Indicatif: Présent Flashcards
What English verb tense does the French indicatif présent correspond to?
Simple present
Use the indicatif présent to describe a current action or state of being:
- Je travaille.
- Il est en retard.
Use 1 of 5 (not counting the historical account usage)
I’m working.
He is late.
Use the indicatif présent to describe a habitual action or state of being:
- Oui, je m’entraîne le lundi.
- Elle est toujours en avance.
Use 2 of 5 (not counting the historical account usage)
Yes, I do practice on Mondays.
She’s always early.
Use the indicatif présent to describe actions which are about to occur:
* Je pars demain.
* Il arrive sur-le-champ.
Use 3 of 5 (not counting the historical account usage)
I’m leaving tomorrow.
He’ll be right here.
Use the indicatif présent to describe absolute or general truths:
* Le soleil se lève à l’est.
* Les roses sentent bon.
Use 4 of 5 (not counting the historical account usage)
The sun rises in the east.
The roses smell beautiful.
Use the indicatif présent to describe conditions in likely situations (“si” clauses):
* Si tu veux, on peut aller se promener ensemble
* S’il pleut, nous resterons à l’intérieur.
Use 5 of 5 (not counting the historical account usage)
If you want, we can go for a walk together.
If it rains, we’ll stay indoors.
What are the three possible English equivalents of this French simple present verb?
Je parle
- I speak
- I am speaking
- I do speak
Apart from the using le présent (most common method), in what two ways can the English present progressive “I am speaking” be expressed?
- Je parle maintenant [I am speaking right now]
- Je suis en train de parler [I’m in the middle of speaking]
French does not have a present emphatic as in English (“Yes, I do speak French”).
Apart from using le présent alone (which is acceptable), what two adverbs can be combined with this tense for added emphasis?
- En effet
- Effectivement
[Oui, en effet, je parle français]
For actions that began in the past and continue into the present, English uses “since” with the present perfect. How is this expressed in French?
- I’ve lived here for a year
depuis + simple present
- J’habite ici depuis un an
Je compte partir début mai.
compter: to count; to include; to charge for; to have; to allow; to reckon; to matter; to rely on/count on; to intend
I intend to leave at the beginning of May.
Tu appelles ma mère ?
appeler: to call; to send for; to demand; to call out
You’re (in.) calling my mother?
appeler: to call; to send for; to demand; to call out
Il occupe cette maison depuis trente ans.
occuper: to occupy; to live in; to take up (space); to hold (a job); to employ; to keep occupied (/distract)
He has lived in this house for thirty years. (occuper)
occuper: to occupy; to live in; to take up (space); to hold (a job); to employ; to keep occupied (/distract)
Nous décidons quelle boisson commander.
décider: to decide; to persuade
We are deciding what drink to order. (décider)
Vous ne tâchez pas assez de réparer ça.
tâcher: to try to do something.
(se tacher: to stain one’s clothes; to become marked (fruits))
You’re (for.) not trying hard enough to fix this. (tâcher)
tâcher: to try to do something.