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French Language

Laura K. Lawless

French Language

By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide since 1999


Essential French Phrases: Social niceties

Saturday April 23, 2011
When traveling to France - or anywhere else, for that matter - it's important to follow the local customs. A big part of this is knowing what to say in different social situations. Take a look at these essential French phrases related to social niceties.
More: Politeness | Top 100 French words | Most common French phrases


Mot du jour: averse

Friday April 22, 2011
Learn a new French word every weekday! Today's word is averse.

More vocabulary More Daily French

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French expression: Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras

Friday April 22, 2011
 What does the French proverb un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras mean? Click to learn all about it, and then come back here to share your thoughts.
More: French expressions | Common French phrases


French translation: All about Any

Thursday April 21, 2011
The English word "any" has numerous French translations, depending on what it means and whether it is used as an adjective, pronoun, or adverb.
Help: Parts of speech


French verb of the week: bouger

Thursday April 21, 2011
Simple verb conjugations, similarly conjugated verbs (if any), and links to related lessons for the common French verb bouger.
French verb conjugator

Mot du jour: baveux
Learn a new French word every weekday!
More: French vocabulary | Daily French


Featured French town: Cassis

Wednesday April 20, 2011
Cassis
In response to my call for your favorite French towns, one reader shared tips and photos about the lovely Mediterranean town of Cassis.

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French culture quiz: Literature

Wednesday April 20, 2011
Test yourself on French and francophone literature with this little quiz.
More French Tests

Mot du jour: tabler
Learn a new French word every weekday!
More: French vocabulary | Daily French


French preposition: Chez

Tuesday April 19, 2011
Pretty much anyone who has eaten at a French restaurant is familiar with the French preposition chez since it's often used with the name of the chef, as in Chez Laura. But there are many other ways to use chez, most of which require several words in English. Learn about the different meanings and translations of the essential French word chez.
More: French prepositions | Essential French


Mot du jour: viser

Tuesday April 19, 2011
Learn a French word a day: viser.

More vocabulary More Daily French

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Top 10: Beginning French Mistakes

Monday April 18, 2011
When you start learning French, there's a lot to remember - new vocabulary, all kinds of verb conjugations, strange spelling... just about everything is different. It's normal to make mistakes, but it's in your best interest to try to fix them as soon as possible. The longer you make the same mistake, the harder it will be for you to get it right later on. With this in mind, this article discusses ten of the most common French mistakes made by beginners, so that you can fix these problems right from the beginning.
More: French mistakes and difficulties | French for beginners


Mot du jour: supprimer

Monday April 18, 2011
Learn a French word today: supprimer.

More vocabulary More Daily French

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French phrases: Expressions with bon

Sunday April 17, 2011
The French word bon literally means "good" and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say tit for tat, cushy job, bright and early, and more with this list of expressions with bon.
More: French expressions | Bon vs bien


Mot du jour: rubrique

Friday April 15, 2011
Take a few minutes today to learn the French word rubrique.

More vocabulary More Daily French

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French expression: Avoir l'esprit de l'escalier

Friday April 15, 2011
 What does the idiomatic French expression avoir l'esprit de l'escalier mean? Click to learn all about it, and then come back here to share your thoughts.
More: French expressions | Common French phrases


French grammar: Adjectives

Thursday April 14, 2011
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun - it can describe shape, color, size, and many other aspects of a noun. French adjectives are very different from English adjectives in two ways - learn more.
More: French parts of speech | French for beginners


French verb of the week: essuyer

Thursday April 14, 2011
Simple verb conjugations, similarly conjugated verbs (if any), and links to related lessons for the French verb essuyer.
French verb conjugator

Mot du jour: bidule
Learn a new French word every weekday!
More: French vocabulary | Daily French


Language at work: Jobs Using French (or other languages)

Wednesday April 13, 2011
People often tell me that they love French and would like to find a job - any job - where they can use it, but aren't sure what kind of job that might be. Here is an introduction to some language-related jobs, as well as links to further information and resources.


French quiz: Demonstrative pronouns

Wednesday April 13, 2011
Let's see how well you do with this one. Test yourself on demonstrative pronouns with this quiz or take a look at the lesson to review.
More French Tests

Mot du jour: abandonné
Learn a new French word every weekday!
More: French vocabulary | Daily French


Basic French: Professions

Tuesday April 12, 2011
Learn how to talk about your job in French with this list of common professions in French.
More: Basic French vocabulary | French for beginners


Mot du jour: subir

Tuesday April 12, 2011
Learn a French word a day! Le mot du jour d'aujourd'hui est subir.

More vocabulary More Daily French

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Essential French: All about Passer

Monday April 11, 2011
Passer is a very common and useful French verb. It is a regular -ER verb but may be conjugated with avoir or être in the compound tenses, depending on whether it is transitive or intransitive - learn all about passer.
French tools: Grammar glossary | Verb conjugator


Mot du jour: tabac

Monday April 11, 2011
Learn a French word a day! Today's word is tabac.

More vocabulary More Daily French

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Mot du jour: selle

Friday April 8, 2011
Learn a French word a day! Today's word is selle.
More: French vocabulary | Daily French | How to speak French


Free French Help

Questions about French? Looking to practice? Please join us in the forums.
A la française - Bilingual Q+A and discussion
French for beginners - No question is too simple
French pen pals - Find email correspondents
Profs de français - Talk to virtual colleagues
Le Carrefour francophone - Discuter en français

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French expression: ci-joint

Friday April 8, 2011
 What does the French expression ci-joint mean? Click to learn all about how to use it and when it requires agreement, and then come back here to share your thoughts.
More: French expressions | Common French phrases


French grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

Thursday April 7, 2011
French comparative adverbs (plus... moins... aussi... autant... que) and superlative adverbs (le plus, le moins, le meilleur, le pire) describe something as more/less and most/least, respectively. They are a little tricky in French, so take a look at the best explanation of French comparatives and superlatives. ;-)
More: French adverbs
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