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C O M M O N G R A M M A R G L O S S A R I E S R E V I E W

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COMPONENTS OF ARTICLE ( INDEFINITE ).

A. Partitive and Indefinite article

1. The partitive article indicates an unknown quantity of something, usually food or drink

Nous voudrions du lait. We'd like some milk.

J'ai mangé de la glace. I ate some ice cream.

2. The plural partitive article des refers to something plural uncountable.

Il a mangé des épinards. He ate some spinach.

Peux-tu me donner des conseils ? Could you give me some advice ?

3. The plural indefinite article des refers to more than one countable thing in an indefinite sense.

Il a des livres intéressants. He has some interesting books.

J'ai acheté des chaussettes. I bought some socks.

4. In a negative construction, the partitive and indefinite articles ( singular and plural ) change to de,

usually meaning ( not ) any:

Nous ne voudrions pas de lait. We don't want any milk.

Je n'ai pas mangé de soupe. I didn't eat any soup.

Il n'a pas de livres intéressants. He doesn't have any interesting books.

Je n'ai pas acheté de chaussettes. I didn't buy any socks.

Nous n'avons pas de voiture. We don't have a car.

a. Except if the verb is être :

C'est une poire, ce n'est pas une pomme. It's a pear, it's not an apple.

C'est de la viande. -

Ce n'est pas de la viande.

It's meat. -

It's not meat.

b. Or if you want to stress the negative aspect :

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Je n'ai pas de sous -

Je n'ai pas un sou.

I don't have any money -

I don't have a ( single ) cent.

5. When the plural indefinite or partitive article is used with an adjective that precedes a noun,

des changes to de.

J'ai des amis. -

J'ai de jeunes amis.

( Note: J'ai un jeune ami )

I have some friends. -

I have some young friends.

( Note: I have a young friend )

J'ai mangé des épinards. -

J'ai mangé de bons épinards.

Note: J'ai mangé de la bonne sauce des épinards

I ate some spinach. -

I ate some good spinach.

Note: I ate some good spinach sauce )

B. Adverbs of quantity and Adjectives

1. After most adverbs of quantity, de stands alone. ( see lesson for exceptions )

Il y a beaucoup de problèmes. There are a lot of problems.

Peu d'étudiants sont ici. Few students are here.

J'ai mangé moins de soupe que Lucie. I ate less soup than Lucie.

2. After adjectives, de stands alone.

La chambre est pleine de vêtements. The bedroom is full of clothes

( clothes in general ).

Les tables sont couvertes de gâteaux. The tables are covered in cakes

( a bunch of cakes ).

3. Except if the noun after de refers to specific people or things –

then de is used with the definite article.

Beaucoup des problèmes sont graves. A lot of the problems are serious

( specific or previously-mentioned

problems ).

Peu des étudiants de Thierry sont ici. Few of Thierry's students are here

( not students in general ).

Le repas que Lucie a préparé est délicieux, mais

j'ai mangé moins de la soupe que toi.

The meal that Lucie made is delicious,

but I ate less of the soup than you

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( soup from previously-mentioned meal ).

La chambre est pleine des vêtements de David. The bedroom is full of David's clothes

( specific ).

Les tables sont couvertes des gâteaux dont

je t'ai parlé.

The tables are covered in the cakes that

I told you about.

C. Descriptive vs Possessive de

1. To describe a noun with the de + descriptive noun construction, use de.

le livre d'étudiant student book

( book for or about students )

le panier de chien dog basket ( basket for a dog )

2. To show possession of a noun, use de + definite article*

le livre de l'etudiant / le livre des étudiants the student's / students' book

( belongs to the student / s )

le panier du chien the dog's basket

( as opposed to Lisa's basket )

* Of course, a proper noun would not need a definite article

le livre de Michel Michel's book

3. If the descriptive noun is modified in order to distinguish a certain group of the given noun, use

de + definite article. Note that these can then appear either descriptive or possessive. This

construction is often used in advertising.

le livre de l'étudiant étranger the foreign student book

( book for foreign students ) or

the foreign student's book

( belongs 2 d student from Botswana ).

le panier du chien délicat the discriminating dog's basket

( "for discriminating dogs" or "there are

two dogs; this basket belongs to the

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discriminating one" ).

D. Verbs with Prepositions

When verbs and expressions must be followed by the preposition de,

the de vs des issue is similar to part C, above.

1. If de introduces an unmodified noun, use de.

il faut changer de train ici You have to change trains here

nous avons besoin d'argent We need money

2. If the noun that follows de is modified and refers to specific nouns

( the word "the" is needed in English), use de + definite article

Nous voulons profiter des nouveaux accords We want to take advantage of the

new agreements

Il s'agit de la réforme agraire It's a question of land reform

3. If the noun is preceded by an adjective but does not refer to specific nouns

( the word "the" is not needed ), use de

J'ai besoin de nouvelles chaussures. I need new shoes.

Il se moque de mauvaises idées. He makes fun of bad ideas.

ACCORD - French Agreement

Agreement - the correspondence of gender, number, and / or person - is arguably one of the most difficult aspects

of the French language. This lesson summarizes all the different types of agreement and includes links to detailed

lessons on each grammatical point.

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ADJECTIVES

All types of French adjectives ( e.g., descriptive, possessive, negative ) agree in gender and number with the nouns

that they modify. Exceptions : Adjectives used as adverbs - Invariable Adjectives

Ces livres sont intéressants. These books are interesting.

Ma grande maison verte. My big green house.

ARTICLES

Definite, Indefinite, and Partitive articles each have three forms: Masculine, Feminine, and Plural.

le livre, la table, les stylos the book, the table, the pens

un homme, une femme, des enfants a man, a woman, some children

du fromage, de la salade, des pommes some cheese, some salad, some apples

NOUNS

Nearly all French nouns have different forms for singular and plural. In addition, many nouns that refer to people

have both a masculine and a feminine form.

un cousin, une cousine, des cousins, des cousines cousin ( s )

un invité, une invitée, des invités, des invitées guest ( s )

un acteur, une actrice, des acteurs, des actrices actor ( s ) / actress ( es )

NOUNS : COMPOUND

Compound nouns have their own special rules for pluralization and gender

des oiseaux-mouches hummingbirds

des gratte-ciel skyscrapers

PRONOUNS : IMPERSONAL

Some impersonal pronouns ( e.g., demonstratives, possessives ) change to agree in gender and number

with the nouns they replace.

Celle qui parle, c'est ma femme. The one who is speaking is my wife.

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D'autres vont venir. Others are going to come.

Lesquels voulez-vous ? Which ones do you want ?

PRONOUNS : PERSONAL

All personal pronouns ( e.g., subject, object, stressed ) change according to the grammatical person that

they represent.

Je te parle. I'm talking to you.

Il va nous donner les clés. He's going to give us the keys.

Dis-moi ! Tell me !

VERBS : AVOIR VERBS

Verbs which take avoir as the auxiliary verb in the compound tenses do not normally require agreement. However,

when the direct object precedes the conjugated verb, the verb must agree with it.

J'ai acheté la voiture --> Je l'ai achetée. I bought the car --> I bought it.

Les livres que j'avais reçus... The books I had received...

VERBS : ÊTRE VERBS

The past participle of any verb conjugated with être in the compound tenses has to agree with the subject in

number and gender.

Nous sommes allés au cinéma. We went to the movies.

Lise était déjà arrivée quand... Lise had already arrived when...

VERBS : PASSIVE VOICE

The passive voice construction’s like : an être verb, with d’ auxiliary verb être + past participle.

The past participle has to agree with the subject, not the agent, in gender and number.

Les voitures ont été lavées. The cars were washed.

La leçon sera écrite par un étudiant. The lesson will be written by a student.

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VERBS : PRONOMINAL VERBS

In compound tenses, pronominal verbs are conjugated with être, which means that the past participle must agree

with the subject. ( Except when the pronoun is the indirect object - learn more. )

Ana s'est levée. Ana got up.

Ils se seraient arrêtés, mais... They would have stopped, but...

Additional o’ Pronominal Verb

Pronominal verbs are verbs that need a reflexive pronoun in addition to a subject pronoun, because the

subject ( s ) performing the action of the verb are the same as the object ( s ) being acted upon.

Nous nous habillons. We're getting dressed ( dressing ourselves ).

Tu te baignes. You're taking a bath ( bathing yourself ).

The Pronominal voice is much more common in French than in English - many French verbs that require the

pronominal voice are equivalent to the active voice in English. In French, you can recognize pronominal verbs

by the se which precedes the infinitive.

French has three types of pronominal verbs :

1. Reflexive Verbs

2. Reciprocal Verbs

3. Idiomatic Pronominal Verbs

There are two steps in conjugating pronominal verbs.

First : take the reflexive pronoun se, change it to agree with the subject of the verb, and

place it directly in front of the verb.

Then ( 2nd ) : as with all verbs, conjugate the infinitive according to whether it's an -er, -ir, -re,

or irregular verb.

i.e. : Elle se brosse les dents. She's brushing her teeth.

Vous vous levez tard. You get up late.

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See what pronominal verbs look like conjugated into all the simple tenses :

se moquer | se souvenir

French Reflexive Verbs - Verbes à sens réfléchi

The most common pronominal verbs are reflexive verbs, which indicate that the subject of the verb is performing the

action upon himself, herself, or itself. Reflexive verbs mainly have to do with parts of the body,* clothing, personal

circumstance, or location. Here are some common reflexive verbs:

s'approcher de to approach

s'asseoir to sit down

se baigner to bathe, swim

se brosser ( les cheveux, les dents )

to brush ( one's hair, one's teeth )

se casser ( la jambe, le bras )

to break ( one's leg, one's arm )

se coiffer to fix one's hair

se coucher to go to bed

se couper to cut oneself

se déshabiller to get undressed

se doucher to take a shower

se fâcher to get angry

s'habiller to get dressed

se laver ( les mains, la figure )

to wash ( one's hands, one's face )

se lever to get up

se maquiller to put on makeup

se marier ( avec ) to get married ( to )

se moquer de

to make fun of ( someone else )

se moucher to blow one's nose

se peigner to comb one's hair

se promener to take a walk

se raser to shave

se regarder to look at oneself

se reposer to rest

se réveiller to wake up

se souvenir de to remember

[ add.] French Reflexive Verbs - Verbes à sens réfléchi

Tu te reposes. You're resting.

Il se lève à 08:00. He gets up at 8:00

Note: that many reflexive verbs also have a non-reflexive use; that is, they can describe someone

performing the action of the verb on someone or something else:

Elle se promène. She's taking a walk.

vs

Elle promène le chien. She's taking the dog for a walk.

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Je me lave les mains. I'm washing my hands.

vs

Je lave le bébé. I'm washing the baby.

* When referring to parts of the body, the French possessive pronoun is rarely used. Instead, the owner is

indicated with the reflexive pronoun and the definite article precedes the body part.

Note: Some verbs that are normally not pronominal may be used with a reflexive pronoun in order to avoid

the passive voice, in a construction known as the passive impersonal.

Asking Questions in French - Les Questions

Do you know how to ask yes / no questions in French ?

There are four different ways to ask, but two of them are considered familiar constructions :

1. Put est-ce que at the beginning of any sentence ( formal and familiar )

Est-ce que tu danses ( vous dansez ) ? Do you dance ?

Est-ce que tu aimes ( vous aimez ) danser ? Do you like to dance ?

2. Use inversion: invert the verb and subject pronoun, join by a hyphen ( formal / familiar )

Danses-tu ? Dansez-vous ? Do you dance ?

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Aimes-tu danser ? Aimez-vous danser ? Do you like to dance ?

3. Raise the pitch of your voice at the end of any normal sentence ( familiar )

Tu danses ? You dance ?

Tu aimes danser ? You like to dance ?

4. Add the tag n'est-ce pas to the end of the sentence ( familiar )

Tu danses, n'est-ce pas ? You dance, right ?

Tu aimes danser, n'est-ce pas ? You like to dance, right ?

Note about inversion: When using the third person singular ( il, elle, or on ) with a verb that ends in

a vowel, you must add t- between the verb and subject pronoun ( why ? ) :

Aime-t-il les films ? - Does he like movies ?

Parle-t-elle beaucoup ? - Does she talk a lot ?

A-t-on décidé ? - Have we decided ?

Note about negative questions:

There is a special French word for yes, si, that is used only when responding yes to a negative

question. ( I wish English had a word like this ! )

Vas-tu au ciné ?

Oui !

- Are you going to the movies ?

- Yes !

Ne vas-tu pas au ciné ?

Si !

- Aren't you going to the movies ?

- Yes ( I am ) !

Tu ne vas pas au ciné ?

Si !

- You're not going to the movies ?

- Yes ( I am ) !

The examples above are all yes / no questions. For other questions, you need to use one of the following:

Interrogative pronouns ( qui / que / quoi – who / what )

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Interrogative adjectives ( quel / quelles – which )

Interrogative adverbs ( quand, où, pourquoi, comment : when, where, why, how )

French Interrogative Adjectives - Adjectifs Interrogatifs

Filed In: 1. French Grammar 2. Adjectives

Sometimes French grammar is much stricter than English grammar. A simple question like "What book do

you want ?" is technically incorrect, because in proper English, the question should be "Which book do u want ?"

In reality, the former is much more common than the latter. In French, however, one does not have this option : the

French equivalent of which, quel, must be used whenever there is more than one noun that you are choosing

between. Like all French adjectives, quel has to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies

French Interrogative Adjectives

Gender Singular Plural

Masculine quel quels

Feminine quelle quelles

The uses of quel are fairly straightforward –

you need it whenever you want to ask for specific information about a noun:

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Pierre m'a prêté un livre. Quel livre ?

Pierre loaned me a book. Which book ?

Nous devons partir avant midi. Quelle heure est-il ?

We have to leave before noon. What time is it ?

Questions with quel may be asked with est-ce que or inversion:

Quel livre veux-tu ? / Quel livre est-ce que tu veux ?

What book do you want ?

Quelles pommes aime-t-il ? / Quelles pommes est-ce qu'il aime ?

Which apples does he like ?

Quel + noun may be preceded by a preposition

À quelle heure veux-tu partir ? / À quelle heure est-ce que tu veux partir ?

What time do you want to leave ?

De quels livres parle-t-il ? / De quels livres est-ce qu'il parle ?

What books is he talking about ?

To ask "what is ...?" or "what are ...?" use quel plus the appropriate conjugation of être:

Quel est le problème ?

What's the problem ?

Quelles sont les différences ?

What are the differences ?

French Conjunctions - Les Conjonctions

See More About: 1. conjunctions 2. intermediate french

Conjunctions provide a link between similar words or groups of words, such as nouns, verbs, people, etc. There are

two types of French conjunctions:

A. Coordinating Conjunctions join words and groups of words with an equal value.

J'aime les pommes et les oranges. I like apples and oranges.

Je veux le faire, mais je n'ai pas d'argent. I want to do it, but I don't have any money.

B. Subordinating Conjunctions join dependent clauses to main clauses.

J'ai dit que j'aime les pommes. I said that I like apples.

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Il travaille pour que vous puissiez manger. He works so that you can eat.

A. French Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions join words and groups of words of equal value; that is, which have the same nature

or the same function in the sentence. In the case of individual words, this means that they must be the same

part of speech, whereas if they're clauses, they must be similar or complementary tenses / moods.

car for, because

donc so

ensuite next

et and

mais but

or now, yet

ou or

ou bien or else

puis then

Examples :

J'aime les pommes, les bananes, et les oranges. I like apples, bananas, and oranges.

Pommes, bananes, and oranges are all fruits ( nouns ).

Veux-tu aller en France ou en Italie ? Do you want to go to France or Italy ?

France and Italy are both places ( nouns ).

Ce n'est pas carré mais rectangulaire. It's not square but rectangular.

Carré and rectangulaire are both adjectives.

Je veux le faire, mais je n'ai pas d'argent. I want to do it, but I don't have any money.

Je veux le faire and je n'ai pas d'argent are present tense.

Fais tes devoirs, puis lave la vaisselle. Do your homework, then wash the dishes.

Fais tes devoirs and lave la vaisselle are both commands.

Certain French coordinating conjunctions can be repeated in front of each of the

joined items for emphasis :

et... et both... and

ne... ni... ni neither... nor

ou... ou either... or

soit... soit either... or

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Examples :

Je connais et Jean-Paul et son frère. I know both Jean-Paul and his brother.

Jean-Paul and son frère are both people ( nouns ).

Tu peux ou regarder la télé ou jouer au foot. You can either watch TV or play soccer.

Regarder and jouer are both infinitives.

Soit avant, soit après, ça m'est égal. Either before or after, I don't care.

Avant and après are both prepositions.

Il ne mange ni la viande ni les légumes. He eats neither meat nor vegetables.

Viande and légumes are both foods ( nouns ).

Note: that for the negative coordinating conjunction ne... ni... ni, the word ne goes in front of the verb,

just like the ne in other negative structures.

B. French subordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions join dependent ( subordinate ) clauses to main clauses. A dependent clause cannot stand

alone because its meaning is incomplete without the main clause. In addition, sometimes the dependent clause has a

verb form that cannot stand alone.

comme as, since

lorsque when

puisque since, as

quand when

que that

quoique* even though

si if

*Note : that quoique must be followed by the subjunctive.

Examples :

J'ai dit que j'aime les pommes. I said that I like apples.

The main clause is j'ai dit. What did I say ? That j'aime les pommes . J'aime les pommes is

incomplete without j'ai dit. I might not in fact like apples, but I said that I did.

Comme tu n'es pas prêt, j'y irai seul. Since you're not ready, I'll go alone.

The main clause is j'y irai seul. Why will I go alone ? Because tu n'es pas prêt . The idea here is not

that I want to go alone, but the fact that I will go alone Comme you're not ready.

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Si je suis libre, je t'amènerai à l'aéroport. If I'm free, I'll take you to the airrort.

The main clause is je t'amènerai à l'aéroport. Is this guaranteed ? No, only si je suis libre .

If something else comes up, I can't take you.

J'ai peur quand il voyage. I am scared when he travels.

The main clause is j'ai peur. When am I scared ? Not all the time, only quand il voyage .

So j'ai peur is incomplete without the juxtaposition quand il voyage.

FRENCH CONJUNCTIVE PHRASES

A conjunctive phrase is a group of two or more words that function as a conjunction. French conjunctive phrases

usually end in que and are usually subordinating conjunctions.

à condition que* provided that

afin que* so that

ainsi que just as, so as

alors que while, whereas

à moins que** unless

après que after, when

à supposer que* assuming that

au cas où in case

avant que** before

bien que* although

dans l'hypothèse où in the event that

de crainte que** for fear that

de façon que* in such a way that

de même que just as

de peur que** for fear that

dès que as soon as

en admettant que* assuming that

en attendant que* while, until

encore que even though

jusqu'à ce que* until

parce que because

pendant que while

pour que* so that

pourvu que* provided that

quand bien même even though / if

quoi que* whatever, no matter what

sans que** without

sitôt que as soon as

supposé que supposing

tandis que while, whereas

NOTE :

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* These conjunctions must be followed by the subjunctive.

** These conjunctions require the subjunctive and ne explétif.

Examples :

Il travaille pour que vous puissiez manger. He works so that you can eat.

The main clause is il travaille. Why does he work ? Pour que vous puissiez manger .

The idea here is not that you can eat, but the fact that you can eat because he works. Another clue is

that vous puissiez manger cannot stand alone - the subjunctive is only found in subordinate clauses.

J'ai réussi à l'examen bien que je n'aie pas étudié

I passed d’ test even though I didn't study.

The main clause is j'ai réussi à l'examen.

How did I pass the test ? Certainly not by studying, since je n'ai pas étudié .

So j'ai réussi à l'examen is incomplete without d’ juxtaposition bien que je n'aie pas étudié.

Il est parti parce qu'il avait peur. He left because he was afraid.

The main clause is il est parti. Why did he leave ? Because il avait peur .

The idea il avait peur is incomplete without the main clause il est parti.

ALL ABOUT “ Être “

Everything you need to know about the irregular French verb être

être is one of d’ most common French verbs. It’s irregular in conjugation n’ literally means "to be."

Être is also used in some idiomatic expressions and as an auxiliary verb for compound tenses and the

passive voice.

être ( CONJUGATIONS )

French verb conjugator > être

SUBJECT PRESENT FUTURE IMPERFECT PRESENT PARTICIPLE

je ( j' ) suis serai étaisétant

tu es seras étais

il est sera était Passé Composé

nous sommes serons étions Auxiliary Verb avoir

vous êtes serez étiez Past Participle

étéils sont seront étaient

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SUBJECT SUBJUNCTIVE CONDITIONAL PASSÉ SIMPLEIMPERFECT

SUBJUNCTIVE

je sois serais fus fusse

tu sois serais fus fusses

il soit serait fut fût

nous soyons serions fûmes fussions

vous soyez seriez fûtes fussiez

ils soient seraient furent fussent

SUBJECT IMPERATIVE

( tu ) sois

( nous ) soyons

( vous ) soyez

To Be

Être means "to be" in many senses that this verb is used in English.

It is used with adjectives, nouns, and adverbs, to describe a temporary or permanent state of being :

Il est beau He is handsome

Je suis à Paris I'm in Paris

Nous sommes français We're French

Il est là-bas He's over there

Être is used to describe someone's profession however, note that the indefinite article is not used in this

construction in French:

Mon père est avocat My father is a lawyer

Je suis étudiant I'm a student

There are a number of English "to be" expressions which are translated in French by :

avoir ( to have ) :

avoir froid

to be cold

avoir raison

to be right

avoir … ans

to be … years old

When talking about the weather, French uses the verb faire ( to do / make ) rather than être :

Quel temps fait-il ? How's the weather ?

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Il fait beau It's nice out

Il fait du vent It's windy

Être is found in the impersonal expressions c'est and il est :

C'est difficile à decider It's hard to decide.

Il est possible qu'il mange avec nous It's possible that he'll eat with us.

Être can be used with the Preposition [ à ] plus a stressed pronoun to indicate possession

Ce livre est à moi This is my book.

À qui est cet argent ? C'est à Paul. Whose money is this ? It's Paul's.

Être as an Auxiliary Verb

a). Être is the auxiliary for some verbs in the compound tenses :

Je suis allé en France I went to France

Nous étions déjà sortis We had already left

Il serait venu si... He would have come if...

b). Être is used to form the passive voice :

La voiture est lavée The car is washed

Il est respecté de tout le monde He is respected by everyone

More Expressions with être :

ça y est that's it, it's done

c'est ça that's it, that's right

en être to take part in

être de to be at / in ( figuratively )

n'est-ce pas ? right ? isn't that so ?

soit so be it, that is

soit... soit... either... or...

c'est / on est / nous sommes + date it's ( date )

être en train de + infinitive to be ( in the process of ) + present participle

est-ce ( que ) no literal translation; this expression is used to ask questions

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ALL ABOUT VOULOIR

irregular French verb vouloir Vouloir - to want

Vouloir is one of the most common French verbs. It is irregular in conjugation and has several

different meanings, depending on the tense and mood it is conjugated into.

Vouloir indicates a strong will or command - " to want " or " to wish " :

Je veux danser avec toi. I want to dance with you.

Voulez-vous parler ? Do you wish to speak ?

Je ne veux pas le faire ! I don't want to ( I won't ) do it !

The French verb vouloir literally means "to want" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to

hold a grudge, only half want something, wish someone well, and more with this list of expressions with vouloir.

Possible meanings of vouloir

to want

to claim, assert

to expect

to need, require

Simple conjugations for the French verb vouloir

French verb conjugator > vouloir

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Subject Present Future Imperfect Present Participle

je veux voudrai voulaisvoulant

tu veux voudras voulais

il veut voudra voulait Passé composé

nous voulons voudrons voulions Auxiliary Verb avoir

vous voulez voudrez vouliez Past Participle voulu

ils veulent voudront voulaient

Subject Subjunctive Conditional Passé SimpleImperfect

Subjunctive

je veuille voudrais voulus voulusse

tu veuilles voudrais voulus voulusses

il veuille voudrait voulut voulût

nous voulions voudrions voulûmes voulussions

vous vouliez voudriez voulûtes voulussiez

ils veuillent voudraient voulurent voulussent

Subject Imperative

( tu ) veuille

( nous ) veuillons

( vous ) veuillez

Season - grammar - review

Polite Requests and Desires

Vouloir can be used to express polite requests or desires in three different constructions.

a) in a question

Voulez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ? Will you help me, please ?

Veux-tu t'asseoir, s'il te plaît ? Please sit down.

b) in the conditional

Je voudrais du thé. I would like some tea.

Voudriez-vous venir avec nous ? Would you like to come with us?

c) in the imperative, usually in the second person plural, to express an extremely polite request.

Veuillez m'excuser. Please ( be so kind as to ) excuse me.

Veuillez vous asseoir. Please sit down.

Vouloir bien

Vouloir bien means to be willing to, to be glad to, to be good / kind enough to.

Je veux bien le faire. I'd be glad to do it.

Elle veut bien l'acheter, mais il ne le vend pas.

She's willing to buy it, but he's not selling it.

Aidez-moi, si vous voulez bien. Help me, if you would be so kind.

Vouloir dire

Vouloir dire means "to mean" ( very useful in your French class ! )

Que veut dire volontiers ? What does "volontiers" mean ?

Volontiers veut dire gladly. "Volontiers" means "gladly."

En vouloir

En vouloir à quelqu'un means to hold something against someone ( be upset about something )

Il m'en veut de l'avoir fait. He holds it against me for doing that.

Ne m'en veux pas ! Don't hold it against me !

Notes :

Vouloir is followed directly by the infinitive, with no preposition.

Je veux le faire. I want to do it.

Nous voulons savoir. We want to know.

Season - grammar - review

When vouloir is in a main clause with another verb in a subordinate clause, that verb must be in the

subjunctive.

Je veux qu'il le fasse. I want him to do it.

Nous voulons que tu le saches. We want you to know ( it ).

Vouloir can have different meanings in the imperfect and passé composé: Advanced French past tenses

Vouloir has different meaning in certain verb tenses and moods - see All about vouloir for details.

Expressions with vouloir

vouloir à manger / boire

to want something to eat / drink

vouloir absolument

to be dead set on, determined to

vouloir bien to really want to

Vouloir, c'est pouvoir ( proverb )

Where there's a will there's a way

vouloir de + food / drink

to want some

vouloir dire to mean

vouloir du bien à qqun

to wish someone well

vouloir du mal à qqun

to wish someone ill / harm

vouloir faire qqchose

to want to do something

vouloir que qqun fasse qqchose

to want something to do something

vouloir que qqchose se fasse

to want something to be done

Season - grammar - review

vouloir qqchose de qqun

to want something from someone

vouloir sans vouloir to only half want

en vouloir ( informal )

to want / be raring to go

en vouloir à qqchose

to be after something

en vouloir à qqun

to have a grudge against s.o.,

be mad at s.o.

en vouloir à qqun de qqchose

to hold s.t. against s.o.,

resent someone for s.t.

ne pas vouloir blesser qqun

to not mean to hurt someone

ne pas vouloir qu'on se croie obligé

to not want someone to feel obliged

ne pas vouloir de qqun / qqchose

to not want someone / something

ne plus vouloir de qqun / qqchose

to no longer want s.o. / s.t.

sans le vouloir

unintentionally, inadvertently

sans vouloir te / vous vexer no offense

s'en vouloir de + infinitive

to be annoyed with oneself for

Ça va comme tu veux ? ( informal )

Is everything all right / OK ?

comme le veut la loi

according to the law,

as the law requires

comme le veut la tradition

according to tradition

Comme tu veux / vous voulez

As you like / wish / please,

Have it your way, Suit yourself

Comment voulez-vous que je sache ?

How should I know ?,

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How do you expect me to know ?

Comment veux-tu /

voulez-vous que + subjunctive ?

How do you expect ( s.o. 2 do s.t.) ?

faire de qqun ce qu'on veut

to do what one likes with someone,

to twist someone around his / her

little finger

Le feu n'a pas voulu prendre

the fire wouldn't light ou catch

Le hasard voulut que

as luck would have it

... en veux-tu en voilà tons of...

Il y a des problèmes en veux-tu en voilà

( informal ) There are tons of problems

Ils en voulaient à sa vie

They wanted him dead

J'aurais voulu que vous voyiez sa tête !

I wish you could have seen his face !

J'aurais voulu t'y voir !

I'd like to see what you'd have done !

Je m'en voudrais ! Not on your life!

Je ne t'en veux pas

I'm not mad at you, No hard feelings

Je ne voudrais pas abuser

I don't want to impose

Je veux ! ( familiar )

You bet ! I'd love to !

Je veux bien Yes, please

Je veux bien le croire mais ...

I'd like to believe him but ...

Je voudrais que vous voyiez sa tête !

I wish you could see his face !

Je voulais te / vous dire...

I wanted, meant to tell you...

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Je voudrais bien voir ça !

I'd like to see that !

Je voudrais t'y voir !

I'd like to see you try !

Le malheur a voulu qu'il + subjunctive

He had the misfortune to...

Moi je veux bien, mais...

Fair enough, but ...

Ne m'en veuillez pas ( formal )

Ne m'en voulez pas ( informal )

Don't hold it against me

Quand on veut, on peut ( proverb )

Where there's a will there's a way

Qu'est-ce que tu veux / vous voulez ?

Que veux-tu / voulez-vous ?

What can you do ?

What do you expect ?

Que voulez-vous qu'on y fasse ?

What do you expect us / them to do

about it ?

Qu'est-ce que tu veux que je te dise ?

What can I say ?

what do you want me to say ?

Que lui voulez-vous ?

What do you want with him ?

qu'il le veuille ou non

whether he likes it or not

savoir ce qu'on veut

to know what one wants

Si tu veux

If you like / want, If you will

Si tu voulais bien le faire

If you'd be kind enough to do it

Si vous le voulez bien

If you don't mind

Si vous voulez bien me suivre

This way, please

Season - grammar - review

Tu l'as voulu ! You asked for it !

Tu l'auras voulu !

It'll be your own fault !

You'll have brought it on yourself !

Tu ne m'en veux pas ?

No hard feelings?

Tu veux bien leur dire que...

Would you please tell them that ...

L'usage veut que...

Custom requires that...

Veuillez agréer / croire... ( business letter )

Please accept...

Veuillez croire à toute ma sympathie

Please accept my deepest sympathy

Veux-tu ( bien ) + infinitive !

Will you ( please ) ...!

Veux-tu que je te dise / raconte pourquoi... ? Shall I tell you why ...?

se vouloir to claim to be, to be supposed to be

Voudriez-vous avoir l'obligeance / l'amabilité de... Would you be so kind as to ...

Qu'est-ce qu'il me veut, celui-là ? ( informal ) What does he want from me ?

ADVANCED FRENCH PAST TENSES

Learn about specific French verbs in the passé composé and imperfect

The difference between the two main French past tenses, the passé composé and the imperfect, is a constant

struggle for many French students. In my lesson on passé composé vs imperfect, you learned about the

fundamental differences between these two tenses. In this more advanced lesson, you will learn about the

particularities of certain verbs when used in the past.

Usually Imperfect

Some French verbs are nearly always used in the imperfect rather than the passé compose :

aimer - to like, to love croire - to believe

Season - grammar - review

espérer - to hope

être - to be

penser - to think

sembler - to seem

sentir - to feel

Verbs like these describe a state of mind or state of being. They are most often in the imperfect because

verbs like "wanting" and "being" do not usually have a clear indicator of start and finish - either they last for an

unspecified amount of time or they are interrupted by some other action.

i.e :

J'aimais danser quand j'étais jeune. I liked to dance when I was young.

Je croyais en Dieu. I believed in God.

J'espérais gagner. I hoped ( was hoping ) to win.

J'étais heureux l'année passée. I was happy last year.

Je pensais à mon frère. I was thinking about my brother.

Il semblait trop parfait. It seemed too perfect.

Je me sentais malade pendant toute la journée. I felt sick all day.

However, these verbs are used in the passé composé when there is a clear indication of the beginning or end

of the action of the verb, or when it is obvious that this was a simple action that only occurred once.

i.e :

Je n'ai pas aimé le film. I didn't like the movie.

Je ne t'ai pas cru quand tu as dit... I didn't believe you when you said...

Hier, j'ai espéré que tu viendrais ; aujourd'hui, ça m'est égal.

Yesterday I hoped you would come; today I don't care.

Quand je l'ai vu, j'ai été surpris. When I saw him, I was surprised ( just at that moment ).

J'ai pensé à une bonne histoire. I thought of a good story.

Il a semblé disparaître. He seemed to disappear ( all of a sudden )

J'ai senti une goutte de pluie. I felt a drop of rain.

Season - grammar - review

The difference between the two main French past tenses, the passé composé and the imperfect, is a constant

struggle for many French students. On page one, you studied verbs which are usually in the imperfect. Here, you can

learn about verbs that have different meanings depending on the tense they are used in, and verbal constructions

that are always in the imperfect.

Meaning Changes

There are a few verbs that have different meanings depending on whether they are used in the passé composé or

imperfect. NOTE however that these verbs are usually used in the imperfect;

the passé composé meaning is fairly uncommon.

avoir - to have

imperfect - had

passé composé - had, got, received

J'ai eu un accident. - I had / got into an accident

J'ai eu une bonne surprise. - I got a nice surprise

J'ai eu faim. - I got hungry

connaître - to know

imperfect - knew, was familiar with

Je la connaissais bien. - I knew her well

passé composé - met

J'ai connu Michel hier. - I met Michel ( for the first time ) yesterday

devoir - to have to

Season - grammar - review

imperfect - was supposed to ( whether I did or not )

Je devais partir à midi. - I was supposed to leave at noon

passé composé - must have, had to

J'ai dû le perdre. - I must have lost it

J'ai dû partir à midi. - I had to leave at noon ( and did )

pouvoir - to be able to

imperfect - could, was able to ( whether I did or not )

Je pouvais mentir. - I could lie / was capable of lying

passé composé - could, was able to, managed to; ( negative ) couldn't, was unable to

J'ai pu mentir. - I was able to lie

Je n'ai pas pu mentir. - I couldn't / was unable to lie

savoir - to know

imperfect - knew

Je savais l'adresse. - I knew the address

Je savais nager. - I knew how to swim

passé composé - learned, found out

J'ai su la solution. - I found out / discovered the solution

J'ai su nager. - I learned how to swim

vouloir - to want

imperfect - wanted

Je voulais partir. - I wanted to leave

Je voulais plus d'argent. - I wanted more money

passé composé - tried, decided to; ( negative ) refused

J'ai voulu partir. - I tried / decided to leave

Je n'ai pas voulu partir. - I refused to leave

Verbal Constructions

Some verbs have particular constructions which, when referring to the past, are always in the imperfect.

aller + infinitive ( near future )

Season - grammar - review

J'allais étudier. - I was going to study.

avoir ( with age )

J'avais 18 ans. - I was 18.

être en train de

J'étais en train d'écrire une lettre. - I was writing a letter.

faire ( with weather )

Il faisait beau. - It was nice out.

venir de + infinitive ( recent past )

Je venais d'arriver. - I had just arrived.

IRREGULAR “ -IR “ VERBS

Learn about patterns for irregular -ir French verbs

Irregular verbs are the bane of every French student's existence, but there is some good news. There are some

patterns in the irregularities - once you learn the conjugations for one verb in a group, you shouldn't have any trouble

with the other verbs in that group.

There are four kinds of -IR verbs

1. irregular -IR verbs like dormir…

2. irregular -IR verbs like ouvrir…

3. completely irregular verbs ( pouvoir, venir, etc… )

4. regular -IR verbs

1. The first group of irregular verbs includes dormir, mentir, partir, sentir, servir, sortir, and all of their

derivations ( repartir, etc ). The endings for these verbs are as follows:

Singular Plural

je -s nous -ons

tu -s vous -ez

il -t ils -ent

Season - grammar - review

These verbs drop the last letter of the radical in the singular forms.

DORMIR

Singular Plural

je dors nous dormons

tu dors vous dormez

il dort ils dorment

2. The second group of verbs includes couvrir, cueillir, découvrir, offrir, ouvrir, souffrir, and their

derivations.

These verbs are conjugated like regular -ER verbs. So the endings are :

Singular Plural

je -e nous -ons

tu -es vous -ez

il -e ils -ent

To conjugate ouvrir, remove d’ infinitive ending to find the radical ouvr- and then add the appropriate endings:

OUVRIR

Singular Plural

j' ouvre nous ouvrons

tu ouvres vous ouvrez

il ouvre ils ouvrent

3. Completely irregular -IR verbs: Unfortunately, some verbs do not follow a pattern - you have to memorize the

conjugations for each one separately.

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asseoir pleuvoir valoir

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courir pouvoir venir

devoir recevoir voir

falloir savoir vouloir

mourir tenir

4. French Regular -IR Verbs :

FRENCH REGULAR “ -IR “ VERBS

How to conjugate regular -IR verbs in French - See More About:

There are five main kinds of verbs in French : regular -ER, -IR, -RE; stem-changing; and irregular.

Once you've learned the rules of conjugation for each of the first three kinds of verbs, you should have no problem

conjugating regular verbs in each of those categories. Regular -IR verbs are the second largest category of French

verbs

The verb form that ends in -IR is called the infinitive ( in English, the infinitive is the verb preceded by the

word " to ") , and -IR is the infinitive ending. The verb with the infinitive ending removed is called the stem or

radical. To conjugate -IR verbs, remove the infinitive ending to find the stem and add the endings in the table

below.

French regular -IR verb conjugations

To conjugate an -IR verb in the present tense, remove the infinitive ending and then add the appropriate endings.

For example: here are the present tense conjugations for the regular -IR verbs choisir ( to choose ), finir ( to finish

), and réussir ( to succeed )

PRONOUN Ending choisir > chois- finir > fin- réussir > réuss-

je -is choisis finis réussis

tu -is choisis finis réussis

il -it choisit finit réussit

nous -issons choisissons finissons réussissons

vous -issez choisissez finissez réussissez

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ils -issent choisissent finissent réussissent

Regular -IR verbs share conjugation patterns in all tenses and moods.

French Regular -IR verbs, the second largest group of French verbs, share a conjugation pattern. Here

are just a few of the most common regular -IR verbs

abolir to abolish

agir to act

avertir to warn

bâtir to build

bénir to bless

choisir to choose

établir to establish

étourdir to stun, deafen,

make dizzy

finir to finish

grossir to gain weight,

get fat

guérir to cure, heal,

recover

maigrir to lose weight,

get thin

nourrir to feed, nourish

obéir to obey

punir to punish

réfléchir to reflect, think

remplir to to fill

réussir to succeed

rougir to blush, turn

red

vieillir to grow old