French phrases Flashcards
academic phrases
plutôt que
rather than, instead of
tandis que
while
ç’est à dire
that is to say
quoi que ce soit
anything at all
en ce qui concerne ceci
as far as this is concerned/with regard to this
se + verb
reflexive!
il s’agit de
it’s a matter of/it’s a question of (agir=to act)
s’avérer
to prove to be (example: ce qui s’avérer être un dure tâche=that which proves to be a hard task)
il s’ensuit que
it follows that (suivre=to follow)
š’aperçoit que
to notice that
s’appliquer à
to apply to
s’appuyer sur
to lean on
outre
as well as, in addition to, apart from
Au, à la, à l’ and aux
to the/at the. Aux is the contraction.
demander
ask, pose a question
car
because, for (formal literary)
selon
according to
il n’y a aucune
there is none
c’est-à-dire
that is to say
mais alors
but then
dira-t-on,
we will say
ainsi
in this way
En ce qui concerne
regarding
on s’efforcera d’établir
we will endeavor to establish
ne…que
only/nothing but
au défaut de
in the absence of/for lack of
chez lui
at home within him/in him
on
an informal way of saying “we” in writing (not often or properly used), usually one
tout le monde
everyone
il faut
it’s necessary …
où elle le doit
where it must
pour le lui faire ainsi connaître
to make it known to him
jusque dans
until in
lequel avoue
who confesses
autrement dit
in other words
de ce fait
for this reason
apres de
according to
ni…ni
neither nor
jusqu’à ce que
Until
À maintes reprises
Many times
Nous tous
All of us
Nous tous
All of us
à l’aide
Using
à l’aide
Using
Jamais
Never
Tout comme
Just as
C’est à la fois
This is both
Fois
In a phrase often means both
se rapporte également
Also relates
Et pas
And not
Et pas
And not
en valent bien la peine.
Are well worth it
de
partitive before definite article (some, any)
can be d’ if the word following begins with a vowel. Plural is des.
plusieurs d’entre eux
several of them
quelques-uns d’entre nous
some of us
ci-joint
attached
même
even, same, itself, very
after a noun or a pronoun, même means very even, himself, etc. When même follows a pronoun, it is connected with a hyphen. Before a noun and preceded by the article, it means same.
bon/mauvais and bien/mal
well/bad: bon and mauvais modify nouns whereas the adverbs bien and mal modify verbs
aussi and si
in negative sentences aussi can become si (as). Autaunt de also means as when followed by a noun
ne
a clause depending on the comparative uses ne before subordinate verb. The ne doesn’t make the verb negative (il est plus intelligent qu vous ne le pensez; elle est plus intelligente qu’elle n’en a l’air=he is more intelligent than you think; she is more intelligent than she appears)
le plus intelligent
the most intelligent. The superlative is formed by adding the definite article to the comparative form
plus petit and le plus petit
used with things you can measure (smaller)
moindre and le moindre
used in an abstract sense (je n’ai pas la moindre idee=i dont have the slightest idea)
davantage
comparison of superiority, usually placed at the end of a sentence (cette femme est tres intelligente mais sa fille l’est davantage=this woman is very intelligent but her daughter is even more so)
plus…plus; moins….moins; plus…moins; de plus en plus; de moins en moins; de mieux en mieux
the more…the more; the less…the less; the more…the less; more and more; less and less; better and better
d’autant plus que
all the more ….as, because
tant mieux
tan pis
de mal en pis
so much the better
so much the worse
from bad to worse
tout le monde
everyone
a lui or a elle
his or her, to avoid ambiguity for gender sometimes added to a phrase
-ci, -la
this, that. Used as suffixes to specify (Je veux ce livre-ci; Je ne veux pas ce livre-la=i want this book; I don’t want that book)
nous autres
as for us
aucun
aucun…ne
no
any, a single, one single
quelque
some, can also mean about as an adverb when it’s used before a number. Can also mean whatever or however (when before a descriptive adjective)
je ne said quel/on ne sait quel/Dieu sait quel
I don’t know, one doesn’t know, God only knows (used in phrases to indicate approximate resemblance. Similar to certain. Elle a je ne sais quelles idees=she has some ideas or others)
tel est (telles est)
such is (tel can also means like, as). In expressions containing an adjective, we use si instead of tel (avez-vous jamais vu une si belle peinture=have you ever seen such a beautiful painting)
tout
each, every, the whole, the entire. When singular without an article it means each or every. When followed by an article or possessive adjective, it means whole/entire. Tout as a pronoun means everything. Before a feminine word beginning with a vowel or silent h it can mean altogether.
Fois
Time
aucun(e)
ne
nul(le)
ne
ne….aucun(e)
Il n’y a
no
there is no
à cause de
because
à côté de
beside
afin de
in order to
à force de
by means of
à la mode de
in the manner of
à l’exception de
except
à l’exclusion de
to the exclusion of
à moins de
unless
à raison de
at the rate of
à travers
through
au dedans
inside, within
au dehors de
outside of
au-delà de
above, beyond, past
au-dessous de
below
au-dessus de
above
au lieu de
instead of
au milieu de
in the middle of
aupres de
near
autour de
around
aux environs de
in the vicinity of
d’apres
according to
de facon a
so as to
de maniere a
so as to
en bas de
at the bottom of
en dedans de
inside, on the inside of, within
en dehors de
outside of
en dèpit de
in spite of
en face de
in front of, facing
en haut de
at the top of
en raison de
because of
hors de
outside of
jusque dans
up into
loin de
far from
par dedans
inside, through the inside
par dehors
by the outside
par dela
beyond
par-dessous
under
par-dessus
over, above, on top of
par devant
before, in front
par rapport a
with regard to, in relation to
près de
near
proche de
near
Il est en train
He’s getting (etre en train de=getting, duration of an action)
Despuis
can mean for or since
venir de
present tense of venir de plus infinitive is used to describe something that has just happened recently. It means to have just done something
si…que
quelque
de quelque maniere que
however
soit que…soit que
whether
ou bien…ou bien
either…or
faire in causative construction
subject causes action to be done by someone or something else. You can recognize by seeing an infinitive after faire.
à qui
de qui
whose (ownership)
whose (relationship)
