“Avoir beau” in French

Avoir beau is a verb that has nothing to do with “beau” (handsome, beautiful) and is always followed with a verb infinitive form: Avoir beau + inf.
The meaning is: to make some efforts for something in vain!

Let’s see some examples:

On a beau dire, c’est comme ça! whatever we say, it is like that.
As you can see there is an opposition between the two parts of the sentence and we also could say:
On peut dire ce que l’on veut, MAIS c’est comme ça.

Elle a beau essayer, elle ne réussit pas: whatever she tries to do, she has no success.
On a beau dire, il n’est pas si bête: whatever people say, he is not so stupid.
Tu as beau dire, ce n’est pas si facile: whatever you say (and even the opposite), it is not that easy
J’ai beau faire, je n’y arrive pas: Whatever the efforts I make or I am making (whatever I do, no matter how hard I try), I can’t do it.
J’avais beau lui expliquer, il ne comprenait rien: Whatever I could say to explain it clearly, he could not understand.

Of course, nothing to do with “avoir beau temps”: to have a nice weather!!!! because sometimes we just say “avoir beau”!

How to say … in French! 10

How to say “Get out” in French:

Débarrassez le plancher (débarrasse)

How to say “Get a move on” in French:

Grouille-toi, magne-toi

Como decir “…” en Francés 1

Como decir “estoy bromeando” en Francés:

Je blague, je plaisante

Como decir “No cuelgue” en Francés:

Ne quittez pas!

Como decir “Que te parece” en Francés:

T’en penses quoi?

Como decir “Estás bien?” en Francés:

ça va? o después de un accidente: tu n’as rien?

Vocales Nasales en Francés

Estos sonidos no existen en todos los idiomas, vamos a user el sonido “hein” para ayudar nos y empezar con la boca cerrada!

1. In, im, ein, ain:

Chien
Pain
Rien
Vin
Parfum

2. On, om:

Bon
Pompier
Ils vont
Mon

3. An, am, en, em:

Vent
An 2000
Prends-le
Banque

French Nasal Vowels – Prononciation des Nasales en Français

These sounds are mostly specific to the French language, however there is a word that is internationally said when someone does not understand something, it is the French word: “hein”. It is not easy to feel that this sound comes from our nose, so we are going to start with an exercise with the mouth closed, listen to the video.

1. Un, um, in, im, ein, ain:

Chien
Pain
Rien
Vin
Parfum

2. On, om:

Bon
Pompier
Ils vont
Mon

3. An, am, en, em:

Vent
An 2000
Prends-le
Banque

Past Conditional, Passé Conditionnel

This Mood is similar to the Conditional Perfect:

I would have eaten: J’aurais mangé.
But remember, we also use the verb to be as an auxiliary, so, for example:
He would have gone: il serait allé… (don’t forget the agreement with the past participle: elle était allée)

So you just need to know the conditional of the verbs avoir and être!

We use the Passé Conditionnel with:
1. If sentences
2. Regret or criticism
3. Unverified Facts

1. If sentences

I would have come if I had known it: je serais venu si j’avais su
We would have eaten it if it had been good

2. Regret, Criticism

In your place, I would have talked to him: Perso, je lui aurais parlé
I would have liked to go on holiday: J’aurais aimé aller en vacances

3. Unverified Facts

Apparently, he had lied to the court: Il aurait menti au tribunal
All the passengers have been killed: tous les passagers seraient morts

4. Modal Verb (there is another lesson for that)

He could have gone: Il aurait pu y aller

Contracciones en Francés entre el sujeto y el verbo

Se usa esas contracciones cuando hablamos. Unos les van a decir que no es francés correcto, talvez, pero así hablamos y para entender un Francés hablando es útil echar un vistazo a esa lección

Antes de una vocal TU llega a ser t’:

Tu as = t’as
Tu es = t’es
Tu arrives = t’arrives
Tu écoutes = t’écoutes

Antes de una consonante IL llega a ser i

Il vient = i vient
Il ne vient pas = i vient pas
Il mange = i mange

Pero es un poco diferente antes de una consonante a causa de la liaisón: Il arrive = i larrive, como lo puede ver la conección es tan fuerte que no se dice exactamente “il+arrive”

Antes de una consonante ELLE llega a ser ey

Elle vient = ey vient
Elle ne vient pas = ey vient pas
Elle court = ey court

Antes de una consonante, es igual que IL: elle arrive = ey larrive

ILS y ELLES antes de una consonante:

Ils viennent: i viennent
Elles viennent = ey viennent

ILS y ELLES antes de una vocal:

Ils aiment = i zaiment
Elles aiment = ey zaiment

Contractions in French: Subject + Verb

In English we have I’m, You’re, I’ve etc, in French too when we speak. Some will say that it is not correct French but it is the way we speak, so if you want to understand French people speaking, this lesson is useful.

Before a vowel TU becomes t’:

Tu as = t’as
Tu es = t’es
Tu arrives = t’arrives
Tu écoutes = t’écoutes

Before a consonant IL becomes i

Il vient = i vient
Il ne vient pas = i vient pas
Il mange = i mange

Not before a vowel because of the connection between the two words: Il arrive = i larrive, as you can see the liaison is so strong that the pronunciation is not exactly “il+arrive”

Before a consonant ELLE becomes ey

Elle vient = ey vient
Elle ne vient pas = ey vient pas
Elle court = ey court

We have the same rule before a vowel as the pronoun IL: elle arrive = ey larrive

ILS and ELLES before a consonant:

Ils viennent: i viennent
Elles viennent = ey viennent

ILS and ELLES before a vowel:

Ils aiment = i zaiment
Elles aiment = ey zaiment

Of course, you can use the correct form when you speak but you will hear a lot the pronunciations above.
JE is explained in another lesson: Click

How to say … in French!

Different ways to say “Yes” in French:

Oui, tout à fait, ouaih, mouaih

Different ways to say “No” in French:

Non, nan, niet!

How to say “Number” in French:

Chiffre, Nombre, Numéro with different meanings

How to say “To laugh” in French:

Rire, Familiar verbs: rigoler, se marrer.

How to say “You, idiots” in French:

Bande d’idiots, espèce d’idiots.

How to say “I can get by in French” in French:

Je me débrouille en français.

How to say “to give a call” in French:

Passer un coup de fil.

Colloquial way to say “it’s expensive” in French:

C’est chero!

How to say “it is fake” in French:

C’est du toc. C’est en toc.

How to say “Chef” in French:

Well, it is e French word, so we say CHEF but we pronounce ‘shef’ like in English!

How to say “Out” in French:

You know “dehors”, but we also use a lot “allez, oust”

But in French

But means “mais” in French, but it is not the only meaning.

1. But: sauf

No one but him can do it: personne sauf lui peut le faire (il n’y a que lui qui peut le faire)
All but him: Tout le monde sauf lui.
She does not want to talk to anyone but her brother: elle ne veut parler à personne sauf à son frère.

2. But: ne…que

He is but a child: Ce n‘est qu‘un enfant
(here as you can see, we use the pronoun “ce” instead of “il”, if you don’t remember why, here it is: Click)
I can’t but agree with you: je ne peux qu‘être d’accord avec toi.
He is nothing but a liar: Ce n‘est rien qu‘un menteur
I can but try: je ne peux qu‘essayer (Je peux toujours essayer)

3. But: but one, but two…

The last house but one: l’avant-dernière maison.
She was the last but two to finish: Elle était l’avant-avant-dernière à terminer.

4. But for: sans

But for his courage, many people… : sans son courage, beaucoup…
They would have never won but for my help: Ils n’auraient jamais gagné sans mon aide
But for you, I would be dead: sans vous, je serais mort.

5. Cannot help but: ne pas pouvoir s’empêcher de

One cannot help but wonder: on ne peut s’empêcher de se demander
She can’t help but smile: elle ne peut s’empêcher de sourire.