C'est: Other uses

Bon Jour

Welcome back. 

Remember your last lesson?

Well that’s not the only use of the word C’est.  This determinative is also used to make a reference to situations or ideas and also for referring to nouns.

Let’s see how it works though the grammar construction is almost the same:

When Referring to a Situation or Idea

C'est is often used with a singular masculine adjective to refer to states of being or ideas.

OUI, C'EST VRAI

(YES, THAT'S RIGHT.)

J' ACHETERAI LE LIVRE, C' EST CERTAIN.

(I WILL BUY THE BOOK, IT'S CERTAIN)

When Referring to a Noun That Is Modified by Other Words

When a noun is used with adjectives that modify or refine the meaning of the noun, c 'est is the appropriate choice. Even a single article used with a noun is enough to modify it and make it necessary to use the c 'est construction.

C'EST UN LIVRE EXCELLENT (IT'S AN EXCELLENT BOOK.)

C'EST UNE POMME. (IT'S AN APPLE.)

That’s all for now.  Don’t worry, just practice. 

C’est simple!

N’oubliez pas pratiquer (Don’t forget to practice)

Au Revoir

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C'est: introducing a subject

Bon Jour

Comment  ça va?

I hope you find really easy to work on our previous lesson.  Because today we are going to see another word that has a similar meaning to the grammar structure Il est.

The phrase c'est also means ''it is," but it is used in different circumstances from il est. It is a contraction of ce and est, and therefore doesn't actually use a subject

pronoun.

With a Proper Name

When you wish refer to someone using his or her proper name, c'est is the appropriate choice.

C'EST YVON DUMONT

(IT'S YVON DUMONT.)

C'EST MICHEL.

(IT'S MICHAEL.)

When you want to say things like "it is me," c'est is the proper construction.

C'EST MOI.

(IT IS ME.)

C'EST ELLE.

(IT IS HER.)

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Il est/ Ell est Describing Things and People(Part II)

Salut!

Comment ça va?

On the past lesson we have started learning where to use the expression Il est as a neutral subject to describe people and things.

Let’s find some other examples where Il est is also used that way

Referring to a Profession

When simply stating that a person is of a certain profession, the phrase il est or elle est is used, and the noun appears with no article:

ELLE EST MEDECIN

(SHE IS A DOCTOR)

IL EST PHARMACIEN

(HE IS A PHARMACIST)

Referring to Nationalities

When stating that a person is of a certain nationality, il est or elle est is used with the adjective, without an article.

ELLE EST FRANÇAISE.

(SHE IS FRENCH.)

LL EST ANGLAIS.

(HE IS ENGLISH.)

Referring to Religious Beliefs

When you wish to state that a person is of a certain religious belief or denomination, il est or elle est is used with an adjective, which also appears without an article, like the previous constructions.

ELLE EST CATHOLIQUE.

(SHE IS CATHOLIC.)

IL EST PROTESTANT

(HE IS PROTESTANT)

That’s the rule.  Remember not to use the article!

Over the next lesson we will study where to use c’est as a neutral subject.

Au Revoir

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Il est/ Ell est Describing Things and People(Part I)

Describing Things and People

Salut!

Comment ça va?

I hope you are ok.  Today we are going to use the verb être (to be) conjugated on its third person, singular form to describe things and people.

You can use a number of different phrases to refer to things and people, depending on the situation.

In this lesson we are going to start describing the various constructions you can use.

‘Il est’

In English, we often use the phrase ''it is" to describe things: it is blue, it is old, it is hot In French, this can be done using il est or c'est.

Both forms can mean the same thing, ranging from ''he is," "she is," or "it is," depending on the construction of the sentence.

Each form, however, is used at a different time.

Il est is the correct choice in the following circumstances. If the subject of the sentence is female, then you use elle est to make it agree.

Using a Single Adjective

When using a single adjective that refers to a specific person or a specific thing, il est is the proper construction. The adjective will agree in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. You can also use it in other tenses instead of just in the present

Je connais cet homme. Il est intelligent.

(I know that man. He is intelligent.)

J' aime ce jardin. Il est bien.

(I love this garden. It is nice.)

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Les Pays

Salut

Comment ça va?

Do you know some of the names of the countries in French.  Here there’s a short list of countries in French.

English	French
Spain	Espagne
Finland	Finlande
Portugal	Portugal
Sweden	Suède
France	France
Russia	Russie
United Kingdom	Royaume Uni
United States	Etats-Unis
Ireland	Irlande
Italy	Italie
Belgium	Belgique
Holland	Hollande
Canada	Canada
Mexico	Mexique
China	Chine
Japan	Japon
Germany	Allemagne
Denmark	Danemark
Austria	Austriche
Norway	Norvège
Australia	Australie
Brazil	Brésil
Egypt	Egypte
Greece	Grèce

In French you have to use the definitive article before the name of the country.  Some of the countries are in Plural, for example the United States is

LES ÉTATS-UNIS

Most of the name of the countries are male nouns with a few exceptions.

L’AUSTRALIE

LE DANEMARK

BUT

LA CHINE

That’s all.  You can practice with this short list or even try to find more countries.  The more you know the more you can enjoy with your French

Au revoir

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Colors of the Rainbow

The following vocabulary list contains some French adjectives for colors.

Remember that as adjectives, when used with a noun, they must agree in number and in gender.

Français	English
Noir	Black
Bleu	Blue
Marron	Brown
Vert	Green
Gris	Gray
Orange	Orange
Rose	Pink
Violet	Purple
Rouge	Red
Blanc	White
Jaune	Yellow

That’s all for now

Au Revoir

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Clothing

The following vocabulary list contains a number of French terms for clothing and other things you can buy in a shop, including men's and women's clothes.

French	English
Le manteau	Coat
Le pardessus	Overcoat
Un impermeable	Raincoat
La veste	Jacket
Le blouson	Jacket
Le complet veston	Suit
Le maillot	Bathing suit
Un uniform	Uniform
Le pantalon	Pants, Trousers
Le jean	Jeans
Le pijama	Pajamas
La chemise	Shirt
Les chaussettes	Socks

Au Revoir

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