Liaison and elision
How words run together: l'ami, les amis.
French words join up in speech. Two habits do most of it: elision, which drops a vowel and writes an apostrophe, and liaison, which says a silent final consonant before a vowel.
Elision
A few short words lose their vowel before a word starting with a vowel or a silent h, and the apostrophe shows it. It isn't optional.
| Word | Elided | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| le, la | l' | l'ami, l'école, l'homme |
| je | j' | j'aime, j'habite |
| me, te, se | m', t', s' | il m'appelle, je t'aime, il s'appelle |
| de | d' | beaucoup d'amis |
| ne | n' | je n'ai pas |
| que | qu' | qu'il, qu'est-ce que |
| ce | c' | c'est |
| si | s' | only in s'il, s'ils |
Before a consonant or an aspirated h nothing changes: la table, le héros. si only drops its vowel before il and ils: si elle stays.
Liaison
A final consonant that is normally silent is said before a word starting with a vowel or a silent h, and runs into it: les amis is "lay-za-mee". It changes some sounds:
| Written | Said | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -s, -x, -z | z | les amis, deux ans, chez eux |
| -d | t | quand il, grand homme |
| -t | t | petit ami, c'est un |
| -n | n | un ami, mon ami, en avion |
| -f in neuf | v | neuf ans, neuf heures |
Liaison is required:
- after articles and other words before a noun: les enfants, des amis, un homme, mon ami, ces arbres;
- between a pronoun and its verb: nous avons, vous êtes, ils ont, on a;
- after an adjective before its noun: petit ami, grand homme;
- after short words like en, dans, chez, très, plus, quand: en été, très important.
It never happens after et (toi et | elle), before an aspirated h (les | héros), or after a singular noun (un enfant | adorable). Elsewhere it's optional, and more frequent in careful speech.
Words that change before a vowel
Some words take a special form before a vowel so that the words still link: ce becomes cet (cet homme), beau, nouveau and vieux become bel, nouvel and vieil (un bel arbre), and ma, ta, sa become mon, ton, son (mon amie).
Linking
A final consonant that's always said also runs on into the next vowel, called enchaînement: il est is "ee-lay", avec elle is "a-vè-kel". Spoken French flows from word to word without the small breaks English puts between them.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Getting started cards.
What happens to le or la before a vowel?
It becomes l'.
Which short words drop their vowel before a vowel?
le, la, je, me, te, se, de, ne, que and ce, and si before il.
What is liaison?
Saying a silent final consonant because the next word starts with a vowel.
How is the s of les said in les amis?
As z.
How do ils ont and ils sont sound different?
ils ont has a z ("eel-zon"); ils sont has an s ("eel-son").
Is there a liaison after et "and"?
Never.
Why is it au hockey, not à l'hockey?
hockey starts with an aspirated h, which blocks elision and liaison.
Why is it cet homme but ce livre?
ce becomes cet before a vowel or silent h.
How is neuf said in neuf heures?
With a v: "neu-vuhr".