Starting with a short sentence | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Starting with a short sentence to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Les mots simples sont plus faciles pour moi.

lay moh SAM-pluh sohn ploo fah-SEEL poor MWAH Simple words are easier for me.

On peut commencer par une phrase courte.

ohn puh koh-mahn-SAY par ewn frahz KOORT We can start with a short sentence.

Cela m'aide à comprendre.

suh-LAH med ah kohm-PRAHN-druh That helps me understand.

Lis cette ligne après moi.

LEE set leen-yuh ah-PRAY MWAH Read this line after me.

Je suis prêt à essayer.

zhuh swee PRAY ah eh-say-YAY I am ready to try.

Prends ton temps et dis-le clairement.

prahn tohn tahn ay DEE-luh klehr-MAHN Take your time and say it clearly.

Word by Word

Les “Les” means “the” and introduces “Les mots simples,” the words being discussed here. Use Les before a plural noun when referring to things as a group.

mots “mots” means “words” in “Les mots simples.” It is the plural form related to the citation form “mot”; use it after a determiner when naming words.

simples “simples” means “simple” and describes “mots” in “Les mots simples.” Use it with a noun to describe the words as simple.

sont “sont” means “are” and links “Les mots simples” with “plus faciles.” It is a form of “être”; a useful pattern is être + adjective to describe something.

plus In “plus faciles,” “plus” marks the comparison that gives the meaning “easier.” A reliable pattern is plus + adjective to express a higher degree of a quality.

faciles “faciles” means “easy” in “plus faciles pour moi” and describes the words. Use it after a form of être when saying that something is easy.

pour “pour” means “for” in “pour moi” and shows whose perspective or benefit is meant. Use pour + a person to say for whom something applies.

moi “moi” means “me” in “pour moi,” identifying the person for whom the words are easier. Use moi after a preposition such as pour.

On “On” means “we” in “On peut commencer.” Use On as the subject in the pattern On peut + infinitive to say that we can do something.

peut “peut” means “can” in “On peut commencer” and expresses ability or possibility. After peut, the next verb is an infinitive, as in “peut commencer”; the citation form is “pouvoir.”

commencer “commencer” means “to start” in “commencer par une phrase courte.” Use commencer par + a noun to say what you start with.

par In “commencer par une phrase courte,” “par” means “with” and identifies the starting point. Use commencer par + something when describing the first thing in an activity.

une “une” means “a” in “une phrase courte” and introduces one sentence. Use une before a singular noun such as phrase.

phrase “phrase” means “sentence” in “une phrase courte,” the short sentence used for practice. Use phrase when naming a sentence in a language lesson.

courte “courte” means “short” and describes “phrase” in “une phrase courte.” Use it with phrase when saying that a sentence is short.

Cela “Cela” means “that” in “Cela m'aide à comprendre” and refers to what was just suggested or done. Use Cela as the subject when pointing back to something already mentioned.

m' “m'” means “me” in “m'aide” and marks the person who is helped. It is the shortened form of “me” before the vowel in “aide”; use m' + verb when me comes before a vowel-initial verb.

aide “aide” means “helps” in “Cela m'aide à comprendre.” It comes from “aider”; a useful pattern is aider quelqu'un à + infinitive, as in helping someone understand.

à In “aide à comprendre,” “à” introduces the infinitive that describes what the help makes possible. Use à before the infinitive in the pattern aider quelqu'un à + infinitive.

comprendre “comprendre” means “to understand” in “m'aide à comprendre.” It is the infinitive after à; use it when describing understanding something in a learning situation.

Lis “Lis” tells one person to read in “Lis cette ligne.” It is related to “lire”; use Lis + the thing to be read when giving a direct instruction in a lesson.

cette “cette” means “this” in “cette ligne” and points to one specific line. Use cette + noun when identifying a particular thing nearby or already selected.

ligne “ligne” means “line” in “Lis cette ligne,” the line the learner should read. Use ligne for a line of written text in a lesson or document.

après “après” means “after” in “après moi” and tells the learner to read following the speaker. Use après + a person or event to indicate what comes next.

Je “Je” means “I” and is the subject in “Je suis prêt.” Use Je before a verb when the speaker is talking about themself.

suis “suis” means “am” in “Je suis prêt” and describes the speaker's state. It is a form of “être”; use Je suis + an adjective or expression to describe yourself.

prêt “prêt” means “ready” in “Je suis prêt à essayer.” Use the pattern être prêt à + infinitive to say that someone is ready to do something.

essayer “essayer” means “to try” in “prêt à essayer.” It is the infinitive after à; use être prêt à + infinitive when describing readiness for an action.

Prends “Prends” gives the instruction “take” in “Prends ton temps.” It is related to “prendre”; use Prends + a noun when giving one person a direct instruction.

ton “ton” means “your” in “ton temps” and connects the time with the person being addressed. Use ton before a noun when referring to something belonging or relating to that person.

temps “temps” means “time” in “Prends ton temps.” Together, “Prends ton temps” is used to reassure someone that they do not need to hurry; use temps in this expression with ton and prendre.

et “et” means “and” and joins the instructions in “Prends ton temps et dis-le clairement.” Use et to connect two actions or instructions.

dis “dis” means “say” in “dis-le clairement” and gives the instruction about what to say. It is related to “dire”; use dis + an object when telling one person to say something.

le “le” means “it” in “dis-le clairement” and refers to the sentence or line being practised. Use le before the verb as an object pronoun when the thing to say is already understood.

clairement “clairement” means “clearly” and describes how the learner should say it in “dis-le clairement.” Use it when asking someone to speak or express something in an understandable way.

Grammar Points

on peut + infinitif

On peut commencer par une phrase courte.

ohn puh koh-mahn-SAY par ewn frahz KOORT

We can start with a short sentence.

Après peut, le verbe reste à l’infinitif. On peut signifie ici « nous pouvons ».

impératif + pronom après le verbe

Dis-le clairement.

DEE-luh klehr-MAHN

Say it clearly.

À l’impératif affirmatif, le pronom le vient après le verbe et s’unit avec un trait d’union.

French Vocabulary

cela pron

suh-LAH that

commencer verb

koh-mahn-SAY to start

courte adj

koort short

faciles adj

fah-SEEL easier

moi pron

MWAH me

mots noun

moh words

on pron

ohn we; one

par prep

par with; by

peut verb

puh can

phrase noun

frahz sentence

pour prep

poor for

simple adj

san-PL simple simples

Les mots simples

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That helps me understand.

Show Answer

Cela m'aide à comprendre.

Read this line after me.

Show Answer

Lis cette ligne après moi.

I am ready to try.

Show Answer

Je suis prêt à essayer.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

can

Show Answer

peut

simple

Show Answer

simples

words

Show Answer

mots

easier

Show Answer

faciles