French grammar tip: Using ‘Tout’ as an Adverb vs. Adjective
‘Tout’ can function as both an adverb (meaning ‘completely’) and an adjective (meaning ‘all’). For example, ‘Il est tout seul’ (He is all alone) vs. ‘Tous les jours’ (Every day).…
French grammar tip: The Role of ‘Sinon’ for Alternatives
‘Sinon’ is used to present alternatives or conditions, similar to ‘otherwise’. For example, ‘Dépêche-toi, sinon tu vas rater le bus’ (Hurry up, otherwise you’ll miss the bus). ‘Sinon’ est utilisé…
French grammar tip: Expressing Contrast with ‘Mais’ vs. ‘Cependant’
‘Mais’ and ‘cependant’ both express contrast, but ‘cependant’ is more formal. For example, ‘Je veux venir, mais je ne peux pas’ (I want to come, but I can’t) vs. ‘Il…
French grammar tip: Understanding ‘Encore’ for Repetition and Continuation
‘Encore’ can be used to indicate repetition (again) or continuation (still). For example, ‘Il est encore là’ (He is still there) vs. ‘Fais-le encore’ (Do it again). ‘Encore’ peut être…
French grammar tip: The Use of ‘Lorsque’ vs. ‘Quand’
‘Lorsque’ and ‘quand’ both mean ‘when’ in French, but ‘lorsque’ is often used in more formal contexts. For example, ‘Quand il fait beau, je vais au parc’ (When the weather…
French grammar tip: Understanding ‘Quel’ as an Interrogative Adjective
‘Quel’ is an interrogative adjective used to ask ‘which’ or ‘what’. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, ‘Quel film veux-tu voir?’ (Which movie…
French grammar tip: The Use of ‘Vers’ and ‘Envers’
‘Vers’ means ‘towards’ in a physical sense, while ‘envers’ is used more abstractly to mean ‘towards’ in the sense of attitude or behavior. For example, ‘Je marche vers la porte’…
French grammar tip: Using ‘Devoir’ to Express Obligation
‘Devoir’ is a verb used to express obligation or necessity, similar to ‘must’ or ‘have to’ in English. For example, ‘Je dois faire mes devoirs’ means ‘I must do my…
French grammar tip: Understanding the Use of ‘Parce que’ vs. ‘Car’
‘Parce que’ and ‘car’ both mean ‘because’ in French, but ‘car’ is more formal and is often used in written language. For example, ‘Je suis resté à la maison parce…
French grammar tip: The Role of ‘Avant’ and ‘Après’ in Time Expressions
‘Avant’ means ‘before’ and ‘après’ means ‘after’. These words are commonly used to talk about events in time. For example, ‘Je prends une douche avant de manger’ (I take a…
French grammar tip: Expressing Ability with ‘Savoir’ and ‘Pouvoir’
‘Savoir’ is used to express knowing how to do something, while ‘pouvoir’ is used to express the ability or permission to do something. For example, ‘Je sais nager’ (I know…
French grammar tip: The Use of ‘Devant’ and ‘Derrière’
‘Devant’ means ‘in front of’ and ‘derrière’ means ‘behind’. These prepositions are used to describe the relative positions of objects or people. For example, ‘La voiture est devant la maison’…