The French verb rester (“to remain”) gives rise to several useful impersonal constructions that express what is left or remaining. An impersonal construction means the subject of the verb is “il,” which normally means “he,” but instead translates to “it.” So instead of meaning “he remains,” it means “it remains” or “there remains.” 1. The Basic…
The imperative mood in French is used to give commands, make requests, or offer advice. When using reflexive verbs (verbes pronominaux) in the imperative, the word order and placement of reflexive pronouns change depending on whether the command is affirmative or negative. 1. Affirmative Imperative with Reflexive Verbs In affirmative commands, the reflexive pronoun follows…
In French, most adjectives come after the noun they describe. But some common adjectives come before the noun. How do you know which is which? A good way to remember is with the BAGS rule. đ€ Most Adjectives Come After the Noun In French, the normal position of an adjective is after the noun. Examples:…
In French, when a sentence uses the passĂ© composĂ© (the past tense formed with avoir or ĂȘtre), object pronouns still come before the verb. The verb in the passĂ© composĂ© includes both the auxiliary verb (avoir or ĂȘtre) and the past participle. The object pronoun is placed directly before the auxiliary verb. This rule applies…
One of the classic pronunciation pitfalls for French learners is the word âcoursâ (as in un cours de français)âwhich is often confused with âcorpsâ (as in le corps humain). Although these words are spelled similarly, they sound quite different in French. 1. The Basics: What Do These Words Mean? 2. Pronunciation Breakdown âCoursâ [kuÊ] â …
In French, when an adjective is followed by an infinitive verb, the preposition de is frequently placed between them. This structure creates a direct relationship between the quality expressed by the adjective and the action denoted by the verb. Unlike the noun + de + infinitive construction, this pattern specifically links descriptive qualities to actions….
In French, when a noun is followed by an infinitive verb, the preposition de is placed between them. Examples Key Observations
In French, it is common to use both a direct object pronoun (complĂ©ment dâobjet direct or COD) and an indirect object pronoun (complĂ©ment dâobjet indirect or COI) in the same sentence. These pronouns go before the verb, and they follow a specific order. To get the order right, you can use two simple rules. Rule…
An indirect object is a person (or sometimes a thing) that receives the action of the verb indirectly, usually through a preposition. In French, the preposition is often Ă . The French term is complĂ©ment dâobjet indirect, often abbreviated as COI. To avoid repeating the full phrase, we use an indirect object pronoun. Indirect object pronouns…
In French, a direct object is a noun that receives the action of the verb directly, without a preposition. The French term is complĂ©ment dâobjet direct, often abbreviated as COD. To avoid repeating the noun, we use direct object pronouns to replace it. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun (ie a naming…