Tag Archives: grammaire francaise
L’heure de la sortie / Quitting Time Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 17, 2016
Listening to one of my old favorites in the car the other day, I got to thinking about French expressions for time and in particular the difference between some very common expressions that, while not exactly confusing, can trip up the novice and experienced language learner alike. You see, the French have two words for…
Using “à” with French Verbs Posted by Josh Dougherty on Aug 6, 2015
Those mean ol’ prepositions are back! In a previous post, I discussed how prepositions were a problem for me and many others when starting to learn a language. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why certain prepositions are used, and if you use the wrong one, the whole meaning can change. Think about it…
French Grammar: The *NE* explétive Posted by Hichem on May 31, 2014
*NE*… A two-letter word can be a source of serious confusion for new French learners! What is it exactly? It is un adverbe called the “ne explétif.” When do we use it? Right after some verbs and conjunctions. It is used in situations where the main clause has a negative meaning (in the sense of negation), or expressing situations of warning, doubt…
*Plus* de grammaire française (More French Grammar) Posted by Hichem on Jan 17, 2014
There is one French word that gives quite a hard time to the new learners of the language on how to properly pronounce it: It is *PLUS* Indeed, one can sometimes hear it pronounced it as “PLUSS” (with the “s” sound), and other times as “PLU” (without the “s” sound.) So, how do we tell the…
Classical French Grammar 101! Posted by Hichem on Nov 24, 2013
We’ve already covered tougher topics in French grammar, not the least of which was le subjonctif. Today, we invite you to Review with us les bases… It sure doesn’t get more “classical” in French grammar than the subject of les classes grammaticales (Grammatical Classes.) In French, as in any other language, in order to fully grasp the meaning of a sentence, it is essential to…
“Tricky” French Conjugation: The Verb ALLER (To Go) Posted by Hichem on Apr 25, 2013
One of the trickiest verbs to conjugate for the new learners of French language is hands-down ALLER (To Go) Unlike other verbs, aller can in some cases transform itself in a seemingly different verb, as in “il va” or “j‘irai.” Obviously, the best way not to make any mistake with this verb is to simply memorize its…
French Phrases as Space and Time Adverbs Posted by Hichem on Mar 21, 2013
In French, like in any other language, the goal of adverbs is always the same: To modify la signification (the meaning) of words, phrases, and sentences. Let’s take this example: Le scénario de ce film est magnifiquement écrit. (The plot of this movie is magnificently written.) Here the adverb magnifiquement is a word, and it serves to modify the adjective écrit. * * * In…