Read real French sentences and see how their parts work together.
Daily life
J'aimerais y aller, mais je n'ai pas le temps.
I would like to go there, but I don't have time.
- J'
- I
Je becomes J' before a vowel sound.
- aimerais
- would like
Aimer in the conditional.
- y
- there
Y replaces a place already mentioned. It goes before the infinitive.
- aller
- to go
After aimerais, the next verb stays in the infinitive.
- mais
- but
Introduces the contrast.
- n'
- not (part 1)
Ne becomes n' before a vowel. It pairs with pas.
- ai
- have
Avoir in the present.
- pas
- not (part 2)
Pas closes the negation around the verb.
- le
- the
Masculine definite article.
- temps
- time
Avoir le temps = to have time. The final -ps is silent.
Conditional for polite wishes; ne… pas negation.
Work
Je travaille à la maison aujourd'hui parce que mon train est annulé.
I'm working from home today because my train is cancelled.
- travaille
- am working
Travailler in the present.
- à la maison
- at home
Fixed expression for 'at home'.
- aujourd'hui
- today
One word, with an apostrophe inside.
- parce que
- because
Introduces the reason.
- mon
- my
Masculine possessive: mon train.
- train
- train
Masculine noun.
- est
- is
Être in the present.
- annulé
- cancelled
Past participle used as an adjective.
Simple present for ongoing actions; parce que for causes.
Travel
Pourriez-vous me dire où se trouve la gare ?
Could you tell me where the station is?
- Pourriez
- could
Pouvoir in the conditional.
- -vous
- you
Inverted subject joined with a hyphen.
- me
- me
Indirect object: tell (to) me.
- dire
- tell
Infinitive after pouvoir.
- où
- where
With an accent it means 'where'. Without it, ou means 'or'.
- se trouve
- is located
Se trouver = to be located.
- gare
- station
Train station. A metro station is une station.
Polite request with the conditional and inversion.
Restaurants
Nous voudrions une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît.
We would like a table for two, please.
- voudrions
- would like
Vouloir in the conditional.
- une
- a
Feminine indefinite article.
- pour
- for
Pour deux = for two people.
- s'il vous plaît
- please
Formal please. Informal: s'il te plaît.
Ordering politely with vouloir in the conditional.
Housing
L'appartement est joli, cependant le loyer est trop élevé.
The apartment is nice, however the rent is too high.
- L'
- the
Le becomes L' before a vowel.
- appartement
- apartment
Masculine noun.
- est
- is
Être in the present.
- joli
- nice / pretty
Agrees with appartement (masculine).
- cependant
- however
Formal contrast.
- est
- is
Être in the present.
- élevé
- high
Used for prices and rents.
Formal contrast with cependant.
Administration
Je dois renouveler mon titre de séjour.
I need to renew my residence permit.
- dois
- have to
Devoir in the present.
- renouveler
- to renew
Infinitive after devoir.
- mon
- my
Masculine possessive.
- titre de séjour
- residence permit
Official document for foreign residents.
Obligation with devoir.
Social
Puisque tu es libre ce soir, on dîne ensemble.
Since you're free tonight, let's have dinner together.
- Puisque
- since
Introduces a shared reason.
- es
- are
Être in the present.
- ce soir
- tonight
Literally 'this evening'.
- on
- we
In speech, on usually means 'we'.
- dîne
- have dinner
Dîner in the present.
- ensemble
- together
Pronounced 'ahn-sahm-bl'.
Puisque for a shared reason; on as 'we'.
Opinions
Je pense que c'est une bonne idée, même si c'est cher.
I think it's a good idea, even if it's expensive.
- pense
- think
Penser in the present.
- que
- that
Required after penser. Never dropped in French.
- c'
- it
Ce becomes c' before est.
- est
- is
Être in the present.
- bonne
- good
Bon becomes bonne for feminine nouns.
- même si
- even if
Concession.
- est
- is
Être in the present.
- cher
- expensive
Also means 'dear'.
Giving an opinion; même si + indicative.
Past
Hier, je suis allé au marché avec ma sœur.
Yesterday, I went to the market with my sister.
- Hier
- yesterday
Placed first to set the time.
- suis allé
- went
Passé composé of aller.
- au
- to the
à + le contracts to au.
- marché
- market
Masculine noun.
- sœur
- sister
Note the œ ligature.
Aller takes être in the passé composé.
Future
L'année prochaine, je vais habiter à Lyon.
Next year, I'm going to live in Lyon.
- L'année prochaine
- next year
Time expression placed first.
- vais
- am going to
Aller in the present.
- habiter
- live
Infinitive after aller.
- à
- in
À is used before city names.
Near future with aller.
Daily life
Je cherche une veste, mais dans une taille plus petite.
I'm looking for a jacket, but in a smaller size.
- cherche
- am looking for
Chercher in the present.
- veste
- jacket
Feminine noun.
- dans
- in
Dans une taille = in a size.
- plus petite
- smaller
Plus + adjective = comparative. Agrees with taille.
Chercher takes a direct object; comparatives with plus.
Connectors
Il a beaucoup étudié, pourtant il a raté l'examen.
He studied a lot, yet he failed the exam.
- beaucoup
- a lot
Sits between auxiliary and participle.
- étudié
- studied
Past participle of étudier.
- pourtant
- yet
Unexpected contrast.
- raté
- failed
Past participle of rater (informal: to fail, to miss).
- examen
- exam
Masculine noun.
Passé composé with avoir; adverb placement.
Daily life
Il pleut, donc nous restons à la maison.
It's raining, so we're staying at home.
- pleut
- is raining
Pleuvoir in the present.
- restons
- are staying
Rester in the present.
- à la maison
- at home
At home.
Impersonal weather verbs; donc for results.
Connectors
Elle prend le bus, alors que je marche.
She takes the bus, whereas I walk.
- prend
- takes
Prendre in the present.
- bus
- bus
The final s is pronounced.
- alors que
- whereas
Comparison contrast.
- marche
- walk
Marcher in the present.
Contrasting two habits.
Conditions
Je viendrai, à condition que tu sois là.
I'll come, provided that you're there.
- viendrai
- will come
Venir in the future.
- à condition que
- provided that
Condition + subjunctive.
- sois
- are
Être in the subjunctive.
- là
- there
With an accent: there.
Future simple; subjunctive after à condition que.
Travel
On partira à huit heures, sauf si le train est en retard.
We'll leave at eight, unless the train is late.
- partira
- will leave
Partir in the future.
- à huit heures
- at eight
Time with à + heures.
- train
- train
Masculine noun.
- est
- is
Être in the present.
- en retard
- late
Être en retard = to be late.
Future simple; sauf si + indicative.
Conditions
Si j'avais plus de temps, j'apprendrais le piano.
If I had more time, I would learn the piano.
- Si
- if
Introduces the condition.
- avais
- had
Avoir in the imparfait.
- plus de
- more
Plus de + noun = more of something.
- apprendrais
- would learn
Apprendre in the conditional.
- le
- the
Instruments take le: jouer du piano, apprendre le piano.
- piano
- piano
Masculine noun.
Hypothetical condition.
Work
Est-ce qu'on peut reporter la réunion à jeudi ?
Can we postpone the meeting until Thursday?
- Est-ce qu'
- (question marker)
Est-ce que becomes est-ce qu' before a vowel.
- peut
- can
Pouvoir in the present.
- reporter
- postpone
Reporter = to postpone (also: to report).
- réunion
- meeting
Feminine noun.
- à
- to / until
Reporter à + day.
- jeudi
- Thursday
Days aren't capitalised in French.
Neutral question form with est-ce que.
Daily life
D'habitude, je me lève à sept heures.
I usually get up at seven.
- D'habitude
- usually
De + habitude, placed first.
- me lève
- get up
Se lever in the present.
- à sept heures
- at seven
Time expression.
Reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject.
Social
Ça te dirait de prendre un verre avec moi samedi ?
Would you like to have a drink with me on Saturday?
- Ça
- it / that
Informal cela.
- te
- to you
Indirect object, informal.
- dirait
- would appeal
Dire in the conditional.
- de
- to
Ça te dirait de + infinitive.
- prendre
- have / take
Prendre un verre = have a drink.
- un verre
- a drink
Literally 'a glass'.
- moi
- me
Stressed pronoun after a preposition.
- samedi
- Saturday
No preposition needed: samedi = on Saturday.
Casual invitation.