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French challenge afsf


#FrenchChallengeAFSF 
Find our French Challenges on Facebook. Find the answers on the page at the end of each challenge.

14-day French Grammar challenge

May 25 – June 8, 2020

The correct answers are in bold type.

05-25: Depuis / Pendant / Il y a

Fill in the blank with either “depuis”, “pendant”, or “il y a” depending on the context (Beginner level).

1. Helen habite à Paris ___ 2005.
a) Depuis
b) Pendant
c) Il y a

2. J’étudie le français ___ 4 ans. 
a) Depuis
b) Pendant
c) Il y a

3. Il court ___ une heure tous les matins.
a) Depuis
b) Pendant
c) Il y a

More info here. 


05-26: Y vs EN

Choose a response to the question in which pronoun “Y” or “En” is placed correctly (Beginner level).


1. Tu vas à la bibliothèque aujourd'hui?
a) Oui, j’y vais. 
b) Oui, j’en vais. 
c) Non, je n’en pas vais.

2. Les élèves sont-ils dans la classe?
a) Oui, ils y sont
b) Non, ils n’en pas sont
c) Oui, ils en sont

3. As-tu besoin de l’ordinateur? 
a) Oui, j’y ai besoin
b) Non, je n’en ai pas besoin 
c) Non, je n’y ai pas besoin


More info here. 

05-27: Les articles partitifs

Fill in the blanks with correct partitive articles (Beginner level).

1. J’ai ___ argent de poche. 
a) De la
b) De l’
c) Des 
d) Du

2. Il faut 500 grammes ____ fruits et 500 grammes ___ sucre pour faire ___ confiture. 
a) De, de, de la
b) Des, du, du
c) Des, de le, de la
d) De, de, de le

3. Je ne mange jamais ___ pain le soir. 
a) De 
b) Du
c) De la
d) Des

More info here. 

05-28: Qui vs Que

Complete the sentence with the relative pronoun “que” or “qui” (Beginner level).


1. La radio ___ est sur la table ne fonctionne pas. 
a) Que
b) Qui

2. Les personnes ___ nous avons rencontrées hier sont sympas.
a) Que
b) Qui

3. Je loue un appartement ___ se trouve près de la gare.  
a) Que
b) Qui


More info here. 

05-29: Prépositions “à, en, au, aux, chez"

Insert the correct preposition (Beginner level).

1. Elle a rendez-vous ___ le coiffeur à 15h. 
a) en
b) au
c) aux
d) chez

2. Nous vivons ___ Provence ___ France. 
a) à la, en
b) en, en
c) aux, en 
d) en, chez

3. Nicole habite ___ Toulouse. 
a) en 
b) à
c) au
d) aux

More info here. 


05-30: Le genre

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 1). (Intermediate level)

1. Pick the odd gender out of these words.
a) emploi
b) loi 
c) roi
d) tournoi

2. Pick the odd gender out of these words. 
a) caractère
b) hémisphère
c) ministère
d) misère 

3. Pick the odd gender out of these words. 
a) betterave
b) carotte
c) concombre
d) courge



Explanation: Gender in French is usually regular, but with certain exceptions. In these cases, here are the regular genders for the three questions.

Question 1 - words ending in -oi are usually masculine.

Question 2 - words ending in -ère are usually masculine.

Question 3 - words ending in -e are typically feminine.

This is why regularities can help you but noting the exceptions is very important. For more information on gender in French, here is a video. 

 05-31:  Les faux amis : les noms

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 3)

Choose the most appropriate noun to fill the blanks. (Advanced level)

1. Je ne doute pas de vos __________ d’imagination.
a) capacités
b) compétences
c) habiletés

2. Cette logeuse a des __________ contre les étudiants.
a) préjudices
b) préjugés
c) licences

3. Il est arrivé en retard, parce qu’il n’avait pas noté le changement de ________.
a) lieu
b) place
c) venue


Explanation: The meanings of some French words have diverged very much ever since their adoption into the English language. This makes false friends very common. Here is a list of false friends to watch out for.

06-01: Les faux amis : les adverbes

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 4)

Choose the most appropriate adverb to fill in the blanks. (Intermediate level)

1. Les enfants sont __________ en train de jouer dans la cour de récréation.

a) actuellement
b) exactement

2. Il n’a pas perdu de temps, il a accompli sa tâche __________.

a) effectivement
b) efficacement

3. Le créateur de bijoux réalise un métier __________.
a) fastidieux
b) méticuleux


Explanation: The meanings of some French words have diverged very much ever since their adoption into the English language. This makes false friends very common. Here is a list of false friends to watch out for when it comes to adverbs.

06-02: Les faux amis : les verbes pronominaux

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 6 (questions 2 et 3)

Complete the following sentences by choosing the most appropriate verb. (Intermediate level)

1. Corinne ___________ du chien de ses voisins pendant leur absence.
a) est occupée
b) s’est occupée

2. Ce mystère commence à _________.
a) éclaircir
b) s’éclaircir

3. Les yeux de l’enfant ________ à la vue de tant de sucreries.
a) ont agrandi
b) se sont agrandis

Explanation: The pronominalization of certain verbs makes it so that the meaning of the sentence has completely changed. There are also certain idiomatic expressions to watch out for. For more information and a list of comparisons, visit the following website.


06-03: Les expressions de temps

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 7)

Choose the most appropriate noun or expression to fill the blanks. (Beginner level)

1. A la fin de _______ universitaire il retournera en France.
a) l’an
b) l’année

2. Elle est arrivée à l’aéroport juste _______ pour s’enregistrer.
a) à la fois
b) à temps

3. J’ai passé _______ à réviser le texte de mon article.
a) tout le jour
b) toute la journée

Explanation: Words which describe time can be divided into the categories of duration and division. Here is an article for more information.


06-04: Meilleur ou mieux ?

Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks with meilleur or mieux as appropriate. (Beginner level)

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 7)

1. Je me suis approché de la fenêtre pour _______ voir ce qui se passait.
a) meilleur
b) mieux

2. Il est vrai qu’elle a changé en ________.
a) meilleur
b) mieux

3. Je trouve ce film bien _________ que le roman dont il est tiré.
a) meilleur
b) mieux

Explanation: Meilleur is normally used to modify nouns and mieux is used to modify verbs. For more information, read the following article.

06-05: Connaître ou savoir ?

Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks with connaître or savoir as appropriate. (Beginner level)

(Source: Speed Up Your French, Chapter 7) (questions 1 and 2)

1. Vous y trouverez trois bâtiments intéressants, à ________ une église médiévale, un château et un hospice.
a) connaître
b) savoir

2. Ce musicien est mieux ______ en Europe qu’aux États-Unis.
a) connu
b) su

3. Isabelle _________ que le supermarché ferme à 19h.
a) sait 
b) connaît

Explanation: In English, both connaître and savoir can be translated as “to know.” In French, they are used in different contexts. Read this article.


06-06: H aspiré ou muet ?

Choose the correct article for each noun. (Beginner level)

1. C’est une femme _____ haute taille.
a) d’
b) de

2. Ils ont réservé une chambre dans  ____ hôtel du village.
a) l’
b) le

3. C’est ____ hasard qui les a réunis.
a) l’
b) le

Explanation: The words that start with h in French come from either the Germanic languages or Latin. H is pronounced for the former category and silent for the latter. Here is a list of common words that use h in each category.

06-07: Majuscule ou minuscule ? 

Choose the correct capitalization for each phrase. (Intermediate level)

(Source: Speed Up Your French Chapter 9)

1. La _______ ne rembourse pas certains médicaments.
a) Sécurité sociale 
b) Sécurité Sociale

2. J’ai enfin trouvé un DVD de  _______ qui est sous-titré en anglais.
a)“ À Bout de souffle “
b)“ À Bout de Souffle “

3. Nous avons traversé ________ pour la première fois cet été.
a) l’océan Atlantique
b)l’Océan Atlantique

French is very different from English when it comes to capitalizing words, particularly in place names, titles, and even the last names of people. For more information, here is an article on capitalization rules.


Cultural questions about the Francophone world

30-day French Challenge

April 7 - May 6, 2020


The correct answers are in bold type.

04-07: An ethnonym is the name given to the inhabitants of a geographic place: a village, a city, a region, a province, a country or a continent. Do you know the following ethnonyms? What are the residents of Bordeaux, Fontainebleau, and Strasbourg called?

  1. Bordeausiens, fontaineblois, strasbourgeois

  2. Bordelais, fontaineblais, strasbourgeais

  3. Bordelais, bellifontains, strasbourgeois

  4. Bordelais, fontaineblois, strasbourgeais


04-08: What were the most given male names in France in 1950 and 2000?

  1. Jean / Thomas

  2. Jacques / Léo 

  3. Michel / Lucas

  4. Bernard / Hugo

More info here (1950) and here (2000)


04-09: What are the official languages of Switzerland?

  1. L’italien, l’allemand, le français

  2. L’italien, le romanche, l’allemand, le français

  3. L’italien, l’anglais, le français

  4. L’italien, l’anglais, l’allemand, le français

More info here.


04-10: Which play is NOT a play by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Molière?

  1. L’école des femmes 

  2. Le bourgeois gentilhomme

  3. Le malade imaginaire

  4. Le mariage de Figaro

More info here.


04-11: What expression is often used in Quebec to say hello?

  1. Bonjour!

  2. Salut!

  3. Allô!

  4. Bienvenue!


04-12: According to the international organization  “La Francophonie”, how many people LEARN French (French as a Second Language) and in French (study partially or totally in French) in the world?

  1. 132 millions

  2. 56 millions

  3. 428 millions

  4. 27 millions

More info here and here.


04-13: During this holiday, can you find the right answer to this riddle in French? 

  1. Un-neuf-deux-pied-chat 

  2. Un-oeuf-dés-empreintes-chat

  3. Un-oeuf-deux-pas-queue

  4. Un-neuf-dés-pas-chat


04-14: All these common names are also French female first names, except 1 name: in which list is it found?

  1. Tartine, Clémentine, Rose

  2. Violette, Aurore, Avril

  3. Ambre, Flore, Reine

  4. Hyacinthe, Marguerite, Marine


04-15: What are the main ingredients to cook a traditional "Quiche Lorraine"?

  1. Puff pastry, eggs, bacon, cheese

  2. Shortcrust pastry, eggs, crème fraîche, cheese

  3. Puff pastry, bacon, cheese, crème fraîche

  4. Shortcrust pastry, eggs, bacon, crème fraîche

More info here and here.


04-16: The Eiffel Tower was built for one of the Paris International Exhibitions (Exposition Universelle). What year was it built?
Hint: It was created the same year as the Alliance Française de San Francisco!

  1. 1878

  2. 1889

  3. 1900

  4. 1937


04-17: Which famous French singer was called the French Elvis Presley?

  1. Johnny Hallyday

  2. Charles Aznavour

  3. Claude François

  4. Georges Brassens


04-18: In which film did the actor Jean Dujardin NOT act? 

  1. OSS117

  2. Brice

  3. The Artist

  4. James Bond - The World is Not Enough


04-19: This Belgian author became an American citizen in 1947. She was elected member of the Belgian Academy of French Language and Literature and she was the first woman elected member of the French Academy. Who is she?

  1. George Sand

  2. Marguerite Yourcenar

  3. Amélie Nothomb

  4. Simone Veil


04-20: In what state can you attend the race “Grand Prix of Monte-Carlo”?

  1. France

  2. Québec

  3. Belgique

  4. Monaco


04-21: Do you know this French acronym: SNCF? What does it mean?

  1. Sortirons-Nous du Confinement Finalement?

  2. Salon National de la Consommation de Fromage

  3. Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français

  4. Site National pour la Circulation Facile


04-22: What are the popular hashtags shared within the Francophone community for Earth Day on April 22, 2020?

  1. #JourdelaTerreChezSoi

  2. #jourdelaterre

  3. #22gestespourlaplanete

  4. All of the above!


04-23: Find the odd name among these unisex first names?

  1. Pierre

  2. Dominique

  3. Alix

  4. Camille

More info here.


04-24: Who is the author of the novel “L’écume des jours” (Froth on the Daydream) published in 1947?Clue 1: This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Clue 2: You will find his name in the description of the Literature class starting on May 2 at the AFSF: his book has been selected for the next course.

  1. Boris Vian

  2. Jean-Paul Sartre

  3. Albert Camus

  4. Joseph Kessel

More info here .

04-25: What is the name of the French actress who played the role of Edith Piaf in the film "La vie en Rose"?

  1. Catherine Deneuve

  2. Marion Cotillard

  3. Sophie Marceau

  4. Bérénice Béjo


04-26: From which French-speaking African country did the artist Manu Dibango (nicknamed “Papagroove”) come?

  1. Ivory Coast

  2. Senegal

  3. Cameroon

  4. Congo

More info here.


04-27: Which region of France is known for Calvados, cider, and camembert?

  1. La Bretagne

  2. L’Auvergne

  3. La Bourgogne

  4. La Normandie

More info here.


04-28: What is this expression often said in Spring?

  1. En avril, mangez des patates; en mai, mangez des tomates!

  2. En avril, ne sors pas sans ton parapluie; en mai, sors le parasol!

  3. En avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil; en mai, fais ce qu’il te plaît!

  4. En avril, apéro à 19 heures; en mai, apéro à 20 heures!


04-29: In which film does the French actress Audrey Tautou help people around her while showing us around the Montmartre district in Paris?

  1. Da Vinci Code (The Da Vinci Code)

  2. Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (Amélie)

  3. Coco avant Chanel (Coco before Chanel)

  4. Ensemble c’est tout (Hunting and Gathering)


04-30: I am a region of France known for my volcanoes and my health resorts (spas). Who am I?

  1. L’Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes

  2. Les Pays de la Loire

  3. La Bourgogne - Franche-Comté

  4. La Corse


05-01: What is the name of this typical dish from the South-Eastern area of France and made with Mediterranean fishes (monkfish, scorpion fish, gurnard, bass, conger ...)?

  1. Une soupe de poissons

  2. Une bouillabaisse

  3. Une tapenade

  4. Des sashimis


05-02: What French-speaking region does the singer Céline Dion come from?

  1. Le Québec (Canada)

  2. La Wallonie (Belgique)

  3. La Louisiane (U.S.A)

  4. La Romandie (Suisse)


05-03: Among these famous names in the History of France, there are two kings, a president, and an emperor. Which one was emperor?

  1. Charles de Gaulle (1890 - 1970)

  2. Louis XIV (1638 - 1715)

  3. Napoléon I (1769 - 1821)

  4. François I (1497 - 1547)

More info here (Charles de Gaulle),  here (Louis XIV), here (Napoléon I), and here (François I)


05-04: The Poutine, a dish you can mainly taste in Quebec, is made of:

  1. Purée de pommes de terre, viande hachée et blé d’inde (Mashed potatoes, minced meat and corn)

  2. Sirop d’érable et haricots (Maple syrup and beans)

  3. Bière et canneberges (Beer and cranberries)

  4. Frites, fromage et sauce (Fries, cheese, and gravy)

More info here.


05-05: Among these statements about the differences between the Tradition baguette and the classic baguette, which ones are true:

  1. The traditional baguette is made on site and is not frozen before being baked.

  2. The classic baguette contains additives.

  3. The traditional baguette requires a short fermentation time.

  4. The classic baguette is drier than the traditional baguette.

More info here.


05-06: This is the last question of our 30-day challenge. Take the time to answer, this question is the most challenging!
This week we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the recognition of the defeat of Germany, the laying down of arms, and the end of the fighting in Europe (May 8, 1945). What is the correct word to express what we commemorate on May 8th each year?
Clue:  Historian Thierry Lentz explains this in an interview with Le Figaro

  1. Une armistice

  2. Une capitulation militaire

  3. Un traité de paix

  4. Un armistice

More info here.


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