The French verb rappeler is a versatile verb with several meanings, depending on whether it is used in its regular (non-reflexive) form or its reflexive form se rappeler. While both forms relate to memory and reminding, they are used in different grammatical structures and carry different meanings. The Non-Reflexive Verb “Rappeler” In its non-reflexive form,…
The French adverb toujours is a deceptively simple word that learners encounter early in their studies. It is most often translated as “always,” but depending on context, it can also mean “still.” These two meanings are not interchangeable, and understanding when toujours means one or the other is essential for mastering everyday French. 1. Toujours…
In French, the word plus can have different meanings depending on whether the final “s” is pronounced or silent. This small pronunciation change can alter the sense of a sentence significantly. When the “s” is pronounced (plus) When the final “s” in plus is pronounced, it generally means “more” or is used in mathematical addition….
French auxiliary verbs, also known as helper verbs, are used alongside main verbs to express tense, mood, or voice. Some of the most common auxiliary verbs in French include aller, vouloir, devoir, savoir, and pouvoir. These verbs modify the meaning of the main verb and are essential for constructing various grammatical structures. Aller (To Go)…
Demonstrative pronouns in French—celui, celle, ceux, celles—replace specific nouns while indicating gender and number. They correspond to English pronouns like “this one,” “that one,” “these,” and “those.” Unlike demonstrative adjectives (which modify nouns), demonstrative pronouns stand alone, referring to something previously mentioned or implied. Rules for Using French Demonstrative Pronouns Celui – Masculine singular Celle…
Many French speakers rely heavily on “il faut que” (which requires the subjunctive) to express necessity. Learn four other ways to express necessity, obligation, and needs in French, without struggling with the subjunctive mood. 1. The Simplest Alternative: “Il faut + Infinitive” Best for: General advice or impersonal obligations Instead of:“Il faut que tu étudies.”…
The imperative mood in French is used to give commands, make requests, or offer advice. It is only conjugated in the second-person singular (tu), first-person plural (nous), and second-person plural (vous). A key distinction exists between affirmative (eg, Do something) and negative (eg Don’t do something) imperatives, affecting both conjugation and word order. Affirmative Imperative…
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…
While many French verbs form their present subjunctive by taking the third-person plural stem of the present indicative and adding standard endings, several important verbs are irregular and must be memorised. Below is a list of the main irregular verbs in the present subjunctive, each conjugated fully. être (to be) Note that when there is…
The subjunctive mood in French can seem difficult at first, but forming it for regular verbs is quite simple. Once you understand the basic method, it becomes much easier to use. The subjunctive is formed by taking the third-person plural form (ils/elles) of the present indicative tense, removing the -ent ending, and adding the subjunctive…