[GUIDE] Learning French Basics

[Shin]

THIS GUIDE IS NOT YET FINISHED. IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL NEED ADDED, PLEASE PM ME. I HAVE BEEN VERY PUSHED FOR TIME, BUT I'VE JUST WRITTEN THIS ALL UP TODAY.
I need a Break ._.

Welcome to my Beginner's Guide to learning French. I will take you through the very basics of the French Language, and hopefully will help you further understand the Language. This will be the first Guide of the French Language, and another may be made within the next 6 Months for those that wish to continue.

Table of Contents

1. Leçon Un - Principes de base
2. Leçon Deux - Parole et Communication
3. Leçon Trois - Conjugaisons
4. Leçon Quatre
5. Leçon Cinq
6. Leçon Six
7. Leçon Sept
8. Leçon Huit
9. Leçon Neuf
10. Leçon Dix

I. Prelude

The Capital of France is Paris, which has about 2 Million inhabitants. Overall, the Population of France is roughly 60 Million people. Their currency is currently the Euro, as it is the strongest currency in the World. The majority of those in France are Catholic as well, with about 80% of the 60 Million inhabitants being followers.

Leçon Un - Principes de base

Common among the French Culture is something called 'une bise'. This is simply when girls kiss each other on the cheeks two or three times, or with boys as well.

There are two ways to greet people in the French Language.

1. Bonjour! (Formal)
2. Salut! (Informal)

If meeting someone for the first time, you may be asked your name.

• Comment t'appelles-tu? (What is your name?)

Respond with the following answer.

• Je m'appelle (My name is...) Alex.

The French may also be curious of your Nationality, so they may ask.

• Tu es américain(e)?

'Tu es' is a conjugation of être, which means 'Are you...'
They may also ask 'Tu es de', which means 'Are you from...'

de = of; from; about

Respond to these questions saying.

Positive: Oui, je suis américain(e).
Negative: Non, je ne suis pas américain(e)

Positive: Oui, je suis de Ohio.
Negative: Non, je ne suis pas de Ohio.

Of course, 'je suis' is also a conjugation of être, which means 'I am...'

Here is a breakdown of Nationalities.
(m.) = Masculine ; (f.) = Feminine

(m.)français
(f.)française
(m.)anglais
(f.)anglaise
(m.)américain
(f.)américaine
(m.)canadien
(f.)canadienne

Other expressions you may want to know:

• Yes (Oui)
• No (Non)
• Et (And)
• Ou (Or)
• Ça va? (How are you?)
• Aussi (Also, Too)
• Goodbye (Au revoir!)
• Thank you (Merci)
• You're welcome (De rien)

L'alphabet (The Alphabet)

A (a)
B (bé)
C (cé)
D (dé)
E (e)
F (effe)
G (gé)
H (hache)
I (i)
J (ji)
K (ka)
L (elle)
M (emme)
N (enne)
O (o)
P (pé)
Q (ku)
R (erre)
S (esse)
T (té)
U (u)
V (vé)
W (double vé)
X (ixe)
Y (i grec)
Z (zède)

If you're wondering, some of the above letters require

Accent Marks.
*There are 5 Major Accent Marks.

• Grave ( ` )
• Aigu ( ´ )
• Circumflex ( ˆ )
• Cedilla ( ¸ )
• Trema ( ¨ )

Les nombres de 0 à 100

à = in; at; to

00 zero
01 un
02 deux
03 trois
04 quatre
05 cinq
06 six
07 sept
08 huit
09 neuf
10 dix
11 onze
12 douze
13 treize
14 quatorze
15 quinze
16 seize
17 dix-sept
18 dix-huit
19 dix-neuf
20 vingt
30 trente
40 quarante
50 cinquante
60 soixante
70 soixante-dix
80 quatre-vingt
90 quatre-vingt dix
100 cent

After you get to 20, just add on the 9 basic numbers.
Ex. Vingt et un = 21 ; Vingt deux = 22

When you get to 60-80;80-100, you want to add the first 19 numbers.
Ex. soixante-dix-sept = 77 ; quatre-vingt-seize = 96

Leçon Deux - Parole et Communication

When in France, there are some basic words or phrases that you should know. People in France are naturally curious about Americans, for their diverse culture. My Teacher once told me a story about how cool Cowboys are to the French people, as they do not quite understand it.

When greeting someone, you should always say one of the following:

• Bonjour! (Formal)
• Salut! (Informal)

They may ask you your name.

• Comment t'appelles-tu? (What is your name?)

So you would reply.

• Je m'appelle 'name here'. (My name is...)

*If asking about who someone else is, you may ask the following.

• Comment s'appelle... (What is the name of...)

You would simply reply.

• Il s'appelle... (His name is...)
• Elle s'appelle... (Her name is...)

Ask them how they are.

• Ça va? (How are you?)

You have many ways you can respond. Here are a few examples.

• Oui, ça va. Merci. (Things are going okay. Thanks.)
• Ça va très bien. (Very good.)
• Ça va bien. (Good.)
• Ça va comme-ci comme-ca. (So-so)
• Ça va mal. (Bad.)
• Ça va très mal. (Very bad.)

Here are some other useful phrases.

• Qui est-ce? (Who is that?)
• C'est... (It's... -- That's...)
• Voici (This is...)
• Voilà (That is...)
• Ici (Here)
• Là-bas (Over there)

To know someone's age, ask them.

• Quel âge as-tu? (How old are you)
• J'ai ... ans. (I'm ... years old)

For me, I'd say "J'ai dix-sept ans." What it really translates to is 'I have 'this many' years.' Yes, it may sound weird, but this is how the French language is composed.

When telling someone elses age as well, you're using the Verb Conjugation of 'avoir'. How to conjugate this verb will be explained in the next chapter.

These are certain people you may see.

• Un Garçon (A Boy)
• Un Ami (A Friend -- Male)
• Une Fille (A Girl)
• Une Amie (A Friend -- Girl)
• Des Copains (Some Friends -- Male)

Un, Une, and Des are all articles indéfinis, or indefinite articles.

• Un = A (Masculine)
• Une = A (Feminine)
• Des = Some (Plural)

Here is a breakdown of La Famille (Family).

• un frère (Brother)
• un père (Father)
• un oncle (Uncle)
• un grand-père (Grandpa)

• une soeur (Sister)
• une mère (Mother)
• une tante (Aunt)
• une grand-mère (Grandma)

Say you want to go to a café. Ask your friend if they are hungry or thirsty.

• Tu as faim? (Are you hungry?)
• Tu as soif? (Are you thirsty?)

They may reply.

• Oui, j'ai faim.
• Non, je n'ai pas faim.
• Oui, j'ai soif.
• Non, je n'ai pas soif.

Other phrases that may be useful.

• Je veux... (I want...)
• Tu veux... ? (You want... ?)
• Je voudrais... (I would like...)
• Tu voudrais... ? (You would like... ?)
• Donne-moi (Give me...)
• S'il te plaît... (Please...) -- Informal
• S'il vous plaît... (Please...) -- Formal

These are some of the things that you might order in France.

• un ananas (Pineapple)
• une banane (Banana)
• la carrotte (Carrot)
• le chocolat (Chocolate)
• la crème brûlée (Custard)
• la crème caramel (Flan)
• les escargots(m.) (Snails)
• le fromage (Cheese)
• le gâteau (Cake)
• le glace (Ice Cream)
• le jambon (Ham)
• le lapin (Rabbit)
• le mousse au chocolat (Chocolate Mousse)
• une orange (Orange)
• un pamplemousse (Grapefruit)
• le poisson (Fish)
• une pomme (Apple)
• le porc (Pork)
• le poulet (Chicken)
• le radis (Radish)
• un raisin (Grape)
• la tarte (Pie)
• la tomate (Tomato)
• le veau (Veal)

Leçon Trois - Conjugaisons

There are many different ways to conjugate Verbs in the French Language. Also, there are many irregular Verbs, which carry on their own way to be conjugated. You can only remember these from memory, and it may become a difficult task.

Here is the first Verb that all should learn in the French Language.

Verb: être -- (To Be)

• Je suis -- (I am)
• Tu es -- (You are)
• Il/Elle/On est -- (He/she/one is)
• Nous sommes -- (We are)
• Vous êtes -- (You are)
• Ils/Elles sont -- (They are)

This Verb is absolutely needed to be known, as it may be used for other things, such as...

• I am going to the cafe. (Je suis aller le café.)

Without knowing the Verb être, one would not be able to speak properly. Also, the verb être is used for the passé composé, or past tense.

Also used in the passé composé is the Verb avoir. Here's how to conjugate it.

Verb: Avoir -- (To Have)

• J'ai
• Tu as
• Il/Elle/On a
• Nous avons
• Vous avez
• Ils/Elles ont

*Keep in mind that when conjugating Verbs, the word 'on' means:

• We
• One
• People (in general)

Let's go onward to -er Verbs.
Verb: parler -- (To Speak)

• Je parle
• Tu parles
• Il/Elle/On parle
• Nous parlons
• Vous parlez
• Ils/Elles parlent

When conjugating -er Verbs, just drop off the 'e' and add the appropriate endings underlined.

Here is a list of regular -er Verbs.

• aimer (To Like or To Love)
• arriver (To Srrive)
• chanter (To Sing)
• chercher (To Look For)
• danser (To Dance)
• écouter (To Listen)
• étudier (To Study)
• habiter (To Live)
• jouer (To Play)
• manger (To Eat)
• nager (To Swim)
• parler (To Speak)
• penser (To Think)
• regarder (To Watch/Look At)
• rester (To Stay)
• travailler (To Work)
• trouver (To Find)
• visiter (To Visit a Place)

An irregular Verb out of the bunch is 'manger' or 'nager', as they have a 'g' before the -er ending. Because of this, the 'nous' form must be done differently. Observe.

Verb: manger -- (To Eat)

• Je mange
• Tu manges
• Il/Elle/On mange
• Nous mangeons
• Vous mangez
• Ils/Elles mangent

If you noticed in the 'nous' form, you must keep the 'e' on the Verb. If you don't, it won't sound right. Try saying 'mangons' out loud, and then 'mangeons'. Obviously, with keeping the 'e', the conjugation stills sounds like that of its Stem.

Onward to a more advanced conjugation, -ir Verbs.

Verb: Finir -- (To Finish)

• Je finis
• Tu finis
• Il/Elle/On finit
• Nous finissons
• Vous finissez
• Ils/Elles finissent

And here is a list of -ir Verb regulars.

• abolir (To Abolish)
• bâtir (To Build)
• choisir (To Choose)
• établir (To Establish)
• finir (To Finish)
• grossir (To Gain Weight)
• maigrir (To Lose Weight)
• obéir (To Obey)
• punir (To Punish)
• réussir (To Succeed)

Finally, let's conjugate some -re Verbs.

Verb: Perdre -- (To Lose)

• Je perds
• Tu perds
• Il/Elle/On perd
• Nous perdons
• Vous perdez
• Ils/Elles perdent

There are some irregular -re Verbs as well. Some examples may be connaître, mettre, and prendre. Here is how to conjugate each. Most of the irregularity comes from the Verb's Stem, which helps to make the Verb sound right.

Verb: Connaître -- (To Know)

• Je connais
• Tu connais
• Il/Elle/On connait
• Nous connaissons
• Vous connaissez
• Ils/Elles connaissent

Verb: Mettre -- (To Wear, Put)

• Je mets
• Tu mets
• Il/Elle met
• Nous mettons
• Vous mettez
• Ils/Elles mettent

Other forms of Mettre are also Permettre and Promettre.

Verb: Prendre -- (To Take)

• Je prends
• Tu prends
• Il/Elle/On prend
• Nous prenons
• Vous prenez
• Ils/Elles prennent

Leçon Quatre


Leçon Cinq


Leçon Six


Leçon Sept


Leçon Huit


Leçon Neuf


Leçon Dix

 

[Eluveitie]

Good so far. I found a few mistakes though.

"le japin (Rabbit)"
le lapin



"Conjugations"
Conjugaisons

 

[Dr Pimp]

Good guide for beginners, however I discovered some mistakes. Don't get me wrong it's helpfull.


when you say 20 in french you must add 'et'
You said: vingt un
Correct answer: vingt et un.

Maybe you could add some things like impératif etc.

 

[Analog]

With your request, I basically skimmed the guide looking for things which you could work on and such. After about 20 minutes of trying to learn French, I thought of some portions of the guide which you could elaborate on a bit more.

1. I'm inquisitive about the irregular verbs which the French language contains. Perhaps you should incorporate a list of several of the irregular verbs in the specific conjugations.

2. Are there any verbs which are stem changing? From my knowledge of Spanish, I know there are multiple verb forms which are stem changing; ie. volver, replace the "o" with "ue".

3. Could you also include some pictures of verb charts and such. Perhaps you should include the charts which show the conjugations of particular verbs.

4. Include more basic French terminology, which would make it easier to have a more simplistic understanding of the language. I mean phrases which would be used in every day life.

5. Add some color, for example; the main topic would be yellow. Nothing else is really worthy of any color because it would be to conflicting with the guide.

6. It already has good organization, there's no need to attempt a new format for the guide, as it looks pretty neat.

I hope my comments and constructive criticism can help you of increasing the quality of your guide, good luck Unb4nn3d .

 

[d great one]

How do you pronounce those characters? I am interested in learning French.

 

[Shin]

"le japin (Rabbit)"
le lapin

"Conjugations"
Conjugaisons

Done, Thanks. :love:

when you say 20 in french you must add 'et'
You said: vingt un
Correct answer: vingt et un.

True. >_>

Maybe you could add some things like impératif etc.

Hm. Perhaps later. I'm not certain if that's exactly needed for the moment. Thanks for the Feedback.

1. I'm inquisitive about the irregular verbs which the French language contains. Perhaps you should incorporate a list of several of the irregular verbs in the specific conjugations.

I thought I already did that. =o! I'll try to add more, I guess.

2. Are there any verbs which are stem changing? From my knowledge of Spanish, I know there are multiple verb forms which are stem changing; ie. volver, replace the "o" with "ue".

Not from my knowledge. They would most likely be more advanced Verbs that I haven't learned yet. So I'm guessing that it's not really needed for now.

3. Could you also include some pictures of verb charts and such. Perhaps you should include the charts which show the conjugations of particular verbs.

Well, I haven't taught the Past Tense or Future Tense yet. Past Tense is extremely fun, but it takes a very long time to teach and for those to understand it. I don't think Future Tense is really difficult at all though, but I am learning that next week I think. From what I've seen, all you do is add the same thing to the end of every Verb. :S

4. Include more basic French terminology, which would make it easier to have a more simplistic understanding of the language. I mean phrases which would be used in every day life.

I would if I could think of such things. T_T
What 'basic French terminology' do you suggest I add?

5. Add some color, for example; the main topic would be yellow. Nothing else is really worthy of any color because it would be to conflicting with the guide.

So just make the Title Yellow, and that's it?

6. It already has good organization, there's no need to attempt a new format for the guide, as it looks pretty neat.

Awesome, Thanks. I did something right!! Lol.

I hope my comments and constructive criticism can help you of increasing the quality of your guide, good luck Unb4nn3d .

They absolutely will. Thank you for your input, Analog. :love:

 

[S P 3 3 D Z]

I think it is a very good guide. Buy you kind of jumped around a lot with stuff. and you jumped into a lot french really fast. Would of been easier to understand if you slowly went into it.

 

[stuffs]

Pretty decent guide. Good job.

 

[i_tanker_i]

very nice man, i never learnt french now its the time ^_^

 

[Dziarski]

Very nice guide, i like it.
I always wanted to learn more languages than my own + english, so yeh now i know a bit of French Anyway i need to go to some kind of courses to learn it more, same with German.

 

[uk hybr1d]

this is an amazing guide, well detailed and will help people who are new to french

10/10

 

[foo cough]

pretty impressive for a english person making this

 

[YoungMadness]

Here in Holland we have to learn English,Dutch,German and French.
Latin and Greek are optional.
Nice guide 9/10, i was wondering where the Passé composé was but i see you're not done yet.

 

[AMS]

i learned french when i was in 7th-10th grade. It is an awesome language to speak, as when u move into europe, lots of countries speak french such as france, luxembourg and also some parts of germany and switzerland.

This guide should be stickied