Contents · A1
- The verb in the present tense
- Presenting and identifying
- Being able, wanting, having to; requests and orders
- The past and the near future
- Nouns and articles
- Quantity: the partitive and de
- Adjectives
- Pronouns and possessives
- Questions and negation
- Prepositions of place and time
- Adverbs of place and time
- Linking words
Tap a sentence to see its translation.
And, or, but: et, ou, mais#
Et (“and”) expresses addition, ou (“or”) a choice and mais (“but”) opposition. They are invariable and join words or whole sentences. After a negative, mais introduces what is true instead: Ce n’est pas un hôtel mais un restaurant.
- J’ai un chat et deux chiens.I have a cat and two dogs.
- On va au cinéma ou au restaurant ?Shall we go to the cinema or to a restaurant?
- L’hôtel est petit mais agréable.The hotel is small but pleasant.
Remember
Et sounds like est (“is”) but has no s; ou (“or”) has no accent, unlike où (“where”).
Practise
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So and because: alors, parce que#
Parce que introduces a reason and answers pourquoi: Je reste à la maison parce que je suis fatigué. Before a vowel, que becomes qu’: parce qu’il pleut. Car has the same meaning and belongs to a more written style. Alors introduces a result; the reason is given first: Il pleut, alors nous restons ici.
- Je mange parce que j’ai faim.I am eating because I am hungry.
- Le magasin est fermé, alors on rentre.The shop is closed, so we are going home.
- Pourquoi tu chantes ? — Parce qu’il fait beau !Why are you singing? — Because the weather is nice!
Common mistake
Pourquoi il est triste ? — Pourquoi il est fatigué.→ Parce qu’il est fatigué.Pourquoi introduces the question; the answer is introduced by parce que.
Practise
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Purpose: pour + infinitive#
Formation
Purpose is expressed with pour followed by an infinitive: Nous allons à la poste pour envoyer un colis.
Difference from English
English expresses purpose with to + verb: “I am going to the baker’s to buy a cake”. In French, pour is required: Je vais à la boulangerie pour acheter un gâteau, not à acheter.
- Elle étudie le français pour voyager.She is learning French in order to travel.
- Je prends le bus pour aller à l’université.I take the bus to get to university.
In short
| Meaning | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| addition | et | du pain et du beurre |
| choice | ou | thé ou café |
| opposition | mais | petit mais beau |
| reason | parce que, car | parce qu’il pleut |
| result | alors | alors je reste |
| purpose | pour + infinitive | pour apprendre |
Practise
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