Grammar notes English translation Not done in class (to be done later)

Transcription

1 FREE FRENCH CLASSES AT THE FRENCH CHURCH DU SAINT-ESPRIT - NYC FAUX BEGINNER WITH FRÉDÉRIC - 9AM BOOK: LIVING LANGUAGE - ULTIMATE FRENCH (BEGINNER - INTERMEDIATE) 09/21/14 Grammar notes English translation Not done in class (to be done later) 1. Introduction - Contact Info - given in class - Online bilingual dictionary with user forum and smart phone app: (pap. version "Le petit Robert", or "Larousse") - FOR PRONOUNCIATION, use: Unfortunately austere website, but if you type a French word in the top search-bar, next to the result, you can press the speaker icon and you will hear the correct pronunciation of the word. (Try it with "Bonjour" as an example). - Online grammar (paper ver. "Bescherelle") - Every class plan (evaluating assimilation from previous weeks, going over new chapters, exercising and practicing, summary). It is important we know how to write/spell correctly (dicté exercise). - Start a vocabulary notebook with type + short definition v. = verbe (verb) adj = adjectif (adjective) nm = nom masculin (male noun) nf = nom féminin (female noun) conj. = conjonction (conjunction) adv. = adverbe (adverb) - Take notes, start study groups, practice with the book or with online videos (YouTube), me with questions, practice!).

2 2. Introduce yourself (learn basic sentence structure) - Bonjour! Je m appelle [name] (subject + conjugated verb + object). Ça va? (Hi! My name is [name]. How are you?) Answer: Ça va! Merci! (I'm well. Thank you!) or "Commeci comme ça" (So-so). - Something you probably already know how to say: j aime (I like/love) (subject = je -> j ) + (verb = aimer -> conjugated at the first person or the singular = aime) Add an object Name with its article for things (le for (nm), la for (nf), les for (nmp or nfp), un for (nm) that you want to keep undefined, une if it is an (nf)). Or infinitive verb for action (ex: manger (to eat), apprendre (to learn)) Example: J'aime apprendre (I like to learn), J'aime le livre (I like the book), J'aime Jean (I love John) Exercise: on wordreference.com, type an infinitive verb in English (ex: to sleep) and make a sentence to express something you like/love to do. 3. The Alphabet + numbers - Chapter 7 (p.71) Practice pronouncing the alphabet. é sound as in "touché" è sound as in stay. To pronounce the French u, say ee with your mouth in a tight o shape. In the book, when you see zh (for example as in the letter j = zhé), it is the French j sound as in j'aime. - Acronyms: nouns made from initials - 3 French acronyms TGV (nm) (Té, zhé, vé) (initials of Train (nm) (train, [à] Grande (nf, adj.) (great), Vitesse (nf) (speed) - The TGV is a fast-speed train. Two major political parties: UMP (nf) (u, èm, pé) (initials of Union (nf) (union) [pour un] Mouvement (nm) (movement) Populaire (adj.) (popular)) - The UMP is the center-right French party.

3 PS (nm) (pé, èss) (initials of Parti (nm) (party (political)) socialiste (nm, adj.) (social democrat)) - The Ps is the social democrat party. nombres - Chapter 1(b) (p.10) important pronunciation points: Most of the time: All consonants but at the end of a word are mute (except c, r,f,l) Exception: when 2 of these consonants are at the end of the word, you pronounce the 2nd one (ex: 7 -> sept (pronounced sèt) e at the end of the word is mute. - Count from 1 to 30 (P. 23, 34, 43) (for pronunciation, you can lookup "count in French" on YouTube) 4. Subject Pronouns (chapter 1(c)) (subjects) Personne (nf) (person) Première (nf) (first) Singulier (nm, adj.) (singular) Je (I) Pluriel (nm, adj.)(plural) Nous (we) Deuxième (nf) (second) Troisième (nf) (third) Tu (you addressing one person only) Il (he), Elle (she), on (we colloquial as in "Let's") Vous (you as in y'all or if you address a single person with respect) Ils (they), Elles (they multiple women or female nouns) Using this tab you can conjugate any verb at any tense. Ex: the verb aimer (to like/love) at the second person of the singular in the present tense is "Tu aimes".

4 5. Auxiliaries: Être (verb aux.) (to be) and Avoir (verb aux.) (to have) - Present tense (verbs) - Chapter 1(c3) (see table p.13) - Objects to use after Être Adjectives (ex: grand(e), petit(e)) - Objects to use after Avoir A noun with its article (le for (nm), la for (nf), les for (nmp or nfp), un for (nm) that you want to keep undefined, une if it is an (nf)) Ex: J'ai le livre (I have the book) Some adjectives that describe a state of mind or feelings (chaud (hot), froid (cold), faim (hungry), soif (thirsty), peur (scared), mal (hurt) 6. Vocabulary (objects) à la mode (loc. adj.) = (fashionable) chic (adj. colloquial) (sophisticated) encore (adv.) (again) fiancé(e) (nm, (nf), adj.) (fiancé, engaged) petit(e) (nm. (nf), adj.) (short, small) touché (adj.) (touched) Beau (nm, adj.) (beaufiful) Belle (nf, adj.) (beaufitul) Moche (nm, nf, adj.) (ugly) Content(e) (nm, (nf) adj.) (happy) Triste (nm, nf, adj.) (sad) Fatigué (adj.) (tired) Faim (nf, adj.) (hunger (n), hungry (adj.)) Soif (nf, adj.) (thirst (n), thirsty (adj.)) Peur (nf, adj.) (fear (n), scared (adj)) Café (nm) (coffee) Livre (nm) (book) Bureau (nm) (desk) Cheville (nf) (ankle) Chaud (adj.) (hot) Train (nm) (train) Grande (nf, adj.) (great) Vitesse (nf) (speed)

5 Union (nf) (union) Mouvement (nm) (movement) Populaire (adj.) (popular) Parti (nm) (party (political)) Socialiste (nm, adj.) (social democrat) - The days of the week: lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi, dimanche They can be used as adverbial phrase of time in their noun form (with article) (compléments circonstanciels de temps). (subject)+(verb)+(object)+(adv. phrase of time) Ex: J'aime apprendre le(s) dimanche(s) (I like to learn on Sunday(s))