Four verbs for “bring” and “take”
Amener, emmener, apporter, emporter
Two questions decide the verb. Is it a person (or animal) or a thing? And are you coming here with it, or going away with it? The -mener verbs are for people, from mener (to lead). The -porter verbs are for things, from porter (to carry).
amener · bring a personzha-MEN mon ko-PAN a la FET · “I’m bringing my boyfriend to the party.”Why: A person comes with you to where the party is.
J’amèneI-bringmonmycopainboyfriendà la fête.to the party
emmener · take a personzhan-MEN lay zan-FAN a lay-KOL · “I take the children to school.”Why: You leave home with the children: em- (away).
J’emmèneI-takeles enfantsthe childrenà l’école.to the school
apporter · bring a thingzha-PORT an ga-TOH · “I’ll bring a cake.”Why: A thing you carry to where the others are.
J’apporteI-bringun gâteau.a cake
emporter · take a thingsür PLAS oo a an-por-TAY · “Eat in or takeaway?”Why: The question at every bakery: the food leaves with you.
Sur placeon siteouorà emporter ?to take-away
Words that sound the same: the swap test
A or à, ou or où, et or est, son or sont
French has many homophones: words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Replace the word with the test word. If the sentence still works, you have the first spelling.
| Pair | Swap test | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a · àhas · to, at | If you can swap in avait (had), write a. Otherwise à. | Ilheahasunarendez-vousappointmentàatmidi.noon ee la an ran-day-VOO a mee-DEE · “He has an appointment at noon.” |
| ou · oùor · where | If you can swap in ou bien (or else), write ou. Otherwise où. | Oùwherevas-tu,go-youà droiteto rightouorà gauche ?to left oo va-TÜ, a DRWAT oo a GOHSH · “Where are you going, right or left?” |
| et · estand · is | If you can swap in et puis (and then), write et. If you can swap in était (was), write est. | PaulPaulestisgrandtalletandblond.blond pol ay GRAN ay BLON · “Paul is tall and blond.” |
| son · sonthis/her · are | If you can swap in étaient (were), write sont. If you can swap in mon (my), write son. | Sesherparentsparentssontaredansinsonherjardin.garden say pa-RAN son dan son zhar-DAN · “Her parents are in her garden.” |
| ces · sesthese · his/her | If you can swap in ces …-là (those), write ces. If you mean belonging to him or her, write ses. | Cesthesecléskeyssontareseshisclés.keys say KLAY son say KLAY · “These keys are his keys.” |
Pairs English doesn’t separate
Savoir or connaître, c’est or il est
savoira fact, or how tozhuh SAY na-ZHAY · “I can swim.”Why: savoir + infinitive (the dictionary form of a verb) = know how to.
JeIsaisknow-hownager.to-swim
connaîtrea person, place or workzhuh ko-NAY lee-ON · “I know Lyon.”Why: connaître means being familiar with: a city, a person, a book.
JeIconnaisknowLyon.Lyon
c’est+ a noun with an article, or a whole ideasay an bon mayd-SAN · “He’s a good doctor.”Why: With un, une, le or a name, use c’est. C’est génial! (That’s great!) comments on a whole situation.
C’estit-isunabongoodmédecin.doctor
il est / elle est+ a job, nationality or adjective aloneee lay mayd-SAN · “He’s a doctor.”Why: A job with no article: il est. French says “he is doctor”.
Ilheestismédecin.doctor
Three ways to say how long
Depuis, pendant, il y a
English uses “for” and “ago”; French chooses by whether the action is still going on.
depuisfor, since (still going)
pastnow
J’habiteI-liveiciheredepuissincedeux ans.two years
pendantfor (a finished stretch)
pastnow
J’aiI-havehabitélivedà Parisin Parispendantfordeux ans.two years
il y aago
pastnow
JeIsuisamarrivéarrivedil y aagodeux ans.two years
Keep going