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Word families, cognates and false friends – GCSE French

Foundation and Higher · Grade 3

Use prefixes, suffixes and word families to work out unknown words, spot cognates and avoid false friends.

Objectives

Explained

Cognates and spelling patterns

Many French words look like English words: «important», «possible», «nation», «information», «restaurant», «musée». These are cognates and help you read. French and English also have regular patterns. «-tion» stays «-tion» («action», «station»). «-ité» is «-ity» («qualité», «université»). «-ique» is «-ic» («magique», «économique»). «-eux» is «-ous» («nerveux», «dangereux»). «-ment» is often «-ly» («rapidement»).

An accent often replaces an s that English kept: «école» / school, «étudiant» / student, «hôpital» / hospital, «forêt» / forest, «fête» / feast, «île» / isle, «hôtel» / hotel, «arrêter» / arrest. Spotting these patterns helps you guess new words in a reading text. Tap the words to hear them.

Word families

Words come in families built on one root. «Travailler» (to work), «le travail» (work), «un travailleur» (a worker), «travailleur» (hard-working). «Vendre» (to sell), «la vente» (the sale), «un vendeur» (a seller), «vendu» (sold). «Chanter» (to sing), «une chanson» (song), «un chanteur» (singer), «chantant» (singing). If you know one member, you can often guess the others.

More families: «jouer» (to play), «un joueur», «un jeu», «un jouet»; «lire» (to read), «la lecture», «un lecteur», «lisible»; «manger» (to eat), «la nourriture», «un repas»; «aider» (to help), «une aide», «un aidant»; «habiter» (to live), «un habitant», «l'habitat», «une habitation». Group new words into families when you revise.

Check

What do you think "un joueur" is, knowing "jouer" means to play?

  1. a player
  2. a toy
  3. a game
Show answer

a player The ending -eur names the person who does the verb.

Prefixes

Prefixes change the meaning. «re-» means again: «refaire» (to redo), «relire» (to reread), «revenir» (to come back), «recommencer» (to start again). «dé-» undoes: «défaire» (to undo), «découvrir» (to discover), «déplacer» (to move). «in-» / «im-» / «ir-» means not: «impossible», «inutile», «irréel». «mal-» means bad: «malheureux» (unhappy), «malhonnête».

Others: «sur-» means over: «surprendre» (to surprise), «surveiller» (to watch over). «sous-» means under: «sous-marin» (submarine). «pré-» means before: «préparer». «anti-» means against: «antibiotique». «mi-» means half: «à mi-chemin». For instance «inhabituel» = not usual, and «redémarrer» = to start again.

Suffixes

Suffixes turn one word type into another. A verb in -er often has a noun in «-ement»: «changer» → «le changement» (change), «commencer» → «le commencement». Verbs often give nouns in «-ation»: «organiser» → «l'organisation», «décorer» → «la décoration», «informer» → «l'information». Nouns in «-eur» / «-euse» / «-trice» name the person: «chanteur», «vendeuse», «actrice».

Adjectives give nouns in «-té» or «-ité»: «beau» → «la beauté», «facile» → «la facilité», «possible» → «la possibilité». Adjectives give adverbs in «-ment»: «facile» → «facilement». Nouns in «-age» often come from verbs: «voyager» → «un voyage», «nettoyer» → «le nettoyage». The ending -able / -ible means can be: «mangeable» (edible), «lisible» (readable).

Check

What is the noun from the verb "organiser"?

  1. l'organisation
  2. l'organisement
  3. l'organiseur seulement
Show answer

l'organisation Verbs in -iser usually give nouns in -ation.

Guessing words in a reading text

When you meet an unknown word, use five tools. Look at the context: what is the sentence about? Look for cognates: does it look like an English word? Look at the ending: is it a noun (-tion, -ité), an adjective (-eux, -ique) or an adverb (-ment)? Look for a prefix: does re- or in- change the meaning? Look for a word family: do you know a related word?

Try an example: «Le gouvernement a annoncé une réforme importante de l'éducation.» You can guess «gouvernement» (government), «annoncer» (to announce), «réforme» (reform), «importante» (important), «éducation» (education). In listening, rely on the same patterns: the sound of the ending is clear even when the word is new.

False friends

Some words look like English words but mean something different: «actuellement» (currently), «assister à» (to attend), «la librairie» (bookshop, not library, which is «la bibliothèque»), «rester» (to stay), «la location» (hire, renting), «sensible» (sensitive), «le pain» (bread), «la monnaie» (change), «demander» (to ask), «blessé» (injured), «large» (wide), «le car» (coach), «la journée» (the whole day).

The most dangerous in exams are «actuellement», «assister», «la librairie», «rester», «sensible», «le cabinet» (a doctor's or lawyer's office), «le collège» (secondary school, not college) and «déçu» (disappointed, not deceived). Always check the context: if a word does not make sense in English, consider that it is a false friend.

Check

You want to borrow a book. Where do you go?

  1. à la bibliothèque
  2. à la librairie
  3. au cabinet
Show answer

à la bibliothèque La bibliothèque is a library; la librairie is a bookshop.

Using word-building in your own writing

Use word families to vary your vocabulary. Instead of repeating «travailler», say «le travail», «un travailleur» or «le travail d'équipe». From «jouer», get «un joueur», «un jeu», «le jeu vidéo». From «voyager», get «un voyage» and «un voyageur».

Use prefixes and suffixes to make precise statements: «C'est impossible», «Je suis malheureux», «Je recommence mes devoirs», «Mon organisation est meilleure». Compare these two: «J'aime les jeux» and «J'adore les jeux de société et je suis un bon joueur». The second shows more range and earns more marks.

Exam tips: word formation

In reading, never give up on an unknown word: break it down. Underline the root, then the ending, then think of English. Beware false friends such as «actuellement», «assister» and «la librairie». In translation into English, choose the meaning from the context, not from the look of the word.

In writing, a few well-chosen derived words (a noun from a verb, an adverb in -ment, an adjective with a prefix) lift your range. Do not invent words by adding French endings to English words: «je parke» is wrong, the verb is «je me gare» or «je stationne».

Check

What does "Il a assisté à un concert" mean?

  1. He attended a concert.
  2. He assisted at a concert.
  3. He organised a concert.
Show answer

He attended a concert. Assister à means to attend, a classic false friend.

Key points

Worked examples

Example 1

Give the English for: la nation, la qualité, dangereux.

  1. La nation is the nation.
  2. La qualité is quality.
  3. Dangereux is dangerous.

Answer: nation, quality, dangerous

Common slips
  • Slip: la nacion Keep -tion.
  • Slip: la qualitie Words in -ité are -ity.
  • Slip: dangerueux Words in -eux are -ous.

Example 2

Guess the meaning: le travail, un travailleur, travailler.

  1. Travailler is the verb: to work.
  2. Le travail is the noun: work.
  3. Un travailleur is the person: a worker.

Answer: to work, work, a worker

Common slips
  • Slip: travail The verb is travailler.
  • Slip: travailler The noun is travail.
  • Slip: un travail The -eur ending names the person.

Example 3

Translate into English: Actuellement, mon cousin est étudiant et il assiste à des conférences à la librairie de l'université.

  1. "Actuellement" is currently.
  2. "Assiste à des conférences" is attends lectures.
  3. "La librairie" is the bookshop.

Answer: Currently, my cousin is a student and he attends lectures at the university bookshop.

Common slips
  • Slip: actually Actually would be en fait.
  • Slip: assists conferences Assister à means to attend.
  • Slip: the library The library is la bibliothèque.

Questions and answers

Try each one, then open the answer.

Question 1 Easy

What does "la qualité" mean in English?

Show answer

Answer: quality

  1. -ité is -ity.
  2. Qualité is quality.

Question 2 Easy

What does "actuellement" mean in English?

Show answer

Answer: currently

  1. A false friend.
  2. Not actually.

Question 3 Easy

What does "rester" mean in English?

Show answer

Answer: to stay

  1. Rester means to stay.
  2. To rest is se reposer.

Question 4 Easy

What is the French for "bookshop"?

Show answer

Answer: la librairie

  1. Librairie sells books.
  2. La bibliothèque is a library.

Question 5 Medium

What is the noun from the verb "changer"?

Show answer

Answer: le changement

  1. Verbs in -er often give -ement.
  2. Masculine.

Question 6 Medium

What does "impossible" show about the prefix "im-"? (one word: not or again)

Show answer

Answer: not

  1. Im- means not.
  2. Impossible means not possible.

Question 7 Medium

Translate into English: Il assiste à un match.

Show answer

Answer: He is attending a match

  1. Assister à means to attend.
  2. Present tense.

Question 8 Medium

Translate into French: the player (male)

Show answer

Answer: le joueur

  1. -eur names the person.
  2. Masculine.

Question 9 Hard

Translate into English: Elle est très sensible et elle a été déçue par le résultat.

Show answer

Answer: She is very sensitive and she was disappointed by the result

  1. Sensible is sensitive.
  2. Déçue is disappointed.

Question 10 Hard

Translate into French: Currently I am a student and I live in a small flat.

Show answer

Answer: Actuellement, je suis étudiant et j'habite dans un petit appartement

  1. Actuellement.
  2. Habiter dans.

Question 11 Hard

What is the French noun for "organisation", formed from the verb "organiser"?

Show answer

Answer: l'organisation

  1. Verbs in -iser give nouns in -ation.
  2. Feminine.

Question 12 Hard

What does "Il est malheureux parce qu'il a perdu son travail" mean?

Show answer

Answer: He is unhappy because he lost his job

  1. Malheureux is unhappy.
  2. Travail is work, job.

Exam-style questions

Longer tasks with the marking points. These are Yumio practice questions.

Exam-style question 15 marks

Translate into English. (a) Actuellement, je travaille à la librairie. (b) Mon frère est un bon joueur. (c) C'est impossible. [5 marks]

Show answer

Answer: Currently, I work at the bookshop. My brother is a good player. It is impossible.

  1. Actuellement is currently.
  2. Joueur is player.
  3. Im- means not.
  • Mark (2): Currently (1) I work at the bookshop (1)
  • Mark (2): My brother is a good player (1 and 1)
  • Mark (1): It is impossible

Exam-style question 26 marks

Translate into English: Actuellement, ma sœur assiste à des cours de langues dans une université. Elle trouve les professeurs sensibles et très motivants, mais elle est déçue par la librairie du campus. [6 marks]

Show answer

Answer: Currently, my sister attends language classes at a university. She finds the teachers sensitive and very motivating, but she is disappointed with the campus bookshop.

  1. Actuellement.
  2. Assister à.
  3. Librairie.
  • Mark (2): Currently, my sister attends language classes
  • Mark (2): She finds the teachers sensitive and very motivating
  • Mark (2): She is disappointed with the campus bookshop

Common mistakes

  1. actuellement = actually

    It means currently.

  2. la librairie = library

    It means bookshop; the library is la bibliothèque.

  3. assister = to help

    Assister à means to attend.

  4. je parke

    Do not invent verbs: say je me gare.

  5. rester = to rest

    Rester means to stay; to rest is se reposer.

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