Easy Learning French Conversation

Why…?

SAYING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO (#ulink_14032335-13a4-55fd-81e9-02087d1dda2c)

When you’re talking to friends or colleagues you will often need to be able to talk about what you would like to do. To say what you want to do, use je voudrais (I’d like). voudrais comes from the verb vouloir. For more information on vouloir, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

I’d like to…

You can also use je veux (I want) to talk about what you want to do. If you want to say that you want someone to do something, you use je veux que followed by the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

I want to…

MAKING SUGGESTIONS (#ulink_a5f3aa1c-02ac-5efb-9313-2f01810eec14)

One easy way of making suggestions to your friends and colleagues is to use on pourrait (we could) followed by the verb in the infinitive. pourrait comes from the verb pouvoir. For more information on pouvoir, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

We could…

Just as in English you can make a suggestion by simply asking Pourquoi ne… pas? (Why don’t…?). You will notice that French speakers very often omit ne to make sentences shorter – this is mainly in spoken French.

Why don’t…?

You can also make a suggestion using the French phrase Et si…? (How about?) which is followed by a verb in the imperfect tense. For more information on the imperfect tense, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

How about…?

Use Est-ce que je devrais…? (Should I…?) followed by the verb in the infinitive to ask if you should do something. devrais comes from the verb devoir. For more information on devoir, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

Should I…?

EXPRESSING OPINIONS (#ulink_389dff21-ae00-559f-b63b-f342ad5117ea)

When talking to people in a social or work situation, you may wish to express your opinion of something. In French you can use je crois or je pense (I think). When you use croire and penser with a negative, as in je ne pense pas que or je ne crois pas que, the verb which follows is in the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

I think…

BON À SAVOIR!

Don’t forget to add que (that) after croire and penser. It’s optional in English, but not in French.

In my opinion…

If you want to ask other people what they think of something, use Qu’est-ce que tu penses de…? (What do you think of…?).

What do you think of…?

To agree or disagree with what other people say, use je suis d’accord or je ne suis pas d’accord.

I agree…

You’re right…

BON À SAVOIR!

Where we use the verb to be in English in the phrases to be right or to be wrong, French speakers use avoir (to have): avoir raison (to be right), avoir tort (to be wrong).

TALKING ABOUT YOUR PLANS (#ulink_59704477-38e6-56a2-835d-778c58b62720)

When talking to your colleagues and friends you will want to tell them about your plans. In French, as in English, the present is very often used to talk about plans, especially for things that have been arranged and that are definite. For more on the present tense, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

I’m seeing…

In English, when we talk about the future we often say I’m going to. French works the same way. To say that you’re going to do something, use je vais (I’m going to) or on va (we’re going to) before a verb in the infinitive. vais and va come from the verb aller. For more information on aller, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

I’m going to…

Are you going to…?

When talking about what you intend to do, you can use j’ai l’intention de or je compte (I intend to) followed by a verb in the infinitive.

I intend to…

Do you intend to…?

MAKING ARRANGEMENTS (#ulink_9edfa162-3bc6-5a65-8fe8-61f9fea1de23)

When making arrangements with someone, use Est-ce que ça vous va si…? or Est-ce que ça te va si…? to ask someone if something suits them. va comes from the verb aller. For more information on aller, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

Will it suit you if…?

To ask somebody if they would prefer something, use Est-ce que tu préférerais que…? or Est-ce que vous préféreriez que…? (Would you prefer it if…?), which comes from the verb préférer in the conditional. The conditional is very useful to make polite requests or offers. You can find out more about it here (#litres_trial_promo). For more information on -er verbs like préférer, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

Would you prefer it if…?

Is it better to…?

If you want to confirm an arrangement with somebody, you can use Est-ce qu’on est d’accord sur…? (Are we agreed on…?).

Are we agreed on…?

BON À SAVOIR!

D’accord is used to accept offers or to agree: On y va ensemble? – D’accord! (Shall we go together? – OK!).

SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO (#ulink_d112adad-cbe2-53ec-b733-1f9e88838e40)

When you want to say that you have to do something in French, you use il faut que (I have to) followed by the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here (#litres_trial_promo).

I have to…