French › Level three lessons › Youth

Grammar: Imperfect - Imparfait

The imparfait is used to "set the tone" of a past situation. An example in English being: "We were singing when Dad came home." It tells what was going on when a particular action or event occurred. In French, the above example would be: "Nous chantions quand papa est rentré."

In order to conjugate the imperfect,

• take the 1st person plural of the verb you want to conjugate:

• Remove the -ons ending to find the stem, and add these endings:

• Verbs ending -cer and -ger are semi-irregular, as shown below. The irregular forms are in bold.

• Note: The only verb that has an irregular stem (one not derived from the nous form of the present idicative) is être. The imperfect endings are added to ét___. Every other verb uses the nous form of the present indicative as its root.

Grammar: Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace possessive article + noun sets.

• Vous avez votre voiture? - You have your car?
• Oui, nous avons la nôtre. - Yes, we have ours.

À + a stress pronoun is used when the noun replaced is also the subject of the sentence. This usually occurs in sentences with être.

• Elle est ta voiture? - Is that your car?
• Oui, elle est à moi. - Yes, it is mine.

Grammar: Stem Changing Verbs Review

-exer Verbs

-exer are regular -er verbs, but also are stem changing. The stem change applies to all forms except nous and vous in the present and all forms of the future simple. The stem change involves adding a grave accent ( ` ) over the e in the stem.

• Tenses affected by this rule: Present, Future Simple

-éxer Verbs

Like -exer verbs, the accent acute above the e ( é ) changes to an accent grave ( è ) in all forms except nous and vous in the present. However, unlike similar stem changes, this does not affect the Future Simple.

• Tenses affected by this rule: Present

-yer Verbs

-yer verbs are regular -er verbs. However, in all forms except nous and vous in the present and all forms of the future simple, the "y" changes to an "i".

• Tenses affected by this rule: Present, Future Simple

Appeler

All forms except nous and vous in the present and all forms of the future simple have the l doubled.

• Tenses affected by this rule: Present, Future Simple

-cer Verbs

The last c in the verb changes to ç in the nous form of the present and all forms except the "nous" and "vous" forms of the imperfect.

• Tenses affected by this rule: Present, Imperfect

commencer

-ger Verbs

An e is added after the g in the nous form of the present and all forms except the "nous" and "vous" forms of the imperfect.

• Tenses affected by this rule: Present, Imperfect

changer
manger

Vocabulary: Children's Games and Toys

• un hochet
• un cheval de bois
• une poupée
• une dinette
• un train électrique
• des légos
• un ours en peluche
• une console de jeu (une nintendo, une gameboy, une ps2)
• des jeux de société : le monopoly, le cluedo, la bonne paye
• des "transformers"

Vocabulary: The Carnival

See List of Party Words

Vocabulary: French Children's Poems, Songs, and Stories

Petit Papa Noël

Author : Raymond Vincy (1946)
Composer : Henri Martinet
Long version in italics

C'est la belle nuit de Noël
La neige étend son manteau blanc
Et les yeux levés vers le ciel A genoux
les petits enfants
Avant de fermer les paupières
Font une dernière prière

{Refrain:}
Petit Papa Noël
Quand tu descendras du ciel
Avec des jouets par milliers
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier

Mais, avant de partir
Il faudra bien te couvrir
Dehors tu vas avoir si froid
C'est un peu à cause de moi

Il me tarde tant que le jour se lève
Pour voir si tu m'as apporté
Tous les beaux joujoux que je vois en rêve
Et que je t'ai commandés

{Refrain}
Le marchand de sable est passé
Les enfants vont faire dodo
Et tu vas pouvoir commencer
Avec ta hotte sur le dos
Au son des cloches des églises
Ta distribution de surprises

Et quand tu seras sur ton beau nuage
Viens d'abord sur notre maison
Je n'ai pas été tous les jours très sage
Mais j'en demande pardon

{Refrain}
Petit Papa Noël