HSC French Beginners flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Je m'appelle

French phrase meaning 'My name is'. Used to introduce oneself. Example: Je m'appelle Marie. It is the standard opening in self-introductions and written messages.

J'ai ... ans

Structure for stating age in French: literally 'I have ... years'. Use the verb avoir, not être. Example: J'ai seize ans (I am 16 years old).

Reflexive verbs

Verbs like se lever, se coucher, s'habiller that include a reflexive pronoun matching the subject: je me lève, tu te lèves, il se lève, nous nous levons, vous vous levez, ils se lèvent.

Possessive adjectives

Words showing ownership: mon/ma/mes (my), ton/ta/tes (your informal), son/sa/ses (his/her), notre/nos (our), votre/vos (your formal/plural), leur/leurs (their). They agree with the noun possessed, not the owner.

Telling time

Use Il est + hour + heure(s). Add minutes directly. Use et quart for :15, et demie for :30, moins le quart for :45. Midi = 12 noon, minuit = 12 midnight. Example: Il est trois heures et demie.

Adjective agreement

French adjectives must match the noun in gender and number. Add -e for feminine (petit → petite), -s for plural (petits), -es for feminine plural (petites). Some are irregular: beau/belle, vieux/vieille.

La Francophonie

The international organisation of French-speaking countries and communities. It promotes the French language and cultural diversity. Its motto is 'égalité, complémentarité, solidarité'. 20 March is the international day of Francophonie.

French overseas regions

Five regions outside mainland France: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane (French Guiana), La Réunion, and Mayotte. They are part of France and use the euro, but are located in the Caribbean, South America, and Indian Ocean.

Countries with French

French is an official language in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (especially Quebec), Haiti, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Madagascar, and others. It is spoken on five continents.

La Marseillaise

The French national anthem, composed in 1792. It is played at official events and sports matches. The French national motto is 'Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité' and the national day is 14 July.

Le 14 juillet

Bastille Day, the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July. It commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison. Traditions include military parades, fireworks, and public celebrations across France.

French-speaking cities

Major cities where French is spoken: Paris, Montréal, Québec, Genève, Bruxelles, Dakar, Port-au-Prince, Papeete. Knowing these helps identify countries and regions in listening and reading texts.

Currency in France

France uses the euro (€). Switzerland uses the Swiss franc. Canada uses the Canadian dollar. Prices are often written like 3,50 € meaning three euros fifty. Listen for 'euros' and 'centimes'.

Emergency numbers France

In France: 15 for ambulance (SAMU), 17 for police, 18 for fire brigade (pompiers), 112 for European emergency services. These numbers may appear in listening or reading tasks about safety.

Greeting cues

Words that signal the type of exchange: bonjour (hello), bonsoir (good evening), au revoir (goodbye), salut (hi/bye informal), merci (thanks), s'il vous plaît (please), excusez-moi (excuse me). Recognise these quickly when listening.

Negation in listening

Listen for ne...pas, ne...jamais (never), ne...rien (nothing), ne...personne (nobody), ne...plus (no longer). These reverse meaning. Missing them leads to choosing the opposite answer.

Question words

Qui (who), Où (where), Quand (when), Comment (how), Combien (how much/many), Pourquoi (why), Qu'est-ce que (what). Each expects a different answer type. Identify the question word before answering.

Time markers

Words indicating when: aujourd'hui (today), demain (tomorrow), hier (yesterday), maintenant (now), ce soir (this evening), la semaine prochaine (next week), le week-end (weekend). They locate events in listening texts.

Liaison and elision

Spoken French links words: 'les amis' sounds like 'lé-zami'; 'il y a' often becomes 'ya'; 'je suis' may sound like 'chui'. Recognising these helps decode fast speech in listening tasks.

Tu versus vous

Tu is informal singular for friends, family, peers. Vous is formal singular for strangers, teachers, elders, and also plural for any group. Choose the correct form when responding in listening and writing tasks.

Responding to questions

Match the question form: 'Comment ça va?' → 'Ça va bien, merci.' 'Tu veux...?' → 'Oui, je veux bien' or 'Non, merci.' 'Quel âge as-tu?' → 'J'ai quinze ans.' Reuse the verb from the question.

Numbers and prices

Listen carefully for numbers: deux (2), douze (12), vingt (20), cent (100). Prices: 'trois euros cinquante' = €3.50. Distinguish cent (100) from sans (without). Numbers are common distractors in listening.

Text types

Recognise layout: une annonce (advertisement), un courriel (email), une lettre (letter), un menu, un horaire (schedule), un panneau (sign). Each has predictable vocabulary and structure that helps you find answers quickly.

False friends

French words that look like English but differ: actuellement = currently (not actually), éventuellement = possibly, librairie = bookshop (not library), attendre = to wait (not attend), sensible = sensitive.

Scanning for details

Before answering, underline dates (le 3 mai), prices (15 €), times (à 14h30), addresses (12 rue Victor Hugo), and names. These details usually answer the questions directly or with slight paraphrase.

Verb tense signals

Présent = habits/current facts (je mange). Passé composé = completed past (j'ai mangé). Futur proche = aller + infinitive (je vais manger). Imparfait = ongoing past (il faisait beau). Tense changes meaning.

Ne...que

Means 'only'. Example: Je ne mange que des légumes (I only eat vegetables). It is not a negative in the usual sense but restricts meaning. Do not confuse with ne...pas.

Context inference

Guess unfamiliar words from surrounding vocabulary. Example: 'boulangerie' near 'pain' indicates a bakery; 'gare' near 'train' indicates a station. Use cognates and known words to infer meaning.

Answering in French

Write complete sentences when required. Reuse the subject and verb from the question. Check gender and number agreement. Example question: 'Où habites-tu?' Answer: 'J'habite à Sydney.'

Postcard structure

A carte postale includes: greeting (Cher/Chère + name), body with news, closing (À bientôt, Bises, Amitiés), and signature. Include date and place if required. Keep register informal for friends and family.

Email structure

Un courriel includes: objet (subject line), salutation (Bonjour/Madame, Monsieur), corps (body), formule de politesse (Cordialement, Bien à vous), and signature. Formal emails use vous; informal use tu.

Adjective position

Most French adjectives follow the noun: une voiture rouge. Short common adjectives precede: grand, petit, beau, joli, jeune, vieux, bon, mauvais. Example: une petite maison (a small house).

Past participle agreement

With être, the past participle agrees with the subject: elle est allée, ils sont partis. With avoir, it does not agree with the subject: elle a mangé. This rule prevents common writing errors.