Lesson 19

Vocabulary

Exercise 1. Read and translate the dialogue. Determine if the following statements fit its content. Answer C’est vrai (It’s true) or C’est faux (It’s not true):

Exercise 2. Listen to the recording of the dialogue several times. Fill in the blanks in the sentences by recalling what you have heard:

1. On ne peut pas traverser la rue : le feu est au rouge ! le feu vert.
2. Oui, je vois : voitures. S’il vous plaît, où est-ce qu’ manger ici ?
3. A Paris il y a bistrots et de brasseries.
4. Là vous pouvez quelque chose de simple. Si vous voulez consistant, allez au restaurant.
5. Est-ce qu’ payer en dollars ?
6. Non, . Uniquement avec les euros.
7. des bureaux de change à côté. Derrière la grande maison , par exemple.
8. Nous samedi. Est-ce que les bureaux de change sont ouverts le samedi ?
9. Le Louvre est musée d’Europe, la Tour Eiffel est dame de Paris et la cuisine française est cuisine du monde.

Grammar

Pronoun on

Memorize a new structure from the dialogue:

Literally it means that one can do something, but it is often translated using the pronoun “you” or other pronouns:

On peut manger bien ici. — You can eat well here.
On peut payer en dollars ici. — You can pay in dollars here.

Remember the negative form of this structure:

It means one cannot do something, for example:

On ne peut pas manger bien ici. — You can’t eat well here.
On ne peut pas payer en dollars ici. — You can’t pay in dollars here.

Just do not forget that it is not about “you” here, it is about any person, i.e. on (one, someone) + 3^rd person singular of the verb pouvoir (can) (see lesson 18).

Analyze the other examples with on:

On paye en euros ici. — We pay in euros here.
On parle anglais et allemand ici. — English and German are spoken here.

On ne paye pas en euros ici. — We do not pay in euros here.
On ne parle pas français ici. — We don’t speak French here.

Note that the pronoun on always requires 3^rd person singular of the verb, regardless of translation you choose in English.

Thus, paye and parle in our examples — 3^rd person singular of the verbs payer and parler, which literally mean pays and speaks.

Exercise 3. Highlight the sentences with the pronoun on in the dialogue.

Exercise 4. Change the sentences using the pronoun on.

1. Vous pouvez traverser la rue au feu vert.
   
2. Vous ne pouvez pas traverser la rue au feu rouge.
   
3. Tu peux prendre quelque chose de simple.
   
4. Je ne peux pas payer en dollars ?
   
5. Il peut changer l’argent dans le bureau de change.
   

Preposition de after Quantity Words

After words denoting quantity (adverbs and nouns), the indefinite article is omitted. The preposition de is used instead, taking the form d’ before vowels and before silent h (but not before *h):

For example:

Note that the French word argent (money) is masculine, used only in singular.

Exercise 5. Change the sentences using the expression beaucoup de.

Example: J’ai des amis. — J’ai beaucoup d’amis.

Verbs of Group III. Irregular Verb faire.

Memorize a few more frequently used verbs of group III (see the beginning in lesson 17; see also lesson 18):

The verb faire has special irregular forms:

Do not forget the correct pronunciation of the verb faire:
the combination ai in the forms je fais, tu fais, il (elle) fait is pronounced as [e];
the combination ai in the forms nous faisons and faisons ! is pronounced [ə] as the exception.

The verb faire is one of the three verbs ending in -tes in the 2^nd person plural:

Exercise 6. Translate into French:

Exercise 7. Look at the pictures and answer the questions in French. Try to memorize these frequently used questions:

Word Order in Noun-Adjective Combinations

Most French adjectives come after nouns, for example:

At the same time, there are some very common adjectives that come before nouns. Here are some of them:

For example:

Note that if an adjective comes before a noun, the indefinite plural article des changes to the preposition de. Compare:

If an adjective ends in a silent consonant and comes before a noun beginning with a vowel or silent h (but not with *h), then the silent consonants become pronounced, for example:

un petit oiseau [œ̃ptitwazo]

In this case, the silent s, х become pronounced as [z], and the silent d — as [t], for example:

un gros homme [œ̃grozɔm]
ses vieux amis [sevjøzami]
un grand ami [œ̃grãtami]

Exercise 8. Open the brackets, choose an adjective in the correct form (masculine or feminine) and put it in the right place (before or after the noun).

Superlative Degree of Adjectives

The superlative degree of adjectives refers to a characteristic that appears in an object to the highest or lowest degree compared to others.

The superlative degree of adjectives is formed with the definite article and the words plus (more) or moins (less) in front of the adjective, for example:

le plus vieux quartier — the oldest district;
l’étudiant le moins actif — the least active student.

The choice of the article is determined by the form of the noun to which the adjective refers, compare:

— with a masculine singular noun:

Le Louvre est le plus grand musée d’Europe. — The Louvre is the largest museum in Europe.

— with a feminine singular noun:

La Tour Eiffel est la plus belle dame de Paris. — The Eiffel Tower is the most beautiful lady of Paris.

— with a masculine plural noun:

Les magasins du centre sont les plus chers. — The stores in the center are the most expensive.

— with a feminine plural noun:

Les femmes [fam] russes sont les plus belles du monde. — Russian women are the most beautiful in the world.

Now read again the examples given in this grammar section and note how the area of highest or lowest degree of a characteristic is indicated:

...le plus grand musée d’Europe. — ...the largest museum in Europe.
...la plus belle dame de Paris. — ...the most beautiful lady of/in Paris.
Les magasins du centre sont les plus chers. — The stores in the center are the most expensive.
...les plus belles du monde. — ...the most beautiful in the world.

You see here the preposition de. If it is followed by the masculine definite article le, then the transformation that you already know takes place (see lesson 17): de + le = du. For example: de + le centre = du centre; de + le monde = du monde.

Irregular Forms of Superlative Adjectives

As in English, some adjectives in French have special irregular forms in the superlative degree, for example:

bon (good) — le meilleur (the best, m., sing.) — les meilleurs (the best, m., pl.);
bonne (good) — la meilleure (the best, f., sing.) — les meilleures (the best, f., pl.);

mauvais (bad) — le pire (the worst, m., sing.) — les pires (the worst, m., pl.);
mauvaise (bad) — la pire (the worst, f., sing.) — les pires (the worst, f., pl.).

Note that the forms le pire, la pire, les pires are rarely used, but the following combinations with the same meaning are used more often:

le moins bon instead of le pire;
la moins bonne instead of la pire;
les moins bons instead of les pires (masc.)
  or
les moins bonnes (fem.).

For example:

Superlative Degree of Adverbs

The superlative degree of adverbs refers to a characteristic that appears in some action or characteristic to the highest or lowest degree compared to other actions or characteristics.

The superlative degree of adverbs is formed by using the definite article le and the words plus (more) or moins (less) in front of the adverb, for example:

Irregular Forms of Superlative Adverbs

Some French adverbs have special irregular forms of the superlative degree, for example:

bien (well) — le mieux (the best);
mal (badly) — le pis (the worst).

The form le pis is rarely used, synonym le moins bien is used more often.

Here are some examples:

Exercise 9. Translate using a dictionary if necessary:

1. Lucien est le plus gros de trois frères.
   
2. Cette pièce est la plus petite de la maison.
   
3. Je veux lire les livres les plus intéressants.
   
4. Pierre est le moins bon médecin de la clinique.
   
5. La cuisine allemande est la moins bonne du monde.
   
6. Yves parle anglais le mieux du groupe et Nana parle le moins bien.
   

Adjectives for Colour

Remember the most common adjectives for colour:

Most adjectives denoting colour agree with nouns in gender and number, e.g:

un costume blanc — une robe blanche;
des costumes blancs — des robes blanches.

However, there are also invariable French adjectives:

For example:

un costume orange — une robe orange;
des costumes orange — des robes orange.

Compound adjectives like bleu clair (light blue) also refer to the invariable adjectives, for example:

un costume bleu clair — une robe bleu clair;
des costumes bleu clair — des robes bleu clair.

Exercise 10. Translate into French:

1. Bring the black suit, please. (pl.)
   
2. He has a red face, he is sick.
   
3. There are white, blue, red, yellow and orange flowers in the garden.
   
4. I see two light green cars.
   

Days of the Week

Learn the French names of the days of the week:

As you have noticed, all the names of the days of the week in French are masculine nouns. Note also that when you want to tell which day of the week something happens, these nouns are used without a preposition, for example:

Je suis libre jeudi. — I am free on Thursday.
Il va au musée dimanche. — He’s going to the museum on Sunday.

Days of the week are most often used without an article, but when referring to a regular, recurring action, they appear in singular form with the definite article le, compare:

Le jeudi je suis libre. — On Thursdays I am free.
Le dimanche il va au musée. — On Sundays he goes to the museum.

Memorize typical phrases with the days of the week:

Exercise 11. Translate:

1. What day is it today? — Today is Saturday. The exchange offices are open on Saturday.
   
2. Are the museums open on Monday? — The museums are not open on Monday. But today is Friday!
   
3. On Wednesdays he goes to the restaurant.
   
4. I want to leave tomorrow. — What day is it? — It’s Tuesday.
   

Mastering the language subtleties

The French verb prendre (to take) has many meanings. Remember some of them:

Exercise 12. Now let’s make sure you have learned the vocabulary and grammar of this lesson. Translate:

Let’s laugh and enrich our vocabulary

Text I

Vocabulary

Exercise 13. Read and translate Text I. Choose statements that do not contradict its content (write Oui or Non):

Text II

Vocabulary

Exercise 14. Read and translate Text II. Choose statements that match the text (write Oui or Non):