Helping friends with problems (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Helping friends with problems
When learning to discuss helping friends with their difficulties in French, you'll need to master specific vocabulary and grammar structures that express obligation and necessity. This topic allows you to talk about supporting others through challenging times while using important verb forms.
Useful vocabulary
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| la crise | crisis | Feminine noun |
| le danger | danger | Masculine noun |
| dangereux/euse | dangerous | Adjective that agrees with gender |
| l'effort (m) | effort | Masculine noun |
| l'énergie (f) | energy | Feminine noun |
| équilibré(e) | balanced | Past participle used as adjective |
| la forme | shape/fitness | Use "en forme" for "fit/healthy" |
| heureux/euse | happy | Adjective with masculine/feminine forms |
| inquiet/iète | worried, anxious | Irregular adjective form |
| se lever | to get up | Reflexive verb |
| médical(e) | medical | Adjective |
| le médicament | medicine | Masculine noun |
| sain(e) | healthy | Adjective |
| la violence | violence | Feminine noun |
| l'effet (m) | effect | Masculine noun |
| l'état (m) | state/condition | Masculine noun |
| le régime | diet | Masculine noun |
| responsable | responsible | Same form for masculine/feminine |
| souffrir | to suffer | Irregular verb |
| la victime | victim | Always feminine, even for males |
Pay special attention to words with irregular forms like inquiet/iète and remember that la victime is always feminine, even when referring to male victims. These exceptions are common in French and require memorisation.
Expressing obligation and necessity
Using "il faut"
The expression "il faut" is essential when discussing what must be done to help friends. This impersonal expression means "it is necessary" or "one must" and is always followed by an infinitive verb.
Structure: il faut + infinitive
Examples of "il faut" in context:
- Il faut toujours aider les amis. (You must always help your friends.)
- Il faut être en forme. (You have to be fit.)
- Il faut prendre ses médicaments. (One must take their medicine.)
Using "devoir" (must/have to)
The verb "devoir" is more personal than "il faut" and changes according to who is performing the action. It's particularly useful when talking about what you or others must do to help friends.
Critical concept: Unlike "il faut" which is impersonal, "devoir" is conjugated according to the subject. This makes it more specific about who has the obligation.
Present tense conjugation:
- je dois (I must/have to)
- tu dois (you must/have to)
- il/elle/on doit (he/she/one must/has to)
- nous devons (we must/have to)
- vous devez (you must/have to)
- ils/elles doivent (they must/have to)
Examples of "devoir" in present tense:
- Je dois aider mes amis. (I must help my friends.)
- Tu dois être responsable. (You must be responsible.)
- Nous devons faire un effort. (We must make an effort.)
- Ils doivent prendre soin de leur santé. (They must take care of their health.)
Using "devoir" in the perfect tense
When talking about what you had to do in the past to help friends, you use the perfect tense with "avoir" as the auxiliary verb.
Structure: subject + ai/as/a/avons/avez/ont + dû + infinitive
Perfect tense example:
- J'ai dû aider mes amis. (I had to help my friends.)
- Elle a dû aller chez le médecin. (She had to go to the doctor.)
- Nous avons dû faire attention. (We had to be careful.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Key pronunciation and grammar points:
-
Agreement with "dangereux": Remember that this adjective changes to "dangereuse" for feminine nouns.
-
Pronunciation of "devoir": The 'oi' sound in "dois/doit" is pronounced like 'wa' in English "wander".
-
Translation tip: When translating "has to" or "have to" from English, you can often use just the appropriate part of "devoir" rather than a longer phrase.
-
Perfect tense usage: "Dû" is the past participle of "devoir" and never changes form, regardless of the subject.
Example sentences
Understanding how these structures work in context is essential for natural conversation about helping friends with their problems.
Present tense:
- Mon ami doit faire attention à sa santé. (My friend must pay attention to his health.)
- Elle doit prendre ses médicaments. (She has to take her medicine.)
Perfect tense:
- Il a dû aller chez le médecin. (He had to go to the doctor.)
- Nous avons dû l'aider avec ses problèmes. (We had to help him with his problems.)
Translation practice
Practice Exercises:
French to English:
- Ma meilleure amie n'est jamais heureuse et je suis triste quand je la vois.
- Il faut être responsable quand on aide quelqu'un.
English to French: 3. I must help my worried friend. 4. She had to make an effort to stay fit.
Answers:
- My best friend is never happy and I am sad when I see her.
- You must be responsible when you help someone.
- Je dois aider mon ami(e) inquiet/iète.
- Elle a dû faire un effort pour rester en forme.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "il faut + infinitive" to express general necessity or obligation
- "Devoir" is more personal and changes according to the subject
- In the perfect tense, "devoir" becomes "ai/as/a dû + infinitive"
- Many health and problem-related vocabulary words have gender agreements to watch out for
- When helping friends, you'll often need to express what must be done using these obligation structures