In this episode, brush-up or increase your French vocabulary with these words derived from the verb "recevoir". By the way, do you know how to conjugate the verb "recevoir" in French? Test yourself and then listen to the episode to check your answer! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Recevoir: je reçois, tu reçois, il/elle/on reçoit, nous recevons, vous recevez, ils/elles reçoivent Past participle: reçu futur simple: je recevrai un receveur = (tax) collector ; recipient (organ) Un récipient = a container Un destinataire = recipient (mail, call) Un … Read More →
FYW 086 : Introduction to the subjunctive (Part 3)
In the 3rd and last part of this series to introduce the French subjunctive, I’ll explain how some verbs are sometimes used in the indicative mood and sometimes in the subjunctive mood (and what’s the difference in meaning!). Lastly, l’ll give you a list of more expressions that always trigger the subjunctive in a free cheat sheet. Note: So many students of French are afraid of learning the subjunctive; it’s now time to remove the fear around it! No, the French subjunctive is not hard ; you just need to understand how and when to use it because it doesn’t translate the same as in English … Read More →
FYW 083 : Introduction to the Subjunctive (Part 2)
In this episode I’ll give you more expressions that trigger the use of the subjunctive. They all express a subjective thought – which is what I’d like you to feel and get familiar with! Note: So many students of French are afraid of learning the subjunctive; it’s now time to remove the fear around it! No, the French subjunctive is not hard ; you just need to understand how and when to use it because it doesn’t translate the same as in English (that is the main difficulty). So, get on board and discover the basics about the subjunctive in this 3-part series! Vocabulary and Spelling of the … Read More →
FYW 080 : Introduction to the subjunctive (Part 1)
So many students of French are afraid of learning the subjunctive; it’s now time to remove the fear around it! No, the French subjunctive is not hard ; you just need to understand how and when to use it because it doesn’t translate the same as in English (that is the main difficulty). In this episode, I want you to understand the basic rules about using the subjunctive – we’ll practice translating some examples together before exploring deeper. I’ve also prepared a free download with the irregular verbs in the subjunctive to help you. Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in … Read More →
FYW 065 : Futur Simple vs Futur Proche
Discover some popular French expressions with body parts words. Can you guess what "having a hair on one’s tongue" mean? Or "not having one’s tongue in one’s pocket"? Find out now! Enrich your vocabulary and get a fun insight into French culture as well :-) Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode L’année prochaine, je vais étudier le français en France. = Next year, I’m going to study French in France Pour ma retraite, je vais acheter une maison au bord de la mer. = For my retirement I’m going to buy a house by the beach. Nous débiterons 200 dollars de votre … Read More →
FYW 058 : How to Conjugate French Verbs in –IR Without Losing Your Mind
French verbs are often the nightmare of students of French! Listen to these simple tips on How to Conjugate French Verbs in –IR such as “partir”, “finir”, “dormir”. We’ll cover all you need to know about them, the present and past participle forms. I’m sure these tips will help make French conjugation much easier (and less daunting) for you! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode La FIN = the end FINIR (FIN + IR) is to become the end, to get to the end, therefore to finish. Gros, grosse = big GROSSIR = to become big, to put on … Read More →
FYW 047 : Perfect or Imperfect ? (French verbs)
I received this question from one of my podcast listeners. Sinead gets confused between when to use the perfect or imperfect tenses in French (imparfait or passé composé). This is actually a headache for many students of French, so I’ve tried to make my explanations as simple as possible, with lots of examples. I also give you tips on how to reflect and practice using both French tenses properly. In the future, I will design a resource and courses to help you with French conjugations, French verbs. So if you are interested, sign up to my newsletter: … Read More →
FYW 028 : Le Cahier De Vacances – All About Holiday and Homework
In the Northern hemisphere, summer is coming to an end, holiday time is over. Children and students are going back to school soon (la rentrée) and you may now be listening to me on your commute rather than on the beach. Don’t worry! To help you transition smoothly, I’ll start the episode talking about holidays (the word “vacances in French”) and then we’ll move to duties and homework talk! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Nous sommes allés en vacances en France / Nous sommes allés en France pour les vacances = We went on holiday in France. Les grandes … Read More →
How to Conjugate French Verbs in –IR Without Losing Your Mind
Ah, French verbs! They’re the nightmare of most students of French! By popular demand, here are some of my best tips if you’re feeling lost with how to conjugate French verbs in –IR. Learn how to Conjugate _IR Verbs Easily Good news: you only need to learn the indicative present tense and the past participle forms! All other tenses can easily be made from them ; refer to my article “The 7 Most Common French Tenses Made Easy” (it includes a downloadable worksheet with exercises). 1. Learn the verb endings for the indicative present tense Verbs in –IR have their endings as follows: _s, … Read More →