HSC French Continuers flashcards
HSC French Continuers · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- la famille recomposée
- A blended family formed when parents remarry or repartner, often including step-siblings and step-parents. In French, stepfather is beau-père and stepmother is belle-mère.
- le baccalauréat
- The national French examination taken at the end of the lycée (usually age 18). Passing it grants access to university. It includes written and oral tests in various subjects.
- un stage
- An internship or work placement, often required as part of French secondary or tertiary education. Students gain practical experience in a company under supervision.
- se lever
- A pronominal verb meaning 'to get up'. Conjugated with reflexive pronouns: je me lève, tu te lèves, il/elle se lève, nous nous levons, vous vous levez, ils/elles se lèvent.
- s'entendre bien avec
- To get along well with someone. Used to describe harmonious relationships, e.g., Je m'entends bien avec mes collègues. The opposite is se disputer (to argue).
- la laïcité
- The French principle of state secularism, enshrined in the 1905 law separating church and state. It guarantees freedom of religion while keeping religion out of public institutions.
- la Francophonie
- The global community of French-speaking people and countries. The OIF (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie) has 88 member states and governments, promoting French language and cultural diversity.
- le 14 juillet
- Bastille Day, the French national holiday commemorating the 1789 storming of the Bastille. Celebrated with a military parade in Paris, fireworks, and popular balls (bals populaires).
- la Chandeleur
- A French tradition celebrated on 2 February, when people make and eat crêpes. Originally a religious feast, it is now a fun family event with superstitions about flipping crêpes.
- le Québec
- The largest French-speaking province in Canada. Its distinct variety of French includes unique vocabulary and expressions, and it has a strong cultural identity within North America.
- les DOM
- Départements d'outre-mer: overseas departments of France (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, Mayotte). They are part of the EU, use the euro, and send representatives to the French Parliament.
- le télétravail
- Remote work or teleworking, performed from home using digital tools. It expanded greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now common in many French companies.
- l'empreinte carbone
- Carbon footprint: the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, organisation, or product. Reducing it involves using renewable energy, public transport, and less meat.
- les énergies renouvelables
- Renewable energies such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. France aims to increase their share in its energy mix to reduce dependence on nuclear and fossil fuels.
- la fracture numérique
- The digital divide: inequality in access to technology and internet skills. It affects elderly people, rural areas, and low-income households, limiting access to services and information.
- le cyberharcèlement
- Cyberbullying: harassment carried out through digital devices and social media. France has passed laws to combat it, including penalties for online harassment and school awareness programmes.
- si + présent → futur
- A conditional structure expressing a real future possibility: Si on recycle, on réduira les déchets (If we recycle, we will reduce waste). The present tense follows si, never the future.
- la grève
- A strike, a common form of social protest in France. Workers stop working to demand better pay or conditions. Strikes are protected by the constitution and often affect transport.
- d'une part... d'autre part
- A connector meaning 'on the one hand... on the other hand'. Used to present two contrasting arguments or aspects in a structured discussion or essay.
- chuis
- Informal spoken contraction of 'je suis' (I am). Common in fast speech among young people. Recognise it in listening, but avoid it in formal writing.
- un faux ami
- A false cognate: a word that looks similar in French and English but has a different meaning. Examples: actuellement (currently, not actually), librairie (bookshop, not library).
- le plus-que-parfait
- The pluperfect tense, formed with avoir or être in the imperfect + past participle. It expresses an action completed before another past action (e.g., J'avais déjà mangé).
- le subjonctif
- A verb mood expressing subjectivity, doubt, necessity, or emotion. Used after expressions like il faut que, bien que, pour que. Example: Il faut que tu viennes.
- un article de journal
- A newspaper article, typically formal and written in the third person. It presents facts, quotes, and sometimes analysis, with a headline and lead paragraph.
- le conditionnel
- A verb mood used for polite requests (Je voudrais), hypotheses (Si j'étais riche, je voyagerais), and reported speech about the future. It often corresponds to 'would' in English.
- la formule de politesse
- A formal closing phrase in French letters or emails, e.g., 'Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.' It shows respect and follows conventions.
- le courriel amical
- An informal email to a friend. It uses tu, casual greetings (Salut, Coucou), and closings (Bises, À bientôt). Contractions and slang may appear but should be appropriate.
- les connecteurs logiques
- Linking words that structure writing: d'abord, ensuite, enfin (sequence); cependant, en revanche (contrast); donc, par conséquent (consequence); de plus (addition). They improve coherence.
- l'accord du participe passé
- Past participle agreement: with être, it agrees with the subject (Elle est partie); with avoir, it agrees with a preceding direct object (Les lettres que j'ai écrites).
- la ponctuation française
- French punctuation uses a space before : ; ! ? and uses guillemets « » for quotes. Commas separate clauses, and full stops end sentences. Correct punctuation improves clarity.
- le plan
- An outline or plan for a written text, listing introduction, main points, and conclusion. It ensures logical structure and helps manage word count and content coverage.
- l'imparfait
- A past tense describing ongoing or habitual actions, background, and states in the past (e.g., Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot). It contrasts with the passé composé for completed events.