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Study in the app →French · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 9
Ma famille est grande My family is big
Adjective agreement and PLACEMENT. The adjective agrees in gender and number: mon frère est grand, ma sœur est grande, mes frères sont grands. Most adjectives follow the noun (une maison blanche), but a few very common ones come before it: grand, petit, beau, jeune, nouveau, joli. New vocabulary: young, beautiful, pretty, house, to live, with, but, here, there, happy. Culture section: The family. Pronunciation corner: beau / belle and the silent -ent in content.
Dialogue
Ma famille est grande — My Family Is Big
- Lucas Ma famille est grande. Mon frère est grand et ma sœur est jeune. My family is big. My brother is tall and my sister is young.
- Mike Ta mère est beau! Your mother is beautiful! (slip: beau, mère is feminine → belle)
- Lucas On dit « belle » — mère est féminin. Oui, ma mère est belle et jeune. We say "belle" — mère is feminine. Yes, my mother is beautiful and young.
- Mike Ta mère est belle et ton père est grand. Une belle famille! Your mother is beautiful and your father is tall. A beautiful family!
Dialogue
Où habites-tu? — Where Do You Live?
- Camille J'habite ici, dans une belle maison avec mes parents. I live here, in a beautiful house with my parents.
- Mike Moi, j'habite là, avec mon frère. Ma sœur est content. Me, I live there, with my brother. My sister is happy. (slip: content, sœur is feminine → contente)
- Camille On dit « contente » — c'est ta sœur. Ta maison est grande? We say "contente" — it's your sister. Is your house big?
- Mike Non, elle est petite, mais jolie. Ma sœur est contente ici. No, it's small, but pretty. My sister is happy here.
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| jeune | adj. | young | |
| beau / belle | adj. | beautiful, handsome (m / f) | |
| joli / jolie | adj. | pretty (m / f) | |
| maison | n.f. | house (f) | |
| habiter | v. | to live | |
| avec | prep. | with | |
| mais | conj. | but | |
| ici | adv. | here | |
| là | adv. | there | |
| content / contente | adj. | happy (m / f) |
Grammar
L'accord et la place de l'adjectif Adjective agreement and placement
L'adjectif s'accorde en genre et en nombre avec le nom, comme l'article et le possessif le faisaient déjà : mon frère est grand, ma sœur est grande, mes parents sont grands. Beaucoup d'adjectifs ajoutent -e au féminin (joli → jolie), mais certains changent plus (beau → belle, vieux → vieille). La PLACE : la plupart suivent le nom (une voiture rouge), mais quelques courts et courants le précèdent — grand, petit, beau, jeune, nouveau, joli : une belle maison, une jeune fille.
The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun, just as the article and possessive already did: mon frère est grand, ma sœur est grande, mes parents sont grands. Many adjectives add -e in the feminine (joli → jolie), but some change more (beau → belle, vieux → vieille). PLACEMENT: most follow the noun (une voiture rouge), but a few short common ones come before it — grand, petit, beau, jeune, nouveau, joli: une belle maison, une jeune fille.
- Ma famille est grande. Ma sœur est petite. My family is big. My sister is small.
- Mes frères sont grands. My brothers are tall. (plural -s agreement)
- J'habite dans une belle maison avec mes parents. I live in a beautiful house with my parents. (belle before the noun)
- Ma mère est jeune et très jolie. My mother is young and very pretty.
Culture
La famille The family — and the shared meal
In France, family life centres on shared meals and a strong sense of togetherness — especially the long Sunday lunch.
The meal is sacred
The family meal is not rushed: it matters. The Sunday lunch (déjeuner du dimanche) can last hours, with several courses and lots of conversation. Eating is a social moment, not just refuelling.
Manners at the table
A few rules: hands on the table (not in your lap), bread placed on the table not on a plate, and a "bon appétit" before starting. Children are included in the conversation, not set aside.
Close but independent
Families are close, but young adults value their independence and often leave early for studies or work. People also identify strongly with their région and its food: asking where someone is from is a warm topic.
Rule of thumb: if you're invited to a French family meal, arrive with a small gift (flowers, wine, dessert), settle in for a long multi-course affair, and join the conversation.
pronunciation
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