Idioms, Idiomatic Usage, and Structures
A0: Entry Level
- Avoir faim/soif = To be hungry/thirsty (French Expressions with avoir)
- Avoir [nombre] ans = To be [number] years old (French Expressions with avoir)
- Describing things in French with c'est = it is
- J'habite à + [ville] = I live in + [city] in French
- Je voudrais vs je veux to say that you want something in French
- Je viens de + [ville] = I'm from + [city] in French
- Il y a = There is/There are in French
- Avoir chaud/froid = To be hot/cold (French Expressions with avoir)
A1: Beginner
- Avoir besoin de = To need (French Expressions with avoir)
- Devoir vs Avoir besoin de to express "to need to" in French
- Expressing how you are with aller (Greetings in French)
- Avoir peur de = To be afraid/scared of (French Expressions with avoir)
- Describing senses with "sentir" - The different meanings of the verb "sentir" in French
- Avoir envie de = To feel like, want to (French Expressions with avoir)
- Ça m'est égal = I don't mind/care (French Idiomatic Expressions)
- Talking about the weather in French - il fait + [adjectif]
- Avoir mal (à) = To be in pain, to hurt somewhere (French Expressions with avoir)
- Expressing possession in French with "être à"
- Expressing ongoing actions in the present in French with "être en train de"
- Expressing timeliness in French - late/early/on time - general
- Ça y est = That's it/It's done (French Idiomatic Expressions)
- Faire de/jouer à : talking about sports, hobbies and leisure activities in French
- Jouer de = to play an instrument in French
- Ça ne fait rien = It doesn't matter (French Idiomatic Expressions)
- Talking about the weather in French - il y a + [nom]
- Faire les courses vs Faire les magasins to talk about shopping (French Expressions with faire)
- Être d'accord avec = to agree with (French Expressions with être)
A2: Lower Intermediate
- Expressing "to walk" with se promener/promener/marcher/aller à pied in French
- Faire confiance (à) = To trust (French Expressions with faire)
- Avoir l'habitude de = To be in the habit of, to tend to (French Expressions with avoir)
- Faire la queue = To queue/To be in line/To stand in line (French Expressions with faire)
- Expressing ongoing actions in the past in French: être en train de
- Faire partie de = To be part of (French Expressions with faire)
- Faire mal à vs Faire du mal à = to hurt someone (French Expressions with faire)
- Faire peur (à) = To scare someone (French Expressions with faire)
- S'en aller = To leave in French
- Using manquer (de) to say you/something miss or lack in French
- Expressing you like something/someone in French with the verb "plaire"
- "Sentir bon" vs "Se sentir bien" - The different meanings of the verb "sentir" in French
- Aller à = to suit someone (French Expressions with aller)
- Aimer = to love, like something/someone in French
- Demi/moitié/etc = Half in French
- Se souvenir de/Se rappeler (de) = To remember something in French
- Expressing timeliness in French - late/early - precise
- Connaître vs savoir = to know something vs to know how to do in French
- Expressing "to find" and opinions with the verb "trouver" in French
- Visiter vs Rendre visite à whether you visit a place or a person
- Using "devoir" in the imperfect tense versus the compound past in French (L'Imparfait vs Le Passé Composé)
- Avoir honte de = to be ashamed of (French Expressions with avoir)
- Il y a + [durée] = [duration] + ago (French Expressions of Time)
- Faire exprès (de) = To do something on purpose (French Expressions with faire)
- Avoir raison/tort/de la chance = To be right/wrong/lucky (French Expressions with avoir)
- Using manquer (à) to say you miss someone or something emotionally in French
B1: Intermediate
- Passer can be used with avoir or être in compound tenses depending on its meaning in French (Le Passé Composé)
- By + [point in time] = d'ici [moment] in French
- Rappeler [à quelqu'un] = to remind [someone] in French
- Avoir un exam = To pass an exam (French Expressions with avoir)
- Expressing "to leave" with partir/laisser/quitter/sortir in French
- Differences between French and English usages - Passer un exam vs To pass an exam
- Avoir du mal à/avec = To have trouble, to struggle to/with (French Expressions with avoir)
- Passer/se passer/se passer de - the different meanings of the verb "passer" in French
- Using "faillir + [infinitive]" to say you almost did something in French
- Using the compound past (Le Passé Composé) vs the present (Le Présent) in negative sentences with "depuis" (since/for) in French
- Using "si" + L'Imparfait in hypothetical sentences with Le Conditionnel Présent
B2: Upper Intermediate
- Faire + [infinitive] = to have something done in French (Causative)
- "Penser/trouver/savoir/croire/prétendre que" are followed with the indicative mood (L'Indicatif) in affirmative sentences BUT with the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) in negative ones
- Attendre quelqu'un vs s'attendre à quelque chose = to wait vs to expect in French
- Avoir besoin que + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = To need someone to do something in French
- Expressing "the most/least that I have (ever)..." with a superlative followed by the subjunctive mood in French (Le Subjonctif)
C1: Advanced
- What is the ne explétif and when to use it in French
- Sans que (+ ne explétif) + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = Without doing in French
- Le temps que + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = By the time that in French
- Au cas où + conditional mood (Le Conditionnel) = in case in French
- Jusqu'à ce que + Le Subjonctif = Until [someone] does [something] in French
- Avant que + ne explétif + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = Before I do in French
- Que + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = Whether you do something (or not) in French
- De peur que + ne explétif + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = for fear that in French
- À moins que + ne explétif + the subjunctive mood (Le Subjonctif) = Unless you do in French