CoffeeBreakFrench:Lesson45

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Inthisedition:theverballerandconstructingquestions

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Lesson45Notes

Oùest-cequetuvas?

Lookingattheverballerinthepresenttenseandconstructingquestions

ProgrammeNotes

etoCoffeeBreakFrench,thepodcastaimedatindependentlearnersofFrench.OurregularpodcastswillintroduceyoutotheFrenchlanguageineasysteps.Inthisweek’snoteswe’lllookathowtoaskquestionsinFrenchandwe’llalsolookatthepresenttenseoftheverballer.

Inlastweek’slesson,welearnedthewordallons,meaning“l(fā)et’sgo.”Itcomesfromtheverballer,“togo.”Remembertotakethenousformoftheverbinthepresenttense(ie.nousallons)anddropthenous.

Noticethattheonlydifferenceinthefollowin ophrasesisthepresenceorabsenceofnous,butthisgivesthephraseatotallydifferentmeaning.

nousallonsaucinéma

wegotothecinema/wearegoingtothecinema

allonsaucinéma

let’sgotothecinema

Wearegoingtolookattheverballerinmoredetail.Aswementionedlastweek,itdoesnotfollowthesamepatternsastheverbswehavebeenlearningsofar.Theverbswehavelookedatareall“regular”verbs,meaningtheyallfollowexactlythesamepattern.Theverblaver(“towash”)isanexampleofaregular-erverb.

laver(towash)-presenttense

jelave

nouslavons

tulaves

vouslavez

il/ellelave

ils/elleslavent

Theverballerbelongstoagroupofwhatareknownas“irregular”verbs.Thismeansithasadifferentpatterntowhatyouwouldexpect.Althoughirregularverbsdonotfollowthepatternofregularverbs,theydotendtofollowsomekindofpattern.Let’slookattheconjugationofallerinthepresenttense.

aller(togo)-presenttense

jevais

nousallons

tuvas

vousallez

il/elleva

ils/ellesvont

Youhavethechoicewhethertopronouncethe-sat ofvaiswhenitisfollowedbyavowelsound,asisthecaseinthefollowingphrases.

jevaisaucinéma

Igotothecinema

jevaisaumarché

Igotothemarket

jevaisàlapiscine

Igototheswimmingpool

RememberthatinFrench,thesameconstructionisusedtosay“Idosomething”as“Iam ngsomething.”Sojevaisàl’universitécanmean“Igotouniversity”or“Iamgoingto(the)university.”

Thetuformofallercanbeusedinquestions,forexample:

oùest-cequetuvas?

whereareyougoing?

ThefollowingconversationsbetweenMarkandAnnaincludethephrasesjevaisandtuvas.Noticethedifferencebetweenjevais(“I’mgoing”)andj’aimebienaller(“Ireallyliketogo.”)Inthelatterphrase,allerisinitsinfinitiveformandtheverbaimer(“tolike”)isconjugatedinthepresenttense:j’aime.

Conversation

Mark

AlorsAnna,oùest-cequetuvasaujourd’hui?

SoAnna,whereareyougoingtoday?

Anna

Jevaisàlapiscine.

I’mgoingtotheswimmingpool.

Mark

Ahtuvasàlapiscine?Moij’aimebienalleràlapiscine.

Ahyou’regoingtotheswimmingpool?Ireallylikegoingtotheswimmingpool.

Conversation

Anna

Mark,oùest-cequetuvasaujourd’hui?

Mark,whereareyougoingtoday?

Mark

Aujourd’huijevaisaumarché.

TodayI’mgoingtothemarket.

Let’snowtakeacloserlookatthephraseoùest-cequetuvas?Wecansplitthisupintodifferentcomponents.Aswealreadyknow,oùmeans“where.”Est-cequeshowsthatthephraseisaquestionanditli llymeans“isitthat.”Wehavenowlearnedthattuvasmeans“yougo”or“youaregoing.”Sothequestionli llymeans“whereisitthatyouaregoing?”butitisbettertranslatedas“whereareyougoing?”

Wecanusethissameconstructiontoformdifferentquestionsbychangingthe“questionword”andtheverb.Let’stryre cingoùwithque.Whenyouputqueinfrontofest-ceque,thequeisshortenedto

equ’whi akesthephraseq eque.Wecanchangetuvastotufais(“youdo”or“youareng.”)Thisgivesusthequestionwelearnedacoupleoflessonsago,q equetufais?(“whatareyoung?”)Althoughthequestioniscompleydifferentfromoùest-cequetuvas?itfollow actlythesame

pattern.Thistimethe“questionword”isquewhichisshortenedtoqu’.The“questionidentifier”isstillest-cequeandtheconjugatedverbistufaisfromtheverbfaire.(Faire,meaning“todo”isanotherirregularverb.Wewilllookattheconjugationoffaireinafuturelesson.)

BelowisaconversationbetweenMarkandAnnausingthequestionwehavelearnedhowtoconstruct:

q equetufais?

Conversation

Mark

Anna,qequetufais?

Anna,whatareyou ng?

Anna

J’apprendslefran?ais.

I’mlearningFrench.

Don’tworryaboutj’apprendsforthetimebeing.We’llcoverthisinafuturelessontoo.

Let’slookatanotherquestionusingthesameformat:àquelleheureest-cequetuarrives?(“atwhattimedoyouarrive?”or“whattimedoyouarriveat?”)Thistimewehavea“questionphrase”insteadofa“questionword.”àquelleheureli llymeans“atwhathour.”Themorequestionswelearnhowtoask,thelongerourconversationscanbeandthemoreinformationwecanextractfromtheother !

Conversation

Mark

AlorsAnna,tuvasàlapiscineaujourd’hui,n’est-cepas?

SoAnna,youaregoingtotheswimmingpooltoday,aren’tyou?

Anna

Oui.

Yes.

Mark

àquelleheureest-cequetuvasàlapiscine?

Atwhattimeareyougoingtotheswimmingpool?

Anna

Jevaisàlapiscineàtroisheures/àquinzeheures.

I’mgoingtotheswimmingpoolatthreeo’clock(intheafternoon).

Wecanchangethe“questionword”or“questionphrase”topourquoimeaning“why.”Sowecouldaskthequestionpourquoiest-cequetuvasàlapiscine?(“whyareyougoingtotheswimmingpool?”)Toanswerthisquestionyouneedtousethephraseparceque,whi eans“because.”MarkasksAnnawhysheisgoingtotheswimmingpoolandAnnagivessomepossibleanswers.Noticethatyoucouldsimplyanswerbysayingparcequemeaning“justbecause”althoughitmaycomeacrossasslightlycheeky!

Conversation

Mark

Pourquoiest-cequetuvasàlapiscine?

Whyareyougoingtotheswimmingpool?

Anna

Parcequej’aimelesport.

BecauseIlikesport.

Parcequej’aimealleràlapiscine.

BecauseIlikegoingtotheswimmingpool.

Parceque.

Justbecause.

Conversation

Mark

Anna,oùest-cequetuvas?

Anna,whereareyougoing?

Anna

Jevaisàl’université.

I’mgoingtouniversity.

Mark

Etpourquoiest-cequetuvasàl’université?

Andwhyareyougoingtouniversity?

Anna

Parcequej’apprendsl’allemandàl’université.

BecauseI’mlearningGermanatuniversity.

Mark

Trèsbien,etnormalementàquelleheureest-cequetuarrivesàl’université?

Verygood,andwhattimedoyounormallyarriveatuniversity?

Anna

Normalementj’arriveàl’universitéàneufheures.

Inormallyarriveatuniversityatnineo’clock.

Conversation

Mark

Anna,q equetufais?

Anna,whatareyoung?

Anna

Jed?neavecmafamille.

I’meatingdinnerwithmyfamily.

Mark

Pourquoiest-cequetud?nesavectafamille?

Whyareyoueatingdinnerwithyourfamily?

Anna

Parcequej’aifaim.

BecauseI’mhungry.

Mark

Normalementàquelleheureest-cequetud?nesavectafamille?

Whattimedoyounormallyhavedinnerwithyourfamily?

Anna

Jed?neavecmafamilleàseptheures.

Ieatdinnerwithmyfamilyatseveno’clock.

Let’stakeanotherlookattheconjugationoftheverballer.

aller(togo)-presenttense

jevais

nousallons

tuvas

vousallez

il/elleva

ils/ellesvont

Wehavealreadylookedinmoredetailatjevaisandtuvas.BasedonthepatternofregularFrenchverbs,itmakessensethatwedropthe-sat ofvastogetthe3rd form,va.Soil/ellevameans“he/shegoes.”

Thenousandvouspartsoftheverbare,infact,regular.Wesimplytakeoffthe-erendingandadd-onsand-ez.Howevertheils/ellespartsofallerareirregular,soit esils/ellesvont(“theygo.”)Thispatternofthe1st,2ndand3rd singularand3rd pluralformsbeingirregularandthe1stand2nd pluralformsbeingregularisverycommoninFrenchverbs.

Notethattheinformationlistedbelowispartofthetestinthebonuspodcast