First steps: Je, Je suis, J'ai, Un, Une

Bonjour! Here's a lesson for beginners.
How to proceed? Read the lesson, learn the vocab, practice with the exercise.

"Cocorico ! Je ______ français !" *
(Le coq de Villemoustaussou dans l'Aude)

What you are going to learn today:

- I
- I am, I have
- The article "a"/ "an" / the number "one"

Lexique :
- "I own/ I have"
- "I am"

I = JE or J' (when preceding a vowel)
JE SUIS = "juh swee" (I am)
J'AI = "jeh" (I have)

The indefinite article A or AN :

UN (masculine)
pronounced:  a nasal "eh", i.e. let the air go through your nose while pronouncing "eh"
-don't pronounce the final "n"
UNE  (feminine)
pronounced: "ühnn" (close to "Prune")

NB: Un or Une also mean the number ONE
Un fruit ("frwee")= a fruit / one fruit
Une fleur ("flurr")= a flower / one flower

Prêt? Ready? Now, using what you have just learned and your intuition, do the exercise herebelow.
Un exercice ("åh-negg-zehr-sees") = an exercise.

Amusez-vous bien ! (Ah-muzeh-voo-byåh) Have fun!

J'ai or je suis ?
... j'ai je suis un sac français
... j'ai je suis une touriste en France
... j'ai je suis un touriste à San Francisco
... j'ai je suis un appartement à Paris
... j'ai je suis une maison en France
... j'ai je suis à Paris
... j'ai je suis un dollar
... j'ai je suis un Euro
... j'ai je suis française
... j'ai je suis à San Francisco

Congratulations on taking this first step !
-Or as we say : bravo !

-You can find the answers and the translation here.

Culture:
Le coq est l'emblème de la France.

The rooster is the emblem of France. In French, the rooster sings "Cocorico !", which has become a national(ist) victory shout. If you read it on the front page of a newspaper, chances are that some national sports team or athlete just won a major international competition.



Ready to take the next step? Want to learn about "you" (I'm sure you do!), click here.

Photo and lesson © Sandrine de Paris