French Important Concepts

Question 1

To ask yes or no questions

Is Maria here?
Are you ready?
Are you eating?

Answer 1

Est-ce que (“Ess kuh”)
Est-ce que (subject) (verb)?

Est-ce que Maria est ici?
Est-ce que tu es pret?
Est-ce que manges-tu?
(note: inverting verb like on the 3rd example is more formal, but can do it either way!)

Question 2

2 ways to ask “What…?” in French

What are you eating?

What are you doing?

Answer 2

1. Qu’est-ce que … ? (always at beginning of sentence)
2. … quoi? (always at end of sentence)

Qu’est-ce que manges-tu? = Manges-tu quoi?

Qu’est-ce que fais-tu? = Tu fais quoi?

Question 3

Quel/Quelle vs Quoi vs Que vs Comment vs Lequel

a. Which is your favorite animal?
b. You are doing what here?
c. What are you eating?
d. What?
e. Here are two pants, which one do you want?

Answer 3

1. Quel (M)/Quelle (F) are used for “Which” ( like ‘cual’ in spanish!)
2. Quoi replaces the object of the verb in a question
3. Que is used to ask “What…?” when “which” wouldn’t work
4. Comment is used alone to ask “What?” - it can be rude/abrupt to use “Quoi” for this
5. Lequel = which but is used when asking between several specific objects

a. Quel est ton (your) animal préféré?
b. Tu fais quoi ici?
c. Que manges-tu?
d. Comment? (“como”)
e. Voici deux pantalons, lequel veux-tu?

Question 4

C’est quoi

What’s the difference?

Answer 4

What is / What’s

C’est quoi l’alternative?

Question 5

French Possessive Articles

My
Your
His/Her/it's/one's
Our
Their

Their store is nice.
Her apple is green.
Your pencil is on the table.

Answer 5

My: mon (M), ma (F), mes (plural)
Your: ton (M), ta (F), tes (plural), votre (formal)
His/Her: son (M), sa (F), ses (plural)
Our: notre (M/F), nos (plural)
Their: leur (M/F), leurs (plural)
M/F here referring to the object of possession!

Leur magasin est bien.
Sa pomme est verte.
Ton/votre crayon est sur la table.

Question 6

Qui (“Key”) vs Que (“Kuh”)

The crayon that is on the table is blue.

The apple that I eat is green.

Answer 6

Both ways to say “which” or “that”
(qui also means “who”! Look for context)

Qui is used to link 2 sentences to avoid repetition, it is followed by a verb. It’s never followed by a subject, as “qui” represents the subject.

Que represents the object of the sentence, and is followed by a subject (noun), not a verb.

Le crayon qui est sur la table est bleu.

La pomme que je mange est verte.

Question 7

To guess a word’s gender (not 100% correct, but this is usually right)

Answer 7

M:

• cheeses and wines
• ends in “-c”
• ends in “ -age”
• ends in “ -d”
• ends in “ -l”
• ends in “ -in”
• ends in “ -u”
• ends in “ -is”
• ends in “ -sme”
• ends in “ -r”
• ends in “ -t”

F:

• ” -ade”
• ” -ce”
• ” -ite”
• ” -ee”
• ” -lle”
• ” -ere”
• ” -ie”
• ” -ion”
• ” -ude”
• ” -ure”
• ” -ine”
• ” -se”
• ” -ette”