Literature

French literatureFrench Literature

Littérature

Read the opening paragraphs of some of the greatest French literature, with side-by-side English translation.

   

   

Grammar Lessons

Capitalization of Titles

French title capitalizationUnlike most areas of French grammar, the capitalization of French titles of books, movies, etc. does not follow a clearly defined set of rules. Instead, French title capitalization is inconsistent, with competing systems used by writers, publishers, and other authoritative sources.

   

Literature

Chéri

Chéri, by Colette
Read the opening dialog of the 1920 romance novel Chéri, by Colette.

   

Literature

Correspondances

Les Fleurs du mal
Correspondances, from Les Fleurs du mal, is one of Charles Baudelaire's best-known poems. Read the original in French, and consider one possible translation.

   

Literature

Cyrano de Bergerac

Cyrano de Bergerac
Read the set description and opening scene of this classic French play, with side-by-side English translation.

   

Literature

Delphine

Delphine, by Mme de Staël
Read the first few paragraphs of Madame de Staël's epistolary novel Delphine.

   

   

Literature

ENT

ENT French pronunciationThe third person plural verb ending -ent is often not pronounced. The rules for when and how to pronounce it are fairly straightforward: it has to do with two completely different issues.

  •  

Grammar Lessons

Formal Negation

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

  • •