Czech Maturita French flashcards

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

Passé composé with être

A French past tense formed with être + past participle. Used with verbs of motion and reflexive verbs. The past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Imparfait formation

Take the nous form of the present tense, remove -ons, add endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Used for description, habits, and ongoing actions in the past.

Futur simple irregular stems

Common irregular future stems: être → ser-, avoir → aur-, aller → ir-, faire → fer-, pouvoir → pourr-, vouloir → voudr-, venir → viendr-. Add endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

Subjonctif after doubt

The subjunctive is used after expressions of doubt, uncertainty, or emotion (douter que, il est possible que, je suis content que). Formed from the ils form of the present tense, removing -ent and adding -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

Direct object pronouns

French direct object pronouns: me, te, le/la, nous, vous, les. They replace a noun and agree in gender and number. Place before the conjugated verb.

Pronoun order in sentences

When multiple object pronouns occur, the order is: me/te/se/nous/vous → le/la/les → lui/leur → y → en. Example: Il me le donne. Il y en a.

False friend: actuellement

Actuellement means 'currently' or 'at present', not 'actually'. The English 'actually' is translated as en fait or en réalité.

False friend: librairie

Librairie means 'bookshop' or 'bookstore', not 'library'. The French for library is bibliothèque.

Formal letter opening

A formal French letter begins with Madame, Monsieur, or Madame, Monsieur, followed by a comma. Never use cher/chère unless you know the person. End with a formule de politesse.

Informal letter structure

An informal letter includes: date, salutation (Cher/Chère + name), opening (Comment vas-tu ?), body paragraphs, closing (À bientôt, Amitiés), and signature. Use tu form.

Connectors for argumentation

Useful connectors: d'abord (first), ensuite (then), enfin (finally), cependant (however), par ailleurs (moreover), donc (therefore), en conclusion (in conclusion). They organize ideas and improve coherence.

Formal letter closing

Formal closing formulas: Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame/Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées. Or: Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie de bien vouloir agréer...

Word limit in written tasks

The Maturita written tasks specify a word count (e.g., 120-150 words). Exceeding or falling short by more than 10% may result in point deduction. Plan and count words.

Article format

An article for a magazine or newspaper includes: a catchy title, an introduction stating the topic, body paragraphs with arguments or examples, and a conclusion. Use an engaging style.

Oral monologue structure

A structured monologue has: introduction (topic and plan), development (2-3 main points with examples), and conclusion (summary and personal opinion). Use connectors to link ideas.

Asking for clarification

Useful phrases: Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (Can you repeat?) ; Qu'est-ce que vous voulez dire par... ? (What do you mean by...?) ; Je n'ai pas bien compris.

Expressing opinion

Common phrases: À mon avis (in my opinion), Je pense que (I think that), Selon moi (according to me), Je trouve que (I find that). Follow with justification: parce que, car, étant donné que.

Picture description vocabulary

Spatial markers: au premier plan (foreground), à l'arrière-plan (background), à gauche (left), à droite (right), au centre (center), en haut (top), en bas (bottom).

Liaison and enchaînement

Liaison: pronunciation of a normally silent final consonant before a vowel (les_amis). Enchaînement: linking of a pronounced consonant to a following vowel (elle_est). Both improve fluency.

Listening: predicting content

Before listening, read the questions and options to predict the topic, key vocabulary, and possible distractors. This focuses your attention and improves comprehension.

Listening: distractors

Distractors are wrong options that repeat words from the recording but change the meaning. Listen for negations, different subjects, or different times to eliminate them.

Listening: signal words

Signal words like however, but, actually, in fact introduce contrast or correction and often indicate the correct answer. Pay attention to them during the recording.

Listening: numbers and dates

Numbers, dates, prices, and times are frequently tested. They may be corrected or recalculated in the recording (e.g., 'It was 20 euros, but now it's 15'). Note them carefully.

Reading: skimming and scanning

Skimming: quickly read for main idea (title, first/last paragraphs). Scanning: look for specific details (names, dates). Use skimming first, then scan for question answers.

Reading: paraphrased answers

Correct answers often paraphrase the text, while wrong options copy exact words but distort meaning. Look for synonyms and rephrasing, not identical words.

Reading: inference questions

Inference answers must be supported by the text, not by personal knowledge. Choose the option that can be logically concluded from the passage.

Reading: matching headings

For matching headings to paragraphs, identify the topic sentence and key nouns in each paragraph. The heading should capture the main idea, not just one detail.

Reading: vocabulary in context

For vocabulary items, replace the word with each option and check if the sentence still makes sense. Consider the surrounding context and connotation.

Reading: time management

Allocate about 1.5 minutes per question. If a text is difficult, mark your best guess and move on. Return to it if time permits. Do not spend too long on one item.

Reading: main idea questions

Main idea questions ask for the overall point of the text. Choose the option that covers the whole passage, not just one detail or example.

Reading: true/false statements

A statement is true only if it matches the text exactly. A single wrong detail (date, name, number) makes it false. Check all parts of the statement.

Reading: text organization

Recognize how texts are organized: chronological, cause-effect, problem-solution, compare-contrast. This helps locate information and understand the author's purpose.