French, but Fun — Part 12

7 min readJul 22, 2023

The journey continues with the simple tense of the future, and diving into how to express likes and dislikes, how to talk about our hobbies, and how to properly place adjectives in sentences.

Future Simple Tense

Using the Future Simple tense allows us to express our vision of the future confidently and clearly. This powerful tool enables us to communicate our plans, predictions, and intentions, motivating ourselves and those around us to embrace the limitless potential of tomorrow.

Formation of the Future Simple tense

To form the Future Simple tense, you will need to use the verb’s infinitive form and add specific endings based on the subject pronoun.

Irregular verbs in the Future Simple tense

Some common verbs have irregular stems in the Future Simple tense, meaning their endings are different from regular verbs.

Some examples are:

Future Simple with reflexive verbs

When using reflexive verbs in the Future Simple tense, the reflexive pronoun stays attached to the verb:

Se lever (to get up)

Je me lèverai tôt demain. (I will get up early tomorrow.)

Se laver (to wash oneself)

Elle se lavera les mains avant de manger. (She will wash her hands before eating.)

Example sentences

Nous irons au parc et jouerons au football. (We will go to the park and play football.)

Tu achèteras des fleurs et les offriras à ta mère. (You will buy flowers and give them to your mother.)

Elle lira un livre intéressant et écrira un résumé. (She will read an interesting book and write a summary.)

Nous mangerons au restaurant et essayerons leur spécialité. (We will eat at the restaurant and try their specialty.)

Ils voyageront en Europe et visiteront plusieurs pays. (They will travel in Europe and visit several countries.)

Vous finirez vos devoirs et regarderez un film ensuite. (You all will finish your homework and watch a movie afterward.)

Je parlerai à mon professeur et lui poserai des questions. (I will talk to my teacher and ask him/her questions.)

Elles feront du shopping et achèteront de nouveaux vêtements. (They will go shopping and buy new clothes.)

Il cuisinera un délicieux repas et invitera des amis à dîner. (He will cook a delicious meal and invite friends for dinner.)

Nous aurons une réunion importante et discuterons des projets futurs. (We will have an important meeting and discuss future projects.)

Expressing likes and dislikes

Likes

J’aime (I like): This is a simple way to express that you enjoy something. Example: J’aime les animaux (I like animals).
J’adore (I love): Use this to indicate a strong affection or passion for something. Example: J’adore le chocolat (I love chocolate).
J’aime bien (I quite like): It shows that you have a positive feeling towards something, but not as strong as “j’adore.” Example: J’aime bien regarder des films (I quite like watching movies).
J’apprécie (I appreciate): This expresses a sense of gratitude or recognition for something. Example: J’apprécie ton aide (I appreciate your help).

Dislikes

Je n’aime pas (I don’t like): Use this to express a general dislike for something. Example: Je n’aime pas les légumes (I don’t like vegetables).
Je déteste (I hate): To show a strong aversion or intense dislike. Example: Je déteste le bruit (I hate noise).
Je n’aime vraiment pas (I really don’t like): To emphasize your dislike. Example: Je n’aime vraiment pas les examens (I really don’t like exams).
Je ne supporte pas (I can’t stand): To convey that something is intolerable to you. Example: Je ne supporte pas l’arrogance (I can’t stand arrogance).

Asking about likes and dislikes

Tu aimes…? (Do you like…?): This is a simple way to ask someone about their preferences. Example: Tu aimes le café? (Do you like coffee?)
Est-ce que tu aimes…? (Do you like…?): Another way to ask about likes. Example: Est-ce que tu aimes les sports? (Do you like sports?)
Qu’est-ce que tu aimes? (What do you like?): A more general question about someone’s likes. Example: Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire pendant ton temps libre? (What do you like to do in your free time?)

Talking about hobbies and activities

Talking about your hobbies and activities can be a wonderful way to connect with others and express your interests.

Hobbies

Mon passe-temps préféré est… (My favorite pastime/hobby is…): Example: Mon passe-temps préféré est la photographie (My favorite hobby is photography).
Je suis passionné(e) de… (I am passionate about…): Example: Je suis passionné(e) de musique (I am passionate about music).
J’aime beaucoup… (I really like…): Example: J’aime beaucoup dessiner (I really like drawing).
Mes loisirs sont… (My leisure activities are…): Example: Mes loisirs sont la lecture et la danse (My leisure activities are reading and dancing).
Je m’intéresse à… (I am interested in…): Example: Je m’intéresse à l’astronomie (I am interested in astronomy).

Activities

Je fais du/dela/des… (I do…): Example: Je fais du yoga (I do yoga).
J’aime pratiquer… (I enjoy practicing…): Example: J’aime pratiquer le tennis (I enjoy playing tennis).
Nous jouons au/à la/aux… (We play…): Example: Nous jouons au football (We play football).
Je participe à… (I participate in…): Example: Je participe à des compétitions de natation (I participate in swimming competitions).
J’essaie de… (I try to…): Example: J’essaie de cuisiner de nouvelles recettes chaque semaine (I try to cook new recipes every week).

Asking about hobbies and activities

Quels sont tes loisirs? (What are your hobbies?)
Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire pendant ton temps libre? (What do you like to do in your free time?)
Tu pratiques un sport? (Do you play a sport?)
Est-ce que tu as des hobbies? (Do you have any hobbies?)

Vocabulary related to hobbies and activities

Le sport (sport)
La musique (music)
La danse (dance)
La lecture (reading)
La peinture (painting)
La cuisine (cooking)
Le voyage (traveling)
Le jardinage (gardening)
La photographie (photography)
Le cinéma (cinema/movies)
Les jeux vidéo (video games)

Remember to adjust the verbs and pronouns depending on the subject and context. Additionally, if you want to talk about the frequency of an activity, you can use adverbs like “souvent” (often), “parfois” (sometimes), “rarement” (rarely), or “tous les jours” (every day).

Positioning of Adjectives

In French, the positioning of adjectives in sentences follows certain rules. The general rule is that most adjectives come after the noun they modify. However, some exceptions and situations exist where adjectives come before the noun.

Adjectives After the Noun

The most common position for adjectives in French is after the noun. When adjectives come after the noun, they usually follow these patterns:

Masculine Singular Nouns: Un livre intéressant (An interesting book)
Feminine Singular Nouns: Une chaise confortable (A comfortable chair)
Masculine Plural Nouns: Des amis sympathiques (Friendly friends)
Feminine Plural Nouns: Des fleurs magnifiques (Magnificent flowers)

Adjectives Before the Noun

Some adjectives come before the noun they modify, and they often have a different meaning than when they appear after the noun. These adjectives typically relate to subjective qualities.

Here are some common examples:

BANGS adjectives: This acronym stands for Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, and Size. Adjectives in these categories often come before the noun. Example: Un grand homme (A tall man), Une belle fleur (A beautiful flower), De jeunes enfants (Young children)
Other examples: Certaines personnes (Certain people), Différentes raisons (Different reasons), Mauvais temps (Bad weather), Bon vin (Good wine)

It’s important to note that some adjectives can change their meaning depending on whether they are placed before or after the noun. For example, “un homme ancien” means “an old man” (in the sense of elderly), while “un ancien homme” means “a former man” (in the sense of someone who used to be something else).

In addition to these general rules, there are specific cases where adjectives are typically placed before the noun, such as when expressing opinions, judgments, or feelings about the noun. In such cases, the adjective often comes before the noun for emphasis.

Example: Un délicieux repas (A delicious meal), Une triste histoire (A sad story), Un drôle de personnage (A funny character)

As with any language, there may be exceptions and nuances, but understanding the general rules will help you correctly position adjectives in French sentences most of the time. Practice is key to becoming more comfortable with adjective placement in various contexts.