Tag Archives: Tips

Adverbs in French language (A2)

Adverbs in French language

Adverbs ending with “-ment” in French language

 

Adverbs are used to give a precision on the action that is performed. They usually answer the question “how?” and are placed behind the verb.

Example:

  • Il parle lentement.
  • Elle travaille efficacement.
  • Nous étudions régulièrement.

Adverbs are invariable, i.e. their spelling does not change.

 

How to form an adverb?

Take the adjective in the masculine form (doux), put it in the feminine form (douce) then add “-ment” . That’s it! 🙂

  • Doux —> Douce —> Doucement : Ils jouent doucement avec le chien.
  • Franc —> Franche —> Franchement : Je peux te parler franchement?
  • Naturel —> Naturelle —> Naturellement : Elle a réagi naturellement.
  • Fou —> Folle —> Follement : Ils sont follement amoureux.

 

Of course, as you can imagine, there are different types of adverbs which do not comply with this rule…

1. Some adverbs are formed from the masculine of the adjective; this adjective is ended by a vowel:

  • Passionné + ment —> Passionnément (avec passion)
  • Spontané + ment —> Spontanément (de manière spontanée)
  • Poli + ment —> Poliment (de manière polie)
  • Vrai + ment —> Vraiment 

2. Other adverbs end with -amment or -emment when the adjective ends with -ant or -ent.

  • Bruyant —> Bruyamment : Il mange bruyamment.
  • Méchant —> Méchamment : Il lui a répondu méchamment.
  • Intelligent —> Intelligemment : Il suffit de travailler intelligemment.
  • Patient —> Patiemment : Il a attendu patiemment.

 

Here is a poster that can summarize today’s lesson.

Adverbs in French language

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Ask and tell the time in French (A1)

What time is it in French language

How to ask and tell the time in French (1)

To ask what time it is in French, there are different options:

  • Vous avez l’heure ? (to ask if you don’t know if the person you are talking to can give you the time)
  • Quelle heure est-il ? (formal)
  • Il est quelle heure ? (casual)

There are two different ways to tell the time:

  • The formal way (professional appointments, medical appointments, airports, administrations…)
  • The casual way (family, friends, colleagues…)

For each of these ways, your sentence will start with “Il est…”.

Example:

Il est 15h00 (formal).

Il est 3h00 (casual).

 

 

Time in French

 

 

A few objects for time  :

Une montre (watch)

Une horloge (clock)

Un portable (cellphone)

Un réveil (alarm clock)

 

Et chez vous, quelle heure est-il?

 

Drag and drop the right sentence on the clock. Then, check your answer!

 

 

 

 

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Indirect verbs and pronouns in French (A2 / B1)

Indirect Verbs in French

Indirect Verbs in French

 

 

Which pronouns for which verbs (2)?

 

A few weeks ago, we introduced  « les pronoms compléments directs » in French language.

Today, we will be talking about the “pronoms compléments indirects” : me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur .

 

INDIRECT PRONOUNS ARE :
* used to replace a person (or an animal) only introduced by a definite article (le, la, les, l’) or a possessive adjective (mon, ton, son …).

* used with “indirect verbs”, i.e. between these verbs and the person, you will find the letter “à”(téléphoner à quelqu’un, offrir à quelqu’un, dire à quelqu’un…)

* always before the verb.

 

Example:

Tu téléphones souvent à tes parents? —> Oui, je LEUR téléphone assez souvent.

Elle a déjà annoncé à  son petit ami qu’elle allait partir faire le tour du monde ? —> Oui, elle LUI a annoncé hier soir.

Ils ont prêté leur voiture à Jeanne ? —> Non, ils ne LUI ont pas prêté leur voiture.

 

! « LUI » peut remplacer un homme ou une femme.

 

When there are two verbs, indirect pronouns are placed between these two verbs:

Vous allez proposer À VOS VOISINS de vous accompagner? —> Oui, nous allons LEUR proposer de nous accompagner.

Je peux LUI offrir une bière? —> Oui, vas-y. Il aime bien la bière blonde.

 

Their use is simple when you know if the verb is used with “à + quelqu’un” or not.

That’s why we made this list of 15 verbs !

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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

All your questions answered in the following list. If we forgot one, do not hesitate to contact us to ask! We will be happy to give you the answer you are looking for. 🙂

 

BOOKING

  • How do I book my French courses and my accommodation?

You can book directly through our website, by phone or directly at school.

  • How can I pay for the deposit, courses and accommodation ?

Deposit is payable by bank transfer only. For outstanding balance, we accept payment by bank transfer, credit card (at school) or cash.

  • What is the minimum age for students?

Students must be 18 to enroll.

 

VISA

  • Do I need a visa to come to France?

It depends on your nationality. For a stay of less than 3 months, a tourist visa is usually sufficient. Please contact the French consulate or embassy in your country for more detailed information on this subject.

  • If I need a visa, can SOFI 64 help me with my application?

Yes! Our Qualité FLE accreditation gives the chance to our students to be able to get a student visa. As soon as we receive full payment for your stay, we will send you a stamped and signed booking confirmation as well as your host family information. These documents shall be presented with the invoice to the French Embassy. If your visa is refused, your money will be returned less the non-refundable process fee (50 euros).

 

OUR SCHOOL

  • What time should I be at school on my first day?

 Your first day at SOFI 64 will start at 9.00.

  • What should I bring with me on the first day of school?

Please bring with you a pen and a notebook. If you registered to our « French & Surf » program, you should also bring some sunscreen, a beach towel and a bathing-suit.

  • Which languages do you speak at school?

French, English, Spanish, German and Basque.

We have 5 spacious and bright classrooms. Our school has a beautiful private terrace with tables, chairs and umbrellas. In our kitchen, there is a coffee machine and a kettle for your organic coffee and tea available at school. To practice your French skills after class, French books and French language DVDs are available in our small library.

  • Will I have access to the Internet at SOFI 64?

Yes. You will have access to the Internet through our WIFI.

 

COURSES

  • Which languages are used during the courses?

French and French!

  • How many students will there be in my class?

Each class is limited to 8 students. Minimum number of students in a group is 2.

  • How old will the other students be?

We welcome students of almost all ages (18 and +). However, the average age of our students is between 25-35.

You can start on any Monday. Full beginners must start on specific dates (one Monday per month).

  • Can I combine or change courses?

Yes, subject to availability ! For instance, it is possible to book one week of “French & Surf” and another week of “French & Yoga“.

If you change your program during your stay, there will be a 25 euro-fee applied.

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Essential topics for DELF B1

Préparer les thèmes pour le DELF B1

What topics should be prepared for DELF B1?

Last week, we explained what topics and skills were needed to prepare both exams DELF A1 and DELF A2.

Today, we share a poster that will help you visualize the topics that need to be prepared for the DELF B1 exam.

 

Préparer les thèmes pour le DELF B1

If you would like to prepare this exam with us, our “DELF Preparation” program will allow you to do so without worry!

 

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Essential topics for DELF A1 / A2 exams

French exam Preparation

What topics should be prepared for DELF A1 and DELF A2?

Do you want to officialize your level of French? You must present an official diploma attesting your level of French for a future employer, a school…?

You may be aware that there are 6 official levels:

* Beginner / Elementary : A1 / A2

* Usual / Intermediate : B1 / B2

* Advanced : C1 / C2 (DALF exam)

If you wish to pass the DELF A1 or A2, you will find on our poster the different themes essential to prepare…

 

French exam Preparation

 

La ville —> It is necessary to know how to locate in space, to know the different means of transport, to give itineraries…

Les réseaux sociaux —> It is necessary to know how to express yourself during a simple telephone conversation and to know the vocabulary related to social networks and the Internet.

Entrer en contact —> You must know how to introduce yourself, greet people, give them personal information.

Les voyages —> You have to know how to write a simple postcard, talk about the weather, talk about your activities, destinations…

L’heure —> You have to know how to talk about schedules (shops, work…), your habits, your daily activities.

La famille —> You must be able to introduce your family.

Les vêtements —> It is necessary to know how to use the vocabulary of clothes and make purchases.

L’alimentation —> You must be able to shop, talk about your food preferences, order from a restaurant.

 

Next week, we will propose the essential themes for DELF B1 and DELF B2.

If you would like to prepare this exam with us, our “DELF Preparation” program will allow you to do so without worry!

Bonnes révisions!

 

 

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Hello Winter !

French vocabulary for winter

French words for Wintertime !

It is true, we are only on November 20th but it feels a bit like winter already.

It is time to practice your French vocabulary. That is why we decided to make two posters you can use to learn vocabulary relating to winter.

Our first poster will be giving you words associated with icons.

Our second one will help you reuse these words with ideas and sentences.

Exercise: First, associate the beginning of sentences with icons; then, finish the sentences before matching them again with icons.

 

French vocabulary for winter

 

 

Practice your French with vocabulary for winter

 

 

 

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“De” or “à”? For which verb?

Exercice to practice French verbs

Which one should you choose?

You may know that in French some verbs are used with other verbs without any preposition between them such as “aimer, adorer, préférer, détester, pouvoir, vouloir, devoir, aller…”.

In those cases, the second verb is never conjugated:

“Il peut PARLER français sans aucun accent.”

“Nous voulons RÉVISER ensemble.”

“J’aime de FAIRE du surf toute l’année.”

“Nous allons à DÎNER au restaurant ce soir.”

That’s the easy part! 🙂

 

For other verbs, you may have to choose between “de” and “à”. They are usually followed by another verb which is ALWAYS in the infinitive form.

Below are two posters we made with the most common French verbs used either with “de” or “à”.

—–> First one is a list with verbs.

—–> Second one is to practice those verbs.

French verbs with "de" and "à"

Exercice to practice French verbs

To summarize, when two verbs are used together the second one is always at the infinitive form! When it is followed by a preposition, you just need to pick the right one. 🙂

See you next week to check your answers for the exercise above!

Bonne semaine à tous! 🙂

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Choose the right verb!

Choose the right verb in French

A guide to 6 French verbs … parler / dire / connaître / savoir / faire / jouer !

 

This week, let’s see how to use six French verbs usually mixed up… No need to worry, it is easier than what it looks like! 🙂

 

1. Dire ou Parler

These two verbs are used in different situations.

With the verb “dire”, you can say “dire quelque chose”. For example, it is possible to say “dire merci, dire bonjour, dire au revoir…” :

“Les serveurs disent bonjour aux clients.”

“La petite fille a dit merci à ses grands-parents.”

“La cliente dit au revoir au vendeur”.

You can also repeat what someone said with the structure ‘dire que‘:

“Laura m’a dit que les cours étaient très animés et intéressants.”

“Le serveur m’a dit qu‘il n’y avait plus de crème brulée comme dessert.”

 

With the verb “parler”, you cannot say “je parle merci” but it is possible to say:

—> je parle vite, tu parles beaucoup, il parle trop, nous parlons tout le temps, vous parlez bien, ils parlent clairement…

—> parler avec quelqu’un, parler de quelque chose, parler à quelqu’un, parler pendant des heures…

You can also say:

—> parler anglais, français, basque, espagnol, allemand…

Attention: You cannot parler bonjour!

 

2. Connaître ou Savoir

The verb “connaître” is used with nouns. You can say for example:

“Je connais ses qualités.”

“Je ne connais pas les raisons de son comportement.”

“Il connaît bien ses voisins.”

The verb “savoir” is used with verbs. For example:

“Je sais qu’elle est honnête.”

“Elle ne sait pas pourquoi il a agi comme ça.”

“Ils savent qu’ils peuvent compter sur leurs voisins.”

Attention: You cannot say “Je connais que…“!

 

3. Faire ou Jouer

When you play sports and want to talk about your sports activities, you have two possibilities, use the verb “faire” or the verb “jouer”.
The verb “faire” can be used for all sports! It is possible to say:
“Je fais du tennis, il fait du surf, nous faisons du golf, tu fais du rugby, elles font de l’équitation…”.

 

The verb “jouer” is only used with ball sports… So it is possible to say “Je joue au tennis, au golf, au rugby, au frisbee, au badminton, au hockey…” but it is not possible to say “Je joue au surf…“.

 

Et voilà!

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Understand and enjoy your surf lesson with us!

Stand-up bodyboard

** How surf lessons work **

Your French classes are over and it is time for your daily surf lessons? You are ready to hit the beach, put your wetsuit / sunscreen on and enjoy a good surf session.

A glance at the weekly schedule and you realize that your surf lesson starts at 5pm?

Why wait another 4 hours? Why does your surf lessons’ schedule change every day?

 

Surfer inside a barrel

 

Like almost all our students, you have done little or no surfing in your life and the best conditions, the safest conditions are at low tide. The ocean rises and falls +/- 6 hours apart. This variation (due to the moon, the sun and the Earth’s revolution…) determines the schedule of your surf lessons.

At low tide, surfing is more practicable for beginners for 2 reasons:

—> you won’t surf in deep water
—> waves and whitewater offer a longer distance to slide on

 

 

Surfing is almost all about fun! There are a few rules to follow when you go out:

Do not surf between flags reserved for swimmers –>

Délimitations surfeurs et baigneurs

 

Respect priority rules –>

Priorités en surf

 

Surfeurs sur une vague

 

 

Now, let’s work on your vocabulary by associating the words in the right column with the left column:

 

1. Ramer a.  Surfboard
2. Faire le canard b.  To pop up
3. Une dérive c. Foam / Whitewater
4. Tomber d. To duck dive
5. Une planche (de surf) e. Fin
6. Se lever f. Wave
7. Un leash g. Current
8. Une vague h. To fall
9. La mousse i. Paddle
10. Le courant j. Leg rope

 

Surfing is also a commitment to the environment. Respect the ocean, collect your garbage, leave only your footsteps in the sand.

Aloha!

 

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