French Lessons and Articles
Recent French lessons, quizzes, and articles, from Learn French at About
by date | by topic
What does the French expression raconter des salades mean? Learn all about it here.
6-26-08 - Tant vs Autant
The French words tant and autant are both adverbs of quantity, but their
meanings and uses are different. Autant means as much/many and is
usually used in comparisons. Tant means so much/many and tends to be used
to intensify. Take a look at this lesson for more details.
What's wrong with saying demander une question? Learn about this French mistake.
6-23-08 - Inversion - Uses of French
Inversion
Inversion is the grammatical structure where the normal French word order subject
+ verb is inverted to verb +
subject. You probably know that inversion is commonly
used in asking questions, but there are a number of other uses as well.
6-20-08 - Expressions with Pas
The French word pas has a number of meanings and is found in many
French expressions. Learn about making blunders, taking the initiative,
advancing at leaps and bounds, and more with this lesson.
6-19-08 -
Going to the Dentist ~ Chez le dentiste
Going to the dentist is another situation where you want to make sure that you
can communicate effectively. Take a look at this page for essential French
vocabulary and verbs for talking to a dentist.
6-17-08 -
Verbs and Indirect Object Pronouns
In French, à plus a person can usually be
replaced by an indirect object pronoun that gets placed in front of the verb
(e.g., Il me parle).
However, a few French verbs and expressions do not allow a preceding indirect
object pronoun - instead, they require that you keep the
preposition after the verb, and follow it with a stressed pronoun.
6-16-08 -
Expressions with Sans
The French preposition sans literally means without and is also used in a number of expressions.
Learn about sans abri, sans faute, sans souci, and more in
this lesson.
6-13-08 -
Bien dans sa peau
What does the French expression bien dans sa peau mean? Learn all about it here.
6-12-08 - Advanced Past Tenses
The difference between the two main French past tenses, the passé composé and
the imparfait, is a constant struggle for many French students. In the basic
lesson on le passé, you learned about the fundamental differences between
these two tenses. In this more advanced lesson, you will learn about the
particularities of certain verbs, including those that are usually in the
imperfect and those that have different meanings depending on which tense is
used.
What's wrong with saying il faut lui faire attention to mean "we have to pay attention to it"? Learn about this French mistake.
6-9-08 -
De vs Du, De la, Des
The preposition de tends to be very difficult for French students, even at
advanced levels. Trying to figure out whether to use de, du, de la, or
des can be a
real challenge! This lesson is a summary of when to use de and when to
use the indefinite article, partitive article, or de + definite article (which looks like the partitive -
but isn't. Ugh!)
6-8-08 -
Password - French Classroom Game
Some days students just aren't in the mood to learn, which can make French
classes frustrating for them as well as for the teacher. Playing games in French
is one technique that can help recapture students' interest while helping them
learn or review French. This game, called Password, is a fun way to practice
descriptions.
6-6-08 -
Faire du lard
What does the French expression faire du lard mean? Learn all about it here.
6-5-08 - All about Voir
Voir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in
conjugation, means "to see" in most senses of the word, and is found in a number
of idiomatic expressions.
6-3-08 -
Top 100 French words
Do you know the most common French words? I've just added another ten words,
bringing the total to 100.
6-2-08 -
French Symbols + Punctuation Marks
A quick reference guide to the names of French symbols and
punctuation marks, including ! ? « » * & dozens more.
What does the French expression quand même mean? Learn all about it here.
5-29-08 - Causative - Faire + Infinitive
The causative construction faire + infinitive is used to describe when
someone/something has something done,
causes something to happen, or makes someone do something.
5-27-08 - "Il y sera"
What's wrong with saying il y sera to mean "there will be?" Learn about this French mistake.
5-26-08 -
Expressions with Tenir
The French verb tenir has several meanings on its own, and is also
used in a number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized. Learn how
to be anxious, to cherish something, to be on the right track, and more with
this lesson.
5-23-08 - Expressions with Comprendre
The French verb comprendre normally means
"to understand," but also has a few other meanings, and is used in
some expressions. Learn how to make yourself understood, catch on quickly, take
a joke, and more with this list of expressions.
5-22-08 - Synonyms for Très
If you want to make your French sound more, well, French, one place to start is
with your vocabulary. In French classes, you tend to learn the most common,
basic terms. The adverb très is one example of a very common word that can be
replaced by any of a number of
synonyms, in both normal and informal registers. Take a look
at this lesson to learn some different ways to say "very," and be sure
to note the differences in intensity.
What's wrong with saying écouter à la radio? Learn about this French mistake.
5-19-08 -
Expressions with Prendre
The French verb prendre normally means "to take," but has several
additional meanings, and is also used in a
number of idiomatic expressions which must be memorized. Learn how to catch a
cold, to gain weight, to take something literally, and more with this lesson.
5-16-08 - Pédaler dans la choucroute
What does the French expression pédaler dans la choucroute mean? Learn all about it here.
5-15-08 - Concordance des temps
When speaking French, it is important to use the
correct sequence of tenses. In complex sentences, there is a relationship
between the verb in the main clause and the verb in the subordinate clause.
Using the correct sequence of tenses is just as important as conjugating the
verbs correctly and using the appropriate mood.
Whether you love attending film festivals, watching movies, or just reading reviews, you'll want to learn some French vocabulary related to movies.
5-12-08 - Top Listening Exercises
There are over a hundred listening exercises on this site, ranging from simple
dialogues to in-depth listening comprehension exercises. The most visited
listening pages tend to be those that offer practical advice or discuss someone
or something famous. Here are the 15 most popular French listening exercises on
this site.
When is it wrong to say pour un an to mean "for a year"? Learn about this potential French mistake.
5-8-08 - Common Ailments ~ French
Illness Vocabulary
Getting sick is never fun, but being in a foreign country and not being able
to communicate about your illness can definitely ruin your trip. Learn some
French illness vocabulary so that you can communicate with French-speaking
doctors, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists.
5-6-08 - Expressions with fois
The French word fois is feminine and is
equivalent to one meaning of time. It's also used in a number of
idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say once upon a time; going, going, gone!;
oft-repeated and more with this list of expressions.
5-5-08 - Changing Money and
Banking
When traveling (or doing anything else, for that matter), you need access to money, which means you need to know how to
talk about it in the local language. Here's a page of useful French vocabulary
and brand-new quiz
related to money and banking so that you can change money, talk about your payment
method, manage bank accounts, and more.
5-2-08 - Passer du coq à l'âne
What does the French expression passer du coq à l'âne mean? Learn all about it here.
5-1-08 - All About Aimer
Aimer is one of the most common French verbs. It is a regular -ER verb,
requires avoir in the compound tenses, and can mean "to like" or "to
love." There is a little bit of a trick to using aimer correctly with
people and direct object pronouns which you will learn about in this lesson.
4-29-08 - Invariable adjectives from other languages
In French, adjectives normally have to agree with the nouns they modify in
gender and number. However, there are numerous adjectives which don't agree
- they have a single form that does not change to reflect the gender or
number of the noun. French adjectives borrowed from other languages are
usually invariable.
4-28-08 - Soi ~ Indefinite Stressed Pronoun
Soi is an oft-confused French pronoun, used only for unspecified
persons. Need more info? See the lesson!
4-25-08 -
"Je suis plein"
What's wrong with saying je suis plein? Learn about this French mistake.
4-24-08 - French Geography
Lessons related to French geography, including vocabulary (countries, French
regions, US states, and Canadian provinces) and grammar (geographical
prepositions, gender).
4-22-08 -
Expressions with chose
The French word chose is usually feminine and means "thing." It is
used in a number of idiomatic expressions, and can also be masculine, with a
somewhat different meaning.
4-21-08 - Faux Adjectives ~ Les adjectifs occasionnels
In French, there are a number of words which are not actually adjectives but
may be used as adjectives. These "occasional adjectives" or "faux
adjectives" are always invariable -
they do not agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. There are
three different types of words that may be used as adjectives.
4-18-08 - Fais gaffe !
What does the French expression fais gaffe ! mean? Learn all about it here.
French and English capitalization are quite different, as it is much less common in French. Many words that must be capitalized in English cannot be in French, so read through this lesson to make sure that you're not over-capitalizing your French. Also, find an answer to the debate about whether French capital letters can/should/must be accented.
4-15-08 - Listening: Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir was one of France's most beloved authors and an early
French feminist. Learn about her life and work in this listening comprehension exercise from
Champs-Élysées audiomagazine (read my review).
4-14-08 - All about Partir
Partir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in
conjugation, requires être in the compound tenses, and has different meanings
depending on the preposition that follows.
4-11-08 -
"Ce hôpital"
What's wrong with saying ce hôpital? Learn about this French mistake.
4-10-08 - Determiners ~ Adjectifs
déterminants
The grammatical term determiner refers to a
word, either an article or a certain type of adjective, which introduces and
simultaneously modifies a noun.
Determiners, also known as non-qualifying adjectives, are much more common in French than in English - some sort of
determiner is nearly always required in
front of each noun used.
4-8-08 -
Fête des fleurs, Hyères, France
On 5 and 6 April 2008, the southern French city of Hyères hosted its annual
flower festival with an open day event at SICA (Société d'intérêt collectif
agricole) / Marché aux fleurs d'Hyères. 500 growers produce over 180 million
flowers a year, making it the largest flower market in France and the fourth
largest in Europe. With information booths, wine and flower tasting, and a
flower parade, it was a fascinating look at this colorful aspect of the
Hyérois community.
4-7-08 - To Make
To make is a very general, very useful verb in English. Its French translations
vary wildly, so take a look at this lesson to learn how to translate various
meanings of "make" into French.
4-4-08 - Tu te rends compte !
What does the French expression tu te rends compte ! mean? Learn all about it here.
The French word même can be an indefinite adjective, indefinite pronoun, or adverb, and is also used in a number of expressions, making it an extremely versatile and useful French word.
4-1-08 -
Tips on using bilingual dictionaries
Bilingual dictionaries are essential tools for second language learners, but
using them correctly requires more than just looking up a word in one
language and picking the first translation you see. There's a lot more to bilingual
dictionaries than meets the eye, so check out these pages to learn how to get
the most out of your bilingual dictionary.
3-31-08 -
Se ~ French Reflexive Pronoun
Se is one of the most often misused French pronouns. It is the third person
singular and plural reflexive
pronoun, and can only be used in two kinds of constructions.
3-28-08 - "Je vais !"
What's wrong with saying je vais? Learn about this French mistake.
3-27-08 -
Expressions with Tomber
The French verb tomber means "to fall" and is
also used in numerous
idiomatic expressions. Tomber usually needs être as the auxiliary verb, but
there are a few meanings for which it needs avoir. Learn how to faint, to
bump into someone, to be unlucky, and more with this list of expressions with
tomber.
3-25-08 - Album de photos / Arbre généalogique
Making a photo album or family tree is an interesting project for French
classes or for independent studiers looking to spice up their
self-instruction. This project is perfect as a short-term activity for
beginning to low-intermediate students.
3-24-08 - Synonyms for Bon
If you want to make your French sound more, well, French, one place to start is
with your vocabulary. In French classes, you tend to learn the most common,
basic terms. Bon is one such example, but there are numerous synonyms to
choose between, in both normal and informal registers. Take a look at this
lesson to learn some different ways to say "good."
3-21-08 - Quelle mouche t'a piqué ?
What does the French expression quelle mouche t'a piqué mean? Learn all about it here.
3-20-08 - Personal Correspondence ~
Correspondance personnelle
Writing letters in French can be somewhat tricky, because it requires special
formulas. This lesson on personal correpondence will help you find the correct
formulas when writing to
family, friends, or non-commercial acquaintances.
3-18-08 - Singular French Nouns
In both French and English, many nouns can be singular or plural: un homme
(one man), deux hommes (two men), la chaise (the chair), les chaises (the
chairs). But there are quite a few French nouns that can only be singular,
including abstractions, matter, and sciences.
3-17-08 -
Number Expressions - Confusing Pairs
There are quite a few confusing pairs and difficult expressions related to
numbers in French: second/deuxième, en premier/au premier/de premier,
tiers/troisième....
3-14-08 - "Le moment
quand..."
What's wrong with saying le moment quand...? Learn about this French mistake.
3-13-08 - French Driving Terms
Useful vocabulary for anyone planning to drive in France, with sound
files.
3-11-08 - Faux amis
Learn five new word pairs that look alike in French and English but mean
very different things:
are, fronde/frond, gommer/gum, porche/porch, and traîner/train/trainer.
3-10-08 -
Affective Accent ~ Accent affectif
In English, speakers emphasize words simply by saying them louder, but this is
not the case in French. French speakers use the affective accent to
provide emphasis, usually to express an emotion.
3-7-08 - Avoir du chien
What does the French expression avoir du chien mean? Learn all about it here.
3-6-08 - Subjunctivator
An interactive tool that helps to improve your knowledge of which French verbs and expressions take the subjunctive.
3-4-08 -
Top words: 81-90
Do you know the most common French words? Here are numbers 81 to 90.
3-3-08 - Lettres
muettes - Silent Letters in French
Part of the difficulty with French pronunciation is that French is not a phonetic
language - it has letters that can be
pronounced in different ways or sometimes not at all. This lesson will teach you
all about silent letters.
2-29-08 - "Je suis 25 ans"
What's wrong with saying je suis 25 ans? Learn about this French mistake.
2-28-08 - Expressions with Entrer
The French verb entrer literally means "to
enter." It is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions, noun clauses, and prepositional phrases.
Learn how to join, to drop in, to turn forty, to get in touch, to be taken into
consideration, and other common French expressions with entrer.
2-26-08 - Improve your French vocabulary
Words, words, words! Languages are made up of words,
and French is no exception. Here are all kinds of French vocabulary lessons,
practice ideas, and tips to help you get better at learning and remembering
French words.
2-25-08 -
À l'hôtel ~ At the Hotel
Work on your French listening comprehension and travel French at the same
time with this beginning-level dialogue between a hotel receptionist and a guest.
2-22-08 - Vendre la peau de l'ours (avant de l'avoir tué)
What does the French expression vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir
tué mean? Learn all about it here.
2-21-08 - Contractions
Although contractions in English are optional, in French they are required,
so it is important to learn when and how to make contractions. Fortunately, the rules for French
contractions are quite simple.
2-19-08 - Expressions with Trouver
The French verb trouver literally means to find, and is also used in
a number of idiomatic expressions. Learn how to talk about seeing fit to do
something, fainting, meeting one's match, and more with this list of
expressions with trouver.
2-18-08 - Mood ~ Le Mode
Mood refers to the verb forms that express the attitude of the speaker toward the action/state of the verb - how
likely or factual the statement is. The French language has six moods - learn 'em all!
:-)
2-15-08 -
"Tu ne fais pas ça"
What's wrong with saying tu ne fais pas ça to mean "you just don't do
that"? Learn about this French mistake.
2-14-08 - French Love Language
If French is the language of love, what better language is there with which
to express your love? Here are some key French words and phrases related to
love, friendship, and special occasions.
2-13-08 - Word Order - Inversion ~ Ordre des mots
The order of words in a French sentence can be very confusing, due to
dual-verb constructions, object
and adverbial pronouns, and negative structures. Inversion further complicates
matters, so check out this lesson to straighten out your questions.
2-12-08 - French Terms of Endearment
French has all kinds of interesting terms of endearment, including a rather
odd assortment of barnyard animals. Check out this list of French terms of
endearment to use with your loved ones (both romantic and familial).
2-11-08 - Attributive Adjectives ~ Adjectifs épithètes
Attributive adjectives describe or emphasize some characteristic of the noun they modify.
The defining characteristic of attributive adjectives is that they are joined
to the noun they modify - immediately preceding or following it with no verb in
between.
What does the French expression arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe mean? Learn all about it here.
2-7-08 - All about Sortir
Sortir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation
and may require either être or avoir in the compound tenses, depending on
whether it means "to go out" or "to take out."
2-5-08 - Mardi Gras Masks
| Mardi Gras Vocabulary
Mardi Gras, which means "fat Tuesday" in French, is celebrated in many
francophone regions. Mardi Gras masks are a traditional part of this annual
celebration, and making them is a fun and very creative project.
2-4-08 - Synonyms for petit
If you want to make your French sound more, well, French, one place to start
is with your vocabulary. The adjective petit is a very common French
word that can be replaced by any number of synonyms. Take a look at this
lesson to learn some different ways to say "small" and "short," and be sure
to note the different nuances.
2-3-08 - Ne explétif
The ne explétif is used after certain verbs and conjunctions but has no
negative value in and of itself. It is used in situations where the main clause
has a negative (either negative-bad or negative-negated) meaning, such
as expressions of fear, warning, doubt, and negation.
2-2-07 -
La Chandeleur / Crêpe Day
In France, 2 February is la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or crêpe day. It's customary to eat
crêpes and do some fortune telling, and now there's a fun game for French classes too.
2-1-08 - "Je sais pas"
Is there anything wrong with saying je sais pas? Learn about this French
(non) mistake.
February - Negritude - La Négritude
February is Black History Month
in the US. This is a good time to study La Négritude, a literary and ideological movement led by francophone black intellectuals, writers, and politicians. The founders of la Négritude,
originally from three different French colonies, each had different ideas about the purpose and styles of la Négritude.
1-31-08 - E muet ~ Élision
There are no stressed syllables in French, but the unaccented E is sometimes "unstressed."
That is, it
disappears in spoken French. Learn how to recognize the E muet and when (not) to
pronounce it.
1-29-08 -
Top French Words: 71-80
I've just added another page to my list of the most common French
words, bringing the total to 80. The top hundred will be available within
the next couple of months.
1-28-08 - Ne littéraire
What I call the ne littéraire is the phenonomen in literary writing (and, to a
much lesser extent, spoken French) whereby certain verbs and constructions need
ne but not pas in order to be negative.
1-25-08 - Se fourrer le doigt dans l'oeil
What does the French expression se fourrer le doigt dans l'oeil mean? Learn all about it here.
1-24-08 - Expressions with Pain
The French word pain means "bread" and is also used in numerous
idiomatic expressions. Be sure to look at the second page as well, which has translations of all different
kinds of French breads.
1-22-08 - All about Croire
Croire is one of the most common French verbs. It's irregular in
conjugation and literally means "to believe," and is also used in many
idiomatic expressions.
1-21-08 - Indefinite French
I find that one of the hardest things to translate into another language is
indefiniteness: anyone did something everywhere all the time. This index includes links to
lessons on every kind of indefiniteness, from indefinite adjectives to the
indefinite subject pronoun.
What's wrong with saying beaucoup d'entre vous êtes? Learn about this French mistake.
1-17-08 -
Word Order - Dual-Verb Constructions ~ Ordre des
mots
The order of words in a French sentence can be very confusing, due to
dual-verb constructions, object
and adverbial pronouns, and negative structures. Learn how to string them all
together.
1-15-08 -
La Révolte des Accents
La Révolte des Accents is a fictional tale about a problem that's all
too real: the disappearance of accents in written French. Learn about this
wonderful book, its author, and his linguistic crusade in this listening
comprehension exercise.
1-14-08 - Habiter vs Vivre
The French verbs habiter and vivre both mean to live, but are used in
different circumstances. You won't be able to live with yourself if you
don't learn how to use them both.
What does the French expression il y a quelque chose qui cloche mean? Learn all about it here.
1-10-08 -
Literary Tenses ~ Temps littéraires
You've heard of them, maybe even learned to recognize some of them, but just
what are literary tenses? This lesson explores where they are used, why to avoid
them, and what is lost when you do.
1-8-08 -
All about Arriver
Arriver is one of the most common French verbs. It's a regular -ER
verb but takes être in the compound tenses. Arriver literally
means "to arrive," but is also used in some idiomatic expressions and as an
impersonal verb.
1-7-08 - Indefinite Relative
Pronouns ~ Pronoms relatifs indéfinis
Indefinite relative pronouns (ce qui, ce que, ce dont, and
quoi) link relative
clauses to main
clauses when there is no specific antecedent.
What's wrong with saying c'est notre anniversaire? Learn about this French mistake.
1-4-08 -
All about Vouloir
The verb vouloir has several different
meanings, depending mainly on
the tense and mood it is conjugated into. This lesson explains the various uses and meanings of this
common French verb.
1-3-08 - Back to School - French Class
Ready to start dusting off last semester's French notes and figuring out whatever happened to that beat-up old
dictionary? Whether it's time
to start thinking about a formal evaluation of your French level, figuring out what kind of job you can use
your French in, or upgrading to a bigger dictionary, this page has everything you need to get back into French.
1-2-08 - 2008 French Calendars
and Date Books
It's time to get a new calendar or date book, so why not incorporate just that
little bit more French into your life by using a calendar that's either in
French or about France? Choose between my favorite French-related calendars and
date books and a printable French calendar à la LKL. :-)
1-1-08 - New Year's in France
As in most countries, New Year's calls for a big celebration in France. Learn
about some French New Year's traditions and customs.
Looking back:
