Lesson 16 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Lesson 16 Deck (65)
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1
Q

Translate to French:

The teacher had (made) the students sing

A

L’instituteur a fait chanter les élèves

Recall the causative use of faire, which is formed by faire + an infinitive. If the direct object in a causative construction is a noun (les élèves in this case), it follows the infinitive.

2
Q

Translate to French:

She had the car washed. She had it washed

A

Elle a fait laver la voiture. Elle l’a fait laver

If the direct object in a causative construction is an object pronoun (l’ in this case), it precedes faire. Also note that the object of faire here is laver, so the past participle of faire does not agree with the preceding feminine direct object pronoun.

3
Q

Translate to French:

Have the house built. Have it built

A

Faites construire la maison. Faites-la construire

Note the placement of the direct objects in these (affirmative) imperative causative constructions. When the direct object is a pronoun (as in the second sentence), it follows the verb (attached with a hyphen) but precedes the infinitive.

4
Q

Translate to French:

He had the students sing the song. He had them sing it

A

Il a fait chanter la chanson par les élèves. Il la leur a fait chanter

Here, two pronouns are used with the causative faire. The students (those doing the action) are the indirect object, while the song being sung is the direct object. Note also that the past participle of faire is invariable when followed by an infinitive.

5
Q

Translate to French:

I am having him clean it

A

Je le lui fais nettoyer

Two pronouns are used in this causative construction. Recall that le/la/les should come before lui/leur when two pronouns are used.

6
Q

Translate to French:

She had the newspaper brought to her

A

Elle s’est fait apporter le journal

The reflexive causative indicates that the subject is having something done to or for himself/herself.

7
Q

Translate to French:

You have your hair cut

A

Tu te fais couper les cheveux

Note the use of the reflexive se faire in this causative construction. Also recall how the definite article is used with body parts like cheveux.

8
Q

Translate to French:

I let Marcel do his homework

A

Je laisse Marcel faire ses devoirs

Note how the infinitive can be used after the verb laisser. This is similar to how the infinitive is used with faire in causative constructions.

9
Q

Translate to French:

Did you let Jean eat the dessert?

A

Est-ce que tu as laissé Jean manger le dessert?

10
Q

Translate to French:

My parents let me play guitar

A

Mes parents me laissent jouer de la guitare

Note how the direct object pronoun me precedes the verb here.

11
Q

Translate to French:

I let him do it

A

Je le laisse le faire

There are two object pronouns here. One of them precedes the verb, while the other, which is the object of the infinitive, precedes the infinitive. In other words, the second le here refers to “it,” which is the object of the infinitive faire.

12
Q

Translate to French:

We hear Paul singing

A

On entend chanter Paul

Just like laisser, verbs of perception can be followed by the infinitive. Verbs that can be used like this include: entendre, voir, sentir, regarder, and écouter.

13
Q

Translate to French:

We saw Maxime reading his book

A

Nous avons vu Maxime lire son livre

In this verb of perception + infinitive construction, the noun livre (the object of the infinitive lire) comes after the infinitive.

14
Q

Translate to French:

I see the girl eating. I see her eating

A

Je vois manger la fille. Je la vois manger

Note the placement of the direct object pronoun before the verb of perception.

15
Q

Translate to French:

We heard Marie sing(ing) the song. We heard her sing(ing) the song

A

Nous avons entendu Marie chanter la chanson. Nous l’avons entendue chanter la chanson

Note how the feminine past participle agrees with the preceding feminine object pronoun l’, which replaces Marie.

16
Q

Translate to French:

They heard her singing

A

Ils l’ont entendue chanter

Note how the participle agrees with the preceding object pronoun, which refers to a woman singing. The woman performs the action expressed by the infinitive. In other words, she is the subject of the infinitive, which warrants participle agreement.

17
Q

Translate to French:

They heard it (the song) sung

A

Ils l’ont entendu chanter

Here, the participle entendu does not agree with the preceding object pronoun, which refers to a song being sung. This is because the song is actually the object of the infinitive, chanter. Participle agreement could only occur if the song were the subject of the infinitive, which is not the case.

18
Q

Translate to French:

We heard her sing(ing) the song. We heard her sing(ing) it

A

Nous l’avons entendue chanter la chanson. Nous l’avons entendue la chanter

Here, two object pronouns are used. The first (l’) applies to the person singing, while the second (la) is the song being sung.

19
Q

Translate to French:

After visiting Paris, he went to Grenoble

A

Après avoir visité Paris, il est allé à Grenoble

Note the past infinitive, which is formed by pairing the infinitive of either avoir or être with a past participle. The past infinitive is used for actions that happened before other actions. Both actions are performed by the same subject.

20
Q

Translate to French:

Thank you for helping him

A

Merci de l’avoir aidé

In English, the more literal translation here would be “Thanks for having helped him,” which is how we say it in French. Also note the object pronoun l’, placed before the verb construction here.

21
Q

Translate to French:

I’m sorry for having missed you at the airport

A

Je suis désolé de t’avoir manqué à l’aéroport

Note the use of de after désolé – “sorry for.” Also note the object pronoun t’, which precedes the past participle construction.

22
Q

Translate to French:

They’re happy that they came

A

Ils sont contents d’être venus

Note how the past participle agrees with the subject, since the auxiliary verb is être. (A more direct English translation would have been “They’re happy for having come.”)

23
Q

Translate to French:

You guys wanted to (have) finish(ed) by Saturday

A

Vous vouliez avoir terminé avant le samedi

Here, the past infinitive modifies the main verb, vouloir.

24
Q

Translate to French:

Julie? After seeing her, we left

A

Julie? Après l’avoir vue, nous sommes partis

Note how the past participle vue agrees with its preceding feminine direct object.

25
Q

Translate to French:

He regrets not coming/having come

A

Il regrette de ne pas être venu

Note the placement of negative adverbs in the past infinitive. Ne and pas do not surround the past infinitive; instead, they both precede it.

26
Q

Translate to French:

Marie can no longer take care of her grandmother

A

Marie ne peut plus prendre soin de sa grand-mère

to take care of - prendre soin de. Note that an alternative is the reflexive construction s’occuper de.

27
Q

Translate to French:

I dream of a day when cancer will be cured

A

Je rêve d’un jour où le cancer sera guéri

to cure - guérir. Note that “to cure someone of something” is guérir quelqu’un de quelque chose. Also note how is used instead of quand to refer to a moment in time.

28
Q

Translate to French:

Sorry to bother you

A

Excusez-moi de vous déranger

to bother, to disturb - déranger

29
Q

Translate to French:

I sneeze when I’m in the same room as a dog

A

J’éternue quand je suis dans la même pièce qu’un chien

to sneeze - éternuer

30
Q

Translate to French:

When someone sneezes, I always say “Bless you!”

A

Quand quelqu’un éternue, je dis toujours “À vos souhaits!”

bless you - à vos souhaits. This literally means “to your wishes.” When addressing someone with whom you are more familiar, you could say à tes souhaits.

31
Q

Translate to French:

This year, orange is in style

A

Cette année, l’orange est à la mode

in style - à la mode

32
Q

Translate to French:

She has the know-how to take care of herself

A

Elle a le savoir-faire de s’occuper d’elle-même

know-how - le savoir-faire. This is an invariable masculine noun.

33
Q

Translate to French:

I thank you for helping me

A

Je vous remercie pour votre aide

to thank - remercier. Note that “to thank someone for something” is remercier quelqu’un pour quelque chose.

34
Q

Translate to French:

Thank him for me

A

Remerciez-le de ma part

for someone, on someone’s behalf - de sa part

35
Q

Translate to French:

She was thankful to him for the flowers

A

Elle lui était reconnaissante pour les fleurs

grateful, thankful - reconnaissant. This adjective takes the preposition à – “grateful to.” Also note that the feminine noun reconnaissance means “thanks” or “gratitude.”

36
Q

Translate to French:

If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living?

A

Si ce n’est pas indiscret, que faites-vous dans la vie?

if you don’t mind me asking - si ce n’est pas indiscret. Some equivalent expressions include: si cette question ne vous dérange pas and pardonnez mon indiscrétion, mais.

37
Q

Translate to French:

In addition, the symptoms of the virus are not yet known

A

En outre, les symptômes du virus ne sont pas encore connus

in addition - en outre. This is a relatively formal construction. Note how pas encore is used here to mean “not yet.”

38
Q

Translate to French:

It is henceforth forbidden to leave before 6 o’clock

A

Il est désormais interdit de partir avant 18 heures

henceforth - désormais, dorénavant. Another option is dès lors.

39
Q

Translate to French:

Nonetheless, I believe that it is always important to help others

A

Néanmoins, je crois qu’il est toujours important d’aider les autres

nevertheless, nonetheless - néanmoins, pourtant. Another synonym is cependant.

40
Q

Translate to French:

Marie prepared the whole meal, apart from the appetizer

A

Marie a préparé tout le repas, hormis l’entrée

except (for), apart from - hormis. This is a formal word that is most commonly seen in written French.

41
Q

Translate to French:

In olden days, the flu was a much more serious illness

A

Jadis, la grippe était une maladie bien plus grave

formerly, in olden days - jadis. This is a more formal alternative to autrefois and auparavant.

42
Q

Translate to French:

As a result, he can no longer travel to France

A

Par conséquent, il ne peut plus voyager en France

as a result - par conséquent

43
Q

Translate to French:

Which one? Either one or the other, they’re both great

A

Lequel? Soit l’un, soit l’autre, ils sont tous les deux géniaux

either… or - soit… soit. Note the use of tous les deux to mean “both.”

44
Q

Translate to French:

You have neither sisters nor brothers

A

Tu n’as ni soeurs ni frères

neither… nor - ne… ni… ni. No article or partitive is used after this construction. Also note that ni can be used more than twice: Il n’a parlé ni à Sophie, ni à Paul, ni à Jean – “He talked neither to Sophie, nor to Paul, nor to Jean.”

45
Q

Translate to French:

Neither one can go there

A

Ni l’un ni l’autre ne peut y aller

neither one - ni l’un(e) ni l’autre ne. Note how this construction serves as the subject of the sentence. Also note how the verb is conjugated in the third-person singular.

46
Q

Translate to French:

The scarves? We did not want either one

A

Les écharpes? On ne voulait ni l’une ni l’autre

either one - ni l’un(e) ni l’autre. Here, this construction is used as the direct object (rather than the subject), which changes its meaning to “either one” (rather than “neither one”). Notice how the verb takes the negative ne.

47
Q

Translate to French:

Is there anyone tall in your class?

A

Y a-t-il personne de grand dans ta classe?

anyone - personne. In a question or conditional sentence, personne can be used without the negative ne, meaning “anyone.”

48
Q

Translate to French:

Paul eats a lot. Me too. Paul doesn’t eat much. Neither do I

A

Paul mange beaucoup. Moi aussi. Paul ne mange pas beaucoup. Moi non plus

neither, either - non plus. This is the negative form of aussi.

49
Q

Translate to French:

I know it. You know it too. Actually, I don’t know it. You don’t know it either

A

Je le sais. Tu le sais aussi. En fait, je ne le sais pas. Tu ne le sais pas non plus

neither, either - non plus

50
Q

Translate to French:

Is there a way of finding it?

A

Est-ce qu’il y a une façon de le trouver?

a way - une façon, une manière. These nouns mean “way” as in “manner.” Chemin or direction should be used to mean “way” as in “direction.”

51
Q

Translate to French:

In the end, she is all he has

A

Au bout du compte, elle est tout ce qu’il a

all said and done, in the end, ultimately - au bout du compte, en fin de compte

52
Q

Translate to French:

The symptoms of this illness are very well known

A

Les symptômes de cette maladie sont très bien connus

a symptom - un symptôme

53
Q

Translate to French:

Headaches are a common problem

A

Les maux de tête sont un problème commun

common - commun. Note the plural form of the term un mal de tête, “a headache.”

54
Q

Translate to French:

The storm damaged John’s boat

A

La tempête a endommagé le bateau de John. / Le bateau de John a été endommagé dans la tempête

to damage, to harm - endommager, abîmer, nuire à. The first two verbs are more literal, dealing directly with physical harm. Nuire à can be used more figuratively.

55
Q

Translate to French:

Claude was seriously injured when he fell last night

A

Claude a été gravement/sérieusement blessé quand il est tombé hier soir

to injure - blesser

56
Q

Translate to French:

Alcohol can damage your liver

A

L’alcool peut nuire au foie

the liver - le foie

57
Q

Translate to French:

His heart was beating rapidly

A

Son coeur battait rapidement

the heart - le coeur. Note that you could also say Son coeur battait vite.

58
Q

Translate to French:

Fortunately, the accident did not damage his brain

A

Heureusement, l’accident n’a pas endommagé son cerveau

the brain - le cerveau

59
Q

Translate to French:

This blood disease is very serious

A

Cette maladie du sang est très grave

blood - sang. The verb “to bleed” is saigner. To order rare meat in French, ask for it to be “bleeding,” or saignant.

60
Q

Translate to French:

Smoking causes damage to the lungs

A

Fumer nuit aux poumons

a lung - un poumon

61
Q

Translate to French:

I was not able to stop coughing

A

Je ne pouvais pas arrêter de tousser

to cough - tousser

62
Q

Translate to French:

Marie is staying home today because she has a cold

A

Marie reste à la maison aujourd’hui parce qu’elle a un rhume

a cold - un rhume

63
Q

Translate to French:

In winter, the flu is a very common illness

A

En hiver, la grippe est une maladie très commune

the flu - la grippe

64
Q

Translate to French:

This medication can cure the symptoms of the flu

A

Ce médicament peut guérir les symptômes de la grippe

medication, medicine - des médicaments. Note that “medicine” as a general profession is la médecine.

65
Q

Translate to French:

The majority of Americans think that health insurance costs too much

A

La plupart des Américains pensent que l’assurance maladie coûte trop cher

medical/health insurance - l’assurance maladie. This term is feminine. Note how penser is conjugated in the third-person plural. Also note how cher is not spelled chère: it is used here as an adverb, so no agreement is needed with the feminine noun assurance.