Language/French/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion
Hi French learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on giving your opinion in French, which is an important skill that you need to master if you want to express yourself and participate in discussions with French native speakers. We will also provide cultural information and interesting facts to help you understand how to use these expressions in context.
Don't forget to use the hyperlink Grammar to check more resources on French grammar and the hyperlink French to learn more about the French language and culture. Don't hesitate to ask any questions if you have any difficulties. Let's go!
Expressing your opinion[edit | edit source]
In French, to give your opinion, you can use the following expressions:
French | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
À mon avis | a mɔ̃ avi | In my opinion |
Personnellement | pɛʁsɔnɛlmɑ̃ | Personally |
Je trouve que | ʒə tʁuv kə | I find that |
Selon moi | səlɔ̃ mwa | According to me |
Pour moi | puʁ mwa | For me |
À mon sens | a mɔ̃ sɑ̃s | As I see it, in my opinion |
D'après moi | dapʁɛ mwa | In my opinion |
Here's an example dialogue to illustrate the use of these expressions:
- Person 1: Qu'est-ce que tu penses de cette nouvelle loi ? (What do you think about this new law?)
- Person 2: À mon avis, elle ne va pas aider les travailleurs. (In my opinion, it won't help workers.)
Agreeing and Disagreeing[edit | edit source]
Now that you know how to give your opinion, it's also important to know how to agree or disagree with others. Here are some useful phrases:
Agreeing[edit | edit source]
French | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Je suis d'accord | ʒə sɥi dakɔʁ | I agree |
Tout à fait | tu ta fɛ | Exactly |
Absolument | absɔlymɑ̃ | Absolutely |
C'est vrai | sɛ vʁɛ | That's true |
Here's an example dialogue:
- Person 1: Il faut investir dans les énergies renouvelables. (We need to invest in renewable energy.)
- Person 2: Je suis tout à fait d'accord. (I completely agree.)
Disagreeing[edit | edit source]
French | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Je ne suis pas d'accord | ʒə nə sɥi pa dakɔʁ | I disagree |
Je ne pense pas que | ʒə nə pɑ̃s pa kə | I don't think that |
Au contraire | o kɔ̃tʁɛʁ | On the contrary |
Ce n'est pas vrai | sə nɛ pa vʁɛ | That's not true |
Here's an example dialogue:
- Person 1: La pollution n'est pas un problème urgent. (Pollution is not an urgent problem.)
- Person 2: Je ne suis pas du tout d'accord. (I completely disagree.)
Giving reasons[edit | edit source]
When you give your opinion or when you express your agreement or disagreement, it's also important to provide reasons to support your point of view:
French | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Parce que | paʁs kə | Because |
À cause de | a koz də | Because of |
Grâce à | ɡʁas a | Thanks to |
En raison de | ɑ̃ ʁɛzɔ̃ də | Due to |
Here's an example dialogue:
- Person 1: Je pense que le sport est très bénéfique pour la santé. (I think that sports are very beneficial for health.)
- Person 2: Oui, je suis d'accord grâce aux nombreux avantages pour la santé qu'il procure. (Yes, I agree thanks to the many health benefits it provides.)
Cultural information[edit | edit source]
In French culture, expressing one's opinion, in a polite and respectful way, is considered an important social skill. It's often used in formal or informal contexts, such as debates, meetings, or conversations with friends or family members. Also, it's advisable to avoid being too confrontational or aggressive, and to always listen to the other party before expressing your point of view. Finally, it's common, at the end of a conversation, to summarize the main points of agreement or disagreement, and to thank the other party for their contribution to the discussion.
Remember that the best way to improve your French is to practice, practice, practice! Use the hyperlink Polyglot Club to find language exchange partners and meet other learners or native speakers, ask them any questions, and practice your new skills!
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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Adjectives which follow verbs or verbal expressions
- Non specific use of y
- Agreement of the past participle when using “avoir” with a preceding direct object
- Use of y in constructions where à does not introduce an indirect object
- Object pronouns Correctly identifying the direct and indirect objects in English and French
- French Ditransitive verbs
- Compound nouns
- Adverbs ending in —(é)ment derived from past participles
- Easy way of generating the imperative mood
- Demonstrative pronouns
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Learn how to express your opinion in French - French Grammar
- French Subjunctive: The Concise Guide - Talk in French