What Do You Like and Dislike?
Vocabulary
What do you like, love, or dislike? Perhaps you like to sing (chanter) and love to dance (danser). Since you may have an opinion on countless activities, it is important you learn how to express your likes and dislikes. Familiarize yourself with the words and phrases below and practice your pronunciation by repeating each aloud after the speaker. Click each word or phrase to hear the pronunciation.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| adorer | to adore, like a lot |
| aimer | to like or love |
| chanter | to sing |
| chercher | to search, to look for |
| danser | to dance |
| détester | to dislike, hate |
| écouter | to listen to |
| étudier | to study |
| inviter | to invite |
| J'adore... | I love... |
| J'aime mieux | I like _____ better. |
| J'aime... | I like... |
| jouer | to play |
| parler | to speak, to talk |
| regarder | to look at, to watch |
| trouver | to find |
| Tu aimes...? (fam) | Do you like...? |
| Vous aimez...? | Do you like...? |
Using Verbs
Other than understanding how gender markers work with nouns, the most important concept you can learn in any foreign language is how to use verbs to discuss actions and activities in life. In the French language, verb endings express a change in a person or number. In the English language, auxiliary verbs such as has, have, is, and are, as well as verb endings, express a change in person or number. In this interactivity, you will learn how to use verbs to discuss actions and activities in which you participate. Click the player to begin.
View a printable version of this interactivity.
Making Verbs Negative
Keeping in mind what you just learned about using verbs will prove helpful as you learn to make words negative. Most importantly, remember the two words required to make verbs negative: ne...pas.
- Place ne immediately before the verb; and
- Place pas immediately after the verb.
Take a moment to look at the following example:
- French: Je ne danse pas.
- English translation: I don't dance.
Just like the l'with gender markers, and the j' with the pronoun I, ne becomes n' if the verb that follows begins with a vowel. Take a moment to look at the following example:
- French: Je n' aime pas les escargots.
- English translation: I don't like snails.
What Do You Like and Dislike? Review
Now that you have learned a little about using verbs to express your likes and dislikes, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Click the player to get started.