feminine form [ ex : De la farine / Some flour ]
Remarks
- When you want to use le/la with a word that begins with a vowel,
you put instead of that a "l' " [ ex : l'avion / the plane ]
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:16 pm
II ) Pronouns
- Je : I
- Tu : You [ familiar form , used when talking to one single person]
- Il : He
- Elle : She
- On : We [ familiar form ]
- Nous : We [ polite form ]
- Vous : You [ plural , or polite form when talking to one single person ]
- Ils : Masculine of 'they'
- Elles : Feminine of 'they'
How to use Ils / Elles ?
Elles can be used only when talking about females.
If it's females & males you use Ils [ even if it's one male and 459912 females ]
How to use Tu / Vous
Tu can be used to indicate [? D: ] one person. It's a familiar form, for example when you're talking to a friend
But , Vous can be used in several cases :
- when you're talking to one person in a polite form , for example to an elder/etc
- When you're talking to a group of persons
Remark
When using je before a verb that begins with a vowel, you instead of that use j' [ ex : j'imagine / I imagine ]
Other 'pronouns'
Quelqu'un = Someone
Personne = Nobody
Nul = no one
Quelque chose = Something
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:18 pm
III) Vocabulary 1 ) Basics
How to Greet
Salut = Hey / Hi
Coucou = Hey / Hi
Bonjour = Good Morning / Afternoon
Bonsoir = Good Evening
Salut = Bye
Aurevoir = Goodbye
à plus tard = See you later
à bientot = See you soon
In a Conversation
How are you ? =
- Comment ça va ? [ Familiar form , to a person , or a group of persons ]
- Comment vas-tu ? [ Familiar Form , to one person ]
- Comment allez-vous ? [ Either to a group of persons, either to one person in a polite form ]
Est-ce que ça va ? = Are you ok ?
To introduce yourself
Je viens de ... [ nom d'un pays ] = I come from ... [ insert country ]
Je suis... [ nationalité : Anglais, espagnol ,... ] = I am ... [ nationality : English, spanish , ... ]
Je m'apelle ... [ prénom ] = I'm "called" ... [ name ]
Mon nom est .... = My name is ...
Formal / Polite Sentences
Merci = Thank you
Merci beaucoup = Thank you very much
S'il vous plaît = Please [ N.B : Since there is vous, it's either a polite form, or it's adressed to a group of persons]
S'il te plaît = Please [ N.B : familiar form, to one person]
De rien = You're welcome
Je vous en prie = You're welcome [ more formal & polite ]
To ask for something
J'aimerais bien / Je souhaiterais / Je voudrais [ ex : un magazine ] = I'd like to have ... [ ex : a magazine ]
J'aimerais bien / Je souhaiterais / Je voudrais de ... [ ex: l'eau ] = I'd like to have ... [ ex: some water ]
2 ) Family
a [f] indicates that the word is a feminine , and a [m] a masculine word
[f]Mère = Mother
[m]Père = Father
[f]Maman = Mum
[m]Papa = Dad
[m]Frère = Brother
[f]Soeur = Sister
[m]Cousin = cousin [male]
[f]Cousine = cousin [female]
[f]Tante = Aunt
[m]Oncle = Uncle
[m]Grand-père = Grandfather
[f]Grand-mère = Grandmother
[m]Mari = Husband
[f]Femme = Wife
3 ) Animals
Le chien = the dog [ male]
La chienne = the dog [ female ]
Le chiot = the puppy
Le chat = the cat [ male]
La chatte = the cat [ female ]
Le chaton = the kitty
Le cheval = the horse
La Jument = the mare
L'étalon = the stallion
L'oiseau = the bird
Le perroquet = the perroquet
Le poulet = the chicken
La poule = the hen
Le coq = the rooster
Le cochon = the pig [ male ]
La truie = the pig [ female ]
Le taureau = the bull
La vache = the cow
Le boeuf = the ox
[m]L'âne = the donkey [ male ]
[f]L'ânesse = the donkey [ female ]
Le rat = the rat
La souris = the mouse
Le cochon d'inde = the Guinea pig
La grenouille = the frog
L'escargot = the snail
Le serpent = the snake
[f]L'araignée = the spider
4 ) Months & Days
Lundi = Monday
Mardi = Tuesday
Mercredi = Wednesday
Jeudi = Thursday
Vendredi = Friday
Samedi = Saturday
Dimanche = Sunday
Janvier = January
Février = February
Mars = March
Avril = April
Mai = May
Juin = June
Juillet = July
Août = August
Septembre = September
Octobre = October
Novembre = November
Décembre = December
5 ) How to count
Un = one
Deux = two
Trois = three
Quatre = Four
Cinq = Five
Six = six
Sept = seven
Huit = eight
Neuf = nine
Dix = ten
Onze = eleven
Douze = twelve
Treize = thirteen
Quatorze = fourteen
Quinze = fifteen
Seize = Sixteen
Dix sept = seventeen
Dix huit = eighteen
Dix neuf = nineteen
Vingt = twenty
Vingt et un = twenty one
Vingt deux = Twenty two
Vingt + 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / ... = Twenty ...
Trente = thirty
Trente et un = thirty one
Trente deux / trois / .... = Thirty ...
Quarante = fourty
Quarante et un = fourty one
Quarante 2 / 3 / 4 / .... = fourty
To use a number like fourty two , it's a bit like in english :
- If it's something one [ ex : cinquante et un ] , you add ' et un ' at the end
[ exception made of "quatre vingt un" [eighty one] ]
- If it's anything else than 1 , you just add it after [ ex : quarante trois ]
Cinquante = Fifty
Soixante = sixty
Soixante dix = seventy
Quatre vingt = Eighty
Quatre vingt dix = Ninety
Cent = hundred
Mille = thousand
Million = million
Milliard = billion [ Although I doubt this might be useful! ]
6 ) House
a ) Kitchen
Furnitures
La table = the table
La chaise = the chair
Le tabouret = the stool
[m]L'évier [ -> un évier ] = the sink
Le placard = the cupboard
Le frigidaire / le frigo = the refrigerator
Le congélateur = the freezer
Le four = the oven
Le lave vaisselle = the Dishwasher
Le lave linge = the wash machine
Items
La fourchette = the fork
Le couteau = the knife
La cuillère = the spoon
[f] L'éponge [ --> une éponge ] = the sponge
La tasse = the cup
Le verre = the glass
Aliments
Le fruit = the fruit
Le légume = the vegetable
Le pain = the bread
Le beurre = the butter
La farine = the flour
La viande = the meat
Le poisson = the fish
Le yaourt = the yoghurt
Le jambon = the ham
[m]L'oeuf [ -> Un oeuf ] = an egg
Le fromage = the cheese
La pomme = the apple
[f] L'orange [ -> une orange ] = the orange
Drinks
Le lait = the milk
[f] L'eau [ -> une eau ] = the water
Le jus de [ insert fruit ] = the [ insert fruit ] juice
Le café = the coffee
Le thé = the tea
Le vin = the wine
La bière = the beer
Le chocolat chaud = the hot chocolate
Others
Le petit déjeuner = the breakfast
Le déjeuner = the lunch
Le dîner = the diner
b) Bathroom
Furnitures
La baignoire = the bath
La douche = the shower
Le lavabo = the wash basin
Les toilettes = the toilets
Le miroir = the miror
Items
La brosse à dents = the toothbrush
Le dentifrice = the toothpaste
La brosse à cheveux = the hair brush
Le sèche cheveux = the dry hair
La serviette = the towel
Le savon = the soap
Le shampooing = the shampoo
Le rasoir = the razor
Le vernis à ongle = the nail vernish
La trousse de toilette = the toilet bag
c ) Living Room
Furnitures
Le sofa / le canapé = a sofa [ I know. Uncredible surprised ]
Le fauteuil = an armchair
Le tapis = a carpet [ the word 'une carpette' does also exist in french, it indeed is a carpet, but it's a quite pejorative term ]
La lampe = a lamp
Le coussin = the cushion
La télévision [ the abreviation is ' la télé ' ] = the television / TV
La plante verte = the green plant
Le tableau = the painting
[m] L'ordinateur [ -> un ordinateur ] = the computer
[f] L'étagère [ -> une étagère ] = the rack
Items
La télécommande = the remote
Le téléphone = the telephone
d) Bedroom
Furnitures
Le lit = the bed
[f] L'armoire = the closet
La couverture = the blanket
Le bureau = The desk
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:20 pm
IV ) Possession
1) The 'adjectifs possessifs' [ = possessive adjectives ] are used in the same cases than in english :
Example : Ma chambre = My room.
C'est son droit = It is his right
2)The 'adjectifs possessifs réfléchis' [ possessive pronouns ? ] are an equivalent of mine / yours/ etc in english.
Example : C'est le tien = It's yours
Ma couleur préférée est le bleu, et la sienne est le rouge = My favourite colour is blue , and hers/his is red
Other mark of possession
To show possession, as in english ' the .... of ... ' , in french it is : ' le/la .... de ... '
Example : Le chien de la voisine = the dog of the neighbour.
La maison du [ du = de + le ] voisin = The house of the neighbour.
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:29 pm
V ) Plural
General Case Generally, we put a 's' at the end of the word to show the plural, pretty much like in English in fact :3
For exemple :
La voiture -> Les voitures [ the car / the cars ]
Le marché -> Les marchés [the market/ the markets]
None the less, this does not apply to some categories of words [ as always, exceptions in French XD ]
Words that end in 'al' /'ail'
All the words that end in 'al' [ journal ,canal, général , cheval... ] instead of taking a 's' at the plural, the 'al'/'ail' is replaced by 'aux'
Exemple :
Le cheval -> Les chevaux
Le journal -> les journaux
Le bail -> les baux
Le vitrail -> les vitraux
Exceptions [ the words that end in al / ail that take a 's' at the plural] : bal, chacal , carnaval , festival, récital, régal, bancal, fatal, natal , naval , ... [ if you know any other, just say it XD ]
Words that end in 'eau' The words that end in 'eau' [ beau , plateau , fourreau , fourneau , ... ] instead of taking a 's' at the plural, take a 'x' :
Example:
Beau -> Beaux [ adjective beautiful ]
Le Plateau -> Plateaux [ big plate ]
une Eau -> des Eaux [water]
Words that end in 'ou'
Normally, they all take a 's' for the plural [ mous , cous , ... ] except a list of words :
- Hibou -> Hiboux [ owl / owls ]
- Chou -> Choux [ cabbage / cabbages ]
- Caillou -> Cailloux [ little rock ]
- Joujou -> Joujoux [ a sort of... childish word for toy ]
- Bijou -> Bijoux [ jewel / jewels ]
- Genou -> Genoux [ knee / knees ]
- Pou -> Poux [ louse / louses ]
Words that end in 'eu'
They all take an 'x' at the plural, except bleu/ bleus and pneu / pneus
For example :
- Le jeu -> Les jeux [ game ]
- Le cheveu -> les cheveux [hair]
Words that do not take any plural
In this category go all the words that already end in 's' , or 'x', or 'z'
Example :
un Gaz -> des Gaz [ gas ]
une souris -> des souris [ a mouse / mice ]
le courroux -> les courroux [ ire / ires ]
La croix -> Les croix [ the cross ]
Le corps -> Les corps [ the body ]
Le pouls -> les pouls [ the pulse ]
Exceptions
List of all the exceptions [ that I can think of D; ] :
- Le Boeuf -> Les Boeux [ or Boeufs... Seems like there's 2 plural XD ] [ ox ]
- un Oeil -> des Yeux [ eye ]
- Un scénario -> des scénarii [ comes from the italian I believe ] [ scenario ]
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:40 pm
VI ) Adjectives & Adverbs 1) Adjectives
So...There's 3 categories of adjectives, depending on where in the sentence they are placed.
In french, adjectives ALWAYS take the same genre [ feminine, masculine ] / number [ singular , plural ] as their subject !
If they are placed directly after the word they complete
This is then called 'Adjectif épithète'
It takes the same genre & 'numbers' [ by number I mean plural or singular ] as the name it completes
example : mains [ hands : feminine & plural ] + the adjective blanc = mains blanches
In a sentence it would be : Ses mains blanches bougèrent [ her white hands moved ]
The épithète adjective can be placed either just before the name, or just after.
Generally one adjective is better to hear before or after ... It's a question of habit XD Good luck ;]
Ex :
Belles Fleurs [ beautiful flowers ]
Pas rapide [ quick step ]
If the name they complete is the subject of a verb and that they aren't next to this very name
Then it is called 'adjectif attribut' .
As for the épithète, it is accorded in genre & number as the name [unlike in english ] , but it's just placed after the verb
Example :
Le chat était noir [masculine & singular ] [ the cat was black]
Les fleurs étaient roses[feminine & plural ] [ the flower were pink ]
N.B There's a last category of adjectives, but it's rarely used, unless you read high literature ;]
Feminine of the adjectives
- If the adjectives ends with a vowel OR a consonnant [except 'x' ], just add an 'e' :
Mort [ dead ] / Morte
Joli [ pretty] / Jolie
- But if it ends with an 'x' , you replace the 'x' by 'se' :
Heureux [ happy ] / Heureuse
Plural of the Adjectives
See V ) Plural
2)Adverbs
In french, the adverbs, just as in english, are generally built with the adjective , at the feminine .
Feminine adjective + ment = adverb
Example :
Belle [ beautiful feminine ] + ment = bellement
Lente [ slow feminine ] + ment = lentement
Some exceptions :
Joliment [ the feminine of joli would be joliE . Here the masculine is used ] prettily
Gentiment [ the feminine of gentil is gentille ] = nicely
So... Adverbs don't take a genre nor a plural .
Generally they are placed after the verb :
Il bougea rapidement [ he quickly moved]
But , they can as well be at the beginning of the sentence , for example :
Rapidement, il bougea [ quickly, he moved ]
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:56 pm
VII ) Conjugation
1 ) Indicative Mode
Indicative Mode is made of 8 tenses :
Simple tenses :
- Présent de l'Indicatif = Present
- Imparfait de l'Indicatif = Simple Past
- Passé Simple de l'Indicatif = Simple Past [ Difference between Imparfait and Passé simple explained later]
- Futur de l'Indicatif = Future
Composed tenses :
- Passé Composé [ Présent + Past Participle ( 'participe passé ) of the verb] = Err... Ex: J'ai fait = I have done
- Plus que Parfait [ Imparfait + Past participle of the verb ]= Ex: J'avais fait = I had done
- Passé Antérieur [ Passé Simple + Past Participle of the verb] = Ex : J'eus fait = I had done
- Futur antérieur [ Futur + Past participle of the verb] = Ex : J'aurai fait = I will have done
N.B : In french, to express the past, we use 2 different tenses:
+Imparfait , used for :
-an action in the past whose ... duration [?] isn't defined : j'étais [ imparfait] sur le point de partir quand le téléphone sonna [passé simple ] = I was about to leave when the phone rang
-An action, a phenomenon who is repeated : Tous les jours il allait à l'école = Every day he went to school
- A description : Les arbres étaient verts = The trees were green
+ Passé Simple , used for :
- An action that is completed [ unlike the Imparfait ] : Il fit du pain = he made bread
-A sudden action : Soudain quelqu'un parla = Suddenly someone spoke
A ) Auxiliaries
In french, there is two auxiliaries : Être [ be ] and Avoir [ Have ]
How to use auxiliaries
In french we distinguis verbs of "state" [seem, disappear, be, ...] and verbs of "action" [do, run, sleep, etc]
Fortunately there only are a few state verbs, mostly : être [be], devenir [become], paraître [seem], sembler [seem], demeurer [stay], rester [stay], avoir l'air [seem].
They in fact indicate that the subject is undergoing an action
For the state verbs, you'll always use the auxiliary "être".
Whereas for all the other verbs, you'll use the "avoir" auxiliary.
Présent de l'Indicatif [ Present ]
Avoir
J'ai
Tu as
Il / Elle / On a
Nous avons
Vous avez
Ils / Elles ont
Être
Je suis
Tu es
Il / Elle / On est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils / Elles sont
Imparfait de l'indicatif [ Simple Past ]
Avoir
J'avais
Tu avais
Il / Elle / On avait
Nous avions
Vous aviez
Ils avaient
Être
J'étais
Tu étais
Il / Elle / On était
Nous étions
Vous étiez
Ils / Elles étaient
Passé Simple de l'Indicatif [ Simple Past ]
Avoir
J'eus
Tu eus
Il eut
Nous eûmes
Vous eûtes
Ils eurent
Être
Je fus
Tu fus
Il / Elle / On fut
Nous fûmes
Vous fûtes
Ils / Elles furent
Futur [ Future ]
Avoir
J'aurai
Tu auras
Il aura
Nous aurons
Vous aurez
Ils auront
Être
Je serai
Tu seras
Il sera
Nous serons
Vous serez
Ils seront
Le passé composé [ ' Composed past ' ]
N.B : Le Passé Composé is made this way : auxiliary at the present[ être ou avoir, depending on which verb you're using ] + verb at the participe passé [ ' past participle ' ]
For example : J'ai mangé = I have eaten
Avoir
J'ai eu [ = I have had ]
Tu as eu
Il/elle a eu
Nous avons eu
Vous avez eu
Ils/elles ont eu
Être
J'ai été [ = I have been ]
Tu as été
Il/Elle a été
Nous avons été
Vous avez été
Ils/Elles ont été
Plus Que Parfait [ ' Past perfect ' ]
N.B : You use : auxiliary at the Imparfait + verb at the past participle
Ex : J'avais lu le livre = I had read the book
Avoir
J'avais eu
Tu avais eu
Il/Elle avait eu
Nous avions eu
Vous aviez eu
Ils / Elles avaient eu
Être
J'avais été
Tu avais été
Il/Elle/On avait été
Nous avions été
Vous aviez été
Ils avaient été
Futur Antérieur
N.B: This is a time that is rarely used orally. You may find it in books.
Ex: J'aurai fait / I will have done
It's : Auxiliary at the future + the verb at the past participle
Avoir
J'aurai eu
Tu auras eu
Il/Elle/On aura eu
Nous aurons eu
Vous aurez eu
Ils/Elles auront eu
Être
J'aurai été
Tu auras été
Il/Elle/On aura été
Nous aurons été
Vous aurez été
Ils/Elles auront été
Passé Antérieur
N.B : It is also used rarely orally, but it can be extremely frequent in written french .
It's made like this : Auxiliary at the Passé simple + verb at the past participle
Avoir
J'eus eu
Tu eus eu
Il/Elle/On eut eu
Nous eûmes eu
Vous eûtes eu
Ils eurent eu
Être
J'eus été
Tu eus été
Il/Elle/On eut été
Nous eûmes été
Vous eûtes été
Ils/Elles eurent été
P.S : You'd better be brave, because there's about 20 tenses in French ;D
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:57 pm
VII ) Conjugation
1 ) Indicative Mode B ) Verbes du 1er groupe / First group verbs
In french, we have 3 big types of verbs .The first group of verbs is composed of all the verbs that end in 'er' : aimer, parler, fêter, etc
But, as you know ;] , the radical of the verb can vary . So, we're going to begin with the easiest verb [ aimer ] of the 1st group and then I shall list all the variances
Aimer
All the verbs of the 1st group are conjugated this way : radical + termination [ which is in bold ]
Except for the exceptions where the radical can vary xP
Présent de l'Indicatif / present
J'aime [ = I love ]
Tu aimes
Il aime
Nous aimons
Vous aimez
Ils aiment
Imparfait / Past Simple
J'aimais [ = I loved ]
Tu aimais
Il aimait
Nous aimions
Vous aimiez
Ils aimaient
Passé Simple / Past simple
J'aimai [ = I loved ]
Tu aimas
Il aima
Nous aimâmes
Vous aimâtes
Ils aimèrent
Futur / Future
J'aimerai [ I will love ]
Tu aimeras
Il aimera
Nous aimerons
Vous aimerez
Ils aimeront
Exceptions
1 ) The verbs that end in 'cer' [ placer , immiscer , ... ]
If the vowel after the 'c' is : ' a , o, u ' , then the 'c' takes a cédille [ ç ]
For example :
Je place [présent]
Je plaçais [ imparfait ]
Je plaçai [ passé simple ]
Je placerai [ futur ]
2) The verbs that end in 'ger [ manger, changer , ... ]
Ok... Let's try some phonetic xD
In french , a 'g' followed by 'e, i , y' is pronounced like the 'j' in 'jail'
But, if it's followed by 'a, u , o ' , it is pronounced differently [ like in 'gain' ]
So, when we want to pronounce it like 'jail' , but that the vowel is a 'a, o, u', we add an 'e' between the 'g' and the other vowel.
For example:
Je mange [ présent ] : no problem
Je mangeais [ imparfait ] : here we've put an 'e'
Je mangeai [ passé simple ] : 'e' again
Je mangerai [futur] : no problem
3) The verbs of the form e...er [ peser, crever , sevrer , lever , ... ]
So .Here it is a phonetical problem. If you have an 'e...[ consonants ]..e' , the first 'e' isn't [normally] pronounced. It's called a 'dumb' e . To avoid that, we put an accent grave on the e so that it becomes è .
But, if the termination of the verb begins with an 'a' [ e...a ] , for example at the imparfait , then the 'e' isn't dumb and doesn't need to be changed.
Ok... Examples are easier to understand ;]
Je pèse [ présent ] |
Je lève [ présent ] | They all take an 'è'
Je pesais [ imparfait ] |
Je levais [ imparfait ] | The original 'e' stays .
N.B : Don't think that it doesn't change anything, because an accent gives a totally different pronounciation
4 ) The verbs of the form é...er [ céder, ébrécher , régner , ...]
The 'é' doesn't change EXCEPT at the present, where it becomes 'è'
Example :
Je cède [ présent ] : an è instead of é
J'ébrèche [ présent] : same
Je cédais [ imparfait ] : no change
J'ébréchai [ imparfait ] : no change
Je céderai [ futur ] : no change
J'ébrécherai [ futur ] : no change
5 ) Verbs that ends in 'eler', 'eter' [ Jeter, épeler , appeler, modeler... ]
Now , this is getting more complicated XD In this group of verbs, there's two types :
a . Verbs doubling the 't' or 'l' before an 'e' dumb
All the verbs in 'eler', or 'eter' are conjugated this way, 'xcept for exceptions that I'll list
Examples :
Je jette [ présent ] |
J'épelle [ présent ] | The 't' or 'l' is doubled
J'apelle [ présent ] |
Je jetais [ imparfait ]
J'épelai [ passé simple ]
J'apellerai [ futur ] -> 'l' is doubled
b. Verbs changing the 'e' in 'è' before a dumb syllable
List :
- 'l' : Déceler, receler, ciseler, démanteler, écarteler, s'encasteler, geler [ dégeler, congeler, surgeler ] , marteler, modeler, peler
- 't' : acheter, racheter, bégueter, corseter, crochetter, fileter, fureter, haleter
Example :
J'achète [ présent ] -> e becomes 'è' instead of doubling the 't'
J'achetais [ imparfait ]
J'achetai [ passé simple ]
J'achèterai [ futur ] -> e becomes 'è'
-- not finished yet D;
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:58 pm
Phonetic
Vowels
a = à = a like in mama
i = ee like in see
u = ù = It sounds a bit like tuna . Actually I can't find any english equivalent D: But it sounds like a german ü .
o [when followed by a double consonnant] = o like in plot [ -> 'comme, 'pomme', 'folle / fol' ]
ô = o [ when followed by a simple consonnant ] =a like in call [ I'm not sure American and British pronounce it the same way though ... It'd rather be the american pronounciation then ] [ like in 'tôt' , 'flot' , 'écho' ]
y = i = ee
é = é in cliché or déjà-vu ( I'm pretty sure you all know those words ;] )
è = ê = ei = e in fell
e can be pronounced in several ways, or being 'silent' :
- It's generally pronounced like an 'é' when it's between two consonants
- It's pronounced 'eu' [ see later ] if it's between a 'ch' and a 'm' or a 'v' [ ex : cheveux, cheval , chemin , parchemin, etc ]
- It's silent if it's a the end of a word [ unless you're reading poetry, but I doubt that this happens everyday D; ] [ parle [ speak ] for example, is pronounced : pa-rl ]
[ Mhh... Lots of accents, such as on 'a' or 'u' do not change the pronounciation ]
Consonants
B = b
C + e / i / y = ss [ like a 's' ]
C + a / u / o = c like in concrete
ç + a / u / o = ss
D= d
F =f
G +u/ G + a / G + o = g like in gain
G +e / G + i / G + y = J like in jail [ only for the pronounciation of the 'g' uh ! ]
H alone is never pronounced ( for example : hache will be pronounced 'a-sh' )
J = j
K = k
L = l
M = m
N = n
P = p
R = Guttural 'r', a bit like in german again
S = ss if there's a consonant before or if doubled
S = z if there's a vowel before
T = t
V = v
w = v
x = x [ Like in excess ]
z = z
Erm... Others XD
Ai = aî = é if it's everywhere but at the end of a word [ aîné ]
Ai = è if it's at the end of a word [ lait , faisait , etc ]
Ai = eu if it's not at the end of the word and that it is followed by a simple 's' [ faisait : f-eu-z-é [ did ] ; faisan : f-eu-z-an ]
Au = A bit like 'o' in float, fault, but more deep
Aï = aille =Ay = y like in fly [ aille, caille , [ N.B : ayez is pronounced ' é-iié ' ... ]
Ch = sh like in shut
Ch = k [ this is quite rare here is some of those exceptions : ' écho ' , 'charisme' , chiasme , choeur ]
C-Ue+ille = k + eu + ii [ like a very very accentuated 'ee' in english ] [ cueille , accueil, cercueil ]
Eil = ey like in hey [ soleil ]
Ez / et / er = é if it's placed at the end of a word [ nez , flairer , furet ]
eu = e like in flower or flirt [ coeur, fleur , soeur ]
Gn = ... Sort of very very accentuated 'n' + ee [ except in 'gnou' where it's pronounced : g-n-ou ]
oe = é [ 'foetus ' , coelome ( although I doubt you'll ever use that word X'D ) ]
oeu = eu = e like in flower [ coeur, fleur , soeur ]
ou = like 'oo' in harpoon or in clooney . Or fool
Ph = f
Sc + a / o / u = 'sk' [ in scalpel , scaphandre for example ]
Sc + e / i / y = 'ss' [ ascenseur for example]
Tion = si-on [ like see ] + on [ attention, fonction, ... ]
N.B :
- A 'e' at the end of a word is never pronounced
- A 't' , except if preceeded by a 'e' [ et = é ] , is not pronounced.
Ex : Dit [ said ] = d-ee
- A 's' at the end of the word isn't pronounced [ except in 'les' or 'des' where the association of 'e' + 's' = é ]
- There are some words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently.
For example : (il) Est [ he is ] and Est [ east ] are pronounced differently : est like in 'is' is just an 'é' and the other like in 'east' is è-s-t
- A 'x' at the end of a word is never pronounced , it generally just shows the plural
LIAISONS
If you want to keep a certain flow in french, you have to make liaisons in some cases :
1 ) If a word ends by a 't' and is followed by a word beginning by a vowel, the liaison is pronounced 't+vowel'
Ex : Il est appelé ailleurs [ he is called somewhere else ] : there's a liaison here, it's pronounced 'ta' , you 'join' the two letters , it's like if it was spelled 'il é tappelé ... ' [ phonetically : Ee-l é ta-peu-lé ... ]
2 ) If a word ends by a 's' and is followed by a word beginning by a vowel, the liaison is pronounced 'z+vowel'
ex : Tu es adorable [ You are lovely ] : The liaison is pronounced 'za' [ phonetically : Tu é za-do-ra-bl ]
NASAL SOUNDS
For which I can't find any english equivalent XD : on [ = om ], an [ = am, en, em ], in [ = un, ein, im , ain]
These sounds are used ONLY when it's not followed by another vowel, which means :
- If it's at the end of a word :
ex : Flan [ blank ], tyran [ tyrant ]
- If it's followed by a consonnant :
ex : le plomb [ lead ] , penser [ think ]
Buuuut... If the consonnant is doubled, it isn't pronounced this way [ex : bohémien [ bo-é-mi-in ] / bohémienne [ bo-é-mi-è-n ] : first case , it's a nasal sound, second case, consonnant is double : the vowel and consonnant are pronounced separetely]
- If it's followed by another vowel, it's pronounced like 'vowel + consonnant' separately:
ex : Planer : Pl-a-n-é
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:02 pm
Although I found this very useful, you might want to start super basic with like pronunciation and things for those just starting. I don't know how easy you want to start though.
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