Is there a logic to know whether a French verb works with the preposition DE, the preposition A, another preposition…or no preposition at all? This is a major struggle from students of French. Here’s the answer, along with my tips about how to learn the structures. We’ll also talk about the form of the verbs after a preposition. All these aspects are essential to your French grammar skills, so make sure you listen to this episode carefully! I also encourage you to participate and reuse what you’ve learnt at the end of the episode. Previous episodes of the series: Episode 176: … Read More →
FYW 179 : French regions: new names, purpose, debates (and grammar!)
In 2016, the map of France changed and now has 13 administrative regions instead of the former 22. What are they now called (and how do you say the name of your region/state/province/county in French?) Also listen to episode 157: Rules around French country names: why do you say EN France, AU Japon, AU Mexique?": www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast157 Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episodee En + fem: en Provence, en Dordogne, en Normandie, en Californie, en Cornouailles(Cornwall), en Nouvelle Galle du Sud Dans le + masc : dans le Sichuan, dans le Yunnan, … Read More →
FYW 178 : Understanding the preposition DE (2/3): “une tarte AUX pommes” vs “une salade DE carottes”
In the second part of this series to help you understand and use the French preposition DE correctly, we'll see how it is used when talking about food. I'll also explain why the preposition A is also used when describing dishes and how to choose between the two. If you wonder why we say: une sauce tomate / une tarte AUX pommes / une salade DE carottes / un sandwich AVEC DU fromage... ...the mystery will be solved in this episode! Also listen to: Episode 176: Understanding the preposition DE (1/3): back to the basics with brushing up the articles! … Read More →
FYW 176 : Understanding the preposition DE (1/3): back to the basics with brushing up the articles!
Understanding the preposition DE (1/3): back to the basics with brushing up the articles! Lately I've received a lot of questions from listeners about the use of the preposition DE (and also the preposition A). These prepositions constitute such a challenge for many students that I decided to make a series of 3 episodes to explain these and help as many of you as possible. First, I want you to start on solid bases so I'll run you through the 3 different types of articles in French (definite, indefinite and partitive articles). We'll pay particular attention to the meaning of "des" and … Read More →
FYW 157 : Rules around French country names: why do you say EN France, AU Japon, AU Mexique?
Did you know that French country names have a gender too? How can you tell whether they are masculine or feminine? Find out the rules behind saying where you’re at or where you’re from. After listening to this episode, French country names will have no more secret for you! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode La France, la Belgique, la Russie, la Chine, l’Italie, l’Australie, l’Inde Le Canada, le Japon, le Maroc, le Chili, l’Iran, l’Equateur Le Mexique, le Mozambique, le Zambèze, le Zimbabwe Les Philippines, les Seychelles, les Iles Marquises Cuba, Haïti, … Read More →
FYW 119 : “Là-dessus”, “juste dessus”
Ann would like me to explain how to use adverbs such as "là-dessus", "là-devant", etc. She also asked me about expressions like "juste devant". This is a great opportunity for me to clarify the difference between prepositions and adverbs when we refer to a location and to help you with the structure of your sentence and translation. If like Ann, you'd like to submit your question to me by leaving a voice message, head to https://frenchyourway.com.au/contact ! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Le livre est sur la table = the book is on the table Le livre … Read More →
FYW 031 : The Guide to Movement + Direction in French
How to say “to run up”, “to run down”, “to swim past”, “to crawl through”, etc. in French? Learn to think differently so you won’t get stuck anymore, because literal translation is not working here! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode To run up = monter en courant To run down = descendre en courant Il monte et descend les escaliers en courant. = He’s running up and down the stairs. To run past = passer en courant Il est passé en courant sans me voir = He ran past without seeing me. to crawl = ramper to crawl through = traverser en rampant Le bébé … Read More →