for formal french
Despite the lack of grammatical inversion in informal French situations, formal French requires the speaker to invert the verb and the subject.
For instance, consider the difference between asking if someone goes to Spain in winter, informally and formally.
The first example is an informal French interrogative; the second is informal:
Tu pars en Espagne en hiver ?
Partez-vous en Espagne en hiver ?
Here are a few other examples to show the difference between formal French verb-subject inversion and informal French:
Tu as assez d’argent ?
Avez-vous assez d’argent?
Tu manges du steak pour le dîner ?
Mangez-vous du steak pour le dîner ?
As you can see, in all of the formal examples, the vous pronoun follows the verb.
In the informal examples, the tu pronoun goes before the verb.
Try to remember this rule when speaking in formal French situations and keep in mind that you can invert the verb and subject in formal cases.
8. Consider the difference between simple and compound tenses
When using formal French, you usually use simple tenses to express ideas in statements, particularly those that use the future tense.
In informal French, you instead use compound tenses. This rule may seem counterintuitive but it’s something to learn.
Here are a few usage examples to show the difference:
Il va boire un café.
Il boira un café (formal)
Elle va rendre visite à ses parents
Elle visitera à ses parents (formal)
Elle va aller au restaurant.
Elle ira au restaurant.
9. Learn formal vocabulary for business situations
There is a lot of vocabulary reserved for professional situations and workplace environments. Learning formal language will help you become a master of formal French.
Here are seven words you should add to your language to help you:
- Le rendez-vous - meeting
- Un entretien - interview
- Le personnel - employees
- Le client - client
- Le voyage d’affaires - business trip
- Le concurrent - competitor
- La gérance - management
10. Recognize the different formal synonyms for informal words
You’ll find that there are plenty of formal synonyms for colloquial words when studying formal French.
For example, the well-known affirmative French word oui can be used in formal and informal situations. Still, you should always avoid using synonyms such as ouaip or mouais in formal circumstances.
Practice these rules when speaking and writing formal French sentences
The rules in this article are some helpful tips to ensure that you understand the principles of formal French.
Try to remember them and use them when communicating with French natives.
Although there’s no formal pronoun for “you” in English, remember that this difference exists in French. The difference between formal and informal French is important, so remember it when speaking and writing in French to make the right impression.
Are there any formal French tips that I’ve missed?
Add them to the comments section!