Famille et amis
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will begin to:
- Use the high-frequency forms j'ai, tu as, il a, elle a, and vous avez with support.
- Name a small set of immediate family members: father, mother, brother, sister, parents, and a friend.
- Use mon, ma, and mes to identify your own family members.
- Recognize the supported forms ton/ta/tes in questions, and consult son/sa/ses as reference forms.
- State a supported age using avoir + number + ans, consulting a number reference when needed.
- Select a practiced adjective form from the chapter table to describe one person.
- Complete a short, four-line introduction of one family member or friend, with support.
Communication Scenario
Amina and Thomas, the two students from Chapter 3, show each other a photo and talk briefly about their families. This chapter gives you the tools to introduce one family member or friend: who the person is, how old they are, and one or two things they are like.
- The possessive determiner agrees with the noun that follows it, not with the owner. This chapter focuses mainly on mon, ma, and mes for talking about your own family.
- To state an exact age in the pattern taught here, French uses avoir + number + ans: j'ai vingt ans. Do not translate the English pattern as je suis vingt ans.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's productive family vocabulary is intentionally small. Each noun appears with its article and gender, plus a model with mon, ma, or mes.
| Français | English | With mon/ma/mes |
|---|---|---|
| le père | the father | mon père |
| la mère | the mother | ma mère |
| le frère | the brother | mon frère |
| la sœur | the sister | ma sœur |
| les parents | the parents | mes parents |
| un ami | a friend (male) | mon ami |
| une amie | a friend (female) | mon amie |
| Français | English |
|---|---|
| le fils | the son |
| la fille | the daughter |
Note that amie takes mon, not ma, because it begins with a vowel sound; this single exception is presented here as a fixed form to notice, not as a rule to generalize yet.
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| grand | grande | tall, big |
| petit | petite | short, small |
| sympathique | sympathique | nice |
| jeune | jeune | young |
Select one of these four adjectives to describe a person. Several practiced feminine forms add a written -e, while adjectives already ending in silent -e, such as sympathique and jeune, remain unchanged.
| Français | English |
|---|---|
| voici | here is / here are |
| Tu as des frères ou des sœurs ? | Do you have brothers or sisters? (fixed question) |
| Quel âge as-tu ? | How old are you? (fixed question) |
| avoir ... ans | to be ... years old |
The productive vocabulary in this chapter is the list above. A small number of supported reference forms appear separately in the Language Focus section and are clearly marked as reference or recognition, not as items you must produce independently.
Age Numbers: A Supported Reference
You may consult this table at any point in this chapter's speaking and writing tasks. You are not expected to spell unfamiliar numbers from memory.
| Supported for production (consult freely) | Recognition only |
|---|---|
| dix (10), quinze (15), dix-huit (18), vingt (20), vingt-deux (22), vingt-cinq (25), trente (30) | quarante (40), quarante-huit (48), cinquante (50), soixante (60) |
Keep the ages you produce yourself within the supported range (10–30). Larger ages may appear in the reading passage, where they are supported by this table.
Pronunciation Focus
The main productive liaison practiced in this chapter is vous avez, the same pattern recycled from vous êtes in Chapter 3: the s of vous links to the vowel sound that follows.
- Listen for liaison in the reference forms nous avons and ils ont when you see them in the table below, but you do not need to produce them yourself in this chapter.
- The feminine adjective ending -e is silent, but it often makes the preceding consonant audible: grand ends in a silent d, while grande pronounces that d clearly.
- Keep the nasal vowel in mon distinct from the oral vowel in ma.
Language Focus: avoir, mon/ma/mes, and Adjectives
Purpose: begin using avoir, identify your own family members with mon, ma, and mes, and describe one person with a practiced adjective.
4.1 The verb avoir — selected forms
Avoir ("to have") is used for possession, family relationships, and age. In this chapter, focus on the forms below in bold; the remaining forms are provided for reference and guided consultation, not for independent memorization.
| Pronoun | Form | English | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| j' | ai | I have | Productive |
| tu | as | you have (familiar) | Productive |
| il / elle | a | he/she has | Productive |
| vous | avez | you have (formal/plural) | Productive |
| nous | avons | we have | Reference only |
| ils / elles | ont | they have | Reference only |
- J'ai un frère. I have a brother.
- Tu as une sœur ? Do you have a sister?
You are not expected to reproduce the full table from memory in this chapter. Keep your speaking and writing within j'ai, tu as, il a, elle a, and vous avez.
4.2 mon, ma, mes — and supported ton/ta/tes, son/sa/ses
| Form | English | Status |
|---|---|---|
| mon, ma, mes | my | Productive |
| ton, ta, tes | your (familiar) | Supported, mainly in questions |
| son, sa, ses | his / her | Reference and guided recognition |
- Voici mon père et ma mère. Here are my father and my mother.
- Quel âge a ton frère ? (supported question) How old is your brother?
In this family chapter, son, sa, and ses will usually translate as "his" or "her." French chooses the form according to the noun possessed, not according to the owner's gender. You will practice these more fully in a later chapter; for now, simply recognize them when you see them, for example in son père or sa mère.
4.3 Describing one person and stating age
In this chapter, describe people with the pattern subject + être + adjective, selecting from the small adjective table above. Adjective placement directly before or after a noun will be developed later in the course.
- Mon père est grand. My father is tall.
- Ma sœur est sympathique. My sister is nice.
Model Dialogue: Voici ma famille
Context: Amina shows Thomas a photo of her family.
Quel âge a ton frère ? and Comment est ton frère ? are fixed, supported questions in this chapter; you are not expected to build new questions of this kind freely yet.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly.
- How old is Karim?
- How old is Karim's brother, and what is he like?
- What adjective describes Karim's mother?
Speaking Practice
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice
Say three sentences: one using j'ai, one using il a or elle a, and one using mon, ma, or mes. You may consult the number reference table for any age.
Échange guidé — Supported exchange
With a partner, ask and answer Tu as des frères ou des sœurs ? Then ask and answer one age question using the fixed model Quel âge a ton frère/ta sœur ?
Pratique individuelle — Solo alternative
Record yourself presenting one family member or friend in four lines: Voici..., their age with avoir, and two short descriptions with être plus an adjective from the table.
Reading Practice
La famille de Léa — Léa's family
Voici mon père, Paul. Il a cinquante ans. Il est grand. Voici ma mère, Claire. Elle a quarante-huit ans. Elle est sympathique. J'ai un frère, Antoine. Il a vingt-deux ans. Il est jeune.
Both 48 (quarante-huit) and 50 (cinquante) appear in the number reference table above as recognition items.
Tâche de lecture — Reading task:
- Name each person in the passage and give their age.
- Match one adjective to each person.
- Find one example of mon and one example of ma in the passage.
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order. You may consult all reference tables in this chapter.
Tâche 1 — Select the correct form of avoir:
Tâche 2 — Select the possessive:
Tâche 3 — Four-line person card: Write exactly four separate sentences introducing one family member or friend.
- Voici mon/ma…
- Il/Elle a … ans.
- Il/Elle est …
- Il/Elle est …
- Complete Task 1. Check each choice against the reference table for avoir.
- Complete Task 2. Check each choice against the noun that follows it, not the owner.
- Draft your four-line person card. Keep each line separate rather than joining them into a paragraph.
- Read your four lines aloud once. Listen for liaison in vous avez if you used it.
- Check every adjective ending against the vocabulary table.
Liste de révision — Editing checklist:
- I selected one of the practiced forms of avoir.
- I used avoir + number + ans for exact age.
- I selected mon, ma, or mes according to the family noun.
- I selected an adjective form from the chapter table.
- I used il or elle consistently for the person.
- I kept the four introduction lines separate.
- I consulted the number table when needed.
- I used only productive vocabulary from this chapter.
Culture and Communication
Voici is a simple, neutral way to introduce a person, a photo, or an object across Francophone communities: voici mon frère, voici ma sœur. It works in both casual and more careful speech.
Family structures and how openly people discuss age vary across Francophone communities and individual families. Asking about age is common in casual conversation among peers in many contexts, but treat it as a natural conversational topic here rather than a universal rule for every situation or every speaker.
Common Mistakes
Error: Je suis vingt ans.
Correction: J'ai vingt ans. To state an exact age in the pattern taught in this chapter, use avoir + number + ans.
Error: mon sœur
Correction: ma sœur, because sœur is feminine.
Error: sa père
Correction: son père, because père is masculine.
Error: ma sœur est grand
Correction: ma sœur est grande.
Chapter Review
Partie A — Compréhension (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- How old is Amina's brother, and how old is her sister?
- What two adjectives describe Amina's brother?
Partie B — Écriture (Writing)
1. Complete: Elle ___ quinze ans. (ai / a / ont)
2. Select the appropriate practiced form: Ma sœur est grand / grande. Ma mère est petit / petite.
Partie C — Lecture (Reading)
1. Return to "La famille de Léa," and name each family member's age.
Partie D — Oral (Speaking)
1. Ask a partner Tu as des frères ou des sœurs ?, then answer the same question yourself.
Grammar recycled
être, articles, and tu/vous from earlier chapters.
Grammar beginning in this chapter
Selected forms of avoir; mon/ma/mes; supported ton/ta/tes; reference son/sa/ses; a small adjective set; supported age with avoir + ans.
Pronunciation recycled and practiced
Liaison in vous avez; masculine/feminine adjective contrast.
Skills developed
Naming family members, stating a supported age, and beginning a short introduction of one person.
Guided Performance Practice
Chapter 4 Guided Practice
Introducing a Family Member or Friend
This activity is formative, not pass/fail. You may consult the vocabulary tables and the number reference throughout. Instructor or partner support is welcome, and full-paradigm recall of avoir is not required.
- Read the model dialogue. Answer the two comprehension questions above before continuing.
- Complete one four-line family or friend card. Use voici, a supported age, and two adjectives from the table.
- Ask and answer one family question. Use Tu as des frères ou des sœurs ?
- Ask and answer one age question. Use the fixed model Quel âge a ton frère/ta sœur ?
- Read your four-line card aloud. Listen for liaison in vous avez if it appears.
| Practice area | What the learner is beginning to demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Selected verb use | The learner uses selected forms of avoir with support. |
| Family identification | The learner uses mon, ma, or mes with a practiced family noun. |
| Age expression | The learner uses avoir + supported number + ans. |
| Description | The learner selects one or two practiced adjective forms from the table. |
| Task completeness | The learner completes a four-line supported introduction and a short exchange. |
This practice uses only material introduced in this chapter and Chapters 1–3. Chapter 5 is the Unit I assessment; this chapter is instructional and formative, not a formal checkpoint.
Answer Key
Listening
- Karim is twenty-two.
- His brother is twenty-five and tall.
- Karim's mother is sympathique.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Amina's brother is eighteen; her sister is fifteen.
- Amina's brother is described as grand and sympathique.
Writing
- Elle a quinze ans.
- grande; petite (selected forms)
Fill in the Blank — Task 1
- J'ai vingt ans.
- Elle a quinze ans.
- Vous avez des enfants ?
Fill in the Blank — Task 2
- Mon père est grand.
- Ma mère est sympathique.
- Mes parents habitent au Canada.
Reading
- Paul is fifty, Claire is forty-eight, and Antoine is twenty-two.
- Paul is grand, Claire is sympathique, and Antoine is jeune.
- The passage contains mon père and ma mère.
Looking Ahead
Ce que vous commencez à faire — What you are beginning to do
You are beginning to use selected forms of avoir, name immediate family members, use mon, ma, and mes, state a supported age, select a practiced adjective form, and introduce one family member or friend with support.