Lesson 4 Flashcards
In this deck, you will learn about the gerund and the present progressive. You will also learn the basic colors and vocabulary terms dealing with the household.
Translate to French:
My house is near the high school
Ma maison est près du lycée
near - près. Note that when près is followed by a noun, you must add de between it and the noun. In this case, de le is of course replaced by du.
Translate to French:
The classroom is full
La salle est pleine
full - plein. Note that if you want to say “I am full (from eating),” it is incorrect to say Je suis plein. Instead, say J’ai trop mangé.
Translate to French:
There are many kids in the house
Il y a plein d’enfants dans la maison
many, lots of - plein de. This construction is an informal alternative to beaucoup de.
Translate to French:
The school is empty
L’école est vide
empty - vide
Translate to French:
Our teacher’s classroom is almost full
La salle de classe de notre enseignant est presque pleine
almost, nearly - presque, quasiment. Note that an alternative is pratiquement, which means “practically” or “virtually.”
Translate to French:
My car is almost entirely empty
Ma voiture est presque entièrement vide
totally, entirely - totalement, entièrement. These adverbs are formed from the adjectives total and entier, respectively.
Translate to French:
Marie is entirely pleased. Julie is entirely happy
Marie est toute contente. Julie est tout heureuse
entirely - tout. Tout can be used as an adverb. Adverbs are normally invariable, but tout is an exception. It agrees with feminine adjectives that begin with a consonant (as in the first sentence). The feminine adjective in the second sentence starts with a vowel sound, however, so tout is unchanged.
Translate to French:
Marie and Claire are entirely tired. Jean and Paul are entirely tired
Marie et Claire sont toutes fatiguées. Jean et Paul sont tout fatigués
entirely - tout. Tout is irregular as an adverb in that it agrees with feminine adjectives (unless they begin with a vowel sound). With masculine adjectives, however, it is invariable (as in the second sentence).
Translate to French:
My middle school is very near/close to Sophia’s house
Mon collège est tout près de chez Sophia
very - tout (adv.). Tout takes on this added meaning when it’s used to modify other adverbs (in this case, près).
Translate to French:
I leave tomorrow for Paris
Je pars demain pour Paris
to leave - partir. This is an irregular -IR verb that conveys leaving for or from somewhere. You can use the verb quitter to say that you are leaving someone or someplace, but it must take a direct object.
Translate to French:
Are we going out tonight?
Sortons-nous ce soir?
to go out - sortir. Note that this is an irregular -IR verb.
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They leave the house
Ils quittent la maison
to leave - quitter. Note that quitter is used specifically to signify leaving someone or something. If you want to say that you are leaving in general, use partir.
Translate to French:
I have to leave
Je dois partir
to have to - devoir. This irregular verb is often followed by an infinitive. It can also mean “to owe.” Its present-tense conjugations are je dois, tu dois, il/elle/on doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils/elles doivent.
What is a present participle, and how is it formed in French?
A present participle is the equivalent of the “-ing” verb form in English, when referring to a verb in progress. To form it, drop the conjugation ending from the nous form of the present tense and add -ant. For example, for the verb chanter, the present participle is chantant.
Translate to French:
Do you see the woman writing the book?
Est-ce que tu vois la femme écrivant le livre?
Note how the present participle is used here to modify a noun (la femme).
Translate to French:
The boys who come from Paris are smart
Les garçons qui viennent de Paris sont intelligents. Les garçons venant de Paris sont intelligents
Note the two French translations of this sentence. The first is the more literal translation. The second employs the present participle venant to replace the clause qui viennent.
Translate to French:
I think while walking
Je pense en marchant
When the present participle describes an action related to the main verb, it is called a gerund. It almost always follows the preposition en, in which case it means “while/upon ___-ing.” Here, the action en marchant is related to the central action, pense.
Translate to French:
By walking, you lose weight
En marchant, vous maigrissez
Note that the gerund can be used to explain the cause or effect of something. When it serves this purpose, it is translated as “by ___-ing.”
Translate to French:
I love dancing
J’adore danser
English verb + English present participle = French verb + French infinitive. When a second verb directly follows a first, conjugated verb, the second verb’s infinitive is used. J’adore dansant would be incorrect. In general, when you want to express a verb in its noun form (“I love dancing”), you use its infinitive (J’adore danser).
Translate to French:
Seeing is believing
Voir, c’est croire
In English, the present participle (“seeing”) is used as a noun. In French, however, the infinitive (voir) is used. Using the French present participle – Voyant, c’est croire – would be wrong.
Translate to French:
She’s leaving the room
Elle quitte la pièce
a room - une pièce. Pièce is used to refer to a room in general. You can also use salle, often to refer to a room with a specific purpose.
Translate to French:
You clean everything
Tu nettoies tout
to clean - nettoyer. In the present, the stem of this verb changes from nettoi- to nettoy- in the nous and vous forms: nous nettoyons.
Translate to French:
I am cleaning the house
Je suis en train de nettoyer la maison
to be ___-ing - être en train de + infinitive. The present progressive, or present continuous, denotes that you are in the process of doing something. The present tense could also work here: Je nettoie la maison. The construction Je suis nettoyant is NOT an acceptable translation of “I am cleaning.”
Translate to French:
The child cleans his bedroom too often
L’enfant nettoie sa chambre trop souvent
a bedroom - une chambre
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I’m in the process of making my bed
Je suis en train de faire mon lit
a bed - un lit
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My chest of drawers is full
Ma commode est pleine
a chest of drawers - une commode
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We are cleaning the kitchen today
Aujourd’hui nous nettoyons la cuisine
a kitchen - une cuisine
Translate to French:
I’m always cold!
J’ai toujours froid!
cold - froid. Note the use of the verb avoir to say “I am cold.” This translates directly to “I have cold.”
Translate to French:
It’s hot (outside)
Il fait chaud
hot - chaud. In order to indicate that it is hot, you must use the third-person singular form of the verb faire. This is true for the cold as well: “It’s cold” would be Il fait froid.
Translate to French:
The water is too hot
L’eau est trop chaude
water - l’eau. Note that this is a feminine noun.
Translate to French:
This neighborhood is small
Ce quartier est petit
a neighborhood - un quartier
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The refrigerator is in the kitchen
Le frigidaire est dans la cuisine
a refrigerator - un frigidaire
Translate to French:
There is too much water in the sink
Il y a trop d’eau dans l’évier
a sink - un évier. Note that the word for “a bathroom sink” is un lavabo.
Translate to French:
I’m emptying the bathroom sink
Je suis en train de vider le lavabo
to empty - vider
Translate to French:
The kitchen is clean
La cuisine est propre
clean - propre. For this adjective to mean “clean,” you should use it after the noun: une cuisine propre is “a clean kitchen.” Propre takes on a different, possessive meaning when used before the noun.
Translate to French:
The bathroom is large
La salle de bain est grande
a bathroom - une salle de bain
Translate to French:
She’s taking a shower
Elle prend une douche
a shower - une douche. Note that the verb doucher can mean “to shower” or “to wash” something.
Translate to French:
Do you take a shower every day?
Prends-tu une douche tous les jours?
every day - tous les jours
Translate to French:
I’m going to the bathroom
Je vais aux toilettes
the toilet, the bathroom - les toilettes. Note that in French the word for “toilet” is always plural. Also note that à le becomes au and à les becomes aux.
Translate to French:
He washes his car
Il lave sa voiture
to wash - laver
Translate to French:
The car is dirty
La voiture est sale
dirty - sale
Translate to French:
My brother speaks French all the time
Mon frère parle français tout le temps
all the time - tout le temps. Note that temps means both “time” and “weather.”
Translate to French:
You guys sully the kitchen all the time
Vous salissez la cuisine tout le temps
to soil, to sully - salir
Translate to French:
We’re eating in the dining room
Nous mangeons dans la salle à manger
a dining room - une salle à manger. Note that for the first-person plural of manger, the “e” is kept in the stem.
Translate to French:
Are you doing the dishes?
Est-ce que tu fais la vaisselle?
to do the dishes - faire la vaisselle. There are several household-related faire expressions. Others include faire les courses (“to run errands” or “to go shopping”), faire le ménage (“to do housework”), and faire la lessive/le linge (“to do the laundry”).
Translate to French:
It’s a great chair
C’est une chaise magnifique
a chair - une chaise. Note that “a seat” would be un siège.
Translate to French:
I’m sitting in the dining room
Je m’assieds dans la salle à manger
to sit - s’asseoir. Note that this is a reflexive verb, which we will talk more about elsewhere.
Translate to French:
We are deciding to leave tonight
Nous décidons de partir ce soir
to decide - décider. This verb should be followed by the preposition de.
Translate to French:
This chair is too hard
Cette chaise est trop dure
hard - dur. Note that dur can also be used to mean “difficult,” just like the word “hard” in English.
Translate to French:
He pulls the door
Il tire la porte
to pull (out) - tirer. Note the feminine noun for “door,” porte.
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We’re in the living room
Nous sommes dans le salon
a living room - un salon
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The baby can walk
Le bébé peut marcher
a baby - un bébé
Translate to French:
I sleep on the couch
Je dors sur le canapé
a couch, a sofa - un canapé. The masculine nouns sofa and divan would also work here.
Translate to French:
The baby is sleeping in his crib
Le bébé dort dans son berceau
a crib - un berceau
Translate to French:
How much does the sofa cost? It’s free
Combien coûte le canapé? Il est gratuit
free (of cost) - gratuit. The feminine form is gratuite. The invariable adjective gratis is an alternative. Note that C’est gratuit would also work here.
Translate to French:
I like to watch television
J’aime regarder la télévision
to watch - regarder. Note that télévision is a feminine noun.
Translate to French:
They have a new couch
Ils ont un nouveau divan
new - nouveau. The plural masculine form is nouveaux, while the feminine form is nouvelle(s). Depending on context, nouveau can sometimes mean “another.”
Translate to French:
The living room floor is clean
Le sol du salon est propre
the floor - le sol
Translate to French:
I have a new rug for the bathroom
J’ai un nouveau tapis pour la salle de bain
a rug, a carpet - un tapis
Translate to French:
I’m taking the stairs
Je prends les escaliers
stairs, staircase - escalier(s). The plural escaliers refers to “stairs” or “steps.” The singular escalier would translate more accurately to “staircase.”
Translate to French:
I like colors
J’aime les couleurs
a color - une couleur
Translate to French:
The color of this light is interesting
La couleur de cette lumière est intéressante
light - la lumière. Note that lumière applies to both “a light” (in a room or on a ceiling) and all “light” in general.
Translate to French:
The lamp is small
La lampe est petite
a lamp - une lampe
Translate to French:
There’s a light on the ceiling
Il y a une lumière sur le plafond
a ceiling - un plafond
Translate to French:
The furniture in this house is very old
Les meubles dans cette maison sont très vieux
furniture - des meubles. This word is typically plural when referring to “furniture” collectively. A single piece of furniture would be un meuble.
Translate to French:
The book is on the bookshelf
Le livre est sur l’étagère
a bookshelf - une étagère
Translate to French:
We are going down the stairs
Nous descendons les escaliers
to go down, to descend - descendre. This is a regular -RE verb.
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Are they going up the stairs?
Montent-ils les escaliers?
to go up, to climb, to ascend - monter. This is a regular -ER verb.
Translate to French:
The elevator is going down
L’ascenseur descend
an elevator - un ascenseur
Translate to French:
This elevator is slow
Cet ascenseur est lent
slow - lent
Translate to French:
My neighbor is named Béatrice. She is very pretty
Ma voisine s’appelle Béatrice. Elle est très jolie
a neighbor - un voisin
Translate to French:
The living room chairs are red
Les chaises du salon sont rouges
red - rouge
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The ceiling is blue
Le plafond est bleu
blue - bleu
Translate to French:
She has a yellow couch
Elle a un canapé jaune
yellow - jaune
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They have a grey house
Ils ont une maison grise
grey - gris
Translate to French:
Is your neighbor’s house green?
La maison de ton voisin est-elle verte?
green - vert
Translate to French:
My mother has a pink car
Ma mère a une voiture rose
pink - rose
Translate to French:
The book is brown
Le livre est marron
brown - marron. Note that marron is invariable. It is used to describe objects, while brun is used to describe the color of hair and eyes.
Translate to French:
The walls are green
Les murs sont verts
a wall - un mur. To refer to a wall around a city or property, you would use une muraille.
Translate to French:
I have a purple bed
J’ai un lit violet
purple - violet
Translate to French:
He is leaving the white house near our school
Il quitte la maison blanche près de notre école
white - blanc. Note the feminine form of the adjective in the example.
Translate to French:
The television is not black anymore
La télévision n’est plus noire
black - noir
Translate to French:
Do you want an orange pen?
Veux-tu un stylo orange?
orange - orange
Translate to French:
My parents have a big red door
Mes parents ont une grande porte rouge
a door - une porte
Translate to French:
I never open the door for my friends
Je n’ouvre jamais la porte pour mes amis
to open - ouvrir. As with many verbs, the past participle of this verb, ouvert, is commonly used as an adjective – “open.”
Translate to French:
The door is closed
La porte est fermée
to close - fermer. Note the use of this verb’s past participle as an adjective here, similar to what happens in English.
Translate to French:
She closes the window
Elle ferme la fenêtre
a window - une fenêtre
Translate to French:
My friend Marc is always depressed
Mon ami Marc est toujours déprimé
depressed - déprimé. Note that “depressing” would be déprimant.
Translate to French:
She is the shyest person that I know
C’est la personne la plus timide que je connais
shy - timide
Translate to French:
Paul has many friends because he is very outgoing
Paul a beaucoup d’amis parce qu’il est très extraverti
outgoing - extraverti. You could also call an outgoing person ouvert.
Translate to French:
I’m still bored
Je suis toujours ennuyé
bored - ennuyé. Note that the adverb toujours can be used to mean “still” as well as “always.” Note the adverb’s placement right after the conjugated verb but before the adjective. Also recall that ennuyeux means “boring.”
Translate to French:
I do not want to go out because I am exhausted
Je ne veux pas sortir parce que je suis épuisé
exhausted - épuisé
Translate to French:
She is finally motivated
Elle est enfin motivée
motivated - motivé. Note that the opposite of motivé is démotivé.
Translate to French:
Claire is always in good spirits
Claire est toujours de bonne humeur
mood, spirits - humeur. Note that the preposition de must precede the adjective when describing the type of mood someone is in. For example, “Jean is in a bad mood” would be Jean est de mauvaise humeur.
Translate to French:
He is in great shape
Il est en grande forme
shape, form - forme. Note that en must precede any adjective modifying forme. Forme can refer to both one’s physical and mental states.
Translate to French:
I cannot finish this horrible snack
Je ne peux pas finir cet encas horrible
horrible - horrible
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This book is truly terrible
Ce livre est vraiment terrible
terrible - terrible. Note that the French expression pas terrible is actually used somewhat positively to express that something is “OK” or “nothing special.”
Translate to French:
She closes the door slowly
Elle ferme la porte lentement
slowly - lentement. Here, the suffix -ment is paired with the (feminine form of the) adjective lent to create the adverb. The feminine form is used simply to make the resulting adverb sound better when spoken.
Translate to French:
My dad walks too quickly
Mon père marche trop rapidement
rapidly, quickly - rapidement. This adverb is formed by pairing the adjective rapide with the suffix -ment. Recall that vite could also work here.
Translate to French:
He reacts strangely
Il réagit bizarrement
strangely - bizarrement. Note that you could also use étrangement.
Translate to French:
Her cat is really fat
Son chat est très gros
fat - gros. Note that the feminine form is grosse. The word for “cat,” chat, is masculine.
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I have three dogs
J’ai trois chiens
a dog - un chien
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He’s mad when he goes to school
Il est en colère quand il va à l’école
mad - en colère. Furieux, enragé, and fâché are common alternatives.
Translate to French:
She is sleeping all day!
Elle dort toute la journée!
all day - toute la journée. This is an example of the present progressive in English because the subject is in the process of sleeping, but in French the basic present tense can be used: elle dort.
Translate to French:
I feel sad
Je me sens triste
I feel - je me sens. This is an example of a reflexive verb, which we will cover in-depth elsewhere. Reflexive verbs are used in fixed expressions, like je m’appelle, so for now just commit these few to memory.
Translate to French:
This story is becoming more and more interesting
Cette histoire devient de plus en plus intéressante
more and more - de plus en plus. Note that the opposite construction, “less and less,” is de moins en moins.
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We are more or less in agreement
Nous sommes plus ou moins d’accord
more or less - plus ou moins
Translate to French:
Marie believes that she is invincible
Marie croit qu’elle est invincible
invincible - invincible
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We become weaker while growing older
On devient plus faible en vieillissant
weak - faible. Note that faible also means “quiet” when referring to the volume of something.
Translate to French:
When I feel weak, I take these pills
Quand je me sens faible, je prends ces pilules
a pill - une pilule
Translate to French:
That movie seems/looks really funny!
Ce film a l’air très drôle!
to seem/look - avoir l’air. Note that when this construction is paired with an adjective, the adjective does not need to agree in gender and number with the subject.
Translate to French:
Jean looks like a king
Jean a l’air d’un roi
to look like - avoir l’air de. Note that when paired with a noun, the expression avoir l’air takes on the preposition de. The same is true when it’s paired with the infinitive of a verb: “You look like you are angry” translates as Tu as l’air d’être fâché.
Translate to French:
I think while eating
Je pense en mangeant
Translate to French:
Jean is in the process of cooking himself a meal
Jean est en train de se faire à manger
Translate to French:
A student succeeds by studying
Un étudiant réussit en étudiant
Translate to French:
Upon opening the door, Marie sees her uncle
En ouvrant la porte, Marie voit son oncle
