Chapter 5 of 16 · Explore the French path
How sentences work · Chapter 5 of 16
Say who someone is, and greet them
Say hello, say who you are, and ask someone their name. You also meet the two French words for “you” and the forms of être, the verb for am, is and are.
≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace
What’s in this chapter
- The verb endings are silent, so the little word in front of the verb has to stay — it names who the sentence is about.
- French has two words for “you”: tu for someone you know, vous for strangers, elders, and groups.
- être
eh-truh “to be” is the most irregular verb in French — learn its forms whole; it covers what a thing is and where it is.
Words for I, you and everyone else
These little words say who a sentence is about. French keeps one in front of almost every verb, because the ending usually cannot tell you.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je | I |
| tu | you — someone you know |
| il | he / she |
| nous | we |
| vous | you — formal, or a group |
| ils | they |
il and ils sound identical — the plural s is silent. There is no word for “it”: a thing is il or elle.
être — am, is and are
This is the verb for am, is and are. Learn the forms whole, because they follow no pattern you could work out.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je suis | I am |
| tu es | you are |
| il est | he is / she is |
| vous êtes | you are |
| ils sont | they are |
Forms like nothing else are a gift to read: you recognise them instantly. Notice vous êtes gluing.
The words that open and close every conversation
A greeting is often the first French line you can read whole. Say each one aloud before you move on.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | hello; good morning; good afternoon |
| Au revoir | goodbye |
| Merci | thank you |
Which “you” a character chooses tells you what two people are to each other.
Ask someone their name, age and home
Read these as whole phrases rather than word by word. Each row pairs a question with the answer you would give.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Comment tu t'appelles ? | What is your name? |
| Je m'appelle Mina. | My name is Mina. |
| Quel âge as-tu ? | How old are you? |
| J'ai dix ans. | I am ten. — literally “I have ten years” |
| Tu viens d'où ? | Where are you from? |
| Je viens de Paris. | I am from Paris. |
Age is something you have, not something you are. With a stranger every tu here becomes vous: Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Read, then reveal
- Je suis Mina.
Find the person word, then the verb.
Show answer +Hide answer −
“zhuh swee mee-nah.” — I am Mina. - La souris est dans la forêt.
mouse · is · in · forest
Show answer +Hide answer −
“lah soo-ree eh dah(n) lah foh-reh.” — The mouse is in the forest. - Vous êtes ici.
The s of vous wakes before the vowel.
Show answer +Hide answer −
“voo-zet ee-see.” — You are here.
Two words from earlier, no hints
- renard
Show answer +Hide answer −
renardruh-nar “fox” - oiseau
Show answer +Hide answer −
oiseauwah-zoh “bird”