How do you contract the preposition à with the definite articles le and les?
à + le = au, à + les = aux
What is your hobby?
Quel est ton hobby?
a hobby - un hobby
They desire many things
Ils désirent beaucoup de choses
to desire, to want, to wish for - désirer. Note that this verb is commonly followed by the infinitive: ils désirent partir en vacances -- "they want to go on vacation."
Do you want to listen to the radio?
Voulez-vous écouter la radio?
a radio - une radio
We make radios
Nous fabriquons des radios
to make, to construct, to manufacture - fabriquer
I'm going to see Paul tomorrow
Je vais voir Paul demain
immediate future tense - aller + infinitive. The immediate future tense is used to express something that will happen soon. (The future tense, on the other hand, is used for future events in general.) The immediate future tense is composed of the present tense of aller + the infinitive of the action verb. For example, "he's going to eat" would be il va manger.
He is going to use a pencil
Il va utiliser un crayon
to use - utiliser
I am going to get a good grade
Je vais recevoir une bonne note
a grade (in a class/on an exam) - une note. A "rank" or a "school year (level)" is best translated by classe.
They like all sports
Ils aiment tous les sports
a sport - un sport. Note how tous is employed to match the number and gender of sports. The feminine forms of tout are toute and toutes.
We're going to play a game of basketball
On va jouer un match de basket
a (sports) match, a game - un match, une partie. Match and partie apply to sports games, while games in general should be described with jeu.
Before playing a game, I listen to music
Avant de jouer un match, j'écoute de la musique
before - avant. Note that it is common to use avant right before de + the infinitive of a verb.
I talk to my mom after lunch
Je parle à ma mère après le déjeuner
after - après. Note that après is used here as a preposition, meaning it is followed by a noun.
It's going to be enjoyable
Ça va être agréable
pleasant, enjoyable, nice - agréable. Note that the opposite, "unpleasant," is désagréable.
It's a serious matter
C'est une affaire sérieuse
serious - sérieux, grave. Note that affaire is a feminine noun. To refer to literal matter, use matière, which is also feminine.
Which basketball team do you like better?
Quelle équipe de basket préfères-tu?
a team - une équipe
Is he an athlete?
Est-il athlète?
an athlete - un athlète
My favorite team isn't very popular
Mon équipe préférée n'est pas très populaire
popular - populaire. Note that, in general, adjectives that already end with an "e" do not change from the masculine to the feminine.
Soccer is the best sport
Le football c'est le meilleur sport
soccer, football - le football. Note that football is frequently shortened to foot.
Do you want to play tennis?
Est-ce que vous voulez jouer au tennis?
tennis - le tennis. Remember that jouer à ___ normally applies to playing a sport.
The game is at the soccer field
Le match est au terrain de foot
a (sports) field - un terrain
I hate (American) football
Je déteste le football américain
(American) football - le football américain
I'm going to play sports two times today
Je vais faire du sport deux fois aujourd'hui
a time (instance) - une fois. Note that fois is a mark of reiteration. Be careful not to confuse fois with temps, which is both the concept of "time" and "the weather."
We are going to arrive late tonight
Nous allons arriver en retard ce soir
late - en retard. Note that this is only the adverbial use of "late." The adjective for "late" is tard, like in the expression C'est trop tard -- "It's too late."
My dad is always early
Mon père est toujours en avance
to be early - être en avance. Note that the construction arriver en avance, "to arrive early," is also very common.
Excuse me, I'm in a hurry
Excusez-moi, je suis pressé
in a hurry, in a rush - pressé
I'm going to swim three times this weekend. But you don't know how to swim
Je vais nager trois fois ce week-end. Mais tu ne sais pas nager
to swim - nager. The expression faire de la natation can also mean "to go swimming." In the second sentence, note the construction savoir + infinitive -- "to know how to ___."
We're swimming in her pool
Nous nageons dans sa piscine
a (swimming) pool - une piscine. Note that the nous form of nager keeps the "e" so that the stem becomes nage-.
They run quickly/fast
Elles courent vite
to run - courir. Note that courir has an irregular conjugation: je cours, tu cours, il/elle/on court, nous courons, vous courez, ils/elles courent.
Are you going jogging today?
Est-ce que tu vas faire du jogging aujourd'hui?
to go jogging - faire du jogging
He is breathing quickly while running
Il respire rapidement en courant
to breathe - respirer