Physical wellbeing (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Physical wellbeing
Essential vocabulary
Understanding vocabulary related to health and fitness is crucial for discussing physical wellbeing in French. These words form the foundation for expressing your health goals, describing activities, and talking about wellness.
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| actif/active | active | Adjective agreement: masculine/feminine |
| activité (f) | activity | Feminine noun |
| aider | to help | Regular -er verb |
| améliorer | to improve | Regular -er verb |
| besoin (m) | need | Masculine noun |
| cœur (m) | heart | Note the œ spelling |
| corps (m) | body | Silent 's' at the end |
| en forme | fit/in shape | Fixed expression |
| malade | ill | Can be noun or adjective |
| maladie (f) | illness | Feminine noun |
| marcher | to walk | Regular -er verb |
| réduire | to reduce | Irregular verb like 'conduire' |
| sain(e) | healthy | Adjective with agreement |
| santé (f) | health | Feminine noun |
| causer | to cause | Regular -er verb |
| condition (f) | condition | Feminine noun |
| effet (m) | effect | Masculine noun |
| efficace | efficient | Invariable adjective |
| garder | to keep | Regular -er verb |
Notice that many health-related terms are feminine nouns (santé, activité, maladie, condition). This is a common pattern in French vocabulary related to abstract concepts and states of being.
Pay special attention to adjective agreement with words like "sain(e)" and "actif/active" - they must match the gender of the noun they describe. For example: "Elle est saine" (feminine) vs "Il est sain" (masculine).
Expressing future intentions
When discussing your health and fitness goals, French offers several ways to express future plans and intentions. Each structure has its own nuance and level of certainty, making it important to choose the right form for your intended meaning.
Future tense (le futur simple)
Use this for definite future plans or predictions:
Future Tense Examples:
- J'irai à l'école à pied = I will go to school on foot
- Tu mangeras plus de légumes = You will eat more vegetables
Near future (le futur proche)
Use "aller + infinitive" for immediate plans or intentions:
Near Future Examples:
- Je vais améliorer ma condition physique = I am going to improve my fitness
- Nous allons faire du sport = We are going to do sport
Expressing intentions
Use "avoir l'intention de + infinitive" for planned intentions:
Intention Examples:
- J'ai l'intention de faire de la natation = I intend to go swimming
- Elle a l'intention de courir chaque matin = She intends to run every morning
Expressing dreams and wishes
Use "rêver de + infinitive" for aspirations:
Dream and Wish Examples:
- Je rêve d'être en forme = I dream of being fit
- Il rêve de devenir sportif professionnel = He dreams of becoming a professional athlete
Expressing desires
Use "je voudrais" (conditional) for polite wishes:
Polite Desire Examples:
- Je voudrais être plus sain(e) = I'd like to be healthier
- Nous voudrions faire plus d'exercice = We'd like to do more exercise
The choice between these structures depends on how certain or immediate your plans are. Use future tense for definite plans, near future for immediate intentions, and conditional forms for polite requests or wishes.
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Future tense formation: For regular verbs, add future endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) to the infinitive. For -re verbs, drop the final 'e' first.
Pronunciation note: In "cœur", the œ is pronounced like the 'eu' in "peu" [kœʁ]. The 's' in "corps" is silent [kɔʁ].
Agreement reminder: Adjectives like "sain(e)" and "actif/active" must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. This is a common source of errors for learners.
Example sentences
Understanding how these concepts work in context helps solidify your learning. Here are practical examples showing different tenses and structures in action.
Present Tense Examples:
- Je marche une heure chaque soir = I walk for one hour every evening
- Le sport améliore la santé = Sport improves health
- Elle est très active = She is very active
Past Tense Examples:
- Hier, j'ai fait du jogging = Yesterday, I went jogging
- Nous avons amélioré notre condition physique = We improved our fitness
- Il a réduit sa consommation de café = He reduced his coffee consumption
Translation practice
Practice is essential for mastering these concepts. Work through these translations to test your understanding of the vocabulary and structures covered.
French to English:
- Je vais réduire le temps que je passe en voiture.
- Marcher, c'est meilleur pour la santé, surtout pour le cœur.
English to French:
- I intend to improve my physical condition.
- Swimming is good for your health.
Answers:
- I'm going to reduce the time I spend in the car.
- Walking is better for your health, especially for the heart.
- J'ai l'intention d'améliorer ma condition physique.
- La natation est bonne pour la santé.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use different future structures depending on certainty: future tense for definite plans, "aller + infinitive" for immediate intentions
- Health vocabulary often includes feminine nouns (santé, activité, maladie, condition)
- "En forme" is a fixed expression meaning "fit" - don't translate it word for word
- Practice adjective agreement with words like "sain(e)" and "actif/active"
- The verb "réduire" follows the same pattern as "conduire" in all tenses