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Dialogue
Grammar · À and de
The preposition à can indicate a destination, a location, a characteristic, measurement, a point in time, and purpose.
When le follows à, the à and le combine into au. Similarly, à and les combine into aux.
The preposition de can indicate an origin, contents, possession, cause, and manner.
When le follows de, the de and le combine into du. Similarly, de and les combine into des.
Vocabulary · Leisure activities · Les loisirs
File:French/Vocabulary/Leisure activities.ogg
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le cinéma | /si.ne.ma/ | cinema | |||
la musique | /myzik/ | music | |||
le spectacle | /spɛk.takl/ | show | |||
le théâtre | /te.atʁ/ | the theater | |||
la danse | /dɑ̃s/ | dance | |||
le sport | /spɔʁ/ | sport |
Grammar · -tir verbs
The following verbs are all conjugated irregularly, in the same way.
To leave · Partir
partir /paʁ.tiʁ/ (pahr-teer) | to leave |
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je pars /paʁ/ (pahr) | I leave |
tu pars /paʁ/ (pahr) | you leave |
il part /paʁ/ (pahr) | he leaves |
nous partons /paʁ.tɔ̃/ (pahr-toh(n)) | we leave |
vous partez /paʁ.te/ (pahr-tay) | you leave |
ils partent /paʁt/ (pahrt) | they leave |
parti(e)(s) /paʁ.ti/ (pahr-tee) | left |
The verbs repartir /ʁǝ.paʁ.tiʁ/ (ruh-pahr-teer, meaning to leave for where one came from or to restart is conjugated in the same way as partir.
Répartir /ʁe.paʁ.tiʁ/ (ray-pahr-teer), meaning to distribute or to forward, is conjugated in the regular second group pattern (see the conjugation table).
To go out · Sortir
sortir /sɔʁ.tiʁ/ (sohr-teer) | to go out |
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je sors /sɔʁ/ (sohr) | I go out |
tu sors /sɔʁ/ (sohr) | you go out |
il sort /sɔʁ/ (sohr) | he goes out |
nous sortons /sɔʁ.tɔ̃/ (sohr-toh(n)) | we go out |
vous sortez /sɔʁ.te/ (sohr-tay) | you go out |
ils sortent /sɔʁt/ (sohrt) | they go out |
sorti(e)(s) /sɔʁ.ti/ (sohr-tee) | gone out |
The verb ressortir /ʁǝ.sɔʁ.tiʁ/ (ruh-sohr-teer, meaning to go or come back out, to take back out, to emerge from, or to stand out, is conjugated in the same way as sortir.
Related expressions
File:French/Grammar/Expressions with partir and sortir.ogg
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à partir de | /a paʁ.tiʁ də/ | starting at, from […] onward supposing (that) | À partir du règne de Louis le Gros, les communes ont commencé à être affranchies de la féodalité. À partir du troisième acte, l’intérêt de cette pièce va en s’affaiblissant. | Starting with the reign of Louis the Fat, communes began to be incorporated into the feudal system. Starting in the third act, interest in this play starts to weaken. | |
la sortie | /sɔʁ.ti/ | exit, end, final part of |
Supplementary vocabulary · All verbs
File:French/Grammar/-tir verbs.ogg
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repentir | /ʁə.pɑ̃.tiʁ/ | to repent | repen- | ||
-men- | |||||
mentir | /mɑ̃.tiʁ/ | to lie | men- | ||
démentir | /demɑ̃tiʁ/ | to contradict, to deny, to belie | démen- | ||
-par- | |||||
partir | /paʁ.tiʁ/ | to leave | par- | ||
repartir | /ʁǝ.paʁ.tiʁ/ | to leave for where one came from, to restart | repar- | ||
répartir | /ʁe.paʁ.tiʁ/ | to distribute, to forward | répar- | ||
-sen- | |||||
sentir | /sɑ̃.tiʁ/ | to feel, to taste, to smell | sen- | ||
consentir | /kɔ̃.sɑ̃.tiʁ/ | to consent | consen- | ||
pressentir | /pʁɛ.sɑ̃.tiʁ/ | to foresee | pressen- | ||
ressentir | /ʁəsɑ̃tiʁ/ | to feel | ressen- | ||
-sor- | |||||
sortir | /sɔʁ.tiʁ/ | to go out, to take out | sor- | ||
ressortir | /ʁǝ.sɔʁ.tiʁ/ | to go or come back out, to take back out | ressor- |
Supplementary examples
File:French/Grammar/Examples with partir and sortir.ogg
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Il en ressort que […] | It follows from this that […] | ||||
C'est une image qui ressort. | It's an image that stands out. |
Vocabulary · Movies · Les films
File:French/Vocabulary/Movies.ogg
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le film | /film/ | movie | |||
les sous-titres | /su.titr/ | subtitles | |||
l'acteur (m) l'actrice (f) | /ak.tœʁ/ /ak.tʁis/ | actor actress | |||
louer | /lwe/ | to rent | |||
la vidéo le DVD | /vi.deo/ | video DVD | |||
The movie theater | |||||
le cinéma | /si.ne.ma/ | the (movie) theater | |||
la salle du cinéma | theater showing room | lit: room of the theater | |||
la séance | /se.ɑ̃s/ | showing | |||
le guichet | /giʃɛ/ | ticket window | |||
la place le fauteuil | /plas/ /fotœj/ | seat/place to sit chair1 | |||
coûter | /ku.te/ | to cost | |||
jouer | /ʒwe/ | to play | |||
Film genres | |||||
le documentaire | documentary | ||||
le film d’aventures | adventure movie | ||||
le film d’horreur | horror film | ||||
le film de science-fiction | sci-fi film |
- 1Un fauteuil is the physical chair that one sits on. One would normally use "une place" whenever "a seat" is used in English.
- Prenez place ! - Take a seat! (very common expression. No article before place, you should not say Prenez la place)
Grammar · -enir verbs
-enir verbs are irregularly conjugated (they are not treated as regular -ir verbs).
To come · Venir
The most common -enir verb is venir, meaning to come.
When venir is used with the preposition de, it means to come from or to be from:
- Ces pommes viennent de l'Espagne. (These apples come from Spain.)
When venir de is used with a verb, it states that you have recently accomplished an action.
- Je viens de me réveiller. (I have just got up.)
Formation
In the present indicative, venir (and all other -enir verbs) is conjugated as follows:
venir /vǝ.niʁ/ (vuh-neer) | to come |
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je viens /vjɛ̃/ (vyuha(n)) | I come |
tu viens /vjɛ̃/ (vyuha(n)) | you come |
il vient /vjɛ̃/ (vyuha(n)) | he comes |
nous venons /vǝ.nɔ̃/ (vuh-noh(n)) | we come |
vous venez /vǝ.ne/ (vuh-nay) | you come |
ils viennent /vjɛn/ (vyuhehn) | they come |
venu(e)(s) /vǝ.ny/ (vuh-new) | come |
Supplementary vocabulary · All -enir verbs
File:French/Grammar/-enir verbs.ogg
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venir | /vǝ.niʁ/ | to come | |||
revenir | /ʁǝ.vniʁ/ | to come back, to return | |||
devenir | /dǝv.niʁ/ | to become | |||
redevenir | /ʁǝ.dǝ.vniʁ/ | to become again | |||
appartenir (à) | /apaʁtəniʁ/ | to belong to, to concern | |||
contenir | /kɔ̃.tniʁ/ | to contain, to hold | |||
détenir | /det(ə)niʁ/ | to keep, to detain | |||
retenir | /ʀətəniʀ/ | to hold back, to retain, to uphold | |||
se souvenir | /sə su.vniʁ/ | to remember | |||
soutenir | /sut.niʁ/ | to support | |||
soutenir que | to maintain that | ||||
tenir | /tǝniʀ/ | to hold |
Supplementary examples
File:French/Grammar/Examples with -enir verbs
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Je viens de finir mes devoirs. | I have just finished my homework. |
Supplementary grammar · -é…er verbs
-é…er verbs are regular -er verbs, but are also stem changing.
Formation
suggérer /syɡ.ʒe.ʁe/ (sewg-zhay-ray) | to suggest |
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je suggère /syɡ.ʒɛʁ/ (sewg-zhehr) | I suggest |
tu suggères /syɡ.ʒɛʁ/ (sewg-zhehr) | you suggest |
il suggère /syɡ.ʒɛʁ/ (sewg-zhehr) | he suggests |
nous suggérons /syɡ.ʒe.ʁɔ̃/ (sewg-zhay-roh(n)) | we suggest |
vous suggérez /syɡ.ʒe.ʁe/ (sewg-zhay-ray) | you suggest |
ils suggèrent /syɡ.ʒɛʁ/ (sewg-zhehr) | they suggest |
suggéré /syɡ.ʒe.ʁe/ (sewg-zhay-ray) | suggested |
Other -é…er verbs
File:French/Grammar/-é…er verbs.ogg
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accélérer | /ak.se.le.ʁe/ | to accelerate | |||
céder | /se.de/ | to yield | |||
célébrer | [se.le.bʁe] | to celebrate | |||
espérer | /ɛspeʁe/ | to hope | |||
préférer | /pʁe.fe.ʁe/ | to prefer | |||
sécher | /se.ʃe/ | to dry |
Examples
File:French/Grammar/Examples with -é…er verbs.ogg
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Elles suggèrent une démonstration de maquillage. | They suggest a cosmetic makeover. | ||||
Son attitude suggère une dépression nerveuse imminente. | His attitude suggests an imminent nervous breakdown. |
Supplementary word details · La sortie
La Sortie or Sortie is generally used for fire exit signage in buildings to direct people in the building to the nearest exit.
In this case, La Sortie would imply The Way Out(side) to those reading it.
Supplementary word details · To feel · Sentir
Supplementary word details · To support · Soutenir
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