Transcript of the video

Hello everyone.

Welcome to this new French lesson.

Today, we're going to look at five very common mistakes in French and maybe you make them too.

Before you start, don't forget to "like" the video to support my channel and my work.

I have also prepared a worksheet for you to review this lesson.

You can download this chart by clicking on the link in the video description. Today, I pulled out my chart to explain it better, to make it very clear.

Please let me know if you like this format and I will make more videos with the board.

The first mistake I often hear is putting a determiner in front of a job name.

For example, as in the sentence "Maxime is a doctor." No, you need to remove the determiner before the occupation name.

In the same way, I will say "I am a dentist" and not "I am a dentist".

When you have an attributive noun that determines an occupation, you should not put a determiner. And it's the same as the same thing for nationalities.

I am Spanish and not I am a Spanish.

There are of course some sentences that are exceptions. This is the case of sentences where you have, next to the job, a qualifying adjective.

As in this sentence "My son is a famous scientist."

You have the adjective "famous" which completes scientific.

In this case, you can add a determinant.

If, in addition to the occupation, you want to add a complement, as for example in "Luke is the secretary of the medical office."

Here, you see, we also add a determinant, because there is a precision to the trade.

It is the secretary of the medical office, but in most cases you do not have to put a determinant.

Second mistake I hear very often, "asking a question" or "making a question."

These formulations are not correct in French. In French, we say "to ask a question".

I can ask you a question about this French lesson and not ask a question.

Third mistake. "I am late." "I am late" is not said in French.

You probably want to say "I'm late" to say that you won't be on time to a place.

Another example of a late payment is if you forgot to pay something or paid it after the due date, such as if you forgot to pay your rent.

Late is only used to refer to a time of day that is going to be later than expected.

For example, I can say, "Don't wait for me for dinner, I'll be home late, I have a meeting."

Fourth very common mistake. I see Celia on Tuesday.

You should not put a determiner in front of the days of the week in most cases.

There are exceptions, I'll explain them to you right after.

You should say "I'm seeing Celia on Tuesday" or if it's next week, "I'm seeing Celia next Tuesday" for example.

The only time you can put a determiner in front of a day of the week is if you are doing a regular activity.

For example, if every Tuesday you go to the gym, then you can say "I go to the gym on Tuesdays."

That means every week you do it.

The second case is if you are talking about a specific date.

For example, I can say, "I have an appointment with my doctor on Tuesday, May 25."

In both cases, "the" is allowed before the days of the week.

For the fifth common mistake, we will start from English, it will be easier. I miss you.

The correct way to translate "I miss you" into French is "Tu me manques."

Very often I hear or see written "I miss you" or "I miss you", which is correct, but does not mean the same thing.

I'll explain it later. In French, when you want to say that you miss someone, the subject of this sentence is not me.

No. The subject of this sentence is the other person, because it's the person who does the action. She is the one who is missing. She is the one who is not present.

So, you have to put it in the subject line. For example, "I miss you." or "I miss my son."

The subject is "my son." You, you are here. You miss me is "you miss me."

It means that it is you who is not there, next to the other person.

The video is finished for today.

I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already, and above all, download the sheet that will help you revise this lesson.

I'll see you soon.