Contractions in French: Subject + Verb
In English we have I’m, You’re, I’ve etc, in French too when we speak. Some will say that it is not correct French but it is the way we speak, so if you want to understand French people speaking, this lesson is useful.
Before a vowel TU becomes t’:
Tu as = t’as
Tu es = t’es
Tu arrives = t’arrives
Tu écoutes = t’écoutes
Before a consonant IL becomes i
Il vient = i vient
Il ne vient pas = i vient pas
Il mange = i mange
Not before a vowel because of the connection between the two words: Il arrive = i larrive, as you can see the liaison is so strong that the pronunciation is not exactly “il+arrive”
Before a consonant ELLE becomes ey
Elle vient = ey vient
Elle ne vient pas = ey vient pas
Elle court = ey court
We have the same rule before a vowel as the pronoun IL: elle arrive = ey larrive
ILS and ELLES before a consonant:
Ils viennent: i viennent
Elles viennent = ey viennent
ILS and ELLES before a vowel:
Ils aiment = i zaiment
Elles aiment = ey zaiment
Of course, you can use the correct form when you speak but you will hear a lot the pronunciations above.
JE is explained in another lesson: Categories French Pronunciation Leave a comment
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