Smarter learning starts now!
Save 30% on annual Premium »

French language Q&A Forum

Questions answered by our learning community with help from expert French teachers

14,223 questions • 30,833 answers • 906,496 learners

Ask a question
Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
George W.A1Kwiziq community member
Why do they use 'mon chat' when chat is feminine?
Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer1
Share
a. v.C1Kwiziq community member
"de" or "des"

"Bonjour

Can you please clarify for me why the answer on 1 of the questions - see below - contains "de" before the adjective and noun?

"Ta soeur et ses amis ont de jolies poupées."

I would have expected "des" because "poupées" is plural.

Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer2
Share
Joan C.A1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Why the answer to "Qui est cette fille?" is " C'est Marie" instead of "Elle est Marie"?

Since 'cette fille' is referring to a specified girl, as explained in case 2b, shouldn't we use 'elle est'?

Thanks

Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer5
Share
Gregory S.C1Kwiziq community member
Other types of "Si" clausesI'm looking for further information on the other types of "Si" clauses. L'imparfait+conditionnel is just one type. What about "Si" clauses that are placed in the past--e.g. "If you had studied harder, you would have passed the test". Another type: "If you're able, come visit me."
Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer1
Share
David S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
J'ai eu mon exam

In the quiz it was expected that you choose this form as well as the expected J'ai reussi mon exam or J'ai obtenu mon exam. In the lesson it states that you can use J'ai eu with the name of the exam (e.g. bac or licence).

So would a French speaker really use the J'ai eu or J'ai obtenu form with "mon exam"?

It seems unlikely. Rather like in English we would not say "I got my exam" or "I obtained my exam" where, of course, we have no problem with "I got my degree" or "I obtained my dregree"

Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer0
Share
Marnie C.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Ne que vs seulementJe trouve que l’utilisation de ‘ne serait que pour les garder en vie’ is unnecessarily complicated given the context of the sentence.  My preference would be ‘pour seulement les garder en vie’.  But I like your emphasis on the use and position of seulement and que.  The vast majority of English speakers position the word ‘only’ incorrectly.  It drives me crazy!
Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer1
Share
Donald H.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Tu leur rendais souvent visite jusqu'au jour où ils sont partiJe voudrais savoir pourquoi vous n'avez pas utilisé le subjonctif avec <jusqu'à-until>.  J'aurais dit <jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient partis>.  J'ai raté quoi?   C'est l'usage de <où> dans le phrase ou est qu'il y a quelque chose d'autre que j'ai raté.
Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer2
Share
David C.B1Kwiziq community member
The use of “tiers” for Third World seems strange - I have never hear anything that made me think that Third World was a fraction as opposed to an additional category after The West and the Eastern Bloc - and thus I would have thought “troisième”
Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer3
Share
Ann H.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
why are ses dons jardinière used rather than dons jardiniers in the weekend writing challenge. We are speaking of a woman. But it is not dons de jardinière, so the adjective is modifying masculine dons
Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer2
Share
Arndis K.A2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Any Sylvie?

Another problem I have here is with the explanations in the lesson. It says that when talking about SOMETHING SPECIFIC, you should use elle/il. But then there's this example: Qui est Sylvie ? - C'est ma sœur. 

I would think that here we are talking about a very specific Sylvie, and not just some Sylvie. Then why do we say c'est instead of elle? 

Asked 6 years ago
Like0Answer1
Share

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Clever stuff happening!