A reference article for those stuck trying to get their heads around language jargon. Only read this for reference, it’s really quite tedious. It’s not the fun part of language learning, but if you want to learn quickly, having a rough idea of the mechanics that the people who designed the language put in place, it’s a bit of a requirement. If you don’t learn them by heart in a week, you’ll pick them up over time.
Adjectives (Les adjectifs)
They describe nouns. They “add” a “jective”, ok, there’s no such thing as a “jective”, but they “add” something to the noun. That’s a memory hook you can use – adding something to a noun. Not a verb, that would be an adverb.
Examples: thin, muscular, green, fun
Adverbs (Les adverbes)
They are “add”ed to a “verb”. But also to adjectives and other adverbs. If you forget, think of any verb (action) and think of the word added to it. “Run” “Run slowly“. There’s your adverb.
- Comparative (comparatif) and superlative (superlatif)
Comparative compares things (thinner, more muscular, greener, more fun)
Superlative marks which thing is most super (most thin, most muscular, most green, most fun, best)
Agreement (Les accords)
Adjectives change in French depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe. So a noun like “l’americaine” (the American female) with the adjective “marrant” (funny) can be put together like so:
L’americaine est marrante (added e to show feminine noun)
Les americaines sont marrantes (added e and s to show feminine and plural)
These added letters are called “accords”. They have some pronunciation implications.
Articles (Les articles)
Definite (l’article défini): the (le, la, les)
Indefinite (l’article indéfini): a, an, some (de, du, de la, des)
Conjunctions (Les conjonctions)
Joining words. Conjoining. Quite a lot of them, used to join sentences: and, but, because, or, when.
Gender (Le genre)
Masculine and feminine, the famous le and la of French. Un or une. It applies to nouns, and then the adjectives “agree” with them and so you see the gender in the nouns and in the adjectives. You can often tell the gender of a noun from its ending – there are some easy rules to tell gender.
Nouns (Les noms)
People, places and things.
A proper noun is a name of something (nom propre)
An abstract noun is a non-tangible (nom abstrait)
Number (Nombre)
Singular or plural (singulier or pluriel). Single refers to one thing. Plural refers to more than one.
Prepositions (Les prepositions)
Words used before nouns to describe position or relationship.
Down the road, between the shops, on the roof before sundown and after midnight.
Pronouns (Les pronoms)
They are very important words which stitch sentences together showing who is doing what to whom. There are several types of these:
1. Demonstrative (Les pronoms démonstratifs)
this, that; these, those. Ceci, cela; celles-ci, celles-là.
2. Direct Object (Les pronoms de complément direct) – Who receives the verb?
me, you, him, her, it, us, them – me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les
She receives it – Elle le reçoit (she it sees)
I buy them – Je les achète (I them buy)
3. Emphatic (Les formes accentuées des pronoms)
Instead of using voice emphasis, French uses words.
It’s me – c’est moi. It was him – c’était lui.
4. Indirect Object (Les pronoms de complément indirect) – Pronoun used when the action done is to, for or of someone. Very similar to the Direct Object but these pronouns show that a verb is happening to someone, for someone. Not really something you need to think about when talking. Used mainly when writing to get it perfect.
me, te, se, lui, nous, vous, leur
Examples:
Je te donne cinq euros (I to you give five euros = I give to you five euros)
Nous leur disons “ciao” (We to them said “ciao”)
Y – there (J’y vais = I’m going there)
En – of it, some (Want a drink? Non, j’en ai = No, I’ve got one)
5. Indefinite (Les pronoms indéfinis) – Pronouns used to describe general (undefined) subjects or objects – nobody in particular – each one, someone, everything – chacun, quelqu’un, tout
6. Interrogative (Les pronoms interrogatifs) – Pronouns used to interrogate, ask questions.
Qui, que, quoi, lequel etc.
7. Personal (Les pronoms personnels) - A general name that groups subjects, objects (direct and indirect) and reflexive pronouns. Je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils.
8. Possessive (Les pronoms possessifs) – Saying what is possessed or owned.
le mien (mine), le tien (yours), le sien (his/hers), le nôtre (ours), le vôtre (yours)
9. Reflexive (Les pronoms refléchis) – These words refer back to the subject of the verb.
Je me lave = I wash myself.
10. Relative (Les pronoms relatifs) - These words join clauses together.
L’homme qui dansait toute la nuit. The man who danced all night.
Ce sont les chaussures qu‘elle portait. These are the shoes which she wore.
11. Subject (Les pronoms personnels – sujet) - These words show who is “doing” the verb.
Je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles
Verbs (Les verbes)
Action words. They all follow certain patterns that can be learned and applying to any verb you say. Over time these will become apparent, just keep working through, exposing yourself to as many as possible. You’ll get it. To help you get there, these are the tech-terms used when talking about verbs, for reference:
1. Infinitive (L’infinitif) – This is the “full version” of the verb. The last two letters of it will tell you which of the three verb groups it belongs to (-er, -ir, -re).
2. Conjugation (La conjugaison) – This is what happens to verbs when you want to show different tenses, persons and moods. If you change a verb, you’ve conjugated it.
3. Irregular verbs (Les verbes irreguliers) – Verbs that don’t follow one of the three main patterns – they have their own. They happen to be the verbs you need to use often, so you’ll have to get a grip on them to make sense to people. I’ll show you the patterns to help you remember them.
4. Object (Le complement) – The person or thing affected by the verb. Can be a noun or pronoun.
Nous aimons les chats, nous les aimons. We love cats, we love them.
Love happens to the cats, it happens to them. They are the object – contrast with subject:
5. Subject (Le sujet) – The person or thing doing the verb action. Can be a noun or pronoun.
Les garçons aiment la musique. Ils l’écoutent. The boys love the music. They listen to it.
6. Tenses (Les temps) – These tell you when things happen, through conjugation. Past, present, future, all three (and more) verb tenses.
7. Past participles (Les participes passés) - Verb endings used to show past tense.
Dansé, senti, couru, pris, conduit
8. Present participle (Le participe présent) – Verb ending that corresponds to -ing in English. It’s -ant in French.
Dansant, courant, partant – Dancing, running, leaving.
9. Imperatives (L’imperatif) - A form of the verb used to give orders.
10. Reflexive (Les verbs pronominaux) – Verbs that come with a pronoun to show that it happens to the subject.
Il se lave. He washes himself.
Questions are welcome – feel free to leave a comment.
