A1 French Grammar — 73 Topics & Common Mistakes

Present Tense - Regular -ER Verbs

Présent de l'indicatif - Verbes réguliers en -ER

Most French verbs end in -er (parler, aimer, habiter), and almost all of them follow one regular pattern. Take off -er and add the ending for the person: je parle, tu parles, il/elle/on parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils/elles parlent. The endings -e, -es, -e and -ent are silent, so 'parle', 'parles' and 'parlent' all sound the same; only the nous and vous endings are heard. Je becomes j' before a vowel or a silent h: 'J'aime le chocolat' (I like chocolate). One French present covers 'I speak', 'I am speaking' and 'I do speak'.

Present Tense - Regular -IR Verbs (finir type)

Présent - Verbes réguliers en -IR (type finir)

Many -ir verbs follow the pattern of finir (to finish). Take off -ir and add -is, -is, -it in the singular and -issons, -issez, -issent in the plural: je finis, tu finis, il/elle/on finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent. The -iss- in the plural is the sign of this group. Other common verbs like this: choisir (to choose), réussir (to succeed), réfléchir (to think, to reflect), grandir (to grow), rougir (to blush). Careful: not every -ir verb works this way. Partir (je pars), dormir (je dors) and venir (je viens) have their own patterns.

Present Tense - Regular -RE Verbs

Présent - Verbes réguliers en -RE

Regular -re verbs such as vendre (to sell) and attendre (to wait for) take off -re and add -s, -s, nothing, -ons, -ez, -ent: je vends, tu vends, il/elle/on vend, nous vendons, vous vendez, ils/elles vendent. The il/elle form is just the stem, with no ending: 'Elle attend le bus' (She is waiting for the bus). The final d is silent in the singular but pronounced in the plural, so 'il vend' and 'ils vendent' sound different. Other verbs like this: répondre (to answer), entendre (to hear), perdre (to lose), descendre (to go down), rendre (to give back).

Present Tense - Être (to be)

Présent - Être

Être (to be) is irregular, so learn its six forms by heart: je suis, tu es, il/elle/on est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont. Use it to say who someone is, where they are from, what they are like and where they are: 'Je suis étudiant' (I am a student), 'Elle est française' (She is French), 'Nous sommes à Paris' (We are in Paris). An adjective after être agrees with the subject: 'Il est fatigué', 'Elle est fatiguée'. Careful: some English 'to be' phrases use other verbs in French: 'J'ai vingt ans' (I am twenty), 'J'ai faim' (I am hungry), 'Il fait froid' (It is cold).

Present Tense - Avoir (to have)

Présent - Avoir

Avoir (to have) is irregular: j'ai, tu as, il/elle/on a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont. Use it for what you have ('J'ai un chien', I have a dog) and for many phrases where English uses 'to be': age ('J'ai vingt ans', I am twenty), hunger and thirst ('J'ai faim', 'J'ai soif'), fear ('J'ai peur'), being right ('Tu as raison'). 'Il y a' means 'there is' or 'there are'. In the negative, un, une and des become de: 'Je n'ai pas de voiture' (I don't have a car).

Present Tense - Aller and Venir

Présent - Aller et Venir

Aller (to go) and venir (to come) are irregular. Aller: je vais, tu vas, il/elle/on va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont. Venir: je viens, tu viens, il/elle/on vient, nous venons, vous venez, ils/elles viennent. Use aller + à for where you go ('Je vais à Paris', 'Je vais au cinéma') and venir + de for where you come from ('Je viens de Lyon', 'Il vient du Canada'). Aller also says how you are: 'Je vais bien' (I'm fine). Venir is movement toward the speaker or the person you are talking to: 'Tu viens avec moi ?' (Are you coming with me?)

Present Tense - Faire (to do / to make)

Présent - Faire

Faire means both 'to do' and 'to make'. It is irregular: je fais, tu fais, il/elle/on fait, nous faisons, vous faites, ils/elles font. Two forms surprise learners: 'nous faisons' is pronounced 'fe-zon', and the vous form is 'vous faites', not 'faisez'. Faire is used for many everyday activities: 'faire la cuisine' (to cook), 'faire les courses' (to do the food shopping), 'faire du sport' (to do sport). It also describes the weather: 'Il fait beau' (The weather is nice), 'Il fait froid' (It's cold).

Present Tense - Modal Verbs Pouvoir / Vouloir / Devoir

Présent - Verbes modaux : pouvoir, vouloir, devoir

Pouvoir (can, to be able to, may), vouloir (to want) and devoir (must, to have to) are irregular. When another verb follows, it is an infinitive, with no à or de in between: 'Je peux venir' (I can come), 'Tu veux danser ?' (Do you want to dance?), 'Nous devons partir' (We must leave). Forms: je peux, tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent; je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent; je dois, tu dois, il doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent. In the negative, ne ... pas goes around the modal: 'Je ne peux pas venir.'

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

Présent - Verbes irréguliers en -IR (type partir)

Partir (to leave), sortir (to go out), dormir (to sleep), servir (to serve), sentir (to feel, to smell) and mentir (to lie) follow their own pattern, without -iss-. In the singular, drop the last consonant of the stem and add -s, -s, -t: je pars, tu pars, il part; je dors, tu dors, il dort. In the plural, keep that consonant and add -ons, -ez, -ent: nous partons, vous partez, ils partent; nous dormons, ils dorment.

Immediate Future (aller + infinitive)

Futur proche

The futur proche (near future) is the easiest way to talk about the future. Use aller in the present + an 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 like English 'going to'. In the negative, ne ... pas goes around aller: 'Je ne vais pas sortir.' An object pronoun goes right before the infinitive: 'Je vais te téléphoner' (I'm going to call you).

Recent Past (venir de + infinitive)

Passé récent

The passé récent says that something has just happened. Use venir in the present + de + an infinitive: 'Je viens de manger' (I have just eaten), 'Le train vient d'arriver' (The train has just arrived). De becomes d' before a vowel. Do not forget de: 'Je viens manger' means 'I'm coming to eat'. It is the mirror image of the futur proche: 'Je vais manger' (I'm going to eat), 'Je viens de manger' (I have just eaten).

Present Continuous (être en train de)

Être en train de + infinitif

French has no separate continuous tense. The simple present already means both 'I eat' and 'I am eating': 'Je mange' (I'm eating). To stress that something is happening right now, at this very moment, use être + en train de + infinitive: 'Je suis en train de manger' (I'm in the middle of eating). De becomes d' before a vowel: 'Elle est en train d'écrire.' Use it only for this emphasis, not for habits or plans.

Reflexive (Pronominal) Verbs - Basic

Verbes pronominaux - Base

Pronominal (reflexive) verbs come with a small pronoun that matches the subject. Dictionaries list them with se: se laver (to wash), se lever (to get up), s'appeler (to be called). The pronouns are me, te, se, nous, vous, se, and they go right before the verb: je me lave, tu te laves, il se lave, nous nous lavons, vous vous lavez, ils se lavent. Before a vowel or a mute h, me, te and se become m', t', s': je m'appelle Marie (my name is Marie). French uses these verbs for many daily actions where English has no 'myself': 'Je me lève à sept heures' (I get up at seven).

Reflexive Verbs - Daily Routine

Verbes pronominaux - Routine quotidienne

Your daily routine in French is full of pronominal verbs: se réveiller (to wake up), se lever (to get up), se doucher (to shower), se laver (to wash), s'habiller (to get dressed), se brosser les dents (to brush your teeth), se coucher (to go to bed). Two things to watch. First, when you wash, brush or dry a part of your own body, French uses the reflexive pronoun plus le, la, les instead of 'my': je me brosse les dents (I brush my teeth), elle se lave les cheveux (she washes her hair). Second, se lever and se promener write è when the ending is silent: je me lève, ils se promènent, but nous nous levons, vous vous promenez.

Être vs Avoir - Basic Distinction

Être vs Avoir - Base

Être (to be) and avoir (to have) don't always match English 'be' and 'have'. Use être to say who, what, where or how someone is: Je suis étudiant. Elle est française. Nous sommes fatigués. Il est à Paris. Use avoir for what you have, and also for age and for body feelings, which French expresses with a noun: J'ai un chat. J'ai 20 ans (I'm 20). J'ai faim, soif, froid, chaud, sommeil (I'm hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, sleepy). J'ai peur (I'm afraid).

Il y a - Existence / There is / There are

Il y a

Il y a means 'there is' and 'there are'. It stays the same for one thing or many: Il y a un chat (There is a cat). Il y a trois chats (There are three cats). In the negative, say il n'y a pas de: Il n'y a pas de lait (There isn't any milk). To ask, use a rising voice or est-ce que: Il y a un parc ? Est-ce qu'il y a un parc ? (Is there a park?)

C'est vs Il est

C'est and il est / elle est can both mean 'it is', 'he is' or 'she is'. The word that follows decides. Use c'est before a noun with a determiner, a name or a pronoun: C'est un médecin. C'est mon frère. C'est Marie. C'est moi. Use il est / elle est before an adjective about a specific person or thing, and before a job or nationality without an article: Il est grand. Elle est médecin. Elle est française. For a general comment, use c'est + a masculine adjective: C'est facile ! C'est génial !

Faire - Weather, Sports, Activities

Faire - Météo, sports, activités

Faire (to do, to make) is used in three everyday areas. Weather: il fait beau (the weather is nice), il fait froid (it's cold), il fait du vent (it's windy). Sports and hobbies, with du, de la, de l': je fais du tennis (I play tennis), elle fait de la danse (she dances). Chores, with le, la, les: faire la cuisine (to cook), faire la vaisselle (to do the dishes), faire les courses (to do the food shopping). Rain and snow have their own verbs: il pleut, il neige.

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

Expressions avec avoir

French often says 'have' where English says 'be': avoir + a noun, with no article. J'ai faim (I'm hungry, literally 'I have hunger'). Tu as soif (you're thirsty). Il a froid (he's cold). Elle a chaud (she's hot). Nous avons sommeil (we're sleepy). Ils ont peur (they're afraid). Also: avoir raison (to be right), avoir tort (to be wrong), avoir de la chance (to be lucky), avoir besoin de (to need), avoir envie de (to feel like), avoir mal à (to hurt). To say 'very', use très: j'ai très faim.

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

Verbes de préférence

To talk about likes and dislikes, use aimer (to like), aimer bien (to like), adorer (to love), préférer (to prefer) and détester (to hate); ne pas aimer means 'not to like'. With a person, aimer alone means 'to love', so use aimer bien for someone you like: j'aime bien ma voisine. Before a noun, French uses le, la, les for things in general, where English has no article: J'aime le chocolat (I like chocolate). J'adore les chiens (I love dogs). Je n'aime pas la viande (I don't like meat). Before a verb, use the infinitive with no preposition: J'aime lire. Je déteste attendre.

Pouvoir + Infinitive

Pouvoir + infinitif

Pouvoir means 'can' or 'to be able to'. It is followed by a verb in the infinitive, with no preposition: Je peux venir (I can come). An object pronoun goes before the infinitive: Tu peux m'aider ? (Can you help me?) The forms are irregular: je peux, tu peux, il / elle / on peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils / elles peuvent. In the negative, ne … pas goes around pouvoir: Je ne peux pas venir. For a skill you have learned, French uses savoir instead: Je sais nager (I can swim).

Vouloir + Infinitive

Vouloir + infinitif

Vouloir means 'to want'. It is followed by a noun with an article (Je veux un café = I want a coffee) or by a verb in the infinitive, with no preposition (Je veux partir = I want to leave). Forms: je veux, tu veux, il / elle / on veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils / elles veulent. Je veux sounds very direct, so in shops and cafés people order with je voudrais (I would like): Je voudrais un croissant, s'il vous plaît.

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

Accents - Base

French puts small marks on some letters, and they are part of the spelling: a word without its accent is misspelled. The acute accent é sounds close to the 'ay' of 'day': 'café', 'école'. The grave accent on è gives the open 'eh' sound of 'bed': 'mère', 'très'. On à and ù it does not change the sound but tells two words apart: 'à' (to, at) and 'a' (has), 'où' (where) and 'ou' (or). The circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û) often marks an old s: 'hôpital' (hospital), 'forêt' (forest). The diaeresis (ë, ï) tells you to say two vowels separately: 'Noël'. The cedilla ç makes c sound like s before a, o and u: 'français', 'garçon', 'ça'. Capital letters keep their accents too: 'À bientôt', 'Ça va ?'.

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

Élision

Some short words drop their last vowel when the next word starts with a vowel or a mute h. An apostrophe replaces the vowel, and the two words are written together with no space: 'le ami' → 'l'ami', 'je aime' → 'j'aime'. This is called elision, and it is obligatory. The words that do it are le and la (l'école, l'hôtel), je (j'habite), me, te, se (je m'appelle), ne (je n'aime pas), de (d'Italie), que (qu'il), and ce before 'est' (c'est). 'Si' (if) elides only before 'il' and 'ils': 's'il', but 'si elle'. There is no elision before an aspirated h: 'le héros', 'le hamburger'.

Basic Liaison

Liaison - Base

Many French words end in a consonant that you do not pronounce: 'les' sounds like 'lé', 'nous' like 'nou'. In a liaison, that silent consonant is pronounced at the start of the next word when it begins with a vowel or a mute h: 'les amis' sounds like 'lé-za-mi', 'nous avons' like 'nou-za-von'. The spelling does not change. The letters s and x sound like z, and d sounds like t. Liaison is obligatory after a determiner (les‿enfants, un‿ami, mon‿école), between a pronoun and its verb (ils‿ont, vous‿êtes) and after an adjective placed before a noun (petit‿ami). It is never made after 'et' or before an aspirated h (les héros). In the examples, ‿ marks a liaison.

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

Ponctuation - Base

French punctuation looks almost like English, with a few differences. Put a space before ? ! : and ; ('Ça va ?', 'Bonjour !', 'Écoute : ...'), but never before a full stop or a comma. Quotations use guillemets with a space inside: « Bonjour ». In a dialogue, each new speaker starts with a dash: '— Tu viens ? — Oui !' Days, months and languages have no capital letter (lundi, mai, le français), but a nationality does when it names people (les Français). Numbers use a comma for decimals and a space for thousands: 2,50 € and 10 000.

Tu vs Vous

French has two words for 'you'. 'Tu' is for one person you know well: a friend, a family member, a child, a classmate. 'Vous' is for one person you treat politely: a stranger, a shop assistant, your doctor, an older person you don't know. 'Vous' is also the only word for 'you' when you speak to two or more people, whoever they are: 'Les enfants, vous venez ?' When in doubt with an adult, start with 'vous' and switch when the other person suggests it: 'On peut se tutoyer ?' (Shall we say tu to each other?). The choice changes the verb and the possessive too: 'tu as' / 'vous avez', 'ton livre' / 'votre livre'.

Formal Greetings (Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur)

Salutations formelles

In polite situations (shops, offices, people you don't know), greet with 'Bonjour' and add 'Madame' or 'Monsieur': 'Bonjour Madame.' From the early evening (around 6 pm), say 'Bonsoir': 'Bonsoir Monsieur.' To ask how someone is, say 'Comment allez-vous ?' or 'Vous allez bien ?', and answer 'Très bien, merci. Et vous ?'. To leave, say 'Au revoir' and wish a good day or evening: 'Bonne journée !', 'Bonne soirée !'. 'Bonne nuit' is only for when someone goes to bed. In France, always say 'Bonjour' when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a waiting room.

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

Salutations informelles

With friends, family and people you say tu to, French uses short, relaxed greetings. 'Salut' means both 'hi' and 'bye'. 'Coucou' is a warm, playful 'hi', common with family, close friends and in messages. 'Ça va ?' (how's it going?) is answered with the same words: 'Ça va, et toi ?'. You can also ask 'Tu vas bien ?' or 'Quoi de neuf ?' (what's new?). To say goodbye: 'Salut !', 'À plus !' (see you), 'À demain !', 'À tout à l'heure !' (see you later today) and, with people you are close to, 'Bisous !' (kisses). Keep 'salut', 'coucou' and 'bisous' for people you say tu to; with a stranger, a client or your teacher, say 'Bonjour'.

Recognising Cognates (FR-EN)

Mots apparentés

Cognates are words that look alike and mean the same thing in French and English: 'la question', 'important', 'le téléphone', 'l'université', 'la musique'. After the Norman Conquest of 1066, English took thousands of words from French, so you already recognise a lot of French. Spelling patterns help you guess more: -tion stays -tion (la nation), -ty often becomes -té (la liberté), -ous becomes -eux (dangereux), -ly becomes -ment (rapidement), -ic becomes -ique (la musique), -ary becomes -aire (le vocabulaire). Watch three traps: the spelling is often slightly different (appartement, adresse), every noun has a gender to learn (une question, la liberté), and some look-alikes are false friends: 'la librairie' is a bookshop, while a library is 'la bibliothèque'.

Cardinal Numbers 1-69

Nombres 1-69

Learn 0 to 16 by heart: zéro, un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze, seize. 17, 18 and 19 are 'ten-seven', 'ten-eight', 'ten-nine' with a hyphen: dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf. The tens are vingt (20), trente (30), quarante (40), cinquante (50) and soixante (60). For 21, 31, 41, 51 and 61, add 'et un' without hyphens: vingt et un, trente et un, soixante et un. The other compound numbers up to 69 take a hyphen: vingt-deux, trente-cinq, soixante-neuf. 'Un' becomes 'une' before a feminine noun: vingt et une filles.

Days, Months and Seasons

Jours, mois, saisons

Days and months take no capital letter in French, except at the start of a sentence: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche; janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre. The four seasons are masculine: le printemps, l'été, l'automne, l'hiver. Use 'en' with months (en mai) and with été, automne and hiver (en été), but say 'au printemps'. Before a day, French uses no word for 'on': 'Lundi, je travaille' (on Monday). Add 'le' for something that happens every week: 'Le lundi, je travaille' (on Mondays). Dates are 'le' + number + month: 'le 14 juillet'; the first of the month is 'le premier' (le 1er mai).

Grammatical Gender - Basic

Genre grammatical - Base

Every French noun is either masculine or feminine; there is no neuter. Things have a gender too: 'le vélo' (the bike) is masculine, 'la voiture' (the car) is feminine. For people, the gender usually matches the person: 'un homme' (a man), 'une femme' (a woman). For things it mostly has to be memorised, so learn each noun with 'un' or 'une': 'un livre', 'une table'. The gender then decides the article (le / la, un / une), the ending of adjectives (un petit vélo, une petite voiture) and the pronoun: a masculine thing is 'il', a feminine thing is 'elle'.

Gender Clues from Noun Endings

Indices de genre par terminaison

There is no complete rule for gender, but the ending of a noun is often a strong clue. Typical masculine endings: -age (le fromage), -ment (le moment), -eau (le bureau), -isme (le tourisme), -ème (le problème). Typical feminine endings: -tion and -sion (la nation, la télévision), -té (la liberté), -ée (la journée), -ie (la boulangerie), -ure (la voiture), -ette (la baguette), -ance and -ence (la chance, la différence). Learn the common exceptions with them: 'la plage', 'la page', 'l'image', 'l'eau' and 'la peau' are feminine; 'l'été' and 'le musée' are masculine. A final -e on its own tells you nothing: 'le livre' and 'le monde' are masculine.

Plural Formation - Basic (+s, +x)

Formation du pluriel - Base

To make a French noun plural, you usually add -s: un livre → des livres, une table → des tables. This -s is silent, so 'livre' and 'livres' sound the same. You hear the plural in the article: le / la / l' → les, un / une → des. Nouns that already end in -s, -x or -z do not change: un bras → des bras, un prix → des prix, un nez → des nez. A few endings have special plurals (un cheval → des chevaux); they are covered in the tag on irregular plurals.

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

Pluriels irréguliers

Some nouns do not just add -s in the plural. Nouns ending in -al usually change to -aux: un cheval → des chevaux, un journal → des journaux. Nouns ending in -eau and -eu add -x: un bureau → des bureaux, un jeu → des jeux. Nouns ending in -ou add -s (un trou → des trous), except seven that add -x, such as un bijou → des bijoux and un genou → des genoux. This -x is silent, like the -s. Learn the common exceptions too: des festivals, des pneus, and the very irregular un œil → des yeux.

Adjective Gender Agreement - Basic

Accord des adjectifs - Genre

A French adjective takes the gender of the noun it describes. Most adjectives add -e in the feminine: petit → petite, grand → grande, français → française. An adjective that already ends in an unaccented -e does not change: un pull rouge, une robe rouge. An adjective in -é still adds -e: fatigué → fatiguée. Some common adjectives have special feminine forms: bon → bonne, heureux → heureuse, sportif → sportive, premier → première, and beau → belle, nouveau → nouvelle, vieux → vieille, blanc → blanche.

Adjective Number Agreement - Basic

Accord des adjectifs - Nombre

French adjectives also agree in number. Most add -s in the plural, in the masculine and in the feminine: petit → petits, petite → petites. The -s is silent. A masculine adjective that already ends in -s or -x does not change (des hommes heureux), but its feminine adds -s as usual (des femmes heureuses). Masculine adjectives in -al usually change to -aux (des problèmes internationaux), and beau and nouveau add -x (beaux, nouveaux). When an adjective describes men and women together, it takes the masculine plural: 'Léa et Tom sont français.'

Adjective Position (BAGS / pre-noun adjectives)

Place des adjectifs

Most French adjectives come after the noun: une voiture rouge (a red car), un livre intéressant (an interesting book). A small group of short, very common adjectives comes before the noun: beau, joli, jeune, vieux, nouveau, bon, mauvais, grand, petit, gros. The mnemonic BAGS helps you remember them: Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size. Examples: une belle maison, une bonne idée, une grande ville, un petit chat. With two adjectives, each keeps its own place: un petit chat noir.

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

Articles définis

The French definite articles are 'le' (masculine singular), 'la' (feminine singular), 'l'' (before a vowel or mute h, either gender) and 'les' (plural, either gender): le livre, la table, l'ami, l'hôtel, les enfants. They mean 'the' when you talk about a specific thing: 'Le livre est rouge' (The book is red). Unlike English, French also uses them for things in general: 'J'aime le chocolat' (I like chocolate), 'Les chats sont mignons' (Cats are cute).

Indefinite Articles (un, une, des)

Articles indéfinis

The French indefinite articles are 'un' (masculine singular), 'une' (feminine singular) and 'des' (plural, both genders): un frère, une voiture, des enfants. 'Un' and 'une' mean 'a' or 'an'. 'Des' means 'some', and French needs it even where English uses no article: 'J'ai des amis à Paris' (I have friends in Paris). After a negation such as 'ne ... pas', un, une and des become 'de' (d' before a vowel): 'Je n'ai pas de voiture' (I don't have a car). After être, the article stays: 'Ce n'est pas un problème.'

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

Articles partitifs

French uses the partitive article for an unspecified amount of something you do not count, such as food, drinks or qualities. It means 'some', but English often leaves it out: 'Je mange du pain' (I eat bread, some bread). The forms are 'du' (masculine), 'de la' (feminine), 'de l'' (before a vowel or mute h) and 'des' (plural): du pain, de la confiture, de l'eau, des frites. After a negation and after quantity words, only 'de' (d') is left: 'Je ne mange pas de pain', 'beaucoup de pain'. After être, the article stays: 'Ce n'est pas du sucre.'

Contracted Articles (au, aux, du, des)

Articles contractés

The prepositions 'à' (to, at) and 'de' (of, from) join with the articles 'le' and 'les': à + le = au, à + les = aux, de + le = du, de + les = des. So 'I'm going to the cinema' is 'Je vais au cinéma', never 'à le cinéma'. 'La' and 'l'' do not join: à la plage, à l'école, de la maison, de l'hôtel. Only 'le' and 'les' contract.

Demonstrative Determiners (ce, cet, cette, ces)

Déterminants démonstratifs

Demonstrative determiners mean 'this' or 'that' (in the plural, 'these' or 'those'). They agree with the noun: 'ce' before a masculine singular noun (ce livre), 'cet' instead of 'ce' when the next word starts with a vowel or mute h (cet ami, cet hôtel), 'cette' before a feminine singular noun (cette table, cette amie) and 'ces' before any plural noun (ces livres, ces tables). 'Ce livre' can mean 'this book' or 'that book'. To insist on near or far, add -ci (here) or -là (there) to the noun: ce livre-ci, ce livre-là.

Subject Pronouns

Pronoms sujets

The French subject pronouns are je (I), tu (you: one person you know well), il (he), elle (she), on (we in everyday speech, or people in general), nous (we), vous (you: one person you address politely, or several people), ils (they: men, masculine nouns or a mixed group) and elles (they: only women or feminine nouns). When 'it' means a thing you have named, use il for a masculine noun and elle for a feminine one: 'Où est la clé ? Elle est sur la table.' Except in commands, a conjugated verb always needs its subject: say 'Je parle français' (I speak French), not just 'Parle français', which is a command (Speak French!). Before a vowel or a mute h, je becomes j': j'habite, j'ai.

On as 'We' (spoken French)

On = nous

In everyday spoken French, people usually say on for 'we': 'On va au cinéma ce soir ?' (Shall we go to the cinema tonight?). Nous means the same and is just as correct; it is the normal choice in writing and formal speech: 'Nous allons au cinéma.' With on, the verb always takes the il / elle form (on va, on est, on a), never the nous form. On also means 'people in general': 'En France, on dîne tard' (In France, people have dinner late). When on means 'we', the reflexive pronoun is se and 'our' is notre / nos: 'On se voit demain ?', 'On prend notre voiture.'

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

Pronoms toniques

Stressed pronouns (also called tonic pronouns) are moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux (men or a mixed group) and elles (a group of women). Use them when the pronoun stands apart from a verb: after a preposition (avec moi, pour toi, chez lui), on its own (Qui veut du café ? — Moi !; Moi aussi; Et toi ?), after c'est (C'est moi), after que in comparisons (plus grand que moi), in a double subject (Paul et moi) and before the subject for emphasis ('Moi, je préfère le thé'). Je, tu, il and ils never appear in these places. One exception to the preposition rule: with most verbs that take à + a person, such as parler à or téléphoner à, use an object pronoun (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur) before the verb instead: 'Il me parle' (He's talking to me), not 'Il parle à moi'; 'Je lui téléphone', not 'Je téléphone à lui'.

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

Pronoms COD

Direct object pronouns replace a person or thing that follows the verb directly, with no preposition: me (me), te (you), le (him, or it for a masculine noun), la (her, or it for a feminine noun), nous (us), vous (you), les (them). Unlike in English, they go before the verb: 'Je vois Paul' → 'Je le vois' (I see him). 'Tu connais Marie ?' → 'Tu la connais ?' Me, te, le and la become m', t', l' before a vowel or a mute h: 'Je l'aime', 'Tu m'écoutes ?' In a negative sentence, ne comes before the pronoun: 'Je ne le vois pas.'

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

Pronoms COI

Indirect object pronouns replace à + a person: me (to me), te (to you), lui (to him or to her), nous (to us), vous (to you), leur (to them). Like le and la, they go before the verb: 'Je parle à Paul' → 'Je lui parle' (I talk to him). 'J'écris à mes parents' → 'Je leur écris' (I write to them). Lui is the same for a man and a woman, and the pronoun leur never takes an -s. Me and te become m' and t' before a vowel ('Il m'écrit'), but lui and leur never change. Use them with verbs that take à + person, such as parler à, téléphoner à, écrire à, répondre à, donner à and dire à.

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

Pronoms réfléchis

A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject. Pronominal verbs, listed with se in the dictionary (se laver, to wash; se lever, to get up; s'appeler, to be called), always need one, and it must match the subject: je me, tu te, il / elle / on se, nous nous, vous vous, ils / elles se. It goes right before the verb: 'Je me lève à sept heures.' Before a vowel or a mute h, me, te and se become m', t', s': 'Je m'appelle Léa.' In an affirmative command it comes after the verb, and te becomes toi: 'Lève-toi !'

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

Adjectifs possessifs

Possessive adjectives (my, your, his…) agree with the noun that follows them, not with the owner's gender: my = mon / ma / mes, your (tu) = ton / ta / tes, his or her = son / sa / ses, our = notre / nos, your (vous) = votre / vos, their = leur / leurs. Mon, ton, son go with a masculine noun, ma, ta, sa with a feminine noun, and mes, tes, ses with any plural noun: mon père, ma mère, mes parents. So son père means 'his father' or 'her father', and sa voiture 'his car' or 'her car'. Right before a vowel or a mute h, ma, ta, sa become mon, ton, son: mon amie, ton école, son histoire.

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

Pronoms et adjectif interrogatifs

To ask 'who?', use qui: 'Qui est là ?' (Who's there?), 'Avec qui tu pars ?' (Who are you leaving with?). To ask 'what?', use que at the start of the question, followed by inversion or est-ce que: 'Que fais-tu ?' or 'Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?' (What are you doing?). In everyday speech you can put quoi at the end instead: 'Tu fais quoi ?' Quoi is also the form after a preposition: 'De quoi tu parles ?' When 'what' is the subject of the verb, use qu'est-ce qui: 'Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?' (What's happening?). For 'which' or 'what' + a noun, use quel, which agrees with the noun: quel livre, quelle heure, quels films, quelles langues. 'Quel est ton nom ?' (What's your name?)

Preposition À - Basic Uses

Préposition à - Base

À (with a grave accent) means 'to', 'at' or 'in'. Use it with cities and many places, both for going there and for being there ('Je vais à Paris', 'Je suis à la maison'), with clock times ('à 8 heures', 'à midi'), before the person after verbs like parler and téléphoner ('Je parle à Marie') and in set phrases such as à pied (on foot) and à droite (on the right). À joins with le and les: à + le = au ('Je vais au cinéma'), à + les = aux ('aux États-Unis'), while à la and à l' do not change ('à la plage', 'à l'école'). Feminine countries, and masculine ones starting with a vowel, take en instead: 'en France', 'en Iran'. Without the accent, 'a' is a form of avoir: 'il a' (he has).

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

Préposition de - Base

De means 'of' or 'from'. Use it for possession, because French has no 's ('le livre de Paul' = Paul's book), for where someone comes from ('Je viens de Paris'), after amounts ('un verre d'eau', 'beaucoup de travail'), to say what kind of thing something is ('un professeur de français' = a French teacher) and after verbs like parler de and avoir besoin de. Before a vowel or a mute h, de becomes d' ('d'Italie', 'besoin d'aide'). De joins with le and les: de + le = du ('la couleur du ciel'), de + les = des ('les jouets des enfants'), while de la and de l' do not change ('la porte de la maison', 'la clé de l'hôtel').

Preposition En - Basic Uses

Préposition en - Base

En means 'in', 'to' or 'by', and the noun comes right after it, with no article: 'en France', not 'en la France'. Use it with feminine countries and continents ('Je vais en France', 'J'habite en Europe'), with vehicles you sit inside ('en voiture', 'en train'), with months, years and seasons ('en mai', 'en 2024', 'en été', but 'au printemps'), for the time something takes ('J'ai fini en dix minutes'), for languages ('en français') and for materials ('une table en bois'). Masculine countries usually take au ('au Canada'), plural ones aux ('aux États-Unis'), and on foot is 'à pied'.

Location: dans, sur, sous

Dans, sur, sous

Dans = in, inside: 'Les clés sont dans mon sac.' Sur = on: 'Le livre est sur la table.' Sous = under: 'Le chat est sous le lit.' Before an ordinary noun, all three need a word like le, la, un or mon: dans la cuisine, sur le bureau, sous une chaise. En is different: it takes no article, so 'en voiture' (by car), but 'dans la voiture' (in the car). Sur also means 'about' ('un livre sur Paris') and is used for websites and the Internet ('sur ce site', and 'sur Internet' with no article, because the name Internet normally has none). Dans + a length of time means 'from now': 'dans dix minutes'. For 'in' a city or a country, French normally uses à, en, au or aux, not dans: à Lyon, en France, au Canada, aux États-Unis.

Preposition Chez

Préposition chez

Chez means 'at the home of' or 'to the home of' someone, with the same word for both: 'Je suis chez Marie' (I'm at Marie's), 'Je vais chez Marie' (I'm going to Marie's). It is followed by a person: a name (chez Paul), a stressed pronoun (chez moi, chez toi, chez lui, chez nous...), a profession (chez le médecin = at the doctor's) or several people (chez mes parents). 'Chez moi' also simply means 'at home' or 'home'. Never put a place word after chez: say 'à la boulangerie' (at the bakery) or 'chez le boulanger' (at the baker's), not 'chez la boulangerie'.

Avec, Sans, Pour

Avec, sans, pour

Avec = with, sans = without, pour = for: 'Je pars avec Marie', 'un café sans sucre', 'Ce cadeau est pour toi'. Before a verb, pour + infinitive means '(in order) to' and sans + infinitive means 'without ...ing': 'J'apprends le français pour voyager', 'Il est parti sans dire au revoir'. After all three, use a stressed pronoun: avec moi, sans toi, pour lui. After sans, a noun used in a general sense has no article: sans sucre, sans argent, sans problème.

À vs En with Cities and Countries

À / en + ville / pays

With place names, the preposition depends on the kind of place, and the same preposition means 'to' and 'in': 'Je vais en France', 'J'habite en France'. Cities take à: à Paris, à Tokyo. Feminine countries take en: en France, en Italie (most countries ending in -e are feminine). Masculine countries take au: au Canada, au Japon, but en if they start with a vowel: en Iran. Plural countries take aux: aux États-Unis. Continents take en: en Europe. 'From' follows the same pattern: de Paris, de France, d'Italie, d'Iran, du Japon, des États-Unis.

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

Prépositions temporelles - Base

Each kind of time expression has its own preposition. À for clock times and holidays: à 8 heures, à midi, à Noël. En for months, years and seasons: en mai, en 2024, en été (but au printemps). Dans for 'in' counted from now: 'Je pars dans dix minutes.' Pendant for how long something lasts: 'J'ai dormi pendant huit heures.' En + a length of time says how long something takes: 'J'ai fini en dix minutes.' Days and dates take no preposition: 'Lundi, je travaille', 'le 15 mars'.

Basic Word Order (SVO)

Ordre des mots - Base

A French statement has the same basic order as English: subject + verb + object. 'Marie mange une pomme.' (Marie eats an apple.) The subject is always there: say 'Il est fatigué' (He is tired), not just 'Est fatigué'; only commands have no subject ('Regarde !'). Four things work differently from English. Short adverbs such as bien, beaucoup, souvent and toujours go right after the verb: 'Il parle bien français', 'Je bois toujours du café' (not 'Il bien parle'). Object pronouns such as le, la and les go before the verb: 'Je le vois' (I see him). Ne ... pas goes around the verb: 'Je ne parle pas anglais.' Most adjectives follow the noun ('une voiture rouge'), but a few short, common ones come before it ('une belle maison').

Questions by Intonation (Informal)

Questions - Intonation

The easiest way to ask a question in French is to say a statement with your voice rising at the end. The word order does not change: 'Tu parles français.' (You speak French.) → 'Tu parles français ?' (Do you speak French?). In writing, the question mark is the only sign that it is a question. Keep the subject: 'Tu parles français ?', not 'Parles français ?'. A question word can go at the end, where the answer would be: 'Tu vas où ?' (Where are you going?), 'Tu fais quoi ?' (What are you doing?). At the end, 'what' is quoi, not que. This is the most common way to ask questions in conversation. 'Est-ce que tu parles français ?' (neutral) and 'Parles-tu français ?' (more formal) are also correct.

Questions with Est-ce que

Questions - Est-ce que

Est-ce que (said 'ess-kuh') turns a statement into a question without changing anything else. Put it in front of the statement: 'Tu parles français.' → 'Est-ce que tu parles français ?' (Do you speak French?). Before a vowel, que becomes qu': 'Est-ce qu'il est là ?' (Is he there?). With a question word, the question word comes first, then est-ce que, then the statement: 'Où est-ce que tu habites ?' (Where do you live?), 'Quand est-ce que tu pars ?' (When are you leaving?). For 'what', say qu'est-ce que: 'Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?' (What are you doing?). After est-ce que, keep the statement order: 'Est-ce que tu viens ?', not 'Est-ce que viens-tu ?'. Est-ce que is neutral: it fits conversation and most writing.

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

Adverbes interrogatifs

The five basic question words are où (where), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why) and combien (how much, how many). In everyday speech, the question word goes at the end, where the answer would be ('Tu habites où ?', Where do you live?), or at the start with no other change ('Où tu habites ?'). The neutral pattern is question word + est-ce que + statement ('Où est-ce que tu habites ?'); the formal one puts the verb before the subject pronoun ('Où habites-tu ?'). Before a noun, combien needs de: 'Combien de frères as-tu ?' (How many brothers do you have?). For 'where from', use d'où: 'D'où viens-tu ?' (Where are you from?).

Basic Coordination (et, ou, mais)

Coordination - Base

The three basic linking words are et (and), ou (or) and mais (but). They join two words or two sentences: 'J'aime le café et le thé' (I like coffee and tea), 'Tu veux du café ou du thé ?' (Do you want coffee or tea?), 'Il est petit mais fort' (He's small but strong). Ou (or) has no accent; où with an accent means 'where'. Two subjects joined by et take a plural verb: 'Paul et Marie parlent anglais.' A pronoun joined by et takes the stressed form: 'Paul et moi' (Paul and I), never 'Paul et je'. 'Paul et moi' = nous, so the verb takes the nous form: 'Paul et moi allons au cinéma.'

Addition (aussi, et)

Addition - aussi

Aussi means 'also' or 'too'. Put it right after the verb ('Je parle aussi espagnol', I also speak Spanish) or after the person it adds ('Marie aussi', Marie too). For a short reply, use a stressed pronoun + aussi: 'J'aime le chocolat. — Moi aussi !' (Me too!). After a negative statement, use non plus instead: 'Je n'aime pas le café. — Moi non plus.' (Me neither.) Do not start a sentence with aussi to mean 'also': at the start of a sentence, aussi means 'so, therefore'.

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

Connecteurs chronologiques

To list actions in order, French uses d'abord (first), puis and ensuite (then, next) and enfin (finally): 'D'abord, je me lève. Puis je prends une douche. Ensuite, je mange. Enfin, je pars au travail.' Puis and ensuite mean the same, so you can alternate them. Après (afterwards) is also common, especially in speech: 'Je mange. Après, je dors.' These words usually start the sentence, often followed by a comma (optional); d'abord, ensuite and enfin can also come right after the verb: 'Je prends d'abord un café.' For 'first' at the start of a step, say d'abord, not premier. Finalement means 'in the end': 'Finalement, elle a dit oui.'

Basic Negation ne...pas

Négation - ne...pas

To make a verb negative, French puts two words around it: ne before the conjugated verb and pas after it. 'Je parle anglais' (I speak English) → 'Je ne parle pas anglais' (I don't speak English). Before a vowel or a mute h, ne becomes n': 'Je n'aime pas le café', 'Il n'habite pas ici'. Object pronouns stay between ne and the verb: 'Je ne le vois pas' (I don't see him). To answer yes to a negative question, say si: '— Tu ne viens pas ? — Si !' In everyday speech people often drop ne ('Je sais pas'), but written French keeps both parts.

Negation and Indefinite/Partitive Articles (un → de)

Négation + article

After ne ... pas, and also after ne ... jamais and ne ... plus, the indefinite articles un, une, des and the partitive articles du, de la, de l' all become de, or d' before a vowel or a mute h: 'J'ai un chien' → 'Je n'ai pas de chien' (I don't have a dog); 'Je bois de l'eau' → 'Je ne bois pas d'eau' (I don't drink water). The article stays after être ('Ce n'est pas un livre' = It isn't a book), and the definite articles le, la, l', les never change ('Je n'aime pas le café' = I don't like coffee).

ne...jamais (never)

ne...jamais

To say 'never', put ne before the conjugated verb and jamais after it: 'Je ne fume jamais' (I never smoke). Jamais takes the place of pas, so don't use both. Ne becomes n' before a vowel or a mute h: 'Il n'arrive jamais en retard' (He's never late). As after pas, un, une, des and du, de la, de l' become de, or d' before a vowel or a mute h: 'Je ne bois jamais de café' (I never drink coffee), 'Je n'ai jamais d'argent' (I never have any money). In the passé composé, jamais goes before the past participle: 'Je n'ai jamais vu la mer' (I've never seen the sea). On its own, jamais is a short answer: '— Tu vas souvent au cinéma ? — Non, jamais.'

ne...rien (nothing)

ne...rien

'Nothing' or 'not anything' is ne ... rien. Rien takes the place of pas after the verb: 'Je ne vois rien' (I don't see anything). As a subject, rien comes first and ne still goes before the verb: 'Rien ne marche' (Nothing works). Never add pas. With two verbs, rien goes right after the first one, so in the passé composé it comes before the past participle: 'Je n'ai rien compris' (I didn't understand anything). On its own, rien is a short answer: '— Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? — Rien.' Before an adjective, use rien de (d' before a vowel or a mute h) + a masculine singular adjective: 'rien de spécial' (nothing special), 'rien d'intéressant' (nothing interesting).

ne...personne (nobody)

ne...personne

'Nobody' or 'not anyone' is ne ... personne. Personne takes the place of pas after the verb: 'Je ne connais personne' (I don't know anyone). As a subject, personne comes first and ne still goes before the verb: 'Personne ne vient' (Nobody is coming). Never add pas. Unlike rien, personne goes after a past participle or an infinitive: 'Je n'ai vu personne' (I didn't see anyone). On its own, personne is a short answer: '— Qui est là ? — Personne.' Don't confuse it with the noun une personne (a person).

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

ne...plus

Ne ... plus means 'not anymore' or 'no longer': something that was true before has stopped. Ne goes before the conjugated verb and plus after it, in place of pas: 'Je ne fume plus' (I don't smoke anymore), 'Il n'habite plus ici' (He doesn't live here anymore). It is the negative answer to a question with encore (still): '— Tu travailles encore ? — Non, je ne travaille plus.' As after pas, un, une, des, du, de la, de l' become de, or d' before a vowel or a mute h: 'Il n'y a plus de pain' (There's no more bread), 'Elle n'a plus d'argent' (She has no money left). In ne ... plus, the s of plus is silent.