Copy of Week 20, Day 3: Exclamatory Sentences
Today’s lesson will cover an easy topic that is very useful in everyday conversations: Exclamatory sentences. Just as in other languages like English, you use an exclamatory sentence to give an order or express a strong desire or emotion, as well as to show enthusiasm.
Aside from this topic, we will also learn vocabulary related to objects inside the home.
Now, let’s begin with exclamatory sentences.
Scenario 1: to give an order using exclamatory sentences, you have two options:
• The imperative mood
• Take note that you can also use the infinitive mood when giving orders or instructions in French. But the tone is more neutral and there is no exclamation mark, unlike the imperative mood.
• The structure “Que+ subjunctive”
This is used to give an order or strong wish in the third person.
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 2
Qu'il termine ses devoirs !
I really hope he finishes his homework!
Qu'elle sorte d'ici !
I really hope she gets out of here!
Qu'ils arrêtent de faire des bêtises !
I really hope they stop doing stupid things!
Qu’il finisse de faire du bruit !
I really hope he finishes making noise.
Qu’elle rentre avant 10 heures !
I really hope she is back before 10 o’clock.
Speaking Practice 1
Scenario 2: to express a strong emotion/feeling using exclamatory sentences.
To express a strong emotion/feeling, there are several types of sentence structures you can use, so let’s go through the commonly used ones.
• Que + clause (indicative mood, do not confuse with the structure given earlier)
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 3
Qu'ils sont mignons !
How cute they are!
Qu'elle est intelligente !
How intelligent she is!
Qu'il est sympathique !
How nice he is!
Qu’elle est jolie !
How pretty she is!
Que la vie est belle !
How beautiful life is!
Speaking Practice 2
• Quelle (quel ; quels ; quelles) + noun
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 4
Quelle personne formidable !
What a wonderful person!
Quelle histoire incroyable !
What an incredible story!
Quel problème insoluble !
What an unsolvable problem!
Quelle idée géniale !
What a brilliant idea!
Quel mec !
What a guy!
• Comme + clause (indicative)
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 5
Comme c'est drôle !
It is funny!
Comme c'est magnifique !
It is beautiful!
Comme c'est délicieux !
It is delicious!
Comme c’est super !
It is really cool!
Speaking Practice 3
• Mais + noun, clause... The conjunction « mais » (which means but) is used for emphasis.
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 6
Tu seras présent ? - Mais certainement !
You'll be here? —But certainly!
C'est la bonne réponse ? - Mais c'est évident !
This is the right answer? — But it's obvious!
Tu as gagné ? - Mais bien sûr !
You won? — But of course!
Tu vas venir ? – Mais bien sûr !
Will you come? — But of course!
Mais c’est sûr que c’est vrai !
But certainly it’s true!
• And, of course, you can turn any stand-alone French word into an exclamation as an interjection:
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 7
Silence ! Quiet!
Au secours ! Help! SOS!
Speaking Practice 4
Take note that you can use quoi and comment as interjections to express shock, surprise, or disbelief. It would be similar to saying “What!”
Now that we have covered the first part of the lesson, we are going to learn more words related to the home.
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 8
le lave-vaisselle | dishwasher |
la salle de bain | bathroom |
la douche | shower |
l’escalier | staircase |
l’étage | floor/story |
le garage | garage |
le grenier | attic/loft |
le lavabo | washbasin/bathroom sink |
la lavette | dish cloth |
la machine à laver | washing machine |
le miroir | mirror |
le mur | wall |
le papier peint | wallpaper |
le plafond | ceiling |
le toit | roof |
la pelouse | lawn |
le jardin | garden |
la cour | yard |
la pièce | room |
le placard | cupboard |
le portail | gate |
la cloture | fence |
la porte | door |
le poste de télévision | television (set) |
la poubelle | garbage bin, dustbin |
la prise (de courant) | electric socket |
la radio | radio |
le rayon | shelf |
le rideau | curtain |
la draperie | drapes |
le seau | bucket |
la table | table |
le tapis | carpet |
le téléphone | telephone |
le vase | vase |
l’aspirateur | vacuum cleaner/hoover |
le ventilateur | fan |
Vocabulaire complémentaire
Listen to Week 20 Day 3 Track 9
À plus ! | Later! |
À un de ces quatre ! | Catch you later! |
Mort de rire | LOL |
On s’embrasse ? | Should we hug? |
Quoi de neuf ? | What’s up? |
T’es en forme ? | You doin’ good today? |
Ça fait longtemps, dis donc ! | Long time, no see! |
Qu’est-ce que tu me racontes ? | Watcha up to? |
Pas grand chose. | Nothing much. |
Alors, qu’est-ce que tu deviens ? | How have you been? |
Ça baigne ! | Awesome! |
Ça roule ! | Good! |
Ça gaze ! | Great! |
J’ai la pêche ! | Just peachy. |
Ben, toujours pareil. | Same as always, man. |
Comme ci, comme ça. | So-so. |
On s’appelle. | Call me. |
Je me casse. | I’m out of here. |
Balance-moi un mail ; un SMS / un texto. | Send me an e-mail/an IM. |
Viens voir une minute. | C’mere for a sec. |
J’ai un truc à te dire. | I gotta tell you something. |
A Quick Recap of this Lesson-
Un petit résumé de la leçon
• The imperative mood
• Que+ subjunctive
• Que + clause (indicative mood)
• Quelle + noun • Comme + clause (indicative)
• “Mais” + noun, clause
• You can also use any French word as an interjection
Sharpen Your Knowledge with Exercises
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Answer the questions about the dialogue.
Responses