How to Discuss Flowers in French

It is never too late to learn to speak French. The best way to learn a foreign language is to learn key words and phrases conversationally and practice speaking them. To talk about flowers, you should start slowly by learning just a few flower names and phrases. Then expand your knowledge to incorporate other words and phrases you will need to discuss flowers in French.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn a few basic words and phrases. You can begin building your vocabulary by looking through a French phrases book, like a tourist would use in Paris. Look up the names of flowers you want to discuss and the adjectives you would use to describe them. For example, you might look up the names for "daisy" (le marguerite) or "sunflower" (le tournesol). Tulips and roses are easy to remember (les tulipes, and les roses) but you will need to practice the proper pronunciation. You will also need to know place names such as "garden" (le jardin) and "park" (le parc).

2. Put flower names into context. To truly learn the language, you will need to practice speaking French and listening to native or fluent speakers of French. Even if you can't travel to France, you can practice conversing by joining a Francophone group such as Alliance Francaise, or a conversational French class through a local college or adult education program. In a small group setting, you will have the opportunity to practice short sentences you can memorize when talking about flowers. For instance, with some research in your phrase book and some practice, you will be able to say "I like tulips and sunflowers" (J'aime les tulipes et les tournesols).

3. Add some grammar rules. While learning to speak French by listening to French speakers is best, you can refine your understanding of the language by learning the rules of grammar, verb conjugation and idioms. A number of self-study guides are available, or you can take an entry level French course through a local college. To be specific about flowers, you should focus on the situations and place names when you would most likely discuss flowers. For instance, studying the names of the seasons will help you say "Le printemps est le temp quand les fleurs epanouies" (Spring is the time when flowers are in bloom.).

4. Practice, practice, practice. As you expand your French vocabulary with regards to flowers and understand more about the grammatical structure of the language, you must practice speaking French and listening to native speakers of the language in order to better construct sentences on your own. You can practice dialogues about buying flowers in France, gardening or walking through a garden. Practice saying phrases you have learned and listening (and translating) new phrases. Soon you will be able to converse easily about flowers in French.

Tips & Warnings

• For a quick translation, you can use a French to English dictionary or website but be wary that translations can be too literal. The French language has idiomatic expressions just as English does. A fluently bilingual speaker is the best resource to help you translate phrases from one language to the other.