French A1 — Beginner

This is where the course starts: no French is assumed. By the end of A1 you can introduce yourself and others, ask and answer simple questions about where you live, people you know and things you have, order food, ask the way, and understand slow, clear speech on familiar topics. You can write a short postcard or fill in a form.

Part of the French course. Next level: A2.

Study time: 60–100 hours. Units on this page: 10.

1. Bonjour ! Sounds and greetings · French sounds: silent final letters, nasal vowels, liaison basics; subject pronouns; être (present)
2. Je m'appelle… Introducing yourself · s'appeler, avoir (present); masculine/feminine of nationalities; tu vs vous
3. Ma famille · definite and indefinite articles; gender and plural of nouns; possessive adjectives (mon/ma/mes…)
4. Une journée ordinaire · present tense of regular -er verbs; telling time (il est … heures); negation ne…pas
5. Au café et au marché · partitive articles (du, de la, des, de); je voudrais; quantities (un kilo de, un peu de)
6. En ville · aller and venir; à + le = au, de + le = du; the imperative for directions; prepositions of place
7. Chez moi · il y a; adjective agreement and position (petit, grand, beau…); prepositions (sur, sous, à côté de)
8. Loisirs et goûts · aimer/adorer/détester + noun or infinitive; faire de / jouer à; asking questions (est-ce que, intonation, question words)
9. Les vêtements et les courses · demonstratives (ce, cet, cette, ces); colour adjective agreement; pouvoir and vouloir; quel/quelle
10. Projets et météo · futur proche (aller + infinitive); dates (le 14 juillet); prepositions with cities and countries (à, en, au)

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Unit 1: Bonjour ! Sounds and greetings

In this unit you will greet people politely, say how you are, spell your name and meet the most important verb in French, être (to be). You will also learn the rules that make French spelling and pronunciation predictable.

1.1 Dialogue: Le premier jour

Léa arrives at her French class. Press Listen and try to understand before you read the text.

English translation

Léa: Hello, madam! Mme Dubois: Hello! Are you a new student? Léa: Yes, I am Léa. I am English. Mme Dubois: Pleased to meet you, Léa. I am Madame Dubois, the teacher. How are you? Léa: Very well, thank you. And you? Mme Dubois: Fine, thanks. This is Tom. He is a student too. Tom: Hi, Léa! How's it going? Léa: Fine, thanks. And you? Tom: Great! Welcome!

Check that you understood. Click an answer: green is right, red is wrong.

1.2 Vocabulary

Click any French word in italics to hear it.

French	English
bonjour	hello, good morning (all day)
bonsoir	good evening
salut	hi / bye (informal)
au revoir	goodbye
à bientôt	see you soon
à demain	see you tomorrow
Comment allez-vous ?	How are you? (formal)
Ça va ?	How's it going? (informal)
Ça va bien, merci.	I'm fine, thanks.
Très bien. / Pas mal.	Very well. / Not bad.
Et vous ? / Et toi ?	And you? (formal / informal)
merci (beaucoup)	thank you (very much)
s'il vous plaît / s'il te plaît	please (formal / informal)
pardon / excusez-moi	sorry / excuse me
enchanté / enchantée	pleased to meet you (said by a man / a woman)
monsieur, madame	sir, madam (Mr, Mrs)
oui / non	yes / no
Comment ça s'écrit ?	How do you spell that?

1.3 Pronunciation: how French sounds

French spelling looks irregular, but it follows rules. Five rules cover most beginner words:

1. Final consonants are usually silent: petit, salut, Paris, vous. The consonants of the word "CaReFuL" (c, r, f, l) are often pronounced: avec, bonjour, neuf, il. (But -er at the end of a verb is said like "ay": parler.)
2. Final -e is silent: madame, anglaise, je suis. It makes the consonant before it heard: petit (no t) but petite (t heard).
3. Nasal vowels: a vowel before n or m (at the end of a syllable) is said through the nose and the n is not pronounced: bonjour, bien, enchanté, un.
4. Some letter groups make one sound: ou = "oo" (vous), oi = "wa" (bonsoir), au/eau = "o" (au revoir), ai = "eh" (anglaise), ch = "sh" (enchanté), gn = "ny" (Espagne).
5. Liaison: a silent final consonant is pronounced when the next word starts with a vowel: vous êtes ("voo-zet"), nous avons ("noo-za-von") Liaison is compulsory after pronouns and articles: ils sont, ils ont (z sound!).

The accents: é (accent aigu) = "ay" (été); è and ê = open "eh" (très, être); ç = "s" (ça); à, où only distinguish words (a has / à to).

The alphabet. Click each letter to hear it; you need these to spell your name.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Careful with E (like "uh"), G ("zhay"), I ("ee"), J ("zhee"), R (from the throat), U (say "ee" with rounded lips) and W ("double v").

1.4 Grammar: subject pronouns and être

Être (to be) is irregular. Learn it by heart; you will use it in every conversation.

être	English
je suis	I am
tu es	you are (informal)
il est / elle est / on est	he / she is, we are (informal)
nous sommes	we are
vous êtes	you are (formal or plural)
ils sont / elles sont	they are

1.5 Practice

1.6 Listening

A voicemail from your new teacher. Listen twice before you look at the questions.

Now three dictations. Listen as often as you want (use Slowly first), write what you hear, then check. Small words count!

1.7 Speaking

1.8 Writing

1.9 Flashcards

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Unit 2: Je m'appelle… Introducing yourself

In this unit you will introduce yourself and other people, give your age, nationality and the languages you speak, count from 0 to 20 and ask simple questions. New verbs: s'appeler, avoir, parler, habiter.

2.1 Dialogue: À l'auberge de jeunesse

Two travellers meet at a youth hostel in Lyon.

English translation

Hugo: Hi! My name is Hugo. And you, what's your name? Aiko: My name is Aiko. Pleased to meet you! Hugo: Where are you from, Aiko? Aiko: I'm Japanese. I live in Osaka. And you? Hugo: I'm Belgian, from Brussels. You speak French well! Aiko: Thanks! I speak Japanese, English and a little French. How old are you? Hugo: I'm twenty. And you? Aiko: I'm nineteen. This is my friend Sofia. She's Spanish. Sofia: Hello Hugo! Do you speak Spanish? Hugo: No, sorry. I speak French, Dutch and English.

2.2 Vocabulary

Countries and nationalities. The nationality adjective changes for a woman (usually + e). Nationalities take no capital letter in French; nouns for people do (un Français).

Country	He is…	She is…	Language
la France	français	française	le français
l'Angleterre	anglais	anglaise	l'anglais
les États-Unis	américain	américaine	l'anglais
l'Espagne	espagnol	espagnole	l'espagnol
l'Allemagne	allemand	allemande	l'allemand
l'Italie	italien	italienne	l'italien
la Turquie	turc	turque	le turc
le Japon	japonais	japonaise	le japonais
la Chine	chinois	chinoise	le chinois
la Belgique	belge	belge	le français, le néerlandais
la Suisse	suisse	suisse	le français, l'allemand…
le Canada	canadien	canadienne	le français, l'anglais

Numbers 0–20. Click to hear them.

0 zéro	1 un	2 deux	3 trois
4 quatre	5 cinq	6 six	7 sept
8 huit	9 neuf	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

Useful questions

French	English
Tu t'appelles comment ? / Comment vous appelez-vous ?	What's your name?
Tu es d'où ? / Vous êtes d'où ?	Where are you from?
Tu habites où ? / Où habitez-vous ?	Where do you live?
Tu as quel âge ? / Quel âge avez-vous ?	How old are you?
Tu parles anglais ?	Do you speak English?
un peu, bien, couramment	a little, well, fluently
Voici… / Je vous présente…	This is… / Let me introduce…
mon ami, mon amie	my friend (male, female)

2.3 Grammar: s'appeler, avoir and regular -er verbs

1. S'appeler (to be called). It is a reflexive verb: the small pronoun (me, te, s'…) agrees with the subject. Note the double l when the ending is silent.

s'appeler
je m'appelle	nous nous appelons
tu t'appelles	vous vous appelez
il / elle s'appelle	ils / elles s'appellent

2. Avoir (to have) is the second key irregular verb. French uses avoir for age: J'ai vingt ans = I am twenty (literally "I have twenty years"). Never say je suis vingt.

avoir
j'ai	nous avons
tu as	vous avez
il / elle / on a	ils / elles ont

3. Regular -er verbs (parler to speak, habiter to live). Remove -er and add the endings. The endings -e, -es, -e, -ent are all silent, so je parle, tu parles, il parle, ils parlent sound the same.

parler	habiter
je parle	j'habite
tu parles	tu habites
il / elle parle	il / elle habite
nous parlons	nous habitons
vous parlez	vous habitez
ils / elles parlent	ils / elles habitent

2.4 Practice

2.5 Listening

Clara introduces herself in a video for a language exchange website.

Dictations: listen, write, check.

2.6 Speaking

2.7 Writing

2.8 Flashcards

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Unit 3: Ma famille

In this unit you will talk about your family and describe people. You will learn the gender of nouns, the articles (le, la, les, un, une, des), plurals and the possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes…).

3.1 Dialogue: La photo de famille

Inès shows a family photo to her friend Karim.

English translation

Karim: Is that a photo of your family? Inès: Yes! Here, that's my father. His name is Marc. He's tall and he has grey hair. Karim: And the blond woman, is that your mother? Inès: Yes, that's my mother, Sophie. She's very nice. She's a nurse. Karim: Do you have brothers and sisters? Inès: I have a brother and a sister. My brother, Léo, is fifteen. He's short and a bit shy. My sister, Jade, is twenty-three. She's married. Karim: And the two children, there? Inès: They are Jade's children: my nephew and my niece. They're adorable! Karim: And the dog? Inès: That's Biscuit, my grandparents' dog.

3.2 Vocabulary

La famille

French	English
le père / la mère	father / mother
les parents	parents (also: relatives)
le fils / la fille	son / daughter (fille also = girl)
le frère / la sœur	brother / sister
le grand-père / la grand-mère	grandfather / grandmother
les grands-parents	grandparents
l'oncle / la tante	uncle / aunt
le cousin / la cousine	cousin (m / f)
le neveu / la nièce	nephew / niece
le mari / la femme	husband / wife (femme also = woman)
l'enfant	child
marié(e), célibataire, divorcé(e)	married, single, divorced
fils unique / fille unique	only child

Describing people

French	English
grand(e) / petit(e)	tall / short
jeune / âgé(e)	young / old
mince / fort(e)	slim / well-built
blond(e), brun(e), roux (rousse)	blond, dark-haired, red-haired
il a les cheveux longs / courts	he has long / short hair
elle a les yeux bleus / verts / marron	she has blue / green / brown eyes
sympathique (sympa)	nice
gentil (gentille)	kind
drôle	funny
timide	shy
sérieux (sérieuse)	serious
intelligent(e)	intelligent

3.3 Grammar: gender, articles and plurals

Every French noun is masculine or feminine. Learn each noun with its article. Some endings help: -tion, -té, -ette, -ure are usually feminine (la nation, la liberté); -ment, -age, -eau usually masculine (le moment, le fromage, le bureau).

	Masculine	Feminine	Plural
Definite (the)	le père	la mère	les parents
Before a vowel or mute h	l'oncle	l'amie	les amis
Indefinite (a, some)	un frère	une sœur	des enfants

Plural. Usually add -s (silent): un frère → des frères. Words in -eau, -eu add -x: un neveu → des neveux, un gâteau → des gâteaux. Most words in -al become -aux: un animal → des animaux. Words ending in -s, -x, -z do not change: un fils → des fils.

Adjective agreement. Adjectives agree with the noun: add -e for feminine and -s for plural. Some have special feminine forms.

Masculine	Feminine	Rule
grand	grande	+ e (now the d is heard)
jeune	jeune	already ends in -e: no change
sérieux	sérieuse	-eux → -euse
gentil	gentille	double the l
italien	italienne	-ien → -ienne
sportif	sportive	-f → -ve

3.4 Grammar: possessive adjectives

The possessive agrees with the thing possessed, not with the owner: sa mère = his mother or her mother.

Owner	Masculine noun	Feminine noun	Plural noun
je	mon père	ma mère	mes parents
tu	ton frère	ta sœur	tes cousins
il / elle	son oncle	sa tante	ses enfants
nous	notre fils	notre fille	nos enfants
vous	votre mari	votre femme	vos amis
ils / elles	leur père	leur mère	leurs parents

3.5 Practice

3.6 Listening

Thomas describes his family for a school project.

3.7 Speaking

3.8 Writing

3.9 Flashcards

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Unit 4: Une journée ordinaire

In this unit you will describe your day, tell the time, use the days of the week and say how often you do things. Grammar: the present tense of regular -er verbs (all persons, spelling changes) and negation ne … pas.

4.1 Dialogue: Tu travailles le samedi ?

Nina and Paul are colleagues. They talk during the coffee break.

English translation

Paul: What time do you start in the morning? Nina: I start at half past eight. I take the bus at eight. Paul: I work from nine to six. And where do you have lunch? Nina: Usually I have lunch at the office. I eat a salad. And in the evening I get home around seven. Paul: Do you work on Saturdays? Nina: No, I don't work at the weekend. On Saturdays I play tennis and on Sundays I watch films. Paul: You never go out in the evening? Nina: Yes, sometimes, on Fridays. But generally I have dinner at home and listen to music. Paul: Oh dear, it's already quarter past ten. Back to work!

4.2 Vocabulary

Daily activities (all regular -er verbs)

French	English
travailler	to work
commencer / finir	to start / to finish (finir is an -ir verb)
déjeuner / dîner	to have lunch / to have dinner
manger	to eat
rentrer	to go back home
regarder la télé	to watch TV
écouter de la musique	to listen to music
jouer au tennis, au foot	to play tennis, football
étudier	to study
se lever, je me lève	to get up, I get up (more in A2)
le matin, l'après-midi, le soir, la nuit	morning, afternoon, evening, night

Days of the week (no capital letters): lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche. Le lundi = on Mondays (every Monday); lundi = this Monday.

How often? toujours (always), souvent (often), d'habitude / en général (usually), quelquefois / parfois (sometimes), rarement (rarely), ne … jamais (never), tous les jours (every day).

Telling the time

Time	French
8:00	Il est huit heures.
8:15	Il est huit heures et quart. / huit heures quinze
8:30	Il est huit heures et demie. / huit heures trente
8:45	Il est neuf heures moins le quart. / huit heures quarante-cinq
8:50	Il est neuf heures moins dix.
12:00	Il est midi.
0:00	Il est minuit.
19:00	Il est dix-neuf heures. (official 24-hour time: timetables, TV, work)

Quelle heure est-il ? = What time is it? À quelle heure ? = At what time? À huit heures = at eight.

4.3 Grammar: the present tense of -er verbs

About 90 % of French verbs end in -er, and almost all are regular. In Unit 2 you saw parler. There is only one present tense in French: je travaille = I work, I am working, I do work.

travailler	étudier	aimer
je travaille	j'étudie	j'aime
tu travailles	tu étudies	tu aimes
il travaille	il étudie	il aime
nous travaillons	nous étudions	nous aimons
vous travaillez	vous étudiez	vous aimez
ils travaillent	ils étudient	ils aiment

4.4 Grammar: negation ne … pas

Ne goes before the verb and pas after it. Ne becomes n' before a vowel or mute h.

• Je travaille. → Je ne travaille pas.
• Il aime le café. → Il n'aime pas le café.
• Nous habitons ici. → Nous n'habitons pas ici.

Other negations work the same way: ne … jamais (never): Je ne travaille jamais le dimanche. Ne … plus (no longer): Elle n'habite plus à Paris.

4.5 Practice

4.6 Listening

A radio presenter describes her working day.

4.7 Speaking

4.8 Writing

4.9 Flashcards

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Unit 5: Au café et au marché

In this unit you will order in a café, buy food at the market, ask prices and count to 100. Grammar: the partitive articles (du, de la, des), de after quantities and negation, and the polite je voudrais.

5.1 Dialogue: À la terrasse d'un café

English translation

Waiter: Hello, sir, madam. What can I get you? Anna: Hello. I'd like a coffee, please. Waiter: An espresso? Anna: Yes, an espresso. And a croissant, please. Waiter: And for you, sir? Omar: For me, a lemon tea and an orange juice. Do you have sandwiches? Waiter: Yes, we have ham, cheese and tuna sandwiches. Omar: A cheese sandwich, then. There's no butter, I hope? Waiter: Yes there is butter. Shall I make you a sandwich without butter? Omar: Yes, thanks. How much is it altogether? Waiter: So, that's eighteen euros fifty.

5.2 Vocabulary

Food and drink

French	English
le pain, la baguette	bread, baguette
le beurre, le fromage, le jambon	butter, cheese, ham
la viande, le poulet, le poisson	meat, chicken, fish
les légumes : la tomate, la carotte, la pomme de terre	vegetables: tomato, carrot, potato
les fruits : la pomme, la banane, la fraise	fruit: apple, banana, strawberry
le riz, les pâtes, les œufs	rice, pasta, eggs
le café, le thé, le chocolat chaud	coffee, tea, hot chocolate
l'eau (minérale), le jus d'orange, le vin, la bière	(mineral) water, orange juice, wine, beer
le sucre, le sel, le lait	sugar, salt, milk
l'addition	the bill (in a restaurant)

Quantities: un kilo de, un demi-kilo (= une livre) de, cent grammes de, une bouteille de, un paquet de, une boîte de, un morceau de, une tranche de (a slice), beaucoup de (a lot of), un peu de (a little), assez de (enough), trop de (too much).

At the market and in the café

French	English
Je voudrais…	I would like…
Je vais prendre…	I'll have…
C'est combien ? / Ça fait combien ?	How much is it?
Ça coûte deux euros le kilo.	It costs two euros a kilo.
Et avec ceci ?	Anything else?
C'est tout, merci.	That's all, thanks.
L'addition, s'il vous plaît.	The bill, please.
Vous payez par carte ?	Are you paying by card?

Numbers 20–100

20 vingt	21 vingt et un	22 vingt-deux
30 trente	31 trente et un	39 trente-neuf
40 quarante	50 cinquante	60 soixante
70 soixante-dix	71 soixante et onze	75 soixante-quinze
80 quatre-vingts	81 quatre-vingt-un	85 quatre-vingt-cinq
90 quatre-vingt-dix	91 quatre-vingt-onze	99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf
100 cent

5.3 Grammar: partitive articles

To talk about an unspecified quantity of something you cannot count (bread, water, courage), French uses the partitive article. English often uses "some" or nothing at all.

Masculine	Feminine	Before a vowel	Plural
du pain	de la viande	de l'eau	des œufs

Which article?

• le, la, les: things in general, likes and dislikes. J'aime le fromage. (I like cheese, in general.)
• un, une: one countable item. Je voudrais un croissant.
• du, de la, des: an amount of something. Je mange du fromage. (I eat some cheese.)

5.4 Grammar: polite requests and prendre

Je voudrais (I would like) is the polite form of je veux (I want). Always use it in shops and cafés. Another common way to order: je vais prendre… or simply un café, s'il vous plaît.

Prendre (to take, to have food/drink) is irregular: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent. Same pattern: apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand).

5.5 Practice

5.6 Listening

At the market: Madame Petit buys fruit and vegetables.

5.7 Speaking

5.8 Writing

5.9 Flashcards

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Unit 6: En ville

In this unit you will name places in town, talk about transport, ask for and give directions. Grammar: aller and venir, the contractions au, aux, du, des, prepositions of place and the imperative.

6.1 Dialogue: Pardon, le musée, s'il vous plaît ?

A tourist asks a woman for directions in Strasbourg.

English translation

Tourist: Excuse me, madam. I'm looking for the modern art museum. Is it far? Lady: No, it's ten minutes on foot. Go straight on as far as the bridge. Tourist: As far as the bridge, OK. Lady: At the bridge, turn left. Carry on along Market Street. The museum is opposite the bank, next to a big car park. Tourist: Thank you very much. And to get to the station afterwards? Lady: For the station, take the tram, line A. The stop is in front of the post office. Tourist: Are you from here? Lady: Yes, I live in Strasbourg. I'm going to the market now. Enjoy your visit!

6.2 Vocabulary

Places in town

French	English
la ville, le centre-ville, le quartier	town/city, town centre, neighbourhood
la rue, la place, le pont	street, square, bridge
la gare, l'arrêt de bus, la station de métro	railway station, bus stop, underground station
la banque, la poste, la pharmacie	bank, post office, chemist's
le musée, le cinéma, le théâtre	museum, cinema, theatre
l'hôpital, l'école, la mairie	hospital, school, town hall
la boulangerie, le supermarché	baker's, supermarket
l'église, la mosquée, la synagogue	church, mosque, synagogue
le parc, le jardin	park, garden

Transport: à pied (on foot), à vélo (by bike), en voiture (by car), en bus, en métro, en tram, en train, en avion (by plane), en taxi. Rule: en for things you get inside, à for things you sit on (and à pied).

Directions

French	English
aller tout droit	to go straight on
tourner à gauche / à droite	to turn left / right
prendre la première rue à droite	to take the first street on the right
traverser la place	to cross the square
continuer jusqu'à…	to carry on as far as…
C'est loin ? C'est près ?	Is it far? Is it near?
C'est à cinq minutes.	It's five minutes away.

Prepositions of place: devant (in front of), derrière (behind), à côté de (next to), en face de (opposite), entre … et … (between), près de (near), loin de (far from), au coin de (at the corner of), au bout de (at the end of).

6.3 Grammar: aller, venir and the contractions

aller (to go)	venir (to come)
je vais	je viens
tu vas	tu viens
il / elle va	il / elle vient
nous allons	nous venons
vous allez	vous venez
ils / elles vont	ils / elles viennent

Aller takes à (to); venir takes de (from). À and de combine with le and les:

	+ le	+ la	+ l'	+ les
à	au (au musée)	à la (à la gare)	à l' (à l'école)	aux (aux toilettes)
de	du (du musée)	de la (de la gare)	de l' (de l'école)	des (des États-Unis)

6.4 Grammar: the imperative (giving instructions)

Take the tu, nous or vous form of the present and drop the subject pronoun.

	tourner	prendre	aller
(tu)	tourne	prends	va
(nous)	tournons	prenons	allons
(vous)	tournez	prenez	allez

Watch out: -er verbs lose the s in the tu form: tu tournes → tourne !, tu vas → va ! Negative: Ne tournez pas à gauche. Irregular: être → sois, soyez; avoir → aie, ayez.

6.5 Practice

6.6 Listening

A guide explains the plan of a small town to a group of tourists.

6.7 Speaking

6.8 Writing

6.9 Flashcards

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Unit 7: Chez moi

In this unit you will describe your home, its rooms and furniture, and say where things are. Grammar: il y a, the position and agreement of adjectives (including beau, nouveau, vieux), and more prepositions.

7.1 Dialogue: La visite de l'appartement

Lucas visits a flat to rent with the owner, Madame Roux.

English translation

Mme Roux: Come in, please. Here's the hall. On the left there's the kitchen. Lucas: It's small but very bright. Is there a fridge and an oven? Mme Roux: Yes, and a dishwasher. Here's the living room. There's a big sofa and a beautiful window over the garden. Lucas: Is it quiet? Mme Roux: Very quiet. The bedroom is at the end of the corridor, on the right. There's a double bed, a wardrobe and a desk. Lucas: And the bathroom? Mme Roux: It's next to the bedroom, with a shower. The toilet is separate. Lucas: What floor is the flat on? Mme Roux: On the third floor, but there's no lift. The rent is seven hundred and fifty euros a month. Lucas: It's very nice. I'll think about it and call you tomorrow.

7.2 Vocabulary

Housing and rooms

French	English
une maison, un appartement, un studio	a house, a flat, a studio flat
un immeuble, un étage, l'ascenseur	a block of flats, a floor, the lift
le rez-de-chaussée	the ground floor
l'entrée, le couloir	the hall, the corridor
la cuisine, le salon, la salle à manger	kitchen, living room, dining room
la chambre, la salle de bains, les toilettes	bedroom, bathroom, toilet
le balcon, le jardin, le garage	balcony, garden, garage
le loyer, louer, le propriétaire	rent, to rent, owner/landlord

Furniture and objects

French	English
le lit, l'armoire, la commode	bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers
la table, la chaise, le fauteuil, le canapé	table, chair, armchair, sofa
le bureau, l'étagère, la lampe	desk, shelf, lamp
le frigo (réfrigérateur), le four, l'évier	fridge, oven, sink
la douche, la baignoire, le lavabo	shower, bath, washbasin
la fenêtre, la porte, le mur, le tapis	window, door, wall, rug

Describing a home: grand, petit, clair (bright), sombre (dark), calme, bruyant (noisy), moderne, ancien (old), confortable, joli, propre (clean), sale (dirty), meublé (furnished).

Ordinal numbers: premier / première (1st), deuxième (2nd), troisième (3rd), quatrième, cinquième, neuvième, dixième. Rule: number + -ième (drop final e: quatre → quatrième; cinq → cinquième, neuf → neuvième).

7.3 Grammar: il y a

Il y a = there is / there are. It never changes for the plural. Negative: il n'y a pas de (+ noun without article). Question: Est-ce qu'il y a… ? or Il y a… ?

• Il y a une chambre. — Il y a deux chambres.
• Il n'y a pas d'ascenseur. — Il n'y a pas de jardin.
• Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans le salon ? — What is there in the living room?

7.4 Grammar: adjectives, agreement and position

Most adjectives come after the noun: un appartement moderne, une cuisine claire, des murs blancs.

A small group of common short adjectives come before the noun. Remember them with BAGS: Beauty (beau, joli), Age (jeune, vieux, nouveau), Goodness (bon, mauvais), Size (grand, petit, gros).

• une petite cuisine, un grand salon, une jolie chambre, un vieil immeuble.

Three of them have a special masculine form before a vowel:

Masculine	Before a vowel (m.)	Feminine	Masc. plural	Fem. plural
beau	bel (un bel appartement)	belle	beaux	belles
nouveau	nouvel (un nouvel immeuble)	nouvelle	nouveaux	nouvelles
vieux	vieil (un vieil ami)	vieille	vieux	vieilles

7.5 Practice

7.6 Listening

A student describes her room in a university residence.

7.7 Speaking

7.8 Writing

7.9 Flashcards

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Unit 8: Loisirs et goûts

In this unit you will talk about hobbies, sports and music, say what you like and dislike, and ask all kinds of questions. Grammar: aimer / adorer / détester + noun or infinitive, faire de and jouer à, the verb faire, and the three ways to ask a question.

8.1 Dialogue: Un nouveau colocataire

Chloé interviews Malik, who wants to share her flat.

English translation

Chloé: So, Malik, what do you do in your free time? Malik: I do a lot of sport. I cycle at the weekend and I play basketball on Tuesday evenings. Chloé: Do you like music? Malik: I love music! I play the guitar… but not at night, I promise! Chloé: Ha ha, good. Do you like cooking? Malik: Yes, I quite like cooking, especially Moroccan dishes. And you, what do you like doing? Chloé: I read a lot and I do yoga. I don't like noise and I hate dirty dishes! Malik: No problem, I'm very tidy. Why are you looking for a flatmate? Chloé: Because the rent is expensive, and because I like talking with someone in the evening.

8.2 Vocabulary

Hobbies and sport

French	English
le temps libre, les loisirs	free time, leisure activities
faire du sport, du vélo, de la natation	to do sport, to cycle, to swim
faire du yoga, de la danse, de la randonnée	to do yoga, dancing, hiking
jouer au foot, au tennis, aux cartes, aux échecs	to play football, tennis, cards, chess
jouer du piano, de la guitare, du violon	to play the piano, the guitar, the violin
lire (je lis), un livre, un roman	to read (I read), a book, a novel
écrire, dessiner, peindre	to write, to draw, to paint
aller au cinéma, au concert, au musée	to go to the cinema, to a concert, to a museum
sortir avec des amis	to go out with friends
cuisiner, voyager, chanter, danser	to cook, to travel, to sing, to dance
les jeux vidéo, les séries	video games, TV series

Likes and dislikes (from strongest to weakest)

j'adore > j'aime beaucoup > j'aime bien (I quite like) > je n'aime pas beaucoup > je n'aime pas > je déteste. Also: je préfère (I prefer), ça me plaît (I like it), ça m'intéresse (it interests me), ça m'ennuie (it bores me).

Question words: qui (who), quoi / que (what), où (where), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why) → parce que (because), combien (de) (how much / how many), quel, quelle, quels, quelles (which / what).

8.3 Grammar: aimer + noun or infinitive; faire and jouer

After verbs of liking (aimer, adorer, détester, préférer), use the definite article with a noun (you talk about things in general) or an infinitive directly:

• J'aime la musique. (never j'aime de la musique) — Il déteste le sport.
• J'aime lire. — Nous adorons voyager. — Elle préfère rester à la maison.

Faire (to do, to make) is irregular and very frequent:

faire
je fais	nous faisons (pronounced "fuh-zon")
tu fais	vous faites
il / elle fait	ils / elles font

8.4 Grammar: asking questions

There are three ways to ask a yes/no question, from most informal to most formal:

Register	Example
Intonation (speech)	Tu aimes le cinéma ?
Est-ce que (neutral)	Est-ce que tu aimes le cinéma ?
Inversion (formal, written)	Aimez-vous le cinéma ?

With a question word, the same three patterns exist: Tu vas où ? / Où est-ce que tu vas ? / Où vas-tu ?

8.5 Practice

8.6 Listening

A short radio survey: three people answer the question Qu'est-ce que vous faites le week-end ?

8.7 Speaking

8.8 Writing

8.9 Flashcards

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Unit 9: Les vêtements et les courses

In this unit you will name clothes and colours, buy clothes in a shop, ask for a size and give your opinion. Grammar: demonstratives (ce, cet, cette, ces), colour agreement, vouloir and pouvoir, and quel.

9.1 Dialogue: Dans un magasin de vêtements

English translation

Shop assistant: Hello! Can I help you? Yasmine: Hello. I'm looking for a jacket for the spring. Assistant: What size are you? Yasmine: I'm a 38. Assistant: Look at this blue jacket. It's very fashionable. Yasmine: It's pretty, but I don't really like blue. Do you have it in green? Assistant: Yes, in green and in black. Do you want to try it on? The changing rooms are at the back. Yasmine: … Hmm, it's a bit small. Do you have the next size up? Assistant: Here you are, in 40. And with these white trousers, it's perfect! Yasmine: Yes, it suits me. How much does it cost? Assistant: Sixty-nine euros. But this week there's twenty per cent off. Yasmine: Great, I'll take it! Can I pay by card?

9.2 Vocabulary

Clothes

French	English
un pantalon, un jean, un short	trousers, jeans, shorts
une chemise, un tee-shirt, un pull	a shirt, a T-shirt, a jumper
une robe, une jupe	a dress, a skirt
une veste, un manteau, un costume	a jacket, a coat, a suit
des chaussures, des baskets, des bottes	shoes, trainers, boots
des chaussettes, une cravate, une écharpe	socks, a tie, a scarf
un chapeau, une casquette, des lunettes	a hat, a cap, glasses
un sac, une ceinture	a bag, a belt
porter	to wear

Colours (after the noun, they agree): blanc / blanche, noir(e), rouge, jaune, vert(e), bleu(e), gris(e), violet / violette, rose, marron (invariable), orange (invariable). Bleu clair (light blue), vert foncé (dark green): compound colours are invariable: une robe bleu clair.

In the shop

French	English
Je peux vous aider ?	Can I help you?
Je regarde, merci.	I'm just looking, thanks.
Quelle taille faites-vous ? / Je fais du 40.	What size are you? / I'm a 40.
Quelle pointure ?	What (shoe) size?
Je peux l'essayer ?	Can I try it on?
les cabines (d'essayage)	the changing rooms
C'est trop grand / trop petit / trop cher.	It's too big / too small / too expensive.
Ça vous va bien.	It suits you.
Je le / la prends.	I'll take it.
les soldes, une réduction	the sales, a discount

9.3 Grammar: demonstratives

Ce, cet, cette, ces = this / that / these / those. They agree with the noun.

Masculine	Masc. before vowel	Feminine	Plural
ce pantalon	cet anorak, cet homme	cette robe	ces chaussures

To distinguish "this" and "that", add -ci (here) or -là (there): cette robe-ci ou cette robe-là ?

9.4 Grammar: vouloir, pouvoir and quel

vouloir (to want)	pouvoir (can, to be able to)
je veux	je peux
tu veux	tu peux
il / elle veut	il / elle peut
nous voulons	nous pouvons
vous voulez	vous pouvez
ils / elles veulent	ils / elles peuvent

Both are followed by an infinitive: Je veux acheter un manteau. Vous pouvez répéter ? Remember that je voudrais is more polite than je veux.

Quel (which / what) agrees with the noun: quel pull ?, quelle couleur ?, quels vêtements ?, quelles chaussures ? It can also be an exclamation: Quelle belle robe !

9.5 Practice

9.6 Listening

A phone message from a clothes shop.

9.7 Speaking

9.8 Writing

9.9 Flashcards

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Unit 10: Projets et météo

In this unit you will talk about the weather and the seasons, give dates, and talk about plans for the weekend and the holidays. Grammar: the futur proche (aller + infinitive), dates, and prepositions with cities and countries (à, en, au, aux).

10.1 Dialogue: Les vacances d'été

Two friends talk about their summer plans.

English translation

Camille: What are you going to do this summer? Rayan: I'm going to go to Portugal with my family. We're leaving on the fifteenth of July. Camille: Great! How long are you going to stay? Rayan: Two weeks. We're going to visit Lisbon and afterwards we're going to go to the beach. It's very hot there in July. And you? Camille: I'm not going away in July: I'm going to work in a restaurant. But in August I'm going camping in Brittany with friends. Rayan: In Brittany? It often rains, doesn't it? Camille: Not always! In summer the weather is nice, but it's windy. We're going to go sailing and hiking. Rayan: When are you going to come back? Camille: On the thirty-first of August. Classes start again on the first of September!

10.2 Vocabulary

The weather (Quel temps fait-il ? = What's the weather like?)

French	English
Il fait beau. / Il fait mauvais.	The weather is nice. / bad.
Il fait chaud. / Il fait froid. / Il fait doux.	It's hot. / cold. / mild.
Il fait vingt degrés. / Il fait moins cinq.	It's twenty degrees. / It's minus five.
Il y a du soleil. / Il y a du vent.	It's sunny. / It's windy.
Il y a des nuages. / Le ciel est gris.	It's cloudy. / The sky is grey.
Il pleut. / Il neige.	It's raining. / It's snowing.
Il y a de l'orage. / Il y a du brouillard.	There's a storm. / It's foggy.
la météo	the weather forecast

Seasons: le printemps (spring), l'été (summer), l'automne (autumn), l'hiver (winter). Au printemps, but en été, en automne, en hiver.

Months (no capitals): janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre. En juillet = in July.

Time expressions for the future: ce soir (tonight), demain (tomorrow), après-demain, ce week-end, la semaine prochaine (next week), le mois prochain, l'année prochaine, cet été, dans deux jours (in two days' time).

Holidays: les vacances (always plural), partir en vacances, faire du camping, aller à la plage / à la montagne / à la campagne, visiter un musée (but rendre visite à quelqu'un for people), réserver un hôtel, la valise (suitcase).

10.3 Grammar: the futur proche

To talk about plans and the near future, use aller (present) + infinitive. It is the most common way to talk about the future in spoken French.

je vais partir	nous allons partir
tu vas partir	vous allez partir
il / elle va partir	ils / elles vont partir

• Ce soir, je vais regarder un film. — Il va pleuvoir demain. — Nous allons visiter Lisbonne.
• Negative: ne … pas goes around aller: Je ne vais pas travailler.
• Aller can be followed by aller: Je vais aller au Portugal.

10.4 Grammar: dates and prepositions with places

Dates. French uses le + cardinal number + month: le quinze juillet, le trente et un août. Only the first day of the month is ordinal: le premier septembre. Years: en 2027 (deux mille vingt-sept). Quelle est la date aujourd'hui ? — Nous sommes le 6 novembre or C'est le 6 novembre.

Cities and countries

Place	"in / to"	Example
a city	à	à Paris, à Lisbonne, à Istanbul
a feminine country (most end in -e)	en	en France, en Turquie, en Espagne, en Bretagne
a country starting with a vowel	en	en Iran, en Israël
a masculine country	au	au Portugal, au Japon, au Canada, au Maroc
a plural country	aux	aux États-Unis, aux Pays-Bas

10.5 Practice

10.6 Listening

The weather forecast on the radio.

10.7 Speaking

10.8 Writing

10.9 Flashcards