A1 French Grammar — 73 Topics & Common Mistakes

Present Tense - Regular -ER Verbs

Présent de l'indicatif - Verbes réguliers en -ER

In French, verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action. The largest group of French verbs ends in -ER (like parler, manger, habiter) and they all follow the same predictable pattern. You take off the -ER and add a new ending for each person: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent. Over 80% of French verbs are -ER verbs, so once you know this pattern, you can use thousands of verbs correctly. A nice surprise: the je, tu, il/elle, and ils/elles forms all sound the same when spoken, even though they are spelled differently.

Present Tense - Regular -IR Verbs (finir type)

Présent - Verbes réguliers en -IR (type finir)

The second group of French verbs ends in -IR, and they all follow the pattern of 'finir' (to finish). What makes these verbs special is the letters -ss- that appear in the plural forms: nous finissons, vous finissez, ils finissent. The singular forms are simpler: je finis, tu finis, il finit. Common verbs that follow this pattern include choisir (to choose), grandir (to grow), réussir (to succeed), réfléchir (to think), and rougir (to blush). Be careful: not every -IR verb belongs to this group — some verbs like partir and dormir follow a different pattern.

Present Tense - Regular -RE Verbs

Présent - Verbes réguliers en -RE

The smallest regular group of French verbs ends in -RE, like 'vendre' (to sell) and 'attendre' (to wait). These verbs remove the -re and add -s, -s, nothing (!), -ons, -ez, -ent. The il/elle form is very special: you don't add any ending at all — il vend, elle attend. Common verbs in this group include répondre (to answer), entendre (to hear), perdre (to lose), descendre (to go down), and rendre (to give back).

Present Tense - Être (to be)

Présent - Être

'Être' means 'to be' and is one of the most important verbs in French. It's completely irregular, so you must memorise each form: je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont. Use it to describe nationality, profession, physical appearance, personality, emotions, and location. Unlike Spanish (which has both ser and estar), French uses just one verb — être — for all of these uses. Être is also the auxiliary for many compound tenses (je suis allé, il est parti), so it's worth learning thoroughly from day one.

Present Tense - Avoir (to have)

Présent - Avoir

'Avoir' means 'to have' and is essential in French. Its forms are completely irregular: j'ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont. You use it for possession (J'ai un chien), but also for many expressions where English uses 'to be': J'ai faim (I am hungry), J'ai 20 ans (I am 20 years old), J'ai peur (I am afraid). Avoir is also the auxiliary for most compound tenses: J'ai mangé (I ate). Notice the elision: 'je' becomes 'j'' before 'ai'.

Present Tense - Aller and Venir

Présent - Aller et Venir

'Aller' (to go) and 'venir' (to come) are two essential irregular verbs. 'Aller' is totally irregular: je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont. 'Venir' has a pattern of its own: je viens, tu viens, il vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils viennent — with double n in the plural. 'Aller' is used with 'à' for destinations (je vais à Paris) and forms the near future (je vais manger = I'm going to eat). 'Venir' is used with 'de' for origin (je viens de Lyon) and forms the recent past (je viens de manger = I've just eaten).

Present Tense - Faire (to do / to make)

Présent - Faire

'Faire' means both 'to do' and 'to make' in French. Its forms are irregular: je fais, tu fais, il fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils font. Notice two surprises: 'faisons' is pronounced with an 'e' sound (like 'fe-zon'), and 'vous faites' does NOT follow the usual -ez ending — it's one of only three verbs in French with a 'vous' form in -tes (être → êtes, dire → dites, faire → faites). Faire is used in many expressions: faire du sport (to play sports), faire les courses (to go shopping), and faire + weather (il fait beau, il fait froid).

Present Tense - Modal Verbs Pouvoir / Vouloir / Devoir

Présent - Verbes modaux : pouvoir, vouloir, devoir

Three irregular modal verbs are essential at A1: 'pouvoir' (can, to be able to), 'vouloir' (to want), and 'devoir' (must, to have to). They're always followed by another verb in the infinitive: 'Je peux danser' (I can dance), 'Tu veux venir ?' (Do you want to come?), 'Nous devons partir' (We must leave). All three share a similar pattern in the singular (ending in -x, -x, -t for pouvoir/vouloir; -s, -s, -t for devoir) and have -vons/-vez endings in nous/vous. Pouvoir and vouloir also have polite forms in the conditional: 'je voudrais' (I would like), 'je pourrais' (I could) — introduced at A2.

Present Tense - Irregular -IR Verbs (partir, sortir, dormir)

Présent - Verbes irréguliers en -IR (type partir)

Some -IR verbs do NOT follow the 'finir' pattern (no -iss-). These include very common verbs like 'partir' (to leave), 'sortir' (to go out), 'dormir' (to sleep), 'servir' (to serve), and 'sentir' (to feel/smell). They drop the last consonant of the stem in the singular forms: je pars, tu pars, il part (no 'part-' consonant); and keep it in the plural: nous partons, vous partez, ils partent. So partir → je pars, nous partons. Sortir → je sors, nous sortons. Dormir → je dors, nous dormons.

Immediate Future (aller + infinitive)

Futur proche

The 'futur proche' (near future) is the easiest way to talk about future actions in French. You just conjugate 'aller' in the present and follow it with a verb in the infinitive: Je vais manger (I'm going to eat). Tu vas partir (You're going to leave). Nous allons voyager (We're going to travel). It works exactly like English 'to be going to + verb'. At A1, this is the main way to express future plans — the simple future (futur simple) comes later at A2.

Recent Past (venir de + infinitive)

Passé récent

The 'passé récent' expresses something that happened just a moment ago: Je viens de manger = I have just eaten. You conjugate 'venir' in the present, add 'de', and then an infinitive. Tu viens de partir ? = Did you just leave? Nous venons d'arriver = We have just arrived. It's the mirror image of the futur proche (aller + infinitive), and you'll hear it constantly in everyday French conversation.

Present Continuous (être en train de)

Être en train de + infinitif

Unlike English, French does NOT have a special '-ing' form for actions happening right now. The simple present covers it: 'Je mange' means both 'I eat' and 'I am eating'. But when you really want to emphasise that something is happening right at this moment, you can use the expression 'être en train de + infinitive': Je suis en train de manger = I am (currently) eating. Tu es en train de travailler ? = Are you (right now) working? It's optional and used mainly for emphasis or clarity, not in every sentence.

Reflexive (Pronominal) Verbs - Basic

Verbes pronominaux - Base

Some French verbs are always used with a small pronoun that matches the subject — these are called 'pronominal' or 'reflexive' verbs. For example, 'se laver' means 'to wash oneself'. You say: je me lave, tu te laves, il se lave, nous nous lavons, vous vous lavez, ils se lavent. The pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) goes BEFORE the verb. Many daily-life verbs work this way in French even when English doesn't use 'myself': je m'appelle Marie (my name is Marie, literally 'I call myself Marie').

Reflexive Verbs - Daily Routine

Verbes pronominaux - Routine quotidienne

To talk about your daily routine in French, you'll use lots of pronominal verbs: se réveiller (to wake up), se lever (to get up), se laver (to wash), se brosser les dents (to brush teeth), s'habiller (to get dressed), se préparer (to get ready), se coucher (to go to bed). Notice two things: (1) for body parts, French uses 'me/te/se' + verb + LE/LA/LES (not 'my/your/his'): 'je me brosse les dents' = 'I brush my teeth'. (2) Some verbs like 'se lever' and 'se promener' have a little accent change: je me lève (with è), but nous nous levons (without accent).

Être vs Avoir - Basic Distinction

Être vs Avoir - Base

'Être' (to be) and 'avoir' (to have) are the two most important verbs in French, and choosing between them isn't always what English would suggest. Use ÊTRE for identity, nationality, profession, origin, descriptions, and emotions: Je suis étudiant, Elle est belle, Nous sommes fatigués. Use AVOIR for possession (J'ai un chat), age (J'ai 20 ans — not 'I am 20'!), hunger / thirst / fear / luck (J'ai faim, J'ai peur), and the impersonal 'il y a' (there is/are). Remember: French age and sensations use AVOIR, not ÊTRE.

Il y a - Existence / There is / There are

Il y a

'Il y a' means both 'there is' and 'there are' in French. It never changes form — the same 'il y a' is used for singular and plural: 'Il y a un chat' (There is a cat) / 'Il y a trois chats' (There are three cats). The 'il' is impersonal (a bit like English 'it' in 'it rains'), the 'y' means 'there', and 'a' is from the verb 'avoir'. Negation: 'Il n'y a pas de...' (There isn't / aren't any...). Question: 'Il y a...?' (Is there...? Are there...?) or 'Est-ce qu'il y a...?'.

C'est vs Il est

Both 'c'est' and 'il est / elle est' can translate English 'it is' or 'he/she is', but they're used in different situations. Use C'EST before a noun (with an article) or for general comments: 'C'est un médecin' (He's a doctor), 'C'est intéressant' (It's interesting). Use IL EST / ELLE EST before an adjective referring to a specific person or thing, or before a profession WITHOUT an article: 'Il est médecin' (He's a doctor), 'Elle est grande' (She's tall). Simple test: if there's a NOUN after, use c'est; if there's an ADJECTIVE alone referring to a specific thing, use il/elle est.

Faire - Weather, Sports, Activities

Faire - Météo, sports, activités

The verb 'faire' (to do / to make) is used in French for three big areas: WEATHER (il fait beau = the weather is nice, il fait froid = it's cold, il fait du vent = it's windy), SPORTS and ACTIVITIES (je fais du tennis = I play tennis, elle fait de la danse = she dances), and HOUSEHOLD CHORES (faire la cuisine = to cook, faire la vaisselle = to do the dishes, faire les courses = to go shopping). For sports and activities, use faire + partitive (du, de la, de l', des). For chores, use faire + definite article (la, le, les).

Idiomatic Avoir Expressions (faim, soif, froid, chaud...)

Expressions avec avoir

Many sensations and feelings in French are expressed with 'avoir + noun' instead of 'être + adjective'. J'ai faim = I am hungry (literally: I have hunger). Tu as soif = You are thirsty. Il a froid = He is cold. Elle a chaud = She is hot. Nous avons sommeil = We are sleepy. Ils ont peur = They are afraid. Also: avoir raison (to be right), avoir tort (to be wrong), avoir de la chance (to be lucky), avoir mal (to be in pain), avoir besoin de (to need), avoir envie de (to feel like).

Verbs of Preference (aimer, adorer, préférer, détester)

Verbes de préférence

To talk about likes and dislikes, French uses regular -ER verbs: J'aime (I like / I love), J'adore (I love), Je préfère (I prefer), Je n'aime pas (I don't like), Je déteste (I hate). BIG RULE: after these verbs, French uses the DEFINITE article (le, la, les) to express a general preference: J'aime LE chocolat (I like chocolate in general), J'adore LES chiens (I love dogs). Don't say 'J'aime chocolat' (that's wrong in French). To like an activity, use aimer + INFINITIVE: J'aime lire, Je déteste faire la vaisselle.

Pouvoir + Infinitive

Pouvoir + infinitif

'Pouvoir' means 'can' or 'to be able to'. It's always followed by another verb in the INFINITIVE (no 'to', no 'de', no 'à' in between): Je peux venir = I can come. Tu peux m'aider ? = Can you help me? Il peut partir = He can leave. For polite requests, use the conditional 'je pourrais' or 'pourriez-vous' — but that's A2. At A1, stick to the simple present forms: peux, peux, peut, pouvons, pouvez, peuvent.

Vouloir + Infinitive

Vouloir + infinitif

'Vouloir' means 'to want'. It can be followed by a NOUN (Je veux un café = I want a coffee) or by another verb in the INFINITIVE (Je veux partir = I want to leave). Forms: je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent. BIG WARNING: 'Je veux + noun' sounds very direct in French — almost rude in a café or restaurant. For polite requests use the conditional 'Je voudrais' (I would like). That form is introduced at A2, but you'll hear it everywhere from day one, so it's worth recognising.

Written Accents - Basic (é, è, ê, à, ù, ç)

Accents - Base

French has several written accent marks. The main ones: ACCENT AIGU (´) only on é — pronounced like 'ay' in 'bay': café, école, éléphant. ACCENT GRAVE (`) on è, à, ù — on è it's the 'eh' sound: mère, père, très; on à and ù it distinguishes words (à vs a, où vs ou). ACCENT CIRCONFLEXE (ˆ) on â ê î ô û — often marks an older 's' (hôpital ~ hospital, forêt ~ forest). CÉDILLE (ç) — makes 'c' sound like 's' before a, o, u: français, garçon, ça. Accents are NOT optional — they're part of the spelling.

Elision (l', d', j', n', m', t', s', c', qu')

Élision

ELISION means dropping the final 'e' (or 'a' or 'i') of a short word before a VOWEL or silent 'h', and replacing it with an APOSTROPHE. It's OBLIGATORY, not optional. Common examples: LE/LA → L' (l'ami, l'école), DE → D' (d'Italie), JE → J' (j'aime), NE → N' (je n'aime pas), ME/TE/SE → M'/T'/S' (je m'appelle), QUE → QU' (qu'est-ce que), SI → S' before il/ils (s'il, s'ils — only these two).

Basic Liaison

Liaison - Base

LIAISON is when a normally SILENT final consonant is pronounced because the next word starts with a VOWEL. For example, 'les amis' is pronounced /le-Z-a-mi/ — the 's' of 'les' is now audible as /z/. Common liaisons: after articles (les amis, un ami, des enfants), after short adjectives (deux amis, petit enfant → 't' sound), after pronouns (nous avons, vous êtes, ils ont), and in common phrases (c'est un, il est un, très intéressant). Liaison is a feature of spoken French — it affects pronunciation, not spelling.

Basic French Punctuation (guillemets, non-breaking space before ? ! : ;, dialogue dashes)

Ponctuation - Base

French punctuation differs from English in a few visible ways: (1) A NON-BREAKING SPACE comes BEFORE '?', '!', ':', ';' (but NOT before '.' or ','): 'Ça va ?', 'Bonjour !', 'Attention :'. (2) Quotation marks are GUILLEMETS « » (double chevrons): «Bonjour», dit-il. (3) Dialogue uses an EM-DASH (—) at the start of each new speaker's line, not quotation marks. Standard period (.) and comma (,) behave like English.

Tu vs Vous

French has TWO ways to say 'you': TU for informal singular (friends, family, children, peers), VOUS for formal singular AND for plural (strangers, elders, professionals, teachers, customers, plus anyone when addressing more than one person). Using TU with a stranger can sound rude; using VOUS with a close friend sounds distant. When in doubt, use VOUS and wait for the other person to suggest 'On peut se tutoyer' (We can use 'tu' with each other).

Formal Greetings (Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur)

Salutations formelles

In formal or polite settings, French starts with BONJOUR (good day / hello) — the essential greeting with strangers, shopkeepers, colleagues. Add MADAME (to a woman), MONSIEUR (to a man), or MESSIEURS-DAMES (to a mixed group): 'Bonjour Madame', 'Bonjour Monsieur'. In the evening after ~6 pm, switch to BONSOIR. To say goodbye formally: AU REVOIR, BONNE JOURNÉE (have a good day), BONNE SOIRÉE (have a good evening). Not saying 'bonjour' when entering a shop is considered impolite in France.

Informal Greetings (Salut, Ça va, Coucou, À plus)

Salutations informelles

With friends, family, and peers, French uses casual greetings: SALUT (hi / bye — both arrival and departure!), COUCOU (hi! — very friendly/cutesy), ÇA VA ? (how's it going?), ÇA VA (I'm fine / it's going). Farewells: À PLUS / À + (see you later), À BIENTÔT, À DEMAIN, BISOUS (kisses — very friendly), CIAO (borrowed from Italian). Informal style: drop 'ne' in negation ('Je sais pas'), use 'tu', contract words in speech. Never use these with strangers, teachers, or in formal contexts.

Recognising Cognates (FR-EN)

Mots apparentés

COGNATES are words that look similar and share a meaning in both languages. English and French share thousands of them (the Norman invasion left English with a French vocabulary layer). Examples: nation/nation, téléphone/telephone, université/university, impossible/impossible, important/important, situation/situation. Common spelling patterns: -TION words (nation, attention), -TY → -TÉ (university → université), -OUS → -EUX (famous → fameux). Beware of FALSE FRIENDS — words that look alike but have DIFFERENT meanings (covered at A2): actuellement ≠ actually (means 'currently').

Cardinal Numbers 1-69

Nombres 1-69

Numbers 1-69 in French: 1 un/une, 2 deux, 3 trois, 4 quatre, 5 cinq, 6 six, 7 sept, 8 huit, 9 neuf, 10 dix. Tens: 20 vingt, 30 trente, 40 quarante, 50 cinquante, 60 soixante. COMBINING: 21 'vingt ET UN' (with et), 22 'vingt-deux', 23 'vingt-trois' (hyphens, no 'et' after 1). Same pattern 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s. The teens 11-19 have special names: 11 onze, 12 douze, 13 treize, 14 quatorze, 15 quinze, 16 seize, 17 dix-sept, 18 dix-huit, 19 dix-neuf. Numbers 70-99 are trickier and covered at A2.

Days, Months and Seasons

Jours, mois, saisons

DAYS: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche — always LOWERCASE in French! MONTHS: janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre. SEASONS: le printemps (spring), l'été (summer), l'automne (autumn), l'hiver (winter) — all masculine. KEY PREPOSITIONS: 'EN' for months and most seasons (en janvier, en été, en hiver, en automne), 'AU' for spring (au printemps). For days, use no preposition for a specific day ('Lundi, je travaille') or 'le' for a habit ('Le lundi, je travaille' = on Mondays).

Grammatical Gender - Basic

Genre grammatical - Base

In French, every noun has a gender: either MASCULINE or FEMININE. 'Un livre' (a book) is masculine; 'une table' (a table) is feminine. Gender isn't always logical — 'la voiture' (the car) is feminine, but 'le vélo' (the bike) is masculine. Because of this, you should ALWAYS learn a new noun together with its article (le/la or un/une). The gender of the noun then affects articles, adjectives, and many pronouns. Simple rule: learn 'le chat' or 'la chaise' as a unit, not just 'chat' or 'chaise'.

Gender Clues from Noun Endings

Indices de genre par terminaison

Although there's no foolproof rule, the ending of a noun often gives you a strong hint about its gender. MASCULINE endings: -ment (le gouvernement), -eau (le bureau), -age (le fromage), -isme (le tourisme), -eur for things (le moteur). FEMININE endings: -tion/-sion (la nation, la décision), -té (la liberté, la beauté), -ette (la baguette), -ence/-ance (la différence, la chance), -ie (la boulangerie). Learn these patterns and your gender guesses will be right much more often than not.

Plural Formation - Basic (+s, +x)

Formation du pluriel - Base

To make a French noun plural, you USUALLY add '-s' to the end: un livre → des livres, une table → des tables. The 's' is SILENT — you don't pronounce it! You hear the plural thanks to the article: 'le livre' (singular, le) vs 'les livres' (plural, les). A few special rules: nouns ending in -s, -x, or -z don't change (un bras → des bras, un nez → des nez). Some nouns take -x instead of -s (covered in the next tag).

Irregular Plurals (-al → -aux, -eu → -eux, -ou → -oux)

Pluriels irréguliers

Some French nouns don't take the normal plural -s. The main patterns: nouns ending in -AL usually change to -AUX (un cheval → des chevaux, un journal → des journaux). Nouns ending in -EAU, -EU, and most in -OU take -X (un bureau → des bureaux, un jeu → des jeux, un chou → des choux). Don't forget: the -X is SILENT just like the -S. Common exceptions: un bal → des bals, un festival → des festivals, un pneu → des pneus.

Adjective Gender Agreement - Basic

Accord des adjectifs - Genre

French adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Most adjectives form the FEMININE by adding -e: petit → petite, grand → grande, français → française. If the adjective already ends in -e in the masculine, it stays the same: rouge (m) → rouge (f), jeune (m) → jeune (f). Some common adjectives have special feminine forms: beau → belle, nouveau → nouvelle, vieux → vieille, blanc → blanche, bon → bonne.

Adjective Number Agreement - Basic

Accord des adjectifs - Nombre

French adjectives also agree in NUMBER with the noun. The default plural adds -s: petit → petits, grande → grandes. If the adjective already ends in -s or -x in the masculine, no change: un homme heureux → des hommes heureux. Masculine adjectives in -al become -aux in the plural: un problème international → des problèmes internationaux. When describing a mix of masculine and feminine nouns together, the MASCULINE PLURAL is used: un homme et une femme français (a French man and woman).

Adjective Position (BAGS / pre-noun adjectives)

Place des adjectifs

In French, most adjectives come AFTER the noun: une voiture rouge (a red car), un livre intéressant (an interesting book). But a small group of very common adjectives comes BEFORE the noun: beau, bon, grand, gros, jeune, joli, mauvais, nouveau, petit, vieux. Remember them with the mnemonic BAGS: Beauty (beau, joli), Age (jeune, vieux, nouveau), Goodness (bon, mauvais, gentil), Size (grand, petit, gros). Examples: une belle maison, une bonne idée, une grande ville, un petit chat.

Definite Articles (le, la, l', les)

Articles définis

The definite articles in French are: LE (masculine singular), LA (feminine singular), L' (before a vowel or silent h, any gender), and LES (plural, any gender). Use them like English 'the' to refer to a specific thing (Le livre est rouge = The book is red) AND, differently from English, to refer to things in GENERAL (J'aime LE chocolat = I like chocolate). Before a vowel, le and la elide to l': l'ami, l'école, l'hôtel.

Indefinite Articles (un, une, des)

Articles indéfinis

French indefinite articles are UN (masculine singular), UNE (feminine singular), and DES (plural). They correspond to English 'a/an' or 'some/any'. J'ai un frère = I have a brother. Elle a une voiture = She has a car. Nous avons des enfants = We have (some) children. UNIQUE FRENCH FEATURE: French has a PLURAL indefinite article (des) where English usually uses nothing ('some children' but just 'children'). IMPORTANT: after a negation, un/une/des become de (or d' before a vowel): Je n'ai pas de frère (I don't have a brother).

Partitive Articles (du, de la, de l', des)

Articles partitifs

French has a special set of articles called 'partitive articles' for uncountable things (food, drinks, abstract qualities) — they mean 'some' or 'any'. Use DU with masculine nouns (je mange du pain), DE LA with feminine (je bois de la limonade), DE L' before a vowel (je mange de l'ananas), and DES with plurals (je veux des frites). English often drops this 'some': 'I eat bread' = 'Je mange DU pain'. After a negation, all forms become just DE (or D'): Je ne mange pas de pain, je ne bois pas d'eau.

Contracted Articles (au, aux, du, des)

Articles contractés

When the prepositions 'à' (to, at) or 'de' (of, from) meet the definite articles LE or LES, they MUST contract: à + le = AU, à + les = AUX, de + le = DU, de + les = DES. So 'I go to the cinema' is 'Je vais AU cinéma', not 'à le cinéma'. BUT: à + la, à + l', de + la, de + l' do NOT contract: Je vais à la maison, Je vais à l'école, La clé de la voiture, La porte de l'hôtel. Memorise the pattern: only LE and LES contract.

Demonstrative Determiners (ce, cet, cette, ces)

Déterminants démonstratifs

Demonstrative determiners mean 'this' or 'that' (and in the plural, 'these' or 'those'). They agree with the noun: CE for masculine singular (ce livre), CET for masculine singular BEFORE a vowel (cet homme, cet arbre), CETTE for feminine singular (cette table), CES for plural of both genders (ces livres, ces tables). French does NOT distinguish 'this' and 'that' in the basic form — 'ce livre' can mean 'this book' OR 'that book'. To emphasise distance, you can add -ci (here) or -là (there): ce livre-ci = this book; ce livre-là = that book.

Subject Pronouns

Pronoms sujets

The French subject pronouns are: JE (I), TU (you, informal), IL (he / it for masculine things), ELLE (she / it for feminine things), ON (we, informal / people in general), NOUS (we, formal), VOUS (you — either formal singular OR plural), ILS (they, masculine or mixed), ELLES (they, feminine only). Unlike Spanish or Italian, French subject pronouns are OBLIGATORY — you must say them for the sentence to be complete: 'Je parle français', not just 'parle français'.

On as 'We' (spoken French)

On = nous

In everyday spoken French, 'ON' replaces 'NOUS' almost always. 'On va au cinéma' means 'We're going to the cinema' — but the verb stays in the 3rd person singular form (il/elle form). So where textbook French would say 'Nous allons au cinéma', conversation says 'On va au cinéma'. 'On' also has another meaning: 'one / people in general' — 'En France, on mange à 20 heures' (In France, people eat at 8 pm). The adjective and past participle still agree with the real subject: 'Nous, on est contents' (We are happy — masculine plural agreement).

Tonic / Stressed Pronouns (moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles)

Pronoms toniques

Tonic pronouns (or stressed pronouns) are used when a pronoun STANDS ALONE or is EMPHASISED. The forms are: MOI (me), TOI (you), LUI (him), ELLE (her), NOUS (us), VOUS (you), EUX (them, m.), ELLES (them, f.). Use them: (1) after prepositions — avec moi (with me), pour toi (for you), chez lui (at his place); (2) for emphasis — Moi, j'aime le chocolat (ME, I like chocolate); (3) in one-word answers — 'Qui vient ?' 'Moi !' (Who's coming? Me!); (4) after c'est — C'est moi (It's me).

Direct Object Pronouns (me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les)

Pronoms COD

Direct object pronouns replace a noun that is the direct object of a verb (answering WHO? or WHAT?). Forms: ME (me), TE (you, informal), LE (him / it masc.), LA (her / it fem.), NOUS (us), VOUS (you, formal or plural), LES (them). They go BEFORE the verb: Je vois Paul → Je LE vois (I see him). Je connais Marie → Je LA connais (I know her). Before a vowel, me/te/le/la elide to m'/t'/l': Je l'aime (I love him/her), Tu m'écoutes ? (Are you listening to me?).

Indirect Object Pronouns (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur)

Pronoms COI

Indirect object pronouns replace a noun introduced by the preposition 'à' (answering 'TO WHOM?'). Forms: ME (to me), TE (to you), LUI (to him OR to her), NOUS (to us), VOUS (to you), LEUR (to them). They go BEFORE the verb: Je parle à Paul → Je LUI parle (I talk to him). Je donne le livre à Marie → Je LUI donne le livre (I give her the book). Note: LUI is used for both him AND her; gender doesn't change. There is NO elision of lui or leur (they keep their full form).

Reflexive Pronouns (me, te, se, nous, vous, se)

Pronoms réfléchis

Reflexive pronouns appear with PRONOMINAL verbs (like se laver, se lever, s'appeler). Each pronoun matches its subject: JE → ME, TU → TE, IL/ELLE/ON → SE, NOUS → NOUS, VOUS → VOUS, ILS/ELLES → SE. They go BEFORE the verb: Je me lave, Tu te lèves, Il se rase, Nous nous couchons, Vous vous reposez, Elles se parlent. Elision before a vowel: m'appelle, t'habilles, s'amuse.

Possessive Adjectives (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, son, sa, ses...)

Adjectifs possessifs

Possessive adjectives show who owns something. They AGREE with the NOUN that is owned (not the owner!). Forms: MON/MA/MES (my), TON/TA/TES (your, informal), SON/SA/SES (his OR her — same word!), NOTRE/NOS (our), VOTRE/VOS (your, formal/plural), LEUR/LEURS (their). So 'son père' can mean 'his father' OR 'her father' — the choice depends on the FATHER being masculine, not on who owns him. Special rule: before a FEMININE noun starting with a VOWEL, ma/ta/sa become MON/TON/SON: mon amie (my female friend), ton école, son histoire.

Interrogative Pronouns & Adjective (qui, que, quoi, quel)

Pronoms et adjectif interrogatifs

To ask WHO? or WHAT? in French, use these forms: QUI (who?), QUE (what? at the start of a sentence), QUOI (what? at the end or after a preposition). Examples: Qui est là ? (Who's there?), Que fais-tu ? (What are you doing?), Tu fais quoi ? (informal, same meaning). For 'which?' before a noun, use QUEL (m.sg.), QUELLE (f.sg.), QUELS (m.pl.), QUELLES (f.pl.): Quel livre ? Quelle voiture ? Quels livres ? Quelles voitures ?

Preposition À - Basic Uses

Préposition à - Base

The preposition 'À' is one of the most important in French. It has many uses: TO or AT a place (Je vais à Paris, Je suis à l'école), AT a time (à 8 heures), TO someone (je parle à Marie), and in many set expressions (à pied, à côté de, à droite, à gauche). REMEMBER: 'à' always has the grave accent — it's different from 'a' (without accent), which is a form of the verb 'avoir'. When 'à' meets 'le', it becomes 'au'; with 'les', it becomes 'aux': je vais au cinéma, je vais aux États-Unis.

Preposition De - Basic Uses (possession, origin, material)

Préposition de - Base

'DE' is another essential French preposition with many meanings: POSSESSION (le livre de Paul = Paul's book), ORIGIN (Je viens de Paris = I come from Paris), MATERIAL (une table de bois = a wooden table), CONTENT (un verre d'eau = a glass of water), and more. Before a vowel, 'de' becomes 'd'' (d'eau, d'Italie). Like à, 'de' contracts with 'le' and 'les': de + le = DU, de + les = DES (la couleur DU ciel, les livres DES enfants). But de + la and de + l' don't contract: la clé de la voiture, le livre de l'étudiant.

Preposition En - Basic Uses

Préposition en - Base

The preposition 'EN' has several meanings: IN a place (especially feminine countries — en France, en Italie), BY some transport (en voiture, en train, en avion, but à pied / à vélo), IN a time period (en 2024, en été, en hiver, en janvier), DURATION = 'in' (en une heure = within an hour), MATERIAL (une table en bois). Important: 'en' is never followed by a determiner! Say 'en France' not 'en la France', 'en été' not 'en l'été'. For masculine countries use 'au' (au Canada, au Japon), for plurals 'aux' (aux États-Unis).

Location: dans, sur, sous

Dans, sur, sous

Three essential location prepositions: DANS (in / inside — with enclosed spaces and specific containers: dans la boîte, dans la voiture, dans le sac), SUR (on top of / on: sur la table, sur la chaise, sur le mur), SOUS (under / below: sous la table, sous le lit). Unlike 'en', these three prepositions ARE followed by an article: dans LA voiture, sur LE bureau, sous LE lit. 'Dans' is also used for time = in X amount of time from now: dans 5 minutes, dans une heure.

Preposition Chez

Chez - À la maison / au cabinet de

'CHEZ' is a very French preposition with no direct English equivalent. It mainly means 'AT someone's place / to someone's place / someone's home': chez moi = at my place, chez le médecin = at the doctor's, chez Paul = at Paul's. After 'chez', use a PERSON (name, tonic pronoun, or profession), never a place name: 'chez Paul', 'chez le dentiste', 'chez mes parents', 'chez moi / toi / lui / elle / nous / vous / eux / elles'.

Avec, Sans, Pour

Avec, sans, pour

Three common prepositions: AVEC (with) — Je pars avec Paul, un café avec sucre; SANS (without) — Un café sans sucre, sans problème; POUR (for) — Ce cadeau est pour toi, je travaille pour une entreprise, pour aller + infinitive = (in order) to go. After a preposition, use TONIC PRONOUNS (avec moi / toi / lui), never subject pronouns. 'Sans' often drops the article: sans sucre (not sans du sucre), sans problème, sans argent.

À vs En with Cities and Countries

À / en + ville / pays

Choosing between À, EN, AU, and AUX with places depends on the TYPE of place: CITIES always take 'À' (à Paris, à Londres, à Tokyo). COUNTRIES: 'EN' for feminine (en France, en Italie, en Espagne — usually countries ending in -e), 'AU' for masculine (au Canada, au Japon, au Portugal), 'AUX' for plural (aux États-Unis, aux Pays-Bas). CONTINENTS: 'EN' (en Europe, en Asie, en Afrique). For 'coming FROM' the same place, use: de/d' (from cities and feminine countries — de Paris, de France, d'Italie), du (from masculine countries — du Japon), des (from plural — des États-Unis).

Basic Time Prepositions (à, en, dans, pendant)

Prépositions temporelles - Base

Several prepositions are used for time expressions: À for clock times and specific moments (à 8 heures, à midi, à Noël). EN for months, years, and seasons except spring (en janvier, en 2024, en été). DANS for future time 'from now' (dans 5 minutes = in 5 min from now). PENDANT for duration 'during' (pendant 2 heures = for 2 hours / during 2 hours). Note the difference between 'dans' (future point from now) and 'en' (within / duration taken).

Basic Word Order (SVO)

Ordre des mots - Base

French normal word order is SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT (SVO), similar to English: 'Marie (S) mange (V) une pomme (O)'. Adverbs usually go AFTER the verb (Je mange bien, Il parle vite), not between subject and verb as in English. Adjectives mostly come AFTER the noun (une voiture rouge), with a small group (BAGS: beau, bon, grand, petit...) before. Unlike English, the subject pronoun is almost always necessary in French.

Questions by Intonation (Informal)

Questions - Intonation

The easiest way to ask a yes/no question in French is simply to raise your VOICE at the end of a statement, without changing the word order: 'Tu parles français ?' (You speak French?), 'Il aime le café ?' (He likes coffee?), 'Vous êtes fatigué ?' (You are tired?). In writing, just add a QUESTION MARK. This is the INFORMAL form — very common in spoken French. For more formal register, use 'Est-ce que' or inversion (covered in other tags).

Questions with Est-ce que

Questions - Est-ce que

'Est-ce que' (pronounced 'ess-kuh') is a neutral way to start a question in French. Just put it at the beginning of a statement: 'Est-ce que tu parles français ?', 'Est-ce qu'il aime le café ?'. Before a vowel, it becomes 'Est-ce qu''. This works for YES/NO questions. For wh-questions, the question word comes first: 'Où est-ce que tu vas ?', 'Quand est-ce que tu pars ?'. It's more formal than intonation, less formal than inversion — a safe middle choice for everyday use.

Basic Question Adverbs (où, quand, comment, pourquoi, combien)

Adverbes interrogatifs

Five essential question adverbs: OÙ (where?), QUAND (when?), COMMENT (how?), POURQUOI (why?), COMBIEN (how much / how many?). They can go in THREE positions depending on register: at the END (informal, with intonation: 'Tu vas où ?'), at the BEGINNING + est-ce que (neutral: 'Où est-ce que tu vas ?'), or at the BEGINNING + inversion (formal: 'Où vas-tu ?'). For 'how much / how many + noun', use 'combien de + noun': combien de frères ? combien de temps ?

Basic Coordination (et, ou, mais)

Coordination - Base

Three essential coordinating conjunctions: ET (and), OU (or), MAIS (but). They join words, phrases, or whole sentences: 'J'aime le café ET le thé', 'Tu veux un café OU un thé ?', 'J'aime le café MAIS je préfère le thé'. Don't confuse OU (or) with OÙ (where, with accent). For 'either...or', use 'ou' alone or 'ou bien'. For 'neither...nor', use 'ne...ni...ni' (A2).

Addition (aussi, et)

Addition - aussi

To ADD information, French uses ET (and) between items, and AUSSI (also, too) elsewhere. AUSSI typically goes AFTER the subject or after the verb: 'Paul aime le café. Marie AUSSI aime le café' or more naturally 'Marie AUSSI'. Usage points: 'Moi aussi' = 'Me too', 'Lui aussi' = 'Him too'. In a negative context, use 'non plus' instead of 'aussi': 'Je n'aime pas le café. Moi NON PLUS' (Me neither). 'Aussi' doesn't go at the start of a sentence to mean 'also' — that's an anglicism; at the start, 'aussi' can mean 'therefore' (formal, with inversion).

Time Sequence (d'abord, puis, ensuite, enfin)

Séquence temporelle

To describe steps in a sequence or tell a short story, use: D'ABORD (first / first of all), PUIS (then), ENSUITE (then / next), ENFIN (finally). Example: 'D'abord, je me lève. Puis, je prends une douche. Ensuite, je mange. Enfin, je pars au travail.' PUIS and ENSUITE are very close in meaning — both mean 'then / next' — and often interchangeable. 'APRÈS' (after, afterwards) is also common. Use commas after these connectors in writing.

Basic Negation ne...pas

Négation - ne...pas

French negation uses TWO WORDS around the verb: NE...PAS. 'Je parle' (I speak) → 'Je NE parle PAS' (I don't speak). The 'ne' goes BEFORE the verb, 'pas' goes AFTER. Before a vowel, 'ne' becomes 'n'': 'Je N'aime PAS le café'. In casual spoken French, people often drop 'ne' ('Je sais pas'), but always write it in standard French.

Negation and Indefinite/Partitive Articles (un → de)

Négation + article

After 'ne...pas' (and other negations), the INDEFINITE (un, une, des) and PARTITIVE (du, de la, de l', des) articles ALL become just 'DE' (or 'D'' before a vowel): 'J'ai UN chien' → 'Je n'ai PAS DE chien'. 'Je mange DU pain' → 'Je ne mange PAS DE pain'. 'J'ai DES amis' → 'Je n'ai PAS D'amis'. IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS: this rule does NOT apply with the verb ÊTRE ('Ce n'est pas un livre', not 'pas de livre'). It also does NOT apply with DEFINITE articles (le, la, les stay the same: 'Je n'aime pas LE café').

ne...jamais (never)

ne...jamais

To say 'NEVER' in French, use NE...JAMAIS around the verb (replacing 'pas'): 'Je NE bois JAMAIS de café' (I never drink coffee). Like 'ne...pas', 'ne' elides to 'n'' before a vowel: 'Je N'ai JAMAIS vu ce film'. Indefinite/partitive articles still become 'de' after 'jamais': 'Je ne mange jamais DE viande'. 'Jamais' alone (without 'ne') in a question means 'ever': 'As-tu jamais vu Paris ?' (Have you ever seen Paris?).

ne...rien (nothing)

ne...rien

'NOTHING' in French is NE...RIEN, wrapping the verb: 'Je NE vois RIEN' (I see nothing / I don't see anything). 'Rien' acts as a kind of negative pronoun: 'Je NE mange RIEN' (I'm not eating anything). Alone, 'rien' is a complete answer: 'Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? — Rien !' (What do you want? — Nothing!). 'Rien' can also be a subject: 'RIEN NE bouge' (Nothing moves). After 'rien', if there's a preposition + noun, use 'de + masculine adjective': 'rien de spécial' (nothing special), 'rien d'intéressant'.

ne...personne (nobody)

ne...personne

'NOBODY / NOT ANYONE' in French is NE...PERSONNE, wrapping the verb: 'Je NE vois PERSONNE' (I see nobody). Like 'rien', 'personne' can be a subject: 'PERSONNE NE vient' (Nobody's coming). Alone as an answer: '— Qui est là ? — Personne' (Who's there? — Nobody). With adjective: 'personne de + masculine adjective': 'personne d'intéressant'. Careful: the NEGATIVE 'personne' (nobody) is different from the NOUN 'une personne' (a person)!

ne...plus (no more / no longer)

ne...plus

'NE...PLUS' means 'no more' or 'no longer' — something that used to happen but doesn't anymore: 'Je NE fume PLUS' (I don't smoke anymore), 'Il N'habite PLUS ici' (He doesn't live here anymore). Like other negations, 'plus' REPLACES 'pas'. Articles still become 'de': 'Je n'ai plus DE pain'. Careful with pronunciation: in NEGATIVE 'plus', the 's' is SILENT (/ply/). In POSITIVE 'plus' (more), the 's' is often pronounced (/plys/). Context distinguishes the two.