View source for User:Deus ex machina/French grammar

Je suis heureux que vous êtes venu à ma façon

==Verbs==

Verbs are classified by the endings on their [[infinitive]] forms: an "''-er'' verb," for example, is a verb ending in ''-er''. The great majority of verbs are ''-er'' verbs, but there are many ''-ir'' verbs, and a few ''-re'' verbs. Historically, these groups descend from [[Latin]]'s ''-are'', ''-ire'', and ''-ere'' verbs, respectively.

In most ''-ir'' verbs, the [[suffix]] ''-ir'' becomes the [[infix]] ''-iss-'' in parts of the conjugation; this infix descends from Latin's [[inchoative]] infix ''-isc-'', which is also the root of [[Italian language|Italian]]'s ''-isc-'' and [[Romanian language|Romanian]]'s ''-esc-''. From the French infix ''-iss-'', [[English language|English]] derives several inchoative verbs ending in ''-ish'', such as ''finish'' (from ''finir''), ''polish'' (from ''polir''), and ''nourish'' (from ''nourrir'').

Most verbs are [[grammatical conjugation|conjugated]] by adding various endings to the verb stem, where the stem is obtained by removing the ending from the infinitive; however, ''-er'', ''-ir'', and ''-re'' verbs are all conjugated differently from one another, and there are many irregular verbs. The choice of ending to add depends on the [[subject (grammar)|subject]]'s [[grammatical person|person]] (first, second, or third person) and [[grammatical number|number]] (singular or plural), as well as on the verb's own [[grammatical mood|mood]], [[grammatical tense|tense]], and [[grammatical aspect|aspect]]. However, many endings will be the same for multiple verb forms, or will be [[homophones]] (spelled differently, but pronounced the same), such that subject [[pronouns]] are obligatory in modern French: without the pronouns, "je chante" ("I sing") and "il chante" ("he sings") would be indistinguishable, and in speech, both would be indistinguishable from "tu chantes" ("you sing").

===Moods===

As with English verbs, French verbs are conjugated in three moods: an indicative (''l&#39;indicatif''), an imperative (''l&#39;impératif''), and a [[subjunctive mood|subjunctive]] (''le subjonctif''). While the rules that determine the correct mood are quite complex, they are simplified and summarized in the following table:

{| border="1" cellspacing="5"
| indicative ||
*used in most independent [[clause]]s
*used in affirmative and negative statements and questions
*used in dependent clauses that are certainly true
*used when no other mood applies
||
*« Où ''êtes''-vous ? » ("Where ''are'' you?")
*« Je ''suis'' ici. » ("I ''am'' here.")
|-
| imperative ||
*used in commands and requests
*only possible with first-person plural and second-person singular and plural subject
*the subject is implied
*almost exactly as in English
||
*« ''Fais'' tes devoirs ! » ("''Do'' your homework!")
|-
| subjunctive ||
*used in many dependent clauses
*used to express a doubtful, desired, or requested event
*used to express an event to which the reaction is of most significance
*used to express a third-person imperative
*used much more than in English
||
*« Il se peut qu'il ''vienne'' demain. » ("It may be that he''&#39;ll come'' tomorrow.")
*« J'ai demandé qu'il ''parte''. » ("I asked that he ''leave''.")
*« Je suis heureux qu'il ''soit'' venu. » ("I'm glad that he ''came''.")
*« ''Vive'' le roi ! » ("Long ''live'' the king!")
|}

Many linguists consider a fourth mood, the [[conditional mood|conditional]] (''le conditionnel''), which is used in almost exactly the same circumstances as the conditional in English. In French, « Je le ''ferais'' si j'avais assez de temps » is "I ''would do'' it if I had enough time" in English. Other linguists consider the conditional to be a specific tense within the indicative mood. The two camps do not disagree in the rules for when and how to use the conditional.

===Tenses and aspects===

====Tenses and aspects of the indicative mood====

The indicative mood has five "simple" ([[synthetic language|synthetic]]) tenses: the present (''le présent''), the simple past (''le passé simple''), the imperfect (''l'imparfait''), the future (''le futur''), and the conditional (''le conditionnel''). Note that, as discussed above, the conditional can be considered a separate mood completely, rather than a tense of the indicative. The use of the various tenses is described in the following table:

{| border="1" cellspacing="5"
! present
|
*used to describe ongoing events in the present
*sometimes used to describe upcoming events
*used in a [[protasis]] (''if''-clause) when the [[apodosis]] (''then''-clause) is in the future tense or imperative mode
*often used in describing historical events
*much like in English, except that there is no [[continuous aspect]] marker
|
*« Le mardi, je ''joue'' au tennis. » ("On Tuesdays, I ''play'' tennis.")
*« En ce moment, je ''joue'' au tennis. » ("At the moment, I''&#39;m playing'' tennis.")
*« Demain, je ''joue'' au tennis avec Marc. » ("Tomorrow, I''&#39;m playing'' tennis with Marc.")
*« Si je ''joue'' au tennis avec vous mardi, jouerez-vous aux échecs avec moi mercredi ? » ("If I ''play'' tennis with you on Tuesday, will you play chess with me on Wednesday?")
|-
! simple past
|
*used to describe past events in a [[perfective aspect|perfective]] or [[aorist aspect]]; that is, with a sense of completion, with a definite beginning and end
*a literary tense that is very rarely used in spoken language
|
*« Et la lumière ''fut''. » ("And there ''was'' light.")
*« Il ''naquit'' 1930 et ''mourut'' 1998. » ("He ''was born'' in 1930 and ''died'' in 1998.")
*« Hier, il ''plut''. » ("Yesterday, it ''rained''.")
|-
! imperfect
|
*used to describe past events or situations in an [[imperfective aspect]]; that is, ongoing past events or situations
*often used in conjunction with the simple or compound past to indicate an event that was ongoing while another took place
*used in a contrary-to-fact protasis (with the apodosis in the conditional)
*often analogous to English past continuous (e.g., "was doing" or "used to")
|
*« Quand j&#39;''étais'' jeune, j&#39;''habitais'' à Paris. » ("When I ''was'' young, I ''lived'' in Paris.")
*« Il rangea la salle tandisqu'elle ''faisait'' la vaisselle. » ("He cleaned the room while she ''was washing'' the dishes.")
*« Si je le ''savais'', je te le dirais. » ("If I ''knew'' [it], I would tell you.")
|-
! future
|
*used to describe future events
*mostly the same as in English, except that it is a simple (one-word) tense in French
|
*« Je le ''ferai'' demain. » ("I''&#39;ll do'' it tomorrow.")
|-
! conditional
|
*used in an apodosis when the protasis is contrary to fact (in the imperfect)
*used to describe a past event from the standpoint of an even-earlier event
*mostly the same as in English, except that it is a simple (one-word) tense in French
|
*« Si je le savais, je te le ''dirais''. » ("If I knew it, I ''would tell'' you.")
*« Ils dirent que je ''réussirais''. » ("They said that I ''would succeed''.")
|}

Additionally, the indicative has five compound (two-word) tenses, each of which results from applying the [[perfect aspect]] (e.g., "have done") to one of the above simple tenses. These tenses are used to indicate events prior to the corresponding simple tenses; for example, « A ce moment-là, il se souvint de ce qu'il ''avait promis'' » ("At that moment, he remembered what he had promised"). In addition, except in literature or very formal speeches, the present perfect is used in modern French wherever the simple past would have been used in older or more literary writing. Since this use is much more common than its use as a true present perfect, it is usually called the compound past (''le passé composé''). Further, where older or more literary French would have used the perfect aspect of the simple past tense (''le passé antérieur''), modern non-literary French uses the pluperfect (''le plus-que-parfait''; the perfect aspect of the imperfect tense), or sometimes a new form called the ''surcomposé'' (literally, "over-compound"), which re-applies the perfect aspect to the compound past, resulting in a structure like « Je l&#39;''ai eu fait'' » (literally, "I&#39;''ve had done'' it").

Unlike English or [[Spanish language|Spanish]], French does not mark for a [[continuous aspect]]. Thus, "I am doing it" (continuous) and "I do it" (not) both translate to the same sentence in French: « Je le fais. » However, this information is often clear from context; and in the case of the past tense, the difference between the imperfect tense and the simple and compound past tenses is often the difference between continuous and not.

====Tenses and aspects of the subjunctive mood====

The subjunctive mood has only two simple tenses: a present (''le présent du subjonctif'') and an imperfect (''l'imparfait du subjonctif''). Of these, only the present is used nowadays; like the simple past indicative, the imperfect subjunctive is only found in older and more literary works. When both tenses are used, there is no difference in meaning between the two; the present is used in subordinate clauses whose main clauses are in a present or future tense, as well as in the few main clauses that use the subjunctive, and the imperfect is used in subordinate clauses whose main clauses are in a past tense. Except in literature and very formal speeches, modern French uses the present subjunctive wherever an older or more literary work would use the imperfect.

As with the indicative, the subjunctive also has one compound tense for each simple tense. The difference between the present perfect subjunctive (''le passé du subjonctif'') and the pluperfect subjunctive (''le plus-que-parfait du subjonctif'') is analogous to the difference between the present subjunctive and imperfect subjunctive; of the two, only the present perfect subjunctive is found in modern French.

====Tenses and aspects in other verb forms====

The tenses and aspects of other verb forms are mostly as in English, except for the lack of a continuous aspect marking:

*The imperative only has a present tense, with a rarely-used perfect aspect: "fais-le" means "do it," while "aie-le fait" means "have done it."
*The infinitive has a present tense, with a perfect aspect: "faire" means "to do," while "avoir fait" means "to have done."
*There is a present [[participle]], with a perfect aspect: "faisant" means "doing," while "ayant fait" means "having done." As noted above, this participle is not used in forming a continuous aspect. Further, it cannot be used as a noun, in the way that present participles in English have the same form as gerunds; the only noun verbal is the infinitive.
*There is a separate past participle: "fait" means "done." As in English, it can be used in the passive voice, in the perfect aspect, or on its own as an adjective. The past participle has no perfect aspect, except arguably in the special ''surcomposée'' tense described above.

===Compound tense auxiliary verbs===

In French, all [[compound tense]]s are formed with an auxiliary verb (either ''être'' "to be" or ''avoir'' "to have").  Most verbs use ''avoir'' as their auxiliary verb. The exceptions are fourteen commonly used verbs of motion or change of state, as well as their derivatives, and all [[reflexive verb]]s. Those fourteen verbs, plus three common compounds, are:

* ''monter''¹ - to climb/go up
* ''rester'' - to stay
* ''sortir''¹ - to go out
* ''venir'' - to come
** (''devenir'' - to become)
** (''revenir'' - to get back)
* ''aller'' - to go
* ''naître'' - to be born
* ''descendre''¹ - to go down
* ''entrer'' - to enter 
** (''rentrer'' - to return)
* ''retourner'' - to send back/ to return
* ''tomber'' - to fall
* ''arriver'' - to arrive
* ''mourir'' - to die
* ''partir'' - to leave or part
* (''passer''¹ - to pass by)

¹ If these verbs have direct objects, they are conjugated with ''avoir''.

As is implied above, these verbs spell the [[mnemonic]] "Mrs. Vandertamp" (or "Dr Mrs Vandertramp" if the three compounds are included).

In other [[Romance language]]s, such as [[Italian language|Italian]], this exact same distinction is made between the two auxiliary verbs. The semantic basis for it lies in the quality of the subject; where the subject is not an active agent or initiator of the action or change (that is, when it is an [[unaccusative verb]]) the auxiliary ''être'' is used.

The distinction between the two auxiliary verbs is important for the correct formation of the compound tenses and is also essential to the agreement of the past participle.

===Past participles===

The past participle is used in French as both an adjective and to form all the compound tenses of the language.  When it is used as an adjective, it follows all the regular adjective agreement rules, but when it is used in compound tenses, it follows special agreement rules.

''-er'' verbs form the participle by changing the ''-er'' ending to ''-&eacute;'', ''-ir'' verbs by changing ''-ir'' to ''-i'', and ''-re'' verbs by changing to ''-u''. Therefore, the past participle of ''parler'', "to speak", is ''parl&eacute;''; for ''finir'', "to finish", ''fini'', and for ''vendre'', "to sell", ''vendu''.

The rules of agreement for past participles differ for ''avoir'' verbs and ''être'' verbs. For ''avoir'' verbs, the past participle does not agree with the subject, but it will agree with a direct object that comes before the verb, either in the form of a [[pronoun#French language Pronouns|pronoun]] or a relative clause using ''que'': ''elles ont mang'''é''' les fraises que j'avais cueilli'''es'''''.  ''Elles '''les''' ont mang'''ées'''.''

For the fourteen commonly used ''être'' verbs, the past participle always agrees with the subject: ''elles sont parti'''es'''''.

For reflexive verbs, the past participle agrees with the direct object of the sentence if the direct object is a reflexive pronoun. For most sentences, the past participle agrees with the subject. For example, in « Elles se sont lavé'''es''''', » the direct object is ''se'', referring to the feminine third-person plural ''elles''; therefore, ''-es'' is added for agreement. However, in sentences such as « Elles se sont lavé les mains, » the direct object is ''les mains'', not ''se'' and nothing is added to the past participle. In sentences with reflexive pronouns as indirect objects, the past participle never agrees; there is no agreement in « Elles se sont parlé » because ''se'' replaces ''à elles-mêmes'' in the construction ''parler à quelqu<nowiki>'</nowiki>un'' ("talk to someone").

=== Conjugation ===
$$ Create a new article? $$
French verbs are divided into three conjugations by the ending of their infinitives: ''-er'' verbs, ''-ir'' verbs, and ''-re'' verbs. They are conjugated thus:


{| rules=all style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellpadding=3
! rowspan="3" colspan="1" | 
! colspan="8" style="text-align: center;" | '''First Conjugation: ''-er'' verbs'''
|-
! colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | '''Indicative'''
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Subjunctive'''
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Conditional'''
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Imperative'''
|-
| '''Present''' || '''Simple Past''' || '''Imperfect''' || '''Future''' || '''Present''' || '''Imperfect''' || '''Present''' || 

'''Present'''
|-
| '''je''' || parle || parlai || parlais || parlerai || parle || parlasse || parlerais || 
|-
| '''tu''' || parles || parlas || parlais || parleras || parles || parlasses || parlerais || parle
|-
| '''il''' || parle || parla || parliat || parlera || parle || parl&acirc;t || parlerait || 
|-
| '''nous''' || parlons || parl&acirc;mes || parlions || parlerons || parlions || parlassions || parlerions || parlons
|-
| '''vous'''|| parlez || parl&acirc;tes || parliez || parlerez || parliez || parlassiez || parleriez || parlez
|-
| '''ils''' || parlent || parl&egrave;rent || parlaient || parleront || parlent || parlassent || parleraient || 
|}

Non-finite forms:
* Infinitive: parler
* Present participle: parlant
* Past Participle: parlé


{| rules=all style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellpadding=3
! rowspan="3" colspan="1" | 
! colspan="8" style="text-align: center;" | '''Second Conjugation: ''-ir'' verbs'''
|-
! colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | '''Indicative'''
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Subjunctive'''
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Conditional'''
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Imperative'''
|-
| '''Present''' || '''Simple Past''' || '''Imperfect''' || '''Future''' || '''Present''' || '''Imperfect''' || '''Present''' || 

'''Present'''
|-
| '''je''' || choisis || choisis || choisisses || choisirai || choisisse || choisisse || choisirais || 
|-
| '''tu''' || choisis || choisis || choisisses || choisiras || choisisses || choisisse || choisirais || choisis
|-
| '''il''' || choisit || choisit || choisisset || choisira || choisisse || chois&icirc;t || choisirait || 
|-
| '''nous''' || choisissons || chois&icirc;mes || choisissions || choisirons || choisissions || choisissions || choisirions || 

choisissons
|-
| '''vous'''|| choisissez || chois&icirc;tes || choisissiez || choisirez || choisissiez || choisissiez || choisiriez || choisissez
|-
| '''ils''' || choisissent || choisirent || choisissaient || choisiront || choisissient || choisissient || choisiraient || 
|}

Non-finite forms:
* Infinitive: choisir
* Present participle: choisissant
* Past participle: choisi


{| rules=all style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid darkgray;" cellpadding=3
! rowspan="3" colspan="1" | 
! colspan="8" style="text-align: center;" | Third Conjugation: ''-re'' verbs'''
|-
! colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | '''Indicative'''
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Subjunctive'''
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Conditional'''
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Imperative'''
|-
| '''Present''' || '''Simple Past''' || '''Imperfect''' || '''Future''' || '''Present''' || '''Imperfect''' || '''Present''' || 

'''Present'''
|-
| '''j'''' || attends || attendis || attendais || attendrai || attende || attendisse || attendrais || 
|-
| '''tu''' || attends || attendis || attendais || attendras || attendes || attendisses || attendrais || attends
|-
| '''il''' || attend || attendit || attendait || attendra || attende || attend&icirc;t || attendrait || 
|-
| '''nous''' || attendons || attend&icirc;mes || attendions || attendrons || attendions || attendissions || attendrions || attendons
|-
| '''vous'''|| attendez || attend&icirc;tes || attendiez || attendrez || attendiez || attendissiez || attendriez || attendez
|-
| '''ils''' || attendent || attendirent || attendaient || attendront || attendent || attendissent || attendraient || 
|}

Non-finite forms:
* Infinitive: attendre
* Present participle: attendant
* Past participle: attendu

==Nouns==

Every French [[noun]] has a [[grammatical gender]], either masculine or feminine. The grammatical gender of an animate noun usually corresponds to the noun's [[natural gender]]. For such nouns, there will very often be one noun of each gender, with the choice of noun being determined by the natural gender of the person described; for example, a male singer is a "chanteur," while a female singer is a "chanteuse." In some cases, the two nouns are identical in form, with the difference only being marked in neighboring words (due to gender agreement; see [[#Articles|the section on articles]]); a Catholic man is "un Catholique," while a Catholic woman is "une Catholique." Nonetheless, there are some such nouns that retain their grammatical gender regardless of natural gender; "personne" ("person") is always feminine, while "professeur" ("teacher") is always masculine, regardless of the sex of the person being referred to; in [[Canada|Canadian]] French, however, there is the feminine form  "professeure."

A noun's gender is not perfectly predictable from its form, but there are some trends. As a very broad trend, nouns ending in ''-e'' tend to be feminine, while the rest tend to be masculine, but there are very many exceptions. More consistently, some endings, such as ''-tion'', occur almost exclusively on feminine nouns, while others, such as ''-eau'', occur almost exclusively on masculine ones. Nonetheless, a noun that seems masculine from its form might actually be feminine (e.g., ''souris'' - "mouse"), or less commonly, vice versa (e.g., ''squelette'' - "skeleton").

$$ List of masculine/feminine endings ? $$

As with English, nouns are inflected for [[grammatical number|number]]; to form a plural noun from the singular, usually add ''-s'', or sometimes ''-x''. However, since final consonants are generally not pronounced in French, adding ''-s'' or ''-x'' does not generally affect pronunciation, so the singular and plural forms of most nouns are generally pronounced the same. Further, nouns that end in ''-s'' (e.g., ''Français'' - "Frenchman") in their singular forms generally do not change forms even in writing. However, some nouns are pronounced differently in their plural forms: ''œil'' ("eye") becomes ''yeux'', ''cheval'' ("horse") becomes ''chevaux'', and ''os'' ("bone" or "bones") is pronounced differently when it is plural from when it is singular; and even with nouns for which this is not the case, a distinction will still usually be made in speech, as there will usually be a neighboring article or determiner whose pronunciation does change with the noun's number (due to number agreement; see [[#Articles|the section on articles]]). As with English, most uncountable nouns are grammatically treated as singular, though some are plural, such as ''les mathématiques'' (mathematics), and some nouns that are uncountable in English are countable in French, such as ''une information'' (a piece of information).

Nouns in French are not inflected for [[grammatical case|case]] or [[grammatical person|person]]. (However, pronouns are; see [[#Pronouns|the section on pronouns]].)

==Articles==

French has three [[article]]s: definite, indefinite, and partitive. (The meaning and use of each is described below.) Articles agree with their nouns in gender and number; for example, a feminine, singular noun requires a feminine, singular article. However, none of the articles distinguishes between masculine-plural and feminine-plural; thus, each article has a masculine, singular form, a feminine, singular form, and a plural form. The morphology of the articles is as follows:

{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! rowspan=2 | &nbsp; !! colspan=2 | singular !! rowspan=2 | plural
|-
! masculine !! feminine
|-
!definite article
|''le''<sup>1,2</sup> || ''la''<sup>1</sup> || ''les''<sup>2</sup>
|-
!indefinite article
|''un''<sup>3</sup> || ''une''<sup>3</sup> || ''des''<sup>4</sup>
|-
!partitive article
|''du''<sup>5,6</sup> || ''de la''<sup>5,6</sup> || ''des''<sup>4,5</sup>
|-
|}
#''Le'' and ''la'' become ''l&#39;'' before a vowel; see [[#Elision and liaison|the section on elision and liaison]].
#The prepositions ''à'' ("to" or "at") and ''de'' ("of" or "from") contract with ''le(s)'' to form ''au(x)'' and ''du/des'', respectively. These contractions are obligatory, except that ''le'' does not contract before a vowel (since it becomes ''l&#39;'').
#''Un(e)'' is also the word for "one"; this makes semantic sense.
#''Des'' is the plural form of both the indefinite article and the partitive article; this makes sense, as there is no real difference in meaning. Note that many grammarians describe it as exclusively indefinite or as exclusively partitive, saying that the other article has no plural form; this amounts to the same thing.
#The partitive article is formed by adding the preposition ''de'' ("of" or "from") to the definite article.
#''Du'' and ''de la'' become ''de l&#39;'' before a vowel; see notes 1 and 5 above.

The French definite article is analogous to the English definite article ''the''. Like ''the'', the French definite article is used with a noun referring to a specific item when both the speaker and the audience know what the item is; so, «J'ai cassé '''la''' chaise rouge» ("I broke '''the''' red chair"). Unlike ''the'', the French definite article is also used with an uncountable noun to describe all of it, or with a plural noun to describe all of them; so, «J'aime '''le''' lait» ("I like '''[no article]''' milk") or «J'aime '''les''' romans» ("I like '''[no article]''' novels").

The French indefinite article is analogous to the English indefinite article ''a/an''. Like ''a/an'', the French indefinite article is used with a noun referring to a non-specific item, or to a specific item when the speaker and audience don't both know what the item is; so, «J'ai cassé '''une''' chaise rouge» ("I broke '''a''' red chair"). Unlike ''a/an'', the French indefinite article has a plural form, often translated as ''some'' but usually simply omitted in English; so, «Il y a '''des''' livres là-bas» ("There are '''some ''or'' [no article]''' books over there").
$$ fix spaces $$
There is no English partitive article; the French partitive article is often translated as ''some'', but often simply omitted in English. It is used to indicate an indefinite portion of something uncountable, or an indefinite number of something countable: «J'ai '''du''' café» ("I have '''some ''or'' [no article]''' coffee").

As may be seen from the above, French, articles and determiners are required in French much more often than in English. This might be attributed to the fact that in speech, it is generally impossible to distinguish the singular and plural forms of a noun, so it is useful to include articles and determiners so as to make the distinction clear.

==Adjectives==

Most adjectives follow the noun, except for a small but common subset, corresponding roughly to adjectives describing ''beauty'', ''age'', ''goodness'', or ''size'' (BAGS).
For some adjectives, the meaning changes based on its position relative to the noun:

* ''mon ancienne maison'' ("my former house") vs. ''ma maison ancienne'' ("my ancient house")
* ''ma propre maison'' ("my own house") vs. ''ma maison propre'' ("my clean house")
* ''un grand homme'' ("an important man") vs. ''un homme grand'' ("a tall man")

Many compound words contain an adjective: ''belle-mère'' (one word: "mother in law") vs. ''belle mère'' (two words: "handsome mother"). Some of them use an [[archaism|archaic]] form of the feminine adjective (without ''-e''): ''grand-route'', ''grand-rue'' (but ''une grande route'' "a long way", ''une grande rue'' "a long street").

===Possessive determiners===
Possessive [[determiner]]s (or ''possessive adjectives'') agree with the object possessed:

{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! rowspan=3 colspan=3 | &nbsp; !! colspan=3 | possessed
|-
! colspan=2 | singular !! rowspan=2 | plural
|-
! masculine !! feminine
|-
! rowspan=6 | possesser !! rowspan=2 | first person !! singular
| ''mon'' || ''ma'' || ''mes''
|-
! plural
| colspan=2 | ''notre'' || ''nos''
|-
! rowspan=2 | second person !! singular
| ''ton'' || ''ta'' || ''tes''
|-
! plural
| colspan=2 | ''votre'' || ''vos''
|-
! rowspan=2 | third person !! singular
| ''son'' || ''sa'' || ''ses''
|-
! plural
| colspan=2 | ''leur'' || ''leurs''
|}

Examples:
* This is ''my'' car. «C'est ''ma'' voiture.»
* ''Their'' flowers are pretty. «''Leurs'' fleurs sont jolies.»

$$ More spaces to fix $$

==Pronouns==

===Personal pronouns===
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! colspan=2 | &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! colspan=2 | first person
| ''je'' || ''nous''
|-
! rowspan=2 | second person !! informal
| ''tu'' || rowspan=2 | ''vous''
|-
! formal
| ''vous''
|-
! rowspan=3 | third person !! masculine
| ''il'' || ''ils''
|-
! feminine 
| ''elle'' || ''elles''
|-
! indefinite
| ''on'' || &nbsp; 
|}
''On'' is commonly used to translate the english passive voice and is comparable to english's ''one'' (''"on a volé la Joconde"'' would be literally translated by ''"(some)one has stolen the Joconda ([[Mona Lisa]])"''). In addition, ''on'' is tending to replace the more formal ''nous'' in oral situations (''« on a ce qu'il faut »'' for ''"we have what's needed"'').


===Direct object pronouns===
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! colspan=2 | &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! colspan=2 | first person
| ''me'' || ''nous''
|-
! rowspan=2 | second person !! informal
| ''te'' || rowspan=2 | ''vous''
|-
! formal
| ''vous''
|-
! rowspan=2 | third person !! masculine
| ''le'' || rowspan=2 | ''les''
|-
! feminine
| ''la''
|}
'''Note:''' The pronouns ''me'', ''te'', and ''le''/''la'' contract to ''m<nowiki>'</nowiki>'', ''t<nowiki>'</nowiki>'', and ''l<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' respectively. 

Examples:
* (I have a book.) I'm giving ''it'' to the teacher. «Je ''le'' donne au prof.»
* (Danielle is my sister.) Have you seen ''her''? «Est-ce que tu ''l<nowiki>'</nowiki>''as vue?»

$$ And more ! $$

===Indirect object pronouns===
Indirect object pronouns replace ''only people''.
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! colspan=2 | &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! colspan=2 | first person
| ''me'' || ''nous''
|-
! rowspan=2 | second person !! informal
| ''te'' || rowspan=2 | ''vous''
|-
! formal
| ''vous''
|-
! colspan=2 | third person
| ''lui'' || ''leur''
|}
'''Note:''' ''lui'' is used for both masculine and feminine indirect objects.

Examples:
* « Je donne mon livre ''à elle''. » becomes « Je ''lui'' donne mon livre. »
* « Il prépare une surprise ''à moi''. » becomes « Il ''me'' prépare une surprise. »

Notice that reflexive and indirect object pronouns cannot be used together.
« Je me fie à ce mécanicien. » :
* '''Wrong:''' « Je me lui fie. »
* '''Right:''' « Je me fie à lui. »

===Reflexive pronouns===
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! colspan=2 | &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! colspan=2 | first person
| ''me'' || ''nous''
|-
! rowspan=2 | second person !! informal
| ''te'' || rowspan=2 | ''vous''
|-
! formal
| ''vous''
|-
! colspan=2 | third person
| ''se'' || ''se''
|}
'''Note:''' ''me'', ''te'', and ''se'' contract to ''m<nowiki>'</nowiki>'', ''t<nowiki>'</nowiki>'', and ''s<nowiki>'</nowiki>'' respectively. 

As odd as it may seem, the French do say ''« nous nous voyons tous les jours »'' (''"we see each other daily"'') thus repeating twice ''nous'' (or ''vous'').

$$ Take off italics when using guillemets $$

===Possessive pronouns===
Possessive pronouns agree with the object being possessed.
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! colspan=2 | &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! rowspan=2 | first person !! masculine
| ''le mien'' || ''le nôtre''
|-
! feminine
| ''la mienne'' || ''la nôtre''
|-
! rowspan=2 | second person !! masculine
| ''le tien'' || ''le vôtre''
|-
! feminine
| ''la tienne'' || ''la vôtre''
|-
! rowspan=2 | third person !! masculine
| ''le sien'' || ''le leur''
|-
! feminine
| ''la sienne'' || ''la leur''
|}
'''Note:''' To form the plural of these pronouns, simply add ''-s''. Example: ''les vôtres'' (''yours'')

Examples:
* Is this flower yours or mine? « Cette fleur, c'est la tienne ou la mienne ? »
* I'm talking to my brother while you're talking to yours. « Je parle à mon frère pendant que tu parles au(x) tien(s). »


===Object Pronouns===

====The pronoun ''y''====
$$ Needs more info. $$
''y'' is used to replace a preposition plus a noun, some of which are the following:
* à
* en
* dans
* derrière
* devant
* sous
* sur

Examples:
* « Allez-vous ''à Paris'' ? Oui, nous ''y'' allons. »
* « Est-ce que tu travaille ''dans ce bureau'' ? Non, je n<nowiki>'</nowiki>''y'' travaille plus. »

====The pronoun ''en''====
$$ Needs more info. $$
''en'' is used to replace:
* an [[indefinite article]]
** Tu connais '''des professeurs''' ici? Oui, j<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''en''' connais.
* [[partitive]] expression
** Voulez-vous '''du jus'''? -> Non, je n<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''en''' veux pas.
* nouns used with quantity expressions or numbers
** As-tu '''des frères'''? Oui, j<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''en''' ai deux.
** J'ai beaucoup d'oranges. J<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''en''' ai beaucoup. (Notice the placement of ''beaucoup'')
* ''de''   noun
** Il est revenu '''de France'''? Non, il '''en''' revient lundi.
* ''de''   infinitive
** Ils ont peur '''de nager'''? Oui, ils '''en''' ont peur.

===Interrogatives===

''Lequel'' is used as the interrogative pronoun in French. It signifies which one or which ones. It agrees with the noun it replaces:

{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! masculine
| ''lequel'' || ''lesquels''
|-
! feminine
| ''laquelle'' || ''lesquelles''
|}

Examples:
« Lesquelles dois-je lire, parmi ces lettres ? » ("Which ones should I read, among those letters?")
« Lequel est le plus amusant ? » ("Which [of them] is the funniest?")

Lequel can be contracted with à and de.
*« Je veux parler à un jeune homme.
— Auquel ? » (I want to talk to a young man. To which one?)
*« J'ai besoin de ces stylos.
— Desquels ? » (I need these pens. Which ones?)

==Demonstratives==

===Determiners===
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! masculine
| ''ce''<br>''cet'' (before vowel) || ''ces''
|-
! feminine
| ''cette'' || ''ces''
|}

The demonstrative determiners (or ''demonstrative adjectives'') can mean either ''this'' or ''that'', ''these'' or ''those''.  To be more precise or to avoid ambiguity, ''-ci'' or ''-là'' can be inserted after the noun:

* cet homme-ci  "this man"
* cet homme-là  "that man"

''Ça'' is a popular shorthand form for ''cela'' (meaning ''that'', it can mentally understood as : ce-là (this-there)).
For example : 
*« Ça/cela n'a pas d'importance. » (It doesn't matter.)
*« Tu vois ça (pointing with index) ? Eh bien, c'est la tour Eiffel ! » (You see this? It is the Eiffel Tower!)
Notice here the widely used in oral "''c'est''", a compound of ''ce'' and ''est''.

Another demonstrative determiner, the word ''quel'', means ''which'' or ''what''. It agrees with the noun it modifies:

{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! masculine
| ''quel'' || ''quels''
|-
! feminine
| ''quelle'' || ''quelles''
|}
Examples: ''quel train'', ''quelle chaise'', ''quels hommes'', and ''quelles classes''.

''Quel'' can be used as an exclamation.
*« Quel film ! » (what a movie!)
*« Quelle gentillesse ! » (what kindness!)

=== Pronouns ===

{| border="1" style="text-align:center" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
! &nbsp; !! singular !! plural
|-
! masculine
| ''celui'' || ''ceux''
|-
! feminine
| ''celle'' || ''celles''
|}

These pronouns agree with the noun they refer to (this one, that one, these ones, those ones).
To distinguish between this/that and these/those, ''-ci'' or ''-là'' can be used as a suffix just as in the demonstrative determiners.

* « Tu vois cet homme ? Celui-ci ? Non, celui-là. » "Do you see that man? This one here? No, that one over there."

==Negation==

French has a two part negation, consisting of the ''ne'' particle, which signifies a global negation, preceding the verb, and one of several other words following the verb, clarifying the type of negation:

*''ne ... pas''       "not"
*''ne ... rien''      "nothing"
*''ne ... jamais''    "never"
*''ne ... personne''  "nobody" (but the word ''personne'' alone means ''person'')
*''ne ... aucun(e)'' "not any", but not identical to the german ''kein''
*''ne ... plus''      "not any more, no longer"
*''ne ... guère''    "not much, not any" (archaic)
*''ne ... que''       "only"
*''ne ... point''     "not, not at all" (mostly literary)

Examples:
*« Je ne sais pas. »            "I don't know."
*« Nous n'avons vu personne. »  "We didn't see anybody."
*« Il ne fume plus. »           "He doesn't smoke anymore."
*« Je n'ai aucune idée. »       "I have no idea."

In colloquial French it is common to drop the ''ne'' in fast speech, although this can create some ambiguity with the ''ne...plus'' construction, meaning either "I (do something) still" or "I (don't do anything) any more."

It is also common in current literary style to omit the ''pas'' when the construction is of the ''ne...pas'' form with the verbs ''vouloir'' and ''pouvoir'' ("to want", "to be able to").
$$ Excerpt for example? $$

==Word order ==

* Subject
* ''ne'' (establishes global negation within phrase) 
* Reflexive pronoun
* Indirect Object pronoun ''me'', ''te'', ''nous'', ''vous''
* Direct Object pronoun 
* Indirect Object pronoun ''lui'', ''leur''
* ''y'' and/or ''en''
* Finite verb form
* complement to ''ne'' to clarify form of negation (''pas'', ''rien'', ''personne'', ''jamais'')
* Past participle
* Object (may be a negative complement)

$$ Example sentences $$

[[fr:Grammaire française]]
[[zh:&#27861;&#35821;&#35821;&#27861;]]