Français → English
Register: familiar, standard and formal French
B2
Catalogue
45 cards
Familiar French answered in standard French (je sais pas, T'as faim ?, Tu habites où ?), then formal French (cela, nous, Pouvez-vous… ?, l'on) and formal written words (ci-joint, ci-contre, auparavant, sous huitaine, dans les meilleurs délais).
FrançaisFrançais
1. Familiar French: je sais pas, T'as faim ?
In familiar French, the negative ne is often dropped, pronouns are shortened and the question word often comes last.
- Je sais pas où il est.I don't know where he is.
- T'as vu ce film ?Have you seen this film?
- On se voit quand ?When are we meeting?
Negation
- In everyday speech, the ne of the negation is often dropped: C'est pas grave. (“It doesn't matter.”), J'ai pas le temps. (“I haven't got time.”)
- In standard French, the negation has both parts, ne… pas, and ne is written n' before a vowel: Ce n'est pas grave. (“It doesn't matter.”)
- The same holds in Je n'ai pas le temps. (“I haven't got time.”) and after il faut: Il ne faut pas oublier. (“You mustn't forget.”)
- The dropped ne is heard everywhere in films and songs. In an email or an essay, its familiar tone is out of place.
Shortened pronouns
- T' stands for tu before a vowel: T'es où ? (“Where are you?”) is Tu es où ? (“Where are you?”)
- J' stands for je even before a consonant: J'peux pas is Je ne peux pas (“I can't”).
- Y a stands for il y a: Y a personne. (“There's nobody here.”) is Il n'y a personne. (“There's nobody here.”)
Questions
- In speech, a question often ends with its question word: Tu viens quand ? (“When are you coming?”), Vous allez où ? (“Where are you going?”)
- In standard French, the question word comes first, followed by est-ce que: Quand est-ce que vous venez ? (“When are you coming?”)
- The same holds in Où est-ce que vous allez ? (“Where are you going?”)
- Before a vowel, que is written qu': Quand est-ce qu'elle arrive ? (“When is she arriving?”)
Quoi and qu'est-ce que
- A familiar quoi at the end is replaced by qu'est-ce que at the front. So Tu veux quoi ? (“What do you want?”) is Qu'est-ce que tu veux ? (“What do you want?”)
- In the same way, c'est quoi is qu'est-ce que c'est in standard French.
- Qu'est-ce que is used for the object of the verb, and qu'est-ce qui for its subject.
Common mistakes
Je sais pas si je peux venir lundi.→ Je ne sais pas si je peux venir lundi.In an email or an essay, the negation has both parts: the dropped ne belongs to familiar speech.Qu'est-ce qui vous cherchez ?→ Qu'est-ce que vous cherchez ?Vous is the subject here, so the question is about the object: qu'est-ce que.
Show the answer Familier : « Elle est pas là. » → Elle ___ est pas là. n'Show the answer
Show the answer Familier : « J'comprends pas. » → ___ ne comprends pas. JeShow the answer
2. Formal French: cela, nous, Pouvez-vous… ?, l'on
In formal French, cela, nous, inverted questions and sometimes l'on are used.
- Cela m'étonne beaucoup.That surprises me a lot.
- Nous partons demain matin.We are leaving tomorrow morning.
- Connaissez-vous ce quartier ?Do you know this area?
Cela and nous
- In formal speech and careful writing, ça is replaced by cela: Cela ne fait rien. (“It doesn't matter.”), Je ne savais pas cela. (“I didn't know that.”)
- For “we”, nous is used instead of on, with the verb in its nous form. So on a fini is Nous avons fini. (“We have finished.”)
- In the same way, on vous attend is Nous vous attendons. (“We are waiting for you.”)
Inversion
- In a formal question, the subject pronoun comes after the verb, with a hyphen: Pouvez-vous m'aider ? (“Can you help me?”), Voulez-vous du café ? (“Would you like some coffee?”)
- The same holds in Avez-vous des enfants ? (“Do you have children?”)
- A noun subject is placed before the verb, and a pronoun that repeats it after the verb. An example is Votre sœur travaille-t-elle ici ? (“Does your sister work here?”)
- A -t- is added between two vowels: Le train arrive-t-il à l'heure ? (“Is the train on time?”)
Negative questions, requests and l'on
- In a formal negative question, ne comes before the verb and pas after its pronoun: Pourquoi ne restez-vous pas ? (“Why don't you stay?”)
- A polite request is made with the conditionnel (would) and vous: Pourriez-vous répéter ? (“Could you say that again?”)
- After si, où, et, ou and que, l'on may be used for on in formal writing. Examples are si l'on peut and là où l'on travaille.
- The l' has no meaning of its own, and l'on belongs to formal or literary writing.
Difference from English
- The “do” of an English question has no French equivalent: Parlez-vous anglais ? (“Do you speak English?”)
Common mistakes
Est-ce que pouvez-vous m'aider ?→ Pouvez-vous m'aider ?Est-ce que and inversion are two ways of asking a question, never combined.Votre fils parle-il anglais ?→ Votre fils parle-t-il anglais ?Between the two vowels of parle and il, a -t- is added.
Show the answer « Ça change tout. » Formel : ___ change tout. CelaShow the answer
Show the answer « On vous remercie de votre réponse. » Formel : ___ vous remercions de votre réponse. NousShow the answer
3. Formal written words: ci-joint, auparavant, sous huitaine
In letters and emails, fixed words of their own are used, such as ci-joint, auparavant and sous huitaine.
- Je vous envoie ci-joint mon CV.Please find my CV attached.
- Nous l'avions rencontré deux ans auparavant.We had met him two years before.
- Le formulaire doit être renvoyé sous huitaine.The form must be sent back within a week.
Ci-joint
- Ci-joint means attached to this letter or email.
- Before the noun it introduces, it is usually invariable: Ci-joint la liste. (“The list is attached.”), Vous trouverez ci-joint deux photos. (“Please find two photos attached.”)
- Before a noun with an article or a possessive, the agreed form is also correct: Veuillez trouver ci-jointe la copie. (“Please find the copy attached.”)
- After the noun, ci-joint agrees like an adjective: la lettre ci-jointe, les documents ci-joints.
Ci-contre, auparavant, parmi
- Ci-contre means beside the text or on the facing page, and is invariable: la carte ci-contre, les photos ci-contre.
- Auparavant is the written word for avant used alone, with no noun after it: un mois auparavant.
- At the start of a sentence, it means “before that”: Auparavant, elle travaillait à Lyon. (“Before that, she worked in Lyon.”)
- Parmi means “among”, before a group of several people or things: parmi nos clients.
Deadlines
- Dans les meilleurs délais means as soon as possible.
- Sous huitaine means within about a week, with no article: une réponse sous huitaine.
- A huitaine is a period of about eight days.
Common mistake
Veuillez trouver ci-contre mon devis.→ Veuillez trouver ci-joint mon devis.Ci-contre means “opposite” and ci-joint “attached”: only ci-joint refers to a document sent with the letter.
Show the answer Veuillez trouver ci-___ ma candidature. jointalso: jointe, inclus, incluse, dessous, annexé, annexéeShow the answer
Show the answer La facture ci-___ est à payer avant demain. jointealso: incluse, dessous, dessus, annexéeShow the answer
4. Register: mixed practice
Familiar sentences are rewritten in standard or formal French, and the written words of letters are practised again.
- Je ne trouve pas mes clés.I can't find my keys.
- Quand est-ce que le magasin ouvre ?When does the shop open?
- Avez-vous reçu le document ci-joint ?Did you receive the attached document?
What is mixed
- Familiar sentences are answered in standard French, with n' and est-ce que.
- The formal forms are mixed in: cela, nous avons, voulez-vous, l'on.
- The written words of letters and emails are practised again: ci-joint, auparavant, sous huitaine.
Show the answer Familier : « Ils ont pas d'argent. » → Ils ___ ont pas d'argent. n'Show the answer
Show the answer Familier : « Tu travailles où ? » → Où est-ce ___ tu travailles ? queShow the answer
Create an account to see the rest Already have an account? Sign in.
This catalogue is protected by the EU database right (Directive 96/9/EC): extracting or reusing a substantial part of it is not permitted. Legal notice