French A1 - Essential Vocabulary & Basic Grammar Flashcards

Question 1

Essential Formal & Informal Greetings in French

Accepted Answer

• **Bonjour** = Hello / Good morning (formal/neutral)
• **Bonsoir** = Good evening
• **Salut** = Hi / Bye (informal)
• **Coucou** = Hey there (very informal)

Question 2

How do you ask "How are you?" in formal vs. informal French?

Accepted Answer

• **Formal:** Comment allez-vous ?
• **Informal:** Comment vas-tu ? or Ça va ?
• **Common responses:** Ça va bien (I'm doing well), Comme ci, comme ça (So-so), Ça va mal (I'm doing poorly).

Question 3

Key Phrases for Introducing Yourself in French

Accepted Answer

• **Je m'appelle...** = My name is...
• **J'ai ... ans.** = I am ... years old (uses *avoir*).
• **Je suis...** = I am... (nationality/profession)
• **Enchanté(e)** = Nice to meet you.

Question 4

What are the French Definite Articles and when are they used?

Accepted Answer

Definite articles correspond to **"the"** in English:
• **le** (masculine singular): *le livre*
• **la** (feminine singular): *la table*
• **l'** (before a vowel or silent h): *l'école*
• **les** (plural, all genders): *les amis*

Question 5

What are the French Indefinite Articles and when are they used?

Accepted Answer

Indefinite articles correspond to **"a/an"** or **"some"**:
• **un** (masculine singular): *un stylo* (a pen)
• **une** (feminine singular): *une chaise* (a chair)
• **des** (plural, all genders): *des livres* (some books)

Question 6

List of French Subject Pronouns

Accepted Answer

• **Je (J')** = I
• **Tu** = You (informal singular)
• **Il / Elle / On** = He / She / One (we)
• **Nous** = We
• **Vous** = You (formal singular or plural group)
• **Ils / Elles** = They (masculine or mixed / feminine plural)

Question 7

Conjugate the irregular verb **être** (to be) in the present tense.

Accepted Answer

• Je **suis**
• Tu **es**
• Il / Elle / On **est**
• Nous **sommes**
• Vous **êtes**
• Ils / Elles **sont**

Question 8

Conjugate the irregular verb **avoir** (to have) in the present tense.

Accepted Answer

• J'**ai**
• Tu **as**
• Il / Elle / On **a**
• Nous **avons**
• Vous **avez**
• Ils / Elles **ont**

Question 9

Conjugate the irregular verb **aller** (to go) in the present tense.

Accepted Answer

• Je **vais**
• Tu **vas**
• Il / Elle / On **va**
• Nous **allons**
• Vous **allez**
• Ils / Elles **vont**

Question 10

Conjugate the irregular verb **faire** (to do / to make) in the present tense.

Accepted Answer

• Je **fais**
• Tu **fais**
• Il / Elle / On **fait**
• Nous **faisons**
• Vous **faites**
• Ils / Elles **font**

Question 11

How do you conjugate regular **-ER** verbs in the present tense?

Accepted Answer

Remove the **-er** ending and add the following endings (e.g., *parler* -> stem: *parl-*):
• Je: **-e** (*parle*)
• Tu: **-es** (*parles*)
• Il/Elle/On: **-e** (*parle*)
• Nous: **-ons** (*parlons*)
• Vous: **-ez** (*parlez*)
• Ils/Elles: **-ent** (*parlent*)

Question 12

French Numbers 1 to 10

Accepted Answer

• 1: **un**
• 2: **deux**
• 3: **trois**
• 4: **quatre**
• 5: **cinq**
• 6: **six**
• 7: **sept**
• 8: **huit**
• 9: **neuf**
• 10: **dix**

Question 13

French Numbers 11 to 20

Accepted Answer

• 11: **onze**
• 12: **douze**
• 13: **treize**
• 14: **quatorze**
• 15: **quinze**
• 16: **seize**
• 17: **dix-sept**
• 18: **dix-huit**
• 19: **dix-neuf**
• 20: **vingt**

Question 14

How do tens numbers work in French from 30 to 100?

Accepted Answer

• **30:** trente
• **40:** quarante
• **50:** cinquante
• **60:** soixante
• **70:** soixante-dix (*60 + 10*)
• **80:** quatre-vingts (*4 × 20*)
• **90:** quatre-vingt-dix (*4 × 20 + 10*)
• **100:** cent

Question 15

What are the three main ways to form a yes/no question in French?

Accepted Answer

1. **Intonation (Informal):** Raise pitch at the end. (*Tu aimes le café ?*)
2. **Est-ce que (Standard):** Add *Est-ce que* to the front. (*Est-ce que tu aimes le café ?*)
3. **Inversion (Formal):** Swap subject and verb with a hyphen. (*Aimes-tu le café ?*)

Question 16

Essential French Question Words (Interrogatives)

Accepted Answer

• **Où:** Where
• **Quand:** When
• **Pourquoi:** Why
• **Comment:** How
• **Qui:** Who
• **Que / Qu'est-ce que:** What
• **Combien (de):** How much / How many

Question 17

How do you form negative sentences in French?

Accepted Answer

Surround the conjugated verb with **ne ... pas** (or **n' ... pas** before a vowel or silent 'h').

*Examples:*
• *Je **ne** sais **pas**.* (I don't know.)
• *Il **n'**aime **pas** le fromage.* (He doesn't like cheese.)

Question 18

Basic Rules for French Adjective Agreement

Accepted Answer

Adjectives must match the noun they describe in **gender** and **number**:
• **Feminine singular:** Add **-e** (e.g., *petit* -> *petite*)
• **Plural:** Add **-s** (e.g., *petits* / *petites*)
• Most adjectives go **after** the noun (e.g., *un livre bleu*).

Question 19

French Possessive Adjectives (My, Your, His/Her)

Accepted Answer

Gender/number agrees with the **item possessed**, not the owner:
• **My:** *mon* (masc.), *ma* (fem.), *mes* (plural)
• **Your (informal):** *ton* (masc.), *ta* (fem.), *tes* (plural)
• **His / Her / Its:** *son* (masc.), *sa* (fem.), *ses* (plural)

Question 20

Days of the Week in French

Accepted Answer

• **lundi** (Monday)
• **mardi** (Tuesday)
• **mercredi** (Wednesday)
• **jeudi** (Thursday)
• **vendredi** (Friday)
• **samedi** (Saturday)
• **dimanche** (Sunday)

*Note: Days of the week are not capitalized in French.*

Question 21

Essential Courtesy and Politeness Expressions in French

Accepted Answer

• **S'il vous plaît** = Please (formal/plural)
• **S'il te plaît** = Please (informal)
• **Merci (beaucoup)** = Thank you (very much)
• **De rien** / **Je vous en prie** = You're welcome
• **Pardon** / **Excusez-moi** = Excuse me / Sorry

French A1 - Essential Vocabulary & Basic Grammar

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