[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-408365-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-408365-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","the-french-you-already-know-chapter-1-in-this-chapter","The French You Already Know - Chapter 1 - In this chapter","","Chapter 1 introduces French vocabulary and expressions that English speakers may already recognize, focusing on words and phrases identical or similar in spelling and meaning. It explains how English has borrowed many French terms and how French has also absorbed some English words. The chapter highlights potential pitfalls where similar-looking words differ in meaning or pronunciation, then builds understanding using article-gender guidance and categorized word lists.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-french-you-already-know-chapter-1-in-this-chapter/408365/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-french-you-already-know-chapter-1-in-this-chapter/408365.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Logic","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-28",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",8,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the focus of Chapter 1 in learning French?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Chapter 1 focuses on French words and phrases that English learners may already know, including words similar in spelling and meaning, plus idioms and popular expressions.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Why do learners need to watch out for some English-looking French words?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Some French words resemble English words but can differ in meaning and almost certainly differ in pronunciation, so learners must verify meanings.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How do French articles help learners in this chapter?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"French nouns use definite and indefinite articles, and learning which article pairs with which noun helps identify noun gender; the chapter includes articles with nouns in its word lists.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},408365,1790716356,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":123,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},1099513958762,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/1000023916a998db790?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1784791008015729253","Chapter 1 The French You Already Know  \nIn This Chapter  \n▶ French words that are identical or similar to their English counterparts  \n▶ French words to watch out for  \n▶ Idioms and popular expressions you may already know  \nLearnyougea newd to knlanowguaagwheocalenne cw vaclebnuglngry,. Nobuttoynoyadloso  \nneed to twist your head around different grammar rules and your tongue around different pronunciation rules. But here’sa little news that may make the task seem a little less daunting: You already know quite a few French words and expressions. How? Because the English language, being the borrower that it is, contains many French words and expressions, and French has absorbed some English words, too.  \nIn this chapter, you get to explore some French words and phrases without having to know pronunciation or grammar rules (that info comes in Chapters 2 and 3) . Here, we include French words that are spelled the same and mean the same as their English counterparts, as well as words that are close in meaning and spelling. But because not every French word that resembles an English word shares its meaning, we also tell you what words to watch out for. In addition, we include some French expressions that you probably already know and understand. By the end of this chapter, you may discover that you actually know more French than you previously thought.  \n10 Part I: Getting Started   The French You’re Familiar With  \nWith just a narrow stretch of water between them, the English and the French have historically been pretty close, even if they haven’t always been the friendly allies they are today. In fact, French was the language of the English court for avery long time – a fact that many people tend to forget. (The Normans who invaded England in 1066 with William the Conqueror were French, as were some of the most prominent people in English history) .  \nWhat does this have to do with your learning French? Well today, about 35 percent of English vocabulary is of French origin. That being the case, you already know an impressive amount of French, whether you realize it or not. The only pitfall you have to watch out for is that sometimes the English words have a different meaning from their French counterparts, and they almost certainly have a different pronunciation.  \nFrench nouns are preceded by either definite or indefinite articles. The definite articles are le (masculine), la (feminine), l’ (an abbreviation of either le or la), and les (plural); these are the equivalent to the English word the. The indefinite articles are un (masculine), une (feminine), des (plural); these are all equivalent to the English words a, an, or some. As you learn French, knowing which articles go with what nouns helps you identify the noun’s gender; that’s why we include the articles with the nouns in the lists throughout this book. Because the abbreviated article l’obscures the noun’s gender, we added the gender in parentheses. Finally, because the articles are not always used in English translations, we don’t include them in the translations of the wordlists: l’université (f) (lew-nee-vehr-see-tey) (university) and lekiosque (luh kyohhsk) (kiosk), for example.  \nFriendly allies – bons alliés  \nSeveral French words are spelled the same and have the same meaning as their English counterparts. The only thing that may be different is the pronunciation (for more on pronunciation guidelines, head to Chapter 3) . Take a look at these bonsalliés (bohN-zah-lyey) (friendly allies):  \n  Chapter 1: The French You Already Know  \n✓ l’art (m) (lahr)  \n✓ brave (brahv)  \n✓ le bureau (luh bew-roh)  \n✓ le client (luh klee-yahN)  \n✓ le concert (luh kohN-sehr)✓ la condition (lah kohN-dee-syohN)✓ content (kohN-tahN)  \n✓ le courage (luh kooh-rahzh)✓ le cousin (luh kooh-zaN)  \n✓ la culture (lah kewl-tewr)  \n✓ différent (dee-fey-rahN)  \n✓ excellent (ehk-seh-lahN)  \n✓ le garage (luh gah-rahzh)  \n✓ le guide (luh geed)  \n✓ important (aN-pohr-tahN)  \n✓ le journal (luh zhoohr-n","cbCaijFnqwHVOH76","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaijFnqwHVOH76","pdf",236557,"English","# In this chapter\n## French words identical or similar to English\n## French words to watch out for\n## Idioms and popular expressions\n# Words similar in meaning, slightly different in spelling\n## Table 1-1 word list","[{\"question\":\"What is the focus of Chapter 1 in learning French?\",\"answer\":\"Chapter 1 focuses on French words and phrases that English learners may already know, including words similar in spelling and meaning, plus idioms and popular expressions.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do learners need to watch out for some English-looking French words?\",\"answer\":\"Some French words resemble English words but can differ in meaning and almost certainly differ in pronunciation, so learners must verify meanings.\"},{\"question\":\"How do French articles help learners in this chapter?\",\"answer\":\"French nouns use definite and indefinite articles, and learning which article pairs with which noun helps identify noun gender; the chapter includes articles with nouns in its word lists.\"}]","The French You Already Know - Chapter 1 - In this chapter | PDF",1790579150,25]