Posted by Micheal on Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 2:13pm.
I think that the best way to know if something masc and fem is to always have the article before it like if the word is "a pen" you memorize "un stylo" that is masc. for the questions I find that it helps me to think in french not english then french because it you know that "Quelle heure est-il?" means "What time is it?" then you never need to think or say that in english just think or say it in french all the time.
I hope that what I said makes sense and the it helps you atleast a little bit. good luck!
I think I get the fem. and masc. stuff but for the always saying french. Im a little confused on what you mean by that. cause inorder to know that it means "What time is it?" would I have to say or think that in English?
We can help you with specific questions. There are lots of study hints but the most important thing for you to decide is "what kind of learner are you?" If you learn by hearing something, you are an audio learner. If you learn by seeing something, you are a visual learner. If you a kinesthetic learner, you need to be physically involved in learning by tracing, walking through it, etc. The third type may be the most difficult to learn something but when you do, you will remember it far longer than any other type of learner. Many people are a combination of 2 out of 3 of those types of learners, but try to analyze that first.
Sherri is right in that you must learn the "le" or "la" with the noun. When you get further into French, the "sound" will help you and there are other "markers." Many nouns referring to masculine beings (man) are masculine and many referring to feminine beings (woman) are feminine. The more difficult ones are the "l'" words.
The time to ask for study help is at the very beginning of learning a subject. Because your test is so soon, be sure to get a good night's sleep, because you can not cram in a foreign language. It is building each day on what you learned before! Hopefully you have internalized the vocabulary you have had. That means, you can label everything you can in the house. Then the "chair" becomes "la chaise" when you see it, sit in it, move it, etc.
Take the vocabulary you have learned to date and see if you can find some gender patterns. There are always exceptions and even nouns with dual gender (le livre = book / la livre = pound) and you will find the suffix often determines the gender. For example -eur should be masculine while -euse should be feminine. I could give you a list but that might only confuse you at this point.
If we knew your textbook title, author, copyright date, often publishers have websites online to help you.
Let me look for more study hints I have and I'll be back with those.
Sra (aka Mme)
Hopefully I can "cut and paste" this because if not, I'll have to retype everything here.'
Here is something you can do, besides the usual flash cards, repetition, chanting, etc. Get a hand-held tape recorder. Record what you want to learn, leaving a space after each word or expression. Now, at first only listen passively. This is as close to learning by osmosis as you can get! Then, listen and repeat in that space you left, trying to match exactly the pronunciation, intonation of the model. To do this you need to be sure that the model is correct. If you are not that good at the foreign language yet, get someone who is to put it on tape for you. The third step is to listen, say, and read (see) what you are trying to learn. Then, when you can listen, say, close your eyes and "see" it in your mind's eye you are ready for the final step. Listen and write in that space, then checking VERY closely with the written script, having the exact spelling, including accents.
STUDY HINTS:
1) Pay attention in class. The old "you snooze, you lose" saying applies here.
2) Ask questions. How will you understand something confusing if you do not ask?
3) Study a little every night. You can not learn a language just by attending class and then putting your book in your locker until the next day! Language learning is an ongoing process. Think about how you learned English as a young child!
4) Make flashcards! Start today! For each vocabulary lesson, make a stack of index cards or cut paper in small squares. Write the English on one side and the foreign language on the other. Flip through them while you wait for the bus, during homeroom, during tv commercials, in the cafeteria line, etc. That can add up to 10 to 20 minutes a day and then you have reviewed--no pain!
5) Participate ACTIVELY! Do not wait to be called on; raise your hand! A language class is not like other classes. You have to be an active member in class so you can get feedback on your pronunciation and make sure you have a handle on what you are learning!
6) Color-code the spelling problems you have to "set" this in your "mind's eye." Use the bilious yellow, orange, lime-green, hot pink, etc.
Sra (aka Mme)
Here are a few more "gender cues" for masculine nouns:
Oops! Patti is right that when you are not sure, look it up! However "le musée" is masculine as are: le cinéma, and le stade.
The best thing to do is learn the article (le, la/un, une but l' will be more difficult) with the noun as you learn it. After a while you will begin to see patterns. Some nouns in French are BOTH masculine and feminine, to change the meaning. Example = le livre = the book BUT la livre = the pound.
Here are some suffixes that help determine the gender of some nouns:
Ending is usually
-age masculine Exceptions: une page
une nage une cage une plage une rage
une image
-eau masculine Exceptions: l'eau une peau
-ée feminine Exceptions: un lycée un musée
-ion feminine Exceptions: un lion
un scion un avion un million un billion
un bastion
-té feminine Exceptions: un comité un invité
Sra (aka Mme)
As for the listening part of your exam. This would depend upon whether it is taped or the teacher is reading the question to you. Listen very carefully, drowning out all distractions. Catch as many words as you can to figure out what it is asking. Often many of those same words will appear in the answer. EXAMPLE: A quelle heure as-tu (avez-vous) les maths? J'ai les maths à ....... heure.
Bonne chance!
Sra (aka Mme)
Checking what printed and what did not print, the endings were cut off:
eur = masculine burt -euse = feminine
Sra (aka Mme)
Here are a few more "gender cues" for masculine nouns:
Oops! Patti is right that when you are not sure, look it up! However "le musée" is masculine as are: le cinéma, and le stade.
The best thing to do is learn the article (le, la/un, une but l' will be more difficult) with the noun as you learn it. After a while you will begin to see patterns. Some nouns in French are BOTH masculine and feminine, to change the meaning. Example = le livre = the book BUT la livre = the pound.
Here are some suffixes that help determine the gender of some nouns:
Ending is usually
-age masculine Exceptions: une page
une nage une cage une plage une rage
une image
-eau masculine Exceptions: l'eau une peau
-ée feminine Exceptions: un lycée un musée
-ion feminine Exceptions: un lion
un scion un avion un million un billion
un bastion
-té feminine Exceptions: un comité un invité
Sra (aka Mme)
As for the listening part of your exam. This would depend upon whether it is taped or the teacher is reading the question to you. Listen very carefully, drowning out all distractions. Catch as many words as you can to figure out what it is asking. Often many of those same words will appear in the answer. EXAMPLE: A quelle heure as-tu (avez-vous) les maths? J'ai les maths à ....... heure.
Bonne chance!
Sra (aka Mme)
Here is what did not print here:
-eau often masculine
- ée often feminine
-ion often feminine
- té = often feminine
-eau exceptions: l'eau (water, feminine), la peau
-ée exceptions: le lycée, le musée
-ion exceptions = le lion
-té exceptions = le comité, l'invité (m.)
Sra (aka Mme)
Thanks!!!
(goes to try these new helpful tips)
my french final is tomorrow.
French 3 exam. :o
SCARY STUFF MAN
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