Lesson 6: My family
Ma famille
What you will be able to do
Talk about your family members with avoir and the possessives mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, son, sa, ses, and give the ages of your children.
Audio
Phrases
- Voici ma famille.This is my family.
- J’ai deux frères et une sœur.I have two brothers and a sister.
- Mon père s’appelle Marc.My father is called Marc.
- Ta mère habite au Luxembourg ?Does your mother live in Luxembourg?
- Ma fille a sept ans.My daughter is seven years old.
- Tu as des enfants ?Do you have children?
- Son frère travaille à Esch.His brother works in Esch.
- Nous avons une grande famille.We have a big family.
Dialogue
- LéaKarim, c’est ta famille sur la photo ?Karim, is that your family in the photo?
- KarimOui ! Voici ma femme, Samira, et mes deux enfants.Yes! This is my wife, Samira, and my two children.
- LéaIls ont quel âge ?How old are they?
- KarimMa fille a sept ans et mon fils a quatre ans.My daughter is seven and my son is four.
- LéaEt tes parents, ils habitent au Luxembourg ?And your parents, do they live in Luxembourg?
- KarimNon, mes parents habitent au Maroc. Mon frère habite à Bruxelles.No, my parents live in Morocco. My brother lives in Brussels.
- LéaMoi, j’ai deux sœurs et un frère.As for me, I have two sisters and a brother.
- KarimTu as des enfants, Léa ?Do you have children, Léa?
- LéaNon, mais j’ai un chat. Voici sa photo !No, but I have a cat. Here is his photo!
- KarimIl est très beau, ton chat !He is very handsome, your cat!
Vocabulary
- la famillefamily
- le pèrefather
- la mèremother
- le frèrebrother
- la sœursister
- le filsson
- la filledaughter, girl
- l’enfantchild
- les parentsparents
- la femmewife, woman
- le marihusband
- grand, grandebig, tall
- le chatcat
- mon, ma, mesmy
Grammar
Mon, ma, mes: my, your, his, her
French possessives agree with the noun that follows, not with the owner. Masculine singular: mon père, ton père, son père. Feminine singular: ma mère, ta mère, sa mère. Plural: mes parents, tes parents, ses parents. Son, sa and ses mean both his and her, so son frère can be his brother or her brother. Before a feminine noun that starts with a vowel use mon, ton or son: mon amie. Combine them with avoir: j’ai un frère, tu as une sœur, nous avons une grande famille.
- Ma sœur et mon frère habitent à Metz.My sister and my brother live in Metz.
- Tu as ton téléphone et ta carte ?Do you have your phone and your card?
- Lucas habite avec son père et sa mère.Lucas lives with his father and his mother.
Exercises
- Exercises 1
Voici ma famille.
Voici ma famille means This is my family. Ma goes with the feminine word famille.
- Exercises 2
Tu as des enfants ?
Do you have children?
Tu as des enfants ? asks if someone has children. As is the tu form of avoir, and des marks the plural.
- Exercises 3
Ma fille a sept ans.
My daughter is seven years old.
With ma fille, a third person singular subject, avoir becomes a: elle a sept ans.
- Exercises 4
J’ai deux frères et une sœur.
I have two brothers and a sister.
Start with j’ai, then the number and the word: deux frères et une sœur.
- Exercises 5
les parents
Les parents means father and mother only. Do not use it for all your relatives: that is la famille.
- Exercises 6
la sœur
sister
La sœur is the sister. Sœur is feminine, so it takes la.
- Exercises 7
Voici ma famille.
This is my family.
Famille is feminine singular, so the possessive is ma: ma famille.
- Exercises 8
Ta mère habite au Luxembourg ?
Does your mother live in Luxembourg?
Ta mère is your mother. Then the verb habite and the place au Luxembourg. The question mark comes last.
- Exercises 9
Ma fille a sept ans.
Ma fille a sept ans means My daughter is seven years old. French uses avoir for age.
- Exercises 10
Nous avons une grande famille.
We have a big family.
Nous avons une grande famille means We have a big family. Avons is the nous form of avoir.