You have mastered French articles and basic grammar. Now, let's build your vocabulary by introducing the nouns that describe your immediate family and your home!
Let's meet the most basic family members. In French, family members take the article matching their natural biological gender:
Look away. How do you say "the father" in French? What is "the mother"? Think of the pair and mayor mnemonics.
1. Translate: "The father"
2. How is "La mère" pronounced?
3. Which word is related to the maternal root in English?
Now let's look at brothers, sisters, and how to refer to yourself:
Look away. What is the French word for "brother"? "Sister"? "Me"? Connect them to fraternal, sorority, and pointing to yourself.
1. Translate: "The brother"
2. How is the French word for "sister" (La sœur) pronounced?
3. What does "Moi" mean?
Grandparent vocabulary in French is built logically by combining the word for "big/grand" with the parent titles:
Look away. How do you say "grandfather" and "grandmother" in French? Note how simple the combination is once you know père and mère.
1. Translate: "The grandmother"
2. How is "Le grand-père" pronounced?
3. True or False: Grand-père requires a hyphen in French.
Let's expand the family circle to your uncles and aunts:
Look away. What is the French word for "uncle"? "Aunt"? Recall the yellow tent mnemonic.
1. Translate: "The aunt"
2. Why is "the uncle" written as "L'oncle" instead of "Le oncle"?
3. How is "La tante" pronounced?
Cousin vocabulary shows how French feminine endings often add an "e" which changes how the word sounds:
Look away. How do you pronounce the male cousin in French? How does it differ from the female cousin?
1. Translate: "The cousin" (female)
2. How is the male cousin "Le cousin" pronounced?
3. Which article pairs with "cousine"?
Let's transition to where you live:
Look away. What is the French word for "the house"? "The apartment"? Remember the mansion mnemonic.
1. Translate: "The house"
2. Why is "the apartment" written as "L'appartement"?
3. How is "La maison" pronounced?
Let's look at the outdoor garden and the main family gathering room:
Look away. What is the French word for "the garden"? "The living room"? Recall the jar and salon mnemonics.
1. Translate: "The garden"
2. How is the French word for "living room" (Le salon) pronounced?
3. Which gender is the word "salon"?
Let's study the rooms where we cook and sleep:
Look away. What is the French word for "kitchen"? "Bedroom"? Recall the cuisine and chamber mnemonics.
1. Translate: "The kitchen"
2. How is "La chambre" pronounced?
3. Which gender is the word "chambre" (bedroom)?
Finally, let's look at the bathroom spaces:
Look away. What is the French word for "the bathroom"? "The toilet"? Explain why French uses a plural article for the toilet.
1. Translate: "The toilet"
2. How is "La salle de bain" pronounced?
3. True or False: You should use "le toilette" when asking for the restroom.
Click the English cards to flip them and reveal the French translations with native audio output!
Click a French card to hear it spoken with a native accent at rate `0.8`, then select its matching English meaning card to clear them.
Great work matching your world!
Incorporate all family relations, grandparents, rooms, and household nouns into your study deck!
Achieve total self-contained mastery by completing the three tiers below.
1. Which word means "The sister"?
2. How do you write "The bathroom" (room of bath)?
3. What does "Le jardin" mean?
4. Which family title corresponds to a female cousin?
5. Why is "the uncle" written as "L'oncle" rather than "Le oncle"?
1. La de bain. (The bathroom. Clue: write the French word for "room")
2. Le -père. (The grandfather. Clue: write the prefix word meaning "grand/big")
3. La . (The bedroom. Clue: write the French word meaning "bedroom" — think of chamber)
4. Les . (The toilet. Clue: write the plural word meaning "toilet" — note that it is always plural in French)
5. La . (The kitchen. Clue: write the French word meaning "kitchen" — think of cooking cuisine)
1. Translate: "The mother is in the kitchen." (Clue: "mother" = mère, "kitchen" = cuisine, "is in" = est dans)
2. Translate: "Where is the toilet?" (Clue: "Where is" = Où est, or "Where are" = Où sont — remember that toilet is plural!)
3. Translate: "My grandfather has a house." (Clue: "My grandfather" = Mon grand-père, "has" = a, "house" = maison)
4. Explain why French uses a plural article for "toilet" (Les toilettes) compared to English.
5. Translate: "I want to sleep in the bedroom." (Clue: "I want to sleep" = Je veux dormir, "in the bedroom" = dans la chambre)
1. B is correct. *La sœur* is sister. *Le frère* is brother, and *La tante* is aunt.
2. A is correct. *La salle de bain* is bathroom. *Les toilettes* refers to toilet, and *Le salon* is living room.
3. A is correct. *Le jardin* is garden or yard (think of plants in a jar).
4. B is correct. *La cousine* is the female cousin, ending in the queenly "-ine" sound.
5. B is correct. Elision (vowel crunch) squishes *Le* to *L'* before vowel-initial *oncle*.
1. salle — *La salle de bain* (room of bath).
2. grand — *Le grand-père* (grandfather).
3. chambre — *La chambre* (bedroom / chamber).
4. toilettes — *Les toilettes* (toilet / restroom).
5. cuisine — *La cuisine* (kitchen / cuisine).
1. La mère est dans la cuisine. (*La mère* = the mother + *est dans* = is in + *la cuisine* = the kitchen).
2. Où sont les toilettes ? (Because toilet is plural in French, you must use plural verb *sont* and article *les*: "Where are the toilets?").
3. Mon grand-père a une maison. (*Mon grand-père* = my grandfather + *a* = has + *une maison* = a house).
4. Explanation: Historically, toilet installations were referred to in the plural (referring to the washbasin, mirror, and toilet bowl as separate elements). Thus, French grammar retains the plural form *Les toilettes* and requires the plural verb *sont* (Où sont...).
5. Je veux dormir dans la chambre. (*Je veux dormir* = I want to sleep + *dans la chambre* = in the bedroom).