The French prefix a- is added to adjectives and nouns to create their antonyms; it's sometimes called the "alpha privative" (a privatif). The most common English equivalents are a- and non-.
If there's anything worse than having to spend time at the airport, it's having to spend time at the airport when you don't speak the local language. Sure, most airport employees speak another language or two, but you'll still be better off if you have these key words and phrases in your pocket. Bon voyage !
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 when French needs two? The answer lies in how you look at these temporal markers.
A few dozen French words have a shortened form called an apheresis or aphaeresis, which is created by dropping one or more syllables at the beginning of the word. Some of these are further modified by adding an extra sound to the end.
Many French nouns and adjectives have shortened forms called apocopes, which are created by dropping one or more syllables at the end of the word. Some of these are further modified by adding o to the end.
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.
French has quite a bit of "baby talk" or "kiddie speak" - words and expressions which are typically used by children or when talking to children. Even if you don't talk to kids in French, this informal language is important to recognize, as baby talk can also be found in jokes and in conversations with friends.
Knowing the parts of the body can come in handy when playing sports, clothes shopping, seeing the doctor, and more. Learn how to talk about your body in French, from head to toe.
Lawless French uses cookies to ensure that you get the best possible experience while using this website. If you continue to use Lawless French, we will assume that you accept this.OKRead more
