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Lesson 10: What do you like doing in your free time ?

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Simple French Lesson 10 on how to say what your hobbies are and what you like doing. Learn how to ask questions and how to answer using “I / You like”.

1. Dialogue : “Qu’est ce que tu aimes faire ?”

Antoine: Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire Marie ?
Marie: Tu veux dire pendant mon temps libre ?
Antoine: Exactement. Quel est ton passe temps favori ?
Marie: J’aime lire et regarder des films.
Antoine: Quel genre de livres aimes-tu ?
Marie: J’aime les livres d’aventure et de la littérature populaire. Pour les films, j’adore les vieux films français. Et toi, Antoine ?
Antoine: Moi, j’aime la musique. Ecouter, jouer et chanter, ce sont mes passions !

2. Notes

Pronunciation
French word pronunciation
pendant
favori
lire
aventure
littérature
passion
Grammar

! This lesson uses Simple Present Tense (Le présent). It also focuses on the use of the adjective quel

The verb aimer

aimer: to love, to be fond of, to like, to enjoy
J’aime les voitures allemandes.

Tu aimes faire du sport.

Il / Elle aime sortir avec des amis.

Nous aimons la cuisine espagnole.

Vous aimez le café ?

Ils / Elles aiment voyager.

  • Negative sentence:
    • Je n’aime pas le café. ne (or n’ if a vowel comes after it) + verb + pas
    • You need to use definite article (le / la / les) when you want to say that you like or don’t like something in particular.
    • ! Je t’aime ! = I love you ! but J’adore Paris ! = I love Paris !
    • ! Je t’aime bien = I like you.
    • J’aime bien cette couleur. = I (somewhat / kind of) like this colour.
Vocabulary
French English
aimer to like / to be fond of
dire to say
pendant during / while / in
un passe temps a hobby
lire to read
regarder to look / to watch
quel / quelle which / what
(un) genre type / sort / kind
adorer to really like
écouter to listen to
jouer to play (in instrument or a game (sport / video)
chanter to sing
une passion a passion
Useful expressions

Some Useful Expressions:

  • Qu’est ce que tu veux dire ? What do you mean ?
  • Je suis fou / folle de toi / de basket / de joie ! I’m crazy about you / basketball / I’m mad with joy !
Additional Vocabulary

Some examples of hobbies:

French English
écouter de la musique to listen to music
l’équitation / monter à cheval horse riding
le cyclisme cycling / bicycling
surfer sur le net to go web surfing / web browsing
jouer de la guitare to play the guitar
le basket basketball
jouer au foot to play football
sortir to go out
parler avec des amis to talk with friends
courir / faire du jogging to run / to go jogging
aller à la pêche / pêcher to go fishing / to fish
jardinage / jardiner gardening / to do some gardening
nager / faire de la natation to swim
cuisiner / faire de la cuisine to cook

3. Exercises

Translate the following sentences:

1. What do you like doing ?
Qu'est-ce que ?
2. What do you mean ?
Qu' ?
3. I love Paris !
!
4. We like Spanish food.
Nous .
5. They (feminine) don't like travelling.
Elles .
6. I somewhat like this car.
cette voiture.

4. Homework

  1. Write what you like doing. Choose 1 or 2 activities that you like, 1 that you like so-so and 1 you don’t like. Do this in the first person singular ( Je ….) and the second person singular (Tu …)
  2. Learn the dialogue by heart. You may replace the activities you like with the ones of your choice.

The cover image by Vincent Anderlucci.

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Lesson 9: French Alphabet

In this lesson you will learn the sounds of French letters and how to spell the words in French.

1. French Alphabet

L’alphabet français:

French Letter
A

B
C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Montmartre, Antonis Lamnatos - Flickr
Eiffel Tower, Banajova - Flickr
Louvre, Dimitry B. - Flickr

2. Notes

The French alphabet consists of 26 letters five of which may have variations unknown to the English language. But to keep it simple, we say for now that all the letters of the French alphabet are the same as English ones.

3. Exercises

Spell the following words:

  1. Brown
  2. Dupont
  3. Richardson
  4. Kowalski
  5. Je suis à Paris.

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Lesson 8: French Basic Words and Expressions 3: Questions and Exclamations

The third part of “Learn the basic words and sentences in French”. Learn the basic Greeting words in French. If you want to start with something really simple or if you just want to to be speaking some basic French words to be polite with the French people on your journey to a French speaking country, then this lesson is for you. You may also see this lesson as a reminder of the words you had learned long, long time ago. Have fun !

1. French Basic Words: Questions and Exclamations

French English
1. Comment allez-vous ? How are you ? (polite, formal)
2. Ça va ? How are you doing ? / Is everything all right ? (informal)
3. Tout va bien ? Is everything all right ? (more formal)
4. Il n’y a pas de problème ! No problem ! / That’s all right !
5. Allez-y ! (Please) Go on ! (formal)
6. Ça y est ! That’s it ! / Got it !
7. C’est du n’importe quoi ! That’s nonsense !
8. C’est fou ! That’s crazy !
9. C’est bon ! That’s ok ! / I got it / No worries !

2. Notes

There aren’t any notes so far.

Metro Paris

3. Exercise

Translate the following into French:

1. please ! (informal, friendly)
!
2. please ! (formal, polite)
!
3. Thank You !
.
4. Thank You very much !
!
5. You're welcome !
! (formal)
6. Don't mention it ! (friendly)
!
7. You're welcome ! (polite)
!
8. Excuse-me / Sorry ! (formal, polite)

9. I'm sorry !
!
10.(I'm) sorry !
.

4. Homework

  1. Learn the words by heart.
  2. Try to imagine a scene in which each of these expressions could occur and write them down.
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Lesson 7: French Basic Words and Expressions 2: Requesting, Thanking, Apologising.

Learn the basic Greeting words in French. If you want to start with something really simple or if you just want to to be speaking some basic French words to be polite with the French people on your journey to a French speaking country, then this lesson is for you. You may also see this lesson as a reminder of the words you had learned long, long time ago. Have fun !

1. Basic French Words: Requesting, Thanking, Apologising.

French English
1. s’il te plaît ! Please ! (informal, friendly)
2. s’il vous plaît ! Please ! (formal, polite)
3. Merci ! Thank You !
4. Merci beaucoup ! Thank You very much !
5. De rien ! (formal) You’re welcome !
6. Il n’y a pas de quoi ! Don’t mention it ! (friendly)
7. Je vous en prie ! You’re welcome ! (polite)
8. Excusez-moi ! Excuse-me / Sorry ! (formal, polite)
9. Je suis désolé ! I’m sorry !
10. Désolé. (I’m) sorry !

2. Notes

The same as in the previous lesson with Greetings.

Eiffel Tower, Banajova - Flickr

3. Exercise

Click to show the explanation of the exercise
Type in the French translation of the sentence in English. If you are stuck or need a suggestion, look closely into the dialogue above. Some detail might have escaped your attention.
  The punctuation marks have already been added there for you. Don't add the punctuation mark ( " . ", " ? ", " ! ") at the end of the sentence as it won't validate your answer ! Sometimes you may be asked to add a comma ( " , ") inside a sentence.
  For the French characters, if you don't know how to type them on your keyboard, please use the virtual keyboard provided below the exercise. The French characters are necessary for the sentences to be correctly completed. Otherwise, your sentence won't be validated.
  Please, remember: this kind of exercise, that is reading the lesson first and then trying to retrieve it from your memory and / or helping yourself by looking back into the lesson is EXTRAORDINARILY efficient. You will be surprised how fast you will learn and how quickly you will actually build your own sentences.
1. please ! (informal, friendly)
!
2. please ! (formal, polite)
!
3. Thank You !
.
4. Thank You very much !
!
5. You're welcome !
! (formal)
6. Don't mention it ! (friendly)
!
7. You're welcome ! (polite)
!
8. Excuse-me / Sorry ! (formal, polite)

9. I'm sorry !
!
10.(I'm) sorry !
.

4. Homework

  1. Read all the words aloud 5 times. Read the words slowly, exaggerating the sounds with each word. Make a short break (5 seconds) after each reading.
  2. Learn the words by heart. (You need to hit 100 % in the translation exercise above without any help)
  3. Imagine in what situations could these words be used.

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Lesson 6: French Basic Words and Expressions 1: Greetings

Learn the basic Greeting words in French. If you want to start with something really simple or if you just want to to be speaking some basic French words to be polite with the French people on your journey to a French speaking country, then this lesson is for you.

1. Text: List of Basic French Words and Expressions 1: Greetings

French English
1. Salut Hello
2. Bonjour Good morning
3. Bonsoir Good evening
4. Au revoir Goodbye
5. à bientôt See you soon
6. à plus tard See you later
7. à demain See you tomorrow
8. Bonne journée Have a nice day
9. Bon après-midi Enjoy your afternoon
10. Bonne soirée Have a nice evening
11. Bonne nuit Good night

2. Notes

What you should know about the French and their language is that in general the French are really polite. Whatever has been said about people from Paris (which is another subject), politeness is ubiquitous in France. While dealing with the locals, you will hear a lot of “merci”, “excusez-moi”, and “s’il-vous-plaît”. It is perfectly normal to say “Bonjour” to complete strangers, the people you are just passing by while walking alone on the street. No one will think you are strange or crazy. It is perfectly normal here!

3. Exercises

Click to show the explanation of the exercise
Type in the French translation of the sentence in English. If you are stuck or need a suggestion, look closely into the dialogue above. Some detail might have escaped your attention.
  The punctuation marks have already been added there for you. Don't add the punctuation mark ( " . ", " ? ", " ! ") at the end of the sentence as it won't validate your answer ! Sometimes you may be asked to add a comma ( " , ") inside a sentence.
  For the French characters, if you don't know how to type them on your keyboard, please use the virtual keyboard provided below the exercise. The French characters are necessary for the sentences to be correctly completed. Otherwise, your sentence won't be validated.
  Please, remember: this kind of exercise, that is reading the lesson first and then trying to retrieve it from your memory and / or helping yourself by looking back into the lesson is EXTRAORDINARILY efficient. You will be surprised how fast you will learn and how quickly you will actually build your own sentences.
1. Hello !

2. Good morning / Hello !

3. Good evening.

4. Goodbye / Bye for now !

5. See you soon !

6. See you later !

7. See you tomorrow !

8. Have a nice / good day !

9. Enjoy your afternoon !

10. Have a good evening !

11. Good night !

4. Homework

  1. Read all the words aloud 5 times. Read the words slowly, exaggerating the sounds with each word. Make a short break (5 seconds) after each reading.
  2. Learn the words by heart. (You need to hit 100 % in the translation exercise above without any help)
  3. Imagine in what situations you could use these words.