To say please in French, we use the phrase: s’il vous plaît (SEEL voo PLAY) This polite expression literally means, “if it pleases you.” Perhaps you have received an invitation that contains the initials R.S.V.P. This is short for the French phrase répondez s’il vous plaît, which means “please respond.” The person giving the invitation … Read more
Hmmm… nasal sounds? Like somebody snoring? Not exactly! Some French sounds include forcing air through the back of the throat and into the nasal cavities. This cannot be taught by explanation. You need to hear the sounds and try to imitate them as best you can. on, ont, om (nasal oh sound)bon (BOHn) = goodsont … Read more
French and English share some vowel sounds but others can be quite different. a (short a)sac (SAK) = bag a, â (ah)bas (BAH) = stockinggâteau (gah-TOH) = cakeé, ay, er, ez (long a)bébé (bay-BAY) = babypays (pay-EE) = countryparler (pahr-LAY) = to speaknez (NAY) = nose e (short u)le (LUH) = theme (MUH) = myselfrenard … Read more
Did you know that the letters CH say “sh” in French? Some English words that have been borrowed from French are pronounced this way, too. Do you know their English meanings? If not, use your dictionary to find out the meanings of these borrowed words, and the French words they come from. chalet (sha-LAY)chateau (sha-TOH)chauffeur … Read more
Did you know that in French, the letters th say “t,” like the letter T? If you look through the TH section of a French dictionary, many of the words will look familiar to you. That is because many of the TH words in French come from Greek roots, and English uses words from these … Read more
The French language uses an alphabet that is identical to the English alphabet. The names of the letters and their sounds are not the same however! Compare the French letter names with their English counterparts. (Please note that the guides to pronunciation only give a rough idea of what things really sound like in French. … Read more