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French A2: everyday conversation
Elementary French flashcards on the past tenses, near future, daily routine, opinions, connectors, health, home and travel, with Quebec French notes.
39 cards6 topicsAbout 15 minutes a roundTypical second-semester introductory French (French 2, elementary A2 level)
About this deck
This deck is for learners who have finished a first French course or reached the A1 level and now want to talk about everyday life. At A2 on the CEFR scale you can describe your routine, say what you did last weekend, make plans, give a simple opinion and manage routine situations such as renting an apartment or seeing a doctor. The cards cover the passé composé and imparfait, the near future, reflexive verbs for daily routine, opinion phrases and connectors, home, health and weather vocabulary, and words for work, travel and technology.
Before starting you should know the present tense of être, avoir, aller and faire, regular -er verbs, and the articles le, la, les and un, une, des. Where Quebec or Canadian French uses a different word from France, the card tells you, because both are useful in Canada.
Grammar cards work best if you say the example, then change one thing: a different subject, a negative, or a question. That forces you to use the rule rather than memorize a sentence. Try writing five sentences about last weekend each week using the past tense cards.
Common mistakes at this level: using avoir instead of être with verbs of movement such as aller and arriver (and forgetting the agreement, as in elle est allée); using the passé composé for background description where the imparfait is needed; and translating 'I am going' word for word instead of using je vais + infinitive for a plan.
Before you start: French A1 or one semester of introductory French: present tense of common verbs, articles and basic vocabulary.
All 39 cards
Cover the definitions with a sheet of paper and test yourself, or use the study modes above.
Talking about the past
- le passé composé
- The main past tense for completed actions: present of avoir or être plus a past participle. English often translates it as a simple past.Example: Hier, j'ai mangé une poutine. (Yesterday I ate a poutine.)
- j'ai fini / j'ai pris
- I finished / I took. Regular -ir verbs form the participle with -i; many common verbs are irregular (prendre gives pris, faire gives fait).Example: J'ai pris le bus ce matin. (I took the bus this morning.)
- je suis allé(e)
- I went. Aller forms its past with être, and the participle agrees with the subject: elle est allée, ils sont allés.Example: Nous sommes allés au cinéma samedi. (We went to the movies on Saturday.)
- les verbes conjugués avec être
- A small set of movement and change-of-state verbs (aller, venir, arriver, partir, entrer, sortir, naître, mourir, rester, tomber and others) plus all reflexive verbs take this auxiliary.Example: Elle est arrivée à 8 h et elle est partie à midi. (She arrived at 8 and left at noon.)
- l'imparfait (m.)
- The past tense for habits, ongoing background and descriptions. Take the nous present stem and add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.Example: Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au hockey. (When I was little, I used to play hockey.)
- il y a + durée
- Ago, when placed before a length of time. Be careful: on its own il y a means there is.Example: Je suis arrivé au Canada il y a deux ans. (I came to Canada two years ago.)
- venir de + infinitif
- To have just done something. The present of venir de expresses a very recent past.Example: Je viens de manger. (I have just eaten.)
- déjà / ne... jamais
- Already / never. In the passé composé, these go between the auxiliary and the participle.Example: Tu as déjà visité Paris ? Non, je ne suis jamais allé en France. (Have you ever visited Paris? No, I have never been to France.)
Plans and the future
- aller + infinitif
- The near future: present of aller followed by an infinitive, like English 'going to'. Very common in speech.Example: Je vais étudier ce soir. (I'm going to study tonight.)
- avoir l'intention de
- To intend to or plan to, followed by an infinitive.Example: J'ai l'intention de suivre un cours d'été. (I plan to take a summer course.)
- Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce soir ?
- What are you doing tonight? French uses the present tense here for an arranged plan.Example: Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce soir ? Je sors avec des amis. (What are you doing tonight? I'm going out with friends.)
- la semaine prochaine
- Next week. Prochain(e) usually follows the noun in time expressions: le mois prochain, l'année prochaine.Example: Je commence mon emploi la semaine prochaine. (I start my job next week.)
- Pourriez-vous... ?
- Could you...? The conditional of pouvoir makes a polite request; with friends, Tu pourrais... ?Example: Pourriez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (Could you repeat that, please?)
Daily routine
- se lever
- To get up. Reflexive, with a stem accent change: je me lève, nous nous levons.Example: Je me lève à 7 h en semaine. (I get up at 7 on weekdays.)
- se réveiller
- To wake up (open your eyes), compared with se lever, which is getting out of bed.Example: Je me réveille avant mon réveil. (I wake up before my alarm.)
- se brosser les dents
- To brush one's teeth. French uses the definite article with body parts, not a possessive.Example: Il se brosse les dents après le déjeuner. (He brushes his teeth after breakfast or lunch.)
- s'habiller
- To get dressed. In the passé composé reflexive verbs use être: elle s'est habillée.Example: Je m'habille vite le matin. (I get dressed quickly in the morning.)
- se coucher
- To go to bed. Compare dormir, which means to sleep.Example: Je me couche vers 23 h. (I go to bed around 11 p.m.)
- d'habitude
- Usually. Signals a habit, so it pairs with the present, or with the imparfait when talking about the past.Example: D'habitude, je prends le métro. (Usually I take the metro.)
- tous les jours
- Every day. Similar patterns: toutes les semaines (every week), tous les soirs (every evening).Example: Je marche trente minutes tous les jours. (I walk thirty minutes every day.)
Opinions and connectors
- à mon avis
- In my opinion. A neutral way to start an opinion; d'après moi is similar.Example: À mon avis, ce film est trop long. (In my opinion, this film is too long.)
- je pense que
- I think that. In the negative, je ne pense pas que is followed by the subjunctive, which you will meet at the next level.Example: Je pense que c'est une bonne idée. (I think it's a good idea.)
- parce que
- Because, introducing a full clause. Before a noun, use à cause de.Example: Je reste ici parce qu'il neige. (I'm staying here because it is snowing.)
- mais / donc
- But / so (therefore). Use them to link two clauses into one longer sentence.Example: Je suis fatigué, donc je rentre. (I'm tired, so I'm going home.)
- ensuite / puis / enfin
- Next / then / finally. Useful for telling events in order.Example: D'abord je mange, ensuite je travaille, enfin je dors. (First I eat, next I work, finally I sleep.)
- plus... que / moins... que
- More... than / less... than. Irregular: bon becomes meilleur, and bien becomes mieux.Example: Ce café est meilleur que l'autre. (This coffee is better than the other one.)
- j'aime bien / je préfère
- I quite like / I prefer. With people, j'aime bien means you like someone as a friend, while j'aime can mean love.Example: J'aime bien le thé, mais je préfère le café. (I quite like tea, but I prefer coffee.)
Home, health and weather
- l'appartement (m.)
- Apartment or flat. In Quebec, sizes are counted in rooms with the bathroom as a half, so un 4 et demie has a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms.Example: Je cherche un 3 et demie près du campus. (I'm looking for a one-bedroom apartment near campus.)
- louer / le loyer
- To rent / the rent. A tenant is un locataire and the landlord is le propriétaire.Example: Le loyer est de 1200 dollars par mois. (The rent is 1200 dollars a month.)
- la chambre
- Bedroom (or a hotel room). The living room is le salon.Example: Ma chambre est petite mais calme. (My bedroom is small but quiet.)
- avoir mal à...
- To have a pain in or to hurt (a body part). à + le becomes au: j'ai mal au dos.Example: J'ai mal à la tête. (I have a headache.)
- le médecin
- Doctor (the profession). When speaking to one, people say docteur. Prendre rendez-vous means to book an appointment.Example: Je dois voir le médecin demain. (I have to see the doctor tomorrow.)
- il pleut / il neige / il fait beau
- It is raining / it is snowing / the weather is nice. Weather often uses impersonal il with faire.Example: Il neige depuis ce matin. (It has been snowing since this morning.)
- la météo
- Weather forecast. Prévisions météo is the full phrase for the forecast itself.Example: Selon la météo, il va faire moins vingt. (According to the forecast, it will be minus twenty.)
Work, technology and travel
- le travail / travailler
- Work (noun) / to work. Un emploi or un poste is a specific job.Example: Je travaille à temps partiel. (I work part-time.)
- le courriel
- Email. Standard in Quebec and Canadian French; in France people often say le mail or l'e-mail.Example: Je t'envoie un courriel ce soir. (I'll send you an email tonight.)
- le cellulaire
- Cell phone in Canadian French, often shortened to le cell; in France the usual word is le portable.Example: Mon cellulaire n'a plus de batterie. (My cell phone is dead.)
- le billet
- Ticket for a train, plane or show; also a banknote. In France a single metro or bus ticket is often called un ticket.Example: J'ai acheté un billet d'avion pour Paris. (I bought a plane ticket to Paris.)
- la valise
- Suitcase. Faire sa valise means to pack.Example: Je fais ma valise ce soir. (I'm packing my suitcase tonight.)