💡 Reminder: Click any French phrase in blue to copy it, then paste into Google Translate to hear the pronunciation. Repetition is everything!
I. The Two Kings — Être & Avoir
In Portuguese, you can't speak a sentence without ser, estar, or ter. French is the same — être and avoir are the foundation of everything. Learn these two and you can say almost anything.
Here's the good news: French combined ser and estar into one single verb — être. That's one fewer verb to worry about!
👑 Être — to be (ser + estar)
Je (I)
je suis
eu sou / eu estou
Nous (We)
nous sommes
nós somos / estamos
Tu (You, informal)
tu es
tu és / estás
Vous (You, formal/plural)
vous êtes
você é / vocês são
Il / Elle (He / She)
il est / elle est
ele é / ela é
Ils / Elles (They)
ils sont / elles sont
eles são / elas são
🇵🇹 Portuguese brain shortcut: You already know when to use "to be" — you've been choosing between ser and estar your whole life. In French, it's always just être. Simpler! Je suis portugaise = Eu sou portuguesa. Je suis fatiguée = Eu estou cansada. Same verb in French!
Être in action — sentences you'll use daily
| French | Sounds like... | English |
|---|
| Je suis portugaise | zhuh swee por-too-GEHZ | I am Portuguese |
| Nous sommes mariés | noo SOM mah-ree-AY | We are married |
| C'est magnifique | say mah-nyee-FEEK | It's magnificent |
| Vous êtes très gentil | voo ZET treh zhahn-TEE | You are very kind |
| Je suis en France | zhuh swee ahn FRAHNSS | I am in France |
| Il est fermé | eel eh fair-MAY | It is closed |
| Elle est ouverte | el eh oo-VAIRT | It is open (fem.) |
👑 Avoir — to have (ter)
Je (I)
j'ai
eu tenho
Nous (We)
nous avons
nós temos
Tu (You, informal)
tu as
tu tens
Vous (You, formal/plural)
vous avez
você tem / vocês têm
Il / Elle (He / She)
il a / elle a
ele tem / ela tem
Ils / Elles (They)
ils ont / elles ont
eles têm / elas têm
⚠️ Tricky difference: In Portuguese you say "eu tenho fome" (I have hunger) and "eu tenho frio" (I have cold). French does the same! J'ai faim = I'm hungry (literally: I have hunger). J'ai froid = I'm cold. English uses "to be" for these — but your Portuguese brain already thinks the French way!
Avoir in action — everyday phrases
| French | Sounds like... | English |
|---|
| J'ai faim | zhay FEHM | I'm hungry |
| J'ai soif | zhay SWAHF | I'm thirsty |
| J'ai froid | zhay FRWAH | I'm cold |
| J'ai chaud | zhay SHOH | I'm hot |
| Nous avons un chien | noo zah-VOHN uhn SHYEH | We have a dog |
| Vous avez l'heure ? | voo zah-VAY LUHR | Do you have the time? |
| J'ai besoin d'aide | zhay buh-ZWEH DEHD | I need help |
| Il y a une pharmacie ici ? | eel ee AH oon far-mah-SEE ee-SEE | Is there a pharmacy here? |
🔑 Key phrase — Il y a: This means "there is" / "there are" — you'll use it constantly. Il y a = há (in Portuguese). Il y a un marché dimanche = Há um mercado no domingo. Three little words, infinite usefulness.
II. Les Nombres — Numbers 0 to 20
You need these for prices, addresses, phone numbers, and ordering at the bakery. The good news: 0–16 each have their own word (like Portuguese), and 17–19 follow a pattern. Listen to each one in Google Translate — the pronunciation is where the learning happens.
🇵🇹 Notice the cousins: six / seis, sept / sete, onze / onze (identical!), douze / doze, treize / treze, quatorze / catorze, quinze / quinze (identical!). Your Portuguese is doing half the work again.
III. À la Boulangerie — Your Daily Bread
In France, the boulangerie (bakery) is sacred. You will visit one almost every day. This is the conversation you need to master — and it follows a beautiful, predictable pattern every single time.
🥖 Essential bakery vocabulary
| French | Sounds like... | English |
|---|
| une baguette | oon bah-GET | a baguette |
| un croissant | uhn kwah-SAHN | a croissant |
| un pain au chocolat | uhn PEHN oh shoh-koh-LAH | a chocolate pastry |
| une tarte aux pommes | oon TART oh POM | an apple tart |
| un pain de campagne | uhn PEHN duh kahm-PAH-nyuh | country bread |
| une quiche | oon KEESH | a quiche |
| un éclair | uhn ay-KLEHR | an éclair |
🗣️ The complete bakery conversation
This is what happens every time. It's a small, beautiful ritual:
Baker
Bonjour, madame !
Hello, ma'am!
You
Bonjour ! Je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît.
Hello! I'd like a baguette, please.
Baker
Bien sûr. Et avec ceci ?
Of course. And anything else? (Literally: "And with this?")
You
Deux croissants aussi, s'il vous plaît.
Two croissants as well, please.
Baker
Voilà. Ce sera tout ?
Here you are. Will that be all?
You
Oui, c'est tout. C'est combien ?
Yes, that's all. How much is it?
Baker
Trois euros cinquante, s'il vous plaît.
Three euros fifty, please.
You
Voilà. Merci beaucoup !
Here you go. Thank you very much!
Baker
Merci, bonne journée !
Thank you, have a nice day!
You
Bonne journée !
Have a nice day!
⚠️ Culture note: Never skip the Bonjour when you walk into any shop in France. It's not optional — it's considered rude to go straight to your order. In Portugal you might say "Bom dia" and get right to business. In France, the greeting is a moment of respect. Always: Bonjour first, order second.
🔑 Key phrases from the dialogue
| French | What it means | When to use it |
|---|
| Je voudrais... | I would like... | Polite way to order anything |
| Et avec ceci ? | Anything else? | You'll hear this — just recognize it |
| C'est tout | That's all | When you're done ordering |
| Ce sera tout ? | Will that be all? | You'll hear this too |
| Bonne journée | Have a nice day | Always say it back! |
| Bonne soirée | Have a nice evening | After about 5-6 PM |
📝 Devoirs — Homework
- Conjugation practice: Say out loud — je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont. Then do the same with avoir. Do it three times each. Your mouth needs the muscle memory.
- Number drill: Count 1 to 20 in French while doing something routine — washing dishes, walking Jolie. Paste each number into Google Translate and match the sound.
- The bakery script: Read the entire boulangerie dialogue out loud, playing both parts. This is the conversation you'll have for real soon. Copy each blue line into Translate and practice until it feels natural.
- Portuguese bridge game: How do you say these using être or avoir? "Eu estou cansada" → Je suis fatiguée. "Eu tenho sede" → J'ai soif. "Nós somos casados" → Nous sommes mariés.