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Guidebook · Unit 1 · A1

First Steps

Pronouns and the verb être

  1. 1

    Bonjour, and who's who

    Your first French greetings — and the personal pronouns, from je to elles.

    • Bonjour works all day with anyone; Bonsoir in the evening; Salut only with friends.
    • Ça va ? — Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? (Et vous ? when you're being polite.)
    • Je m'appelle… gives your name; Enchanté(e) ! means nice to meet you.
    • The pronouns: je, tu, il / elle, on, nous, vous, ils / elles — je becomes j' before a vowel.
    • Tu for one person you know well; vous for politeness and for any group.
    • In everyday speech, on usually means we; elles only when the whole group is feminine.
    Open lesson
  2. 2

    Être: who you are

    The verb “to be” — for where you're from, your nationality, your job and where you are.

    • Être = to be: je suis, tu es, il / elle / on est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils / elles sont.
    • Use it for origin (être de), nationality, job, location and what someone is like.
    • Nationalities have no capital letter, and jobs take no article: Il est cuisinier.
    • For a woman, many words add -e: américaine, française, étudiante.
    • With a city, in is à: Je suis à Paris.
    • Liaison links a silent consonant to a following vowel: vous‿êtes — “voo-zet”.
    Open lesson
  3. 3

    Tu or vous — and saying no

    Choose the right “you” for the right person, and make a sentence negative with ne … pas.

    • Tu = one person you know well; vous = politeness, and any group.
    • With an adult you don't know, start with vous — and let them suggest tu.
    • Et toi ? with tu; Et vous ? with vous.
    • Negation wraps the verb: ne … pas — Je ne suis pas fatiguée.
    • Before a vowel, ne → n': Il n'est pas ici. Vous n'êtes pas là.
    • In relaxed speech the ne often disappears, but in writing keep both halves.
    Open lesson
  4. 4

    Avoir: what you have

    The verb “to have” — for things, age, hunger and thirst — and être and avoir side by side.

    • Avoir = to have: j'ai, tu as, il / elle / on a, nous avons, vous avez, ils / elles ont.
    • Je becomes j' before ai: j'ai.
    • Age, hunger and thirst use avoir: J'ai 22 ans. J'ai faim. J'ai soif.
    • Ils sont (hard s) = they are; ils‿ont (a z sound) = they have.
    • Être tells you what someone is; avoir what someone has.
    Open lesson
Unit review