I have to
Il faut que je passe un coup de fil.I have to make a phone call.Il faut que je reste chez moi ce soir.I have to stay in tonight.Il faut quon y soit à huit heures pile.We have to be there at eight o clock sharp.Je suis obligé de sortir dîner avec mes collègues.I have to go out to dinner with my colleagues.Tu nes pas obligé de loger à lhôtel.You dont have to stay at the hotel.BON À SAVOIR!
To say that you dont have to do something, use je ne suis pas obligé de, not il ne faut pas que je which means I mustnt.
To say what you have to do, you can also use je dois (I must) and then the verb in the infinitive. dois comes from devoir which you can find out about here.
I must
Je dois finir avant cet après-midi.I must finish before this afternoon.Je dois les prévenir.I must warn them.Je dois le rembourser cette semaine.I must pay him back this week.Tu ne dois pas oublier de signer le contrat.You mustnt forget to sign the contract.Vous ne devez en parler à personne.You mustnt tell anyone.When you want to say that you should or ought to do something, use il faudrait que (I should) and then the verb in the subjunctive. Like faut, faudrait comes from the verb falloir, but faudrait is the conditional. To find out more about the conditional and the subjunctive, see here.
I should
Il faudrait que jappelle Anne.I should call Anne.Il faudrait que tu nous rendes visite.You should come and visit us.Il faudrait que je te donne mon numéro de portable.I should give you my mobile number.To ask what someone has to do or when, how, why or where they have to do it, put qu (what), quand (when), comment (how), pourquoi (why), où (where) and so on at the beginning of the sentence, before est-ce quil faut que (do you have to). Remember that the verb after il faut que is in the subjunctive. To find out more about the subjunctive, see here.
Do you have to?
Est-ce quil faut que tu leur donnes une réponse aujourdhui?Do you have to give them an answer today?Est-ce quil faut que tu partes tout de suite?Do you have to go right now?Est-ce quil faut amener quelque chose?Do we have to bring something?Quest-ce quil faut que tu fasses?What do you have to do?Quand est-ce quil faut que ce soit fini?When does it have to be finished?Où est-ce quil faut que je massoie?Where do I have to sit?LISTEN OUT FOR
Here are some key phrases which you are likely to hear in conversation.
Vous êtes déjà allé à Lille?Have you ever been to Lille?Vous restez combien de temps à Rouen?How long are you staying in Rouen?Ça vous plaît, Rouen?How do you like Rouen?Vous apprenez le français depuis combien de temps?How long have you been learning French?Ça va, tu arrives à suivre?Are you following the conversation?Vous parlez bien français.Your French is very good.Est-ce que je parle trop vite?Am I speaking too fast?Vous préférez que je parle anglais?Would you prefer it if I spoke English?Vous voulez que je répète?Would you like me to say it again?Vous voulez que je parle moins vite?Do you want me to speak more slowly?Tu peux me tutoyer.You can call me tu.On se tutoie?Shall we call each other tu?Vous êtes marié?Are you married?Vous avez des enfants?Have you got any children?Tu viens souvent ici?Do you come here often?Lifestyle Tips
The polite you(vous) is used to address people whom you dont know. Its also a way of showing respect to someone whos older than you, or, at work, to someone whos higher up in the hierarchy. People who work together on a daily basis usually say tu to each other, (se tutoyer to saytuto each other) but it is safer to wait a little before taking that step. Many people do not like to be addressed as vous, because they think its too formal. They will usually suggest you call them tu, saying tu peux me tutoyer or on peut se tutoyer. You can make the first move and ask On se tutoie?, if you think that the other person will be more comfortable using the tu form.
When meeting someone for the first time, you usually shake hands (serrer la main à quelquun), whether its a man or a woman. In business relations, at business appointments or at negotiations, shaking hands is very common. Men who are on friendly terms usually shake hands, while women kiss on both cheeks (se faire la bise). Men also kiss female friends and in some cases other men, for instance when they belong to the same family. Bear in mind that habits may be different depending on where you are in France, which is why French people themselves often get confused; for instance, the number of kisses you give someone to say hello varies from one area to another!
The words ami and copain (and the feminine forms amie and copine) can either mean friend or boyfriend/girlfriend. If someone uses mon copain for instance, they could be either be talking about a male friend or their boyfriend. The expressions petit(e) ami(e) and petit(e) copain/copine can also be used to mean boyfriend and girlfriend. To say my partner, use mon compagnon for a man and ma compagne for a woman.
The words ami and copain (and the feminine forms amie and copine) can either mean friend or boyfriend/girlfriend. If someone uses mon copain for instance, they could be either be talking about a male friend or their boyfriend. The expressions petit(e) ami(e) and petit(e) copain/copine can also be used to mean boyfriend and girlfriend. To say my partner, use mon compagnon for a man and ma compagne for a woman.
French people socialize in cafés and restaurants as British people do, but it is probably more common in France than in Britain to invite people, be it for coffee (pour prendre le café), for the apéritif (pour prendre lapéritif or, more informally lapéro) or for dinner (pour le dîner). Traditionally, le café or lapéritif are ways of getting to know people more, while le dîner (and lunch, le déjeuner) are an opportunity for people who already know each other well, or families, to spend time together.
Getting there
Bon voyage! Have a good trip!
If youre going to be travelling to and around French-speaking countries and cities, the phrases in this unit will help you ask for directions, find out how to get to places and buy tickets in easy, everyday French.
TALKING ABOUT YOUR PLANS
When youre travelling around, you will probably want to talk about what youre going to do. Use je vais (Im going to) or on va (were going to) before the verb. These come from the verb aller. For more information on aller, see here.
Im going to
Je vais passer une journée à Avignon.Im going to spend a day in Avignon.Je vais prendre le train de sept heures.Im going to take the seven oclock train.On va passer deux nuits à Argelès.Were going to spend two nights in Argelès.Ensuite, on va aller à Grenoble.Then were going to go to Grenoble.Normalement, on va dabord à Strasbourg.If all goes well, well be going to Strasbourg first.BON À SAVOIR!
Use normalement or si tout va bien (if all goes well) at the beginning of a sentence to talk about a plan that might have to be changed.
Ill
Je vais temmener à la gare.Ill take you to the station.Ne ten fais pas, je vais prendre le bus.Dont worry, Ill get the bus.On va tappeler un taxi.Well call you a taxi.On va venir te chercher à la gare.Well come and pick you up at the railway station.If you want to talk about what your plans are, you can use jai lintention de (Im planning to).
Im planning to
Jai lintention de louer une voiture.Im planning to hire a car.Jai lintention daller au Maroc.Im planning to go to Morocco.On a lintention de suivre la route côtière.Were planning to drive along the coast.Je compte passer deux jours à Santiago.I intend to spend two days in Santiago.I hope to
Jespère aller en Alsace cette année.I hope to go to Alsace this year.Jespère voir la Bibliothèque François Mitterrand.I hope to see the François Mitterrand Library.On espère pouvoir tout visiter.We hope we can visit everything.SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO
If you want to say that you have to do something in French, such as buy a ticket, catch a train and so on, you use il faut que (I have to) or il faudrait que (I ought to) followed by the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.
I have to
Il faut que jachète mon billet demain.I have to buy my ticket tomorrow.Il faut dabord que je prenne le Train Express Régional jusquà Niort.I have to take the local train to Niort first.Il faut quon y soit avant 8 heures.We have to be there by 8 oclock.I ought to
Il faudrait que je fasse le plein.I ought to fill up the tank.Il faudrait que je confirme mon vol.I ought to confirm my flight.Il faudrait quon soit à la gare à sept heures.We ought to be at the station at seven.Il faudrait quon prenne plus de carburant.We ought to get some more petrol.Another way of saying what you have to do is to use je dois (I must) followed by the infinitive.