Lesson 10

Question 1

Translate to French:

He’s listening to his professor because he doesn’t know what to do

Answer 1

Il écoute son prof car il ne sait pas quoi faire

what to do - quoi faire

Question 2

Translate to French:

I am bringing many bags on this trip

Answer 2

J’apporte beaucoup de valises sur ce voyage

a bag, a suitcase - une valise. Note that “luggage” is translated by the masculine bagage(s).

Question 3

Translate to French:

Have you guys packed (your bags) yet?

Answer 3

Avez-vous déjà fait vos valises?

to pack (one’s bags) - faire ses valises

Question 4

Translate to French:

I am looking for a hotel in Paris

Answer 4

Je cherche un hôtel à Paris

a hotel - un hôtel

Question 5

Translate to French:

You are going to take the TGV to Marseille tomorrow

Answer 5

Tu vas prendre le TGV pour Marseille demain

high-speed train - le TGV. This word stands for Train à Grande Vitesse, which means “high-speed train.”

Question 6

Translate to French:

The train is now at the platform

Answer 6

Le train est maintenant sur le quai

a (train/subway) platform - un quai. Recall that “the train station” is la gare.

Question 7

Translate to French:

A round-trip ticket from Chicago to Paris costs 900 euros

Answer 7

Un aller-retour de Chicago à Paris coûte 900 euros

a round-trip (ticket) - un aller-retour. This noun can describe both the round-trip ticket and the round-trip itself.

Question 8

Translate to French:

I bought a one-way ticket to New York because I am not going to return to Paris

Answer 8

J’ai acheté un aller simple pour New York parce que je ne vais pas revenir à Paris

a one-way ticket - un aller simple. Note that “a one-way street” would be une rue à sens unique.

Question 9

Translate to French:

The fare to take the subway is 2 euros

Answer 9

Le tarif pour prendre le métro est 2 euros

a price, a fare - un tarif

Question 10

Translate to French:

She reserved a room at this hotel

Answer 10

Elle a réservé une chambre à cet hôtel

to reserve - réserver. Recall that ce becomes cet when it precedes a vowel sound. Also note that chambre should be used to refer to hotel rooms.

Question 11

Translate to French:

Jean just gave his passport to the police officer

Answer 11

Jean vient de donner son passeport au policier

a passport - un passeport

Question 12

Translate to French:

Everyone here is French except you

Answer 12

Tout le monde est français ici sauf toi

except (for) - sauf

Question 13

Translate to French:

Normally, we travel to Europe during the summer vacation

Answer 13

Normalement, nous voyageons en Europe pendant les vacances d’été

normally - normalement, d’habitude. Note the -geons ending in the verb, since voyager is irregular in the first-person plural.

Question 14

Translate to French:

As usual, my friend Michel arrived early

Answer 14

Comme d’habitude, mon ami Michel est arrivé en avance

as usual - comme d’habitude

Question 15

Translate to French:

Is France a beautiful country?

Answer 15

La France est-elle un beau pays?

a country - un pays

Question 16

Translate to French:

You have to go through customs before leaving the airport

Answer 16

Il faut passer par la douane avant de quitter l’aéroport

customs - la douane. Recall the use of the impersonal il faut to say “you have to” or “one must.”

Question 17

Translate to French:

I am going to put your passport in my backpack

Answer 17

Je vais mettre ton passeport dans mon sac à dos

a backpack - un sac à dos. Dos is the masculine noun for “back.”

Question 18

Translate to French:

They are looking at the map because they are lost

Answer 18

Ils regardent la carte parce qu’ils sont perdus

a map - une carte. This word can also mean “card” or “menu.”

Question 19

Translate to French:

Where is the currency exchange? I want to trade my dollars for euros

Answer 19

Où se trouve le bureau de change? Je veux échanger mes dollars contre des euros

a currency exchange (counter) - un bureau de change. Note the verb échanger, “to trade” or “to exchange,” as well as the construction échanger quelque chose contre quelque chose d’autre. In a swap, contre means “for.”

Question 20

Translate to French:

I’m going to ask the stewardess if we can order some food

Answer 20

Je vais demander à l’hôtesse de l’air si nous pouvons commander de la nourriture

a stewardess, a flight attendant - une hôtesse (de l’air). Note that a male flight attendant is un steward.

Question 21

Translate to French:

Many passengers are going to get off at the next stop

Answer 21

Beaucoup de passagers vont descendre au prochain arrêt

a passenger - un passager. The feminine form would be passagère. Also note that voyageur (“traveler”) is a commonly used synonym.

Question 22

Translate to French:

One second, I am going to ask for help

Answer 22

Une seconde, je vais demander de l’aide

to ask for help - demander de l’aide. The noun for “help,” aide, is feminine. The verb “to help” is translated by aider.

Question 23

Translate to French:

In general, kids need to sleep for at least 8 hours

Answer 23

En général, les enfants ont besoin de dormir au moins 8 heures

in general - en général

Question 24

Translate to French:

This car does not turn very well

Answer 24

Cette voiture ne tourne pas très bien

to (make a) turn - tourner. Note that the noun “a turn” is translated by un virage.

Question 25

Translate to French:

Marcel continues to work

Answer 25

Marcel continue à travailler

to continue - continuer. This verb can be followed by both the prepositions à and de.

Question 26

Translate to French:

To arrive at the Champs-Élysées, you must continue straight ahead

Answer 26

Pour arriver aux Champs-Élysées, il faut continuer tout droit

straight ahead - tout droit. Remember that while “straight” is droit, “right” is the similar droite.

Question 27

Translate to French:

According to the map, the post office is close to here

Answer 27

Selon la carte, la poste est près d’ici

according to - selon. Note that d’après and (to a lesser extent) suivant can work as synonyms.

Question 28

Translate to French:

He expressed his last wishes

Answer 28

Il a exprimé ses derniers voeux

a wish - un souhait, un voeu. Notice how voeu takes an “x” in the plural. Note also that “to wish” is souhaiter or désirer.

Question 29

Translate to French:

Despite my brother’s wishes, I closed the door

Answer 29

Malgré les voeux de mon frère, j’ai fermé la porte

despite - malgré, en dépit de

Question 30

Translate to French:

Thanks to him, I arrived at the airport on time

Answer 30

Grâce à lui, je suis arrivé à l’aéroport à l’heure

thanks to - grâce à

Question 31

Translate to French:

There are many parks around Paris

Answer 31

Il y a beaucoup de parcs autour de Paris

around - autour de

Question 32

Translate to French:

England is to the north of France

Answer 32

L’Angleterre est au nord de la France

north - nord. When used as a noun, this word is masculine, as are the nouns for all the directions.

Question 33

Translate to French:

I am going to the south of France this summer

Answer 33

Je vais dans le sud de la France cet été

south - sud

Question 34

Translate to French:

We have to drive east to reach our destination

Answer 34

Il faut conduire vers l’est pour arriver à notre destination

east - est. Notice how the “t” is pronounced. Both vers and à could be used before l’est. Finally, note that destination is feminine.

Question 35

Translate to French:

The sun sets in the west

Answer 35

Le soleil se couche à l’ouest

west - ouest. Note how se coucher means “to set” when applied to the sun. Note also that compound directions are constructed with hyphens: le nord-ouest.

Question 36

Translate to French:

I miss Julie

Answer 36

Julie me manque

to miss (someone, something) - manquer à. The word order in French is inversed because the verb manquer takes the preposition à. Julie me manque literally translates as “Julie is missing to me.” Also note that manquer de means “to lack (something).”

Question 37

Translate to French:

I miss you

Answer 37

Tu me manques

Notice the inverted, often confusing construction here. In French, the thing being missed (“you”) serves as the subject of the verb, which is conjugated in the second-person singular. The speaker (the person doing the missing) is the object, and is represented by the object pronoun me.

Question 38

Translate to French:

Do you think Julie misses me?

Answer 38

Est-ce que tu penses que je manque à Julie?

Another option is Est-ce que tu penses que je lui manque? This translates more directly to “Do you think she misses me?”

Question 39

Translate to French:

Jean decided to move to Marseille

Answer 39

Jean a décidé de déménager à Marseille

to move (to change residences) - déménager

Question 40

Translate to French:

Do you want to travel to a foreign country with me?

Answer 40

Veux-tu voyager dans un pays étranger avec moi?

foreign - étranger. Note that this is also a noun: un étranger means “a foreigner.”

Question 41

Translate to French:

The Rio Grande is the border between the two countries

Answer 41

Le fleuve Rio Grande est la frontière entre les deux pays

a border - une frontière

Question 42

Translate to French:

Paul is running to the boarding gate because he is late

Answer 42

Paul court à la porte d’embarquement parce qu’il est en retard

a boarding gate - une porte d’embarquement

Question 43

Translate to French:

We’ve missed our flight

Answer 43

Nous avons raté notre vol

a flight - un vol

Question 44

Translate to French:

Welcome aboard!

Answer 44

Bienvenue à bord!

on board, aboard - à bord

Question 45

Translate to French:

There are several restaurants in this terminal

Answer 45

Il y a plusieurs restaurants dans ce terminal

an airport terminal - un terminal. The plural form is terminaux. Also note that a bus or train terminal is un terminus.

Question 46

Translate to French:

Fortunately, we are hungry too

Answer 46

Heureusement, nous avons aussi faim

fortunately - heureusement

Question 47

Translate to French:

Unfortunately, this flight has already left

Answer 47

Malheureusement, ce vol est déjà parti

unfortunately - malheureusement

Question 48

What are the French relative pronouns?

Answer 48

qui, que, dont, lequel, où

Relative pronouns connect relative (dependent) clauses to main clauses. For example, in the sentence Le pull que je veux coûte cher, Le pull… coûte cher is the main clause while que je veux is the dependent clause.

Question 49

Translate to French:

The child that I saw is big

Answer 49

L’enfant que j’ai vu est grand

The relative pronoun que replaces the direct object in a dependent clause.

Question 50

Translate to French:

We are looking for the dog that is hungry

Answer 50

Nous cherchons le chien qui a faim

Here, the relative pronoun qui replaces the subject in the dependent clause. Also notice how qui does not always translate to “who”; in this case, it is best translated as “that.”

Question 51

Translate to French:

The boy to whom we gave the present is very pleased

Answer 51

Le garçon à qui nous avons donné le cadeau est très content

Note how à qui replaces the indirect object in the dependent clause. If an indirect object refers to a person and comes after a preposition (à in this case), it can be replaced by qui.

Question 52

Translate to French:

The house in which we’re sleeping is huge

Answer 52

La maison dans laquelle nous dormons est immense

To replace an indirect object that is a thing (not a person) and that comes after a preposition, use lequel or one of its variations. Recall that if the indirect object were a person, it would be replaced by qui.

Question 53

Translate to French:

The reason (for which) she left is complicated

Answer 53

La raison pour laquelle elle est partie est compliquée

a reason - une raison. Note the common construction pour laquelle, in which the feminine variant of lequel agrees with raison.

Question 54

Translate to French:

The cities about which you guys are thinking are strange

Answer 54

Les villes auxquelles vous pensez sont étranges

When preceded by the preposition à, lequel and its variants change to auquel/auxquels/auxquelles. À and laquelle, however, do not contract: they’re simply paired together – la ville à laquelle…

Question 55

Translate to French:

The professor about whom you are speaking lived in England

Answer 55

Le professeur dont tu parles a vécu en Angleterre

The relative pronoun dont replaces any person or object that comes after the preposition de. Depending on context, it can take several meanings, including “of/about which,” “of/about whom,” and “whose.”

Question 56

Translate to French:

The middle school next to which you played sports is closed

Answer 56

Le collège à côté duquel tu as fait du sport est fermé

Dont is not used if it doesn’t immediately follow the noun to which it refers. If the noun is followed by a prepositional phrase (like à côté de), you must use duquel or one of its variants.

Question 57

Translate to French:

The city where she lives is interesting

Answer 57

La ville où elle habite est intéressante

As a relative pronoun, où introduces a relative clause referring to a place or time. It can thus mean both “where” and “when.”

Question 58

Translate to French:

The century in which we live is becoming more and more strange

Answer 58

Le siècle où nous vivons devient de plus en plus étrange

a century - un siècle. Here, the relative pronoun où refers to time. You cannot use quand as a relative pronoun. As an alternative, you could say Le siècle pendant/dans lequel nous vivons…

Question 59

What are the French indefinite relative pronouns?

Answer 59

ce que, ce qui, ce dont, quoi, quiconque

Unlike normal relative pronouns, indefinite relative pronouns do not have a specific antecedent. Most of the indefinite relative pronouns roughly mean “which” or “what.”

Question 60

Translate to French:

The film that Paul saw is very funny. What Paul saw is very funny

Answer 60

Le film que Paul a vu est très drôle. Ce que Paul a vu est très drôle

In the first sentence, the antecedent (the film) is defined. In the second sentence, it is indefinite, as “what Paul saw” is not specifically expressed. When this is the case, the indefinite relative pronoun ce que is used as the direct object in the dependent clause.

Question 61

Translate to French:

What is happening is difficult to understand

Answer 61

Ce qui se passe est difficile à comprendre

Here, the indefinite relative pronoun ce qui serves as the (indefinite) subject of the dependent clause.

Question 62

Translate to French:

I don’t know what you need

Answer 62

Je ne sais pas ce dont tu as besoin

The indefinite relative pronoun ce dont is used before expressions that contain the preposition de.

Question 63

Translate to French:

He knows what I thought about

Answer 63

Il sait à quoi j’ai pensé

The indefinite relative pronoun quoi is used after a preposition.

Question 64

Translate to French:

What I’m thinking about is very stupid

Answer 64

Ce à quoi je pense est très stupide

When à quoi comes at the beginning of a clause, ce is placed in front of it. This also applies to when à quoi comes after c’est: C’est ce à quoi je pense – “That’s what I’m thinking about.”

Question 65

Translate to French:

Anyone who (has) left is a bad person!

Answer 65

Quiconque est parti est une mauvaise personne!

Quiconque is a rare indefinite relative pronoun that is similar to celui qui, which means “the one who/that.” Quiconque, however, typically means “anyone who/that” or “whoever that.”

Question 66

Translate to French:

Anyone can take this class

Answer 66

Quiconque peut suivre ce cours

Quiconque does not function here as an indefinite relative pronoun, as it does not introduce a dependent clause. Instead, it is used as an indefinite pronoun. Used this way, it simply means “anyone.” A common alternative is n’importe qui.

Question 67

What are the French relative pronouns?

Answer 67

Relative pronouns introduce a dependent clause that modifies a noun. Que, qui, lequel, dont, où are the basic relative pronouns. The indefinite relative pronouns are ce que, ce qui, ce dont, quoi, quiconque.

Question 68

Translate to French:

This house belongs to me

Answer 68

Cette maison m’appartient

to belong to - appartenir à. Because this verb takes the preposition à, an indirect object pronoun (m’) is used.

Question 69

Translate to French:

I dreamt about him yesterday

Answer 69

J’ai rêvé de lui hier

to dream - rêver. Both à and de are commonly used after this verb; the difference between the two is minimal, like it is for “to dream of” versus “to dream about.” Note, however, that rêver à does not allow preceding indirect object pronouns.

Question 70

Translate to French:

Elaine cannot do without him

Answer 70

Elaine ne peut pas se passer de lui

to do without - se passer de

Question 71

Translate to French:

I advised him to take the train

Answer 71

Je lui ai conseillé de prendre le train

to advise - conseiller à. Note that “to advise someone to do something” is conseiller à quelqu’un de faire quelque chose.

Question 72

Translate to French:

Jean resembles his father

Answer 72

Jean ressemble à son père

to resemble, to look like - ressembler à

Question 73

Translate to French:

He is giving him a gift

Answer 73

Il lui offre un cadeau

to give, to offer - offrir. This verb denotes giving a gift or offering something. The verb donner denotes the physical handing over of an object.