MICHEL THOMAS FRENCH (BASIC) COURSE, 8 CDs

TRANSCRIPT

This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in
the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The
booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this
transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too.

Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without
buying the recordings.

Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes.
Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets.

Version 2, Jan 15th 2006

Transcribed by JK

CD 1 (58.09)
(1) 4.49
(2) 9.18
(-ible words stay the same in french)
possible
(-able words stay the same in French)
table
comfortable
possible
table
comfortable
it is, that is
life
it is possible
it is comfortable
good
it is good
very
it is very good
it is very comfortable
probable
acceptable
it is acceptable
for me
it is for me
for you
it is for you
it is very comfortable for me
it is
it is not
not
it is not for me thank you
thanks
it is
it is not
it is not for me
not for me thanks
it is not very comfortable for me
(3) 5.12
so-so
(literally like this, like that)
like that, that way
it is like that
it is not like that
it is not possible for me that way
it is not possible for me like that
I'm sorry
I'm sorry, 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
(4) 8.41
(-ent, -ant words stay the same in French)
different
important
it is not very difficult that way
but it is very important for me
(the s of trs leans into a following vowel, sounding like a z, i.e. tre zimportant)
evident
recent
constant
(-ary words 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
will you speak French with me
to come
will you come with me
to eat
will you eat
to come
will you come with me
will you come eat with me
(5) 4.55
to go
to come
to go
will you go eat with me
where
o
where do you want to go
where do you want to go eat
tonight, this evening
it is for tonight
it is for me
it is for tonight
where do you want to go eat tonight
to have dinner
where do you want to have dinner tonight?
do you want to come have dinner with me tonight?
(6) 4.25
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
thing
the same thing
I would like to eat something
I would like to eat the same thing
will you
do you want
do you want to eat something?
do you want to eat the same thing?
the same thing for me please
please
I would like the same thing for me please
(7) 7.17
(-ence, -ance words stay the same in French)
difference
preference
importance
influence
difference
the difference
a difference
the difference
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?
(-ion words stay the same in French)
opinion
condition
the condition
a condition
what condition
position
the position
a position
what position
reservation
the reservation
a reservation
what reservation
have you, do you have
do you have a reservation for me for tonight?
(8) 9.02
what kind
of
what kind of reservation do you have for me for tonight?
will you
do you want
what kind of reservation do you want for tonight?
(the 1200 nouns which end -ion in French are identical in English, there are only three
exceptions)
translation
I would like a translation
to do, to make
will you make a reservation for me?
what kind of reservation to you want to make?
will you make a translation for me?
explanation
to give
will you give an explanation for me?
vacation
to spend (time)
to spend (money)
to spend the vacation
where do you want to spend the vacation?
the situation
what impression do you have?
what impression do you have of the situation?
(9) 4.30
(-ical words become -ique in French)
political
economical
philosophical
astronomical
logical
practical
it is not logical, but it is very practical that way
(French adjectives follow the noun)
the political situation
the economical situation
and
the political and economic situation
in France, to France
I would like to go to France
I would like to spend the vacation in France

(end of recording)
CD 2 (61.27)
(1) 8.38
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?
(consonants at the end of the word are not sounded, unless they are followed by a silent
-e)
small
it is very small
too, too much
it is too small
late
it is very late
it is too late
it is too much for me
(pronunciation of petite, grande)
he is big
she is big
she is little
(pronunciation of vit, vite)
fast
it is very fast
it is too fast for me
(2) 5.57
to speak
(infinitive verbs end -r e.g. parler)
you speak
you speak too fast for me
to go
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
to go
you are going
I would like to know where you are going
to have dinner
I would like to know where you are going to have dinner tonight
(3) 10.00
port, harbour
airport
door
(for consonance may be pronounced at the end of the word: c, r, f, l, the so-called
careful consonants. For example avec, sac, but not words ending -nc e.g. blanc)
bag
white
franc
white wine
a glass
a glass of white wine
I would like a glass of white wine
bottle
I would like a bottle
I would like a bottle of white wine
water
from
I would like a glass of white wine
I would like a glass of water
I would like a glass of mineral water
(words ending -el, -al are the same in French)
normal
normally
general
generally
animal
special
it is very special
especially for you
I would like a glass of mineral water
cup
I would like a cup of coffee
(4) 4.36
still, still more
a little
I would like a little
late
it is very late
it is too late
later, more late
to come
will you come later
a little
a little later
will you come a little later
now
not now
possible
possibly
not now, possibly a little later
(5) 4.57
I would like to eat something
("s" between two vowels has the sound of a "z")
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
goodbye
to see
I would like to see something else
do you have something else?
do you want something else?
(6) 8.04
to know
to have
to see
I would like to have something else
I would like to know
I would like a glass of white wine
I would like another glass of white wine
another please! (to waiter)
I would like another bottle of white wine
I would like a cup of coffee
I would like another cup of coffee
I would like a glass of mineral water
I would like another glass of mineral water
(7) 4.34
(the final -r is pronounced, except in -er e.g. parler. 90% of French verbs end -er)
to go
beef
(8) 8.39
(explanation of what noun, adjective and verb means. Infinitives end -er, -ir and -re)
to leave
to sleep
to know
to understand
to do, make
(when two or three verbs appear consecutively, all but the first are in infinite form)
will you
to come
to eat
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
tired
I am tired
I am very tired now
busy
I am very busy now
(9) 6.02
a little
I can
I can a little
not now
not for me thank you
I can
I cannot
(French uses a negative signal ne for any kind of negation, which is often dropped in the
spoken language, e.g "I cannot" je peux pas)
I am
I am not
I'm not tired now
but I'm very busy now mais
I'm sorry, but
but I'm not very busy now mais

(end of recording)
CD 3 (62.22)
(1) 4.41
to wait
to leave
I am sorry but I cannot wait because I have to leave now
I'm sorry
I'm sorry, but
I can
I cannot
(2) 6.08
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
(in a question, invert the subject and verb)
do you speak?
to speak French?
to go
you are going
are you going?
where are you going?
to have dinner
where are you going to have dinner tonight?
(3) 3.48
to leave
you are leaving
at what time?
at what time are you leaving?
at what time do you leave?
to stay
you are staying
I am staying
he
he is staying
she
she is staying
my friend
my friend is staying
everybody
(4) 3.20
I am staying
I am not staying
I don't stay
(there are three ways to express the present tense in English, which are all translated the
same way into French)
(5) 3.10
I am busy
I am not busy now
I am tired
I am not tired
ready
I am ready (spoken by man)
I am ready (spoken by woman)
he is
he is reading
she is reading
to stay
(6) 6.44
I am staying
I'm ready
I am eating
I am speaking
do you speak?
are you speaking?
to wait
you wait
wait a moment!
you are waiting
you are not waiting
you don't wait
why
why do you wait?
why are you waiting?
to leave
at what time
at what time do you leave?
at what time are you leaving?
(7) 11.25
we, us nous
we are leaving
you are waiting
we are waiting
you speak
we speak
to start
you are starting
we are starting
at what time are you starting?
at what time do you start?
tomorrow
at what time are we starting tomorrow?
I am ready
I am starting
I am not starting
he is starting
she is starting
she is ready
she is starting
she is not starting
she doesn't start
it is
it is not
it, this, that (at beginning of sentence)
it starts
it is ready
it is starting
it is possible
it is very important
it is very different
it is not necessary
it is starting
it is not ready
it is not starting
it doesn't start
I can
he can
she can
it can start now
it must start now
(8) 5.54
(many French words can be guessed, such as "arrive" arriver)
arrive
at what time do you arrive tomorrow?
at what time are you arriving?
morning
tomorrow morning
morning (the whole morning)
to spend the whole morning
to spend the whole evening
good day
day jour
to spend the whole day
in, to (a city)
at to (a country)
at what time do we arrive in Paris tomorrow morning?
I am
I am arriving
I am busy
I am tired
I'm ready
I am eating
(9) 7.44
he is ready
he is arriving
she is ready
she is arriving
soon bientt
so long, until soon
she is arriving soon
today
(au is short for le)
the restaurant
at the restaurant
the office
I am at the office
not today
to be tre
here
I would like 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
(10) 9.28
he has
he has something for you
I have
I don't have
he has
he doesn't have
I am hungry
I would like to eat something now because I'm hungry
I am going
I am going to stay here
I'm going to leave soon, I'm not going to stay
I'm going to eat
I'm going to start soon
I'm not going to leave today
I am going
I'm not going
he is going
I am going to start soon
he is going to start soon
he is
there
he is there
he is not there
(il n'est pas l also means "he is not in")

(end of recording)
CD 4 (55.39)
(1) 5.51
who
who is there?
my friend is there
everybody is there
nobody
the person
a person
nobody is there
(personne est l also means "nobody is in")
everybody is ready
she is ready
he is ready
I am 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
he is going
she is going
everybody is going
nobody is going
(2) 3.31
all, everything
everything is going
well
everything is going very well
nothing
nothing is going
nothing is going to be ready today
he is ready
nothing is ready
who is ready?
she is ready
he is ready
who is ready
everybody is ready
nobody is ready
everything is ready
nothing is ready
(3) 7.10
is
is going
I am
I am going
I'm ready
I am going to be ready soon
he is
she is
everybody is ready
everybody is going to be ready soon
he is going
she is going
who is going
everybody is going
nobody is going
nothing is going
it is going a va
how comment
how's it going?
it is going well
it's going very well
it's going very well the way it is
it is going to be ready soon
I'm going to be ready soon
to go
you go
we are going
I am going
he is going
she is going
who is going
it is going
it is not going
it is not going to be ready today
but everything is going to be ready for you tomorrow
(4) 5.46
he can
she can
who can
it can
I would like
everybody is going to be here
everybody must leave soon
who speaks English here?
I understand
I don't understand
he understands
nobody understands
everybody understands very well
to leave
you are leaving
we are leaving
I am leaving
(only -er verbs sound the stem in the 1st person singular e.g. j'arrive, compare je pars)
everybody is leaving
nobody is leaving
to wait
I am waiting
everybody is waiting
nobody is waiting
(5) 4.28
to understand
to take prendre
I am taking
he is taking
time
too much time
it is taking too much time
it doesn't take too much time
it is not taking too much time
to sell
I am selling
he is selling
everybody can start now
everybody must start now
(there are only three verbs and French which do not conjugate in sound following the
first person singular e.g. je dois, il doit etc)
I am
he is
I have
he has
I'm going
he is going
(6) 3.59
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
and I would like to know
at what time you're going to be here
because I'm going to prepare the dinner for us
(many French verbs can be formed simply by adding -er to an English verb)
(7) 4.09
formation
to form
to conform
to confirm
will you confirm the reservation for me
to observe
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
(8) 7.57
I must speak with you
he must be here soon
she must be ready now
he must be ready
it must be ready
it can be ready
maybe, perhaps
(so peut-tre literally means "can be")
perhaps it can be ready now
it must be ready now
I must
(-s is the first person singular ending for -ir and -re, and -t is the ending for 3rd person
singular)
to do, make
I am doing
he is doing
it makes a big difference that way
to say, tell
(9) 4.59
I say, I tell
he says
to see
I see
he sees
to know
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
(10) 7.49
nobody knows where it is
nobody knows
everybody knows where it is
who knows?
to have
to see
you have
we have
you know
you have
we know
we don't know
you don't know
we have
we don't have
you have
you don't have
do you have?
do we have?
to have
to have to
you must
we must
we have to leave soon
you have to come with me

(end of recording)
CD 5 (55.30)
(1) 5.12
you have to wait
he has to wait
I have to wait
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 now
(2) 5.45
can you wait here?
we can
we cannot wait, we have to leave now
you are going
we are going
I am going
he is going
she is going
everybody is going
who is going
it is going
it is going very well
how's it going?
is it going to be ready soon?
to do, make
to do it le faire
I would like to do it
I must do it
I am going to do it
I am not going to do it
we are going to do it
we are not going to do it now
you are going to do it
you are not going to do it
(3) 3.46
when
when are you going to do it?
I am going to do it
I am not 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
I cannot do it now
can you do it?
we cannot do it
(4) 3.46
to see
I would like to do it
to see
to do
to do it
to see
to see it
to see it, to see him
I am going to see it tonight
I am going to see him tonight
to understand
I cannot understand it
I cannot understand him
(5) 7.31
to take
I am going to take it
to know
I would like to know it
I must know it
to have
I would like to have it
I must have it today
when you want to have it?
to buy
I would like to buy it because I must have it
will you prepare it for me
will you accept the condition
thank you very much
many, much, very much
(you never say trs beaucoup in French)
thanks very much
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
to see
I'm going to see it tonight
I'm going to see him tonight
(6) 4.48
to see
to see it, see him
her la
to see her
I'm going to see her tonight
them
to see them
to see
to see it
to see him
to see her
to see them
to see you
I would like to see you
I'm going to see you tonight
I hope
to hope
(in French, the conjunction "that" is compulsory)
that
I hope I'm going to see you
because I would like very much to see you
to see
to see it, see him
to see him
to see them
to see you
to see us
to see me
can you come see me?
(7) 5.05
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?
to say, tell
to tell it
to tell you
to tell us
to tell me
I must tell you
I am going to tell you later
to find
we find nous
I find
would you tell me where it is because I cannot find it
(8) 4.39
will you tell me
can you tell me
expensive, dear
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 am going to buy it
to call appeler
to phone tlphoner
will you call me later
(9) 4.39
can you call me later?
when can you call me?
when are you going to call me?
I am going to call you later
will you call me later and can you tell me at what time it is going to be ready, because I
must have it today if it is possible
because I have to have it today
I cannot understand him
to wait
(attendre is used like "to await", not "to wait for somebody")
will you wait for me?
can you wait for me?
I am going to wait for you
I am in a hurry
(10) 6.02
I'm sorry but I cannot wait for you because I am very much in a hurry and I have to leave
soon
I'm going to see him
(when him is used in the sense "to him", the French word is not le but lui)
to give
to carry, wear
to bring
I'm going to bring you something
the book
I am going to bring you the book
to send
I'm going to send him the book
I want to send it to him
(11) 4.17
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
to her
I'm going to see her tonight and I'm going to give her the book
to who, to whom
it is for me
it is for you
it is for us
it is for him
it is for her
(note that after pour, we say elle and not lui)
with him
with her

(end of recording)
CD 6 (58.49)

(1) 6.16
I am going to give it
I am going to give it to him
(that is much less ambiguous than je vais le lui donner)
I'm going to give it to her
I am going to bring him the book
I am going to bring her book
I'm going to bring the book to him
I'm going to bring the book to her
to them leur
money, silver
I'm going to send them the money
my father
my mother
with my father
with my mother
my parents
his father
his mother
his parents
her father
her mother
her parents
their
their father
their mother
their parents
(2) 3.56
(leur means "them" and "to them")
I'm going to bring them their book
will you tell him, will you say to 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
(3) 4.53
I don't have the time now
(French nouns can be masculine or feminine)
police
army
(a few rules about when to use le and when to use la, and how to avoid needing to stop to
think about which to use)
(-ion words are la, english words ending -ty end in French -t and are la)
liberty
difficulty
facility
possibility
opportunity
speciality
what speciality do you have?
what is the speciality of the house?
(4) 2.44
quality
what quantity
society
(verbs ending -ate in English end -er in French)
to operate
to moderate
to accelerate
to facilitate
to negotiate
to cooperate
(verbs ending -fy in English end -fier in French)
to certify
to modify
to justify
(5) 6.21
a
(in spoken French, le and la are contracted to l' and pulled into the preceding word, for
example je n'ai pas le temps sounds je n'ai parl' temps)
(words ending -me are le)
problem
system
it's not the problem
it's not a problem
there is, there are
there is a problem here
something
someone
there is someone here who would like to speak with you
is there someone?
is it that
is there, are there
is there a message for me
(plural definite article is les)
the books
(6) 4.30
(for the plural indefinite article, use des)
messages
I'm going to buy some books
flowers
I'm going to buy some 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?
(7) 6.13
there is nobody here who speaks English
not for me pas
not now
no, not any
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
(8) 9.51
true
it is true
it is not true
is that so?
truly
I don't understand
I don't understand it
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
I don't understand
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
(9) 9.41
(when an adjective is followed by a full verb in English, in French you say adjective + de
+ verb)
it is not possible to do it
it is not necessary to do it now
happy heureux, heureuse
I am happy je suis heureux
I am happy to do it for you
I am very happy to see you
I am glad
I am very glad to see you
(also, in English a noun + infinitive becomes in French noun + de + infinitive)
next time
one time, once
two times, twice
three times
the first 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
the opportunity to see it
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
(10) 4.24
to take
I'm taking it
it is taking too much time that way
it is making a big difference that way
I enjoy, it makes me pleasure
I'm very pleased to see you
it gives me great pleasure to see you

(end of recording)
CD 7 (64.08)
(1) 5.34
I'm sorry but I don't have the time to do it now because I am very busy
(de follows nouns and adjectives, but also some verbs of communication, e.g. demander,
decider, dire. If these are themselves are followed by another verb, separate them with
de)
will you ask him to do it
will you tell him to wait for me
will you ask him to call me later
(after any form of "have", a following verb is preceded by )
what, i.e. what is it that
what do you have?
do you understand?
do you understand me?
(2) 5.27
what do you have to eat?
you have to eat
to drink
what do you have to drink?
( also used after il y a)
what is there to drink?
what is there to eat?
( also used after -chose)
I have something to tell you
(de is used after an expression of quantity)
how much time
too much time
(any form meaning "much" also means "many")
many things
much time
I don't have much time
many things
I'm going to buy many things
too much, too many
I don't have too much time
I am not going to buy too many things
(if expressions of quantity are followed by a verb, use )
I have much to do!
"nothing doing!"
(3) 3.57
(there are several words in French for what, i.e.)
what difference, which difference
what is the difference
between
between us
between the two, between both
what is the difference between the two?
what speciality
what is the speciality of the house?
what address?
your
what is your address?
telephone number
what is your telephone number?
(in English you can combine nouns, e.g. "telephone number". In French these nouns are
separated by de)
what is your name?
(4) 5.07
what difference
what is the difference?
what (followed by a verb)
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 want?
what do you prefer?
to think
what do you think?
what do you have?
(que and qu'est-ce que are interchangeable,in a question followed by a verb, but after
qu'est-ce que there is no inversion)
what do you want?
what do you know?
what do you have for me?
(5) 6.17
what do you want?
what do you want to say?
what do you mean?
(what used in the middle of a sentence is ce que)
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
(6) 7.14
(there are only two French verbs which take -x in the first person singular)
I can
he can
I want
he wants
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
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
what does it mean?
(7) 4.53
to explain
will you explain to me what you mean
(the French future tense formed with "going" is more common in French than in English)
I will do it tomorrow
some, a few
day
in dans
he will be here in a few days
I will arrive tomorrow morning
we will arrive tomorrow morning
(the other future tense: in early French, there was a form "I to leave have" meaning "I
will leave")
(8) 5.46
I will leave tomorrow
he will leave tomorrow
you will leave tomorrow
we will leave tomorrow
to tell, say
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
(9) 7.02
it will start soon
it is going to start soon
(there is a third future tense - use of the present tense to express the future)
it will start tomorrow
week
next week
I'm going to see you next week
to lift, lift up
I'm lifting it
he is lifting it
she is lifting it
I am starting
he is starting
it is starting
one (pronoun)
one is starting
(on is often used to express "we")
are we starting now?
(10) 6.33
we are very comfortable here
we are going now
we are going to stay here
(on va as a question also means "shall we?")
shall we start?
shall we leave?
shall we stay?
what shall we...?
what shall we do?
what shall we eat?
to order, command
what shall we order?
what shall we drink?
what shall we take?
(in English, we "have" food and drinks, in French we "take" food and drinks)
I'm going to have a cup of coffee
to have dinner
to have lunch
lunch
will you have lunch with me
breakfast
will you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning
(11)
I will do it
(in English, "will you", "will you please" is the only time that "will" does not mean future
tense)
will you please, would you please
will you come with me
do you want to come with me?

(end of recording)

CD 8 (62.06)
(1) 6.55
I'm lifting it
I'm lifting myself up, i.e. I'm getting up
we are getting up
you're getting up
(for "himself", "oneself", "itself" etc use se)
he is getting up
one is getting up
I'm going to get up
one is going to get up
will you get up please?
at what time are you going to get up tomorrow morning?
to ask
I'm asking
I'm asking you
I am asking myself, I wonder
I will call you tomorrow
my name is, I call myself
(2) 4.12
to call back
will you call back?
I'm going to call you back
will you ask him to call me back
I will call you back later
I remember
I don't remember
to hurry, "despatch oneself"
I'm hurrying
I'm going to hurry
I must hurry
one is going to hurry
we are going to hurry
you have to hurry
will you hurry please
(3) 4.30
in, to France
in, to England
in, to Italy
in, to Germany
in, to Switzerland
we are going to Spain
we are going to be in Spain
in, to California
in, to Asia
in, to Africa
in, to America
(most countries and continents use en, and these are mostly la countries that end in a
vowel. Countries ending with a consonant are le countries, and they use au for "in, to")
in Japan
in Switzerland
in Denmark
in Portugal
in Brazil
in Canada (exception)
(en is also used for languages)
in French
one says
how does one say
how does one say in French?
how do you say at?
how is it spelled?
to write
it is being written
price, prize
what price
what is the price?
it is how much?
will you write it
will you write down the price
(4) 6.40
in English
in Spanish
(en also used in the construction "while -ing" en -ant)
in passing, while passing
while waiting
(en by itself means "of it", "from it". It replaces the two words de a "of it". en has the
same position as "it". It also means "some of it", "any of it", "some" implying "some of it"
or "any" implying "any of it")
I want
I want it
I want some of it
I don't want any of it
I'm going to buy some
because I would like to have some
do you want to have some?
do you have it?
do you have some of it?
do you want some of it?
(5) 6.08
enough
I have enough
I have enough of it
(that also means "I'm fed up with it")
I'm really fed up with it!
to need
I need this book
I need to do it
one must
one must do it
what you want to do now?
if you want
(that also means "It's all right with me")
(vous verbs end -ez, with only three exceptions)
you are
(6) 5.16
where are you?
are you busy?
free
are you free?
where are you?
you are doing, making
what are you doing?
you are saying, telling
what are you saying?
what are you doing?
I don't understand what you are saying
to hurry
I am hurrying
I am in a hurry
I am hurrying because I am in a hurry
I'm going to hurry
I must hurry
will you hurry please
hurry yourself!
(7) 4.39
to derange, bother
it bothers me
it doesn't bother me
it bothers you
it bothers me
it bothers you?
to smoke
(8) 3.17
will it bother you if I smoke?
information
(information means "information" in the general sense. For specific information, such as
directions to somewhere, use renseignements)
to teach
to inform
to inform oneself, get some information
I'm going to find out
(9) 6.01
(now some more handle verbs)
I don't understand you
I cannot understand you
I'm not doing it, i.e. I cannot do it now
he isn't doing it
do you understand me?
why don't you do it now?
why don't you tell me?
(10) 6.10
why don't you come with me now?
(another handle)
I have to leave now
we must leave now
(another handle)
do you want?
why don't you do it, i.e. why don't you want to do it?
(you can also express the past tense using handles. In English, "can" in past tense is
"could". So for "I didn't understand you", you can say "I couldn't understand you")
I could
I couldn't understand you
he didn't wait for us
I had to
he had to
he had to leave
he wanted to wait
I didn't want to buy it
(11) 6.01
to know
I knew
I didn't know
to have
you have
I had
I didn't have the time to do it
I was
it was
it wasn't
it was not possible to do it that way
because I was very busy
yesterday evening
yesterday morning
yesterday afternoon
I was there last night, but nobody was there
I like, I love
I like to do it that way
(but there is a distinction between "I like you" and "I love you" !)
I love you
I like you
I like you but I don't love you
I love to do it
(12) 2.17

(end of recording)