Lesson 1 - Getting to know Alf, Katie and Veronica

Question 1

I will spend two months in Nice

Answer 1

je passe deux mois ici à Nice

Question 2

A French course

Answer 2

un cours de français

Question 3

I have been learning French for two years

Answer 3

j’apprends le français depuis deux ans

Question 4

I hope to improve my French here

Answer 4

j’espère améliorer mon français ici

Question 5

Until now

Answer 5

jusqu’à maintenant

Question 6

I have never really travelled (much)

Answer 6

je n’ai jamais vraiment voyagé

Question 7

j’ai toujours voulu voir le monde

Answer 7

I have always wanted to see the world

Question 8

I decided to spend a year in Europe

Answer 8

j’ai décidé de passer une année en Europe

Question 9

I have already spent two weeks travelling on Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Answer 9

j’ai déjà passé […] deux semaines à voyager en Norvège, en Suède et au Danemark

*Note that while Norway and Sweden are both feminine countries (la Norvège, la Suède), Denmark is masculine (le Danemark), and therefore you must say au Danemark for “in/to Denmark”.

Question 10

My grandfather was Swedish

Answer 10

mon grand-père était suédois

Question 11

I have always dreamed of going there

Answer 11

j’ai toujours rêvé d’y aller

*Some verbs in French require a preposition when they’re followed by an infinitive, and others don’t. The most common prepositions used in this way are à and de.

Question 12

At the moment…

Answer 12

en ce moment

*Note that in French you say “in this moment” whereas in English we are more likely to say “at the moment”.

Question 13

My wife is still living in England

Answer 13

Ma femme habite toujours en Angleterre

Question 14

“She’s arriving soon” or “she is going to arrive soon”.

Answer 14

elle va arriver bientôt

Question 15

I’m trying to renovate the house before she arrives

Answer 15

j’essaie de rénover la maison avant son arrivée

When you use essayer followed by a verb, you must use ‘de’

Question 16

I started to learn French

Answer 16

j’ai commencé à apprendre le français

*Some verbs in French require a preposition when they’re followed by an infinitive, and others don’t. The most common prepositions used in this way are à and de.

Question 17

at the age of 13

Answer 17

à l’âge de 13 ans

Question 18

I have forgotten a lot

Answer 18

j’ai beaucoup oublié

*The adverb comes before the past participle

Question 19

Nevertheless, I have always loved Frenc

Answer 19

Néanmoins, j’ai toujours aimé le français

Question 20

I have always wanted to improve my French

Answer 20

j’ai toujours voulu améliorer mon français

Question 21

My name is Veronica, or Veronique in French

Answer 21

Je m’appelle Veronica, ou Véronique en français

Question 22

I am Australian (f)

Answer 22

Je suis australien(ne)

Question 23

I am a business woman

Answer 23

je suis femme d’affaires

*Remember that when referring to jobs in French you do not use an indefinite article (the word for “a/an”).

Question 24

I am working here on several projects

Answer 24

je travaille ici sur plusieurs projets

Question 25

I have always wanted to see the world and I have never really travelled.

Answer 25

j’ai toujours voulu voir le monde je n’ai jamais vraiment voyagé


*When using the perfect tense, the adverb often goes between the auxiliary verb and the past participle

Question 26

She will arrive soon because we have bought a house close to Nice

Answer 26

Elle va arriver bientôt parce que nous avons acheter une maison près de Nice

Question 27

But that was in 1962

Answer 27

Mais ça était dans mil neuf cent soixante deux

Question 28

We have been on vacation many times in France

Answer 28

Nous sommes allés en vacances en France plusieurs fois