Mental wellbeing (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Mental wellbeing (La santé mentale)
Essential vocabulary
Understanding key vocabulary related to mental wellbeing is crucial for discussing health topics in French. These terms frequently appear in GCSE French exams and help you express feelings, concerns, and mental health issues effectively.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| bruit (m) | noise |
| crise (f) | crisis |
| danger (m) | danger |
| dormir | to sleep |
| émotion (f) | emotion |
| examen (m) | exam |
| mental(e) | mental |
| protéger | to protect |
| responsable | responsible |
| sauver | to save |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| cacher | to hide |
| écran (m) | screen |
| harcèlement (m) | bullying |
| pression (f) | pressure |
| s'intégrer | to fit in |
| stressé(e) | stressed |
Example sentences using mental wellbeing vocabulary
- Je me sens stressé(e) à cause des examens. (I feel stressed because of exams.)
- Le bruit peut causer des problèmes de stress. (Noise can cause stress problems.)
- Il faut protéger sa santé mentale. (You must protect your mental health.)
- Elle ne peut pas dormir parce qu'elle est stressée. (She can't sleep because she's stressed.)
Making sentences negative
When discussing mental health, you often need to express what someone doesn't do or feel. In French, negatives work differently from English and follow specific patterns.
Basic negative structure
In French, you create negatives by putting ne...pas around the verb, like making a sandwich with the verb in the middle.
Basic Negative Formation
- Je regarde la télé. → Je ne regarde pas la télé. (I don't watch TV.)
- Il dort bien. → Il ne dort pas bien. (He doesn't sleep well.)
Negatives in perfect tense
In the perfect tense, the ne...pas goes around the auxiliary verb (avoir or être), not the past participle.
Perfect Tense Negatives
- Elle a bien dormi. → *Elle **n'*a pas bien dormi. (She didn't sleep well.)
- Nous sommes arrivés. → Nous ne sommes pas arrivés. (We didn't arrive.)
Other common negatives
These negatives also follow the sandwich pattern around the verb:
- ne...jamais (never): Je ne dors jamais tard. (I never sleep late.)
- ne...rien (nothing): Il ne dit rien. (He says nothing.)
- ne...personne (nobody/no-one): Personne ne peut m'aider. (Nobody can help me.)
Expressing mental health concerns
Mental wellbeing topics appear regularly in GCSE French reading and listening exercises. You need to recognise and use phrases that express psychological states and concerns.
Common expressions about mental health
When discussing mental wellbeing, students often mention stress, sleep problems, and social pressures. Key phrases include:
- J'ai trop d'examens (I have too many exams)
- C'est mauvais pour la santé mentale (It's bad for mental health)
- Je dépends trop de mon portable (I depend too much on my mobile)
- Je me sentais seul(e) (I felt alone)
- Je pensais que personne ne pouvait m'aider (I thought no-one could help me)
Pronunciation tip
Remember that personne has two meanings:
- As a noun: une personne (a person)
- In negatives: ne...personne (nobody)
The pronunciation remains the same: /per-SON/.
Translation practice
Translation Practice
French to English
- Je ne peux pas dormir parce que je suis trop stressée.
- Mes parents pensent que ce n'est pas bon pour moi.
English to French 3. She never hides her emotions. 4. The internet has a negative influence.
Answers
- I can't sleep because I'm too stressed.
- My parents think that it's not good for me.
- Elle ne cache jamais ses émotions.
- Internet a une influence négative.
Exam tips
Key Exam Strategies
- Listening exercises often feature young people discussing mental health pressures, particularly around exams and social media
- Reading comprehensions frequently include diary entries or testimonials about stress and wellbeing
- Pay attention to negative constructions - they're commonly tested in mental health contexts
- Vocabulary recognition is crucial - practise identifying synonyms and related terms
Key Points to Remember:
- Mental wellbeing vocabulary covers emotions, technology, sleep, and social pressures
- French negatives use ne...pas around the verb in present tense
- In perfect tense, ne...pas goes around the auxiliary verb (avoir/être)
- Other negatives include ne...jamais, ne...rien, and ne...personne
- Mental health topics are common in GCSE French exams, especially in listening and reading tasks