Professional Documents
Culture Documents
"
p g
A n adjective is a w o r d t h a t d e s c r i b e s a n o u n or p r o n o u n . T h e m a j o r d i f f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n a d j e c t i v e s in F r e n c h a n d
E n g l i s h c o n c e r n a g r e e m e n t a n d p l a c e m e n t . In F r e n c h , a n a d j e c t i v e is u s u a l l y p l a c e d a f t e r t h e n o u n it m o d i f i e s a n d
m u s t a g r e e in g e n d e r a n d n u m b e r w i t h t h e n o u n . In E n g l i s h , a n a d j e c t i v e u s u a l l y c o m e s b e f o r e t h e n o u n it m o d i f i e s
a n d is i n v a r i a b l e , t h a t is, it d o e s not a g r e e .
T e x est un t a t o u philosophique.
T e x is a p h i l o s o p h i c a l
E d o u a r d est u n e s c a r g o t raffin.
E d o u a r d is a r e f i n e d snail.
J o e - B o b est u n c u r e u i l aimable.
J o e - B o b is a f r i e n d l y s q u i r r e l .
B e t t e est u n e c h a t t e capricieuse.
B e t t e is a t e m p e r a m e n t a l cat.
C o r e y est un c a f a r d ivre.
C o r e y is a n i n t o x i c a t e d c o c k r o a c h .
F i o n a is h a r d - w o r k i n g .
M a i s J o e - B o b n'est p a s travailleur.
(m)
armadillo.
B u t J o e - B o b isn't h a r d - w o r k i n g .
F r e n c h a d j e c t i v e s a r e r a r e l y u s e d in p l a c e of t h e a d v e r b i a l f o r m . R e m e m b e r t h a t a d j e c t i v e s m o d i f y n o u n s a n d
adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs!
T e x crit bien.
T e x ' s p o e t r y is g o o d .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page: adj2
1. formation
2. placement
formation
Adjectives agree in both number and gender with the noun or pronoun they modify. For regular adjectives the masculine
form is the base form to which endings are added. The feminine adjective is formed by adding an e. The plural adjective
is formed by adding s. Listen to the recorded examples to hear the pronunciation of the different adjective forms:
4
masculine
feminine
masculine
feminine
singular
singular
plural
plural
petit
petite
petits
petites
Note how the singular and plural forms of the masculine adjective sound the same, and the singular and plural forms of
the feminine adjective also sound the same.
4D
Tex is little.
T a m m y est petite.
T a m m y is little.
The adjective takes the masculine plural when the nouns it modifies are of different genders: T a m m y et Tex sont petit s.
(Tammy and Tex are little.)
Irregular adjectives do not follow the rules given above.
placement
In French, most adjectives follow the noun, unlike in English, where the the adjective precedes the noun. Here are some
examples of adjectives following the noun:
4))
littraires.
Bette est de caractre mfiant. Elle est
mali ne.
Note that there is a small group of adjectives that normally precede the noun. Some adjectives can also be placed
before or after the noun but changing the position of the adjectives can modify their meaning.
Listen to this dialogue:
B e k * !
T -
A i M 5
V f A i ^ c M - r
Tammy, Bette et Tex sont Gregory Gym.
. (charmant, 'charming')
. (rus, 'cunning')
. (intelligent)
. (vert, 'green')
. (franais, 'French')
. (ravissant, 'ravishing')
(fou, 'incredible, crazy').
8. A h , T e x a une allure
! (sduisant, 'attractive')
9. J o e - B o b et C o r e y ne sont pas
10. E s t - c e q u ' E d o u a r d est un s e r v e u r
11. E s t - c e q u ' E d o u a r d et T e x sont d e s Franais
12. T a m m y et Bette aiment les t a t o u s
! (dgourdi, 'resourceful')
? (poli, 'polite')
? (typique, 'typical')
. (muscl, 'muscular')
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
P 9
The placement of most adjectives in French is after the noun: un escargot parlant, une fourmi travailleuse, des tatous
intelligents, etc. There is a small group of adjectives, however, that normally precede the noun. These adjectives may be
categorized as adjectives of Beauty, A g e , N u m b e r s Goodness, and Size ( B A N G S ) .
^ij)
autre, other
jeune, young
masculine
feminine
masculine
feminine
singular
before vowel
singular
plural
plural
beau
bel
belle
beaux
bel l es
nouveau
nouvel
nouvelle
nouveaux
nouvelles
vieux
vi eil
vieille
vieux
vieilles
The adjectives which precede the noun must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify (see the regular
rule for adjective formation). Be aware that changing the position of some adjectives may change their meaning. Listen
to this dialogue:
d1))
de famille de Rita.
family album.
est laid!
he u g l y !
de toi.
of you.
animal, (beau)
2. T a m m y a un
3. Les
4. Fiona a t o u j o u r s de
5. Bette n'a pas une
6. T e x a de
7. T e x achte une
8. Bette est une
9. J o e - B o b a de
10. E d o u a r d n'a pas de
notes, (bon)
qualit, (seul)
. oreilles. (grand)
bague ('ring') pour T a m m y . (beau)
chatte opportuniste, (jeune)
amis, ( n o u v e a u )
amie, (petit)
11. J o e - B o b a une
12. J o e - B o b a de
dents. (joli)
2005 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
17 Nov 05
u V ^ J ^ L r J
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: adj2
irregular adjectives
1. gender
2. number
Regular adjectives are formed by adding an e to the masculine form in the singular (content / contente ), or by adding an
s to the masculine and feminine forms in the plural (Tex et Edouard sont contents / T a m m y et Bette sont contentes).
This group of adjectives is by far the most common. There are, however, a number of adjectives which are called
irregular, because they do not have the normal -e, -s, or -es endings. The endings of these irregular adjectives vary
widely and often change the pronunciation.
gender
Some adjectives are completely irregular:
m
masculine
feminine
translation
doux
douce
soft
faux
fausse
false
favori
favorite
favorite
frais
frache
fresh
long
longue
long
public
publique
public
f e m i n i n e ending
french
english
-el
-elle
cruel cruelle
cruel
-eil
-eille
pareil pareille
similar
-il
-ille
gentil gentille
kind, nice
-on
-onne
mignon mignonne
cute
-s
-sse
gros grosse
big, fat
-en
-enne
ancien ancienne
old
-et
-te
secret secrte
secretive
-er
-re
cher chre
dear, expensive
-eux
-euse
heureux heureuse
happy
-eur
-euse
trompeur trompeuse
deceptive
-teur
-trice
crateur cratrice
creative
-f
-ve
actif active
active
-c
-che
franc franche
frank
-ou
-olle
fou folle
crazy
Some adjectives have identical masculine and feminine forms. This is generally the case with adjectives ending in e in
their masculine form and with foreign adjectives like 'snob', 'cool', etc. For example: Tex est un tatou imaginaire; T a m m y
aussi est imaginaire. Ils sont imaginaires. (Tex is an imaginary armadillo; T a m m y too is imaginary. They are imaginary.)
Here are a few of these adjectives:
t^ij)
pauvre (poor)
difficile (difficult)
sensible (sensitive)
riche (rich)
calme (calm)
semblable (similar)
mince (slim)
minuscule (tiny)
ridicule (ridiculous)
propre (clean)
ironique (ironic)
imaginaire (imaginary)
number
The majority of adjectives are regular in the plural; that is, an -s is added to the singular masculine or feminine forms.
There are two major exceptions to this rule:
1. Do not add an s to the masculine form of adjectives ending in s or x. The masculine singular and plural forms are
thus identical: un animal heureux (a happy animal), des animaux heureux (happy animals). However, the feminine
plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form: une fille
heureuse (a happy girl), des filles heureuses (happy girls).
2. Adjectives ending in al in the masculine singular form change to aux in the masculine plural form.
4>)
The feminine plural form of these adjectives is regular; it is formed by simply adding an s to the feminine singular form:
Tex aime lire la presse internationale. Tex aime aussi les revues internationales. (Tex likes to read international papers.
Tex also likes international magazines).
Listen to this dialogue:
V t S T - c e
o^t
Nit
VA
Pas
vrai?
true?
accusation!
T a m m y : H m m ... T u veux que je
. (doux, 'soft')
2. T a m m y , quelle est ta c h a n s o n
? (favori, 'favorite')
3. Bette et T a m m y sont
4. T e x et T a m m y sont
5. J o e - B o b et C o r e y ne sont pas
6. Fiona est trs
. (gentil, 'kind')
7. T e x et E d o u a r d sont d e s a n i m a u x
. (cosmopolite, 'cosmopolitan')
! (gnial, 'great')
. (sensuel, 'sensuous')
. (rancunier, 'resentful')
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: adj2
Some adjectives can be placed either before or after the noun they are describing. Their position determines their
meaning. When the adjective is placed before the noun it tends to carry a figurative, or metaphorical meaning. When it
follows the noun, it carries a more literal, or actual meaning. Consider the following examples:
adjective
literal sense
figurative sense
anciens.
Paris.
dernier
grand
T e x a vu Marianne la semaine
dernire.
week.
grands.
mme
pauvre
prochai n
propre
tatou pauvre.
la France.
left France.
propre!
[uncomplicated]
vrai
vraie histoire.
story!
vous maintenant?!
appointments now?!
T a m m y : A h oui?
T a m m y : Oh really?
Tex: Ae!
Tex: Ouch!
(antique/former)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: adj2
Tex.
Bien sr, il est plus difficile d'tre pote que
d'tre cureuil!
than to be a squirrel.
4>)
irregular adjectives
The adjectives bon and mauvais have irregular forms of comparison, meilleur and pire. However, the regular form plus
mauvais que has become commonly accepted. Note that this irregularity is found in English too with 'better' (not
*gooder) and 'worse' (not *badder).
4>)
que Tammy.
match than T a m m y .
pretty as I a m ?
celles-ci ...
m o r e s e x y t h a n T a m m y , don't y o u think?
Fill in the blank w i t h the appropriate c o m p a r a t i v e of the adjective in parentheses. '+' is for 'more...than', '-' for
'less...than', a n d '=' for 'as...as'. Do not forget to m a k e the adjectives agree in n u m b e r a n d g e n d e r w i t h the n o u n s
t h e y qualify.
1. L'accent a m r i c a i n d ' E d o u a r d est
2. T e x a un
3. T a m m y est
4. Fiona est
5. Les A g g i e s sont
6. Les t u d i a n t e s de UT sont
7. Les Franais sont
8. Les T e x a n s sont
9. La France est
10. T e x est
11. C o r e y et J o e - B o b sont
12. E d o u a r d et T a m m y sont
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: adj2
d'S
superlative
monde.
monde.
monde.
monde.
world.
world.
Note that instead of the definite article, you may use a possessive determiner (mon, ma, mes, etc.), so Tex might say:
'Edouard est mon ami le plus distingu' (Edouard is my most distinguished friend).
irregular superlatives
The adjectives bon and mauvais have irregular patterns in the superlative. Note there are two forms for expressing 'the
worst': the irregular form le (la) pire and the more commonly used le (la) plus mauvais(e).
la meilleure universit
le pire campus
le moins mauvais
campus
la pire universit
la moins mauvaise
la plus mauvaise
universit
universit
les meilleurs profs
notes
The superlative of mauvais is always either le pire or le plus mauvais. But while you may
say 'la plus mauvaise universit' or 'la pire universit,' you may only say 'les pires
ploucs,' 'les pires catastrophes,' 'les pires crimes' etc. W h y ? Because 'plouc,'
'catastrophe,' 'crime' are already negative and it would be redundant to use 'mauvais' or
its superlative, 'le plus mauvais,' in front of them.
4)
monde!
du c a m p u s . (-, populaire)
de l'universit. (+, clbre)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: adj2
b o n / m e il l e u r v s . b i e n / m i e u x
1. bon/bien
2. meilleur/mieux
3. aussi bon/aussi bien
4. le meilleur/le mieux: superlative forms
bon/bi en
Bon (good) is an adjective. Although it has an irregular feminine form, bonne, the plural is formed regularly by adding
an -s to the masculine or feminine adjective. Bien (well, really, very) is an adverb. The adjective bon modifies a noun,
whereas the adverb bien modifies verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
adjective bon
4D
T a m m y is a good cook.
adverb bien
4>)
assaisonne.
meilleur/mi eux
Comparisons with bon and bien are not formed regularly using 'plus ... que' (more ... than). Instead use meilleur(e)(s)
que, and mieux que:
adjective bon/meilleur
i^O)
Fiona.
Les gteaux de T a m m y sont meilleurs que
cakes.
adverb bien/mieux
4D
Fiona's soup.
The adverb bien is an intensifier and can be translatied as 'much' in English. Note that 'much better' is sometimes
translated as bien meilleur, sometimes as bien mieux.
i^O)
Fiona.
T a m m y fait bien mieux la cuisine qu Fiona.
que Tammy.
La cuisine de Bette est aussi bonne que la
cuisine de Tammy.
L A
c u i s i n c
A w
S i
p e
0 n n
1>
fee
i i
q u
M
e v r
L A
grenouilles?
Q y i
ftoHMEi
F A I T
L S
MottoJ
C v l i s e s
"P
superlative adverbs
Qui cuisine le mieux?
tartes.
their tarts.
as well as T a m m y .
secret?
Bette: Mais, c'est tout simple, Edouard.
pince de Viagra!
Fill in the blank with one of the following: 'bien', 'mieux', 'bon(ne)(s)', 'meilleur(e)(s)'. Do not forget to make the
adjectives agree in number and gender with the nouns they qualify.
1. Edouard fait les _
2. Personne ne fait _
3. T a m m y travaille _
4. Tex a le
6. T a m m y est une
tudiante.
a m i e s du m o n d e .
qu'Edouard.
11. E d o u a r d est s e r v e u r d a n s le
12. Bette est trs
avec toi!
restaurant d'Austin.
cuisinire.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: adj2
participles as adjectives
1. present participles
2. past participles
The present participles and past participles of verbs are often used as adjectives. So they agree in number and gender
with the noun they modify, just like regular adjectives. The distinction between adjectives derived from present and past
participles is similar to that between - i n g and - e d adjectives in English: fatigant (tiring) / fatigu (tired).
d'S
parfois fatigant.
is sometimes tiring.
T a m m y is a charming girl.
amusants. (amuser)
Bette et Fiona sont des cratures
surprenantes. (surprendre)
d'habitude. (perdre)
Edouard et Tex sont des Franais peu
amricaniss. (amricaniser)
French people.
Note that past participles used as adjectives may have a passive meaning, and thus be followed by an agent introduced
by par (by) or de (with):
d'S
4>)
multiples!
personalities.
profs'.
IL y A
WM
A(trtu
AB-o
CH<7^AKTH
6. T a m m y : T e x tu es insupportable! T u es
7. T a m m y est trs
8. T e x est un pote mal
! ( e x a s p r e r = 'to exasperate')
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: adj2
introduction to adverbs
A n adverb is a w o r d t h a t q u a l i f i e s t h e a c t i o n of t h e v e r b , t h a t is, it s p e c i f i e s h o w o r w h e n t h e a c t i o n is p e r f o r m e d . In
E n g l i s h , m a n y a d v e r b s a r e i n d i c a t e d by t h e - l y e n d i n g . In F r e n c h , m o s t a d v e r b s e n d in - m e n t .
lentement
slowly
attentivement
carefully
souvent
often
A d v e r b s a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e a c t i o n : h o w ? h o w m u c h ? w h e n ? a n d w h e r e ? W h i l e m o s t a d v e r b s in F r e n c h a n d
English modify verbs, they can also modify other adverbs as well as adjectives.
verb
modified
adverb
by
modified
adjective
modified
adverb
by
adverb
by
adverb
E c o u t e attentivement.
Listen carefully.
trop l e n t e m e n t
too slowly
extrmement s i l e n c i e u x
e x t r e m e l y quiet
W h i l e t h i s a l t e r n a t i o n is c o m m o n in E n g l i s h , it is n o t c o m m o n in F r e n c h w h e r e
a d j e c t i v e s a r e r a r e l y u s e d in p l a c e of t h e a d v e r b . R e m e m b e r t h a t a d v e r b s
m o d i f y v e r b s (as w e l l a s o t h e r a d v e r b s a n d a d j e c t i v e s ) a n d a d j e c t i v e s m o d i f y
nouns.
T e x crit bien.
T e x writes well.
La p o s i e d e T e x est bonne.
T e x ' s p o e t r y is g o o d .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page:
1. uses
2. common adverbs
3. formation of regular adverbs
4. placement
uses
In French as in English, an adverb describes the action of a verb. It answers such
questions as 'where', 'when,' 'how,' 'how long,' or 'how often.' Adverbs are invariable
and may be used with almost all verbs. For example:
49
A n adverb may also qualify an adjective or another adverb. Consider the sentence:
'Edouard cuisine trs bien' (Edouard cooks very well). Trs qualifies bien and both
describe the action of the verb 'cuisiner'.
common adverbs
Following is a list of frequently used adverbs, categorized by type:
m
manner
bien, well
mal, badly
vite, quickly
time
souvent, often
quelquefois,
toujours, always
sometimes
jamais, never
bientt, soon
mai ntenant, now
place
tt, early
aujourd'hui, today
dj, already
tard, late
hier, yesterday
demain, tomorrow
dedans, inside
dehors, outside
ici, here
l, there
partout, everywhere
quelque part,
somewhere
quantity or degree
beaucoup, a lot
trs, very
assez, enough
peut-tre, maybe
much
sequence
d'abord, at first
donc, thus
enfin, finally
alors, then, so
lent(e), slow
lentement, slowly
doucement, softly
adj2
franchement, frankly
However, -ment is added to the masculine singular form of adjectives that end with a vowel. Note the exception
'gaiement' which is derived from the adjective 'gai' (cheerful).
d'D
poli(e) polite
poliment, politely
absolu(e), absolute
absolument, absolutely
modr(e), moderate
Add -emment to the stem of adjectives that end in -ent; add -amment to the stem of adjectives ending in - a n t . The
stem is what remains of the adjective when -ent or -ant have been removed. Note that the one-syllable adjective 'lent'
does not form its adverb, 'lentement', on this model.
rcent, recent
rcemment, recently
frquent, frequent
suffisant, sufficient
suffisamment, sufficiently
prcis(e), precise
prcisment, precisely
profond(e), deep
profondment, deeply
normment, enormously
placement
Use the following guidelines for placement of adverbs,
adverbs that modify an adjective or another adverb
Adverbs are placed directly before the adjective or adverb that they modify.
d'D
disgusting!
H A B t r v W
d1')
culinaires amricaines.
culinary habits.
restaurant.
Note that most common adverbs are placed directly after the verb before the objects.
d'S
soir !
this evening!
du ketchup partout.
everywhere.
snob!
restaurant!
toujours l'amricaine!
See placement of adverbs with pass compos and the periphrastic future for further examples.
2. T a m m y
T u a i m e s le c h o c o l a t ? T e x : Oui, je/j'
3. T a m m y
C o m m e n t va Rita? T e x : Elle
4. T a m m y
T u a i m e s le c a f ? T e x : Oui, je/j'_
5. T a m m y
6. T a m m y
7. T a m m y
8. T a m m y
9. T a m m y
T u a i m e s S a r t r e ? T e x : O h oui, je/j'
10. T a m m y
T e x connat T r e y ? T a m m y : Non, T e x ,
11. T a m m y
12. T a m m y
_. (mal)
_.(normment)
(trs bien)
___ . (beaucoup)
. (toujours)
_.(extraordinairement)
.(beaucoup)
.(souvent)
(vraiment)
(bien)
(absolument)
.(frquemment)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: adj2
d'D
bien dormir.
sleep well.
Juste de la soupe!
s o m e soup!
la soupe!
E d o u a r d : Q u o i ? Une m o u c h e d a n s m o n
not possible!
digre vite.
digested.
t o n cadeau. (encore)
le f i l m . ( b e a u c o u p )
ce livre.(dj)
en haut de la T o u r
Eiffel, (vraiment)
5. T a m m y : T u v a s tre gentil? T e x : Oui, je/j'
(trs)
6. T a m m y : T u v a s a i m e r m o n g t e a u ? T r e y : O h oui, je/j'
7. T a m m y : T u as m a n g ? J o e - B o b : Oui, je/j'
_ton gteau. ( b e a u c o u p )
_. (trop)
_mes e x a m e n s . (rarement)
9. T a m m y : T r e y va c o m p r e n d r e S a r t r e ? T e x : H m m , T r e y _
_Sartre.
(difficilement)
_Edouard. (dj)
pourParis. ( i m m d i a t e m e n t )
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
. amis. (vite)
updated: 27 May 04
i ^ i
'JS^JXTjJj
)S2JJJJJJXJS
page: adj2
than'. moins + adverb + que the idea of 'less ... than'. Aussi +
qu'Edouard.
Edouard.
Bob.
than Joe-Bob.
sr!
Note that mieux (better) is the irregular comparative form of the adverb bien (well). The other comparative forms of bien
are regular (moins bien que. aussi bien que).
Joe-Bob: V o u s allez bien aujourd'hui? V o u s
courbatures.
to start a race.
3. T a m m y : Je parle franais
(superlative +. bien)
Fiona. (-. f r q u e m m e n t )
moi. (-. poliment)
7. T a m m y : T e x parle le franais
moi. (+. c o u r a m m e n t )
(superlative -. h o n n t e m e n t )
. (superlative +. s o u v e n t )
2006 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
19 Jun 06
page: adj2
-il y a, a g o
When il y a is followed by a time expression (such as longtemps, quelque temps, une semaine, deux jours etc.), it
generally means 'ago': il y a une semaine (a week ago).
d1))
que.
Complete Bette's statements with either 'il y a' to indicate how long it has been since the event occurred, or with
'en' to indicate the date of the event.
1. Bette
Corey est n
2. Bette
Je suis arrive UT
3. Bette
J'ai rencontr T a m m y
4. Bette
5. Bette
6. Bette
3 ans.
un an.
12 mois.
1998.
7. Bette
8. Bette
9. Bette
Je suis ne
deux semaines.
1997.
10. Bette
J'ai vu T a m m y
11. Bette
12. Bette
longtemps!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
page: adj2
Tt and tard are irregular adverbs. Tt means early in a general, non-measurable sense: early in the day, or in one's life,
one's career, relationship, in a film, book, etc. Likewise, tard means late in the sense of late in the day (or in one's life,
career, etc.).
En avance (early), en retard (late), l'heure (on time) are invariable phrases, i.e. they have only one form. They always
refer to a schedule: en avance means early in the sense of ahead of schedule and en retard means late, behind schedule.
They are usually used with 'tre' and verbs of movement like 'arriver', 'partir', 'rentrer', 'revenir': in other words, the
verbs from the Alamo of tre. They are placed at the end of the sentence.
49
l'heure.
Bette: Moi, je suis toujours l'heure. Et
handsome ...
tard. On y v a ?
Shall we go?
, j'tais inquite!
_, je l'ai finie!
, le film va c o m m e n c e r !
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
characters
bienvenue!
T h i s w e b site is a b o u t m u c h m o r e t h a n j u s t F r e n c h g r a m m a r . It is a l s o a b o u t t h e e p i c love s t o r y of T e x a n d
T a m m y , t w o s t a r - s t r u c k a r m a d i l l o s , a n d B e t t e , t h e s e x k i t t e n b e n t o n d e s t r o y i n g t h e i r love. In a d d i t i o n to t h i s
m n a g e t r o i s , t h e c a s t of c h a r a c t e r s i n c l u d e E d o u a r d , a p r e t e n t i o u s F r e n c h s n a i l , J o e - B o b , a d i m - w i t t e d s q u i r r e l
f r o m C o l l e g e S t a t i o n , a n d C o r e y , a c o c k r o a c h w h o p r e f e r s g e t t i n g h i g h a n d w a t c h i n g t h e X - F i l e s o n T V to d o i n g his
French
homework.
identity?
C o m e e x p l o r e t h e w o r l d of T e x a n d f i n d t h e a n s w e r s to life's i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n s . B o n v o y a g e !
j *
49
Te
J e s u i s p o t e ... et q u e l q u e f o i s t u t e u r
4))
l ' u n i v e r s i t d u T e x a s . J e d t e s t e la c u l t u r e
t n f a p f t t i e T w w
Je s u i s la c o p i n e d e T e x . J ' a d o r e
l'universit du Texas.
populaire amricaine.
49
J e s u i s un e s c a r g o t f r a n a i s et j ' a d o r e la
4))
J e s u i s de C o l l e g e S t a t i o n . J ' a i m e la bire!
cuisine franaise.
49
J e s u i s un c a f a r d d p r i m . J ' a d o r e
l'insecticide.
49
J e s u i s t u d i a n t e . J ' a d o r e les h o m m e s .
4))
Je s u i s u n e f o u r m i s r i e u s e . J e s u i s de
L a r e d o . J ' a i m e les p i q u e - n i q u e s .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page:
introduction to conjunctions
conl
coordinating conjunctions
A c o o r d i n a t i n g c o n j u n c t i o n ' c o o r d i n a t e s ' t w o e q u i v a l e n t e l e m e n t s in a s e n t e n c e , t h a t is, w o r d s b e l o n g i n g to t h e s a m e
g r a m m a t i c a l c a t e g o r y ( n o u n s + n o u n s , v e r b s + v e r b s , i n d e p e n d e n t c l a u s e + i n d e p e n d e n t c l a u s e , etc.). T h e m o s t
c o m m o n l y u s e d c o o r d i n a t i n g c o n j u n c t i o n s in F r e n c h are:
mais
but
ou
or
et
and
donc
so,thus
or
so, n o w
ni ... ni
n e i t h e r ... n o r
car
for
puis
then
E d o u a r d n ' a i m e ni le b a r b e c u e ni les
E d o u a r d likes n e i t h e r b a r b e c u e n o r
hamburgers.
hamburgers.
T e x f u m e d e s c i g a r e t t e s et boit d u v i n
rouge.
wine.
subordinating conjunctions
A s u b o r d i n a t i n g c o n j u n c t i o n links a n i n d e p e n d e n t c l a u s e to a d e p e n d e n t
c l a u s e . In o t h e r w o r d s , a s u b o r d i n a t i n g c o n j u n c t i o n j o i n s t w o
unequivalent clauses (independent and dependent). An
independent
c l a u s e is a n y c l a u s e t h a t c a n s t a n d a l o n e to f o r m a g r a m m a t i c a l
sentence. A d e p e n d e n t clause, on the other hand, cannot stand alone and
t h u s ' d e p e n d s ' o n t h e m a i n c l a u s e in o r d e r to f o r m a c o m p l e t e t h o u g h t .
The most commonly used subordinate
conjunctions:
que
that
pendant que
as, w h i l e
quand
when
lorsque
when
depuis que
tandis que
while, whereas
puisque
since
parce que
because
Il e s t v i d e n t que T e x f u m e t r o p .
(dependent)
It is o b v i o u s t h a t T e x s m o k e s t o o m u c h .
(independent)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page: conl
coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions link words, phrases or independent sentences. The most commonly used are mais (but), ou
(or), et (and), donc (so, thus), or (so, now, but), ni . . . ni (neither ... nor), car (for), puis (then). These conjunctions
conjoin forms of the same grammatical category (adjective + adjective, noun + noun, clause + clause, etc.).
With the exception of or, all of these conjunctions can be used to link adjectives, nouns or verbs within a sentence.
Trey's tastes.
tiring music.
jazz.
Trey est jeune donc curieux.
car dangereux.
In addition, ou, et, ni, car, mais, donc, and puis are also used to combine two clauses into one:
T k e - f
Fait-
p o
DC
L A
M u s i q u e
Tex parle de posie, de philosophie, ou il ne
musique.
music.
ni faire du s k a t e - b o a r d .
d o e s he like to s k a t e - b o a r d .
T e x ne veut c e r t a i n e m e n t pas e s s a y e r le
j u m p i n g for it is very d a n g e r o u s .
rien en c o m m u n .
have nothing in c o m m o n .
Ou, or, puis, donc, mais indicate a link b e t w e e n t w o s e p a r a t e s e n t e n c e s . Or, mais and puis are usually placed at the
very beginning of the s e c o n d sentence. Donc is usually placed either at the b e g i n n i n g or right after the c o n j u g a t e d verb
of the s e c o n d sentence.
d'D
donc q u e l q u e s p r o b l m e s de
t h e y have a f e w c o m m u n i c a t i o n problems.
communication.
Or cela inquite Tex.
C o n s e q u e n t l y , this w o r r i e s T e x .
But w h a t can be d o n e ?
Bette?
2. T e x aime la France,
franais c o u r a m m e n t .
les t a m a l e s .
T e x est ami a v e c C o r e y _
T e x porte un bret
Joe-Bob.
n'a pas de c h e v e u x .
Bette!
n'tudie pas.
_ la m u s i q u e t e c h n o .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: conl
subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate, or dependent, clauses. The most commonly used are que (that),
pendant que (as, while), quand / lorsque (when), depuis que (since, indicating time), tandis que (while, whereas) puisque
(since), parce que (because).
m
personnage.
character.
musicien.
Depuis que Tex connat Trey,
a dcouvert
le monde du rap.
pas le cas.
is not case.
Some of these conjunctions may occur with other tenses besides the present, including the future, conditional, and
imperfect. There are other conjunctions which require the subjunctive.
T a m m y est jolie.
4. T a m m y :
5. T a m m y :
il est beau.
il adore la cuisine.
10.
11. T a m m y :
12.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
18 Oct 04
lij-'^dLrJ^LrJ - D z J j j J j j j z J S
page:
credits
character voices
special thanks
Eric Russell
Tex
Brian Roberts
S t e p h a n i e Pellet
Tammy
Joe T e n B a r g e
Nora M e g h a r b i
Bette
Dina S h e r z e r
Marlin Parrack
Corey
Daniela Bini
Walter Moore
Joe Bob
s. palomino
Seth Wolitz
Edouard
Karen Kelton
Karen C o d y
Fiona
J a m e s Lewis
Carl Blyth
Paw Paw
Gary Dickerson
Lindsy M y e r s
les e n f a n t s
Dale A u s t i n
Catherine Delyfer
narrator, Rita
Tex's fans
comments, suggestions
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
introduction to determiners
detl
A determiner is a w o r d t h a t d e t e r m i n e s or q u a l i f i e s t h e m e a n i n g of a n o u n by e x p r e s s i n g s u c h c o n c e p t s a s q u a n t i t y
or d e f i n i t e n e s s . T h e r e is n e v e r m o r e t h a n o n e d e t e r m i n e r per n o u n a n d it is a l w a y s p l a c e d b e f o r e t h e n o u n .
D e t e r m i n e r s a l w a y s a g r e e in g e n d e r a n d n u m b e r w i t h t h e n o u n s t h e y m o d i f y .
A r t i c l e s a r e t h e m a i n g r o u p of d e t e r m i n e r s in F r e n c h . T h e r e a r e t h r e e c a t e g o r i e s of a r t i c l e s : d e f i n i t e , i n d e f i n i t e , a n d
partitive.
T h e w a i t e r g i v e s t h e w i n e list to T e x .
I n d e f i n i t e a r t i c l e s (un, une,des) i n t r o d u c e n o u n s t h a t a r e n o t s p e c i f i c .
T h e y a r e t r a n s l a t e d a s 'a' or 'an' in E n g l i s h .
T e x c h o i s i t un v i n .
T e x chooses a wine.
quantity.
T h e y a r e u s u a l l y t r a n s l a t e d a s ' s o m e ' in E n g l i s h .
T e x boit du vin.
T e x drinks s o m e wine.
T e x e x p l a i n s : T h i s p o o l is B a r t o n S p r i n g s .
Cette p i s c i n e s ' a p p e l l e D e e p E d d y .
T h i s s w i m m i n g pool is D e e p E d d y .
T e x i n t r o d u c e s h i s f a m i l y : H e r e is m y b r o t h e r ,
T r e y , m y sister, Rita w i t h h e r c h i l d r e n a n d
Fido. Notre f a m i l l e e s t f o r m i d a b l e .
t h e i r d o g Fido. O u r f a m i l y is g r e a t .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page: detl
1. forms
2. lision and liaison
3. to identify a specific noun
4. to express general truth or concepts
5. to express likes and dislikes
6. to indicate habitual recurrence
7. in a series
8. no article
forms
In French, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or 'determined' by an article. A s in English, an article
is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a', 'an'). In addition, French articles are also masculine or
feminine, singular or plural, according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Here are the definite
articles in French:
d'D
Tex le tatou
Joe-Bob l'cureuil
Bette la chatte
l'Universit du Texas
les tatous
the armadillos
les cureuils
the squirrels
les chats
the cats
les universits
the universities
silent h
les i nsectes
les tatous
les animaux
les fourmis
les h o m m e s
Note that elision and liaison occur with most words starting with h: l'homme,
les hommes, l'hiver, les hivers. Exceptions to this rule are words beginning with
an aspirate 'h'.
l'Universit!
University!
d'Austin!
Austin.
heureux!
T a m m y : T u as raison. L'amour et la sant
more important!
franaise.
i n a seri es
The article is usually repeated in a series, in contrast to English. For example:
d'S
no article
Cities usually do not require an article in French. For example:
d'S
Continents, countries, states, regions, and oceans usually require an article (l'Afrique, la France, le Texas, la Bourgogne,
l'Atlantique etc.), but there are a few exceptions, usually islands: Hati, Isral, Madagascar. See prepositions with place
names for more information.
Days of the w e e k do not require an article in instances where they do not indicate habitual recurrence. For example:
d'S
men?
portent le bret!
chattes!
odeur des pesticides!
f e m m e s sont sensibles.
professeur de maths.
5. T a m m y :
6. T a m m y :
7.
Corey
tlvision.
8. T e x dteste
Texas.
9. T a m m y :
10. T e x :
_ _ _ t a t o u s sont intelligents!
dictionnaire est intressant!
11. T a m m y est
12. T e x est prof
a m i e de T e x .
universit.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: detl
The definite article (le, la, l', les) is often used with parts of the body instead of a possessive determiner (mon, ma, mes,
etc.). Sentences with this structure always use the verb avoir to indicate that the possessor is the subject of the
sentence. The following French sentences are equivalent.
However, an indefinite article is used if an adjective comes before the part of the body:
4>)
The definite article is also always used when pronominal verbs refer to parts of the body.
Fill in the blank with the correct article : le, la, les, un, une, or de. HINT: adjective agreement in the sentences may
help you discover the gender of each noun.
1. Corey a
2. Tex a
3. T a m m y a
4. Tex a
5. Bette a
6. T a m m y a
7. Tex a toujours
8. Joe-Bob a
9. Fiona a
10. T a m m y a
11. Bette a
12. T e x a
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: detl
1. forms
2. uses
3. 'de' after the negative
4. before a plural adjective
5. with adjectives of profession, nationality, and religion
forms
In French, few nouns can stand alone. Most need to be introduced or 'determined' by an
article. A s in English, an article is characterized as either definite ('the') or indefinite ('a',
'an'). In French, articles are also masculine or feminine, and singular or plural,
according to the gender and number of the noun they determine. Here are the indefinite
articles in French:
masculine singular: un
plural: des
Tex is an armadillo.
Joe-Bob is a squirrel.
UT is a university.
des tatous
(some) armadillos
des cureuils
(some) squirrels
des chats
(some) cats
des universits
(some) universities
uses
A s the English 'a' 'an' or 'some', the indefinite articles un, une, des refer to nouns
which are non-specific. Un or une may also indicate quantity, 'a' or 'an' in the sense
of 'one.' Contrast the use of the indefinite and definite articles in the first two
sentences below. The indefinite plural des is always expressed in French, but its
English equivalent 'some' is often omitted.
Joe-Bob et Corey ont une chambre dans
rsidence Jester.
residence hall.
chambre.
suis un cureuil.
squirrel.
un cafard.
cockroach.
However, following the verb tre, the indefinite articles un, une, des remain unchanged in the negative:
d'S
armadillo.
not snails.
amoureux.
lovers.
de bons amis?
friends?
l'autre?
each other?
chatte.
T a m m y : Mais non Bette! Toi et moi nous
s o m m e s de vieilles amies!
T a m m y : Y o u k n o w Bette, having a
caf fmasc.').
2. T a m m y et T e x sont
amis.
3. T a m m y et Fiona sont
b o n n e s amies.
4. T a m m y est
5. T e x est
6. Fiona est
7. J o e - B o b et C o r e y sont
a n i m a u x ridicules.
t a t o u s t y p i q u e s au T e x a s .
9. C o r e y est
10. T e x est
11. Bette est
12. J o e - B o b est
ami de Tex.
t a t o u (masc.) a m u s a n t .
tudiante UT.
tudiant A & M .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
i i i ^ d
iJ'j-'^jLTj^lrJ
- J j j ^ j j J j j J i J y
page: detl
1. forms
2. uses
3. after the negative
forms
There are three partitive articles in French.
m
Masculine: du
du pain
(some) bread
Feminine: de la
de la viande
(some) meat
de l'ail (m.)
(some) garlic
vowel: de l'
de l'eau (f.)
(some) water
uses
Partitive articles are used both in English and in French to express
quantities that cannot be counted. While the indefinite article (un, une, des) is
used with countable quantities (un oeuf, deux oeufs ...), the partitive article is
used before mass nouns, nouns that are indivisible or uncountable. In English
the article 'some' is often omitted.
Edouard: C o m m e dessert,
au chocolat, de la glace
parfume la vanille et du
sorbet l'ananas.
While the definite article designates something in its totality, or as a whole, the partitive article designates a part of the
whole. Note that depending on what you want to say, the same noun may be introduced by a definite, indefinite, or a
partitive article. Compare these examples:
d'D
partitive
n'est-ce pas?
article
wine, aren't y o u ?
(a quantity that is not specified)
definite
sant!
article
('wine' in general)
indefinite
nouveau ou un Chambertin, un
article
nouveau, or a Chambertin, a
Chteauneuf-du-Pape, ou j'ai un
Chteauneuf-du-Pape, or I have
Joe-Bob mange de la
T a m m y ne mange pas de
viande.
viande.
T a m m y ne boit j a m a i s de
caf.
Il y a encore du vin.
d'D
friendship, it is love!
peux m'aider?
vin rouge.
2. T a m m y : Je vais prendre
omelette?
pain.
eau.
T a m m y : Je vais faire
Joe-Bob boit
8. Corey : Tex, tu as
pesticide (masc.)?
9. T a m m y : Tex, tu fais
sport aujourd'hui?
arobic aujourd'hui?
thon le matin.
page: detl
f o r m s and uses
The possessive determiners serve to express ownership or possession (hence the name). They are also often called
possessive adjectives because they agree in gender and number with the noun they introduce.
49
Masculine
Feminine
singular
singular
Plural
Translation
mon
ma
mes
my
ton
ta
tes
your (familiar)
son
sa
ses
notre
notre
nos
our
votre
votre
vos
your (formal or
plural)
leur
leur
leurs
their
Possessive articles, like all articles, must agree with the noun they modify. Thus, if
the noun is feminine, the possessive article must be feminine, too. In the following
example, the feminine noun famille requires a feminine form - sa. Note that sa has
three potential translations in English: 'his,' 'her,' or 'its.' So, how do you know which
meaning is intended? Context! Since the following example sentence refers to Tex,
we know that sa means 'his.'
do)
liaison
Do not forget to make the liaison between the plural forms of the possessive determiners and words that begin with a
vowel sound. Ma, ta, sa become mon, ton, son in front of feminine nouns beginning with a vowel sound.
Tex continues his introductions:
do)
Quel nul!
T r x
w ' t t r
M p s f
I I
2. T a m m y : Tex,
n e v e u x sont ici.
3. T e x et T a m m y : Bette, C o r e y et J o e - B o b sont
4. T a m m y et T e x :
amis.
a m o u r est ternel.
5. P a w - P a w : B o n j o u r Tex, b o n j o u r T a m m y !
6. T a m m y : T e x oublie s o u v e n t
livre.
7. T a m m y : A h Tex,
amour!
8. T e x : T a m m y est
amie.
9. T a m m y : T e x , Trey, et Rita?
g r a n d - p r e est adorable.
amis.
parents.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
18 Oct 04
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page: detl
demonstrative determiners
1. forms
2. uses
2. -ci and -l
forms
Demonstrative determiners ('this', 'these', 'that' or 'those') are used to point out things or people. They are also
sometimes called demonstrative adjectives (in French 'adjectifs dmonstratifs'); they agree in number and gender with
the noun they introduce.
49
Masculine singular: ce
ce tatou
this armadillo
Masculine singular
cet cureuil
this squirrel
cette chatte
ces tatous
these armadillos
ces cureuils
these squirrels
Note that liaison is compulsory between ces and words starting with a vowel or a
silent h.
uses
In general, demonstrative determiners designate something one can see or show:
49
-ci and -l
Demonstrative determiners can designate something close or far away: in order to distinguish between two or more
elements, you can add the suffixes -ci or -l to the demonstrative determiner. The suffix -ci indicates that the item is
relatively near to the speaker; -l suggests that something is farther away. In English, they are generally translated by
'this' and 'that':
49
Voie lacte.
Milky Way.
d'astronomie!
astronomy!
de J. C. Penney.
of J. C. Penney.
T a m m y : Q u ' e s t - c e que tu p e n s e s de ce
maillot-ci ?
suit?
couleur.
T a m m y : Et ce bikini? Ce sera parfait pour
cet t. T u ne t r o u v e s p a s ?
compltement dmod!
outdated!
T a m m y : T e x , y o u have no taste
la m o d e ?
y o u w e a r is f a s h i o n a b l e ?
matin?
jolie fille?
4. E d o u a r d : Q u e f a i t e s - v o u s
5. P a w - P a w :
aprs-midi?
e n f a n t s sont nafs!
Tammy :
b o n b o n s sont dlicieux!
Edouard : Hmm...
Tex :
w e e k - e n d , T a m m y et moi allons S a n A n t o n i o .
9. Bette : T e x , q u e p e n s e s - t u de
mini-jupe ( f e m . ) ?
10. T a m m y
11. T a m m y
12. T a m m y
animal!
Tex,_
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: detl
tlvision.
is watching television.
One can express quantity by using specific nouns or adverbs of quantity, as well as measures of weight, distance, or
volume, especially in reference to food. For example:
une bote de, a can (box) of
The definite article (le, la, les) may be used with these expressions to indicate a quantity of a specific item. Remember
that de + le and de + les form the contractions du and des respectively.
un morceau du gteau qu'Edouard a prpar
d'huile.
T a m m y : Dis, Tex! A r r t e de faire le l g u m e
d e v a n t la tl! V i e n s m'aider!
T e x : W h a t ? I did m y job! T h e b o u q u e t of
table!
Fill in the blank w i t h one of the following e x p r e s s i o n s of quantity : un b o u q u e t de, assez de, une tasse de, peu de,
trop de, b e a u c o u p de, un verre de. S o m e e x p r e s s i o n s may be used more t h a n once.
1. J o e - B o b : T u as 1 dollar T e x ? Je n'ai pas
talent.
amis.
4. E d o u a r d : Je prends t o u j o u r s
5. P a w - P a w : Je bois
caf a p r s le repas.
vin t o u s les repas
8. T a m m y : Tex, q u a n d t u bois
9. T a m m y : J'ai
bonbons.
vin, tu es arrogant!
. t e m p s sur le c a m p u s !
t a t o u s c o m m e lui!
. k e t c h u p d a n s ce h a m b u r g e r !
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
lij-'^dLrJ^LrJ
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: detlO
tout
1. tout as an adjective
2. tout as a pronoun
3. tout as an adverb
4. tout in common idiomatic phrases
'tout' as an adjective
Tout means 'all' or 'every' when it modifies a noun. It agrees in number and gender with the noun that follows.
Masculine
Masculine
Feminine
Feminine
singular
plural
singular
plural
tout
tous
toute
toutes
These forms of tout are most often used with the definite articles le, les, la, l', but they may also be used with a
possessive determiner: tous mes pomes (all my poems), toute sa vie (all his/her life) etc. Listen as Tex recites one of
his poems:
d'S
tout le temps,
toute la journe,
every evening,
every night.
*Note that the final s of tous is not pronounced when it is used as an adjective.
Tout or toute may also be used without an article to mean 'every.'
Tex: Tout tatou est pote!
'tout' as a pronoun
Tout is invariable when it functions as the indefinite pronoun meaning 'everything' or 'all', as in the first sentence
below.
The plural pronouns tous and toutes agree with the nouns they replace. Compare the examples below.
4>)
Indefinite
To replace
singular
a plural
'everything'
noun
T a m m y : Tex, tu as vu ton
diteur? Tout s'est bien
pass?
everything go well?
poems!
rotiques!
*Note that the final s in the pronoun tous is pronounced, in contrast to the unpronounced s in tous as an adjective.
'tout' as an adverb
Tout may also be an adverb meaning 'all,' 'completely,' or 'quite' when it modifies another adverb, a preposition, or an
adjective. Although tout is invariable before an adverb, a preposition or a masculine adjective, the feminine forms toute
and toutes are used before feminine adjectives beginning with a consonant.
4S
Invariable
Before
a feminine
beginning
with a
adjective
consonant
completely new.
moderne.
modern.
recueil de pomes?
my recent poems.
misunderstood!
m o n anniversaire.
le t e m p s .
4.
5.
T a m m y : Je suis
6. T e x :
excite!
7. T e x : Je me rase
8. Bette :
9.
10.
12.
J o e - B o b : Je ne parle pas du
T a m m y : Bette, regarde
11. Bette :
les jours.
franais!
m e s photos de T e x !
J o e - B o b : Je t'ai c h e r c h
la journe!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page:
indefinite determiners
detlO
Indefinite determiners qualify nouns and express the indefinite idea of quality (certain, any) or quantity (not one, each,
different, several). They agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Some indefinite determiners may be
used as indefinite pronouns to replace a noun.
Here is a list of common indefinite determiners:
do)
au foyer!
housewife!
d'S
you are!
2. Tex : Je n'ai
inspiration aujourd'hui!
3. Corey : Je n'ai
ami!
4. Edouard : Je connais
5. T a m m y : J'ai
6. Bette :
recettes texanes.
admirateurs!
homme ne me rsiste!
semaine.
8. Bette : J'ai
9. J o e - B o b :
10. T a m m y : T e x a
d o u t e s sur l'amour de T e x et T a m m y .
j o u r suffit sa peine!
a m i s en France.
charme!
dollars?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
15 Nov 04
DJ^JJJJJXDS
'i=r.< y 3
help using this
page:
website
1. A b o u t Q u i c k T i m e
2. E n t e r i n g a c c e n t e d c h a r a c t e r s
About QuickTime
what is quicktime?
T h i s w e b site uses QuickTime, A p p l e ' s digital m e d i a s o f t w a r e for c r e a t i n g , p l a y i n g a n d s t r e a m i n g a u d i o a n d v i d e o
c o n t e n t o v e r t h e Internet. Q u i c k T i m e is f r e e of c h a r g e for a n y o n e with a Mac or W i n d o w s - b a s e d c o m p u t e r .
Q u i c k T i m e is k n o w n primarily as a digital a u d i o a n d v i d e o player, but Q u i c k T i m e p r e s e n t a t i o n s can include text
t r a c k s , sprite (interactivity) t r a c k s , V R (virtual reality) t r a c k s , M a c r o m e d i a Flash t r a c k s , a n d more.
Q u i c k T i m e consists of a w e b - b r o w s e r p l u g - i n a n d a m e d i a player. Installation tips a n d a t r o u b l e s h o o t i n g F A Q are
i n c l u d e d in t h e s e c t i o n s below.
installing quicktime
If y o u don't h a v e Q u i c k T i m e , y o u will n e e d to d o w n l o a d a n d install t h e Q u i c k T i m e Player a n d b r o w s e r plug-in f r o m
A p p l e C o m p u t e r . T h e installation process will o c c u r interactively, o v e r t h e Internet.
A l t e r n a t e l y , y o u can d o w n l o a d t h e s t a n d a l o n e installer. S e l e c t i n g this o p t i o n is useful, for e x a m p l e , if y o u won't
h a v e a c c e s s to t h e I n t e r n e t at t h e t i m e of installation: y o u can d o w n l o a d n o w a n d install later.
configuring quicktime
W h e n Q u i c k T i m e c o m p o n e n t s are installed, y o u will be g u i d e d a u t o m a t i c a l l y t h r o u g h a s h o r t c o n f i g u r a t i o n process.
Y o u will be a s k e d to set a f e w o p t i o n s , s u c h as y o u r n e t w o r k c o n n e c t i o n s p e e d . If y o u a c c e s s the I n t e r n e t f r o m
b e h i n d a firewall, y o u m a y also n e e d to c o n f i g u r e Q u i c k T i m e for s t r e a m i n g [see F A Q i t e m b e l o w for m o r e
information].
technical requirements
C h e c k latest r e c o m m e n d e d r e q u i r e m e n t s f r o m t h e Q u i c k T i m e w e b site:
Macintosh
A P o w e r P C p r o c e s s o r - b a s e d M a c i n t o s h c o m p u t e r
At least 128 M B of R A M
Mac O S 8.6 or later; or Mac O S X v 1 0 . 1 . 3 or later
Windows
A P e n t i u m p r o c e s s o r - b a s e d PC or c o m p a t i b l e c o m p u t e r
At least 128 M B of R A M
Windows
98/NT/Me/2000/XP
A S o u n d Blaster or c o m p a t i b l e s o u n d c a r d a n d s p e a k e r s
recommended
French
Grammar
Interactif
requires Q u i c k T i m e 6 and
quicktime pro
T h e pro v e r s i o n of Q u i c k T i m e is not r e q u i r e d to a c c e s s t h e m e d i a f e a t u r e s of Tex's
French
Grammar,
but y o u can
help
troubleshooting faq
1. W h e n I try to v i e w a m o v i e , I see a b r o k e n p l u g - i n icon.
2. I've installed Q u i c k T i m e , but m o v i e s aren't playing.
3. I can't r e c e i v e s t r e a m i n g v i d e o .
4. H o w do I t r o u b l e s h o o t Q u i c k T i m e p r o b l e m s o n W i n d o w s
computers?
5. H o w do I t r o u b l e s h o o t b r o w s e r p l u g - i n p r o b l e m s ?
Interactif
a n d Tex's
French
Grammar;
information
c o n c e r n i n g s t r e a m i n g m e d i a is i n c l u d e d here, in t h e e v e n t of f u t u r e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n .
T h e r e are Q u i c k T i m e issues re: a c c e s s i n g s t r e a m i n g a u d i o a n d v i d e o f r o m b e h i n d a firewall. Y o u m i g h t h a v e this
p r o b l e m at h o m e , for e x a m p l e , if y o u use a c c e s s t h e I n t e r n e t t h r o u g h a hardware
router.
A router is a d e v i c e that
S t a r t M e n u - S e t t i n g s - C o n t r o l Panels
M a c O S X:
S y s t e m Preferences
MacOS:
A p p l e M e n u - C o n t r o l Panels
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60688
M o r e t e c h n i c a l info:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/resources/qt4/us/proxy/
computers?
Errors are usually related to s o f t w a r e conflicts, u n u s a b l e files, or incompatibilities. T h e y can also be related to
specific h a r d w a r e c o m b i n a t i o n s , a n d s o m e t i m e s the w a y in w h i c h the h a r d w a r e is c o n f i g u r e d . C h e c k t h e t e c h n i c a l
h a r d w a r e r e q u i r e m e n t s on this p a g e [listed a b o v e ] . A l s o , c h e c k t h e A p p l e k n o w l e d g e b a s e article on this topic.
problems?
T e c h n i q u e s are e x p l a i n e d below.
M a k e s u r e t h e Num
Lock
c h a r a c t e r s into a n y a p p l i c a t i o n (such as a w e b b r o w s e r ) .
O n y o u r W i n d o w s PC, a c c e s s
Start Menu > Programs > Accesories > System Tools > Character Map
Click on a n d c o p y t h e c h a r a c t e r y o u n e e d f r o m t h e Character
Map tool.
T h e n , click b a c k in t h e b r o w s e r f o r m field
Apple Macintosh
Method: option + key [+ key]
Hold d o w n t h e option
+ key.
T h e c h a r a c t e r is
Character Table
character
Macintosh
EC
character
Macintosh
EC
opt
' + a
alt + 0 2 2 4
opt n + n
alt + 0 2 4 1
opt e + a
alt + 0 2 2 5
opt
' + o
alt + 0 2 4 2
opt i + a
alt + 0 2 2 6
opte
+ o
alt + 0 2 4 3
opt u + a
alt + 0 2 2 8
opt i + o
alt + 0 2 4 4
opt c
alt + 0 2 3 1
opt u + o
alt + 0 2 4 5
opt
' + e
alt + 0 2 3 2
opt + s
alt + 0 2 2 3
opt e + e
alt + 0 2 3 3
opt
' + u
alt + 0 2 4 9
opt i + e
alt + 0 2 3 4
opte
+ u
alt + 0 2 5 0
opt u + e
alt + 0 2 3 5
opt i + u
alt + 0 2 5 1
opt
' + i
alt + 0 2 3 6
opt u + u
alt + 0 2 5 2
opt e + i
alt + 0 2 3 7
opt 1
alt + 0 1 6 1
opt i + i
alt + 0 2 3 8
opt shift
2006 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
alt + 0 1 9 1
updated:
15 May 06
1.
nouns
2.
determiners
3.
adverbs
4.
adjectives
5.
verbs
6.
negation
7.
prepositions
8.
pronouns
9.
conjunctions
10.
tense/aspect/mood/voice
11.
interrogative constructions
12.
13.
appendix : testez-vous!
14.
15. etc.
16.
pdf downloads
17.
mp3 downloads
NOUNS
introduction
number: singular and plural
gender: masculine and feminine
voil vs. il y a: devices for introducing nouns
temps, heure, fois: different nouns for 'time'
DETERMINERS
introduction
definite articles
def. articles with physical characteristics, ex. elle a les cheveux longs
indefinite articles
partitive articles
possessive determiners: mon, ma, mes, etc.
demonstrative determiners: ce, cet, cette, ces
expressions of quantity: beaucoup de, un peu de, etc.
tout
indefinite determiners
ADVERBS
introduction
formation and placement
placement of adverbs with the pass compos
comparative and superlative of adverbs
il y a 'ago'
bon/meilleur vs. bien/mieux
tt, tard, en avance, en retard, l'heure
ADJECTIVES
page: index
introduction
formation and placement
adjectives before the noun
irregular adjectives
adjectives whose meaning varies with placement
comparison of adjectives
superlative of adjectives
bon/meilleur (adjectives) vs. bien/mieux (adverbs)
participles as adjectives
t.
VERBS
introduction
regular verbs
-er verbs
-er verbs (regular)
-er verbs (stem changing)
-ir verbs
-ir verbs (regular)
-ir verbs (irreg) like ouvrir 'to open'
-ir verbs (irreg) like partir 'to leave,' sortir 'to go out,' dormir 'to sleep'
-re verbs
-re verbs (regular)
-re verbs (irregular) like prendre 'to take'
-re verbs (irregular) like mettre 'to put, to place'
-re verbs (irregular) like suivre 'to follow', vivre 'to live'
common irregular verbs
tre 'to be'
avoir 'to have'
avoir expressions, ex. il y a, avoir besoin de, etc.
aller 'to go'
faire 'to do,' 'to make'
faire expressions
venir 'to come'
boire, croire, voir: 'to drink', 'to believe', 'to see'
savoir vs. connatre: two ways of knowing
dire, lire, crire: 'to say', 'to read', 'to write'
pronominal verbs: se raser, se lever, se disputer
modal verbs: vouloir 'to want to,' pouvoir 'to be able to,' devoir 'to have to'
impersonal verbs and expressions: il faut, il est important de ...
quitter, partir, sortir, laisser: different verbs for 'to leave'
infinitive constructions, including past and negative
causative faire (faire+infinitif)
transitive vs. intransitive constructions
present participle
t.
NEGATION
introduction
basic negation: ne ... pas (don't, not)
alternate forms (1):
ne ... jamais (never)
ne ... rien (nothing)
ne ... personne (nobody, no one)
PREPOSITIONS
introduction
common prepositions
contractions of and d e with definite article
depuis vs il y a ... que
depuis with imperfect
depuis, pendant, pour
prepositions with place names
prepositions with infinitives
t.
PRONOUNS
introduction
subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
c'est vs. il/elle est
disjunctive pronouns: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, elles, eux
direct object pronouns: me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les
indirect object pronouns: me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur
pronoun: y
pronoun: en
relative pronouns: qui and que
relative pronouns: ce qui and ce que
relative pronouns: dont, ce dont, o, lequel
order of object pronouns
indefinite pronouns: chacun and quelqu'un
demonstrative pronouns: celui, celle, ceux, celles
possessive pronouns: le mien, la mienne, etc.
t.
CONJUNCTIONS
introduction
coordinating conjunctions: et, mais, ou, puis, car, etc.
subordinating conjunctions: pendant que, quand, depuis que, etc.
conjunctions that take the subjunctive
t.
TENSE/ASPECT/MOOD/VOICE
introduction
present tense
past tenses
pass immdiat (venir de+infinitive)
pass compos with avoir
pass compos with tre
pass compos of pronominal verbs
imparfait: formation
INTERROGATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
introduction
y e s / n o questions: e s t - c e q u e , n ' e s t - c e pas
q u e s t i o n s w i t h s u b j e c t / v e r b inversion
interrogative adjective quel (with e x c l a m a t i v e usage)
interrogative p r o n o u n s : q u i , q u i e s t - c e q u e , q u ' e s t - c e q u i , q u ' e s t - c e q u e
interrogative p r o n o u n lequel
interrogative w o r d s
t.
ETC
site o v e r v i e w
cast of c h a r a c t e r s
credits
s e a r c h this site
website help
t.
PDF downloads
all p a g e s
adjl
introduction to adjectives
Grammar
adj2
adjectives: f o r m a t i o n and p l a c e m e n t
in pdf f o r m a t : 10.3 M B
adj3
adj4
irregular adjectives
adj5
adj6
adj7
superlative of adjectives
adj8
adj9
participles as adjectives
adv1
introduction to adverbs
adv2
adv3
adv4
adv5
-il y a, ago
adv6
characters
cast of characters
con1
introduction to conjunctions
con2
coordinating conjunctions
con3
subordinating conjunctions
credits
detl
introduction to determiners
det10
indefinite determiners
det2
det3
det4
det5
det6
possessive determiners
det7
demonstrative determiners
det8
det9
tout
help
index
int1
introduction to interrogatives
int2
int3
int4
int5
interrogative pronouns
int6
int7
negl
introduction to negation
neg2
neg3
neg4
neg5
no1
introduction to nouns
no2
no3
no4
voil vs. il y a
no5
overview
prel
introduction to prepositions
prela
common prepositions
pre2
pre3
pre4
predl
depuis vs. il y a ... que, a fait ... que, and voil ... que
pred2
prepl
prol
introduction to pronouns
prolO
indefinite pronouns
proll
demonstrative pronouns
prol2
possessive pronouns
pro2
subject pronouns
pro3
pro4
disjunctive pronouns
pro5
pro6
pronoun y
pro7
pronoun en
pro8
pro9
prorl
pror2
pror3
tal
tacl
conditional
tac2
past conditional
tac3
si clauses
tadl
tad2
tafl
futur proche
taf2
taf3
taf4
future: usage
taf5
futur antrieur
tail
imperative mood
tapl
taplO
pass simple
tapll
pass antrieur
tap2
tap3
tap4
tap5
imparfait: formation
tap6
tap7
tap8
tap9
plus-que-parfait
taprl
present tense
tasl
regular subjunctive
tas2
irregular subjunctive
tas3a
tas3b
tas4
tas5
tas6
past subjunctive
tas7
subjunctive summary
tas8
tavl
vl
introduction to verbs
verl
ver2
viml
vinfl
infinitive constructions
virl
vir2
vir3
virrl
virrl0
virrll
virr2
virr3
avoir expressions
virr4
virr5
virr6
faire expressions
virr7
causative faire
virr8
virr9
vll
vml
vppl
present participle
vprl
pronominal verbs
vrel
vre2
vre3
vre4
vtil
t.
jf MP3 downloads [zip archives]
all mp3s
adj2
Grammar
adj3
mp3s: l 0 6 . 8 MB
adj4
irregular adjectives
adj5
adj6
adj7
superlative of adjectives
adj8
adj9
participles as adjectives
adv2
adv3
adv4
adv5
-il y a, ago
adv6
characters
cast of characters
con2
coordinating conjunctions
con3
subordinating conjunctions
detl0
indefinite determiners
det2
det3
det4
det5
det6
possessive determiners
det7
demonstrative determiners
det8
det9
tout
intl
introduction to interrogatives
int2
int3
int4
int5
interrogative pronouns
int6
int7
neg2
neg3
neg4
neg5
no2
no3
no4
voil vs. il y a
no5
prela
common prepositions
pre2
pre3
pre4
predl
depuis vs. il y a ... que, a fait ... que, and voil ... que
pred2
prepl
prolO
indefinite pronouns
proll
demonstrative pronouns
prol2
possessive pronouns
pro2
subject pronouns
pro3
pro4
disjunctive pronouns
pro5
pro6
pronoun y
pro7
pronoun en
pro8
pro9
prorl
pror2
pror3
tacl
conditional
tac2
past conditional
tac3
si clauses
tadl
tad2
tafl
futur proche
taf2
taf3
taf4
future: usage
taf5
futur antrieur
tail
imperative mood
tapl
taplO
pass simple
tapll
pass antrieur
tap2
tap3
tap4
tap5
imparfait: formation
tap6
tap7
tap8
tap9
plus-que-parfait
taprl
present t e n s e
tasl
regular subjunctive
tas2
irregular subjunctive
tas3a
tas3b
subjunctive usage: d o u b t
tas4
tas5
tas6
past subjunctive
tas7
subjunctive s u m m a r y
tas8
tavl
verl
ver2
viml
vinfl
infinitive constructions
virl
vir2
vir3
virrl
virrl0
virrll
virr2
virr3
avoir e x p r e s s i o n s
virr4
virr5
virr6
faire e x p r e s s i o n s
virr7
causative faire
virr8
virr9
vll
vml
vppl
present participle
vprl
pronominal verbs
vrel
-re v e r b s (regular)
vre2
vre3
vre4
vtil
t.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
3 Feb 05
page:
i n t r o d u c t i o n t o interrogativos
intl
A n interrogative construction is a g r a m m a t i c a l f o r m u s e d to a s k a q u e s t i o n . T h e r e a r e t w o k i n d s of q u e s t i o n s : y e s / n o
q u e s t i o n s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n q u e s t i o n s . S o - c a l l e d y e s / n o q u e s t i o n s m a y be a n s w e r e d w i t h a s i m p l e ' y e s '
o r
'no'-
A r e y o u a s t u d e n t at t h e U n i v e r s i t y of T e x a s ?
H a v e y o u e v e r b e e n to S i x t h S t r e e t or B a r t o n S p r i n g s ?
D o y o u k n o w h o w m a n y A g g i e s it t a k e s to s c r e w in a l i g h t b u l b ?
I n f o r m a t i o n q u e s t i o n s c o n t a i n a s p e c i f i c i n t e r r o g a t i v e w o r d ( w h o , w h a t , w h e n , w h y , h o w ) a n d c a n n o t be a n s w e r e d
w i t h a y e s o r no. T h e i r p u r p o s e is to elicit a s p e c i f i c p i e c e of i n f o r m a t i o n .
W h o is T e x ?
W h e n did he c o m e to T e x a s ?
H o w did h e learn F r e n c h ?
Est-ce que v o u s p a r l e z
Do y o u speak French?
franais?
B e s i d e s u s i n g ' e s t - c e q u e ' , q u e s t i o n s in F r e n c h c a n be f o r m e d
b y inversion of t h e s u b j e c t a n d v e r b .
Parlez-vous f r a n a i s ?
Do you speak
French?
formulating questions
T h e w o r d 'do' is u s e d in E n g l i s h q u e s t i o n f o r m a t i o n . In s i m i l a r f a s h i o n , F r e n c h y e s / no q u e s t i o n s c a n be f o r m e d
w i t h t h e p h r a s e e s t - c e que.
T h e r e a r e s e v e r a l o t h e r w a y s to a s k a q u e s t i o n in F r e n c h . For i n s t a n c e , a tag question is a q u e s t i o n w o r d o r p h r a s e
' t a g g e d ' o n to t h e e n d of a s t a t e m e n t w h i c h r e q u i r e s a c o n f i r m a t i o n w i t h a 'yes' or 'no' a n s w e r .
V o u s p a r l e z f r a n a i s , n'est-ce pas?
V o u s parlez franais?
You speak
French?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
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existentialiste, La Nause.
d'D
films?
Tex: Bien sr, j'adore les films.
FAS
d'D
SAKTEl!
T r e y : Y o d a is m y hero. Y o u don't k n o w
pas Yoda?
Yoda?
philosopher. A r e y o u c r a z y ? Y o d a is not
pas Sartre.
Sartre.
existentialiste de La N a u s e ! T u es
of La N a u s e ! Y o u agree, don't y o u ?
T e x : W h a t an idiot! G o back to y o u r v i d e o
lectroniques!
games!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
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1. inversion
2. addition of -t- in third person singular
3. addition of a pronoun with a noun or proper name
4. compound tenses
5. negation
6. 'est-ce' and 'y a-t-il'
inversion
Formal questions may be asked by reversing the subject pronoun/verb order and linking
the two with a hyphen. You may have already seen inversion in fixed expressions like
the following greetings: 'Comment allez-vous?', 'Comment vous appelez-vous?', 'Quelle
heure est-il?'.
Joe-Bob choisit ses cours pour
le semestre prochain.
ides?
any ideas?
T a m m y et Bette, connaissez-
Joe-Bob: Mmm.
Joe-Bob: Mmm.
des animaux.'
Intimacy.'
cours?
Corey: Oh, oui.
compound tenses
In compound tenses, such as the pass compos, the subject pronoun is inverted with the auxiliary (the conjugated
verb).
4>)
negation
Ne precedes the conjugated verb and the second half of the negative (pas, jamais, plus, etc.) follows the pronoun.
4>)
l'examen?
Corey: Oh, j'ai trouv que l'examen tait
que scientifique.
scientific.
10. T a m m y : H J o e - B o b , tu parles f r a n a i s ?
11. Il y a d e s c o w b o y s au T e x a s ?
12. C'est difficile d ' a p p r e n d r e le f r a n a i s ?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
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Quel is an adjective. Like any other adjective, it agrees in number and gender with the noun it modifies. Remember to
make the liaison between quels / quelles and a following word beginning with a vowel (quels animaux).
masculine singular
masculine plural
feminine singular
feminine plural
quel
quels
quelle
quelles
interrogative quel
Quel is generally translated into English by 'what' or 'which'. It is always followed by a noun or by the verb 'tre' + noun.
d1')
tatou?
Rita: Oh, c'est Tex, ton oncle.
Tex?
Tex?
cynique et pessimiste.
and pessimistic.
exclamative quel
Quel may also be used for emphasis. In this instance, quel is followed either by an adjective or a noun, and it means
'what' or 'what a'. Note that there is an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.
T a m m y : Quel beau tatou!
minette!
2. T e x :
3. C o r e y :
fille sexy!
sont v o s p a s s e - t e m p s prfrs?
4. E d o u a r d :
5. T a m m y :
j o l i e s affiches!
6. Bette :
7. T e x :
8. Bette : T e x ,
9. J o e - B o b :
10. T a m m y : Tex,
11. Bette :
12. J o e - B o b :
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: int5
1. questions about people: qui, qui est-ce qui, qui est-ce que
2. questions about things: qu'est-ce qui, que, qu'est-ce que, quoi
Tammy.
Tammy.
Qui cherches-tu?
T a m m y : Je cherche Tex.
you Tex!
Bette: Oui?!
Bette: Yes?!
Tex: T u as vu T a m m y ?
Bette: Oui.
Bette: Yes.
surveille pas!
Bette e n s e m b l e .
w i t h ... her!
moi!
Fill in the blank w i t h the correct interrogative p r o n o u n : qui est-ce qui, qui est-ce que, qu'est-ce qui, or q u ' e s t - c e
1. Bette :
2. T e x : _
3.
Corey
tu prfres T e x ? Moi ou T a m m y ?
. o n m a n g e ce s o i r ?
vient au c i n m a avec m o i ?
4. T e x : T a m m y ,
5. T a m m y :
ne va p a s ?
. aime le livre de T e x ?
6. Bette : P a r d o n ? .
7. T e x :
8. Fiona :
9. J o e - B o b :
10. T a m m y : _
11. T e x :
12.
Joe-Bob
Tex dit?
j'ai fait?
. aime L y o n ?
tu vas acheter?
. justifie m o n a m o u r pour T e x ?
. n o u s invitons ce s o i r ?
motive les f e m m e s ?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: int
Lequel, lesquels, laquelle, lesquelles are pronouns, i.e. they are used in place of a noun. They are used to ask the
questions 'which one?' or 'which ones?' They assume the number and gender of the nouns they replace and contract with
the prepositions and de.
Preposition
Masculine
Masculine plural
singular
Feminine
Feminine plural
singular
lequel
lesquels
laquelle
lesquelles
with
auquel
auxquels
laquelle
auxquelles
with de
duquel
desquels
de laquelle
desquelles
insectes!
T a m m y : Lesquels tu aimes?
classiques quoi!
T a m m y : Et tu prfres lequel ?
Fill in the blank with the correct form of lequel: lequel, lesquels, auquel, duquel, laquelle, lesquelles, laquelle, de
laquelle.
1. Bette : Entre ces gteaux,_
choisis-tu?
parles-tu?
penses-tu?
dois-je porter?
parles-tu?
vas-tu?
est le meilleur?
prfres-tu?
d o i s - j e porter?
me c o n s e i l l e s - t u ?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: int7
O (where), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why), combien (how much),
combien de (how many) may be used to ask questions with subject/verb inversion
or with est-ce que. Note that the question word goes before est-ce que.
about Tex.
Edouard: Comment?
Edouard: Pardon?
Edouard: A u Texas.
Edouard: In Texas.
Edouard: Comment?
Edouard: Pardon?
Edouard: Comment?
Edouard: Pardon?
bret?
Edouard: Il n'a pas de cheveux. Sans chapeau il
Edouard: Comment?
Edouard: Pardon?
Edouard: Comment?
Edouard: Pardon?
par j o u r ?
day?
tu es bien curieuse.
curious.
3. T a m m y :
4. C o r e y :
5. T e x :
T a m m y : Tex,
Tex : Tammy,
Fiona :
9. E d o u a r d : A h T e x , bonjour.
vas-tu aujourd'hui?
10. T a m m y :
11
Tex :
12
T a m m y : C'est
l'anniversaire de T e x ?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
introduction to negation
"
p g
Negation is a g r a m m a t i c a l t e r m f o r t h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n of s o m e or all of t h e
m e a n i n g of a n a f f i r m a t i v e ( p o s i t i v e ) s e n t e n c e . In E n g l i s h , a s e n t e n c e is
c o m m o n l y n e g a t e d b y i n s e r t i n g a s i n g l e n e g a t i v e w o r d (not, d o n ' t , d i d n ' t ,
w o n ' t , etc.) into t h e a p p r o p r i a t e p l a c e in t h e s e n t e n c e . In F r e n c h , a
s e n t e n c e is c o m m o n l y n e g a t e d b y i n s e r t i n g t w o w o r d s .
basic negation
Ne ... pas is p l a c e d a r o u n d t h e c o n j u g a t e d v e r b to n e g a t e a n a f f i r m a t i v e
s e n t e n c e in F r e n c h . N o t e t h a t t h e ne c h a n g e s to n' b e f o r e a v e r b
beginning with a vowel.
Tff?f M ^ C O U T E J A M A I J
P 6
M ^ l O ^ t
J o e - B o b , l ' c u r e u i l , c o u r t vite.
T r e y a i m e le rap.
T r e y likes rap.
CJW IstTT
J o e - B o b listens to c o u n t r y .
T e x n ' c o u t e jamais de m u s i q u e c o u n t r y .
T e x n e v e r listens to c o u n t r y .
T r e y o n l y l i s t e n s to rap.
F i o n a n ' c o u t e rien.
F i o n a listens to n o t h i n g .
P r e s q u e persone n ' c o u t e d e m u s i q u e c o u n t r y
A l m o s t n o b o d y listens to c o u n t r y m u s i c in
en France.
France.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page: neg2
Basic negation is formed by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb. Ne becomes n' in front of a verb starting with
a vowel or a mute h.
Tammy?
Tammy?
tu sais!
know!
In compound tenses, like the pass compos, the ne ... pas are also placed around the conjugated verb, which is the
auxiliary, avoir or tre. In the periphrastic future, ne ... pas goes around the verb aller.
d'S
Edouard.
at Edouard's.
Note that in spoken French, the ne / n' is sometimes dropped. In familiar speech, tu is often pronounced as t' before a
vowel.
T a m m y : Tex, t'es (tu es) pas trs gentil.
6. J o e - B o b dteste le ketchup.
7. T e x et T a m m y j o u e n t aux cartes.
8. T r e y a envie d'aller en France.
9. C o r e y et J o e - B o b habitent N e w Y o r k .
10. E d o u a r d tudie la cuisine t e x a n n e .
11. T a m m y c h a n t e bien la Marseillaise.
12. Bette adore T a m m y .
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int3
ne ... jamais
not yet
ne ... rien
ne ... personne
ne ... plus
not at all
Note that ne becomes n' in front of a verb starting with a vowel or a mute h. In spoken French, the ne / n' is sometimes
dropped. The second element of the negation is usually placed right after the conjugated verb and before the object, as
in this dialogue:
C'est dimanche matin.
It is Sunday morning.
T a m m y : Tex, tu es rveill?
T a m m y : T u dors encore?
de caf et un croissant.
du tout faim.
Personne and rien are negative pronouns; they may function as the subject
or direct object of a sentence, or as the object of a preposition. When
personne is an object, it is placed after the verb or the preposition it
complements:
4>)
personne.
to anybody.
Il ne pense rien.
Personne and rien may be used at the beginning of a sentence, as pronoun subjects, followed by ne / n':
4)
Nothing is worse.
Some of the negations listed above can be combined, as shown in these examples:
d'S
djeuner.
again.
T e x : But T a m m y , y o u k n o w I n e v e r have
jamais rien au p e t i t - d j e u n e r .
T e x is in a negative m o o d today. Fill in the blank to c o m p l e t e T e x ' s negative response. C h o o s e the correct f o r m f r o m
the following list of negative e x p r e s s i o n s : j a m a i s , pas encore, pas du tout, personne, plus, rien.
1. T a m m y : A s - t u dj fini t o n r o m a n ('novel'), T e x ?
T e x : Non, ne n'ai
fini m o n roman.
2. T a m m y : T u v e u x q u e l q u e chose, chri?
T e x : Non, je ne v e u x
acceptable.
ne lisait t o n j o u r n a l intime.
de p o m e s .
charmant.
la vrit.
n'apprcie ma posie.
11. T a m m y : T e x , tu es t o u j o u r s impoli.
T e x : Non, je ne suis
impoli.
12. T a m m y : T e x , a s - t u dj bu t o n caf?
T e x : Non, je n'ai
bu m o n caf.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 7 Jun 04
page:
a l t e r n a t e f a r m s ( 2 ) n e ... a u c u n , ni ... n i , q u e
int4
Ne / n' ... aucun(e) + noun conveys the idea of 'absolutely no, not a single' + noun. Aucun agrees in gender with the word
that follows.
d'S
Ne ... ni ... ni is commonly translated as 'neither ... nor'. It is used in a similar way
as the English expression. Note, however, that in French the verb has to be
preceded by ne (or n' in front of a vowel or a mute h).
d'S
T a m m y ni hier ni
T a m m y neither yesterday
aujourd'hui.
nor today.
vu T a m m y hier. Et
aujourd'hui, T a m m y ne m'a
T a m m y neither called me
ni tlphon ni crit un e -
autre tatou?
armadillo?
such things!
Negate the affirmative sentences with the negative expressions in parentheses. Make all necessary changes to the
sentence. Include punctuation in your answer.
1. Tex aime le rap et le rock. (ne...ni...ni)
2. T a m m y et Bette comprennent la posie de Tex. (ne...ni...ni)
3. Fiona a bu et a fum la fte. (ne...ni...ni)
4. Le baseball et le basket font plaisir Tex. (ne...ni...ni)
5. Un diteur a publi la posie de Tex.(ne...aucun : 'not a single editor...')
6. Bette a reu une invitation, (ne...aucun)
7. Une femme peut rsister au charme de Tex. (ne...aucun)
8. Edouard mange un hamburger, (ne...aucun)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
Chez T a m m y :
At T a m m y ' s house:
Tex: Tammy, tu es l?
T a m m y : Oui.
T a m m y : Yes.
T a m m y : Si, un peu.
Non is a one-word negative answer to a yes / no question; pas, by itself, negates part of a
sentence:
do)
Tex: T a m m y , tu es malade?
T a m m y : Non!
T a m m y : No!
Tex: T u es fche?
T a m m y : Pas vraiment.
T a m m y : Not really.
Rien (nothing), personne (no one), and jamais (never) may be used in one-word answers:
do)
T a m m y : Rien!
T a m m y : Nothing!
T a m m y : Personne !
T a m m y : No one!
T a m m y : Jamais!
T a m m y : Never!
Fill in the blank with the correct one word negative response from the following list: rien, personne, jamais, oui,
non, si.
1. Qu'est-ce que Joe Bob tudie?
!
!
.
int5
12. E d o u a r d aime le k e t c h u p ?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
A noun is essentially a label for places, things, events, ideas, c o n c e p t s and so on. Like English, n o u n s in French m a y
be categorized as c o m m o n or proper, count or mass, singular or plural. H o w e v e r , unlike English, French n o u n s are
also categorized as either masculine or feminine.
common vs. proper
C o m m o n n o u n s in English and French are the generic term for s o m e t h i n g . C o m m o n nouns are never spelled with a
capital letter unless t h e y begin a sentence.
un tatou
an a r m a d i l l o
Tex and T a m m y
one a r m a d i l l o , t w o a r m a d i l l o s
In contrast, a m a s s noun refers to an entity as an u n c o u n t a b l e unit. In the following e x a m p l e , the bread that T e x is
eating is c o n c e i v e d of as a mass, that is, an undefined quantity.
T e x m a n g e du pain.
T e x is eating bread.
autoroutes du T e x a s .
the T e x a s highways.
the a r m a d i l l o , the a r m a d i l l o s
Mass n o u n s typically have only a singular form. T r y saying the plural f o r m s of the following English m a s s nouns:
sewage, mucus,
plasma.
It s o u n d s s t r a n g e d o e s n ' t it? T h i s s h o w s t h a t it is d i f f i c u l t to p l u r a l i z e a m a s s n o u n ,
the
boy
la fille
the girl
U n l i k e E n g l i s h , t h e g r a m m a t i c a l c o n c e p t of g e n d e r in F r e n c h h a s little to d o w i t h b i o l o g i c a l s e x . T h e r e f o r e ,
inanimate
o b j e c t s s u c h a s t a b l e s a n d d e s k s a r e c a t e g o r i z e d a s e i t h e r m a s c u l i n e or f e m i n i n e ( t h e r e is n o n e u t e r g e n d e r in
French
grammar).
la table ( f e m i n i n e )
the table
le bureau ( m a s c u l i n e )
the
desk
R e m e m b e r t h a t g e n d e r in F r e n c h , f o r t h e m o s t part, is not a b o u t s e x , b u t is s i m p l y a n a r b i t r a r y c a t e g o r y . T h e t e r m s
' m a s c u l i n e ' a n d ' f e m i n i n e ' really m e a n n o t h i n g m o r e t h a n ' n o u n c l a s s A ' a n d ' n o u n c l a s s B'. B e c a u s e g r a m m a t i c a l
g e n d e r is f a i r l y a r b i t r a r y , it is e s s e n t i a l to m e m o r i z e a n o u n ' s g e n d e r a l o n g w i t h its s p e l l i n g a n d p r o n u n c i a t i o n .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
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27 May 04
number: singular,
page: no2
plural
1. regular formation
2. nouns ending in -s, -x, -z
3. nouns ending in -al, -au, -eu, -eau, -ou
4. irregular plurals
In French, a noun is always either singular or plural. It is usually introduced by a determiner, which reflects the number
of the noun.
tatous.
armadillos.
de longs nez.
insects!
There are a few exceptions: un bal (ball, dance), des bals; un carnaval (carnival), des carnavals; un festival (festival),
des festivals; un rcital (recital), des rcitals.
Nouns ending in -eu or -eau in the singular add -x in the plural. For example:
4)
extraordinaire!
Exceptions include: un clou (nail), des clous; un sou (money), des sous; un trou (hole), des trous,
irregular plurals
Some nouns have an alternate form in the plural:
un oeil (eye), des yeux
Madame (Madam), Mesdames
Monsieur (Sir), Mes sieurs
Mademoiselle (Miss), Mes demoiselles
Note that some nouns follow the regular rule of plural formation but are pronounced differently in the plural. For
example, the -f is pronounced in the singular, but not in the plural. Listen:
4>)
souris?
mouse?
. (le bijoux)
2. Fiona aime
. (le cheval)
3. J o e - B o b aime
4. T e x n'aime pas
_ _ _ . (le choix)
5. J o e - B o b n'aime pas
6. T a m m y n'aime pas
7. Eduard aime
_. (le tableau)
8. Bette aime
de Tex. (l'oeil)
9. T e x aime
10. C o r e y aime
11. T a m m y aime
12. C o r e y n'aime pas
franais, d e p o t e l
fraches. (la boisson)
a m r i c a i n s . (le c a m p u s )
. (l'examen)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
18 Oct 04
page: int3
1. people
2. animals
3. objects
In French, a noun is always feminine or masculine. It is introduced by a determiner, which usually indicates the gender
of the noun.
people
When a noun refers to a person, the gender is determined by the person's sex (although some exceptions do exist).
In general, the feminine form of the noun is formed by adding an - e to the masculine noun. Note that the addition of the
-e changes the pronunciation in some words:
Joe-Bob est tudiant, T a m m y est aussi
tudiante.
Tex est ami avec Joe-Bob, T a m m y est aussi
Bob's friend.
There are cases when the feminine form of the noun changes more drastically.
d1')
v i j
l^uitcifef/
champion.
In general, when the masculine noun ends in -e, the feminine noun remains unchanged. Only the determiner or the
context indicates if it is a feminine or masculine noun.
do)
animals
The gender of animals is often arbitrary. Some animals are always masculine (un escargot, a snail), others are feminine
(la fourmi, ant). However, for some animals there are irregular masculine and feminine forms.
do)
masculine endings
feminine endings
le monument (monument)
le sentiment (feeling)
la tlvision (television)
le couteau (knife)
le tlphone (telephone)
la situation (situation)
le microscope (microscope)
la socit (society)
le romantisme (romanticism)
la diffrence (difference)
la philosophie (philosophy)
Bette et Fiona.
Bette a n d Fiona.
T a m m y : T e x is a friend f r o m Lyon. He is a
franaise.
French culture.
T e x : Ah, d o n c tu, . . . tu a i m e s
l'existentialisme?
existentialism?
nature.
2. Bette:
3. J o e - B o b :
c o u r a g e est essentiel.
4. C o r e y :
5. T a m m y :
c h t e a u est grand.
T a m m y : Bette,
Tex:
Fiona:
9. T e x :
10. C o r e y :
t o r n a d e est d a n g e r e u s e .
. pollution est terrible.
racisme est a b o m i n a b l e .
t l e s c o p e est super.
11. P a w - P a w : Je suis
12. Rita: Je suis
g r a n d - p r e (grandfather) de T e x .
s o e u r (sister) de Tex.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: int4
voil vs. il y a
1. il y a
2. voil
Il y a and voil are two ways of introducing nouns. They are translated into English as 'there is / there are' or 'here is /
here are.'
il y a
Il y a + noun usually indicates the existence of a person or a thing in the context of a particular setting. It is commonly
translated as 'there is' or 'there are.' For example:
4>)
insects! Careful!
The negation of 'il y a' is il n'y a pas, 'there is / are not'. You will also find these forms:
il n'y a plus, 'there is / are not anymore', il n'y a jamais, 'there is / are never'.
A Austin, il n'y a jamais de
neige.
snow.
pingouin!
penguin!
The verb avoir in the expression il y a may be conjugated in any tense or mood, for
f^
(J f
example, in the past (il y avait, 'there was') or in the future (il y aura, 'there will be.')
,a
McurE"
voil / voi ci
Voil + noun and voici + noun are commonly translated as 'here is/are'. They are used to indicate the sudden
appearance of something or someone, to introduce people or ideas. Alternating between voici and voil is common when
referring to more than one item.
T a m m y montre le campus Tex: Voici la
bibliothque et voil la clbre tour!
Joe-Bob:
3. T e x :
4.
Joe-Bob:
5. T e x :
6.
Bette:
8. T r e y :
m o n s k a t e b o a r d prfr.
Bette:
le bret de T e x .
10. T e x :
11.
12.
b e a u c o u p d'tudiants l'universit du T e x a s .
m o n p r e m i e r livre: G u e r r e et a m o u r .
7. T e x :
9.
Joe-Bob:
un i u k e b o x au restaurant.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: int5
1. temps
2. heure
3. fois
There are three nouns in French, temps, heure, and fois, which are translated as 'time' in English, but each has very
specific uses and nuances.
temps
Temps can mean either 'time' or 'weather' (in which case it is almost always accompanied by the verb faire).
Tex tlphone Paw-Paw.
Opelousas?
Opelousas?
Temps is usually singular but may be used in the plural, especially in the following phrases:
4>)
expression en France?
Opelousas le week-end.
heure
Heure is feminine and can be used in the singular or in the plural. It is used to refer to clock time.
T a m m y : Tex, tu as l'heure?
Tex: It is 4 o'clock.
favorite show!
sieste!
fois
Fois is feminine and its singular and plural forms are identical. It is used to refer to one or several instances of an event.
4>)
aujourd'hui!
T a m m y : Cette fois, il est dprim. Sois
dernire fois!
time!
par jour.
d'aller en cours.
de m'accompagner?
ses devoirs.
pour rflchir.
sept font q u a r a n t e - n e u f .
du soir.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
a b o u t this site: o v e r v i e w
overview
bienvenue!
W e l c o m e to T e x ' s F r e n c h G r a m m a r (la grammaire
a pedagogical reference g r a m m a r that combines
de
l'absurde),
explanations
w i t h s u r r e a l d i a l o g u e s a n d c a r t o o n i m a g e s . O r i g i n a l l y built f o r
s t u d e n t s at t h e U n i v e r s i t y of T e x a s at A u s t i n a s a u s e r - f r i e n d l y
g u i d e t o F r e n c h g r a m m a r , t h i s w e b site m a y be p r o f i t a b l y u s e d
b y a n y l e a r n e r of F r e n c h , p r o v i d e d he or s h e p o s s e s s a sense
of
humor.
T e x ' s F r e n c h G r a m m a r is a r r a n g e d like m a n y o t h e r t r a d i t i o n a l
r e f e r e n c e g r a m m a r s w i t h t h e p a r t s of s p e e c h ( n o u n s , v e r b s ,
e t c . ) u s e d to c a t e g o r i z e s p e c i f i c g r a m m a r i t e m s ( g e n d e r of
nouns, irregular verbs). Individual g r a m m a r items are carefully
e x p l a i n e d in E n g l i s h , t h e n e x e m p l i f i e d in a d i a l o g u e , a n d f i n a l l y t e s t e d in s e l f - c o r r e c t i n g , f i l l - i n - t h e - b l a n k e x e r c i s e s .
T o f a c i l i t a t e r e f e r e n c e a n d l e a r n i n g , all g r a m m a r i t e m s a r e t h o r o u g h l y c r o s s - l i n k e d . I m p o r t a n t g r a m m a t i c a l
t e r m i n o l o g y is d e f i n e d in a n i n t r o d u c t o r y p a g e f o r e v e r y p a r t of s p e e c h . For e x a m p l e , t h e d e f i n i t i o n of i n f i n i t i v e ,
c o n j u g a t i o n , a n d p a r a d i g m c a n all be f o u n d in t h e I n t r o d u c t i o n to V e r b s p a g e . A l s o i n c l u d e d a r e s e v e r a l o t h e r
pedagogical tools: verb conjugator and a verb tutor.
Aj
^^
from College Station, and Corey, a cockroach w h o prefers getting high and watching
t h e X - F i l e s o n T V to d o i n g his F r e n c h
homework.
S o , c o m e e x p l o r e t h e w o r l d of T e x a n d f i n d t h e a n s w e r s to life's i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n s :
Will T e x ' s a n d T a m m y ' s u n i o n e v e r be legally s a n c t i o n e d ? Will B e t t e e v e r l e a r n to
b a l a n c e t h e e r o t i c a n d t h e p l a t o n i c ? Will E d o u a r d e v e r g e t o v e r his a n t i p a t h y f o r T e x a s b a r b e q u e ? Will J o e - B o b
C o r e y e v e r p a s s F r e n c h 1 0 1 ? A n d will T e x e v e r i n t e g r a t e t h e c o m p e t i n g f o r c e s of his c o m p l e x
and
Franco-American
i d e n t i t y ? ... B o n v o y a g e !
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page:
introduction to prepositions
prel
A preposition is a w o r d u s e d to e s t a b l i s h r e l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e n n o u n s ,
b e t w e e n n o u n s a n d v e r b s a n d b e t w e e n d i f f e r e n t p a r t s of a s e n t e n c e .
P r e p o s i t i o n s u s u a l l y h a v e s p a t i a l or t e m p o r a l m e a n i n g s (e.g. b e n e a t h ,
b e t w e e n , in f r o n t of, b e f o r e , a f t e r , d u r i n g , etc). P r e p o s i t i o n s a r e i n v a r i a b l e ,
t h a t is, t h e y h a v e o n e f o r m w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n of a n d d e w h i c h c o n t r a c t
w i t h t h e d e f i n i t e a r t i c l e s (le, la, les).
T r a n s l a t i n g p r e p o s i t i o n s is n o t o r i o u s l y t r i c k y . N e v e r a s s u m e t h a t F r e n c h will
u s e t h e s a m e p r e p o s i t i o n a s E n g l i s h to e x p r e s s a p a r t i c u l a r m e a n i n g . In fact,
there are m a n y cases w h e r e one language requires a preposition w h e r e the
o t h e r d o e s not. T h i s is p a r t i c u l a r l y p r o b l e m a t i c w i t h infinitives f o l l o w e d b y
p r e p o s i t i o n s . In g e n e r a l , it is b e s t to t r e a t p r e p o s i t i o n s a s v o c a b u l a r y i t e m s
requiring
memorization.
In t h e f o l l o w i n g s e n t e n c e s , t h e s e p r o b l e m s a r e d e m o n s t r a t e d by t r a n s l a t i n g t h e F r e n c h p r e p o s i t i o n s
literally. N o t e
h o w a w k w a r d t h e E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n is a s a result.
B e t t e est f c h e contre T a m m y .
B e t t e is a n g r y a g a i n s t T a m m y .
B e t t e is a n g r y at T a m m y .
J o e - B o b c o u t e la radio.
F i o n a w a i t s t h e bus.
F i o n a w a i t s f o r t h e bus.
J o e - B o b listens t h e radio.
J o e - B o b listens to t h e radio.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
D J z J j j J j j X j
page:
c o m m o n prepositions
prela
Prepositions are used to establish relationships between nouns, between nouns and verbs, and between different parts of
a sentence.
(to) and de (from, about) are the most common prepositions in French. They form contractions with definite articles:
Tex parle aux tudiants. Il parle des devoirs. Il regarde la question en haut du tableau. (Tex talks to the students. He is
talking about homework. He is looking at the question at the top of the blackboard.)
When prepositions have literal, spatial meanings, using them is straightforward: sur (on), sous (under), avec (with),
sans (without). There are, in addition, many idiomatic uses of prepositions, especially and de. Dictionaries include
listings of idiomatic meanings.
In addition to prepositions + noun (or pronoun) objects, discussed here, there are specific guidelines for using
prepositions with place names. Finally, many prepositions, including some on this page, may be followed by infinitives.
1. a-b-c
2. d-e-f
3. g-h-i-j-k-l
4. m-n-o-p
5. q-r-s-t-u-v
do) a-b-c
= to, at
See contractions with definite articles, the use of with place names, and + infinitive.
Tex parle ses amis au caf. Ils vont
Opelousas.
Louisiane.
PCwXJ^M
St
c S N i n t
vi
T"T<WV<t
"pfc
l i H >/
L A
ct de = beside
Bette veut s'asseoir ct de Tex.
du matin.
avec = with
Avec + noun is often translated as an '-ly' adverb: avec joie (joyfully).
PawPaw.
celebration.
chez = 'at X's (house), at the house of, at the store of; to X's (house), to the store of'
Chez may refer to individual's homes as well as to someone's shop, as in the first example below. When applied to larger
groups of people, such as nationalities, it means among: Chez nous les Texans, on adore la sauce piquante = "We
Texans love hot sauce" (literally: A m o n g us Texans we love hot sauce).
Le lendemain matin, ils vont acheter des
Paw.
Aprs un an Austin, Tex se sent vraiment
d'aprs = according to
D'aprs Edouard, les Amricains mangent
voyage en Louisiane.
trip to Louisiana.
collines.
hills.
le Capitole.
the Capitol.
en = in
En means 'in' and immediately precedes the noun (i.e., it does not require a determiner; it is followed directly by its
object, for example, en France). It is also used in many idiomatic expressions: Tex roule en voiture (Tex is driving in a
car); Trey vient en vlo (Trey comes on a bike); and in some time expressions: en automne (in the fall); en aot (in
August). Compare with dans.
See also the use of en with place names and en with a present participle.
en bas de = at the bottom of, at the end of
Ils prennent un verre dans un bar en bas de
la cinqime rue.
Fifth Street.
beaucoup de Texans.
Texans.
en dpit de = in spite of
En dpit de l'alcool, Tex se conduit en
gentleman.
gentleman.
l'escalier.
the staircase.
entre = between
Entre means 'between' and it is used when referring to two people or things (or two groups of people or things).
Contrast with parmi ('among').
Puis elle vient s'asseoir entre T a m m y et Tex.
envers Bette.
Bette.
T A M H H
R t s s E M T
C e r t T f l i ivl
4') g-h-i-j-k-l
utur
AJtJT I F A I
H I F
grace = thanks to
Tex a dcouvert son grand-pre grace
jusqu' = until
Distinguish between the preposition jusqu' and the conjunction jusqu' ce que.
Tex et T a m m y vont jusqu' Opelousas.
l oi n de = far from
Tex habite loin de son grand-pre Paw-Paw
Louis.
Louis.
do) m-n-o-p
malgr = in spite of
Malgr la distance, Tex aime aller voir son
grand-pre.
his grandfather.
Houston.
Opelousas.
parmi = a m o n g
Parmi means 'among' and it is used when referring to three or more people or things (or groups of people or things).
Contrast with entre (between).
Tex compte beaucoup de Cajuns parmi ses
cousins.
cousins.
pendant = during
Pendant son sjour chez Paw-Paw, Tex
crawfish.
monde.
prs de = near to
Opelousas est prs de Baton Rouge.
franais.
French.
sans = without
Sans often is translated by '-less' or a negative prefix 'in-' or 'un-': un travail sans effort (effort less work); un film sans
intrt (an uninteresting film). See also the use of sans + infinitive.
Sans doute, le franais se parle dans sa
sauf = except
Toute sa famille parle franais, sauf son
selon = according to
Selon Paw-Paw, Tex a un drle d'accent
franais.
French accent.
vers = toward(s)
Vers means 'toward, around' in both a spatial and a temporal sense. Contrast with envers, which has a figurative sense.
Vers midi, Tex et T a m m y repartent vers
Austin.
towards Austin.
Tammy.
Paw-Paw, le franais est la plus belle langue du monde, (sauf, selon, vers)
5. T a m m y se fche
6. Opelousas se trouve
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: pro 2
T h e prepositions or de contract w i t h the definite articles le and les to give the following f o r m s :
de + le = du
de + les = des
+ le = au
+ les = aux
La and l' on the other hand do not contract after and de. Note that t h e s e c o n t r a c t i o n s also o c c u r w i t h t w o - a n d t h r e e w o r d prepositions e n d i n g w i t h or de (jusqu', prs de, loin de, ct de, etc.).
4>)
T a m m y et Bette sont d a n s
un caf prs du c a m p u s ,
ct des c o m m e r c e s , pas
loin d e la tour.
Tower.
T a m m y : Je vais prendre un
T a m m y : I a m going to have
th la vanille et un muffin
au chocolat. Et t o i ?
muffin. W h a t about y o u ?
aux a m a n d e s et un caf au
cookie a n d a latte.
lait.
T a m m y : Bon, d e m a i n o n va
T a m m y : A n d t o m o r r o w we'l
au g y m n a s e , h e i n ?
go to the g y m , e h ?
universit.
c a m p u s ('mase').
vacances.
4. J o e - B o b adore le g t e a u
chocolat.
5. T e x passe ses a p r s - m i d i s
caf.
bibliothque.
tudiants amricains.
Texas.
10. J o e - B o b , t u v a s
restaurant avec C o r e y ce s o i r ?
e n f a n t s de Rita.
tour.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
y f j i s i r X f i
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: pro 3
Prepositions are used in expressions which relate where you are, where you are going and where you are coming from.
The preposition used in such expressions depends on the geographic location discussed.
do)
to/in
from
de (d')
Paris
d'Austin
Cuba
de Tahiti
en
de (d')
en France
de France
en Californie
de Californie
en Bourgogne
de Bourgogne
continents (l'Europe)
en Europe
d'Europe
masculine
au
du
au Canada
du Texas
au Colorado
du Colorado
geographic
location
en
de (d')
countries (l'Iran)
en Iran
d'Iran
provinces/states (l'Ontario)
en Ontario
d'Ontario
aux
des
aux Etats-Unis
des Etats-Unis
d1')
Quelle concidence!
coincidence!
years.
Espagne.
Austin.
Texas.
France.
Mexique?
Japon.
Suisse.
San Antonio.
Bretagne.
Opelousas.
Floride.
Australie.
Lyon.
Etats-Unis.
3. Tex a t explus
4. T a m m y a grandi
France.
_ Fort Worth.
5. Joe-Bob, tu v i e n s .
Paris.
Bourgogne.
9. T a m m y a fait un voyage
10. Bette est alle
Europe.
Mexique.
Californie.
Louisiane.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: pro 4
1. + infinitive
2. de + infinitive
3. pour, afin de, avant de, sans, par + infinitive
4. aprs (past infinitive constructions)
The infinitive is the verb form generally used after a preposition in French. (to) and de (from, about) are the most
common prepositions in French. In many expressions, the choice of the preposition or de before an infinitive is purely
idiomatic; that is, it is unrelated to meaning. In such cases, one must memorize which preposition is used.
+ infinitive
When the following verbs are followed by an infinitive, the preposition is required.
do)
aider , to help to
encourager , to encourage to
apprendre , to learn to
hsiter , to hesitate to
inviter , to invite to
s'attendre , to expect to
se mettre , to start to
se prparer , to prepare to
renoncer , to give up
commencer , to start to
russir , to succeed at
(either or de)
se dcider , to make up one's mind to
de + infinitive
When the following verbs are followed by an infinitive, the preposition de is required.
do)
d'embrasser Tammy.
of kissing Tammy.
(either or de)
dcider de, to decide to
rver de to dream of
f
t ' m i
flMtrtifAtiO
The infinitive may be used to complete the sense of an adjective or a pronoun. Generally infinitives following a noun or
adjective are preceded by the preposition de. (Tex est content de voir T a m m y dans ses rves rotiques. Tex is glad to
see T a m m y in his erotic dreams.)
However, adjectives and nouns are followed by the preposition + infinitive to indicate a passive sense or a function:
"cette eau est bonne boire" (this is drinking water), "ce livre est amusant lire" (this book is fun to read), "c'est triste
voir" (it's a sorry sight), "c'est difficile dire" (this is difficult to say).
pour/afin de
avant de
un pome rotique.
sans
par
Tammy.
of Tammy.
nuit.
night long.
A f t e r d r e a m i n g of T a m m y , T e x finds his
son inspiration.
inspiration again.
A f t e r b e c o m i n g Tex' m u s e , T a m m y is
est passe la p o s t r i t !
immortalized!
2. T e x et T a m m y s ' a m u s e n t
c o u t e r de la m u s i q u e cadienne.
a p p r e n d r e le franais.
4. T a m m y invite ses a m i s
5. T e x e n c o u r a g e ses tudiants
E d o u a r d a du mal
T e x promet
Bette essaie
9. E d o u a r d refuse
10. T e x a honte _ _
parler franais.
c o m p r e n d r e les h a b i t u d e s culinaires d e s A m r i c a i n s .
rendre visite P a w - P a w .
draguer Tex.
manger des hamburgers.
tre amricain.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
16 Feb 05
page:
predl
1. depuis
2. il y a ... que, a fait ... que, voil ... que
depuis
To indicate the starting date or duration of an action or situation which is still going on in the present, use the
preposition depuis + a time expression. Note that depuis can mean two different things in English. When depuis is
followed by a length of time, as in the first example below, it indicates duration and is translated into English by 'for'.
When depuis is followed by a date or a point in time, as in the second example, it indicates the starting point and is
translated by 'since'.
Tex sort avec T a m m y depuis un an.
In a question, depuis is generally translated as 'how long' or 'since when'. In most cases, such questions with depuis can
be answered with either the expression of duration or the beginning point.
duration
starting point
(since w h e n ? )
Depuis combien de
temps ...
... Bette est-elle
amoureuse de Tex?
amoureuse de Tex?
lui ...
de lui ...
minutes.
... depuis une
ternit.
arrive.
In negative sentences, depending on the meaning, depuis may be used with either
the present (action still going on) or the pass compos to indicate how long
something has not been going on (non-action).
N'S
Tammy?
Tammy?
pote?
become a poet?
France?
France?
as-tu ce tatouage?!
4>)
enseignes le franais?
teaching French?
connais T a m m y ?
Tammy?
Although il y a ... que and a fait ... que may occasionally be found in the future (il y aura ... que, a fera ... que), the
subordinate clause introduced by que is never in the future. It remains in the present. For example:
4>)
connais T a m m y ?
Tammy?
Tammy.
have k n o w n T a m m y ) .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
y f j i s i r X f i
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: predl
The preposition depuis with the imperfect indicates how long something had been going on in relation to a past event.
Basic sentence meaning and construction are similar to those of depuis with present. Depuis with imperfect may indicate
either duration or a temporal starting point.
4j)
past
event
translation
came in.
T a m m y souhaitait avoir une
s'est prsent.
lundi ...
Duration may also be indicated with il y avait ... que, cela faisait ... que and, more
emphatic, voil que. The first sentence above could also be expressed as:
Il y avait ...
T a m m y had been
Cela faisait .
T a m m y attendait
Voil ...
Tex.
hour.
without eating!
trop de travail!
Restate the following sentences using depuis. Include punctuation in your answer.Modle: Cela faisait deux ans
qu'Edouard tait serveur Paris. Edouard tait serveur Paris depuis deux ans.'
1. Il y avait deux heures qu'il pleuvait.
2. Il y avait un an que Tex connaissait Tammy.
3. Il y avait dix-huit ans que T a m m y habitait Fort Worth.
4. Il y avait cinquante ans que Paw-Paw habitait Opelousas.
5. Voil une semaine que T a m m y voulait avoir une discussion srieuse avec Tex.
6. Voil trente minutes que Tex attendait Edouard.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page:
predl
1. depuis
2. pendant
3. pour
There are three prepositions in French, depuis, pendant and pour, that are translated as 'for' and are used to indicate
the duration of an event.
depui s
If an event began in the past and is continuing into the present, use 'depuis' with the present tense. For example:
d1))
depuis un an.
year.
pendant
Pendant literally means 'during', but it is usually best expressed in English as 'for' plus a certain amount of time. It can
be used with all tenses.
d1))
hour.
Pendant is used with the pass compos to indicate how long a c o m p l e t e d activity lasted. Be careful not to use depuis
with the pass compos in this context.
d1))
toujours en retard.
pour
The preposition pour is used in a variety of contexts. When translated as 'for' in English, it may designate the duration of
a future event with the verbs partir and aller. Note that the verb may be conjugated in either the present or future
longues semaines.
weeks.
rta
d1))
fcfltw
M t ^ o i ^
T a m m y : Salut, Tex. a v a ?
Bette.
Bette.
T a m m y : W h a t did she d o ?
T a m m y : N o u s sortons e n s e m b l e depuis un
c o m m e a!
anymore!
une heure.
2. T e x et T a m m y sortent e n s e m b l e
un an.
3. E d o u a r d est s e r v e u r
longtemps.
4. T a m m y a c o n n u T e x
ses t u d e s Lyon.
5. T e x connat J o e - B o b
6. T a m m y tudie le franais
cinq ans.
7. T a m m y a v o y a g en France
_ d e u x mois.
d e u x h e u r e s pour crire d e s p o m e s .
d e u x jours.
. d e u x longues s e m a i n e s .
un an!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: predl
introduction to pronouns
then he sent it to T a m m y .
Elle a t c h o q u e q u a n d elle
S h e w a s s h o c k e d w h e n she
l'a lu.
read it.
us, you, t h e m ( m ) / ( f )
disjunctive pronouns
moi, toi, lui, elle, soi
reflexive pronouns
me, te, se
nous, vous, se
ourselves, y o u r s e l v e s , t h e m s e l v e s
interrogative pronouns
qui
who
que
what
demonstrative pronouns
celui, celle
ceux
these, t h o s e
relative pronouns
qui, que
w h o , w h o m , which
lequel, laquelle
which
indefinite pronouns
quelqu'un
someone
quelque chose
something
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
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DSJJJJJJIJ,
page: pro2
A pronoun replaces a noun in order to avoid repetition. Subject pronouns are subjects of verbs. In French, a subject
pronoun is immediately or almost immediately followed by its verb. The use of subject pronouns is mandatory in French;
always use a subject pronoun to construct sentences in the absence of a noun subject. Here are the French subject
pronouns:
person
1st
person
2nd
person
3rd
person
singular
plural
je, I
nous, we
tu, you
vous, you/y'all
il, he/it
elle, she/it
Subject pronouns are labelled by the term 'person', referring to the subject's role in the conversation. 1st person refers
to the person(s) speaking (I, we); 2nd person to the person(s) spoken to (you); and 3rd person to the person(s) or
thing(s) spoken about (he, she, it, they).
je
Unlike the English pronoun 'I', je is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence,
tu
The pronoun tu is singular and, importantly, informal. Use tu to address people your own age and those you know well,
on
The pronoun on means 'one', or 'they' in a nonspecific sense: 'comme on dit' (as they say). On often replaces 'nous' in
spoken French: 'On y va?' (Shall we go?).
vous
The pronoun vous is conjugated with a plural verb so it obviously refers to more than one person. However, it is also the
customary form of address when you are talking to only one person you do not know well, such as an elder, a boss, a
shopkeeper, etc. Inappropriate use of the tu form is considered a sign
T a mof
m ydisrespect.
: Hello Paw-Paw. Are you doing
4>)
T a m m y : Bonjour, Paw-Paw. Vous allez
well?
bien?
Paw-Paw: Ah, oui! Et vous, mes enfants,
il/elle
Il and elle besides meaning 'he' and 'she' can both express the meaning 'it' depending
on the gender of the noun being replaced. For example:
d'S
n'est-ce pas?
it?
country music.
cass?
ils/elles
Ils and elles are similar to il and elle since they agree with the gender of the noun they
replace. Ils and elles may refer to people or things. Elles is used to mean 'they' if it replaces people who are all w o m e n
or objects that are all feminine in gender. On the other hand, ils is used to mean 'they' for objects that are masuline in
gender or a group of all men or any group where there is at least one male person or masculine object in the group.
Bette et Tex sont de bons amis.
pas aujourd'hui!
today!
4>)
3. Joe-Bob: Bonjour, T a m m y
4. Corey: Tex,
5. T e x ?
6. T a m m y ?
7. Tex: En France,
8. La craie?
9. T e x : Mes tudiants,
s o m m e s franais, f w e )
? fyou, formai)
sont du Texas, f t h e y )
sont tudiantes, f t h e y )
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: pro 3
1. c'est/ce sont
2. il/elle est / ils/elles sont
To describe and introduce things or people in French, two common phrases are used: c'est and
il/elle est. The plural forms are ce sont and ils/elles sont.
The choice between c'est and il / elle est is not always easy, but there are basic principles
which can guide you in the choice. A rule of thumb is that c'est or ce sont are followed by a
determined noun ('le tatou', 'une Amricaine', 'mes livres'). Remember that nouns in French
are preceded by a determiner. Il/elle est and ils/elles sont are followed by an adjective
('content', 'sympathique').
c'est/ce sont
C'est and ce sont are followed by the following:
+ noun, including
modified
nouns
+ proper
noun
+ disjunctive
is an American. He is a
tatou bilingue.
T a m m y et Tex? Non, ce ne
T a m m y and T e x ? No they
des tatous.
armadillos.
C'est Tex.
pronoun
T e x ? He's an armadillo. He
T a m m y : All T e x ? C'est
It's Tex.
T a m m y : Hello Tex? It's me.
moi.
dates
toi T a m m y !
you Tammy!
+ adjective
as
for
subject
non-specific
referents
franais.
French!
C'est incroyable!
unbelievable.
+ nationality,
religion
alone
occupation,
(used as adjectives
in French)
Tex? He is arrogant! He
isn't French. He is
amricain.
American.
T a m m y ? She is nice.
Tex? He is a poet.
Trey? He is a musician.
T a m m y ? She is a student.
R e m e m b e r that il(s) and elle(s) refer to a specific person or thing. Ce d o e s not refer to a specific p e r s o n or thing; it is
usually t r a n s l a t e d as t h a t .
d'S
franais.
un tatou.
3. B e t t e ?
amricaine.
4. F i o n a ?
une fourmi.
5. Bette et T a m m y ?
intelligentes.
6. Fiona et B e t t e ?
d e s t u d i a n t e s l'universit du T e x a s .
7. C o r e y et J o e - B o b ?
texans.
8. Etudier le f r a n a i s ?
amusant!
le 10 d c e m b r e .
Paw-Paw.
moi!
d e s tatous.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
1. forms
2. uses
forms
Disjunctive pronouns (also known as tonic or stressed pronouns) refer to people whose names have already been
mentioned or whose identity is obvious from context. They are used in a variety of situations in French, most often in
short answers without verbs, for emphasis, or for contrast with subject pronouns. Here are all the disjunctive pronouns:
disjunctive pronouns
moi (I, me)
toi (you)
vous (you)
soi (one)
uses
d'S
after
prepositions
in short answers
exclamations
or
when no verb
is expressed
with ni.
in a compound
subject
or
object
in simple
agreements
disagreements
is expressed
for
emphasis
or
him.
Tammy?
with T a m m y ?
Tex: Moi !
Tex: Me!
Tex ( T a m m y ) : Je n'aime
you, my dear.
clubbing.
Joe-Bob: Me too!
Fiona: Me neither!
jamais.
never go out.
Dimanche matin:
Sunday morning:
when no verb
after c'est
or ce
w i t h -mme,
in
sont
to mean'-self'
comparisons
T a m m y : A r r t e de t'apitoyer
T a m m y : Stop pitying
sur t o i - m m e !
yourself!
C o r e y : T h e r e is n o b o d y w h o
is m o r e pitiful t h a n me.
, n o u s a d o r o n s Bette! (we)
non plus. Je ne d a n s e j a m a i s .
, n o u s s o m m e s de vrais T e x a n s !
_! Je ne sors j a m a i s .
, Tammy.
aussi.
.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
A direct object is a noun following the verb that answers the questions 'what?' or 'whom?' Remember a pronoun replaces
a noun, and in this case the noun is a direct object. For example, T a m m y might ask: 'Tex, will you kiss m e tonight?',
where the direct object pronoun 'me' stands for T a m m y . Whether a verb takes a direct object or not depends on whether
the specific verb is transitive or intransitive.
nous, we/us
te, you
vous, you
le, him/it
la, her/it
In front of a word starting with a vowel, le and la become l'; me becomes m'; te becomes t'.
4>)
soir, Tex?
tonight, Tex?
Direct object pronouns in French agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace.
Tex cherche le numro de tlphone de
appelle.
he calls them.
sont.
Tex est quelquefois jaloux? Oui, il l'est.
placement
Direct object pronouns precede the verb of which they are the object. In a composed tense (like the pass compos), the
pronoun precedes the auxiliary. In infinitive constructions, the pronoun goes immediately before the infinitive. When the
T a m m y : Tex m'aime.
T a m m y : Tex va m'pouser.
t'pouser.
you.
T a m m y : Yes he does. He
encore rencontre!
me!
In the negative imperative, the pronoun follows the normal placement before the verb. However, in the affirmative
imperative, the object pronoun goes after the verb and is attached to it by a hyphen. In addition, me and te become moi
and toi.
d'S
embrasse.
T a m m y : Ce n'est pas vrai!
PAF! Aie!
Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the words in capital letters with a correct direct object pronoun: le, la,
les. Modle: T a m m y cherche TEX. T a m m y le cherche.
1. Joe-Bob adore LES FEUX D'ARTIFICE.
2. Tex drague BETTE, (drague = hits on, flirts with)
3. Bette a embrass TEX.
4. J o e - B o b ne finit pas S E S D E V O I R S .
5. E d o u a r d n'aime pas attendre LE BUS.
6. T a m m y a invit S E S A M I S dner.
7. T e x c h e r c h e T A M M Y .
8. J o e - B o b regarde LA T E L E V I S I O N .
9. T a m m y va c h a n t e r LA M A R S E I L L A I S E .
10. Les tudiants de T e x ont appris L E U R S V E R B E S .
11. T a m m y va fter LA S A I N T - S Y L V E S T R E .
12. Fiona a tudi L ' E S P A G N O L .
2005 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
1 Nov 05
page: pro 6
pronoun y
1. uses
2. placement
uses
y expressing place
Y replaces a preposition indicating location plus its object: ' UT' (at UT), 'devant la Tour'
(in front of the Tower). It is usually translated as there. Prepositions which indicate
location include , en, dans, devant, derrire, sous, sur. The noun objects of these
prepositions are places and things which indicate a place. The exception is the preposition
chez which is used with a person, as in 'chez Bette' (Bette's place). Note that + person
is replaced by an indirect object pronoun except with certain verbs.
4>)
bal Baylor.
y wi th certai n verbs
With certain verbs y replaces the preposition when its object is an idea or thing, but not a person. Some of these
verbs are penser , rflchir (to think about), s'intresser (to be interested in), rpondre (to answer to), participer
(to participate in). In these expressions, the preposition is idiomatic. It does not indicate location in or movement
toward.
Tex s'intresse la philo. Il s'y intresse
normment.
interested in it.
When these verbs are followed by a person, the disjunctive pronoun will be used, for example, 'Bette pense souvent
Tex. Elle pense souvent lui.' (Bette often thinks of Tex. She often thinks of him.)
placement
Placement of y is the same as that of direct and indirect pronoun objects: y precedes
the verb it refers to, except in the affirmative imperative. In compound tenses, like
the pass compos, it precedes the auxiliary. Note that there is no agreement
between y and the past participle, since y does not replace a direct object.
d'D
Edouard: O allez-vous?
Bette: A Waco. Tu veux y aller avec nous?
Allons-y!
ETATS-UNIS.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: pro 7
1. uses
2. placement
uses
En is a pronoun that typically replaces de + a noun; this includes nouns introduced by partitive or indefinite determiners
(de, du, de l', de la, des). En may be translated as 'some', 'any', or 'not any'.
Tex: Il y a du vin?
In a similar fashion, en replaces a noun introduced by a number or an expression of quantity. Notice that the equivalent
of en is not always expressed in English, although en must still be used in the French sentence:
Tammy: Edouard, tu as assez de pain?
En also replaces expressions introduced by the preposition de with the following verbs:
d'S
4S
dgotant.
disgusting.
T a m m y : T u veux en parler?
Barbecue!
Note that a disjunctive pronoun is used with these verbs to replace expressions
when the object of the prepostion de is a person rather than a thing.
placement
Placement of en is the same as direct and indirect pronoun objects. En precedes the
verb it refers to, except in the affirmative imperative. In compound tenses (such as
the pass compos), it precedes the auxiliary verb. Note that there is no agreement
between en and the past participle, since en does not replace a direct object. When
en is used with il y a ('there is, there are'), it comes between y and a: Du pain sur la
table? Il y en a (Some bread on the table? There is s o m e there.)
pas!
about them.
quand mme.
of t h e m nevertheless.
!
.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: pro 8
me (to me)
te (to you)
In front of a word starting with a vowel, me and te become m' and t'.
pas?
Tex: Oui, mais je t'offre des fleurs plus
souvent.
Joe-Bob: Tu leur as offert des fleurs,
Tammy: Paf!
T a m m y : Pow!
placement
A n indirect object pronoun is placed just before the verb of which it is the object. In a composed
tense (like the pass compos), the pronoun precedes the auxiliary. In infinitive constructions,
the pronoun goes immediately before the infinitive. When the conjugated verb is negative, the ne
precedes the object pronoun. Note that, in compound tenses (such as the pass compos), there
is no agreement between the past participle and the indirect object. In the affirmative imperative,
the indirect object pronoun is placed after the verb it is the object of and attached to it by a
hyphen. In addition, me and te become moi and toi.
d'S
cadeau.
T a m m y : Qui t'offre un cadeau?
Tex: Euh
Tex: Uh
T a m m y : N o t h i n g ? Pow!
une bire!
d o n n e pas de roses!
ta recette!
5. J o e - B o b : J'ai faim! T a m m y , tu
6. T e x : T a m m y , j'ai faim! Fais-
fais un h a m b u r g e r ?
un h a m b u r g e r !
du dodorant!
. as a c h e t ?
acheter?
as a c h e t ?
ai e n v o y d e s fleurs!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: pro 9
1. overview
2. y and en
3. direct and indirect object pronouns together
4. negation
overview
A single pronoun object is placed before the verb with which it is associated, except in the affirmative imperative when
the pronoun object follows the verb. The following table outlines the order and placement of pronouns when there is
more than one object pronoun in a sentence.
me
SUBJECT
te
le
nous
la
vous
les
lui
en
leur
VERB
se
However, in the affirmative imperative, the pronoun objects follow the verb.
-le
VERB
-la
-les
-moi (m')
-lui
-toi (f)
-leur
-nous
en
-vous
y and en
Y always precedes en, and both precede the verb except in the affirmative imperative. When used with other pronouns, y
and en always follow any other pronoun object, even in the affirmative imperative.
4>)
son parfum?
Fiona me le
Fiona gives it to
Fiona nous le
Fiona gives it to
donne?
me?
donne?
us?
Fiona te le
Fiona gives it to
Fiona vous le
Fiona gives it to
donne?
you (singular)?
donne?
you (plural)?
Fiona le lui
Fiona gives it to
Fiona le leur
Fiona gives it to
donne?
him/her?
donne?
them?
Remember that in the affirmative imperative, me and te become moi and toi.
moi !
negation
In simple tenses, like the present, future, imperfect, and pass simple, the object pronouns are placed between the ne
and the verb. In compound tenses, like the pass compos, the plus-que-parfait etc., the object pronouns are placed
between the ne and the auxiliary verb.
4>)
offre.
retrouve.
donne.
ddicace.
offre un peu.
ai fait.
a beaucoup.
parlent.
reioins?
montre.
parler.
trouve trs bien!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
u V ^ J ^ L r J
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page: pro 10
indefinite pronouns
A pronoun replaces a noun which has been mentioned or is obvious from context. A n
indefinite pronoun refers to people or things without identifying them precisely.
T a m m y : Quelque chose
T a m m y : Something
exceptional happened
quelqu'un de lgendaire.
legendary.
The negative form of quelqu'un is personne (no one, nobody) and the negative form of quelque chose is rien
(nothing). Remember that ne precedes the verb when personne and rien are used in negative sentences.
49
ne veut me croire.
Quelques-uns (a few, masculine) and quelques-unes (a few, feminine) are pronouns used in the plural to speak about
people or things. Note that the s at the end of quelques is pronounced before the following uns or unes.
do)
him ...
lui.
The negative form of chacun is aucun. Aucun (none, not a one, not a single) is singular and masculine, aucune is
singular and feminine. They are used with ne.
effet.
de Joe-Bob.
Joe-Bob.
de T a m m y .
Tammy.
Bette.
Les copines de T a m m y ? Toutes sont folles
de Tex!
Tex!
tout
Tout (everything), on the other hand, is always singular. For example:
d'S
autre
Autre is always preceded by a determiner: un autre (another, masculine), l'autre (the other, masculine or feminine); une
autre (another, feminine); d'autres (others, masculine or feminine), les autres (the others, masculine or feminine).
d'D
Note the following phrases with autre: autre chose (something else), l'un et l'autre (the one and the other, both, masc),
l'une et l'autre (the one and the other, both, fem), les uns et les autres (one and every, masc), les unes et les autres (one
and every, fem), ni l'un ni l'autre (neither one nor the other), l'un l'autre (to one another), l'un pour l'autre (for one
another).
n'importe qui
N'importe qui means 'anybody', 'anyone at all'; n'importe quoi means 'anything', 'whatever', 'nonsense'. Y o u may also
find qui que ce soit (anybody) and quoi que ce soit (anything).
4>)
tel(s), telle(s)
Tel(s) (masc), telle(s) (fem) m a y be translated a s 'such', 'such as', 'like' or 'as' according to the context. For e x a m p l e ,
'Tel pre, tel fils' w o u l d be the translation of 'Like father, like son'.
d'S
que la tienne!
a s yours!
aucun/aucune.
a t l p h o n pour toi T e x .
3. T e x : J o e - B o b , t u as lu d e s livres? J o e - B o b : Oui,
4. Fiona : Je suis solitaire, j e n'ai
5. Bette:
petit-ami.
inspiration aujourd'hui!
8. T a m m y : Je ne c o n n a i s
c o m m e T e x . Il est unique.
. Je suis populaire.
h o m m e ne me rsiste.
ne va pas, T a m m y ?
sonne la porte. V a ouvrir Tex.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: pro 11
demonstrative pronouns
49
number
masculine
feminine
singular
celui
celle
plural
ceux
cel l es
Celui de/d', celle de/d' etc. show possession. They are generally translated by 'that of', 'those of' or by the
possessive form.
4>)
-ci and -l are added to the demonstrative pronouns to indicate nearness or farness like the distinction between 'this
one' and 'that one' in English.
4>)
celle-l ?
Celui qui ... , celle qui ... mean 'the one that', 'the one who' and ceux qui ... , celles qui ... mean 'those that / who'.
They introduce a relative clause in which they are used as subjects. In the example below, ceux qui is the subject of
the verb 'portent'.
le bret.
berets.
Celui que ... and celle que ... mean 'the one that / w h o m / which', ceux que ... and celles que ... mean 'the ones that
/ w h o m / which'. They introduce a relative clause in which they are used as objects. In the example below, celui que
is the object of 'j'aime'.
4>)
aimes?
love?
Celui dont ... and celle dont ... mean 'the one whose', 'the one of which', ceux dont ... and celles dont ... mean 'those
whose', 'the ones of which'. They introduce a relative clause in which the verb takes an object introduced by de
(parler de, 'to talk about')
T a m m y : De qui tu parles?
ceci , cel a
Ceci (this) and cela (that) are invariable demonstrative pronouns. They refer to things that cannot have a specific
gender assigned to them, like ideas or statements. a is used in familiar or conversational style in place of cela for
emphasis.
T a m m y : T u es amoureuse de Tex, cela me
semble vident!!
a!
upsets me!
2. T a m m y
3. T a m m y
4. T a m m y
me s e m b l e vident!
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
lij-'^dLrJ^LrJ
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: pro 12
possessive pronouns
In French, possessive pronouns indicate both the possessor and the number and the gender of the object possessed: le
mien indicates that the possessor is 'I' and that the possession is masculine singular.
In the following table, the choice between the singular or plural form and between the masculine or feminine form
depends on the number and gender of the item possessed. (Note the difference in spelling and in pronunciation between
the possessive determiners notre and votre and the possessive pronouns ntre and vtre.)
singular
plural
masculine
feminine
masculine
feminine
mine
le mien
la mienne
les miens
les miennes
yours
le tien
la tienne
les tiens
les tiennes
his/hers/its
le sien
la sienne
les siens
les siennes
ours
le ntre
la ntre
les ntres
les ntres
yours
le vtre
la vtre
les vtres
les vtres
theirs
le leur
la leur
les leurs
les leurs
Depending on the context, le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes may mean 'his', 'hers', or 'its'. Note that for the
others, all four forms of each possessive pronoun have one English translation.
do)
T a m m y : Mine is a professor.
T a m m y : Mine is a CEO.
T a m m y : Mine too.
Note that + the definite articles le et les form the contractions au and aux respectively. For example:
do)
4>)
pas Rita?
Fiona: Qui est Rita?
T a m m y : It is Tex's sister.
ressembles.
resemble her.
idiomatic uses
The masculine plural forms of the possessive pronouns may be used alone to refer to parents, friends, allies etc. Etre des
ntres, tre des vtres are common phrases with such a meaning of the possessive pronoun.
T a m m y : Quand j'tais Lyon, je pensais
thought of my folks.
es des ntres?
Y mettre du sien is a common phrase that may be used with any of the possessive pronouns to mean that you are doing
your share, trying your best, making a real effort to contribute.
4>)
Faire des + miennes, tiennes, siennes, ntres, vtres, or leurs are phrases suggesting misbehavior.
T a m m y : Bette a encore fait des siennes.
front of everybody.
B e t t e ? (yours)
T a m m y ? (yours)
? (yours)
T a m m y ! (yours)
? (theirs)
(theirs)
. (theirs)
? (mine)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
? (yours)
updated: 27 May 04
page: predl
Guerre et
War and
amour.
et
amour.
Love.
Love.
In the above example, the relative pronoun qui introduces the subordinate clause, that is, the clause that adds additional
information about the novel. In French there are two main relative pronouns, qui and que. The choice between qui and
que in French depends solely on the grammatical role, subject or direct object, that the relative pronoun plays in the
subordinate clause.
qui
Qui functions as the subject of the subordinate clause.
liberated Paris.
que
Que functions as the direct object of the subordinate clause. Remember that que becomes qu' before a word beginning
with a vowel.
Paw-Paw: Une jolie Parisienne que j'ai
agreement
A l t h o u g h qui a n d que are invariable, they a s s u m e the g e n d e r and n u m b e r of the a n t e c e d e n t . Que f u n c t i o n s as a direct
object preceding the verb. T h e r e f o r e , w h e n the v e r b of the subordinate clause is in the pass c o m p o s , or a n y other
c o m p o u n d tense, the past participle a g r e e s in n u m b e r a n d g e n d e r w i t h que. T h e past participle also a g r e e s in n u m b e r
and g e n d e r w i t h qui if the verb f o r m s its pass c o m p o s w i t h 'tre'.
d'S
T e x : M a r i e - T a m m y et J e a n - T e x sont les
t w o heroes w h o m I s a w in a d r e a m .
r e n c o n t r s en mission.
T a m m y a faite.
est le g r a n d - p r e de T e x .
4. T a m m y aime les r o m a n s
5. E d o u a r d est un escargot
parlent d ' a m o u r .
je c o n n a i s bien.
6. T a m m y va voir un film
vient de sortir.
Tex a embrasse.
a e m b r a s s Tex.
9. P a w - P a w est un ancien c o m b a t t a n t
T e x admire b e a u c o u p .
T e x a crites.
v i e n n e n t du Brsil.
T a m m y a achetes.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: pror2
1. ce qui
2. ce que
Ce qui and ce que are relative pronouns like qui and que; that is, they introduce a subordinate clause. However, ce qui
and ce que are used in sentences in which there is no expressed antecedent. They do not refer to a specific noun, but
rather to an idea or an entire statement, which may or may not have been previously expressed: they refer to
something unstated and unspecified.
The choice between ce qui and ce que depends solely on the grammatical role, subject or direct object, that the
relative pronoun plays in the subordinate clause.
ce qui
Ce qui (what, that, which) functions as the subject of the subordinate clause.
novel on W W I I ?
sa description de l'poque.
Rsistance!
Resistance!
called Marie-Tammy!
Ce qui is often used for emphasis followed by c'est. Note how the sentence 'Ce qui est fascinant, c'est sa description de
l'poque.' is more emphatic than saying simply 'Sa description de l'poque est fascinante.'
ce que
Ce que (what, that, which) functions as the direct object of the subordinate clause. Ce que becomes ce qu' before a
word beginning with a vowel.
original!
original!
M a r i e - T a m m y , ce que je t r o u v e trs
T a m m y , w h i c h I think is s u c h a pity.
dommage.
Note h o w the s e n t e n c e 'Ce que j e n'aime pas, c'est la fin du livre.' is m o r e e m p h a t i c t h a n saying s i m p l y 'Je n'aime pas la
fin du livre.'
Note that ce qui a n d ce que are also used in indirect discourse (see reported s p e e c h ) .
T a m m y fait.
est incroyable, c'est la rencontre de T e x et T a m m y .
3. T e x ,
a Tammy.
5. J o e - B o b ne c o m p r e n d pas
6. Je ne sais pas
7. V o u s s a v e z
8.
T e x et T a m m y disent.
rend C o r e y si triste.
on va faire ce s o i r ?
9. P a w - P a w a c o m b a t t u d a n s la s e c o n d e guerre mondiale,
10. T a m m y adore
T e x a crit.
11.
12.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
^Jj^jj-Tjjrjj^y
page: pro 3
1. dont, o, lequel
2. ce dont, ce + preposition + quoi
A relative pronoun introduces a clause that explains or describes a previously mentioned noun. In instances where
the relative pronoun is the object of a preposition, relative pronouns other than qui and que must be used. De is the
most common of these prepositions, and dont is the relative pronoun representing both the preposition de + its object.
' ou
The relative pronoun oU means 'where, in which, on which.' Use oU if the subordinate clause needs an object indicating
location introduced by dans, , sur, sous. When used after adverbs of time, oU means 'when.'
Paris, oU l'histoire commence, va tre libr
raliste.
Note: The form dont is generally used in spoken French instead of the forms duquel, de laquelle, desquels, and
desquelles; however, these latter forms may also be found, especially in written texts. Dont may be substituted only for
the simple preposition de and its object, but a form of lequel must be used when de is part of a t w o - or three-word
preposition, such as ' propos de, prs de, loin de, ct de.'
Use ce + preposition + quoi when the subordinate clause needs an object introduced by a preposition other than de.
Remember that, unlike English, the preposition in French must always be placed immediately in front of the relative
pronoun.
4>)
Tex a grandi.
tu parles.
Marie-Tammy apparat s'appelle Guerre et amour.
6. T a m m y : Tex, tu sais
7. T a m m y : Voici l'endroit
je pense?
je veux me marier, Tex!
je veux me marier!
Tex est trs fier.
10. T r e y : Les c h a n s o n s
11. T e x : T u me d e m a n d e s
12. T a m m y : Le bret
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page:
intro t o t e n s e , aspect, m o o d , v o i c e
tal
1. tense
2. aspect
3. m o o d
4. voice
tense
T e n s e is the g r a m m a t i c a l t e r m that refers to the time w h e n the action of the verb occurs: past, present, future. T h e
time f r a m e of an action is usually established by referring to the present m o m e n t ; for e x a m p l e , the pass
c o m p o s and the f u t u r e are respectively past and future in relation to the present.
H o w e v e r , s o m e tenses establish their time f r a m e by referring to other actions in the past or in the future. For
e x a m p l e , the p l u s - q u e - p a r f a i t tense indicates a past action that occurred prior to the the c o m p l e t i o n of another
past action. T h e f u t u r a n t r i e u r tense indicates a future action that will have o c c u r e d before a n o t h e r future action.
A c t i o n s that occur before a n o t h e r action are described as being anterior.
T e n s e s are also described by their n u m b e r of parts. For e x a m p l e , a tense with only o n e verb form is called a
s i m p l e t e n s e (ie, le pass simple). In contrast, a tense comprising t w o f o r m s , the auxiliary v e r b and the participle,
is referred to as a c o m p o u n d t e n s e (ie, le pass c o m p o s ) .
aspect
A s p e c t , unlike tense, is not c o n c e r n e d with placing events on a t i m e line. Rather, aspect is c o n c e r n e d with m a k i n g
distinctions about the kinds of actions that are described by verbs: progressive actions, punctual actions, habitual
actions, etc.
T h e most important aspectual distinction in French c o n c e r n s the difference b e t w e e n the two m o s t c o m m o n past
tenses: the i m p a r f a i t a n d the pass c o m p o s . While both tenses refer to actions in the past, t h e y are used for
v e r y different types of actions. T h e imparfait indicates an action that is o n g o i n g or habitual. A c t i o n s in the imparfait
m a y be s i m u l t a n e o u s or overlapping. T h e pass c o m p o s on the other hand, indicates an action that is in a strict
s e q u e n c e in relation to another action. In other w o r d s , an event in the pass c o m p o s m u s t be c o m p l e t e d before
another m a y be used in narration.
T h e s e aspectual differences are best understood in a n a r r a t i v e context w h e r e the imparfait is typically used to set
the scene of a story by giving b a c k g r o u n d information.
Install la terrasse du Cactus Cafe, T e x
T e x w a s w a t c h i n g the girls w h o w a l k e d
s o m e t h i n g w a s m i s s i n g . . . a cigarette!
T h e pass compos is used for the f o r e g r o u n d , that is, the plot line events. Note that plot line events are
sequential, that is, an event m u s t be c o m p l e t e d before another event begins.
T e x a sorti une cigarette de son paquet. Il
M m m ... extase!
ecstasy!
mood
M o o d is a g r a m m a t i c a l c a t e g o r y distinguishing v e r b tenses. T h e r e are
four m o o d s in French: i n d i c a t i v e , s u b j u n c t i v e , c o n d i t i o n a l , a n d
i m p e r a t i v e . All of these m o o d s , e x c e p t the imperative, m a y be
c o n j u g a t e d in different tenses. Each of these m o o d s has a different
function.
JL
T h e i n d i c a t i v e m o o d is t h e m o s t c o m m o n a n d is u s e d to relate f a c t s
and objective
statements.
T a m m y se rveille t t le m a t i n .
T a m m y g e t s up
e a r l y in t h e
mood)
morning.
Ju
Q O E
T*
e a r
Ufc*
T C X
p A / C ^ I
SoxCNTT
m g 4 T 5
T h e s u b j u n c t i v e m o o d is u s e d m o r e c o m m o n l y in F r e n c h t h a n in E n g l i s h . It is u s e d to e x p r e s s o p i n i o n s a n d
feelings (subjective thoughts).
Il est d o m m a g e q u e les p a r e n t s d e T e x
It is t o o b a d t h a t T e x ' s p a r e n t s a r e d e a d .
soient m o r t s . ( p r e s e n t t e n s e o f t h e
subjunctive
mood)
T h e c o n d i t i o n a l m o o d is u s e d to e x p r e s s h y p o t h e t i c a l or c o n t r a r y - t o - f a c t
statements.
Si C o r e y t a i t b e a u , il aurait u n e c o p i n e .
If C o r e y w e r e h a n d s o m e , he w o u l d
a girlfriend.
have
mood)
T h e i m p e r a t i v e m o o d is u s e d to g i v e d i r e c t o r d e r s or c o m m a n d s .
T e x , rveille-toi !
T e x , g e t up!
voi ce
V o i c e is a g r a m m a t i c a l c a t e g o r y d e s c r i b i n g t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n a v e r b a n d its s u b j e c t . V o i c e is e i t h e r a c t i v e or
p a s s i v e . A c t i v e v o i c e r e f e r s to t h e s i t u a t i o n w h e r e t h e s u b j e c t of t h e s e n t e n c e p e r f o r m s t h e a c t i o n of t h e v e r b .
Les a u t o r i t s ont expuls T e x d e F r a n c e .
France.
O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , p a s s i v e v o i c e r e f e r s to t h e s i t u a t i o n w h e r e t h e s u b j e c t r e c e i v e s t h e a c t i o n of t h e v e r b .
T e x a t expuls d e F r a n c e (par les
autorits).
authorities).
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
2 Feb 05
page: taci
1. formation
2. pronunciation
3. irregular stems
4. uses
The conditional is used to refer to hypothetical events. It occurs in polite requests and most frequently with if clauses. In
French, it is called le conditionnel and is most often translated by would in English.
formation
The stem used to form the conditional is the same as the stem of the future (usually the infinitive). The conditional
endings are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient (These are also the imperfect endings).
The above formation works for - e r verbs (aimer, j'aimerais), -ir verbs (finir, je finirais) and - r e verbs (vendre, je
vendrais). Remember to drop the final e from the infinitive stem of - r e verbs .
pronunciation
The r in the stem is representative of the conditional, as well as the future. Only the difference in the pronunciation of
the endings distinguishes the two. The difference between the je forms is subtle. Can you hear the differences? Note also
how the e of the infinitive of - e r verbs changes in the future and conditional forms.
conditional
je regarderai
je regarderais
tu regarderas
tu regarderais
il / elle regardera
il / elle regarderait
nous regarderons
nous regarderions
vous regarderez
vous regarderiez
irregular stems
Verbs with irregular future stems use the same irregular stems in the conditional. Here is a list of the most common
irregular stems:
infinitive
stem
conditional
translation
aller
ir-
j'irais
I would go
avoir
aur-
j'aurais
I would run
courir
courr-
je courrais
I would run
devoir
devr-
je devrais
I would be obliged to
envoyer
enverr-
j'enverrais
I would send
tre
ser-
je serais
I would be
faire
fer-
je ferais
I would do
falloir
faudr-
il faudrait
it would be necessary
mourir
mourr-
je mourrais
I would die
obtenir
obtiendr-
j'obtiendrais
Iwould obtain
pleuvoir
pleuvr-
il pleuvrait
it would rain
pouvoir
pourr-
je pourrais
I would be able
recevoir
recevr-
je recevrais
I would receive
savoir
saur-
je saurais
I would know
tenir
tiendr-
je tiendrais
I would hold
venir
vi endr-
je viendrais
I would come
voir
verr-
je verrais
I would see
vouloir
voudr-
je voudrais
I would want
infinitive
stem
conditional
translation
prfrer
prfrer-
je prfrerais
I would prefer
esprer
esprer-
j'esprerais
I would hope
manger
manger-
je mangerais
I would eat
commencer
commencer-
je commencerais
I would start
Verbs with spelling changes like appeler, employer and acheter add -r to the present of the je form to create their future
stem.
present tense
stem
conditional
translation
j'appelle
appeller-
j'appellerais
I would call
j'emploie
emploier-
j'emploierais
I would use
j'achte
achter-
j'achterais
I would buy
uses
wishes or requests
The conditional expresses potentiality. It is used to express a wish or a
suggestion, to make a request, or to accept or extend invitations. It is less
direct and more polite than the imperative. The verbs 'pouvoir', 'vouloir',
and 'devoir' are often found in the conditional to diminish the strength of a
command. In most cases, the conditional is translated as meaning w o u l d
in English. However, je pourrais means 'I could', je devrais means 'I should'
and je voudrais means 'I would like'. Also do not confuse 'would' in English
meaning 'used to' which should be translated as an imparfait in French,
and NOT as the conditional: A Paris, Joe-Bob allait au MacDo tous les jours.
(In Paris, Joe-Bob would/used to go to McDonald's everyday).
Joe-Bob et T a m m y se trouvent au
serveur.
Edouard: Bonsoir Madame, Monsieur.
commencer?
T a m m y : Oh oui! Pourrions-nous avoir un
salad, please.
order!
hypothetical action
The conditional is used when making statements which are contrary to present facts. It expresses a hypothethical result
which depends on (stated or implied) circumstances which do not exist. In order for the action expressed by the
conditional to occur, something else must take place first. Note that the condition in the si or if clause, is always stated
in the imparfait. (See 'si' clauses for further examples.)
4>)
philosophie.
stop.
d'universit.
diploma.
possibility or uncertainty
The conditional is also used to give information whose accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Journalists often use it to report
events which are not known to be true.
T a m m y et Bette regardent la tl. Soudain,
un commentateur annonce:
rentrerai bientt.'
home soon.'
4>)
T e x said he w o u l d be h o m e soon.
2. T e x : E d o u a r d et moi, n o u s
3. Bette: Si a ne te fais rien, j e
6. Bette: O n
b e a u c o u p rencontrer T e x . (aimer)
7. J o e - B o b :
8. T e x : J'
9. E d o u a r d : V o u s
10. T r e y : T e x , tu
faire plus de sport, (devoir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
11. T e x : V o u s
intrt faire attention, (avoir)
12. T a m m y et Bette
updated: 27 May 04
page: pro2
past conditional
1. formation
2. uses
The past conditional represents, as its name implies, the past of the present conditional mood. In French, the past
conditional is called le pass du conditionnel or le conditionnel antrieur. Both the present and past conditional
express hypothetical situations or conditions.
formation
The past conditional is a compound tense, i.e. it has two parts, an auxiliary and the past participle. The past conditional
is formed with the conditional of the auxiliary (either avoir or tre) and the past participle of the main verb.
Past conditional
= auxiliary
in the conditional
+ past
participle
49
In the past conditional (as with the pass compos), you have to choose between avoir and tre as the auxiliary. While
most verbs use avoir as an auxiliary, pronominal verbs and verbs of movement generally use tre (see the A l a m o of
tre). Just as for the pass compos with tre, in the past conditional with tre, the past participle agrees in gender and
in number with the subject.
49
uses
Like the present conditional, the past conditional is used for hypotheses.
Unlike the present conditional, however, it is used to describe or imagine
events and actions which failed to happen. This is why it is often used to
express regret about events which did not occur. In most cases, the past
conditional is translated as meaning would have as in English. However,
j'aurais pu means 'I could have'; j'aurais d means 'I should have', and
j'aurais voulu means 'I would have liked'.
4j)
artiste.
be an artist.
beau.
to be handsome.
T a m m y : Je n'aurais pas d
couter Bette.
listened to Bette.
un chef clbre!
The past conditional is found in si clauses with the pluperfect. This is because si clauses with the pluperfect also describe
events that did not occur, or rather conditions which were not fulfilled so that the event in the past conditional could
occur. In the dialogue below, all the verbs in the past conditional describe events that would have happened had the
original condition been fulfilled. Note that the unfulfilled condition is implied in each occurrence of the past conditional.
Tex et Edouard discutent de la vie en
Amrique.
America.
arri v?
Tex: Ben, d'un ct, je serais rest en
distinguished philosopher!
possibility or uncertainty
The past conditional, like the present conditional, gives information on a past event about which the accuracy cannot be
guaranteed. It is used by journalists and reporters.
T a m m y et Bette regardent la tl. Soudain,
un commentateur annonce:
rentrerai bientt.'
5. T a m m y : Fiona et moi, n o u s
6. T a m m y : T e x et J o e - B o b , v o u s
7. Rita: T e x , tu
(aimer)
8. T a m m y
9. J o e - B o b
10. T a m m y : Edouard, t u
11. C o r e y
ma tarte aux p o m m e s ,
12. T a m m y et Bette
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: pro 3
1. si + prsent
2. si + imparfait
3. si + plus-que-parfait
Si clauses (if clauses in English) indicate possibilities, which may or may not become reality. They refer to the present,
past, and future. These conditional sentences have two parts: the condition, or si clause, and the main or result clause
which indicates what will happen if the condition of the si clause is met.
The tense of the result clause depends on the tense of the si clause. In other words, the tense of the two clauses follow
a prescribed sequence.
si + present (prsent)
si clause
result clause
present
or
si + present
future
(possible condition)
or
imperative
This first type of si clause is used in cases where the condition may be fulfilled and thus the consequence is seen as
possible. In the following dialogue, you will hear si clauses in the present followed by result clauses in the present, in
the future and in the imperative:
4>)
magazine.
T a m m y : Si tu veux, tu peux rpondre aux
questions, Tex.
questions, Tex.
if you can!
life?
Note that either the si clause or the result clause may begin a sentence, but the same tenses remain specific to each
clause ('Qu'est-ce que vous ferez demain si vous trouvez l'amour de votre vie?' is the same as 'Si vous trouvez l'amour
de votre vie, qu'est-ce que vous ferez?')
si + imperfect (imparfait)
si clause
si + imperfect
(contrary to current facts)
result clause
conditional
This second type of si clause is contrary to fact in the present. The consequence is thus seen as impossible. Note that
in French, the imperfect is used in the si clause, never the conditional.
Le quizz continue.
seriez-vous?
Tex: Si j'tais une voiture, je serais la
lgendaire 2CV.
legendary 2CV.
choisiriez-vous?
feri ez-vous?
you do?
si + pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
si clause
si + pluperfect
(contrary to past facts)
result clause
past conditional
This last type of si clause is used for situations that are contrary to past fact. The result clause thus expresses an
unrealized past possibility.
4>)
Et le quizz continue.
if I hadn't met T a m m y !
Si c l a u s e
T e x d e m a n d e si T a m m y est
T e x is a s k i n g if T a m m y is
prte.
ready.
T e x : T a m m y , si t u es prte,
T e x : T a m m y , if y o u are
. (accepter)
4. E d o u a r d T e x : 'Appelle-moi si t u
5. Si j'ai le t e m p s , je
au frisbee le w e e k e n d . (joue)
11. T r e y
12. Si n o u s
c e r t a i n e m e n t au parc, (aller)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: ta pri
1. reporting statements
2. reporting questions
3. reporting orders
4. reporting answers
reporting statements
To report what someone else says or thinks, link the main clause (il dit, il pense, etc.) and the subordinate clause with
que (qu' in front of a word beginning with a vowel):
d'S
raccommoder.
T a m m y : T u ne m'coutes jamais!
reporting questions
To report simple yes/no questions, use si. Note that si changes to s' in front of a word beginning with an i (s'il ), but
does not change before other vowels (si elle, si on).
d'S
effort.
make an effort.
To report an information question use the interrogative word quand, comment, o, etc.
T a m m y : O tais-tu hier soir? Comment
Tex: Comment?
Tex: Excuse-me?
To report questions starting with que, q u ' e s t - c e que, and q u ' e s t - c e qui, use ce que and ce qui. Note that the
inverted subject and verb return to normal order when reporting a que question:
passe.
T a m m y : Que faisait-
blonde?
blonde?
reporting orders
To report an order, replace the imperative by de (d') + infinitive:
4>)
Tex: Pardon?
Tex: Excuse m e ?
l'idiot.
stupid.
reporting answers
To report yes and no answers, use que:
4>)
ses amis.
friends.
que NON.
NO.
Bette veut.
.
fatigu.
Bette vit.
. tu vas au cinma.
Tex rentre.
se passe.
tu fais ce week-end.
de faire l'idiot
adore fumer.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
la Marseillaise.
updated: 27 May 04
page: tad2
1. reporting statements
2. what tense in the subordinate clause?
3. reporting questions
4. reporting orders
5. reporting answers
reporting statements
To report what has been said or thought in the past, link the main clause introduced by 'il a dit', 'je pensais', etc. and
the subordinate clause with que /qu'. The tense of the verb in the subordinate clause also changes.
T r e y : Je suis amoureux de toi T a m m y !
girlfriend!
do)
quote
present
reported speech
= > imparfait
Trey.
passe c o m p o s e
= > plus-que-parfait
become sexy.)
future
= > conditional
'Dangerous Liaisons.')
reporting questions
To report yes/no questions, use si. Note that si changes to s' in front of a word beginning with an i (s'il ), but does not
change before other vowels (si elle, sion).
d1')
films rotiques.
To report an information question use the interrogative word quand, comment, o, etc.
d'D
mon frre.
To report questions starting with que, q u ' e s t - c e que, and q u ' e s t - c e qui, use ceque (cequ') and ce qui :
4>)
avec T a m m y ?
with T a m m y ?
do with T a m m y tonight.
reporting orders
To report an order, replace the imperative by de/d' + infinitive:
4>)
avec elle!
her!
Trey: Hein?
Trey: H u h ?
reporting answers
Note that to report yes/no sentences, use que:
Trey: T a m m y , tu veux m'pouser?
T a m m y : Non.
T a m m y : No.
j'aime!
demand T a m m y de l'pouser.
diamants pour T a m m y .
Bette: Et moi qui croyait que Trey tait
au Mexique.
un roman.
en France.
les f i l m s
d'horreur.
8. T e x : Rita a d m n a g . < b r > = > Hier, T e x a dit que Rita
tort.
fumer.
venir.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: ta pri
futur proche
1. formation
2. uses
3. aller in the imperfect + infinitive
formation
There are two future tenses in French, the simple future and the near future (le futur proche). The futur proche is
usually translated into English as going + infinitive (e.g., going to eat, going to drink, going to talk). The futur proche is
characteristic of spoken French but may be used in informal writing. It is formed with the verb aller (to go) conjugated in
the present tense followed by an infinitive.
going to swim
To negate the futur proche, place ne ... pas around the conjugated form of aller: Je ne vais pas nager. (I am not going to
swim).
Corey: Je vais aller Barton Springs.
moi, Bette?
pas nager!
uses
The futur proche is used to refer to most future events in informal conversation. For details on usage see future: usage.
4>)
Barton Springs.
Barton Springs.
pleuvoir.
going to rain.
pluie.
rain.
T h e friends w e r e g o i n g t o l e a v e for
avec moi?
s h o p p i n g . W h o ' s going to c o m e w i t h m e ?
la maison, (rester)
2. T a m m y : N o u s a v o n s un e x a m e n d e m a i n . N o u s
3. T e x et T a m m y
ce soir, (tudier)
. cet a u t o m n e . (travailler)
bientt? ( m a n g e r )
6. Il y a du soleil. Il
chaud, (faire)
au tennis, (jouer)
8. T e x et T a m m y v o n t la c a m p a g n e . Eduard
9. C'est la Saint Valentin, et T e x .
10. T e x : A u j o u r d - ' h u i , n o u s
. d a n s la G u a d e l o u p e , N e w Braunfels. (nager)
des amis?
(emmener)
12. Fiona: Tex, pourquoi est-ce q u e tu
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tad2
1. formation
2. uses
formation
The 'simple' future (le futur) is so-named because it is a one-word tense. In other words, its formation is simple
because there is no auxiliary.
The endings for the simple future are: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. The future stem for - e r and -ir verbs is the infinitive.
For regular - r e verbs, the stem is the infinitive minus the final e. In all cases, the future stem ends in -r : this sound
characterizes the future and the conditional.The French simple future tense is generally translated into English with the
modal auxiliary 'will.'
Listen carefully to the future conjugation of regular -er verbs, where the e of the infinitive changes in pronunciation.
Some - e r verbs with spelling changes in the present form their future regularly, that is, their future stem is the
infinitive. These include verbs like prfrer (je prfrerai), manger (je mangerai) and commener (je commencerai). Other
-er verbs with spelling changes in the present (appeler, employer, acheter) have irregular future stems.
do)
think
do)
back
Many verbs which are irregular in the present tense have regular formations in the future. Their future stems are the
infinitive or the infinitive minus the final e. Such verbs include sortir (je sortirai), partir (je partirai), dormir (je dormirai),
boire (je boirai), dire (je dirai), crire (j'crirai), lire (je lirai), mettre (je mettrai),
(je
suivrai).
uses
The simple future is used to refer to future events, that is, to make predictions. It is more formal than the immediate
future, although both tenses may be used in most contexts. For further details, see future: usage.
4>)
T a m m y i m a g i n e s her h o n e y m o o n w i t h T e x .
T a m m y : N o u s prendrons le C o n c o r d e
C h a m p s - E l y s e s a r m in a r m and y o u will
d e s s o u s et tu m'offriras du p a r f u m et d e s
fleurs. La nuit n o u s descendrons la Seine en
b a t e a u m o u c h e . Ah, la vie conjugale, un
paradis terrestre.
e n s e m b l e , (partir)
ses tudes, (finir)
un livre, (crire)
les h a b i t u d e s de T e x . ( c o m p r e n d r e )
5. T a m m y : T e x et moi, n o u s
6. T e x : Mes neveux, v o u s
7. T a m m y : T e x , tu
8. T a m m y
9. J o e - B o b
12. T a m m y et Bette
(voyager)
la philosophie! (aimer)
la table, n'est-ce p a s ? (mettre)
s a n s cesse, (chanter)
d e s c o u r s faciles, (suivre)
beaucoup,
T a m m y ? (respecter)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
18 Oct 04
page: tap 3
The 'simple' future is so-named because it is a one-word tense. In other words, its formation is simple because there is
no auxiliary. The stem of the simple future always ends with the letterr, which is the characteristic sound of the future
and conditional tenses.
For a list of irregular verbs which form their future in the same way as regular verbs do, see future: regular.
do)
Here are the most common verbs that have irregular future stems:
do)
infinitive
stem
future
translation
aller
ir-
j'irai
I will go
courir
courr-
je courrai
I will run
devoir
devr-
je devrai
I will be obliged to
envoyer
enverr-
j'enverrai
I will send
faire
fer-
je ferai
I will do
falloir
faudr-
il faudra
it will be necessary
mourir
mourr-
je mourrai
I will die
obtenir
obtiendr-
j'obtiendrai
I will obtain
pleuvoir
pleuvr-
il pleuvra
it will rain
pouvoir
pourr-
je pourrai
I will be able
recevoir
recevr-
je recevrai
I will receive
savoir
saur-
je saurai
I will know
tenir
tiendr-
je tiendrai
I will hold
il
i|_
iL
venir
viendr-
je viendrai
I will come
voir
verr-
je verrai
I will see
vouloir
voudr-
je voudrai
I will want
present tense
stem
future
translation
j'appelle
appeller-
j'appellerai
I will call
j'emploie
empl oier-
j'emploierai
I will use
j'achte
achter-
j'achterai
I will buy
Other -er verbs verbs with spelling changes including prfrer, manger, and commener have regular future stems.
uses
The simple future is used to refer to future events, that is, to make predictions. It is more formal than the immediate
future, although both tenses may be used in most contexts. For further details, see future: usage.
science-fiction:
En l'an 3000, il ne pleuvra plus sur la
merveilleuse.
Alors, Tex, tu aimes mon livre?
la T o u r Eiffel, (voir)
2. T a m m y
t o u i o u r s la cuisine, (fairel
3. P a w - P a w : Je
4. T e x : J'
5. T a m m y : T e x et moi, n o u s
6. T e x : Mes neveux, v o u s
7. T e x : T a m m y , tu
8. T a m m y
(acheter)
9. J o e - B o b
trs contents, ( t r e l
m'crire s o u v e n t ? (pouvoir)
12. T a m m y et Bette
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: tap 4
French has two future tenses -- the futur proche and the futur simple. The futur proche is formed with the auxiliary aller
which is followed by an infinitive (Je vais partir. 'I'm going to leave'). The futur simple doesn't have an auxiliary. Instead,
the infinitive form becomes the stem to which future endings are added (Je partirai. 'I will leave'). For more details on
the formation of these two future tenses, including irregular forms, see the related links: future: regular, future:
irregular, and futur proche.
The two tenses also indicate a difference in the speaker's perception of the future event. The futur proche indicates that
the speaker is relatively certain that the future event will actually happen. In contrast, the futur simple indicates that the
speaker is less certain of the future event coming to pass. Let's imagine a context to make this distinction more clear.
Suppose that a very disturbed man has just climbed out onto the ledge of a skyscraper. The man begins to lose his
balance. A horrified onlooker sees the man beginning to teeter and screams:
Il va t o m b e r !
Il tombera!
He will fall!
In this scenario, first sentence, the one in the near future, sounds more plausible in French and in English. W h y ? Because
when someone loses his balance, he will invariably fall. In this case, the tense indicates both the immediacy of the future
event as well as its inevitability in the mind of the speaker. Of course, speakers are usually more certain about the
immediate future and less certain about the distant future. Does this mean that certainty and distance to the present
always go together? Not exactly. One can be certain about events in the distant future too. For example, look at the
following sentences in French and in English and try to imagine the different contexts in which they would be
appropriate.
Je vais avoir un enfant!
J'aurai un enfant!
In the first sentence, the speaker is either pregnant or has just received confirmation from an adoption agency.
Whatever the case may be, the speaker knows for certain that she will become a parent and indicates the inevitability of
the future event via the futur proche. But note that even though the speaker is certain about the future event, the event
is not likely to happen immediately. In the second sentence, the speaker is stating her desire to either get pregnant or to
adopt a child of her own. In this sentence the time frame for the future event is left open--maybe she will get pregnant
tomorrow, maybe she won't. Now consider the following dialogue in which Tex's sister Rita discovers she's going to have
a baby. Can you explain the choice of future tense?
4>)
4>)
Joe-Bob: Quatre?
Joe-Bob: Four?
tenir le coup!
up!
diffrence!
difference at all!
la nuit.
verras.
will see.
a r r i v e in N e w Orleans.
J o e - B o b : L o r s q u e T e x et T a m m y
J o e - B o b : W h e n T e x and T a m m y c o m e
Opelousas.
Opelousas.
C o r e y : A n d w h e n t h e y return to Austin,
o n fera la fte!
3. T e x : Je v e u x revoir la France. Je
6. E d o u a r d : Q u a n d v o u s v o u s marierez, v o u s
7. T a m m y : Je/J'
8. Bette : Je
Dillards. (aller)
t o u j o u r s Tex. (aimer)
t o u j o u r s une f e m m e fatale! (tre)
9. T e x : Je suis en retard. T a m m y
(faire) un picnic.
c o m m e un bb, (dormir)
ce soir, (rviser)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
lij-'^dLrJ^LrJ
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: tap 5
futur antrieur
1. formation
2. usage
3. conjunctions
formation
The future perfect (futur antrieur) is formed with the simple future of the auxiliary (either tre or avoir), plus the past
participle of the main verb. The choice between tre and avoir as an auxiliary is the same as in the pass compos.
Future perfect
= auxiliary
in the future
+ past participle
of main
verb
do)
Note that with the auxiliary tre, the past participle agrees in number and gender with the subject.
usage
The futur antrieur is used for an action that precedes, or will be completed before, another action in the future. While
the futur is expressed in English by 'will' + main verb (will finish), the futur antrieur is usually translated as 'will have'
+ past participle of verb (will have finished). For example:
do)
pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the auxiliary:
semestre.
conjunctions
The futur antrieur is used similarly in French and English. However, French uses the future perfect after certain
conjunctions like quand and lorsque (when) or ds q u e and aussitt q u e (as soon as) where English would use the
present tense.
4>)
go to France.
In the examples above, the subordinate clauses starting with quand and ds q u e are in the future perfect because the
action of the subordinate clause will be performed prior to the action in the main clause.
Listen to the dialogue:
4>)
disputent.
having a quarrel.
cal me !
down!
T a m m y : T u es insupportable! Je ne partirai
trop tard.
d e p u i s 5 ans. (connatre)
2. T a m m y : D e m a i n , T e x
ses promesses,
3. T e x : J'espre que T a m m y
4. T a m m y : Q u a n d j'
(oublier)
son e x a m e n , (russir)
d e s enfants, j e ressemblerai Rita, (avoir)
5. J o e - B o b : Q u a n d est-ce que v o u s
6. T a m m y : Q u a n d T e x et E d o u a r d
7. T a m m y : Je travaillerai q u a n d v o u s
? (finir)
, o n pourra manger, (rentrer)
. (partir)
8. T a m m y : J'espre q u e T e x
Edouard, (tlphoner)
9. T e x : D a n s q u e l q u e s a n n e s , je
. (grandir)
les cours, (terminer)
une bonne j o u r n e , (passer)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: ta pri
imperative m o o d
1. formation
2. irregular imperatives
3. imperative of pronomial verbs
4. negative commands
5. pronoun object with imperatives
The imperative, (l'impratif in French) is used to give commands, orders, or express wishes, like 'Stop!', 'Listen!' You
may recognize the imperative from commands such as 'Ecoutez' or 'Rptez'. It is one of four moods in the French
language. Unlike the other moods, the imperative is not divided into tenses. Keep in mind that the imperative is a very
direct way to give an order. It is often replaced with more polite alternatives like the conditional.
formation
There are three forms of the imperative: tu, nous and vous. For all verbs, the imperative is formed by taking the
corresponding forms of the present indicative, but without subject pronouns. The lack of a subject pronoun is what
identifies the imperative mood.
imperative
translation
tu finis
finis
nous finissons
finissons
let's finish
vous finissez
finissez
finish
The tu form is used to give an order to a child or when the speaker is on familiar terms with the person addressed. The
vous form is used to give an order to a group of people or to address one person in the vous form. The nous form is
used to give an order that involves oneself as well as others, though it often expresses a suggestion as its translation
(Let's ... ) indicates.
Drop the final s in the tu forms of the imperative for - e r verbs, including aller, and -ir verbs like ouvrir and other verbs
whose present indicative form of tu ends in -es:
present
imperative
translation
tu regardes
regarde
look
tu ouvres
ouvre
open
tu vas
va
go
When these forms are followed by the pronoun y or en, the -s is reattached for pronunciation purposes. For example:
49
cockroaches! Pow!
s'il te plat.
Bette: Tu es vraiment trop bte. Je m'en
vais.
leaving.
irregular imperatives
There are several verbs that have irregular imperative forms.
avoir
tre
savoir
vouloir
aie
sois
sache
veuille
ayons
soyons
sachons
veuillons
ayez
soyez
sachez
veuillez
imperative
translation
tu te souviens
souviens-toi
remember
souvenons-nous
let's remember
souvenez-vous
remember
negative commands
The forms of the affirmative imperative (an order to do something) have been presented in the above charts. In
negative commands (an order not to do something), place the ne ... pas around the imperative, as in Ne regarde pas
('Don't look'). In negative commands for reflexive verbs, the object pronoun is placed in front of the verb.
d'S
ME TE
MOQ^
M o
PA I
t
me relever.
up.
C o r e y : Merci, tout le m o n d e . a va
b e a u c o u p mieux. Allons Barton S p r i n g s
cet a p r s - m i d i .
afternoon.
put on m y swimsuit.
e m p o i s o n n a n t s en ce m o m e n t !
insects now.
C o r e y : Eh moi alors?
Corey: And m e ?
empoisonnant!
n e v e r irritating!
2. T a m m y : Tex,
3. T e x :
4. T a m m y :
5. T e x et T a m m y :
Tammy
rester m o d e s t e s ! (savoir)
. c h e z le coiffeur T e x ! (aller)
Tammy
Tammy
J'achte du v i n ? T e x : Oui,
9. T a m m y
10. T a m m y
_-y! (aller)
t o u s m o n anniversaire! (venir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: ta pri
When venir is conjugated in the present and followed by de + infinitive, it means 'to have just done something.' This is
called the recent past (le pass immdiat).
4>)
une goutte!
a drop left!
coeur.
heart.
[SMACK!]
[SMACK!]
When venir is conjugated in the imparfait followed by de +infinitive, it means 'had just done something:
Tex et T a m m y venaient de s'embrasser
arrived.
Je vous
A m I interrupting
interromps?
you?
tranquille ...
Bette ronronne.
Bette purrs.
2. Corey et Joe-Bob
3. T a m m y : Je
un film, (regarder)
mes devoirs, (finir)
un pome? (crire)
6. T e x et Edouard: N o u s
7. J o e - B o b et Corey: N o u s
. (manger)
8. E d o u a r d : Bette et T a m m y , est-ce q u e v o u s
9. Fiona
10. T a m m y : Je
11. C o r e y
du s h o p p i n g ? (faire)
(prparer)
la cathdrale, (visiter)
la piscine, (nager)
le paquet, (ouvrir)
2. T a m m y
3. T a m m y et T e x : Nous
visite P a w - P a w . (rendre)
4. Fiona: J o e - B o b et Corey, v o u s
5. T a m m y : Bette, t u
T e x ! (voir)
6. T e x : T a m m y , tu
7. J o e - B o b et Corey: N o u s
8. E d o u a r d : Je
. (arriver)
un repas, (prendre)
9. T a m m y et Bette
d e s c a d e a u x T e x . (offrir)
11. Fiona: T e x et T a m m y , v o u s
12. T e x
du ski. (faire)
un v i n rouge, (choisir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
'
tap2
1. uses
2. f o r m a t i o n
3. negation
uses
T h e p a s s c o m p o s is the most c o m m o n l y used tense to refer to actions
c o m p l e t e d in the past. T h e pass c o m p o s m a y be t r a n s l a t e d into English in three
different w a y s d e p e n d i n g o n the context.
T e x ate all the meat!
T e x a mang t o u t e la viande!
formation
T h i s tense is called the pass c o m p o s because it is c o m p o s e d of t w o e l e m e n t s : the present tense of an auxiliary verb
(either avoir or tre), f o l l o w e d by a past participle:
pass
compos
= present
tense
of auxiliary
+ past
participle
Note that in most instances the auxiliary verb is avoir, but s o m e v e r b s require tre as the auxiliary.
For regular v e r b s w i t h a n infinitive e n d i n g in -er, the past participle is f o r m e d by replacing the final -er of the infinitive
w i t h -. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the pass c o m p o s of the verb 'parler'. T h e past participle (parl) is
p r o n o u n c e d the s a m e as the infinitive (parler), e v e n t h o u g h t h e y are spelled differently.
talked
finished
T h e past participle of regular v e r b s w i t h an infinitive e n d i n g in -re is f o r m e d by replacing the final -re of the infinitive w i t h
-u. For e x a m p l e , the past participle of perdre is perdu.
lost
Note that many verbs, however, have irregular past participles. The past participles of many common irregular verbs
which have avoir as an auxiliary are listed below.
infinitive
translation
past participle
avoir
to have
eu
tre
to be
faire
to do
fait
ouvrir
to open
ouvert
prendre
to take
pris
mettre
to put
mis
suivre
to follow
suivi
boire
to drink
bu
croire
to believe
cru
voir
to see
vu
savoir
to know
su
connatre
to know
connu
dire
to say
dit
lire
to read
lu
crire
to write
crit
pouvoir
to be able to
pu
vouloir
to want
voulu
devoir
to have to
tenir
to hold
tenu
recevoir
to receive
reu
negation
Negation of the pass compos is formed by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which, in this case, is the
auxiliary avoir.
4>)
C a n I have d i n n e r w i t h y ' a l l ?
T a m m y : I a m sorry J o e - B o b . T e x finished
mang.
much.
T a m m y ! H a v e y o u s e e n ? T e x t h r e w up
e v e r y w h e r e . It's disgusting!
de n o u v e a u x pomes,
3. T e x et E d o u a r d
5. T a m m y
(crire)
_ le m a t c h de foot. (regarder)
4. T e x et T a m m y
6. T e x
de l'insecticide? (boire)
visite P a w - P a w . (rendre)
7. T a m m y et Bette
du s h o p p i n g hier, (faire)
8. T a m m y : C o r e y et J o e - B o b , est-ce que v o u s
9. T a m m y et Bette: N o u s
m e s devoirs d a n s le f r i g o ? (voir)
la leon? ( c o m p r e n d r e )
le f i l m ? (aimer)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
18 Oct 04
page: tap 3
1. uses
2. formation
3. the Alamo of tre
4. irregular past participles
5. agreement of past participle
uses
There are several past tenses in French, and each is used in very specific situations.
The pass c o m p o s is the most common past tense; it is used to relate actions or
events completed in the past. The pass compos may be translated into English in
three different ways depending on the context.
Tex went to the Alamo.
d'S
formation
The pass compos consists of two parts, the present tense of an auxiliary, or helping verb (either avoir or tre ), and a
past participle. In most instances the auxiliary verb used is avoir.
pass compos
= present
tense of auxiliary
+ past
participle
However, several intransitive verbs, like aller (to go), require the auxiliary tre instead. Note that the past participle
agrees with the subject in number and in gender.
The negation is formed by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case, is the auxiliary tre : Je ne
suis pas all(e), T u n'es pas all(e), etc.
A few of these verbs of movement (monter, descendre, sortir, passer, retourner) may sometimes take a direct
object, thus becoming transitive. When they do, the auxiliary used is avoir, instead of tre. Example:
do)
It is important to note that many intransitive verbs of movement, like courir and marcher, do not use tre but avoir.
The pronominal verbs form another important group of verbs which use tre as the auxiliary in the pass compos.
infinitive
translation
past participle
venir
to come
venu
devenir
to become
devenu
revenir
to come back
revenu
natre
to be born
mourir
to die
mort
rentrs de l'Alamo?
river!
2. E d o u a r d
3. Hier T a m m y
4. Fiona: Moi, j e
5. Fiona: C o r e y et J o e - B o b , v o u s
6. T a m m y et Bette
e n s e m b l e , (venir)
7. Les e n f a n t s de Rita
en mai. (natre)
11. A p r s la guerre, P a w - P a w
12. T e x et T a m m y
hros, (devenir)
au r e z - d e - c h a u s s e ,
(descendre)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tap 4
1. formation
2. past participle agreement
3. past participle agreement: exceptions
4. negation
A pronominal verb is a verb which has a reflexive pronoun, that is, a pronoun referring back to its subject. These verbs
are easily recognized by the pronoun se before the infinitive: se lever, se laver, se promener, etc.
formation
In the pass compos, pronominal verbs are conjugated with tre as their auxiliary. Past participles of pronominal
verbs are formed like nonpronominal past participles. Note that the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se)
precedes the auxiliary.
49
matin.
Tex: Moi, je me suis rveill trs tard!
T a m m y : Je me suis lave.
T a m m y : I washed.
In the second example, the direct object les cheveux is placed after the verb, so there is no agreement.
Furthermore, in cases where the reflexive pronoun is an indirect object rather than a direct object, as in the verb se
parler (parler ), there is no agreement.
T a m m y : Puis, Bette et moi, nous nous
sommes parl .
negation
In the negative, the ne precedes the reflexive pronoun and the pas follows the auxiliary:
je ne me suis pas amus(e)
amus(e)(s)
tu ne t'es pas a m u s ( e )
v o u s ne v o u s tes pas a m u s ( e ) ( s )
il / on ne s'est pas a m u s
T a m m y : B o n j o u r T e x ! O h l l! T u ne t'es
pas ras ce m a t i n ?
s h a v e this m o r n i n g ?
t u t'es rase?
shave?
g a u c h e aujourd'hui!
you
3. J o e - B o b : J e
4. Bette et T a m m y
a u g y m n a s e , (s'amuser)
en c o u r s a u j o u r d ' h u i ? (s'ennuyer)
8. E d o u a r d et T e x
9. T a m m y : Q u ' e s t - c e qui
10. Bette
? (se marier)
ct de T e x . (s'asseoir)
11. Bette: Je
12. J o e - B o b et C o r e y
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
1. stem
2. endings
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait), one of several past tenses in French, is used to describe states of being and habitual
actions in the past. It also has several idiomatic uses.
stem
The stem of the imparfait is the first person plural (nous) form of the present tense, minus the -ons. The imparfait
stem is regular for all verbs except tre:
verb
present tense
imparfait
'nous' form
stem
- e r verbs: parler
nous parlons
parl -
nous finissons
finiss-
- r e verbs: descendre
nous descendons
descend-
faire
nous faisons
fais-
prendre
nous prenons
pren-
partir
nous partons
part-
tre
nous sommes
t-
endings
To the stem, add the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, and -aient. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs
danser, finir and tre in the imparfait tense. Note that -ais, -ais, -ait, and -aient are all pronounced alike. That means
that the singular forms and 3rd person plural (the boot) all sound the same!
Twe
13>t-
nous dansions
tu dansais
vous dansiez
il / elle / on dansait
nous finissions
tu finissais
vous finissiez
il / elle / on finissait
nous tions
tu tais
vous tiez
il / elle / on tait
Stem changing verbs like voyager and commencer add an e or to maintain the soft g or s sound, before imparfait
endings which begin with a (je voyag eais, tu voyag e ais, il / elle / on voyage ait, ils / elles voyag eaient), in other words,
before all forms except nous and vous (nous voyagions, vous voyagiez).
The imparfait of pronominal verbs is regular, with the addition of the reflexive pronoun:
tu t'amusais
il / elle / on s'amusait
The negation is formed as usual by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb: Je ne dansais pas (I wasn't dancing / I
didn't used to dance), T u ne t'amusais pas (You weren't having a good time / You didn't used to have a good time).
Listen to Tex describing his morning:
d'S
JC
M M 5
s/outAK
e U L f
CT AIT
PAS
2. T a m m y
3. J o e - B o b : Je
4. Fiona: J'
5. Fiona et Bette: N o u s
6. Fiona: Corey, tu
7. T e x : J o e - B o b et Corey, v o u s
8. Bette
9. E d o u a r d
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
u V ^ J ^ L r J
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: tap 6
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) has two primary uses: to describe on-going actions and states of being in the past,
and to state habitual actions in the past. The imparfait also has several idiomatic uses. The pass compos and imparfait
are each used quite differently in narration.
chefs-d'oeuvre culinaires.
Parisian restaurants.
v o s parents? (obir)
e n s e m b l e avant m o n d p a r t ? (jouer)
10. T a m m y : T e x et moi, n o u s
11. E d o u a r d : En France, j e
12. D a n s son enfance, J o e - B o b
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tap 7
1. suggestions
2. wishes
The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) has two primary uses: to describe on-going actions or states of being in the past, and
to state habitual actions in the past. The imparfait also has several idiomatic uses found in the following contexts:
suggestions
The imparfait is used to suggest an action in phrases beginning with Si on
?
T a m m y : Si on achetait
T a m m y : What if we
Harley Davidson?
Harley Davidson?
wishes
The imparfait is used to express wishes such as 'If only we didn't have a test this week!' The French equivalent
structure, si + imparfait, may, or may not, contain the adverb seulement:
49
some money!
Note that the question mark at the end of the sentence indicates a suggestion, and the exclamation mark a wish. In
spoken French, however, you have to rely on context and intonation to distinguish between wish and suggestion. Listen
to the difference in intonation between these two sentences:
49
T a m m y : Si je me faisais tatouer?
moto!
For other uses of si + imparfait, see si clauses + conditional. The imparfait also occurs in idiomatic uses with depuis and
venir de.
Formulate wishes by using 'si' plus the imparfait and the subject indicated in parentheses. Place an exclamation point
at the end of each sentence.
1. Regarder une vido (on)
2. Etre plus mince (je)
3. Etre dj en vacances (nous)
4. Venir danser avec moi (tu)
5. Penser moi (Tex)'
6. A v o i r plus de t e m p s (je)
7. Inviter d e s a m i s la m a i s o n (vous)
8. Se marier (on)
9. Aller Barton S p r i n g s (nous)
10. Se t r o u v e r plus prs d A u s t i n ( O p e l o u s a s )
11. Ne pas boire d'insecticide (Corey)
12. Ne pas tre s n o b (les tatous)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 Jan 05
page: tap 8
T h e pass c o m p o s is used in French in a n s w e r the question 'What h a p p e n e d ? ' On the other hand, y o u will usually
put a v e r b in the imparfait if it a n s w e r s the question 'What w a s going on w h e n s o m e t h i n g else h a p p e n e d ? '
Generally, the pass c o m p o s is used to relate events while the imparfait is used to describe w h a t w a s going on in
the past, states of being in the past, or past habits.
All this takes on special i m p o r t a n c e in narration of past actions, w h e n both t e n s e s often occur in the s a m e story.
Narrating a story entails both describing a setting (habitual actions, a t m o s p h e r e , places and people) a n d recounting
a plot or a series of events, actions, c h a n g e s of feelings or thoughts. In general, all stories have a well delineated
plot line of events, the f o r e g r o u n d , a n d a b a c k g r o u n d of supporting details and description. S o m e literary texts
might subvert this rule but this is out of a conscious effort to surprise or unsettle their reader.
i m p a r f a i t (set s c e n e )
pass c o m p o s ( e v e n t )
adverbs/pass
every day, e v e r y m o r n i n g
in general, usually
all of a s u d d e n , s u d d e n l y
right a w a y , i m m e d i a t e l y
always, often
rarement ...
rarely
then, next
compos
Usually, w h e n verbs like tre, avoir, pouvoir, vouloir, and savoir are in a past narration, t h e y will be in the
imparfait, since t h e y most likely describe a past state of being or c o n d i t i o n . H o w e v e r , w h e n these v e r b s (and
others like t h e m ) occur in the pass c o m p o s , t h e y indicate a c h a n g e of state or a c h a n g e of c o n d i t i o n .
C o m p a r e these e x a m p l e s :
Fort Worth.
Q u a n d j'ai eu 18 ans, j'ai dmnag
W h e n I t u r n e d 18, I m o v e d to Austin.
Austin.
T h e pass c o m p o s is also generally used for activities that lasted for a p r e c i s e l e n g t h of t i m e , with a definite
beginning and end. On the other hand, the imparfait is used for i n d e f i n i t e l e n g t h s of t i m e . Look at these
examples:
do)
definite p e r i o d of t i m e :
De 1997 1998,
Pendant un an,
T e x a t v e n d e u r de T-shirts.
indefinite p e r i o d of t i m e :
Avant,
Q u a n d il tait enfant,
T e x tait d a n s un c o u v e n t de Lyon.
A cette p o q u e - l ,
But ultimately it is the entire context that d e t e r m i n e s which of these t w o past t e n s e s to use a n d not a given adverb.
For e x a m p l e , in the s e n t e n c e s below, the s a m e adverb, un jour, is used with the imperfect or the pass c o m p o s
according to the context.
Un jour, T e x vendait des T-shirts Paris
expuls Tex.
Tex. (Event)
In the following story, note h o w the narration o p e n s with an e x t e n d e d description of Tex' early childhood in the
imparfait, which serves as e x p l a n a t o r y b a c k g r o u n d to the plot-line events in the pass c o m p o s .
Q u a n d T e x tait tout petit, il habitait d a n s
autoroutes!
Un jour, p e n d a n t une p r o m e n a d e , il s'est
planes. A s he w a s e x a m i n i n g a plane
more closely, a m a n abruptly took him
and t h r e w him inside with the b a g g a g e .
Eight hours later, the plane arrived in
Paris, w h e r e T e x w o u l d start his n e w
French life!
T e x spent the rest of his childhood in
F r a n c e . In f a c t , h e b e c a m e o n e
c e n t f r a n a i s . Q u a n d il tait a d o l e s c e n t , il
p e r c e n t F r e n c h . W h e n he w a s a n
se considrait c o m m e un d i s c i p l e d e
S a r t r e . Il ne connaissait rien a u b a s e b a l l
et dtestait t o u t ce qui tait a m r i c a i n .
M a i s e n 1 9 9 8 , t o u t d ' u n c o u p sa v i e a
chang q u a n d il a dcouvert q u e s e s
p a r e n t s taient ... a m r i c a i n s .
hundred
d i s c i p l e of S a r t r e . H e k n e w n o t h i n g a b o u t
b a s e b a l l a n d he d e t e s t e d e v e r y t h i n g
A m e r i c a n . B u t in 1 9 9 8 , all of a s u d d e n ,
his life c h a n g e d w h e n he d i s c o v e r e d t h a t
his p a r e n t s w e r e ... A m e r i c a n .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
page: tap 9
pi us-q ue-pa r fa it
1. formation
2. uses
formation
The pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) is formed with the auxiliary in the imparfait followed by the past participle of the
verb. The choice of auxiliary, tre or avoir, is the same as for the pass compos (the Alamo of tre applies).
Plus-que-parfait
= auxiliary
in the imparfait
+ past participle
49
of verb
had eaten
49
gone
The negation is formed in the usual manner by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the
auxiliary: Je n'avais pas mang (I had not eaten), Je n'tais pas all (I had not gone), etc.
uses
In past narration, the plus-que-parfait is used to express an action which precedes another past action or moment.
In other words, the action in the plus-que-parfait is prior to another past action or moment. In English the plus-queparfait is indicated by had + past participle. In affirmative sentences in French, it is often, but not always,
accompanied by the adverb dj (already).
49
dix pomes.
pomes Tammy.
Elle a ador les pomes innocents que Tex
Not all instances of had + past participle in English are translated into plus-que-parfait in French. For example, in
French depuis is usually used with the imperfect (not the pluperfect) and 'had just done something' is generally
translated by venir de in the imparfait.
49
tlphon.
49
publisher called.
Remember that the opposite of dj is the negative expression pas encore, just as 'already' is replaced by 'yet' in English.
Tex n'avait pas (encore ) fini son pome
In French and in English alike, the plus-que-parfait is also used to express wishes about the past, as in this example:
49
nouveau pome!
The plus-que-parfait is also commonly used in si clauses followed by the past conditional. For example:
Tex son diteur: Imbcile! Si vous ne
inspiration.
Editeur: Mon Dieu, si j'avais su combien les
comptable!
accountant!
3. J o e - B o b : Tex, tu
4. Les parents de T e x
5. P a w - P a w
6. Fiona: C o r e y et J o e - B o b , v o u s
7. A la rentre, T a m m y et Fiona
8. Ds 1990, T e x
9. T a m m y : T e x et moi, n o u s
10. Bette: Hier soir, j'
11. Trey, avant l'ge de 8 ans
12. Fiona
d e u x e x a m e n s au dbut du s e m e s t r e ? (rater)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tap 10
pass simple
The pass simple is a past tense reserved primarily for written discourse. It may, however, be used in very formal
spoken language, such as presidential addresses, sermons, or news broadcasting. It has traditionally been used only for
events completed in the distant, historical past; however, twentieth century writers sometimes use it for stylistic effect.
The pass simple will generally be translated into English by a preterit, that is, the simple past: 'I talked'. But like the
pass compos, the pass simple is used in French only to mention changes and events, while the imparfait remains the
tense used for describing the setting, the atmosphere, an ongoing state of mind, or the general situation.
-ai
-mes
-is
-mes
-as
-tes
-is
-tes
-a
-rent
-it
-i rent
do)
tu parl as
il / elle / on parla
do)
nous finmes
tu finis
vous fintes
il / elle / on finit
nous perdmes
tu perdis
vous perdtes
il / elle / on perdit
nous emes
tu eus
vous etes
il / elle / on eut
nous fmes
tu fus
vous ftes
il / elle / on fut
nous fmes
tu fis
vous ftes
il / elle / on fit
endings in -i-
endings in -u-
-is
-mes
-us
-mes
-is
-tes
-us
-tes
-it
-i rent
-ut
-urent
Irregular verbs generally have irregular stems for the pass simple. In some cases, the stems are the same as the past
participle of the verb. Stems of a few other verbs, marked with an *, are completely irregular (such as natre, mourir,
voir). The endings are regular, however, except for venir and tenir which have irregular plural forms.
infinitive
past participle
boire
bu
pass simple
je bus, tu bus, il but, nous bmes, vous btes, ils
burent
connatre
connu
croire
cru
devoir
dire
dit
crire
crit
falloir
fallu
lire
lu
mettre
mis
il fallut
je lus, tu lus, il lut, nous lmes, vous ltes, ils lurent
je mis, tu mis, il mit, nous mmes, vous mtes, ils
mi rent
mourir *
mort
natre *
ouvrir
ouvert
pleuvoir
plu
il plut
pouvoir
pu
prendre
pris
recevoir
reu
rire
ri
savoir
su
tenir *
tenu
venir *
venu
vivre
vcu
voir *
vu
vouloir
voulu
See the conjugation reference for the conjugation of other irregular verbs in the pass simple.
4>)
se coucher!
bed!
Houston, (natre)
en France, (vivre)
4. Paw-Paw: Nous
5. Paw-Paw: Nous
8. T a m m y
9. Tex: Je
12. Tex
page: tapri
1. formation
2. uses
Like the 'pass simple', the pass antrieur is a literary tense. They are often found together in the same text. The
pass antrieur is used in literature, in formal writing, and in very formal speeches, when speaking of past events which
are prior to other past actions; it is the literary equivalent of the plus-que-parfait. In other words, it is used for a past
action that was completed before another action in the past (usually expressed in the pass simple).
formation
The pass antrieur is formed with the pass simple of the appropriate auxiliary (avoir or tre) plus the past participle of
the main verb.
Pass antror
= auxiliary
+ past participle
49
of main
verb
spoken
49
For a list of verbs that use tre as an auxiliary, like aller, see the Alamo of tre. Remember that all pronominal verbs
require tre as the auxiliary verb.
to bed
uses
The pass antrieur occurs most often in subordinate clauses; it is introduced by conjunctions such as aprs (after),
aussitt que or dsque (as soon as). Note that, in this case, the main clause is always in the pass simple. The English
equivalent is usually (but not always) had + past participle.
pomes rotiques,
When he had published his first collection of
erotic poems,
With quand and lorsque (when), the choice of tense depends on the meaning of each clause, as to which action occurs
first. In the last example, Tex published his poems first (pass antrieur in the dependent clause) and then there was a
scandal. However, the pass antrieur may also occur in the main clause, and the pass simple in the dependent
clause: Quand il arriva au Texas, Tex eut dj fait la connaissance de T a m m y .
49
appeared ..."
au Texas, (voyager)
4. T e x : J'
5. Rita: N o u s
6. T e x : Rita et Trey, v o u s
7. Les parents de T e x
a m o u r e u x Houston. (tomber)
8. La mre suprieure
9. La mre suprieure
10. P a w - P a w
11. P a w - P a w
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
10 Dec 04
page: ta pri
present tense
The present tense indicates an action that is either actually occurring at the time of speaking, or a general truth, a socalled 'eternal verity.' The French present may be translated in three different ways in English depending on the intended
meaning.
Tex is drinking coffee. (right now, progressive action)
OR
While a French present tense utterance may be translated by three different English
sentences, the specific meaning is recoverable from context. In fact, French indicates the
different nuances of the English progressive, habitual, or emphatic forms by adding elements
to clarify the context.
Note the following examples:
Tex oublie toujours de prendre un bon petit
djeuner.
breakfast. (habit)
de la journe.
Tex: Oh, ma chrie, tu t'inquites trop.
ne compte pas!
In addition, the present tense is sometimes used in place of the past or future in informal narration:
La vie de Tex est toute une histoire ... En
a u x checs, (jouer)
le repas, (servir)
3. T a m m y : Je
4. J o e - B o b
un peu en t. (mincir)
souvent sa collection de noix, (perdre)
5. T a m m y : T e x et moi, n o u s
O p e l o u s a s . (s'amuser)
de l'arobique e n s e m b l e , (faire)
Jester? (aimer)
11. T a m m y : T e x , t u ne
12. Les e n f a n t s de Rita
j a m a i s la table! (mettre)
leurs j o u e t s partout, (laisser)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: ta pri
regular subjunctive
The subjunctive is one of four moods in French (indicative, imperative, subjunctive and conditional). A mood is a
grammatical term which helps categorize verb tenses. The subjunctive mood is used more frequently in French than in
English. It has two tenses: present and past. It expresses several concepts, such as a wish, hope, or doubt, as well as
an obligation or a necessity. One such expression which is always followed by the subjunctive is il faut que (it is
necessary that ...).
In the singular for - r e and -ir verbs, the subjunctive looks and sounds different from the present indicative since the
stem is different for the two moods. Listen:
4D
present indicative
present subjunctive
je finis
j'attends
Note that, for all conjugations, the third person plural of the present subjunctive always looks and sounds like the
present indicative since the stem for the subjunctive comes from the third person plural.
4D
present indicative
present subjunctive
ils parlent
ils finissent
ils attendent
dormir
to sleep
sortir
to go out
partir
to leave
lire
to read
... que je l i se
sourire
to smile
dire
to say
crire
to write
mettre
to put
connatre
to know
4>)
call P a w - P a w ?
chewing-gum!
Bien sr, il faut qu'on finisse avant midi. Le
Lunch is sacred!
to have a drink.
P a w - P a w . (crire)
m i e u x que T a m m y ! (aimer)
en vacances, (partir)
plus souvent, (appeler)
5. T e x : Il faut q u e v o u s
d a v a n t a g e , (travailler)
6. T a m m y : Il faut que T e x
moins, (sortir)
8. T a m m y : T e x prfre q u e je
le couvert, (mettre)
9. T a m m y : T e x veut que n o u s
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
The subjunctive is one of four moods in French (indicative, imperative, subjunctive and conditional). A mood is a
grammatical term which helps categorize verb tenses. The subjunctive is used more frequently in French than in English.
One important use of the subjunctive is after the expression il faut que, indicating necessity. The subjunctive also
expresses a feeling or emotion such as a wish, hope, or doubt.
For most verbs, the subjunctive mood is formed by dropping the -ent ending from the third person plural of the present
indicative and adding the endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. This is known as the regular formation of the subjunctive.
m
que je vienne
que tu viennes
In addition to venir, here is a list of the most frequent verbs with two stems in the subjunctive:
do)
nous, vous
que j' ai l l e
infinitive
que je boive
que je croi e
que je doive
que je meure
que je prenne
que je reoive
que je ti enne
que je voi e
que je veuille
que j'aie
que tu aies
que tu sois
Note the similarity of the subjunctive forms of the verbs tre and avoir to their respective imperative forms.
que tu fasses
infinitive
que je sache
que je puisse
Note the similarity between the subjunctive and imperative forms of the verb savoir. Listen to the dialogue:
do)
fils, Tex.
Tex.
D p c h e z - v o u s ! C o m m e j e l'ai dit . . . la
y o u to be happy. A n d a n o t h e r thing. A f t e r
c h e z P a w - P a w . (aller)
fidle T a m m y ! (devenir)
3. T e x : Il faut q u e n o u s
4. P a w - P a w : Il faut que T e x
moins, (boire)
5. T e x : Il faut q u e v o u s
la vrit. (savoir)
T a m m y : Il faut que T e x .
rflchir. (pouvoir)
C o r e y : Il faut que je
un psychiatre, (voir)
d e s enfants! (avoir)
. c o u r a g e u s e . (tre)
au restaurant. (aller)
le prix G o n c o u r t ! (recevoir)
n o u s voir! (venir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
D J z J j j J j j X j
page: tas3b
The subjunctive is required after impersonal expressions of necessity and obligation. A n impersonal expression is any
expression introduced by the impersonal pronoun il, usually translated into English by 'it'. One of the most frequent is il
faut que (it is necessary to). When the main clause uses il faut que, the verb of the dependent clause which follows must
be in the subjunctive. Note that there are always two different subjects in the two clauses.
Paw-Paw: Tex, il faut que tu choisisses le
vin.
Note that the expression il faut que is stronger and more emphatic than the verb 'devoir' (which is followed by an
infinitive): Tex doit choisir le vin (Tex must / is supposed to choose the wine).
Below are other common impersonal expressions of obligation and necessity. Note that they are all followed by the
conjunction que which introduces a subordinate clause with a verb in the subjunctive:
d'j)
I l
T'ACWfcTt
49
T *
U H TABUfift \
w o m e n do the cooking.
la cuisine.
Tex: Merci pour les conseils, PawPaw, mais
un g r a n d pote, (devenir)
la vrit, (savoir)
la vrit T a m m y . (dire)
4. P a w - P a w : Il est important q u e T e x
sa famille, (connatre)
6. T a m m y : Il est essentiel q u e m e s t u d i a n t s
7. Fiona : Il faut que n o u s
srieux, (tre)
8. T a m m y : T e x prfre q u e je
la cuisine. (faire)
9. T a m m y : Il faut que n o u s
plus s o u v e n t G r e g o r y G y m ! (aller)
m o i n s de ketchup! ( m a n g e r )
d e s v a c a n c e s en France! (passer)
bien. (s'entendre)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tas3b
The choice of mood indicates the speaker's degree of uncertainty: subjunctive implies the speaker doubts the existence
or possibility of what is being described; indicative implies the speaker believes or is certain that what is being described
is possible or does exist.
chez MacDo!
MacDonald's!
Edouard is at MacDonald's.
The following expressions imply certainty, so when they are used in affirmative statements, they are followed by the
indicative.
m
However, when these expressions are used in either the interrogative or the negative, doubt is introduced.
Consequently, in the subordinate clause, the subjunctive is used. On the other hand, when expressions of doubt are
negated, they indicate certainty and thus are followed by the indicative: Je ne doute pas qu'Edouard est un escargot
distingu (I do not doubt that Edouard is a distinguished snail = I am certain that ...)
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue and the indicative in orange.
49
femme de ta vie?
w o m a n of your life?
assez d'argent.
yet.
relative clauses
When relative clauses express uncertainty, they also trigger the use of the subjunctive. If the existence of the
antecedent, or referent, is not certain, then the subjunctive is used to highlight this uncertainty. On the other hand, if
the existence or possibility of the antecedent is likely and/or definite, then the doubt is removed and the indicative is
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue and the indicative in orange.
49
T a m m y : Y-a-t-
le convaincre?
convince him?
superlatives
T h e use of a superlative can influences the choice b e t w e e n the subjunctive a n d the indicative. T h e subjunctive is used
after superlative e x p r e s s i o n s that contain a s u b j e c t i v e opinion. O n the other hand, if the superlative e x p r e s s i o n
contains a fact or a c o m p l e t e l y o b j e c t i v e opinion, t h e n the indicative is used since the idea is devoid of any sort of
doubt.
T h e following list contains a g r o u p of c o m m o n e x p r e s s i o n s that are superlative-like in their use.
4j)
In the following dialogue, the subjunctive is highlighted in blue a n d the indicative in orange.
4>)
du mariage.
marriage.
excellent, (tre)
h o n n t e avec T a m m y . ( t r e )
quitter T a m m y . (vouloir)
4. Ne p e n s e z - v o u s pas que T a m m y
5. C o r e y est-il le seul cafard qui
un peu n a v e ? (tre)
le f r a n a i s ? ( c o m p r e n d r e )
m ' a i d e r ? (pouvoir)
d e s difficults, (avoir)
(tre) l ' A m a z o n e ?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tas4
Note however that esprer (to hope) is an exception and is followed by the indicative: 'Tex espre qu'Edouard prparera
du couscous ce soir' (Tex hopes that Edouard will prepare couscous this evening). Remember that when there is only
one subject, the conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive: 'Edouard ne veut pas faire la cuisine' (Edouard does not
want to cook).
emoti on
The subjunctive is used after expressions of emotion and opinion. Remember that the subjunctive is found in the
subordinate clause of sentences that contain a change of subject from the main clause to the subordinate clause. Here is
a list of common expressions of emotion with which the subjunctive is found in the subordinate clause:
do)
to be unhappy that
tre mal heureux(/se) que,
to be unhappy that
tre triste que, to be sad that
de l'immeuble de Tammy.
FiefrJA
U M
C f l A l M T
<au'N
P S T I C I K
M C T T C
t
C iM^eyQwe
ve
T m m i
Notice how there are two ways of translating these two sentences. Because the subjunctive is the tense for hypotheses
and potentialities, it sometimes has a future meaning. Only the context will determine if the action in the subjunctive
refers to the present or future time.
opinion
Here is a list of common impersonal expressions of opinion; there are many more such expressions since any adjective
may be used. Remember that impersonal expressions always have 'il' as the subject. These expressions are followed by
a dependent clause in the subjunctive.
4j)
one subject
If expressions of emotion or opinion have only one subject throughout the sentence, then the preposition de + infinitive
replaces que + subjunctive (See ways to avoid the subjunctive). Contrast the previous examples with these sentences:
m
amis.
venir.
vin californien.
a Californian wine.
w o u l d be better if w e o p e n e d a bottle of
B o r d e a u x or B u r g u n d y !
Bourgogne!
T e x : Ma chre T a m m y , j'ai bien peur que
of French wines!
rserve!
T a m m y : T u es s r ? Je suis t o n n e qu'il n'y
un vin californien.(choisir)
v r a i m e n t a m o u r e u x de T a m m y . ( t r e )
de l'Amdro sur le c a m p u s . ( a v o i r )
6. T r e y a envie que T a m m y
. du s k a t e - b o a r d avec lui.(faire)
9. T a m m y est surprise q u a n d T r e y
10. Rita exige que ses e n f a n t s
11. T r e y voudrait que T a m m y
12. Il est essentiel q u e les tudiants
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tas5
When the following conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause with a new subject, they always trigger the subjunctive.
Remember that the subjects of the subordinate clause and of the main clause are different. In the examples below, the
verb in the subjunctive is underlined.
conjunctions expressing intention: pour que, afin que, de sorte que (in order that, so that)
4>)
bonnes notes.
jalouse.
be jealous.
Tex se disputent.
Conjunctions expressing fear: de crainte que, de peur que (for fear that, lest)
d'S
soit blesse.
* ne is optional. It is sometimes added to certain subjunctive clauses for stylistic purposes, in these cases it does not
negate the verb.
conjunctions expressing time: avant que (before), en attendant que (while waiting for), jusqu' ce que (until)
d'S
se passe!
Tex prend un caf en attendant que Tammy
le rejoigne.
ive.
Conjunctions expressing obstacles or restrictions: bien que, quoi que (although), moins que (unless)
d'S
drague.
her.
de tout me dire.
everything.
childish at times.
choses.
things.
prt.
T a m m y veut bien patienter un peu pourvu
prt, (tre)
(comprendre)
. (voir)
8. T a m m y aime T e x puisqu'elle le
partout, (suivre)
tre r e m a r q u e ,
(vouloir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tas3b
past subjunctive
1. formation
2. uses
formation
The past subjunctive resembles the pass compos in that it is formed with the present subjunctive of the appropriate
auxiliary verb (avoir or tre) and the past participle of the main verb.
49
que tu aies ri
uses
The past subjunctive is normally used in dependent clauses that describe an action which precedes the action of the
main clause. The past subjunctive is introduced by the same kinds of clauses that introduce the present subjunctive (See
subjunctive of obligation, doubt, will, emotion, desire and conjunctions that take the subjunctive). Note the past tense
meaning of the event encoded in the past subjunctive. The present subjunctive, on the other hand, indicates a
simultaneous action or a future action. Compare these sentences (present subjunctive in orange, past subjunctive in
blue):
49
livre.
livre.
Note that the tense of the verb in the main clause in French does not predict the tense of the subjunctive in the
dependent clause. The choice between the present and past subjunctives depends on the chronological relationship
between the two clauses.
gagn la C o u p e du M o n d e en 98.
1998 W o r l d Cup.
g a m e b e c a u s e he had d r u n k too m u c h .
trop aim !
it t o o well!
la fac, il ne va j a m a i s en classe.(s'inscrire)
s a n s elle.(partir)
au T e x a s , il a grandi en France.(natre)
5. Bette doute q u e T e x .
l'amour a v e c T a m m y . ( f a i r e )
6. T e x s'tonne que T a m m y
7. Il est possible que C o r e y
8. Quel d o m m a g e qu'il
la C o u p e du M o n d e . ( g a g n e r )
Ricky Williams.(rencontrer)
. (se perdre).
hierl(pleuvoir)
.(visiter)
. Tammy.(tlphoner)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tas7
subjunctive s u m m a r y
WEDDINGS is a mnemonic device that can help you recall the main points
concerning the subjunctive. What are some of the essential components of
a wedding?
First, there are always two people who get married at a wedding. A n d just
like a wedding, the subjunctive requires two different subjects in two
different clauses.
Second, a ring is often used to symbolize the couple's union at a wedding.
And just like the ring, the subordinating conjunction que is essential in
joining together the two clauses.
Remember that there are also certain other conjunctions which always require the subjunctive.
And finally, the wedding party (the bride and groom and parents and friends) often run the gamut of emotions during the
marriage ceremony: doubt, happiness, sadness, desire. Similarly, the subjunctive is a mood that indicates a
speaker's attitude or opinion about the events expressed. The use of the subjunctive is often triggered by an expression
of emotion.
In summary, remember that a wedding always contains the following: two different people (subjects) joined by a
ring (que) in an e m o t i o n - l a d e n context! The different categories that describe the contexts for the subjunctive spell
out weddings:
WILL
EMOTION
DOUBT
mariage.
DESIRE
INTERROGATIVES
mariage?
Je n'ai pas l'impression que T a m m y soit la femme de ta
NEGATIVES
vie, Tex!
G E N E R A L STATEMENTS
Tex, mon cher, il faut que tu saches que la vie est courte.
SUPERLATIVES
un c o u r s intressant. (choisir)
heureux. (tre)
attendre avant le mariage. (falloir)
ma recette. (aimer)
te raser, Tex! (aller)
_ _ m ' p o u s e r . (vouloir)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: tas8
Although the subjunctive is commonly used in French, many alternative turns of phrase
are often used to avoid the subjunctive.
infinitive
subjunctive
Il est important que tu
wine.)
wine.)
Il est prfrable que tu sois
is preferable / better to be
polite.)
smoke so much.)
so much.)
conjunction +
preposition +
translation
subjunctive
infinitive
condition que
condition de
afin que
so that, in order to
afin de
moins que
unless
moins de
avant que
before
avant de
de crainte que
de crainte de
de peur que
de peur de
en attendant que
en attendant de
pour que
pour
sans que
without
sans
Using the infinitive involves a restatement of the content so there is only one grammatical subject in the sentence. For
example:
4>)
conjunction + subjunctive
preposition + infinitive
(2 subjects)
(1 subject)
harrassment!)
sexual harrassment!)
preposition + noun
pensive.)
pensive.)
subjunctive
marriage.)
me.)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: tavi
1. formation
2. uses
3. ways to avoid the passive
'Voice' refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. A sentence is said to be in the active
voice if the subject is performing the action of the verb. For example, 'Tex is calling Tammy.' In this sentence, the
subject (Tex) performs the action of calling Tammy. Active subjects are called 'agents'.
The passive voice, on the other hand, refers to a sentence in which the subject receives the action. In other words, the
subject is passive, or acted upon by the agent. For example: 'Tammy is being called by Tex.' In this sentence, Tammy
receives the action performed by Tex, the agent.
formation
= conjugated form of tre + past participle of main verb (+ par + agent)
Note that the past participle always agrees in number and gender with the
subject.
d'>)
The agent, when mentioned, is usually preceded by par. However, with the
verbs aimer, connatre, and respecter, the agent is introduced by de instead.
d'j)
uses
The passive voice places the focus on the object of the verb rather than the
subject:
do)
et Amour.
and Love.
Le livre Guerre et
Amour
enlevs!
abducted!
The passive voice is often used for inventions, laws, and, logically enough, for events that one falls victim to:
d'j)
4D
ambiante.
Les frites se mangent avec du ketchup.
Fill in the blank with the passive form of the verb between parentheses. Conjugate the verb in the tense given in
parentheses.
1. Tex : Ce p l a t .
2. T a m m y : Cette tarte
3. Tex : La danse country
4. Le r o m a n de T e x
5. T e x
6. Les p o m e s r o t i q u e s de T e x
. (censurer, P A S S E C O M P O S E )
7. T e x , J o e - B o b et E d o u a r d
8. T e x
9. T e x et T a m m y
10. Monsieur, le caf
! (prendre, P R E S E N T )
de m o n public? (aimer, F U T U R )
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page:
introduction to verbs
vi
past
tense
conjugation
in high school.
I am studying French
present
tense
conjugation
future
tense
conjugation
next y e a r overseas.
Here is the paradigm for the present tense of the French v e r b parler, 'to speak'.
parler
singular
plural
1st person
je parle (I s p e a k )
2nd person
tu parles (you s p e a k )
3rd person
speaks)
Regular French v e r b s fall into three classes based on the last t w o letters of the verb. Each class has a particular
pattern of conjugation. T h e s e classes of verbs are generally referred to as first conjugation, s e c o n d conjugation and
third conjugation.
first conjugation (-er verbs)
danser
to dance
regarder
to w a t c h
to finish
obir
to o b e y
to sell
entendre
to listen
parti ci pl es
A participle is a special v e r b form that is derived from the infinitive but is not conjugated. In other w o r d s , while
conjugations c o m e in p a r a d i g m s of six f o r m s according to six different persons, participles have only t w o f o r m s ,
n a m e d according to their uses: the present participle and the past participle.
A present participle in French e n d s in -ant and is f r e q u e n t l y used as an adjective. French present participles are
usually translated by the -ing form of the English verb. Note that the adjectival form of the present participle must
agree in n u m b e r and g e n d e r with the noun it modifies. In the e x a m p l e , the participle is m a d e to agree with the
plural noun (les a n i m a u x ) by adding - s .
Les tatous sont des a n i m a u x fascinants.
A past participle in French is used to form c o m p o u n d tenses, such as the 'pass compos'. A past participle can also
be used as an adjective in certain contexts. W h e n used as an adjective, the participle a g r e e s in n u m b e r and g e n d e r
with the noun it qualifies.
T e x a perdu une lettre d ' a m o u r de
Bette.
Et T a m m y a trouv la lettre perdue!
In the first e x a m p l e , the participle 'perdu' c o m b i n e s with the auxiliary v e r b to form the past tense of p e r d r e (to
lose). In the s e c o n d e x a m p l e , the participle is used as an adjective to m o d i f y the noun 'la lettre'. Note h o w the final
- e on the participle indicates a g r e e m e n t with the f e m i n i n e noun.
J o e - B o b listens to c o u n t r y music.
J o e - B o b a cout de la m u s i q u e
country.
M o d a l s a r e s p e c i a l a u x i l i a r y v e r b s t h a t e x p r e s s t h e a t t i t u d e of t h e s p e a k e r . In
s h o r t , m o d a l v e r b s a r e ' m o o d y v e r b s ' . For e x a m p l e , m o d a l v e r b s i n d i c a t e s u b t l e
s h a d e s of m e a n i n g c o n c e r n i n g s u c h t h i n g s a s t h e l i k e l i h o o d of a n e v e n t or t h e
m o r a l o b l i g a t i o n of a n e v e n t . T h e m o s t f r e q u e n t m o d a l v e r b s in E n g l i s h a r e t h e
f o l l o w i n g : s h o u l d , c o u l d , m a y , m i g h t , o u g h t to, m u s t .
N o t e h o w t h e f o l l o w i n g m o d a l v e r b s in F r e n c h a n d E n g l i s h c o n v e y a n a t t i t u d e of
increased urgency.
T e x peut q u i t t e r la F r a n c e .
T e x devrait q u i t t e r la F r a n c e !
T e x doit q u i t t e r la F r a n c e ! !
T e x (S) crit un p o m e ( D O ) .
T e x writes a poem.
Intransitive
T e x (S) sort.
T e x g o e s out.
G E T + particle
meaning
french
equivalent
to g e t a b o u t
to m o v e a r o u n d
se dplacer
to g e t b e t t e r
to r e c o v e r
se remettre
to g e t o u t
to l e a v e
sortir, descendre
to g e t up
to g e t o u t of b e d
se lever
In o r d e r to c o n v e y t h e d i f f e r e n c e s in m e a n i n g of t h e 'get + particle' c o n s t r u c t i o n s , n o t e h o w F r e n c h m a k e s u s e of
c o m p l e t e l y d i f f e r e n t v e r b s . A s a c o n s e q u e n c e , w h e n y o u t r a n s l a t e s u c h v e r b s f r o m E n g l i s h into F r e n c h , y o u m u s t
n e v e r t r a n s l a t e w o r d - f o r - w o r d (i.e. t r a n s l a t i n g t h e v e r b a n d p a r t i c l e s e p a r a t e l y ) . S i n c e t h e v e r b a n d p a r t i c l e 'go
t o g e t h e r ' in E n g l i s h , t h e y m u s t be t r a n s l a t e d a s a unit in F r e n c h .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated:
27 May 04
y f j i s i r X f i
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: verl
nous parlons
tu parles
vous parlez
il/elle/on parle
ils/elles parlent
past participle: parl
Listen carefully to the following sentences. Note that the pronunciation of each of the verbs is the same even though the
conjugations are spelled differently.
49
franais au Texas?
French in Texas?
habiter, to live
aimer, to like
jouer, to play
aimermieux, to prefer
montrer, to show
chanter, to sing
prsenter, tointroduce
regarder, to watch
danser, to dance
demander,to ask
rester, to stay,remain
tlphoner,to telephone
donner,to give
travailler, to work
couter, to listen to
trouver, to find
tudier, to study
Je changes to j' before a verb starting with a vowel or a silent h (ex. j'adore, j'habite). This
phenomenon is known as lision. Listen to the following sentences. Can you hear the lision
in the first two examples?
Tex: J'adore la musique rap et
j'coute souvent de la musique
dans les clubs.
Note also that the s in plural pronouns (nous, vous, and ils/elles) is usually silent except when it is followed by a verb
that begins with a vowel sound. In such a case the silent s is pronounced as a /z/ and links the pronoun to the verb. This
phenomenon is called liaison ('linking') and is very characteristic of French. Listen carefully to the sentences below.
Which sentences contain examples of liaison?
49
Paw-Paw!
Paw!
danser.
Tex: Oui, oui, c'est vrai.
Nous dansonsbeaucoup.
We dance a lot.
Austin, (habiter)
le franais, (tudier)
un peu. (chanter)
la musique franaise, (adorer)
5. Nous
au foot, (jouer)
6. Vous
? (aimer)
9. Joe-Bob
de la guitare, (jouer)
du piano? (jouer)
son ami Corey, (chercher)
la tlvision, (regarder)
listening comprehension
Listen to the following sentences and decide if they refer to Tex (singular), Tex and Tammy (plural) -- or if it's
impossible to tell. Hint: Pay close attention to liaison between subject pronoun and verb.
49
i.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
49
2.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
49
3.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
49
4.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
49
5.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
49
6.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
49
7.
Tex
Tex et Tammy
impossible distinguer
8.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
impossible distinguer
do)
9.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
impossible distinguer
do)
10.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
impossible distinguer
do)
11.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
impossible distinguer
do)
12.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
impossible distinguer
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
Spelling changes occur in the stems of several groups of -er verbs in the present tense. These spelling changes reflect
the pronunciation of the present tense forms.
You may have already noticed the spelling change in the verb s'appeler (Je m'appelle ..., My name is ...). For verbs like
appeler (to call), rappeler (to call back) and jeter (to throw), the consonant -l or -t in the the stem doubles in all forms of
the present tense, except in the first and second person plural (nous and vous). This follows the traditional boot pattern
of -er verb conjugations in the present tense.
nous appelons
tu appelles
vous appelez
il/elle/on appelle
ils/elles appellent
past participle : appel
This same "boot" pattern is repeated in spelling change verbs like prfrer (to prefer). In these verbs the in the last
syllable of the stem changes to an , except in the first and second person plural (nous and vous). Listen carefully to the
different pronunciations of and in the conjugations below.
nous prfrons
tu prfres
vous prfrez
il/elle/on prfre
ils/elles prfrent
past participle : prfr
considrer, to consider
esprer, to hope
rgler, to regulate, pay, settle, adjust
rpter,to repeat
scher, to dry, skip (a class)
In verbs which are conjugated like acheter (to buy), the e in the last syllable of the stem also changes to an , again
with the exception of the first and second person plural forms.
nous achetons
tu achtes
vous achetez
il/elle/on achte
ils/elles achtent
past participle : achet
Another group of stem-changing verbs include those ending in -ayer, including essayer (to try) and payer (to pay). In
these verbs the y changes to i in all persons except the first and second person plural (nous and vous).
49
nous essayons
tu essaies
vous essayez
il/elle/on essaie
ils/elles essaient
past participle : essay
Finally, verbs ending in -ger like voyager (to travel) add an e after the g in the nous form of the present tense, so that
the g is pronounced as a soft sound before the -ons ending (i.e. nous voyageons). Similarly, in verbs ending in -cer,
commencer (to start), for example, the c in the nous form changes to to keep the soft c sound (nous commenons).
49
nous voyageons
tu voyages
vous voyagez
il/elle/on voyage
ils/elles voyagent
past participle: voyag
49
corriger, to correct
exiger, to demand, require
manger, to eat
nager, to swim
partager, to share
ranger, to tidy up, arrange
rdiger, to write, compose
songer, to dream, reflect
49
en t?
summer?
mangeons de la glace.
cream.
2. T a m m y ,
3. J o e - B o b : C o r e y et moi, n o u s
4. T e x : M o n amie
T a m m y . (s'appeler)
5. J o e - B o b
6. T a m m y
b e a u c o u p au mail, (acheter)
a u M e x i q u e en t. (voyager)
8. J o e - B o b et C o r e y
9. T e x : J'
a d o r e r le franais, ( c o m m e n c e r )
B a r t o n Springs, (nager)
T a m m y au c i n m a ce soir, ( a m e n e r )
10. T a m m y : T e x et moi, n o u s
un ordinateur, (partager)
de parler f r a n a i s ? (essayer)
1. Edouard, tu
do)
2. II
Tex.
cio)
3. T u
. d ' a p p r e n d r e le f r a n a i s ?
No)
4. N o u s
do)
5. T e x
do)
6. T e x ne
do)
7. E s t - c e que n o u s
do)
8.
Joe-Bob
do)
9.
Vous
Tammy
les b a g u e t t e s ou le W o n d e r b r e a d ?
souvent.
t o u j o u r s ses q u e s t i o n s a u x tudiants.
pas de cuisine de grenouilles.
notre c h a m b r e ?
ses devoirs la poubelle.
_ la cuisine franaise, n'est-ce p a s ?
un g t e a u pour T e x .
d<D
10.
d'))
11. C o r e y et J o e - B o b
do)
12. N o u s
un d r a p e a u t e x a n pour T e x .
l'avenir.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
P 9
'
1. weather expressions
2. falloir (il faut ...)
3. impersonal expressions with 'tre'
4. other common impersonal expressions
The impersonal pronoun il ('it') is used in French when an action has no agent, that is, when
there is no person or animate being responsible for the action. The conjugated verb is always in
the third person singular, no matter what tense the impersonal verb takes.
d'S
The action of the verb (pleut, 'is raining') is an impersonal, natural force. The impersonal
pronoun il is often referred to as a 'dummy subject' because it fills the syntactic position of
subject but doesn't have any real meaning.
weather expressions
Weather expressions in both French and English require impersonal subjects. The infinitive of 'weather verbs' can only be
conjugated in the third person singular form (the il form).
pleuvoir, to rain
Il pleut.
It's raining.
neiger, to snow
Il neige.
It's snowing
grler, to sleet
Il grle.
It's sleeting.
geler, to freeze
Il gle.
It's freezing
bruiner, to drizzle
Il bruine.
It's drizzling
Weather conditions are also expressed in French using the verb faire followed by an adjective or noun. Of course, when
the verb faire is used impersonally in such weather expressions, it can only be conjugated in the third person singular
form (il fait). See faire expressions for a more complete list of weather expressions.
4>)
Il fait chaud.
It's hot.
Il fait du vent.
It's windy.
Il fait beau.
It's beautiful.
l'intrt du scandale
Lewinsky.
T a m m y (shocked):
T a m m y (scandalise):
(a) Il faut que nous sachions
la vrit.
[indirect object +
We need evidence.
faut]
(c) Il faut une enqute.
[faut + noun]
A n investigation is necessary.
s'est pass!
happened!
[faut + infinitive]
+ de +
[Infinitive]
journaux amricains!
newspapers!
T a m m y : Il est difficile de
T a m m y : It is difficult to understand
T a m m y : Il est 18 h. Regardons
le journal tlvis. Il y a un
report on infidelity.
trs chaud.
3. T a m m y : J'aime quand
4. Edouard : Les escargots et les canards aiment l'eau. Ils aiment quand
5. T a m m y : Quand
6. T a m m y : Quand
9. T a m m y : A UT,
environ 50 0 0 0 tudiants.
dj 8 heures!
difficile de c o m p r e n d r e T e x .
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
y f j i s i r X f i
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page:
infinitive constructions
vinfl
1. as a noun
2. as an imperative
3. after verbs
4. negation of infinitives
5. past infinitive constructions
The infinitive expresses the idea or concept of a verb's meaning, without specifying a
specific subject or point in time (tense). In most cases, use of the infinitive in French
corresponds to the English. Infinitive constructions may be categorized according to
the following uses:
as a noun
The infinitive may sometimes function as a noun. For example, it may be the subject
of a sentence. Note that the French infinitive is often translated as a gerund (the 'ing' form of the verb) in English.
4>)
facile!
easy!
as an imperative (command)
The infinitive may be used to give a written order when there is no specific addressee. You will often see this form on
signs.
4>)
after verbs
The infinitive is often used directly after these conjugated verbs:
Verbs of movement: (In this category, the
Verbs of preference:
Verbs of opinion:
Verbs of perception:
Verbs of ability, obligation and necessity:
franais.
demandent de choisir un
sans couter T a m m y .
par
impossible.
impossible.
Note that the preposition en is followed by a present participle, not the infinitive. (En sortant, Joe-Bob a dit au revoir. On
leaving, Joe-Bob said good-bye.)
The infinitive may be used to complete the sense of an adjective or a pronoun. Generally infinitives following a noun or
adjective are preceded by the preposition de. (Edouard ne serait pas content de manger un hamburger. Edouard would
not be happy to eat a hamburger.) However, adjectives and nouns are followed by the preposition + infinitive to
indicate a passive sense or a function: C'est bon manger. (It's good to eat.), une salle manger (dining room), de
l'eau boire (drinking water).
aider , to help to
hsiter , to hesitate to
apprendre , to learn to
inviter , to invite to
se mettre , to start to
s'attendre , to expect to
se prparer , to prepare to
renoncer , to give up
commencer , to start to
russir , to succeed at
encourager , to encourage to
rver de to dream of
des hamburgers!
hamburgers!
negation of infinitives
Ne pas, ne plus, ne rien, or ne jamais are placed side by side before the infinitive to make it negative. Ne personne,
however, straddles the verb.
4>)
disputer.
Tex promet de ne se battre avec personne.
Pas is sometimes omitted in the negative with an infinitive after the verbs savoir, pouvoir, oser and cesser.
4>)
et T a m m y n'ose parler.
t h e y c h o o s e a French restaurant.
C o r e y c o m m a n d e n t d e s h a m b u r g e r s . Ils
a n d C o r e y order h a m b u r g e r s . T h e y are
sont ttus!
stubborn!
a u caf, (going)
3. Prire de
Serge G a i n s b o u r g . (singing)
6. T r e y espre
un h o r s - d ' o e u v r e , (ordering)
. (ordering)
un m o r c e a u de gteau, (having)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: vinfl
Verbs with infinitives ending in -ir form a second group of regular verbs in French, often called 'second conjugation'
verbs. To conjugate these verbs, drop the -ir from the infinitive and add the second conjugation present tense endings:
is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. The singular and plural forms of the third person are clearly distinguishable (finit
vs.finissent ). Listen to the difference.
m
je finis
nous finissons
tu finis
vous finissez
il/elle/on finit
ils/elles finissent
past participle : fini
choisir, to choose
tablir, to establish
(someone)
grossir, to gain weight
ragir, to react
vieillir, to grow old
Not all verbs ending in -ir follow this pattern,however. Irregular -ir
verbs include ouvrir, partir, sortir, and dormir.
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the verbs in the following
dialogue. In particular, note the difference in the pronunciation of
one s (pronounced as /z/) and two ss (pronounced as /s/) in the
verb 'choisir.'
4D
beaucoup, (rflchir)
2. Les e n f a n t s de Rita
3. T a m m y : Je
. (grandir)
en hiver, (grossir)
4. C o r e y : Je
5. Les e n f a n t s de Rita: N o u s
6. J o e - B o b et C o r e y
7. Fiona, tu
8. Bette
trop! (rflchir)
parce qu'elle m a n g e peu. (maigrir)
9. T e x ne
pas P a w - P a w . (obir)
pas. (maigrir)
12. Fiona et T a m m y , v o u s
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T e x (singular) or J o e - B o b and C o r e y (plural).
49
1.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
2.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
3.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
4.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
5.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
6.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
7.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
8.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
9.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
10.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
11.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
49
12.
Tex
J o e - B o b et C o r e y
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
i f J ^ j J s i s J
- D J Z J J J J j i X S
page: vir2
A very limited group of verbs with infinitives ending in -ir are irregular, that is, they do not follow the pattern of regular
ir verbs like finir. Verbs like ouvrir are conjugated instead like regular -er verbs.
49
nous ouvrons
tu ouvres
vous ouvrez
il/elle/on ouvre
ils/elles ouvrent
past participle: ouvert
49
dcouvrir, to discover
offrir, to offer, to give (a gift)
souffrir, to suffer
49
Tex!
Tex!
2. T a m m y : T u
3. T a m m y
4. Fiona et Corey
la culture franaise.
2. Bette
3. N o u s
d'une miaraine.
la porte pour T a m m y .
le m o n d e de T e x .
ton cadeau, Tex!
ses e n f a n t s q u a n d il fait froid.
la fentre.
une bouteille de c h a m p a a e ?
du chocolat?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
page: vir3
The verbs partir, sortir, and dormir are irregular in the present tense, that is, they are not conjugated like regular -ir
verbs. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of these verbs, noting especially the pronunciation of the consonant sound in
the plural forms. Can you hear the difference between the singular and the plural forms in the third person?
nous partons
tu pars
vous partez
il/elle/on part
ils/elles partent
past participle : parti
do)
nous sortons
tu sors
vous sortez
il/elle/on sort
ils/elles sortent
past participle : sorti
do)
nous dormons
tu dors
vous dormez
il/elle/on dort
ils/elles dorment
past participle :dormi
do)
de la cuisine cadienne.
pour dormir.
sleep.
3. Bette et T a m m y aiment
4. C o r e y ne
5. J o e - B o b , est-ce que tu
ce w e e k - e n d ? (partir)
ce s o i r ? (sortir)
7. J o s h et T e x
8. T a m m y : Je
b e a u c o u p a p r s un e x a m e n , (dormir)
9. T a m m y et T e x : Nous
12. J o e - B o b et C o r e y ne
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T a m m y (singular) or T a m m y and Bette (plural).
m
1.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
2.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
3.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
4.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
5.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
6.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
7.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
No)
8.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
9.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
10.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
11.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
12.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
The verb tre is an irregular verb in the present tense. Listen carefully to its forms in the present. Do you hear the
liaison or linking in the pronunciation of the -s in the vous f o r m ? It is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel in
'I am'
nous sommes
'you are'
vous tes
ils/elles sont
'we are'
'you are'
'they are'
past participle: t
4>)
tatou!
armadillo!
tatous.
armadillos.
snail.
C'est (plural Ce sont) is a common expression used to describe and introduce people or things. See c'est vs. il/elle est for
more information. Etre is also used as an auxiliary in compound tenses (pass compos with tre, pass compos of
pronominal verbs, plus-que-parfait, etc.)
un escargot franais.
2. Tex et T a m m y
des tatous.
pas franais.
5. Joe-Bob demande: Tu
amricain?
6. T e x , v o u s
professeur?
7. J o e - B o b : T u
8. T e x : Je
d'o?
intelligent.
9. J o e - B o b et Corey, v o u s n'
10. J o e - B o b et C o r e y
11. J o e - B o b
pas d e s dentistes!
amricains.
de College Station.
12. Rita: Je ne
pas coiffeuse.
4j)
4j)
4))
4j)
4j)
1.
professeur.
2.
tudiants.
3.
trs intelligents.
4.
tudiante.
5.
franais?
6.
du T e x a s ?
7.
d'o?
8.
de Dallas.
9.
franais?
10.
amricaines.
11-
active, n'est-ce p a s ?
12.
trs contents.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
y f j i s i r X f i
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page: virrlO
avoir t o have'
The verb avoir is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the -s in the plural pronouns
nous, vous, and ils/elles. This -s is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel sound in the plural forms of avoir. This
liaison, or linking, is especially important in distinguishing ilsont (they have) from the third person plural of tre ilssont
(they are).
nousavons
tu as
vousavez
il/elle/on a
ils/elles ont
past participle: eu
Avoir is also used as an auxiliary in compound tenses (pass compos with avoir, plus-que-parfait, futur antrieur, etc.)
Besides ownership, the verb avoir expresses age in French, unlike the English equivalent, which uses the verb 'to be.'
d'S
soeurs?
sisters?
frre.
brother.
Quel ge ont-ils?
2. Tex et T a m m y
beaucoup d'amis.
-tu?
26 ans.
6. T a m m y : Tex, nous
7. Tex
8. Joe-Bob et Corey
une tlvision?
de la chance ('luck').
beaucoup de devoirs.
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T e x (singular) or T e x a n d T a m m y (plural).
i.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
2.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
3.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
4.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
5.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
6.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
7.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
8.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
9.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
10.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
11.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
do)
12.
Tex
T e x et T a m m y
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
avoir expressions
Avoir is used in the impersonal expression ily a, which means either 'there is' or 'there are.' Il y a is used to express the
existence of a person or a thing, or to make a list or inventory of persons or things. The indefinite article (un, une, des)
is usually used with il y a.
4>)
The negative of il y a is il n'y a pas. The indefinite article (un une, des) becomes de or d' after this negative expression.
This corresponds to the English word 'any.'
4>)
anciens,
ancient monuments,
Texas Austin.
Avoir is used in many idiomatic expressions. Note that the English translation often uses the verb 'to be' rather than 'to
have.'
avoi r besoi n de
avoir envie de
to need
to want (to do something), to feel like
(doing something)
avoir l'intention de
avoi r fai m
to be hungry
avoir soif
to be thirsty
avoi r chaud
to be hot
avoi r froi d
to be cold
to be ashamed (of)
avoir raison
to be right
avoi r tort
to be wrong
avoi r sommei l
to be sleepy
sandwich.
a sandwich.
un e x a m e n d e m a i n . J'ai envie de v o u s
cafe.
caf.
Bette: T u as raison,Tammy. Toi, tu as besoin
m a n g e r . Ciao. Miau.
Meow.
Joe-Bob
. (a c h a u d / a froid)
la tte, (ont soif/ont mal)
. (a s o m m e i l / a raison)
de l'eau, (a peur/a s o m m e i l )
. (a c h a u d / a raison)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
The verb aller is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the -s in the plural forms nous
andvous forms. This -s is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel sound in the plural forms allons and allez.
Clo)
nous allons
tu vas
vous allez
il/elle/on va
ils/elles vont
past participle : all
Aller literally means 'to go', but is used figuratively in salutations to say how one is doing.
vraiment horrible!
horrible.
today?
Aller is also used to talk about the near future, what one is 'going to do.
-vous?
au restaurant ce soir?
souvent Wal-Mart?
pas en c l a s s e ?
pas bien.
s o u v e n t au caf Q u a c k e n b u s h ' s .
9. T a m m y : O n
au c i n m a ce s o i r ?
10. J o e - B o b : Salut, T a m m y , c o m m e n t
11. T e x : Je ne
-tu?
j a m a i s M a c D o ('MacDonald's')!
c h e z P a w - P a w en Louisiane.
4j)
4D
1.
t o u j o u r s en classe.
2.
au caf.
3.
la bibliothque.
4.
au restaurant ce w e e k - e n d .
5.
bien?
6. C o m m e n t
4D
7.
bien, merci.
8.
Dallas.
9. O est-ce que
4j)
10.
la fte ce s o i r ?
11.
au c i n m a .
12.
en classe.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
nous faisons
tu fais
vous faites
il/elle/on fait
ils/elles font
past participle : fait
Note the vous form faites. It is unusual because it does not end in -ez. Faire is one of only three verbs where this is the
case (The others are tre : vous tes, and dire : vous dites ). You may notice, too, the similarity in the third person plural
forms of aller, tre, and faire:
d'S
everybody doing?
absolument rien.
Faire is used in many expressions, including weather, sports, and household tasks.
\1
Ue\
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with the correct form of faire.
1. Tex ne
pas de sport.
2. T a m m y et Bette, elles
_ _ tes devoirs?
rien!
une promenade?
du ski nautique au lac Travis.
de la planche voile!
des randonnes.
pas ses devoirs!
du ski?
UT?
du vlo.
1.
du vlo.
do)
2.
des p r o m e n a d e s T o w n Lake.
do)
3. Q u ' e s t - c e que
do)
4. E s t - c e que
do)
5.
de la planche voile.
do)
6.
du ski.
do)
7.
des r a n d o n n e s .
do)
8.
t o u j o u r s nos devoirs.
do)
9.
du s p o r t ?
?
t o u j o u r s tes d e v o i r s ?
do)
do)
11.
de la voile.
do)
12.
du ski nautique.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
faire expressions
The verb faire is used in many impersonal weather expressions.
Quel temps fait-il? What's the weather like?
Il fait beau. It's beautiful.
Il fait chaud. It's hot.
Il fait du brouillard. It's foggy.
Il fait du soleil. It's sunny.
Il fait du vent. It's windy.
Il fait frais. It's cool.
Il fait froid. It's cold.
Il fait mauvais. It's bad.
Faire is also used to talk about sports and leisure activities. Here is a list of common expressions.
do)
d1')
et T a m m y font une
park.
p r o m e n a d e d a n s le parc.
Q u a n d il fait mauvais, T e x
fait le m n a g e et T a m m y
T e x d o e s the h o u s e w o r k
fait de la lecture.
a n d T a m m y reads.
ft M
il
Te*
er
m r TU
Tn^Mt
3. A u dsert, C o r e y et J o e - B o b
4. Fiona: T a m m y , est-ce que tu
. (faisons du v l o / f a i s o n s le lit)
. (fait chaud/fait m a u v a i s )
. (fait frais/pleut)
. (fait chaud/fait froid)
. (fait du v e n t / n e i g e )
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
causative faire
The causative faire construction (faire + infinitif) indicates that the subject 'causes' an action to be done by someone or
something else. Contrast the following sentences:
4>)
In causative constructions the verb faire may be conjugated in any tense, for example the periphrastic future (futur
proche) or the pass compos (Tex va faire rparer sa voiture. Tex a fait rparer sa voiture. etc.)
pronouns
Object pronouns precede faire, except in the affirmative imperative. Note the position of the pronouns in the following
examples.
4>)
ses parents.
of her parents.
T e x : M y parents w e r e killed
by a truck. (They got
t h e m s e l v e s run over by a
truck.)
Note that the past participle fait is a l w a y s invariable in the causative construction.
une m a i s o n la c a m p a g n e , (faire c o n s t r u i r e - p r e s e n t )
2. T e x
3. Rita
la c h a m b r e a u x enfants, (faire r a n g e r - p a s s c o m p o s )
4. N o u s
5. Rita et ses e n f a n t s
6. Bette et T a m m y ,
10. T a m m y
d e s c h a n s o n s a c a d i e n n e s P a w - P a w . (faire chanter-future)
. (faire v e n i r - p r e s e n t )
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
The verb venir is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the third person singular (vient)
and the third person plural (viennent). Can you hear the difference? The vowel is nasal in the singular, but not in the
plural.
nous venons
tu viens
vous venez
il/elle/on vient
ils/elles viennent
past participle : venu
devenir, to become
revenir, to come back
tenir, to hold, keep
tenir , to value, care about, (+ infinitive, to be anxious to)
devi ens?
Bette: A party ..
sociable. Miaow
de Louisiane, (venir)
2. Tex et Edouard
de France? (venir)
3. T a m m y , tu
d'o? (venir)
4. Joe-Bob: Je
? (devenir)
psychologue, (devenir)
. de H.E.B. (revenir)
10. J o e - B o b et C o r e y ne
11. T o u t le m o n d e
12. T a m m y : T e x , tu
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T e x (singular) or C o r e y a n d J o e - B o b (plural).
i.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
Hi
2.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
49
3.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
4.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
5.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
6.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
7.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
8.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
9.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
10.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
11.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
do)
12.
Tex
C o r e y et Joe -Bob
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
boire, croire, v o i r
The irregular verbs boire, croire, and voir have similar conjugations. Listen carefully to their forms in the present tense.
nous buvons
tu bois
vous buvez
il/elle/on boit
ils/elles boivent
past participle : bu
do)
nous croyons
tu crois
vous croyez
il/elle/on croit
ils/elles croient
past participle : cru
do)
nous voyons
tu vois
vous voyez
il/elle/on voit
ils/elles voient
past participle : vu
do)
crever!
1. Joe Bob et C o r e y
2. T e x
b e a u c o u p de bire. Cboirel
5. Fiona ne
i a m a i s d'alcool. Cboirel
6. E d o u a r d et T e x
7. V o u s
T e x et T a m m y d a n s e r ? (voir)
8. T e x , est-ce que tu
9. T u
10. A UT o n
pas! f c r o i r e l
du caf? Cboirel
que Fiona a i m e C o r e y ? ( c r o i r e l
d e s t a t o u s qui parlent franais, (voir)
11. Bette et T a m m y , v o u s
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
y f j i s i r X f i
^JjLrtjJiwJsXr'
page:
The irregular verbs savoir and connatre both mean 'to know. Listen first to the pronunciation of their forms in the
present.
nous savons
tu sais
vous savez
il/elle/on sait
ils/elles savent
past participle : su
cio)
nous connaissons
tu connais
vous connaissez
il/elle/on connat
ils/elles connaissent
past participle : connu
do)
pas.
understand.
Texas.
of Texas is located.
they think.
virrlO
cuisiner, (savoir)
2. J o e - B o b
3. J o e - B o b d e m a n d e T e x : E s t - c e que t u
4. Bette d e m a n d e Fiona: T u
5. T a m m y et Bette
o habite le g r a n d - p r e de T e x ? (savoir)
T e x . (connatre)
6. T e x et E d o u a r d
7. J o e - B o b et Corey: N o u s
8. E d o u a r d et T e x : M a l h e u r e u s e m e n t , n o u s
9. Fiona: Est-ce que v o u s
si C o r e y est m a l a d e ? (savoir)
10. E d o u a r d : V o u s ne
11. J o e - B o b : Je ne
12. T a m m y : Je
T e x et T a m m y .
2. Je ne
pas si T e x va v e n i r la fte.
3. T e x , est-ce qu'il
4. J o e - B o b ne
son g r a n d - p r e ?
pas o se trouve Paris.
parler f r a n a i s ?
6. T a m m y , est-ce q u e tu
Rita, la s o e u r de T e x ?
7. N o u s
T e x et ses amis.
8. N o u s
cuisiner?
pas Paris.
faire du s k i ?
12. E s t - c e que v o u s
Opelousas?
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
p g
'
The irregular verbs dire, lire, and crire have similar conjugations. Listen carefully to the forms of these verbs in the
present tense.
nous disons
tu dis
vous dites
il/elle/on dit
ils/elles disent
past participle : dit
You may have already seen the verb dire in phrases like Comment dit-on ... ? (How do you say ... ?) and Qu'est-ce que a
veutdire? (What does that mean?) Diremeans 'to say' (to say something or to tell someone something) while parler
means 'to speak' (to speak to someone about something, or to speak a language). Dire is often used to start a phrase or
to get someone's attention (Dis,Tex, tu viens ?, Hey, Tex, are you coming?).
Note the vous form dites. It is unusual because it does not end in -ez. Dire is one of only three verbs where this is the
case (The others are tre: vous tes, and faire: vous faites).
The verb conduire (to drive) is conjugated like dire (je conduis, tu conduis, etc.) except that its past participle is
conduit.
49
nous lisons
tu lis
vous lisez
il/elle/on lit
ils/elles lisent
past participle : lu
49
nous crivons
tu cris
vous crivez
il/elle/on crit
ils/elles crivent
past participle : crit
Other verbs conjugated like crire include dcrire (to describe) and s'inscrire (to register).
49
que tu lis?
you reading?
T a m m y : You know
rotiques.
erotic novels.
le Daily T e x a n ? (lire)
2. Q u ' e s t - c e que v o u s
3. Bette
? (dire)
sa famille T e x . (dcrire)
4. E d o u a r d
un j o u r n a l parisien, (lire)
5. J o e - B o b et C o r e y ne
rien, (lire)
6. Bette et T a m m y
a u revoir T e x . (dire)
7. T e x et moi, n o u s
8. Je
9. J o e - B o b
mal. (conduire)
? (lire)
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T a m m y (singular) or T a m m y and Bette (plural). Hint:
Pay close attention to verb f o r m as well as liaison b e t w e e n subject p r o n o u n a n d verb.
i.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
Cl'
2.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
cio)
3.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
Cio)
4.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
5.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
6.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
7.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
8.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
9.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
10.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
11.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
do)
12.
Tammy
T a m m y et Bette
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: virrlO
The verbs partir, sortir, quitter and laisser all mean 'to leave' in English, but they have distinguishing nuances and uses
in French. A n important distinction among these verbs is the idea of transitivity. Partir and sortir are intransitive in
this context; they do not take a direct object (but may be followed by a prepositional phrase). On the other hand, quitter
and laisser are transitive; they take a direct object in a sentence.
partir
Partir is an irregular -ir verb that conveys the particular meaning of 'leaving with the intention of going somewhere.' It is
often followed by the preposition pour.
sorti r
Sortir is an irregular -ir verb that conveys the particular meaning of 'going out or to exit from an enclosed space.' It is
often followed by the preposition de.
Bette: Je vais sortir ce soir.
porte.
the door.
quitter
Quitter is a regular -er verb that is used when 'leaving someone or someplace.'
4>)
matin.
morning.
Note that quitter is a transitive verb, that is, it always takes a direct object: son mari or la maison in the examples
above. Sortir is usually intransitive (no object), and needs the preposition de to express the idea of leaving from
somewhere.
laisser
Laisser is a regular - e r verb that m e a n s 'to leave s o m e t h i n g or s o m e o n e behind.'
4>)
partout.
Et toi, bon rien, laisse-moi tranquille.
A n d you, g o o d - f o r - n o t h i n g , leave me
T a m m y fait un c a u c h e m a r :
T a m m y has a n i g h t m a r e :
T e x : T a m m y , j e pars m a i n t e n a n t pour la
T a m m y : T u me quittes m o n chri?
T a m m y : Mais non!
T a m m y : B u t , no!
Fill in the blank w i t h the correct f o r m of 'quitter', 'partir', 'sortir' or 'laisser'. Use either the infinitive, the present
tense, the imperative or the past participle.
1. Rita son mari: '
! Je ne t'aime plus.'
-moi seule.'
3. T e x tait triste de
4. T e x
la France.
s o u v e n t avec T a m m y .
5. C o r e y ne
j a m a i s de sa c h a m b r e p e n d a n t la j o u r n e .
6. T e x et ses a m i s
7. J o e - B o b
pour O p e l o u s a s .
souvent ses devoirs la maison.
8. O n se d e m a n d e si Rita va
9. T e x T r e y : 'O a s - t u
10. Les parents de T e x ont
11. Les chattes
son mari.
mon monuscrit?
_ cette vie aprs un accident sur l'autoroute.
la nuit.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: vml
Vouloir, pouvoir and devoir are called modal verbs. When used with
infinitives, they act as auxiliary verbs or semi-auxiliaries.
vouloir
Vouloir expresses a strong will or desire; in the present tense it has the
same feeling as a command. It is an irregular verb in the present tense.
Note how the present tense forms a "boot"; the stems (in this case the
vowels) change only in the nous and vous forms.
nous voulons
tu veux
vous voulez
il/elle/on veut
ils/elles veulent
past participle: voulu
Vouloir may be followed by an infinitive or a noun (Je veux du calme, I want some quiet. Je veux dormir, I want to
sleep). This verb is also often paired with the adverb bien to express the meaning "to be willing"(Je veux bien! ).
pouvoi r
Pouvoir expresses the physical ability or permission to do something ie possibility. It is also an irregular verb with
formation similar to vouloir. The "boot" formation is also evident.
nous pouvons
tu peux
vous pouvez
il/elle/on peut
ils/elles peuvent
past participle: pu
devoi r
Devoir expresses obligation, probability and supposition but if followed by a noun, expresses the idea "to owe". This verb
is irregular in its present form. Once again, the "boot" formation is seen with this verb; the stem changes in the 1st and
2nd person plural conjugations.
nousdevons
i
dois
devez
il/elle/ondoit
ils/ellesdoivent
past participle:d
Devoir m a y be f o l l o w e d by an infinitive or m a y stand alone to have the m e a n i n g "to have to" (Je doispartir, I must
leave.) W h e n f o l l o w e d by a noun, devoir m e a n s "to o w e " (Je dois lOdollars).
All three v e r b s are often f o u n d in the conditional in order to be m o r e polite in r e q u e s t s a n d c o m m a n d s .
T a m m y : I w a n t to go shopping. T e x , do y o u
w a n t to c o m e w i t h m e ?
peux m ' a i d e r ?
me?
T a m m y : Mais T e x , je dois a b s o l u m e n t
n e w d r e s s for t h e w e e k e n d .
Bette: V a s - y T a m m y . T e x et moi, n o u s
the s t u d e n t s t o g e t h e r !
une cigarette.
sortir a v e c T e x .
b e a u c o u p d'argent la banque.
4. E d o u a r d ne
5. Les tudiants
6. T e x
c o m p r e n d r e le franais de T e x .
crire une carte postale aux n o n n e s ('nuns') de Lyon.
7. C o r e y et Fiona ne
8. C o r e y
9. N o u s
respecter les a n i m a u x .
10. Les a m i s
faire ce s o i r ?
tre malade.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
' i ^ i r k i
O^irAdLrj
Jj^Jj-rJ-f-Ti^J,
page: vppl
present participle
The present participle is formed by dropping the -ons ending from the nous form in the present tense and adding -ant.
Present participles are invariable.
do)
regular formation
chanter (nous chantons)
chantant
fi ni ssant
lisant
buvant
suivant
commenant
mangeant
se lavant
Only three verbs, tre, avoir and savoir, have irregular present participles.
do)
The present participle can be used to modify a noun, similar in meaning to either a relative clause with qui +
conjugated verb or a relative clause with puisque.
do)
Bette.
(Puisque T a m m y est absente, je peux
t'emmener faire une balade en voiture,
Bette.)
conduisant sa
dcapotable.
Tex conduit en coutant la
radio.
to the radio.
Tout en + present participle is used to stress that two actions are simultaneous (and sometimes contradictory).
Remember to make the liaison between tout and en.
do)
Note that the English - i n g f o r m s are usually t r a n s l a t e d by an infinitive construction in French rather t h a n a present
participle. For e x a m p l e :
d'S
kitties.
les minettes.
la posie, (crire)
2. T a m m y c h a n t e en
d a n s le parc, (se p r o m e n e r )
3. T e x et E d o u a r d boivent en
le m a t c h de foot, (regarder)
4. Fiona c o u t e de la m u s i q u e en
5. C o r e y et J o e - B o b regarde la tl en
6. J o e - B o b siffle en
de la guitare, (jouer)
7. E d o u a r d parle a u x clients en
8. Bette e m b r a s s e T e x en
9. T e x rflchit en
10. T a m m y lit en
. (tudier)
11. C o r e y t r e m b l e en
la vrit, (dire)
12. Bette se f c h e en
Tammy.
(entendre)
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04
A pronominal verb is a verb that is accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. Pronominal verbs fall into three major classes
based on their meaning: reflexive, idiomatic, and reciprocal. You have probably already seen the pronominal verb
s'appeler (Comment t'appelles-tu? What is your name?). To conjugate pronominal verbs in the present tense, you need to
pay attention to both the pronoun and the verb form. Listen carefully to the conjugation of the following pronominal
verb. The verb is conjugated normally (here an -er verb) with addition of the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nous, vous,
tu te rases
il/elle/on se rase
ils/elles se rasent
reflexive verbs
Pronominal verbs often express reflexive actions, that is, the subject performs the action on itself. If the subject performs
the action on someone else, the verb is not reflexive. Here is a list of common reflexive verbs:
c^O)
Compare the difference in meaning between se raser and raser in the following sentences.
Note that English does not usually indicate reflexive meaning explicitly since it can be
inferred from the context. However, if reflexive meaning is intended in French, then it
must be explicitly stated by using a reflexive pronoun.
Est-ce que Tex se rase? Mais
is an armadillo. He has no
pas de cheveux.
hair.
l't.
To negate pronominal verbs, place the ne before the reflexive pronoun and the pas after the verb. When used with an
auxiliary verb such as aimer (to like), the infinitive of a pronominal verb agrees with its subject. When pronominal verbs
are used with parts of the body, they take the definite article (le, la, les) rather than the possessive article as in English:
Tex se lave les mains. (Tex washes his hands.)
d'S
me raser.
idiomatic verbs
Some pronominal verbs are idiomatic and do not represent reflexive actions per se. s'amuser (to have fun) and se
reposer (to rest) are examples of pronominal verbs with idiomatic meanings. The following list includes common
idiomatic pronominal verbs:
do)
To form the imperative of pronominal verbs, drop the subject pronoun and then attach the reflexive pronoun with a
hyphen to the right side of the verb. The reflexive pronoun te becomes toi when used in the imperative. Dpche-toi!
Hurry up!, Souvenons-nous. Let's remember., Amusez-vous! Have fun!.
4)
T a m m y describes her
avec Tex.
T a m m y : Nous nous
T a m m y : Usually we get
quand il se fche.
he gets angry.
Il me dit, Assieds-toi et
tais-toi, ma petite.
m m e si n o u s nous disputons
un p e u .
TftMwt
occur
^f^o^TS
jour.
someday.
AVCt
ses
"HI.--
2. Fiona dit T e x : T u
? (se reposer)
5. T e x : T a m m y ne
6. Bette
(s'ennuyer)
7. T e x : Je ne
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page: vrel
Verbs with infinitives ending in -re form a third group of regular verbs, often called 'third conjugation' verbs. To form the
present tense conjugations of these verbs, drop the -re from the infinitive and add the third conjugation endings (-s, -s,
-, -ons, -ez, -ent) to the resulting stem. A s you listen, note especially that the final -d and -ds in the singular forms are
silent. In the third person plural the 'd' consonant sound of the stem is pronounced because of the -ent ending. Can you
hear the difference in the pronunciation of the singular and plural forms of the third person? (il vs. ils)
nous descendons
tu descends
vous descendez
il/elle/on descend
ils/elles descendent
past participle: descendu
entendre, to hear
pendre, to hang
vendre, to sell
perdre, to lose
Not all verbs ending in -re follow this pattern, however. Irregular -re verbs include prendre, mettre, suivre and vivre.
t-shirts?
1. C o r e y
2. Fiona, tu
la m u s i q u e ? (entendre)
3. J o e - B o b d e m a n d e a u prof: E s t - c e que v o u s
4. T e x
la rue G u a d a l u p e , (descendre)
5. J o e - B o b et C o r e y
6. T e x et T a m m y v o n t
7. T e x : J'
visite P a w - P a w . (rendre)
8. C o r e y T e x : N o u s
visite J o e - B o b . T u v i e n s ? (rendre)
9. J o e - B o b et Corey: N o u s
le w e e k - e n d avec impatience,
(attendre)
p a s ? (rpondre)
j a m a i s a u x q u e s t i o n s du prof, (rpondre)
12. T e x et T a m m y , v o u s
? (entendre)
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T a m m y (singular) or Fiona a n d Bette (plural).
i.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
Cl'
2.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
cio)
3.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
Cio)
4.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
5.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
6.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
7.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
8.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
9.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
10.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
11.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
do)
12.
Tammy
Fiona et Bette
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
vir2
Verbs like prendre are conjugated like regular -re verbs in the singular, but not in the plural. Note the difference in the
stem in the plural forms.
nous prenons
tu prends
vous prenez
il/elle/on prend
ils/elles prennent
past participle: pris
apprendre, to learn
comprendre, to understand
surprendre, to surprise
4>)
chanter la Marseillaise!
Marseillaise!
2. T a m m y et Bette, elles ne
3. Corey et Joe-Bob
4. Tex
le franais, (apprendre)
pas a. (comprendre)
T a m m y ! (surprendre)
votre t e m p s , n'est-ce p a s ? (prendre)
12. P a w - P a w T a m m y et T e x : V o u s .
listening comprehension
Listen to the f o l l o w i n g s e n t e n c e s and de
1.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
2.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
do)
3.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
4.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
cio)
5.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
cio)
6.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
7.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
8.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
9.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
10.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
11.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
Cio)
12.
Tex
Joe -Bob et C o r e y
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
nous mettons
tu mets
vous mettez
il/elle/on met
ils/elles mettent
past participle : mis
Mettre literally means 'to place, to put.' It is also used in the following expressions:
m
, to admit
permettre, to permit
promettre, to promise
remettre, to turn in (a report), to postpone
d'S
soire?
2. T a m m y : Tex, tu
vir3
5. J o e - B o b et C o r e y
6. C o r e y : Je n'
7. T a m m y et Fiona ne
(admettre)
12. P a w - P a w : Je
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T e x (masculine singular), T a m m y (feminine singular) or
T e x a n d T a m m y (plural).
i.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
Hi
2.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
49
3.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
4.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
5.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
6.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
7.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
8.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
9.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
10.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
11.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
do)
12.
Tex
Tammy
T e x et T a m m y
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
page:
vir4
The verbs suivre (to follow), and vivre (to live) are irregular. Listen carefully to their forms in the present tense.
nous suivons
tu suis
vous suivez
il/elle/on suit
ils/elles suivent
past participle : suivi
Suivre is also used in the expression suivre un cours (to take a course).
nous vivons
tu vis
vous vivez
il/elle/on vit
ils/elles vivent
past participle : vcu
You may have seen the expression Vive ... (as in Vive la France!, Long live France!) and the noun la vie (life). Vivre
means 'to be alive,' as well as 'to live,' in contrast to the verb habiter which refers only to where one lives, one's place of
residence.
4S
plat.
Une heure plus tard, les clients attendent
toujours.
Client: Excusez, moi, mais le service est
very slow.
cuisine!
4. T e x : Je
au T e x a s ? (vivre)
T e x tout le t e m p s ? (suivre)
la politique c a d i e n n e ? (suivre)
toujours! (vivre)
d e s c o u r s A & M ? (suivre)
e n s e m b l e , (vivre)
listening comprehension
Listen to the following s e n t e n c e s and decide if t h e y refer to T e x (singular) or T e x a n d E d o u a r d (plural).
i.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
2.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
3.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
4.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
5.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
6.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
7.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
8.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
9.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
10.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
11.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
do)
12.
Tex
T e x et E d o u a r d
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 27 May 04
lij-'^dLrJ^LrJ - D z J j j J j j j z J S
page: vtil
1. definitions
2. transitive verbs
3. special cases
4. stated and implied objects
5. intransitive verbs
6. variable variance: transitive or intransitive
7. verbs with direct and indirect objects
verb acts directly on its object. In the first sentence below, the telephone is the direct object. The
verb 'entendre' (to hear) always takes an object; one hears someone or something.
A transitive-indirect
verb acts to or for its object. Tex is the object of the preposition in the second sentence since Joe-
verbs, on the other hand, have no object at all. The verb dormir (to sleep) in the last example, does not need
any object to complete it. In fact, because the verb is intransitive, it cannot take an object. Intransitive verbs (as well as
transitive ones) may be modified by adverbs or prepositional phrases: 'Joe-Bob sleeps in the car; he sleeps all the time.'
4>)
transitive-direct
transitive-indirect
intransitive
For more examples and discussion, review the remarks on transitive vs intransitive verbs in the introduction.
transitive verbs
Because transitivity has to do with meaning, most English and French verbs usually maintain the same distinction. Thus,
verbs that are transitive in English are also transitive in French, and verbs that are intransitive in French are also
intransitive in English. The following examples are transitive in both French and English.
d'D
Bob au tlphone.
speci al cases
direct object in French / preposition + object in English
There are, however, special cases where the transitivity of French and English verbs contrast. There are several very
common verbs which take a direct object in French, while the English equivalent is followed by a preposition (at, to, for)
and object. REDCAP is an acronym for the most frequent verbs in this category: Regarder, Ecouter, Demander, Chercher,
Attendre, Payer.
Joe-Bob explains what happened:
4>)
les filles.
at girls.
papers.
contravention!
Here are examples of such verbs. These are discussed more fully with indirect objects and indirect object pronouns.
do)
obir , to obey
rpondre , to answer
rsister , to resist
ressembler , to resemble
tlphoner , to telephone
d'>)
intransitive verbs
time.)
peanuts.)
Perhaps you have already seen verbs which use tre to form the pass compos. These tre verbs (aller, arriver, partir,
sortir, etc.) are the most frequent intransitive verbs and they are summarized in the Alamo d'tre. Etre verbs are often
described as verbs of motion, but it's important to note that there are many other intransitive verbs of motion which use
the auxiliary avoir, for example, 'marcher' (to walk) and 'courir' (to run): 'Tex a march vite. Les enfants de Rita ont
couru.'
transitive or intransitive
Some verbs may be either transitive or intransitive. Contrast the following verbs. Note that the verb sortir uses the
auxiliary verb tre in the pass compos as an intransitive verb, but avoir in the pass compos when it is used
transitively.
intransitive / no object
the stairs.)
There are several cases where a verb which may be transitive or intransitive in English must be translated by two
different verbs in French: 'to return' (retourner, rendre), 'to leave' (partir, laisser, quitter).
verbs with direct and indirect objects
Many transitive verbs may have both a direct and an indirect object, for example:
Tex donne des conseils Joe-Bob.
expliquer, to explain
apporter, to bring
montrer, to show
apprendre, to learn
demander, to ask
prter, to lend
donner, to give
promettre, to promise
crire, to write
emprunter, to borrow
servir, to serve
envoyer, to send
vendre, to sell
6. C o r e y nage b e a u c o u p .
7. T e x prend un caf.
8. Fiona c o u t e la radio.
9. T a m m y achte une nouvelle robe.
10. C o r e y aime l'insecticide.
11. T e x rflchit souvent.
12. Les parents de T e x sont m o r t s sur l'autoroute.
2004 department of french & italian liberal arts ITS university of texas at austin
updated: 11 May 04