Register: familiar, standard and formal French · French grammar B2

Contents · B2

In this part, you will learn to recognise familiar French and to speak and write standard and formal French.

Words are shortened or dropped in familiar French; standard French has the full forms, and formal French inversion and l’on.

Je ne sais pas à quelle heure le magasin ouvre.I don’t know what time the shop opens.
Quand partez-vous en vacances ?When are you going on holiday?
Cela m’étonne beaucoup.That surprises me a lot.
Nous vous remercions de votre visite.We thank you for your visit.
Pourriez-vous nous envoyer le programme ?Could you send us the programme?
C’est un pays où l’on mange très bien.It’s a country where you eat very well.

Formation

In formal French, questions are asked by inversion, with the subject pronoun after the verb and a hyphen: Où habitez-vous ? (“Where do you live?”)
When the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun begins with one, -t- is placed between them: Arrive-t-il ? (“Is he arriving?”)
With inversion, a noun subject comes first and is repeated by a pronoun after the verb: Votre fils parle-t-il anglais ? (“Does your son speak English?”)
In a negative question, ne is placed before the verb and pas after the pronoun: Ne venez-vous pas ? (“Aren’t you coming?”)

Use

Familiar forms are heard in everyday speech; standard and formal forms are the ones to use.
In standard French, spoken and written, the negation has both parts and questions are asked with est-ce que.
In formal French (letters, speeches, official texts), cela is used rather than ça, and nous rather than on for “we”.
A polite request is made with the conditionnel (would), and in formal French with inversion: Pourriez-vous m’aider ? (“Could you help me?”)

Familiar speech

In familiar speech, the ne of the negation is often dropped: Je sais pas. (“I don’t know.”)
In familiar speech, tu is shortened to t’ before a vowel: T’as faim ? (“Are you hungry?”)
In familiar speech, il y a is shortened to y a: Y a personne. (“There’s nobody.”)
A familiar question has the order of a statement, with the question word at the end: Tu pars quand ? (“When are you leaving?”)

L’on

In formal writing, l’on may be used instead of on after si, où, et, ou and que: si l’on veut.
The l’ of l’on is used only for the sound and has no meaning: là où l’on habite.

Difference from English

French has no auxiliary like English do; in a formal question, the verb comes before the pronoun: Parlez-vous anglais ? (“Do you speak English?”)
“Don’t” and “I’m” are normal in English writing; the familiar j’sais pas and t’es are written only to reproduce speech.

Common mistakes

~~Je veux pas vous déranger.~~ → Je ne veux pas vous déranger.In writing and in careful speech, the negation has both parts.
~~Quand vous partez-vous ?~~ → Quand partez-vous ?In an inverted question, the pronoun is placed after the verb, not before it as well.
~~Votre mère vient-t-elle ?~~ → Votre mère vient-elle ?-t- is placed only between two vowels, and vient already ends in t.

Remember

Use both parts of the negation in writing: Je ne sais pas. (“I don’t know.”)
In a formal question, put the verb before the pronoun: Quand partez-vous ? (“When are you leaving?”)
Use nous and cela in formal French: Cela nous intéresse. (“That interests us.”)

→ See also: The pronoun on (A2)

You now know how to recognise familiar French and to ask questions and make requests in formal French.

“Register: familiar, standard and formal French”, Familiar French: je sais pas, T'as faim ? “Register: familiar, standard and formal French”, Formal French: cela, nous, Pouvez-vous… ?, l'on

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Letters, emails and official documents have words of their own, such as ci-joint (“attached”) and sous huitaine (“within a week”).

Vous trouverez ci-joint le programme de la journée.Please find attached the programme for the day.
Les photos ci-jointes ont été prises en juillet.The attached photos were taken in July.
Il avait travaillé à Londres auparavant.He had previously worked in London.
Parmi les candidats, trois parlent allemand.Among the candidates, three speak German.
Merci de nous retourner ce formulaire sous huitaine.Please return this form to us within a week.

Formation

At the start of a sentence, ci-joint does not change: Ci-joint la facture. (“Please find the invoice attached.”)
Before a noun with no article, ci-joint does not change: Vous trouverez ci-joint copie du contrat. (“Please find attached a copy of the contract.”)
Before an article or a possessive, ci-joint may also agree: Vous trouverez ci-jointe la liste des invités. (“Please find attached the guest list.”)
After the noun, ci-joint agrees like an adjective: la facture ci-jointe, les documents ci-joints.

Use

Ci-joint means “attached” or “enclosed”, and ci-dessus and ci-dessous mean “above” and “below”.
Ci-contre means “opposite” or “on the facing page”, and does not change: les photos ci-contre.
Auparavant is the written word for avant used alone, with no noun after it.
Parmi means “among”, before a group.
Dans les meilleurs délais means “as soon as possible”, and sous huitaine means “within a week”.

Word	Meaning	Example
ci-joint	attached, enclosed	Je vous envoie ci-joint les photos de la maison.
ci-contre	opposite, on the facing page	voir le plan ci-contre
auparavant	before, previously	deux jours auparavant
parmi	among	parmi nos clients
dans les meilleurs délais	as soon as possible	Nous vous rappellerons dans les meilleurs délais.
sous huitaine	within a week	une réponse sous huitaine

Difference from English

English “please find attached” is veuillez trouver ci-joint or vous trouverez ci-joint: Veuillez trouver ci-joint notre catalogue. (“Please find attached our catalogue.”)
English “before” as a preposition is avant before a noun. As an adverb, it is auparavant or avant alone: deux jours auparavant (“two days before”).

Common mistakes

~~les documents ci-joint~~ → les documents ci-jointsAfter the noun, ci-joint agrees like an adjective.
~~auparavant le dîner~~ → avant le dînerBefore a noun, avant is used; auparavant is used alone.

Remember

To point to an attachment, use vous trouverez ci-joint: Vous trouverez ci-joint ma facture. (“Please find my invoice attached.”)
After the noun, make ci-joint agree: les photos ci-jointes (“the attached photos”).
Use auparavant alone and avant before a noun: Je l’avais vu auparavant. (“I had seen him before.”)

You now know the words of formal letters and emails, and how ci-joint agrees.

In short

Point	Familiar	Standard or formal
negation	je sais pas	je ne sais pas
question	tu pars quand ?	quand est-ce que tu pars ?; quand partez-vous ?
demonstrative	ça	cela
“we”	on	nous
after si, où, que	on	l’on
letters	—	ci-joint, auparavant, dans les meilleurs délais, sous huitaine

“Register: familiar, standard and formal French”, Formal written words: ci-joint, auparavant, sous huitaine

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