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1.1: (old) La langue vivante - You already know a lot of French!

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    Le mots apparentés

    Cognates - or mots apparentés - are words that have a similar spelling, pronunciation, and meaning across two languages. French and English share many cognates because they have a shared history. After the Norman Invasion in 1066, French became the language of law, religion, government and administration in England. By the end of the middle ages, around 45% of English was of French origin. Today, it makes up 29% of all English vocabulary. You can learn more about the ways French has influenced and changed English here.

    Modern French language has also adopted an enormous amount of English vocabulary and expressions. This long tradition of borrowing vocabulary from each other is alive and kicking. Take for example, the French word mél which was acquired from the English word email.

    Cognates are particularly helpful for students who speak Latin-based languages like Spanish. Recognizing cognates can help English and Spanish speakers understand common French words that are also common in English, like différence, classe, montagne, acteur and résultat. At the same time, French becomes a resource for understanding English words you may not normally use, such as commence, travail, emolument, pince-nez, and bouffant. Click here to explore more English words of French origin.

    Similarities and Differences between English and French Words
    Français Anglais
    abondance abundance
    cercle circle
    furieux furious
    exactement exactly
    activités activities
    différent different
    aventure adventure
    commun common
    animal animal
    bicyclette bicycle
    guide guide
    hôpital hospital
    correctement correctly
    musique music
    humain human
    observatoire observatory
    négocier negotiate
    plat plate
    université university
    solidifier solidify
    Flashcards

    Study the Quizlet vocabulary flashcards. Listen and repeat the French pronunciation.

    English Equivalents

    See if you can guess the English equivalents of the following words:

    1. identique = ________.
    2. plaisir = ________.
    3. employé = ________.
    4. étudiant = ________.
    5. tourner = ________.
    6. couleur = ________.
    7. tragédie = ________.
    8. carotte = ________.
    9. pingouin = ________.
    10. général = ________.
    11. plante = ________.
    12. tigre = ________.

    The biggest difference between these French and English words is their pronunciation, even when they are spelled the same. For example, compare the way we pronounce the word different in English to différent in French.

    As you can see with these examples, you already know a lot more French than you realize. Your first challenge is to recognize them when you hear and read them. Then you will need to learn how to pronounce them. It's very common for an English speaker to pronounce a word in English when it looks the same in French, so take some time to get acquainted with French pronunciation (see below).

    Comment dit-on bicycle en français? Bicyclette!

    Les faux amis

    Some cognates are NOT equivalent in meaning. They are called False cognates, or faux amis (false friends). They may be related historically, but they have taken on different meanings in each language. In most cases, some similarities still exist, but the differences outweigh the similarities. For example:

    False Cognates / Faux Amis
    Anglais Français = French Meaning
    blessed blessé = hurt, injured
    ancient ancien = old (man, house, etc.)
    to attend attendre = to wait
    money monnaie = coin
    deception déception = disappointment
    envy envie = desire
    jolly jolie = pretty
    journey journée = day, daytime
    library librairie = bookstore
    crayon crayon = pencil
    to rest rester = to stay
    Flashcards

    Study the Quizlet vocabulary flashcards. Listen and repeat the French pronunciation.

    You can download a Glossary of French/English cognates prepared by The University of the State of New York and made available at the New York University website.

    There are many French words that we use in English that have retained their original French spelling and pronunciation (more or less). (Words like: déja vu, mirage, façade, pot-pourri, hors d'œuvre, cul-de-sac, matinée, encore, cliché, faux pas, R.S.V.P., souvenir, fiancé, risqué, coup de grâce, coup d'état, etc.). Visit this site for a description of 15 French words that we already use often in English. Here are 99 French words we use all the time in English.

    Exploring the historical relationship between English, French and other languages can be fun. You may be surprised to discover connections you may otherwise have missed. For example, the distress signal mayday! was derived from the French m'aider, a shortened version of venez m'aider! which means come help me!

    The Importance of Context

    There are many words and expressions that have no direct translation to English. We will learn some of these later. For example, the French expression L’esprit de l’escalier (French) means the act of thinking of a clever comeback when it is too late to deliver it. We don't have a common translation for this. A word by word translation of this would be mind of the staircase, but that clearly doesn't make sense. To solve this problem, some English speakers have translated it as staircase wit. In this course you will see common expressions like avoir soif. A word-by-word translation of this would be I have thirst, but the correct translation is I am thirsty. An even more difficult phrase to translate is avoir envie de (= to feel like... doing something). Each of these three words (avoir, envie, & de) have many different English equivalents depending on the context and situation in which they appear, but their combination in this particular order creates a very specific meaning (to feel like...) for which there is no single word.

    We can see the same translation problem going from English to French. For example, how can we translate the expression It's raining cats and dogs to French? Would a French speaker think cats and dogs are falling from the sky? Instead, we need to learn the expressions that a French person might say, for example, Il pleut des cordes (It's raining ropes) or Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse (It's raining like a pissing cow). Because we can't always rely on a word by word translation, we need to learn formulaic clusters of words, also known as idiomatic expressions.

    The most important thing to remember is that context is the key to understanding and speaking French. Context means the words, phrases and texts that come before and after a word. Words don't have any inherent meaning in and of themselves. Rather their meanings depend on the contexts in which they occur. For example, the clause Je l'aime could mean I love him, I love her or I love it, depending on who or what we are talking about. If we add the word bien to this clause we change the meaning in a socially important way:

    Je l'aime I love her (as a romantic partner)

    Je l'aime bien I like her (as a friend)

    Of course, additional context will allow for more nuanced meaning.

    So remember: It is always the combination of words that determines what each word actually means. One look at a dictionary in any language will prove this point. The word love, for example, will have a long list of possible meanings in English as well as a myriad of translations into French.

    In addition to the linguistic context, we must always be aware of the social situation or practice in which we are engaged. For example, in English, we are more likely to say yeah in a casual situation (like with friends) and yes in a more formal situation (like a job interview). But this is not a strict rule. These are social norms. Knowing how to speak French appropriately in a given situation is another key to success.

    Using a dictionary

    A dictionary is primarily a written collection of words in a given language, yet language is not made out of words. Rather it is made of texts, of conversations, of readings, and so on. On the one hand, we know that we cannot translate everything word by word. For every English word, there are many possible translations, and vice versa. On the other hand, French and English are always changing. Words and expressions are created, acquired from other languages, and lost everyday. A dictionary is our way of keeping a record of it. It is not record of how things are supposed to be, but rather how things are at a given moment in history.

    With this in mind, here are some suggestions for using dictionaries efficiently:

    1. Don't just rely on one dictionary, whether online or in print. Consult different ones regularly.
    2. Always look at examples of how the word is used in context to make sure it's the right meaning you are looking for. Most dictionaries will provide examples of how words are used in sentences. Be sure to read them.
    3. Read the dictionary in both directions. When you look up a simple word like car, for example, you will find around 10 or more French equivalents (voiture, bagnole, automobile, caisse, char, wagon, etc.). In addition to looking for examples of how to use them in context, you should also look up each of those words individually to see how they are translated back into English. This will help you zero in on the meaning you wish to convey.

    Here are some useful online dictionaries:

    Word Reference

    Cambridge French-English Dictionary

    Collins Dictionary

    You can also search for the translation of entire phrases and sentences with sites like these:

    Linguée

    Reverso

    Practice, practice, practice

    In order to become fluent in French you need to practice it as much as possible. Here are some important things to remember:

    1. Repetition is key. You need to hear a word or expression many times before you actually remember it. You should try to listen to as much French as possible by talking to people, watching videos and films, and listening to music. Try reading out loud often and repeating after native French speakers in online tutorials.
    2. Language is inseparable from our social life and therefore requires an understanding of social and cultural norms. We have all learned our native language because we were immersed in it from the day we were born. We can't learn a second language in a vacuum, so you need to immerse yourself in the French language as much as possible in order to learn how to speak French appropriately from one situation to the next. Remember that what we say always depends on the person we address, the time and place, and the social activity in which we are participating.

    So, let's start by placing ourselves in one of the most important social practices on earth: greeting and getting to know each other.

    On parle !

    Activités - Faisons connaissance

    Activité A. Let's get to know each other. Practice the following conversation with a partner, then switch roles and repeat. When you finish, find a new partner and repeat the process. After changing partners several times, continue to repeat it with a new partner, but this time without reading it.

    Étudiant(e) 1: Bonjour, je m’appelle Patrick.

    Étudiant(e) 2: Salut! Moi, c’est Marie. Enchantée. *

    Pratiquez

    Étudiant(e) 1: Bonjour, je m’appelle ________.

    Étudiant(e) 2: Salut ! Moi c’est ________. Enchanté(e)

    *There are many different ways to have this conversation. This is just an example. You will see more examples below, along with a list of useful vocabulary to practice. You are free to change it up a little or add other elements.

    Activité B. Now let's try this one:

    Étudiant(e) 1: Bonjour, je suis Didier. Comment t'appelles-tu?

    Étudiant(e) 2: Je m'appelle Diane.

    Pratiquez

    Étudiant(e) 1: Bonjour, je suis ________. Comment t'appelles-tu?

    Étudiant(e) 2: Je m'appelle ________.

    Activité C. Now let's ask each other how we are doing.

    Étudiant(e) 1: Ça va?

    Étudiant(e) 2: Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ?

    Étudiant(e) 1: Ça va.

    Activité D. Now let's try this one:

    Étudiant(e) 1: Bonjour Jean!

    Étudiant(e) 2: Salut, Stéphanie. Comment vas-tu?

    Étudiant(e) 3: Je vais bien, merci.

    Pratiquez

    Étudiant(e) 1: Bonjour ________ !

    Étudiant(e) 2: Salut, ________. Comment vas-tu?

    Étudiant(e) 3: Je vais bien, merci.

    Activité E. Now it's time to say goodbye:

    (a)

    Étudiant(e) 1: Au revoir!

    Étudiant(e) 2: A bientôt!

    (b)

    Étudiant(e) 1: À la prochaine!

    Étudiant(e) 2: Ciao

    (c)

    Étudiant(e) 1: À plus tard.

    Étudiant(e) 2: Salut!

    Sophie: Ça va, Véro?

    Véro: Oui, ça vas très bien, merci. Et vous?

    Sophie: Je vais bien, merci.

    Paul: Bonjour Madame Renoue. Je vous présente Charles Leblanc.

    Catherine: Bonjour, Monsieur.

    Charles: Enchanté.

    Aurélie: Excusez-moi, Monsieur.

    M. Gautier: Je vous en prie, Madame.

    Marc: Merci

    Anne: Pas de problème.

    Kapenda: Comment allez-vous?

    Jacqueline: Pas mal, merci

    Valérie: Tu vas bien?

    Marie-Laure: Oui, et toi?

    Françoise: Au revoir Guillaume!

    Guillaume: A plus tard Françoise.

    Les salutations et adieux

    Male and female profiles. Ca va? Ca va!

    Les salutations

    Salutations
    Français Anglais
    Bonjour Hello
    Salut Hi
    Coucou Hi
    Bonsoir Good evening
    Allô (au téléphone) Hello. (on the phone)

    Watch this video tutorial on French Greetings.

    Salutations
    Questions Réponses
    Ça va? Comment ça va? How's it going?

    Ça va.

    Ça va (très) bien

    Moi, ça va. Et toi?

    Pas mal, merci

    Je suis [fatigué, etc.]

    Fine / Good

    Very well / good

    I'm fine. And you?

    Not bad, thanks

    I am [tired, etc.]

    Ça ne vas pas? Are you OK?

    Non, ça ne va pas.

    Ca va mal.

    No, I'm not ok

    Not so good / It's bad

    Comment vas-tu? Tu vas bien?

    Comment allez-vous? (formal)

    How are you (doing)?

    How are you (doing)?

    Bien. Et toi?

    Je vais bien, merci.

    Très bien, merci. Et vous?

    Good. And you?

    I'm fine, thank you

    Very well, thank you. And you?

    Quoi de neuf? What's new?

    Rien.

    Pas grande chose. [...or just tell them what you've been up to]

    Nothing

    Not much

    Note

    Look for the words ne and pas. Whenever you see or hear them -- especially the word pas -- you are dealing with a negation.

    Notice the difference: J'aime (I like) vs. Je n'aime pas (I don't like); or ça va vs. ça ne va pas.

    Les adieux

    Les adieux
    Français Anglais
    Au revoir. (most common) Goodbye. (also: "until we see each other again")
    À bientôt. See you soon.
    À demain. See you tomorrow.
    À plus tard. / À plus. See you later.
    À ce soir. See you tonight.
    À tout à l'heure. See you in a little bit/while.
    À tout de suite ! See you very soon.
    Bonne journée. Have a good day.
    Bonne soirée. Have good evening / Enjoy your evening.
    Ciao. Bye.
    Salut. Bye
    À la prochaine. Until the next time.
    Adieu Farewell.

    For a more detailed description of how these expressions are different read:10 ways to say goodbye in French.

    Formules de politesse

    Female and male profiles. Merci. De rien!

    Formules de Politesse
    Français Anglais

    Merci

    Merci beaucoup

    Thank you.

    Thanks a lot.

    De rien.

    Il n'y a pas de quoi

    Pas de problème

    You're welcome.

    No problem; don't mention it

    No problem.

    Je vous en prie. (formal)

    Je t'en prie. (informal)

    You're welcome; please
    Pardon. Pardon (me).

    Excusez-moi (formal)

    Excuse-moi. (informal)

    Excuse me.

    S'il vous plaît. (formal)

    S'il te plaît

    Please.

    Les étiquettes

    Étiquettes
    Français Anglais
    Monsieur (M.) Sir (Mr.)
    Madame (Mme.) Ma'am (Mrs.)
    Mademoiselle (Mlle.) Miss

    On pratique !

    Exercice 1. Using the expressions above, answer the questions below:

    1. How would you greet a salesperson that you are meeting for the first time?
    2. How do you say goodbye to a friend?
    3. What do you say if you bump into someone that you don’t know?
    4. What do you say to a waiter/waitress who brings you your drink?

    Les présentations

    Présentations
    Français Anglais
    formal

    Comment t'appelles -tu?

    Comment tu t'appelles?

    Quel est ton nom?

    What is your name?

    informal

    Comment vous appelez-vous?

    Quel est votre nom?

    What is your name?

    Je m'appelle...

    Moi, c'est...

    My name is...

    Watch this tutorial for more about How to ask someone's name in French.

    Use the following expressions to introduce people and respond to introductions:

    Présentations
    Français Anglais

    Je vous présente...

    I would like to introduce you to....

    I would like you to meet...

    This is...

    Je te présente...

    I would like to introduce you to....

    I would like you to meet...

    This is...

    Enchanté(e).

    Moi de même.

    Nice to meet you.

    Nice to meet you too.

    Flashcards

    Study the Quizlet vocabulary flashcards. Listen and repeat the French pronunciation.

    Videos:

    Je me présente.

    Introducing yourself in French.(This video is a little advanced for you at this point, but it is good for you to hear authentic French. Practice your pronunciation with this video)

    Exercice 2. Répondez aux questions

    1. Au revoir. ________.
    2. Ça va? ________.
    3. Comment t'appelles-tu ? ________.
    4. Enchanté(e). ________.
    5. Merci beaucoup. ________.
    6. Je te présente Michel. ________.
    7. Bonjour, Mademoiselle. ________.
    8. Au revoir, Monsieur. ________.
    9. Comment allez-vous? ________.
    10. Salut. ________.
    11. A demain! ________.
    Tu ou Vous?

    In general, tu is used with friends, family, and children. Vous is used to express politeness, formality, and respect. Vous is the form of address used for all formal situations. However, many people will still use the tu form when they first meet. But when it doubt, use vous.

    Watch one or both of these video tutorials:

    Tu ou vous.

    Tu vs. vous.

    Exercice 3. Compare these sentences using tu and vous. What differences do you notice?

    Formel vs Familier
    formel (vous) familier, informel (tu)
    Comment vous appelez-vous? Comment t’appelles-tu ?
    Comment allez-vous? Comment vas-tu ?
    Bien. Et vous? Bien. Et toi?
    S'il vous plaît. S'il te plaît.
    Je vous en prie. Je t'en prie.
    Vous êtes d'où? Tu es d'où?
    Quelle est votre nationalité? Quelle est ta nationalité?
    Vous êtes de quelle origine? Tu es de quelle origine?

    Exercice 4. Les salutations formelles. Using the dialogue suggestions below, greet three students formally. Tell them your name, ask about theirs and ask them how they are doing. Say good-bye.

    – Bonjour, (Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle). Je m’appelle ________. Et vous, comment vous appelez-vous?

    – Moi, je m’appelle ________. Comment allez-vous?

    – Je vais (très bien / bien / pas mal / mal), merci. Et vous? – ________ , merci. Au revoir, (Monsieur/ Madame/ Mademoiselle)

    Exercice 5. Les salutations familières. Using the informal dialogue suggestions below, greet two students that you haven’t talked to yet. Tell them your name, ask about theirs and ask them how they are doing. Tell them you will see them soon.

    – Salut, je m’appelle ________. Et toi, comment t’appelles-tu?

    – Moi, je m’appelle ________.

    – Comment vas-tu? (Comment ça va?)

    – Je vais ( très bien / pas mal / mal). Et toi?

    – Je vais ( très bien / pas mal / mal), merci.

    Exercice 6. Les présentations. In groups of 3-4, present yourselves to each other. Then join another group and present the members of your group to the other group. Repeat the process until everyone has been introduced.

    Note culturelle

    In France, friends and family members exchange kisses on alternating cheeks to say hello and goodbye. This action is expressed by the French phrase faire la bise. While the number of kisses exchanged varies by region, the most common practice is two kisses, one on each cheek, although it is not uncommon to exchange three or even four. In an informal situation, young adults will most often faire la bise. In a formal situation, it is necessary to shake hands with everyone. A bise is always given to children. Contrary to the hug in the United States, kisses are exchanged with friends and family members that one sees everyday. In France, hugging is reserved for more intimate (romantic) relationships.

    On parle!

    Qui-est ce?

    Activité A. C'est qui? Let's ask each other who other people are in the classroom:

    Étudiant(e) 1: C'est qui ça? (pointing at a classmate)

    Étudiant(e) 2: Ça c'est Aurèle.

    Pratiquez

    Étudiant(e) 1: C'est qui ça? (pointing at a classmate)

    Étudiant(e) 2: Ça c'est ________.

    Activité B. You think you know who that person is, but you are not sure:

    Étudiant(e) 1: Est-ce que c'est Georges? (pointing at a classmate)

    Étudiant(e) 2: Oui, c’est George. // Non. C'est Paul.

    Pratiquez

    Étudiant(e) 1: Est-ce que c'est ________? (pointing at a classmate)

    Étudiant(e) 2: Oui, c’est ________. // Non. C'est ________.

    Daniel: Qui est-ce?

    Sophie: C'est Marie.

    Catherine: Est-ce que c'est Marc?

    Paul: Non, c'est Georges.

    Guillaume: Comment s'appelle-t-elle?

    Frédérick: Elle s'appelle Madame Rudio.

    Louis: Comment s'appelle l'ami de Sophie?

    Henri: C'est Daniel.

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    This page titled 1.1: (old) La langue vivante - You already know a lot of French! is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by William J. Carrasco, Shahrzad Zahedi, & Caren Barnezet Parrish.