Lesson 32 ª


 

 

 

 

 

   
 The Recent Past


  • This construction is used to describe actions that have just finished.


  • Je viens de manger  I have just eaten
    Il vient d'étudier  He has just finished studying


  • In order to say 'have just done something' in French, you use the verb "venir" as an auxiliary verb followed by the preposition "de" and the infinitive of the main verb.


  • Je viens de jouer I have just finished playing
    Tu viens de jouer You have just finished playing
    Il vient de jouer He has just finished playing
    Nous venons de jouer We have just finished playing
    Vous venez de jouer You have just finished playing
    Ils viennent de jouer They have just finished playing


  • Here are some examples:


  • Mon père vient d'acheter le journal  My father has just bought the newspaper
    Ma mère vient de téléphoner My mother has just phoned
    Nous venons de danser  We have just danced


  • The negative form is constructed by placing the negative particle "ne" in front of the auxiliary verb and then after the auxiliary verb the negative particle "pas":


  • Ils ne viennent pas de dormir  They have not just slept
    Elle ne vient pas de parler She has not just spoken to someone
    Nous ne venons pas de danser  We have not just finished dancing


  • However, when you ask a question using this construction you start with the auxiliary verb followed by the preposition "de" and the infinitive of the main verb:


  • Viennent-ils de dormir ?  Have they just slept?
    Vient-elle de parler ? Has she just spoken?
    Venons-nous de danser ?  Have we just danced?




    VOCABULARY

    les poissons


    Shark Requin (m) Trout Truite (f)
    Whale Baleine (f) Salmon Saumon (m)
    Dolphin Dauphin (m) Squid Calamar (m)
    Killer whale Orque (f) Oyster Huître (f)
    Octopus Poulpe (m) Red bream Daurade (f)
    Seal Phoque (m) Caviar Caviar (m)
    Penguin Pingouin (m) Crocodile Crocodile (m)
    Crab Crabe (m) Cod Morue (f)
    Seafood Coquillage (m) Tuna Thon (m)
    Clam Clovisse (f) Tortoise Tortue (f)
    Sperm whale Cachalot (m) Snail Escargot (m)
    Walrus Morse (m)