There are more than 2,000 French words in the Russian language, which we use almost every day, without even knowing about their ideologically wrong roots. And if we gave the Fifth Republic at least one word - "Bistro" (thanks to the Cossacks, who reached Montmartre in 1814 and drank all the champagne there: "Bring it quickly! Whom did I say? Fast, damn it!"), then they took much more from them. The reason for this, most likely, is the incredible popularity of French in XVIII-XIX centuries. Even the guardian for the purity of the Russian language, the Dane Vladimir Dal, did not save. With an attache, lampshades and a scarf (cache-nez, by the way - to hide your nose) - everything is clear, but did you know, for example, that the words "turn" and "fairy" are also French?
On duty - from de jour: assigned to some day. For example, the classic French, seen by tourists in many cafes and bistros plat de jour - “dish of the day”, has turned into an “ordinary dish” with us.
Steering wheel, steer - from rouler: ride, rotate. There is nothing to explain here. Roll, yes, from here.
Nightmare - cauchemar: comes from two words - the old French chaucher - "to crush" and the Flemish mare - "ghost". Here is such a “ghost that comes at night, which loves to gently lean against the sleeping ones.”
Jalousie - from jalouse (jalousie): envy, jealousy. The Russians never got along with this word. Most stubbornly emphasize "a" instead of "and". The etymology of the word is quite simple: so that the neighbors do not envy, the French simply lowered the blinds. Such subtleties of mental organization were not characteristic of the broad Russian character, so we simply built a fence higher and stronger.
Blowjob - minette: kitty. Well, how could it be without him! The French have set expression“make a cat”, but it means exactly the opposite than in Russian - literally “make cunnilingus”. It could be assumed that the word came from minet - a kitten m.r., but it would only sound like “mine”, although who knows how our ancestors read it.
Coat - paletot: almost no longer used in France, the definition of upper menswear: warm, wide, with a collar or hood. Anachronism, so to speak.
Tuzhurka - from toujour: always. Just everyday, "always" clothes.
Kartuz - from cartouche: literally "cartridge". Actually, in the meaning of “a bag of gunpowder”, this word appeared in Russia in 1696, but “turned” into a headdress only in the 19th century completely unknown to science way.
Galoshes - galoche: shoes with wooden soles. The most unloved word of V. Dahl. He suggested calling them "wet shoes", but it did not take root, did not take root. Although, here, in St. Petersburg, probably not without the efforts of the same Dahl, the French word curb is stubbornly called "curb" - although even this word has Dutch roots. But we are not talking about that now. By the way, galoche has another meaning in French: a passionate kiss. Think what you want.
Frock coat - from surtout: on top of everything. Oh, don't ask, we don't know and don't wear. But yes, once the frock coat was really outerwear.
Hat - from chapeau: derived from the old French chape - cap.
Panama - panama: no need to explain. But what is surprising is that Paris is often called Paname, although local residents in such headdresses was not seen on the streets.
Masterpiece - from chef d'œuvre: a master of his craft.
Chauffeur - chauffeur: originally a stoker, stoker. The one who throws firewood. But that was a long time ago, before the advent of engines internal combustion. And by the way…
Podshofe - from the same word chauffer: warm, warm up. It took root in Russia, thanks to the French tutors, who were not averse to slapping a glass or two. The preposition "under" is purely Russian, often used to denote a state: under a degree, under a hop. Or ... "warmed up", if you want. And, continuing the theme of alcohol ...
Kiryat, nakiryatsya - from kir: an aperitif of white wine and sweet low-grade berry syrup, most often currant, blackberry or peach. They, out of habit, can really quickly “snack”, especially if they are not limited to one or two glasses, but according to the old Russian tradition, they start to abuse it as expected.
adventure - adventure: adventure. In French, it does not have that negative connotation that the word has acquired in Russian, as, in fact, ...
Scam - from à faire: (to) do, do. In general, just do something useful. Not what you thought.
Wall up - from mur: wall. That is, in the literal sense, "to fix into the wall." catchphrase"Immured, demons!" could hardly have existed during the time of Ivan the Terrible, but to appear in the 17th century, thanks to Peter the Great - quite like the word ...
Work - from raboter: to finish, grind, plan, engage, in short, manual labor. What is strange, until the 17th century, such a word was not really used in Russian texts. Do not forget that it was during the time of Peter the Great that many architects, engineers and artisans from the countries of Western Europe. What can I say, St. Petersburg was conceived exactly according to the Parisian model. They designed, the Russians "worked". We must also not forget that many talented and handy guys, on the orders of the same Peter, went to study the craft in other countries and could well “capture” the word with them to their homeland.
Dozen - douzaine: well, twelve, as it is.
Equivoki - from equivoque: ambiguous. No, really, you couldn't seriously think what strange word appeared in Russian just like that, from nothing to do?
Barrack - baraque: a shack. From the common Romance word barrio - clay. And this is not an invention of the times of the New Economic Policy.
Throw out entrechat - from entrechat: borrowed from Latin, and means - to weave, braid, weave, cross. According to serious academic dictionary, entrecha - in classical ballet dance, a kind of jump-like jump, when the dancer's legs quickly cross in the air.
Zealous - from retif: skittish. It seems to be one of the oldest borrowed words from French. Probably back in the days of Yaroslavna.
Vinaigrette - vinaigrette: vinegar sauce, traditional salad dressing. It has nothing to do with our traditional dish of beets, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes. For the French, in general, such a combination of products seems almost fatal, just as they are not delighted with the traditional Russian borsche or, say, kvass (how can you drink this muck?).
Sausage is from saucisse, just like shrimp is from crevette. Well, about the broth, in general, it seems there is no point in talking. Meanwhile, bouillon - "decoction", comes from the word bolir - "boil". Yeah.
Soup - soupe: borrowing from French in the 18th century, derived from the Latin suppa - "a piece of bread dipped in gravy." About canned food? - from concerver - "to preserve". There is no point in talking about the word "sauce".
Cutlet - côtelette, which in turn is formed from côte - rib. The fact is that in Russia they are used to designating the word cutlet as a dish of minced meat, and the French designate a piece of meat on the bone, or rather pork (or lamb) on the ribs.
Tomato - from pomme d'or: Golden Apple. Why this phrase has taken root in Russia, history is silent. In France itself, tomatoes are called corny - tomatoes.
Compote - from componere: to fold, compose, compose, if you like. That is, to collect together a bunch of all sorts of fruits.
By the way, the phraseological unit is “not at ease”, a literal, but not too correct translation of the phrase ne pas etre dans son assiette. The fact is that assiette is not only a plate from which they eat, but the basis, the mood. So, in the original, this phrase meant "to be out of sorts, not in the mood."
Restaurant - restaurant: literally "restoring". There is a legend that in 1765 a certain Boulanger, the owner of a Parisian tavern, posted an inscription on the doors of his newly opened establishment: "Come to me, and I will restore your strength." The Boulanger tavern, where the food was tasty and relatively cheap, soon became a fashionable place. As is often the case with fashionable places, the institution received a special name from the regulars, understandable only to the initiated: “Tomorrow we will meet again at the Restorative!”. By the way, the first restaurant in Russia, Slavyansky Bazaar, was opened in 1872 and, unlike taverns, they ate more than banal booze.
Discourage - from courage: courage, courage. Courage in Russian also acquired a not entirely obvious meaning. Meanwhile, having acquired a prefix, a suffix and an ending, the word began to mean, in fact, what was meant: to deprive someone of confidence, courage, to lead into a state of confusion.
Shuffle - from toucher: touch, touch. Mmm ... I think, once upon a time, decent girls blushed and were embarrassed, shaded, so to speak, when especially arrogant young people grabbed their knees and other parts of the body.
Trick - truc: a thing, a contraption whose name they cannot remember. Well... it's... like him...
Routine - from route, routine: road, path, and routine derived from it: habit, habit. And you, often walking along the same path, from work to home and vice versa, have not set your teeth on edge? Maybe quit everything and start downshifting ( English word- now not about him)?
Keychain - breloque: pendant on a watch chain.
Furniture - meuble: literally, what moves can be moved, moved to another place, as opposed to immeuble - real estate. Once again, thanks to Peter the Great for the opportunity not to indicate what kind of household items are in your property, for example, the same French ones: bureau, wardrobe, dressing table, wardrobe or stool.
All-in - from va banque: literally "the bank is coming." An expression used by card players when they suddenly suddenly began to “shove” sharply. Therefore, "go for broke" means to take risks, hoping that you can get a lot.
Klyauza - from clause: condition of the contract, article of the agreement. How did the slander acquire such negative value It's hard to say how and why...
District - rayon: ray. Became a place on the map, not a source of light.
Gauze - from marly: a thin fabric, after the name of the village of Marly, now - Marly-le-Roi (Marly-le-Roi), where it was first produced.
Debauche - débauche: debauchery, debauchery, revelry.
Galimatya - from galimatias: confusion, nonsense. Exist beautiful story that there was a certain lawyer who needed to defend in court a client named Mathieu, who had a rooster stolen. At that time, the meetings were conducted exclusively in Latin, the lawyer, like any Frenchman who speaks another language, delivered his speech indistinctly, confusedly, and managed to mix up the words in places. Instead of "gallus Matias" - Mathieu's rooster, he said "galli Matias" - that is, Mathieu of the rooster (Mathieu belonging to the rooster).
And a few stories that you probably know:
Chantrap - from chantera pas: literally - will not sing. They say that it was in the XVIII century in the estate of Count Sheremetyev, famous for creating the first fortress theater in Russia. Of course, future opera divas and divas were recruited from local Matryonas and Griszeks. The procedure for creating the future Praskovy Zhemchugovs took place as follows: a French (rarely Italian) teacher gathered peasants for an audition, and if a big brown bear walked over the ear, he confidently declared - Chantera pas!
Shval - from cheval: horse. Also according to legend, retreating French troops, severely frostbitten by the harsh Russian winter and tortured by partisans (also, by the way, a French word), they were very starving. Horse meat, which is still considered a delicacy in France, has become almost the only source of food. For Russians, who still had a memory of the Tatar-Mongols, eating horse meat was completely unacceptable, therefore, when they heard the French word cheval - a horse, they did not find anything smarter than assigning this name in a pejorative sense to its consumers.
Sharomyzhnik - from cher ami: dear friend. And again a story about the war of 1812. French deserters roamed the villages and villages, begging for at least a piece of food. Of course, they caved in completely, referring to the Russian natives only as "dear friend." Well, how else could the peasants christen the unfortunate half-frozen creature, dressed in the devil knows what? That's right - a shambler. By the way, the stable idiom "sherochka with a masher" also appeared from cher et ma cher.
But the word "puzzle" came from the reverse translation of the word brass knuckles (cassetete) - from casse: to break and tete - head. That is, literally.
These are just fifty words familiar to us from childhood. And how many there are - you can't even imagine! Only - shh! - do not tell the satirist-historian Zadornov, otherwise, you never know what he will come up with.
French is deservedly considered the most sensual language of the world - in his everyday life there are several hundred verbs denoting emotions and feelings different kind. The lyrical melody of the throat sound “r” and the exquisite precision of “le” give a special charm to the language.
Gallicisms
Used in Russian French words called gallicisms, they have firmly entered the Russian-speaking conversation large quantity words and their derivatives that are similar in meaning or, conversely, only in sound.
The pronunciation of French words differs from Slavic ones in the presence of throat and nasal sounds, for example, “an” and “on” are pronounced by passing the sound through the nasal cavity, and the sound “en” through lower part anterior wall of the throat. Also, this language is characterized by an accent on last syllable words and soft hissing sounds, as in the word "brochure" and "jelly". Another indicator of gallicism is the presence in the word of suffixes -azj, -ar, -izm (plume, massage, boudoir, monarchism). Already these subtleties make it clear how unique and diverse official language France.
Abundance of French words in Slavic languages
Few people realize that "metro", "baggage", "balance" and "politics" are primordially French words borrowed by other languages, beautiful "veil" and "nuance" too. According to some reports, every day on the territory post-Soviet space about two thousand gallicisms are used. Clothing items (knickers, cuffs, vest, pleated, overalls), military theme(dugout, patrol, trench), trading (advance, credit, kiosk and mode) and, of course. the words accompanying beauty (manicure, cologne, boa, pince-nez) are all gallicisms.
Moreover, some words are consonant by ear, but have a distant or different meaning. For example:
- The coat is an item men's wardrobe, and literally means "on top of everything."
- Buffet - we have it festive table, for the French it's just a fork.
- A dude is a dapper young man, and a dude in France is a dove.
- Solitaire - from the French "patience", in our country it is a card game.
- Meringue (a kind of fluffy cake) is a beautiful French word for a kiss.
- Vinaigrette (vegetable salad), vinaigrette is just French vinegar.
- Dessert - originally this word in France meant clearing the table, and much later - the last dish, after which they clean up.
Language of love
Tete-a-tete (one-on-one meeting), rendezvous (date), vis-a-vis (opposite) - these are also words from France. Amor (love) is a beautiful French word that has stirred the minds of lovers so many times. A stunning language of romance, tenderness and adoration, the melodic murmur of which will not leave any woman indifferent.
The classic “je tem” is used to denote strong, all-consuming love, and if “byan” is added to these words, then the meaning will already change: it will mean “I like you.”
Peak of popularity
French words in Russian first began to appear during the time of Peter the Great, and from the end of the eighteenth century they significantly advanced native speech to the side. French became the leading language of high society. All correspondence (especially love) was conducted exclusively in French, beautiful long tirades filled the banquet halls and negotiation rooms. At the court of Emperor Alexander the Third, it was considered shameful (bauvais ton - bad manners) not to know the language of the Franks, the stigma of ignorance was immediately hung on a person, so French teachers were in great demand.
The situation changed thanks to the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin", in which the author Alexander Sergeevich acted very subtly by writing a monologue letter from Tatyana to Onegin in Russian (although he thought in French, being Russian, as historians say.) By this he returned former glory of the native language.
Popular phrases in French now
Comme il faut in French means "as it should", that is, something made comme il faut - made according to all the rules and wishes.
- Se la vie! - a very famous phrase meaning "such is life."
- Je tem - singer Lara Fabian brought worldwide fame to these words in the song of the same name "Je t'aime!" - I love you.
- Cherchet la femme - also known to everyone as "look for a woman"
- ger, com a la ger - "in war, as in war." Words from the song that Boyarsky sang in the popular film of all time "The Three Musketeers".
- Bon mo is a sharp word.
- Fézon de parle - manner of speaking.
- Ki famm ve - que le ve - "what a woman wants, God wants it."
- Antre well sau di - it is said between us.
History of several words
Everyone famous word"marmalade" is a distorted "Marie est malade" - Marie is sick.
In the Middle Ages, Stuart suffered from seasickness during her trips and refused food. Her personal doctor prescribed slices of oranges with peel, thickly sprinkled with sugar, and the French chef prepared decoctions of quince to stimulate her appetite. If these two dishes were ordered in the kitchen, they immediately whispered between the courtiers: "Marie is sick!" (mari e malad).
Chantrap - the word for idlers, homeless children, also came from France. Children who did not have an ear for music and good vocal abilities were not taken to the church choir as singers (“chantra pas” - does not sing), so they wandered around the streets, smoking and having fun. They were asked: "Why are you idle?" Answer: "Shantrapa".
Podshofe - (chauffe - heating, heater) with the prefix under-, that is, heated, under the influence of heat, adopted for "warming". A beautiful French word, but the meaning is just the opposite.
By the way, everyone knows why it was called that? But this is a French name, and she also has a handbag from there - a reticule. Chapeau - translates as "hat", and "gag" is akin to a slap. The slap-folded hat is a folding top hat, which was worn by the mischievous old woman.
Silhouette is the surname of the controller of finance at the court of Louis XV, who was famous for his craving for luxury and various expenses. The treasury was empty too quickly and, in order to remedy the situation, the king appointed the young incorruptible Etienne Silhouette, who immediately banned all festivities, balls and feasts. Everything became gray and dull, and the fashion that arose at the same time for depicting the outline of a dark-colored object on a white background was in honor of the miserly minister.
Beautiful French words will diversify your speech
AT recent times word tattoos are no longer only English and Japanese (as fashion dictated), they are increasingly being caught in French, and some of them have an interesting meaning.
The French language is considered quite complex, with many nuances and details. To know it well, you need to painstakingly study for more than one year, but to use several winged and beautiful phrases it's not obligatory. Two or three words inserted into right time into conversation, diversify your vocabulary and make your French speech emotional and lively.
Any study foreign language helps in development, career and can significantly strengthen your social position. This is an excellent brain training that allows you to maintain a sound mind and memory at any age. French is considered rich and analytical language, structuring thought and developing a critical mind, during negotiations and discussions, the basic phrases in French will serve you well.
Do they need to know
Knowledge everyday phrases necessary not only for tourists: French is an insanely beautiful, melodic and inspiring language. People, who know history, cannot remain indifferent to France and its heroes, in an effort to join its culture, many feel the desire to learn the language of its people. Hence the mass enthusiasm for this language of lovers and poets, which was spoken by Maupassant, Voltaire and, of course, Dumas.
French is in the top six official languages United Nations, it is spoken in 33 countries around the world (including Haiti and some African countries). Already long time knowledge of French is considered good tone, this is the language of diplomats and simply educated and cultured people. The main phrases in this language are heard at international symposiums and scientific congresses.
Where useful
If you wish to work in France, knowledge of the language will be essential. Many large French corporations also work in Russia, if you start a career in them, then knowledge French phrases at the initial level, it will help an employee of Renault or Bonduelle, Peugeot, as well as the cosmetic leader L Oreal.
Many decide to come to France for permanent residence, and knowledge of French in this case is necessary as air. Due to insufficient language proficiency, misunderstandings may arise, new acquaintances and expansion of the circle of communication are impossible, even conflict situations. This interferes with the well-being of those who wish to arrange their lives in France. English in this country is at a low esteem, so knowledge of French is required, at least at a minimum level. The French are a very proud nation, and from everyone who comes here to live, they demand respectful attitude to language and culture. Ignorance of everyday simple phrases can hurt the local people to the core.
Another passionate dream of many of our compatriots is to receive a higher education in France. This country offers many options for studying, including on a budgetary basis. And again - where without language? As soon as there are difficulties with the translation in the exam, you may be denied admission to the university. Some French universities accept applicants without exams, only based on the results of an interview in French. That is why it is so important to know the language if you want to study in the country.
In French universities, as a rule, they enter a year before the start school year, that is, the preparatory process can take quite a long time, there is an opportunity to learn French well, and the sooner you start your studies, the better you will show the result in the entrance tests.
Table
General
| In Russian | In French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Oui | Wee |
| Not | Non | Non |
| Please (reply to thank you) | Je vous en prie | Zhe vuzan at |
| Thanks | Mercy | merci |
| Please (please) | S'il vous plaît | Sil wu play |
| Sorry | Pardon | sorry |
| Hello | Bonjour | Bonjour |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | Oh revoir |
| Till | A bientot | A biento |
| Do you speak Russian? | Parlez-vous………russe ? | Parle-woo………rus? |
| …in English? | …anglais? | …angla? |
| …in French? | …francais? | ... français? |
| I do not speak French. | Je ne parle pas……francais. | Zhe no parl pa ...... français |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas | Zhe ne compran pa |
| Sir, Mrs... | Monsieur, madam... | Monsieur, madam... |
| Help me please. | Aidez-moi, s'il vous plaît. | Ede-mua, sil wu ple |
| I need… | J'ai besoin de... | Je byouen do |
| Slower please | Plus lentement, s'il vous plaît | Plus lyantman, sil wu ple |
| I'm from Russia | Je viens de Russie | Jeu vien do ryusi |
| We are from Russia | Nous venons de Russie | Well venon de Rucy |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? | Do sleep le toilet? |
Transport
| In Russian | In French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Where is…? | Où se trouve… ? | Do you have trouble...? |
| Hotel | L'hotel | Löthel |
| Restaurant | Le restaurant | Le restaurant |
| Score | Le store | Le shop |
| Museum | Le museum | Le Musée |
| The street | la rue | la rue |
| Square | La place | la dance |
| The airport | L'aeroport | Laeropor |
| railway station | La gare | la garde |
| Bus station | La gare routiere | la gare routier |
| Bus | Le bus | Le bus |
| Tram | Letram | Le Tram |
| A train | Le train | Le train |
| Stop | L'arret | Lyare |
| A train | Le train | Le train |
| Airplane | L'avion | lavion |
| Underground | Le metro | Le metro |
| Taxi | Le taxi | Le taxi |
| Automobile | La voiture | la voiture |
| Departure | Le department | Leu depar |
| Arrival | l'arrivee | Lyarive |
| Left | A gauche | A gosh |
| Right | A droite | A druat |
| Straight | tout droit | Tou drua |
| Ticket | Le billet | Le biye |
| In Russian | In French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte? | Combi sa cut? |
| I would like to buy/order... | Je voudrais acheter / commander… | Zhe woodre ashte / commande ... |
| You have…? | Avez vous…? | Ave woo? |
| Open | Ouvert | Uver |
| Closed | Ferme | farm |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Acceptez-vous les cartes de credit? | Accept wu le card to credit? |
| I take it | Je le prends | Zhe le pran |
| Breakfast | Le petit dejeuner | Le bird dejeune |
| Dinner | Le dejeuner | Le dejeune |
| Dinner | Le doner | Le diné |
| The check, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît | Ladison, sil wu play |
| Bread | Du pain | du pen |
| Coffee | du café | du cafe |
| Tea | Du the | du te |
| Wine | Duvin | du vin |
| Beer | De la biere | Do la bière |
| The juice | du jus | du ju |
| Water | De l'eau | Do le |
| Salt | Du sel | du sel |
| Pepper | du poivre | du poivre |
| Meat | De la viande | do la viande |
| Beef | du boeuf | Duboeuf |
| Pork | Duporc | du port |
| Bird | De la volaille | Do la volai |
| Fish | du poisson | du poisson |
| Vegetables | Des legumes | De legum |
| Fruits | Des fruits | De frui |
| Ice cream | Une glace | Yun glyas |
Let's start with the rules of reading. I only beg you: do not try to learn them right away! Firstly, it will not work - after all, there are a lot of them, and secondly, it is not necessary. Everything will settle down over time. You can just periodically peep at this page. The main thing is to read them carefully (not even in one sitting), look at the examples, try to do the exercises and check yourself - there is a sound next to the exercises - how the French pronounce the same words.
In the first six lessons in a separate tab you will find a cheat sheet for all French reading rules, so that all the material from this page in compressed form you will always have at hand. :)
The main thing you need to remember is that the rules of reading there is. This means that, knowing the rules, you can always - almost always - read an unfamiliar word. This is why French does not require transcription (only in the case of rather rare phonetic exceptions). The beginnings of the first five lessons are also devoted to the rules of reading - there you will find additional exercises to consolidate your skills. Starting from the third lesson, you can download the sound and listen to detailed explanations reading rules made by a professional phonetician.
Let's start learning :) Let's go!
In French, the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable... This is news to you, isn't it? ;-)
-s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g (as well as their combinations) at the end of words DO NOT READ.
Vowels
e, è, ê, é, ё under stress and in a closed syllable it reads like "e": fourchette [buffet] - a fork. "But there is a nuance" (c), which on initial stage can be neglected. Reading a letter e in all its manifestations is discussed in detail in the iii-th lesson from the very beginning - I must say, there is a lot.
e in unstressed syllable reads approximately like the German "ö" - like the letter "e" in the word Möbius: menu [menu], regarder [regarde]. In order to produce this sound, you need to stretch your lips forward with a bow (as in the picture below) and at the same time pronounce the letter "e".
In the middle of words open syllable this letter is thrown out at all during pronunciation (fluent e). So, for example, the word carrefour (crossroad) is read as [kar"fur] (unstressed "ё" in the middle of the word is not pronounced). It will not be a mistake to read it [carrefour], but when you speak quickly, it drops out, as it turns out faint sound. Épicerie (grocery) reads like [epis "ri]. Madeleine- [Madeleine].
Madeleine metro station in Paris
And so - in many words. But you shouldn't be scared - weak "e" will fall out on their own, because it's natural :)
We also have this phenomenon in speech, we just don’t think about it. For example, the word "head": when we pronounce it, the first vowel is so weak that it falls out, and we practically do not pronounce it and say [head]. I'm not talking about the word "eleventh", which we pronounce as [eleventh] (I found this in my son's notebook; at first I was horrified: how could so many mistakes be made in one word, and then I realized that the child simply wrote down this word by ear - we really pronounce it that way :).
e at the end of words (see exceptions below) is not readable (it is sometimes pronounced in songs and poems). If there are any icons above it, it is always readable, no matter where it stands. For example: régime [mode], rosé [rose] - rose wine.
AT monosyllabic words e at the end of words it is read - if you don’t read it there, you won’t form a syllable at all. These are articles, prepositions, pronouns, demonstrative adjectives: le [le], de [de], je [zhe], me [me], ce [se].
Unreadable ending -s, which forms the plural of nouns (something familiar, right?) and adjectives, if it appears, does not make a letter -e at the end of the word readable: régime and régimes are read the same way - [mode].
-er at the ends of words is read as "e": conférenci er[entertainer] - speaker, ateli er[atelier], dossi er[dossier], canotier, collier, croupier, portier and finally foyer [foyer]. You will find -er at the end of all regular verbs: parl er[parle] - to talk, mang er[mange] - is; -er is the standard ending for French regular verbs.
a- reads like "a": valse [waltz].
i(including with icons) - reads like "and": vie [vi] - life (quickly remember "C" est la vie" :).
o- reads like "about": locomotive [locomotive], compote[compote] - fruit puree.
u reads like "yu" in the word "muesli". Example: cuvette reads [cuvette] and means "cuvette", parachute [parachute] - means "parachute" :), the same happens with purée (mashed potatoes), and c configuration(jam).
To get an open sound "u", a combination is used ou(this is familiar from English: you, group [group], router [router], tour [tour]). Souvenir [souvenir] - memory, fourchette [buffet] - fork, carrefour [carrefour] - crossroads; pronouns nous (we) read [well], vous (you and you) read [woo].
Consonants
Letter l it is read softly: étoile [etoile] - star, table [table] - table, banal [banal] - banal, canal [channel], carnaval [carnival].
g reads like "g", but before e, i and y it is read as "zh". For example: général - read [general], régime [mode], agiotage [hype]. Good example at the word garage - it reads [garage] - the first g before a is read firmly, and the second g before e- like "w".
letter combination gn reads like [n] - for example, in the name of the city Cognac[cognac] - Cognac, in the words champi gn ons [champignon] - mushrooms, champa gn e [champagne] - champagne, lor gn ette [lorgnette] - binoculars.
c read as "to", mas ca rade [masquerade], already mentioned by us co mpote and cu vette. But before three vowels e, i and y it is read as "s". For example: ce rtificat reads [certificate], vélo ci pède - [bike], moto cy cle - [motorcycle].
If you need to change this behavior, that is, to make this letter read like [c] before other vowels, a ponytail is attached to it at the bottom: Ç and ç . Ça is read as [sa]; garçon [garson] - boy, maçon (mason), façon (style), façade (facade). The famous French greeting Comment ça va [koma ~ sa va] (or more often just ça va) - means "how are you", but literally "how it goes". In films you can see - they say hello like that. One asks: "Ça va?", the other answers: "Ça va, ça va!".
At the ends of words c is rare. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule when it is read and when it is not. This is simply remembered for each word - there are few of them: for example, blanc [bl "an] - white, estomac [estoma] - stomach and tabac[taba] is not readable, but cognac and avec are readable.
h never read. As if she doesn't exist. Except for the "ch" combination. Sometimes this letter acts as a separator - if it occurs inside a word between vowels, then this indicates their separate reading: Sahara [sa "ara], cahier [ka" ye]. In any case, she herself is not readable. For this reason, by the way, the name of one of the most famous cognac houses Hennessy it is correctly pronounced (surprise!) as [ansi]: “h” is not readable, “e” is fluent, double ss stands to drown out s and is not readable as double [s] (see the rule for reading the letter s below); other pronunciations are categorically incorrect. I bet you didn't know that! :) Combination ch gives the sound [w]. For example, chance [chance] - luck, luck, chantage [blackmail], cliché [cliché], cache-nez [muffler] - scarf (literally: hides the nose);
ph reads like "f": photo. th reads like "t": théâtre [theater], thé [those] - tea.
p reads like Russian "p": portrait [portrait]. In the middle of the word, the letter p before t is not readable: sculpture [skultyur].
j- reads like Russian "zh": bonjour [bonjour] - hello, jalousie [blinds] - envy, jealousy and blinds, sujet [plot] - plot.
s reads like Russian "s": geste [gesture], régisseur [director], chaussée [highway]; between two vowels s sounds and reads like "z": fuselage [fuselage], limousine [limousine] - very intuitive. If it is necessary to make s deaf between vowels, it is doubled. Compare: poison [poison] - poison, and poisson [poison] - fish; the same Hennessy - [ansi].
The rest of the consonants (how many of them are left? :) - n, m, p, t, x, z- read more or less clearly. Some small features readings x and t will be described separately - rather for order. Well and n and m in combination with vowels give rise to just a whole class of sounds that will be described in a separate, most interesting section.
Here is a list of the words given above as examples - before doing the exercise, it is better to listen to how the French pronounce these words.
menu, regarder, carrefour, régime, rosé, parler, cuvette, parachute, confiture, souvenir, fourchette, nous, vous, étoile, table, banal, canal, carnaval, général, valse, garage, cognac, champignons, champagne, certificat, chance, théâtre, thé, portrait, sculpture, bonjour, sujet, geste, chaussée.
