French · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 9
Ma famille est grandeMy family is big
Adjective agreement and PLACEMENT. The adjective agrees in gender and number: mon frère est grand, ma sœur est grande, mes frères sont grands. Most adjectives follow the noun (une maison blanche), but a few very common ones come before it: grand, petit, beau, jeune, nouveau, joli. New vocabulary: young, beautiful, pretty, house, to live, with, but, here, there, happy. Culture section: The family.
Dialogue
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Ma famille est grande— My Family Is Big
- LucasMa famille est grande. Mon frère est grand et ma sœur est jeune.My family is big. My brother is tall and my sister is young.
- MikeTa mère est beau!Your mother is beautiful! (slip: beau, mère is feminine → belle)
- LucasOn dit « belle » — mère est féminin. Oui, ma mère est belle et jeune.We say "belle" — mère is feminine. Yes, my mother is beautiful and young.
- MikeTa mère est belle et ton père est grand. Une belle famille!Your mother is beautiful and your father is tall. A beautiful family!
Dialogue
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Où habites-tu?— Where Do You Live?
- CamilleJ'habite ici, dans une belle maison avec mes parents.I live here, in a beautiful house with my parents.
- MikeMoi, j'habite là, avec mon frère. Ma sœur est content.Me, I live there, with my brother. My sister is happy. (slip: content, sœur is feminine → contente)
- CamilleOn dit « contente » — c'est ta sœur. Ta maison est grande?We say "contente" — it's your sister. Is your house big?
- MikeNon, elle est petite, mais jolie. Ma sœur est contente ici.No, it's small, but pretty. My sister is happy here.
Vocabulary
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- jeune
adjectiveyoung
- beau / belle
adjectivebeautiful, handsome (m / f)
- joli / jolie
adjectivepretty (m / f)
- maison
n.f.house (f)
- habiter
verbto live
- avec
prepositionwith
- mais
conjunctionbut
- ici
adverbhere
- là
adverbthere
- content / contente
adjectivehappy (m / f)
Grammar
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Adjective agreement and placement
Explanation
The adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun, just as the article and possessive already did: mon frère est grand, ma sœur est grande, mes parents sont grands. Many adjectives add -e in the feminine (joli → jolie), but some change more (beau → belle, vieux → vieille). PLACEMENT: most follow the noun (une voiture rouge), but a few short common ones come before it — grand, petit, beau, jeune, nouveau, joli: une belle maison, une jeune fille.
Examples
- Ma famille est grande. Ma sœur est petite.My family is big. My sister is small.
- Mes frères sont grands.My brothers are tall. (plural -s agreement)
- J'habite dans une belle maison avec mes parents.I live in a beautiful house with my parents. (belle before the noun)
- Ma mère est jeune et très jolie.My mother is young and very pretty.
Culture
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La familleThe family — and the shared meal
In France, family life centres on shared meals and a strong sense of togetherness — especially the long Sunday lunch.
The meal is sacred
The family meal is not rushed: it matters. The Sunday lunch (déjeuner du dimanche) can last hours, with several courses and lots of conversation. Eating is a social moment, not just refuelling.
Manners at the table
A few rules: hands on the table (not in your lap), bread placed on the table not on a plate, and a "bon appétit" before starting. Children are included in the conversation, not set aside.
Close but independent
Families are close, but young adults value their independence and often leave early for studies or work. People also identify strongly with their région and its food: asking where someone is from is a warm topic.
Rule of thumb: if you're invited to a French family meal, arrive with a small gift (flowers, wine, dessert), settle in for a long multi-course affair, and join the conversation.
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