French for dummies

French For Dummies, 2nd Edition......Page 1
About the Authors......Page 5
Acknowledgments......Page 7
Table of Contents......Page 11
About This Book......Page 19
Conventions Used in This Book......Page 20
Foolish Assumptions......Page 21
How This Book Is Organized......Page 22
Icons Used in This Book......Page 23
Where to Go from Here......Page 24
Part I: Getting Started......Page 25
The French You’re Familiar With......Page 27
Idioms and Popular Expressions......Page 34
Key Parts of Speech......Page 35
Cavorting with Verbs......Page 46
Forming Sentences and Questions......Page 51
The French Alphabet......Page 53
Uttering Vowel and Consonant Sounds......Page 54
Getting Clear on Accents, Liaisons, and Elisions......Page 59
Greetings: Formal and Friendly......Page 62
Asking Questions to Get to Know People......Page 65
Counting Your Lucky Stars: Numbers......Page 71
Using the Calendar and Dates......Page 76
Telling Time in French......Page 80
Discussing Where You Live with the Verb “Habiter”......Page 85
Discussing Daily Routine with Reflexive Verbs......Page 91
Using Possessive Adjectives to Introduce Your Family Members......Page 101
Part II: French in Action......Page 105
Basic Questions and Polite Expressions......Page 107
Stating Your Preferences......Page 111
Talking about Your Livelihood......Page 112
Chatting about the Weather......Page 115
Deciding to Keep in Touch......Page 118
Asking and Answering “Where?” Questions......Page 121
Getting Direction about Directions......Page 126
Dining Out......Page 135
Going to the Market......Page 148
Going Shopping......Page 155
Making Comparisons: Good, Better, Best, and More......Page 168
Going Out with the Verb “Sortir”......Page 173
Having Fun with the Verb “S’amuser”......Page 174
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!......Page 175
Making Plans with Friends......Page 186
Getting Around — and Along — at the Office......Page 189
Making Appointments and Minding Business Hours......Page 195
Making a Phone Call......Page 198
Livin’ in the Past: Using the Past Tense......Page 200
Playing Sports and Games......Page 207
Going Downhill — or Cross-country — Skiing......Page 212
Going to the Beach......Page 215
Setting Up Camp......Page 217
Enjoying Quieter Pursuits......Page 221
Part III: French on the Go......Page 225
Where Do You Want to Go?......Page 227
Getting Ready for Your Trip......Page 235
Getting Current with Currency......Page 243
Going to the Bank......Page 246
Using Credit Cards and ATMs......Page 252
Getting through the Airport......Page 257
Navigating Buses, Trains, and Subways......Page 262
Getting Around by Car......Page 271
Finding Accommodations......Page 279
Checking In to a Hotel......Page 285
Checking Out of a Hotel......Page 289
Getting Help Fast......Page 293
Getting Medical Help......Page 294
Handling Legal Matters......Page 303
Part IV: The Part of Tens......Page 309
Write Your Shopping Lists in French......Page 311
Read French Publications......Page 312
Join an Online Chat or Pen Pal Forum......Page 313
Using “Bonne nuit!” for Good-Bye......Page 315
Saying “Je suis chaud(e)/froid(e)” to Say You’re Hot or Cold......Page 316
Asking for Change with “J’ai besoin de change”......Page 317
Using the Verb “Visiter” in Reference to People......Page 318
“Avec plaisir”......Page 319
“Quelle horreur!”......Page 320
“Pas mal”......Page 321
“On y va!” or “Allons-y!”......Page 323
“C’est pas grave”......Page 324
“Tu cherches midi à 14h”......Page 325
“Prenons un pot!”......Page 326
Part V: Appendixes......Page 327
French-English Mini-Dictionary......Page 329
English-French Mini-Dictionary......Page 340
Regular French Verbs......Page 351
Auxiliary French Verbs......Page 353
Irregular and Stem-Changing French Verbs......Page 354
Appendix C: Answer Key......Page 367
Track Listing......Page 369
Customer Care......Page 370
Index......Page 371