verbs ending in -er, for example, fumer (to smoke)In English as in French, the present tense is used to express what happens and what is true at the present time.
He lives in Paris.
I like chocolate.
Note, however, that whereas English has three present tense forms: the simple present (she sings), the continuous present (also called present progressive), which consists of the present tense of to be and the verb ending in -ing (she is singing), and the emphatic present (she does sing), French has only the simple present (elle chante), which translates all three English forms.
This chapter will treat the present tense in the indicative mood, which states facts objectively.
There are three groups of regular verbs in French
verbs ending in -er, for example, fumer (to smoke)
verbs ending in -ir, for example, finir (to finish)
verbs ending in -re, for example, entendre (to hear)
The present tense of regular verbs ending in -er consists of the stem of the verb and certain endings. The stem of the verb (which is the same for all persons) is found by dropping the -er ending of the infinitive. The personal endings that are added to the stem of all regular -er verbs are: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
The following is the present tense conjugation of the verb demander. It can serve as a model for all regular -er ending verbs in the present tense.
demander to ask
Since the verb endings of the first-, second-, and third-person singular, as well as of the third-person plural (demande, demandes, demande, demandent) are silent, these four verb forms are pronounced alike [d
mãd].
Since the final -s in ils and elles is silent, il demande and ils demandent are pronounced alike [ildmãd], and elle demande is pronounced the same way as elles demandent [εldmãd].
If however the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h, the final s of ils and elles is audible in the liaison, and the pronunciation of the third-person singular and plural is not identical. Compare:
If the stem of the verb ends in r, this r must of course be pronounced: j’entre, tu rencontres, il montre, elle rentre, etc.
If the stem of the verb ends in a vowel, this vowel must be pronounced (except in verbs ending in -guer).
Remember that if the verb begins with a vowel or a mute h, the e of je is dropped.
Note also that the expression tout le monde (everybody) takes the third-person singular verb form.
Listed here are some commonly used regular -er verbs.
admirer to admire
adorer to adore
aider to help
aimer to like, love
apporter to bring
arriver to arrive
chanter to sing
chercher to look for
coûter to cost
danser to dance
déjeuner to have/eat lunch
demander (à) to ask
dépenser to spend (money)
détester to detest, hate
dîner to have/eat dinner
donner to give
écouter to listen (to)
embrasser to hug, kiss
enseigner to teach
entrer (dans) to enter, come in
étudier to study
fermer to close
fumer to smoke
gagner to win, earn
habiter to live (reside)
jouer to play
laver to wash
marcher to walk
monter to go up
montrer to show
oublier to forget
parler to speak, talk
passer to go/pass/come by, spend (time), take (a test)
penser to think
pleurer to cry
porter to wear, carry
quitter to leave (a person or place)
raconter to tell (a story)
regarder to look at, watch
remercier to thank
rencontrer to meet
rentrer to return (home)
rester to stay
retourner to return
sonner to ring (bell, telephone, alarm clock, etc.)
téléphoner (à) to call on the telephone
tomber to fall
tourner to turn
travailler to work
traverser to cross
trouver to find
visiter to visit (places)
EXERCICE
1•1
Complétez les phrases suivantes avec la forme correcte du verbe entre parenthèses. (Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.)
1. (habiter) Marie ______________ à Cannes.
2. (travailler) Je ______________ dans une usine.
3. (coûter) Le livre ______________ vingt euros.
4. (jouer) Les enfants ______________ dans le jardin.
5. (sonner) Le téléphone ______________ souvent.
6. (écouter) Nous ______________ la radio.
7. (tourner) Tu ______________ à gauche.
8. (danser) Vous ______________ très bien.
9. (adorer) Elle ______________ le chocolat.
10. (aimer) Tout le monde ______________ les vacances.
EXERCICE
1•2
Traduisez les mots entre parenthèses. (Translate the words in parentheses.)
1. (We visit) ______________ la France.
2. (She teaches) ______________ le latin.
3. (You [pol.] sing) ______________ la chanson.
4. (I think) ______________ que oui.
5. (We go up) ______________ l’escalier.
6. (We show) ______________ la photo.
7. (He hugs) ______________ l’enfant.
8. (They [masc.] find) ______________ la solution.
9. (They [masc.] kiss) ______________ le bébé.
10. (I fall) ______________ dans le piège.
11. (He tells) ______________ une histoire (a story).
12. (She watches) ______________ la télévision.
13. (We eat dinner) ______________ à sept heures.
14. (They [masc.] eat lunch) ______________ à midi.
15. (He cries) ______________ tout le temps.
16. (You [fam.] play) ______________ au tennis.
17. (I stay) ______________ à la maison.
18. (They [fem.] study) ______________ le français.
19. (He lives) ______________ à Rouen.
20. (You [fam.] close) ______________ la porte.
21. (I forget) ______________ tout.
22. (They [masc.] help) ______________ le vieil homme.
23. (You [pol.] bring) ______________ une bouteille de vin.
24. (You [fam.] give) ______________ de l’argent aux pauvres.
25. (I like) ______________ les animaux.
26. (They [masc.] win) ______________ le match.
27. (We thank) ______________ nos parents.
28. (They [masc.] cross) ______________ la rue.
29. (She is wearing) ______________ une jolie robe blanche.
30. (He works) ______________ dans un bureau.
EXERCICE
1•3
Est-ce vrai ou faux? (Write vrai in the blank if the statement is true, write faux if it is false.)
______ 1. Je chante mal.
______ 2. J’étudie le français à l’université.
______ 3. Ma mère joue du piano.
______ 4. Je regarde la télévision chaque jour.
______ 5. Mes amis aiment danser.
______ 6. Je déjeune à midi.
______ 7. Mon ami(e) porte souvent un jean.
______ 8. J’habite à Paris.
______ 9. Je danse très bien.
______ 10. Je dépense beaucoup d’argent.
EXERCICE
1•4
Remplissez les tirets avec la forme correcte des verbes suivants. (Fill in each blank with the correct form of a verb that fits best in the context. Use each verb from the following list only once.)
regarder, écouter, jouer, chanter, pleurer, danser, aimer, habiter, enseigner, parler
1. Nous ______________ la télévision.
2. Les professeurs ______________.
3. À la discothèque, on ______________.
4. J’ ______________ les bonbons.
5. À l’opéra, on ______________.
6. Les bébés (babies) ______________ souvent.
7. Vous ______________ au golf.
8. Les Américains ______________ anglais.
9. Tu ______________ la radio.
10. David ______________ à San Francisco.
To make a statement negative, one places ne (n’ before a vowel or mute h) before the verb and pas after it.
EXERCICE
1•5
Est-ce vrai ou faux (true or false)?
______ 1. Le président français n’habite pas à New York.
______ 2. Les Français n’aiment pas le vin.
______ 3. Les Américains ne fument pas.
______ 4. Tiger Woods ne joue pas au golf.
______ 5. Céline Dion ne chante pas bien.
______ 6. Les chômeurs (The unemployed) ne trouvent pas de travail.
______ 7. L’équipe de basket-ball de ma ville ne gagne pas souvent.
______ 8. Les étudiants ne restent pas à la maison tout le temps.
EXERCICE
1•6
Écrivez les phrases suivantes à la forme négative. (Make the following statements negative.)
1. Je tombe souvent malade. _____________________________________________
2. J’aime les chats. _____________________________________________
3. Il travaille dur. _____________________________________________
4. Nous parlons chinois. _____________________________________________
5. Les Français dînent à cinq heures. _____________________________________________
6. Le livre coûte cher. _____________________________________________
7. Vous habitez ici. _____________________________________________
EXERCICE
1•7
Répondez négativement aux questions suivantes.
1. Vous détestez le lait? _____________________________________________
2. Tu arrives demain? _____________________________________________
3. Il admire son frère? _____________________________________________
4. J’étudie trop? _____________________________________________
5. Je parle mal? _____________________________________________
There are a number of -er ending verbs that, although being otherwise regular, show slight spelling changes (which almost always affect the pronunciation) in some of their present tense forms. Whether these verbs add an accent grave (è), change an accent aigu (é) to an accent grave, double a consonant, or turn a y into an i, these changes always occur in all singular persons as well as in the third-person plural, i.e., in those persons where the verb ending is silent. The nous and vous forms, the endings of which are pronounced, will conserve the spelling of the infinitive, since its ending is audible as well.
And here is another way to remember where the spelling changes occur. If one conjugates these verbs by writing the singular (je, tu, il) forms in one column and the plural (nous, vous, ils) forms in another, and if one draws a line around the affected verb forms, one gets the shape of a boot. All forms inside the boot will show the change, nous and vous will not.
The verb appeler (to call), for example, doubles its l inside the boot.
The following spelling changes occur:
A. Verbs that have -e- in the next to last syllable of the infinitive.
1. Some of these verbs double the last consonant of the stem in all persons except nous and vous.
jeter to throw
appeler to call
épeler to spell
projeter to plan
rappeler to call back, remind
2. Some change the e into è in all persons except nous and vous.
acheter to buy
Other such verbs are:
achever to finish (complete a task)
amener to bring (a person)
élever to raise, bring up (children)
emmener to take (a person)
enlever to take off, kidnap
geler to freeze
lever to lift, raise
mener to lead
peser to weigh
promener to take for a walk
EXERCICE
1•8
Écrivez (Write) la forme correcte du verbe entre parenthèses.
1. (appeler) Ils ______________ le médecin.
2. (promener) Elle ______________ son chien.
3. (peser) Tu ______________ soixante kilos.
4. (emmener) Nous ______________ les enfants au cinéma.
5. (enlever) J’ ______________ mon manteau.
6. (épeler) Vous ______________ votre nom.
7. (geler) On ______________ ici.
8. (mener) Tous les chemins (All roads) ______________ à Rome.
9. (acheter) Elles ______________ un magnétoscope (VCR).
Traduisez (Translate) en français les mots entre parenthèses.
1. (She buys) ______________ tout en solde (on sale).
2. (They [fem.] throw) ______________ l’argent par la fenêtre.
3. (We throw) ______________ les livres par terre.
4. (I call) ______________ mes parents.
5. (He brings) ______________ son frère.
6. (We raise) ______________ trois enfants.
7. (She raises) ______________ la main.
8. (You [pol.] call back) ______________ ce soir.
B. Verbs that have an é in the next to last syllable of the infinitive change é to è in all persons except nous and vous.
espérer to hope
Other such verbs are:
céder to yield
célébrer to celebrate
considérer to consider
exagérer to exaggerate
posséder to own
préférer to prefer
protéger to protect
répéter to repeat
EXERCICE
1•10
Écrivez la forme correcte du verbe entre parenthèses.
1. (protéger) Ils ______________ la nature.
2. (exagérer) Vous ______________ tout le temps!
3. (considérer) Je ______________ cette possibilité.
4. (céder) Elle ______________ rarement.
5. (préférer) Nous ______________ attendre.
6. (répéter) Tout le monde ______________ la question.
EXERCICE
1•11
Traduisez (Translate) en français les mots entre parenthèses.
1. (I hope) ______________ bien.
2. (You [fam.] prefer) ______________ le chocolat noir.
3. (They [masc.] don’t repeat) ______________ la phrase.
4. (We celebrate) ______________ une grande victoire.
5. (He owns) ______________ un restaurant.
6. (She exaggerates) ______________ toujours.
C. Verbs ending in -yer
1. Verbs ending in -ayer can change the y into an i in all persons except nous and vous. They can also keep the y throughout the conjugation.
payer to pay (for)
Other such verbs are:
balayer to sweep
essayer to try, try on
2. Verbs ending in -oyer or in -uyer must change the y into an i in all persons except nous and vous.
nettoyer to clean
ennuyer to bore, bother, annoy
appuyer to press, lean
employer to use, employ
envoyer to send
essuyer to wipe
D. Verbs ending in -ger and -cer show spelling changes only in the nous form for phonetic reasons.
1. Verbs ending in -ger add e after the letter g in the nous form of the present tense in order to make the g sound [
] and thereby conserve the [] sound of the infinitive throughout the conjugation. Without the inserted e, the letter g would be pronounced [
] since g followed by a “dark” vowel (a, o, u) = [].
manger to eat
Other such verbs are:
changer to change
corriger to correct
déranger to disturb, bother
engager to hire
envisager to plan
exiger to demand
interroger to interrogate
mélanger to mix
nager to swim
obliger to oblige, force
partager to share
plonger to dive
protéger to protect
ranger to tidy up, put away
télécharger to download
voyager to travel
2. Verbs ending in -cer add a cédille to the c in the nous form of the present tense in order to make the c sound [s] and thereby conserve the [s] sound of the infinitive throughout the conjugation. Without the cédille, the c would be pronounced [k] since c followed by a “dark” vowel (a, o, u) = [k].
commencer to begin, start
Other such verbs are:
annoncer to announce
effacer to erase
forcer to force
menacer to threaten
placer to place, put
prononcer to pronounce
Écrivez la forme correcte du verbe entre parenthèses.
1. (payer) Elle ______________ la facture.
2. (essayer) Nous ______________ les vêtements.
3. (appuyer) J’ ______________ sur le bouton.
4. (envoyer) Ils ______________ un courriel.
5. (ranger) Nous ______________ nos affaires.
6. (effacer) Nous ______________ le tableau.
7. (télécharger) Nous ______________ des jeux.
8. (employer) Il ______________ la force.
EXERCICE
1•13
Traduisez en français les mots entre parenthèses.
1. (We pronounce) ______________ les mots correctement.
2. (We share) ______________ une chambre.
3. (He travels) ______________ en Italie.
4. (We are eating) ______________ des cuisses de grenouille (frogs’ legs).
5. (Vegetarians [Les végétariens] don’t eat) ______________ de viande.
6. (I try) ______________ de faire de mon mieux.
7. (She sends) ______________ un cadeau à son petit ami.
8. (We send) ______________ une carte postale.
9. (You [fam.] clean) ______________ la maison.
10. (We begin) ______________ le travail.
11. (We swim) ______________ dans la piscine.
12. (We don’t disturb) ______________ nos voisins.
13. (They [masc.] sweep) ______________ le garage.
14. (You [pol.] download) ______________ des logiciels gratuits.
15. (I pay) ______________ en espèces (cash).
The present tense of regular verbs ending in -ir consists of the stem of the verb and the following endings: -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. Here is a model conjugation:
finir to finish
Other such verbs are:
applaudir to applaud
bâtir to build
choisir to choose
(dés)obéir (à) to (dis)obey
grandir to grow up
grossir to get fat, put on weight
guérir to heal, cure, get well
maigrir to lose weight
punir to punish
ralentir to slow down
réfléchir (à) to think, reflect (on)
remplir to fill, fill in
réussir (à) to succeed, be successful
rougir to blush, turn red
vieillir to grow old
EXERCICE
1•14
Écrivez la forme correcte du verbe entre parenthèses.
1. (remplir) Vous ______________ le verre.
2. (réussir) Tu ______________ à l’examen.
3. (choisir) Je ______________ un bon dessert.
4. (guérir) Le médecin ______________ le malade.
5. (rougir) Nous ______________ quelquefois.
6. (obéir) Ils ______________ à leurs parents.
7. (vieillir) Tout le monde ______________.
8. (grossir) Ils ______________ toujours pendant les vacances.
Traduisez en français les mots entre parenthèses.
1. (We choose) ______________ la meilleure solution.
2. (They [masc.] grow up) ______________ vite.
3. (One doesn’t put on weight) ______________ quand on mange des légumes.
4. (They [masc.] reflect) ______________ avant de prendre une décision.
5. (We applaud) ______________ le gagnant.
6. (You [pol.] build) ______________ des châteaux en Espagne.
7. (She doesn’t punish) ______________ l’enfant.
8. (I blush) ______________ rarement.
9. (You [fam.] slow down) ______________ au carrefour.
10. (She doesn’t lose weight) ______________ facilement.
The present tense of regular verbs ending in -re consists of the stem of the verb and the following endings: -s, -s, — (no ending), -ons, -ez, -ent. Here is a model conjugation:
attendre to wait (for)
Other such verbs are:
descendre to go down
entendre to hear
perdre to lose
rendre to give back
répondre (à) to answer
vendre to sell
Note:
The verbs rompre (to break) and interrompre (to interrupt) add -t to the third-person singular: il rompt, il interrompt.
The verb rendre is used in the expression rendre visite à (to visit [a person]).
If the verb rendre is used with an adjective, it means to make (sb angry, sad, etc.).
EXERCICE
1•16
Écrivez la forme correcte du verbe entre parenthèses.
1. (descendre) Je ______________ l’escalier.
2. (interrompre) Il ______________ la réunion.
3. (entendre) Nous ______________ un bruit.
4. (rendre) Tu ______________ les livres.
5. (perdre) On ______________ son argent à Las Vegas.
6. (vendre) Ils ______________ leur voiture.
7. (rendre) Ça (That) ______________ les gens tristes.
EXERCICE
1•17
Traduisez en français les mots entre parenthèses.
1. (We don’t sell) ______________ les meubles.
2. (I give back) ______________ l’argent.
3. (You [pol.] go down) ______________ à la cave.
4. (She loses) ______________ la tête (her mind).
5. (You [fam.] hear) ______________ mal.
6. (I am not waiting) ______________ patiemment.
7. (He doesn’t answer) ______________ correctement.
8. (They [masc.] lose) ______________ toujours leurs clés.
9. (We visit) ______________ nos parents.
EXERCICE
1•18
Est-ce vrai ou faux?
________ 1. J’achète tous mes vêtements en solde (on sale).
________ 2. De nos jours (Nowadays), beaucoup de gens tombent malade du SIDA (AIDS).
________ 3. En France, on dîne plus tôt (earlier) qu’aux États-Unis.
________ 4. Les Français célèbrent leur fête nationale le 14 juillet.
________ 5. Je nettoie ma chambre tous les matins (every morning).
________ 6. Mes parents possèdent un hôtel.
________ 7. Je pèse soixante kilos (≈ 130 pounds).
________ 8. Je perds mes cheveux.
________ 9. Les médecins guérissent les malades.
________ 10. Dans un ascenseur en France, on appuie sur le bouton 0 (ou RC) pour arriver au rez-de-chaussée.
Traduisez en français.
My aunt Élodie lives in Lyon. She works in a middle school where she teaches Spanish. She doesn’t earn a lot of money, but she likes her job a lot. Every morning, she leaves the house early, and she arrives at school at seven-thirty. She goes up to the second floor where her students are waiting. While she speaks, the students listen. Sometimes, they sing a song that (que) their teacher chooses. Élodie’s classes finish at three P.M. Usually, she stays at school ’til four o’clock and helps the students. Some of them think that she gives too much homework. When she hears the bell, Élodie closes her office door and goes home.
Élodie’s husband, Marc, works in the shoe department of a department store that (qui) employs more than five hundred people. He always wears a suit and a tie. His customers try on sandals, boots, tennis shoes, and flip-flops, but they don’t buy anything if they don’t find the color and the style that (qu’) they are looking for. Occasionally, Marc loses patience. Nevertheless, he sells at least one hundred pairs of shoes every day.
VOCABULAIRE
In French as in English, there are two types of questions.
1. Questions that expect yes (oui) or no (non) for an answer.
2. Questions that ask for specific information.
Note that whereas English uses a form of to do to form most questions, faire (to do) is not used in French to ask a question.
There are three ways to form this type of question in French.
1. By placing est-ce que (est-ce qu’ before a vowel) at the beginning of the declarative sentence without changing its word order. Est-ce que is invariable. A question formed with est-ce que can be used both in formal and informal style, in speaking as well as in writing.
2. By using inversion. Questions using inversion generally belong to the formal use of the language. There are two types of inversion depending on whether the subject of the sentence is a noun or a personal pronoun.
1. Simple inversion. Simple inversion is used when the subject is a personal pronoun. The pronoun (except je, which is used in an inverted question only with a few irregular verbs) is placed after the verb and linked to it by a hyphen.
When the third-person singular (il, elle, on) verb form ends in a vowel, the letter t must be inserted surrounded by two hyphens between the verb and the pronoun. This is the case with all regular -er ending verbs.
2. Complex inversion. When the subject is a noun, simply inverting subject and verb is not possible in French. In this case, complex inversion is used. The noun is placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb and the corresponding subject pronoun (i.e., il for any masculine singular noun, elle for every feminine singular noun, etc.). There is a hyphen (or a hyphen + t + hyphen if the verb ends in a vowel) between the verb and the subject pronoun. Questions using complex inversion are used in formal written French.
3. By intonation (i.e., by raising the pitch of one’s voice at the end of a statement). This type of question is of course restricted to the spoken language. It is very common on an informal level.
Traduisez en français. (Translate the following question into French in three different ways.)
Do you (fam.) like hamburgers (les hamburgers)?
EXERCICE
1•21
Traduisez en français les phrases suivantes en utilisant est-ce que et l’inversion (si c’est possible).
1. Do you (pol.) study French? ______________________________
2. Does he watch television (la télévision)?______________________________
3. Do they visit the (le) Louvre? ______________________________
4. Do I dance well (bien)?______________________________
5. Do we lose?______________________________
6. Do you (fam.) live in Mexico (au Mexique)?______________________________
7. Do I eat too much (trop)?______________________________
8. Are you (fam.) staying at home (à la maison)?______________________________
9. Does the teacher earn a lot of money? ______________________________
10. Do the volunteers (les bénévoles [m.pl.]) help?______________________________
Note: If the question expects an answer that confirms what has been asked, n’est-ce pas (which is invariable) can be added at the end of the declarative statement without changing its word order. Depending on the sentence, n’est-ce pas has various equivalents in English: right?, isn’t it?, doesn’t he?, haven’t you?, don’t you?, do you?, etc.
EXERCICE
1•22
Voilà la réponse. Quelle était la question? (Write the questions that triggered the following answers using n’est-ce pas.)
1. Oui, j’aime la cuisine italienne. ______________________________
2. Non, Pierre n’habite pas à Paris. ______________________________
3. Oui, le cours commence à huit heures. ______________________________
4. Oui, nous visitons la France. ______________________________
5. Oui, Marie porte des lunettes (glasses).______________________________
Such questions begin with interrogative expressions (interrogative adverbs, interrogative pronouns, or interrogative adjectives).
*Note that the noun following combien is always preceded by de. If combien is not followed by a noun, de is not used.
1. If the subject is a pronoun, the interrogative adverbs are followed either (except with je) by simple inversion (= verb + hyphen + pronoun) or by est-ce que and regular word order.
2. If the subject is a noun, the interrogative adverbs are followed either by complex inversion (= noun + verb + corresponding pronoun) or by est-ce que and regular word order.
Note: After où, comment, quand, and combien simple inversion can be used with a noun subject in short sentences consisting only of a question word, a verb (in a simple tense), and a subject (which comes at the end of the question).
But: After pourquoi, simple inversion is never used if the subject is a noun.
EXERCICE
1•23
Traduisez en français les phrases suivantes. (Use both est-ce que and inversion [if possible] with each question.)
1. Where do you (fam.) work? ______________________________
2. When do we return? ______________________________
3. How does he travel? ______________________________
4. How many houses do they (masc.) own? ______________________________
5. Why do you (pol.) ask? ______________________________
6. Where does your sister (votre sœur) live? ______________________________
7. When do I arrive? ______________________________
8. Why is the boy (le garçon) crying? ______________________________
EXERCICE
1•24
Traduisez en français les phrases suivantes.
1. What do they (masc.) buy? ______________________________
2. What does he study? ______________________________
3. What do we like? ______________________________
4. Who succeeds? ______________________________
5. Who(m) do you (fam.) love? ______________________________
6. What are you (pol.) waiting for? ______________________________
7. What are you looking (pol.) for? ______________________________
8. What are you (fam.) talking about?______________________________
The interrogative adjective quel (which, what) precedes the noun with which it agrees in gender and number. Its four forms are:
Quel(le)(s) is used to express what (instead of que or qu’est-ce que) when a noun (or a form of the verb être [to be] + noun) follows immediately. The verb être is irregular and will be presented later on. Its third-person singular form is est (is); its third-person plural form is sont (are).
Traduisez en français les phrases suivantes.
1. Which newspapers do they sell? ______________________________
2. At what time do you (fam.) eat dinner? ______________________________
3. In which city do you (fam.) live? ______________________________
4. What is your (votre) phone number (numéro [m.] de téléphone)?______________________________
5. Which dessert do you (pol.) choose? ______________________________
6. What is the date of your (ton) birthday? ______________________________
7. What are your (vos) favorite leisure time activities (loisirs [m.pl.])?______________________________
8. What is your (votre) size (taille [f.])?______________________________
EXERCICE
1•26
Répondez aux questions avec des phrases complètes.
Exemple: Question: Aimez-vous le vin?
Réponse: Non, je n’aime pas le vin. or: Oui, j’aime le vin.
1. Habitez-vous à Paris? ______________________________
2. Qu’est-ce que vous cherchez? ______________________________
3. Parlez-vous italien? ______________________________
4. Est-ce que vous réussissez toujours aux examens? ______________________________
5. À quelle heure déjeunez-vous en général (usually)? (à midi? à une heure?) ______________________________
6. Quand est-ce que vous dînez d’habitude? (à six heures?) ______________________________
7. Qu’est-ce que vous étudiez? ______________________________
8. Mangez-vous beaucoup? ______________________________
9. Qui attendez-vous? ______________________________
10. Pourquoi étudiez-vous le français?______________________________
Voilà la réponse. Quelle était la question? (What was the question that triggered the following answers? Ask about the highlighted words using interrogative expressions.)
Exemple: Réponse: J’achète deux livres.
Question: Combien de livres achètes-tu?
1. J’habite à Paris.______________________________
2. J’attends mon ami.______________________________
3. Elle voyage en avion (by plane).______________________________
4. J’étudie le français parce que j’aime le français.______________________________
5. Nous détestons la pluie (the rain).______________________________
6. Je suis américain(e).______________________________
7. Ils dînent à sept heures.______________________________
8. La voiture coûte vingt mille dollars.______________________________
9. Il invite trois personnes.______________________________
10. Elle arrive demain.______________________________
An object is a noun or pronoun toward which the action of the subject is directed. In the sentence, “Peter closes the door,” for example, Peter is the subject and the door is the object.
There are three kinds of objects: direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of a preposition. In French, a direct noun object follows the verb without the presence of a preposition; an indirect noun object is always preceded by à (to); and a noun object of a preposition is separated from the verb by a preposition other than à, such as de (of), pour (for), avec (with), dans (in), etc.
In the sentence j’aime ma mère (I like/love my mother), ma mère is a direct object because it is not preceded by a preposition.
In the sentence je parle à ma mère (I speak to my mother), ma mère is an indirect object because it is separated from the verb by à.
In the sentence j’habite avec ma mère (I live with my mother), ma mère is the object of the preposition avec.
Most French verbs add on an object in the same manner as their English equivalents, that is, when English doesn’t use a preposition, French doesn’t either: il oublie le livre (he forgets the book), j’entends la musique (I hear the music). When English requires a certain preposition, French often uses the corresponding one, for example, j’envoie la lettre à mon fils (I send the letter to my son), il travaille pour son père (he works for his father). There are however some French verbs that add on an object differently from English and therefore require special attention. We will review the most important ones.
A. Verbs taking a direct object in French but a preposition (for, at, to) in English
attendre qn/qch to wait for sb/sth
chercher qn/qch to look for sb/sth
écouter qn/qch to listen to sb/sth
payer qch to pay for sth
regarder qn/qch to look at sb/sth
EXERCICE
1•28
Traduisez en français.
1. We look at the pictures. ______________________________
2. They (masc.) listen to the radio. ______________________________
3. I pay for the meal. ______________________________
4. He is waiting for the bus. ______________________________
5. She is looking for her (son) dog. ______________________________
6. You (pol.) pay for the drinks.______________________________
Note: If the object of these verbs is a pronoun (him, her, them, etc.) rather than a noun (the bus, the radio, etc.), direct object pronouns are used, preceding the verb.
Here are the forms of the direct object pronouns before a word beginning with a consonant and before a word beginning with a vowel or mute h: me/m’ (me), te/t’ (you), le/l’ (him, it), la/l’ (her, it), nous (us), vous (you), les (them).
Note that the direct object pronoun comes before the verb in French, while in English, it follows.
Cherches-tu le savon? —Oui, je le cherche.
Are you looking for the soap? —Yes, I am looking forit.
Attendez-vous le plombier? —Non, je ne l’attends pas.
Are you waiting for the plumber? —No, I am not waiting for him.
B. Verbs taking an indirect object in French but a direct object in English
assister à qch to attend sth (an event, lecture, etc.)
demander à qn to ask sb
obéir à qn/qch to obey sb/sth
rendre visite à qn to visit sb
répondre à qn/qch to answer sb/sth
ressembler à qn/qch to resemble sb/sth
réussir à (un examen) to pass (an exam)
téléphoner à qn to call sb (on the phone)
Note: When the preposition à is followed by the masculine singular definite article le (the), it contracts to au; if it is followed by the plural definite article les (the), it contracts to aux. The singular articles la and l’ (used before a noun starting with a vowel or mute h) do not contract with the preposition à.
C. The verb entrer. Whereas to enter takes a direct object in English (He enters the building.), entrer requires the preposition dans (in) before the object.
EXERCICE
1•29
Traduisez en français.
1. Do you (fam.) obey your father? ______________________________
2. The children obey the parents. ______________________________
3. We answer the letter. ______________________________
4. He answers Marie. ______________________________
5. We ask the boy. ______________________________
6. She calls her (son) boyfriend. ______________________________
7. They enter the house. ______________________________
8. I visit my (ma) aunt. ______________________________
9. She resembles her (son) brother. ______________________________
10. We attend the wedding. ______________________________
11. They (masc.) always pass the exam.______________________________
Note: If the object of the verbs taking à before a noun is a pronoun, the indirect object pronouns are used. Here are their forms before a word beginning with a consonant and before a word beginning with a vowel: me/m’ (to me), te/t’ (to you), lui (to him), lui (to her), nous (to us), vous (to you), leur (to them).
Like the direct object pronouns, the indirect object pronouns are placed before the verb in French.
Téléphones-tu au médecin? —Oui, je lui téléphone.
Do you call (Are you calling) the doctor? —Yes, I call (I’m calling) him/her.
Demandez-vous aux enfants? —Non, je ne leur demande pas.
Do you ask the children? —No, I don’t ask them.
D. Jouer à and jouer de
When a game or sport is played, the verb jouer is followed by the preposition à. Here are some games and sports one can play:
jouer au billard to play billiards, pool
jouer au bridge to play bridge
jouer au poker to play poker
jouer aux cartes to play cards
jouer aux dames to play checkers
jouer aux échecs to play chess
jouer à un jeu to play a game
jouer au base-ball to play baseball
jouer au basket-ball to play basketball
jouer au football to play soccer
jouer au football américain to play football
jouer au golf to play golf
jouer au hockey to play hockey
jouer au tennis to play tennis
jouer au volley-ball to play volleyball
EXERCICE
1•30
Traduisez en français les phrases suivantes.
1. Denise plays cards. ______________________________
2. They (masc.) don’t play chess. ______________________________
3. We play pool. ______________________________
4. Do you (fam.) play golf? ______________________________
5. Do you (pol.) play volleyball? ______________________________
6. They are playing a game. ______________________________
7. The children are playing soccer. ______________________________
8. Our team plays basketball very well.______________________________
À quoi jouent les personnes suivantes?
Exemple: Pélé Il joue au football.
1. Tiger Woods______________________________
2. David Beckham et Zinédine Zidane ______________________________
3. Babe Ruth______________________________
4. Michael Jordan ______________________________
5. Bobby Fisher et Boris Spasky ______________________________
6. Chris Evert et Andre Agassi______________________________
7. Joe Namath______________________________
When a musical instrument is played, the verb jouer is followed by the preposition de.
When the preposition de is followed by the masculine singular definite article le (the), it contracts to du. The singular articles la and l’ (used before a noun starting with a vowel or mute h) do not contract with the preposition de.
Here are some instruments one can play:
jouer de la batterie to play drums
jouer de la flûte to play the flute
jouer de la guitare to play the guitar
jouer de la harpe to play the harp
jouer de la trompette to play the trumpet
jouer de l’accordéon to play the accordion
jouer de l’orgue to play the organ
jouer du piano to play the piano
jouer du violon to play the violin
EXERCICE
1•32
Comment dit-on en français?
1. Who plays the guitar? ______________________________
2. My brother plays the piano and the flute. ______________________________
3. Do you (fam.) play the violin? ______________________________
4. I don’t play the trumpet. ______________________________
5. Antoine plays the organ. ______________________________
6. They (masc.) don’t play the harp.______________________________
Formez des phrases avec les éléments donnés. Ajoutez (Add) une préposition si c’est nécessaire.
Exemple: les étudiants/obéir/le professeur
Les étudiants obéissent au professeur.
1. les étudiants/demander/les professeurs ______________________________
2. Anne/répondre/le téléphone ______________________________
3. nous/attendre/le train ______________________________
4. je/écouter/la musique ______________________________
5. David/téléphoner/ses copains ______________________________
6. vous/entrer/la chambre ______________________________
7. tu/jouer/le piano ______________________________
8. Sébastien/jouer/le tennis ______________________________
9. les enfants/chercher/les jouets______________________________
E. Manquer and manquer à (to miss)
The verb manquer takes a direct object (like its English equivalent) when one misses something by not arriving on time or by not being present.
The verb manquer takes an indirect object when the absence of someone or something is regretted. If the object is a noun, it is preceded by à, if it is a pronoun, one of the indirect object pronouns is used. Remember that these pronouns precede the verb.
To translate sentences with to miss in this context correctly, one must know that while in English one says “somebody misses someone or something,” in French, one says “someone or something lacks to somebody.”
Note that the object of the English sentence (me in the English examples above) becomes the subject of the French sentence (je), and the subject of the English sentence (my parents and they in the examples above) becomes the indirect object (à mes parents and leur) of the French sentence.
Comment dit-on en français?
1. I miss Paris. ______________________________
2. My friends miss me. ______________________________
3. Her parents miss her. ______________________________
4. They don’t miss the mosquitoes (les moustiques [m.pl.]).______________________________
5. Do you (fam.) miss her? ______________________________
6. Does she miss you (fam.)?______________________________
7. Does he miss you (fam.)?______________________________
8. Do you (pol.) miss me? —Yes, I miss you (pol.).______________________________
9. She misses him. ______________________________
10. He doesn’t miss her.______________________________
EXERCICE
1•35
Qu’est-ce qui ou qui est-ce qui vous manque quand vous voyagez à l’étranger? (What or whom do you miss when you travel abroad?)
Exemple: ma sœur et mon frère (my sister and brother)
Ma sœur et mon frère me manquent.
1. mon lit (my bed)______________________________
2. mes amis (my friends)______________________________
3. mon ordinateur (my computer)______________________________
4. mon pays (my country)______________________________
5. ma voiture (my car)______________________________
6. ma chambre (my room)______________________________
Traduisez en français.
Anne, Mary, Bill, and Tom study French at a private high school in Oregon. They adore that language, and they never miss class. Every day, their French teacher, Miss Dutronc, enters the building at eight o’clock sharp. While she is waiting for the elevator, she is looking for her office key. Sometimes, she calls her parents in Belgium. She misses them a lot. Luckily, her father pays for these calls, because they are expensive. Miss Dutronc’s students always obey their teacher, and most of the time, they answer her questions correctly. They often ask Miss Dutronc to play the piano, and they listen attentively to the music. Once a month, they look at slides that (que) their teacher brings to class. On Fridays, in order to reward her (ses) students, Miss Dutronc plays games with them (eux).
VOCABULAIRE
