Learning the basics of French/Simple grammar rules

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French has some simple grammatical rules that one must learn if one is to be successful in the language. If you already know where you want to be, use the Table of Contents below. Otherwise, please review the lesson in the order in which it is presented.

[edit] Example Vocab

    First of all, let's establish an example vocabulary to use.
    Ignore any translations or notes in parentheses that you don't understand.
    We'll get to them later. 
        Adjectives:
         rouge(red)
         blanc(white)
         vert(green)
        Nouns: 
         arbre(tree-v)
         bateau(boat-m)
         bicyclette(bicycle-f)
         animaux(animals-p)
        Assuming you've read through the Learning_the_Basics_of_French/Lesson:Au_restaurant!previous lessons, you may remember these verbs:
         manger(to eat)
         jouer(to play)
        We'll also introduce a new verb: 
         utiliser(to use)
        Articles:
         la(definite-f)
         le(definite-m)
         les(definite-p)
         l'(definite-v)
         un(indefinite-m
         une(indefinite-f)
         des(indefinite-v)

Alors, allons-y!!

[edit] Masculinity and Femininity:

[edit] How it Works

Oddly enough, French nouns are said to be masculine or feminine. This is important because, in French the articles are different depending on gender and whether the noun is plural or non-plural. So above, the m, f, and p tags stand for masculine, feminine, or plural. We won't go into the v tags in this section. To find the correct article, simply match its gender and number to the articles, and see which one fits!!

[edit] The Almighty Examples:

le bateau-(This word is masculine, and this article is masculine, so this is correct!)
La bicyclette-(This word is feminine, and this article is feminine, so this too is correct!)
Les animaux-(This word is plural, and this article is plural , so this is correct!)

But what if I want to say a bicycle, of some animals? Watch and learn.

[edit] The Almighty Examples: Part Two: The Indefinite Articles

un bateau
une bicyclette
des animaux

In other words, a boat, a bicycle, and some animals.

[edit] Definite Articles Used With Words Beginning With Vowels

With words that begin with vowels, one uses the l' form of the definite article, regardless of gender. But remember that if the word is plural, it is always les, regardless of gender or initial letter.

Now, you try:

 1. Write the window: (window is fenêtre-f)
 2. Write the dog: (dog is chien-m)
 3. Write some pigs: (pig is cochon-m)
 4. Write a bear: (bear is ours-m)
 5. Write a girl: (girl is fille-f)
 6. Write the children: (children are enfants-m)
 7. Write the donkey: (donkey is âne-m)

Check your answers below:

 1. la fenêtre
 2. le chien
 3. des cochons
 4. un ours
 5. une fille
 6. les enfants
 7. l'âne

[edit] Liason

Liason consists of two main concepts. We will cover these in turn.

[edit] Slurring

Normally, the final consonant of a word is not pronounced in French. For example, les arbres is pronouncedlAYZ ARbreuh, whereas les filles is pronounced lAY FEE-yeuh. In other words, the 's' on the end is only pronounced where the first letter of the noun is a vowel. This is true in any scenario like this: consonant SPACE vowel.

[edit] Contraction

Another form of liason occurs in the scenario vowel SPACE vowel. In this case, the initial vowel and the space are replaced by an apostrophe, an example is the phrase 'ce est'. Notice the vowel on either side of the space? Therefore, it contracts to 'c'est'.

[edit] Adjectives

Adjectives in French are inverted. The noun comes before the adjective. In English, we have the adjective, then the noun: red boat. But in French, we have the opposite: le bateau rouge. There are, however, sixteen exceptions to this rule, which can easily be remembered by the acronym 'BAGS': Beauty, Age, Goodness, and Size.

[edit] The Exceptions

Petit small
Grand big
Gros fat
Jeune young
Bon good
Douce gentle
Belle beautiful(for a girl or a woman)
Bel beautiful(for a boy or a man)

[edit] Lesson Quiz

Translate
 the small tree
 a red donkey
 The white window
Contract, Slur, or Neither? 
 mon amie 
 le arbre
 les arbres
 la fenêtre
 Les cochons
Answers at End of Page

[edit] Lesson Wrap-Up

Thank You for taking this beginner's course in basic French grammar. I want to follow it up with a lesson in useful words: de, à, celui, laquelle, the personal and interrogative pronouns. If you don't know what nouns, adjectives, and pronouns are, you shouldn't really be taking this course.

[edit] Answers to Lesson Quiz

Le petit arbre
Un âne rouge
La fenêtre blanche 
Contract (to l'arbre)
Slur
Neither 
Neither

Learning the basics of French/Simple grammar rules

From Wikiversity

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