Liaisons interdites
Some French liaisons are forbidden: they aren’t—can’t be—pronounced even in the most formal French. Sometimes this is to avoid confusion with similar expressions, sometimes it has to do with a sort of respect for names and foreign words, and other times there’s no apparent logic to it.
|
IPA |
|
en haut |
[ã o] |
[a(n) oh] |
les héros |
[le e ʁo] |
[lay ay roh] |
deux homards |
[dø o maʁ] |
[deu oh mahr] |
2. Before onze and oui
les onze enfants |
[le ɔ̃ zã fã] |
[lay o(n) za(n) fa(n)]* |
deux oui et un non |
[dø wi e œ̃ nɔ̃] |
[deu wee ay u(n) no(n)] |
Robert a 15 ans. |
[ʁo bɛ ʁa kɛ̃ zã] |
[ro beh ra keh(n) za(n)] |
Nicolas est prêt. |
[ni ko la ɛ pʁɛ] |
[nee ko la ay preh] |
4. After singular nouns
mon chat aime jouer |
[mɔ̃ ʃa ɛm ʒwe] |
[mo(n) shah ehm zhoo ay] |
un garçon intelligent |
[œ̃ gaʁ sɔ̃ ɛ̃ tɛ li ʒã] |
[gar so(n) eh(n) teh lee zha(n)] |
5. After et
avant et après |
[a vã e a pʁɛ] |
[ah va(n) ay ah preh] |
un homme et une femme |
[œ̃ nɔ me yn fam] |
[u(n) nuh may un fahm] |
Comment est-elle ? |
[kɔ mã e tɛl] |
[ko(n) ma(n) eh tehl] |
Combien en vois-tu ? |
[kɔ̃ bjɛ̃ ã vwa ty] |
[ko(n) byeh(n) a(n) vwah too] |
Quand aimes-tu étudier ? |
[kã ɛm ty e ty dje] |
[ka(n) ehm too ay too dyay] |
toujours aimable |
[tu ʒu ʁɛ mabl] |
[too zhu reh mahbl(eu)] |
A-t-on osé ? |
[a tɔ̃ o ze] |
[ah to(n) oh zay] |
Parlez-vous espagnol ? |
[paʁ le vu ɛ spa ɲɔl] |
[par lay voo eh spah nyuhl] |
Ont-elles étudié ? |
[ɔ̃ tɛ le ty dje] |
[o(n) teh lay too dyay] |
Vont-ils habiter bien ? |
[vɔ̃ ti la bi te bjɛ̃] |
[vo(n) tee lah bee tay byeh(n)] |
Notes
* The pronunciation of the z in onze at the beginning of enfants is enchaînement, not a liaison.
** Also see required liaisons and optional liaisons
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if there’s no liaison after toujours, why is it pronounced tou-jou-REH-mabl?
Liaison is only with normally silent letters, like the “s” at the end of toujours. The “r” in toujours is always pronounced. When that happens – when a sound that is always pronounced is attached to the next word – that is called enchaînement.