The article with the list of important irregular verbs in French has just been updated. New information has been added. Errors have been corrected. If you haven’t already read it, it’s worth checking out. I suggest you memorise at least the first nine (9) verbs on the list. These are être, avoir, faire, aller, venir, devoir, pouvoir, vouloir and savoir.
Read the article at this link.
The French saying “prendre de la bouteille” literally means “to take from the bottle.” What it really means is to gain maturity, to acquire experience or to grow old. This expression was originally used for wine, which is something that improves with age. It was then applied to anything that is capable of aging, including humans….
The French past subjunctive is called le subjonctif passé. It is a compound tense used to express uncertainty, emotion, doubt, necessity or possibility about an action that has already been completed. Like the present subjunctive, the past subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses introduced by que. The past subjunctive is formed using the present subjunctive…
The French word alors is a versatile and commonly used word in everyday conversation. Though it appears simple, it can carry different meanings depending on the context. Alors is an adverb. 1. Basic Meanings of Alors Alors can have several meanings in English, including: 2. Usage Examples of Alors Here are some examples of how…
Colours in French are adjectives. They are placed after the noun they describe. So a blue sky is “un ciel bleu.” They must also agree in number and gender with the noun they describe. So “purple flowers” would be “des fleurs violettes.” Colour Masculine Feminine black noir noire white blanc blanche red rouge rouge blue…
Tenir à is a common French verbal construction expressing importance, attachment, or insistence. It links the verb tenir to a person, thing, or action that the subject considers significant, valued, or non negotiable. Core meaning At its most basic level, tenir à means to care about something or someone, or to consider it important. The…
The French expression “payer au lance-pierres” translates literally as “to pay with a slingshot,” but it means “to underpay.” The saying dates to the end of the 19th century, when slingshots made from rubber become more popular, thanks to improvements in rubber chemistry. The expression originally came from another saying “avec un lance-pierres,” which translated…