HSC French Beginners key terms

The standard French greeting used when meeting someone during the day, roughly equivalent to 'hello' or 'good morning'. It is suitable for both formal and informal situations and is often the first word exchanged in a conversation.

An informal French greeting meaning 'hi', used only with friends, family, or people your own age. It can also be used as a casual way of saying 'bye' when parting.

The standard French way of saying 'goodbye' when leaving a place or ending a conversation. It is neutral in register and appropriate in shops, classrooms, and among friends alike.

A French farewell meaning 'see you soon', used when you expect to meet the person again in the near future. It is warmer and less final than 'au revoir'.

The polite French phrase for 'please', used when addressing someone formally or a group. It accompanies a request and signals courtesy, for example when ordering food or asking for information.

The French word for 'thank you'. It is used in all registers and situations, and can be strengthened as 'merci beaucoup' to express greater gratitude for a favour or gift.

A French expression meaning 'you're welcome', used as a polite reply when someone thanks you. It literally translates as 'of nothing' and is common in everyday informal and semi-formal exchanges.

A polite French phrase meaning 'excuse me', used to attract attention, apologise for a small mistake, or ask someone to move. The formal 'vous' form is standard when speaking to strangers.

The French structure used to give your name, literally 'I call myself'. It is followed by the person's name and is one of the first expressions learners use when introducing themselves to others.

The informal French question asking 'what is your name?'. The formal version is 'comment vous appelez-vous?'. The choice between them depends on the relationship and level of politeness required.

A model sentence meaning 'I am sixteen years old'. French uses the verb 'avoir' (to have) for age rather than 'être' (to be), so learners must avoid translating directly from English.

The French noun for 'family', a core topic in the Personal World. It is a feminine noun, so it takes 'la' or 'une', and appears in descriptions of relatives, family routines, and household composition.

The French word for 'parents', meaning a person's mother and father. It is always plural in this sense and should not be confused with 'les parentes', which refers to female relatives.

The French noun for 'brother', a masculine word used with 'le' or 'un'. It belongs to the family vocabulary needed to describe siblings, and its feminine counterpart is 'la sœur'.

The French noun for 'sister', a feminine word used with 'la' or 'une'. Note the cedilla on the 'e', which keeps the soft 's' sound. Its masculine counterpart is 'le frère'.

The French word for 'high school' or 'senior secondary school', typically attended by students aged about fifteen to eighteen. It is masculine and central to talking about school life and future study plans.

The French noun for 'school subject', such as maths, history, or French. It is feminine and is used when discussing timetables, favourite classes, and opinions about schoolwork.

The French plural noun for 'homework'. It is always plural in this sense and appears in sentences about daily routines, study habits, and complaints about workload after school.

The French noun for 'hobby' or 'pastime', used to describe leisure activities such as sport, music, or reading. It is masculine, and the plural is 'les passe-temps', with no change in spelling.

A common French expression meaning 'to do sport'. The verb 'faire' is used with many leisure activities, and the partitive article changes with gender, for example 'faire du vélo' or 'faire de la natation'.

The French phrase for 'I like', formed from the pronoun 'je' and the verb 'aimer'. It is followed by a noun or an infinitive, and is essential for expressing opinions about food, hobbies, and school subjects.

The French phrase for 'I don't like', made with 'ne ... pas' around the verb. It is used to express negative opinions, and the 'ne' is often dropped in casual spoken French.

The French noun for 'food', a feminine word used when discussing meals, shopping, and eating habits. It is a broad term covering everything from bread and cheese to fruit and vegetables.

The French word for 'breakfast', the first meal of the day. It is masculine, and the related verbs 'prendre' or 'manger' are commonly used with it when describing morning routines.

The French noun for 'meal', referring to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is masculine and appears in descriptions of daily routines, family habits, and food preferences.

The French noun for 'town' or 'city', a feminine word used to describe where someone lives, its features, and its facilities. It contrasts with 'la campagne', meaning the countryside.

The French noun for 'countryside' or 'rural area'. It is feminine and often appears in comparisons between rural and urban life, or in descriptions of holiday destinations and peaceful surroundings.

The term for the global community of French-speaking countries and regions. It refers to nations where French is an official or widely used language, including France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and many African countries.

The European country where French originated and is the official language. Its capital is Paris, and its regions, cities, and cultural traditions are frequent topics in the French-speaking communities domain.

The French language itself, spoken in France and in many communities worldwide. Learners study it as a second language, and the term also describes anything relating to France or its culture.

A French-speaking province of Canada whose official language is French and whose largest city is Montreal. It is a key example of a francophone community outside Europe, with its own accent and cultural identity.

A North American country with two official languages, English and French. French is the main language of Quebec and is also spoken in other provinces, making it an important member of the francophone world.

The French noun for 'culture', covering customs, traditions, food, art, and ways of life. It is feminine and appears in discussions of festivals, national identity, and differences between communities.

The French noun for 'festival', 'party', or 'celebration'. It is feminine and is used for national holidays, religious celebrations, and personal events, often with the verb 'fêter' meaning to celebrate.

The French noun for 'tradition', referring to customs passed down through generations. It is feminine and commonly appears in descriptions of food, festivals, and family practices in French-speaking communities.

The French noun for 'cooking' or 'cuisine', and also the room where food is prepared. It is feminine and is central to discussions of regional dishes, recipes, and eating habits in French-speaking countries.

The French noun for 'music', a feminine word used when discussing leisure, culture, and the arts. It appears in sentences about listening to songs, playing instruments, and attending concerts.

A French verb meaning 'to listen to', used with direct objects such as music, the radio, or a teacher. It is a regular '-er' verb and is essential for describing listening tasks and everyday habits.

A French verb meaning 'to understand'. It is irregular and appears in listening and reading tasks when describing whether a message, speaker, or text was clear and intelligible.

The French noun for 'question', a feminine word used in exams and classroom instructions. It also refers to the key inquiry in a listening or reading passage that candidates must answer.

The French noun for 'answer' or 'response', a feminine word used when referring to replies in a dialogue or to answers written in an exam. It pairs naturally with the verb 'répondre'.

In grammar, a word placed before a noun to show gender, number, and definiteness, such as 'le', 'la', 'un', or 'des'. In reading tasks, it can also mean a newspaper or magazine article.

The part of speech expressing an action or state, such as 'manger', 'aller', or 'être'. French verbs change form according to person, tense, and mood, so recognising conjugations is essential for reading and writing.

The present tense in French, used for current actions, habitual behaviour, and general truths. Regular '-er' verbs follow a set pattern of endings, while common irregular verbs such as 'être' and 'avoir' must be memorised.

A French past tense used for completed actions, formed with an auxiliary verb ('avoir' or 'être') plus a past participle. It is common in recounts of events and in written narratives.

The grammatical construction that makes a sentence negative, usually formed with 'ne ... pas' around the verb. Other negative expressions include 'ne ... jamais', 'ne ... rien', and 'ne ... personne'.

A describing word that gives more information about a noun, such as 'grand', 'rouge', or 'intéressant'. In French, most adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

A word naming a person, place, thing, or idea, such as 'livre', 'Paris', or 'amitié'. Every French noun has a grammatical gender, masculine or feminine, which affects the articles and adjectives used with it.

The informal French pronoun for 'you' when speaking to one person you know well, such as a friend, relative, or classmate. Using it with strangers can seem impolite, so learners must judge the situation.

The French pronoun for 'you', used either formally for one person or for a group of people. The formal use shows respect to strangers, teachers, or elders, and it takes plural verb forms even for one person.

One of the most important French verbs, meaning 'to be'. It is highly irregular and is used to describe identity, nationality, profession, location, and states, as well as forming compound tenses with some verbs.

A core French verb meaning 'to have'. It is irregular and is used for possession, age, and many fixed expressions, as well as serving as the main auxiliary verb for forming the passé composé.