Some similarities and differences

between french and english

SIMILARITIES:
 The alphabets in English and French are the same
DIFFERENCES
 The pronunciation is different
 In French there are accents (/, \, ^, ..), which are special markings on the
vowels that are primarily used to alter the sound and for other purposes.
 Unlike in English all nouns in French, whether people or things, have
gender (with some exceptions)
 The formal and informal way of speaking

 Note: It is important that when you learn a new noun you should learn
its gender as well.
 The French subject pronouns
Je = I  1st per. sing.
Tu = you  2nd per. sing.
il = he/it 3rd per. sing
Elle = she/it
Nous = we  1st per. plu.
Vous = you  2nd per. plu.
ils = they 3rd per. Plu.,
Elles = they

on = we, someone
 Les salutations/ greeting vocabulary & expressions
 Bonjour = good morning /good day/hello
 Bon après midi = good after noon
 Bonsoir = good evening
 Bonne nuit= good night
 Salut = hi / bye
 Au revoir = Bye, bye
 Adieu = good bye / farewell
 Bonne journée = have a nice day
 Bonne soirée = have a nice evening
 Merci = thank you
 introductions
(in French there is a formal and a
informal way of speaking)
Informal
• Comment tu t’appelles ?(informal) = what is your name?
 Je m’appelle ……….. = My name is………

• Comment ça va ? how are you ?

• Comment vas-tu ?

• Ça va bien, merci = I am fine, thank you

• ça va très bien = i am very fine.
• Ça va mal = I am not well
• comme-ci, comme-ça = so-so(neither good nor bad)
 Formal introductions

 Comment vous appelez-vous? = what is your name?

 Je
m’appelle …… = My name is........
 Mon nom est ……..

 Comment allez-vous ? = how are you?

 Je vais bien, merci = I am fine, thank you

 More introductory expressions
• Quel âge avez-vous? (formal)
• Quel âge as-tu ? (informal) how old are you?
• J’ai …(number)….. ans. I am … years old

• Où habitez-vous? (formal)
• Où habites-tu ?(informal) where do you live?

• J’habite à ……… = I live in ………..

 Wishes

 A bientôt = see you soon

 A demain = see you tomorrow
 A plus tard = see you later
 A la prochaine = until we meet next
 Bon anniversaire = happy birthday
 Bonne chance = good luck
 Bon courage = cheer up
 Bon voyage = happy journey
 Bonne route = have a safe journey
 Bon année = happy new year
 Joyeux Noël = happy/merry christmas
 Félicitations = congratulations
Some masculine & feminine words

 Bon (M) = good

 Bonne (F) = good
 Mauvais = bad
 An (M) = year
 Année (F) = year
 Joyeux (M) = happy
 Joyeuse (F) = happy
 Bien (adverb) = good / well
 Mal = bad
 Politeness
•Merci = thank you
•Merci beaucoup = thank you very much
•S'il vous plait = please
•De rien = you are welcome
•Excusez moi = excuse me
•Bon appétit = enjoy your meal
•Je suis désolé = I am sorry
•Je ne sais pas = i don’t know
 People Vocab.

 Monsieur = mister/sir
 Madame = madam
 Mademoiselle = miss
 Homme = man
 Mari = husband
 Femme= woman / wife
 Garçon= boy
 Fille = girl
 Enfant = child/kid
 Ami (M) = friend
 Amie (F) = friend
 La famille

 Le père = father
 La mère = mother
 Le fils = son
 La fille= daughter/girl
 Le frère = brother
 La sœur = sister
 Le cousin = cousin(m)
 La cousine = cousin(f)
 L’oncle = uncle
 La tante = aunt
 Le grand-père = grand father
 La grand-mère= grand mother
 Les grands-parents = grand parents
 Useful expressions for class room
• Puis j’entrer monsieur? = may I enter sir?
• Est ce que je peux entrer,monsieur?
• Répétez s’il vous plait = repeat please.
• Puis j’aller aux toilettes? = may I go to the
bathroom?
• Donnez moi ……. = give me…….
• Puis je boire de l’eau? = may I drink some water?
• Oui = yes
• Non = no
 Day/ time indicators
Aujourd’hui
 = today
Hier= yesterday


Demain = tomorrow


Maintenant = now


Jour = day


Journée = the whole day



Matin = morning


Matinée= the whole morning



Midi = noon


Après midi= afternoon



Soir = evening


Soirée= the whole evening



Nuit= night


Minuit = midnight

 Asking/telling name of other people
• Comment s’appelle-t-il? = what is his name?
• Comment s’appelle-t-elle? = what is her name?
• Il s’appelle ……. = his name is …..
• Elle s’appelle ……. = her name is….
 Some important interrogatives

 Qui est-ce? = Who is this?/who are these

 Qu’est-ce-que c’est? = what is this ?/ what are these
 Que/ qu’est ce que = what
 Qui = who
 Comment = how / what
 Où = where
 Quand = when
 Pourquoi = why
 Combien de/d’ = how much / how many
 Quel / quelle = which / what
 Quoi = what
 Some important grammatical expressions
• C’est = this is / that is / it is
• Ce n’est pas = this is not/ that is not / it is not
• Ce sont = these are / those are
• Ce ne sont pas = these are not / those are not
• Il y a = there is/ there are
• Il n’y a pas = there is not
• Y a-t-il ? = is there / are there ?
• Voilà = there /there you are/ there it is
• Voici = here / here it is etc……
• Moi = me
• Toi = You
• Et = and
 CLASS ROOM VOCABULARY

• Stylo (m) = pen

• Crayon (m) = pencil
• Trousse (f) = pouch
• Taille crayon (m) = sharpner
• Règle (f) = ruler/scale
• Gomme (f) = eraser
• Livre (m) = book
• Cahier (m) = note book
• Cartable (m) = school bag
• Ecole (f) = school
• Maison (f) = house
• Craie (f) = chalk
• Tableau noir (m)= black board
• Chaise (f) = chair
• Table (f) = table
• Pupitre (m) = desk
• Banc (m) = bench
• Fenêtre (f) = window
• Porte (f) = door
 More vocabulary
 Maison (f) = house
 Ecole (f) = school
 Eglise (f) = church
 Banque (f) = bank
 Poste (f) = post office
 Musée (m) = museum

 Voiture (f) = car

 Autobus (m) = bus
 Train (m) = train
 Bateau (m) = boat
 Avion (m) = aeroplane
 Vélo (m) = bicycle
 Moto (f) = motorbike
 Les articles

Les articles définis (definite articles):

 Le (m)
 La (f) The
 Les (pl)
 L’ (for words beginning with vowel & silent “h”)

Ex:
The book = livre Le
The pens = stylos Les
The plane = avion L’
The pouch = trousse La
 Les articles indéfinis (indefinite articles):

Un (m) a, an
Une (f)

Des  some
Ex:
a pouch = trousseune
a book = livre un
pens = stylos des
a plane = avion un
Introduction to French verb conjugation

Some important verbs : “Avoir”, “Etre”, “Aller”

Avoir (to have)

J’ai ( I have)
Tu as (you have)
Il a (he/it has)
Elle a (she/it has)
Nous avons (we have)
Vous avez (you have)
Ils ont (they have)
Elles ont (they have)
 translate
They have a car.
She has a pen.
We have a bicycle.
I have some books.
he has a sharpener.
You (plu) have a motorbike.
You (sing) have some erasers.
 Les adjectifs (ADJECTIVES)

 InFrench adjectives have 4 forms, they are,

1.masculine singular (ms), 2. feminine singular (fs), 3.
masculine plural (mp) and 4. feminine plural (fp)

 This is because the adjectives agree with the gender

and number of the noun it qualifies
 Les adjectifs qualificatifs
In French the adjective varies according to the gender (M or F) and
number(singular or plural) of the noun it qualifies.

M F
 Petit(s) petite(s) = small
 Grand(s)grande(s) = big/tall
 Amusant amusante = funny/amusing
 Drôle drôle = funny
 Joli(s) jolie(s) = pretty
 Fort(s) forte(s) = strong
 Faible(s)faible(s) = weak
 Beau(x) belle(s) = handsome/beautiful
 Laid(s) laide(s) = ugly
 Gentil(s)gentille(s) = nice/pleasant/kind/gentle
M F
Gros grosse(s) = fat
Mince(s) mince(s) = thin/slim
Content(s) contente(s) = happy/glad
Mécontent(s)mécontente(s) = unhappy
Méchant (s) méchante (s) = naughty
Intelligent (s) intelligente (s) = intelligent
Fou (s) folle(s) = fool/mad/crazy
nouveau nouvelle = new
heureux heureuse = happy
courageux courageuse = courageous
Note : the « s » in the bracket stands for plural
Conjugation of verb “Etre”
 Etre (to be)

 Je suis ( I am)
 tu es (you are)
 il est (he is / it is)
 elle est (she is / it is)
 nous sommes (we are)
 vous êtes (you are)
 ils sont (they are)
 elles sont (they are)
 Usage of adjectives

 Let’s see some examples:

Let’s take the adjective
“Small” = petit (ms); petite (fs); petits (mp) and
petites(fp)

 La petite
trousse est _____________
 Le livre est ____________
petit
 Les gommes sont __________petites
 Les stylos sont _____________
petits
petit
 L’avion est _________
Translate these sentences using the verb “etre” and
adjectives
 He is strong and tall
Il est fort et grand
 She is fat and small
elle est grosse et petite
 They are intelligent
Ils sont intelligents
 We are students.
Nous sommes etudiants
 You are naughty.

Tu es méchant
 Les professions
 In French professions also have gender
Let’s learn some French professions:
M F
 L’instituteur L’institutrice = teacher
 L’acteur l’actrice = actor
 Le musicien la musicienne = musician
 Le danseur la danseuse = dancer
 Le chanteur la chanteuse = singer
 Le directeur la directrice = Principal/Director
 Homme d’affaires Femme d’affaires = businessman
 Femme de foyer = house wife
 Le médecin   » = doctor
 L’ingénieur   » = engineer
 Le professeur » = professor
 Le Chauffeur» = driver
 Le pilote» = pilot
 My = mon(m) ma(f) mes(pl)
 E.g. Mon père ma mère mes parents
Note : in French the indefinite article is not used in front
of professions
Traduisez :
 I am a pilot
 Je suis pilote
 He is a singer
 Il est chanteur
 She is a danser

elle est danseuse

 My father is an engineer

mon père est ingénieur

 My mother is a house wife
  ma mère est femme de foyer
 • Aller (to go)

•Je vais (I go / I am going)

•tu vas (you go)
•il va (he goes)
•elle va (she goes)
•nous allons (we go)
•vous allez (you go)
•ils vont ( they go)
•elles vont (they go)
Some examples with verb “aller”:
 I go to the beach
 Je vais à la plage
 We go to school
 Nous allons à l’ecole
 They go to the church
 Ils vont à l’eglise
 She goes to the bank
 Elle va à la banque
 You go to the restaurant
 Tu vas au restaurant
 LES VERBES
 In French the verbs are divided into 2 groups
namely “regular” and “irregular” verbs.
 Regular verbs are those verbs that follow a
regular pattern of conjugation and irregular
verbs are those verbs that do not follow any
pattern, they are all different.
 The regular verbs are again divided into 3
groups based on their endings.
 They are : verbs ending in ER, ending in IR and
verbs ending in RE . Example : Parler, Finir,
Vendre
 All
regular verb conjugations have a
beginning part and a ending part
LA CONJUGAISON DES VERBES DU 1ERE GROUPE (-ER)au
présent(Verb conjugation of 1st group (-er) verbs in present tense)
For
 example let us take the verb « Parler »
The following are the steps for conjugation:


#1- remove the ending (ER) from the verb



Parler  parl (radical / stem)



#2 add the endings e, es, e, ons, ez ,ent respectively to the subject


pronouns
Je = I


Tu= you


Il = he


Elle = she


Nous = we


Vous = you


Ils = they


Elles = they

 And we get the following conjugation
 Je parle (I speak)
 Tu parles (you speak)
 Il/elle parle (he/she speaks)
 Nous parlons (we speak)
 Vous parlez (you speak)
 Ils/elles parlent (they speak)
And all the verbs belonging to this group(-er) can be
conjugated in this manner
 Exercise

Conjuguez les verbes:

Aimer, écouter, arriver, chanter, détester

LA CONJUGAISON DES VERBES DU 2eme
GROUPE (-IR)au présent (Verb conjugation of 2 group verbs
nd

in present tense)

 For example let us take the verb “Finir”

 The following are the steps for conjugation:
 #1- remove the ending « ir » from the verb
 Finir  fin (radical/stem)
 #2 add the endings : is, is, it, issons, issez
and issent
And we get the following conjugation
 Je finis = I finish
 Tu finis = you finish
 Il/elle finit = he / she finishes
 Nous finissons = we finish
 Vous finissez = you finish
 Ils/elles finissent= they finish

 Andall the verbs belonging to this group(-ir) can be

conjugated in this manner
LA CONJUGAISON DES VERBES DU 3eme
GROUPE (-RE)au présent (Verb conjugation of 3rd group
verbs in present tense)

 Most of the 3rd group verbs are irregular however,

a few of them can be considered as regular. They
are:
Some RE regular verbs
 Vendre (to sell ) 
 attendre (to wait) 
 défendre (to defend)
 entendre (to hear) 
 rendre (to return) 
 répondre (to answer) 
 descendre (to get down) 
 résoudre (to resolve)
 répandre (to spread across)

etc…
Conjugation

 The following are the steps for conjugation:

 #1- remove the ending « re » from the verb
 Vend re vend (stem/radical)
 #2 add the endings : s, s, -, ons, ez and ent
respectively to the subject pronouns
And we get the following conjugation
Vendre
 Je vends
 Tu vends
 Il/elle vend
 Nous vendons
 Vous vendez
 Ils/elles vendent

And all the verbs belonging to this group(-re) can be

conjugated in this manner
Conjuguez les verbes
 Attendre
 Répondre
 Remember most of the 3rd group verbs have irregular
conjugations and have to be learnt individually, you
could however find your own way of making a pattern
for conjugation when you learn the verbs.

 ““Bonne chance”