I can put the whole module together: name a thing with the right article, say what I have and how old I am, name a job and my relatives, and choose between c'est and il est.
What we review
What we review
The whole module rests on four rules — the tables below are the same as in the lessons.
• A noun almost always comes with an article: un, une, des. For one thing you say c'est, for several ce sont.
• The verb avoir gives “I have”, age with the word ans, and states: faim, soif, chaud, froid, sommeil, peur — where English uses “I am”. After 69: soixante-dix = 60 + 10, quatre-vingts = 4 × 20, quatre-vingt-dix = 4 × 20 + 10; cent is a hundred.
• After être, a job takes no article, unlike English “a doctor”: Je suis médecin, il est boulanger.
• The possessive agrees with the thing owned, not the owner; before an article or a possessive use c'est, before a bare word il est.
After this lesson you can name any object around you, talk about yourself and your family, and understand what the people near you do for a living.
The indefinite article and pointing to a thing
You hear the number only in the article: a final -s is silent.
| Form | When it's used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un | one masculine thing | un livre, un stylo |
| une | one feminine thing | une table, une clé |
| des | several things | des livres, des clés |
| c'est | this is — for one thing | C'est une porte |
| ce sont | these are — for several | Ce sont des portes et des fenêtres |
| voici | here is — a thing close by, in your hand | Voici une gomme |
| voilà | there is — a thing a little farther away | Voilà un cahier |
The verb avoir in the present tense
In nous avons, vous avez, and ils ont, the consonant links to the next word: [z].
| Who | Form |
|---|---|
| je | j'ai |
| tu | tu as |
| il | il a |
| elle | elle a |
| nous | nous avons |
| vous | vous avez |
| ils | ils ont |
| elles | elles ont |
Fifteen possessive forms
The form depends on the THING, not the owner; nous, vous, and ils don't distinguish gender.
| Owner | Masculine thing | Feminine thing | Several things |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | mon livre | ma clé | mes amis |
| you (informal) | ton livre | ta clé | tes amis |
| he, she | son livre | sa clé | ses amis |
| we | notre livre | notre clé | nos amis |
| you (plural or formal) | votre livre | votre clé | vos amis |
| they | leur livre | leur clé | leurs amis |
c'est or il est
An article or a possessive — c'est; a bare word after the verb — il est.
| c'est + article, possessive, name | il est + job, nationality |
|---|---|
| C'est un médecin | Il est médecin |
| C'est mon frère | Il est russe |
| C'est Camille | Elle est vendeuse |
| Ce sont mes voisins | Ils sont musiciens |
Lesson notes
What we review
The whole module rests on four rules — the tables below are the same as in the lessons.
• A noun almost always comes with an article: un, une, des. For one thing you say c'est, for several ce sont.
• The verb avoir gives “I have”, age with the word ans, and states: faim, soif, chaud, froid, sommeil, peur — where English uses “I am”. After 69: soixante-dix = 60 + 10, quatre-vingts = 4 × 20, quatre-vingt-dix = 4 × 20 + 10; cent is a hundred.
• After être, a job takes no article, unlike English “a doctor”: Je suis médecin, il est boulanger.
• The possessive agrees with the thing owned, not the owner; before an article or a possessive use c'est, before a bare word il est.
After this lesson you can name any object around you, talk about yourself and your family, and understand what the people near you do for a living.