The following terms will help you polish your written and spoken French. Use them when describing an event or retelling a story. These are necessary to MEMORISE because not only do they elevate your French, but they improve your overall fluency in the language. Please note this list will be available for download in PDF format. A link will be available later this week.
When you are about to recount an event, the following terms are important to know:
à priori: to begin with (used in conversation)
This phrase is often used when recounting an event.
Example: A priori, je ne pensais pas que le problème soit très grave mais je ne sais pas si les choses vont changer.
Example: A priori les deux petites filles semblaient perdues, mais elles ont retrouvé le bon chemin
pour commencer: to begin with
d’abord: first
au commencement: in the beginning
au début de l’histoire: at the beginning of the story
il était une fois: once upon a time
To proceed from one even to the next, the following terms are important to remember:
et puis: and then
ensuite: then, afterward, next
soudain: suddenly, all of the sudden
tout à coup: all of the sudden
alors: then, so
To conclude your story, remember the following terms:
à la fin: at the end
enfin: finally
pour finir: all in all, to conclude
pour terminer: to finish
bref: in short
en somme: to sum it up
To express an opposition use the following terms:
Cependant: however, yet
Example: Personne n’a cru Jean-Pierre; il disait cependant la vérité.
pourtant: but, yet
Example: La mer rest très froid; pourtant je veux nager.
néanmoins: nevertheless
en revanche: however
par contre: however
bien que: although
malgré que: although
malgré: despite, in spite
même si: even though, even if
When you want to link a general idea to a specific example use:
d’ailleurs: as a matter of fact
To insist on an idea, to confirm something, or to give a reason, use the following terms:
en plus: moreover, in addition
en fait: in fact, actually
afin que: so that
pour que: in order to
afin de (français écrit): in order to
To give a cause for an action:
à cause de: because of
parce que: because
car (français écrit): because
Example: Le roi était bien triste, car il ne savait plus quoi faire.
To explain the effect or the result of an action, use the following terms:
sinon: otherwise
par conséquent: consequently
donc: thus, therefore
de ce fait: as a result (used when writing only)
ainsi: thus, therefore (used in French writing)
forcément: as an obvious consequence
en vain: in vain
à force de: by dint of
When you want to link or compare one idea to another:
précisément: precisely
par rapport à: in relation to, compared to
When agreeing use the following terms:
volontiers: willingly, gladly
Example: Cécile: Veux-tu m’accompagner au cinéma? Hélène:Volontiers, mais il faut que tu m’attendes quelques minutes.
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