Relationships (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Relationships - Les relations
Understanding how to talk about relationships is essential for expressing your connections with family, friends, and others in French. This topic covers key vocabulary for describing different types of relationships and introduces important grammar concepts that will help you create more sophisticated sentences.
Essential vocabulary
Learning vocabulary related to relationships allows you to discuss the important people in your life and describe how you interact with them. These words form the foundation for expressing emotions, describing social connections, and talking about the qualities you value in others.
Building Your Relationship Vocabulary
Mastering these relationship terms will enable you to have meaningful conversations about the people who matter most to you in French. Focus on memorising both the masculine/feminine forms and any irregular verb conjugations.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| aider | to help |
| améliorer | to improve |
| chez | at the house of |
| confiance (f) | trust, confidence |
| gay | gay |
| hétéro | straight |
| menacer | to threaten |
| partenaire (m/f) | partner |
| se marier | to get married |
| voisin (m) | neighbour |
| soin (m) | care |
| s'entendre (bien) avec | to get on (well) with |
| émotion (f) | emotion, feeling |
| en commun | in common |
| inspirer | to inspire |
| lutter | to struggle, fight |
| soutien (m) | support |
Key phrases for relationships
These phrases help you express your feelings about the people in your life and describe your relationships with them:
- Il / Elle m'inspire - He / She inspires me
- J'ai de bonnes relations avec... - I have a good relationship with...
Understanding relative pronouns
Relative pronouns are connecting words that help you link ideas together to create more complex and interesting sentences. In French, the two most important relative pronouns are qui and que.
Critical Grammar Concept: Subject vs Object
Before using relative pronouns, you must identify whether the word you're replacing is:
- The subject (doing the action) → use qui
- The object (receiving the action) → use que
This distinction is fundamental to using French relative pronouns correctly!
Using qui (who/which/that)
Qui replaces the subject of a sentence - the person or thing doing the action. Think of it like "who" or "which" in English when they refer to the subject.
Worked Example: Using Qui
J'ai un voisin qui m'inspire. - I have a neighbour who inspires me.
Analysis:
- The neighbour is doing the inspiring (subject)
- Therefore, we use qui to connect the ideas
Using que (that/which/whom)
Que replaces the object of a sentence - the person or thing receiving the action. Remember that que changes to qu' before a vowel sound.
Worked Examples: Using Que
J'ai un nouveau chien que j'adore. - I have a new dog that I adore.
- The dog is being adored (object) → use que
C'est l'enfant qu'ils ont voulu. - That's the child that they wanted.
- The child was wanted (object) → use qu' (before vowel)
Example sentences with translations
Worked Examples: Relationships in Context
These examples demonstrate relationship vocabulary in both present and past tenses:
Present tense:
- Il lutte contre la destruction des forêts pour améliorer notre planète. - He fights against the destruction of forests in order to improve our planet.
- Ils prennent bien soin d'elle. - They take good care of her.
Past tense:
- J'ai organisé une fête pour célébrer ça avec notre famille! - I organised a party to celebrate with our family!
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Essential Grammar and Pronunciation Guidelines
- Remember that que becomes qu' before vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u)
- When using relative pronouns, think about whether the word you're replacing is doing the action (use qui) or receiving it (use que)
- Practice connecting simple sentences using these pronouns to make your French sound more natural and sophisticated
- The letter 'r' in words like améliorer and inspirer should be rolled slightly with the tongue
Making your sentences more complex
Try to give reasons for your opinions and make your sentences more interesting by using connecting words like car (because) or parce que (because). Using pronouns like lui (him), elle (her/it), and le/la (him/her/it) also shows more advanced French skills.
Translation exercises
Practice Your Skills
Test your understanding of relationship vocabulary and relative pronouns with these translation exercises.
French to English:
- Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire avec ta famille ou tes amis?
- Qu'est-ce que c'est un bon ami?
English to French: 3. I have good relationships with my neighbours. 4. She inspires me because she helps other people.
Answers:
- What do you like to do with your family or friends?
- What is a good friend?
- J'ai de bonnes relations avec mes voisins.
- Elle m'inspire parce qu'elle aide les autres.
Key Points to Remember:
- Qui replaces the subject (the one doing the action) - think "who"
- Que replaces the object (the one receiving the action) - think "that/which"
- Que becomes qu' before vowel sounds
- Use relationship vocabulary to express your feelings about family, friends and partners
- Connect your sentences with relative pronouns to sound more sophisticated in French