French For Dummies 3rd Ed

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 5 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Getting Started with French 7 Chapter 1: The French You Already Know 9 Checking Out the French You’re Familiar With 10 Friendly allies — bons alliés 10 Close look-alikes 12 False friends — faux amis 13 Borrowed English words 14 Noting Idioms and Popular Expressions 16 Chapter 2: Laying the Foundation: Basic French Grammar 19 Discovering the Key Parts of Speech 19 Using nouns to name things 20 Keeping an eye on articles 22 Meeting subject pronouns face to face 24 Getting descriptive with adjectives 27 Getting creative with adverbs 30 Cavorting with Verbs 30 Regular verbs 31 Irregular verbs 33 Expressing Action or Being with Verb Tenses 34 Speaking in the present 35 Livin’ in the past 35 Peeking into the future 39 Chapter 3: Getting Started with Pronunciation and Basic Expressions 43 Sounding Out the French Alphabet 44 Uttering Vowel and Consonant Sounds 44 The vowel sounds 45 Consonants 47 The mute h and the aspirate h 48 Don’t stress; intone instead 49 Clarifying Accents, Liaisons, and Elisions 49 The five French accents 49 The liaison 50 The elision 51 Greetings: Formal and Friendly 52 Addressing someone formally or informally 52 Saying hello and goodbye 53 Introducing yourself and others 54 Asking Basic Yes or No Questions 56 Informal and formal ways to ask questions 56 Asking and Replying to “How Are You?” 57 Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers, Dates, and Times Straight 63 Counting Your Lucky Stars: Numbers 63 Counting up to 20 64 Counting higher than 20 65 Discovering ordinal numbers 67 Approximating quantities 68 Using the Calendar and Dates 68 Recounting the days of the week 69 Knowing the names of the months 69 Setting specific dates 70 Remembering the seasons 71 Telling Time in French 72 Using the 12-hour clock 73 Using the 24-hour routine 74 Chapter 5: Talking about Your Home, Family, and Daily Routine 79 Discussing Where You Live with the Verb Habiter 79 Identifying rooms in the house 80 le salon (the living room) 80 la cuisine (the kitchen) 81 la chambre (the bedroom) 82 la salle de bains (the bathroom) 82 Discussing Daily Routine with Reflexive Verbs 85 Three squares a day, French-style 87 Setting the table 89 Eating and drinking with the verbs manger, prendre, and boire 90 Using faire, passer, and other verbs to take charge of chores 92 Giving orders by using the command form 93 Using Possessive Adjectives to Introduce Your Family Members 96 Part 2: French in Action 101 Chapter 6: Getting to Know You: Making Small Talk 103 Asking Who, What, Why, and More 103 Using key question words 104 Saying the magic words: Polite expressions 105 Stating Your Preferences 107 Talking about Your Livelihood 108 Chatting about the Weather 111 Deciding to Keep in Touch 114 Texting Friends and Loved Ones 115 Chapter 7: Asking Directions and Finding Your Way 119 Asking and Answering “Where?” Questions 119 Asking questions with “où,” plus the verbs “être” and “se trouver” 120 Answering questions with “à” 120 Using “voici” and “voilà” 121 Getting specific with prepositions 122 Getting and Giving Directions 125 Using direct commands to give directions 125 Softening commands with “il faut” 126 Expressing distances in time and space 127 Going north, south, east, and west 128 Checking directions or your location 130 Knowing what to say if you don’t understand 130 Chapter 8: Bon Appétit ! Dining Out and Going to the Market 135 Dining Out 135 Using the conditional verb form to make a request 136 Perusing the menu 139 Placing your order 144 Paying the bill 148 Finding the restrooms 148 Going to the Market 149 Making purchases with the verbs “acheter” and “vendre” 149 Specifying how much you want 151 Shopping at neighborhood food shops 153 Chapter 9: Shopping Made Easy 157 Going Shopping 157 Shopping for clothes, item by item 158 Navigating your way around 160 Getting assistance 161 Finding the right fit 162 Pointing items out with “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those” 166 Moving on to demonstrative pronouns 167 Choosing the right fabric and color 168 Making Comparisons: Good, Better, Best, and More 171 Chapter 10: Going Out on the Town 179 Going Out with the Verb “Sortir” 179 Using Pronominal Verbs and Having Fun with “S’amuser” 180 Oh, the Places You’ll Go! 182 Visiting museums and art galleries 183 Spending an evening at the theater 184 Heading to the movies 187 Going to concerts 190 Enjoying the nightlife 192 Making Plans with Friends 193 Asking a friend to go out 193 Accepting and declining invitations 194 Chapter 11: Recreation and the Outdoors 197 Playing Sports 197 Using “faire” for individual sports 198 Using “jouer” for team sports 200 Going Downhill — or Cross-Country — Skiing 203 Going to the Beach 205 Setting Up Camp 208 Enjoying Quieter Pursuits 211 Having fun with board games 211 Reading with the verb “lire” 212 Chapter 12: Taking Care of Business and Telecommunicating 215 Getting Around — and Along — at the Office 215 Working remotely or hybrid style 217 Using the computer and the Internet 218 Sending an e-mail 219 Sending mail the old-fashioned way 219 Making Appointments and Minding Business Hours 220 Making a Cellphone Call 223 Part 3: French on the Go 227 Chapter 13: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land 229 Getting Current with Currency 229 Getting familiar with euros and cents 230 Going to the Bank 232 Getting — and requesting — assistance 232 Exchanging money 233 Making change 234 Using Credit or Debit Cards and ATMs 235 Saying that You Can, Want, or Have to Do Something 236 Using Disjunctive Pronouns 237 Chapter 14: Planning a Trip 241 Where Do You Want to Go? 241 Using geographical prepositions 242 Making plans with the future tense 248 Getting Ready for Your Trip 250 Introducing the indirect object pronouns 253 Securing passports and visas 253 Packing your suitcases with your belongings: Using possessive adjectives 254 Chapter 15: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and More 257 Getting through the Airport 257 Finding your way around the airport 258 Up, up, and away — on the plane 258 Going through customs 259 Navigating Buses, Trains, and Subways 262 Boarding the bus 263 Using the subway 265 Getting around by train 268 Getting Around by Car 272 Hailing a taxi 272 Arranging a car service 272 Driving in a foreign land 275 Deciphering road signs 279 Chapter 16: Finding a Place to Stay 283 Finding Accommodations 283 Making reservations 285 Specifying the kind of room you want 286 Asking about the price 287 Checking Into Your Lodging 288 Using direct object pronouns 289 Filling out a registration form 290 Asking for towels and other essentials 292 Checking Out of Your Lodging 293 Chapter 17: Handling Emergencies 297 Getting Help Fast 297 Finding Medical Services 298 Talking with doctors when you’re ill or injured 299 Undergoing a medical examination 303 Going to a pharmacy for minor ailments and medications 306 Braving the dentist 307 Handling Legal Matters 308 Talking to the police 308 Getting legal help 312 Part 4: the Part of Tens 315 Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Pick Up French Quickly 317 Label Things in Your House 317 Write Your Shopping Lists in French 318 Listen to French Music or Podcasts 318 Watch French Movies 318 Tune in to TV5 Monde 319 Read French Publications 319 Take a Class 319 Join a French Association 319 Go Online to Find Topics That Interest You — in French 320 Connect with Language Learning Apps 320 Chapter 19: Ten Things Never to Say in French 321 Using “Tu” When You Mean “Vous” 321 Using “Bonne Nuit !” for Goodbye 322 Using “Garçon” or “Porteur” to Address Service Staff 322 Saying “Je Suis Excité(e)” to Indicate Excitement 322 Saying “Je suis chaud(e)/froid(e)” to Say You’re Hot or Cold 323 Saying “Je Suis Plein/e” to Mean You’re Full 323 Using “de la Glace” to Request Ice 323 Using “Je Suis Ans” to Tell Your Age 324 Asking for Change with “J’ai Besoin de Change” 324 Using the Verb “Visiter” in Reference to People 324 Chapter 20: Ten Favorite French Expressions 325 “À mon avis” 325 “C’est pas vrai !” 325 “Avec plaisir” 326 “Bon appétit !” 326 “C’est génial” 326 “À votre santé !” 326 “À vos souhaits !” 326 “Quelle horreur !” 327 “À bientôt” 327 “Pas mal” 327 Part 5: Appendixes 329 Appendix A: French-English Mini-Dictionary 331 Appendix B: Verb Tables 359 Appendix C: Answer Key 375 Index 379