French Lessons and Articles

Recent French lessons, quizzes, and articles, from Learn French at About

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9-19-13 - Relative adjectives
Lequel is usually a pronoun, but it can also be a relative adjective. Relative adjectives are placed in front of nouns to indicate a link between that noun and an antecedent (the same noun previously stated or implied). In both English and French, relative adjectives are used mainly in legal, administrative, and other highly-formal language.

9-18-13 - Classroom number practice
Do you find teaching numbers boring, figuring that once you've taught your students to count in French, there's not much else you can do? If so, I have good news for you (and your students). Teachers on the Profs de français forum shared all kinds of great ideas for practicing numbers, including several games.

9-17-13 - Read a French Menu
Going to France this fall? Check out this info on reading French menus, including special terms, food preparation, and regional and unusual foods.

9-16-13 - J'en ai ras le bol !
Fed up with not understanding the idiomatic French expression j'en ai ras le bol? Learn all about it here.

9-13-13 - TTC
Don't tax yourself; click to learn what TTC means, along with its friends HT and TVA.

9-12-13 - Mistake: Je vais.
I'm going. While this is a complete sentence in English, "Je vais." is not in French. Learn how to correct this common French mistake.

9-11-13 - French only in class
In French classes, teachers usually want to encourage students to speak only in French, but this can be difficult to enforce, especially when you have a large class and students are doing group work. Find inspiration with this variety of creative and effective techniques shared by French teachers.

9-10-13 - All about savoir
Savoir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and literally means "to know." Savoir has different meanings in certain tenses as well as some other tricky aspects to it.

9-9-13 - Parler le français comme une vache espagnole
What do Spanish cows have to do with speaking French? My lesson on the colorful idiomatic French expression parler le français comme une vache espagnole has the answer.

9-5-13 - Preposition en
The French preposition en is nearly always used directly in front of a noun, with no article.

9-3-13 - Informal questions
The "correct" ways to ask questions in French are with est-ce que or inversion. Informally, there are several other possibilities.

9-2-13 - Oh là là
You don't know how to use the French expression oh là là? Oh dear! You'd better click to learn all about it here.

8-29-13 - School vocabulary
Learn French vocabulary related to school, including different types of schools and school supplies.

8-27-13 - First day teaching tips
What should you do on the first day of French class? Students may be new to language learning or coming back from vacation, so is it better to have some fun or dive right into grammar and vocabulary? Here is a collection of tips shared by French teachers.

8-26-13 - Ça va ? Ça va
The French expression ça va is one of the most common in the entire language. It can be both question and answer, but it is informal, so you should try to avoid it when speaking with people you vouvoie. Learn all about ça va in this lesson.

8-25-13 - Daily French
One surefire way to improve your French is to work on it as often as possible. This site offers various daily and weekly features as well as tips on incorporating French into your daily life.

8-22-13 - Media and communication
Learn some French vocabulary related to media and communication, including television, radio, internet, and snail mail.

8-21-13 - Back to school
School is starting again - time to start dusting off your old French notes and figuring out whatever happened to that beat-up old dictionary. To help you get back into the French mood - pun intended - here are some pages of general information about French, lessons, online resources, and recommended tools and supplies. Whether you need 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 students and teachers need to get back into French.

8-20-13 - Vouloir, pouvoir, devoir
It is absolutely essential to understand and be able to use these three irregular French verbs, as they are very common as well as useful. They are often taught together because of the similarities in the conjugations of vouloir and pouvoir and the uses of pouvoir and devoir.

8-19-13 - Ah bon ?
Oh really, you don't know what the French expression ah bon means? Click to learn all about it.

8-16-13 - Coup d'œil
It'll take more than a glance to learn everything there is to know about the French expression coup d'œil - click to read my lesson.

8-15-13 - Silent letters
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.

8-14-13 - Top grammar glossary terms
When you start learning a foreign language, you'll have a head start if you're already familiar with grammar terms related to things like parts of speech in your own language. If you don't know these terms, you'll have more trouble learning French, because grammar is a key component in language study. My French Grammar Glossary can help you understand dozens of grammatical terms, but to give you a head start, I've compiled this list of the essentials with links to more info.

8-13-13 - Home
Learn some French vocabulary related to the home.

8-12-13 - Tu connais la musique
You know the routine - just click to learn about the idiomatic French expression connaître la musique.

8-9-13 - Et patati et patata
It's time to learn yet another French useful expression—yada, yada, yada. Just click to read about et patati et patata.

8-8-13 - French mistake: ce hôpital
Even though hôpital is masculine, ce is not the correct demonstrative adjective to use with it. Check out this page to find out the right way to say "this hospital."

8-7-13 - Independent study
Even when there's no school, you can keep working on your French. My site has has all kinds of tools and resources for independent study.

8-6-13 - Conjunctive phrases
A conjunctive phrase is a group of two or more words that function as a conjunction, such as bien que and en attendant que. French conjunctive phrases usually end in que and are usually subordinating conjunctions.

8-5-13 - Il pleut des cordes
Don't know the idiomatic French expression il pleut des cordes? I'll throw you a rope - click to read my lesson.

8-3-13 - Preposition de
De is a very important and versatile preposition with many different meanings in French. Learn about the preposition de: its uses, how to decide between de and à, and whether any given construction requires de or du/des.

8-2-13 - Plus ça change
Another French expression, same simple click needed to learn all about it. Plus ça change....

8-1-13 - Canadian Provinces
Learn how to say the names of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories in French.

7-31-13 -  US States
Learn how to say the names of the 50 US states in French.

7-30-13 - Donner sa langue au chat
It's not the same as "cat got your tongue," so what does it mean? Before you give up, read this lesson on the idiomatic French expression donner sa langue au chat.

7-29-13 - All about laisser
Laisser is a regular -er verb that means "to leave." Laisser is also found in numerous expressions and is commonly used as a semi-auxiliary as well as a pronominal verb.

7-26-13 - En deux temps, trois mouvements
What does the French expression en deux temps, trois mouvements mean? Learn all about it here.

7-25-13 - E muet
There are no stressed syllables in French; however, 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.

7-24-13 - Mistake: chapître
This word is often misspelled - check out my lesson to learn how to write it right.

7-23-13 - French coffee
If you think ordering coffee in a French café or bar is the same as back home, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Ask for un café and you'll be presented with a tiny cup of espresso, and if you then request milk, you're likely to get a dirty look or sigh of exasperation. What's the problem?

7-22-13 - Revenons à nos moutons
Forget counting sheep in order to sleep - let's talk about the French expression revenons à nos moutons.

7-20-13 - Cycling Vocabulary
Whether you love cycling or just watching competitions like the Tour de France, which ends on 21 July, you'll want to learn some French vocabulary related to cycling.

7-19-13 - Au pif
I'd say it will take you less than 10 minutes to learn the French expression au pif.

7-18-13 - Aphereses / Abbreviations
An apheresis, or aphaeresis, is a word which is shortened by dropping one or more syllables at the beginning of the word, and sometimes adding an extra sound at the end. Aphereses are often informal and are less common in French than apocopes.

7-17-13 - Expressions with passer
The French verb passer literally means "to pass" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say whatever comes into one's head, to write something off, to kick the bucket, and more with this list of expressions with passer.

7-16-13 - Inversion - Uses
Inversion is the grammatical structure where the normal French word order subject + verb is inverted to verb + subject and joined by a hyphen. You probably know that inversion is commonly used in asking questions, but there also many other uses.

7-15-13 - Fais voir
Let me show you what the French expression fais voir means.

7-12-13 - Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
Learn about the French motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.

7-11-13 - Symbols
A quick reference guide to the names of French symbols and punctuation marks, including ! ? « » * & dozens more.

7-10-13 - "Love" expressions
Far beyond just "I love you," the English word "love" is found in dozens of different expressions - learn how to translate them all into French.

7-9-13 - Jours fériés
There are a lot of holidays in France, but only 11 public holidays (bank holidays), called jours fériés in French. On jours fériés, public servants and many public sector employees have the day off from work.

7-8-13 - Appeler sous les drapeaux
If you're worried about getting called under the flags, you'd better click to learn about the idiomatic French expression appeler sous les drapeaux.

7-6-13 - Passive infinitive
Even though the French infinitive translates as "to + verb," the French sometimes needs to be preceded by a preposition. This is the case with the passive infinitive, which requires à in front of the infinitive, as in À louer and Je n'ai rien à lire, and is commonly used with indefinite and negative words.

7-5-13 - Valoir le coup / Ça vaut le coup
It's worth it to click and learn about the French expression valoir le coup / ça vaut le coup.

7-4-13 - French vocabulary - National holidays and patriotism
In honor of the 4th of July (American Independence Day), Bastille Day, Canada Day, and Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, here is a list of French vocabulary related to national holidays.

7-3-13 - Expressions with contre
The French preposition contre usually means "against," and is also used in many expressions. Learn how to say pros and cons, on the other hand, facedown, and more with this list of expressions with contre.

7-2-13 - All about jouer
Jouer is a very common and useful regular -ER French verb. It means "to play," both transitively and intransitively, and needs different prepositions depending on what exactly is being played.

7-1-13 - Canada Day
July 1st is Canada Day, the national day of Canada. It celebrates the birth of the modern country with outdoor events like parades, fireworks, and picnics.

6-30-13 - Dans son assiette
Not feeling well? Step up to the plate with the idiomatic French expression dans son assiette.

6-29-13 - French cycling vocabulary
Whether you love cycling or just watching competitions like the Tour de France, which begins this year on 29 June, you'll want to learn some French terms related to cycling.

6-27-13 - Negation
A summary of all the different negative structures and their uses in French, plus detailed explanations of each kind of negative structure, including the ne explétif, ne littéraire, and more.

6-26-13 - 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 - learn all about them in this lesson.

6-25-13 - Dual-verb constructions - French word order
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.

6-21-13 - À temps partiel
Click to learn about the French expression à temps partiel.

6-20-13 - "Then" in French
The word "then" has two distinct meanings: one related to consequence and the other to time. These meanings translate differently into French, and the various synonyms further complicate matters. The French words ainsi, alors, and donc are commonly used to explain the consequences or effect of an action. In contrast, après, ensuite, and puis indicate the order of events. This lesson should help you to understand the difference between all of these terms and thus use them correctly.

6-19-13 - Expressions with par
The French preposition par means "through" or "by" and is also used in many expressions. Learn how to say out of friendship, intermittently, these days, and more with this list of expressions with par.

6-18-13 - Encore vs Toujours
The French adverbs encore and toujours can be confusing, because they each have several meanings that partially overlap. After studying this lesson, you'll remember the differences toujours.

6-14-13 - Faire d'une pierre deux coups
Want to kill two birds with one stone? Click to learn about the French proverb faire d'une pierre deux coups and make your virtual French teacher happy at the same time.

6-13-13 - Informal French
If you've ever listened to native French speakers talk to friends or family, you've almost certainly noticed that they don't sound like your French teacher or audio tapes. You might notice missing or different words, funny contractions, and strange grammar. This is because French, like any other language, has different registers (levels of formality). This lesson summarizes the various informal French sounds and structures.

6-12-13 - Expressions with être
The French verb être literally means "to be" and is found in many expressions. Learn how to say that's right, here goes, so be it, and more with this list of expressions with être.

6-11-13 - Contractions
Although contractions in English are optional, in French they are required, so it is important to learn when and how to make them. Fortunately, the rules for French contractions are quite simple.

6-10-13 - À l'étage
You don't need to go upstairs to learn the French expression à l'étage - just click this link.

6-7-13 - Tennis vocabulary
The French Open closes this weekend, so here's some French vocabulary to help you watch the finals.

6-6-13 - RSVP
Please repond to this request: click to learn about the possibly French expression RSVP.

6-5-13 - Personal correspondence
Writing letters in French can be somewhat tricky, because it requires special formulas. This lesson on personal correspondence will help you find the correct formulas when writing to family, friends, or non-commercial acquaintances.

6-4-13 - Impersonal expressions
Impersonal expressions are those which do not have a specific subject, as in il est difficile à dire or c'est bon de travailler ensemble. Learn about the difference between il est and c'est and how to know which preposition to use in these expressions.

6-3-13 - Avantages et inconvénients
There are no cons, only pros to learning about the French expression avantages et inconvénients.

6-2-13 - Faire la bise
Cheek kissing, air kissing... unfortunately, there's no translation that does justice to that most French of greeting gestures, la bise. Learn when, with whom, and how to do it, including which side to start on and how many kisses to give.

5-31-13 - À la vôtre
Toast your friends and colleagues with the French expression à la vôtre. Cheers!

5-30-13 - À - French Preposition
Despite its tiny size, à is a very important French preposition, with many different meanings and uses.

5-29-13 - Expressions with prendre
The French verb prendre literally means "to take" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to make a decision, get a breath of fresh air, catch someone red-handed, and more with this list of expressions with prendre.

5-27-13 - Quatre à quatre
Quick, click to read my lesson on the idiomatic French expression quatre à quatre.

5-26-13 - French proficiency test
The end of the school year is a great time to test your French proficiency, to see how much you've learned since September. Please note that on the answer pages, there is a link to a related lesson for each and every question, to help you when you don't understand why you got them wrong (or right). :-)

5-25-13 - Tennis vocabulary
The French Open begins today, 25 May, so here's some French vocabulary related to tennis.

5-24-13 - Il y a
The French expression il y a can mean "there is" or "there are" and is one of the most important expressions in the French language. There's no reason for you not to click and learn all about it here.

5-23-13 - Attributive adjectives
Attributive adjectives are used to describe or emphasize some attribute (characteristic) of the noun they modify. Known as épithètes in French, attributive adjectives are a subcategory of qualifying (descriptive) adjectives.

5-22-13 - Obligation and necessity - French Expressions
There are many French words and expressions related to obligation and necessity. Learn how to say it's my duty, to have no choice, to be obliged, whether you like it or not, and more French expressions of obligation and necessity.

5-21-13 - Restaurant vocabulary
Learn the French vocabulary that you need for restaurants, and then see how you do on the quiz.

5-20-13 - Ce n'est pas terrible
The French expression ce n'est pas terrible isn't that great - or is it? Click to learn all about it.

5-19-13 - Renting a car ~ Louer une voiture
Take a look at this page for some French vocabulary and phrases that will be useful when renting a car.

5-17-13 - À mon avis
In my opinion, this is a useful lesson on the French expression à mon avis.

5-16-13 - All about aller
Aller is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and literally means "to go." Aller is also used in some idiomatic expressions and to conjugate the near future.

5-15-13 - French Movie Vocabulary
The 2013 Cannes Film Festival runs from 15 to 26 May. Whether you plan to attend, love watching movies, or just enjoy reading reviews, you'll want to learn some French vocabulary related to movies.

5-14-13 - Dans vs En
The prepositions dans and en both mean "in" in French, and can both express time and location. But they are not interchangeable; their usage depends on both meaning and grammar.

5-13-13 - C'est le pied
What do you think of the French expression c'est le pied? I think it's great!

5-12-13 - Expressions with mise
The French word la mise has numerous meanings and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say involvement, make-up, leg-pulling and more with this list of expressions with la mise.

5-10-13 - De bon gré
I hope you're willing to read this lesson about the French expression de bon gré and its variations.

5-9-10 - Conjunctions of conclusion
The French conjunctions parce que, car, puisque, and comme are commonly used to draw conclusions or otherwise relate a cause or explanation with a result or conclusion. These conjunctions have similar but not identical meanings and uses - this lesson explains the difference.

5-8-13 - Expressions with dire
The French verb dire literally means "to say" or "to tell" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to tell someone off, talk nonsense, be a yes-man, and more with this list of expressions with dire.

5-7-13 - Improve your French reading comprehension
Reading in French is an excellent way to learn new vocabulary and get familiar with French syntax, while at the same time learning about some topic, be it politics, culture, or a favorite hobby. Here are some tips and activities to help improve your French reading skills.

5-6-13 - Prendre l'eau
What does the French expression prendre l'eau mean? Learn all about it here.

5-3-13 - Comme d'habitude
As usual, you just need to click to learn all about the French expression comme d'habitude.

5-2-13 - Apocopes / Abbreviations
It is very common in French for long words to be abbreviated by dropping one or more syllables at the end, and then, in some instances, adding an -o, such as dico, ordi, and métro. Some apocopes are so old that they are normal register, but most are informal or familiar, so use them with caution.

5-1-13 - Fête du Muguet
Le premier mai est une journée spéciale en France. C'est la Fête du Travail et la Fête du Muguet.

4-30-13 - To take
The English verb "to take" has several French equivalents, so take a few minutes to learn the difference between prendre, amener, and other French verbs.

4-29-13 - À la limite
What does the French expression à la limite mean? Learn all about it here.

4-28-13 - French Proverbs
Spice up your language with some French proverbs.

4-26-13 - Voilà
Even though voilà is just one word, it has so many possible meanings - most of which require multiple words in the English equivalents - that I treat it as an expression: voilà.

4-25-13 - Word order with the imperative
The order of words in a French sentence can be very confusing due to negation and object and adverbial pronouns. This lesson will teach you exactly how to order your sentences when using the imperative. Remember that there are two kinds of imperatives, affirmative and negative, and the word order is different for each of them.

4-24-13 - Expressions with pas
The French word un pas literally means "step" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say just around the corner, to hurry, to take the plunge, and more with this list of expressions with pas.

4-23-13 - Improve your French accent
Speaking French is more than just knowing the vocabulary and grammar rules - you also need to pronounce the letters correctly. Unless you started learning French as a child, you're unlikely to ever sound like a native speaker, but it's certainly not impossible for adults to speak with a decent French accent. Here are some ideas to help you improve your French pronunciation.

4-22-13 - Les Anglais sont arrivés
What does the arrival of Englishmen have to do with idiomatic French? Find out with this lesson on the expression les Anglais sont arrivés.

4-19-13 - Avoir du pot
Do you feel lucky? Find out with the French expression avoir du pot.

4-18-13 - All about venir
Venir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and literally means "to come." Venir is also used in some idiomatic expressions and to conjugate the recent past.

4-16-13 - French business letters
Writing a good French business letter depends on just one thing: knowing the correct formulas. This lesson includes categorized lists of the various formulas needed as well as sample letters.

4-15-13 - Tout à l'heure
Click and in just a moment you can learn what the French expression tout à l'heure means.

4-13-13 - Favorite French Expressions
All French expressions are useful, but we use some more than others because they offer just the right nuance or are particularly fun to say. What are your favorite French expressions?

4-12-13 - C'est la vie
I hope you'll click to learn about the French expression c'est la vie, but if you don't, I guess that's life.

4-11-13 - Nasal vowels
A nasal vowel is a sound made by expelling air through the mouth and nose without obstruction of the lips, tongue, or throat. Nasal pronunciation can be very different from the normal pronunciation of the same vowels.

4-9-13 - Double Negatives
Grammarians insist that two negatives make a positive. While this may be true in English, in French two negatives make a stronger negative. Double negation is very common in French, particularly informal French. However, there are some rules and regulations when using double negatives in French.

4-10-13 - Invitations - French Expressions
There are a number of different ways to extend, accept, and refuse invitations in French, both formally and informally.

4-8-13 - Un de ces quatre matins
One of these days, I hope you'll read this lesson on the French expression un de ces quatre matins.

4-5-13 - N'est-ce pas ?
It's about time you learned how to use the French expression n'est-ce pas, isn't it?

4-4-13 - Voice
Voice is one of the five inflections involved in conjugating French verbs. It indicates the relationship between the subject and verb.

4-3-13 - Expressions with tenir
The French verb tenir literally means to hold, keep, or grasp and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to keep in mind, have on good authority, keep an eye on someone, and more with this list of expressions with tenir.

4-2-13 - All about finir
Finir is one of the most common French verbs. It is a regular -ir verb that sometimes causes difficulty for French students in the passé composé.

4-1-13 - Changer de cap
Whatever you were about to do right now, change direction and click to learn about the French expression changer de cap instead.

3-29-13 - Tomber dans la marmite
Before you fall into the cooking pot, learn about the idiomatic French expression tomber dans la marmite.

3-28-13 - Irregular -ER Verbs
There are a lot of French verbs that end in -ER and there are a lot of irregular French verbs, but there is only one irregular -ER verb. However, there are three groups of -ER verbs that have some irregularities.

3-27-13 - Expressions with parler
The French verb parler literally means "to talk" or "to speak" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to babble, be a good speaker, make small talk, and more with this list of expressions with parler.

3-26-13 - Impersonal French
Grammatically speaking, impersonal refers to words or structures which are invariable; that is, they do not specify a grammatical person. Learn about impersonal French expressions, pronouns, verbs, and passive structures.

3-25-13 - Dire ses quatre vérités
Let me tell you a few truths about the French expression dire ses quatre vérités.

3-22-13 - Il ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard
The French expression Il ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard is pretty good, but is it extraordinary? Click to find out.

3-21-13 - Online Translators - Machine Translation
While machine translation is an interesting concept and considerably cheaper and faster than professional translators, the results are less exciting. This article puts the top six online translators to the test - see how they hold up against one another and against a real person.

3-20-13 - Expressions with pain
The French word le pain literally means "bread" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say worthless, bankrupt, godsend, and more with this list of expressions with pain.

3-19-13 - Avoiding the subjunctive
The subjunctive is a fairly difficult verb mood for many students of French. Between the conjugations and deciding when to use it, the subjunctive can be very tricky. Although the subjunctive is essential in French, there are times you can avoid it.

3-18-13 - La question ne se pose pas
What does the French expression la question ne se pose pas mean? Learn all about it here.

3-15-13 - Cherchez la femme !
Look for the meaning behind the idiomatic French expression cherchez la femme.

3-14-13 - Roman Numerals
Roman numerals are used far more in French than in English, to replace both cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers.  They are commonly used to express dates, time periods, events, and more.

3-13-13 - Expressions with vivre
The French verb vivre iterally means "to live" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to be at peace, move with the times, live to a ripe old age, and more with this list of expressions with vivre.

3-12-13 - Acronyms and abbreviations
Lost in alphabet soup? Acronyms and abbreviations abound in French, especially in newspapers, on the news, and in political discussions. You might not be able to learn every French abbreviation and acronym, but you can get a good head start by memorizing this list of the most common French acronyms.

3-11-13 - Chanter comme une casserole
You've heard of singing in the shower, so what about the kitchen? Learn all about the French expression chanter comme une casserole.

3-8-13 - Est-ce que
One of the most common French expressions, est-ce que, has no meaning in and of itself. Learn all about this essential interrogatory phrase.

3-7-13 - Savoir vs Connaître - French Verbs "To Know"
French has two verbs which can be translated by the English verb to know: savoir and connaître. This might seem confusing to English speakers, but in fact there are distinct differences in meaning and usage for the two verbs.

3-6-13 - Expressions with chat
The French word un chat literally means "cat" or the game "tag" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say tit for tat, to have a frog in one's throat, to wash quickly, and more with this list of expressions with chat.

3-5-13 - Plus pronunciation
The French adverb plus has different pronunciations, depending on how it's used. Learn how to pronounce plus as an adverb, negative adverb, comparative, and superlative, as well as in many expressions.

3-4-13 - En robe des champs
What do field dressings have to do with food? Find out by reading this lesson on the idiomatic French expression en robe des champs.

4-10 March - Foreign language week
It's National Foreign Language Week! Don't keep putting off your dreams of learning a new language; this is your chance to get started with free online lessons. Here are some links to help you on your way.

3-1-13 - Le fond de l'air est frais
If warmer temperatures make you think it's time for summer clothes, you might want to reconsider with the French expression le fond de l'air est frais.

2-28-13 - Introductions
When you meet French speakers, you need to know how to introduce yourself and what to say when you are introduced. Here are some useful expressions related to French introductions, with sound files.

2-26-13 - Verbs with par
The French preposition par is required after a few verbs.

2-27-13 - Expressions with rendre
The French verb rendre literally means "to return" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to give thanks, glorify, comply with orders, and more with this list of expressions with rendre.

2-25-13 - Chercher des poux dans la tête de quelqu'un
No need to quibble, just click to learn about the idiomatic French expression chercher des poux dans la tête.

2-22-13 - Ça marche !
If it works for you, click to learn about the idiomatic French expression ça marche.

2-21-13 - Tel, Telle, Tels, Telles
The French word tel can be a qualifying adjective, an indefinite adjective, or an indefinite pronoun, and is also used in a number of expressions and conjunctions, making tel an extremely versatile and useful French word.

2-20-13 - Expressions with finir
The regular -ir verb finir is used in a variety of French expressions. Learn how to say never-ending, it will end in disaster, finally, and more with this list of expressions with finir.

2-19-13 - Pas
The French negative adverb pas is often used in conjunction with ne, but pas can also be used all on its own. The main difference is that ne ... pas is used to negate a verb, while pas without ne is used to negate an adjective, adverb, noun, or pronoun, and can be used to ask for confirmation.

2-18-13 - On peut se tutoyer ?
What does the French expression on peut se tutoyer mean? Learn all about it here.

2-17-13 - Create a French Village Project
Whether you're a teacher or an independent-study student, projects are a great way to spice up your language classes. Creating a village is a fairly short-term project - one week to one month - that will put vocabulary related to shopping to the test.

2-16-13 - Yes in French
Saying yes in French is pretty simple, but there are quite a few synonyms and precisions to be aware of. Check out this lesson to learn how to say yes, yeah, sure, and more.

2-15-13 - Du jour au lendemain
You can suddenly increase your French vocabulary by reading this lesson on the expression du jour au lendemain.

2-14-13 - 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.

2-13-13 - Faux amis
Learn five new faux amis - French/English word pairs that might give you trouble: extra, inhabité/inhabited, médicin/medecine, misérable/miserable, and permanence.

2-10-13 - Heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour
What does the French expression heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour mean? Learn all about it here.

2-8-13 - Le cinq à sept
You know what "one to ten" and "nine to five" mean, but what about le cinq à sept? Click to learn all about this potentially risqué expression.

2-7-13 - Advanced mistakes
If you speak French at an advanced level, congratulations! You may not be fluent yet, but you're definitely on your way. Nonetheless, there are probably a few concepts you can use a bit of help with. Oftentimes these are small details that don't affect your listener's comprehension, but mistakes are mistakes and if you want to be fluent you need to avoid them. Here are the ten most common French mistakes and difficulties for advanced speakers, with links to lessons.

2-6-13 - Expressions with donner
The French verb donner literally means "to give" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to sound the alarm, devote oneself, show signs of weakness, and more with this list of expressions with donner.

2-5-13 - Introduction to adverbs
An adverb, one of the eight parts of speech, is an invariable word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs provide information about the words they modify, such as when, where, how, how often, or to what degree something is done.

2-4-13 - Avoir du pain sur la planche
What does the idiomatic French expression avoir du pain sur la planche mean? Learn all about it here.

2-2-12 - 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 there's a fun game for French classes too.

2-1-13 - Prendre une décision
If you want to know what the French expression prendre une décision means, you need to make the decision to click this link.

1-31-13 - Introduction to French Sentences
A sentence (une phrase) is a group of words including at minimum a subject (which may be stated or implied) and a verb. Learn about French sentences, including sentence parts and the four different types of sentences.

1-29-13 - Expressing opinions
If you want to have a debate in French or discuss your opinions, you need to know the relevant vocabulary and expressions. This page offers suggestions for offering, supporting, asking for, and avoiding opinions in French.

1-28-13 - Verbs with en
The French preposition en is required after certain verbs when they are followed by a noun.

1-27-13 - Faire les quatre cents coups
What does the French expression faire les quatre cents coups mean? Learn all about it here.

1-25-13 - Ne tirez pas sur le pianiste !
Don't shoot the messenger, just click to learn about the French expression ne tirez pas sur le pianiste.

1-24-13 - Indefinite adjectives
French indefinite adjectives, sometimes called affirmative indefinite adjectives, are used to modify nouns in an unspecific sense. Learn all about French indefinite adjectives like autre, certain, chaque, divers, and tout.

1-23-13 - Expressions with falloir
The French verb falloir literally means "to be necessary" or "to need" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say far from it, that's more than we need, it takes all kinds, and more with this list of expressions with falloir.

1-22-13 - Le québécois en 10 leçons
Le québécois en 10 leçons is an audiobook for French speakers who would like to learn more about joual, the unique variety of French spoken informally in Québec.

1-21-13 - Mauvais vs mal
The French words mauvais and mal are often confused, because they both have negative meanings and can be adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

1-20-13 - Pour et contre
Don't worry about the pros and cons, just click to read this lesson about the French expression pour et contre.

1-18-13 - Dents du bonheur / Dents de la chance
It might be your lucky day - learn about the idiomatic French expressions dents du bonheur and dents de la chance.

1-17-13 - Depuis vs Il y a
The French temporal expressions depuis and il y a have distinctly different meanings and uses, yet they often present difficulties for French students. Here is a detailed explanation and comparison of depuis and il y a to help you clearly understand the difference once and for all.

1-16-13 - Expressions with monter
The French verb monter literally means "to go up, climb" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to be promoted, rise gently, turn up the volume, and more with this list of expressions with monter.

1-15-13 - UIL / UILLE - French Pronunciation
Learn how to pronounce the letter combinations UIL and UILLE in French in this lesson with sound files.

1-13-13 - Impossible n'est pas français
What does the French proverb Impossible n'est pas français mean? Learn all about it here.

1-12-13 - Ascendo French English Dictionary - Android App
Ascendo's French English Dictionary app for Android includes a variety of language tools to help you understand, pronounce, and practice French or English vocabulary and verbs. It's equally useful for speakers of either language.

1-11-13 - Je n'y peux rien
If you don't know this French expression, you can do something about it: read my lesson on Je n'y peux rien.

1-10-13 - Subjunctive - Le subjonctif
The subjunctive mood is used to express actions or ideas which are subjective or otherwise uncertain: will/wanting, emotion, doubt, possibility, necessity, judgment. The French subjunctive is nearly always found in dependent clauses introduced by que or qui, and the subjects of the dependent and main clauses are usually different.

1-9-13 - Expressions with raconter
The French verb raconter literally means "to tell" or "to relate" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to tell one's life story, spin yarns, be fooling oneself, and more with this list of expressions with raconter.

1-8-13 - The Year in French
Saying what year it is or when something happened can be a bit tricky because French has two different words that mean "year." In addition, for certain years, there are two different ways to say the actual numbers. Here's everything you need to know about the year in French.

1-7-13 - Être en train de
As soon as you click this link, you'll be in the process of learning how to use the French expression être en train de.

1-6-13 - Galette des rois
Après toute l'excitation de Noël et du Nouvel An, il reste une dernière tradition française intéressante : le tirage des rois. Read my bilingual article.

1-4-13 - Mettre le doigt
If you read this lesson carefully, you'll be able to put your finger on what mettre le doigt means in various idiomatic French expressions.

1-3-13 - Expressions with croire
The French verb croire literally means "to believe" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say take it from me, it's unbelievable, you don't know how right you are, and more with this list of expressions with croire.

1-1-13 - Bonne Année et bonne santé
New year wishes à la française: Bonne Année et bonne santé.

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