le grand-père
la grand-mère
lui et elle
le père
la mère
lui et elle
le fils
la fille
lui et elle
le frère
la sœur
lui et elle
l'oncle
la tante
lui et elle
Nous sommes une famille.
La famille n'est pas petite.
La famille est grande.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
French present tense
The French present tense, called le présent or le présent de l'indicatif, is quite similar in usage to the English present tense. In French, the present tense is used to express all of the following:
I. Current actions and situations
Je suis fatigué.
I am tired.
Nous allons au marché.
We are going to the market.
II. Habitual actions
Il va à l'école tous les jours.
He goes to school every day.
Je visite des musées le samedi.
I visit museums on Saturdays.
III. Absolute and general truths
La terre est ronde.
The earth is round.
L'éducation est importante.
Education is important.
IV. Actions which will occur immediately
J'arrive !
I'll be right there!
Il part tout de suite.
He is leaving right away.
V. Conditions, such as in si clauses
Si je peux, j'irai avec toi.
If I can, I will go with you.
Si vous voulez.
If you like.
Note: The present tense is not used after certain constructions that indicate an action that will occur in the future, such as après que (after) and aussitôt que (as soon as). Instead, the future is used in French.
The French present tense has three different English equivalents, because the English helping verbs "to be" and "to do" are not translated into French. For example, je mange can mean all of the following:
To learn how to conjugate French verbs in the present tense and then test yourself, please see these related lessons:
Regular Verbs
* -ER verbs
* -IR verbs
* -RE verbs
I. Current actions and situations
Je suis fatigué.
I am tired.
Nous allons au marché.
We are going to the market.
II. Habitual actions
Il va à l'école tous les jours.
He goes to school every day.
Je visite des musées le samedi.
I visit museums on Saturdays.
III. Absolute and general truths
La terre est ronde.
The earth is round.
L'éducation est importante.
Education is important.
IV. Actions which will occur immediately
J'arrive !
I'll be right there!
Il part tout de suite.
He is leaving right away.
V. Conditions, such as in si clauses
Si je peux, j'irai avec toi.
If I can, I will go with you.
Si vous voulez.
If you like.
Note: The present tense is not used after certain constructions that indicate an action that will occur in the future, such as après que (after) and aussitôt que (as soon as). Instead, the future is used in French.
The French present tense has three different English equivalents, because the English helping verbs "to be" and "to do" are not translated into French. For example, je mange can mean all of the following:
- I eat.
- I am eating.
- I do eat.
To learn how to conjugate French verbs in the present tense and then test yourself, please see these related lessons:
Regular Verbs
* -ER verbs
* -IR verbs
* -RE verbs
Using French Verbs
French Verb Help
French Hotel Vocabulary ~ À l'hôtel
Going to France? This page of French hotel vocabulary will help you to make your reservation, ask about services, and pay your bill.
*Un hôtel de ville, however, is not a place to stay, but rather a town hall / city hall.
Useful Phrases
You are here: Learn French --> French for Beginners --> French Vocabulary --> Travel --> Accommodations
| l'hôtel* | hotel |
| le logement | accommodations |
| complet | no vacancy |
| le rez-de-chaussée | 1st floor (US), ground floor (BR) |
| le premier étage | 2nd floor (US), 1st floor (BR) |
| le couloir | hallway |
| la chambre | room |
| la porte | door |
| la fenêtre | window |
| le lit | bed |
| l'oreiller | pillow |
| le canapé | sofa |
| la commode | dresser |
| la lampe | lamp |
| la salle de bain les toilettes les W.-C. | bathroom |
| le lavabo | sink |
| la douche | shower |
| la baignoire, le bain | tub |
| la toilette | toilet |
| la serviette | towel |
| l'employé | employee |
| la femme de chambre | maid |
Useful Phrases
| Je voudrais une chambre... | I would like a room... | ||||||
| ...pour une nuit / deux nuits. (numbers) | ...for one night / two nights. | ||||||
| ...pour une personne / deux personnes. | ...for one person / two people. | ||||||
| ...à deux lits. | ...with two beds. | ||||||
| ...avec un grand lit. | ...with a double bed. | ||||||
| ...avec | une douche une baignoire un lavabo un W.-C. une télévision un téléphone un climatiseur | dans la chambre. | ...with a(n) | shower bathtub sink toilet television telephone air conditioner | in the room. | ||
| Je voudrais payer | en espèces. avec des chèques de voyage. avec une carte de crédit. | I would like to pay with | cash. traveler's checks. a credit card. | ||||
| Je voudrais... | I would like... | ||||||
| ...être réveillé à huit heures. (time) | ...a wake-up call at 8am. | ||||||
| ...régler mon compte. | ...to pay my bill. | ||||||
| ...un reçu. | ...a receipt. | ||||||
| ...un taxi. | ...a taxi. | ||||||
| Avez-vous un... / Où se trouve le... | Do you have a(n)... / Where is the... | ||||||
| ...un ascenseur ? | ...elevator? | ||||||
| ...un service de lessive ? | ...laundry service? | ||||||
| ...un coiffeur ? | ...hairdresser/barber? | ||||||
| ...un parking ? | ...parking lot/garage? | ||||||
| ...un restaurant / bar ? | ...restaurant / bar? | ||||||
| ...une piscine ? | ...pool? | ||||||
| C'est combien ? | How much is it? | ||||||
| Quelle est l'heure limite d'occupation ? | What is the check-out time? | ||||||
| L'addition n'est pas correcte. | The bill is incorrect. | ||||||
You are here: Learn French --> French for Beginners --> French Vocabulary --> Travel --> Accommodations
Les Présentations
Je m'appelle...
My name is...
Je suis...
I am...
Mon prénom est...
My (first) name is...
Introducing others
Je vous présente... (formal and/or plural)
Je te présente... (informal)
I'd like to introduce...
Voici...
This is...
Il s'appelle...
His name is...
Elle s'appelle...
Her name is...
Meeting people
Comment vous appelez-vous ? (formal and/or plural)
Comment t'appelles-tu ? (informal)
What is your name?
Enchanté / Enchantée.
It's nice to meet you.
Practice!
Quiz on introductions
Listening exercise: Greetings and introductions
French words to watch out for
prénom - first name, given name
nom - last name, family name, surname
surnom - nickname
introduire - to insert. Don't use this French verb when talking about introducing one person to another - it's a false cognate. The correct verb when making introductions in French is présenter.
Helpful lessons
Formal, plural, informal - Vous vs Tu
Enchanté vs enchantée - Grammatical gender
Asking questions
Reflexive verbs
My name is...
Je suis...
I am...
Mon prénom est...
My (first) name is...
Introducing others
Je vous présente... (formal and/or plural)
Je te présente... (informal)
I'd like to introduce...
Voici...
This is...
Il s'appelle...
His name is...
Elle s'appelle...
Her name is...
Meeting people
Comment vous appelez-vous ? (formal and/or plural)
Comment t'appelles-tu ? (informal)
What is your name?
Enchanté / Enchantée.
It's nice to meet you.
Practice!
Quiz on introductions
Listening exercise: Greetings and introductions
French words to watch out for
prénom - first name, given name
nom - last name, family name, surname
surnom - nickname
introduire - to insert. Don't use this French verb when talking about introducing one person to another - it's a false cognate. The correct verb when making introductions in French is présenter.
Helpful lessons
Formal, plural, informal - Vous vs Tu
Enchanté vs enchantée - Grammatical gender
Asking questions
Reflexive verbs
Related Features
French Vocabulary
Politeness - La Politesse
please
s'il vous plaît (plural or formal)
s'il te plaît (singular and familiar)
(Not sure which one to use? See my lesson on tu vs vous)
please + verb (for example, "please excuse me")
veuillez + infinitive (veuillez m'excuser)
thank you
mercithank you very much
merci beaucoup
merci bien
bless you! (thank you so much)
mille fois merci
More ways to express gratitude
you're welcome
de rien
it was my pleasure
je vous en prie (plural or formal)
je t'en prie (singular and familiar)don't mention it
pas de quoi
pardon me, I beg your pardon
pardon
excuse me
excusez-moiI'm sorry to disturb/bother you
Excusez-moi de vous déranger
I'm sorry
je suis désolé(e)
cheers
à votre santé (plural or formal)
à ta santé (singular and familiar)
enjoy your meal
bon appétit !bless you (after a sneeze)
à vos souhaits (plural or formal)
à tes souhaits (singular and familiar)
Sir, Mr.
Monsieur
Ma'am, Mrs.
MadameMiss
Mademoiselle
s'il vous plaît (plural or formal)
s'il te plaît (singular and familiar)
(Not sure which one to use? See my lesson on tu vs vous)
please + verb (for example, "please excuse me")
veuillez + infinitive (veuillez m'excuser)
thank you
mercithank you very much
merci beaucoup
merci bien
bless you! (thank you so much)
mille fois merci
More ways to express gratitude
you're welcome
de rien
it was my pleasure
je vous en prie (plural or formal)
je t'en prie (singular and familiar)don't mention it
pas de quoi
pardon me, I beg your pardon
pardon
excuse me
excusez-moiI'm sorry to disturb/bother you
Excusez-moi de vous déranger
I'm sorry
je suis désolé(e)
cheers
à votre santé (plural or formal)
à ta santé (singular and familiar)
enjoy your meal
bon appétit !bless you (after a sneeze)
à vos souhaits (plural or formal)
à tes souhaits (singular and familiar)
Sir, Mr.
Monsieur
Ma'am, Mrs.
MadameMiss
Mademoiselle
French Greetings - Les Salutations
The basic French greeting is bonjour, which can mean hello, good morning, or good afternoon. When greeting someone in the evening (beginning around 6pm), say bonsoir.
To greet someone informally at any time of day, you can say salut, meaning hi.
French greeting tips
You should always greet people by saying one of the above. In some countries, it's acceptable to greet a salesclerk, for example, with just a smile, but not in France - always start out with a polite bonjour. Even when entering a waiting room or boarding a bus, the French will mutter bonjour as a general greeting to everyone within earshot.
In addition, if you know the person or are being introduced, you're also expected to either faire la bise (kiss cheeks) or se serrer la main (shake hands). When arriving at work or school, this means you should go around the room and individually greet each person.
Don't ever greet people by saying "bon matin" or "bon après-midi" - the first is incorrect and the second can only be used as a good-bye - read more.
Exchanging pleasantries about one's health is typical when greeting someone. There are several ways to ask how someone is, and which one to use depends on whether you want to be formal or informal.*
Formal
Asking
Whether talking to one person or more than one, ask Comment allez-vous ? (How are you?)
Answering
Je vais bien (I'm fine)
Bien, merci (Fine, thanks)
Bien, et vous ? (Fine, and you?)
Informal
Asking
The most common question is Ça va ? (literally, Is it going?), and it has variations:
Ça va bien ? (Is it going well?)
Comment ça va ? (How's it going?)
If you're just talking to one person, you can also ask Comment vas-tu ?
Answering
Ça va (Fine)
Ça va bien (I'm doing well)
Pas mal (Not bad)
Bien, et toi ? (Fine, and you?)
Je vais bien (I'm fine)
Learn more about ça va
Familiar
Asking
Quoi de neuf ? (What's new?)
Answering
Rien de nouveau (nothing's new)
Pas grand-chose (not much)
Parting doesn't have to be sweet sorrow. Learn the different ways to say "good-bye" depending on what exactly you mean.
Au revoir (Good-bye)
Salut (Bye)
À bientôt, À tout à l'heure (See you soon)
À plus, À plus tard (See you later)
(pronunciation of plus)
À demain (See you tomorrow)
À la prochaine (Until next time)
Bonne journée (Have a nice day)
Bon après-midi (Have a nice afternoon)
Bonne soirée (Have a nice evening)
Bonne nuit (Good night)
To greet someone informally at any time of day, you can say salut, meaning hi.
French greeting tips
You should always greet people by saying one of the above. In some countries, it's acceptable to greet a salesclerk, for example, with just a smile, but not in France - always start out with a polite bonjour. Even when entering a waiting room or boarding a bus, the French will mutter bonjour as a general greeting to everyone within earshot.
In addition, if you know the person or are being introduced, you're also expected to either faire la bise (kiss cheeks) or se serrer la main (shake hands). When arriving at work or school, this means you should go around the room and individually greet each person.
Don't ever greet people by saying "bon matin" or "bon après-midi" - the first is incorrect and the second can only be used as a good-bye - read more.
Exchanging pleasantries about one's health is typical when greeting someone. There are several ways to ask how someone is, and which one to use depends on whether you want to be formal or informal.*
Formal
Asking
Whether talking to one person or more than one, ask Comment allez-vous ? (How are you?)
Answering
Je vais bien (I'm fine)
Bien, merci (Fine, thanks)
Bien, et vous ? (Fine, and you?)
Informal
Asking
The most common question is Ça va ? (literally, Is it going?), and it has variations:
Ça va bien ? (Is it going well?)
Comment ça va ? (How's it going?)
If you're just talking to one person, you can also ask Comment vas-tu ?
Answering
Ça va (Fine)
Ça va bien (I'm doing well)
Pas mal (Not bad)
Bien, et toi ? (Fine, and you?)
Je vais bien (I'm fine)
Learn more about ça va
Familiar
Asking
Quoi de neuf ? (What's new?)
Answering
Rien de nouveau (nothing's new)
Pas grand-chose (not much)
Parting doesn't have to be sweet sorrow. Learn the different ways to say "good-bye" depending on what exactly you mean.
Au revoir (Good-bye)
Salut (Bye)
À bientôt, À tout à l'heure (See you soon)
À plus, À plus tard (See you later)
(pronunciation of plus)
À demain (See you tomorrow)
À la prochaine (Until next time)
Bonne journée (Have a nice day)
Bon après-midi (Have a nice afternoon)
Bonne soirée (Have a nice evening)
Bonne nuit (Good night)
L'Essentiel
Je parle (un peu de) français
I speak (a little) French.
Parlez-vous anglais ?
Do you speak English?
Comment ?
What?
Je ne comprends pas.
I don't understand.
Que veut-dire ___ ?
What does ___ mean?
Répétez, s'il vous plaît.
Repeat, please.
Plus lentement
More slowly
Encore une fois
One more time
Comment dit-on ___ en français ?
How do you say ___ in French?
Je ne sais pas
I don't know
J'ai une question
I have a question
J'ai un problème
I have a problem
oui yes
non no
si yes (in reponse to a negative question)
d'accord OK
et and
ou or
qui who
quoi what
quand when
où where
pourquoi why
comment how
Note: There are several ways to say "what" in French
I speak (a little) French.
Parlez-vous anglais ?
Do you speak English?
Comment ?
What?
Je ne comprends pas.
I don't understand.
Que veut-dire ___ ?
What does ___ mean?
Répétez, s'il vous plaît.
Repeat, please.
Plus lentement
More slowly
Encore une fois
One more time
Comment dit-on ___ en français ?
How do you say ___ in French?
Je ne sais pas
I don't know
J'ai une question
I have a question
J'ai un problème
I have a problem
oui yes
non no
si yes (in reponse to a negative question)
d'accord OK
et and
ou or
qui who
quoi what
quand when
où where
pourquoi why
comment how
Note: There are several ways to say "what" in French
1. Personnes
moi / je
toi et moi
nous deux
lui / il
lui et elle
eux deux
l'homme
la femme
l'enfant
une famille
ma famille
Ma famille est ici.
Je suis ici.
Tu es ici.
Il est ici et elle est ici.
Nous sommes ici.
Vous êtes ici.
Ils sont tous ici.
toi et moi
nous deux
lui / il
lui et elle
eux deux
l'homme
la femme
l'enfant
une famille
ma famille
Ma famille est ici.
Je suis ici.
Tu es ici.
Il est ici et elle est ici.
Nous sommes ici.
Vous êtes ici.
Ils sont tous ici.
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