FRENCH NOTE 54 ALL ABOUT SI CLAUSES

FRENCH NOTE 54.   " USE OF SI"



 It would be very useful to use the French word " SI" which means " IF " in English , in different ways. You should know that " SI" means " Yes " also. While answering negative questions affirmatively , French people use ' si" instead of " oui" . But we are not concerned with that here. " si" has another meaning . It dénotes intensity  Here we are concerned only with its meaning as " IF". Ok ?

1.   Si + Present + Future.

The above construction is very simple . It is also quite useful. In these sentences ,there are two clauses . The first clause starts with " si" giving a hypothetical situation . The second clause tells what happens with a given condition or hypothesis .


Si je suis riche, j'achèterai une belle maison.

If I am rich , I will buy a beautiful house.

Si ma cousine vient chez moi, je l'emmènerai  au cinéma .

If my cousin comes to my place,  I will take her out to a film.

Si tu travaille tous les jours, tu gagneras des bonnes notes.

If you study everyday , you will get good marks.

Si vous me donnez ₹10000, je vendrai mon ordinateur.

If you give me ₹ 10000, I will sell this computer.

Remaŕk :  In colloquial French , even the second clause can be in the present tense.


2.Si+ présent + impératif

1.  Si vous voulez parler à mon père , venez ce dimanche .

If you want to talk to my father, come this Sunday .

2.  Si vous voulez cette voiture, donnez- moi ₹ 300000,

If you want this car, give me ₹ 300000.

3.  Si + imparfait + conditionnel présent

If one thing happens , some other thing may happen . When you want to express such an eventuality , you can use the above construction .

Si mon père avait de l'argent , il m'achèterait   une voiture.

If my father had money, he would get me a car.


Si j'étais fort en maths, je m'inscrirais au cours d'informatique .

If I were strong in maths, I would join the computer course.


S'il ne pleuvait pas , je sortirais avec vous.

If there were no rain, I would go out with you.

Remarks : though we use " imparfait " ,the sense  of these clauses is that of future.

4. SI + plus que parfait ( indicatif) + conditionnel passé

If in the past one thing had happened, another thing would have happened. But the first thing did not happen. So the second thing also did not happen. To express such an eventuality, we can use the above construction . This is an imaginary past situation.

Si Martin n'avait pas pris le vol 121, il n'aurait pas perdu sa vie.

If Martin had not taken flight 121, he would not have lost his life.


Si vous aviez suivi mon conseil, vous n'auriez pas regretté votre décision .

If you had followed my advice, you would not have regretted your decision.


Si je n'avais pas été malade, je serais allé(e) à Chennai .

If I had not been ill, I would have gone to Chennai.



Remember , you can put the si clause in the second position . That would not change the meaning. Hope these constructions are clear to you now.

Happy learning !


ATTENTION


If learners send me by email few sentences which they construct, I will do corrections and send them back. If there are any inadvertent errors in this note, point out pl. I am doing several things and am likely to commit some errors.

Sayee Jayaraman

27/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 53 " Y "

FRENCH NOTE 53.  " Y"


As I posted notes on " en" , I thought I should not ignore the ubiquitous " y" of the French language. It looks so innocent and lonely, but we should learn its correct usage. " y" is indeed very frequently used both in spoken and written French.
1. " y " means " there " . But it may mean other things also. Hence this post. In your elementary French course, you were bombarded with sentences containing the expression,"il y a " . What does it mean ? It indicates the existence of anything ,persons,matter,ideas etc.In short EXISTENCE.
Il y a un arbre devant ma maison.
There is a tree before my house.
Il y a des arbres près de ma maison.
There are trees near my house.

So,il y a = there is or there are
Hope you got it.
Il n' y a pas d' arbres près de ma maison.
There are no trees near my house.
Il n' y a pas de pain .
There is no bread.
Il n' y a pas d' eau chez moi.
There is no water in my place.
Note that in negative constructions ,
the nouns are always preceded by de or d' and not by du, des, de la etc.
Y a-t-il quelqu'un ?
Is there any one?
Note the hyphens and also " t" introduced for euphony.
So,
Il ya de l'espoir ? N'est-ce pas?
There is some hope. Isn't it ?
2. " y" is an indirect object pronoun that precedes the verb.It usually replaces an inanimate object ( thing or idea ) . The object is indirect because in the noun form it is preceded by a preposition , usually ," à" . But there may be other prepositions also. Now study these examples.
Elle va à Chandigarh
Elle y va.
She goes to Chandigarh .
She goes there.
So in this context,
Y = there = à Chandigarh .
Nous habitons la France.
Nous y habitons .
We live in France.
We live there.
In this context,
Y = there= la France
Mon stylo est sur la table.
Mon stylo y est.
My pen is on the table.
My pen is there.
In this context,
Y=there=sur la table.
Got it?
Les enfants jouent dans le jardin.
Les enfants y jouent.
Children play in the garden.
Children play there.
In this context,
Y = there = dans un jardin
Please note that the noun in these cases are preceded by à,sur and dans. It is not necessary that it should be always à. Moreover , in one example, " la France " was not preceded by any preposition , as the verb " habiter" is used transitively.
3. Many French verbs take indirect objects through the preposition ,"à". All the nouns introduced by ,"à" can be replaced by , " y" except living beings. Study the following examples.
Je réponds à ta lettre.
J'y réponds .
I am replying to your letter.
I am replying to it.
In this context,
Y=to it = à ta lettre.
Suppose you say,
Je réponds à ma mère .
Je lui réponds .
In this context, as the indirect object is a person , we replace it with " lui" and not y. Please understand this clearly.
Lui = to him,to her =à ma mère . But this rule is not followed in respect of verbs like penser,croire,se fier,
S'intéresser à etc. On this I shall explain in the subsequent post.For the time being , study the following examples.
Elle a renoncé à son voyage.
Elle y a renoncé .
Vous n'avez pas répondu à ma question .
Vous n'y avez pas répondu .
Elle essaie de réussir à ses examens difficiles.
Elle essaie d'y réussir .
Why did I give the above examples ?
Please note carefully the position of " y" in each case. When you have a composite tense like passé composé, " y" sits before the auxiliary verb.
Again when " y" is replacing the indirect object of the verb in the infinitive form , it is put before the infinitive. So you should be very careful to know to which verb the indirect object belongs when there are several verbs. By practice , you will understand better.
4. The verb " penser"
I told you " y" is used normally for things and ideas.
But this verb penser is an exception.
Observe
Pensez-vous à votre mère ?
Oui, j'y pense.
French is a tricky language like English. Plethora of rules and plethora of exceptions. Learn gradually.
Even French nationals commit several mistakes. I am not touching several expressions involving " y" .That is reserved for another occasion .
IMPORTANT ADVICE
There are several verbs of the following form
Verb + à + nom
Kindly make a list. Use them in your sentences and replace the indirect object with ," y". If you do it,
you are sure to master these verbs and usage of " y". You can face your students with more confidence and it will enable you to improve your written French. After several years of schooling , students are not able to write few sentences without mistakes. That should not be.
Voilà c'est tout pour aujourd'hui .
A bientôt
Sayee Jayaraman
25/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 52 " DANS " " EN" PREPOSITIONS

FRENCH NOTE 52 " DANS" " EN"


One learner requested me to write on , " dans" and also to distinguish it from " en ". Hence this post.
1. First let me take up " dans". The basic meaning of dans is " in ", inside an enclosed space or a container.
Mes vêtements sont dans la boîte .
My clothes are in the box.
So when you want to say that something is in a container, you can use " dans"
2. " dans" is used to indicate in how much time in future an action will be performed.
Dans quelque jours, mon père ira en France.
In few days, my father will go to France.
In other words , his going to France will take place after few days from now.
Dans une minute, je t'appellerai.
In a minute, I shall call you.
Dans deux mois, on fêtera le Noël .
In two months, we will celebrate Christmas .
3. " dans " indicates a precise location
Elle s'assoit dans la cour.
She is sitting in the courtyard .
Les enfants jouent dans le jardin.
Children play in the garden.
4. " dans " is used in a figurative sense to denote the mental/ physical condition .
Les habitants de Dharavi vivent dans la misère .
The people of Dharavi live in misery.
Le peuple de Jérusalem vit toujours dans la peur.
5. " dans " takes the meaning of " from" in certain usages.
Je bois dans une verre.
I drink from a glass.
Je prends mes livres dans cette boîte .
I take my books from this box.
6. " dans" also means " around " to indicate an approximation.
Cette chaise pèse dans les 10 kilos.
This chair weighs around 10 kilos.
Cette montre coûte dans les 100 euros.
This watch costs around 100 euros.
7. " dans" means through in certain circumstances
Elle court dans l' herbe.
She is running through the grass.
8. Dans may mean " during " in certain usages.
Dans les années soixantes,la mode étais différente.
During sixties, the fashion was different.
9. Quite a few French verbs are followed by , " dans". I am listing them.
Entrer dans une salle -enter a room
Fouiller dans les poches -to look through the pockets
Lire dans le journal - to read in the newspaper
Partir dans 10 minutes - to leave in 10minutes
Partir dans les montagnes - to leave to the hills
Regarder dans la boîte - to look in the box
Important point
Kindly note that " dans" always follows a noun which is preceded by an article , demonstrative adjective or possessive adjective unlike " en".
Difference in usage between " dans" and " en "
" en" expresses the length of time an action takes.
Kumar a résolu ce problème en 5 minutes.
Kumar solved this problem in 10 minutes.
This means Kumar had taken 10 minutes to solve the problem. In this case " dans" will not be used in French.
Pierre a compris ce leçon en 5 minutes tandis que les autres élèves se sont confondus.
Peter understood this lesson in 5 minutes while the other students got confused.
In other words Peter took only 5 minutes to understand the lesson.
Now you should see point 2 above where I have explained the use of " dans ".
Note that when " dans " is used for time ,the verb will be either in futur or present tense.
When " en " is used for time , the verb will be either in past or present tense. Not a hard and fast rule.
Another important point is when " en " is followed by a noun , generally, you will not find any article before it. You can see my post on " en ".
But this is not the case when " dans " is followed by a noun. I explained it already above.
Remember while translating from French to English and vice versa , there is no strict one to one correspondence. A French word will be translated in several ways depending on the context. Each language has got its own peculiarities, idiosyncrasies , genius and what not. Attaining mastery is a painstaking job.
On dit que c'est une tâche de longue haleine .
Please leave your comments.
Thank you.
À bientôt !
Sayee Jayaraman
25/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 51 VERB+DE+INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 51

Let us continue the pattern , “verb+de+infinitive of another verb“

1. promettre à qqn de faire qqch -to promise somebody to do something

Je promets de vous donner un cadeau, si vous obtenez des bonnes notes dans votre examen.

I promise to give you a gift, if you get good marks in the examination.

Elle sera très contente, si vous lui promettez d’assister au mariage de sa fille.

She will be very happy , if you promise her to attend her daughter’s wedding.

2.proposer à qqn de faire qqch - to propose to someone to do something

Mon ami me propose de prêter de l’argent sans aucun intêret.

My friend offers me to lend money without any interest.

Pierre lui a proposè d’investir de l’argent dans ses affaires comme partenaire.

Peter proposed to him to invest money in his business as a partener.

3.refuser de faire qqch -to refuse to do something

Je refuse de soudoyer des fonctionnaires pour obtenir une faveur.

I refuse to bribe officers for getting any favour.

Le peuple de Tunisie refuse de soumettre à la volontè d’un dictateur.

The people of Tunisia refuse to submit to the will of a dictator.

4.rêver de faire qqch - to dream of doing something

Martin rêve de devenir un pilote.

Martin dreams of becoming a pilot.

Gandhi rêvait de faire l’Inde un pays libre des conflits religieux.

Gandhi dreamt of making India a country without religious conflicts’

5.risquer de faire qqch - to risk in doing something

Si vous jouez à la bourse, vous risquerez de perdre de l’argent;

If you gamble in stocks, you risk of losing your money.

That is all for now.

Happy Learning!

Sayee Jayaraman
24/02/2015

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FRENCH NOTE 50. VERB + DE + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 50

VERB + DE + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER  VERB

Let us continue the above pattern for five more verbs.

1. ORDONNER À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to order someone to do something

Le père ordonne aux enfants de se taire.

Father orders children to keep quiet.

Le patron nous ordonne de travailler ce dimanche .

The boss orders us to work on this Sunday.


2. OUBLIER DE FAIRE QQCH - to forget to do something .

Hier , j'ai oublié de prendre des médicaments .

Yesterday , I forgot to take medicines .

Elle oublie toujours de tenir sa promesse .

She forgets always to keep her promise.


3.PERMETTRE À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to permit someone to do something

Le règlement de la bibliothèque nous permet de retenir des livres empruntés pour deux semaines.

The library rule permits us to retain borrowed books for two weeks only.


Le gouvernement ne nous permet pas d' acheter des terrain dans quelques états de notre pays.

The government does not permit us to buy land in some states of our country.


4. PERSUADER  QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to persuade someone to do something

Le vendeur me persuade d'acheter beaucoup de choses.

The salesman persuades me to buy a lot of things.


Je n'aime jamais persuader  quelqu'un de faire quelque chose contre son gré .

I never like to persuade someone to do something against his/ her will.


5. PRIER  QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to request someone to do something


Je vous prie de ne pas violer le secret.

I request you not to reveal the secret.

Nous prions le professeur de nous permettre d'utiliser la calculatrice pendant l'examen .

We request the teacher to permit us to use the calculator during the examination.

That is all for now.

Kindly point out errors , if any .

Happy learning .

Sayee Jayaraman
24/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 49 VERB + DE + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 49

VERB +DE + INFINITIVE OF  ANOTHER VERB

In this note, I am taking up five more verbs which are followed by " de" and the infinitive of another verb.

1.ESSAYER DE FAIRE QQCH-to   try to do something

Mes élèves essaient de parler francais.

My students try to speak French.


Même si une tâche est difficile , il faut essayer de la faire.

Even if a task is difficult , one should try to do it.


2. ÉVITER DE FAIRE QQCH - to avoid doing something


Après sa crise cardiaque, Pierre évite de conduire la voiture.

After his heart attack, Peter avoids driving car.

Les hommes de politique savent éviter des questions embarrassantes .

Politicians know how to avoid inconvenient questions.


3. INTERDIRE  À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH -  to forbid someone to do something

Le médecin lui interdire de boire l'alcool .

The doctor forbade him to drink alcohol.

Le règlement nous interdit de fumer.

The rule forbids us from smoking.
According to rules, smoking is prohibited.


4. MENACER QQN  DE FAIRE QQCH - to threaten someone to do something

Ce voyou menace Martin de tuer , s'il ne lui donnera pas d'argent.

That rogue threatens to kill Martin, if he does not give him money.

La pluie nous  menace de gâter la soirée dans le jardin.

Rain threatens to spoil our evening party in the garden.

5. OFFRIR À QQN DE  FAIRE QQCH - to offer someone to do something

Elle a  offert de m'enseigner le français .

She offered  to teach me French .

Mon oncle a offert de m'emmener au cinéma ce weekend.

My uncle offered to take me out to cinema this weekend.


That is all for now. We will continue in subsequent notes.

Happy learning.

Sayee Jayaraman
23/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 48 VERB +DE + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 48

VERB +DE +INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

In this post , let us take up five more verbs which follow the above pattern.

1. DÉCIDER  DE FAIRE QQCH-  to decide to do something


Après sa retraite, Pierre a décidé de s'installer à Marseille .

After his retirement, Peter decided to settle in Marseille.


On a décidé d'aller en France ,cet été .

We have decided to go to France this summer.


2.DEFENDRE À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to forbid somebody to do so ethi b


Le médecin lui a défendu de fumer.

The doctor forbade him to smoke.

Il est défendu de parler dans la bibliothèque .

It is forbidden to talk in the library.

Le professeur a défendu aux  élèves d' utiliser des portables dans la classe.

The teacher forbade the students from using their mobile phones in the class.

3. DEMANDER À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to ask/ request somebody to do something

Elle demande à son père de lui donner de l'argent .

She requests her father to give her some money.

Mon ami m'a demandé d'aller au cinéma avec lui ce soir.

My friend requested me to go to cinema with him this evening.


4. DIRE À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to tell somebody to do something

Le  prime ministre a dit aux ministres de réduire ses voyages étrangers.

The prime minister told his ministers to reduce their foreign travels.

Le médecin lui a dit de ne pas boire de l'alcool .

The doctor told him not to drink alcohol.

5. EMPÊCHER QQN DE FAIRE QQCH-  to prevent somebody from doing something

Le gouvernement américain a empêché Narendra Modi de visiter les États - Unis , il y a dix ans.

The American Government prevented Narendra Modi from visiting USA , ten years back.


That is for this note.

Happy Learning !

Sayee Jayaraman
22/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 47

FRENCH NOTE 47

VERB + DE + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB


As usual let us study the use of five French verbs which are followed by the preposition " de" and the infinitive of another verb.

ACCEPTER, ARRÊTER, CESSER, CONSEILLER , CONVENIR


1.Accepter de faire qqch. - agree to do something,


1.  Le ministre a accepté d' assister au mariage de ma fille.

The minister agreed to attend the wedding of my daughter.

2. Elle n'accepte jamais de fêter son anniversaire .

She never agrees to celebrate her birthday.


2. ARRÊTER DE FAIRE QQCH - to stop doing something


1. A partir d' aujourd'hui , elle a arrêté de regarder la télé pour préparer mieux pour son examen .

From today onwards, she stopped watching tv for preparing better for her examination.


2. Jean n'arrête pas de flatter son patron . Peut-être , il attend son avancement ( sa promotion ).

John does not stop flattering his boss. Perhaps , he is expecting his promotion.


3. CESSER DE FAIRE QQCH - to stop doing something

1. Elle n'a pas cessé de pleurer à la réprimande de son père .

She did not stop crying at the reprimand of her father .

2. Cessez de boire de la bière tous les jours.

Stop drinking beer everyday .

4. CONSEILLER À QQN DE FAIRE QQCH - to advise someone to do something

1.Elle a conseille à sa fille de faire son droit.

She advised her daughter to study law.

2. Le médecin lui conseille de réduire son poids. Elle pèse 80kgs.

The doctor advises her to reduce her weight . She weighs 80kg.( She is 80kgs)

5. CONVENIR DE

IL CONVIENT DE FAIRE QQCH - it is advisable / desirable to do something

1. Il convient d'aller à Chennai en train.

It is advisable to go to Chennai by train.

2. Il convient de se rendre à l'aéroport deux heures avant le vol.

It is desirable to reach the airport two hours before the flight.


That is all for today. Please point out inadvertent errors.

Sayee Jayaraman
18/02/2015
19/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 46

FRENCH NOTE 46

Let us continue with the same verb pattern. We are taking up five more verbs.


VERB + à + another verb in infinitive form


1. HÉSITER À FAIRE QQCH - To hesitate to do something

Elle hésite à parler aux hommes.

She hesitates to talk to men.

Gandhi n'hésitait  pas  pas à lutter contre l'injustice.

Gandhi  never hesitated to fight against injustice .




2. HABITUER QQN À FAIRE QQCH - To get somebody used to something

La mère habitue  ses enfants à se lever tôt .

The mother gets her children used to getting up early.


3. INVITER.  QQN À FAIRE QQCH - to invite someone to do something

Pierre invite Hélène à danser avec lui.

Peter invites Helen to dance with him.


4. OBLIGER QQN À FAIRE QQCH - to compel someone to do something

Le gouvernement nous oblige à payer les impôt avant le 15 mars.

The government compels us to pay the taxes before 15 the March .


5. S' OCCUPER À FAIRE QQCH. - to be busy in doing something

Mère Thérèse  s'occupait  toujours à soigner les malades.

Mother Theresa   was always busy taking care of the sick.

That is all for now.

Rest in the next post.

Happy learning

Sayee Jayaraman

09/02/2015
19/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 45

FRENCH NOTE 45

VERB + À + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

Let us continue with five more verbs today with just one example for each.

 1. CONSENTIR  À  - accept / agree to do something

Mon patron a consenti à assister au mariage de ma fille.

My boss agreed to attend my daughter's wedding.

2. CONTINUER À - continue to do something

Elle continue à parler sans m'écouter .

She continues talking without listening to me.

She continues to talk without listening to me.

She goes on talking without listening to me.

There are several ways to say it in English.

3. CONTRIBUER À - contribute in

Le secteur du service contribue beaucoup à augmenter les produits bruits de notre pays.

The service sector contributes much in augmenting the gross product of our country.

Remember that the French preposition  may not be exactly the same as that of English. So avoid literal translation.


4. DEMANDER À -  Request to do something

Mon ami m'a demandé à amener mes enfants chez lui.

My friend requested me to bring my children to his place.


5. ENCOURAGER À - encourage to do something

Le professeur encourage ses élèves à écrire des poèmes.

The teacher encourages his students to write poems.

We shall continue in the next post.

Happy learning

Sayee Jayaraman

08/02/2015

18/02/2015


  

FRENCH NOTE 44

FRENCH NOTE 44   VERB + à + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB


In this note , we shall take up five more verbs.


6. ABOUTIR À FAIRE  QQCH - to result in doing something / to end in doing something

Tous les efforts du ministre de la santé aboutissent à améliorer la santé du peuple.

All the efforts of the health minister results in improving the health of the people.

7.AVOIR  À  FAIRE QQCH -  to have to do something / devoir

Elle a à faire du ménage toute la journée .

She has to do household work all day.

Mon examen aura lieu la semaine prochaine.  J'ai à étudier beaucoup.

My examination will take place next week.  I have to study much.

Les tâches qu'ils avaient eu à accomplir étaient très difficile.

The tasks which they had had to accomplish were very difficult .

IMPORTANT POINT

Please don't think that the past participle " eu " should agree in number and gender with " tâches ". Why ?  " tâches " is a direct object of verb " accomplir" and not  of " avoir" whose past participle is " eu".

Later we shall discuss in detail the subject of " agreement "

8.  AUTORISER  QQN À FAIRE QQCH - to permit somebody to do something

Le professeur  ne nous autorise pas à nous servir de la calculatrice pour l'examen.

The teacher does not allow us to use the calculator in the examination .

Cet hôtel n'autorise pas les occupants à amener les animaux domestiques avec eux.

This hotel does not permit the occupants to bring pets along with them.

9. CHERCHER À FAIRE QQCH - to try to do something

 Je cherche à résoudre cette équation pendant une heure.

I am trying to solve this equation for one hour.


10.  COMMENCER À FAIRE QQCH - to begin to do something

J' ai commencé à apprendre le français , il y a 33 ans.

I started learning French thirty three years ago.

Rest in the next post. Point out errors, if any.

Sayee Jayaraman

07/02/2015

17/02/2015

French Made Simple: FRENCH NOTE 43

French Made Simple: FRENCH NOTE 43: FRENCH NOTE 43 VERB +À + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB In this note let us learn the use of French verbs followed first by the prepositio...

FRENCH NOTE 43

FRENCH NOTE 43

VERB +À + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB


In this note let us learn the use of French verbs followed first by the preposition "à" and then followed by infinitive of another verb. This pattern is very frequently found in French sentences. Of course in English also we have similar pattern. So it would not be difficult for English speakers to grasp these constructions. I have at present a list of 40 such verbs. I shall cover every such verb in my notes. For this note , I shall take up five verbs only and show their uses.


Verb+ à + infinitive of another verb

1.  AIDER + À ----- To help to do some thing

Mon professeur  m'aide à traduire ce texte en anglais.

My teacher helps me in translating this text into English.

La mère aide à son enfant à marcher .

La mère aide son enfant à marcher.

The mother helps her child to walk.

Remember " aider à qqn"  pattern is no longer used in modern French .  The current usage is " aider qqn". Hope you got the point.

Est-ce que vous  pouvez m'aider à faire mes devoirs ?

Can you help me to do my homework ?

Kindly note that in the above sentence  , the verb " pouvoir " is followed by the infinitive " aider" without any preposition and the verb " faire " follows " aider +à ".

Now I want to point out  the use of " aider à + nom " and " aider + nom". This is for advanced students only.

La vitamine A aide à l'amélioration de vue.
Vitamin A helps in improvement of sight.

In the above example the noun which follows is the RESULT of " aider" .  That is improvement in eyesight.

Now see the next example.

La vitamine A aide les yeux à améliorer de vue.
Vitamin A helps eyes to improve the vision.

In the above construction , the noun " les yeux " which comes after the verb " aider" represents the beneficiary of " aider".

The point is very subtle .

A familiar expression is " ça aide" " that is very useful " or " that helps "


2. S'amuser à ----- amuse oneself in doing something

On s'est amusé à chanter toute la soirée avec des amis.

We enjoyed singing the whole evening with friends.

3. Apprendre à ---- learn how to do something

Elle apprend à parler chinois.

She is learning how to talk Chinese.

A familiar expression

Ça vous apprendra !

That will teach you a good lesson!

4. S'apprêter à ---- to get ready to do something

J'ai envie de voir ma fille. Donc, je m'apprête à partir pour Djakarta .

I feel like seeing my daughter. I am ready to leave for Jakarta .

5.  Arriver à ----- manage to do something

Je n' arrive pas à comprendre ce texte.

I am not able to understand this text.

Enfin , Jean est arrivé à réparer sa voiture.

At last, John managed to repair his car.

That is all for now.

Happy learning !

Sayee Jayaraman

16/02/2015

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Sayee Jayaraman
14/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 42 VERB+INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 42

Verb + infinitive of another verb

16. ÉCOUTER - TO LISTEN

Écouter qqn parler - to hear  somebody speak


Est-ce qu'il y a quelqu'un dans cette chambre ? J'écoute  un homme parler.

Is there anyone in that room ? I hear a man speaking.

Écouter qqn chanter - to hear someone singing

Quand  je suis en train de parler avec mon ami au téléphone , j'écoute  sa fille chanter.

When I was taking to my friend over telephone , I hear his daughter singing.

Écouter le cœur se battre - to hear the heart beating


Elle écouté le cœur se battre .

She hears her heart beating.

17.ENTENDRE - TO HEAR


Entendre parler de qqch / qqn - to hear of something / somebody

Avez-vous entendu parler de Mahatma Gandhi ?

Have you heard of Mahatma Gandhi ?

18. FAILLIR -

Avoir failli + infinitive -  almost do something / happen something

Avoir été sur le point de se produire ou de subir qqch

L'accident a failli se produire.

The accident almost happened.

Elle a failli mourir.

She almost died.

Kindly pay attention to this verb. This usage is always in the past.

19. OSER - TO DARE

This is an  interesting verb. Generally , it is followed by infinitive.

 Je n'ose pas lui dire la vérité .

Je n'ose lui dire la vérité .

I dare not tell him the truth.

Note that in negative form, you can omit " pas "

Quelle audace !Vous osez contredire à ce que j'ai dit.

What audacity ! You dare contradict what I said.

20. POUVOIR - CAN

A very important verb ( modal verb)  which expresses possibility and frequently used. It is always followed by infinitive form of another verb. This verb has neither imperative nor passive form.

Je peux parler quatre langues.

I can talk four languages.

Elle ne peut pas marcher plus de 3 km.

She can not walk more than 3 km.


That is all for now.

Please point out inadvertent errors.

Sayee Jayaraman

28/01/2015

14/02/2015

A REQUEST

A REQUEST TO REGULAR VISITORS TO THIS BLOG


If you are a regular visitor to this blog, kindly subscribe. Leave your valuable comments and suggestions which will help me to improve.

Thank you all for your encouragement.

Sayee Jayaraman
13/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 41 VERB+INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

FRENCH NOTE 41

VERB + ANOTHER VERB IN INFINITIVE FORM

11.  ENVOYER QQN FAIRE QQCH - SEND SOME ONE TO DO SOMETHING

Elle envoie son mari chercher sa mère à la gare.

She sends her husband to the station to fetch her mother.

Envoyer  promener / balader qqn - to dismiss someone summarily

Cet homme me dérange toujours . J'ai envie de l'envoyer promener.

This man disturbs me always . I feel like dismissing him.

12.  ESPÉRER FAIRE QQCH - HOPE TO DO SOMETHING

" Espérer " is  a transitive verb.

Elle espère achever cette tâche bientôt .

She hopes to finish this task soon.

13. ÊTRE CENSÉ FAIRE QQCH - TO BE SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING

Pierre est censé venir chez moi à 16 heures . Il n'est pas encore venu.

Peter is supposed to come here by 16 hours. He hasn't yet come.

14. FAIRE FAIRE QQCH - TO GET SOMETHING  DONE


Remember " faire " is a very important and frequently used French verb. I may have to write at least ten notes on this verb, which I will in due course . Here , I am confining myself to its use when followed by another verb in infinitive form

Il fait construire un grand bâtiment près du lac.

He gets built a big building near the lake.

"Faire +infinitive of another verb " has special / idiomatic sense depending upon the verb which it follows . I am giving you a small list of such expressions.

Faire aller à la rame - to row

Faire accepter une idée à qqn - to sell somebody an idea

Faire accepter à qqn - put across to somebody

Faire accorder -to reconcile

Faire affaire avec - make a bargain with

Faire aimer - to endear

Faire basculer - to topple over

Faire baisser les prix - to depress the prices

Faire bien comprendre à qqn - to impress on some one

Faire bouger - to dislodge

Faire chavirer - to capsize

Faire comprendre qqch à qqn- bring home something to somebody


Faire claquer ses doigts - Snap one's finger

Faire cuire - to cook


Once again I am telling you that I shall prepare several notes on this verb to bring out all the nuances of its usage.

14. FALLOIR - TO BE NECESSARY

Remember this verb is used only in third person singular in an impersonal way.

"Il faut + infinitive of a verb " expresses obligation.

Il faut préparer bien pour l'examen .

It is necessary to prepare well for the examination .

Il faut faire du sport pour avoir une bonne santé .

One should play some game for good health.

Later , I shall deal with other expressions involving " falloir "


15.  LAISSER FAIRE QQCH - LET DO SOMETHING

Je le laisse lire ce livre.

I let him read this book.

Je lui laisse lire ce livre.

I let him read this book.

Both the constructions are allowed . You may use le, la , les or lui, leur. But the current preference is for the use of " le, la, les ".

That is all for now.

In the next note, I shall take up five more verbs which precede another verb in infinitive form directly without a preposition coming between them.


Sayee Jayaraman

27/01/2015
13/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 40. VERB + INFINITIVE OF ANOTHER VERB

French Note 40      Verbs ( conjugated ) + infinitive of another verb


1. In my previous note, I dealt with five verbs which are used with other verbs in infinitive form. Let us continue that note with five more examples . I am numbering the verbs serially from the last note. At the end , one can know how many verbs come under this category .

6.  COURIR


The basic meaning of this verb is " to run ". Remember this verb is conjugated with " avoir" unlike the other verbs of motion like , " aller, venir etc. ".


Courir faire qqch =  to run / rush to do something .

Courir chercher le médecin =  to rush /run and fetch the doctor

Elle a une douleur insupportable dans la poitrine. Il faut courir chercher le médecin .

She has unbearable pain in the chest . It is necessary to rush and fetch the doctor.


Instead of the second verb " chercher" , you can use other verbs appropriate to the context.

Important point.

Now , I have to make some important observations on this verb. It is an interesting verb which can.be used transitively with direct object / indirect object and also intransitively.
Study the following examples.

a)  Pierre court le 100 mètre haie.
Peter runs the 100 meters hurdle.

b) Elle court un grand  risque en faire confiance à ce voyou.
She takes/ runs a big risk in trusting that scoundrel .

In the above examples, the verb is used transitively with a direct object. There are several expressions of this verb along with a direct object.
Courir le monde, courir les filles,courir le jupon, courir le cotillon, courir la gueuse,courir deux lièvres à la fois etc are some of them. Incidentally , four of these expressions mean " to womanize or to court women " . Remember "  jupon " means petticoat .


Now go through these examples

a) Elle court après l'argent .

She runs after money.

In the above, the verb has an indirect object. Thus the verb is used transitively with an indirect object.  " l'argent "

b)  J'ai couru toute la journée .

I ran throughout the day.

In the above example , the verb has been used intransitively.

7.DÉSIRER ( to like, to desire) ( transitive with direct object)

Désirer faire qqch - to desire to do / doing something .

a) Je désire regarder ce film.

I like to watch this film.

b) C'est normal qu'on désire gagner beaucoup d'argent .

It is normal that we like to earn a lot.

You may use other appropriate verbs in infinitive form after this verb.

This verb is synonymous with " Vouloir "

8. DÉTESTER (  to hate, to detest ) ( transitive verb with direct object)

Détester faire qqch - hate/ detest to do / doing something.

a)  Je déteste me lever très tôt le matin.

I hate getting up early in the morning .


b) Elle déteste sortir avec sa mère .

She hates going out with her mother.

You may use other appropriate verbs in infinitive form after this verb.

9. DEVOIR

This is a very important verb along with the other verbs " pouvoir, falloir, valoir " etc. It is normally used along with other verbs which are in infinitive form . The verb may have one of the following connotations in its use , depending on the context.

Obligations
Necessity
Fatality
Probability

a)  Vous devez dire la vérité .( obligation )

You must tell the truth.

b) Nous avons dû marcher longtemps .( Necessity )

We had to walk for a longtime .

c)Il doit être midi. ( probability )

It must be noon.

d) Étant donné sa conduite impudente, un jour il doit mourir suite d'un accident . ( fatalism )

Considering his rash driving , he has to die in an accident .

You may use other appropriate verbs in infinitive form after this verb.


10.  EMMENER

Emmener qqn faire qqch -  to take out somebody to do something.



Elle emmène son fils dîner au restaurant .

She  takes out her son to dine in a restaurant .

Mon père  emmené  nous nous promener en voiture  ce dimanche .

My father takes us out for a drive this Sunday.

Rest in the next Note.

Kindly point out if you notice any errors.
Happy Learning !

Sayee Jayaraman

13/01/2015
12/02/2015








  

French Note 39. VERB + ANOTHER VERB IN INFINITIVE FORM

French Note 39.  VERB + ANOTHER VERB IN INFINITIVE FORM


1.In my last note , I promised to discuss the usage of all types of French verbs. Remember , there are several aspects to be covered in studying French verbs. It requires great efforts to understand the nuances of these verbs. I shall do this job gradually . One thing at a time.

2. There are certain verbs in French which are used with other verbs in infinitive form without any preposition coming in between the two verbs. The first verb is conjugated appropriately. I have with me a list of about 50 such verbs. I  take up five in each note and explain their uses with simple examples.


VERBS

Pattern.       First verb + second verb in the infinitive form


1. ADORER


Let us first turn to the origin of this word. If I want to sound learned I shall say " etymology ". But I want to keep it simple.

Latin " adorare"  which means " to worship"

The original meaning of this word has a religious connotation . We adore God, a deity or a saint. Of course English has a word with similar meaning . " to adore". But now it is used to denote great love an intense liking , to love passionately both in French and English.

" Adorer" is a transitive verb in French.

Elle adore  ses enfants.

She adores her children .


But in this note we are going to see how this verb is used with other verbs. Study the following examples.

(Adorer faire quelque chose ) (to adore doing something )


a)  J' adore écouter les émissions de la Radio France  Culture.


I adore listening to the programmes of Radio France Culture.



b) Mon fille adore marcher sous la pluie.

My daughter loves/ adores walking in rain.



c) Elle adore plaisanter

She adores/ loves passionately  joking.


2. AIMER ( transitive verb taking direct object )

In my view , this is the most frequently used word in French. The Latin word " amor" means love. Just to show you that the word has Latin origin , I am giving you this information. " Aimer" means " to love or to like " . You may use this word in respect of persons as in English.  " to love someone " . Or it can be used for " to love something " . Further you may love or like doing something . The use in French is similar to English. The following examples may be instructive. When you use " aimer" with another French verb  , there is no need for a preposition . The structure will be,


" aimer faire qqch ".    " to love to do something / or doing something


a)   Je t' aime !   I love you.



Valentine Day is nearing . Many of you may be using this sentence . Ubiquitous in all
Valentine cards.

b). La mère  Thérèse aime les pauvres.

Mother Theresa loves the poor.

c)  Il aime  faire du tennis .

He loves playing tennis.

d)  Elle aime manger du chocolat .

She likes to eat chocolates.


3. AIMER MIEUX


" Aimer mieux "  means to prefer. Whenever you have a choice to do several things , you prefer to do one thing rather than the other . In such circumstances , you can use this verb.

Now you learn two structures using this verb form consisting of a verb and adverb.

Aimer mieux faire quelque chose

Prefer doing something

Aimer mieux faire quelque chose + que + ( de) faire une autre chose.

Prefer doing something rather than doing some other thing. In the second structure , the use of " de" ( preposition ) is optional.

a)J' aime mieux rester chez moi.

I prefer to stay at home.

b)Elle aime mieux travailler en ligne.

She prefers to work online.

c) J' aime mieux dormir que ( de) regarder ce film.

I prefer sleeping to watching this film.

d) Elle aime mieux téléphoner à ses amies que (de) leur écrire .

She prefers téléphoning her friends to writing to them.

Important Point :

The verb " to telephone " is transitive verb taking a direct object in English and not in French. In French you should say , " téléphoner à qqn "  In English it is " telephoning someone "
The use of " de" after " que" is optional in the above examples.


4. ALLER ( intransitive verb )


" aller" verb  in French causes confusion among some learners for the simple reason that it can be used to indicate " near future " and in combination with other verbs and in such cases , it is not a question of " near future" . How to distinguish one from the other?
Quite simple.


For" Futur proche ( near future) , the verb   " aller" has to be conjugated appropriately in present tense. Then the infinitive of the next verb follows it.

Future Proche

Aller ( conjugated in  present tense ) + infinitive of the second verb

The meaning will be " going to do something shortly or in the near future "

Examples

a) Je vais  prendre du thé .

I am going to take tea.

Future proche can be used in respect of any verb which  denotes action. You can form as many sentences as possible. Hope you follow.


However , " aller " followed by another verb in infinitive form may have a special meaning and in those cases " aller" may be conjugated in any tense depending on the context and not necessarily in the present as in the case of " futur proche". Do you get what I say ?  Let me give the verbal expressions involving "aller".

1. Aller chercher - to go to fetch someone

Elle va chercher son frère .(  not futur proche)

She goes to fetch  her brother.  

Elle est allée chercher son frère.

She went to search her brother.

Have you understood the difference between " futur proche " and use of " aller " with other verbs in infinitive form to give some meaning to the expression .


I am giving more expressions with " aller "

1. Aller demander qqch à qqn

To go to somebody for something

Je vais demander de l' argent à mon ami.

I go to my friend for money.

2. Aller faire des courses

 To go shopping

3. Aller nager

To go for a swim

4.aller voir

To visit

5. Aller voir qqn

To go and see someone.

6. Aller se coucher

To go to bed.

Il est presque minuit . Je vais me coucher.

It is nearing midnight . I am going to bed.

Hope you are clear about the use of " aller" . Remember I have not exhausted all in respect of this verb. In course of time, more will unfold.  I have to find time for that.

5. COMPTER FAIRE QQCH(  se proposer de faire qqch , avoir l'intention de faire qqch)

" compter" means to count. But the meaning of the above expression is something different It means "to intend to do something "

Je compte aller à Chennai le 31 janvier .

I intend to go to Chennai on 31 st January .


Vous comptez venir chez moi ?

Do you intend to come to my place ?


That is all for now. I shall continue this series quite for sometime.

Happy learning . Point out inadvertent errors which can be corrected.

Sayee Jayaraman

12/1/2015
11/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 38. TRANSITIVE / INTRANSITIVE VERBS

French Note 38.           Transitive Verbs / Intransitive verbs



1. Today I intend discussing a new topic  that must be understood clearly if you wish to write French without mistakes. Many school and college students struggle for writing few correct sentences . I shall be posting a series of notes on transitive and intransitive verbs in French and their correct use.


2. Consider the following sentences.

a)   Jean écrit une lettre.

John writes a letter.


b). Hélène parle à son amie.

Helen is talking to her friend.


c). Je dors.

I sleep.

 The verb in the first sentence is " écrire " ( to write ) .

Ask a question ,

Jean écrit quoi ?

John writes what ?

The answer is " Une lettre " ( a letter )

The verb " écrire " acts on " une lettre"

We call " une lettre"  ( a letter) as direct object of the verb " écrire"

Remember there is no preposition after the verb " écrit " and before " une lettre "

So we call " écrire " as a transitive verb when in a sentence , it takes a direct object.

A better way of saying is that the verb " écrire " is used transitively in this phrase.

More accurately , " écrire " is used  transitively with a direct object in this sentence.

Remember , the verb structure is the easiest in cases of transitive verbs with direct object.

Call these verbs " verbe transitive direct " .

Have you understood  ?

Now study the phrases given below. Identify the verbs and the direct object in each case.

1. Les terroristes ont tué douze journalistes.

The terrorists killed a dozen journalists.


2. J'achète une voiture.

I am purchasing a car.

3. Elle a sorti sa voiture du garage.

She took out her car from the garage.

4.  Nous apprenons le français .

We are learning French.

5. On regarde la télévision .

We watch television.

6. Je bois du thé .

I drink tea.

7. Elle me donne un cadeau.

She gives me a gift.

8. Guru a envoyé un colis.

Guru sent a parcel.

9.  Le professeur a expliqué ce problème très bien.

The teacher explained this problem very well.

10. J'oublie son nom toujours .

I forget his name always.

Have you identified the transitive verbs and the direct objects in each of the above sentences?


3. In para 2b), "  Hélène parle à son ami " is  the example given.

Helen  is talking to her friend.

Now ask the question,

Hélène parle à qui ?

Helen is speaking to whom ?

The answer will be "  son ami " ( her friend )

In this case " son ami " is an indirect object , because it follows a preposition and is not

placed immediately  after the verb. Therefore , the object , " son ami" is an Indirect object

and the verb is used transitively with an indirect object . Remember that the preposition

need not be only " á" . You can come across other prepositions like " de, pour " after

the verb. Further a verb can have both direct and indirect objects. Examine the following

sentence .


Elle donne un cadeau à son fils.

She gives a gift to her son.

Elle donne quoi? Un cadeau

She gives what ? A gift

Elle donne un cadeau à qui ? À son fils

She gives a gift to whom ? To her son


Therefore the verb " donner" in the above example has been used transitively with a

direct and an  indirect object .


Have you grasped the concept of transitive verbs in French ?

4. Now study the following examples

1.  Je téléphone à mon ami.

I telephone my friend.

2. Je travaille les mathématiques .

I am doing maths

3.  Ce professeur enseigne l'anglais aux adultes.

This teacher teaches English to adults.

4. Tous les jours, je joue  au tennis.

Everyday , I play tennis.

5. Elle joue son avenir en collaborant avec ce voyou .

She is playing with her future by collaborating with that scoundrel.

6. J'apporte ce livre à mon ami.

I bring this book to my friend.

7. Elle a prêté de l'argent à son collègue.

She lent money to her colleague .



8. Aujourd'hui le président parle de terrorisme .

Today the president is speaking about terrorism .

9. Je ne veux pas servir ces ingrats.

 I don't want to serve these ungrateful people.

10. Cette bibliothèque sert à tous les étudiants de cette ville.

This library is useful to the students of this city.


Can  you find out how the verbs have been used in the above examples ? Can you pick out

the direct and indirect objects.  The verb " jouer " in (4) tales an indirect object and in (5) a

direct object. Similarly " servir " in the last two examples.  The verb, " travailler "  has been used in 2) transitively with  a direct object.Hope  , I have made this topic clear to you.




5. In para 2 c) , " Je dors " is the example given. " I sleep"

There is no object at all in this sentence. Try using the verb " dormir " in various ways.

You can never write the sentence using an object. We can't ask " I sleep what ? Or I sleep

who ? You can sleep soundly. You can not sleep. He never sleeps. Got the point?

Therefore " dormir " is an intransitive verb .

Warning : there are certain archaic expressions in which " dormir " is used transitively .

" dormir un somme" " dormir un profond sommeil"

For example, verbs like venir, aller,  devenir, naître , mourir etc are intransitive verbs.

Remember that the above verbs are conjugated with " être " .   Note that certain verbs which

are conjugated with " être" are conjugated with " avoir " also. When such  verbs are

conjugated with " avoir " , they take an object and in such a case we can say they are used

transitively . One example is " descendre " on which I posted few notes already .


That much for now.

In my next note, I shall give you tips on how to master the use of French verbs of all types.

Happy learning ! Any errors may please be brought to my notice. I shall stand corrected.

Sayee Jayaraman

10/01/2015

10/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 37 PARTITIVE ARTICLES

French Note 37.  Partitive Articles


1.As  the name itself implies, " Partitive articles "  are used before nouns which are not countable and also to denote a part of a whole. It is peculiar to French. I am not sure about the other Romance languages. Now let us understand what all the fuss is about.

First the forms of Partitive Articles.

Du ( masculine singular )

De la ( Feminine singular )

Des ( plural irrespective of the gender )

De l'a   ( before a vowel or " h" mute)


Let us take the following examples .

Je prends le pain.

Je prend un pain.

Je prends du pain.

What is the difference between these three sentences ? Before the noun " pain " , in the first sentence the definite article " le" is used but in the second sentence " un " , an indefinite article is used. In the last sentence , " du " partitive article is used.

Surely the meaning changes depending on the type of article used.

The first sentence means ,

" I take all the bread "

This  depends on the context . Suppose you had kept five loaves of bread and someone

takes all the five loaves. Then he or she can say , " Je prends le pain ".

If that person just takes one loaf out of five, he says , " Je prends un pain ".

" I take one loaf of bread.

In the last sentence the partitive article " du " is used. It means " some " or a part of the

available bread. A quantity which is uncertain .  Therefore the last sentence means,

" I take some bread "

Of course in a English , we don't say , " I take some bread ". It is sufficient if you say,

"I take bread " .  But in French , the partitive article is a must for uncertain quantities / or

parts of a whole unit.

Hope you understand !


2.The following examples may be useful.

Je mange de la viande.

I eat ( some ) meat.

Je bois du vin.

I drink ( some ) wine.


Je prends des confitures.

I take ( some ) jam.

Remember in English , we don't say " some " though that is what the French partitive article

means . That is why , I have put " some " inside the bracket. Each language has got its own

peculiarities.


3. Further the partitif articles are used before certain abstract nouns in certain expressions. Read the following

examples.

Elle a de la patience .

She has  patience .

Cet homme a du courage.

This man has courage.

Vous avez de la chance.

You are lucky .

But the literal translation would be " you have luck. " But it does not sound bad unlike some

literal translations from French to English .

Let us learn some more finer points on the use of these articles which so much confuse

the non francophone learners.

4. After the. adverbs of quantity like " beaucoup , peu, assez ,plus, moins,tant etc. , generally " des" is not put and " de " is used. Observe the following examples.

Il y a beaucoup de neige .


Il a tant de succès .


Elle a peu de travail au bureau.





J'ai assez de soucis; ne me gênez pas .

As-tu assez d'argent ?

Elle a trop de problèmes .

Nous avons beaucoup de devoirs.


5. In certain cases , the indefinite article" des " or the partitif article " des " will be substituted

by " de". This is very important .

Elle a de bons amis.

Elle a des amis intelligents.

Il  y a de nombreux fleuves qui coulent en Inde.

The rule is " des" becomes " de" before an adjective ,even if the noun which follows the adjective is in plural.

When the adjectives are before the noun as in the above cases ( bons, nombreux ) , we don't

use " des " ,though the noun is in the plural. But this rule has exceptions where an adjective

and noun are closely connected , in other forms , they form a whole themselves or a particular meaning.


" des jeunes gens, des grands magasins, des petits pains "

" jeunes gens" means " youngsters "

Grand magasin  means general or departmental store

Petit pain means bread rolls

In such cases general rule applies and the plural of these adjective - noun words will be

preceded by " des " and not " de".


6. When the construction is negative , you have to take care . Observe the following examples.

J' ai des frères.

I have brothers.

Je n'ai pas de frères.

I don't have any brothers.

Note in the negative construction, " des" becomes " de"

Je mange du pain.

I eat bread.

Je ne mange de pain.

I don't eat any bread.

In the above example , " du" becomes " de" in the negative construction .

Je bois de la bière .

I drink beer.

Je ne bois pas de bière .

I don't drink any beer.

In the above construction , " de la" becomes , " de" in the negative construction.

Elle a de l' argent .

She has money.

Elle n'a pas d'argent .

She does not have any money.

In the above constructions, " de l' " becomes " de" in the negative construction.

J'ai une voiture.

I have a car.

Je n'ai pas de voiture.

I don't have any car.

In the above construction, " une" ( article indefinite ) becomes " de".


A WARNING

7. When the verb is " être " , the above rule does not apply and " des" , une, un,du, de l' " etc remain the same and do not change to " de" in the negative constructions.


Ce n'est pas une voiture,

This is not a car .

Ce n'est pas un bureau.

This is not an office.

Ce n'est pas de la bière .

This is not beer.

Ce ne sont pas des amis de Jean .

These are not John's friends.

Ce n'est pas du pain.

This is not bread.

ANOTHER WARNING

 8. Remember  that when the negation is not absolute , there is no replacement of articles by

" de". Study the following examples.

Je ne mange pas de pain.

I don't eat any bread.

Je ne mange pas du pain , cette semaine.

I don't eat bread this week.

In the first sentence, the negation is absolute . It means you never eat bread. But in the second construction , the negation is conditional . So when the negation is not absolute, you will not find the articles becoming " de".  Only in this week, for some reason , you are not eating bread. In such cases, the articles do not change to " de". Kindly grasp this point.

HOW  SUBTLE are the rules of French Grammar !

HOW TRICKY are the rules of French Grammar !



Some  more examples

J' ai une  maison.

I have a house.

Je n'ai pas de maison.

I don't have any house.

In this case, the negation is absolute and unconditional . So " une" becomes " de" in negative construction .

Je n'ai pas une maison à Chennai, mais j'ai une maison à Bangalore .

I don't have a house in Chennai but I have one in Bangalore .

In the above example , the negation is not absolute but conditional. Hence " une " does not

change to " de" .

Je ne bois pas de la bière que Jean m'offre .

I don't drink the beer that John offers me.

Je ne bois pas de bière .

 I don't drink any beer.

I think I made this point clear to you.


I am happy that I am coming to the end of this note. It needed five notes for me to cover

all the subtleties of French Articles. If there are any important omissions , kindly bring

the same to my notice for making good such omissions. Many learners in FB indicated

that French articles, especially , " du, de la, des, de l' " trouble them a lot. A bête noire!

Then I decided to devote sometime for it . I teach French to some learners. When I prepare

such notes, they are useful to me for reference . I consult lots of standard texts on French .

All the French Notes posted in FB will appear in my blog also. Please make full use of

these notes. If these notes help you in understanding the intricacies of French, I feel

myself amply rewarded . I am also contemplating an ENGLISH BLOG as many learners

are in dire need of proficiency in ENGLISH for success in their career.

I digressed a bit too much !

Happy learning !


Inadvertent errors may be pointed out . I am always open to corrections as well as useful

suggestions.


Sayee Jayaraman

5/1/2015

09/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 36 CONTRACTED ARTICLES

French Note 36 Contracted articles

Remember that in French , whenever the articles " le" and " les " are preceded by the prepositions , " de"'and "à" , contracted articles are formed in the following manner.

De + le = du

De + les = des

À +le = au

À + les = aux

Observe the following examples

C'est la voiture du médecin .

This is the car of the doctor.

Or

This is the doctor's car.

Don't say , " voiture de le médecin "

Ce sont les maisons des voisins.

These are the houses of the neighbours.

Or

These are the neighbours' houses.

Don't say , " les maisons de les voisins. "

Je parle au père de Jean .

I am speaking to the father of John.

Or

I am speaking to John' s father.

Don't say " à le père de Jean "

Pierre a renoncé aux habitudes gênantes.

Peter gave up his irritating habits.

Don't say " à les habitudes gênantes ."

In the next note,let us study " Partitive articles "

There is always some confusion between indefinite article " des" and the partitive article , " des ".

There is also confusion between " du" as contracted article and " du" as partitive article.

We can study all these problems in the next note.

Happy learning

Sayee Jayaraman

4/01/2015

08/02/2015

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FRENCH NOTE 35 INDEFINITE ARTICLES

FRENCH NOTE 35.     INDEFINITE   ARTICLES


In the last note we studied several examples where the definite articles are omitted. In this note, let us learn more about indefinite articles.


Un, une , des are the three indefinite articles placed before masculine singular , feminine singular  and plural nouns respectively.

Examples

Un garçon , une ville, des monuments.

A boy , a city , monuments.


The indefinite article , as the name indicates, does not point to a precise entity. It has something of an indefinite nature. There are several " garçons" or " boys" . Un garçon just indicates one such " garçon " or " boy" . It can be anyone.

Similarly , there are several " villes " or "cities " . Une ville or a city indicates just one such city. There is no further precision .

Un monument - a monument

Des monuments - monuments , it means only plural and in English we do not put any article before plural nouns . I mean indefinite articles.


1.Now compare the following sentences.

Avez-vous rencontré le professeur ?

Have  you met the teacher ?

In the above example, the definite article is used in both the languages.

The speaker talks about a teacher who is known to both interlocutors.

J' ai besoin d'un professeur  pour m'enseigner l'anglais .

I am  in need of a teacher for teaching me English.

In the above sentences, indefinite articles , " un" and " a " have been used before " professeur " and " teacher ". Why ?

There are many teachers who teach English and you need anyone of them. No further precision is given regarding the teacher.

2. In certain circumstances " un " " une" may mean " great " with a sense of exclamation.

J' ai un  appétit !

I have a great appetite
Elle a une peur !

She is terribly afraid !

Il était dans une colère !

He was terribly angry !

3. Without exclamation , the novelists of the nineteenth century , used the indefinite article
before an abstract noun to evoke a sense of diffused feeling/ emotion .

Et elle demeurait dans une adoration , jouissant de la fraîcheur des murs et de la tranquillité de l'église. ( Flaubert , Un Cœur simple )

And she  remained in a sort of adoration enjoying the freshness of the walls and the tranquility of the church.

Note the use of " une " before " adoration ".

Quand je regardais cette figure ,  une peur m'envahit .

When I was watching that figure , a sort of fear invaded me.


4. The indefinite article is used to indicate our judgement over somebody or something in a
flattering or unflattering  way.

Vous n'avez qu'écrit à votre fils, il y a un an. Vous êtes un père !

You wrote to your son one year back.  You are also a father!


Einstein , voilà un génie .

Einstein , here is a genius.

5. Indefinite articles are used in an admiring way in respect of famous people.

Un Socrates , un Plato et un  Aristote   ont fondé la philosophie grecque .

A Socrates, a Plato and an Aristotle founded Greek Philosophy.

6. " des" is used to indicate the extent / duration  while using with the following words.

Heures, jours,semaines, années , dizaines, pages,

Elle vous attend des heures.

She is waiting for you for hours.

Il y a des années que je ne t'ai vu.

I saw you years ago.

Sometimes the expression is repeated for emphasis on the number / quantity.


Elle a d'habitude d'écrire  des pages et des pages .

She has the habit of writing pages and pages.

Il a été absent  des jours et des jours.

He was absent for days together .

8. Normally in French , while telling one' s or somebody's profession , no article is used.
But in certain contexts, when the profession is emphasized or highlighted, indefinite articles are used.

Je suis avocat.

I am an advocate .

Ne signez pas ce document.

- Pourquoi pas?

-Écoutez mon conseil . N'oubliez pas  que je suis un avocat.

Don't sign this document .

- Why not ?

- Listen to my advice. Don't forget that  I am an advocate.

Have you understood why the indefinite article , " un " is used in the second example to

indicate the profession of advocate. The fact of being an advocate is important in the context.

So remember the nuances in the following sentences.

Je suis professeur . Je suis un professeur .

Tu es infirmière . Tu est une infirmière .

Il est médecin .

C'est un médecin .

Observe thé use of  " ce" in third person while using indefinite article. Even for plural

" Ce" is used.


That is all for this note.

My next note will be on " contracted articles " and " partitive articles "

Happy learning . Inadvertent errors may be brought to my notice. I shall stand corrected.

Sayee Jayaraman

26/12/2014
07/02/2015

FRENCH NOTE 34 OMISSION OF DEFINITE ARTICLES

French Note 34


Omission of definite articles in French


You should know where not to put a definite article. This post deals with that problem .


1. After the preposition , " en" , generally the definite article is omitted.

En francais ,en automne , en hiver, en Inde, en France,

But remember the exception , " en l'air".

2. After the preposition , " sans" , the definite article is omitted.

Sans ami, sans lait, sans argent

Without friend, without milk, without money .

3.  In a number of French expressions definite article is omitted before a noun.

Perdre courage, reprendre haleine,rendre visite,faire signe, ne souffler mot, rendre service,

Perdre patience,tomber par terre,à bras ouvert ,tenir tête à quelqu'un



Lose courage, catch up breath, make a visit, give a sign,to keep quite or not to utter a word

To lose patience, to fall, with open arms, to oppose someone


4.  An important point which  all learners should note. What is that ?

The preposition " de" followed by a plural noun , forms with that noun a complement undefined and general  WITHOUT DEFINITE ARTICLE .


De+ complement of noun

L'arrivée de vols provenants  de Delhi est retardée .

The arrival of flights originating from Delhi is delayed.

Please note that no definite article is put before " vols". It is a plural noun and a complement of the noun " l' arrivée " in  this sentence.

But note this sentence ,

L'arrivée du vol de Chennai est avancée . ( du = de + le)

The flight from Chennai is before time.

Here " vol" is in singular . Surely the article " le " is needed and it is contracted to " du"

Have you understood ?

De + adjective + plural noun

L'Inde est riche de nombreux minéraux .

India is rich with plenty of minerals.

But,


Ce pays est doté d'une minéral rare.

In the second sentence  the noun , " minéral " in singulier form is  preceded by an indefinite

Article " une"  which I am taking up in a separate note.

De+ complément d' objet

Parlez-moi d'animaux sauvages

Talk to me about wild animals.

Note that in the above sentence, " animaux sauvages "  is  the indirect object of the verb "

Parler". Why ?? Because  , the object follows the verb after the preposition " de" , unlike

the case with direct objects which follow the verb without any preposition .

But ,

Parlez moi d'un pays de l'Asie .

Talk to me about an Asian country.


De+ complément d' agent

Le Pape est suivi de fidèles .

The Pope is followed by the faithful.






5. Whenever a noun is preceded by a possessive adjective , no article is needed.

Mon frère   -  don't say  , " mon le frère " . It is wrong.

6. Whenever a noun is preceded by a demonstrative adjective like, "  ce, cette , cet. Ces " ,

there is no need of any article.

Cette chose - don't say , "  cette la chose " - it is wrong.

7. Whenever a noun is preceded by an interrogative/ exclamative  adjective , do not put

any article .

Quel  succès ! Quel succès ?

8. Whenever a noun is preceded by a cardinal number like un  deux   , trois. Etc

don't put article.

Deux  livres , trois  garçons

( but this rule is violated in certIn cases, "  les deux livres, tous les deux, Les Mille et une Nuits ")



9. In the book covers  for title , the article is not put.

Voyages de Gulliver ,

Pensées , Pascal

I am not very sure if this is a universal rule.


10. Every learner is taught in the first course that no definite article should be put

when you tell your or anybody' s profession .

Je suis  avocat.

Elle est infirmière .


11. It was already mentioned that articles are absent  before nouns in many expressions.


Avoir faim, avoir soif, avoir raison, avoir tort,donner raison,avoir peur, faire peur à qqn,

Mettre à jour , parler francais ,perdre confiance à qqn,prendre garde, rendre service

The learners can make their own list , when they come across such expressions while

reading French texts.


12. The article is omitted after prepositions like  à. , de,and  en.


Une tasse à café   ,  une cabane à lapins, un pot à lait, un chapeau à plume,

Une robe à volants.  ( une boîte aux lettres - exception to rule)


Une échelle de fer, une tasse de porcelaine , le professeur d'histoire, des adverbes de temps  de lieu, de manière , un rage de dents ,


Une boîte en  carton, la vie en rose.


13.  The article is omitted  often after other prepositions.

À genoux, à terre, à toute vitesse, à petites étapes, marcher à grands pas, parler à haute voix, à voix basse, suer à grosse gouttes

Après enquête ,après coup, après guerre,

Avant réception de ma lettre,  le prix d'avant guerre,

Avec fierté , avec honneur ,avec joie,crime contre nature,

Sortir de prison, pleurer de chagrin ,

Faute d'argent,

Un numéro hors programme , escompte hors banque, hors champ, hors classe,hors concours,hors de prix, hors d'usage ,hors taxes


Par avion, par prudence, par ambition, par ordre, par personne

Sur parole


This is all about absence of articles in French before nouns. There are many more cases.

You will note that only by practice, you will know these finer points. One general

Rule is very difficult , nay, impossible to formulate. Please go through slowly and assimilate.
Please point out inadvertent errors. I shall stand corrected.

Happy learning .

Sayee Jayaraman
21/12/2014
06/02/2014