Download Nouns-les noms

LA LANGUE FRANÇAISE – LA GRAMMAIRE - PARTS OF SPEECH (INTRO)
Nouns - les noms
Nouns are easy to recognize because they represent people (des personnes) or inanimate
objects (des choses) the most important point to remember is that in French, nouns have
gender? They are either feminine ( le féminin) or masculine (le masculine). How does
one learn and remember their gender? One usually does this by memorizing. One
sometime group words according to their endings, for example,-tion and té are almost
always feminine (la nation, la liberté); -ment and –eau are usually masculine (le
department, le tableau). Probably the easiest way to master the idea of gender is by
learning nouns with their article: le, un for a masculine noun; la, une for a feminine
noun.
Plurals are most commonly formed by the addition of –s to the singular; there are
however a number of other ways to indicate plural (see pp.125-126). In spoken language,
since final –s is not pronounced, it is the article (les, des) that indicate the plural (les
parents, des familles). Consequently, in French, nouns must be accompanied by an
article or another determining word; the article is omitted only in very special cases.
ARTICLES- LES ARTICLES
There are three kinds of articles:
1. Definite articles (les articles definis): the
masc. le
fem. la
pl. les
2. Indefinite articles (les articles indéfinis) : a, an, one, some
masc. un
fem. une
pl. des
3. Partitive articles (les articles partitifs) : some
masc. du
fem. de la
The partitive article is used with certain verbs when one speaks about part of
something, a piece of something : some + singular noun (see page 148).
Je mange du pain. Je bois de la limonade.
You should remember these three facts about French articles :
a) Agreement (l’accord): articles agree (s’accordent) with the nouns they
modify in gender and number.
b) Elisin (l’élison) : the dropping of a letter occurs when le, la is followed by a
word that begins with a vowel : l’étudiant, l’histoire, de l’eau.
c) Contraction (la contraction) of le or les occurs with preposions à and de (see
page 146).
de + le = du
à + le = au de + les = des à + les = aux
DETERMINING WORDS – LES DÉTERMINANTS
There are other determining words besides the articles :
1. A possessive adjective ( un adjectif possessif) : my, your, his, her, our,your their.
Masc. mon
notre
fem. ma
notre
pl. mes
nos
2. A demonstrative adjective ( un adjectif démonstratif) : this, these
Masc. ce
fem. cette
pl. ces
3. An interrogative adjective( un adjectif interrogatif) : which
Masc. quel
fem. quelle pl. quels, quelles
Like the article, these words agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify.
ADJECTIVES- LES ADJECTIFS
The most common adjectives (les adjectifs qualificatifs) describe the noun : joli, beau,
grand, etc… .The agreement between noun and adjectives is the main issue confronting
you as you study the adjective. Many adjectives are identical in their masculine and
feminine forms; that is, both genders end in –e : rapide, facile, calme, etc… For most
adjectives, however, the feminine is indicated by the ending –e, while the masculine has
no –e.
This final -e may o er may not affect the pronunciation of the two genders.
Masc. grand
aimé
fem. grande
aimée
The adjective also agree in number with the noun. Usually this agreement is shown by
adding an –s, which is silent.
Les étudiants intelligents.
Where is the adjective placed? In French, most adjectives come after the noun.
Une robe bleue
un voyage intéressant
A few common adjectives are placed before the noun :
Un bon diner, une petite maison.
Most of these adjectives describe (beauty, age, goodness, and size -BAGS).
PRONOUNS - LES PRONOMS
The most common pronoun is the personal pronoun (le pronom personnel), a word that
takes the place of a noun. Personal pronouns, inspite of their name, represent not only
people, they also refer to things.
Elle or il signify it, as well as he, or she.
Le of la signifies it, as well as him or her.
Before you study different forms of these pronouns, you should consider the function of
the nouns they replace, because the pronouns have different forms for different functions.
FUNCTIONS OF NOUNS AND PRONOUNS.
1.Subject (le sujet). A noun or pronoun can be the subject of the verb.
Le professeur parle. Il parle.
Subject pronouns ( les pronoms sujets) are as follows :
(Je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles)
2. Direct object (l’objet direct). A noun or pronoun can be a direct object.
Vous visitez le musée? Vous le visité?
The noun is a direct object when it receives the action of the verb; in a sense, it
completes the verb’s meaning.
The direct object pronoun (le pronom objet direct) comes before the verb in
French; in English it comes after.
Je le visite. I visit it.
Its forms are the following :
Me, te
Le, la, les (like the articles)
Nous, vous (like the subject pronouns)
3. Indirect object pronouns (l’objet indirect). A noun is the indirect object when the
preposition ( la préposition) à (to) stands between theverb and the noun object.
Je parle à Jeanne.
The forms of the indirect object pronoun (le pronom object indirect) are
identical to those of the direct object, except in the third person singular and plural:
Me, te, nous, vous
to me, to you, to us, to you
Lui
to him, to her
Leur
to them
This pronoun comes before the verb.
Il me parle.
Je lui montre la maison.
4. The object of a preposition (l’objet d’une préposition). A noun or a pronoun can
be the object of a preposition : de, chez, avec, sans, etc.
Vous habitez avec votre sœur?
Do you live with your sister?
Vous habitez avec elle?
Do you live with her?
The pronoun as object of a preposition follows the verb and the preposition. It is
called pronom disjoint or pronom tonique; its forms are as follows:
Moi, toi
me, you
Lui
him
Eux
them (masc. pl.)
Elle, nous, vous elles
her, us, you, them (fem. pl.)
(like the subject pronouns)
RELAX! Many students become confused by all the forms of the personal
pronoun. Don’t worry if you have forgotten some of them at the beginning of the
year. You will have ample opportunity to learn and use all of them before you
complete your course.
OTHER CATEGORIES OF PRONOUNS
1. Possessive pronouns (les pronoms possessifs)
Le mien (mine), la vôtre (yours), etc.
2. Relative pronouns (les pronoms relatifs)
The two most common relative pronouns are qui and que. Qui is the subject
form for people and things. Que is the direct object form.
Voilà un livre qui paraît intéressant. (sujet) Here is a book that seems interesting.
L’examen que vous voulez passer est bien
The exam that you wish to take is difficult.
difficile. (objet direct)
*NOTE : Qui is followed by a verb : qui paraît. A subject (noun or pronoun) stands
between que and the verb: que vous voulez.
3. Demonstrative pronouns (les pronoms démonstratifs)
Celui-ci (this one), cella-là (that one)
Two very common and useful expressions are c’est … (it is…) and ça (that)
4. Interrogative pronouns (les pronoms interrogatifs)
Qui (who, whom), qu’ est-ce qui (what), avec quoi (with what), lequel
(which one), etc.
5. Indefinite pronouns (les pronoms indéfinis)
Quelque chose (something), chacun (everyone)
ADVERBS – LES ADVERBES
An adverb usually modifies a verb; sometimes it modifies an adjective or
another adverb. Here are six common short adverbs:
assez enough
beaucoup much,many
bien well
plus more
très very
trop too, too much, too many
PREPOSITIONS – LES PRÉPOSITIONS
A preposition accompanies a noun or an infinitive. Here are a few common
prepositions:
à at, to, in
avec with
chez at the home (office) of
dans into, in
de from, of, about
Nous sommes à l’universite.
Il voyage avec sa mère.
Tu habites chez tes parents.
Elle est dans la classe
c’est la classe de français
pour in order to, to
ils vont au restaurant pour manger
De is also used to express possession.
Le livre de Marie Mary’s book
Choosing between à and de before an infinitive requires practice (See p. 282)
J’ai un exercice à écrire.
J’ai envie de dormir.
VERBS – LES VERBES
Unlike English, French verbs in their infinitive form are not preceded by a
preposition.
être to be
aller to go
The endings of the infinitive identify the group to which the verb belongs.
French verbs are divided into three groups of regular verbs: the first (le premier
groupe) consists of verbs ending in –er (parler, manger, danser); the second (le
deuxième groupe) includes verbs ending in –ir (finir, choisir) that posses the infix
–iss- in the plural (nous finissons, nous finissez, ils finissent). A third small group
(le troisième groupe) contains the regular verbs ending in –re (vendre, attendre).
All other verbs are irregular. Their infinitives end in –ir, -oir, or –re (dormir,
avoir, pouvoir, mettre, etc), and their conjugation (la conjugaison) must be
memorized.
When a verb is conjugated, the ending (la terminaison) changes according to the
subject.
Je parle
Tu parles
Il parle
-e
-es
-e
nous parlons
vous parlez
ils parlent
-ons
-ez
-ent
When using verbs, you have to consider tense (le temps), the time of the verbal
action. One speaks in the present (le présent), in the past (le passé), or in the
future (le futur). In French there is one present tense, but there are two futures
and several pasts!
The present tense is always a simple one-word form; other tenses can be
simple (temps simple) or compound (temps composé). Le temps simple means that
the verb consists of one word: [Je] parle. Le temps composé means that the verb is
composed of two words: [J’]ai parlé. The first word is called an auxiliary verb
(l’auxiliaire); it is always a form of either être or avoir. The other word is the past
principle (le participe passé).
Je suis allé(e)
J’ai vu
Here are some facts you may remember about verbs from your first year:
1. The present tense of the verb être (to be)
Je suis
Nous sommes
Tu es
Vous êtes
Il, Elle est
Ils, Elles ont
2. The present tense of the verb avoir (to have)
J’ai
Nous avons
Tu as
Vous avez
Il, Elle a
Ils, Elles ont
3. The present tense of the verb aller (to go)
Je vais
Nous allons
Tu vas
Vous allez
Il, Elle va
Ils, Elles vont
4. The forms and endings of the present tense of first-group verbs (those like
parler)
-e
Je parle
-ons
Nous parlons
-es
Tu parles
-ez
Vous parlez
-e
Il, Elle parle
-ent
Ils, Elles parlent
* Note : The endings –e, -es, -ent are silent; -ons, -ez are pronounced and
occur in practically all French verbs.
5. The past tense (le passé composé) of first-group verbs
This tense is usually formed with the verb avoir + the past principle of the
conjugated verb which always ends in -é.
J’ai parlé
Nous avons mangé
Tu as regardé
Vous avez aimé
Il, Elle a dîné
Ils, Elles ont étudié
6. The gerund (le gérondif) is a widely used construction and an easy one to
Remember. It is made of en plus and the –ant form of the verb: en chantant,
en parlant. It means while, by, in doing something.
Laurent est tombé en courant. Lauren fell while running.
The other forms and uses of participles (les participes) are explained in
another section of the handout.
Reflexive Verbs – Les Verbes Pronominaux
There are many reflexive verbs; and in the infinitive form, they are always
preceeded by the reflexive pronoun se or s’ .
Se regarde S’aimer
In conjugating reflexive verbs, one has to remember to put two pronouns (the
subject and the object) before the verb.
Je me
Tu te
Il se
Elle se
Nous nous Vous vous
Ils se
Elles se
Je me lave. I wash myself.
One important fact to remember about French reflexive verbs is that many of
them, do not have a reflexive meaning.
Il se regarde.
He looks at himself.
Nous nous aimons.
We love each other.
BUT:
Elle se monque de moi.
She makes fun of me.
Vous vous en allez?
Are you leaving?
Passive Voice – Le Passif
The passive construction is formed with the verb être, conjugated in different
tenses, + the past participle (see p.434).
Cette règle est expliquée à la page 200.
This rule is explained in page 200.
L’orchestre a été dirigé par un génie.
The orchestra was conducted by a genius.
Mood – Le Mode
Mood is another important aspect of French verbs. Three moods are presented
in this book- the indicative (l’indicatif), the imperative (l’impératif), and the
subjunctive (le subjoncif). As in English, the mood most frequently used is the
indicative. It implies facts (les actions réelles). The imperative is the mood
used to give a command. The subjunctive, the third mood, is more frequently
used in French than in English. It implies wishes, doubts; it also follows
expressions of necessity (Chap. 16).
Je veux que vous sachiez tous ces verbes. I want you to know all these verbs.
Il est possible qu’il pleuve.
It is possible that it will rain.
Il faut que vous alliez chez le docteur.
You must go to the doctor.
POSITIVE STATEMENTS, NEGATIVE STATEMENTS, QUESTIONS
There are three types of sentences:
1. A positive statement (une phrase affirmative ou énonciative)
Il fait beau.
2. A negative statement (une phrase négative)
Il ne fait pas beau.
3. A question (une phrase imterrogative)
Est-ce que qu’il fait beau?
NEGATION – LA NÉGATION
Negation in French always consists of two words. Ne is usually the first; the
second varies.
Ne…pas
Ne … plus
Ne … jamais
Ne … personne
Ne … rien
not
no more, no longer
never
nobody
nothing
* REMEMBER : The negative expression surrounds the verb .
Il ne fait pas beau.
Elle ne mange rien.
INTERROGATION – L’ INTERROGATION
To ask a question, one usually uses one of the following ways :
1. Raising the voice at the end of a sentence
Vous êtes allé à Paris.
Vous êtes allé à Paris?
2. Begin the sentence with the expression est-ce que.
Est-ce que vous êtes allé à Paris?
3. The interrogative form of the verb, which consists of the inversion of the
subject and the verb:
êtes-vous prêt?
Ont-ils des enfants?
OTHER INTERROGATIVE WORDS
Other words that indicate interrogation (les mots interrogatifs) are divided into
adjectives, pronouns, and adverbs. Here are the most common ones:
1. The adjective quel (which, what) placed before a noun
Quel temps fait-il? De quelle femme parles-tu?
2. The pronoun qui (who) always refers to people.
Qui parle?
Avec qui sort-elle?
3. The pronoun qu’est-ce que (what) qu’est-ce que + subject + verb
Qu’est-ce que vous dites? Qu’est-ce que vous faites?
4. The adverb quand (when), où (where), comment, pourquoi (why),
Combien (how much, how many)
Quand arrive-il? Pourquoi pleurez-vous?