Kilo Lingo

French · Chapter 21

The passive voice

5 vocabulary lessons, 2 grammar primers, 1 story milestone.

  1. Lesson 1 · Words 1801-1817

    Words 1801 to 1817

    325pouletchickennoun
    1801trésortreasurenoun
    1804perteloss; wastenoun
    1805fantômeghost; phantomnoun
    1806naissancebirthnoun
    1807retraiteretirement; pension; retreatnoun
    1809franchementfrankly, honestly; reallyadverb
    1812étrangerforeign; foreigner, strangeradjective
    1815débarrasserto clear, to rid; to get rid ofverb
    1817marquebrand; mark; makenoun

  2. Lesson 2 · Words 1819-1837

    Words 1819 to 1837

    50animalanimalnoun
    311centhundredadjective
    1819fantastiquefantastic, wonderful; fantasticaladjective
    1824bâtimentbuildingnoun
    1827embrasserto kiss; to embraceverb
    1829manquerto miss; to lack; to be missingverb
    1832habiterto live, to reside; to inhabitverb
    1834fatiguétired; wearyadjective
    1835heureusementfortunately, luckily; happilyadverb
    1837convaincreto convince, to persuadeverb

  3. Lesson 3 · Grammar primer

    The passive voice

    etre (in any tense) + past participle agreeing with the subject (la lettre a ete ecrite), the agent introduced by par, and the ways French prefers to avoid the passive: on (on m'a vole mon sac) and the pronominal passive (ca ne se dit pas).

  4. Lesson 4 · Words 1840-1855

    Words 1840 to 1855

    178dimancheSundaynoun
    1840paradisparadise; heavennoun
    1841émissionprogramme, broadcast; emissionnoun
    1843nettoyerto cleanverb
    1844filequeue, line; lanenoun
    1846agréablepleasantadjective
    1848conscienceconscience; awarenessnoun
    1851connaissanceknowledge; acquaintancenoun
    1854sentimentfeelingnoun
    1855bataillebattlenoun

  5. Lesson 5 · Words 1862-1877

    Words 1862 to 1877

    80joindreto join, to reachverb
    306doigtfingernoun
    1862souciworry; concernnoun
    1863notenote; mark; billnoun
    1865mensongelienoun
    1866volontéwill; willpowernoun
    1868victoirevictorynoun
    1869directdirectadjective
    1871informationinformation; newsnoun
    1877nerveuxnervousadjective

  6. Lesson 6 · Grammar primer

    The present participle and the gerund

    The -ant form (parlant, finissant, with irregulars etant, ayant, sachant) and the gerund en + participle for simultaneity (en mangeant), means (en travaillant) and condition, under the same-subject rule, plus why French has no -ing continuous tense.

  7. Lesson 7 · Words 1883-1899

    Words 1883 to 1899

    1883traitementtreatmentnoun
    1886cancercancernoun
    1888reposerto rest; to put back downverb
    1891flinguegun (slang)noun
    1892cousincousin (male)noun
    1893désormaisfrom now onadverb
    1896doucheshowernoun
    1897gazgasnoun
    1898interditforbiddenadjective
    1899théorietheorynoun

  8. Lesson 8 · Read a story

    Story milestone: top 1900 words

    You can read this story using only the words you've learned so far. Every content word sits at or above the rank-1900 ceiling.