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French Course Lesson 1 French Course Lesson 1

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In this lesson we�ll be learning the sounds of French and how they combine to make different words. Click the headphones icon next to each sentence to hear a recording of it. There are exercises at the end of the lesson to help you practise what you�ve learnt.

General Note: Only the consonants b, c, f, k, l, q and r (if not a verb) are usually pronounced at the end of French words. Most consonants are pronounced at the end of a word if the following word begins with a vowel.

• A �Des plats � tartes� (Some tart dishes)
• E �Mes deux neveux sont petits� (My two nephews are small)
• EU �Leurs fleurs meurent� (Their flowers are dying)
• � (�) �Le caf�-bar est ferm� l'�t�s� (The caf� bar is closed every summers)

Note: This sound is commonly heard in the letter combination �er� (parler � to speak).

• � (�) �C'est la f�te des ma�tres� (It�s the feast of the masters)

Note: this sound is commonly heard in the letter combination �es� (est, mes, des) as in the example sentence above, and in the letter combination �ai� (mais = but).

• I �La piscine est vide� (The swimming pool is empty)
• O �L'ogre se loge dans une grotte� (The ogre lives in a grotto)

Note: O followed by I (oi � �roi� king or �moi� me) is pronounced �wah�.

• AU �Le g�teau au chocolat est chaud� (The chocolate cake is hot)
• OU �Une douce rousse� (A redhead sweetheart)
• U �Elle apparue toute nue� (She appears totally naked)
• AN �Un ange range des oranges� (An angel stows some oranges)
• IN �Des minces pinces � linges� (Some thin laundry pegs)

Note: This sound is also heard in the letter combination �ain� (pain, main).

• ON �Le savon rond est tomb� (The round soap has fallen down)
• UN �Un parfum inf�me� (An infamous perfume)
• UI �Les truites sont � lui� (The trouts are his)
• W �Oui j'aime les hu�tres� (Yes I love oysters)

Note: You can also hear this sound in the word �huit� (eight).

• Y �Lors du voyage j'ai vu des yourtes� (During the voyage I saw some yurts)

Note: This sound is also heard in the letter combination �ll� (meilleur � best).

• B �Cette robe banale est belle� (This ordinary robe is beautiful)
• D �Les dents aident � d�chirer la viande� (The teeth help to chew up the meat)
• F �Les neuf feux fument beaucoup� (The nine fires smoke a lot)
• G �La gare est � gauche de la grue� (The station is on the left of the crane)
• J �C'est g�nial de jeter des javelots� (It�s fun to throw some javelins)

Note: This sound is also heard with the letter combinations �ge� and �gi�.

• K �C'est quelqu'un qui casse tout� (It�s someone who breaks everything)

Note: The letter combinations �qu� or �ca�, �co� and �cu� are pronounced in French like the English �K�.

• L �La l�gende du sol lustr� (The legend of the glossy sun)
• M �La main d'une femme� (The hand of a woman)
• N �Il y a des tonnes de neiges n�fastes� (There is loads of harmful snow)
• GN �J'ai gagn� la cagnotte� (I won the lottery prize)
• P �Mon p�re aime la soupe aux poivres� (My father loves pepper soup)
• R �La couleur rouge vire au noir� (The red colour changes to black)
• S �Le dessous du sceau est sale� (The underneath of the seal is dirty)
• Z �Les usines et les maisons sont raz�es� (The factories and houses are burnt down)
• CH �Le chat a une t�che cach�e� (The cat has a hidden spot/mark)
• T �La Terre tourne vite� (The earth turns fast)
• V �La voiture vous fait r�ver� (The car makes you dream)
• NG �Le camping poss�de un parking� (The campsite has a parking lot)

Note: The letter H is always silent (not pronounced) in French.

Possible and Impossible Words in French

Like other languages, words in French follow certain rules so that some combinations of sounds and letters are possible but others aren�t. Here are some of the general rules:

• Most French verbs (to eat, to swim, to dance etc.) end in �r�. Many French nouns end in �e�.
• Vowels are rarely doubled (exceptions include �zoo� and the verb �cr�er� to create).
• Very few French nouns end in g or k (exceptions include �parking� car park, �ping-pong� and �pack�).
• The letter �w� is rarely used (exceptions include �wagon�, �sandwich� and �waters� toilets).
• Words can have 3 successive vowels (eau, adieu, oeuvre etc).
• The letter �� only appears in front of an a, o or u (to indicate an �s� sound as in gar�on � boy).
• The letter combinations �sh�, �sk�, �sl�, �sm�, �sn�, �sq� and �sw� are rare or non-existent at the start of a word.

Sentence Exercise

Using words and word combinations used in this lesson, write and practise pronouncing the following short sentences (click each sentence to reveal the answer):

1. There are loads of red houses
   Il y a des tonnes de maisons rouges
2. Yes the oysters are his
   Oui les hu�tres sont � lui
3. The car has a dirty mark
   La voiture a une t�che sale
4. Their black cat is to the left of the robe
   Leur chat noir est � gauche de la robe
5. My father has fallen down
   Mon p�re est tomb�

Word Exercise

Determine whether the following invented words are possible or impossible in French (click each word to reveal the answer):

1. brooque    impossible
2. sieux    possible
3. tong    impossible
4. lo�er    impossible
5. mogue    possible