Relationships (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Relationships
Essential vocabulary for talking about relationships
Understanding key relationship vocabulary will help you express complex ideas about the people in your life and how you interact with them. Learning vocabulary in context rather than as isolated words will help you remember and use these terms more effectively.
When learning new vocabulary, try to create personal connections with each word. Think about how each term relates to your own relationships and experiences - this makes the vocabulary much more memorable.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| aider | to help |
| améliorer | to improve |
| chez | at the house of |
| émotion (f) | emotion |
| en commun | in common |
| gay | gay |
| hétéro(sexuel) | straight |
| inspirer | to inspire |
| lutter | to struggle, fight |
| partenaire (m/f) | partner |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| respecter | to respect |
| se marier | to get married |
| traiter | to treat |
| voisin (m) | neighbour |
| accueillir | to welcome |
| adopter | to adopt |
| confiance (f) | trust |
| menacer | to threaten |
| pression (f) | pressure |
| soutien (m) | support |
Useful phrases for relationships
These essential phrases will help you discuss relationships more naturally and show examiners your range of vocabulary:
Il/elle m'inspire - he/she inspires me
J'ai de bonnes relations avec... - I have a good relationship with...
Soin (m) - care
Example sentences using relationship vocabulary:
- Mon voisin m'aide beaucoup avec mes devoirs. (My neighbour helps me a lot with my homework.)
- Nous avons beaucoup de choses en commun. (We have lots of things in common.)
- Ma famille me donne beaucoup de soutien. (My family gives me lots of support.)
- Il respecte toujours mes opinions. (He always respects my opinions.)
Using relative pronouns: qui and que
Relative pronouns help you create more sophisticated sentences by connecting ideas smoothly. This is essential for achieving higher grades in your writing and speaking assessments.
Qui replaces the subject of a sentence (the person or thing doing the action). Think of it as equivalent to "who" or "which" in English.
Que replaces the object of a sentence (the person or thing receiving the action). Think of it as equivalent to "which" or "that" in English.
Key grammar rule: Que changes to qu' before a vowel sound
Examples in context
Understanding these pronouns through examples will help you use them confidently in your own French communication.
Using qui (subject): J'ai un voisin qui m'inspire. (I have a neighbour who inspires me.)
In this sentence, the neighbour is doing the inspiring, so we use qui.
Using que (object): J'ai un nouveau chien que j'adore. (I have a new dog that I adore.)
Here, the dog is being adored, so we use que.
Using qu' before a vowel: C'est l'enfant qu'ils ont adopté. (That's the child that they adopted.)
The child is being adopted, and since "ils" starts with a vowel sound, que becomes qu'.
Building complex sentences
Creating more sophisticated sentences shows examiners your ability to use French naturally. Try using connectives like car (because) and parce que (because) alongside relative pronouns.
Using pronouns like lui (to him/her) and m' (me) also demonstrates grammatical complexity and can boost your marks.
Sentence building demonstration:
Basic sentences: Mon meilleur ami s'appelle Louis. Il est grand et vraiment sportif. Nous avons beaucoup de choses en commun.
Enhanced complex sentence: Mon meilleur ami qui s'appelle Louis est grand et vraiment sportif car nous avons beaucoup de choses en commun.
Translation practice
Practice translating between French and English to reinforce your understanding of relationship vocabulary and relative pronouns.
French to English:
- Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire avec ta famille ou tes amis?
- Qu'est-ce que c'est qu'un bon ami?
English to French:
- What do you like doing with your family or friends?
- What makes a good friend?
Answers:
- What do you like doing with your family or your friends?
- What is a good friend?
- Qu'est-ce que tu aimes faire avec ta famille ou tes amis?
- Qu'est-ce que c'est qu'un bon ami?
Key Points to Remember:
- Qui = subject (who/which does the action)
- Que/qu' = object (who/which receives the action)
- Use relative pronouns to create more complex, impressive sentences
- Learn relationship vocabulary in context - practice using the words in full sentences
- Include reasons and explanations in your writing using car and parce que to achieve higher marks