French, but Fun — Part 9
Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place in French provide information about the location or position of an action. They indicate where an action takes place.
Here are a few examples.
- Ici (Here): It refers to a location near the speaker.
Example: Je suis ici. (I am here.)
- Là (There): It indicates a location near the person spoken to or previously mentioned.
Example: Va là-bas. (Go there.)
- Là-bas (Over there): It points to a location that is further away from both the speaker and the person spoken to.
Example: La plage est là-bas. (The beach is over there.)
- Partout (Everywhere): It means in all places or in every location.
Example: J’ai cherché partout. (I looked everywhere.)
- Nulle part (Nowhere): It indicates that something is in no place or not in any location.
Example: Je ne trouve mes clés nulle part. (I can’t find my keys anywhere.)
- À droite (To the right): It indicates a direction or location to the right.
Example: Tournez à droite. (Turn right.)
- À gauche (To the left): It indicates a direction or location to the left.
Example: La boulangerie est à gauche. (The bakery is to the left.)
- Devant (In front): It refers to a location or position in front of something or someone.
Example: Il est assis devant la télévision. (He is sitting in front of the television.)
- Derrière (Behind): It indicates a location or position behind something or someone.
Example: Le chat se cache derrière le canapé. (The cat is hiding behind the sofa.)
- Dessus (On top/Above): It indicates a position or location on something else.
Example: Le livre est dessus la table. (The book is on top of the table.)
- Dessous (Under/Beneath): It indicates a position or location below something else.
Example: Le livre est dessous la table. (The book is under the table.)
- En haut (Upstairs/Up): It refers to a location or position above or on a higher level.
Example: Les chambres sont en haut. (The bedrooms are upstairs.)
- En bas (Downstairs/Down): It indicates a location or position below or on a lower level.
Example: La cave est en bas. (The cellar is downstairs.)
- Loin (Far): It indicates a location or distance that is far away.
Example: L’épicerie est loin d’ici. (The grocery store is far from here.)
- Près (Near): Are used to indicate the proximity or closeness of one location to another.
Example: Elle habite près de chez moi. (She lives near me.)
Passé Composé
The passé composé is a compound past tense used to talk about completed actions or events in the past. It is commonly used to describe specific actions that happened at a definite time or within a specific timeframe.
It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the present tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The choice of the auxiliary verb depends on the verb being used.
Past Participle
Exercises
Reading Exercise
Text:
Bienvenue dans ma petite maison ! Je suis un chat noir et je m’appelle Félix. Je vis ici depuis longtemps. Aujourd’hui, je joue avec une balle en laine. Hier, j’ai attrapé une souris dans le jardin. J’adore chasser ! Mon propriétaire est gentil et me donne toujours de la nourriture délicieuse. Je suis heureux ici. Maintenant, je m’étends près de la fenêtre et je regarde les oiseaux voler. La vie est belle !
Translation:
Welcome to my little house! I am a black cat and my name is Felix. I have lived here for a long time. Today I play with a woolen ball. Yesterday I caught a mouse in the garden. I love to hunt! My owner is kind and always gives me delicious food. I am happy here. Now I lie by the window and watch the birds fly. Life is beautiful !
Listening Resource
An exciting podcast where you can learn new things and also practice your listening skills is Podcast Français Authentique | Podcast on Spotify
