Grammer

Question 1

It is …

They are …

Answer 1

C’est … – It is …
Pronunciation: say

⸻

Ce sont … – They are …
Pronunciation: suh SOHN

Question 2

Much / a lot

Answer 2

Beaucoup – a lot / very much
Pronunciation: boh-KOO

✅ Ends in a silent “p”, so it’s not “boo-koop”! Just say: boh-KOO

Question 3

To the …

Answer 3

Au – to the (masculine singular)
Pronunciation: oh

✅ This is a contraction of à + le
Example: Je vais au parc (I’m going to the park)

⸻

À la – to the (feminine singular)
Pronunciation: ah lah

✅ No contraction here
Example: Je vais à la plage (I’m going to the beach)

Question 4

Very

Answer 4

Très – very
Pronunciation: tray

✅ Used to intensify adjectives or adverbs.
Example: très bien (very good), très chaud (very hot)

Question 5

Of

Answer 5

French Ways to Say “Of”

⸻

1. De
   • The most common translation of “of” in French.
   • Used to show possession, origin, or composition.
   • Example: Le livre de Marie. (Marie’s book / The book of Marie.)
   • Pronunciation: /də/ or /d(ə)/ — sounds like “duh” but often very soft or almost silent in casual speech.

⸻

2. D’
   • This is the contracted form of de before a vowel or mute h.
   • Example: L’histoire **d’amour. (The story of love.)
   • Pronunciation: /d/ — like a soft “d” sound gliding into the vowel.

⸻

3. Du / De la / Des
   • These are partitive articles meaning some / any, but sometimes translate as “of the” in English.
   • Used when you want to say “some of the…” or talk about part of a whole.
   • Du = masculine singular: Le goût du pain. (The taste of the bread.)
   • De la = feminine singular: La fin de la journée. (The end of the day.)
   • Des = plural: Les pages des livres. (The pages of the books.)
   • Pronunciations:
   • Du = /dy/ (like “dew” but shorter)
   • De la = /də la/ (“duh lah”)
   • Des = /de/ (“day” but softer)

⸻

Quick Summary
• Use de for simple “of” (possession, origin).
• Use d’ before vowels for smoother sound.
• Use du / de la / des to say “of the” when referring to part of something specific.

Question 6

From

Answer 6

French Ways to Say “From”

⸻

1. De
   • The most common way to say “from” in French.
   • Used to indicate origin, source, or starting point.
   • Example: Je viens de Paris. (I come from Paris.)
   • Pronunciation: /də/ or /d(ə)/ — sounds like “duh”, often soft or shortened.

⸻

2. Du / De la / Des
   • When combined with definite articles, de contracts to show “from the” for masculine, feminine, or plural nouns.
   • Du = from the (masculine): Il revient du marché. (He’s coming back from the market.)
   • De la = from the (feminine): Elle revient de la plage. (She’s coming back from the beach.)
   • Des = from the (plural): Ils reviennent des montagnes. (They’re coming back from the mountains.)
   • Pronunciations:
   • Du = /dy/ (“dew” short)
   • De la = /də la/ (“duh lah”)
   • Des = /de/ (“day” soft)

⸻

3. Depuis
   • Means “from” in the sense of “since” or “starting at a point in time.”
   • Example: Il travaille ici depuis 2010. (He’s been working here from 2010 / since 2010.)
   • Pronunciation: /də.pɥi/ (“duh-pwee”)

⸻

Quick Summary
• Use de for basic “from” (origin, source).
• Use du / de la / des for “from the” when talking about specific places or things.
• Use depuis when referring to time starting points (“from” a certain date/time).