FRENCH
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FRENCH
Eugene Jackson and
Antonio Rubio, Ph.D.
Advisory editor
Jacqueline Janvier,
L. es. L., Dip. d’Et. Sup. (Sorbonne)
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 1967 by
Made Simple Books
Published 2013 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon 0X14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint o f the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd 1977
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in
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electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some
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Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England, W1P
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Jackson, Eugene
French made simple - 2nd ed (Made Simple books)
1. French language - grammar - 1950
I. Title
II. Rubio, Antonio
III. Janvier, Jacqueline
IV. Series
448.2’421 PC2112
ISBN 13: 978-0-750-60254-9 (pbk)
Preface
French Made Simple is a pleasant, practical course designed especially for
the student who wants to gain a working knowledge of the language in the
shortest possible time. Bilingual texts and dialogues make it very easy for the
reader to learn phrases and colloquial expressions, while also acquiring some
information about France and French customs.
Although the book is ideal for self-study, it is equally recommended for use
by teachers in evening institutes or in secondary schools. Students working
for GCSE will also find the book invaluable as an introductory course.
The best way of acquiring a good pronunciation in any language is, of
course, to hear it spoken by natives of the country; but this is not always
possible, and the student should take every opportunity of listening to French
films, television, radio broadcasts, tapes and records.
In French Made Simple the best form of pronunciation guide employed in
present-day language teaching is used: the International Phonetic Alphabet.
All the signs are fully explained in Chapter 2, and once they have been
learned, the student will not only be able to master the accurate pronuncia­
tion of the French language; he will also be able to apply his knowledge to
any other language he chooses to study.
JACQUELINE JANVIER
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
CHAPTER 1
MEET THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
French is no stranger—French and English pronunciation differ
greatly—French is spoken by many people.
CHAPTER 2
FRENCH PRONUNCIATION
French sounds illustrated in familiar words—French nasal vowel
sounds—Summary of French vowel sounds—Summary of French
nasals—Summary of French consonants—Some useful words and
expressions for the traveller—Linking—Elision—The stress in
French words and sentences—Three easy dialogues.
CHAPTER 3
WHO IS MR. DAVIS?
Qui est Monsieur Davis?
Members of the family—Rooms of the house—Definite article—
Gender of nouns—Plural of nouns—Indefinite article—Some
common verbs.
CHAPTER 4
WHY IS MR. DAVIS STUDYING FRENCH?
Pourquoi est-ce que M. Davis 6tudie le fran^ais
Some European languages—Expressions of greeting and farewell—
Use of des—Some common verbs—Omission of the indefinite article.
1
3
10
16
CHAPTER 5
IN THE LIVING-ROOM
Dans le salon de Monsieur Davis
Objects in the living-room—Some common prepositions—Contrac­
tions du, des, au, aux—Possession indicated by a phrase with de or &.
REVISION 1
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 1-5
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logues: Oft est la rue Scribe? . . . Oti s’arrete 1’autobus?—Reading
Selection: Monsieur Davis apprend le fhtngais.
vii
22
26
viii
French Made Simple
CHAPTER 6
THE VERBS ARE IMPORTANT, SIR
Les verbes sont importants, monsieur
Countries of Europe and North America—About verb endings—
Present tense of parler to speak, regular -er verb—Imperative or
command forms of parler—Interrogative—Negative—Some regular
verbs like parler.
32
CHAPTER 7
THE FAMILY
La famille de M. Davis
The French endings -tion and -sion equal the English endings -tion and
-sion—French ending -ment equals the English ending -ly—Present
tense of avoir to have, aller to go, etre to be.
38
CHAPTER 8
IN THE OFFICE
Au bureau de M. Davis
Some common adjectives—Agreement of adjectives—Position of
adjectives—Some irregular adjectives.
42
CHAPTER 9
MR. DAVIS GREETS A FRIEND IN HIS OFFICE
M. Davis saltie un ami &son bureau
Present tense of vendre to sell, regular -re verb—Present tense of
prendre to take, lire to read, 6crire to write.
47
REVISION 2
REVISION OF CHARTERS 6-9
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logues : Quel autobus faut-il prendre? . . . Quel autobus va & . . . ?
—Reading Selections: Deux amis de M. Davis . . . M. Davis est
malade.
52
CHAPTER 10
IN THE DINING-ROOM
Dans la salle a manger
Furniture and other objects in the dining-room—Verbs dire to say,
voir to see—Demonstrative adjective ce this, that—Use of c’est this is,
it is, instead of il est, elle est
58
Contents
ix
CHAPTER 11
NUMBERS, ALWAYS NUMBERS
Les nombres, toujours les nombres
Present tense of the verbs vouloir to wish, want, pouvoir to be able—
Numbers 1 to 69—Arithmetical terms.
63
CHAPTER 12
THE MONETARY SYSTEM O F FRANCE
Le systfeme mondtaire de la France
Present tense of faire to make, to do; croire to believe, to think—
Numbers 70 to 100—Table for converting sterling to francs and vice
versa.
67
CHAPTER 13
PROBLEMS IN ARITHM ETIC IN THE RESTAURANT, AT
THE STATION, IN A SHOP
Les probl&mes d ’arithmdtique, au restaurant, £ la gare, dans une boutique
Weights and measures—Present tense of savoir to know (how);
connaitre to know, to be acquainted with—Possessive adjectives.
72
CHAPTER 14
WHAT TIM E IS IT?
Quelle heure est-il?
Words of approval and praise—Words dealing with railway travel—
Present tense of partir to leave, and sortir to go out—Expressions of
time of day.
76
REVISION 3
REVISION O F CHAPTERS 10-14
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logue : Un touriste prend des renseignements sur la poterie fran^aise—
Reading Selections: La famille Davis rend une petite visite d papa . . .
Le percheron et I’automobile (Une fable moderne)—Present Tense of
boire, to drink.
81
CHAPTER 15
THE CINEMA
Le cin£ma
87
Words dealing with films—Present tense venir to come—Direct object
pronouns—Use of y (there).
X
French Made Simple
CHAPTER 16
SOME DATES IN THE HISTORY OF FRANCE
Quelques dates de 1’histoire de la France
Months of the year—Present tense of finir to finish, regular -fr verb
—Ordinal numbers—Dates.
92
CHAPTER 17
A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE GEOGRAPHY OF FRANCE
Quelques questions sur la gtographle de la France
Present tense of mettre to put—Comparison of adjectives and adverbs
—Expressions of comparison—Some irregular comparisons.
97
CHAPTER 18
MR. DAVIS’ DAY
La joumle de M. Davis
103
Meals—Foods—Present tense of the reflexive verb se laver to wash
oneself—Some common reflexive verbs.
CHAPTER 19
LIFE IN THE SUBURBS
La vie en banlieue
108
Fruits and vegetables—The partitive—Omission of the definite
article with the partitive—The partitive pronoun en (some of it, any
of it, etc.).
REVISION 4
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 15-19
112
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logue : Au March6 aux Puces—Reading Selection: Une visite au
paquebot ‘lie de France’.
CHAPTER 20
WHAT NASTY WEATHER!
Quel sale temps!
118
The weather—For various kinds of weather—Present tense of ouvrir
to open—Indirect object pronouns—Some common verbs which may
take indirect objects.
CHAPTER 21
THE CLIMATE OF FRANCE
Le climat de la France
123
The four seasons—Present tense of devoir must, to owe, to be obliged
to, to have to; recevoir to receive—Some negative expressions.
Contents
CHAPTER 22
THE CLIMATE OF FRANCE (CONTINUED)
Le climat de la France (suite)
Demonstrative pronouns—Uses of ceci this, cela (9a) that.
xi
128
CHAPTER 23
THAT GOOD FRENCH COOKING
La bonne cuisine fran^aise
132
Some French cooking expressions adopted in English—Some tasty
French dishes not difficult to prepare—Present tense of envoyer to
send—Independent or disjunctive pronouns with prepositions—
Other uses of the independent or disjunctive pronouns.
REVISIONS
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 20-23
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logue: Au restaurant—Reading Selection: Philippe n’aime pas
6tudier l’arithm6tique.
136
CHAPTER 24
THE FRENCH PEOPLE
Les Fran^ais
141
Points of the compass—Smoking terms—Working men and working
women—Reflexive verbs with reciprocal meaning—Verbs after
prepositions—Formation of the present participle.
CHAPTER 25
ART AND FASHION
L’art et la mode
Noun combinations—Clothes—Verbs with spelling changes: acheter,
preferer, appeler.
CHAPTER 26
FRENCH HOLIDAYS
Les jours de f€te de la France
Present tense of tenir to hold, to keep—More verbs with spelling
changes: commencer, manger—on one, people, they, you—ne . . .
personne no one, not anybody, and ne . . . rien nothing, not anything.
CHAPTER 27
WHICH PLACES DO YOU WISH TO VISIT, MR. DAVIS?
Quels endroits voulez-vous visiter, M. Davis?
Expressions indicating future time—Future tense of parler, vendre,
finir—Some verbs with an irregular future.
146
150
155
xii
French Made Simple
REVISION 6
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 24-27
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logues: Dans I’autobus . . . le courrier—Reading Selection: L’anniversaire de Mme Davis.
CHAPTER 28
MR. DAVIS WRITES A LETTER TO HIS AGENT
M. Davis 6crit une lettre A son reprSsentant
Present tense of suivre to follow, traduire to translate—More verbs
with an irregular future—Uses of depuis, depuis quand, depuis combien
de temps, pendant.
CHAPTER 29
MR. DAVIS RECEIVES A LETTER
M. Davis recoit une lettre
Expressions referring to past time—Salutations and conclusions of
business letters—Conversational past tense of parler, finir, vendre—
How to form the regular past participle—Some irregular past
participles.
160
165
170
CHAPTER 30
MR. PTCARD’S FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
Les demiers conseils de M. Picard
Words whose appearance deceives—More irregular past participles—
Agreement of the past participle.
175
CHAPTER 31
MR. DAVTS LEAVES FOR FRANCE
M. Davis part pour la France
Tickets—Passport—More irregular past participles—Past participles
used as adjectives.
180
REVISION 7
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 28-31
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logues: A l’a 6roport. . . Bienvenu en France—Reading Selection
Un programme exceptionnel au cinema.
CHAPTER 32
ARRIVAL IN PARIS
L’arriv6e & Paris
Introductions—Salutations and conclusions of letters to friends—
Verbs with the auxiliary etre—List of etre verbs.
184
188
Contents
xiii
CHAPTER 33
MR. DAVIS VISITS THE PARMENTIER FAMILY
M. Davis rend visite & la famille Parmentier
194
Some professions—The conversational past of reflexive verbs—Pre­
sent and conversational past of reflexive verbs—Present and con­
versational past of s’asseoir to seat oneself, to sit down—Some
reflexive verbs you have met.
CHAPTER 34
A PLEASANT STROLL
Une belle promenade
199
La place de la Concorde—Les Champs-filysSes—La place de 1’Etoile
—Relative pronouns.
CHAPTER 35
THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL
Le Mont-Saint-Michel
Visit to the Abbey—Imperfect tense.
204
CHAPTER 36
GUTGNOL (FRENCH PUPPET CHARACTER)
Guignol
209
rire to laugh, vivre to live (present, imperfect, conversational past)—
The past infinitive.
REVISION 8
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 32-36
214
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Dia­
logue: A la station-service—Reading Selections: Une excursion &
Versailles . . . L’avenue de l’Op^ra.
CHAPTER 37
THE MAIN STREET OF THE VILLAGE
La grand-rue du village
Shops and shopkeepers—Summary of single object pronouns—Two
object pronouns.
219
CHAPTER 38
A TRIP TO CHARTRES
Une excursion & Chartres
Motoring expressions: tyre, jack, flat, etc.—Past perfect tense—
Possessive pronouns.
224
xiv
French Made Simple
CHAPTER 39
MR. DAVTS BUYS A LOTTERY TICKET
M. Davis ach&te un billet de loterie
229
Lottery expressions—Present conditional—Irregular present condi­
tional.
CHAPTER 40
MR. DAVIS GOES AWAY
M. Davis s’en va
233
Mr. Davis loves French culture, French art, history, politeness, sense
of humour, passion for discussion, and French food—Past condi­
tional—Conditional sentences—s’en aller.
REVISION 9
REVISION OF CHAPTERS 37-40
Vocabulary revision—Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises—Reading
Selection: Nice, la capitate de la Cdte D’Azur,
237
VOCABULARY—ENGLISH-FRENCH
241
VOCABULARY—FRENCH-ENGLISH
259
ANSWER SECTION
275
SUMMARY OF VERBS
312
INDEX
317
CHAPITRE 1 (UN)—CHAPTER 1
MEET THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
1 French is no Stranger
In beginning your study of the French language you will be surprised to
learn that you already know, or can make a good guess at, the meaning of
thousands of French words. For there are some 4,000 words which are of the
same spelling and meaning in French and English, and thousands more of the
same meaning which differ only slightly in spelling. Of course the pronuncia­
tion of the French words differs greatly from that of the corresponding
English words.
There are also many words borrowed directly from the French without any
change in spelling and with little or no change at all in pronunciation.
Here are a few examples of words alike or very similar in French and
English:
(a) Words spelt alike and having the same meaning blit different in pro­
nunciation:
danger
humble
public
bureau
fruit
image
table
index
vain
page
train
place
absent
avenue
action
cousin
station
question
original
accident
nation
nature
voyage
client
excellent
important
patient
intelligent
(b) Words of the same meaning, slightly different in spelling and different
pronunciation:
balle
objet
oncle
riche
ball
object
uncle
rich
touriste
severe
madame
salade
tourist
severe
madam
salad
quality
liberty
famille
difficile
quality
liberty
family
difficult
arriver
entrer
excuser
visiter
to arrive
to enter
to excuse
to visit
brun
bleu
hotel
scene
brown
blue
hotel
scene
m&tre
poste
parfum
riviere
post
metre
perfume
river
enveloppe
signe
acteur
docteur
sign
envelope
actor
doctor
diner
inviter
commencer
desirer
to dine
to invite
to commence
to desire
1
2
French Made Simple
(c) Words borrowed directly from the French with no changes in spelling
and only minor changes in pronunciation. These words contain some good
clues to French pronunciation:
caf6
route
role
rouge
garage
chauffeur
liqueur
k propos
chateau
bouquet
matinee
entree
ennui
encore
chemise
routine
coquette
rendez-vous
coup d’etat
sabotage
lingerie
ensemble
consomml
&la carte
nouveau riche
laisser-faire
savoir-faire
table d’hote
There are some French words whose appearance is deceiving. Thus:
demander means to ask or ask for, not to demand. You must be on the watch
for such deceivers.
2 French and English Pronunciation Differ Greatly
The similarities between French and English in vocabulary will be of
great help to you in learning French. However, French and English pronunci­
ations are very different, so that you must learn not only to pronounce the
French words correctly but also to understand them when you hear them. As
in English, there are many silent letters, and some sounds, particularly the
vowel sounds, are spelt in various ways. You will have little difficulty with the
spelling if you practise writing as well as saying new words and exercises. The
most important words appear many times in this book, which will also aid
you greatly in remembering pronunciation, meaning and spelling.
In Chapter 2 the pronunciation of the French sounds and their spelling is
explained in detail. The description of the sounds and the pronunciation key
should enable you to pronounce them quite well, but the assistance of a
French person is of great value, for it is of paramount importance to hear
the sounds correctly spoken and to have your own pronunciation checked.
You can improve your pronunciation and understanding of the spoken
word by listening to French recordings and radio broadcasting. At first a few
minutes of listening each day will suffice. As you progress in your study of
French you should increase the amount.
3 French is Spoken by Many People
French is spoken not only by the 53,000,000 people of France. The language
of about one half of the population of Belgium and about one fifth of that of
Switzerland is French. In Morocco and Algeria French is spoken by large
groups of people. In the Western Hemisphere French is the language of the
inhabitants of Quebec in Canada and of the people of French Guiana and Haiti.
For many years French was the sole language of diplomacy and the
favourite foreign language among educated people in European countries.
It is today the most useful single language for tourists and for the Common
Market and business people who are flocking to the Continent in increasing
numbers.
A knowledge of French is not only of great practical value. In addition, it
opens the door to a better and deeper understanding of the great French
people, their culture, art, literature, science, and way of life.
CHAPITRE 2 (DEUX)
FRENCH PRONUNCIATION
In Part 1 of this chapter you will learn the elements of French pronuncia­
tion. The words used to illustrate the French sounds need no translation, for
they have the same or almost the same spelling as corresponding English
words of like meaning, such as you have met in Chapter I. As you learn the
correct French pronunciation of these words, you are, without further effort,
gradually adding to your French vocabulary.
The description of each French sound is accompanied by a pronunciation
key, which indicates the nearest English equivalent of that sound. This key will
be used freely throughout the book to ease your way in the pronunciation of
new words, phrases and sentences.
In Part 2 and Part 3 of this chapter you will practise correct French pro­
nunciation in words and expressions useful for the traveller, and in short easy
dialogues.
PREMDfcRE PARTTE (FIRST PART)
FRENCH SOUNDS ILLUSTRATED IN FAMILIAR WORDS
Pronounce each sound and the words which illustrate it three times. Stress
(emphasize) lightly the syllable in heavy type in the pronunciation key of
each word. Note well:
In French words the last syllable or sometimes the last but one is stressed.
The stressed syllable is indicated by heavy type in the pronunciation key.
The sign : indicates that the preceding vowel is slightly lengthened.
a (a) madame (ma-dam). French a is generally like a in cat. Key symbol a.
Occasionally French a is like a in father. Key symbol a. Classe
(kla:s). Practise:
balle (bal) place (plas) salade (sa-lad) table (tabl) garage (gara: 3) classe (klais).
Note: French g before e or i equals s as in measure. Key symbol 3 .
i (i) difficile (di-fi-sil). French i equals ee in feet. Key symbol i. Practise
by drawing lips towards ears as in a smile:
riche (rij) image (i-ma:3) famille (fa-mi:j) Paris (pa-ri).
Note: French ch equals sh in short. Key symbol J. French 11 is
usually pronounced like y in yes. Key symbol j.
6 (e)
caf6 (ka-fe). French 6 is like a in hate. Key symbol e. The mark over
this letter (') is called the acute accent. Draw lips towards ears, but
less so than for i. Practise:
matinee (ma-ti-ne) quality (ka-li-te) papier (pa-pje) d6sirer (de-zire).
4
French Made Simple
Note: French -er at the end of a word often equals b (e). The r is
silent. French qu always equals k. French c equals s before i or e;
French c is like k before any other letter except ch as above in riche.
b (e) sc&ne (se:n). French b is like e in there. Key symbol 8. The mark over
this letter (') is called the grave accent. Other spellings of this sound
are ai and e. The mark (*) is called the circumflex accent. Practise by
opening mouth with lower lip showing teeth and with tongue placed
against lower teeth. Practise:
m&tre (metr) cr&me (krem) fete (fext) laisser-faire (le-se-fcar).
e (a) Chemise (Ja-miz). French e without any accent mark is pronounced
like e in father when it ends the first syllable of a word. Key symbol a.
Practise:
menace (ma-nas) regard (rs-gaar).
At the end of a word, e without accent mark is silent except in words
of one syllable. Practise:
le (b) je (33) me (ms) ne (na) ce (sa) de (da) que (ka)
e without accent mark is often pronounced like b (e) or b (e) when
followed by one or two consonants. Practise:
et (e) assez (a-se) pied (pje) effet (e-fe) dessert (de-scir) est (s)
elle (e-1).
o (o) poste (post) French o is like o in hot. Key symbol o. Practise an open
pout:
objet (Db-3£> po&me (po-srm) effort (e-foir) original (>ri-3i-nal).
o (o) role (ro:l). French o is like o in role. Key symbol o. Other spellings of
this sound are o, au, and eau. Practise:
hotel (o-tsl) rose (ro:z) chapeau (Ja-po).
Note: French oi equals wa. French h is always silent.
ou (u) route (rut). French ou is like 00 in boot. Key symbol u. Practise a
round, narrow pout:
rouge (ru:3) routine (ru-tin) touriste (tu-rist) coup d’etat (ku-deta).
Note: Final consonants (except c, f, 1, r) in French are usually
silent: bouquet (bu-kc) Paris (pa-ri) regard (ra-gair) but chef
(Jef) hotel (o-tcl).
u (y) bureau (by-ro). French u has no equivalent in English. Practise:
rounding lips tightly:
nature (na-tyar) public (py-blik) avenue (av-ny) excuser (eks-kyze).
eu (oe) liqueur (li-kceir). French eu is like u in urge. Practise by pouting lower
lip well forward:
docteur (dok-t€ear) acteur (ak-tcesr) professeur (pro-fe-scen*).
eu (0) fameux (fa-mo). This is a shorter sound than the previous one, and the
lips are placed farther forward but less open: monsieur (ma-sje).
French Nasal Vowel Sounds
In syllables ending in n and m the n and m are not pronounced. Instead,
the preceding vowel sound is nasalized as described below. There are four
French Made Simple
5
nasal sounds in French. As you will note, each has a number of spellings. In
the pronunciation key, ~ over thesymto indicates that the preceding vowel
sound is nazalized.
an (a) piquant (pi-ka). Say the English syllable an as in want in one sound.
Mouth wide open. Hold the tongue down with a pencil so that it
cannot rise for the n and try to say an. A French nasal an, key symbol
a, will result. Now practise the sound without using the pencil. Be sure
to keep the tongue down. Other spellings of the nasal sound an (a)
are am, en, em. Practise:
France (fra:s) danger (da-3e) encore (a-kDir) absent (ap-sa) ensemble
(a-sa:bl) rendez-vous (ra-de-vu) enveloppe (a-vtop).
on (5) consomm£ (k5-so-me). Say the English sound awn as in dawn. Hold
the tongue down with a pencil, so that it cannot rise for the n and try
to say awn. A French nasal on, key symbol 5 results. Practise the
sound without using a pencil. Another spelling of the nasal on is om.
Practise:
oncle (5:kl) nation (na-sj5) station (sta-sjo) question (kes-tj5).
in (e)
lingerie (l£3-ri). Draw back the corners of the lips as in a smile. Hold
tongue so that it cannot rise for the n and try to say in. The French
nasal in, key symbol £, results. Practise the sound without using the
pencil. Other spellings of the nasal in are im, ain, aim, ein, oin. Practise:
index (c-deks) vain (ve) train (tr€) important (e-por-ta) intelligent
(8-is-li-3a) am£ricain (a-me-ri-kc) meringue (mrs:g).
on (de) bran (brde). Pronounce the nasal sound in (e). For the nasal sound in
(e) the comers of the lips are drawn back as in a smile. Round the lips
as if pouting, at the same time thrust the lower lip forward and try to
say in (e). The result is a French nasal un, key symbol de. Another
spelling of the nasal un (de) is um (de). Practise:
un (de) brun(brde) parfum (par-fce) humble (deibl) Verdun (vsr-dce).
French Diphthong Sounds
These are represented by the following phonetic symbols:
]
as in yacht, papier
w
as in oui, ouest
y as in lui, huit, muet
Letters:
Summary of French Vowel Sounds
a 6 & e i o o u u e u
Key Symbols: a a e
Letters:
Key Symbols:
e
o
i
o
u
y
ce0
au(eau) oi
o
wa
Summary of French Nasals
an (am, en, em) in (im, ain, aim, ein, eim) on (om) un (um)
a
£
5
«
Summary of French Consonants
Most French consonant sounds are like the corresponding English con­
sonant sounds. The following, however, need special attention:
6
c
c
5
ch
g
g
h
j
U
r
qu
gn
French Made Simple
before e or i is like s in see, key symbol s. difficile (di-fi-sil)
before any other letter (except ch) is like k y key symbol k. caffc (ka-fe)
with cedilla is always like hissing s, key symbol s. fran^ais (fra-sc)
is like English sh, key symbol J. riche (ri:J)
before e or i is like s in measure, key symbol 3. rouge (111:3)
before any other letter is like g in goat, key symbol g. Garage (ga-ra:3)
is always silent: hotel (o-tsl)
is like s in measure, key symbol 3 : je (39 )
is usually like y in yes, key symbol j : famille (fa-mi:j)
is produced at the back of the throat by letting the air vibrate over the
glottis. Practise by holding the tongue down with a pencil, so that it
cannot rise and touch the palate. Practise the following syllables:
ra (ra) re (re) ri (ri) ro (ro) ru (ry).
is always like k, key symbol k. bouquet (bu-ks)
is like ny in canyon, key symbol ji. espagnol (ss-pa-pol)
DEUXlfiM E PARTIE (do-zjem par-ti) SECOND PART
The second and third parts of this chapter contain important words and
expressions of common usage. If you follow carefully the instructions for
pronunciation practice you will acquire many of these without difficulty.
Do not try to memorize all o f them at this point, as they will appear again in
later chapters when you will have the opportunity to learn them thoroughly.
Some Useful Words and Expressions for the Traveller
A. Practise the French aloud. Stress slightly the key syllables in heavy type.
1 Pardon (par-d5)
1 I beg your pardon.
2 S’il vous plait (sil-vu-ple)
2 Please; if you please.
3 Monsieur (ma-sje); Madame (ma-dam)
3 Mr., sir; Mrs., madam
Mademoiselle (mad-mwa-z£l)
Miss, young lady
4 Oti est l’hotel. . . ? (u 6 lo-tel)
4 Where is the hotel. . . ?
5 Combien coftte le livre, etc.? (k55 How much does the book,
bje kut b liivr)
etc, cost ?
6 Je voudrais . . . (30 vu-dre)
6 I should like . . .
7 Merci beaucoup (mer-si bo-ku)
7 Many thanks
8 II n’y pas de quoi (il nja pad kwa)
8 Don’t mention it, or You are
welcome
9 C’est trop cher ( se tro Jcr). Trfcs cher
9 It’s too dear. Very dear.
(tre Jer)
10 bon march^ (bo mar-Je)
10 cheap
meilleur march^ (me-joer mar-fe)
cheaper
Combien coute . . . ? (ko-bje k u t . . . ?)
B. Read each heading aloud, completing it with the words listed under it.
Thus:
Combien coute le chapeau? Combien cofite la chemise? etc.
1 le chapeau (b Ja-po), the hat
6 le parapluie (b pa-ra-plyi), umbrella
2 la chemise (la fmiz), the shirt
7 le parfum (b par-fce), the perfume
3 la blouse (la bluz), the blouse
8 la cravate (la kra-vat), the tie
4 la robe (la rob), dress
9 une auto (y-no-to),
5 la montre (la m5:tr), the watch
la voiture (la vwa-tyar), car
7
French Made Simple
Pardon, monsieur. Oft e s t . . • , s’il vous plait?
(par-d5 ma-sjo),(u
e . . . , sil vu pie?)
1 la me Drouot(la ry dru-o), Drouot 5 L’Hdtel Albert (lo-tel al-bca*), The
Street
Albert Hotel
2 I’avenue de la R6publique (lav-ny 6 le boulevard Saint-Michel (le
dla re-py-blik), The Avenue of the
bul-va:r s€ mi-Jel), The Saint
Republic
Michael boulevard
3 la place de la Concorde (la plas da 7 le bureau de poste (b by-rod-past),
la k5-kard), the Place of the Conthe post office
cord
8 la salle d’attente (la sal da-t§t), the
4 la gare du Nord (la gar dy non-),
waiting room
The Nord Station
9 la toilette (la twa-let), the toilet
Je voudrais.. . . (33 vu-dre)
1 une chambre avec bain (yn Jaibr
5 une addition (y-na-di-sj5), a bill
avek be), a room with bath
6 la revue (la rvy), the magazine
2 de I’eau chaude (da lo Jo:d), some 7 le journal (b 3ur-nal), the newspaper
hot water
8 du savon (dy sa-v5), some soap
3 des serviettes de toilette (de ser9 t£l6phoner (te-le-fo-ne), to telephone
vjet do twa-let), some bath towels 10 changer de I’argent (Ja-3e dlar-3a) to
4 la carte (la kart),
the menu
change money
C. Practise aloud many times the numbers 1 to 21.
1 un (de), une (yn)
2 deux (do)
3 trois (trwa)
4 quatre(katr)
5 cinq (sek)
6 six (sis)
7 sept (set)
8 huit (uit)
9 neuf (noef)
10 dix (dis)
11 onze(5z)
12 douze (duz)
13 treize (trez)
14 quatorze (ka-tarz;
15
16
17
18
19
quinze (kez)
seize (sez)
dix-sept (di-set)
dix-huit (di-zqit)
dix-neuf (diz-ncef)
20 vingt (ve)
21 vingt et un (ve-te-a)
TROISEfcME PARTTE (trwa-zjem par-ti) THIRD PART
Liaison (lje-z5) Linking
The final consonant of a French word is generally silent. However, when the
next word begins with a vowel or h the final consonant is usually pronounced
and linked to the next word unless there is a natural pause.
Final s and x, when linked, are pronounced like z; final f like v; and final
d like t.
Comment allez-vous?
(ko-ma-ta-le-vu)
How are you ?
neuf ans
(nee va)
nine years
trois arts
(trwa zar)
three arts
dix ans
(di za)
ten years
le grand homme
(b gra tom)
the great man
8
French Made Simple
£lision (e-li-zj5) Elision
The letters e and a of the words le, la, je, me, te, se, de, ne, que are dropped
before words beginning with a vowel or an h (usually) and are replaced by an
apostrophe. This process is called elision. Thus:
le + oncle becomes l’oncle (15:kl) the uncle
le -f hotel becomes 1’hotel (lo-tcl) the hotel
la -f* 6cole becomes l’6cole (le-kal) the school
je -f ai becomes j’ai (;je) I have
que -1- avez-vous? becomes qu’avez-vous? (ka-ve-vu)
What have you?
The Stress in French Words and Sentences
1 In French all the syllables of a word are spoken with equal force except
the last or the last but one which is stressed slightly.
g£n£ral foe-ne-ral) madame (ma-dam) chauffeur (Jo-fair) r6p£ter (re-pe-te)
2 In short sentences, only the last syllable or the last but one of the final
word is stressed.
La lecon est difficile (la ls5 6 di-fi-sil). The lesson is difficult.
3 In longer sentences, the above syllables are stressed at the end of clauses
and of other groups of words which make sense together.
Dialogue 1
(d ja -b g )
Directions for Study.
1 Read the French text silently, sentence by sentence, using the English
translation to get the meaning.
2 Read the whole French text aloud three or more times, using the pro­
nunciation key as an aid. Stress lightly the key syllables in heavy type.
Comment allez-vous (kD-ma-ta-le-vu)? How are you?
1 — Bonjour, monsieur Picard. Comment allez-vous? (B5-3ur, mo-sje pi-kaar.
Ko-ma ta-Ie-vu ?)
2 — Tres bien, merci. Et vous? (Tre bje, mer-si. E vu?)
3 — Tres bien, merci. (Tre bje, mer-si)
4 — Au revoir, monsieur Picard, (o rvwaar, ma-sjo pi kair)
5 — Au revoir, Philippe, (d rvwair, fi-lip)
1 Good day, Mr. Picard. How are you?
2 Very well, thank you. And you?
3 Very well, thank you.
4 Goodbye, Mr. Picard.
5 Goodbye, Philip.
Dialogue 2
French people address each other frequently as ‘monsieur’, ‘madame9,
‘mademoiselle’ (for unmarried women) in conversation thus:
bonjour, monsieur
au revoir, madame
merci, mademoiselle
French Made Simple
9
oui, monsieur
non, madame
English people do not use ‘Sir’, ‘Madam’ and ‘Miss’ as frequently in con­
versation, or in the same way, therefore the French forms of address will often
remain untranslated in the English equivalent.
Parlez-vous fran^ais? (par-le-vu fra-se) Do you speak French?
1 — Parlez-vous franpais, Jeanne? (Par-le-vu fra-se, 3am?)
2 — Oui, monsieur, je parle fran^ais. (Wi ma-sje, 30 pari fra-se)
3 — Est-ce que Francois parle fran^ais? (es-ko fro-swa pari fra-se?)
4 — Oui, madame, il parle bien le fran^ais. (Wi, ma-dam, il pari bj§ b fra-se)
5 — Est-ce que Louise parle fran^ais? (es-ko lwiiz pari fra-se?)
6 — Non, madame, elle parle anglais. (No, ma-dam, el pari a-gle)
1 Do you speak French, Jane?
2 Yes, I speak French.
3 Does Frank speak French? (Lit.1 Is it that Frank speaks French?)
4 Yes, he speaks French well.
5 Does Louise speak French? (Lit. Is it that Louise speaks French?)
6 No, she speaks English.
N o te 1. Lit. is an abbreviation o f literally, that is: word for word.
Dialogue 3
Les jours de la semaine1 (le 3ur da la smen) The Days of the Week
1 — ficoutez, Jacques! Combien de jours y a-t-il dans une semaine? (E-ku-te,
3a:k! ko-bjed 3ur i ja-til da zyn smen?)
2 — II y a sept jours dans une semaine. (II ja set ju r da zyn smen)
3 — Bien. Donnez-moi le nom2 des sept jours, s’il vous plait? (Bje. Do-nemwa b no de set 3ur, sil vu pie ?)
4 — Dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi et samedi. (Di-maJ,
lde-di, mar-di, mer-kro-di, 30 -di, va-dro-di e sam-di)
5 — Tres bien. Ecoutez, Georges! Quel jour de la semaine sommes-nous? (Tre
bje. E-ku-te 30^ ! Kel 3 ur do la smen som-nu?)
6 — C’est aujourd’hui lundi. (Se to-3ur-dqi Ide-di)
7 — Tres bien, Georges. (Tre bje, 3or3)
1 Listen James! How many days are there in a week?
2 There are seven days in a week.
3 Good. Give me the names of the seven days of the week, please. (Lit. if it
pleases you.)
4 Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
5 Very good. Listen, George! What day of the week is today ? (Lit. What day
of the week are we?)
6 Today is Monday.
7 Very good, George.
N o t e 1. All days are masculine.
N o t e 2 . In French one says the name of the days, of things etc., not the
names, as in English, because each has one name only.