Useful French expressions/commands to know BEFORE the first class
Les salutations
Saying bonjour is one of the first thing you will be hearing in class (and in a French environment). Do you know what is the appropriate response to this greeting? We will learn these in section 1.
To practice, you can listen and repeat the dialogue below and the lists of words.
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Les salutations
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello |
| Salut | Hi (casual) |
| Coucou | Hi (casual) |
| Bonsoir | Good evening |
| Allô (au téléphone) | Hello. (on the phone) |
Here are some typical commands a teacher might give during class. It is helpful to learn basic vocabulary to follow instructions in class as it will enable you to become more immersed in the language. In the first column, the commands are in the plural vous form when the teacher addresses the whole class together. Notice the -ez ending in the verbs which is associated with the pronoun vous and can refer to a group of people (plural you) or a single person (formal you). Note on pronunciation: when you listen to the vocabulary, pay attention on how most final consonants of words are NOT pronounced. I.e. Ouvrez, français.. The second column lists the same commands in the singular tu form used when addressing one person. Notice that the endings for tu commands vary from verb to verb. We will learn more about commands – or imperatives — later on.
| avec vous | avec tu | Anglais |
|---|---|---|
| Asseyez-vous, s’il vous plaît. | Assieds-toi, s’il te plaît. | Sit down, please. |
| Levez-vous, s’il vous plaît. | Lève-toi, s’il te plaît. | Get up, stand up please. |
| Levez la main. | Lève la main. | Raise your hand. |
| Écoutez. | Écoute. | Listen. |
| Écrivez votre nom. | Écris ton nom. | Write your name. |
| Regardez le tableau. | Regarde le tableau. | Look at the board. |
| Prenez un stylo. | Prend un stylo. | Take a pen. |
| Lisez la phrase à voix haute. | Lis la phrase à voix haute. | Read the sentence aloud. |
| Ouvrez votre livre à la page deux. | Ouvre ton livre à la page deux. | Open your book to page two. |
| Fermez votre livre. | Ferme ton livre. | Close your book. |
| Parlez à votre partenaire. | Parle à ton partenaire. | Speak to your partner. |
Expressions utiles pour la classe de français (simple)
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
| Comment dit-on … en français ? | How do you say … in French? |
| Comment écrit-on … en français ? | How do you write… in French? |
| Que signifie … ? | What does … mean? |
| Je ne comprends pas. | I don’t understand. |
| Je comprends. | I understand. |
| Je sais. | I know. |
| Je ne sais pas. | I don’t know. |
| J’ai une question. | I have a question. |
| Bien sûr. | Of course. |
| Pardon. | Pardon (me). Excuse me. |
| Je suis désolé(e). | I am sorry. |
| Quelle page (section)? | What page? |
| Plus lentement. | Slower. |
| Répétez (to an instructor)/Répète (to a classmate). | Repeat. |
| Est-ce que vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ? Est-ce que tu peux répéter, s’il te plaît ? |
Can you repeat, please? |
L’alphabet
French uses the same 26-letter alphabet as English. Here, the French pronunciation of the letters is given in French spelling. Listen carefully and repeat the letters out loud.
| a | a | h | ache | o | o | v | vé |
| b | bé | i | i | p | pé | w | double v |
| c | cé | j | ji | q | ku | x | iks |
| d | dé | k | ka | r | erre | y | i grec |
| e | e | l | elle | s | esse | z | zède |
| f | effe | m | emme | t | té | ||
| g | gé | n | enne | u | u |
