(yes) and lui (him) are examples of a breathy w sound – they’re pronounced rather like hwee and lwhee.
Most French consonants are pronounced the same as their English equivalents. Some consonants, however, are pronounced differently depending on which vowel follows:
| c | – k as in keen when it is followed by a, o or u (cadeau, couteau, cumin) – note that when a cedilla (ç) is added to the c, it will sound like s in sit (ça, garçon, déçu)– s as in ceiling when it is followed by e, i or y (séance, citron, cyprès) |
| ch | – sh as in shop (chemise, mouchoir) |
| g | – g as in gate when it is followed by a, o or u (gaz, égouter, aigu)– s as in leisure when it is followed by e, i or y (juge, gilet, gym) |
| gn | – ni as in onion (oignon, campagne) |
| j | – s as in leisure (jeter, Jules) |
| q, qu | – k as in keen (chaque, question) |
| s | – z as in zoo when it is between vowels (heureuse, oiseau)– s as in sit when it isn’t (cassé, sauce, désastre) |
| th | – t as in take (maths, thermostat, théâtre) |
| t in -tion | – s as in sit (natation, national) |
Some consonants are pronounced differently to English:
| h | – when it begins a word, it can be ‘silent’ (l’homme, un hôtel) or ‘aspirate’ (les haricots, le hall). When the h is silent, the word behaves as though it starts with a vowel and forms a liaison with the preceding word where appropriate (see below). When the h is aspirate, no liaison is made. |
| r | – rr: a raspy sound in the back of the throat (rue, rouge, rare) |
| ll | – y as in yes (fille, paille) |
BON À SAVOIR!
Note, however, that mille (one thousand) is pronounced to rhyme with peel.
In English words, a particular syllable is stressed (concert, dentist), whereas in French each syllable has its own length and each is pronounced with the same intensity.
Liaison is what happens when a French word ending in a consonant which would usually be silent, for example, petit (small), les (the), precedes a word starting with a vowel or a ‘silent’ h. The silent consonant is sounded to make the words flow more easily.
petit ami (boyfriend) is pronounced puh-teet-ah-mee (the t at the end of petit is sounded)
les hôtels (hotels) is pronounced layz-oh-tel (the s at the end of les sounds like a z)
Comment ça va? – How are things?
Whether you’re going to be working in a French-speaking country or you’re going to spend some time with your French-speaking friends, you’ll want to be able to chat with people and get to know them better. The phrases in this unit will help you talk naturally to friends, family and colleagues in a number of everyday situations.
Just as in English, there are several ways of greeting people in French, depending on who you are addressing, and whether you want to be formal or not. Say bonjour, madame/mademoiselle/monsieur if you want to sound polite and just bonjour to someone you know a little. If you’re on friendly terms with someone, you can say salut! (hi!).
Hello…
| Bonjour. | Hello. |
| Bonjour, madame. | Good morning. |
| Bonjour, Pierre. | Good afternoon Pierre. |
| Salut, Olivier! | Hi Olivier! |
| Bonsoir. | Good evening. |
BON À SAVOIR!
In French there is no equivalent for good morning and good afternoon – people just say bonjour during the day or bonsoir in the evening.
Use au revoir, madame/mademoiselle/monsieur to say goodbye to people you don’t know well. You can just say au revoir to people you know, or use salut! (bye!) if you are on friendly terms with them.
Goodbye…
| Au revoir, monsieur. | Goodbye. |
| Au revoir, mademoiselle. | Goodbye. |
| Salut! | Bye! |
| Bonsoir. | Goodnight. |
See you…
| À plus tard! | See you later! |
| À demain! | See you tomorrow! |
| À lundi! | See you on Monday! |
You may want to introduce people you know to one another. The simplest way is by saying voici (this is) when introducing a person. You can also use je te présente (I’d like you to meet) when addressing someone you know well, or je vous présente to be more formal or when speaking to several people.
This is…
| Voici mon mari, Richard. | This is my husband, Richard. |
| Voici mes enfants: Andrew, Gordon et Emma. | These are my children, Andrew, Gordon and Emma. |
| Je vous présente Danielle. | I’d like you to meet Danielle. |
| Je te présente Kevin, mon compagnon. | I’d like you to meet Kevin, my partner. |
BON À SAVOIR!
When you’re introduced to someone, you’ll want to know how to react. The traditional enchanté should only be used in formal or business situations these days, and very often people just say bonjour.