The French adjectives froid (cold) and chaud (hot, warm) can be combined with the verbs être, avoir, or faire. The correct choice depends on what or who is being described. Using the wrong verb can result in sentences that sound strange, confusing, or unintentionally suggestive. 1. Avoir froid / avoir chaud: how a person feels…
Most French adverbs are formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of the adjective: lent → lentement, sérieux → sérieusement, heureux → heureusement. However, adjectives ending in -ent or -ant follow a different pattern. Instead of using the feminine form, they drop the final -t and add -mment directly to the stem. Formation rules…
Asking questions in French can be done in several ways, ranging from very formal to very informal. The choice of structure depends on the context, the level of formality, and the degree of emphasis or clarity desired. There are three main structures for forming a question when no interrogative pronoun or adverb is involved. Subject-verb…
The French adjective nouveau (new) and its variations (nouvelle, nouvel, nouveaux, nouvelles) can appear either before or after the noun. The position changes the meaning. When placed before the noun, it refers to a new instance or a different version of something already known. When placed after the noun, it emphasizes that the thing is…
The English phrase “I can’t believe it” can be expressed in French in several ways depending on the context. Some translations are direct, while others are idiomatic. Je n’arrive pas à y croire This is one of the most common translations. It conveys the idea of struggling to accept or grasp something. Examples: Je ne…
The French word monde means “world” but is frequently used to mean “people.” When combined with certain expressions, it refers to crowds, gatherings, or simply “a lot of people.” The two most common expressions are beaucoup de monde and du monde. They both indicate the presence of many people, but they differ slightly in register…
The English phrase “half-half” or “half and half” can refer to an equal division, a mixture of two things, or a situation where something is shared equally. In French, several expressions can be used, depending on the meaning. Moitié-moitié “Moitié-moitié” is the most common way to say “half and half” in French. It is used…
Sabrage is the French tradition of opening a bottle of champagne with a sword. Instead of gently removing the cork by hand, the neck of the bottle is struck with the blunt edge of a saber (ie, its back edge) so that the cork and collar of glass break away together. The rest of the…
In French, most nouns ending in -al form their plural in -aux instead of the regular -als. This is a common ending change for such nouns from singular to plural. Usage examples Exceptions that take -s in the plural A few nouns ending in -al do not follow the -aux rule and simply add -s…
The English adjective “clean” has several possible meanings. In French, different adjectives are used depending on the context. The most common are “propre,” “net,” “pur,” and “nettoyer” used adjectivally in participle form. Propre “Propre” is the most common translation of “clean.” It is used for physical cleanliness, such as a clean room, clothes, or hands….