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. 🔤 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 ĂŞtre), object pronouns still come before the verb. The verb in the passĂ© composĂ© includes both the auxiliary verb (avoir or ĂŞtre) and the past participle. The object pronoun is placed directly before the auxiliary verb. This rule applies…
In French, it is common to use both a direct object pronoun (complĂ©ment d’objet direct or COD) and an indirect object pronoun (complĂ©ment d’objet 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…
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 d’objet 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…
French reflexive verbs, also called pronominal verbs, are used when the subject of a sentence is also the object—when someone does something to themselves. These verbs are very common in everyday French and often describe actions related to daily routines, personal care, emotions, and social interactions. Many have both reflexive and non-reflexive forms, depending on…
In French, several verbs convey the idea of “leaving” in English, but they are not interchangeable. The verbs quitter, partir, and laisser each carry distinct meanings, grammatical constructions, and emotional nuances. Understanding their differences is essential for accurate and idiomatic usage. Quitter: To Leave (Someone or Something) The verb quitter is a transitive verb, meaning…
If you’re learning French, you might find it odd that the past participle of avoir is eu [pronounced /y/], which rhymes with du [dy], vu [vy], and su [sy], but not with peut [pø] from the verb pouvoir. This might seem confusing at first, especially since both eu and peut come from verbs and are…
Why does “dû” have a circumflex accent, but not “eu”, “pu”, “su”, “vu”, or “voulu”? If you’ve studied French verbs, you’ve probably noticed that the past participle of devoir is dĂ», with a circumflex accent over the u. That might seem unusual when you compare it to other common past participles: None of these take…
French often uses different verbs of perception, depending on whether it’s passive or active, or whether it’s literal or figurative. Discover some of the most commonly confused pairs: voir vs regarder, Ă©couter vs entendre, sentir vs se sentir, and sentir vs avoir bon goĂ»t. Voir vs Regarder The verbs “voir” and “regarder” both relate to…