Articles about French
480+ articles on French language topics!
pourquoi faire ?
The phrase pourquoi faire is a common expression in French that translates literally to “why do” or “why make,” but its actual meaning depends on context. It is usually used to ask about the purpose of something, and it often…
ne explétif vs ne littéraire
French learners often encounter the particle ne used in contexts where it does not indicate negation. This usage can be confusing, as it diverges from the more familiar negation structure ne…pas. Two forms of this non-negative ne are worth distinguishing:…
malgré
The French word malgré is a preposition meaning “despite” or “in spite of.” It is used to express contrast or opposition between two ideas. Malgré is always followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, and it is commonly used…
Foreign origins of the h aspiré
French words with an h aspiré often come from foreign languages where the initial h was truly pronounced. Foreign languages mean non-Latin languages. They include: 1. Germanic languages Many h aspiré nouns and adjectives entered French from Frankish, Old High…
let’s go vs let us go
In English, “let’s go” is usually an informal way to suggest beginning an action, especially leaving or starting a journey. It is an exhortation, a call to act together. On the other hand, “let us go” can be a request…
Masculine feminine noun forms
Some French nouns have both a masculine and a feminine form, but each form means something different. This can confuse learners, so it helps to see clear examples. Here is a list of common nouns that change meaning with gender,…
adjective, comparative, superlative
Adjectives are describing words that modify nouns. French adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Most adjectives are placed after the noun, though some common ones go before. Adjectives have regular and irregular forms, and many…
somewhere elsewhere anywhere nowhere everywhere
The English words somewhere, elsewhere, anywhere, nowhere and everywhere all refer to places in a vague or general way. In French, each has its own equivalent. Sometimes more than one translation is possible, depending on context. Somewhere The most common…
h aspiré
In French, there are two types of “h”: the h muet (mute h) and the h aspiré (aspirated h). Both are silent in pronunciation, but they behave differently in grammar. This distinction is important for correct French grammar and pronunciation…
avoir + à + infinitive
In French, a common construction is avoir followed by a noun or pronoun, then à, and finally a verb in the infinitive. This structure is used when the verb in the infinitive serves to explain or describe the noun or…
Vous verbs ending in -tes
In French, most verbs in the present tense conjugate with -ez in the vous form, such as vous parlez or vous finissez. However, there is a small group of irregular verbs where the vous form ends in -tes instead. These…
The pronoun “en”
The French pronoun en can be translated in many ways depending on the context. It often means “some,” “any,” “some of it,” “some of them,” “of it,” “of them,” “from it,” “from them,” or even “about it” or “about them.”…
en + present participle
In French, the structure en followed by the present participle (le participe présent) is used to express actions happening simultaneously, means of doing something, or cause and effect. The English equivalents are often “while,” “by,” or “in.” The present participle…
