French Dialects
The European French can be divided into two linguistic groups: The southern French
the langues d'oc, and in the northern French version spoken also in and in Belgium
the langues d'oil. Both are considered by many linguists as a different language because each one of them has developed different dialects. If you are still a beginner in the French language, we recommend you taking a French course in northern France. In Switzerland, learning French is also relatively easy because the local variant is very similar to the standard French. However, you will notice differences in vocabulary, which are partly due to Germanisms. For example, in Switzerland it is said instead of
père and
mère,
vattre and
mouttre.
But French is not only spoken in Europe, but also in the rest of the continents of the world. Especially in Canada in the province of Québec, where it is the mother tongue. In this French variant, you will find significant differences with European French, especially in vocabulary and syntax of the sentences.
The formation of numbers up to 100 in French
In language learning, numbers play an important role and are one of the first things that are taught during your language courses. Making easier for you to say your age, give your phone number or understand the opening hours of companies or stores. When you start learning French, number formation could be considered a bit confusing, down below you will find a table where you could learn and practice them:
English | French | English | French |
---|
zero | zéro | | |
one | un | eleven | onze |
two | deux | twelve | douze |
three | trois | thirteen | treize |
four | quatre | fourteen | quatorze |
five | cinq | fifteen | fifteen |
six | six | sixteen | seize |
seven | sept | seventeen | dix-sept |
eight | huit | eighteen | dix-huit |
nine | neuf | nineteen | dix-neuf |
ten | dix | twenty | vingt |
The numbers from 1 to 16 have to be memorized, but the numbers 17 to 19 follow a pattern. 10-07, 10-08, 10-09 p>
English | French | English | French |
---|
twenty | vingt | | |
thirty | trente | sixty | soixante-dix |
fourty | quarante | eighty | quatre-vingts |
fifty | cinquante | ninety | quatre-vingt-dix |
seventy | soixante | hundred | cent |
For the numbers after 70, you must follow another rule to its proper formation. Combinations of known numbers are used, to form them. For example, to form the number 70 it is necessary to combine "sixty (plus) ten", for 80, "four (times) twenty" and for 90, "four (times) twenty (plus) ten".
As you can see, you need a little time and practice to get used to the numbers. In our French courses, your teacher will help you understand and learn the formation of numbers with ease and practical exercises. During your free time, you would be able to practice during your daily routines, considering that the numbers are going to be necessary for all kinds of situations.
French Subjunctive: le Subjonctif
If you belong to the group of more advanced students of the French language, you will surely have heard of the
Subjonctif . It is a tense that usually presents difficulties for new students, in terms of its application, and finding the right situation for its proper use. That is why we have created a list of examples where the subjunctive should be used.
Expressions of personal qualification:
French | English |
---|
admirer que | to admire |
détester que | to hate |
être content(e)que | to be happy |
être triste que | to be sad |
trouver bête que | consider something silly |
trouver drôle que | consider something funny |
il est rare que | something is weird |
Expressions of will:
French | English |
---|
vouloir que | to admire |
attendre que | to hate |
interdire que | to be happy |
il faut | to be sad |
Conjunctions:
French | English |
---|
pour que | so that |
avant que | before de |
bien que | although, though |
sans que | without |
Some rules can be applied for the use of the Subjonctif . In the practice, however, it is often not so easy to remember which rule applies to each verb. That's why we recommend using the Subjonctif whenever you can, during your French course with your classmates and outside the school. Remember, the best way to improve your French is to use it during your spare time with native speakers after your language course.
Different meanings of words in France and Canada
If you decide to take your French course in Canada it is advisable that you have some basic knowledge of this language. Many words used in Canada are considered old-fashioned in France and it may be difficult to understand them at first glance. The following table shows some of these differences.
English | French (France) | French (Canada) |
---|
buy / go shopping | faire du shopping | magasiner |
stop | stop | arrêt |
bowling | bowling | salle de quilles |
weekend | week-end | fin de semaine |
car | voiture | char |
potato | pomme de terre | patate |
toothpaste | dentifrice | pâte à dents |
work | travail | job, djobe |