Lesson 16 Flashcards
This deck covers the past infinitive and the use of infinitives with verbs of perception, "(se) faire," and "laisser." It also focuses on advanced negation and health words.
Translate to French:
The teacher had (made) the students sing
L’instituteur a fait chanter les élèves
Recall the causative use of faire, which is formed by faire + an infinitive. If the direct object in a causative construction is a noun (les élèves in this case), it follows the infinitive.
Translate to French:
She had the car washed. She had it washed
Elle a fait laver la voiture. Elle l’a fait laver
If the direct object in a causative construction is an object pronoun (l’ in this case), it precedes faire. Also note that the object of faire here is laver, so the past participle of faire does not agree with the preceding feminine direct object pronoun.
Translate to French:
Have the house built. Have it built
Faites construire la maison. Faites-la construire
Note the placement of the direct objects in these (affirmative) imperative causative constructions. When the direct object is a pronoun (as in the second sentence), it follows the verb (attached with a hyphen) but precedes the infinitive.
Translate to French:
He had the students sing the song. He had them sing it
Il a fait chanter la chanson par les élèves. Il la leur a fait chanter
Here, two pronouns are used with the causative faire. The students (those doing the action) are the indirect object, while the song being sung is the direct object. Note also that the past participle of faire is invariable when followed by an infinitive.
Translate to French:
I am having him clean it
Je le lui fais nettoyer
Two pronouns are used in this causative construction. Recall that le/la/les should come before lui/leur when two pronouns are used.
Translate to French:
She had the newspaper brought to her
Elle s’est fait apporter le journal
The reflexive causative indicates that the subject is having something done to or for himself/herself.
Translate to French:
You have your hair cut
Tu te fais couper les cheveux
Note the use of the reflexive se faire in this causative construction. Also recall how the definite article is used with body parts like cheveux.
Translate to French:
I let Marcel do his homework
Je laisse Marcel faire ses devoirs
Note how the infinitive can be used after the verb laisser. This is similar to how the infinitive is used with faire in causative constructions.
Translate to French:
Did you let Jean eat the dessert?
Est-ce que tu as laissé Jean manger le dessert?
Translate to French:
My parents let me play guitar
Mes parents me laissent jouer de la guitare
Note how the direct object pronoun me precedes the verb here.
Translate to French:
I let him do it
Je le laisse le faire
There are two object pronouns here. One of them precedes the verb, while the other, which is the object of the infinitive, precedes the infinitive. In other words, the second le here refers to “it,” which is the object of the infinitive faire.
Translate to French:
We hear Paul singing
On entend chanter Paul
Just like laisser, verbs of perception can be followed by the infinitive. Verbs that can be used like this include: entendre, voir, sentir, regarder, and écouter.
Translate to French:
We saw Maxime reading his book
Nous avons vu Maxime lire son livre
In this verb of perception + infinitive construction, the noun livre (the object of the infinitive lire) comes after the infinitive.
Translate to French:
I see the girl eating. I see her eating
Je vois manger la fille. Je la vois manger
Note the placement of the direct object pronoun before the verb of perception.
Translate to French:
We heard Marie sing(ing) the song. We heard her sing(ing) the song
Nous avons entendu Marie chanter la chanson. Nous l’avons entendue chanter la chanson
Note how the feminine past participle agrees with the preceding feminine object pronoun l’, which replaces Marie.
Translate to French:
They heard her singing
Ils l’ont entendue chanter
Note how the participle agrees with the preceding object pronoun, which refers to a woman singing. The woman performs the action expressed by the infinitive. In other words, she is the subject of the infinitive, which warrants participle agreement.
Translate to French:
They heard it (the song) sung
Ils l’ont entendu chanter
Here, the participle entendu does not agree with the preceding object pronoun, which refers to a song being sung. This is because the song is actually the object of the infinitive, chanter. Participle agreement could only occur if the song were the subject of the infinitive, which is not the case.
Translate to French:
We heard her sing(ing) the song. We heard her sing(ing) it
Nous l’avons entendue chanter la chanson. Nous l’avons entendue la chanter
Here, two object pronouns are used. The first (l’) applies to the person singing, while the second (la) is the song being sung.
Translate to French:
After visiting Paris, he went to Grenoble
Après avoir visité Paris, il est allé à Grenoble
Note the past infinitive, which is formed by pairing the infinitive of either avoir or être with a past participle. The past infinitive is used for actions that happened before other actions. Both actions are performed by the same subject.
Translate to French:
Thank you for helping him
Merci de l’avoir aidé
In English, the more literal translation here would be “Thanks for having helped him,” which is how we say it in French. Also note the object pronoun l’, placed before the verb construction here.
Translate to French:
I’m sorry for having missed you at the airport
Je suis désolé de t’avoir manqué à l’aéroport
Note the use of de after désolé – “sorry for.” Also note the object pronoun t’, which precedes the past participle construction.
Translate to French:
They’re happy that they came
Ils sont contents d’être venus
Note how the past participle agrees with the subject, since the auxiliary verb is être. (A more direct English translation would have been “They’re happy for having come.”)
Translate to French:
You guys wanted to (have) finish(ed) by Saturday
Vous vouliez avoir terminé avant le samedi
Here, the past infinitive modifies the main verb, vouloir.
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Julie? After seeing her, we left
Julie? Après l’avoir vue, nous sommes partis
Note how the past participle vue agrees with its preceding feminine direct object.
Translate to French:
He regrets not coming/having come
Il regrette de ne pas être venu
Note the placement of negative adverbs in the past infinitive. Ne and pas do not surround the past infinitive; instead, they both precede it.
Translate to French:
Marie can no longer take care of her grandmother
Marie ne peut plus prendre soin de sa grand-mère
to take care of - prendre soin de. Note that an alternative is the reflexive construction s’occuper de.
Translate to French:
I dream of a day when cancer will be cured
Je rêve d’un jour où le cancer sera guéri
to cure - guérir. Note that “to cure someone of something” is guérir quelqu’un de quelque chose. Also note how où is used instead of quand to refer to a moment in time.
Translate to French:
Sorry to bother you
Excusez-moi de vous déranger
to bother, to disturb - déranger
Translate to French:
I sneeze when I’m in the same room as a dog
J’éternue quand je suis dans la même pièce qu’un chien
to sneeze - éternuer
Translate to French:
When someone sneezes, I always say “Bless you!”
Quand quelqu’un éternue, je dis toujours “À vos souhaits!”
bless you - à vos souhaits. This literally means “to your wishes.” When addressing someone with whom you are more familiar, you could say à tes souhaits.
Translate to French:
This year, orange is in style
Cette année, l’orange est à la mode
in style - à la mode
Translate to French:
She has the know-how to take care of herself
Elle a le savoir-faire de s’occuper d’elle-même
know-how - le savoir-faire. This is an invariable masculine noun.
Translate to French:
I thank you for helping me
Je vous remercie pour votre aide
to thank - remercier. Note that “to thank someone for something” is remercier quelqu’un pour quelque chose.
Translate to French:
Thank him for me
Remerciez-le de ma part
for someone, on someone’s behalf - de sa part
Translate to French:
She was thankful to him for the flowers
Elle lui était reconnaissante pour les fleurs
grateful, thankful - reconnaissant. This adjective takes the preposition à – “grateful to.” Also note that the feminine noun reconnaissance means “thanks” or “gratitude.”
Translate to French:
If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living?
Si ce n’est pas indiscret, que faites-vous dans la vie?
if you don’t mind me asking - si ce n’est pas indiscret. Some equivalent expressions include: si cette question ne vous dérange pas and pardonnez mon indiscrétion, mais.
Translate to French:
In addition, the symptoms of the virus are not yet known
En outre, les symptômes du virus ne sont pas encore connus
in addition - en outre. This is a relatively formal construction. Note how pas encore is used here to mean “not yet.”
Translate to French:
It is henceforth forbidden to leave before 6 o’clock
Il est désormais interdit de partir avant 18 heures
henceforth - désormais, dorénavant. Another option is dès lors.
Translate to French:
Nonetheless, I believe that it is always important to help others
Néanmoins, je crois qu’il est toujours important d’aider les autres
nevertheless, nonetheless - néanmoins, pourtant. Another synonym is cependant.
Translate to French:
Marie prepared the whole meal, apart from the appetizer
Marie a préparé tout le repas, hormis l’entrée
except (for), apart from - hormis. This is a formal word that is most commonly seen in written French.
Translate to French:
In olden days, the flu was a much more serious illness
Jadis, la grippe était une maladie bien plus grave
formerly, in olden days - jadis. This is a more formal alternative to autrefois and auparavant.
Translate to French:
As a result, he can no longer travel to France
Par conséquent, il ne peut plus voyager en France
as a result - par conséquent
Translate to French:
Which one? Either one or the other, they’re both great
Lequel? Soit l’un, soit l’autre, ils sont tous les deux géniaux
either… or - soit… soit. Note the use of tous les deux to mean “both.”
Translate to French:
You have neither sisters nor brothers
Tu n’as ni soeurs ni frères
neither… nor - ne… ni… ni. No article or partitive is used after this construction. Also note that ni can be used more than twice: Il n’a parlé ni à Sophie, ni à Paul, ni à Jean – “He talked neither to Sophie, nor to Paul, nor to Jean.”
Translate to French:
Neither one can go there
Ni l’un ni l’autre ne peut y aller
neither one - ni l’un(e) ni l’autre ne. Note how this construction serves as the subject of the sentence. Also note how the verb is conjugated in the third-person singular.
Translate to French:
The scarves? We did not want either one
Les écharpes? On ne voulait ni l’une ni l’autre
either one - ni l’un(e) ni l’autre. Here, this construction is used as the direct object (rather than the subject), which changes its meaning to “either one” (rather than “neither one”). Notice how the verb takes the negative ne.
Translate to French:
Is there anyone tall in your class?
Y a-t-il personne de grand dans ta classe?
anyone - personne. In a question or conditional sentence, personne can be used without the negative ne, meaning “anyone.”
Translate to French:
Paul eats a lot. Me too. Paul doesn’t eat much. Neither do I
Paul mange beaucoup. Moi aussi. Paul ne mange pas beaucoup. Moi non plus
neither, either - non plus. This is the negative form of aussi.
Translate to French:
I know it. You know it too. Actually, I don’t know it. You don’t know it either
Je le sais. Tu le sais aussi. En fait, je ne le sais pas. Tu ne le sais pas non plus
neither, either - non plus
Translate to French:
Is there a way of finding it?
Est-ce qu’il y a une façon de le trouver?
a way - une façon, une manière. These nouns mean “way” as in “manner.” Chemin or direction should be used to mean “way” as in “direction.”
Translate to French:
In the end, she is all he has
Au bout du compte, elle est tout ce qu’il a
all said and done, in the end, ultimately - au bout du compte, en fin de compte
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The symptoms of this illness are very well known
Les symptômes de cette maladie sont très bien connus
a symptom - un symptôme
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Headaches are a common problem
Les maux de tête sont un problème commun
common - commun. Note the plural form of the term un mal de tête, “a headache.”
Translate to French:
The storm damaged John’s boat
La tempête a endommagé le bateau de John. / Le bateau de John a été endommagé dans la tempête
to damage, to harm - endommager, abîmer, nuire à. The first two verbs are more literal, dealing directly with physical harm. Nuire à can be used more figuratively.
Translate to French:
Claude was seriously injured when he fell last night
Claude a été gravement/sérieusement blessé quand il est tombé hier soir
to injure - blesser
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Alcohol can damage your liver
L’alcool peut nuire au foie
the liver - le foie
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His heart was beating rapidly
Son coeur battait rapidement
the heart - le coeur. Note that you could also say Son coeur battait vite.
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Fortunately, the accident did not damage his brain
Heureusement, l’accident n’a pas endommagé son cerveau
the brain - le cerveau
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This blood disease is very serious
Cette maladie du sang est très grave
blood - sang. The verb “to bleed” is saigner. To order rare meat in French, ask for it to be “bleeding,” or saignant.
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Smoking causes damage to the lungs
Fumer nuit aux poumons
a lung - un poumon
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I was not able to stop coughing
Je ne pouvais pas arrêter de tousser
to cough - tousser
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Marie is staying home today because she has a cold
Marie reste à la maison aujourd’hui parce qu’elle a un rhume
a cold - un rhume
Translate to French:
In winter, the flu is a very common illness
En hiver, la grippe est une maladie très commune
the flu - la grippe
Translate to French:
This medication can cure the symptoms of the flu
Ce médicament peut guérir les symptômes de la grippe
medication, medicine - des médicaments. Note that “medicine” as a general profession is la médecine.
Translate to French:
The majority of Americans think that health insurance costs too much
La plupart des Américains pensent que l’assurance maladie coûte trop cher
medical/health insurance - l’assurance maladie. This term is feminine. Note how penser is conjugated in the third-person plural. Also note how cher is not spelled chère: it is used here as an adverb, so no agreement is needed with the feminine noun assurance.
