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Learn to speak French with confidence-the easy way
French For Dummies gives you an immersive look into the foundations of the French language. The trusted Dummies language learning method is quick and practical, so you'll know what to say and do when traveling to a French-speaking country or interacting with French speakers in your community. You'll learn the basics of French grammar and pronunciation, and then you'll explore common phrases you'll need in everyday situations. Total beginners and those with some prior knowledge of français can get ready to study, work, or travel abroad-or integrate French into your everyday life-fast and easy. Make small talk, understand common expressions, navigate business settings, ask for directions, go to the doctor, and beyond, with this essential resource.
With French For Dummies, students, travelers, and business professionals can gain the confidence to converse in French.
Zoe Erotopoulos, PhD, holds an MA, MPhil, and PhD in French and Romance Philology from Columbia University in New York City.
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
French words that are identical or similar to their English counterparts
French words whose meanings don't match their English look-alikes
Idioms and popular expressions you may already know
Learning a new language can be challenging. Not only do you need to know a whole new vocabulary, but you also need to twist your head around different grammar rules and your tongue around different pronunciation rules. But here's some good news that may make the task seem a little less daunting: You already know quite a few French words and expressions. How? Because the English language, being the borrower that it is, contains many French words and expressions. And French has absorbed some English words, too.
In this chapter, you can explore some French words and phrases without having to know pronunciation or grammar rules (that info comes in Chapters 2 and 3). Here, I include French words that are spelled the same and mean the same as their English counterparts, as well as words that are close in meaning and spelling. But because not every French word that resembles an English word shares its meaning, I also tell you which words fall into this category. In addition, I include some French expressions that you probably already know and understand. By the end of this chapter, you may discover that you actually know more French than you previously thought.
With just a narrow stretch of water between them, the English and the French have historically been pretty close, even if they haven't always been the friendly allies they are today. In fact, French was the language of the English court for a very long time - a fact that many people tend to forget. (The Normans who invaded England in 1066 with William the Conqueror were French, as were some of the most prominent people in English history.)
How does this brief history lesson relate to you learning French? Well today, approximately 35 percent of English vocabulary is of French origin. That being the case, you already know an impressive amount of French, whether you realize it or not. The only pitfall you have to watch out for is that sometimes the English words have a different meaning from their French counterparts, and they almost certainly have a different pronunciation.
French nouns are preceded by either definite or indefinite articles. The definite articles are le (masculine), la (feminine), l' (an abbreviation of either le or la), and les (plural); these are the equivalent to the English word the. The indefinite articles are un (masculine), une (feminine), des (plural); these are all equivalent to the English words a, an, or some. While you dive into French, knowing which articles go with which nouns helps you identify the noun's gender; that's why the lists throughout this book include the articles. Because the abbreviated article l' obscures the noun's gender, I added the gender in parentheses. Finally, because in English, articles are not always used, I don't include them in the translations of the word lists: l'université (f) (lew-nee-vehr-see-tey) (university) and le kiosque (luh kyohhsk) (kiosk), for example.
Several French words are spelled the same and have the same meaning as their English counterparts. The only thing that may be different is the pronunciation (for more on pronunciation guidelines, head to Chapter 3). Take a look at these bons alliés (bohN-zah-lyey) (friendly allies):
Some French words, although not identical in spelling to their English counterparts, look very similar. These words also have similar meanings. Table 1-1 shows words that fit into this category.
TABLE 1-1 Words Similar in Meaning, Slightly Different in Spelling
French
English
l' acteur (m) (lahk-tuhr)
actor
l'hôtel (m) (loh-tehl)
hotel
l'adresse (f) (lah-drehs)
address
le kiosque (luh kyohhsk)
kiosk
l'aéroport (m) (lah-eyr-oh-pohr)
airport
la lampe (lah lahmp)
lamp
l'allée (f) (lah-ley)
alley
la lettre (lah leh-truh)
letter
l'Américain (m)/l'Américaine (f) (lah-mey-ree-kaN/lah-mey-ree-kehn)
American
la mémoire (lah mey-mwahr)
memory
l'âge (m) (lahzh)
age
le miroir (luh mee-rwahr)
mirror
l'artiste (m/f) (lahr-teest)
artist
la musique (lah mew-zeek)
music
la banque (lah bahNk)
bank
la nationalité (lah nah-syoh-nah-lee-tey)
nationality
la cathédrale (lah kah-tey-drahl)
cathedral
nécessaire (ney-sey-sehr)
necessary
le chèque (luh shehk)
check
ordinaire (ohr-dee-nehr)
ordinary
la classe (lah klahs)
class
le papier (luh pah-pyey)
paper
la chambre (lah shahN-bruh)
chamber, bedroom
le poème (luh poh-ehm)
poem
la comédie (lah koh-mey-dee)
comedy
potentiel (poh-tahN-syehl)
potential
le congrès (luh kohN-greh)
congress
le problème (luh proh-blehm)
problem
la crème (lah krehm)
cream
le professeur (luh proh-feh-suhr)
teacher/professor
la démocratie (lah dey-moh-krah-see)
democracy
le sénateur (luh sey-nah-tuhr)
senator
le développement (luh dey-vlohp-mahN)
development
le...
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