42. English
Introduction. How to use this course.
French language: similarities to English. Over 60 percent of English vocabulary
comes from French. Key to similar vocabulary. Active vocabulary is small: 500-
1,500 words.
Words in English ending with -ible and -able are the same in French.
possible
table
comfortable
it is / that is
the life
It is possible.
It is comfortable.
good
It is good.
very
It is very good.
It is very comfortable.
It is probable.
It is acceptable.
for me
for
It is for me.
for you
It is for you.
It is very comfortable for me.
it is not
Not for me, thank you.
thanks
It is not for me.
It is not very comfortable for me.
so-so (lit. like this, like that)
like that / that way
It is like that (that way).
It is not like that.
It is not possible for me that way.
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry but...
but
I'm sorry but it is not very comfortable for me that way.
I'm sorry but it is not acceptable for me that way.
It is very remarkable.
considerable
Words in English ending in -ent and -ant come from French. They have the same
spelling and the same meaning.
different
important
Pronunciation of im- and in-. The stress is always at the end of the word in French.
It is not very different that way.
But it is very important for me.
The 's' at the end of a word may be pushed over to the following word if that word
starts with a vowel. It is pronounced as a 'z'.
very important
evident
recent
constant
43. Words in English ending in -ary become -aire in French.
necessary
It is not necessary for me.
contrary
on the contrary
military
vocabulary
I would like...
to speak
to speak French
I would like to speak French.
with
with you
with me
I would like to speak French with you.
Will you...? / Will you..., please? / Do you want...?
Will you speak French with me?
to come
Will you come with me?
to eat
Will you eat?
Will you come eat with me?
to come
to go
Will you go eat with me?
Where?
Where do you want to go?
Where do you want to go eat?
tonight
It is for tonight.
It is for me.
Where do you want to go eat tonight?
to have dinner
the dinner
Where do you want to have dinner tonight?
Do you want to come have dinner with me tonight?
to know
I would like to know...
I would like to know where...
I would like to know where it is.
How much?
I would like to know how much it is.
something
the thing
the same thing
I would like to eat something.
I would like to eat the same thing.
Do you want to eat something?
Do you want to eat the same thing?
The same thing for me, please.
I would like the same thing for me, please.
Words in English ending in -ance and -ence come from French.
difference
preference
importance
influence
the difference
44. a difference
What difference?
What? / Which?
the preference
a preference
What preference?
Have you? / Do you have?
Do you have a preference?
What preference do you have?
For what restaurant do you have a preference tonight?
Words in English ending in -ion come from French. They have the same spelling
and the same meaning.
opinion
condition
the condition
a condition
What condition?
position
the position
a position
What position?
reservation
the reservation
a reservation
What reservation?
Do you have a reservation for me for tonight?
What sort...?
of
What kind of reservation do you have for me for tonight?
What kind of reservation do you want for tonight?
There are approximately 1,200 nouns in English and in French ending in -ion. Out
of 1,200 there are only three exceptions: translation, explanation, vacation
translation
I would like a translation.
to do / to make
Will you make a reservation for me?
What kind of reservation do you want to make?
Will you make a translation for me?
explanation
to give
Will you give an explanation for me?
vacation
to spend money
to spend time
to spend the vacation
Where do you want to spend the vacation?
the situation
What impression do you have of the situation?
Words in English ending in -ical end in -ique in French.
political
economical
philosophical
astronomical
logical
practical
It is not logical but it is very practical that way.
45. the political situation
the economical situation
and
the political and economical situation
in France
in / to (a country)
I would like to go to France.
I would like to spend the vacation(s) in France.
What impression do you have of the political and economical situation in France at
the present time?
What kind of reservation do you have for me?
What kind of reservation do you want for tonight?
The consonant at the end of a word in French is not pronounced unless it is
followed by an 'e'.
restaurant
It is very small.
too / too much
late
It is very late.
It is too late.
It is too much for me.
big / tall
He is big.
She is big/tall.
She is small.
fast
It is very fast.
It is too fast for me.
to speak
you speak
You speak too fast for me.
you go / you are going
You are going too fast for me.
It is very good.
so
It is so good.
if
if it is so good...
I would like to know if it is so good.
Why?
I would like to know why it is so good.
I would like to know where you are going.
I would like to know where you are going to have dinner tonight.
port / harbour
airport
the door
A consonant at the end of a word which is not followed by an 'e' is not pronounced
with the following four exceptions: C, R, F, L - CAREFUL consonants.
with
with me
with you
bag
A 'c' which is preceded by an 'n' is not pronounced.
white wine
a glass
a glass of white wine
46. I would like a glass of white wine.
bottle
I would like a bottle.
I would like a bottle of white wine.
water
I would like a glass of water.
I would like a glass of mineral water.
All words in English ending in -al or -el come from French.
normal
normally
general
generally
animal
special
It is very special.
specially for you
cup
I would like a cup of coffee.
still / still more
a little
I would like a little...
later
more
Will you come later?
a little later
Will you come a little later?
now
not now
possibly
not now, possibly a little later
I would like to eat something.
the same thing
I would like to eat the same thing.
other
the other thing
another thing
something else
I would like something else.
to see
bye bye
to see again
I would like to see something else.
Do you have something else?
Do you want something else?
Do you want to see something else?
to have
I would like to have something else.
I would like to know...
Difference between 'un(e) autre' and 'encore'
another glass (one more)
I would like another bottle of white wine.
I would like another cup of coffee.
I would like another glass of mineral water.
More on the CAREFUL consonants: -r
to leave
to speak
47. The 'to' form of a verb (infinitive) is expressed in an ending with -r. Ninety percent
of French verbs end in -er.
to go
More on the CAREFUL consonants: -f
beef
More on the CAREFUL consonants: -l
Definition of nouns, verbs and adjectives
If you know how to use the verbs, you know how to use the language. Verbs are
the backbone of any language.
to sleep
to comprehend / to understand
to do / to make
Will you come eat with me?
I must...
I must speak with you.
Will you speak French with me?
I must know where it is.
I am...
I am tired.
I am very tired now.
busy
I am very busy now.
I can
I can a little
Not for me, thank you.
I cannot.
The signal for the negative is 'ne'.
I am not.
I am not tired now.
But I am not very busy now.
to wait
because
I'm sorry but I cannot wait because I have to leave now.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry but I cannot come with you now because I am very busy.
I would like to speak with you.
I have to speak with you.
you speak
The ending for 'vous' is -ez.
Asking questions in French by inversion
Do you speak? / Are you speaking?
Do you speak French?
Do you go? / Are you going?
Where are you going?
Where are you going to have dinner tonight?
you leave / you are leaving
At what time?
At what time are you leaving?
to stay
you are staying
To form the first person of a verb, drop the -r from the infinitive.
I am staying
he is staying
she is staying
My friend is staying.
48. everybody
Everybody is staying.
I'm not staying.
I don't stay.
In English there are three ways to express the present tense: I stay, I am staying, I
do (not) stay. In French there is only one way: je reste.
I am busy.
I am not busy now.
ready
ready to wear
ready to eat
I am ready. (masculine)
The difference between masculine and feminine adjectival forms
I am ready. (feminine)
He is ready.
She is ready.
There are no -ing tenses in French: no 'is-ing', 'am-ing' or 'are-ing'
I am eating
I am speaking
You do not translate 'do' and 'don't' directly in French.
Do you speak?
Are you speaking?
you wait
The imperative
Wait!
Wait a moment!
You are not waiting.
You don't wait.
Why?
Why do you wait?
Why are you waiting?
we are leaving
with us
we are waiting
we speak
to start
you are starting
we are starting
At what time are you starting?
At what time do you start?
At what time do we start tomorrow?
tomorrow
At what time are we starting tomorrow?
I am starting
I am not starting.
he is starting
she is starting
She is not starting.
She doesn't start.
it / this / that
It starts.
It is ready.
It is starting.
'it is' is 'c'est' when not followed by -ing (it is ready). When followed by -ing, 'it is' is
'ça'.
It is very important.
It is very different.
49. It is not necessary.
It is not ready.
It is not starting.
It doesn't start.
he can
she can
It can start now.
It must start now.
It cannot start.
You can guess vocabulary but not structure.
At what time do you arrive tomorrow?
to arrive
At what time are you arriving?
At what time do we arrive in Paris tomorrow morning?
morning
to spend the whole morning
this evening
to spend the whole evening
good day
day
to spend the whole day
How to say 'in' and 'to' a city and a country
in / to (for cities)
in Paris / to Paris
in / to France
in / to England
in London / to London
I am arriving
he is arriving
she is arriving
soon
so long (until soon)
She is arriving soon.
today
'au' is a contraction of 'à' and 'le'.
the restaurant
at / to the restaurant
the office
I am at the office.
not today
to be
here
I would like to be here with you.
At what time are you going to be here?
I have
I have something for you.
I have a message for you.
he has
He has something for you.
I don't have
he doesn't have
hunger
I am hungry.
I would like to eat something now because I'm hungry.
I'm going
I'm going to stay here.
I'm going to leave soon.
50. I'm not going to stay.
I'm going to eat.
I'm going to start soon.
I'm not going to leave today.
he is going
He is going to start soon.
there
He is there.
He is not there.
He is not in.
Who?
Who is there?
My friend is there.
Everybody is there.
nobody
the person
a person
Nobody is in. / Nobody is there.
Everybody is ready.
I'm going to be ready soon.
He is going to be ready soon.
She is going to be ready soon.
Who is going to be there tonight?
all / everything
everything is going
Everything is going very well.
well
nothing
nothing is going
Nothing is going to be ready today.
Nothing is ready.
Who is ready?
Nobody is ready.
Everything is ready.
More practice of 'is going' and 'is'
Everybody is going to be ready soon.
it is going
How?
How is it going?
It is going well.
It is going very well.
It is going very well the way it is (like that).
It is going to be ready soon.
A closer look at the verb 'to go'
we are going
it is not going
It is not going to be ready today but everything is going to be ready for you
tomorrow.
More on 'aller'
For all verbs, the form for 'he', 'she' and 'it' follows the same sound as 'I'. For
example, for 'he can' think of 'I can'.
it can
Everybody would like to be here.
Everybody must leave soon.
Who speaks English here?
I speak
51. How to form the first person (I): with all -er verbs you cut off the -r and sound the
consonant. For non -er verbs you don't sound the consonant.
to understand
I understand
I don't understand.
he understands
Nobody understands.
Everybody understands very well.
you are leaving
we are leaving
I am leaving
Everybody is leaving.
I'm waiting
Everybody is waiting.
Nobody is waiting.
to take
I am taking
he is taking
It is taking too much time.
It doesn't take too much time.
It is not taking too much time.
to sell
I'm selling
he is selling
Everybody can start now.
Everybody must start now.
To make the verb forms for 'he', 'she' and 'it', you follow the sound of 'I' with three
exceptions: I am / he is, I have / he has, I'm going / he is going
Will you come with me?
Will you come have dinner with me at the house tonight because I would like to
speak with you. It is very important for me.
And I would like to know...
...at what time you are going to be here...
...because I'm going to prepare the dinner for us.
There are many French verbs for which you simply add an -er to the English.
formation
to form
to conform
to confirm
Will you confirm the reservation for me?
to observe
observation
to reserve
Will you reserve a table for two for dinner for tonight?
to invite
to consider
to accept
Will you accept the condition?
to prefer
you prefer
we prefer
I prefer
I must speak with you.
Whenever you have two or three consecutive verbs, you do not conjugate the
second or third verbs. They are always in the infinitive.
He must be here soon.
52. She must be ready now.
He must be ready.
It must be ready now.
It can be ready.
perhaps
Perhaps it can be ready now.
For non -er verbs in the first person you have an -s ending: 's' for 'self'. 'He', 'she'
and 'it' have the same sound as 'I' but they have a 't' at the end.
I do / I'm doing
he is doing
It makes a big difference that way.
to say / to tell
I say / I tell
he says / he tells
I see
he sees
you know
we know
We don't know.
You don't know.
Do you know?
Do you know where it is?
I know
I don't know.
he knows
I know where it is.
Nobody knows where it is.
Everybody knows where it is.
Who knows?
Review of the verb 'avoir'
you have
we have
we don't have
you don't have
Do you have?
Do we have?
The verb 'devoir'
to have to / must
you must / you have to
we must / we have to
We have to leave soon.
You have to come with me.
You have to wait.
He has to wait.
You have to separate 'we' (nous) and 'you' (vous) from everything else.
I'm going to wait here.
Everybody is going to wait.
Nobody can wait.
Can you?
you can
I would like to know if you can come with me.
Can you wait here?
we can
We cannot wait. We have to leave now.
she is going
everybody is going
Who is going?
53. to do it
I would like to do it.
I must do it.
I'm going to do it.
I'm not going to do it.
We're going to do it.
We're not going to do it.
You're going to do it.
You are not going to do it.
When?
When are you going to do it?
He is going to do it.
He is not going to do it because he cannot do it but he must do it.
You have to do it.
We have to do it / We must do it.
I cannot do it now.
Can you do it?
We cannot do it.
The pronoun 'le'
to see it
to see him
I'm going to see it tonight.
I'm going to see him tonight.
I cannot understand it.
I cannot understand him.
I'm going to take it.
I would like to know it.
I must know it.
I would like to have it.
I must have it today.
When do you want to have it?
to buy
I would like to buy it because I must have it.
I'm going to buy it.
Will you prepare it for me?
Will you accept the condition?
thank you very much
much / very much / many
I would like very much to accept the condition...
...but I'm sorry...
...but I cannot accept it...
...because it is not acceptable for me that way.
I'm going to see him tonight.
her
to see her
I'm going to see her tonight.
them
I'm going to see them tonight.
to see you
I would like to see you.
I'm going to see you tonight.
I hope
Whenever 'that' is implied in English but omitted, you say 'que' in French.
I hope [that] I'm going to see you tonight...
...because I would like very much to see you.
to see us
to see me
54. Can you come see me?
to understand it
to understand him
to understand her
to understand them
to understand you
I cannot understand you.
to understand us
to understand me
Can you understand me?
'me' is 'me' if placed before a verb and 'moi' after it.
to tell it
to tell you
to tell us
to tell me
I must tell you.
I'm going to tell you later.
to find
we find
I find
Will you tell me where it is because I cannot find it?
Can you tell me?
dear / expensive
dear friend
darling
It is very expensive.
It is too expensive.
Will you tell me how much it is...
...because I would like to have it...
...and I'm going to buy it...
...if it is not too expensive
I would like to buy it.
I'm going to buy it.
to call
to phone
Will you call me later?
Can you call me later?
When can you call me?
When are you going to call me?
I'm going to call you later.
Will you call me later...
...and can you tell me...
...at what time it is going to be ready
I have to have it today...
...if it is possible
I cannot understand him.
'attendre' is used in the sense of 'to await somebody'.
Will you wait for me?
Can you wait for me?
I'm going to wait for you.
I am in a hurry.
I'm sorry but I cannot wait for you because I am very much in a hurry and I have to
leave soon.
Whenever 'him' implies 'to him', use 'lui'.
him (to him)
to give
to carry
55. to wear
to bring
I'm going to bring you something.
the book
I'm going to bring you the book.
to send
I'm going to send him the book.
Will you send it to him?
When can you send it to him?
I'm going to see him tonight and I'm going to give him the book.
her (to her)
I'm going to see her tonight and I'm going to give her the book.
To whom?
It is for me.
It is for you.
It is for us.
It is for him.
for her
It's only in front of a verb that 'lui' means 'him / to him / her / to her'. Otherwise 'lui'
is 'him' and 'elle' is 'she / her'.
with him
with her
I'm going to give it to him.
I'm going to give it to her.
I'm going to bring him the book.
I'm going to bring her the book.
I'm going to bring the book to him.
I'm going to bring the book to her.
them (implying 'to them')
the money
silver
I'm going to send them the money.
'my' - masculine, feminine and plural forms
my father
my mother
with my father
with my mother
my parents
'his' - masculine, feminine and plural forms
his father
his mother
his parents
'her' - masculine, feminine and plural forms
her father
her mother
her parents
'their'
their father
their mother
their parents
I'm going to bring them their book.
Will you tell him?
Will you tell him that I'm going to call him later?
to ask
Will you ask him?
Will you ask him if he can wait for me?
I don't have the time.
56. The concept of masculine and feminine nouns
the police
the army
love
Nouns in English ending in -ty come from French. In French they end with -té and
are feminine.
liberty
the difficulty
the facility
the possibility
the opportunity
the speciality
What speciality do you have?
What is the speciality of the house?
the quality
What quantity?
society
Verbs that end in -ate in English end in -er in French. In speaking just drop the
sound of the 't'.
to operate
to moderate
to accelerate
to facilitate
to negotiate
to cooperate
Verbs ending in -fy in English end in -fier in French.
to certify
to modify
to justify
Articles in French: 'le' (the) = 'un' (a) and 'la' (the) = 'une' (a)
In spoken language 'le' and 'la' is contracted and pulled into the preceding word so
it becomes 'l'
I don't have the time.
problem
In French all words ending in -me are masculine.
It's not the problem.
It's not a problem.
In spoken language for 'un' and 'une', just touch the 'n'.
there is / there are
There is a problem.
someone
There's someone here who would like to speak with you.
To ask a question, use inflection (for example: Il y a quelqu'un ici?) or 'est-ce
que...'.
Is there...? / Are there...?
Is there a message for me?
'the' in the plural is 'les'.
the messages
the books
The plural of 'un / une' is 'des'.
I'm going to buy books/ some books.
I'm going to buy some flowers/ flowers.
There is a message for you.
There are messages for you.
Are there any messages for me?
Is there someone here who speaks English?
There is nobody here who speaks English. parle anglais.
57. 'nobody' and 'not'. 'ne' is the signal that you are going to use a negation.
not
Not for me.
Not now.
'no' or 'not any' (none of) is 'pas de'.
none of
No coffee for me.
No problem.
No cream for me.
No sugar for me.
Nobody understands why.
I don't understand.
I understand it.
I don't understand it.
true
It is true.
It is not true.
Is that so?
Ah, truly?
I don't understand him.
I don't understand her.
I don't understand them.
I don't understand you.
He doesn't understand you.
He doesn't understand us.
He doesn't understand me.
I understand you very well.
I don't understand you very well.
nothing
'pas' is only used for 'not'. All other negations replace the 'pas'.
I don't understand anything.
I don't see it.
I don't see anything.
never
I never see it.
I never understand why.
I can never understand.
I cannot understand anything.
I would like a glass of mineral water.
I would like a cup of coffee.
It is not possible to do it.
If you use an adjective followed by a full verb, you add 'de' after the adjective.
It is not necessary to do it now.
happy
She is happy.
He is happy.
I am happy.
I am happy to do it for you.
I am very happy to see you.
I am very glad to see you.
If a noun is followed by the infinitive, you add 'de' after the noun.
Time: passing of time (temps), sequence of times (fois)
time (sequence of times)
once
twice
three times
58. the first time
the next time
the last time
once more
I'm going to see it next time.
I see it for the first time.
I would like to have the opportunity to see it next time.
I don't always have the opportunity to see it.
I don't always have the time to do it.
It is always a pleasure to see it.
I'm taking it.
It is taking too much time that way.
It is making a big difference that way.
I enjoy
I'm pleased to see you.
I'm very pleased to see you.
I'm sorry but I don't have the time to do it now because I'm very busy.
You use 'de' after adjectives, nouns and also after some verbs such as 'dire',
'demander' and 'décider' if they are followed by another verb.
to decide
Will you ask him to do it?
Will you tell him to wait for me?
Will you ask him to call me later?
In English you need to make a distinction between 'have to' (must) and 'have to
drink, eat, etc.'. For the latter, you use 'avoir + à'.
What do you have?
Do you have...?
Do you understand?
Is it that you understand?
Is it that you understand me?
What is it that...?
What do you have to eat? (What have you got to eat?)
You have to eat.
to drink
What do you have to drink?
What is there?
What is there to drink?
What is there to eat?
You use 'à' after 'chose' if it is followed by a verb because it is normally an
extension of 'have'.
I have something to tell you.
After expressions of quantity you use 'de'.
How much time?
too much time
much time
I don't have much time.
many things
I'm going to buy many things.
I don't have too much time.
I'm not going to buy too many things.
If an expression of quantity is followed by a verb, you use 'à'.
I have much to do.
I have much too much to do.
I have nothing to do.
nothing doing
'what?'
59. What difference?
What is the difference?
between
between us
between the two / between both
What is the difference between the two?
What speciality do you have tonight?
What address?
What is your address?
telephone number
What is your telephone number?
If you combine nouns in French (telephone + number = telephone number), you
need to join them together with 'de'.
What is your name?
'what' followed by a verb is 'que?'
What do you want?
What do you want to eat?
What do you want to do now?
What do you want to know?
What do you prefer?
to think
What do you think?
What do you have?
Instead of 'que?' you can also use 'qu'est-ce que?' for 'what?'. They are
interchangeable. If you use 'qu'est-ce que?', you do not invert.
What is it that you want?
What do you know?
What do you have for me?
What do you want to say? / What do you mean?
what (in the middle of a sentence)
I don't know what I'm going to do today.
Nobody knows what it is.
Who knows?
I don't understand what you mean.
There are only two verbs for which the ending for the first person is 'x' not 's':
'pouvoir' and 'vouloir'.
I want
I want it.
I don't want it.
That's not what I want.
That's exactly what I want.
But that's not what I mean.
Sound distinction between 'veux' and 'vais'
I want to do it.
I'm going to do it.
I'm going to do it because I want to see it.
That's not what I mean.
I don't understand what it means.
it means
What does it mean?
to explain
Will you explain to me what you mean? vous voulez dire?
The future tense (1): use the present tense of 'aller' and the infinitive (I am
going...).
I will do it tomorrow.
He will be here in a few days.
I will arrive tomorrow morning.
60. We will arrive tomorrow morning.
The future tense (2): background information on origins (I to leave have)
He will leave.
The ending -rai with any verb means 'I will'. The ending -ra means 'he/she/it will'.
The ending -rez means 'you will'. The ending -rons means 'we will'.
I will say. / I will tell.
I will wait.
You will wait.
We will wait.
He will wait.
I will understand.
I will not understand it.
I won't understand you.
He won't understand me.
He will tell you.
He won't tell me.
I will ask you later.
It will start soon.
It will start soon. / It is going to start soon.
The future tense (3): use of the present tense
It starts tomorrow.
next week
I'm going to see you next week.
to lift / to lift up
I'm lifting it.
He's lifting it.
She's lifting it.
one is starting
One is starting now.
In spoken language 'on' is often used for 'we'.
One is very comfortable here.
one is going / we are going
One is going to leave.
One is going to stay here. / We are going to stay here.
Shall we...?
Shall we start?
Shall we leave?
Shall we stay?
What shall we...?
What shall we do?
What shall we eat?
What shall we order?
What shall we drink?
What shall we take?
When referring to food or drink you do not use the verb 'avoir' (to have), you use
'prendre' (to take).
I'm going to have a cup of coffee.
to have lunch
the lunch
Will you have lunch with me?
breakfast
Will you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning?
I will do it.
In English 'will' expresses the future tense with one exception: 'will you
(please...)?', which is a polite request and not the future tense.
61. Will you come with me?
Do you want to come with me?
Will you wait for me?
Do you want to wait for me?
Introduction to reflexive verbs
I'm getting up (lifting myself up).
We are getting up.
You are getting up.
He is getting up.
One is getting up. / We are getting up.
I'm going to get up.
One is going to get up. / We are going to get up.
Shall we get up?
Will you get up, please?
When (At what time) are you going to get up tomorrow morning?
I'm asking
I'm asking you.
I wonder
I call
I call you.
I call you tomorrow.
My name is... (I call myself)
to call back / to recall
Will you call me back?
I'm going to call you back.
Will you tell him to call me back?
I call you back later.
I remember. (I recall to myself.)
I don't remember.
to hurry
I'm hurrying.
I'm going to hurry.
I must hurry.
One is going to hurry.
We are going to hurry.
You must hurry.
Will you hurry, please.
'en' is used for 'in' with countries and continents that take 'la'(feminine), but 'au' is
used for 'in' with masculine countries (those countries that end in a consonant).
in France / to France
in England
in Italy / to Italy
in Germany
in Switzerland
We are going to Spain.
We are going to be in Spain.
in California
in Japan / to Japan
in Denmark
in Portugal
in Brazil
in Italy
in Canada
in Quebec
'en' is also used for languages.
in French
62. How does one say ... in French?
one says...
How is it spelt? (How does it write itself?)
to write
What price?
What is the price?
It is how much?
Will you write it?
Will you write down the price?
in English
in Spanish
in passing / while passing
in/while waiting / in the meantime
of it / from it / some of it / any of it / some (implying 'some of it') / any (implying
'any of it')
I want some of it.
I don't want any of it.
I'm going to buy some.
I would like to have some.
Do you want to have some?
Do you have it?
Do you have any of it/ some of it?
Do you want some of it?
enough
I have enough.
I have enough of it.
I'm fed up with it.
I really am fed up with it.
'to need' is 'to have need of' - 'avoir besoin de...'
I need this book.
I need to do it.
one must
One must do it. / It is necessary to do it.
I need...
It is necessary for me to do it.
What do you want to do now?
if you want
The ending for 'you' is always -ez with three one-syllable exceptions (the three
'cuties'): vous êtes (you are), vous faites (you do/make), vous dites (you say)
you are
Where are you?
Are you busy?
Are you free?
Where are you?
you are doing/making
What are you doing?
you are saying/telling
What are you saying?
I don't understand what you're saying.
I'm hurrying because I am in a hurry.
Will you hurry, please?
Hurry yourself.
to bother
It bothers me.
It doesn't bother me.
It bothers you.
63. Does it bother you if I smoke?
to smoke
information
to teach
to inform
to inform oneself / to get some information
I'm going to find out.
Auxiliary verbs (handles). After you grab a handle (such as 'pouvoir'), you use the
whole verb.
He doesn't do it. (using a handle)
Why don't you do it now? (using a handle)
Why don't you tell me? (using a handle)
Why don't you come with me? (using a handle) venir avec moi?
Auxiliary handle - 'must' (devoir)
I have to leave now.
One must leave now.
Auxiliary handle - 'want' (vouloir)
The handle in the past tense
I could
'you can' gives you 'I could' and 'he could': pouvez - pouvais - pouvait
I couldn't understand you.
He couldn't wait for us.
I had to
he had to
He had to leave.
He wanted to wait.
He wanted to buy it.
I didn't want to buy it.
Another handle - 'know' (savoir)
I knew
I didn't know.
Another handle - 'have' (avoir)
I had
I didn't have the time to do it.
Another handle - 'was'
I was
it was
it was not
It was not possible to do it that way...
...because I was very busy.
yesterday
yesterday morning
yesterday afternoon
yesterday evening
I was there last night...
...but nobody was there.
I like / I love
I like to do it that way.
Difference between 'like' and 'love' (use of 'bien')
I love you.
I like you.
I like you but I don't love you.
I adore doing it.
Conclusion.
Introduction to the Advanced course.
I want it now.
I don't want them.
64. Do you want it?
Is it that you want it?
You want it?
Why do you want it now?
Why don't you want it now?
I don't know where it is.
I don't know what it is.
to explain
Can you explain to me what it is?
What do you want?
What do you want to do?
What do you want to say?
What do you mean?
I don't understand what you mean.
Can you explain to me what you mean?
That's not what I mean.
It means...
What does it mean?
I don't understand what it means.
I want it.
I don't want it.
I want some/some of it.
I don't want any.
I don't know what it means.
There are many people here.
the world
everybody
Everybody knows where it is.
Nobody knows where it is.
Nobody can find it.
Everyone wants to see it.
I have it.
I don't have it.
I want them.
I don't want them.
I don't want anything.
'en' means 'of it', 'some of it', 'any of it'.
I don't understand it.
I don't understand anything. / I understand nothing.
never
I never understand what he wants.
I don't know anything.
I never know.
I don't know anymore.
anymore
I'm going to see it.
I'm going there.
I would like to go there.
(But) I cannot go there now.
I'm busy.
I'm very busy now.
I would like to go there.
with you
with him
with her
with them
I'm going to see him tonight and I'm going to give him his book.
65. I'm going to see her tonight and I'm going to give her her book.
'lui' means 'him', 'to him/her', 'to her'.
I'm going to tell him.
I'm going to tell her.
Will you tell him?
Can you tell her?
them / to them
Will you tell them?
Will you give them the book?
the book
the pound (£)
silver
I'm going to send her the money.
I'm going to send them the money.
I'm going to send the money to him.
I'm going to send the money to her.
I'm going to send the money to them.
I'm going to send it to him.
I'm going to send it to her.
I'm going to send it to you.
If there are two pronouns together and both start with an 'l', then 'le', 'la' and 'les'
come before 'lui' and 'leur'.
I'm going to send them to her.
I'm going to send them the money.
I'm going to send them to Paris.
I'm going to write a letter to them.
I'm going to send them to them.
Will you send it to me?
Will you send it to me?
not to him
Will you send them to us?
not to them
I cannot tell it to you now because I do not know it.
-er verbs
to ask
to stay
-ir verbs
-re verbs
to sell
to wait
to understand
to take
to put
-oir verbs
to have
to know
to see
to be able
the power
to have to / must
the duty
That is your duty.
homework
to speak
Verbs can be divided into two boxes: a long box and a short box. 'vous' and 'nous'
go in the long box.
you speak
66. we speak
All other forms of the verb (not 'vous' and 'nous') go in the short box (cut off the
'r'). For 'parler' the short box is 'parle'.
I speak
I am ready.
I am eating
In French there are no -ing tenses: no 'am-ing', 'is-ing' or 'are-ing'.
I don't speak.
we are staying
you are staying
How long are you staying?
How long are we staying?
Stay!
Stay here!
Don't stay!
Let's stay!
Let's stay here!
Let's speak French!
Speak French with me!
Don't speak English now!
I'm staying
I'm not staying.
Everybody is staying.
Nobody is staying.
My friend is staying.
It is ready.
It is staying.
It is not staying.
he is staying
they are staying
-ent at the end of a verb is silent and means 'they'
different
evident
It is special.
specially
normal
normally
possible
possibly
certain
certainly
evidently
constant
constantly
to start / to begin
we are starting
Let's start!
At what time are we starting?
At what time are you starting?
Start now!
Don't start now, start a little later.
I don't understand.
I don't understand anything.
I don't understand any more.
It is starting now.
Everybody is starting.
My friend is starting.
67. my friends
My friends are starting.
My friends are arriving tonight.
to leave
we are leaving
Let's leave!
At what time are you leaving?
At what time are we leaving?
Don't leave!
to prepare
He is preparing it.
They are preparing it.
He is not accepting it.
He doesn't accept the condition.
Everybody is ready.
My friends are arriving.
My friends are leaving.
they are leaving
They are selling it.
they are waiting
They are waiting for me.
My friends are waiting for me.
Wait a moment!
Let's wait here.
Don't wait!
They're waiting for you.
In the short box, if it is not an -er verb, you don't sound the consonant (except for
'they').
I'm waiting
he is waiting
they are waiting
Everybody is leaving.
I'm leaving
they're leaving
to sleep
I'm sleeping
he is sleeping
Everybody is sleeping.
My friends are sleeping.
she is sleeping
to serve
He is serving the dinner.
They are serving the dinner at seven o'clock.
One is serving the dinner at seven o'clock.
Use of 'on'
We are very comfortable here.
We are leaving soon.
We are going to leave soon.
We are going to start soon.
We are starting soon.
We can start now.
We must start.
to feel
I feel it.
They feel it.
He feels it.
68. I feel (myself) fine.
I don't feel well.
I feel better.
This wine is better than the other.
In English the comparative and superlative of 'good' is 'better' and 'best'. The
comparative and superlative of 'well' is also 'better' and 'best'. However, in French
'better' of 'well' is 'mieux' and of 'good' it's 'meilleur'.
It is the best wine of the house.
I feel better now.
I feel much better now.
to smell
It smells good.
he is sleeping
one is sleeping
they are sleeping
In spelling, with -er verbs you drop the 'r' and you are left with the 'e' ending,
except for 'they' (-ent). If it is not an -er verb, in spelling you add 's' for 'I' (self) and
't' for 'he/she/it'.
to do / to make
I'm doing
I'm not doing it.
He's doing it.
One is doing it.
One is not doing it that way.
It is making a big difference that way.
All nouns ending in -ance and -ence take 'la / une'.
It doesn't make much difference.
It is too late.
You're going too fast.
It is too much.
to work
He is working too much.
It is taking too much time.
After expressions of quantity use 'de' (of).
It is much too much.
It is much too much for me.
It is taking much too much time like that.
I'm taking it.
he is taking
He doesn't understand me.
Everybody is waiting for me.
My friends are waiting for me.
In spelling -ir verbs in the short box, you drop the consonant that you don't sound.
For the endings you have 's' and 't'.
Dinner is being served.
I'm putting it on the table.
He is putting it on the table.
Where are you putting it?
Put the book on the table.
Don't put it here.
Start now!
Don't start!
Let's not start!
Let's wait!
Let's not wait!
Let's put the book on the table.
on the floor
69. Let's not put it on the floor.
Don't put it on the floor.
Whenever you use the positive command (imperative), the pronoun comes after
the verb. In all other cases, the pronoun comes before the verb.
Put it here.
Don't put it here.
Position of the pronoun with a positive imperative
Don't put it there.
Put them on the table.
Don't put them on the floor.
I'm calling you.
You're being called.
Call me later.
Don't call me today, call me tomorrow.
Wait for me.
Wait for me here.
You can avoid the positive imperative by using 'will you...'.
Will you wait for me?
Don't wait for me.
You have to wait for me.
One has to wait for me. / One must wait for me.
I'm doing it.
I have
he has
they have
Formation of future tense
I will leave tomorrow.
he will leave
they will leave
-ai, -a, -ont hooked onto the infinitive forms the future tense and becomes -rai, -ra,
-ront.
I will leave
he will leave
they will leave
we will leave
you will leave
'I will...' and 'you will...' have the same sound (-rai/-rez). 'we will...' and 'they will...'
also have the same sound (-rons/-ront). The three sounds, -rai, -ra, -ront, apply to
all verbs in the future tense.
-oir verbs
I will be able
I will have to
We will have to leave soon.
Future of 'avoir'
I will have it.
We will have it.
Future of 'savoir'
I will know
I will tell you later.
I will write to you.
I will do it.
He won't do it.
He won't tell you why he won't do it.
Spelling of 'fera'
I will put it here.
All composite verbs in English that contain 'mit' come from the French 'mettre'.
70. to commit
to omit
to permit
to submit
I promise
I promise you.
I will take it.
I won't understand him.
He will sell it.
He is selling it.
They're selling it.
to come
he is coming
they are coming
They are coming from Vienna.
It is coming.
It is going to come.
I will come
we will come
to come back
I will come back
They will come back soon.
We will come back soon.
We are going to come back soon.
Exception for future tense: être (to be)
I will be
he will be
they will be
we will be
you will be
They are going to be here soon.
They will be here tonight.
It will not be possible to do it.
It won't be necessary to do it today.
It will take too much time that way.
It will take much too much time.
It's a pleasure to see you. / I enjoy seeing you.
I enjoy very much seeing you.
I am looking forward to seeing you.
Exception for future tense: aller (to go)
I'm going
he is going
they are going
we are going
you are going
They are going to come with us.
I will go
he will go
we will go
they will go
you will go
I will go there.
We will go there tonight.
Three ways of using the future: 'will', 'going to', the present tense
I will call you tomorrow.
I'm going to call you tomorrow.
I call you tomorrow.
71. I call you next week.
The present tense is often used in French to signify the future.
Exceptions for 'we' in the present tense
Exceptions for 'you' in the present tense
you are
you are doing/making
you are saying/telling
What are you doing?
What are you saying?
I don't understand what you are saying.
Tell me!
Don't tell me, I don't want to know it!
Don't tell it to me.
Don't tell it to him.
Don't tell it to her.
The key to the short box is the sound of the first person (I). There's a difference in
spelling, but the sound is the same.
Everything must be ready today.
The key to the long box is the infinitive.
we know
Verbs that contain 'prendre' lose the 'd' in the present tense.
to learn
to take back
we understand
you understand
Do you understand?
Do you understand it?
Do you understand me?
We are taking it.
Why don't you take it?
they are taking
They are taking it.
They don't understand it.
The verbs 'to have', 'to be' and 'to go' in the present tense.
we have
you have
he is
they are
Where are they?
They are not there.
They are not in.
He isn't in.
Exceptions for 'they' in the present tense
they are doing
They are doing it.
They are not doing it.
For the past tense use 'have'. If you want to say 'I bought it.', you will say 'I have
bought it.'. Did you buy it? = Have you bought it? / I saw it. = I have seen it. / He
didn't understand. = He has not understood. In French you dive into the past:
'have' is the diving board. With -er verbs you dive into 'é', which has the same
sound as the infinitive.
I spoke
he spoke
Did you speak?
We didn't speak with him.
When did you speak with him?
Did you buy something?
72. What did you buy?
He prepared the dinner.
The picture started.
already
still / still more
I would like another cup of coffee.
a little more
not yet
We have not yet started.
The picture started already.
ten minutes ago
two days ago
I have it.
I don't have it.
I have them.
I don't have them.
I have some.
I don't have any.
I bought it.
I didn't buy it.
I bought them.
I did not buy them.
I bought some for you.
I didn't buy any because I didn't find any.
How many did you buy (of it) of them?
Where did you buy them?
to forget
I forgot where I bought them.
At what time did you call?
At what time did you call me?
She called me this morning.
Why did you call me?
Why didn't you call me?
I called them.
I called him.
I called her.
I called you.
I didn't call you.
to ask
I asked you.
I didn't ask you.
Why did you ask me?
Why didn't you ask me?
With -re verbs when you dive, you drop the 're' and replace it with 'u'.
sold
I sold it.
Why did you sell it?
Why didn't you sell them?
He sold them.
We sold some.
I waited.
I waited for you.
You didn't wait for me.
Why didn't you wait for me?
With -ir verbs when you dive, you drop the 'r'.
We finished.
73. At what time did you finish?
He slept.
We slept well.
He slept very badly.
There are two diving towers: 'to have' and 'to be'.
Dinner is prepared.
He sold it.
Everything is sold.
Nothing is sold yet.
One served the dinner.
Dinner is served.
Verbs that don't follow the pattern for diving into the past
understood
Service is included.
Service is not included.
Did you understand?
Did you understand it?
Did you understand me?
Why did you not understand me?
I understood you.
I understood you well.
I understood you very well.
When you dive into the past, 'prendre' becomes 'pris'.
I took them.
I took some of it.
Why did you take them?
Why didn't you take them?
I learnt.
I learnt something today.
I found out.
When you dive into the past, 'mettre' becomes 'mis'.
Where did you put it?
Where did you put them?
I forgot where I put them.
to admit
When you dive into the past, 'promettre' becomes 'promis'.
I promised you.
No, I did not promise you.
You promised me.
I promised him.
It is promised.
The diving part of 'faire', 'dire' and 'écrire' is 'fait', 'dit' and 'écrit' - the same as the
present tense.
He did it.
the fact
Usually words ending in -ct in English come from French.
object
object of art
subject
I didn't do it.
Why did you do it?
Why didn't you do it?
He didn't do it.
He told me.
I told you.
I didn't tell you.
74. You told me.
Why didn't you tell me?
I wrote to you.
Why didn't you write to me?
Why didn't you call me?
It is written.
I was told.
I called you this morning.
Why didn't you buy them?
I was
I had
I was very busy.
He was here.
they were
Who was there?
Nobody was there?
I was there.
I was very busy.
It was ready.
I was there but it wasn't ready yet.
Who was there with you last night?
last night
I was there but nobody was there.
we were
you were
Whenever you have -ais in the short box, in the long box you will have -ions and
-aient.
he had
they had
we had
you had
We had a plane.
Everything was sold.
Everything will be sold.
After all forms of 'to be' or 'to have', you have to dive.
he would like
they would like
Everybody would like to see it.
My friends would like to go there.
we would like
you would like
The endings -rais, -rait, -raient, -riez express 'would'.
Use the same contractions for 'would' as for 'will'.
I will have
he will have
they will have
we will have
you will have
I would have
he would have
they would have
we would have
you would have
I would have it.
We would have it.
We would have them.
We would have bought them.
75. For -oir verbs dive into 'u'.
seen
I saw it.
if I had seen it
If I had seen it, I would have bought it.
When you dive, 'savoir' becomes 'su'.
If I had known it, I would have told you.
If you had told me, I would have seen it and I would have bought it.
He wouldn't have waited.
Difference between 'would' (-ait) and 'would have' (aurait)
You wouldn't wait.
We wouldn't wait.
He would sell it.
He would have sold it.
I did it.
I didn't do it.
You didn't tell me.
'was', 'had' and 'would have'
He was not here.
Who was there last night?
I was there with my friend but you were not there.
Where were you last night?
I was very busy and I didn't have the time to do it.
I have had.
The diving part of avoir = eu, savoir = su, pouvoir = pu, devoir = dû, voir = vu.
Difference between pronunciation of 'vous' and 'vu'
Did you see?
Did you see it?
Where did you see me?
I was there last night but I didn't see you.
Where were you?
I didn't see you.
Diving board levels: I saw it (I have seen it) / I had seen it / I would have seen it
I would have told you why I didn't buy it.
He wouldn't have done it.
He wouldn't do it.
If you had told it to me, I would have known it.
There are some verbs where you don't dive from the low diving board (examples:
'was' and 'had').
if I had had
been
in summer
summer fashion
summer dress
If I had been there, I would have seen it.
You would have seen it if you had been there last night. été la hier soir.
Whenever you have two or three consecutive verbs, the second and third are
always the infinitive.
I could
they could
Nobody could wait.
we could
you could
I had to
He had to wait.
