Masculine Feminine Definite Articles with the Names of Countries in French
When evoking the names of countries in French, you will usually use a definite French masculine, feminine or plural article (le / la / les) to go with it.
It means that when speaking about a specific country, let’s take France and Germany for example, you will need to say ” l’Allemagne” but not “Allemagne” and “la France” and not just “France”. Example:
A: Quel est le nom du pays à l’est de la France ? What’s the name of the country east of France ?
B: C’estl’Allemagne. It’s Germany.
However if you are interested in expressing in French the idea of going to a country, city or continent (Eg. Je suis à Paris, Je vais en Russie, Je vis aux Etats-Unis), you should check the “à”, “en” and “aux” lesson.
When Use the Definite Article ?
In general, you must use a definite article in front of the names of countries, continents, mountains, seas, lakes and rivers. Some of the frequent usage examples:
If you travel to Paris, the chances are that you will take the metro. It is one of the cheapest (the cheapest one being walking) and definitely the fastest mean of transport. The aim of the first dialogue is to give useful phrases of everyday French in the context of the Paris metro situation. The exercisesare not only meant to check the understanding of the dialogue but also make the learners do the effort of trying to find the answer by themselves. You can either look them up on simple-french website or on the Internent. The bigger the effort, the better the results. Be careful with the French names of the stations ! They can be tricky to pronounce !
In the Dialogue 2 you will learn how to buy a metro ticket. When you buy tickets, it is really straightforward. So don't worry too much about it. You will also find some challenging exercises to be fully prepared for your stay in Paris.
Dialogue 1
Voyage en métro à Paris:
A: You B: Your Friend
A: Alors, on est ici, à la station Montparnasse Bienvenüe et on doit aller dans les grands magasins, aux Galeries Lafayette.
B: Tu sais quelle ligne de métro il faut prendre ?
A: Oui, ça parait compliqué mais ça ne l’est pas. Alors Il faut qu’on prenne la direction "Asnières", on descend à "Miromesnil", là c’est une correspondance. On prend ensuite la direction "Mairie de Montreuil" et on a 3 arrêts jusqu’à "Chaussée d’Antin Lafayette". C’est très simple.
B: Très bien. Allons acheter les billets de métro.
Paris Metro Entrance
Exercises
Exercise 1:
Exercise 2:
Exercise 3: Challenge
What line numbers of Paris Metro are they talking about in the dialogue?
In this lesson you will discover the Louvre Museum of Paris, the most visited museum in the world ! You will learn the French vocabulary and structures that will allow you to make the most of your visit in Louvre and your stay in Paris: how to buy tickets and ask for specific information. You will see how to use the French conditional sentences to sound more polite and how to express that you have only small quantity of something. Enjoy !
1. Dialogue: Au musée du Louvre
[su_note note_color=”#FFFF66″ text_color=”#333333″ radius=”3″ class=””]Le musée du Louvre est le musée le plus visité au monde. Vous êtes à Paris et vous décidez d’aller le visiter. Malheureusement, vous n’avez qu’une demi-journée à consacrer à votre visite.[/su_note]
Au guichet (at the counter) :
Madame: Bonjour, je voudrais deux entrées s’il-vous-plaît.
Caissier : Deux billets adultes ? 30 euros s’il-vous-plaît.
Monsieur: Est-ce que vous auriez un guide ? Nous ne savons pas par où commencer …
Caissier: Bien sûr. Pour vous repérer dans le musée vous avez des plans sur le comptoir à gauche. Ils sont gratuits.
Le mieux c’est de prendre en location un audio-guide. Cela necoûteque 6 euros et il contient les commentaires concernant toutes les œuvres du musée..
Monsieur: Par contre nous n’avons pas beaucoup de temps. Auriez-vous un plan avec les œuvres les plus intéressantes ?
Caissier: Bien entendu Monsieur. Il s’appelle “Lesincontournables”. Dedans, vous avez les plus grands chefs-d'oeuvre que le Louvre vous présente. Le voici.
Monsieur: C’est parfait ! Merci beaucoup.
Caissier: A votre service monsieur, dames. Bonne journée et bonne visite !
Monsieur: Merci ! Bonne journée à vous.
Caissier: Au revoir.
Madame: Au revoir !
2. Notes
[su_spoiler title=”Pronunciation”]
French word
Pronunciation
un guide/œ̃//i/
billet /j/
une entrée /ɑ̃/ /e/
adulte /y/
enfant /ɑ̃/
se repérer /ə/ /e/
œuvre /œ/
un chef-d’œuvre * /œ̃/
les incontournables /ɛ̃/ /ɔ̃/
* The "f" in "chef-d'œuvre" is silent.
[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”Dialogue Vocabulary”]
French
English
(le) monde
world. / au monde (a + le = au) : in the world
consacrer
to give time to / to devote time to
un guichet
counter / desk / ticket office
une entrée
entrance ticket
un billet
a ticket / a pass / also a banknote (Eg. un billet de 5 euros)
commencer
to start / to begin
se repérer:
to locate / to get your bearings / to find your way
un comptoir:
counter / bar
à gauche / à droite
on the left / on the right
le mieux
the best
location / prendre en location
to rent
oeuvre(s):
work (of art)
par contre
however / on the other hand
intéressat(e)
Interesting / attractive
un chef-d’œuvre:
a masterpiece / crowning achievement
bien entendu
of course / naturally
les incontournables:
indispensable / that cannot be avoided
dedans
Inside
[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”Additional Vocabulary”]
French
English
L’art et les œuvres d’art
Art and the Works of Art
une exposition / une expo
an exhibition
une collection
a collection
un tableau
a painting
une peinture
a painting
une peinture à l’huile
an oil painting
une aquarelle
a watercolor
un portrait
a portrait
peindre
to paint
un peintre
a painter
une sculpture
a sculpture
un sculpteur
a sculptor
sculpter
to sculpt
[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”Grammar”]
Conditional French :
In general, the conditional structure is used to make a hypothesis about something. It is characterized by the use of the word “if” (si in French) and "would" in the English language and the root of verb in the future tense (eg. the verb "aller" (to go).
The root of the "aller" verb in the future tense is ir. Eg. Demain, j'irai à la plage. (Tomorrow, I will go to the beach.) + the suffix of the French imperfect tense ( –ais, –ais, –ait, –ions, –iez, –aient). The first three endings of the singularpronounsare pronounced exactly the same !
Eg.
If had more money, I would travel around the world.
Si j’avais plus d’argent, je voyagerais autour du monde.
If I were you, I wouldn’t do it.
Si j’étais toi, je ne le ferais pas.
But conditional can also be used to ask politely for something or to give an advice or suggest something.
Eg.
Auriez-vous un guide ? is a polite way of saying:
Do you have a guide ? or Do you happen to have a guide ?
It is more polite than saying:
Avez-vous un guide ?
or
Vous avez un guide ? (no inversion in question)
[su_highlight background=”#DDFF99″ color=”#000000″ class=””]Even though both of these sentences are correct and polite (using the “vous” form, or “vouvoiement”)[/su_highlight]
[su_note note_color=”#FFFF66″ text_color=”#333333″ radius=”3″ class=””]The pronunciation can be daunting at the beginning but if you master the conditionals it will mean you have come a long way in learning the French language. Don’t worry if you make mistakes with conditionals. The French people make them to (as well as in subjunctive case) [/su_note]
Other Examples:
I would like a ticket.
Je voudrais un billet.
I would like to know what you think about it.
J’aimerais avoir ton avis sur le sujet.
B. Ne + verb + que
A very frequent way of expressing small quantity of something, it is translated in English with the word “only”
Consider this example:
This book is expensive. It costs 30 euros.
Ce livre est cher. Il coûte 30 euros.
The other book isn’t expensive. It only costs 3 euros.
L’autre livre n’est pas cher. Il ne coûte que 3 euros.
Simple French lesson on how to order a coffee in a typical French brasserie. You will also learn the two most popular types of coffee ordered in France: un expresso and un café allongé. Enjoy your lesson !
1. Dialogue: Au café
S: Serveur ( awaiter ), Mme: Madame , M: Monsieur
S: Qu’est-ce que vous prendrez Messieurs, Dames ? Mme: Pour moi un café. S: Un café serré ou allongé ? Mme: Ah.., quelle est la différence entre les deux, s’il-vous-plaît ? S: Un café serré est un petit café, un expresso si vous préférez.On l’appelle également un “café court”. M: Et qu’est-ce qu’un café allongé ? S: Un café allongé est toutsimplement un café court avec deux fois plus d’eau. M: D’accord. Un café allongé pour moi s’il-vous-plaît. S: Et pour vous Madame ? Mme: Moi, je prendrai un café court s’il-vous-plaît.
2. Notes
French word
Pronunciation
prendrai /ɛ/
prendrez /e/
Messieurs, Dames /
M’sieurs-Dames
café /e/
serré /e/
allongé /ɔ̃/
expresso
court
This lesson introduces the use of the Simple Future Tense (Le futur simple).
The futur simple is heavily used when making orders in a café, bar or a restaurant. You can also use it when you imagine what your future will look like or when you make projects. In short:
Future Simple:
imagining the future:
Quand je serai grand, je ferai le tour du monde. When I’m big, I will go on a round the world trip.
making projects:
Je prendrai un verre de vin. I will take / have a glass of wine.
Qu’est-ce que vous prendrez Monsieur? What will you take / have, sir ?
Distinctive feature of the French Simple Future Tense :
lots of r sound !
[su_note]
This can be quite daunting for the beginning learners of French. Fortunately, there is a remedy exercise on Simple-French to help you tame the pronunciation of the French “R” sound.
[/su_note]
Simple Future Conjugation (La conjugaison au Futur simple)
prendre
être
je prendrai
tu prendras
il / elle / on prendra
nous prendrons
vous prendrez
ils prendront
je serai
tu seras
il / elle / on sera
nous serons
vous serez
ils seront
Conjugation of Futur Simple with examples:
prendre
Je prendrai un thé.
Tu prendras ce que voudras.
Il / elle / on prendra deux cafés.
Nous prendrons un taxi.
Vous prendrez la première à gauche.
Ils prendront la même chose.
Dialogue Vocabulary
French
English
Les verbes
Verbs
prendre
to take
commander
to order
boire
to drink
préférer
to prefer
Les noms
Nouns
un serveur / une serveuse
a waiter / a waitress
Monsieur-Dames
a common French expression to address both a man and a woman at the same time (if both are present). It is pronounced as one word.
la différence
difference
un café
a coffee
eau
water
Les adjectifs
Adjectives
serré
pressed / squeezed (du verbe serrer: to thighten / to press)
petit
small
grand
big
court
short / brief
alongé
stretched out / extended (du verbe allonger: to extend, to prolong)
d’accord
OK / All right ! (from: être d’accord = to agree / to be in agreement)
Additional Vocabulary:
Les boissons:
Drinks:
un café au lait
milky coffee / latte
un café crème
a middle cup of coffee and milk
un petit / grand café
a small / big coffee
(un) sucre
Je prendrai du sucre avec mon café s’il-vous-plaît.
Imagine you are on a trip to Paris. You have been walking for 2 hours and now you want to make a break. You have spotted unebrasserie and you decide to enter inside to have a coffee. Write a dialogue in which:
You have to order 1 coffee with milk for you, an espresso for you friend and two teas for two other people who are with you.
You need to speak for yourself (I will take …) and for your friend (he / she will take …) and the two other people ( they will take …).
![Métro de Paris2 [RERTRAM]](https://i0.wp.com/simple-french.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Carte_Métro_de_Paris.jpg)
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