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1 Islands
In French, some names of islands always have the definite article and some never do.Island names with definite articleThese behave like the names of countries ⇒ Countries and continents, with different constructions depending on gender and number:Corsica= la Corsein Corsica= en Corseto Corsica= en Corsefrom Corsica= de CorseNote that where the English has the definite article, French normally has as well:the Balearics= les Baléares fplin the Balearics= aux Baléaresto the Balearics= aux Baléaresfrom the Balearics= des BaléaresIslands without definite articleAs in English, most island names have no definite article ; these work like names of towns ⇒ Towns and cities:Cyprus= Chyprein Cyprus= à Chypreto Cyprus= à Chyprefrom Cyprus= de ChypreCyprus sherry= le sherry de ChypreEnglish uses on with the names of small islands ; there is no such distinction in French:on St. Helena= à Sainte-Hélèneon Naxos= à NaxosAs with names of cities and towns, it is safest to avoid explicit genders ; use l’île d… instead:Cuba is beautiful= l’île de Cuba est belleNames with or without île in themEnglish and French tend to work the same way in this respect:Guernsey= Guerneseythe island of Guernsey= l’île de Guerneseythe Balearics= les Baléaresthe Balearic Islands= les îles Baléaresthe Orkney Isles= les îles OrcadesExceptionsThere are some exceptions to these rules, e.g. Fiji, Samoa, Jamaica. If in doubt, look up island name in the dictionary. -
2 Games and sports
With or without the definite article?French normally uses the definite article with names of games and sports:football= le footballbridge= le bridgechess= les échecs mplmarbles= les billes fplcops and robbers= les gendarmes et les voleursto play football= jouer au footballto play bridge= jouer au bridgeto play chess= jouer aux échecsto play marbles or at marbles= jouer aux billesto play cops and robbers or at cops and robbers= jouer aux gendarmes et aux voleursto like football= aimer le footballto like chess= aimer les échecsBut most compound nouns (e.g. saute-mouton, colin-maillard, pigeon vole) work like this:hide-and-seek= cache-cache mto play at hide-and-seek= jouer à cache-cacheto like hide-and-seek= aimer jouer à cache-cacheNames of other ‘official’ games and sports follow the same pattern as bridge in the following phrases:to play bridge with X against Y= jouer au bridge avec X contre Yto beat sb at bridge= battre qn au bridgeto win at bridge= gagner au bridgeto lose at bridge= perdre au bridgeshe’s good at bridge= elle joue bien au bridgea bridge club= un club de bridgePlayers and eventsa bridge player= un joueur de bridgebutI’m not a bridge player= je ne joue pas au bridgehe’s a good bridge player= il joue bien au bridgea game of bridge= une partie de bridgea bridge champion= un champion de bridgethe French bridge champion= le champion de France de bridgea bridge championship= un championnat de bridgeto win the French championship= gagner le championnat de Francethe rules of bridge= les règles du bridgePlaying cardsThe names of the four suits work like club here:clubs= les trèfles mplto play a club= jouer un trèflea high/low club= un gros/petit trèflethe eight of clubs= le huit de trèflethe ace of clubs= l’as de trèfleI’ve no clubs left= je n’ai plus de trèflehave you any clubs?= as-tu du trèfle?clubs are trumps= l’atout est trèfleto call two clubs= demander deux trèflesOther games’ vocabulary can be found in the dictionary at match, game, set, trick etc. -
3 French departments
The names of French departments usually have the definite article, except when used after the preposition en.In, to and from somewhereto live in the Loiret= vivre dans le Loiretto go to the Loiret= aller dans le Loiretto live in the Landes= vivre dans les Landesto go to the Landes= aller dans les Landesto live in the Loir-et-Cher= vivre dans le Loir-et-Cherto go to the Loir-et-Cher= aller dans le Loir-et-Cherto live in Savoy= vivre en Savoieto go to Savoy= aller en Savoieto live in Seine-et-Marne= vivre en Seine-et-Marneto go to Seine-et-Marne= aller en Seine-et-Marneto come from the Loiret= venir du Loiretto come from the Landes= venir des Landesto come from the Loir-et-Cher= venir du Loir-et-CherFor from, use de without the definite article for feminine names of departments:to come from Savoy= venir de Savoieto come from Seine-et-Marne= venir de Seine-et-MarneUses with nounsUse de with the definite article in most cases:a Cantal accent= un accent du Cantalthe Var area= la région du Varthe Creuse countryside= les paysages de la CreuseLoiret people= les gens du LoiretYonne representatives= les représentants de l’YonneLandes restaurants= les restaurants des Landesthe Calvados team= l’équipe du CalvadosArdennes towns= les villes des ArdennesSeine-et-Marne hotels= les hôtels de Seine-et-MarneSome cases are undecided:Savoy roads= les routes de Savoie or de la Savoie -
4 French provinces and regions
Both traditional pre-Revolution regions and modern administrative regions usually take the definite article as in l’Alsace, la Champagne etc.:I like Alsace= j’aime l’AlsaceChampagne is beautiful= la Champagne est belleFor names which have a compound form, such as Midi-Pyrénées or Rhône-Alpes, it is safer to include the words la région:do you know Midi-Pyrénées?= connaissez-vous la région Midi-Pyrénées?In, to and from somewhereThere are certain general principles regarding names of French provinces and regions. However, usage is sometimes uncertain ; doubtful items should be checked in the dictionary.For in and to, with feminine names and with masculine ones beginning with a vowel, use en without the definite article:to live in Burgundy= vivre en Bourgogneto go to Burgundy= aller en Bourgogneto live in Anjou= vivre en Anjouto go to Anjou= aller en AnjouFor in and to with masculine names beginning with a consonant, use dans le:to live in the Berry= vivre dans le Berryto go to the Berry= aller dans le BerryFor from with feminine names and with masculine ones beginning with a vowel, use de without the definite article:to come from Burgundy= venir de Bourgogneto come from Anjou= venir d’AnjouFor from with masculine names beginning with a consonant, use du:to come from the Berry= venir du BerryRegional adjectivesRelated adjectives and nouns exist for most of the names of provinces and regions. Here is a list of the commonest:an Alsace accent= un accent alsacienAlsace costume= le costume alsacienthe Alsace countryside= les paysages alsaciensAlsace traditions= les traditions alsaciennesAlsace villages= les villages alsaciensThese words can also be used as nouns, meaning a person from X ; in this case they are written with a capital letter:a person from Alsace= un Alsacienan Alsace woman= une Alsaciennethe people of Alsace= les Alsaciens mplBig English-French dictionary > French provinces and regions
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5 Illnesses, aches and pains
Where does it hurt?where does it hurt?= où est-ce que ça vous fait mal? or (more formally) où avez-vous mal?his leg hurts= sa jambe lui fait malhe has a pain in his leg= il a mal à la jambeNote that with avoir mal à French uses the definite article (la) with the part of the body, where English has a possessive (his), hence:his head was aching= il avait mal à la têteEnglish has other ways of expressing this idea, but avoir mal à fits them too:he had toothache= il avait mal aux dentshis ears hurt= il avait mal aux oreillesAccidentsshe broke her leg= elle s’est cassé la jambeElle s’est cassé la jambe means literally she broke to herself the leg ; because the se is an indirect object, the past participle cassé does not agree. This is true of all such constructions:she sprained her ankle= elle s’est foulé la chevillethey burned their hands= ils se sont brûlé les mainsChronic conditionsNote that the French often use fragile (weak) to express a chronic condition:he has a weak heart= il a le cœur fragilehe has kidney trouble= il a les reins fragileshe has a bad back= il a le dos fragileBeing illMostly French uses the definite article with the name of an illness:to have flu= avoir la grippeto have measles= avoir la rougeoleto have malaria= avoir la malariaThis applies to most infectious diseases, including childhood illnesses. However, note the exceptions ending in -ite (e.g. une hépatite, une méningite) below.When the illness affects a specific part of the body, French uses the indefinite article:to have cancer= avoir un cancerto have cancer of the liver= avoir un cancer du foieto have pneumonia= avoir une pneumonieto have cirrhosis= avoir une cirrhoseto have a stomach ulcer= avoir un ulcère à l’estomacMost words in -ite ( English -itis) work like this:to have bronchitis= avoir une bronchiteto have hepatitis= avoir une hépatiteWhen the illness is a generalized condition, French tends to use du, de l’, de la or des:to have rheumatism= avoir des rhumatismesto have emphysema= avoir de l’emphysèmeto have asthma= avoir de l’asthmeto have arthritis= avoir de l’arthriteOne exception here is:to have hay fever= avoir le rhume des foinsWhen there is an adjective for such conditions, this is often preferred in French:to have asthma= être asthmatiqueto have epilepsy= être épileptiqueSuch adjectives can be used as nouns to denote the person with the illness, e.g. un/une asthmatique and un/une épileptique etc.French has other specific words for people with certain illnesses:someone with cancer= un cancéreux/une cancéreuseIf in doubt check in the dictionary.English with is translated by qui a or qui ont, and this is always safe:someone with malaria= quelqu’un qui a la malariapeople with Aids= les gens qui ont le SidaFalling illThe above guidelines about the use of the definite and indefinite articles in French hold good for talking about the onset of illnesses.French has no general equivalent of to get. However, where English can use catch, French can use attraper:to catch mumps= attraper les oreillonsto catch malaria= attraper la malariato catch bronchitis= attraper une bronchiteto catch a cold= attraper un rhumeSimilarly where English uses contract, French uses contracter:to contract Aids= contracter le Sidato contract pneumonia= contracter une pneumonieto contract hepatitis= contracter une hépatiteFor attacks of chronic illnesses, French uses faire une crise de:to have a bout of malaria= faire une crise de malariato have an asthma attack= faire une crise d’asthmeto have an epileptic fit= faire une crise d’épilepsieTreatmentto be treated for polio= se faire soigner contre la polioto take something for hay fever= prendre quelque chose contre le rhume des foinshe’s taking something for his cough= il prend quelque chose contre la touxto prescribe something for a cough= prescrire un médicament contre la touxmalaria tablets= des cachets contre la malariato have a cholera vaccination= se faire vacciner contre le cholérato be vaccinated against smallpox= se faire vacciner contre la varioleto be immunized against smallpox= se faire immuniser contre la varioleto have a tetanus injection= se faire vacciner contre le tétanosto give sb a tetanus injection= vacciner qn contre le tétanosto be operated on for cancer= être opéré d’un cancerto operate on sb for appendicitis= opérer qn de l’appendicite -
6 Towns and cities
Occasionally the gender of a town is clear because the name includes the definite article, e.g. Le Havre or La Rochelle. In most other cases, there is some hesitation, and it is always safer to avoid the problem by using la ville de:Toulouse is beautiful= la ville de Toulouse est belleIn, to and from somewhereFor in and to with the name of a town, use à in French ; if the French name includes the definite article, à will become au, à la, à l’ or aux:to live in Toulouse= vivre à Toulouseto go to Toulouse= aller à Toulouseto live in Le Havre= vivre au Havreto go to Le Havre= aller au Havreto live in La Rochelle= vivre à La Rochelleto go to La Rochelle= aller à La Rochelleto live in Les Arcs= vivre aux Arcsto go to Les Arcs= aller aux ArcsSimilarly, from is de, becoming du, de la, de l’ or des when it combines with the definite article in town names:to come from Toulouse= venir de Toulouseto come from Le Havre= venir du Havreto come from La Rochelle= venir de La Rochelleto come from Les Arcs= venir des ArcsBelonging to a town or cityEnglish sometimes has specific words for people of a certain city or town, such as Londoners, New Yorkers or Parisians, but mostly we talk of the people of Leeds or the inhabitants of San Francisco. On the other hand, most towns in French-speaking countries have a corresponding adjective and noun, and a list of the best-known of these is given at the end of this note.The noun forms, spelt with a capital letter, mean a person from X:the inhabitants of Bordeaux= les Bordelais mplthe people of Strasbourg= les Strasbourgeois mplThe adjective forms, spelt with a small letter, are often used where in English the town name is used as an adjective:Paris shops= les magasins parisiensHowever, some of these French words are fairly rare, and it is always safe to say les habitants de X, or, for the adjective, simply de X. Here are examples of this, using some of the nouns that commonly combine with the names of towns:a Bordeaux accent= un accent de BordeauxToulouse airport= l’aéroport de Toulousethe La Rochelle area= la région de La RochelleLimoges buses= les autobus de Limogesthe Le Havre City Council= le conseil municipal du HavreLille representatives= les représentants de LilleLes Arcs restaurants= les restaurants des Arcsthe Geneva road= la route de GenèveBrussels streets= les rues de Bruxellesthe Angers team= l’équipe d’Angersthe Avignon train= le train d’Avignonbut noteOrleans traffic= la circulation à OrléansNames of cities and towns in French-speaking countries and their adjectivesRemember that when these adjectives are used as nouns, meaning a person from X or the people of X, they are spelt with capital letters.Aix-en-Provence = aixois(e)Alger = algérois(e)Angers = angevin(e)Arles = arlésien(ne)Auxerre = auxerrois(e)Avignon = avignonnais(e)Bastia = bastiais(e)Bayonne = bayonnais(e)Belfort = belfortain(e)Berne = bernois(e)Besançon = bisontin(e)Béziers = biterrois(e)Biarritz = biarrot(e)Bordeaux = bordelais(e)Boulogne-sur-Mer = boulonnais(e)Bourges = berruyer(-ère)Brest = brestois(e)Bruges = brugeois(e)Bruxelles = bruxellois(e)Calais = calaisien(ne)Cannes = cannais(e)Carcassonne = carcassonnais(e)Chambéry = chambérien(ne)Chamonix = chamoniard(e)Clermont-Ferrand = clermontois(e)Die = diois(e)Dieppe = dieppois(e)Dijon = dijonnais(e)Dunkerque = dunkerquois(e)Fontainebleau = bellifontain(e)Gap = gapençais(e)Genève = genevois(e)Grenoble = grenoblois(e)Havre, Le = havrais(e)Lens = lensois(e)Liège = liégeois(e)Lille = lillois(e)Lourdes = lourdais(e)Luxembourg = luxembourgeois(e)Lyon = lyonnais(e)Mâcon = mâconnais(e)Marseille = marseillais(e) or phocéen(ne)Metz = messin(e)Modane = modanais(e)Montpellier = montpelliérain(e)Montréal = montréalais(e)Moulins = moulinois(e)Mulhouse = mulhousien(ne)Nancy = nancéien(ne)Nantes = nantais(e)Narbonne = narbonnais(e)Nevers = nivernais(e)Nice = niçois(e)Nîmes = nîmois(e)Orléans = orléanais(e)Paris = parisien(ne)Pau = palois(e)Périgueux = périgourdin(e)Perpignan = perpignanais(e)Poitiers = poitevin(e)Pont-à-Mousson = mussipontain(e)Québec = québécois(e)Reims = rémois(e)Rennes = rennais(e)Roanne = roannais(e)Rouen = rouennais(e)Saint-Étienne = stéphanois(e)Saint-Malo = malouin(e)Saint-Tropez = tropézien(ne)Sancerre = sancerrois(e)Sète = sétois(e)Sochaux = sochalien(ne)Strasbourg = strasbourgeois(e)Tarascon = tarasconnais(e)Tarbes = tarbais(e)Toulon = toulonnais(e)Toulouse = toulousain(e)Tours = tourangeau(-elle)Tunis = tunisois(e)Valence = valentinois(e)Valenciennes = valenciennois(e)Versailles = versaillais(e)Vichy = vichyssois(e) -
7 British regions and counties
The names of British regions and counties usually have the definite article in French, except when used with the preposition en.In, to and from somewhereMost counties and regions are masculine ; with these, in and to are translated by dans le, and from by du:to live in Sussex= vivre dans le Sussexto go to Sussex= aller dans le Sussexto come from Sussex= venir du SussexNote however:Cornwall= la Cornouaillesto live in Cornwall= vivre en Cornouaillesto go to Cornwall= aller en Cornouaillesto come from Cornwall= venir de la CornouaillesUses with nounsThere are rarely French equivalents for English forms like Cornishmen, and it is always safe to use de with the definite article:Cornishmen= les habitants mpl de la CornouaillesLancastrians= les habitants du LancashireIn other cases, du is often possible:a Somerset accent= un accent du Somersetthe Yorkshire countryside= les paysages du Yorkshirebut it is usually safe to use du comté de:the towns of Fife= les villes du comté de Fifethe rivers of Merioneth= les rivières du comté de Merionethor de la région de:Grampian cattle= le bétail de la région des GrampiansBig English-French dictionary > British regions and counties
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8 Date
Where English has several ways of writing dates, such as May 10, 10 May, 10th May etc. French has only one generally accepted way: le 10 mai, ( say le dix mai). However, as in English, dates in French may be written informally: 10.5.68 or 31/7/65 etc.The general pattern in French is:le cardinal number month yearle 10 mai 1901But if the date is the first of the month, use premier, abbreviated as 1er:May 1st 1901= le 1er mai 1901Note that French does not use capital letters for months, or for days of the week ⇒ The months of the year and ⇒ The days of the week ; also French does not usually abbreviate the names of the months:Sept 10= le 10 septembre etc.If the day of the week is included, put it after the le:Monday, May 1st 1901= le lundi 1er mai 1901Monday the 25th= lundi 25 ( say lundi vingt-cinq)Saying and writing dateswhat’s the date?= quel jour sommes-nous?it’s the tenth= nous sommes le dix or (less formally) on est le dixit’s the tenth of May= nous sommes le dix mai or (less formally) on est le dix mai* (i) There are two ways of saying hundreds and thousands in dates:1968= mille neuf cent soixante-huit or dix-neuf cent soixante-huit(ii) The spelling mil is used in legal French, otherwise mille is used in dates, except when a round number of thousands is involved, in which case the words l’an are added:1900= mille neuf cents2000= l’an deux mille† French prefers Roman numerals for centuries:the 16th century= le XVIeSaying onFrench uses only the definite article, without any word for on:it happened on 6th March= c’est arrivé le 6 mars ( say le six mars)he came on the 21st= il est arrivé le 21 ( say le vingt et un)see you on the 6th= on se voit le 6 ( say le six)on the 2nd of every month= le 2 de chaque mois ( say le deux...)he’ll be here on the 3rd= il sera là le 3 ( say le trois)Saying inFrench normally uses en for years but prefers en l’an for out-of-the-ordinary dates:in 1968= en 1968 ( say en mille neuf cent soixante-huit or en dix-neuf cent…)in 1896= en 1896 ( say en mille huit cent quatre-vingt-seize or en dix-huit cent…)in the year 2000= en l’an deux millein AD 27= en l’an 27 ( say l’an vingt-sept) de notre èrein 132 BC= en l’an 132 ( say l’an cent trente-deux) avant Jésus-ChristWith names of months, in is translated by en or au mois de:in May 1970= en mai mille neuf cent soixante-dix or au mois de mai mille neuf cent soixante-dixWith centuries, French uses au:in the seventeenth century= au dix-septième siècleThe word siècle is often omitted in colloquial French:in the eighteenth century= au dix-huitième siècle or (less formally) au dix-huitièmeNote also:in the early 12th century= au début du XIIe siècle ( say du douzième siècle)in the late 14th century= à or vers la fin du XIVe siècle ( say du quatorzième siècle)PhrasesRemember that the date in French always has the definite article, so, in combined forms, au and du are required:from the 10th onwards= à partir du 10 ( say du dix)stay until the 14th= reste jusqu’au 14 ( say au quatorze)from 21st to 30th May= du 21 au 30 mai ( say du vingt et un au trente mai)around 16th May= le 16 mai environ/vers le 16 mai ( say le seize mai) or aux environs du seize mai ( say du seize mai)not until 1999= pas avant 1999 ( say mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf)Shakespeare (1564-1616)= Shakespeare (1564-1616) ( say Shakespeare, quinze cent soixante-quatre-seize cent seize)Shakespeare b. 1564 d.1616= Shakespeare, né en 1564, mort en 1616 ( say Shakespeare, né en quinze cent soixante-quatre, mort en seize cent seize).Note that French has no abbreviations for né and mort.in May ’45= en mai 45 ( say en mai quarante-cinq)in the 1980s= dans les années 80 ( say dans les années quatre-vingts)in the early sixties= au début des années 60 ( say des années soixante)in the late seventies= à la fin des années 70 ( say des années soixante-dix)the riots of ’68= les émeutes de 68 ( say de soixante-huit)the 14-18 war= la guerre de 14 or de 14-18 ( say de quatorze or de quatorze-dix-huit)the 1912 uprising= le soulèvement de 1912 ( say de mille neuf cent douze) -
9 Seasons
French never uses capital letters for names of seasons as English sometimes does.spring= le printempssummer= l’été mautumn or fall= l’automne mwinter= l’hiver min spring= au printempsin summer= en étéin autumn or fall= en automnein winter= en hiverIn the following examples, summer and été are used as models for all the season names. French normally uses the definite article, whether or not English does.I like summer or I like the summer= j’aime l’étéduring the summer= pendant l’été or au cours de l’étéin early summer= au début de l’étéin late summer= à la fin de l’étéfor the whole summer= pendant tout l’ététhroughout the summer= tout au long de l’étélast summer= l’été derniernext summer= l’été prochainthe summer before last= il y a deux ans en ététhe summer after next= dans deux ans en étéHowever, words like chaque, ce etc. may replace the definite article:every summer= tous les ans en ététhis summer= cet étéThere is never any article when en is used:in summer= en étéuntil summer= jusqu’en étéSeasons used as adjectives with other nounsDe alone, without article, is the usual form, e.g.summer clothes= des vêtements d’ététhe summer collection= la collection d’ététhe summer sales= les soldes d’étéa summer day= une journée d’étéa summer evening= un soir d’étéa summer landscape= un paysage d’étésummer weather= un temps d’été -
10 Rivers
The English word river can be either fleuve or rivière in French. Major rivers, all of which flow into the sea, are fleuves: the rest are rivières. Here are some examples of fleuves in France: la Garonne, la Loire, la Seine, le Rhin, le Rhône and la Somme: other fleuves include: le Nil, le Danube, le Gange, le Tage, l’Indus, l’Amazone, le Congo, le Mississippi, le Niger and le Saint-Laurent.The following French rivers are rivières: la Marne, l’Oise, l’Allier, la Dordogne, la Saône.As in English, French uses the definite article with names of rivers:the Thames= la Tamiseto go down the Rhine= descendre le Rhinto live near the Seine= habiter près de la Seinethe course of the Danube= le cours du DanubeIn English you can say the X, the X river or the river X. In French it is always le X (or la X):the river Thames= la Tamisethe Potomac river= le PotomacWhen the name of the river is used as an adjective, French has de + definite article:Seine barges= les péniches de la Seinea Rhine castle= un château des bords du Rhinthe Rhine estuary= l’estuaire du Rhin -
11 Usage note : a
The determiner or indefinite article a or an is translated by un + masculine noun and by une + feminine noun:a tree= un arbrea chair= une chaiseThere are, however, some cases where the article is not translated:with professions and trades:her mother is a teacher= sa mère est professeurwith other nouns used in apposition:he’s a widower= il est veufwith what a:what a pretty house!= quelle jolie maison!For translations of a few, a little, a lot, a great many see the entries few, little, lot, many.When expressing prices in relation to weight, the definite article le/la is used in French:ten euros a kilo= dix euros le kiloIn other expressions where a/an means per, the French translation is usually par:twice a day= deux fois par jourFor translations of all other expressions using the indefinite article such as to make a noise, to make a fortune, at a blow etc. consult the appropriate noun entry (noise, fortune, blow etc.). -
12 Languages
Note that names of languages in French are always written with a small letter, not a capital as in English ; also, French almost always uses the definite article with languages, while English does not. In the examples below the name of any language may be substituted for French and français:French is easy= le français est facileI like French= j’aime le françaisto learn French= apprendre le françaisHowever, the article is never used after en:say it in French= dis-le en françaisa book in French= un livre en françaisto translate sth into French= traduire qch en françaisand it may be omitted with parler:to speak French= parler français or parler le françaisWhen French means in French or of the French, it is translated by français:a French expression= une expression françaisethe French language= la langue françaisea French proverb= un proverbe françaisa French word= un mot françaisa French book= un livre en françaisa French broadcast= une émission en françaisWhen French means relating to French or about French, it is translated by de français:a French class= une classe de françaisa French course= un cours de françaisa French dictionary= un dictionnaire de françaisa French teacher= un professeur de françaisbuta French-English dictionary= un dictionnaire français-anglaisSee the dictionary entry for - speaking and speaker for expressions like Japanese-speaking or German speaker. French has special words for some of these expressions:English-speaking= anglophonea French speaker= un/une francophoneNote also that language adjectives like French can also refer to nationality e.g. a French tourist ⇒ Nationalities, or to the country e.g. a French town ⇒ Countries and continents. -
13 Colours
Not all English colour terms have a single exact equivalent in French: for instance, in some circumstances brown is marron, in others brun. If in doubt, look the word up in the dictionary.Colour termswhat colour is it?= c’est de quelle couleur? or (more formally) de quelle couleur est-il?it’s green= il est vert or elle est verteto paint sth green= peindre qch en vertto dye sth green= teindre qch en vertto wear green= porter du vertdressed in green= habillé de vertColour nouns are all masculine in French:I like green= j’aime le vertI prefer blue= je préfère le bleured suits her= le rouge lui va bienit’s a pretty yellow!= c’est un joli jaune!have you got it in white?= est-ce que vous l’avez en blanc?a pretty shade of blue= un joli ton de bleuit was a dreadful green= c’était un vert affreuxa range of greens= une gamme de vertsMost adjectives of colour agree with the noun they modify:a blue coat= un manteau bleua blue dress= une robe bleueblue clothes= des vêtements bleusSome that don’t agree are explained below.Words that are not true adjectivesSome words that translate English adjectives are really nouns in French, and so don’t show agreement:a brown shoe= une chaussure marronorange tablecloths= des nappes fpl orangehazel eyes= des yeux mpl noisetteOther French words like this include: cerise ( cherry-red), chocolat ( chocolate-brown) and émeraude ( emerald-green).Shades of colourExpressions like pale blue, dark green or light yellow are also invariable in French and show no agreement:a pale blue shirt= une chemise bleu pâledark green blankets= des couvertures fpl vert foncéa light yellow tie= une cravate jaune clairbright yellow socks= des chaussettes fpl jaune vifFrench can also use the colour nouns here: instead of une chemise bleu pâle you could say une chemise d’un bleu pâle ; and similarly des couvertures d’un vert foncé (etc). The nouns in French are normally used to translate English adjectives of this type ending in -er and -est:a darker blue= un bleu plus foncéthe dress was a darker blue= la robe était d’un bleu plus foncéSimilarly:a lighter blue= un bleu plus clair (etc.)In the following examples, blue stands for most basic colour terms:pale blue= bleu pâlelight blue= bleu clairbright blue= bleu vifdark blue= bleu foncédeep blue= bleu profondstrong blue= bleu soutenuOther types of compound in French are also invariable, and do not agree with their nouns:a navy-blue jacket= une veste bleu marineThese compounds include: bleu ciel ( sky-blue), vert pomme ( apple-green), bleu nuit ( midnight-blue), rouge sang ( blood-red) etc. However, all English compounds do not translate directly into French. If in doubt, check in the dictionary.French compounds consisting of two colour terms linked with a hyphen are also invariable:a blue-black material= une étoffe bleu-noira greenish-blue cup= une tasse bleu-verta greeny-yellow dress= une robe vert-jauneEnglish uses the ending -ish, or sometimes -y, to show that something is approximately a certain colour, e.g. a reddish hat or a greenish paint. The French equivalent is -âtre:blue-ish= bleuâtregreenish or greeny= verdâtregreyish= grisâtrereddish= rougeâtreyellowish or yellowy= jaunâtreetc.Other similar French words are rosâtre, noirâtre and blanchâtre. Note however that these words are often rather negative in French. It is better not to use them if you want to be complimentary about something. Use instead tirant sur le rouge/jaune etc.To describe a special colour, English can add -coloured to a noun such as raspberry (framboise) or flesh (chair). Note how this is said in French, where the two-word compound with couleur is invariable, and, unlike English, never has a hyphen:a chocolate-coloured skirt= une jupe couleur chocolatraspberry-coloured fabric= du tissu couleur framboiseflesh-coloured tights= un collant couleur chairColour verbsEnglish makes some colour verbs by adding -en (e.g. blacken). Similarly French has some verbs in -ir made from colour terms:to blacken= noircirto redden= rougirto whiten= blanchirThe other French colour terms that behave like this are: bleu (bleuir), jaune (jaunir), rose (rosir) and vert (verdir). It is always safe, however, to use devenir, thus:to turn purple= devenir violetDescribing peopleNote the use of the definite article in the following:to have black hair= avoir les cheveux noirsto have blue eyes= avoir les yeux bleusNote the use of à in the following:a girl with blue eyes= une jeune fille aux yeux bleusthe man with black hair= l’homme aux cheveux noirsNot all colours have direct equivalents in French. The following words are used for describing the colour of someone’s hair (note that les cheveux is plural in French):fair= blonddark= brunblonde or blond= blondbrown= châtain invred= rouxblack= noirgrey= griswhite= blancCheck other terms such as yellow, ginger, auburn, mousey etc. in the dictionary.Note these nouns in French:a fair-haired man= un blonda fair-haired woman= une blondea dark-haired man= un bruna dark-haired woman= une bruneThe following words are useful for describing the colour of someone’s eyes:blue= bleulight blue= bleu clair invlight brown= marron clair invbrown= marron invhazel= noisette invgreen= vertgrey= grisgreyish-green= gris-vert invdark= noir -
14 Countries and continents
Most countries and all continents are used with the definite article in French:France is a beautiful country= la France est un beau paysI like Canada= j’aime le Canadato visit the United States= visiter les États-Unisto know Iran= connaître l’IranA very few countries do not:to visit Israel= visiter IsraëlWhen in doubt, check in the dictionary.All the continent names are feminine in French. Most names of countries are feminine e.g. la France, but some are masculine e.g. le Canada.Most names of countries are singular in French, but some are plural (usually, but not always, those that are plural in English) e.g. les États-Unis mpl (the United States), and les Philippines fpl (the Philippines). Note, however, the plural verb sont:the Philippines is a lovely country= les Philippines sont un beau paysIn, to and from somewhereWith continent names, feminine singular names of countries and masculine singular names of countries beginning with a vowel, for in and to, use en, and for from, use de:to live in Europe= vivre en Europeto go to Europe= aller en Europeto come from Europe= venir d’Europeto live in France= vivre en Franceto go to France= aller en Franceto come from France= venir de Franceto live in Afghanistan= vivre en Afghanistanto go to Afghanistan= aller en Afghanistanto come from Afghanistan= venir d’AfghanistanNote that names of countries and continents that include North, South, East, or West work in the same way:to live in North Korea= vivre en Corée du Nordto go to North Korea= aller en Corée du Nordto come from North Korea= venir de Corée du NordWith masculine countries beginning with a consonant, and with plurals, use au or aux for in and to, and du or des for from:to live in Canada= vivre au Canadato go to Canada= aller au Canadato come from Canada= venir du Canadato live in the United States= vivre aux États-Unisto go to the United States= aller aux États-Unisto come from the United States= venir des États-Unisto live in the Philippines= vivre aux Philippinesto go to the Philippines= aller aux Philippinesto come from the Philippines= venir des PhilippinesAdjective uses: français or de France or de la France?For French, the translation français is usually safe ; here are some typical examples:the French army= l’armée françaisethe French coast= la côte françaiseFrench cooking= la cuisine françaiseFrench currency= la monnaie françaisethe French Customs= la douane françaisethe French government= le gouvernement françaisthe French language= la langue françaiseFrench literature= la littérature françaiseFrench money= l’argent françaisthe French nation= le peuple françaisFrench politics= la politique françaisea French town= une ville françaiseFrench traditions= les traditions françaisesSome nouns, however, occur more commonly with de France (usually, but not always, their English equivalents can have of France as well as French):the Ambassador of France or the French Ambassador= l’ambassadeur de Francethe French Embassy= l’ambassade de Francethe history of France or French history= l’histoire de Francethe King of France or the French king= le roi de Francethe rivers of France= les fleuves et rivières de Francethe French team= l’équipe de Francebut note:the capital of France or the French capital= la capitale de la FranceNote that many geopolitical adjectives like French can also refer to nationality, e.g. a French tourist ⇒ Nationalities, or to the language, e.g. a French word ⇒ Languages. -
15 The human body
When it is clear who owns the part of the body mentioned, French tends to use the definite article where English uses a possessive adjective:he raised his hand= il a levé la mainshe closed her eyes= elle a fermé les yeuxshe ran her hand over my forehead= elle a passé la main sur mon frontFor expressions such as he hurt his foot or she hit her head on the beam, where the owner of the body part is the subject of the verb, i.e. the person doing the action, use a reflexive verb in French:she has broken her leg= elle s’est cassé la jambe( literally she has broken to herself the leg - there is no past participle agreement because the preceding reflexive pronoun se is the indirect object).he was rubbing his hands= il se frottait les mainsshe was holding her head= elle se tenait la têteNote also the following:she broke his leg= elle lui a cassé la jambe( literally she broke to him the leg)the stone split his lip= le caillou lui a fendu la lèvre( literally the stone split to him the lip)Describing peopleFor ways of saying how tall someone is ⇒ Length measurement ; of stating someone’s weight ⇒ Weight measurement ; and of talking about the colour of hair and eyes ⇒ Colours.Here are some ways of describing people in French:his hair is long= il a les cheveux longshe has long hair= il a les cheveux longsa boy with long hair= un garçon aux cheveux longsa long-haired boy= un garçon aux cheveux longsthe boy with long hair= le garçon aux cheveux longsher eyes are blue= elle a les yeux bleusshe has blue eyes= elle a les yeux bleusshe is blue-eyed= elle a les yeux bleusthe girl with blue eyes= la fille aux yeux bleusa blue-eyed girl= une fille aux yeux bleushis nose is red= il a le nez rougehe has a red nose= il a le nez rougea man with a red nose= un homme au nez rougea red-nosed man= un homme au nez rougeWhen referring to a temporary state, the following phrases are useful:his leg is broken= il a la jambe casséethe man with the broken leg= l’homme à la jambe casséebut notea man with a broken leg= un homme avec une jambe cassée -
16 US states
In some cases, there is a French form of the name, but not always (if in doubt, check in the dictionary). Each state has a gender in French and is used with the definite article, except after the preposition en, e.g.:Arkansas= l’Arkansas mCalifornia= la CalifornieTexas= le TexasSo:Arkansas is beautiful= l’Arkansas est beauI like California= j’aime la Californiedo you know Texas?= connaissez-vous le Texas?In, to and from somewherein Alaska= en Alaskato Alaska= en Alaskain California= en Californieto California= en Californiein Texas= au Texasto Texas= au TexasFor from use de for feminine states and for masculine ones beginning with a vowel, e.g.:from California= de Californiefrom Alaska= d’AlaskaFor from use du for masculine states beginning with a consonant, e.g.:from Texas= du TexasComing from somewhere: Uses with another nounThere are a few words e.g. californien, new-yorkais, texan used as adjectives and as nouns (with a capital letter) referring to the inhabitants. In other cases it is usually safe to use de for feminine states, and to use de l’ or du for masculine states, e.g.:the Florida countryside= les paysages de FlorideIllinois representatives= les représentants de l’Illinoisbuta Louisiana accent= l’accent de la LouisianeNew-Mexico roads= les routes du Nouveau-Mexique -
17 the
the [ði:, ðə]* * *[ðɪ, ðə], devant une voyelle ou emphatique [ðiː]1) (specifying, identifying etc) le/la/l'/les2) ( best etc)3) ( with era)4) ( with adj)5) ( with comparative adj)6) ( in double comparatives)7) ( with superlatives) -
18 Swiss cantons
All names of cantons are masculine, and the definite article is normally used:Ticino= le TessinValais= le ValaisGraubünden= les GrisonsSo:I like Ticino= j’aime le Tessinthe Valais is beautiful= le Valais est beaudo you know Graubünden?= connaissez-vous les Grisons?Many cantons have names which are also names of towns. If you are not sure of the name in French, le canton de X is usually safe, and in some cases this is the only form available, as, for instance, le canton de Vaud ( because le Vaud sounds like le veau = the calf). Similarly it is usual to say le canton de Lucerne, le canton de Berne, le canton de Fribourg to distinguish them from the towns bearing those names).In, to and from somewhereto live in the Valais= vivre dans le Valaisto go to the Valais= aller dans le Valaisto come from the Valais= venir du Valaisto live in Graubünden= vivre dans les Grisonsto go to Graubünden= aller dans les Grisonsto come from Graubünden= venir des Grisonsto live in the Vaud= vivre dans le canton de Vaudto go to the Vaud= aller dans le canton de Vaudto come from the Vaud= venir du canton de VaudUses with other nounsThere are a number of words used as adjectives and as nouns referring to the people of the canton, e.g.: bernois, valaisan, vaudois. When nouns, these start with a capital letter.However, it is always safe to make a phrase with du, de l’ or des:a Valais accent= un accent du Valaisthe Graubünden area= la région des Grisonsthe Vaud countryside= les paysages du canton de Vaud -
19 the
the [before consonant sounds ðə, before vowel sounds ðɪ, stressed ði:]∎ the blue dress is the prettiest la robe bleue est la plus jolie;∎ the dead/poor les morts mpl/pauvres mpl;∎ the French/Germans les Français mpl/Allemands mpl;∎ I can't do the impossible je ne peux pas faire l'impossible;∎ translated from the Latin traduit du latin;∎ she's giving up her job - the woman's mad! elle quitte son emploi - c'est une folle!(b) (with names, titles)∎ the Smiths/Martins les Smith/Martin;∎ Alexander the Great Alexandre le Grand;∎ Elizabeth the First Élisabeth Première(c) (with numbers, dates etc)∎ Monday June the tenth or the tenth of June le lundi 10 juin;∎ on the Monday he fell ill le lundi il est tombé malade;∎ the temperature was in the 80s il faisait environ 25°C;∎ the 1820s les années 1820 à 1830;∎ in the summer of 1946 pendant l'été 1946;∎ the second from the left le second en partant de la gauche(d) (in prices, quantities)∎ tomatoes are 40p the pound les tomates sont à 40 pence la livre;∎ the car does 40 miles to the gallon la voiture consomme 7 litres aux 100∎ the more the better plus il y en a, mieux c'est;∎ the less said the better moins on en parlera, mieux cela vaudra;∎ the sooner the better le plus tôt sera le mieux∎ for him Bach is THE composer pour lui, Bach est le compositeur par excellence;∎ the Olympics are THE event this winter les jeux Olympiques sont l'événement à ne pas manquer cet hiver;∎ do you mean THE John Irving? vous voulez dire le célèbre John Irving?∎ I haven't the time/money to do it je n'ai pas le temps de/l'argent pour le faire∎ she took him by the hand elle l'a pris par la main;∎ familiar how's the wife? comment va la femme?;∎ familiar well, how's the throat then? eh bien, et cette gorge?;∎ I've brought the family along j'ai emmené la famille -
20 Numbers
0 zéro*1 un†2 deux3 trois4 quatre5 cinq6 six7 sept8 huit9 neuf10 dix11 onze12 douze13 treize14 quatorze15 quinze16 seize17 dix-sept18 dix-huit19 dix-neuf20 vingt21 vingt et un22 vingt-deux30 trente31 trente et un32 trente-deux40 quarante50 cinquante60 soixante70 soixante-dixseptante (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)71 soixante et onzeseptante et un ( etc)72 soixante-douze73 soixante-treize74 soixante-quatorze75 soixante-quinze76 soixante-seize77 soixante-dix-sept78 soixante-dix-nuit79 soixante-dix-neuf80 quatre-vingts‡81 quatre-vingt-un§82 quatre-vingt-deux90 quatre-vingt-dix ; nonante (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, etc)91 quatre-vingt-onze ; nonante et un92 quatre-vingt-douze ; nonante-deux ( etc.)99 quatre-vingt-dix-neuf100 cent101 cent un†102 cent deux110 cent dix111 cent onze112 cent douze187 cent quatre-vingt-sept200 deux cents250 deux cent|| cinquante300 trois cents1000 || mille1001 mille un†1002 mille deux1020 mille vingt1200 mille** deux cents2000 deux mille††10000 dix mille10200 dix mille deux cents100000 cent mille102000 cent deux mille1000000 un million‡‡1264932 un million deux cent soixante-quatre mille neuf cent trente-deux1000000000 un milliard‡‡1000000000000 un billion‡‡* In English 0 may be called nought, zero or even nothing ; French is always zéro ; a nought = un zéro.† Note that one is une in French when it agrees with a feminine noun, so un crayon but une table, une des tables, vingt et une tables, combien de tables? - il y en a une seule etc.‡ Also huitante in Switzerland. Note that when 80 is used as a page number it has no s, e.g. page eighty = page quatre-vingt.§ Note that vingt has no s when it is in the middle of a number. The only exception to this rule is when quatre-vingts is followed by millions, milliards or billions, e.g. quatre-vingts millions, quatre-vingts billions etc.Note that cent does not take an s when it is in the middle of a number. The only exception to this rule is when it is followed by millions, milliards or billions, e.g. trois cents millions, six cents billions etc. It has a normal plural when it modifies other nouns, e.g. 200 inhabitants = deux cents habitants.|| Note that figures in French are set out differently ; where English would have a comma, French has simply a space. It is also possible in French to use a full stop (period) here, e.g. 1.000. French, like English, writes dates without any separation between thousands and hundreds, e.g. in 1995 = en 1995.** When such a figure refers to a date, the spelling mil is preferred to mille, i.e. en 1200 = en mil deux cents. Note however the exceptions: when the year is a round number of thousands, the spelling is always mille, so en l’an mille, en l’an deux mille etc.†† Mille is invariable ; it never takes an s.‡‡ Note that the French words million, milliard and billion are nouns, and when written out in full they take de before another noun, e.g. a million inhabitants is un million d’habitants, a billion francs is un billion de francs. However, when written in figures, 1,000,000 inhabitants is 1000000 habitants, but is still spoken as un million d’habitants. When million etc. is part of a complex number, de is not used before the nouns, e.g. 6,000,210 people = six millions deux cent dix personnes.Use of enNote the use of en in the following examples:there are six= il y en a sixI’ve got a hundred= j’en ai centEn must be used when the thing you are talking about is not expressed (the French says literally there of them are six, I of them have a hundred etc.). However, en is not needed when the object is specified:there are six apples= il y a six pommesApproximate numbersWhen you want to say about…, remember the French ending -aine:about ten= une dizaineabout ten books= une dizaine de livresabout fifteen= une quinzaineabout fifteen people= une quinzaine de personnesabout twenty= une vingtaineabout twenty hours= une vingtaine d’heuresSimilarly une trentaine, une quarantaine, une cinquantaine, une soixantaine and une centaine ( and une douzaine means a dozen). For other numbers, use environ (about):about thirty-five= environ trente-cinqabout thirty-five francs= environ trente-cinq francsabout four thousand= environ quatre milleabout four thousand pages= environ quatre mille pagesEnviron can be used with any number: environ dix, environ quinze etc. are as good as une dizaine, une quinzaine etc.Note the use of centaines and milliers to express approximate quantities:hundreds of books= des centaines de livresI’ve got hundreds= j’en ai des centaineshundreds and hundreds of fish= des centaines et des centaines de poissonsI’ve got thousands= j’en ai des milliersthousands of books= des milliers de livresthousands and thousands= des milliers et des milliersmillions and millions= des millions et des millionsPhrasesnumbers up to ten= les nombres jusqu’à dixto count up to ten= compter jusqu’à dixalmost ten= presque dixless than ten= moins de dixmore than ten= plus de dixall ten of them= tous les dixall ten boys= les dix garçonsNote the French word order:my last ten pounds= mes dix dernières livresthe next twelve weeks= les douze prochaines semainesthe other two= les deux autresthe last four= les quatre derniersCalculations in FrenchNote that French uses a comma where English has a decimal point.0,25 zéro virgule vingt-cinq0,05 zéro virgule zéro cinq0,75 zéro virgule soixante-quinze3,45 trois virgule quarante-cinq8,195 huit virgule cent quatre-vingt-quinze9,1567 neuf virgule quinze cent soixante-septor neuf virgule mille cinq cent soixante-sept9,3456 neuf virgule trois mille quatre cent cinquante-sixPercentages in French25% vingt-cinq pour cent50% cinquante pour cent100% cent pour cent200% deux cents pour cent365% troix cent soixante-cinq pour cent4,25% quatre virgule vingt-cinq pour centFractions in FrenchOrdinal numbers in French§1st 1er‡ premier ( feminine première)2nd 2e second or deuxième3rd 3e troisième4th 4e quatrième5th 5e cinquième6th 6e sixième7th 7e septième8th 8e huitième9th 9e neuvième10th 10e dixième11th 11e onzième12th 12e douzième13th 13e treizième14th 14e quatorzième15th 15e quinzième16th 16e seizième17th 17e dix-septième18th 18e dix-huitième19th 19e dix-neuvième20th 20e vingtième21st 21e vingt et unième22nd 22e vingt-deuxième23rd 23e vingt-troisième24th 24e vingt-quatrième25th 25e vingt-cinquième30th 30e trentième31st 31e trente et unième40th 40e quarantième50th 50e cinquantième60th 60e soixantième70th 70e soixante-dixième or septantième (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)71st 71e soixante et onzième or septante et unième (etc.)72nd 72e soixante-douzième73rd 73e soixante-treizième74th 74e soixante-quatorzième75th 75e soixante-quinzième76th 76e soixante-seizième77th 77e soixante-dix-septième78th 78e soixante-dix-huitième79th 79e soixante-dix-neuvième80th 80e quatre-vingtième¶81st 81e quatre-vingt-unième90th 90e quatre-vingt-dixième or nonantième (in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland etc.)91st 91e quatre-vingt-onzième, or nonante et unième (etc.)99th 99e quatre-vingt-dix-neuvième100th 100e centième101st 101e cent et unième102nd 102e cent-deuxième196th 196e cent quatre-vingt-seizième200th 200e deux centième300th 300e trois centième400th 400e quatre centième1,000th 1000e millième2,000th 2000e deux millième1,000,000th 1000000e millionièmeLike English, French makes nouns by adding the definite article:the firstthe second= le second (or la seconde etc.)the first three= les trois premiers or les trois premièresNote the French word order in:the third richest country in the world= le troisième pays le plus riche du monde* Note that half, when not a fraction, is translated by the noun moitié or the adjective demi ; see the dictionary entry.† Note the use of les and d’entre when these fractions are used about a group of people or things: two-thirds of them = les deux tiers d’entre eux.‡ This is the masculine form ; the feminine is 1re and the plural 1ers (m) or 1res (f).§ All the ordinal numbers in French behave like ordinary adjectives and take normal plural endings where appropriate.¶ Also huitantième in Switzerland.
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