Overview
This lecture introduces fundamental French vocabulary and grammar, including greetings, numbers, the alphabet, days, months, weather, seasons, and the use of definite articles.
Greetings & Introductions
- "Bonjour" means hello; "Bienvenue" means welcome.
- "Je m'appelle" means my name is; literally "I call myself."
- To ask "how are you?": "Comment ça va?" (informal), "Comment allez-vous?" (formal/plural).
- Respond with "Ça va" (I'm okay), "Oui, ça va" (yes, fine), "Non, ça ne va pas" (not okay), or "comme ci, comme ça" (so-so).
- "Merci" means thank you; "S'il vous plaît" or "S'il te plaît" means please (formal/informal).
- "De rien" means you're welcome; "Merci beaucoup" means thank you very much.
- "Excusez-moi" (formal) or "excuse-moi" (informal) mean excuse me; "Pardon" also means sorry.
Numbers 1–20
- Numbers 1 to 10: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix.
- Numbers 11 to 20: onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze, seize, dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, vingt.
- French numbers 17–19 are constructed as "ten-seven" (dix-sept), "ten-eight" (dix-huit), etc.
The Alphabet
- French alphabet: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z.
- Some letters sound similar to English (f, l, m, n, s, z); others differ noticeably.
- French vowels: a, e, i, o, u, y (y is considered a vowel in French).
Days of the Week
- Monday: lundi, Tuesday: mardi, Wednesday: mercredi, Thursday: jeudi, Friday: vendredi, Saturday: samedi, Sunday: dimanche.
- All days end with "-di" except for dimanche.
Months of the Year
- January: janvier, February: février, March: mars, April: avril, May: mai, June: juin, July: juillet, August: août, September: septembre, October: octobre, November: novembre, December: décembre.
- Most months in French are similar to English in spelling and pronunciation.
Weather & Seasons
- "Quel temps fait-il?" means what is the weather like?
- "Il fait beau" (it's nice), "il fait chaud" (it's hot), "il fait froid" (it's cold), "il pleut" (it's raining), "il y a du soleil" (it's sunny), "il y a des nuages" (it's cloudy), "il y a du brouillard" (it's foggy).
- Seasons: spring (le printemps), summer (l'été), autumn (l'automne), winter (l'hiver).
Definite Articles
- "Le" (masculine singular), "la" (feminine singular), "l’" (before vowel or silent h), "les" (plural) all mean "the."
- Plural nouns always use "les" regardless of gender.
- Words ending in -e are likely (but not always) feminine.
- Examples: la table (the table), le cinéma (the cinema), l’arbre (the tree), les tables (the tables).
- Countries and animals also have grammatical gender.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Bonjour — hello
- Merci — thank you
- Comment ça va? — how are you?
- S'il vous plaît — please (formal)
- Les — definite article used for plural nouns
- L' — definite article before words starting with a vowel or mute h
- Le/La — definite article for masculine/feminine singular nouns
- Il fait — it is (for weather)
- Le printemps — spring, l'été — summer, l'automne — autumn, l'hiver — winter
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice greetings, numbers, alphabet, days, months, weather, and definite articles aloud.
- Memorize vocabulary and practice spelling and saying your name, days, and months in French.
- Review and repeat the material to reinforce pronunciation and understanding.