Hi Joan,
Yes , 'Je parle un peu d'anglais avec lui' is correct for, 'I speak a little English with him'.
Hope this helps!
Look at these examples:
Unlike in English, definite articles (le,la,l',les) are used with titles, languages & academic subjects in French.
BUT
Only in the phrase "to speak + [language]" can you use both forms, with or without le.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 9 questions, 18 answers
JoanKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
"Je parle un peu d'anglais avec lui". Is this sentence correct when 'un peu' is used to modify 'anglais' instead of 'parler'?
Asked 1 year ago
Joan asked:View original
"Je parle un peu d'anglais avec lui". Is this sentence correct when 'un peu' is used to modify 'anglais' instead of 'parler'?
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DeborahKwiziq community member
Hi - I am confused about how to tell is means the story or history (the academic subject).
The french was:
Il déteste l’histoire mais il adore les maths
The choice of answers were:
He hates the story but he loves maths
He hates history but he loves maths
I chose story, but I don't understand how to know which is correct.Thanks
Asked 1 year ago
Hi Deborah,
Here they were school subjects -
History as opposed to Maths.
DeborahKwiziq community member
Sorry, I used some punctuation which seems to have removed some of my question.
I am confused about how to tell if "l'histoire" means the story or history (the academic subject).
Deborah asked:View original
Hi - I am confused about how to tell is means the story or history (the academic subject).
The french was:
Il déteste l’histoire mais il adore les maths
The choice of answers were:
He hates the story but he loves maths
He hates history but he loves maths
I chose story, but I don't understand how to know which is correct.Thanks
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JocelynKwiziq community member
Why is there no « de » after pas in this exam with languages?
Is there not a rule « ne pas de »?
How comes you don’t use « de » in this example: Ils ne parlent pas espagnol/ l’espagnol. ?
Asked 2 years ago
Hi Jocelyn,
the "de" after "pas" is used when you are expressing, e.g., that you don't have something of something. For example:
Il n'y a plus de sucre. -- There is no more (of) sugar.
Elle ne boit pas d'alcool. -- She drinks not of the alcohol. (literally)
But in the example you quote, "Ils ne parlent pas l'espagnol." There is no larger thing of which the language Spanish would be part of. It is an indivisible entity. Hence no "de".
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Bonjour Jocelyn !
To complete Chris's answer, only partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des) and indefinite articles (un, une, des) become de or d' in a negative sentence.
It doesn't apply to definite articles (le, la, l', les) or zero articles, hence:
Je parle espagnol / l'espagnol. -> Je ne parle pas espagnol / l'espagnol.
Have a look at our related lessons:
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/grammar/the-partitive-article-in-negative-sentences
Bonne journée !
Jocelyn asked:View original
Why is there no « de » after pas in this exam with languages?
Is there not a rule « ne pas de »?
How comes you don’t use « de » in this example: Ils ne parlent pas espagnol/ l’espagnol. ?
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ChuckKwiziq community member
"ils" vs. "elles"
"ils" is given as the correct answer and "elles" is marked wrong. Why can't "they" be translated as "elles"?
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Chuck,
After reading your question, I reread the lesson but I am unable to find the plural of il or elle that you are referencing. Please consider resubmitting your question with the example.
Bonne chance
Chuck asked:View original
"ils" vs. "elles"
"ils" is given as the correct answer and "elles" is marked wrong. Why can't "they" be translated as "elles"?
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Kwiziq community member
La difficulté.....
La difficulté est les mots "l'histoire" = story or the stories" et "l'histoire = history or the history". de plus, nous ne disons pas "The maths" plural as it relates to mathematics in English. The two test questions were thus very confusing. Can you please explain... Thank you.
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonsoir Daniel,
Je suis d'accord avec vous. C'est très difficile de savoir soit "l'histoire" = story or the stories" soit "l'histoire = history or the history". Et bien sûr que les maths est une phrase maladroite. In English we would say «the math» as in the math problem or the mathematics; however, en français c'est tel «(US) (= mathematics) maths fpl» This comes from the Collins-Robert French dictionary.
Bonne chance,
Daniel asked:View original
La difficulté.....
La difficulté est les mots "l'histoire" = story or the stories" et "l'histoire = history or the history". de plus, nous ne disons pas "The maths" plural as it relates to mathematics in English. The two test questions were thus very confusing. Can you please explain... Thank you.
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DexterKwiziq community member
How to know when an object is masculine
Isn't Le téléphone wrong why is it la téléphone
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Dexter !
THE famous question :)
Unfortunately, I cannot give you an infallible rule for that, as there is none.
You just have to learn the words with their gender.
The "good" thing is that words have a fixed gender, so once you know it, you can't get it wrong ;)
À bientôt !
Dexter asked:View original
How to know when an object is masculine
Isn't Le téléphone wrong why is it la téléphone
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AurélieKwiziq team member
Susan asked: "When is the word "président" capitalized in French?"
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Susan !
That's a very good question indeed!
Here is the answer, concerning président :
- When you're not addressing them personally, there won't be a capital letter:
Le président Hollande visite l'Angleterre.
- When you're addressing them personally, you will use what we call the "majuscule de courtoisie" (politeness capital letter).
Monsieur le Président, je vous écris...
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
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AurélieKwiziq team member
C. asked : "Why doesn't 'français' become 'françaisE' when it is about 'her' speaking French?"
"A-t-elle parlé français ce soir ?"
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour C. !
The reason "français" doesn't agree in gender with "elle" here is that with the structure "parler + language", it is always the masculine form that is employed.
Indeed here what you're actually saying is "I speak [the language] French", i.e. "Je parle français" OR "Je parle le [langage] français". Languages are always masculine in French, no matter who speaks them ;)
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
CatherineKwiziq community member
Yes, thanks so much, sometimes the brain doesn't engage all the rules!
Aurélie asked:View original
C. asked : "Why doesn't 'français' become 'françaisE' when it is about 'her' speaking French?"
"A-t-elle parlé français ce soir ?"
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JohnnyKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
to speak + language
You didn't explain why we can use both forms with "to speak + language." Is it because a language is both a noun and an adjective?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Johnny !
I don't think that's the reason, as in both cases, you use the non-capitalised adjective form of the language:
"Je parle français."
"Je parle le français."
I would say that the original way would be "Je parle le (langage) français", which would respect French structures, and then usage would have made "Je parle français" acceptable as well. But that's my humble theory, as it's one of those "that's just the way it is" rules!
À bientôt !
Johnny asked:View original
to speak + language
You didn't explain why we can use both forms with "to speak + language." Is it because a language is both a noun and an adjective?
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