French formalities - Learn French at Lawless French

Expressions

Bien entendu

Of course it must be understood that bien entendu is a formal expression.

formalities

Expressions

Bon gré mal gré

You really should read this lesson on the French expression bon gré mal gré, even if it's reluctantly.

formalities

Grammar Lessons

Conditional Perfect, Second Form

Second form of the French conditional perfect

The second form of the conditional perfect is the literary equivalent of the conditional perfect.

conjugation lessons • formalities • tenses moods voices

Expressions

The French verb croire, "to believe," is found in many idiomatic expressions, including to think so, to make no mistake, and to take someone's word for it. Learn these and dozens of other French expressions featuring croire.

formalities • informalities

Pronunciation Guides

E instable

In many words the letter e is potentially silent, a characteristic which has three French names: e caduc, e instable, and e muet. Though e muet is the most common term, e instable is the most accurate.

C1 French Lessons and Practice - Advanced French • formalities • informalities

Expressions

Falloir Expressions

The impersonal French verb falloir literally means "to be necessary" or "to need" and is used in many idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say far from it, that's more than we need, it takes all kinds, and more with this list of expressions with falloir.

formalities • informalities

Grammar Lessons

Formal Negation

French has three negative constructions that are reserved for formal (usually written) French like literature and historical accounts.

B2 French Lessons and Practice - Upper-Intermediate French • formalities • negation

Travel and Culture

Greetings

Learn how to greet people in French, at any time of day or night.

A1 French Lessons and Practice - Beginning French • formalities • informalities • lesson plans • politeness • travel French

Grammar Lessons

Inversion

The normal word order in French and English is subject + verb, as in vous êtes - you are. Both languages also have what is known as inversion, where the verb and subject pronoun switch places, resulting in êtes-vous - are you. In English, inversion is used only to ask questions, but in French it has several different purposes.

A2 French Lessons and Practice - Low-Intermediate French • formalities • word order

Grammar Lessons

Inversion with je

Inversion with the first person singular je is a little trickier than with other subject pronouns. It's also very formal and therefore rare, so one of those grammar concepts you need to recognize but not necessarily use.

accents • C1 French Lessons and Practice - Advanced French • formalities • pronouns • verbs • word order

Grammar Lessons

Inversion with Nouns

Inversion is not limited to pronouns - it can also be done with nouns and proper names, though this is a bit more complicated.

B1 French Lessons and Practice - Intermediate French • formalities • nouns • word order

Grammar Lessons

Literary Tenses and Moods

French has five past tenses/moods that are restricted to formal, written French. They were once common in spoken French, offering nuances that no longer exist today.

formalities • verbs

Expressions

N’est-ce pas

You want to learn about the French expression n'est-ce pas, don't you?

A1 French Lessons and Practice - Beginning French • formalities • questions

Grammar Lessons

Ne explétif

Don't worry, it's not a swear word. In French, explétif is a grammatical term that serves only to draw attention to what precedes it.

B2 French Lessons and Practice - Upper-Intermediate French • formalities • negation

Grammar Lessons

Ne littéraire

In formal, usually written French, there are certain verbs and constructions that can be made negative with just ne - the inclusion of pas or some other negative word is not required.

C1 French Lessons and Practice - Advanced French • formalities • negation