Pharmacy

French at the pharmacy
If you don't feel well, in France you can often get away with talking to a pharmacist rather than a doctor. Here's some useful vocab for what you might need at the pharmacy.

   

   

   

Indirect Exclamations

French indirect exclamationsWhen communicating strong feelings of shock, awe, anger, etc., we usually use direct exclamations. But it's also possible to exclaim indirectly, by expressing these sorts of feelings in sub-clauses.

   

Compound Noun Gender

French compound nounsFrench compound nouns are made up of two or more words connected by hyphens, and figuring out their gender can be a little tricky. Here are some rules that can help you to determine the gender of compound nouns.

   

   

Giverny

Monet's Giverny
A former official gardener at Giverny talks about the development and maintenance of Claude Monet's lovely gardens in Normandy.

   

Consonants for Beginners

Pronunciation of French consonantsMore than half of French consonants are very similar to their English counterparts, but a few are completely different. Here's a quick overview to help you get started learning French.

   

   

   

Faillir – to almost do

J'ai failli pleurerFaillir has no direct verbal English equivalent when used as a semi-auxiliary verb; English needs an adverb or a short phrase to capture the meaning, such as "to almost do."

   

Dates

French datesIf you ever write letters, make plans, or request appointments, this lesson will be invaluable. There are a few little formulas to memorize in French, but otherwise, dates are very easy to talk about.