suffixes

Create new words by adding suffixes to the end.

  • • •  

Grammar Lessons

-ci Suffix

French suffix -ciUnlike other French suffixes, -ci does not create new words, but rather adds additional meaning to the nouns and pronouns it's attached to.

  • •  

  • • •  

  •  

Grammar Lessons

-issime Suffix

French suffix -issime
The French suffix -issime is added to adjectives and acts as an intensifier or superlative, adding meanings like "very," "extremely," or "most."

  • •  

Grammar Lessons

-là Suffix

French suffix là-Unlike other French suffixes, -là does not create new words, but rather adds additional meaning to the nouns and pronouns it's added to.

  • •  

Grammar Lessons

Adverbs of Manner

French adverbsAdverbs of manner express how the action of a verb occurs. In English, the vast majority of adverbs of manner end in -ly, whereas in French, they mostly end in -ment. They are usually created from adjectives.

  • • •  

Grammar Lessons

An/jour/matin/soir vs 
année/journée/matinée/soirée

An vs année, jour vs journée
French has two words for each of the following: year, day, morning, and evening, and they cause no end of difficulties for non-native speakers. Why is it that English can get away with one word for each of these temporal markers when French needs two? The answer lies in how you look at them.

  • •  

Vocabulary Lists

Approximate Numbers

Approximate French numbers
Approximate numbers are very useful for talking about generalities, making estimates, and just flat-out guessing. English only has one approximate number, content to use "about" in front of cardinal numbers any time a guess is required. In contrast, French has about a dozen approximate numbers.

  •