Mastering French: Daily Life, Holidays & Essential Grammar
My University Residence Routine
I usually get up at seven o’clock. After breakfast, I go to university. After classes, I eat at the university canteen. In the afternoon, I go to the library to study for an hour. On Fridays, we go to concerts or movies. On Saturday mornings, we run errands for the week. In the evening, we go out for dinner and clubbing. On Sundays, I prefer to stay home and rest. On Monday, the routine begins again.
My Holiday Experiences
Summer Vacation Adventures
I’d like to share details about my summer and winter vacations. During the summer, we take a special family trip. We visit a different city each summer; this year, we visited Salou and spent two days at PortAventura. Throughout the holidays, we often go to the beach. Sometimes, we even go on a cruise ship to visit other countries.
Winter Ski Trip to Granada
In February, during the ‘white week’ vacation, we go to Granada. On the first day, we head to Sierra Nevada. My sister and I enjoy skiing. Afterwards, we eat sandwiches, and in the evening, we go to Granada city to dine at our hotel.
A Personal Letter to Miriam
Marbella, February/March 17, 2010
Dear Miriam,
It is a great pleasure for me that you will be coming home next month! I’d love to introduce you to my family. I live with my father, my mother, and my sister.
- My father, Francis, works in a hotel. He is very hardworking and kind.
- My mother, Mª José, doesn’t work. She is calm and generous.
- My sister, Sila, works in a perfume shop. She is active and friendly.
My sister and I love music; you’ll certainly hear us playing!
Sincerely,
Alba
Essential French Grammar Concepts
French Articles
Indefinite Articles
- Masculine Singular: un (a/an)
- Feminine Singular: une (a/an)
- Plural (for both genders): des (some)
Definite Articles
- Masculine Singular: le (the)
- Feminine Singular: la (the)
- Before a vowel/silent ‘h’: l’ (the)
- Plural (for both genders): les (the)
Contracted Articles
- With ‘à’ (to/at):
- à + le = au
- à + les = aux
- With ‘de’ (from/of):
- de + le = du
- de + les = des
Partitive Articles
Used to express an unspecified quantity (some/any).
- Masculine Singular: du (e.g., du sel – some salt)
- Feminine Singular: de la (e.g., de la viande – some meat)
- Before a vowel/silent ‘h’: de l’ (e.g., de l’eau – some water)
- Plural (for both genders): des (e.g., des légumes – some vegetables)
French Possessive Adjectives
These agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
- My: mon (m), ma (f), mes (pl)
- Your (singular informal): ton (m), ta (f), tes (pl)
- His/Her/Its: son (m), sa (f), ses (pl)
- Our: notre (s), nos (pl)
- Your (plural/formal): votre (s), vos (pl)
- Their: leur (s), leurs (pl)
French Demonstrative Adjectives
These point out specific nouns.
- Masculine Singular: ce (this/that)
- Masculine Singular (before vowel/silent ‘h’): cet (this/that)
- Feminine Singular: cette (this/that)
- Plural (for both genders): ces (these/those)
French Pronouns and Complements
Direct Object Pronouns (DOP)
Replace nouns that directly receive the action of the verb.
- Masculine Singular: le / l’
- Feminine Singular: la / l’
- Plural (for both genders): les
Example: Je regarde la télé > Je la regarde. (I watch TV > I watch it.)
Indirect Object Pronouns (IOP)
Replace nouns that indirectly receive the action, often preceded by ‘à’.
- Singular (to him/her): lui
- Plural (to them): leur
Example: Je parle à Marie > Je lui parle. (I speak to Mary > I speak to her.)
Adverbial Pronoun ‘En’
Replaces nouns introduced by ‘de’ (of/from), quantities, or partitive articles.
Examples:
- Je viens de Paris > J’en viens. (I come from Paris > I come from there.)
- Je n’ai pas de pain > Je n’en ai pas. (I don’t have any bread > I don’t have any.)
Adverbial Pronoun ‘Y’
Replaces nouns introduced by ‘à’ (to/at), ‘dans’ (in), ‘sur’ (on), etc., referring to a place or thing.
Example: Je vais à Paris > J’y vais. (I am going to Paris > I am going there.)
French Semi-Auxiliary Verbs
These verbs combine with an infinitive to express specific nuances of time or action.
Le Passé Récent (Recent Past)
Expresses an action that just happened.
- Structure: venir (to come) + de + infinitive
Example: Je viens d’étudier. (I just studied.)
L’Action en Cours (Ongoing Action)
Expresses an action currently happening.
- Structure: être (to be) + en train de + infinitive
Example: Je suis en train d’étudier. (I am studying right now.)
Le Futur Immédiat (Immediate Future)
Expresses an action about to happen very soon.
- Structure: être (to be) + sur le point de + infinitive
Example: Je suis sur le point d’étudier. (I am about to study.)
Le Futur Proche (Near Future)
Expresses an action that will happen soon.
- Structure: aller (to go) + infinitive
Example: Je vais étudier. (I am going to study.)
Recreation and Seasons in French
Activities with ‘Faire’ (To Do/Make)
Many activities use the verb ‘faire’ followed by a partitive article.
- Faire du surf (surfing)
- Faire de la plongée sous-marine (scuba diving)
- Faire de l’alpinisme (mountain climbing)
- Faire du vélo (cycling)
- Faire du jogging (jogging)
- Faire du camping (camping)
- Faire du ski (skiing)
- Faire de la marche (walking)
- Faire des mots croisés (crosswords)
Activities with ‘Jouer’ (To Play)
Used for games and sports, often with ‘à’ or ‘de’.
- Jouer aux boules (bowls)
- Jouer à la poupée (playing with dolls)
- Jouer au football (football/soccer)
- Jouer au tennis (tennis)
- Jouer au ping-pong (ping-pong)
- Jouer au Monopoly (Monopoly)
- Jouer aux cartes (cards)
- Jouer aux échecs (chess)
- Jouer aux dominos (dominoes)
Other Leisure Verbs
- Se baigner (to bathe)
- Nager (to swim)
- Prendre un bain de soleil (to sunbathe)
- Lire un livre / le journal (to read a book / the newspaper)
- Faire du tricot (to knit)
- Aller à la pêche (to go fishing)
- Se détendre (to relax)
- Se reposer (to rest)
The Seasons
Prepositions for seasons vary.
- Au printemps (in spring)
- En été (in summer)
- En automne (in autumn)
- En hiver (in winter)