Learning French language

In this thread you can ask questions about French, its grammar, vocabulary and words.
If you want to test your skills, you are welcome to participate in the French conversation thread.

Maybe some of the native speakers want to gather a couple of basics about sentence structure, most important words and conjugations?

Originally Posted by Steena

This is a place to lead conversations in French, for both learners and native speakers alike. Don't be shy about possible mistakes

Im new to this.. So I need basic grammar as well as how to pronunciate words..


Bon Appetit (spelling error) equals good appetite??



I
You
When
How
Who
Where
When
He
She

How are you??

Im fine


You look sexy


Where should we go?

Bon Appetit => Bon appétit means "enjoy your meal"

I = Je
You = Tu [informal, singular] Vous [formal for one person or plural form ]
When = Quand
How = Comment
Who = Qui
Where = Où
He = Il
She = Elle

How are you?? = Comment ça va?? [ informal ] Comment allez-vous? [formal]

Im fine = ça va/très bien

You look sexy = t'es sexy

Where should we go? = Où devrions-nous aller?


For the pronunciation, I recommand you to listen to some French music, because it's hard to explain XD What's your mother tongue? Maybe there are similar sounds.

- For Céline Dion song ( Ziggy)
http://www.allthelyrics.com/forum/fr...tml#post611964

- Mais moi je l'aime, c'est pas d'ma faute , do not we use (ne – pas ) ?
- Can someone explain to me how is the under lined part built? : ( Je m'suis jetee sur lui dans la rue)
-Is J'lui ai seulement dit = J'ai dit a lui seulement ?
- what is the verb of j'avais ? is it the past of (avoir) ?
- Dans sa tete y'a que d'la musique , how is the underlined part built ?
- Je devrais me faire une raison , can I use this formate with other words from (raison) ?

Thanks in advance

@MasSueltoQueTu
You may like this site
http://frenchtutorial.com/

C'est pas d'ma faute = Ce n'est pas de ma faute .
When speaking , French people tend not to use "ne" anymore .

Je m'suis jetée sur lui dans la rue = Je me suis jetée sur lui dans la rue .
Je me suis jetée = I pounced
Sur lui = On him
Dans la rue = In the street

J'lui ai seulement dit = I only told him .
J'ai dit à lui seulement = I told him only .
( It's not a correct phrase in French anyway . )

J'avais is the past of "avoir" ( to have ) .

Y'a que d'la musique = Il n'y a que de la musique .
Il n'y a que = There's only
De la musique = music

Je devrais me faire une raison = I should see reason .
Use it to express that you have to resign yourself to something .
When whatever you do , things will never change .

Thanks Faayzaa
But please can you explain the following to me
Is Je me suis jetée : an expression ?

J'ai dit à lui seulement , this is the right formate , right ?
ne - que nothing but , ne - rien ?

Je devrais me faire une raison : an expression ?

Je me suis jetée & je devrais me faire une raison = both expressions

J'ai dit à lui seulement is wrong, you have to say: je l'ai dis à lui seulement OR je l'ai dit juste à lui

ne... rien => not nothing, exemple "je ne veux rien savoir" "I don't want to know nothing"

Thank you dear , The second part is dificult

thank you very much

Originally Posted by El raisa

Thank you dear , The second part is dificult

if you refer to this example

ne... rien => not nothing, exemple "je ne veux rien savoir" "I don't want to know nothing"

bear in mind that word "rien" here replaces the word "pas" which in combination with "ne" is the french negation.

That is, you can say either
Je ne veux pas quelque chose
(=I don't want something)
OR
Je ne veux rien (=I want nothing OR I don't want anything)

In the same way
que replaces the word "pas" in the same expression of negation ne... pas ---> ne... que
Je ne sais que ... (=all I know is...)
Je ne sais pas... (= I don't know...)


I hope this helps a bit

I think that's a good explanation boubou
In negation it's always "ne" + another word

there is also:
ne... jamais (=never) ; exemple : je ne l'aurais jamais ( = I'll never have it )

Merci beaucoup Lyssa

Maybe we can say a rule that
ne + ... + <word_expressing_negation> ---> expresses negation

C'est vrai.....Lorsque ''ne'' est utilisé dans une phrase négative en français, il faut absolument utiliser '''pas'' pour compèter la négation.

EX:..... Je ne mange pas de pomme.
Il ne pleut pas.

There is maybe a "literary" exception to this rule, you can say:

"Je ne sais" (=I don't know) instead of "Je ne sais pas"
But "je ne sais" is rather used in literature or in "older" French. ( it's the same for "je ne puis" (I can't) instead of "je ne peux pas" )

when we want to say something in the past , when do we use Etre+verbe or avoir+verbe ?

Originally Posted by El raisa

when we want to say something in the past , when do we use Etre+verbe or avoire+verbe ?

Salut El Raisa
Ici tu peux voir ce que tu demandes

Forming the Passé Composé


...most verbs take the auxiliary avoir. However, certain verbs, especially those that express motion, such as aller (to go), partir (to leave) and venir (to come) take être.

---
Well, i hope that helps, as a start, and maybe our french-speaking friends will come to help us later on

Thanks for the link , I will check it , this makes wide range !!

Originally Posted by El raisa

Thanks for the link , I will check it , this makes wide range !!

I understand.
Maybe there is an easier rule, but i don't know it.

Hey, have a look at page 141 of that link and you will find a table with some verbs of motion that form passé composé avec être.
Also in italics below this table, it is explained in which case verb avoir is used with the same verbs, and when être is.

oh, the French conjugaison is HORRIBLE! xD I fear there is never an easy rule in it ... I guess it comes with practising, than you hear it when it's right or wrong!

Trying to make it "simple":

You use être, when it come to "changings"
- be it in space, when you MOVE [ être parti, être venu, être arrivé..]
- be it for the state [ être devenu, être mort, être bouleversé.. ]

You use avoir : with être : avoir été !
- when it's an action you MAKE [ avoir fait, avoir acheté, avoir cherché ..]

If I get some time I'll check my old school books maybe there is a rule I forget right now xD However, the best is for you to try and so we can correct the possible mistakes.