Learn French with Alexa - Lecture Notes

Overview

• Series: French Essentials
• Purpose: Basic French vocabulary for travel or social interactions with French speakers.

Greetings

• Bonjour: Hello
• Bienvenue: Welcome
• Je m'appelle...: My name is... (literally means "I call myself...")
• Comment ça va?: How are you?
  • Responses:
    • Ça va.: I’m okay.
    • Pas mal.: Not bad.
    • Comme ci, comme ça.: Like this, like that.

Polite Phrases

• S'il vous plaît: Please (formal)
• Merci: Thank you
• De rien: You’re welcome
• Excusez-moi: Excuse me (formal)
• Pardon: Sorry/Forgive me

Goodbyes

• Au revoir: Goodbye (literally means "to see you again")
• Salut: Hi/Bye (informal)
• Bonne nuit: Good night
• Bonne journée: Have a nice day
• À bientôt: See you soon
• À plus tard: See you later

Counting (1-20)

• Counting from 1 to 10:
  • Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Cinq, Six, Sept, Huit, Neuf, Dix
• Counting from 11 to 20:
  • Onze, Douze, Treize, Quatorze, Quinze, Seize, Dix-sept, Dix-huit, Dix-neuf, Vingt

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
• Pronunciation: Practice articulation and sound of letters.
• Focus on tricky letters: A, E, I, O, U (vowels).

Days of the Week

• Lundi: Monday
• Mardi: Tuesday
• Mercredi: Wednesday
• Jeudi: Thursday
• Vendredi: Friday
• Samedi: Saturday
• Dimanche: Sunday

Months of the Year

• Janvier: January
• Février: February
• Mars: March
• Avril: April
• Mai: May
• Juin: June
• Juillet: July
• Août: August
• Septembre: September
• Octobre: October
• Novembre: November
• Décembre: December

Weather and Seasons

• Il fait beau: It’s nice.
• Il fait chaud: It’s hot.
• Il pleut: It’s raining.
• Il fait froid: It’s cold.
• Il y a des nuages: There are clouds.
• Il fait du vent: It’s windy.

Seasons

• Printemps: Spring
• Été: Summer
• Automne: Autumn
• Hiver: Winter

Definite Articles

• Le: Masculine singular (the)
• La: Feminine singular (the)
• L': Used before a vowel or silent 'H'
• Les: Plural (the)

Gender of Nouns

• Many feminine words end in -e.
• Use la for feminine and le for masculine.
• Example: le chat (the cat) vs. la chatte (the female cat).

Practice Recommendations

• Watch the video repeatedly.
• Practice pronunciation and vocabulary at home.
• Engage in games to reinforce learning.