5 French Grammar Rules You Need to Master

 

Did you know the French language is set to become a second lingua franca in the next five years? Without a doubt, it is a world language spoken by over 300 million people on five continents. Also, it is one of the most functional languages to learn for personal as well as professional merits. So, start your French lessons with the best French language course in the market. Mastering grammar rules is often a tedious task. Worry not! This blog will explain five crucial French grammar rules to help you in your journey.

French is the most learned language after English and Spanish. Subsequently, Bloomberg rankings show French is only third in the list of the most useful languages for business with English and Mandarin preceding it. Also, it shares many similarities with English. Hence, French is a good start for an English-speaking person because it offers less difficulty in memorisation of French grammar rules and vocabulary.

Knowledge of the basic rules and patterns in the French language will help you gain your French skills trouble-free. It is noted that most learners struggle to comprehend classroom rules in French. Apart from this, the rules of French pronunciation can turn confusing to many. Undoubtedly, the path to learning French is not smooth. But, it’s not unattainable.

 

Here, I will list five basic French grammar rules which you must know to speak French fluently.

1. Nouns and Gender

Unlike English, the French language follows grammatical gender. That is to say, every noun is assigned a gender regardless of its natural gender. In the French language, the words are either masculine or feminine depending on their inflectional endings. Consequently, the gender rules in French grammar can turn tricky for most of us. As a general rule, French words ending with -e is usually considered feminine. Subsequently, words with other endings are often termed masculine. But, there are exceptions as well.

For eg:

• la nation is a feminine word not ending in -e

• un livre, a masculine word ending -e

Hence, one can say there are no hard and fast rules to learn gender rules in French grammar. Indeed, the best way to master them is to byheart them as it exists in the standard French grammar rules.

2. Plurals of French words

How do we mark plurals of French nouns? Undoubtedly, this is one of the basics of French grammar rules. In English, the plural changes are marked on nouns. Alternatively, French words note plural changes on nouns, adjectives, and determiners attached to them. As a rule, the plural markings such as the -s ending gets added to the nouns in English sentences. While, French sentences take the -s ending at the end of the nouns, adjectives and determiners.

For instance:

Take the sentences

• The fruits are ripe
• Les fruits sont murs

Here the French sentence holds the -s ending in three places (article, noun, adjective). However, the English one marks the plural change with the -s ending on the noun “fruit”.

Other plural markings in French

In French -s is not the only plural mark. There are -x endings as well. The adjectives with the -al endings become -aux in their respective plurals.

Eg:

• une fleur >des fleurs

• un animal >des animaux

3. Articles

They are unavoidable in French sentences. Therefore, this rule comes under the essential French grammar rules. To begin with, the use of articles in French must agree with the gender and the number of the respective noun. The following are the articles used in French.

Indefinite articles (a/an)

• Un (masculine)

Eg: un chien (a dog)

• Une (feminine)

Eg: une chaise (a chair)

• Des (plural)

Eg: des oiseaux (birds)

Definite articles (The)

• Le (masculine)

Eg: le panier (the basket)

• La (feminine)

Eg: la souris (the mouse)

• Les (plural)

Eg: les femme (the women)

4. Possessives

In English, possessive pronouns or adjectives are determined based on the owner of the object, especially gender. 

For instance, when we talk about Ramu’s daughter we would say “his daughter”. “His” is the possessive adjective used to mark the masculine gender of Ramu.

But, in French, the possessives must agree on the gender of the object. Thus the possessive forms are noted as “sa fille” instead of “son fille” in French. Here the word fille’s gender is feminine. Therefore, the possessive marking “sa” (her) is placed.

The list of other possessives includes ma, mon, tan, ton, sa, son etc. Without a doubt, these rules are rudimental to French grammar rules. So, learn them.

5. Sentence Structure

French has a subject-verb-object sentence structure similar to English. 

Consider the following sentence and its French translation

• We like apples

• Nous aimons les pommes

Here Nous( We) = subject, aimons (like) = verb, les pommes (apples) = Object

Both sentences have an S-V-O order in the sentence structure.

But, there are exceptions to this rule. In French grammar, adjectives (descriptive) often come after the nouns. On the other hand, English adjectives come before the nouns.

For eg:

The white paper translates to le livre blanc in French. Here, the adjective “blanc” comes before the noun “livre”. This one is quite fundamental among the French grammar rules. It will help you to construct French sentences with ease.

   

I have mentioned some of the essential French grammar rules here. If you are someone always confused with the nuances and intricacies of French grammar. You can always join various French language training courses available in the market. Henry Harvin provides an excellent French learning course to help you fulfil your language goals.

French language course

Henry Harvin is a leading institute noted for its finest upskilling and reskilling programs focused on setting career goals. Indeed, the  French language course is a tailor-made course catering to the needs of aspiring French language professionals.  At Henry Harvin, you can learn under the guidance of experienced mentors. Moreover, this course is notable for its action-oriented learning solutions. 

Besides, the unique goal-centric-action-oriented pedagogy adopted in the training process has helped millions of language professionals to realise their professional aspirations. In short, with the Henry Harvin French language course, get ready to speak French fluently.

Key features of the course

• To start with, you will have 56 hours of online training
• Subsequently, you can master the basics of French grammar and vocabulary
• Also, complete A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 levels of language
• In addition to this, sharpen your French writing skills
• Furthermore, access to learning materials and recorded video lessons
• One-to-one sessions with the trainer
• Additionally, participate in live projects
• Similarly, internship opportunities
• Guidance to attend French language exams DILF, DELF, DALF, DCL & TCF
• Last, attain the certification of your French skills
• Assistance in Job support and more

Other Courses by Henry Harvin

• French language translator course
• Korean Language Course
• Japanese Language Course
• Indonesian Language Course
• Italian Language Course

Why learn French?

The prospects of learning French are many. Unquestionably, being fluent in one of the international languages places you at an advantage. Let’s see how? 

Travel 

With your ability to speak French, your visit to France can become all the more enjoyable. Speaking the native language helps one not only to understand local people but also to experience their way of life. Likewise, while travelling to francophone countries such as Belgium, Canada, Switzerland and Africa, knowing French is immensely helpful. 

Culture

France is known for its magnificent art and culture. Learning this language can help us appreciate them better. Besides, most French literary works are classics in world literature. Therefore, mastering French enables you to read the original works. Furthermore, fashion, food, and theatre become more accessible.

Education

Your French skills can take you to world-class universities in France for higher studies.

Profession

French is one of the top languages to enhance one’s employability. MNCs across the world prefer multilingual employees, especially those well-versed in French. Being the seventh largest economy in the world, France offers promising business opportunities. Also, there are highly-paid jobs available at embassies and international organisations. Similarly, one can find work as a French translator and interpreter too.  

Conclusion 

Undoubtedly, learning new languages can become a challenge for most of us. Many find it hard to memorise French grammar rules and vocabulary. As far as the rules of French pronunciation are concerned, it takes practice to master it. Today, there are multiple language-learning resources such as online courses, books, apps and podcasts to learn French. No matter what your reasons are, you should start learning French for the love of it. With consistent effort and practice, you can master French in no time.

Recommended Reads

• 10 Best French Language Learning Apps 2023
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• 20+ Benefits of Learning French Language

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