french expressions i
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
1/11
InvitationsFrench Expressions
There are a number of different ways to extend, accept, and refuse invitations in French,
both formally and informally.
Extending an invitation
In the following phrases, ... must be filled in with an infinitive in French, whereas theEnglish might take the infinitive or the gerund, depending on the sentence.
Informal Formal
Je t'invite ... I invite youto...
Je vous invite ... I invite you to...
Tu es libre ? Are you free? tes-vous libre ? Are you free?
Tu as enviede...?
Do you feellike...?
Avez-vous envie de... Do you want to...?
Viens donc... Come onand...
Venez donc... Come and...
Cela te diraitde...?
How does...sound?
Nous serions trs heureux devous y accueillir (chez nous).
We would be veryhappy to welcome you(to our home).
Et si on(mange, voitun film, etc.)?
How about(eating, seeinga movie, etc.)?
Vous nous feriez trs plaisirsi vous pouviez nousconsacrer une soire.
We would be delightedif you could spend anevening with us.
Accepting an invitation
D'accord. OK. Je vous remercie. Thank you.
Bonne ide ! Good idea! J'accepte avec plaisir. I'm glad to accept.
Oui, je suislibre.
Yes, I'm free. Cela me ferait grand plaisir. I would be delighted.
a va tresympa !
That'll be nice! C'est gentil (de votre part). That's kind (of you).
a va tregnial !
That'll be cool! Je viendrai avec plaisir. I will be glad to come.
Declining an invitation
Dsol, mais... I'm sorry,but...
Je suis pris. I'm otherwise engaged.
C'estdommage,mais...
It's too bad,but...
C'est gentil, mais... That's kind, but...
Je ne suis paslibre.
I'm not free Je ne peux pas me librer. I'm unavoidably busy.
Je suis occup. I'm busy. J'ai quelque chose de prvu. I have somethingplanned.
Je ne peux pas. I can't. Je me vois malheureusementoblig de refuser.
Unfortunately, I'mobliged to decline.
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
2/11
French vocabulary related to invitations
inviter to invite
accepter (avec plaisir) to (gladly) accept
refuser to declineaccueillir to welcome
une invitation Invitation
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
3/11
Obligation and NecessityFrench Expressions
There are many French words and expressions related to obligation and necessity.
Expressions followed by the infinitive
avoir besoin de to have to
avoir le (triste) devoir de* to have the (sad) duty of, (to regret to)
Devoir must, to have to, to be supposed to
tre cens to be meant/supposed to
tre forc to have to
tre oblig de, se trouver oblig de to have to, to be obliged to
tre de son devoir de to be one's duty to
Il est indispensible de It's indispensible to
Il est ncessaire de It's necessary to
Il est obligatoire de It's mandatory to
Il me faut I need to
Il m'incombe de* It falls to me to
Il revient moi de It falls to me to
mettre qn dans l'obligation/la ncessit de
faire
to compel s.o. to do s.t.
ne pas pouvoir faire autrement que de to have no choice but to
obliger qqun to require s.o. to
se voir contraint de* to be compelled to
se voir dans l'obligation de* to be obliged to
* These expressions are very formal and are usually written, not spoken
Expressions followed by the subjunctive
demander que to ask that
exiger que to insist that
il est obligatoire que it's mandatory that
il est ncessaire que it's necessary that
il est indispensible que it's essential that
il faut que it is necessary that
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
4/11
Adjectives related to obligation and necessity
Absolument absolutely, really
au pis allerworst-case scenario, if worst comes toworst
bon gr, mal gr whether you like it or not
en aucun cas(with a negative statement) no matter what happens
en tout cas in any case, whatever happens
Imprativement imperatively, really
Surtout above all
Vraiment really
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
5/11
Opinions
French Expressions
If you want to have a debate in French or discuss your opinions, you need to know the
relevant vocabulary and expressions. This page offers suggestions for offering,supporting, asking for, and avoiding opinions in French.
Offering an opinion
mon avis In my opinion
C'est du moins mon opinion. At least, that's my opinion.
D'aprs moi In my view
En ce qui me concerne As far as I'm concerned
Il est / C'est certain que It's certain
Il est / C'est clair que It's clear
Il est / C'est vident que It's obvious
Il est / C'est impossible que It's impossible
Il est / C'est injuste que It's unfair
Il est / C'est juste que It's fair
Il est / C'est possible que It's possible
Il est / C'est probable que It's probable
Il est / C'est sr que It's surelyIl est / C'est vrai que It's true
Il me semble que It seems to me
J'ai l'ide que I have the impression
J'ai l'impression que I have a feeling
Je considre que I feel
Je crains qu'il ne soit I fear that it is
Je crois que I believe
Je dois dire que I must say
J'estime que I consider it
J'imagine que I imagine
Je pense que I think (that)
Je suppose que I suppose
Je ne pense pas. I don't think so.
Je ne peux pas m'empcher de penser que I can't help thinking
Je suis certain que I'm certain thatJe suis convaincu que I'm convinced that
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
6/11
Je suis d'avis que I'm of the opinion
Je suis persuad que I'm convinced that
Je suis sr que I'm sure
Je trouve que I find, I feel
Moi, je... As for me, I...
Personnellement Personally
Pour ma part For my part
Pour moi In my view
Quant moi As for me
Sans vouloir vous contredire Without meaning to contradict you
Selon moi In my view
Si vous voulez mon opinion/avis If you want my opinionTelle est mon opinion sur That's my view of
Supporting an opinion
J'ai entendu dire que + dependent clause I heard that
J'ai entendu parl de + noun I heard about
Je sais / Nous savons que I / We know that
On dit que One says, They say
Par exemple For example
Asking for an opinion
Avez-vous une opinion sur Do you have an opinion about
votre avis In your opinion
Comment percevez-vous How do you view
J'aimeraisJe voudrais
connatreavoir
I'd like (to know) your reaction to
Pourriez-vousme
donnerfaire savoir
votre raction face Could you give me your reaction to
J'aimeraisJe voudrais
savoir ce que vous pensez deI'd like to know what you thinkabout
J'aimeraisJe voudrais
connatreavoir
I'd like (to know) your opinionon/about
Pourriez-vousme
donnerfaire savoir
votre avis/opinionsur Could you give me your opinion
about
Pourriez-vous me dire ce que vous pensez de
Could you tell me what you think
aboutQuelle est votre attitude l'gard de What is your attitude toward/to
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
7/11
Quelle est votre opinion/avis sur What is your opinion about
Que pensez-vous de What do you think about
Selon vous In your opinion
Avoiding expressing an opinion
Cela dpend de That depends on
C'est une question de point de vue. It all depends on your point of view.
Il est / C'est difficile de It's hard to
Il m'est impossible de donner un avis (dfinitif) surI can't express a (definite) opinionon
Je n'ai jamais vraiment rflchi I have never really thought about
Je n'ai pas d'opinion bien prcise / arrte surI don't have strong feelings on,about
Je ne me le suis jamais demand. I've never wondered about it.
Je ne me suis jamais vraiment pos la question.I've never asked myself thatquestion.
Je ne suis pas mme de dire si I'm not in a position to say whether
Je prfrerais ne pas (avoir ) me prononcer sur I'd rather not comment
Je prfrerais ne pas m'engager I'd rather not commit myself
J'ignore tout de I know nothing about
Tout dpend de It all depends on
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
8/11
GratitudeFrench Expressions of Thanks
There are many different ways to express gratitude in French, from a simple thank youto
ultra-polite expressions of appreciation.
Simple thank you
Merci Thank you
Merci beaucoup Thank you very much
Merci mille fois, Mille fois merci Thanks a million
Merci bienThanks a lot (can be sincere orsarcastic)
Expressing thanks in general
Je te/vous remercie. I thank you.
Je tiens vous exprimer notre gratitude. I wish to express our gratitude toyou.
C'est (vraiment) gentil de ta part. It's (very) kind of you.
Je vous remercie de tout coeur. I thank you from the bottom of myheart.
Je ne sais pas comment vous remercier. I don't know how to thank you.
Je vous adresse mes plus vifsremerciements.
I send you my most sincere thanks.
Nous vous sommes extrmementreconnaissants.
We are very grateful to you.
Avec tous mes remerciements. With thanks.
Remerciez-le de ma part. Thank him for me.
Transmettez mes remerciements Jean. Pass on my thanks to Jean.
Expressing thanks for something
You can use most of the expressions above to name the thing that you are thankful forbut, depending on what the thing actually is, you must choose between two prepositions.
1. To thank someone for doing something(expressed with the French past infinitive)or for something abstract, use de.
2. To thank someone for something tangible, use pour.
Merci de m'avoir corrig. Thank you for correcting me.
Merci beaucoup pour les livres. Thank you very much for the books.
Merci bien de votre aide. Thank you for your help.
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
9/11
Je vous remercie de l'avoir trouv. Thank you for finding it.
Je te remercie pour le dner. Thank you for dinner.
Je tiens vous exprimer notre gratitude pourvotre gentillesse.
I wish to express our gratitude foryour kindness.
C'est gentil de votre part d'tre venu. It's kind of you to come.
Remerciez-le de ma part pour les oranges. Thank him for me for the oranges.
Merci mille fois de nous avoir aids. Thanks a million for helping us.
etc.
Expressing future thanks
There are two expressions commonly used in French business letters to make a verypolite request.
Je vous serais reconnaissant de (bienvouloir) ...
I would be grateful to you (to be sokind as to) ...
Je vous serais trs oblig de (bien vouloir) ... I would be obliged if you could (be sokind as to) ...
Vocabulary
merci d'avance thanks in advance
remercier (quelqu'un) to thank (someone)
dire merci (quelqu'un) to say thank you to (someone)remerciements (m plural noun) thanks
grce thanks to
reconnaissant (adj) thankful
...tre reconnaissant de + verb to be thankful for + presentparticiple
...tre reconnaissant de + noun to be thankful for something
...tre reconnaissant envers + person to be thankful to/for + person
avec reconnaissance gratefullyla gratitude thankfulness
la reconnaissance thankfulness
ingrat (adj) thankless
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
10/11
French Impersonal Expressions ~ ExpressionsimpersonnellesGeneral information about French impersonal expressions and a list of the most
common ones
Impersonal expressions are those which do not have a specific subject. In grammaticalterms, "impersonal" does not mean cold, but rather invariable by grammatical person.There are a few things you need to know about French impersonal expressions:
1. The French impersonal subject is either ilor ce, whereas the English impersonalsubject is it.
2. French impersonal expressions can begin with il estor c'estwith no difference inmeaning; however, c'estis slightly less formal than il est.
3. Impersonal expressions can be followed by(a) + infinitive (because infinitive is used intransitively / as a passive infinitive)(b) de+ infinitive + direct object (infinitive is used transitively)(c1) que+ subject + indicative o r(c2) que+ subject + subjunctive(depending on the meaning of the impersonalexpression).
Examples
(a) Il est difficile dire- It's hard to say.C'est difficile dire en franais- It's hard to say in French.
(b) Il est difficile de la dire- It's hard to say it.Il est difficile de dire la vrit- It's hard to tell the truth.
(c1) Il est probable que David le fait - It's probable that David is doing it.
(c2) Il est possible que David le fasse - It's possible that David is doing it.
French Impersonal Expressions
Il est souhaiter It's to be hopedIl est bizarre It's odd
Il est bon It's good
Il est certain It's certain
Il est clair It's clear/obvious
Il est convenable It's proper/fitting
Il est difficile It's difficult
Il est dommage It's too bad
Il est douteux It's doubtful
-
8/12/2019 French Expressions I
11/11
Il est essentiel It's essential
Il est tonnant It's amazing
Il est trange It's strange
Il est vident It's obvious
Il est facile It's easy
Il est faux It's false
Il est heureux It's fortunate
Il est honteux It's shameful
Il est important It's important
Il est impossible It's impossible
Il est improbable It's improbable
Il est indispensible It's essentialIl est injuste It's unfair
Il est inutile It's useless
Il est juste It's right/fair
Il est naturel It's natural
Il est ncessaire It's necessary
Il est normal It's normal
Il est obligatoire It's necessary
Il est peu probable It's not likely
Il est possible It's possible
Il est probable It's probable
Il est rare It's rare
Il est regrettable It's regrettable
Il est sr It's sure/certain
Il est surprenant It's surprising
Il est temps It's timeIl est triste It's sad
Il est urgent It's urgent
Il est utile It's useful
Il est vrai It's true