La phonétique du français 5

LA LIAISON

The "liaison" is very important in French.

It can change the meaning of a sentence.

Here's an example:

1) il adore /il ador/ [He loves]

2) ils_adorent /il za-dor/ [They love]

So, the "liaison" is made between 2 words: a word that ends with a consonant and the word that comes after it begins with a vowel.

Example: les_école

LES LIAISONS OBLIGATOIRES

The most frequent have the following sounds: [z], [t] and [n]. There's also [v].

The liaison is made:

1. between the determiner and its noun;

2. between the noun and the adjective placed before;

3. between the personal pronoun (also "en" and "y"), and its verb;

4. with prepositions of one syllable only;

5. with compound words and expressions;

6. with "neuf" (9).

1. [z] / [n]

les_enfants ; un_enfant ;

2. [z] / [t] / [n]

mes_amis ; leurs_écoles ; deux_oranges ;

les petits_enfants ; un petit_enfant ; un grand_arbre ;

un grand_homme ; vingt_heure ; un bon_exemple

3. [z] / [t] / [n]

Ils_ont ; vous_écoutez ; nous_aimons ; prends-en ; allons-y

sont-ils ; parlent-ils ; on_apprend

4. [z]

dans_une maison ; chez_un voisin ; sans_argent ; sous_une table

5. [z] / [t]

de plus_en plus ; de temps_en temps ; tout_à coup ; petit_à petit

6. [v] (heure, an, homme)

neuf_heures ; neuf_ans ; neuf_hommes ;

[f] (for other words) neuf_enfants...

LES LIAISONS INTERDITES

The liaison is never made:

1. after the word "et";

2. after "h aspiré" like the word "haricot" -

3. between a singular noun and a verb;

4. before "huit", "huitième", "onze" and "onzième".

1. Elle danse et # elle chante.

2. Les # haricots rouges.

3. L'enfant # est gentil ; Marion # a raison.

4. C'est un # huit de cœur ; c'est son # onzième livre.

All the other liaisons are optional...