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French Prepositions
and how else they can be used
I don’t know about y’all, but prepositions are the WORST. They hardly ever directly translate between languages and when they do, there are so many exceptions it doesn’t even matter. So, I’ve done some research and I’ll try to make the list as comprehensive as possible :)
OKAY ! So here is the most basic “to and from” list.
But as you know, French is not that easy. You will also see de and à frequently interspersed between verbs and even used as adverbs and adjectives. Below I have listed a few verbs that take these prepositions.
Verbs that require the preposition à
Aider (quelqu'un) à (to help someone to)
S’amuser à (to amuse oneself)
Avoir à (to have to)
Apprendre à (to learn how to)
Avoir de la peine à (to have difficulty)
Commencer à
Continuer à
The preposition à can also be used to indicate place, time, manner or possession
À droite (on the right)
À loisir (at leisure)
À la compagne (in the mountains)
À la française ([in] the french way)
Cette voiture est à toi? (This car is yours?)
Verbs that require the preposition de
S’arreter de
Cesser de
Choisir de
Décider de
Se dépêcher de (to be in a hurry
Essayer de
Finir de
Oublier de
Refuser de
Verbs that can be followed by both
Conseiller à (quelqu’un) de (faire quelque chose)
Défendre à… de
Demander à…de
Dire à… de
Offrir à … de
Permettre à… de
Promettre à… de
Proposer à… de
Suggérer à…de
Hope this helps !!
Links to Free French Children’s Books
One of the best ways―if not the best way―to improve your foreign language fluency is reading! Children’s books are the perfect place to start. Below I have linked a handful of free French children’s books from Internet Archive for those of you learning French.
Internet Archive is an online library that provides free access to books, movies, audio files, and other digitized materials. An account is required to view some of the listings, but you can create one for free.
Le bonhomme de pain d'épices (The Gingerbread Man) by Janet Brown
Blanche Neige et les sept nains (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
Hello Kitty: Une surprise pour mama (Hello Kitty: A Surprise for Mom) by Ellen Weiss
La princesse au petit pois (The Princess and the Pea)
Bob l'éponge: Où est Gary? (SpongeBob: Where is Gary?) by David Lewman
Links to PDFs of French Language Books
The Great Gatsby (Gatsby le magnifique)
The Fault in Our Stars (Nos étoiles contraires)
Twilight (Fascination)
New Moon (Tentation)
Eclipse (Hésitation)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter à l'École des Sorciers)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets)
The Book Thief (La voleuse de livres)
The Notebook (Les pages de notre amour)
Sense and Sensibility (Le cœur et la raison)
The Little Prince (Le petit prince)
The Girl on the Train (La Fille du train)
Animal Farm (La Ferme des Animaux)
1984 (1984)
Romeo and Juliet (Roméo et Juliette)
Me Before You (Avant toi)
The Secret Garden (Le Jardin mystérieux)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Les hommes qui n'aimaient pas les femmes)
Hunger Games (Hunger Games)
Divergent (Divergent)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (À tous les garçons que j'ai aimés)
French Witchy Vocabulary
Tell me if anything is wrong!
La sorcellerie - The witchcraft
Les éléments - The elements (M)
La terre - The earth
L’eau - The water (F)
L’air - The air (M)
Le feu - The fire
L’esprit - The spirit (M)
La baguette magique - The wand
L’épée - The sword (F)
La tasse - The cup
Le pentacle - The pentacle
La lune - The moon
Le soleil - The sun
Le cercle - The circle
Le sel - The salt
La bougie - The candle
La pierre - The stone
Le cristal - The crystal
La plume - The feather
Le grimoire - The grimoire
Le sortilège - The spell
La prière - The prayer
La malédiction - The curse
L’autel - The altar (M)
Le sanctuaire - The shrine
La magie - The magick
La nature - The nature
Le culte - The coven/cult
Le panthéon - The pantheon
La sorcière - The witch
Ancien/ne - Ancient
Magique - Magical
Pur - Pure
Blanc/he - White
Noir/e - Black
Gris/e - Grey
Spirituel/le - Spiritual
Religieux/se - Religious
Naturel/le - Natural
Mystique - Mystical
Prier - To pray
Maudire - To curse
Danser - To dance
Chanter - To sing
Guérir - To heal
Croire - To believe
Invoquer - To invoke
Ensorceler - To enchant/spellbind
Écrire - To write
Consacrer - To devote
Ocean vocab - French 🐬
- Water -
♡ Ocean = l’océan ♡ Sea = la mer ♡ Lake = un lac ♡ River = une rivière ♡ River (that leads into the ocean) = un fleuve ♡ Stream = un ruisseau ♡ Waves = les vagues ♡ Foam = l’écume ♡ Shore = le rivage ♡ Beach = la plage ♡ Sand = le sable ♡ Rock = une pierre ♡ Rock (small) = un caillou ♡ Rock (big) = un rocher ♡ Pebble = un galet ♡ Cliff = une falaise ♡ To glisten = briller / scintiller ♡ To crash = se briser ♡ Shell = une coquille ♡ Whirlpool = un tourbillon ♡ Salt water = l’eau salée ♡ Fresh water = l’eau douce ♡ Island = une île ♡ Islet = un îlot ♡ Bubble = une bulle ♡ Reflection = un reflet ♡ Dune = une dune
- Animals -
♡ Dolphin = un dauphin ♡ Whale = une baleine ♡ Killer whale = une orque ♡ Shark = un requin ♡ Fish = un poisson ♡ Sea gull = une mouette ♡ Ray = une raie ♡ Starfish = une étoile de mer ♡ Sea horse = un hippocampe ♡ Crab = un crabe ♡ Lobster = un homard ♡ Mussel = une moule ♡ Clam = une palourde / un clam ♡ Prawn/ shrimp = un crevette ♡ Squid = un calamar ♡ Octopus = une pieuvre ♡ Jellyfish = une méduse ♡ Sea snail = une limace de mer ♡ Penguin = un manchot ♡ Emperor penguin = un manchot empereur ♡ Turtle = une tortue marine ♡ Seal = un phoque ♡ Clown fish = un poisson clown ♡ Tuna = un thon ♡ Salmon = un saumon ♡ Anchovy = un anchois ♡ Puffer fish = un tétraodon ♡ Mermaid = une sirène ♡ Sponge = une éponge ♡ Coral = un corail
- Plants -
♡ Sea weed / algae = les algues ♡ Kelp = le varech ♡ Palm tree = un palmier ♡ Coconut = une noix de coco
- Verbs -
♡ To swim = nager ♡ To surf = surfer ♡ To sunbathe = prendre un bain de soleil ♡ To tan = se faire bronzer ♡ To dive = plonger ♡ To snorkle = plonger avec masque et tuba ♡ To take the boat = prendre un bateau ♡ To take the ferry = prendre un ferry ♡ To fish = le pêcher ♡ To read = lire ♡ To sleep = dormir ♡ To burn = brûler ♡ To play sports = faire des sports
- Other nouns -
♡ Volleyball = le volley-ball ♡ Tennis = le tennis ♡ Football / soccer = le football / le foot ♡ Holiday = les vacances ♡ Sandcastle = un château de sable ♡ Ice cream = la glace ♡ Sea food = les fruits de mer ♡ Cocktail = un cocktail ♡ Fruit = la fruit ♡ Sun cream = la crème solaire ♡ Book = un livre / un bouquin ♡ Bikini = un bikini ♡ Beach towel = une serviette de plage ♡ Parasol (big) = un parasol ♡ Parasol (small) = une ombrelle ♡ Shorts = un short ♡ Sun glasses = les lunettes de soleil ♡ Swimming costume = un maillot de bain ♡ Goggles = les lunettes de natation ♡ Ball = une ball ♡ Beach ball = un ballon de plage ♡ Float = une planche ♡ Sun hat = un chapeau de soleil ♡ Shade = l’ombre
bon matin! c’est tôt pour moi, hmm? today I’ll be sharing some online resources for learning french ranging from vocab lists to full on courses! i hope you find these useful - the internet really is precious when learning languages! <3
⁎⁺˳✧༚ frenchtoday.com
this website threatens to put me out of business and I couldn’t be more delighted! vocab lists galore, free lessons, tips to work on your pronunciation, articles on french culture and even stories and poetry. i haven’t looked at everything available on there, but from what I’ve seen, it’s pretty useful!
⁎⁺˳✧༚ frenchpod101.com
this is a free course you can take, with options for absolute beginners and those already a little familiar with the language. it looks to be good for conversational french and is an easy, no nonsense starting point for beginners, who i know from experience are often easily overwhelmed.
⁎⁺˳✧༚ coffee break french
this is one I’m not quite as familiar with but has come to me highly recommended. it’s a podcast that covers the basics as well as providing dialogues and example role plays. give it a try and let me know how you find it!
⁎⁺˳✧༚ innerfrench (chaîne de YouTube)
this is a really interesting channel! you get to learn french through a variety of different topical discussions and he speaks slowly enough for you to get most of what he’s saying even if you’re a relative beginner, which can make you feel super smart :)
bien, c’est tout! i hope these recs are alright, and I hope we meet again soon~ a bientôt!
Negations
A
Au grand jamais - never
Aucun-e(s) - none : Je n’en ai vu aucun / I have seen none of them
Aucunement (rare) - by no means
D
Dégun (southern slang) - no one
E
En aucun cas - under no circumstance
En aucune façon - under no circumstance
En aucune manière - under no circumstance
En rien - under no circumstance
G
Goutte - nothing (old, rare) : On n’y voit goutte ici / We can’t see anything
Guère - almost not/nothing (old, rare) : Ce n’est guère plus rapide que le train / This isn’t any faster than the train
J
Jamais - never : Plus jamais ça! / Never again!
Jamais au grand jamais - never ever (dramatic)
Jamais de la vie - never ever
K
Keud (slang), short que ‘que dalle’ (slang for Nothing)
Keutchi (slang)
N
N’ - ne + vowel : Je ne t’aime pas / I don’t love you
Nada - nothing at all : - Did you hear about that? - Nada!
Nan (slang) - nah
Ne - not : Je ne sais pas / I don’t know
Ni - neither/nor : Je n’ai vu ni le chien ni le chat depuis que je suis arrivée / I haven’t seen neither the cat nor the dog since I got here
Niet - nope! (often angry)
Non - no
Non plus - (n)either : Je ne sais pas non plus / I don’t know either
Non plus que
Nul-le - none : Nos jeunes filles à nous sont tellement accomplies, que nulle des filles d’Ève ne peut lutter avec elles ! — (Modeste Mignon, Honoré de Balzac, 1844)
Nulle part - nowhere : Je ne le vois nulle part / I can’t see him anywhere
Nullement - not in any way
O
Ô/oh grand jamais : never ever (dramatic)
P
Pas - not : Je ne sais pas / I don’t know
Pas autrement - not any other way : C’est comme ça et pas autrement
Pas encore - not yet
Pas forcément - not necessarily
Pas plus que
Pas un-e - not one : - Did they offer their help? - Pas un!
Pas un chat - not one cat : Il n’y a pas un chat / There’s no one here
Personne - nobody : Il n’y a personne ici / There’s no one here
Plus : no more - Je ne t’aime plus / I don’t love you anymore
Point - not : Je ne sais point / I don’t know (rare, old)
Q
Que dalle (slang) - nothing : - Did you know about that? - Que dalle!
Que nenni - no (old) : - Are they here yet? - Que nenni!
Que tchi (slang) - nothing
Queude (slang, short for Que dalle) - nothing
R
Rien - nothing : Je ne vois rien / I don’t see anything
Links to PDFs of French Language Books
The Great Gatsby (Gatsby le magnifique)
The Fault in Our Stars (Nos étoiles contraires)
Twilight (Fascination)
New Moon (Tentation)
Eclipse (Hésitation)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter à l'École des Sorciers)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets)
The Book Thief (La voleuse de livres)
The Notebook (Les pages de notre amour)
Sense and Sensibility (Le cœur et la raison)
The Little Prince (Le petit prince)
The Girl on the Train (La Fille du train)
Animal Farm (La Ferme des Animaux)
1984 (1984)
Romeo and Juliet (Roméo et Juliette)
Me Before You (Avant toi)
The Secret Garden (Le Jardin mystérieux)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Les hommes qui n'aimaient pas les femmes)
Hunger Games (Hunger Games)
Divergent (Divergent)
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (À tous les garçons que j'ai aimés)
French vocabulary on time, timing, and speeds
Timing of arrival
être à l'heure = to be on time
être ponctuel = to be punctual
être en avance = to be early
être en retard = to be late
être à la bourre = to be running late (familiar)
être pressé = to be in a hurry
l'heure de pointe = rush hour
Earliness/Lateness
tôt = early
tard = late
de bonne heure = early (lit. at a good hour)
sans tarder = at once (lit. without delay)
dès que possible = as soon as possible
Expressions about speed
démarrer sur les chapeaux de roues = to take off like a shot (lit. to set out on the caps of wheels; familiar)
démarrer en trombe = to set out in a whirlwind
y aller mollo = to take it easy/slow (lit. to go about something slowly; familiar)
What is the difference between Est-ce que and Qu'est-ce que?
Asking questions is something fundamental in French, especially if you want to know more about something or get more information.
French people use Est-ce que and Qu'est-ce que to start their questions. They look alike but are not used the same way.
So, what is the actual difference between both question words? Find out more here and also practice with the Quiz at the end of the lesson.
Learn French With Chanty
♥French Vocabulary : flowers ♥
une fleur = a flower
un fleuriste = a florist
un pétale = a petal
une rose = a rose
un bleuet = a cornflower
un lys = a lily
une marguerite = a daisy
une tulipe = a tulip
une violette = a violet
un tournesol = a sunflower
un oeillet = a carnation
fleurir = to bloom
un jardin = a garden
une graine = a seed
creuser = to dig
arroser = to water
coloré = colourful
(by Francesco Hayez)
Les nationalités
1. American▪︎américain/américaine
2. Argentinian▪︎argentin/argentine
3. Algerian▪︎algérien/algérienne
4. Australian▪︎australien/australienne
5. Austrian▪︎autrichien/autrichienne
6. Belarusian▪︎biélorussien/biélorussienne
7. Belgian▪︎belge/belge
8. Brazilian▪︎brésilien/brésilienne
9. Bulgarian▪︎bulgare/bulgare
10. Canadian▪︎canadien/canadienne
11. Chinese▪︎chinois/chinoise
12. Colombian▪︎colombien/colombienne
13. Canadian▪︎canadien/canadienne
14. Cuban▪︎cubain/cubaine
15. Czech▪︎tchèque/tchèque
16. Dane▪︎danois/danoise
17. Dutch▪︎néerlandais/néerlandaise
18. Egyptian▪︎égyptien/égyptienne
19. English▪︎anglais/anglaise
20. Estonian▪︎estonien/estonienne
21. Finn▪︎finlandais/finlandaise
22. French▪︎français/française
23. German▪︎allemand/allemande
24. Greek▪︎grec/grecque
25. Hungarian▪︎hongrois/hongroise
26. Icelandic▪︎islandais/islandaise
27. Indian▪︎indien/indienne
28. Irish▪︎irlandais/irlandaise
29. Italian▪︎italien/italienne
30. Japanese▪︎japonais/japonaise
31. Korean▪︎coréen/coréenne
32. Latvian▪︎letton/letonne
33. Lithuanian▪︎lituanien/lituanienne
34. Macedonian▪︎macédonien/macédonienne
35. Mexican▪︎mexicain/mexicainne
36. New Zealander▪︎néo-zélandais/néo-zélandaise
37. Norwegian▪︎norvégien/norvégienne
38. Pole▪︎polonais/polonaise
39. Portuguese▪︎portugais/portugaise
40. Romanian▪︎roumain/roumaine
41. Russian▪︎russe/russe
42. Scottish▪︎écossais/écossaise
43. Slovak▪︎slovaque/slovaque
44. Slovene▪︎slovène/slovène
45. Spanish▪︎espagnol/espagnole
46. Swede▪︎suédois/suédoise
47. Swiss▪︎suisse/suisse
48. Turk▪︎turc/turque
49. Ukrainian▪︎ukrainien/ukrainienne
50. Welsh▪︎gallois/galloise
i will do another fifty soon to include the ones i left out. please correct me if i made any mistakes!
How to easily tell if a word is feminine or masculine in French?
Depending on the word category or it's ending? You can guess whether it is masculine or feminine. However there are exceptions but knowing the strategies will help you identify French nouns gender with about 90% accuracy.
👉Check out my latest post to find out more about these strategies that will help you learn easily French nouns gender. Click here.
If you are also looking to learn French and are having a tight budget, check out our language learnings discounts and deals page, it might be of help.
À bientôt
LEARN FRENCH WITH CHANTY
