French-Online-2021
Our Day 29
Immersion – 29
Saisons et fixer des dates précises
(Seasons and Setting Specific Dates)
Note: All seasons in French are masculine. So they require definite article ‘le’.
The Four Seasons
No
French
Pronunciation
English
1
le printemps
luh prahN-than
Spring
2
l’été
ley-tey
Summer
3
l’automne
loh-tohn
Fall
4
l’hiver
lee-vehr
Winter
Le printemps
l’été
l’automne
l’hiver
Note: To express the word ‘in the’ before a season use (i) au (oh) before a consonant sound and (ii) en (ahN) before a vowel sound.
No
French
Pronunciation
English
1
au printemps
oh prahN-than
In the spring
2
en été
ahN –ney-tey
In the summer
3
en automne
ahN-noh-tohN
In the fall
4
en hiver
ahN-nee-vruh
In the winter
Example:
1. Au printemps il est beau
(oh prahN-tahn eel eh boh)
= In spring it is beautiful.
2. Au printemps le ciel est bleu
(oh prahN-tahn luh syeh eh bluh)
= In the spring the sky is blue.
3. En été il fait jour tôt
(ahN ey-tey eel fuht zhoor toht)
= In summer the day begins earlier.
4. En automne le ciel est souvent gris
(ahN oh-ton luh sy-ehl eh soh-vaN gree)
= In autumn the sky is often grey.
5. En hiver il fait nuit tôt
(ahN ee-vehr eel feh nwee toht)
= In winter the night comes earlier./ In winter it makes night earlier (literally)
6. En hiver il fait jour tard = In winter the day begins late./ In winter it makes day late.(literally)
7. Il y a quatre saisons dans une année = There are four seasons in one year.
8. Le printemps est la mois des fleurs = The spring is the month of flowers.
9. Une année a douze mois = An year has twelve months.
10. En hiver, il fait froid. = In winter it is cold.
11. En été il fait chaud. = In summer it is hot.
Setting specific dates
To express a specific date use the following format, except for the first of the month.
le + cardinal number + month + year
For the first of the month use the following format.
le +premier + month + year
Example:
1. C’est le 6 avril 2000
(seh luh see-zah-vreel duh meel)
= It is the 6th of April 2000.
2. C’est le premier mai
(seh luh pruh-myey meh)
= It is the first of May.
3. le premier août
(luh pruh-myey ooht)
= August 1.
4. le 14 juillet
(luh kah-tohrz zhwee-yeh)
= July 14.
5. le 17 juillet
(luh dee-seht zhwee-yeh)
= July 17.
Dialogue:
(Juliet is talking to her friend Corinne about her sister’s upcoming marriage.)
Juliet: Ma soeur va se marier au printemps
(mah suhr vah suh mah-ryey oh-prahN-tahN)
= My sister is getting married in the spring.
Corinne: Ah oui! Quand exactement
(ah wee kahN-tehg-zah-ktuh-mahN)
= Oh yes! When exactly?
Juliet: Le 6 avril
(luh see-zah-vreel)
= April 6.
Corinne: C’ est quel jour?
(seh kehl zhoohr)
= What day is it?
Juliet: C’est un samedi
(seh tuhN sahm-dee)
= It is Saturday.
Corinne: À quelle heure est la cérémonie?
(ah kehl uhr eh lah sey-rey-moh-nee)
= At what time is the ceremony?
Juliet: À 11 heures
(ah ohNz-uhr)
= At 11 am.
Corinne: Combien de personnes avez vous invitées?
(kohN byaN duh pehr-sohn ah-vey vooh zan-vee-tey)
= How many people did you invite?
Juliet: une centaine du personnes
(ewn sahN-tehN duh pehr-sohhn)
= About a hundred people.