Probably the most delightful, useful, and comprehensive elementary book available for learning spoken and written French, either with or without a teacher. Working on the principle that a person learns more quickly by example then by rule, Lemaître has assembled colloquial French conversations on a variety of subjects, as well as grammar, vocabulary, and idiom studies. Index.
French How to Speak and Write It
An informal conversational method for self study with 400 illustrations
By Joseph LemaîtreDover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1962 Dover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-20268-6Contents
HOW TO USE THE COURSE,
Lesson 1 THE ROBERTS AND LESAGE FAMILIES,
Lesson 2 PACKING FOR PARIS,
Lesson 3 CROSSING THE CHANNEL,
Lesson 4 THE CUSTOMS OFFICE; AT THE STATION,
Lesson 5 CONVERSATION IN THE TRAIN,
Lesson 6 ARRIVAL IN PARIS,
Lesson 7 MR. ROBERTS CHOOSES HIS HOTEL,
Lesson 8 BREAKFAST IN A PARISIAN CAFÉ,
Lesson 9 THE WEATHER; THE FLORIST'S SHOP,
Lesson 14 THE LESAGES' HOME,
Lesson 15 THE LESAGES' SITTING ROOM,
Lesson 16 GOING TO BED,
Lesson 17 GETTING UP; THE BATHROOM,
Lesson 18 MONEY EXCHANGE; AT THE TOBACCONIST'S AND THE STATIONER'S,
Lesson 19 LUNCH AT A RESTAURANT,
Lesson 20 AT THE FRUITERER'S, THE BUTCHER'S AND THE BAKER'S,
Lesson 21 DINNER WITH THE LESAGES,
PRONUNCIATION AT SIGHT,
Lesson 18 SEEING THE SIGHTS,
Lesson 19 THE ROBERTS FAMILY GO SHOPPING,
Lesson 20 A JOURNEY BY BUS,
Lesson 21 CALLING ON FRIENDS,
Lesson 22 AT THE POST OFFICE,
Lesson 23 THE LAUNDRY,
Lesson 24 AT THE DRESSMAKER'S,
Lesson 25 THE TAILOR,
Lesson 26 A VISIT TO THE THEATRE,
Lesson 27 TRAVELLING PLANS,
Lesson 28 A JOURNEY BY CAR,
Lesson 29 AT THE SEASIDE,
Lesson 30 CHARLES HAS AN ACCIDENT; THE CHEMIST AND THE DOCTOR,
Lesson 31 AT THE HAIRDRESSER'S,
Lesson 32 MR. LESAGE AND HIS WORK,
Lesson 33 SPORTS (FOOTBALL, ATHLETICS),
Lesson 34 MORE SPORTS,
Lesson 35 IN THE COUNTRY,
ROUNDING OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE,
Appendix IREGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERB TABLES,
Appendix IICORRESPONDENCE: GUIDE TO LETTER WRITING,
CHAPTER 1
PREMIÉRE LEÇON—FIRST LESSON
Madame Roberts (la mére)
Madame Roberts (la pére)
The Roberts and Lesage Families
These are the people whose adventures in Paris and in the country, at home and in public, through the myriad incidents of daily life in France, you will follow during the present Course.
The families consist of:
Mr. Roberts (English) and his wife (French); her father and mother, M. and Mme Georges Lesage; her children Charles and Madeleine; the Paul Lesages and their children, Georges and Lucie.
They are nice people, and we hope you will like them.
Madeleine (la fille)
Charles (la fils)
Monsieur Roberts est le père. Mme Roberts est la mère. Charles est le
m's-y[??] ro-bairts ay le pair, mah-dahm ro-bairts ay lah mair. shahrl ay le
Mr. Roberts is the father. Mrs. Roberts is the mother. Charles is the
fils de Monsieur et de Madame Roberts. Madeleine est la fille de Monsieur
fees de m's-y[??] ay de mah-dahm ro-bairts. mahd-lain ay lah feey de m's-y[??]
son of Mr. and (of) Mrs. Roberts. Madeleine is the daughter of Mr.
et de Madame Roberts. Monsieur et Madame Roberts sont les parents
ay de mah-dahm ro-bairts. m's-y[??] ay mah-dahm ro-bairts soN lay pah-raN
and (of) Mrs. Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are the parents
de Charles et de Madeleine. Charles et Madeleine sont les enfants de Monsieur et
de shahrl ay de mahd-lain. shahrl et mahd-lain soN lay-zaN-faN de m's-y[??] ay
of Charles and (of) Madeleine. Charles and Madeleine are the children of Mr. and
de Madame Roberts. Monsieur Georges Lesage est le père de Madame
de mah-dahm ro-bairts. m's-y[??] zhorzh le-sahzh ay le pair de mah-dahm
(of) Mrs. Roberts. M. Georges Lesage is the father of Mrs.
Mme Paul Lesage (la tante)
Paul Lesage (l'oncle)
Monsieur Lesage (le grandécre)
Madame Lesage (la grand'mére)
Roberts. Il est le grand-père de Charles et de Madeleine. Madame Lesage
ro-bairts. ee-lay le graN-pair de shahrl ay de mahd-lain. mah-dahm le-sahzh
Roberts. He is the grandfather of Charles and (of) Madeleine. Mme Lesage
est leur grand'mère. Monsieur Paul Lesage est le frère de Mme Roberts.
ay lr graN-mair. m's-y[??] pol le-sahzh ay le frair de mah-dahm ro-bairts.
is their grandmother. M. Paul Lesage is the brother of Mrs. Roberts.
Il est l'oncle de Charles et de Madeleine. Mme Paul Lesage est leur tante.
ee-lay loNkl de shahrl ay de mahd-lain. mah-dahm pol le-sahzh ay l[??]r taNt.
He is the uncle of Charles and (of) Madeleine. Mme Paul Lesage is their aunt.
Monsieur et Madame Paul Lesage sont les parents de Georges et de Lucie
m's-y[??] ay mah-dahm pol le-sahzh soN lay pah-raN de zhorzh ay de Ièè-see
M. and Mme Paul Lesage are the parents of Georges and (of) Lucie
Lesage. Georges est le frère de Lucie. Ils sont le
le-sahzh. zhorzh ay le frair de léè-see. eel soN le
Lesage. Georges is the brother of Lucie. They are the
cousin et la cousine de Charles et de Madeleine. Madeleine est la
koo-ziN ay lah koo-zeen de shahrl ay de mahd-lain. mahd-lain ay lah
(masculine and feminine) cousins of Charles and (of) Madeleine. Madeleine is the
s?ur de Charles. Monsieur et Madame Roberts sont grands. Madame Roberts
s[??]r de shahrl. m's-y[??] ay mah-dahm ro-bairts soN graN. mah-dahm ro-bairts
sister of Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are tall. Mrs. Roberts
et Mademoiselle Lesage sont grandes.
ay mahd-mwah-zail le-sahzh soN graNd.
and Mlle Lesage are tall.
Monsieur et Madame Roberts sont blonds.
m's-y[??] ay mah-dahm ro-bairts soN bloN.
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are fair.
Madame Roberts et Madeleine sont
mah-dahm ro-bairts ay mahd-lain soN
Mrs. Roberts and Madeleine are
blondes. Charles et Madeleine
bloNd. shahrl ay mahd-lain
fair. Charles and Madeleine
sont-ils petits? Oui, ils sont petits.
soN-teel p'tee ? ee eel soN p'tee.
are they small? Yes, they are small.
Lucie (la cousine)
Georg (le cousine)
HOW TO TRANSLATE "THEY"
There are two French words for the English "they": ils the plural of il (he), and elles of elle (she). Use Us for masculines and elles for feminines. When referring to both masculines and feminines, ils is used.
Examples:—
le père (the father) ii (he).
les pères (the fathers) lis (they).
la mère (the mother) elle (she).
ils sont grands
eel soN graN
they (masc.) are tall
ils sont petits
eel soN p'tee
they (masc.) are small
elles sont grandes
ail soN graNd
they (fem.) are tall
elles sont petites
ail soN p'teet
they (fem.) are small
les mères (the mothers) elles (they).
les parents (the parents) Us (they).
les enfants (the children), Us when referring to boys or boys and girls.
elles (they) when referring to women or girls only.
In the plural both nouns and adjectives add s; this s is silent. Le petit garçon (the little boy). Les petits garçons (the little boys). La petite fille (the little girl). Lei...
