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Objectifs:
1. GREETINGS
AND FAREWELLS
When learning a
new language the first expressions that you need to use are usually greetings
and farewells, if only to be polite :-)
1.1 GREETINGS
Salut.
Hi.
This greeting is commonly used among friends. Note that it can mean
both "Hi" and "Goodbye". When use to mean "Hi", the answer to
this greeting is usually "Bonjour" or "Salut".
Bonjour. Hello.
This greeting is a bit more formal than "Salut". The French use it until
around 6:00PM. The answer to this greeting can be "Bonjour"
or "Salut".
Bonsoir. Good evening.
This greeting is a bit more formal than "Salut". The French use it until
from about 6:00PM onwards. The answer to this greeting can
be "Bonsoir" or "Salut".
1.2 ASKING AND
ANSWERING THE QUESTION, "HOW ARE YOU?"
Comment allez-vous?
How are you?
This is the formal way of asking someone how he/she is. You can answer
by saying "Très bien merci.", "Ça va bien", "Assez bien"
or "Comme çi comme ça".
Très bien, merci.
Fine, thanks.
You can use this expression when answering the questions "Ça va?",
"Comment ça va?" or "Comment allez-vous?"
Et vous?
And you?
The "vous" form is used to address someine you do not know very well.
It is also used to refer to more than one person as in the
English "you all" and "you guys".
Comment ça va?
How's it going?
This is a more informal way of asking someone how he/she is. You
can answer by saying "Très bien merci.", "Ça va bien", "Assez
bien" or "Comme çi comme ça".
Assez bien.
Pretty good.
This is an informal way of answering "Ça va?"or "Comment ça
va?"
Comme çi comme ça.
I'm all right.
This is an informal way of answering "Ça va?"or "Comment ça
va?"
Ça va?
What's up?
This is an informal way of asking someone how he/she is. You can
answer by saying "Très bien merci.", "Ça va bien", "Assez
bien" or "Comme çi comme ça".
Ça va bien.
OK.
This is an informal way of answering "Ça va?"or "Comment ça
va?"
Et toi?
And you?
This is an informal way of asking someone how he/she is. You can
answer by saying "Très bien merci.", "Ça va bien", "Assez
bien" or "Comme çi comme ça"
1.3 FAREWELLS
Bon, il faut que je parte.
Well, I have to go now.
In conversations, the word "bon" is usually used to wrap things up.
The expression "il faut que" literally means "it is necessary that" and
can be translated by the English "must".
Salut.
Bye.
This is an informal way of saying "Bye". When used to mean "Bye",
you can respond by saying "Salut", "Au revoir" or "À plus tard".
Au revoir.
Good bye.
This is a more formal farewell. You can answer by saying "Au
revoir" back.
À plus tard.
See you later.
This is an informal way of saying "Bye". When used to mean "Bye",
you can respond by saying "Salut", "Au revoir" or "À plus tard".
Bonne nuit.
Good night.
This farewell is used when you are taking your leave at night or you are
signaling that you are going to sleep.
le jour
day
le matin
morning
There is no greeting that uses "matin". If you want to say "good
morning" use "bonjour".
l'après-midi (masculin)
afternoon
le soir
evening
la nuit
night
comment
how
très
very
bien
good, well
merci
thanks, thank you
"Merci" is the most common way to respond to someone's kindness or assistance.
If you are really grateful, you might say "merci beaucoup", which can be
translated as thanks a lot.
et
and
vous
you (formal; stessed pronoun)
This pronoun, known as a "stressed" pronoun, corresponds to the formal
"you". It can also mean "you guys" or "you all".
bon
good, well
This word is an adjective that means good. You will also hear it
used in the question "Ah bon?" to mean "Really?"
toi
you (formal; stessed pronoun)
This pronoun, known as a "stressed" pronoun, corresponds to the informal
"you".
bonne
good (feminine form of "bon")
assez
enough, quite
You might see this word followed by the preposition "de" to mean enough
of something.
monsieur
Mr., Sir
madame
Mrs., Madam
mademoiselle
Miss
One of the more significant difference
between French and English is the pronoun tu, and how we use the
pronoun vous. We use vous as a
formal form to address someone. The trick
is to now know when to use tu and when to use vous. The general
rule is that the tu form is used
when you are speaking with friends and
family. The vous form is used when you are speaking with adults,
people you do not know well or not at
all, or when you want to show respect
for someone. However, in some places in Québec and France, people
are starting to become less formal.
Attention! It is better to be too formal
than too informal. Let the native speaker indicate to you which form he
or she prefers.
In other words, social registers are simply different ways to talk to different people. For example we all have to talk to people we don't know very well: on the phone at work, in a store. In these situations it’s best to be formal. French has two pronouns that both mean you. One is formal and one is informal. Here are some things you need to know to be able to speak formally in French:
vous = you (formal)
monsieur = Mr.
madame = Mrs./Ms.
bonjour = hello (literally means good day)
Comment allez-vous? = How are you? (formal)
Très bien,
merci. Et vous? = I’m fine. And you? (formal)
When you talk to friends, family members, or children, you can usually be informal. That means you can speak more casually with each other. Here are some things you need in order to speak informally in French:
tu = you (informal)
Comment vas-tu? = How are you? (informal)
Ça va. = All right. (informal)
The French will usually tell you it’s ok to be informal with them by using the following phrase:
On peut se tutoyer.
When a French person says this to you it means that you no longer have to be formal when talking to each other and can also use each other’s first names.
In French, the basic sentence structure is similar to that of English. Take a look at this sentence:
Michel
rencontre
Marie.
Michel meets Marie
S
V
O
Michel is the subject of the sentence. It usually comes first in the sentence.
The word rencontre indicates that Michel is doing something. This is the verb of the sentence which usually comes in second place.
Marie seems to be receiving the action. This is the object of the sentence which usually comes in third place.
Notice that the sentence structure in the French example is exactly the same as in its English equivalent.
Take a look at another example:
Marie
cherche
Michel.
Marie looks for Michel.
S
V
O
In this example, Marie is the subject of the sentence. Notice that it comes first in the sentence. The verbcherche comes next, indicating the action of the sentence. Finally, in third place, we have the object, Michel, of Marie’s search.
The order subject—verb—object tells us who’s doing what to whom.
Dialogue 1
Bonjour.
Possible responses: Salut.
(informal)
Salut. Comment ça va? (informal)
Bonjour. (formal)
Bonjour. Comment ça va? (formal)
Dialogue 2
Comment ça va?
Possible responses: Ça
va bien.
Ça va bien, et toi? (informal)
Très bien merci.
Très bien merci, et toi? (informal)
Dialogue 3
Comment allez-vous?
Possible responses: Ça
va bien.
Ça va bien, et vous? (formal)
Très bien merci.
Très bien merci, et vous? (formal)
Dialogue 4
Au revoir.
Possible responses: Au
revoir. (formal)
À plus tard.
Salut. (informal)
Dialogue 5
Bon, il faut que je parte.
Possible responses: Au
revoir. (formal)
À plus tard.
Salut. (informal)
Read and the lesson
and listen to the audio files several times.
Listen to the exercises
audio files and choose the appropriate response for each one. Write
your answers in an email with the subject FR10CA1sem5 and add your username.
Exercice 1
A
Bonjour. Comment ça va?
B
Bon il faut que je parte. Salut.
C
Ça va bien.
Exercice 2
A
Bonjour. Comment ça va?
B
Salut. Comment ça va?.
C
Ça va bien.
Exercice 3
A
Bonjour. Comment ça va?
B
Salut. Comment ça va?
C
Ça va bien.
Exercice 4
A
Ça va bien, et vous?
B
Ça va bien, et toi?
C
Au revoir.
Exercice 5
A
Salut.
B
Ça va bien.
C
Au revoir.