41. IMPERFECT TENSE This past tense corresponds to "was, were or used to.

" This tense is used for repeated, continuous, or ongoing actions; as well as for verbs that describe background and circumstances, such as weather, time, and physical, mental, and emotional states. (Use the pass compos for actions that happened once and are done.) Verbs that express mental and emotional states that are descriptive in nature are generally used in the imperfect more than the pass compos. These verbs are: aimer, avoir, croire, dtester, esprer, tre, penser, and prfrer. To form the stem, use the nous form of the present tense and drop the -ons. Then add these endings:
-ais -ais -ait // // // -ions -iez -aient /j/ /je/ //

The only exception is tre for which you must use the stem t-, but still the same endings. Verb stems that end in -c must use a cedilla () under the c to make it soft. Verb stems ending in -g keep the e before all forms except nous and vous.
tre tais tais tait /et/ /et/ /et/ commencer commenais commenais commenait /kms/ /kms/ /kms/ commencions commenciez commenaient /kmsj/ /kmsje/ /kms/ mangeais mangeais mangeait /m/ /m/ /m/ tions tiez taient /etj/ /etje/ /et/ manger mangions mangiez mangeaient /mj/ /mje/ /m/

Avoir, Devoir, Pouvoir, Savoir, and Vouloir These verbs change meanings, according to whether they are used in the imperfect or the pass compos.
Imperfect avoir devoir pouvoir savoir vouloir j'avais je devais je pouvais je savais je voulais I had I was supposed to I was capable I knew I wanted to j'ai eu j'ai d j'ai pu je n'ai pas pu j'ai su j'ai voulu Pass Compos I got, received I must have, I had to (and did) I was able to (and did), succeeded I couldn't, failed I found out, discovered I tried, decided, insisted

je n'ai pas voulu

I refused

The imperfect tense is also used with these constructions:

tre en train de + infinitive = to be in the middle of doing something J'tais en train d'tudier quand vous tes arrivs. tre sur le point de + infinitive = to be just about to do something J'tais sur le point de vous rappeler. aller + infinitive = going to do something J'allais sortir quand le tlphone a sonn. venir de + infinitive = to have just done something Je venais de manger, alors je n'avais plus faim. I had just eaten, so I wasn't hungry anymore. I was going to leave when the phone rang. I was just about to call you back. I was (in the process of ) studying when you arrived.

42. PLACES / LES ENDROITS

school bathroom locker drinking fountain store library office stadium cafe cafeteria movie theater church museum pool countryside beach theater park restaurant hospital post office home city supermarket delicatessen l'cole (f) les toilettes (f) le casier la fontaine le magasin la biblio(thque) le bureau le stade le caf la caftria le cinma l'glise (f) le muse la piscine la campagne la plage le thtre le parc le restaurant l'hpital (m) la poste la maison la ville le supermarch la charcuterie /ekl/ /twalt/ /kzje/ /ftn/ /magaz/ /biblijtk/ /byo/ /stad/ /kafe/ /kafeteja/ /sinema/ /egliz/ /myze/ /pisin/ /kpa/ /pla/ /tet/ /pak/ /st/ /pital/ /pst/ /mz/ /vil/ /sypmae/ /akyti/ university bank train station airport telephone apartment hotel village factory garden castle cathedral zoo bakery monument pharmacy butcher shop candy store police station town hall square bookstore grocery store pastry shop fish market l'universit (f) la banque la gare l'aroport (m) le tlphone l'appartement (m) l'htel (m) le village l'usine (f) le jardin le chteau la cathdrale le zoo la boulangerie le monument la pharmacie la boucherie la confiserie la gendarmerie la mairie la place la librairie l'picerie (f) la ptisserie la poissonnerie /ynivsite/ /bk/ /ga/ /aep/ /telefn/ /apatm/ /otl/ /vila/ /yzin/ /ad/ /ato/ /katedal/ /zo/ /buli/ /mnym/ /famasi/ /bui/ /kfizi/ /dam()i/ /mi/ /plas/ /libi/ /episi/ /ptisi/ /pwasni/

Nowadays, la mdiathque /medjatk/ is replacing bibliothque because most libraries also have DVDs and CDs to lend, not just books. You may also hear la cantine /ktin/ to refer to the cafeteria in a school.

Listen to the les magasins : la boulangerie mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. 43. TRANSPORTATION
by bike by bus by moped by car by motorcycle by subway on foot by plane by train by boat en vlo (m) en bus (m) en scooter (m) en voiture (f) en moto (f) en mtro (m) pied (m) en avion (m) en train (m) en bateau (m) / velo/ / bus/ / skut/ / vwaty/ / moto/ / meto/ /a pje/ / navj/ / t/ / bato/

Instead of using a specific verb of movement (drive, fly, walk) before a location, French actually uses a more general verb + the location + the manner of movement. I walk to school. = Je vais l'cole pied. (I go to school on foot.) I'm flying to New York. = Je vais New York en avion. (I go to New York by plane.)

Common slang words for car/automobile are une bagnole /bal/ or une caisse /ks/. In Quebec, it's un char /a/. 44. TO WANT & TO BE ABLE TO vouloir /vulwa/ -to want and pouvoir /puvwa/ - to be able to, can
Present veux veux veut /v/ voulons /v/ voulez /v/ veulent /vul/ /vule/ /vl/ voulais voulais voulait /vul/ /vul/ /vul/ Imperfect voulions vouliez voulaient /vulj/ /vulje/ /vul/ voudrai voudras voudra /vud/ /vuda/ /vuda/ Future voudrons voudrez voudront /vud/ /vude/ /vud/

peux peux peut

/p/ pouvons /p/ pouvez /p/ peuvent

/puv/ /puve/ /pv/

pouvais pouvais pouvait

/puv/ /puv/ /puv/

pouvions pouviez pouvaient

/puvj/ /puvje/ /puv/

pourrai pourras pourra

/pu/ /pua/ /pua/

pourrons pourrez pourront

/pu/ /pue/ /pu/

Voulez-vous? can mean Do you want? or Will you? The past participles are voulu and pu and both are conjugated with avoir. The conditional forms of vouloir are used in the expression "would like" i.e. I'd like = je voudrais,

you'd like =tu voudrais, he'd/she'd like = il/elle voudrait, we'd like = nous voudrions, you'd like = vous voudriez, they'd like =ils/elles voudraient. You do not need to use pouvoir after verbs that involve the senses, such as voir (to see) and entendre (to hear). Je ne vois pas / Je n'entends pas can mean I don't see or I can't see / I don't hear or I can't hear depending on the context. 45. THE HOUSE AND YARD / LA MAISON ET LE JARDIN
House Apartment Bedroom Hallway Kitchen Storeroom Stairs Floor Living Room Closet Room Ground Floor Dining Room Bathroom Terrace, patio Attic Chimney Roof Garage Driveway Sidewalk Porch Basement Cellar la maison l'appartement (m) la chambre le couloir la cuisine le dbarras l'escalier (m) l'tage (m) le living / le salon la penderie la pice le rez-de-chausse la salle manger la salle de bains la terrasse le grenier la chemine le toit le garage l'alle (f) le trottoir le porche le sous-sol la cave /mz/ /apatm/ /b/ /kulwa/ /kizin/ /debaa/ /skalje/ /eta/ /livi/ /sal/ /pdi/ /pjs/ /dose/ /salame/ /saldb/ /tas/ /gnje/ /()mine/ /tw/ /gaa/ /ale/ /ttwa/ /p/ /susl/ /kav/ Yard Shrub Lawn/grass Bush Tree Lawn mower Hose Watering can Rake Hoe Clippers Shovel Sprinkler Lock (door) Lock (bolt) Padlock Hinges Key Keychain Keyhole Doorknob Tile roofing Clapboard/Shingle Slate roofing le jardin l'arbuste (m) le gazon / la pelouse le buisson l'arbre (m) la tondeuse gazon le tuyau d'arrosage l'arrosoir (m) le rteau la bche le cisaille la pelle l'arroseur (m) la serrure le verrou le cadenas la charnire la cl le porte-cl le trou de la serrure la poigne de porte les tuiles (f) les bardeaux (m) l'ardoise (f) /ad/ /abyst/ /gaz/ /p()luz/ /bis/ /ab/ /tdzagaz/ /tijodaoza/ /aoza/ /to/ /b/ /sizj/ /pl/ /aoz/ /sey/ /vu/ /kadna/ /anj/ /kle/ /ptkle/ sey/ /pwaedpt/ /til/ /bado/ /adwaz/

You may also see the words la loggia /ldja/ (small room off a large room - sometimes like a pantry) and la veranda/veda/ (enclosed porch/balcony), as well as les toilettes /twalt/ (a separate room just for the toilet), for parts of a house or apartment.

Listen to the le logement : dcrire son appartement mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. 46. FURNITURE AND APPLIANCES / LES MEUBLES ET L'ELECTROMENAGER

Furniture Shelf Desk Chair Dresser Curtain Curtain rod Shutters Blinds Window Bed Door Closet Rug Lamp Nightstand Answering machine Stereo Television VCR Remote Control Computer Radio Fridge Refrigerator Freezer (Coffee) Table Sink Bathtub Stove Oven Dishwasher Microwave Shower Pillow Mirror Ceiling Floor Armchair Clock Bedspread Vase Bathroom sink

les meubles l'tagre (f) le bureau la chaise la commode le rideau la tringle les volets (m) les stores (m) la fentre le lit / le plumard la porte le placard le tapis la lampe la table de nuit le rpondeur la chane hi fi la tl(vision) le magntoscope la tlcommande l'ordinateur (m) la radio le frigo le rfrigrateur le conglateur la table (basse) l'vier (m) la baignoire la cuisinire le four le lave-vaisselle le four micro-ondes la douche l'oreiller le miroir le plafond le plancher le fauteuil la pendule le couvre-lit le vase le lavabo

/mbl/ /eta/ /byo/ /z/ /kmd/ /ido/ /tgl/ /vl/ /st/ /fnt/ /li/ /plyma/ /pt/ /plaka/ /tapi/ /lp/ /tabldni/ /epd/ /n i fi/ /televizj/ /maetskp/ /telekmd/ /dinat/ /adjo/ /figo/ /kelat/ /tabl bas/ /evje/ /bwa/ /kizinj/ /fu/ /lavvsl/

Appliances Thermostat Air Conditioner Fan Rocking chair Stool Cushion Carpet Mixer / Beater Blender Can opener Toaster Coffee maker Coffee press Kettle Sheet Blanket Mattress Bunkbeds Lightswitch Lampshade Faucet Drain/Piping Towel bar

l'lectromnager le thermostat le climatiseur le ventilateur le fauteuil bascule le tabouret le coussin la moquette le batteur lectrique le mixeur l'ouvre-botes (m) le grille-pain la caftire le moulin caf la bouilloire le drap la couverture le matelas les lits superposs (m) l'interrupteur (m) l'abat-jour (m) le robinet la canalisation le porte-serviettes la buanderie la javel le panier linge la pince linge la machine laver / le lave-linge le sche-linge le fer repasser la planche repasser le cintre l'aspirateur (m) le balai la pelle la serpillire les ordures (f) le sac poubelle la poubelle la tapette mouche le schoir le sche-cheveux

/elktomenae/ /tmsta/ /klimatiz/ /vtilat/ /fotjabaskyl/ /tabu/ /kus/ /mkt/ /batelktik/ /miks/ /uvbwat/ /gijp/ /kaftj/ /mul na kafe/ /bujwa/ /da/ /kuvty/ /matla/ /lisyppoze/ /teypt/ /abau/ /bin/ /kanalizasj/ /ptsvjt/ /bdi/ /avl/ /panje a l/ /ps a l/ /mainalave/ /lavl/ /sl/ /fapase/ /plapase/ /st/ /aspiat/ /bal/ /pl/ /spij/ /dy/ /sakpubl/ /publ/ /taptamu/ /sewa/ /seav/

/efieat/ Laundry room Bleach Laundry basket Clothespin Washing Machine Clothes Dryer Iron Ironing board

/fuamikod/ Hanger /du/ /je/ /miwa/ /plaf/ /ple/ /fotj/ /pdyl/ /kuvli/ /vz/ /lavabo/ Vacuum Broom Dustpan Mop Garbage Garbage bag Garbage can Flyswatter Clothes Dryer Hair Dryer

Futon couch

le clic-clac

/klik klak/

Couch/Sofa DVD Player

le canap / le sofa le lecteur de DVD

/kanape/ /sfa/ /lktddevede/

Monte le son. / Baisse le son. Turn up the volume. / Turn down the volume. Allume la lumire. / Eteinds la tl. Turn on the light. / Turn off the television. 47. COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES
Comparatives aussi (adj or adv) que moins (adj or adv) que plus (adj or adv) que plus de (noun) que autant de (noun) que moins de (noun) que as (adj or adv) as less (adj or adv) than more (adj or adv) than more (noun) than as many (noun) as less (noun) than

Sample Sentences She is taller than Colette. I am smarter than you. Peter runs less quickly than me. The kitchen is as big as the living room. I have more books than she. We have as many cars as he. Elle est plus grande que Colette. Je suis plus intelligente que toi. Pierre court moins rapidement quemoi. La cuisine est aussi grande que le salon. J'ai plus de livres qu'elle. Nous avons autant de voitures que lui.

Verbs can also be compared with plus/aussi/moins (+ que): Il travaille moins qu'elle. He works less than she. Ils dorment plus. They sleep more. Superlatives Simply add le, la or les before the comparative if you are using an adjective. With adverbs, always use le. After a superlative, de is used to mean in. If the adjective follows the noun, the superlative follows the noun also, surrounding the adjective.
Sample Sentences It's the biggest city in the world. She is the most beautiful woman in this room. This neighborhood is the least expensive in Paris. It's the most dreaded punishment in the world. C'est la plus grande ville du monde. Elle est la plus belle femme de cette salle. Ce quartier est le moins cher de Paris. C'est la punition la plus redoutabledu monde.

She works the most courageously of everyone.

Elle travaille le plus courageusement de tous.

In French, sometimes you don't use any articles, as compared to English: Plus a change, plus c'est la mme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 48. IRREGULAR FORMS
Adjective bon mauvais petit good bad small Adverb bien beaucoup mal peu well much badly little mieux plus pis moins Comparative meilleur/e pire moindre better worse less Comparative better more worse less le mieux le plus le pis le moins Superlative le/la meilleur/e le/la pire le/la moindre best worst least

Superlative best most worst least

Only use the irregular forms of mauvais in the abstract sense. If the idea is concrete, you may use plus/moins mauvais and le/la mauvais. 49. CLOTHING / LES VETEMENTS
pajamas jewelry necklace jeans pants sweater turtleneck raincoat blouse bra slip coat tennis shoes swimsuit shorts bracelet charm t-shirt le pyjama le bijou le collier le jean le pantalon le pull le col roul l'impermable (m) le chemisier le soutien-gorge le jupon le manteau des tennis (m) le maillot de bain le short le bracelet le porte-bonheur le tee-shirt boxer shorts briefs panties tuxedo bowtie vest/cardigan flip flops sleeve pocket decorative scarf man's suit woman's suit slippers jacket underwear gloves mittens belt le caleon le slip la culotte le smoking le nud papillon le gilet les tongs la manche la poche la foulard le costume le tailleur des pantoufles (f) le blouson les sous-vtements les gants (m) les moufles (f) la ceinture

hat ring chain earrings pin sock shoe man's shirt hooded jacket sneakers track suit size (clothes)

le chapeau la bague la chanette les boucles d'oreilles (f) l'pingle (f) la chaussette la chaussure la chemise l'anorak des baskets le jogging la taille

cap skirt dress sandal boots blazer/coat scarf tie slipper shoes high heels long shorts size (shoes)

la casquette la jupe la robe la sandale des bottes (f) la veste l'charpe (f) la cravate des chaussons des escarpins le bermuda la pointure

Les bas (stockings) and les collants (tights) are popular in France. Chaussures talons hauts are high-heeled shoes, while chaussures talons plats are flat shoes. Chaussures de ville are dress shoes. A slang word forclothes is les fringues. 50. TO WEAR
Mettre /mt/ - to put, to put on, wear Present mets mets met /m/ /m/ /m/ mettons mettez mettent /mt/ /mte/ /mt/ mettais mettais mettait /mt/ /mt/ /mt/ Imperfect mettions mettiez mettaient /mtj/ /mtje/ /mt/ mettrai mettras mettra /mt/ /mta/ /mta/ Future mettrons mettrez mettront /mt/ /mte/ /mt/

Other verbs that are conjugated like mettre: promettre - to promise and permettre - to permit. The past participle of mettre is mis and it is conjugated with avoir. Porter is actually the verb to wear, but the French use mettre also. Il / Elle te va bien. Il / Elle vous va bien. Ils / Elles te vont bien. Ils / Elles vous vont bien. It looks good on you. (informal) It looks good on you. (formal) They look good on you. (informal) They look good on you. (formal)

51. FUTURE TENSES: SIMPLE AND ANTERIOR

The futur simple expresses an action that will take place [will + infinitive]. The futur antrieur expresses an action that will have taken place before another future action [will have + past participle]. The future tense is used just like it is in English, however, in French, the future is always used after quand or lorsque (when), ds que or aussitt que (as soon as) and tant que (as long as.) To form the future tense, use the infinitive and add these endings that resemble those of avoir. However, you drop the -e from -re verbs.
-ai -as -a // /a/ /a/ -ons -ez -ont / /e/ //

parler parlerai parleras parlera parlerons parlerez parleront choisirai choisiras choisira

choisir choisirons choisirez choisiront perdrai perdras perdra

perdre perdrons perdrez perdront

And of course, there are exceptions. Here are the irregular stems for the future tense (these will also be used in the conditional tense):
Irregular Stems aller avoir courir devoir envoyer tre faire falloir mourir iraurcourrdevrenverrserferfaudrmourrpleuvoir pouvoir recevoir savoir tenir valoir venir voir vouloir pleuvrpourrrecevrsaurtiendrvaudrviendrverrvoudr-

tre serai seras sera serons serez seront j'irai iras ira

aller irons irez iront

Other exceptions: For appeler and jeter, double the consonant. For nettoyer and payer, change the y to i. For acheter, add an accent grave. For prfrer, the accents all remain the same.

jeter jetterai jetteras jettera jetterons jetterez jetteront paierai paieras paiera

payer paierons paierez paieront achterai achteras achtera

acheter achterons achterez achteront prfrerai prfreras prfrera

prfrer prfrerons prfrerez prfreront

To form the futur antrieur (will have + past participle), use the future of either avoir or tre (whichever the main verb takes) and the past participle of the main verb. Quand ils reviendront, ils auront chang. When they come back, they will have changed. Ds qu'ils seront revenus, ils voudront repartir. As soon as they have returned, they will want to leave again. 52. PRECEDING & PLURAL ADJECTIVES
Masculine Adjective beautiful good dear crazy nice big large young pretty long bad better, best soft new little old Singular beau (bel) bon cher fou (fol) gentil grand gros jeune joli long mauvais meilleur mou (mol) nouveau (nouvel) petit vieux (vieil) Plural beaux bons chers foux gentils grands gros jeunes jolis longs mauvais meilleurs moux nouveaux petits vieux Singular belle bonne chre folle gentille grande grosse jeune jolie longue mauvaise meilleure molle nouvelle petite vieille Feminine Plural belles bonnes chres folles gentilles grandes grosses jeunes jolies longues mauvaises meilleures molles nouvelles petites vieilles

The masculine singular and plural are pronounced the same, as are the feminine singular and plural. These are the most common adjectives that go before the noun. An acronym to remember which ones go before the noun is BRAGS: Beauty, Resemblance (mme and autre), Age/Order (premier and dernier), Goodness, and Size. All other adjectives, except numbers, go after the noun. The five words in parentheses (bel, fol, mol,

nouvel, and vieil) are used before masculine singular words beginning with a vowel or a silent h. A few adjectives can be used before or after the noun, and the meaning changes accordingly. When used before the noun, they take a figurative meaning; and when used after, they take a literal meaning. Before plural adjectives preceding plural nouns, you use de instead of des to mean some. Ex: Some old monuments. De vieux monuments. 53. ADJECTIVES: FORMATION OF FEMININE Almost all adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they modify. Most adjectives are given in the masculine form, so to change to the feminine forms, follow these rules:
Masculine Add -e brun fatigu If it already ends in -e, add nothing -x changes to -se Exceptions: jeune gnreux faux roux doux -il, -el, and -eil change to -ille, -elle, and -eille -et changes to -te Exceptions: naturel inquiet muet coquet -en and -on change to -enne and -onne -er changes to -re -f changes to -ve -c changes to -che Exceptions: Italien cher actif blanc public grec -g changes to -gue -eur changes to -euse if adjective is derived from verb -eur changes to -rice if adjective is not same as verb -eur changes to -eure with adjectives of comparison And a few completely irregular ones: long menteur crateur infrieur pais favori Feminine brune fatigue jeune gnreuse fausse rousse douce naturelle inquite muette coquette Italienne chre active blanche publique grecque longue menteuse cratrice infrieure paisse favorite brown tired young generous false red (hair) sweet, soft natural worried silent stylish Italian dear, expensive active white public Greek long liar creator inferior thick favorite Adjective

frais

frache

fresh, cool

54. FORMING PLURALS: ADJECTIVES To form the feminine plural, just add an -s, unless it already ends in an s, then add nothing. To form the masculine plural, just add an -s, except in these cases: -al becomes -aux (exceptions: banal - banals; final - finals); and if it ends in an x or s already, add nothing. national general national general Masculine Singular national gnral Feminine Singular nationale gnrale Masculine Plural nationaux gnraux Feminine Plural nationales gnrales

And of course there are more exceptions... some adjectives are invariable and do not have feminine or plural forms. Compound adjectives, such as bleu clair (light blue) and vert fonc (dark green), adjectives that are also nouns, such as or (gold), argent (silver), marron (chestnut), and the words chic (stylish), bon march or meilleur march(inexpensive) never change. 55. MORE ADJECTIVES
short (length) loud, noisy elegant tight, narrow several pointed bright cute perfect ready sad clever lazy generous court/e bruyant/e lgant/e troit/e plusieurs pointu/e vif/vive mignon/ne parfait/e prt/e triste malin/maligne paresseux/euse gnreux/euse different situated big curious nervous only amusing touching funny heavy careful dirty tired angry diffrent/e situ/e gros/se curieux/euse nerveux/euse seul/e amusant/e mouvant/e drle, marrant/e lourd/e prudent/e sale fatigu/e fch/e boring crazy interesting sensitive athletic stubborn shy hard-working optimistic pessimistic tolerant pretentious ambitious pleasant ennuyeux/euse fou/folle intressant/e sensible sportif/sportive ttu/e timide travailleur/euse optimiste pessimiste tolrant/e prtentieux/euse ambitieux/se agrable

famous decorated

clbre dcor/e

annoyed old

irrit/e g/e

enthusiastic honest

enthousiaste honnte

Remember the first word is the masculine and the second is the feminine. The addition of an e for the feminine form allows the last consonant to be voiced. These adjectives go after the noun. Normally, the verb rendre means to give something that you owe to someone, such as On rend ses devoirs au professeur. It can also be used in the sense of to represent. But rendre + adjective means to make someone or something + adjective. Tu me rends si heureuse ! You make me so happy! Le fait qu'il ne possde pas de voiture le rend triste. The fact that he doesn't have a car makes him sad. Some common slang adjectives that are used constantly in everyday speech: chouette great, good con / conne stupid, dumb dbile idiotic dgueu(lasse) disgusting, bad extra extraordinary gnial very interesting impec perfect minable moche sensass super sympa tarte tocard mediocre ugly, unpleasant sensational marvellous nice, pleasant inane ridiculous, deplorable

The intensifiers vachement and drlement are also used often, meaning very or really. Il est vachement sympa. = He is really nice. Elle est drlement triste. = She is very sad. Listen to the le caractre : une jeune fille trs heureuse mp3 and try the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. 56. PROBLEM VERBS

Some verbs in French present problems because they have several translations in English. Other verbs can have several translations in French, but fewer meanings in English. visiter - to visit places rendre visite - to visit people apporter - to bring things to some place emporter - to take things from some place amener - to bring someone to some place emmener - to take someone from some place apprendre quelque chose - to learn something apprendre quelque chose quelqu'un - to teach someone something rencontrer - to meet faire la connaissance de - to meet someone for the first time retrouver - to meet (for an appointment) partir - to leave (from or for a place) quitter - to leave (a person or place) sortir - to go out s'en aller - to go away laisser - to leave something behind retourner - to go back (to where speaker is not) revenir - to come back (to where speaker currently is) rentrer - to come or go home rendre - to return or give something back faire - to make fabriquer - to produce obliger - to make someone do something rendre - to make someone + adjective After some verbs, the word ne is required, but this does not imply negation: craindre, redoter, empcher Je crains qu'il ne fasse trop froid. I'm afraid that it's too cold. And a few verbs only require ne and not pas in the negative, but this is elevated or literary language: cesser, oser, pouvoir, savoir Je ne peux vivre sans toi. I cannot live without you. 57. C'EST / IL EST + ADJECTIVE + A / DE + INFINITIVE C'est + adjective + + infinitive is used when the idea has already been mentioned; while il est + adjective + de + infinitive is used when the idea

has not yet been mentioned. Also, the c'est construction is used when you do not use a direct object after the infinitive of the transitive verb, and the il est construction is used when you do. Est-ce qu'on peut apprendre le chinois en un an ? Can you learn Chinese in one year? Non, c'est impossible apprendre en un an ! No, it's impossible to learn in one year! (The idea, Chinese, has already been mentioned, and there is no direct object.) OR: Non, il est impossible d'apprendre le chinois en un an ! (This sentence contains the direct object after the infinitive.) Il est facile d'apprendre l'italien. It is easy to learn Italian. (The idea has not already been mentioned, and the direct object is used.) Adjectives that express a certain emotion require de before the infinitive: content, dsol, furieux, heureux, triste Je suis contente de vous voir. I am happy to see you. Other adjectives require before the infinitive: agrable, pnible, terrible, amusant, intressant, ennuyeux, lger, lourd, lent, rapide, premier, dernier, prt, seul Il est prt partir. He is ready to leave. A longer list of adjectives that require or de before an infinitive can be found at 91. on French V. In addition, when quelque chose is followed by an adjective, de is inserted between the two. quelque chose d'intressant = something interesting 58. SPORTS & INSTRUMENTS
Soccer Hockey Football Basketball Baseball Horse-back riding Tennis Skiing Volleyball Wrestling Jogging Ice-skating le football le hockey le football amricain le basket le base-ball l'quitation; du cheval le tennis le ski le volley la lutte / le catch le jogging le patin glace Softball Golf Bicycling Surfing Dirt/Motor biking French horn violin guitar drum tuba flute trombone le softball le golf le vlo le surf le bicross le cor d'harmonie le violon la guitare le tambour le tuba la flte le trombone

Swimming Track and Field Bowling

la natation l'athltisme le bowling

clarinet cello harp

la clarinette le violoncelle la harpe

La lutte is regular wrestling (the real Greco-Roman sport), while le catch is professional/fake wrestling. Faire de + a sport means to play. Jouer + a sport also means to play, as does jouer de + an instrument. Tu fais du foot. You play soccer. J'aime jouer au tennis. I like to play tennis. Je peux jouer de la guitare. I can play the guitar. Nous jouons de la clarinette. We play the clarinet. Il veut jouer du tuba. He wants to play the tuba. Listen to the les sports: la ptanque mp3 and try the cloze (fillin-the-blank) exercise from French Listening Resources. 59. NATURE
air archipelago bank bay barn beach branch bridge bud bush cape cave city climate cloud coast comet constellation country country(side) current daffodil daisy darkness desert dew dust l'air (m) l'archipel (m) la rive la baie la grange la plage la branche le pont le bouton le buisson le cap la caverne la ville le climat le nuage la cte la comte la constellation le pays la campagne le courant la jonquille la marguerite l'obscurit (f) le dsert la rose la poussire frost grass gulf hail hay high tide hill ice island isthmus jungle lake leaf light lightning lily low tide meadow moon mountain mountain range mouth (river) mud nature north peninsula plain la gele l'herbe (f) le golfe la grle le foin la mare haute la colline la glace I'le (f) l'isthme la jungle le lac la feuille la lumire l'clair (m) le lis la mare basse le pr la lune la montagne la chane de montagnes l'embouchure (f) la vase la nature le nord la pninsule la plaine rose sand sea shadow sky snow soil south spring (water) star stem storm strait stream street sun sunflower thaw thunder tornado tree trunk tulip valley view water fresh water la rose le sable la mer l'ombre (f) le ciel la neige la terre le sud la source l'toile (f) la tige l'orage (m) / la tempte le dtroit le ruisseau la rue le soleil le tournesol la fonte le tonnerre la tornade l'arbre (m) le tronc la tulipe la valle la vue l'eau (f) l'eau douce

earth east farm field flower foam fog foliage forest

la terre l'est (m) la ferme le champ la fleur l'cume (f) le brouillard le feuillage la fort

planet plant pond pot (for plants) rain rainbow river rock root

la plante la plante l'tang (m) le pot de fleurs la pluie l'arc-en-ciel (m) le fleuve le rocher la racine

salt water watering can waterfall wave weather west wind world

l'eau sale l'arrosoir (m) la cascade la vague / l'onde (f) le temps l'ouest (m) le vent le monde

60. TO LIVE vivre - to live, be alive (vee-vruh)

Present vis vis vit vivons vivez vivent vivais vivais vivait Imperfect vivions viviez vivaient vivrai vivras vivra Future vivrons vivrez vivront

The past participle of vivre is vcu and it is conjugated with avoir. Habiter is another verb that means to live, but it means to live in a place. Vivre is used to mean the state of being alive. A subjunctive form of vivre, vive, is often used in exclamations. Vive la France ! Long live France!