English uses the word corner in several ways. It can mean the place where two walls meet, the point where two streets meet, the edge of a room, or a quiet or hidden spot. French does not rely on a single word for all these uses. The most common translations are le coin and l’angle….
The term hors d’oeuvres refers to small dishes of food served before a meal. They are meant to be eaten in one or two bites. They are often passed around on trays at parties or set out on a table for guests to take for themselves. The idea is to take the edge off hunger…
French present participles do not agree in gender and number. The French present participle is invariable. It does not change to show masculine or feminine, singular or plural. But there is one point of confusion. The present participle can look the same as a verbal adjective. The verbal adjective does agree. Present participle versus verbal…
People learning French often notice something strange. Some sentences look wrong, because two complete thoughts sit on either side of a comma. There is no connecting word, no semicolon, no em dash — just a comma separating them. In English, this is called a run on sentence, or a comma splice. It’s regarded as an…
The ending -and is uncommon in French nouns. Most words with this ending are masculine. Many refer to people, especially professions, social types or nationalities. Several also function as adjectives. French often allows the same form to serve both roles. For example, gourmand can describe a person or act as a noun meaning a glutton….
English has many words that end in “em,” like problem, system, and poem, and most of them come from French. The French versions end in “ème” instead, so problem becomes le problème, system becomes le système, and poem becomes le poème. The pattern is simple: you just change the “em” at the end to “ème.”…
French adverb placement follows rules. It is not the same as English. Adverbs can go before or after the verb. They can also start or end a sentence. Their place often depends on the type of adverb and the tense. Short adverbs with simple tenses Most short adverbs go right after the verb in simple…
English has many verbs that end in “fy,” like certify, simplify, and justify, and they almost all come from French. The French versions end in “fier” instead, so certify becomes certifier, simplify becomes simplifier, and justify becomes justifier. The pattern is simple for most of them: you just change the ending “fy” to “fier.” These…
English has many words that end in “ty,” like liberty, beauty, and certainty, and they almost all come from French. The French versions end in “té” instead, so liberty becomes la liberté, beauty becomes la beauté, and certainty becomes la certitude. The pattern is simple for most of them: you just drop the “y” from…
French nouns ending in “-ard” are not common, but they are useful. The suffix usually turns a verb into a noun for a person. Often, this person is defined by a habit, and the word carries a negative tone. It can describe someone who does something too much or in an annoying way. The ending…