🇫🇷 France next week! These four verbs + directions = you can go anywhere, ask for anything, and do whatever you need. This is your survival engine. Click any blue phrase to copy and hear it in Google Translate!
I. Les Quatre Verbes Puissants — The Four Power Verbs
In Lesson 2 you met the two kings — être and avoir. Now meet their generals. With these four verbs, you can express almost any need, want, ability, or action. And look — they're all old friends from Portuguese.
🚶 Aller — to go (ir)
Je (I)
je vais
eu vou
Nous (We)
nous allons
nós vamos
Tu (You, informal)
tu vas
você vai
Vous (You, formal/plural)
vous allez
vocês vão
Il / Elle (He / She)
il va / elle va
ele vai / ela vai
Ils / Elles (They)
ils vont / elles vont
eles vão / elas vão
🔑 Superpower unlocked! Just like in Portuguese, aller + another verb = the near future! "Eu vou comer" = Je vais manger (I'm going to eat). "Nós vamos sair" = Nous allons sortir (We're going to go out). Same structure. You already know how to talk about the future!
❤️ Vouloir — to want (querer)
Je (I)
je veux
eu quero
Nous (We)
nous voulons
nós queremos
Tu (You, informal)
tu veux
você quer
Vous (You, formal/plural)
vous voulez
vocês querem
Il / Elle (He / She)
il veut / elle veut
ele quer / ela quer
Ils / Elles (They)
ils veulent / elles veulent
eles querem / elas querem
⚠️ Politeness tip: Je veux (I want) is direct — fine for casual situations. But je voudrais (I would like) is much more polite, just like "eu gostaria" is softer than "eu quero" in Portuguese. In shops, restaurants, and with strangers: always use je voudrais. You already know this one from Lesson 1!
💪 Pouvoir — to be able to / can (poder)
Je (I)
je peux
eu posso
Nous (We)
nous pouvons
nós podemos
Tu (You, informal)
tu peux
você pode
Vous (You, formal/plural)
vous pouvez
vocês podem
Il / Elle (He / She)
il peut / elle peut
ele pode / ela pode
Ils / Elles (They)
ils peuvent / elles peuvent
eles podem / elas podem
🇧🇷 Look at this! Pouvoir and poder — same Latin root, same logic. "Eu posso ajudar" = Je peux aider. "Você pode repetir?" = Vous pouvez répéter ? Your brain already conjugates this verb — it just needs the French clothes.
🔧 Faire — to do / to make (fazer)
Je (I)
je fais
eu faço
Nous (We)
nous faisons
nós fazemos
Tu (You, informal)
tu fais
você faz
Vous (You, formal/plural)
vous faites
vocês fazem
Il / Elle (He / She)
il fait / elle fait
ele faz / ela faz
Ils / Elles (They)
ils font / elles font
eles fazem / elas fazem
🇧🇷 Same word! Faire = fazer. They even look alike! And just like fazer in Portuguese, faire is used for weather: Il fait froid = Está fazendo frio. Il fait chaud = Está fazendo calor. Il fait beau = Está fazendo um dia bonito.
II. Power Combos — Six Verbs, Infinite Sentences
Here's where the magic happens. With your six verbs (être, avoir, aller, vouloir, pouvoir, faire), you can now build hundreds of sentences. These combos will cover 80% of what you need next week:
🚶
Je vais au marché
I'm going to the market
🇧🇷 Eu vou ao mercado
🍽️
Nous allons manger
We're going to eat
🇧🇷 Nós vamos comer
☕
Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît
I'd like a coffee, please
🇧🇷 Eu gostaria de um café, por favor
🗣️
Vous pouvez m'aider ?
Can you help me?
🇧🇷 Você pode me ajudar?
📸
Je peux prendre une photo ?
Can I take a photo?
🇧🇷 Posso tirar uma foto?
🚗
Nous voulons aller à Paris
We want to go to Paris
🇧🇷 Nós queremos ir a Paris
🛒
Qu'est-ce que vous faites comme pain ?
What kind of bread do you make?
🇧🇷 Que tipo de pão vocês fazem?
🌤️
Il fait beau aujourd'hui !
It's a beautiful day today!
🇧🇷 Está fazendo um dia bonito hoje!
🚫
Je ne peux pas venir demain
I can't come tomorrow
🇧🇷 Eu não posso vir amanhã
🥐
On va prendre le petit-déjeuner
We're going to have breakfast
🇧🇷 A gente vai tomar o café da manhã
⚠️ New friend — "On": You'll hear on everywhere in France. It technically means "one" (a gente), but the French use it instead of nous in everyday speech. On va manger = "We're going to eat" (casual). Nous allons manger = same thing, just more formal. Think of on as "a gente" in Brazilian Portuguese — technically third person, but everyone uses it for "we."
III. Demander Son Chemin — Asking for Directions
You're in France, you need to find the pharmacy, the parking, the restaurant. You already know Où est... ? from Lesson 1. Now let's build on that so you can understand the answer too!
🧭 Direction vocabulary
⬆️
tout droit
too DRWAH
straight ahead
🇧🇷 em frente
⬅️
à gauche
ah GOHSH
to the left
🇧🇷 à esquerda
➡️
à droite
ah DRWAHT
to the right
🇧🇷 à direita
🔄
tournez
toor-NAY
turn
🇧🇷 vire
▶️
continuez
kohn-tee-noo-AY
continue
🇧🇷 continue
🏁
au bout de la rue
oh BOO duh lah ROO
at the end of the street
🇧🇷 no final da rua
↗️
au coin
oh KWEHN
at the corner
🇧🇷 na esquina
🚦
au feu
oh FUH
at the traffic light
🇧🇷 no semáforo
🔁
au rond-point
oh ROHN-PWEHN
at the roundabout
🇧🇷 na rotatória
📍
en face de
ahn FAHSS duh
across from / facing
🇧🇷 em frente de
↔️
à côté de
ah koh-TAY duh
next to
🇧🇷 ao lado de
🌉
le pont
luh POHN
the bridge
🇧🇷 a ponte
📍 Key places you'll need to find
| French | Sounds like... | English |
|---|
| la pharmacie | lah far-mah-SEE | the pharmacy (🇧🇷 a farmácia!) |
| la gare | lah GAHR | the train station |
| l'hôpital | loh-pee-TAHL | the hospital (🇧🇷 o hospital!) |
| la poste | lah POST | the post office |
| les toilettes | lay twah-LET | the restroom |
| le parking | luh par-KEENG | the parking lot |
| le supermarché | luh soo-pair-mar-SHAY | the supermarket (🇧🇷 o supermercado!) |
| la banque | lah BAHNK | the bank (🇧🇷 o banco!) |
| l'église | lay-GLEEZ | the church (🇧🇷 a igreja!) |
| l'aire de camping-car | LEHR duh kahm-peeng KAHR | the motorhome area |
🚐 For the Benimar: In France, motorhome parking areas are called aires de camping-car or aires de services. You'll see signs for them everywhere. Où est l'aire de camping-car la plus proche ? = Where is the nearest motorhome area? This is one to memorize!
🗣️ Asking for directions — a complete conversation
You
Excusez-moi, je cherche la pharmacie. Vous pouvez m'aider ?
Excuse me, I'm looking for the pharmacy. Can you help me?
Local
Bien sûr ! Vous allez tout droit, et au feu vous tournez à gauche.
Of course! Go straight ahead, and at the traffic light turn left.
You
Tout droit, puis à gauche au feu...
Straight, then left at the light...
Local
Oui, et ensuite c'est la deuxième rue à droite. La pharmacie est juste là, à côté de la boulangerie.
Yes, and then it's the second street on the right. The pharmacy is right there, next to the bakery.
You
Deuxième rue à droite, à côté de la boulangerie. Merci beaucoup !
Second street on the right, next to the bakery. Thank you very much!
Local
De rien ! Bonne journée !
You're welcome! Have a nice day!
You
Bonne journée !
Have a nice day!
⚠️ Smart strategy: Notice how "you" repeated the directions back? "Tout droit, puis à gauche au feu..." This is a powerful trick — it confirms you understood, gives the person a chance to correct you, AND it's extra practice. Do this every time someone gives you directions. It's exactly what you'd do in Portuguese too: "Reto, depois vira à esquerda no semáforo..."
🆘 When you're really lost
| French | English |
|---|
| Je suis perdue | I'm lost (feminine) |
| Vous pouvez me montrer sur le plan ? | Can you show me on the map? |
| C'est loin d'ici ? | Is it far from here? |
| C'est à combien de minutes ? | How many minutes is it? |
| Je peux y aller à pied ? | Can I walk there? |
| Où est le parking le plus proche ? | Where is the nearest parking? |
📝 Devoirs — Homework
- Verb drill: Say each verb's full conjugation out loud — aller, vouloir, pouvoir, faire. Do them while walking Jolie. The rhythm helps your memory: je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont.
- The future trick: Make five sentences using aller + another verb: Je vais manger. Nous allons visiter. Je vais acheter... Think of five things you're going to do in France next week!
- Direction game: Next time you're driving with Roger, give him directions in French — tout droit, à gauche, à droite. Even if he looks at you funny.
- The repeat-back trick: Practice the dialogue out loud, especially the strategy of repeating the directions back. This one habit will save you many times in France.
- Memorize these three: Vous pouvez m'aider ? (Can you help me?) + Je suis perdue (I'm lost) + C'est loin d'ici ? (Is it far?). These three sentences are your safety net.