BEGINNER LEVEL FRENCH

CHEAT SHEETS

Ms.Deepthi Leslie
 Definite Articles

What is a Definite Article?

A definite article is like the word "the" in English. It tells us that we are talking about a specific thing.

Article When to Use It Example Meaning

le Before masculine words le chien the dog
la Before feminine la maison the house
words(words ending with E)
les Before plural words (words les chats the cats
ending with S or X)

l' Before words starting with a vowel or silent 'h'

l'ami (m), l'école (f) the friend, the school

Special Notes

Use l' instead of le or la before words starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or silent 'h'.
Example: l’ami (the friend), l’hôtel (the hotel).

Plural Form:

les is used for both masculine and feminine plural nouns.

Example : les garçons (the boys), les filles (the girls)

Examples

Le (masculine singular)

Le lion est fort. (The lion is strong.)

Le ballon est rouge. (The ball is red.)

La (feminine singular)

La pomme est délicieuse. (The apple is delicious.)

La voiture est bleue. (The car is blue.)

Les (plural for both masculine and feminine)

Les enfants jouent. (The children are playing.)

Les livres sont intéressants. (The books are interesting.)

L' (before vowels and silent 'h')

L’arbre est grand. (The tree is tall.)

L’heure est tardive. (The hour is late.)

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Practice Sentences
____ chat dort. (The cat is sleeping.)
_____cheval court. (The horse is running.)
_____fleur est jolie. (The flower is pretty.)
______porte est ouverte. (The door is open.)
______ oiseaux chantent. (The birds are singing.)
_______ filles dansent. (The girls are dancing.)
______éléphant est grand. (The elephant is big.)
_______île est belle. (The island is beautiful.)

Remember the tasks to identify the articles !!

Task 1 Check whether the nouns are plural(words ending with S or X).
If plural , use LES
Task 2 If the nouns are singular, check whether they begin with a
vowel, if yes , use L’
Task 3 If the nouns do not begin with a vowel, check whether they are
masculine or feminine. If they are masculine ,use LE. If they are
feminine ( words ending with E) , use LA

Indefinite Articles

- Masculine: un (pronounced "uhn")

- Feminine: une (pronounced "uhn-eh")
- Plural (both masculine and feminine): des (pronounced "deh")

Examples:

- Un garçon (a boy)
- Une fille (a girl)
- Des livres (some books)
- Des amis (some friends)

Remember:

- Use "un" for masculine nouns (e.g., un chat - a cat)

- Use "une" for feminine nouns (e.g., une maison - a house)
- Use "des" for plural nouns (e.g., des pommes - some apples)

Tips:

- Indefinite articles are used to talk about something general, not specific.
- The gender of the noun determines the article used.
- "Des" is used for both masculine and feminine plural nouns.

Practice:

- Fill in the blanks with the correct indefinite article:

- ___ chien (a dog)
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 - ___ élève (a student)
- ___ fruits (some fruits)

The Conjugations

What is Conjugation in French?

Conjugation is the process of changing a verb form to provide information about the action such as the
tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, and number. In French, verbs are conjugated to agree with the subject
in terms of who is performing the action and when the action is happening.

Key Elements of French Conjugation

Subject Pronouns:

Je (I)
Tu (You - singular informal)
Il/Elle/On (He/She/One)
Nous (We)
Vous (You - singular formal or plural)
Ils/Elles (They - masculine/feminine)

Verb Groups:

-ER verbs (e.g., parler - to speak)

-IR verbs (e.g., finir - to finish)
-RE verbs (e.g., vendre - to sell)

Conjugation Examples
-ER Verb (Parler - to speak)
Present Tense:

Je parle
Tu parles
Il/Elle/On parle
Nous parlons
Vous parlez
Ils/Elles parlent

-IR Verb (Finir - to finish)

Present Tense:

Je finis
Tu finis
Il/Elle/On finit
Nous finissons
Vous finissez
Ils/Elles finissent

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-RE Verb (Vendre - to sell)
Present Tense:

Je vends
Tu vends
Il/Elle/On vend
Nous vendons
Vous vendez
Ils/Elles vendent

Important Irregular Verbs

Some common irregular verbs and their present tense conjugations:

Être (to be):

Je suis
Tu es
Il/Elle/On est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils/Elles sont

Avoir (to have):

J'ai
Tu as
Il/Elle/On a
Nous avons
Vous avez
Ils/Elles ont

Faire (to do/make):

Je fais
Tu fais
Il/Elle/On fait
Nous faisons
Vous faites
Ils/Elles font

Aller (to go):

Je vais
Tu vas
Il/Elle/On va
Nous allons
Vous allez
Ils/Elles vont

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Tips for Conjugations
Regular verbs follow predictable patterns based on their infinitive endings (-ER, -IR, -RE).
Irregular verbs must be memorized as they do not follow standard patterns.
Practice with verb tables and conjugation exercises to reinforce learning.

P.S. Conjugations document is already forwarded for the irregular verbs

Contracted Articles

Contracted articles are formed by combining certain prepositions with the definite articles le ,la les and l’.
These contractions are mandatory in French.

1. à (to, at) + definite articles

• à + le = au
o Example: Je vais au cinéma. (I am going to the cinema.)
• à + les = aux
o Example: Il parle aux enfants. (He is talking to the children.)
• à + la = à la
o Example: Je vais à la bibliothèque. (I am going to the library.)
• à + l' = à l'
o Example: Elle va **à l'**école. (She is going to school.)

2. de (of, from) + definite articles

• de + le = du
o Example: C'est le livre du professeur. (It is the teacher's book.)
• de + les = des
o Example: Les clés des voitures. (The keys of the cars.)
• de + la = de la
o Example: La couverture de la chaise. (The cover of the chair.)
• de + l' = de l'
o Example: Le bout **de l'**écharpe. (The end of the scarf.)

Examples in Context

1. à + le (au):
o Je vais au parc. (I am going to the park.)
o Nous allons au musée. (We are going to the museum.)
2. à + les (aux):
o Elle parle aux étudiants. (She is talking to the students.)
o Ils vont aux montagnes. (They are going to the mountains.)
3. à + la (à la):
o Il est à la gare. (He is at the station.)
o Tu vas à la pharmacie. (You are going to the pharmacy.)
4. à + l' (à l'):
o Nous allons **à l'**hôpital. (We are going to the hospital.)
o Elle est **à l'**église. (She is at the church.)

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 5. de + le (du):
o La porte du jardin est ouverte. (The garden door is open.)
o Le fils du voisin est gentil. (The neighbor's son is nice.)
6. de + les (des):
o Le livre des élèves est sur la table. (The students' book is on the table.)
o Le bruit des travaux est fort. (The noise of the construction is loud.)
7. de + la (de la):
o La couleur de la robe est jolie. (The color of the dress is pretty.)
o La lumière de la lampe est douce. (The light of the lamp is soft.)
8. de + l' (de l'):
o L'odeur **de l'**huile est forte. (The smell of the oil is strong.)
o La fin **de l'**année est proche. (The end of the year is near.)

Important Notes

• Contractions are mandatory: You cannot say "à le" or "de le"; it must be "au" and "du".
• Gender and number agreement: Ensure that the contracted article agrees with the gender and
number of the noun it modifies.

Partitive Articles

Partitive articles are used to indicate an unspecified quantity of a mass noun, which is something that
cannot be counted. In English, this is often expressed by "some"

Forms of Partitive Articles

The partitive articles in French are:

du (used with masculine singular nouns)

de la (used with feminine singular nouns)
de l' (used with singular nouns that begin with a vowel or mute h)
des (used with plural nouns)

Examples
du (masculine singular)

Je voudrais du pain. (I would like some bread.)

Il y a du fromage. (There is some cheese.)

de la (feminine singular)

Elle boit de la soupe. (She is drinking some soup.)

Nous mangeons de la salade. (We are eating some salad.)

de l' (before a vowel or mute h)

Tu veux **de l'**eau? (Do you want some water?)

Il a **de l'**argent. (He has some money.)

des (plural)

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J'ai acheté des fruits. (I bought some fruits.)
Ils ont des amis à Paris. (They have some friends in Paris.)

Using Partitive Articles in Negative Sentences

In negative sentences, partitive articles change to de or d' regardless of the noun's gender or number.

Je ne veux pas de pain. (I do not want any bread.)

Elle ne boit pas de soupe. (She is not drinking any soup.)
Nous n'avons pas **d'**eau. (We do not have any water.)
Ils n'ont pas de fruits. (They do not have any fruits.)

Context matters: Use partitive articles when referring to an unspecified quantity of something. Use
definite or indefinite articles if referring to specific or countable items.
Negative sentences: Always change partitive articles to de or d' in negative sentences, regardless of the
noun's gender or number.

Practice Sentences
J'aimerais du chocolat. (I would like some chocolate.)
Elle veut de la confiture. (She wants some jam.)
Il faut acheter **de l'**huile. (We need to buy some oil.)
Nous avons des livres. (We have some books.)
Tu veux **de l'**eau minérale? (Do you want some mineral water?)
Ils ont bu du café. (They drank some coffee.)

Singular to Plural Transformations

Basic Rules for Forming Plurals

General Rule: Add -s

1.Most French nouns form their plural by adding an -s to the singular form.
Singular: un chat (a cat)
Plural: des chats (cats)
Singular: une maison (a house)
Plural: des maisons (houses)

2.Nouns Ending in -s, -x, or -z

Nouns that already end in -s, -x, or -z do not change in the plural.
Singular: un autobus (a bus)
Plural: des autobus (buses)
Singular: un prix (a prize)
Plural: des prix (prizes)
Singular: un nez (a nose)
Plural: des nez (noses)

3.Nouns Ending in -eau, -au, or -eu

Nouns ending in -eau, -au, or -eu add -x to form the plural.

Singular: un bateau (a boat)
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Plural: des bateaux (boats)
Singular: un château (a castle)
Plural: des châteaux (castles)
Singular: un feu (a fire)
Plural: des feux (fires)

4.Nouns Ending in -al

Most nouns ending in -al change -al to -aux in the plural.

Singular: un animal (an animal)

Plural: des animaux (animals)
Singular: un journal (a newspaper)
Plural: des journaux (newspapers)

Exceptions: Some nouns ending in -al add -s instead of changing to -aux.

Singular: un festival (a festival)

Plural: des festivals (festivals)
Singular: un bal (a ball)
Plural: des bals (balls)

5.Nouns Ending in -ail

Most nouns ending in -ail add -s to form the plural.

Singular: un travail (a work)
Plural: des travaux (works)
Irregular Plurals
Some nouns have irregular plural forms that do not follow the standard rules. Here are a few examples:

Singular: un œil (an eye)

Plural: des yeux (eyes)

Singular: un ciel (a sky)

Plural: des cieux (skies)

Adjectives Agreement
When changing from singular to plural, ensure that adjectives agree in number with the noun they modify.

Singular: un chat noir (a black cat)

Plural: des chats noirs (black cats)

Singular: une maison blanche (a white house)

Plural: des maisons blanches (white houses)

Articles Change In the plural, indefinite articles (un, une) change to des and definite articles (le, la, l')
change to les.

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Indefinite:

Singular: un livre (a book)

Plural: des livres (books)

Singular: une table (a table)

Plural: des tables (tables)

Definite:

Singular: le chat (the cat)

Plural: les chats (the cats)

Singular: la maison (the house)

Plural: les maisons (the houses)

Examples in Sentences
Singular to Plural:
Singular: Une fleur rouge. (A red flower.)
Plural: Des fleurs rouges. (Red flowers.)
Irregular Plural:

Singular: Un œil bleu. (A blue eye.)

Plural: Des yeux bleus. (Blue eyes.)

Rules for transforming a complete sentence from Singular to Plural

Task 1
Change the subject pronouns
Je – Nous
Tu – Vous
Il – ils
Elle -elles

Task 2
Change the conjugations of verbs according to the subject pronouns
Example
tu as – vous avez

Task 3
Change the articles
Un/une – des
Le/ la/ l’ – les

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Task 4
Change the adjectives and nouns based on the rules mentioned in the singular to plural transformations

Singular: Le chien est dans le jardin. (The dog is in the garden.)

Plural: Les chiens sont dans le jardin. (The dogs are in the garden.)

Basic Rules for Forming Feminine Nouns and Adjectives

General Rule: Add -e

1.Most masculine nouns and adjectives form the feminine by adding an -e.
Masculine: un ami (a male friend)
Feminine: une amie (a female friend)
Masculine: petit (small, male)
Feminine: petite (small, female)

2.Masculine Ending in -e

If the masculine form already ends in -e, there is no change.

Masculine: un artiste (a male artist)
Feminine: une artiste (a female artist)
Masculine: riche (rich, male)
Feminine: riche (rich, female)

3.Masculine Ending in -é

Add an -e to the masculine form.

Masculine: fatigué (tired, male)
Feminine: fatiguée (tired, female)
Masculine Ending in -f

4.Change -f to -ve.
Masculine: actif (active, male)
Feminine: active (active, female)
Masculine: neuf (new, male)
Feminine: neuve (new, female)

5.Masculine Ending in -x

Change -x to -se.
Masculine: heureux (happy, male)
Feminine: heureuse (happy, female)
Masculine: dangereux (dangerous, male)
Feminine: dangereuse (dangerous, female)

6.Masculine Ending in -eur

Change -eur to -euse.

Masculine: travailleur (hardworking, male)
Feminine: travailleuse (hardworking, female)
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Change -eur to -rice (for certain adjectives and nouns).
Masculine: directeur (director, male)
Feminine: directrice (director, female)

7.Masculine Ending in -er

Change -er to -ère.

Masculine: premier (first, male)
Feminine: première (first, female)
Masculine: cher (dear, male)
Feminine: chère (dear, female)

8.Masculine Ending in -c

Change -c to -que.
Masculine: public (public, male)
Feminine: publique (public, female)
Masculine: blanc (white, male)
Feminine: blanche (white, female)

Irregular Feminine Forms

Some adjectives and nouns have irregular feminine forms that do not follow the standard patterns.

Masculine: beau (beautiful, male)

Feminine: belle (beautiful, female)
Masculine: vieux (old, male)
Feminine: vieille (old, female)
Masculine: nouveau (new, male)
Feminine: nouvelle (new, female)

Examples in Sentences
General Rule:

Masculine: Il est petit. (He is small.)

Feminine: Elle est petite. (She is small.)

Masculine Ending in -e:

Masculine: Il est artiste. (He is an artist.)
Feminine: Elle est artiste. (She is an artist.)

Masculine Ending in -é:

Masculine: Il est fatigué. (He is tired.)
Feminine: Elle est fatiguée. (She is tired.)

Masculine Ending in -f:

Masculine: Il est actif. (He is active.)
Feminine: Elle est active. (She is active.)

Masculine Ending in -x:

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Masculine: Il est heureux. (He is happy.)
Feminine: Elle est heureuse. (She is happy.)

Masculine Ending in -eur:

Masculine: Il est travailleur. (He is hardworking.)
Feminine: Elle est travailleuse. (She is hardworking.)

Masculine Ending in -er:

Masculine: Il est premier. (He is first.)
Feminine: Elle est première. (She is first.)

Masculine Ending in -c:

Masculine: Il est public. (He is public.)
Feminine: Elle est publique. (She is public.)

Irregular Feminine Forms:

Masculine: Il est beau. (He is handsome.)

Feminine: Elle est belle. (She is beautiful.)
Masculine: Il est vieux. (He is old.)
Feminine: Elle est vieille. (She is old.)
Masculine: Il est nouveau. (He is new.)
Feminine: Elle est nouvelle. (She is new.)

Summary
General Rule: Add -e to form the feminine.
No change: If masculine ends in -e.
Change endings: For masculine nouns/adjectives ending in -é, -f, -x, -eur, -er, -c.
Irregular forms: Memorize common irregular transformations.

VIDEO LINKS AND SUPPORT DOCUMENTS ARE ATTACHED FOR PRONUNCIATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xGfXVQk2Ul3IidD-iVMkV9XErI3Y6vpX?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1buLga5k5Bnq9OD8QfS-PbX7cILso136p?usp=sharing

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