Relationships and Choices Describing Family

Transcription

1 Relationships and Choices Describing Family Relationships and Choices is one of the main topics of GCSE French. It is one of the key topics in speaking assessments, so it is very important to learn how to answer the questions and use vocabulary related to this subject. In the topic itself, there are many sub-categories that we can discuss. See each sub-category below for more details on key vocabulary and questions. I. Describing Your Family 1. Vocabulary - Family Members Mes parents Mon père Mon beau-père Ma mère Ma belle-mère Ma sœur Ma belle-sœur Ma demi-sœur Mon frère Mon beau-frère Mon demi-frère Ma tante Mon oncle Ma cousine My parents My father My stepfather My mother My stepmother My sister My stepsister My half-sister My brother My stepbrother My half-brother My aunt My uncle My cousin (f) 1

2 Mon cousin Ma grand-mère Mon grand-père My cousin (m) My grandmother My grandfather Common verbs/expressions to be used: Aimer (to like/love) Etre un(e) meilleur(e) ami(e) (to be a best friend) S entendre avec (to get along with) Etre fils (m)/fille (f) unique (to be an only child) Il y a (there is/are) Avoir + number + dans ma famille (To have people in my family) J aime, Tu aimes, Il aime, Nous aimons, Vous aimez, Ils aiment. Il est mon meilleur ami. (He is my best friend) Je m entends, Tu t entends, Il/Elle/On s entend, Nous nous entendons, Vous vous entendez, Ils/Elles s entendent Je suis fils(m)/fille(f) unique. (I am an only child) Il y a cinq personnes dans ma famille. (There are five people in my family) Nous sommes six dans ma famille. (There are six people in my family) Common questions with example answers: - As-tu des frères ou des sœurs? (Do you have any brothers or sisters?) - Je suis fils(m)/fille(f) unique (I am an only child) - Oui, j en ai (Yes, I have some) Combien de frères/sœurs est-ce que tu as? - J ai deux frères et une sœur Il y a combien de personnes dans ta famille? - Dans ma famille, il y a quatre personnes (In my family, there are four people) 2

3 - Nous sommes trois dans ma famille (There are three people in my family) Est-ce que tu t entends bien avec ton frère/ta sœur/ta mère etc.? - Oui, je m entends très bien avec ma mère (Yes, I get along very well with my mother) - Oui, ma soeur est ma meilleure amie (Yes, my sister is my best friend) - Non, je ne m entends pas bien avec mon frère (No, I don t get along well with my brother) 2. Vocabulary - Family Members Jobs In French, jobs have different forms for masculine (male workers) and feminine (female workers). Some job titles don t have a feminine form and therefore take la (the, feminine) with the masculine form. There are usually word-ending patterns for masculine and feminine jobs titles (coloured orange below). Job Title (Masculine) Job Title (Feminine) English Translation Professeur (No feminine equivalent La Teacher professeur) Médecin (No feminine equivalent La Doctor médecin) Infirmier Infirmière Nurse Dentiste (No feminine equivalent La Dentist dentiste) Pharmacien Pharmacienne Pharmacist Ingénieur (No feminine equivalent Engineer L ingénieur) Mécanicien Mécanicienne Mechanic Electricien Electricienne Electrician Vendeur Vendeuse Salesperson 3

4 Avocat Avocate Lawyer Gendarme (No feminine equivalent La Police officer gendarme) Journaliste (No feminine equivalent La Journalist journaliste) Plombier Plombière Plumber Coiffeur Coiffeuse Hairdresser Boulanger Boulangère Baker Boucher Bouchère Butcher Facteur Factrice Postman/woman NOTE WELL! With professions, we don t use articles. We cannot say, for example I am A teacher. The literal translation in French would be Je suis professeur (I am teacher). Common verbs/expressions to be used: Etre + profession Etre à la retraite Etre au chômage Travailler avec les mains To be a + profession (e.g. to be a nurse: Je suis infirmier (m)) To be retired To be unemployed To work with your hands (physical labour) Common questions with example answers: Qu est-ce que ta mère fait comme travail? - Ma mère est coiffeuse (My mother is a hairdresser) - Elle travaille dans un bureau (She works in an office) Qu est-ce que ton père fait comme travail? - Mon père est dentiste (My father is a dentist) - Il travaille avec ses mains (He works with his hands) 4

5 Ou est-ce que vos parents travaillent? - Mes parents sont au chômage (My parents are unemployed) - Mes parents sont à la retraite (My parents are retired) - Ils sont pharmaciens ils travaillent dans une pharmacie. (They are pharmacists they work in a pharmacy) II. Describing People The adjectives below are to be used with the verb être. For example, Ma mère est gentille. Masculine Feminine English Translation Gentil Gentille Kind (NOT GENTLE!) Poli Polie Polite Optimiste (Same as masculine form) Optimistic Pessimiste (Same as masculine form) Pessimistic Méchant Méchante Bad/nasty (person) Égoïste (Same as masculine form) Selfish Intelligent Intelligente Intelligent Patient Patiente Patient Bavard Bavarde Talkative Travailleur Travailleuse Hardworking Sportif Sportive Sporty Paresseux Paresseuse Lazy Maladroit Maladroite Clumsy Timide (Same as masculine form) Shy/timid Triste (Same as masculine form) Sad Malheureux Malheureuse Unhappy Heureux Heureuse Happy Marrant Marrante Funny Drôle (Same as masculine form) Funny 5

6 Grand Grande Big/tall Petit Petite Small/short Beau Belle Handsome/beautiful Joli Jolie Pretty (NOT JOLLY!) Gros Grosse Fat Mince (Same as masculine form) Slim The adjectives below can be used to describe eye colour. We use avoir for these adjectives. For example, Elle a les yeux verts (She has green eyes). Eye Colour Il/Elle a les yeux Verts Bleus Noisette Bruns English Translation He/She has. eyes Green Blue Hazel Brown The adjectives below can be used to describe hair. Avoir is also used for these adjectives. For example, Mon pere a les cheveux bruns (My father has brown hair). Hair Colour Il/Elle a les cheveux Noirs Bruns Blonds Roux Longs Courts Raides Bouclés Ondulés English Translation He/She has.hair Black Brown Blond Red Long Short Straight Curly Wavy 6

7 Common questions with example answers: Parle-moi de ta soeur (Talk to me about your sister) - Elle est bavarde, mais vraiment travailleuse. Elle a les yeux bruns avec les cheveux longs et noirs. (She is talkative but very hardworking. She has brown eyes with long black hair.) Decris ta mère - Ma mère est gentille mais elle n est pas patiente. Elle a les cheveux courts et ondulés avec les yeux verts. (My mother is kind but she isn t patient. She has short, wavy hair with green eyes.) Quelles sont tes qualités/défauts? - Je suis gentil et patient mais je suis timide aussi. J ai les yeux bruns mais je n aime pas mes cheveux raides. (I am kind and patient but I am shy too. I have brown eyes but I don t like my straight hair.) After revising these pages, you should be able to describe your relationships with your family, their jobs and their physical descriptions. You should also have a better idea of what you can be asked in your speaking assessments. 7

8 Multiple Choice Questions 1. How do you say my half-sister in French? a) Ma belle-sœur b) Ma sœur c) Ma tante d) Ma demi-sœur 2. What does Je suis fils unique mean in English? a) I am a unique son. b) I am an only child (male). c) I am a unique daughter. d) I am an only child (female). 3. What does this question mean: Est-ce que tu t entends bien avec ton père? a) Don t you get along with your father? b) Do you get along with your father? c) Do you get along well with your mother? d) Do you get along well with your father? 4. What is important to note about French jobs? a) They don t take an article. We cannot say I am A nurse. Instead, we say Je suis infirmier (I am nurse). b) Some jobs have no feminine form c) They have no gender d) All of the above 5. How can we say My mother is retired in French? a) Ma mère ne travaille pas. b) Ma mère est à la retraite. 8

9 c) Ma grand-mère ne travaille pas. d) Ma mère est au chômage. 6. How is My sister is a hairdresser translated into French? a) Ma sœur est coiffeur. b) Ma sœur est coiffeuse. c) Ma belle-sœur est coiffeuse. d) Ma demi-sœur est coiffeuse. 7. What does this mean: Mon père travaille avec ses mains? a) My father works on his hands. b) My father is working without his hands. c) My father works with his hands. d) My father uses his hands to work. 8. What does this mean : Mon oncle a les cheveux roux? a) My aunt has brown hair. b) My aunt has black hair. c) My uncle has black hair. d) My uncle has red hair. 9. What is talkative in French? a) Patient b) Bavard c) Timide d) Marrant 10. What does travailleuse mean? a) A female worker 9

10 b) Hardworking (feminine) c) Hardworking (masculine) d) A male worker Answers: 1. D 2. B 3. D 4. A 5. B 6. B 7. C 8. D 9. B 10. B 10