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2torial
#0665:
Learn2
Get By In French
(Continued)
 Get
by with basic French grammar and pronunciation
Some basic grammar
- You, formal: In English, there's only
one way to say you In French, use
vous (voo) unless the person is a child
or a friend, then use tu.
- Negative: Pas usually replaces the
adverb not in French, as in pas de
pain (no bread), pas de probléme (no
problem), or pas bien (not good).
- In French, all nouns have gender, and
the adjectives attached to them reflect that. In
the lists of Steps 2 through 6, the masculine
form of nouns and adjectives come first,
followed by a slash and the feminine form.
Some basic pronunciation
The French use gutteral and nasal sounds much
more than the American ear is accustomed to
hearing. As a foreigner in a francophone country,
give yourself time to hear the types of sounds in
the language, instead of focusing only on words and
meanings, and listen to the way words are
pronounced.
Regarding the pronunciation guides in Steps 2
through 6, keep in mind that not all native
sounds are possible to duplicate in print. For
instance:
-
- The U sound in l'autobus is
deep and comes from way back in the bottom of
the throat. The closest english equivalent is in
the word fuel; therefore this deep
U sound will be represented by the
letters UE in the tutorial.
- Otherwise, the U sound will be
represented by OO and is pronounced as in
moon or fool.
- AH is pronounced the way you would
say the sound ah.
- OE should be pronounced as in big
toe.
- The ZYUH sound is closest to the
g in orange, but it's softer, and
the sound is drawn out a bit.
- Equal stress is placed on all
syllables unless written in both upper and
lowercase letters. In that case, stress is
placed upon the uppercase letters.
Nasal sounds are tricky to duplicate at first.
These hidden sounds are kept way up at the back of
the nose and above the soft palate (roof of the
mouth). Although somewhat of a challenge, nasal
sounds are necessary for correct pronunciation.
They are written in parentheses as a reminder to
tuck them away and speak them with less emphasis.
When in doubt, don't pronounce the final consonant
if it's the last letter in the word.
Otherwise, please read the pronunciation guides
as you would in English. Remember, they should help
you recall the sound of the word, rather
than teach you how to say the word.
 Step
2
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