French grammar tip: Understanding ‘Venir de’ for Recent Past
‘Venir de’ is used to express an action that has just occurred, similar to ‘just’ in English. For example, ‘Je viens de finir mes devoirs’ means ‘I just finished my…
French grammar tip: Using ‘Il y a’ for Existence
‘Il y a’ is a phrase used to express the existence of something, similar to ‘there is’ or ‘there are’ in English. For example, ‘Il y a un chat dans…
French grammar tip: Expressing Emotions with ‘Avoir peur de’
‘Avoir peur de’ is used to express fear of something, similar to ‘being afraid of’ in English. For example, ‘J’ai peur des araignées’ means ‘I am afraid of spiders’. ‘Avoir…
French grammar tip: The Difference Between ‘C’est’ and ‘Il est’
‘C’est’ is used to identify or describe something or someone, followed by a noun, whereas ‘Il est’ is used before an adjective. For example, ‘C’est un bon livre’ (It’s a…
French grammar tip: Understanding the Use of ‘En fait’
‘En fait’ is a phrase used in French to mean ‘in fact’ or ‘actually’. It is used to correct or clarify a statement. For example, ‘En fait, je ne peux…
French grammar tip: Using ‘Aussi’ at the Beginning of a Sentence
‘Aussi’ can be used at the beginning of a sentence to mean ‘also’, but in formal writing, it often requires an inversion of the subject and verb. For example, ‘Aussi…
French grammar tip: The Use of ‘Quelque part’ to Mean ‘Somewhere’
‘Quelque part’ means ‘somewhere’ in French. It’s used to refer to an unspecified location. For example, ‘J’ai laissé mes clés quelque part’ means ‘I left my keys somewhere’. ‘Quelque part’…
French grammar tip: Understanding ‘Dont’ in French Sentences
‘Dont’ is a relative pronoun used to link sentences, meaning ‘whose’, ‘of which’, or ‘about which’. For example, ‘C’est la personne dont je t’ai parlé’ means ‘This is the person…
French grammar tip: Expressing Hypotheticals with ‘Au cas où’
‘Au cas où’ is used to express a hypothetical situation, equivalent to ‘in case’ in English. For example, ‘Apporte un parapluie au cas où il pleuvrait’ means ‘Bring an umbrella…
French grammar tip: The Use of ‘Depuis que’ to Indicate Time
‘Depuis que’ is used in French to indicate since when something has been happening. For example, ‘Depuis que je suis ici, j’ai appris beaucoup’ means ‘Since I have been here,…
French grammar tip: Using ‘Parce que’ to Explain Reasons
‘Parce que’ is the equivalent of ‘because’ in English. It is used to explain reasons or causes. For example, ‘Je suis ici parce que j’ai un rendez-vous’ means ‘I am…
French grammar tip: The Use of ‘Ni…ni’ for Double Negation
‘Ni…ni’ is used to express neither/nor in French. For example, ‘Je ne veux ni thé ni café’ means ‘I want neither tea nor coffee’. ‘Ni…ni’ est utilisé pour exprimer ni…ni…