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An Introduction to the Subjunctive Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 26, 2015
Just the mention of the subjonctif can make French learners tremble in their boots. However, this grammatical mood is very common and exists in many languages, including in English. In French, the subjonctif is used very often and serious French learners need to be familiar with it (although there are grammatical ways of getting around using the subjunctive…
What are French Conjunctive Phrases? Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 19, 2015
Two weeks ago, we went over les conjonctions de la langue française, including les conjonctions de coordination (car, donc, ensuite, et, mais, or, ni, ou, puis) and les conjonctions de subordination (comme, lorsque, puisque, quand, que, si, quioque). You can go back and look over that lesson here. Today, we will focus on les locutions…
Nous Sommes Charlie Hebdo Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 12, 2015
In honor of the courageous men and women who were murdered in cold blood at Charlie Hebdo this past Wednesday, I will not be continuing my regular grammar post this week. Rather, I’d like to pay tribute to the fallen staff and friends of Charlie Hebdo, as well as those who died while trying to…
Reader Request: French Conjunctions Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 5, 2015
Today we’re going to learn about French conjunctions. What are conjunctions? They are words or phrases that link similar words or groups of works together. In French, there are two different kinds of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions (les conjonctions de coordination) and subordinating conjunctions (les conjonctions de subordination). These also exist in English. Coordinating conjunctions –…
Reader Request: Si vs. Tellement vs. Tant Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 29, 2014
In French, adverbs that express a certain quantity or intensity are called adverbes de degré or adverbes de quantité. In English, these are similarly called adverbs of quantity and are commonly used in every day speech. For example, you could say: “My friend is so generous” or “My French is much better than my German”…
Etiquette for Gift Giving in France Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 22, 2014
Many people bring up the idea of cultural etiquette during this season of gift giving and receiving. For example, you might have heard that, in Japan, you should accept gifts with both hands. Or that it is common for Singaporeans to graciously refuse a gift several times before accepting it. It is important to have…
4 Surprising Sights in Paris That Most Tourists Don’t Know About Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 15, 2014
Even after living there several years and returning every summer, Paris continues to surprise me. Just this past summer, we took my son – obsessed with les animaux – to the Bois de Vincennes, where there is a small working farm that uses organic techniques (les techniques biologiques), as well as an educational petting zoo…