Pronouns
Stressed, or emphatic, pronouns
- moi
- toi
- lui
- elle
- nous
- vous
- eux
- elles
They are used if the personal pronoun is emphasized (hence emphatic) or contrasted with another pronoun (or noun), which they generally precede.
- Toi, tu es un vrai ami. You’re a real friend.
- Alain adore les pique-niques mais moi, je ne les supporte pas. He Alain loves picnics but I can’t stand them.
- Ma femme et moi, nous aimons travailler ensemble. My wife and I like working together.
- Fais-le, toi ! You do it! (imperative)
- Trouvez-la moi. Find her/it for me. (emphatic)
Relative pronouns
Qui: the subject, who/whom
- always followed by a verb
- also be used with a preposition to replace an indirect object
- J’ai horreur des couteaux qui ne coupent pas. I hate knives that don’t cut.
- Nous sommes une société à qui vous pouvez faire confiance. We’re a company that you can trust.
- La société pour qui j’ai travaillé n’existe plus. The company that I worked for no longer exists.
Que: the direct object, which/that
- this pronoun replaces the direct object (thing or person) in a relative clause and is followed by a noun or pronoun
- La Tour Eiffel, que tout le monde connaît, est située près de la Seine. The Eiffel Tower, which everyone knows, is located near the Seine.
- Les personnes que nous allons rencontrer aujour’hui vont nous aider. The people who we are going to meet today are going to help us.
- La banana est le fruit qu’elle aime le moins. The banana is the fruit that she likes least.
- La chose qu’Henri déteste le plus est la pluie. The thing (that) Henri hates the most is the rain.
- this pronoun replaces the direct object (thing or person) in a relative clause and is followed by a noun or pronoun
ce qui and ce que (indefinite relative pronouns, introduce subordinate clause, means which/that in sentences where the noun or phrase referred to by a pronoun is not expressed)
- ce qui relates to the phrase that is the subject of the verb
- Mon mari a disparu, ce qui m’inquiète. My husband has disappeared, which worries me. (ce qui = his disappearance)
- ce que relates to the object of the verb
- Je ne comprends pas ce que vous voulez dire. I don’t understand what you mean.
- Ce qu’il veut dire est que nous sommes en retard. What he means is that we’re late. (emphasis at the beginning, What)
- ce qui relates to the phrase that is the subject of the verb
Singular vs. Plural
singular to plural
| fr | en |
|---|---|
| un pantalon | trousers |
| un short | shorts |
| un jean | jeans |
| un pyjama | pyjamas |
| un slip | underpants |
| l’actualité | current affairs |
| l’escalier | the stairs |
| la politique | politics |
| la vaisselle | dishes |
| la physique | physics |
| la linguistique | linguistics |
plural to singular
| fr | en |
|---|---|
| les affaires | business |
| les conseils | advice |
| les toilettes | the toilet |
| les bagages | luggage |
| les connaissances | knowledge |
different meanings for different forms
| fr | en |
|---|---|
| une affaire | a firm |
| la recherche | research |
| les recherches | searches |
| les actualités | the news (bulletin) = les informations |
Prepositions
(Words in bold are also adverbs)
| Prepositions | English meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| à | to | Passe le carton à Jérôme. Pass the box to Jérôme. |
| après | after | Après vous, madame. After you, madam. |
| avant | before | Venez avant neuf heures. Come before 9 o’clock. |
| avec | with | Elle sort avec mon meilleur ami. She’s going out with my best friend. |
| chez | to/at (the home of) | Je reste chez moi ce soir. I’m staying at home this evening. |
| contre | against | Le tableau est contre le mur. The painting is against the wall. |
| dans | in | Ils connaissent un bon restaurant. They know a good restaurant. |
| de | of, from | Sorya vient de Marseille. Sorya is from Marseille. |
| depuis | since, from | Je suis là depuis ce matin. I have been here since this morning. |
| derrière | behind | Le magasin est derrière l’église. The shop is behind the church. |
| devant | in front of | Le louvre est devant vous. The louvre is in front of you. |
| en | in | Êtes-vous libre en avril ou en mai ? Are you free in April or May? |
| entre | between | Il y a un match entre la France et l’Espagne. There’s a match between France and Spain. |
| par | by | J’ai réussi à la joindre par téléphone. I managed to reach her by phone. |
| pendant | during, for | Elle a réfléchi pendant quelques secondes. She thought for a few seconds. |
| pour | for | Avez-vous un secret pour le loto ? Do you have a secret for the lotto? |
| près de | near | Ils sont assis près de la fenêtre. They’re sitting near/by the window. |
| sous | under | Tes clés sont sous la table. Your keys are under the table. |
| sur | on | On a fait des recherches sur Internet. We searched on the Internet. |
| vers | towards | Il va vers la gare. He’s going towards the station. |
Vocabulaire
| mots | explications |
|---|---|
| morceau | piece, passage- un morceau de pain a piece of bread |
| pas mal de | quite a lot of |
| en effet | indeed |
| l’écran | MASC. screen- un écran tactile a touchscreen |
| recevoir | to receive- J’ai reçu une lettre. I received a letter.- je reçois, tu reçois, il/elle reçoit, nous recevons, vous recevez, ils/elles reçoivent |
| plus de | more, more than- Il nous faut plus de pain. We need more bread.- Il y avait plus de dix personnes. There were more than 10 people.- plus de 3 heures more than 3 hours, over 3 hours |
| en dessous | underneath, below |
| aussi … que | as … as- aussi grand que moi as big as me |
| le tableau | paintings |
| à mon avis | in my opinion |
| dernier | last, latest |
| plutôt que | rather than |