A quick way to learn some basic vocabulary, expressions and grammar in French

1.  What are the similarities and differences
between English and French?
 SIMILARITIES:
1. The alphabets are the same
 DIFFERENCES:
1. The pronunciation is different
2. There are accents (/; ; ..; ^; , over the
vowels)-primarily used to change their sound
3. The formal and informal way of speaking
4. There is feminine and masculine gender for all
nouns whether people or things

2.  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

3.  Bonjour = good morning /good day/hello
 Bonne journée = have a nice day
 Bonsoir = good evening
 Bonne soirée = have a nice evening
 Bon après midi = good after noon
 Bonne nuit = good night
 Salut = hi / bye
 au revoir = Bye, bye
 Adieu = good bye / farewell

4.  A bientôt = see you soon
 A demain = see you tomorrow
 A plus tard = see you later
 A la prochaine = until we meet next
 Bonne anniversaire = happy birthday
 Bonne chance = good luck
 Bon voyage = happy journey
 Bon année = happy new year
 Bonne route = have a safe journey
 Bonne nouvelle année = happy new year
 Joyeux Noël = merry christmas

5.  Monsieur = mister/sir
 Madame = madam
 Mademoiselle = miss
 Homme = man
 Femme = woman / wife
 Dame = lady
 Garçon = boy
 Fille = girl

6. • Comment allez-vous ? (formal)
• Comment ça va ? = how are you ?
• Comment vas-tu ?
• Je vais bien, merci
• Ça va bien, merci =I am fine, thank you
• Comment vous appelez-vous? (formal)
• Comment t’appelles-tu ?
• Comment tu t’appelles ?= what is your name?
• Je m’appelle ……….. = My name is………

7.  Quel âge avez-vous?
 Quel âge as-tu ? how old are you?
 J’ai dix ans = I am ten years old
 Où habitez-vous?
 Où habites-tu ? where do you live?
 J’habite à ……… = I live in ………..
 Merci = thank you
 De rien = no mention
 S’il vous plait = please

8.  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

9. • Père = father
• Mère = mother
• Sœur = sister
• Frère = brother
• Oncle = uncle
• Tante = aunt
• Cousin = cousin
• Grand-père = grand father
• Grand-mère = grand mother

10.  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
 Y a-t-il = is there
 Il n’y a pas = there is not
 Voilà = there /there you are/ there it is etc…
 Voici = here / here it is etc……
• Moi = me
• Toi = You
• Et = and

11.  Qui est-ce? = Who is this?/who are these
 Qu’est-ce-que c’est? = what is this ?/ what are these
 Qui = who
 Comment = how / what
 Que / qu’est ce que = what
 Où = where
 Quand = when
 Pourquoi = why
 Combien de/d’ = how much / how many
 Quel / quelle = which / what
 Quoi = what

12.  Avoir (to have)
 J’ai ( I have)
 Tu as (you have)
 Il a (he has)
 Elle a (she has)
 Nous avons (we have)
 Vous avez (you have)
 Ils ont (they have)
 Elles ont (they have)

13.  Etre (to be)
Je suis ( I am)
tu es (you are)
il est (he is)
elle est (she is)
nous sommes (we are)
vous êtes (you are)
ils sont (they are)
elles sont (they are)

14. •Aller (to go)
•Je vais (I go)
•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)

15.  In French the verbs are divided into 2
groups namely “regular” and “irregular”
verbs.
 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

16.  For example let us take the verb « Parler »
 The following are the steps for conjugation:
 #1- remove the ending from the verb
 Parler  parl (radical)
 #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

17.  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

18.  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)
 #2 add the endings : is, is, it, issons,
issez and issent respectively to the
subject pronouns

19.  Je finis
 Tu finis
 Il/elle finit
 Nous finissons
 Vous finissez
 Ils/elles finissent
 And all the verbs belonging to this group(-
ir) can be conjugated in this manner

20.  Most of the 3rd group verbs are irregular
however, a few of them can be considered as
regular. They are:
 « Vendre (to sell ) » ; « attendre (to wait) » ;
« défendre (to defend) » ; « entendre (to hear) »
; « rendre (to return) » ; « répondre (to
answer) » ; « descendre (to get down) » etc…
 Now let us take the verb “vendre”
 The following are the steps for conjugation:
 #1- remove the ending « re » from the verb
 Vend re vend (radical)
 #2 add the endings : s, s, -, ons, ez and ent
respectively to the subject pronouns

21.  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

22.  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.
 “