XPress: French in 40 Hours

Basic Expressions

In this section: Description, Exercises

Description

Here are the basic words/expressions that everyone needs to know. Once they have been mastered, you can focus on the other categories.

English French Listen and Repeat
 Write
hello bonjour  
please s'il vous plaît
  
good-bye au revoir
  
I need J'ai besoin de
  
I would like Je voudrais  
Where is? Où est
  ?
My name is

Je m'appelle

  
Help aide  
Thank you merci  
When is ...? Quand est-ce que
   ?
I am sick Je suis malade
  
I am sorry Je m'excuse
  
yes oui  
no non  
Do you speak English? Vous parlez anglais
   ?
I am Je suis
  
I have J'ai  
to eat manger  
to drink boire  
the police la police  
the hospital l'hôpital
  
to lose perdre  
the money l'argent  

 

Basic Numbers and Days

English French Listen and Repeat
 Write
zero zéro  
one un
  
two deux  
three trois  
four quatre  
five cinq  
six six  
seven sept  
eight huit  
nine neuf  
ten dix  
today aujourd'hui  
tomorrow demain  
yesterday hier  
Monday lundi  
Tuesday mardi  
Wednesday mercredi  
Thursday jeudi  
Friday vendredi  
Saturday samedi  
Sunday dimanche  
an hour une heure  
a day un jour  
a week une semaine
  
tonight ce soir    

 Here is some more information about numbers and dates/time.

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Grammar Point: Present Tense

The present tense of a verb is formed by dropping the ending of the infinitive (-er, -ir or -re) and using the appropriate present tense ending. For example:

travailler ("to work") > je travaille  ("I work"); tu travailles ("you work"); partir ("to leave") > ils partent ("they leave); prendre ("to take") > elle prend ("she takes").

For some common verbs, you need to learn the somewhat unpredictable verb forms:

être ("to be") > Je suis ("I am"); Tu es ("you are")

avoir ("to have") > J'ai ("I have"); Tu as ("you have").

You can find out more about the present tense of verbs here.

In this section: Description, Exercises
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