Did we Pack Everything

Let's get packed!

When you pack, you "Faire les valises" (Literally "make the suitcases")

Monsieur Dupres a deux valises; Madame Dupres a un sac et une valise; Charles a une petite valise. Mr. Dupres has two suitcases; Mrs. Dupres has one bag and one suitcase; Charles has one small suitcase.
Qui a la plupart des valises a faire? Madame Dupres, bien sur! Elle fait toutes les valises. Who has the most suitcases to pack? Madam Dupes, of course! She packs all of the suitcases.

Why is nothing where it's supposed to be when you are trying to get packed?

Ou est mon chapeau? Where is my hat?
Ton chapeau est sur la chaise. Your hat is on the chair.
Ou est mon sac? Where is my bag?
Il est sous la chaise. It is under the chair.
Ou sont mes chaussures? Where are my shoes?
Tes chaussures sont sur la table. Your shoes are on the table.
Non, ils ne sont pas sur la table. No, they are not on the table.
Oh, peut-etre ils sont sous la table. Oh, maybe they are under the table.
Mes gants sont dans la valise? My gloves are in the suitcase?
Ils ne sont pas dans la valise. They are not in the suitcase.
Ou sont-ils? Where are they?

You have to take care when translating the words “it” and “they”.  Use “il” when it substitutes for a masculine noun in the singular. Use “elle” when it substitutes for a feminine noun in the singular. Use “ils” when it substitutes for a masculine noun in the plural.  Use “elles” when it substitutes for a feminine noun in the plural. 

“Un” and “une” are masculine and feminine for “a”.  Use un with masculine nouns, une with feminine nouns. Ce (c’ before a vowel) is the short form for both ceci and cela (this and that).  Qu’es-ce que c’est can mean:

1. What is it?
2. What is this?
3. What is that?
4. What are they?
5. What are these?
6. What are those?

Qu'est-ce que c'est? Est-ce une valise? Oui, c'est une valise. What is this? Is it a suitcase? Yes, it is a suitcase.

Est-ce un sac? Mais non, ce n'est pas un sac. Ceci est une valise. Cela est un sac. Is it a bag? Of course not, it's not a bag. This is a valise. That is a bag.

Answer the following questions:
Qu'est ce que c'est?

C'est une valise.

Qu'est ce que c'est?

Qu'est ce que c'est?

Now, translate into French:

What is it?
Is it the shoes?
Yes, it is the shoes
No, it is not the shoes, it is the gloves.
Isn't this the suitcase?

There are three French equivalents for “this” ce, cette and cet. Ce is used for masculine nouns. Ce livre (this book). Cette is used for feminine nouns. Cette table (this table). Cet is used with a masculine noun when it begins with a vowel or “h”. (cet enfant, cet hôtel).

Ces is the plural for all of these: ce, cette or cet. (Ces livres, ces tables, ces enfants).

What Did We Learn?

1. This is my hat.
2. This book is old (vieux).
3. What is that?
4. Those are my books.
5. Where is my green hat?
6. Do you have (avez-vous) all those books?
7. Give me those shoes, please.
8. Don't give (donner) those to her.
9. She has two of those things (choses)
10. Is that a bag or a valise. It's a bag.