Mastering A1 Level French: A Complete Guide to Basic Grammar & Vocabulary

Learning French can be an exciting journey, especially when you have a clear roadmap. If you’re aiming to reach A1 level in French, this guide will provide you with essential grammar concepts. It also offers vocabulary, helping you build a strong foundation.

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📖 Basic Grammar Concepts for A1 Level

1. Nouns & Gender (Masculine/Feminine)

French nouns have genders—they are either masculine or feminine. This affects articles and adjectives that accompany them.

• Masculine nouns: le livre (the book), le chien (the dog), le garçon (the boy)
• Feminine nouns: la table (the table), la voiture (the car), la fille (the girl)

💡 Tip: There is no fixed rule for gender, so it’s best to memorize words with their articles.

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2. Articles: Definite & Indefinite

Definite Articles (“the”)

• le (masculine singular) – le chat (the cat)
• la (feminine singular) – la maison (the house)
• l’ (before vowels) – l’arbre (the tree)
• les (plural for both genders) – les enfants (the children)

Indefinite Articles (“a/an”)

• un (masculine singular) – un chien (a dog)
• une (feminine singular) – une école (a school)
• des (plural for both genders) – des pommes (some apples)

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3. Subject Pronouns

French subject pronouns are used to replace the subject in a sentence.

• Je (I)
• Tu (You – informal)
• Il / Elle (He / She)
• Nous (We)
• Vous (You – formal or plural)
• Ils / Elles (They – masculine/feminine)

Example:

• Je parle français. (I speak French.)
• Elle aime la musique. (She likes music.)

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4. Common Verbs & Their Conjugations

Mastering these essential verbs is key to forming basic sentences.

A. Essential Irregular Verbs

1. Être (To be)
   • Je suis (I am)
   • Tu es (You are)
   • Il/Elle est (He/She is)
   • Nous sommes (We are)
   • Vous êtes (You are)
   • Ils/Elles sont (They are)
2. Avoir (To have)
   • J’ai (I have)
   • Tu as (You have)
   • Il/Elle a (He/She has)
   • Nous avons (We have)
   • Vous avez (You have)
   • Ils/Elles ont (They have)
3. Aller (To go)
   • Je vais (I go)
   • Tu vas (You go)
   • Il/Elle va (He/She goes)
   • Nous allons (We go)
   • Vous allez (You go)
   • Ils/Elles vont (They go)
4. Faire (To do/make)
   • Je fais (I do/make)
   • Tu fais (You do/make)
   • Il/Elle fait (He/She does/makes)
   • Nous faisons (We do/make)
   • Vous faites (You do/make)
   • Ils/Elles font (They do/make)

B. Regular Verb Conjugation Patterns

1. -ER verbs (e.g., parler – to speak)
   • Je parle
   • Tu parles
   • Il/Elle parle
   • Nous parlons
   • Vous parlez
   • Ils/Elles parlent
2. -IR verbs (e.g., finir – to finish)
   • Je finis
   • Tu finis
   • Il/Elle finit
   • Nous finissons
   • Vous finissez
   • Ils/Elles finissent
3. -RE verbs (e.g., vendre – to sell)
   • Je vends
   • Tu vends
   • Il/Elle vend
   • Nous vendons
   • Vous vendez
   • Ils/Elles vendent

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5. Negation (Ne…pas)

To make a sentence negative, place “ne…pas” around the verb.

• Je ne parle pas anglais. (I do not speak English.)
• Elle n’aime pas le café. (She does not like coffee.)

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6. Question Formation

1. Using “Est-ce que”
   • Est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat ? (Do you like chocolate?)
2. Inversion
   • Aimes-tu le chocolat ? (Do you like chocolate?)

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7. Prepositions

• dans (in)
• sur (on)
• sous (under)
• devant (in front of)
• derrière (behind)
• entre (between)
• à (at/to)
• en (in)

Example:

• Le livre est sur la table. (The book is on the table.)

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8. Possessive & Demonstrative Adjectives

Possessive Adjectives

• Mon / Ma / Mes (My)
• Ton / Ta / Tes (Your)
• Son / Sa / Ses (His/Her)

Example:

• C’est mon frère. (This is my brother.)

Demonstrative Adjectives

• Ce (this, masculine)
• Cette (this, feminine)
• Ces (these, plural)

Example:

• Ce livre est intéressant. (This book is interesting.)

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📚 Essential Vocabulary

✔️ Greetings & Basic Phrases

• Bonjour (Hello)
• Merci (Thank you)
• S’il vous plaît (Please)
• Excusez-moi (Excuse me)

✔️ Numbers, Colors, Days, Months

• Un, deux, trois… (One, two, three…)
• Rouge (Red), Bleu (Blue)
• Lundi (Monday), Février (February)

✔️ Family Members

• Père (Father), Mère (Mother), Frère (Brother), Sœur (Sister)

✔️ Common Verbs & Adjectives

• Grand (Big), Petit (Small), Heureux (Happy)

✔️ Food, Places, and Objects

• Pomme (Apple), École (School), Chaise (Chair)

✔️ Travel & Directions Vocabulary

• Aéroport (Airport), Rue (Street), Gauche (Left), Droite (Right)

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Final Thoughts

This guide provides a strong foundation in A1-level French grammar and vocabulary. Regular practice, listening to French conversations, and speaking aloud will accelerate your progress. Bonne chance!