Time Expressions in French

Lesson: Time Expressions in French

Introduction:

Welcome back to our expanded lesson on time expressions in French. Mastering these will help you articulate past experiences, present actions, and future plans with precision. Let’s dive deeper into each category, with more examples to solidify your understanding.

Basic Time Expressions:

Present:

➡︎ Maintenant (Now)

Examples:

• Je mange maintenant.               I am eating now.
• Ils étudient maintenant.           They are studying now.
• Nous travaillons maintenant.  We are working now.

➡︎Aujourd’hui (Today)

Examples:

• Aujourd’hui, il fait chaud.                              Today, it’s hot.
• Aujourd’hui, elle visite ses amis.                Today, she is visiting her friends.
• Aujourd’hui, vous avez un rendez-vous.  Today, you have an appointment.

➡︎ En ce moment (At the moment)

Examples:

• En ce moment, il lit un livre.                    At the moment, he’s reading a book.)
• En ce moment, elle regarde dehors. (At the moment, she’s looking outside.)
• En ce moment, ils préparent le dîner. (At the moment, they are preparing dinner.)

Past:

➡︎ Hier (Yesterday)

Examples:

• J’ai rencontré Paul hier.           I met Paul yesterday.
• Elle a acheté une robe hier.    She bought a dress yesterday.
•  Ils ont joué au football hier.   They played football yesterday.

➡︎ Avant (Before)

Examples:

• Avant, je vivais à Paris. (Before, I lived in Paris.)
• Avant, il ne connaissait pas ce problème. (Before, he didn’t know this problem.)
• Avant, nous allions à l’école ensemble. (Before, we used to go to school together.)

➡︎  L’année dernière (Last year)

Examples:

• Nous avons voyagé en Espagne l’année dernière.           We traveled to Spain last year.
• Elle a commencé le piano l’année dernière.                       She started playing the piano last year.
• Example: L’année dernière, il a obtenu son diplôme.      Last year, he graduated.

Future:

➡︎  Demain (Tomorrow)

Examples:

• Je partirai demain.                                              I will leave tomorrow.
• Elle arrivera demain.                                          She will arrive tomorrow.
• Nous irons à la plage demain.                        We will go to the beach tomorrow.

➡︎  Plus tard (Later)

Examples:

• Je te verrai plus tard.                                         I will see you later.
•  Ils décideront plus tard.                                  They will decide later.
•  Nous parlerons de cela plus tard.               We will talk about this later.

➡︎  Bientôt (Soon)

Examples:

• Elle déménagera bientôt.             She will move soon.
• Le film commencera bientôt.      The movie will start soon.
• Nous nous reverrons bientôt.      We will see each other again soon.

🍀 EXERCISES 🍀

❖ Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Use the appropriate time expression to complete the sentences:

Exercise 2: Translate to French

Translate the following sentences into French:

Exercise 3: Translate from English to French

Translate the following sentences using appropriate time expressions:

1. They are playing soccer now.
2. He will buy a new car soon.
3. You were singing beautifully yesterday.
4. We will discuss it tomorrow.
5. She had visited that museum before.
6. They will start their journey next month.
7. I am meeting my friends today.
8. We were happy to see them last year.

Conclusion:

Time expressions are a crucial part of conversational French, enabling you to discuss past events, present activities, and future plans accurately. Practice these phrases and try to use them in daily conversations or writing tasks to improve your fluency in French. Remember, the more you use these expressions, the more naturally they will come to you in conversation.