French Grammar

Did you know that you only say comment ça va to someone you know really well you can say comment ça va.  Did you know that you don't smile to people in French you don't know, Because the French people think you are up to something sneaky, but if you kno...

Elles disent qu’elles habitent à Paris.  – Why is it habitent instead of habiter ?  The second verb should be infinitive form right ?  Thanks to anyone who responds.

why do you add ‘Et’ in between soixante and un?  

In lesson 2.4 of the Travelogue, the translation for  << Ils ont beaucoup voyagé >> is given as “They used to travel a lot”. At least literally, the sentence is in the passe compose, in which case shouldn't the correct translation be “They tr...

Hi, A French beginner here! Lesson 2.2 Flashcards: “I hope we stop soon”, the answer given is “J’espère que nous nous arrêtons bientôt”.  Can someone please tell me why we write ”nous” (we) twice?   Merci.

In module 15.0 (Preparing a party) the sentence “Qu'est-ce que tu as prévu comme surprise ?” is translated as “What kind of surprise do you have planned?”. Surely, strictly speaking, this translation cannot be the most accurate one, is it? Shouldn't it r...

In Audio Lesson 15.1, the conversation contains the following sentence:  << Vous avez vu comme Isabelle était surprise en arrivant ? >> for which is given the translation :“You have seen how Isabelle was surprised when she arrived?”. The coac...

In Lesson 15.0, there are two sentences: Je pensais que l'on pourrait faire la fête dans le jardin et inviter tous ses amis et la famille. ( I was thinking that we could have the party in the yard and invite all her friends and family. )   and   Je ...

Hi,   In lesson 5.7 there's the sentence: "Ils ne vont jamais lui livrer des colis".   But in grammar lesson 4.5, it was explained that after ne ... pas and ne … jamais, the word “des” changes to “de”:  Je ne mange jamais de carottes.   Is th...

Bonjour, I have three questions about this sentence. why is it “le” temps and not “de” temps why is it “de” réserver and not “à” réserver why is it “de” table and not “une/la” table Merci et bonne journée.

Past action/present action/Future action + pendant + length of time Future action + pour + length of time    Can we use either pendant and pour when referring to future action? If this topic has been discussed before please let me know where to find ...

Why would it be correct to put LUI and Y together? Grammatically, I think this follows the rules but it sounds so unnatural. Is this really done in everyday French? Examples: “On lui y cherche un livre.” “Il lui y prete des outils” 

I am currently working on the interactive audio lesson 15.3 which introduces kinda “passing by” the “plus-que-parfait” that is subject of lesson 19.8 (!!!) and the “conditionel passé” that is subject of lesson 20.6 (!!!).   So, these grammatical concept...

In Lesson 11.7, one of the sample sentences is: Ils n’ en veulent acheter aucune. However, that doesn't look like the normal word order. Doesn't the rule state that the pronoun should come before the infinitive? So it should be: Ils ne veulent en ach...

In Module 10.4, which is about opening a Bankaccount, the new client is asked to bring a bunch of papers to the bank in order to open the account. At the end of the conversation the new client says: Bon, très bien. Je vous amènerai tout cela demain m...

Hi, I am trying to understand when the final ‘e’ of certain words seems to be pronounced ‘eh’. For example, carte blanche sounds like “cart-eh blanche" even though carte alone has a silent ‘e.’ I assume it's due to the associated words in the sentence...

I’m looking for recommendations for a phonetic French workbook that can help with understanding and properly pronouncing words. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hello everybody, I'm not complaining, since I like that this chapter introduces ways for more complicated phrases. But I find this one extremely challenging and I fail miserably. Maybe there are more difficult lessons ahead … probably   Has anybody ...

Doing my spaced repetition of some of the content in the course I came across this sentense from lesson 4.3: Avez-vous un numéro de téléphone où l'on peut vous joindre ?   Doing another lesson about pronouns I was wondering if the l' in front of on...

In level 2 lesson 9.9  - Reflexives in the past - Agreements in past for the sentence, Mon amie se les est coupés par accident - it says the past participle has taken on a masculine singular -s ending!   I think it is supposed to say masculine pl...

In lesson 6.8 - Example 1: C’est la plus longue partie du livre.  Example 2: Ce vol est le plus long.   For example 2, why not:  C'est le plus long vol.   Is long/longue an adjective that comes before or after the noun?   Merci

As title. I found this example sentence in 1.7, wondering what's the function of “de” here. Merci !

Hello, let me first apologise if this has been raised before.   In lesson 5.2 the sentance “nous avons de charmants tableaux par ici” is translated as “we have some charming pictures over here”.  My question is why “ de charmants tableaux” and not “ de...

My question is about the sentence: "The clothes are put away in the cupboard." Which is translated as “Les vêtements sont rangés dans le placard.”   It looks to me like “sont rangés” is passé composé but in English I understand the sentence to be in th...

Has anyone else kinda tumbled in this chapter? I found out for myself that the changing verbs in l'imparfait are difficult to discribe and almost impossible to translate including all implied meanings.   The first example: “je connaissais le président”...

why not “allez, montez”, the original one, "Allez, monte", seems like changed from Vous to tu.

Hi In lesson 5.7, there are two sentences with ‘de’: “Il déteste ordonner aux étudiants de faire leurs devoirs” and “Il nous ordonne de nettoyer la chambre”. Since faire and nettoyer are both in their infinitive form, why is ‘de’ needed in these sen...

Hello. In lesson 6.7 we are given the phrase “Ma soeur est moins grande que mon frère” in English “My sister is less tall than my brother” meaning “smaller”. Can “plus petite” be used instead of “moins grande”. To me that would be a better phrase, “small...

I don't know if it's the course or if it is me, but I am completely stuck. The grammar about the pronouns won't get into my brain, there were some exceptions that weren't explained and maybe it's cause I am learning french through my second language. I...

I am currently working on chapter 5.8  It states that “y” and “en” are not used to replace people. “But it’s important to note that like y , en can’t be used to replace people.”   But there are examples where it replaces people. J’ai trois frères...

Hi - I still don't understand when to use the three different forms of asking this question in French. Please help….

In lesson 5.7 Indirect Object Prounouns, which by the way I am finding very hard, we are given the sentence “ Ils vont livrer des colis à Monsieur Richard” and the negative sentence “ Ils ne vont jamais livrer des colis à Monsieur Richard” should the ...

I am a mere beginner, so this question might seem elementary to some.   Combine ça coûte? means “how much does this cost?”. Combine coûte une pomme? means, “ how much does an apple cost?".   How does one ask “How much does this/that apple cost?”? An...

Quote from lesson outlining the use of “depuis”:   "Notice how these actions started in the past, but they're still ongoing - they haven't finished yet. We would normally use the present perfect (i.e. "have done") or the present perfect continuous (i.e...

"et on paye une caution que l'on récupère à la fin." This sentence means one/we pay a deposit that one/we get back at the end. Can someone explain why it's "que l'on" instead of just "que on" for that we/that one? What is the l apostrophe for? Thank you....

Hi all, in lesson 3.3 the phrase “allez, monte” is translated “come on, get on”.    I appreciate that “allez”  is an imperative form of “aller” and is a general instruction that can mean “come on, hurry, be quick” a word to get people moving and “monte...

Can you please explain “je viens de goûter"? It is translated as “I just tasted ” but " je viens" is in the present tense.  And “je viens ” means  “ I come”.  Is this just a French idiom? Thank you.

Hi there, I am working through the platform, on lesson 3.2 and I noticed that there are two sentences that are similar. I am trying to understand when one would use “Je suis perdu” vs “Je suis perdue”.   Thanks! Sandya

Lesson 11.7 (revised)   I must be missing something here. Why is it : ils n’ en veulent acheter aucune and not : ils ne veulent en acheter aucune.   Robert

It says in 9.6 (The past with être) that “Just keep in mind that you are always unlikely to hear la liaison used between the tu or vous forms ( es or êtes ) and a vowel sound that follows them.” This is followed by a sentence where the french s...

Bonjour tout le monde, in lesson 4.3 the following sentence “où l'on peut vous joindre” is    translated as “where you can be contacted” or “where one can contact you”.  The translation    seems straight forward except for the “l” befor “on”.  I don'...

From what I've learned, the subjunctive is used only if the subjects of the main and side clauses are different (apart from some exceptions such as sentences connected by “bien que”). But what if I want to say, e.g., “I don't think I can do it”? - “Je ne...

I'm on level 2 and trying to get my head around pronoun order. This sentence sums up some of my confusion "Je vous ai rajouté un peu d'huile et j'ai gonflé vos pneus." Why does the vous go before the verb in the first phrase of the sentence, but vos goes...

I am still not sure as to why in nous sommes interesses the s sound is not being said aloud. S is before a vowel

While studying, I realised that there were different in, at  words used in French which got me confused. I did a little digging and am trying to understand how en is different from dans.   E.g. Je le ferai en trois jours vs Je le ferai dans trois jours...

In lesson 7.4, they state: “”Ils me permettent d'aller à Nice" to mean they are allowing (permitting) me to go to Nice. What is the rule that requires it to be d'aller instead of aller? Thanks!

The question here states, “Avez-vous fait votre valise vous-même ?”.  Isn't that supposed to be “Avez-vous faire votre valise vous-même?"

Hello, Please could someone explain why “He isn’t going to sell them to us”- Il na va pas nous les vendre, is correct. But why is  ‘Il na va pas les vendre à nous ’ incorrect?

In Lesson 14.5 which talks about the subjunctive, there is the sentence Il est possible qu’on ait l’air stressés. which in English is:  It is possible that we seem stressed. Now in English, the adjective “ stressed ” is modifying “ we ”, but  is...

Bonjour, in the lessons it is stated that if we have both an indirect and a direct object pronoun (both 3rd person), the direct one comes first. The examples mostly follow this rule, but in lesson 9.8, I stumbled across the sentence “Il lui l'a lancé”. ...