BnF - La bibliothèque nationale de France

It's very likely that you have visited a public library in your community. Did you know that you can take a virtual tour of the National Library of France?

Follow the link below to take a look inside this enormous library and see some of its treasures:

http://www.bnf.fr/visiterichelieu/index.htm

Les adjectifs - French Adjectives

French adjectives must change their forms depending on whether the nouns they describe are masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Usually the feminine form adds “e” to the masculine adjective. This can change the pronunciation of the adjective by causing the final consonant to be pronounced.

The dog is small.
Le chien est petit. (puh-TEE)
The mouse is small.
La souris est petite. (puh-TEET)

The plural form usually adds “s” to the noun, just like in English. In French we also need to add "s" to the adjective that describes a plural noun. This “s” is almost never pronounced.

The dogs are small.
Les chiens sont petits. (puh-TEE)
The mice are small.
Les souris sont petites. (puh-TEET)

Learn more about French adjectives in Nallenart's French programs for school and homeschool.

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ÉCRIRE = to write

Écrire means to write. It is related to the English words scribe,
script, and scripture.

j’écris (zhay-KREE)* = I write
tu écris (tyoo ay-KREE) = you write
il écrit (eel ay-KREE) = he writes
elle écrit (el ay-KREE) = she writes
nous écrivons (noo-zay-kree-VOH) = we write
vous écrivez (voo-zay-kree-VAY) = you write
ils écrivent (eel-zay-KREEV) = they write
elles écrivent (el-zay-KREEV) = they write

*These pronunciation guides give only a rough approximation of the French sounds!

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DIRE = to say, to tell

Dire is an irregular verb meaning to say or to tell. The French word dire is from the Latin word dicere (to say) and is related to the English words dictate, diction, and dictionary.

Note the irregular vous form!

je dis (zhuh DEE)* = I say
tu dis (tyoo DEE) = you say
il dit (eel DEE) = he says
elle dit (el DEE) = she says
nous disons (noo dee-ZOH) = we say
vous dites (voo DEET) = you say
ils disent (eel DEEZ) = they say
elles disent (el DEEZ) = they say

*These pronunciation guides give only a rough approximation of the French sounds!

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French for High School Sample Pages

Now available!

I am excited to announce that Nallenart's French for Grade 9, L'Art d'ECRIRE, is now available.

Download your free sample pages today!

High School French: L'art d'écrire

I am excited to announce that Nallenart's program for first year high school, L'art d'écrire, has gone to press. L'art d'écrire follows the Ontario curriculum guidelines for FSF1D, grade 9 advanced French.

More than just grammar lessons, vocabulary, and exercises, the content of the course is built around the theme of self-discovery. Students are challenged to examine their likes and dislikes, the uniqueness of their personalities, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

In addition to this, students begin to explore some of the classics of French literature, such as the famous play Cyrano de Bergerac and the novels of Jules Verne.

Sample Pages will be posted soon!

Available April 6, 2009.

Le Louvre

The Louvre (LOO-vruh) in the French capital city of Paris is one of the largest art museums in the world. Many famous and easily recognized paintings and sculptures are exhibited there, such as Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa and the Greek statue Venus de Milo. The museum covers more than 16 hectares (40 acres) and contains 13 kilometers (8 miles) of galleries!

To see the Louvre online visit: The Louvre Museum Official Website.

This site can be viewed in French or English.

Lire = to read

Lire is an irregular verb meaning to read. The English words literature and literary are related to lire.

je lis (zhuh LEE)
= I read, I am reading, I do read
tu lis (tyoo LEE)
= you read, you are reading, you do read
il lit (eel LEE)
= he reads, he is reading, he does read
elle lit (el LEE)
= she reads, she is reading, she does read

nous lisons (noo lee-SOH)
= we read, we do read, we are reading
vous lisez (voo lee-ZAY)
= you read, you are reading, you do read
ils lisent (eel LEEZ)
= they read, they are reading, they do read
elles lisent (el LEEZ)
= they read, they are reading, they do read

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Dormir

Dormir means “to sleep.” Our English words dormitory and dormant are related to dormir. Write out and memorize the present tense of dormir.

je dors (zhuh DOHR)
= I sleep, I am sleeping, I do sleep
tu dors (tyoo DOHR)
= you sleep, you are sleeping, you do sleep
il dort (eel DOHR)
= he sleeps, he is sleeping, he does sleep
elle dort (el DOHR)
= she sleeps, she is sleeping, she does sleep

nous dormons (noo dohr-MOH)
= we sleep, we are sleeping, we do sleep
vous dormez (voo dohr-MAY)
= you sleep, you are sleeping, you do sleep
ils dorment (eel DOHRM)
= they sleep, they are sleeping, they do sleep
elles dorment (el DOHRM)
= they sleep, they are sleeping, they do sleep

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More -IR Verbs

Here are some more -IR verbs.

réfléchir (ray-flay-SHEER) = to think, to reflect
choisir (shwah-ZEER) = to choose
bâtir (ba-TEER) = to build
punir (pyoo-NEER) = to punish
grandir (grahn-DEER) = to grow
réussir (ray-yoo-SEER) = to succeed

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Club Mimi is sponsored by Nallenart.