French Language Basics

Objectives

• Learn pronunciation and accents in French.
• Understand subject pronouns, French verbs, and their conjugations.
• Learn French numbers and how to tell time.
• Know common greetings and expressions for weights and measures in French.

1.2 The Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, y (h is a mute vowel)
• Consonants: 19 consonants (B, C, D, F, G, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z)
• French pronunciation varies based on following vowels or consonants.
• Silent letters often occur at the end of words unless the next word begins with a vowel.
• Elision occurs when a word ends in a vowel and the next begins with a vowel.

1.3 Les Accents

• Acute (aigu): Changes "e" to "ay" sound.
• Grave: On a, e, u; alters "e" to "EHH".
• Cedilla (ç): Changes "c" from "k" sound to "s".
• Tréma (ë): Pronounce vowels separately.
• Circumflex (â, ê): Historical indicator of a lost letter.

1.4 Pronoms Sujets (Subject Pronouns)

• Singular: Je (I), Tu (you), Il/Elle (he/she)
• Plural: Nous (we), Vous (you, formal/plural), Ils/Elles (they)
• "Tu" vs "Vous": Informal vs formal/plural "you".
• "Nous" vs "On": "Nous" is formal "we", "On" used informally.

1.5 Change of Gender

• Add -e to make feminine.
• Double consonants for some adjectives (e.g., "gros-grosse").
• Irregular changes like "beau-belle".

1.6 Les Verbes (The Verbs)

• Verbs are conjugated according to subject pronouns.
• Regular verbs: Follow patterns, e.g., "jouer" (to play).
• Irregular verbs: No specific pattern, e.g., "aller" (to go).

1.7 Les Nombres (The Numbers)

• Cardinal and ordinal numbers from 0 (zéro) to 100 (cent).
• Ordinals: End in "-ième", e.g., "deuxième".

1.8 Telling Time

• Use French numbers for hours and minutes.
• "Il est ___ heure(s)" followed by minutes.
• Use "moins" for minutes to the next hour.__

1.9 Formules De Politesse (Basic Greetings)

• Common greetings: Bonjour (Good morning), Salut (Hi), Enchanté (Nice to meet you).
• Politeness expressions: Merci (Thank you), Pardon (Excuse me).

1.10 Poids Et Mesures (Weights and Measures)

• Common measurements: Gramme (gram), Kilo (kilogram), Mètre (meter).

1.11 Glossary

• Definitions of key grammatical terms like subject pronouns, verbs, and numbers.

References

• Various French language learning resources and dictionaries.

Terminal Questions

• Describe French accents and their functions.
• Explain subject pronouns and their use.
• Define and give examples of auxiliary verbs.
• List common French greetings.