French Pronouns - Knowing "Who" You Are Talking To

French Pronouns

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Caption: : Knowing "Who" You Are Talking To

Formal & Informal

Before we begin, I must point out that like most foreign languages, there is a formal and informal way of speaking.

Formal is another way of saying "polite".This way of speaking is used with people who are not part of your immediate family.The Informal way of speaking is another way of saying "casual".  It is used with immediate family members as well as with people in which you have a very close relationship. 

Let's See What They Are

Click on the resource link to view the French Pronouns.

• French Pronoun Flashcards

What's Up With "You"?

You may have noticed that the pronoun "You" pops up twice. You see it first as "Tu" and then again as "Vous"."Tu" can be used in a formal way as well as an informal way. When speaking the formal way, use "Tu" to speak to someone that is younger than you.

When speaking the informal way, use "Tu" to speak to immediate family members and people in which you have a close relationship. Age is not a factor for informal speaking.The word "Vous" is always used in a formal way. The extra thing to remember about using "Vous" is that you use it when speaking to someone your age or older.

There's Something About "It"

I'm sure you have noticed that there is more than one French word for the English word "it".This is because the French language has a gender for inanimate objects. In the English language, a house is a house ... that's it! But in the French language, a house is classified as a feminine noun (la maison). So if you happen to refer to a noun in a sentence, you use the feminine pronoun "elle". Same rule applies for masculine nouns. 

This same rule applies to the plural form as well. "Ils" represents a group of males as well as a group of male inanimate objects. "Elles" represents a group of females as well as a group of female inanimate objects. The pronunciation is the same as the singular form of the word. These words are spelled with an "s" to show that it is the plural form of the verb.

Speaking Of Pronunciation

Just in case you were wondering if you were pronouncing them correctly, watch this video to hear them and review some of the information in this presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywZ0PC5iXTI (Embed)

Caption: : Getting Down to the French Pronouns by Cynnamon Stelly

That's All Folks!

French PronounsKnowing Who You Are Talking To