Indicatif: Présent

Question 1

What English verb tense does the French indicatif présent correspond to?

Answer 1

Simple present

Question 2

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)

Answer 2

I’m working.
He is late.

Question 3

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)

Answer 3

Yes, I do practice on Mondays.
She’s always early.

Question 4

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)

Answer 4

I’m leaving tomorrow.
He’ll be right here.

Question 5

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)

Answer 5

The sun rises in the east.
The roses smell beautiful.

Question 6

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)

Answer 6

If you want, we can go for a walk together.
If it rains, we’ll stay indoors.

Question 7

What are the three possible English equivalents of this French simple present verb?

Je parle

Answer 7

1. I speak
2. I am speaking
3. I do speak

Question 8

Apart from the using le présent (most common method), in what two ways can the English present progressive “I am speaking” be expressed?

Answer 8

1. Je parle maintenant [I am speaking right now]
2. Je suis en train de parler [I’m in the middle of speaking]

Question 9

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?

Answer 9

1. En effet
2. Effectivement

[Oui, en effet, je parle français]

Question 10

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

Answer 10

depuis + simple present

• J’habite ici depuis un an

Question 11

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

Answer 11

I intend to leave at the beginning of May.

Question 12

Tu appelles ma mère ?

appeler: to call; to send for; to demand; to call out

Answer 12

You’re (in.) calling my mother?

appeler: to call; to send for; to demand; to call out

Question 13

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)

Answer 13

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)

Question 14

Nous décidons quelle boisson commander.

décider: to decide; to persuade

Answer 14

We are deciding what drink to order. (décider)

Question 15

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))

Answer 15

You’re (for.) not trying hard enough to fix this. (tâcher)

tâcher: to try to do something.

Question 16

Ils déplacent actuellement les boites hors de l’entrepôt.

déplacer: to move; to put off; to displace; to shift

(se déplacer: to travel around; to get around)

Answer 16

They’re moving all the boxes out of the warehouse right now.

Question 17

J’adoucis un peu la recette.

adoucir: to make milder (temperature); to sweeten (with sugar); to soften; to mellow (personality); to allay (grief, pain)

Answer 17

I’m sweetening the recipe a bit.

Question 18

Quel formulaire remplis-tu maintenant ?

Answer 18

Which form are you (in.) filling out now?

remplir = “to fill”; “to fill up”; “to fill out” (a form); to fulfill

Question 19

Ma mère vieillit et elle bouge plus lentement maintenant.

Answer 19

My mother is getting older and she moves more slowly now.
(vieillir, bouger)

vieillir: to age; to grow old

Question 20

Nous finissons notre sous-sol.

Answer 20

We are finally finishing our basement. (finir)

finir: to finish; to end

Question 21

Vous agissez comme des singes.

Answer 21

You (pl.) are acting like monkeys.

agir: to act

Question 22

Ils choisissent un hôtel pour la nuit.

Answer 22

They’re choosing a hotel for the night.

choisir: to choose

Question 23

Je me dédis que j’ai dit; je n’irai pas s’il s’en va.

Answer 23

I take back what I said; I won’t go if he’s going. (se dédire)

se dédire: to go back on one’s word; to retract a statement

Question 24

Ton problème est que tu craint le changement.

Answer 24

Your problem is that you fear change.

craindre: to fear; to be afraid of

Question 25

On le confond souvent avec son frère.

Answer 25

People (s.) often mistake him for his brother. (confondre)

confondre: “to confuse” in the sense of “to mix up” or “mistake for”

Question 26

Nous vendons des savons faits maison.

Answer 26

We are selling handmade soaps. (vendre)

vendre: to sell

Question 27

Entendez-vous les cloches? (entendre)

Answer 27

Do you hear the bells?

entendre: to hear; to mean; to understand; to expect somebody to do something; to intend to do something

Question 28

Ces étudiants en philosophie défendent bien leurs idées.

Answer 28

These philosophy students defend their ideas well. (défendre)

défendre = “to defend”; “to forbid”