Duolingo Guide

13/12/2019 Duolingo - The world's best way to learn French
Basics 1
Welcome and bienvenue!
Salut!
Did you know? French is an official language in 29 different countries! Let’s get started
with the basics. Welcome and bienvenue to the French course.
French sounds
A lot of French sounds are similar to English ones! Let’s look at some vowels.
a chat, salut
as in "father"
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Basics-1/tips 1/3
Basics 1
je je
as in "petition"
i nuit, pizza
as in "Lisa"
o homme, gros
as in "or"
To practice the French u, round your lips (pucker up, buttercup!) and say ee.
u tu, salut
say "ee" while puckering your lips
Gender
In French, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. Masculine nouns use un, and
feminine nouns use une.
un garçon
a boy
Basics 1
une fille
a girl
masculine feminine
un homme une femme

a man a woman
un chien une pizza

a dog a pizza
I think, therefore...
In English, we say I am but you are. In French, you do the same thing!
je suis
I am
tu es
you are
il / elle est
he / she is
Greetings
Hello there!
Like in English, some French greetings depend on the time of day.
Bonjour !
Good morning!
Good afternoon!
Bonsoir !
Good evening!
If you’re being casual, you can say Salut ! any time of day!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Greetings/tips 1/3
Greetings
Salut !
Hi! / Bye!
How are you?

Ça va can be used both to ask how someone is doing and to answer the question!
Salut, ça va ?
Hi, how are you?
Ça va, et toi ?
I’m fine, and you?
Accents
In French, an accent mark over a letter can make a new sound.
Greetings
je je
as in "petition"
é journée
similar to "bay"
è très
as in "bet"
If the last letter of a word is an e (without an accent!), it’s usually silent.
femme
woman
bonne nuit
good night
Basics 2
Verbs
English verbs don’t change that much. For example, we say I run, you run, he runs,
and so on. But French verbs change a lot!
je parle
I speak
tu parles
you speak
il / elle parle
he / she speaks
But don't be fooled! The s in parles is actually silent, so all these forms are
pronounced the same!
Gender
In French, adjectives can look different depending on the gender of what they
describe. Normally, feminine adjectives end in e.
Gabriel est espagnol. Sarah est espagnole.

Gabriel is Spanish. Sarah is Spanish.
Il est américain. Elle est américaine.

He is American. She is American.
Sometimes the extra e changes the sound a little, so listen carefully!
Use your nose! Basics 2
Some French sounds are nasal, meaning the air goes through the nose! With these,
the n after the vowel isn’t pronounced. It’s just there to let you know to use your nose!
an mange, enchanté
nasal “ah”
in jardin, intelligent
nasal “eh”
on non, garçon
nasal "oh"
un un, lundi
nasal "uh"
People
French sounds
Make sure you’re Frenchifying your pronunciation!
chat chat, chien

as in "bush"
ça ça va, garçon
as in "salad"
heure, homme, habite

heure silent, as in "hour"
je bonjour, journée
as in "measure"
Often, the final letter of a word is silent, especially if it’s an s or t. For example, suis or
chat.
J'habite à Paris !
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/People/tips 1/2
French has two words for in. You’ll use à with cities but en with many countries.
People
J’habite à Paris.
J’habite en France.
I live in Paris.
I live in France.
Je travaille à Madrid. Je travaille en Espagne.

I work in Madrid. I work in Spain.
Je suis à Londres. Je suis en Angleterre.

I’m in London. I’m in England.
Spelling
Many French sounds can be spelled different ways.
Sound Spelling
gros
o
Paul
as in "go"
beaucoup
è très
as in "set" anglais
in vin
nasal "eh" américain
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/People/tips 2/2
Travel
The, the, or the?

Le goes with masculine nouns.
le garçon
the boy
La goes with feminine ones.
la femme
the woman
But if the word starts with a vowel or silent h, use l’ instead!
l’homme
the man
Tu as un passeport ?
Most French verbs change really predictably. But some verbs just do their own thing
and don’t follow typical patterns.
je vais
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Travel/tips 1/3
I go
Travel
tu vas
you go
il / elle va
he / she goes
If a verb begins with a vowel, be sure to change je to j’!
j' ai
I have
tu as
you have
il / elle a
he / she has
Oh, gee!
In French, g is pronounced differently if it’s followed by e, i or n.
gants gants, Gustave, tango

as in "gap"
mange, girafe
mange like a French j, as in "measure"
compagne, espagnol, Travel

Espagne
compagne
as in "onion"
Family
Ma famille !
In English we say my mother and my father. In French you’d say mon père and ma
mère, because words like my and your change based on the gender of the word after
them!
masculine feminine
mon père ma mère

my father my mother
ton frère ta sœur

your brother your sister
son fils sa fille

his / her son his / her daughter
Fille and femme

Fille can mean either girl or daughter. Femme can mean woman or wife. Just pay
attention to the context to figure out which one someone means!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Family/tips 1/3
Family
une femme et une fille

a woman and a girl
C'est la fille de Julia.

This is Julia’s daughter.
Family
Ma femme s'appelle Alice.

My wife’s name is Alice.
Whose kid is this?

In English, we say Marie’s cat. But in French, you’d switch the word order and say le
chat de Marie.
le chat de Marie
Marie’s cat
Before vowels, de becomes d’.
le chien d’Anna
Anna’s dog
Activities
Using nous
Remember, French verbs change form depending on who’s doing the action. With
nous, most verbs end in ‑ons.
voulons
want
nous avons
we have
habitons
live
Verbs
Some verbs feature some spelling changes!
je veux
I want
tu veux
you want
il / elle veut
he / she wants
nous voulons
we want
Au wow!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Activities/tips 1/3
In French, à and le are never used together. Instead, they combine into au!
Activities
Tu vas au restaurant.
You are going to the restaurant.
Activities
Elle va au zoo.
She is going to the zoo.
People 2
Plural
Talking about more than one thing in French works just like in English — just add s!
But in French, that plural s is usually silent.
un chat
one cat
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/People-2/tips 1/5
People 2
deux chats
two cats
Also, le, la and l’ become les.
les garçons
the boys
Take that!
The verb prendre has an s ending for both the je and tu forms.
People 2
je prends
I take
tu prends
you take
il / elle prend
he / she take
Ils and elles

Ils and elles both mean they. Use elles for groups of only women, and use ils for
groups of men or mixed groups.
Ils sont étudiants.

They are students.
People 2
Elles sont étudiantes.

They are students.
Pronunciation
In many French words, the final consonant is silent. But in some situations, you need
to pronounce that sound when it’s followed by a vowel or silent h!
People 2
les hôtels
the hotels
Family 2
Adjectives
If you’re talking about a plural noun, add s to the adjective too!
La femme est contente.

The woman is happy.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Family-2/tips 1/3
Family 2
Les femmes sont contentes.

The women are happy.
J'aime mes parents !

In English, we say my brother and my brothers. But in French, if you have more than
one brother, words like my and your change!
mon frère mes frères
ta sœur tes sœurs
sa voiture ses voitures
Introductions
Can you introduce us? Use c’est for one person, and ce sont for more than one person.
Family 2
C’est ma mère.
This is my mother.
Ce sont mes parents.

These are my parents.
Restaurant
Tu prends un thé ?
We’ve seen that Je prends un taxi means I am taking a taxi. Prendre has other
meanings, too!
Tu prends un thé ?
Are you having a tea?
Non. Je prends un café.

No. I’m having a coffee.
Je voudrais un verre d'eau!

D’oh! Remember, if a noun begins with a vowel, you use d’ instead of de. It makes the
words run a little smoother!
une bouteille d’eau

a bottle of water
un fromage d’Italie
a cheese from Italy
Ordering in a restaurant
Are you ready to go to a French restaurant? Remember to be polite!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Restaurant/tips 1/2
Restaurant
Une table pour deux personnes, s’il vous plaît.

A table for two, please.
What would you like to drink? Use voudrais instead of veux!
Je voudrais deux cafés.

I would like two coffees.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Restaurant/tips 2/2
City
Un vélo vert!
French adjectives usually come after the noun they’re describing. So, a green bike
would be un vélo vert.
une université française

a French university
le thé vert
the green tea
Où sont les toilettes ?

To ask Where is…? say Où est … ?
Où est l'école ?
Where is the school?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/City/tips 1/3
City
If you are asking where more than one thing is, say Où sont … ?
Où sont les toilettes ?

Where are the bathrooms?
French sounds
These letters in French don’t sound like what we’re used to! Take a listen:
oi voiture, toilettes, croissant

as in “wand”
ouvert ou bouteille
ou ouvert, ou, bouteille

as in “soup” City
Notice that ou and où are pronounced the same!
Où est le restaurant, à Paris ou à Bordeaux?

Where is the restaurant, in Paris or in Bordeaux?
Travel 2
J’aime voyager !
Voyager, aller, and manger, are all infinitives. In English, infinitives usually look like to
travel or to eat. In French, you don’t need that extra to!
J’aime manger !
I like to eat!
J’aime la France !
In English, saying The trains are big or I like the wine usually means you’re talking
about a particular wine or specific trains. In French, you use le, la, or les when talking
about specific things, but you also use these words when stating general facts!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Travel-2/tips 1/4
Travel 2
Les trains sont grands.

Trains are big.
You also use them when talking about your likes or dislikes.
Tu aimes le vin ?
Do you like 2wine?

Travel
Also when talking about countries!
Le Mexique est mon pays.

Mexico is my country.
Aux my goodness!
We’ve already seen that au is a combination of à and le. Now, if the noun is plural, use
aux, instead of à les.
Tu vas au supermarché ?
à + le ➜ au
You are going to the supermarket.
Je vais aux Etats‑Unis.

à + les ➜ aux
I am going to the United States.
Travel 2
Ils aiment voyager !
If you’re talking about more than one person, most verbs end in ‑nt.
Ils vont au Mexique.

They are going to Mexico.
At Home
Il y a...
Il y a can mean both there is and there are. Easy peasy!
Il y a une fleur blanche.

There is a white flower.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/At-Home/tips 1/3
At Home
Il y a trois voisins.
There are three neighbors.
That’s some word!

Un and Une become des when you are talking about more than one thing. In English,
we say a cat or simply cats, but in French it’s necessary to say des chats.
un arbre
a tree
des arbres
trees
une lettre
a letter
des lettres
letters
At Home
French sounds
Remember that in French, one sound can be made up of multiple letters hanging out
together!
aille travaille, Versailles

as in “eye”
eu deux, veut
as in “egg” but with rounded lips
At Work
Where are you?

We’ve already seen that à, au, and aux can mean in. They can also mean at!
Je suis au travail.
I am at work.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/At-Work/tips 1/2
At Work
Il travaille à l'aéroport.
He works at the airport.
Tu écris une lettre ?

Notice that écrire adds a v for some endings!
j' écris
I write
tu écris
you write
il / elle écrit
he / she write
ils / elles écrivent

they / they (feminine) write
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/At-Work/tips 2/2
Food
Mealtime!
We all have to eat! In France, many families sit down together for the evening meal (or
dîner) and discuss their day.
petit‑déjeuner
breakfast
literal: little lunch
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Food/tips 1/4
Food
déjeuner
lunch
usually between 12pm and 2pm
dîner
dinner
usually between 7pm and 8pm
Verbs
Verbs that end in ‑er, like aimer and manger, generally follow the same ending
Food
pattern!
préparer
to prepare
je prépare
I prepare
tu prépares
you prepare
il / elle prépare
he / she prepares
nous préparons
we prepare
ils / elles préparent

they prepare
What's this?
The word for this in French changes depending on the gender of the noun it’s with!
masculine feminine
ce plat cette pomme
But the word these never changes!
masculine feminine
ces plats ces pommes
Habits
Days of the week

In French, days of the week aren’t so fancy — there’s no need to capitalize the first
letter!
Monday lundi
Tuesday mardi
Wednesday mercredi
Thursday jeudi
Friday vendredi
Saturday samedi
Sunday dimanche
It's the afternoon!

In French, make sure you include the le, la, or l’ when talking about the time of day or
meals!
C'est l'après‑midi.
It’s afternoon.
après le dessert
after dessert
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Habits/tips 1/1
People 3
Tu viens d’Italie ?
In English, we’d say He is from the United States. In French, you’d say, Il vient des
États‑Unis, which literally means He comes from the United States.
Je viens du Mexique.
I am from Mexico.
Notice that the e in venir changes to ie for certain forms!
je viens
tu viens
il / elle vient
nous venons
People 3
ils / elles viennent
Tu n’es pas français !

In English, we'd say I am not Italian or He is not American. But in French you need two
words to say not, like a negative sandwich!
Je ne suis pas italien.

I am not Italian.
Nous ne parlons pas espagnol.

We do not speak Spanish.
If the verb begins with a vowel, ne becomes n’.
Tu n’es pas canadien.

You are not Canadian.
Il n’est pas américain.

He is not American.
In informal conversations with French speakers, you might notice that they don’t
always use ne. For example, you’ll often hear Il est pas jeune instead of Il n’est pas
jeune.
City 2
Adjectives
We’ve seen that adjectives can change depending on gender and number. Here’s the
pattern when the adjective ends with ‑eux!
masculine feminine
un pont dangereux une rue dangereuse
des ponts dangereux des rues dangereuses
Verbs
Remember that most verbs ending in ‑er follow a similar pattern. Let’s practice,
practice, practice!
parler écouter
je parle j'écoute
tu parles tu écoutes
il / elle parle il / elle écoute
nous parlons nous écoutons
ils / elles parlent ils / elles écoutent
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/City-2/tips 1/1
Friends
Vous
In English we say you, no matter whether we’re talking to one person or one hundred.
But in French, tu is specifically for one person!
For two or more, use vous, and make sure the verb ends in ‑ez. You can think of vous
as the French y’all!
mangez
parlez
vous cuisinez
habitez
aimez
Mon amie !
You’ve seen that you use ma, ta, and sa before feminine nouns.
ma sœur
my sister
But if the noun starts with a vowel, you’ll need to use mon, ton or son instead.
mon amie
my friend
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Friends/tips 1/3
Notre and votre Friends
Remember that in French you say mon frère but mes frères. The same thing happens
with notre and votre.
Votre salade !
Your salad!
Friends
Vos salades !
Your salads!
People 4
Speak you French?

One way to ask questions is to switch the word order. Just move the verb up, and add
a hyphen!
Tu parles chinois. Parles‑tu chinois ?

You speak Chinese. Do you speak Chinese ?
Tu habites au Luxembourg. Habites‑tu au Luxembourg ?

You live in Luxembourg. Do you live in Luxembourg?
Interrogations
Some questions ask for more information than a simple oui or non. For these, you’ll
need to begin with a question word, then use the switched word order you learned
above!
OùPeople 4
est‑elle ?
Where is she?
Quand travailles‑tu ?
When are you working?
How often?
In French, words like often, every day, and so on usually come at the very beginning of
the sentence or right after the verb.
Chaque vendredi, nous mangeons au restaurant.

Every Friday, we eat at the restaurant.
Je vais souvent au musée.

I often go to the museum.
At Home 2
Chez moi !
In English, we might say The party is at Rob’s place or I’m at Anne’s place. To say the
same thing in French, use chez plus the name of the person.
Je suis chez Pierre.

I am at Pierre’s place.
Nous sommes chez Alice et Paul.

We’re at Alice and Paul’s place.
You can also use chez with words like moi!
chez moi at my place
chez toi at your place
What time is it?

To say what time it is in French, start your sentence with Il es!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/At-Home-2/tips 1/3
At Home 2
Il est trois heures et quart.

It’s a quarter past three.
In English, we can say It’s four o’clock or simply It’s four, but in French, you always
need to include heures if you’re telling the time.
Il est sept heures.

It’s seven o’clock.
Trois heures du matin ???

The 24‑hour clock is common in France. For example, 4h00 means 4:00 am, while
16h00 means 4:00 pm.
Too jet lagged to switch to the 24‑hour At Home 2Don’t worry, you can still talk in
system?
12‑hour style! Just add a phrase to specify the time of day!
Le train part à cinq heures du matin.

The train leaves at 5:00 am.
Ils mangent à deux heures de l'après‑midi.

They eat at 2:00 pm.
Travel 3
Good day, sir!

There are two ways to say you in French! In general, you use tu in friendly
conversations or with kids. You can use vous to address more than one person, but
also in formal situations or with adults you don’t know.
Tu aimes le vin ?
Do you like wine?
Madame, voyagez‑vous avec votre fille ?

Ma’am, are you traveling with your daughter?
S’il te plaît vs. s’il vous plaît

Just like the difference between tu and vous, s’il te plaît is more informal while s’il
vous plaît is more formal!
ma’am, are you traveling with your daughter
Travel
Votre passeport, 3 vous plaît ?
s’il
Your passport, please?

Tu veux un peu de sucre ?
Do you want some sugar?
Oui, s’il te plaît.

Yes, please.
Literally, both expressions mean if it pleases you!
Which what is which?

To ask a what or which question, you’ll use quel if the noun is masculine and quelle if
it’s feminine.
masculine feminine
Quel train va à Paris ? TravelQuelle

3 est votre profession ?
Which train is going to Paris? What is your profession?
Quel est votre bagage ? Quelle est votre destination ?

Which is your luggage? What is your destination?
Activities 2
No more silence!
A lot of consonants at the end of French words are silent. But if the next word begins
with a vowel or a silent h, it is silent no more!
les les enfants
vous vous avez
grand grand arbre
quand quand il fait soleil
Notice how the s sound turns into a z, while a d sounds like a t.
There are exceptions! For example, the t in et is never pronounced.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Activities-2/tips 1/2
Activities
Je pars 2
et il arrive.
I leave and he arrives.
French sounds
Listen and learn these similar letter combos!
‑stion question, gestion
‑ssion profession, passion
‑tion destination, station
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Activities-2/tips 2/2
Breakfast
Du thé ou du café ?
Some nouns are uncountable — you don’t put a number before them. For example, we
generally say I want some honey, not I want one honey.
In French, you always need du, de la, or des before those uncountable nouns!
Je prends du sucre avec mon café.

I take sugar with my coffee.
J’achète des pâtes.

I buy pasta.
J’adore le chocolat!
Remember, when you’re talking about things you like (or don’t like!), you should
always use le, la, or les.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Breakfast/tips 1/2
Breakfast
Il adore le chocolat.
He loves chocolate.
French sounds
qui qui, question, quand

as in “cart”
Éliza Élizà, pizza, onze

as in “zoo”
sept sept, veste, sac

as in “sun”
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Breakfast/tips 2/2
Vacation
We need some t!
In English, we say a boy but an apple or an hour. In French, you do a similar thing with
ce and cet!
cet été
this summer
cet homme
this man
What are you doing this weekend?

To say that you’re going to do something, use a form of aller with an infinitive!
Je vais voyager.
I’m going to travel.
Avec toi ♥
After words like avec or de, remember to use words like moi, toi, and so on!
Tu voyages avec moi ?

Are you traveling with me?
Here’s a few more changes to be aware of!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Vacation/tips 1/2
Vacation
il lui
he him
ils eux
they them
C'est une photo de lui.

This is a photo of him.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Vacation/tips 2/2
School
Je ne comprends pas!
All verbs that end in ‑prendre (like apprendre and comprendre) use the same pattern
of verb endings! Let’s use prendre as a guide:
je prends nous prenons

I take we take
tu prends vous prenez

you take you all take
il / elle prend ils / elles prennent

he / she take they / they (feminine) take
Do you do that in French?

In English, we can use do or does to make a question, like Do you love me? In French,
you can begin questions with Est‑ce que… !
Est‑ce que tu veux du lait ?

Do you want some milk?
Est‑ce qu’Anne comprend ?

Does Anne understand?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/School/tips 1/1
At Work 2
J’ai besoin de café !

Use J’ai besoin de… to say I need… in French.
J’ai besoin de travailler.

I need to work.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/At-Work-2/tips 1/2
At Work 2
Tu as besoin d’étudier.
You need to study.
Let me finish!
A lot of verbs that end in ‑ir will have the same set of word endings. Let’s use finir as a
guide!
je finis nous finissons
tu finis vous finissez
il / elle finit ils / elles finissent
Notice that for verbs like finir, the s is doubled with nous, vous, and ils / elles!
Leur vs. leurs

In English we say their office or their offices — their doesn’t change. In French,
though, leur adds an ‑s if the the noun is plural!
leur collègue leurs collègues

their colleague their colleagues
leur idée leurs idées

their idea their ideas
Hotel
Adjectives
We’ve seen that French adjectives usually come after the noun. But in some cases the
adjective actually comes first!
This applies to adjectives that are talking about…
Beauty!
Age!
Goodness!
Size!
...BAGS!
Cette boulangerie a de beaux gâteaux !

This bakery has beautiful cakes!
Oui, c’est une nouvelle boulangerie.

Yes, it’s a new bakery.
Ils ont de très bons croissants aussi.

They have very good croissants too.
C’est délicieux avec un petit café !

It’s delicious with a little cup of coffee!
Combien de ?
Use Combien de… ? to ask How many… ? or How much… ?
Combien de journaux voulez‑vous ?

How many newspapers do you want?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Hotel/tips 1/2
Vous voulez rester combien de nuits ?

Hotel
How many nights would you like to stay?
Numbers
Notice that 17‑19 are formed by combining numbers. For example, 10 (dix) and 7
(sept) is dix‑sept!
10 dix
11 onze
12 douze
13 treize
14 quatorze
15 quinze
16 seize
17 dix‑sept
18 dix‑huit
19 dix‑neuf
20 vingt
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Hotel/tips 2/2
Routine
Whatcha doin’?
To ask What are you doing?, you can say Que fais‑tu ? Or if you want to be real casual,
you can say Tu fais quoi ?
Tu fais quoi aujourd’hui ?

What are you doing today ?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Routine/tips 1/3
Routine
Que fais‑tu ce matin ?

What are you doing this morning?
Je me réveille toujours tard !

Remember that little m’ in phrases like Je m’appelle Charlotte? It literally means I
call myself Charlotte.
je me
tu te
il / elle se
nous nous
vous vous
ils / elles se
Lots of French verbs add words like me and te, even when we wouldn’t say myself or
yourself in English!
Le matin, je me réveille tôt.

In the morning, I wake up early.
Il se couche tard.
He goes to bed late.
Routine
Ils se préparent vite.
They get ready quickly.
Body language
In English, we say He brushes his teeth or I wash my face, but in French you’d
normally use le, la, or les instead of my or his before parts of the body.
Elle se brosse les cheveux.

She brushes her hair.
Weather
Quel temps fait‑il ?

To talk about the weather in English, we often begin with it. A lot of French
expressions about the weather begin with il!
Il fait chaud.
It’s hot.
Il neige.
It’s snowing.
Il y a du vent.
It’s windy.
’tis the season!

To talk about what month or season something happens in, say en!
Je voyage en avril.
I am traveling in April.
En automne, il fait froid.

In the fall, it’s cold.
The exception is springtime!
Il pleut au printemps.
It rains in the spring.
By the way, did you notice that months aren’t capitalized in French?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Weather/tips 1/2
Excuses, excuses! Weather
In English we might say It’s too cold to swim. French is similar!
Il fait trop froid pour nager.

It’s too cold to swim.
Il y a trop de vent pour sortir.

It’s too windy to go out.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Weather/tips 2/2
People 5
I'm taller!
In English, we say things like taller or shorter to make comparisons. In French, you
say plus (or moins!) before the adjective instead!
Ma fille est plus jeune que toi.

My daughter is younger (more young) than you.
Ma fille est moins vieille que toi.

My daughter is younger (less old) than you.
De quelle couleur sont tes yeux ?

To ask What color...? in French, say De quelle couleur …?
De quelle couleur sont tes yeux ?

People 5
What color are your eyes?
De quelle couleur est ta jupe ?

What color is your skirt?
Sensations
Why? Parce que...

Use parce que to say because. Remember that que becomes qu’ before a vowel or a
silent h.
Je suis fatiguée parce que je dors mal.

I am tired because I sleep poorly.
Il est stressé parce qu’il a beaucoup de travail.

He is stressed because he has a lot of work.
Sors avec moi !

Let’s get bossy! To tell someone to do something, simply drop the tu!
Tu dors beaucoup. Dors bien !

You sleep a lot. Sleep well!
Tu bois du jus d’orange. Bois plus de jus d’orange !

You drink some orange juice. Drink more orange juice!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Sensations/tips 1/1
Groceries
Je suis végétarienne !
In a negative sentence (that is, one with ne… pas) du, de la and des become plain old
de or d’.
Je mange de la viande. Je ne mange pas de viande.

I eat meat. I don’t eat meat.
Je mange des œufs. Je ne mange pas d’œufs.

I eat eggs. I don’t eat eggs.
Où sont‑ils ?
Looking for something? Remember that the de in près de combines with le and les!
Les fruits sont près des légumes.

The fruits are close to vegetables.
Over there!
In French, là can mean here or right there depending on the context, but là‑bas can
only mean over there.
Les tomates sont là.

Tomatoes are right there.
Les pommes de terre sont là‑bas.

Potatoes are over there.
Je suis là !
I am here!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Groceries/tips 1/2
Groceries
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Groceries/tips 2/2
Shopping 2
X marks the spot!

If a word ends in ‑eau it will take an x in the plural form (instead of an s!).
le beau manteau les beaux manteaux

the nice jacket the nice jackets
Celui‑ci ou celui‑là ?
In French, when you say I want this one or You need that one!, the word you choose
depends on the noun's gender and number!
masculine feminine
celui‑ci, celui‑là celle‑ci, celle‑là

this one, that one this one, that one
ceux‑ci, ceux‑là celles‑ci, celles‑là

these ones, those ones these ones, those ones
Tu veux acheter des oranges ? Celles‑ci ou celles‑là ?

Do you want to buy oranges? These or those?
Celle‑ci ou celle‑là ? La robe jaune !

This one or that one? The yellow dress!
J’aime aussi Montréal !

Use aussi to say also or too. Aussi usually comes right after a verb.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Shopping-2/tips 1/2
Shopping 2
J’aime le chocolat. J’aime aussi les gâteaux.

I like chocolate. I also like cakes.
City 3
Attention !
Time to get bossy! When telling someone to do something with an ‑er verb, like
marcher or tourner, simply drop the ‑s from the tu form.
Ne reste pas ici ! C’est dangereux.

Don’t stay here! It’s dangerous.
For vous, there’s no change.
Restez dans la voiture !

Stay in the car!
Quel beau bébé !

If you’re impressed with something, you may want to say Quel beau musée ! or Quelle
belle maison ! Most adjectives used with quel will come before the noun.
masculine feminine
Quel gentil chien ! Quelle belle maison !

What a nice dog! What a beautiful house!
Quels grands hôtels ! Quelles jolies robes !

What large hotels! What pretty dresses!
Routine 2
Qu’est ce que tu fais ?

Here’s a phrase you’ll need to learn if you want to be nosy! A common way to ask
questions that begin with What… ? is to say Qu’est‑ce que… ?.
Qu’est‑ce que tu aimes ?

What do you like?
Qu’est‑ce que vous faites d’habitude le samedi ?

What do you usually do on Saturdays?
That's not faire!

The verb faire is a little different from other ‑re verbs when it comes to vous, ils and
elles.
lire faire
to read to do
je lis je fais
tu lis tu fais
il / elle lit il / elle fait
nous lisons nous faisons
vous lisez vous faites
ils / elles lisent ils / elles font
Tu ne te lèves pas ?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Routine-2/tips 1/2
If you want to add ne … pas to a sentence with 2me, te, etc., make sure ne comes first,
Routine
and that the pas goes after the verb.
Tu ne te lèves pas tard.

You don’t wake up late.
Nous ne nous réveillons pas avant sept heures.

We don’t wake up before seven.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Routine-2/tips 2/2
Leisure
Anyway, here’s Wonderwall

When you play an instrument in French, the verb is jouer de!
Tu joues de la guitare ?
Do you play guitar?
Je joue du piano.
I play piano.
But if you play a sport, it’s jouer à!
Nous jouons au football.

We play soccer.
Il adore jouer au basket !

He loves to play basketball!
Je ne t’aime plus
The word pas in ne ... pas can be replaced with jamais, rien or plus.
Tu ne fais pas de sport ! Tu ne fais jamais de sport !

You don’t do sports! You never do sports!
Je n’aime pas mon travail. Je n’aime plus mon travail.

I don’t like my job. I don’t like my job anymore.
Tu ne manges pas ! Tu ne manges rien !

You don’t eat! You eat nothing!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Leisure/tips 1/2
Goaaaal!!! Leisure
Le football means soccer. If you’re talking about American football, then you’ll say le
football américain!
Les Français adorent le football.

The French love soccer.
Tom Brady joue au football américain.

Tom Brady plays American football.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Leisure/tips 2/2
Opinion
When you know, you know

Savoir is used to talk about knowing facts, information, or skills. You'll use connaître
for knowing people or places.
Je sais parler espagnol. Je connais Marie.

I know how to speak Spanish. I know Marie.
Il ne sait pas si elle vient. Ils connaissent ce restaurant.

He doesn’t know if she is coming. They know this restaurant.
Je pense que tu as raison !

In English, we can say I think this movie is good. In French, after je pense, you usually
need to add que! they know this restaurant
Je pense que ce film est intéressant.

I think (that) this movie is interesting.
Nous pensons que ce groupe est génial.

We think (that) this band is great.
My “friend”...
Notice that copain and copine can mean both friend or boyfriend / girlfriend!
Tu vas au cinéma avec tes copains.

You’re going to the movie theater with your (boy)friends.
Je sors avec ma copine !

I’m going out with my (girl)friend.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Opinion/tips 1/2
Opinion
they know this restaurant
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Opinion/tips 2/2
Friends 2
Tu me comprends ?
In English, words like me come after the verb (for example, Can you hear me?), but in
French they come before the verb!
Elle me parle. She is talking to me.
Elle te parle. She is talking to you.
Elle nous parle. She is talking to us.
Elle vous parle. She is talking to you (all).
On adore la musique !
On is an informal way to say we. The verb form is the same as for il and elle!
On adore la musique !
We love music!
On voyage ensemble.
We travel together.
Je sais que c’est ton anniversaire !

In English, we might say I don’t know where the hotel is. French is very similar! But
you put the verb right after words where, when, etc.
Vous savez où est l’hôtel ?

Do you know where the hotel is?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Friends-2/tips 1/2
Vous savez à quelle heure est le petit déjeuner ?

Friends 2
Do you know what time breakfast is?
J’aime Alice !
The word aimer means to like with things and to love with people! To say that you like
a person, use aimer bien!
J’aime ta robe !
I like your dress!
J’aime ma femme.
I love my wife.
J’aime bien Sophie.

I like Sophie.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Friends-2/tips 2/2
Nature
The smolest
To say that something is the smallest or the most beautiful, first think about the
gender of the thing, then use le plus, la plus, or les plus before an adjective.
C’est le plus petit chien !

He’s the smallest dog.
C’est la plus belle femme du monde !

She’s the most beautiful woman in the world.
Ces chiens sont les plus rapides.

These dogs are the fastest.
J’entends de la musique
To say that you hear something, use du, de la or des before the thing that you're
hearing.
J'entends de la musique.
I hear music.
Tu entends du bruit ?
Do you hear some noise?
J’entends des bruits !

I hear noises!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Nature/tips 1/1
Family 3
My brother is grand!
Use grand and petit to talk about your older and younger siblings. Don’t forget to add
an e for feminine nouns!
Ma grande sœur est gentille.

My big sister is nice.
Mon petit frère joue de la guitare.

My little brother plays guitar.
Je ressemble à ma mère
To say that someone looks like someone or something, use ressembler à.
Tu ressembles à ta soeur.
You look like your sister.
Ce dessin ressemble au tableau de Monet.

This drawing looks like Monet’s painting.
Ces citrons ressemblent aux oranges.

These lemons look like the oranges.
...Four twenties?
Be sure to use a dash in numbers like vingt‑deux and trente‑six. But if the second
number is one, add et between dashes, as in quarante‑et‑un.
Now, for numbers above seventy, you start combining smaller number words!
70 soixante‑dix
Family 3
literal: sixty ten
soixante‑et‑onze
71
literal: sixty and eleven
soixante‑douze
72
literal: sixty twelve
quatre‑vingts
80
literal: four twenties
quatre‑vingt‑dix
90
literal: four twenty ten
School 2
Oooh le la
To say you’re inviting him, her, or them to do something, use le, la, or les. And
remember, words like him and her come before the verb in French!
Elle le rencontre au café.

She meets him at the cafe.
Il la connaît.
He knows her.
Nous les voyons toutes les semaines.

We see them every week.
And don’t forget that le and la become l’ before a vowel or silent h.
Je l'adore parce qu'elle est très gentille.

I love her because she is very kind.
Je dis bonjour à Laura

When you’re telling someone something, use à before the name of the person.
Nous disons à Thomas quand nous partons en vacances.

We tell Thomas when we are leaving for vacation.
Ça marche !
Ça can mean it, this, or that depending on the context!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/School-2/tips 1/2
Tu aimes ça ?
School 2
Do you like it?
Je ne sais pas dire ça en anglais.

I don’t know how to say that in English.
Ça n’a pas de prix.

This has no price.
Food 2
Je suis en train de dormir...

In English, when we’re in the middle of a meal, we’ll say I am eating. In French, you
can say Je suis en train de manger to express that you’re doing something in the
moment.
Je suis en train de partir.

I am leaving.
Vous êtes en train de manger.

You are eating.
Notice that after en train de, you’ll need to use the infinitive — the form of the verb
that ends with ‑er, ‑ir, or ‑re.
I have a sweet tooth!

Aw yeah, it’s time to talk pastries! You can use à to say what the flavor of something is,
or what it’s made out of. Remember to change à in to au or aux if necessary!
Je préfère la glace à la vanille.

I prefer vanilla ice cream.
J’adore les pains au chocolat.

I love chocolate croissants.
What are you bringing along?

At a party, we might say I want something to drink. In French, you’d say that you want
quelque chose à boire!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Food-2/tips 1/2
J’apporte quelque chose à boire.

Food 2
I am bringing something to drink.
Je prépare quelque chose à manger.

I am preparing something to eat.
Routines 3
Mais pourquoi ?!
Remember, question words like quand and pourquoi come before est‑ce que!
Pourquoi est‑ce que tu te réveilles tard ?

Why are you waking up late?
Quand est‑ce que vous allez à Paris ?

When are you going to Paris?
In English, we might say Who are you going out with? But in French, avec always
comes before qui!
Avec qui est‑ce que tu sors ?

With whom are you going out?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Routines-3/tips 1/3
Qui est prêt ? Routines 3
When not talking about a specific person or thing, French speakers default to using the
masculine form of a word. The feminine form is used when talking specifically about
feminine things or people.
Qui est prêt ?

Who is ready?
Routines 3
Qui est prête ?

Who is ready?
Travel 4
Pense à moi !
You can use the phrase penser à to mean to think about.
Nous pensons à cette chanson.

We are thinking about this song.
And notice that words like souvent and beaucoup come between penser and à!
Je pense souvent à mes grands‑parents.

I often think about my grandparents.
Dans un mois, nous allons en France !

Use dans to talk about an amount of time.
L’avion partTravel
dans4une heure.
The plane leaves in one hour.
Health
What must I do?!

Do you want to lay down the law? Il faut is used to talk about what someone should or
shouldn’t do.
Il faut manger des fruits.

One must eat fruits.
Il ne faut pas fumer.

One must not smoke.
Well excusez‑moi!
Here’s another way to get bossy! When a verb has one of those little words like me or
te, such as Tu te réveilles, the command form becomes something like Réveille‑toi !
Asseyez‑vous sur cette chaise.

Sit on this chair.
Lève‑toi de cette chaise !

Get up off this chair!
J’ai mal à la tête

To say that something hurts in French, use the expression avoir mal à followed by the
body part that hurts.
J’ai mal à la main.

My hand hurts.
Elle a mal au ventre.

Her stomach hurts.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Health/tips 1/2
Health
And remember — in French, you don’t say my hand or your hand, but the hand.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Health/tips 2/2
Housing
What have you done?!

To talk about the past in French with ‑er verbs, first use a form of avoir and then
change the next verb ending to ‑é.
Nous avons acheté une voiture.

We bought a car.
Tu as visité ce musée.
You visited this museum.
The big, the bad, the blue...

In English, we can say I like the blue shirt or, more simply, I like the blue one. French
is similar! But instead of the blue one, you’d just say the blue. Make sure to adjust for
the noun’s gender and number!
le pantalon rouge le rouge

the red pants the red one
la robe blanche la blanche

the white dress the white one
les pommes vertes les vertes

the green apples the green ones
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Housing/tips 1/1
Memories
I was an imparfait student

We’ve already seen one way to talk about the past in French: the passé composé.
J’ai acheté une maison.

I bought a house.
But if you want to describe something you used to do or how something used to be,
you’ll use a verb form called imparfait.
Let’s start by looking at je, tu, and il / elle forms.
Quand j’étais à l’université, j'étudiais le français.

When I was in college, I studied French.
Quand tu étais étudiant, tu habitais à Paris.

When you were a student, you were living in Paris.
Quand il était jeune, il aimait étudier.

When he was young, he loved studying.
C'était le plus beau des voyages !

We’ve seen how to use c’est to talk about how things are right now. Use c’était to talk
about how things were in the past!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Memories/tips 1/2
Memories
C’était la belle vie.

It was the good life.
Souviens‑toi…
In French, se souvenir is always followed by de.
Tu te souviens de tout.
You remember everything.
Elle se souvient des vacances en Espagne.

She remembers the vacation to Spain.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Memories/tips 2/2
At Work 3
I just said that!

To say that something just happened use venir de before the infinitive form of the
verb.
Nous venons de manger.

We just ate.
Ils viennent de faire un gâteau.

They just made a cake.
J’attends !
In English we might say I am waiting for Marie, but in French you can just say
J’attends Marie.
Je donne un cadeau à Jeanne !

In English we can say I gave the present to Jean or I gave Jean the present, but in
French, you always have to say I gave the present to Jean.
This is the case even for verbs we don’t use to with in English, like répondre or
demander.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/At-Work--3/tips 1/3
At Work 3
Il demande une information au vendeur.

He asks the sales associate for some information.
Il répond au téléphone.
He answers the phone.
At Work 3
Il écrit une lettre à ses parents.

He’s writing an e‑mail to his parents.
Leisure 2
I am arrived!
We’ve already seen how to use avoir plus a verb to talk about the past, like J’ai visité.
But for some verbs that express movement (like aller and arriver), you’ll need être
instead of avoir.
Je suis allé en vacances au Japon.

I went on vacation to Japan.
Tu es arrivé au bureau.
You arrived at the office.
Elle est allée en Belgique

I went on vacation to Japan
Unlike verbs using avoir in the past, verbs that use être change depending on the
gender and number of who you’re talking about
Julia, tu es allée au supermarché ?

Julia, you went to the supermarket?
Elles sont arrivées à la maison.

They arrived at the house.
Nous sommes allés au Sénégal.

We went to Senegal.
Remember, the ‑e and ‑s are silent!
Il faisait très froid

To talk about what the weather was like in the past, use Il y avait or Il faisait.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Leisure-2/tips 1/2
Leisure 2
Il y avait des nuages mais il faisait chaud.
There were clouds but it was hot.
Il faisait beau et il n’y avait pas de vent.

The weather was great and there was no wind.
I went on vacation to Japan
At Home 3
Help me to do this!
In English, we say I help clean the kitchen, but in French, you'd say J’aide à nettoyer
la cuisine.
Il aide à préparer le dîner.

He helps make dinner.
Tu aides à laver les vêtements.

You help wash the clothes.
Tu m’aides à ranger ?
To be polite in English, we often use can or should, like in Can you give that to me? or
Should I help with dinner? In French, you can just state your request or offer as a
question.
At Home
Je prépare 3
le dessert ?
Should I prepare the dessert?
Tu mets des assiettes sur la table ?

Can you put plates on the table?
Le train part dans une heure !

Je t’appelle by itself can mean I’m calling you right now. But if you add a word like
demain, it means I will call you!
At Home 3
On mange ensemble demain ?

Will we eat together tomorrow?
On se voit la semaine prochaine ?

Will we see each other next week?
Travel 5
Je n’ai pas apporté de veste !

Did you bring your jacket? If yes, say J’ai apporté une veste. If not, make sure you add
ne...pas around ai!
Je n’ai pas oublié mes chaussures.

I didn’t forget my shoes.
Elle n’est pas arrivée.

She hasn’t arrived.
Je paye le repas
Je paye can mean I’m buying or I’m paying.
Nous payons les courses.

We are buying the groceries.
Travel 5
Tu payes le taxi.
You are paying for the taxi.
City 4
Duo t’attends...
Verbs like attendre, entendre, and vendre have the same endings!
j’attends j’entends
tu attends tu entends
il / elle attend il / elle entend
nous attendons nous entendons
vous attendez vous entendez
ils / elles attendent ils / elles entendent
Who’s on first?
In French, le rez‑de‑chaussée is the ground floor. Le premier étage is actually the
floor above that — we’d call it the second floor in English!
City 4
Claudia est au premier étage.

Claudia is on the first floor.
That’s not what I ment!

Words that end with ‑ment in French are like words that end with ‑ly in English!
Ils répondent rapidement.

They answer rapidly.
Ils me répondent immédiatement.

They answer me immediately.
Weekend
En ville ou à la campagne ?
In English, we say we’re going to or we live in the city or the countryside. In French,
you always use en with ville and à la with campagne.
Je vais en ville. Nous allons à la campagne.

I’m going to the city. We’re going to the countryside.
Je travaille en ville. J’habite à la campagne.

I work in the city. I live in the countryside.
Je marche jusqu’à la plage

To say that you went up to a place but didn’t go inside, use jusqu’à. When you want to
say that you went to a place and then went inside, use à.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Weekend/tips 1/2
J’ai marché Weekend

jusqu’au restaurant.
I walked to the restaurant (but didn’t go in).
Je suis allé au restaurant.

I went to the restaurant (and had a meal!).
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Weekend/tips 2/2
At Work 4
C’est mon frère !

We’ve already seen how c’est can be used to introduce someone.
C’est ma mère.
This is my mother.
But c’est can also mean he is or she is. If you’re talking about several people, use ce
sont instead!
C’est le frère de Paul.

He’s Paul’s brother.
C’est ma collègue.
She’s my colleague.
Ce sont des Tunisiens.

At Work 4
They are Tunisians.
C’est un danseur
Use c’est when you need words like un, ma, etc. before the noun.
C’est ma sœur.
She is my sister.
C'est une grande danseuse.

She is a great dancer.
But, use il est or elle est when a noun or an adjective immediately follows.
Il est danseur.
He’s a dancer.
Elle est gentille.

She’s nice.
A slight change
We did say earlier that you don’t use un / une with occupations. But notice that there’s
a slightly different meaning after c’est vs. after il est / elle est!
C’est une danseuse. Elle est danseuse.

This is a dancer. She’s a dancer.
C’est un professeur. Il est professeur.

This is a teacher. He’s a teacher.
Ce sont des cuisiniers. Ils sont cuisiniers.

These are cooks. They are cooks.
Ce sont des chanteuses. Elles sont chanteuses.

At Work 4
These are singers. They are singers.
School 3
Vous comprenez le français ?

Remember apprendre, comprendre, and prendre? They’re similar to other verbs that
end with ‑re, but the d vanishes in some forms!
j'entends je comprends
tu entends tu comprends
il / elle entend il / elle comprend
nous entendons nous comprenons
vous entendez vous comprenez
ils / elles entendent ils / elles comprennent

he / she understands
Knowledge is power
Apprendre can mean learn or study, depending on the context!
School 3
Béatrice apprend les mathématiques à l’université.

Beatrice is studying math in college.
Vous apprenez le français avec Duo !

You are learning French with Duo!
Il faut apprendre la grammaire !

We’ve seen that il faut can mean One must... But it’s often translated as you must or
you have to as well!
School 3
Il faut étudier tous les soirs.

You must study every evening.
Il faut apprendre la grammaire française.

You have to learn French grammar.
Family 4
Reviens !
Verbs that end with ‑venir, like revenir or devenir, use the same endings. Let’s look at
venir as a guide!
je viens nous venons
tu viens vous venez
il / elle vient ils / elles viennent
Je deviens fou !
The word fou becomes folle when it goes with feminine nouns. Like in English, the
expression devenir fou can be serious or funny!
Ma tante devient folle quand elle regarde les matchs de foot.

My aunt goes crazy when she watches soccer games.
Nous devenons fous quand nous n’avons pas de café le matin !

We go crazy when we don’t have coffee in the morning!
Duo revient de France !

Remember, de becomes du before a masculine country, de before a feminine one, and
d’ before a country that starts with a vowel!
Vous revenez du Brésil ce soir ?

Are you coming back from Brazil tonight?
Je reviens de France la semaine prochaine.
I’ll come back from France next week.

Family 4
Tu viens d'Italie ?
You come from Italy?
Paris
Are we there yet?

To say something is a certain distance away, use à + distance + de. You also use this
pattern to say something is to the south, north, east, or west!
L’hôtel est à cinq kilomètres du musée.

The hotel is five kilometers from the museum.
Mon bureau est au sud de Paris.

My office is south of Paris.
I’m sur it was on this street...

In French, you’ll use sur to say that a place is on the avenue or on the square.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Paris/tips 1/3
L’hôtel est sur l’avenue du Général de Gaulle.

Paris
The hotel is on the Général de Gaulle avenue.
Le magasin est sur la place Louis XV.

The store is on the Louis XV square.
But when talking about a rue, you should just say the street name.
Le restaurant est rue des Rosées.

The restaurant is on the Rosées street.
Les arrondissements
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, each with its own character, monuments,
and charm! You can often just say which arrondissement something is in.
Le Louvre est dans le premier arrondissement.

The Louvre is in the first arrondissement.
La tour Eiffel est dans le septième arrondissement.

Paris
The Eiffel tower is in the seventh arrondissement.
Shopping 3
J’ai fini !
You’ve seen how to talk about the past with ‑er verbs using the passé composé.
J’ai acheté une voiture.

I bought a car.
With a lot of ‑ir verbs, the ending will be ‑i!
Tu as choisi quelle robe ?

Which dress did you choose?
J’ai grandi en Californie, mais maintenant j’habite à Paris.

I grew up in California, but now I live in Paris.
Pantalon en cuir
To say what something is made out of, use en with the material.
Marc a des chaussures en cuir.

Mark has leather shoes.
Je viens d’acheter un bracelet en argent.

I just bought a silver bracelet.
I see your true colors!

We’ve seen that adjectives usually change their ending to match the gender and
number of nouns, like in J’ai choisi des robes bleues.
An exception is when a color is more than one word, like bleu clair.
Tu préfères la jupe bleu clair ou bleu Shopping

foncé ? 3
Do you prefer the light blue or dark blue skirt?
Orange and marron are also exceptions, because those words can also be nouns.
J’aime les bottes marron, mais elles sont très chères.

I like the brown boots, but they’re very expensive.
At Home 4
Elles sont sorties !

We’ve seen how to use être with a verb to talk about past actions that express
movement or change, like Elle est allée. Here are a few more verbs that use être.
entrer monter
rentrer descendre
partir venir
sortir revenir
retourner devenir
Remember that the verb after être also changes to match the person!
Il est devenu professeur.

He became a teacher.
Elle est rentrée chez elle.

She went back home.
Ils sont descendus au rez‑de‑chaussée.

They went downstairs to the ground floor.
Come on up!
Monter can mean go up, come up, or climb up depending on the context! Likewise,
descendre can mean go, come, or climb down.
Je monte à l’étage. Alain descend l’escalier.

I’m going upstairs. Alain is going down the stairs.

At Home 4
Je monte ! Tu descends ?
I’m coming up! Are you coming down?
Les enfants descendent de l’arbre.

Le chat est monté sur le toit.
The children are climbing down the
The cat climbed up on the roof.
tree.
Food 3
J’en mange beaucoup !

We’ve already seen how to shorten J’invite mes amis to Je les invite.
When you have a form of de before the noun, as in Je veux du chocolat, you can use
en in the same way.
Sarah, tu manges de la viande ?

Sarah, do you eat meat?
Oui, j’en mange parfois.

Yes, I eat it sometimes.
Je n’en mange pas !
In negative sentences, en can mean any. In this case, en will go directly before the
Food 3
verb.
Est‑que tu veux du chocolat?

Do you want chocolate?
Non merci, je n’en veux pas.

No thank you, I don’t want any.
Il n’y a plus de lait !

Remember, il n’y a pas de means there isn’t any. Now, you can use il n’y a plus de to
say there’s no more!
Il n’y a plus de beurre.

There’s no more butter.
Il n’y a plus d’œufs.

There aren’t any more eggs.
Leisure 3
J’ai vu ce film !
You’ve seen how to talk about the past with ‑er and ‑ir verbs, like in j’ai visité and j’ai
grandi.
Some verbs have a slightly more dramatic transformation! For example, j’ai vu and j’ai
lu.
Sylvie a lu ce livre pour l’école.

Sylvie read this book for school.
Nous avons vu Sylvie à l’école.

We saw Sylvie at school.
Tu l’as vu ?
We’ve seen that tu le vois means you see it. To3say the same thing in the past, you’ll
Leisure
say tu l’as vu.
Le dernier film d’Isabelle Huppert ? Je l’ai vu hier.

Isabelle Huppert’s last film? I saw it yesterday.
Le Comte de Monte‑Cristo ? Je l’ai lu trois fois.

The Count of Monte‑Cristo? I read it three times.
J’ai déjà vu ce film !

When using the passé composé, words like toujours, jamais, and déjà will come
between avoir or être and the other verb.
Édouard a presque terminé ce livre.

Édouard has almost finished this book.
Je l’ai déjà terminé.

I’ve already finished it.
Leisure 3
At Work 5
Send me a postcard!
We’ve seen how to use le or la to say things like Elle le voit and Elle la voit.
To say to him, to her, or to it, you’ll use lui instead. Keep in mind that some French
verbs use à when we wouldn’t use to in English!
Elle écrit une lettre à Jean. Elle lui écrit une lettre.
She writes a letter to Jean. She writes a letter to him.
Elle répond à Sylvie. Elle lui répond.

She answers Sylvie. She answers her.
Elle donne un jouet au chat. Elle lui donne un jouet.

She gives a toy to the cat. She gives a toy to it.
Notice that the à disappears as well when you use lui.
What are you going to say to them?

To say to them, you’ll use leur.
La directrice envoie un e‑mail aux employés.

The director sends an email to the employees.
La directrice leur envoie un e‑mail.

The director sends an email to them.
She, to her, writes…

And remember, the words lui and leur come before the verb, not after!
Je dois leur montrer ces documents. At Work 5

I should show them these documents.
Le directeur m'a écrit un e‑mail alors je lui réponds.

The director wrote me an email, so I’m replying to him.
Hotel 2
Tu pars ?
Verbs like partir, sortir, dormir and servir will all have similar endings.
je pars je dors
tu pars tu dors
il/elle part il/elle dort
nous partons nous dormons
vous partez vous dormez
ils/elles partent ils/elles dorment
They have the same endings in the passé composé as well!
Je suis parti en retard.

I left late.
J'ai dormi à l'hôtel.

I slept at the hotel.
Should I stay or should I go?

Partir à means going somewhere, and partir de means leaving from somewhere! And
by itself, partir just means to leave.
Nous partons à la gare dans une heure.

We’re going to the train station in an hour.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Hotel-2/tips 1/2
Nous partons de l’hôtel à une heure.

Hotel 2
We’re leaving the hotel at 1 o’clock.
Tu pars ?
Are you leaving?
Un acteur ou une actrice ?

un acteur une actrice
a (male) actor a (female) actor
un directeur une directrice

a (male) director a (female) director
Some can be either masculine or feminine, though the main word looks the same.
un réceptionniste une réceptionniste

a (male) receptionist a (female) receptionist
And others don’t change at all!
un docteur un ingénieur
a (male/female) doctor a (male/female) engineer
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Hotel-2/tips 2/2
Shopping 4
J’en ai beaucoup !
Remember that en means some, as in Il y a du thé, et j’en ai. To specify just how much
you have, you can add a quantity after the verb.
Tu as des timbres ? Oui, j’en ai dix.

Do you have any stamps? Yes, I have ten.
Ma sœur économise de l’argent, mais mon frère en dépense beaucoup.

My sister saves money, but my brother spends a lot of it.
Barkeep! Another!
Whether you use un or une before another depends on the noun’s gender!
Tu as un manteau et tu en as acheté un autre.

You have a coat and you’re buying another.
J’ai une robe, mais j’en veux une autre.

I have one dress, but I want another.
Got any change?

We’ve seen that word order in French is often flipped! To talk about some amount of
money, you can use billet de or pièce de, followed by its value.
Shopping 4
Tu as des billets de cinq euros ?

Do you have any five‑euro bills?
Je cherche une pièce de cinquante centimes.

I’m looking for a fifty‑cent coin.
Family 5
We offer you French knowledge...

Verbs like ouvrir, couvrir, offrir, and accueillir will have similar endings!
j'ouvre j'offre
tu ouvres tu offres
il / elle ouvre il / elle offre
nous ouvrons nous offrons
vous ouvrez vous ofrrez
ils / elles ouvrent ils / elles offrent
J’ai offert un cadeau de naissance

A cadeau de naissance is a baby gift!
Félicitations pour la naissance de votre fils !

Congratulations on the birth of your son!
Je voudrais vous offrir un cadeau de naissance.

I’d like to get you a baby gift.
And be careful! Date de naissance is the day you were born. It’s not the same as your
anniversaire, which comes around every year!
Family 5
Quelle est votre date de naissance ?

What is your date of birth ?
Travel 6
On y va
Just like en, lui, les, and leur, y comes before the verb.
À quelle heure tu vas au restaurant ? J’y vais vers huit heures.

What time are you going to the restaurant? I’m going around 8 o’clock.
L’été dernier Marc est allé en France, et il y retourne l’été prochain.

Last summer Marc went to France, and he’s going back next summer.
There are also a couple French expressions with y that always mean Let’s go!
On y va !
Allons‑y !
Let’s go!
Non merci, pas maintenant Travel 6
You can use pas by itself (without ne!) in some phrases, like pas moi!
Alice aime voyager en avion, mais pas moi.

Alice likes traveling by plane, but not me.
Je vais t’aider ce soir, mais pas maintenant.

I’m going to help you tonight, but not right now.
Nous pouvons y aller demain, mais pas aujourd’hui.

We can go there tomorrow, but not today.
Ça te dit d’aller au resto ?

To invite someone to do something, use Ça te dit de… ? or Ça vous dit de… ?
Ça te dit d’aller au musée cet après‑midi ?

Do you want to go to the museum this afternoon?
Travel 6
Les enfants, ça vous dit d’aller au parc ?
Children, do you all want to go to the park?
Ça te dit de dîner au restaurant ce soir ?

Do you want to go out to eat tonight?
Technology
Avant, tout était différent !

We’ve seen how the imparfait can be used to talk about the way something was. You
can also use it to talk about how something used to be.
Avant, j’habitais avec mes parents.

Before, I used to live with my parents.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Technology/tips 1/2
Technology
Avant, on travaillait sans Internet.

Before, we used to work without Internet.
Quand j’étais un jeune homme...

To make the imparfait, start from the nous form, like nous écrivons and nous
pouvons. Then drop the ‑ons, and then add the endings listed below!
je pouvais nous pouvions
tu pouvais vous pouviez
il / elle pouvait ils / elles pouvaient
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Technology/tips 2/2
Leisure 4
You can use two, too!

Remember that words like le, leur, me, and so on come before the verb. And
sometimes, you’ll use not only one, but two of these words!
Je lui donne le livre. Je le lui donne.

I give him/her the book. I give it to him/her.
Je leur donne la pomme. Je la leur donne.

I give them the apple. I give it to them.
Je leur donne les livres. Je les leur donne.

I give them the books. I give them to them.
Notice that le, la, and les come before lui or leur!
And for me?

Even though lui and leur go after le, la, and les, the words me, te, nous, and vous,
come before!
Je te le donne.
I give it to you.
Ils vous les offrent.

They offer them to you.
Sports
I have great shame!!

French has several expressions with avoir. Here are a few examples.
Tu as l’air malade.
You look sick.
J’ai envie de regarder la télé.

I want to watch TV.
Il a honte de son ami.

He is ashamed of his friend.
A‑t‑il un problème ?
To make a question with avoir about an il or elle, you’ll say a‑t‑il or a‑t‑elle!
A‑t‑elle un parapluie ?
Does she have an umbrella?
Pourquoi a‑t‑il honte ?

Why is he ashamed?
Tu devrais commencer à étudier

To say that you are starting to do something, use commencer à, followed by an
infinitive.
Elles commencent à manger.

They start to eat.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Sports/tips 1/2
Il commence à pleuvoir.
Sports
It’s starting to rain.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Sports/tips 2/2
Money
Est‑ce que tu as assez d’argent ?

To say enough in French, use the expression assez de.
Je n’ai pas assez de temps.

I don’t have enough time.
And remember that de becomes d’ before a vowel!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Money/tips 1/3
Money
Elle n’a pas assez d’argent sur sa carte de crédit.

She doesn’t have enough money on her credit card.
You gotta earn it!

When talking about money, gagner means to earn.
Il gagne un bon salaire.

He earns a good salary.
Il veut gagner de l’argent pour acheter une voiture.

He wants to earn money to buy a car.
And the phrase gagner une vie means to make a living.
Money
Je gagne bien ma vie.

I make a good living.
Cooking
When life gives you lemons

To talk about a nonspecific number of nouns, remember to use du, de la, or des.
Il faut des citrons pour fair limonade.

You need lemons to make lemonade.
Pour faire des crêpes, il faut de la farine.

To make crepes, you need flour.
Il n’y en a pas !
The phrases il n’y en a pas and il n’y en a plus are pretty similar, but not exactly the
same!
Je voudrais acheter des oranges, mais il n’y en a pas.

I would like to buy oranges, but there aren’t any.
Je voudrais des œufs, mais il n’y en a plus.

I would like some eggs, but there aren’t any left.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Cooking/tips 1/1
Going Out
Let’s meet up!

Retrouver means to meet up with someone! But how about if you’re saying people are
all meeting up with each other? Then you add a word like se.
Je retrouve mes amis devant le théâtre.

I meet up with my friends in front of the theater.
On se retrouve à sept heures du soir.

We meet up (with each other) at 7 PM.
You can also talk about seeing or meeting each other using words like se!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Going-Out/tips 1/5
Going Out
Ils se sont rencontrés à l’école.

They met at school.
Nous nous voyons cet après‑midi à la réunion.

We’ll see each other this afternoon at the meeting.
I receive my friends? Going Out
The word recevoir means to receive something, but also to have someone over.
Nous recevons des cadeaux.

We receive gifts.
Il reçoit souvent des amis.

He often has friends over.
Take a look at the forms of recevoir! Notice that even though some forms use ç and
some use c, they are both pronounced like an s!
je reçois nous recevons
tu reçois vous recevez
il/elle reçoit ils / elles reçoivent
On étudie avec Duo ?

You’ve seen that to make suggestions, you can use questions or phrases like ça te dit
de…
Going Out
Tu m’aides à mettre la table ?

Can you help me set the table?
Ça te dit d’aller au resto ce soir ?

What about going to a restaurant tonight?
You can also use on to make a friendly invitation to do something!
Going Out
On va au ciné demain soir ?

What about going to the movies tomorrow night?
Remember, on uses the same verb form as il and elle!
Life
A change in me
We’ve seen how être is used with verbs to express some sort of movement in the past,
like in Elle est allée.
You can also use être with verbs that show a change in someone’s state of being (or a
lack of change!) Some examples are mourir, naître, devenir, rester.
Nous sommes restés à Paris pendant trois semaines.

We stayed in Paris for three weeks.
Ma mère est née en France.

My mother was born in France.
En quelle année es‑tu né ?

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Life/tips 1/3
As you’ve seen, when something happened in a particular year, you use the word en.
Life
But if something happened in a century, you use au siècle!
Tu es né en 1985.
You were born in 1985.
Mon fils est né au vingt et unième siècle.

My son was born in the twenty‑first century.
And, if something happened in a decade like the sixties or the seventies, use dans les
années...
Il est né dans les années cinquante.

My grandfather was born in the fifties.
Parle‑moi de tes problèmes !

Let’s talk about what you talk about! The phrase parler de means to talk about.
Il me parle de ses études.

Life
He is talking to me about his studies.
Nous parlons souvent de nos problèmes.

We often talk about our problems.
Notice that words like souvent go right after the form of parler!
Transit
J’en ai vraiment marre !

To say that you’re fed up, you’d say J’en ai marre! And to say what you’re fed up with,
you can use en avoir marre de.
Nous en avons marre !

We are fed up!
Vous en avez marre de ces émissions à la télé.

You are fed up with these TV shows.
How are you with geography?

To say that something is in the north, south, east or west of a place, you can use the
word dans.
Dans le nord du Canada, il fait très froid.

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Transit/tips 1/3
In northern Canada,
Transitit is very cold.
But to say that something is to the north, south, east, or west of somewhere, you can
use forms of à!
L’Océan Atlantique est à l’est des États‑Unis.

The Atlantic Ocean is east of the United States.
All aboard!
If you’re talking about transportation, like the bus or the train, monter dans means to
get on, and descendre de means to get off.
Transit
Nous montons dans le bus.

We get on the bus.
Nous descendons du train.

We get off the train.
In Town
Just passing through!

In French, you can use the expression passer par to say how to get somewhere.
Pour entrer dans le château, il faut passer par cette porte.

To get in the castle, you have to go through this door.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/In-Town/tips 1/3
In Town
Je passe par cette rue pour aller au travail.

I take this street to go to work.
Il faut passer par le hall pour prendre l’ascenseur.

You have to cross the lobby to take the elevator.
Ne te gare pas ici, c’est interdit !

We’ve seen that Ne mange pas ! means Don’t eat! But when telling someone not to do
something with verbs like se perdre or se garer, you need to add a vous or te in there.
Ne te perds pas !
In Town
Don’t get lost!
Ne vous garez pas là !

Don’t park there!
For the sentences with te, remember to drop the s on the end of ‑er verbs like se
dépêcher.
Ne te dépêche pas !
Don’t hurry!
Je ne connais personne :(
In French, we use the expression ne... personne to say not anyone.
Elle n’aide personne.

She’s not helping anyone.
Je n’appelle personne.
I’m not calling anyone.
Decorating
Ce sont de bons gâteaux

We’ve seen that some adjectives go before the word that they describe.
C’est un bon livre.

It is a good book.
We’ve also seen that you need to put des before plural nouns!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Decorating/tips 1/5
Decorating
J’achète des livres.

I buy books.
And if both these happen together? Use de before the adjective instead of des!
Je porte de nouvelles chaussures.

I am wearing new shoes.
Je suis... tout seul...

The word tout changes depending on the gender and number of what you’re
Decorating
describing!
Cette table est toute petite.

This table is very small.
Decorating
Elles sont toutes contentes.

They are so happy.
It doesn’t take an ‑s for masculine plural nouns though!
Ils sont tout tristes.

They are very sad.
Finally, the phrase tout seul means all alone or by oneself!
Il est tout seul.

He is by himself.
Achète‑les !
When giving commands like Buy them! or Call her!, the French words le, la, and les
Decorating
are tied to the verb with a hyphen!
Prends‑le ! Take it!
Appelle‑la ! Call her!
Achète‑les ! Buy them!
But if you’re telling someone not to do something, le, la, and les come before the verb.
Ne le prends pas ! Don’t take it!
Ne l’appelle pas ! Don’t call her!
Ne les achète pas ! Don’t buy them!
Arts
J’aime la chouette qui parle le français

Often, we use qui to ask a question, but it can be part of a statement too! Use it after a
noun to add more information about it.
J’ai une sœur qui habite en France.

I have a sister who lives in France.
Je prends le livre qui est sur la table.

I’m taking the book that is on the table.
Je vois un homme qui s'assoit seul.

I see a man who is sitting alone.
Je pense souvent à ma famille

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Arts/tips 1/3
Some verbs are followed by à, like penser à. Some are followed by de, like rêver de.
Arts
You just gotta memorize which uses which! C’est la vie !
Je pense à mes études.

I think about my studies.
Arts
Tu t’intéresses à la musique.
You are interested in music.
Nous rêvons d’acheter une maison.

We are dreaming of buying a house.
Emergency
Who done it?

We have seen sentences where on means we, like On va au cinéma. But you can also
use on when you don’t know who did the action!
On a volé mon vélo !

My bicycle was stolen!
Literal: One stole my bicycle.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Emergency/tips 1/3
Emergency
Je suis furieux parce qu'on a cassé ma voiture.

I'm furious because my car was stolen.
Mixing it up
You can use both the imparfait and the passé composé in the same sentence. The
imparfait describes the background info, and the passé composé describes what
happened!
Nous faisions les devoirs quand notre mère est rentrée.

We were doing our homework when our mother came home.
Il y avait beaucoup de monde dans le magasin quand elle est entrée.

There were a lot of people in the store when she came in.
J’ai vu quelque chose d’intéressant

If you want to say things like something interesting or something funny in French, say
quelque chose de, followed by an adjective.
Emergency
Elle nous a raconté quelque chose de drôle.

She told us something funny.
Dream Trip
Je penserai à toi !
In French, verbs have a future form! For ‑er and ‑ir verbs (like chanter and finir), you’ll
start with the infinitive then use these endings:
je parlerai je finirai
tu parleras tu finiras
il / elle parlera il / elle finira
nous parlerons nous finirons
vous parlerez vous finirez
ils / elles parleront ils / elles finiront
Ils partiront à la plage.

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Dream-Trip/tips 1/4
13/12/2019
pDuolingo - The world's best
p wayg to learn French
They will go toTrip
Dream the beach.
Je mange parce que j’ai faim !

Notice that parce que is usually followed by a small sentence, while à cause de is just
followed by a noun!
Je ne vais pas à la plage parce qu’il pleut.

I’m not going to the beach because it’s raining.
Je ne vais pas à la plage à cause de la pluie.

I’m not going to the beach because of the rain.
Pourquoi pas tous les deux ?

If you want to say both in French, use tous les deux for masculine or mixed gender
groups, or use toutes les deux for feminine.
Dream Trip
Tous les deux vont à l’université.

They both go to the university.
I
I NY
NY
Nous voyagerons toutes les deux.

We will
DreambothTrip
travel.
Weather 2
An unusual future
Some verbs, ones that are used super often, go through a transformation before
adding the future endings!
Ils auront un examen demain.

They will have an exam tomorrow.
Qu’est‑ce qu’ils feront ce soir ?

What will they do tonight?
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Weather-2/tips 1/4
Weather 2
Tu iras à la campagne dans deux jours.

You will go to the countryside in two days.
Je serai dans mon jardin.

I will be in my garden.
S’il fait beau, nous irons à la plage !

To say if in French, use the word si.
Weather 2
Si j’ai le temps, je t’appellerai.
If I have time, I will call you.
Just like in English, you use the present after si, then the future to say what’ll happen.
Si tu étudies, tu auras une bonne note.

If you study, you will get a good grade.
Si tu as froid à la tête, mets un chapeau !

Sometimes your fingers are freezing, or your head feels too warm! To complain about
what specific body parts are cold or warm, use avoir froid à and avoir chaud à.
Weather 2
J’ai froid aux mains.

My hands are cold.
J’ai trop chaud à la tête.

My head is too warm.
Junk
Le film que je regarde est intéressant

We’ve already seen phrases like un acteur qui chante. Similarly, we can also use que
in a sentence to say that.
Le sac que tu portes est lourd.

The bag that you’re carrying is heavy.
How do you know if you should use qui or que? A helpful tip is that qui is followed by a
verb, while que isn’t!
C’est à moi !
The expression être à means to belong to. Remember to use it with words like moi
and toi instead of je or tu!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Junk/tips 1/3
Junk
Cette maison est à moi.

This house belongs to me.
À quoi sert cet objet ?

To say what something is used for, use servir à followed by a verb.
Junk
Cet appareil sert à prendre des photos.

This device is used for taking pictures.
Education
Je pourrai parler en français !

Let’s look at a few more verbs that change form before adding the future endings:
Nous devrons travailler.

devoir
We will have to work.
Je pourrai finir.
pouvoir
I will be able to finish.
Tu sauras le faire ?
savoir
You will know how to do it?
Il voudra avoir une réponse.

vouloir
He will want to have an answer.
Il faudra faire des efforts !

If you don’t have to now, but you will have to do something, start with Il faudra...
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Education/tips 1/2
Education
Il faudra faire les magasins.

You’ll have to go shopping.
Je dois passer un examen de français

When talking about taking a test, use the verb passer. But when talking about passing
a test, use the verb réussir!
Les élèves passent un examen d’anglais.

The students are taking an English test.
Si tu veux réussir l’examen, tu dois étudier.

If you want to pass the test, you have to study.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Education/tips 2/2
Bad Day
Tu t’es réveillé tard !

When talking about past actions, most verbs use avoir, but verbs that express
movement or states of being (like aller) use être.
You also use être with verbs like se réveiller, se perdre, and s’habiller.
Ils se sont perdus.

They got lost.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Bad-Day/tips 1/4
Bad Day
Nous nous sommes habillés.

We got dressed.
Je ne me suis pas perdu !

Now if you want to add in ne...pas, you’ll put it in the following word order:
Ils ne se sont pas perdus.

They did not get lost.
Bad Day
Nous ne nous sommes pas habillés.

We did not get dressed.
Mon boulot est difficile !

In spoken French, people say boulot, and in written French, they use travail, but they
both mean work!
Bad Day
J’ai beaucoup de boulot aujourd’hui.

I have a lot of work today.
Mon travail n’est pas intéressant.

My work is not interesting.
Career
J’y pense tout le temps !

Y can actually replace any noun that comes after à, as long as it’s not a person!
Remember to put it just before the verb.
Tu t’intéresses à la musique. Tu t’y intéresses.

You are interested in music. You are interested in it.
Ils pensent aux examens. Ils y pensent.

They think about the exams. They think about it.
J’en ai besoin !
The same way y can replace nouns after à, the word en can replace nouns that come
after de, as long as it’s not a person.
Je rêve de ce voyage. J’en rêve.

I dream about this trip. I dream about it.
Nous avons peur de cet examen. Nous en avons peur.

We are afraid of this exam. We are afraid of it.
J’habite à Paris depuis un an

If you put depuis before a particular time, it means you’ve been doing something since
that time. If you put depuis before an amount of time, it means for that amount of
time.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Career/tips 1/2
Career
Je joue au foot depuis deux mois.

I have been playing soccer for two months.
Ils habitent dans cette maison depuis 1980.

They have been living in this house since 1980.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Career/tips 2/2
Manners
Lequel est‑ce que tu préfères ?

Say someone offers you two options ‑ which one do you choose? Lequel means which
one. Depending on gender and number, you could see forms like lequel, laquelle,
lesquels, or lesquelles.
Je ne sais pas lequel choisir.

I don’t know which one to choose.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Manners/tips 1/4
Manners
Lesquels sont vos enfants ?

Which ones are your children?
You mustn’t!
We’ve seen that devoir means to have to do something. But in a negative sentence, it
refers to what you mustn’t do!
Vous ne devez pas nager ici.

You mustn’t swim here.
Manners
Si tu es malade, tu ne dois pas te lever du lit.

If you are sick, you mustn’t get out of bed.
Ce soir, nous allons au restaurant

In France, you can order à la carte, or you can choose a menu fixe of two or more
courses. A three course menu has an entrée, a plat principal, and a dessert.
Manners
En entrée, je vais prendre de la salade.

As an appetizer, I will have salad.
Quel plat principal avez‑vous choisi ?

What main course did you choose?
Il voudrait un gâteau au chocolat en dessert.

He would like a chocolate cake for dessert.
Because service charges are included in the bill, tipping is not mandatory. If the
service is outstanding, it is a nice gesture to leave a tip between 5‑10% of the bill.
On Sale
Gimme gimme!
To say something is mine, the phrases are: le mien, la mienne, les miens, or les
miennes. Choose based on the gender and number!
J’ai acheté ma bague en promotion. J’ai acheté la mienne en promotion.

I bought my ring on sale. I bought mine on sale.
Où sont mes T‑shirts ? Où sont les miens ?

Where are my T‑shirts? Where are mine?
The same idea can be applied to le tien, la tienne, and so on:
Je préfère ton manteau. Je préfère le tien.

I prefer your coat. I prefer yours.
Combien ont coûté tes chaussures ? Combien ont coûté les tiennes ?
How much were your shoes? How much were yours?
I have a hankerin’
A common French expression is donner envie de. It expresses how a situation makes
you want to do something!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/On-Sale/tips 1/3
On Sale
Cette publicité donne envie de manger du chocolat.

This commercial makes you want to eat chocolate.
If you want to be more specific, add words like lui, leur, etc.
Cette offre lui donne envie d’acheter cette voiture.

This offer makes him want to buy this car.
C’est clair que...

There are so many ways to express your opinions! There’s both je pense que..., and je
On Sale
suppose que…. There’s also c’est clair que..., which sounds rude in English, but it’s
not rude in French!
C’est clair que c’est suffisant.

It is obvious that it is enough.
Je suppose que c’est une bonne décision.

I’m guessing that it’s a good decision.
Je pense que tu as raison.

I think that you are right.
Nightmare
Il mangeait en conduisant
To say things like while sleeping or while working in French, use en, followed by a
verb ending with ‑ant!
En sortant, j’ai vu mon voisin.

While going out, I saw my neighbor.
I wake me up before I go go
When you use a verb like se réveiller or se lever, remember to change se based on
the person doing the action.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Nightmare/tips 1/2
Nightmare
J’ai regardé l’horloge en me réveillant.

I looked at the clock upon waking up.
Elle n’a pas encore fini

If something hasn’t happened yet, use the phrase ne... pas encore.
Ils n’ont pas encore appelé.

They have not yet called.
Elles ne sont pas encore parties.

They haven’t left yet.
Notice that you separate ne from the other words, but pas encore always go together!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Nightmare/tips 2/2
Grooming
Tu pourrais m’aider ?
When you want to say something politely, you can use verb forms like tu voudrais, tu
pourrais, and tu devrais! Take a look at the ending pattern:
je pourrais nous pourrions
tu pourrais vous pourriez
il / elle pourrait ils / elles pourraient
Il voudrait du café.
He would like coffee.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Grooming/tips 1/4
Grooming
Vous devriez partir.

You should leave.
Ne travaille pas autant !

When you are comparing equal amounts, you can say autant de … que.
Grooming
Tu as autant de stylos que de crayons.
You have as many pens as pencils.
You can also use autant when it’s not a comparison:
Ne mange pas autant !

Don’t eat so much!
Je pourrais peut‑être venir

Words that describe a verb (like souvent, peut‑être, aussi, etc.) are usually placed
after the verb!
Il étudie, mais il travaille aussi.

He studies, but he also works.
Nous allons souvent au cinéma.

Grooming
We often go to the movies.
Requests
Prends le nôtre !
We’ve already seen phrases like le mien and les tiennes. Learn a few more phrases to
express which things are whose:
Leurs meubles sont vieux, les nôtres sont neufs.

Their furniture is old, ours is new.
Notre maison est petite, la vôtre est plus grande.

Our house is small, yours is bigger.
Nos parents sont âgés, les leurs sont plus jeunes.

Our parents are old, theirs are younger.
For these, there’s no change based on gender, but there is an ‑s with plural nouns!
Prenons n’importe quel bus !

N’importe quel or n’importe quelle mean just any or whichever!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Requests/tips 1/2
Requests
Tu peux mettre n’importe quelle robe.

You can wear just any dress.
Appelle n’importe quel dentiste.

Call just any dentist.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Requests/tips 2/2
Dining Out
The usual, please

When French adjectives change based on gender, there are some patterns you can
pick up on! For example, ‑uel and ‑uelle are a pair!
Je vais prendre mon plat habituel.

I’m going to have my usual dish.
Vous êtes sûr que c'est la recette habituelle ?

Are you sure that this is the usual recipe?
La première !
Another pair to look out for is ‑ier and ‑ière!
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Dining-Out/tips 1/3
Dining Out
Nous avons mangé le gâteau entier.

We ate the entire cake.
Il a mangé la pomme entière.

He ate the whole apple.
Dining Out
Stay positif!
Here’s one more: if the masculine adjective ends with ‑f, the feminine one will end
with ‑ve!
Ce restaurant a reçu un commentaire positif.

This restaurant got a positive review.
J'ai une opinion positive de ce restaurant.

I have a positive opinion of this restaurant.
Sports 2
C’est moi qui a gagné !

Sometimes you want to emphasize the person doing an action! To do this, you can use
c’est...qui.
C’est elle qui joue au basket.

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Sports-2/tips 1/4
She is the oneSports 2 basketball.

who plays
C'est toi qui as attrapé le ballon ?

Are you the one who caught the ball?
Notice that even if there are several people involved, you still use c’est!
C’est nous qui chantons.

We are the ones who are singing.
Ow, my knee!
If you get hurt, you should use the verb se faire mal!
Nous nous sommes fait mal en tombant.

We got hurt while falling.
To get more specific about where you got hurt, use a form of à depending on the body
Sports 2
part’s gender!
Il s’est fait mal à la jambe.

He hurt his leg.
Sports 2
Tu t’es fait mal au pied.

You hurt your foot.
We are number one!

If you do it the best, you do it le mieux. Notice that le mieux doesn’t change form, even
though le pire does!
Cette équipe joue le mieux.

This team plays the best.
C'est nous qui chantons le mieux.

We are the ones who sing the best.
Ces athlètes sont les pires.

These athletes are the worst.
Cette situation est la pire.

This situation is the worst.
Classroom
Ils éteignent la lumière

Verbs that end in ‑eindre, like peindre and éteindre, have a different pattern from
other ‑re verbs like vendre!
j’éteins je vends
tu éteins tu vends
il / elle éteint il / elle vend
nous éteignons nous vendons
vous éteignez vous vendez
ils / elles éteignent ils / elles vendent
avoir éteint avoir vendu
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Classroom/tips 1/3
Classroom
Nous éteignons l’ordinateur.
We are turning off the computer.
Il est nécessaire de travailler

When you give your opinion in casual conversation, you generally use phrases with
c’est.
C’est difficile d’étudier seul.

It’s difficult to study alone.
C’est normal d’apprendre cette leçon.

It’s normal to learn this lesson.
But in more formal situations, like writing an essay, you’ll use il est… instead.
Classroom
Il est important d’étudier.

It is important to study.
Road Trip
Duo a conduit !
The verb conduire becomes conduit in the passé composé!
Il a conduit toute la nuit.

He drove all night.
Arrête‑toi !
There’s a difference between s’arrêter and arrêter. You use arrêter to stop something
or someone, and you use s’arrêter to stop yourself.
La voiture s’arrête au feu rouge.

The car stops at the red light.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Road-Trip/tips 1/3
Ils ont décidé d'arrêter la grève.

Road Trip
They decided to stop the strike.
Right and wrong

Bon and mauvais don’t just describe good and bad! When you’re making a choice, they
also mean right and wrong!
C’est la bonne réponse !

It’s the right answer!
Road Trip
Tu as pris la mauvaise carte.

You took the wrong map.
Rescue
Ouch!
Remember, verbs like se blesser or se couper use être in the passé composé. And
they change depending on gender and number!
Nous nous sommes brûlés.

We got burned.
Elle s’est blessée.

She got hurt.
But if you know exactly which body part was affected, there’s no ending changes!
Ils se sont coupé les cheveux.

They cut their hair.
I broke my leg!
Some verbs can be used with or without se! If you use se, the action is done to
yourself. If there’s no se, the action is done to something else.
Elle a coupé la viande.

She cut the meat.
Elle s’est coupée.

She cut herself.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Rescue/tips 1/1
Encounters
Tu es le bienvenu !
If you want to say that someone is welcome in your house, you can use être le
bienvenu. But depending on gender and number, the phrase will change form!
Vous êtes toujours les bienvenus ici.

You are always welcome here.
Elle est la bienvenue chez nous.

She is welcome in our home.
C’est un vieil ami

We’ve seen that the word bel is used instead of beau if the next word starts with a
vowel or silent h. Similarly, you should use vieil instead of vieux!
Ce vieil homme a quatre‑vingt‑dix ans.

https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Encounters/tips 1/2
This old man is ninety years old.

Encounters
Nous visitons la cathédrale

When you visit a person, you say rendre visite à, and when you visit a place, you say
visiter.
Nous rendons visite à nos grands‑parents.

We are visiting our grandparents.
Elle visite la France.

She is visiting France.
https://www.duolingo.com/skill/fr/Encounters/tips 2/2

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13/12/2019 Duolingo - The world's best way to learn French

Welcome and bienvenue!

un homme une femme

un chien une pizza

How are you?

If the last letter of a word is an e (without an accent!), it’s usually silent.

Gabriel est espagnol. Sarah est espagnole.

Il est américain. Elle est américaine.

Sometimes the extra e changes the sound a little, so listen carefully!

Use your nose! Basics 2

chat chat, chien

heure, homme, habite

Je travaille à Madrid. Je travaille en Espagne.

Je suis à Londres. Je suis en Angleterre.

The, the, or the?

La goes with feminine ones.

But if the word starts with a vowel or silent h, use l’ instead!

If a verb begins with a vowel, be sure to change je to j’!

gants gants, Gustave, tango

compagne, espagnol, Travel

mon père ma mère

ton frère ta sœur

son ﬁls sa ﬁlle

Fille and femme

une femme et une ﬁlle

C'est la ﬁlle de Julia.

Ma femme s'appelle Alice.

Whose kid is this?

Before vowels, de becomes d’.

Also, le, la and l’ become les.

Ils and elles

Ils sont étudiants.

Elles sont étudiantes.

La femme est contente.

Les femmes sont contentes.

J'aime mes parents !

mon frère mes frères

ta sœur tes sœurs

sa voiture ses voitures

Ce sont mes parents.

Non. Je prends un café.

Je voudrais un verre d'eau!

une bouteille d’eau

Une table pour deux personnes, s’il vous plaît.

What would you like to drink? Use voudrais instead of veux!

Je voudrais deux cafés.

une université française

Où sont les toilettes ?

Où sont les toilettes ?

oi voiture, toilettes, croissant

ou ouvert, ou, bouteille

Notice that ou and où are pronounced the same!

Où est le restaurant, à Paris ou à Bordeaux?

Les trains sont grands.

Do you like 2wine?

Also when talking about countries!

Le Mexique est mon pays.

Je vais aux Etats‑Unis.

Ils vont au Mexique.

Il y a une ﬂeur blanche.

That’s some word!

aille travaille, Versailles

Where are you?

Tu écris une lettre ?