Me and my mobile (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Me and my mobile
Key vocabulary
Learning to talk about mobile phones and technology is essential for everyday conversations in French. Here's a comprehensive list of useful terms you'll need:
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| acheter | to buy | Regular -er verb |
| une application (f) | app | Often shortened to "une appli" |
| un écran (m) | screen | From computer or phone screens |
| un e-mail (m) | Sometimes written as "un courriel" | |
| un film (m) | film | Can refer to movies or videos |
| les médias (mpl) | media | Always plural in French |
| un message (m) | message | Text messages or any type of message |
| un portable (m) | mobile phone | Literally means "portable" |
| social(e) | social | Adjective that agrees with the noun |
| le streaming (m) | streaming | Borrowed from English |
| télécharger | to download | Literally "to tele-charge" |
| une marque (f) | brand | Used for phone brands like Apple, Samsung |
| numérique | digital | Adjective describing digital technology |
| recharger | to charge | Used for charging your phone battery |
| technique | technical | Can be masculine or feminine |
Many technology terms in French are borrowed from English (like "streaming" and "e-mail"), making them easier to remember for English speakers. However, always pay attention to the gender of these borrowed words!
Grammar focus: forming adverbs
Understanding how to create adverbs in French will help you describe how you use your mobile phone more precisely. Adverbs modify verbs and tell us how, when, or where an action happens.
Regular adverb formation
Most French adverbs are formed by taking the feminine form of an adjective and adding -ment (similar to adding "-ly" in English).
Step-by-step Adverb Formation:
Step 1: Take the masculine adjective
Step 2: Make it feminine (usually add -e)
Step 3: Add -ment to the end
Examples:
- exact → exacte → exactement (exactly)
- certain → certaine → certainement (certainly)
- normal → normale → normalement (normally)
Irregular adverbs to remember
Some common adverbs don't follow the standard pattern and must be memorised:
- vraiment (really/truly)
- absolument (absolutely)
- parfois (sometimes)
- souvent (often)
These irregular forms are frequently used in everyday conversation, so it's crucial to learn them by heart!
Using adverbs in sentences
Adverbs typically come after the verb they modify. This placement is different from English, where adverbs can appear in various positions.
Adverb Placement Examples:
- "Je dépends vraiment de mon portable" (I really depend on my mobile)
- "Il télécharge souvent des films" (He often downloads films)
Notice how "vraiment" and "souvent" come directly after the verbs "dépends" and "télécharge".
Expressing opinions about mobile phones
When discussing mobile technology, you'll want to express your views clearly. Here are some flexible phrases that work well in conversations and writing:
Starting your opinion:
- À mon avis (In my opinion)
- Je pense que (I think that)
- Il me semble que (It seems to me that)
Expressing necessity or importance:
- Il faut absolument (It's absolutely necessary)
- C'est vraiment important de (It's really important to)
- On doit (We must/should)
These opinion phrases are incredibly versatile and can be used to discuss any topic, not just mobile phones. Practice using them in different contexts to make your French sound more natural and fluent.
Opinion Expression Examples:
- "À mon avis, il faut absolument avoir un portable" (In my opinion, it's absolutely necessary to have a mobile)
- "Dans un autre contexte, il faut absolument aider ses parents" (In another context, it's absolutely necessary to help your parents)
Example sentences with translations
Present tense examples
Conversation About Mobile Use:
French: "Qu'est-ce que tu as fait sur tonne portable récemment?" English: "What have you done on your mobile recently?"
French: "Hier, j'ai regardé un film en ligne avec mes amis dans ma chambre." English: "Yesterday, I watched a film online with my friends in my room."
French: "J'ai téléchargé beaucoup de chansons car j'adore la musique." English: "I downloaded lots of songs because I love music."
Expressing dependency and concerns
Discussing Mobile Phone Impact:
French: "Est-ce que les portables sont dangereux?" English: "Are mobile phones dangerous?"
French: "Je dépends beaucoup de mon portable et je ne voudrais jamais le perdre." English: "I depend a lot on my mobile and I would never want to lose it."
French: "Cependant, on pourrait passer trop de temps sur un portable et c'est vraiment mauvais pour la santé." English: "However, we could spend too much time on a mobile and it's really bad for health."
Translation practice
Test your understanding with these translation exercises:
French to English:
- Je télécharge souvent des applications sur mon portable.
- À mon avis, les réseaux sociaux sont vraiment importants pour les jeunes.
English to French: 3. I really love watching films on my phone screen. 4. We absolutely must charge our mobiles every day.
Answers:
- I often download apps on my mobile.
- In my opinion, social networks are really important for young people.
- J'adore vraiment regarder des films sur l'écran de mon portable.
- Nous devons absolument recharger nos portables chaque jour.
Pronunciation tips
Mastering the pronunciation of these key technology terms will help you sound more confident when speaking French:
- Portable: por-TAH-bluh (stress on the second syllable)
- Télécharger: tay-lay-shar-ZHAY (the 'r' is not pronounced strongly)
- Application: ah-plee-kah-see-OHN (similar to English but with French vowel sounds)
- Vraiment: vray-MAHN (the 'nt' ending is nasal)
- Absolument: ab-so-lu-MAHN (again, nasal 'nt' ending)
The nasal 'nt' endings in "vraiment" and "absolument" are characteristic of French pronunciation. The 'n' and 't' are not pronounced separately - instead, they create a nasal sound similar to the 'an' in "want".
Key Points to Remember:
- Most French adverbs end in -ment and are formed by adding this to the feminine form of adjectives
- Vraiment, absolument, and parfois are irregular adverbs you must memorise
- Use phrases like "À mon avis" and Il faut absolument" to express your opinions about mobile phone use
- Technology vocabulary often includes borrowed English words like "streaming" and "e-mail"
- Practice using adverbs to make your French more descriptive and natural-sounding