CBSE 10th French Lesson 1: Retrouvons nos amis – Complete Guide

“Retrouvons nos amis” (Let’s Find Our Friends) is the first lesson in the CBSE 10th French textbook Entre Jeunes. It introduces characters from different cultural backgrounds, reinforcing vocabulary, grammar, and cultural understanding. This lesson focuses on:

(Impoortant Note:  To study this article – Always check your google translate tool in French)

Here is the clickable PDF link for students to download:

https://chinesefrench.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CBSE-10th-French-–-Lesson-1-Retrouvons-nos-amis-Complete-Guide.pdf

📖 Page 4 – Character Introductions & Personal Descriptions

📌 What This Section Covers:

• Introduction of key characters (Akanksha, Kunal, Nargis, Ali, Pauline, and Denis).
• How to describe a person’s age, nationality, profession, and family background.
• Understanding basic sentence structures for personal introductions.

📚 French Lines with English Meanings:

📖 Grammar Breakdown from This Section

1️.  How to Describe Age & Education Level in French

• Elle a 17 ans. (She is 17 years old.)
• Il a 18 ans. (He is 18 years old.)
  🔹 Tip: In French, you say “I have X years” (J’ai X ans) instead of “I am X years old” like in English.

Common Mistake:
❌ Elle est 17 ans. (Wrong)
✅ Elle a 17 ans. (Correct)

2️.  Talking About Professions & Workplaces

• Leur père travaille à l’Ambassade de l’Inde en France. (Their father works at the Indian Embassy in France.)
• Leur mère est professeur de musique classique indienne. (Their mother is a professor of Indian classical music.)
  🔹 Tip: In French, professions don’t need an article (un/une) unless described with an adjective.

Common Mistake:
❌ Elle est une professeur. (Wrong)
✅ Elle est professeur. (Correct)

3️.  Talking About Nationalities & Origin

• Ils sont sénégalais. (They are Senegalese.)
• Voici Pauline et Denis. Ils sont français. (Here are Pauline and Denis. They are French.)
  🔹 Tip: In French, nationality adjectives don’t take a capital letter unless referring to the language.

Common Mistake:
❌ Il est Français. (Wrong)
✅ Il est français. (Correct)

📌 Common Vocabulary from This Section

📌 How to Improve & Practice This Section

✔ Practice introducing yourself in French.
🔹 Example: Je m’appelle Rahul. J’ai 16 ans. Je suis indien. Je suis en classe 10.

✔ Write 5 sentences describing your family members.
🔹 Example: Mon père est ingénieur. Il travaille chez Tata Motors.

✔ Listen to French audio recordings & repeat.
🔹 Use YouTube videos or language apps to improve pronunciation.

✔ Avoid common mistakes by reviewing sentence structures.
🔹 Read your sentences aloud and check for grammar errors.

📖 Page 5 – True or False Exercise & Letter from Corsica

📌 What This Section Covers:

• “Dis Vrai ou Faux” (True or False) – Checking comprehension of character details.
• Reading a personal letter from Akanksha about her trip to Corsica.
• Understanding sentence structures, past tense, and vocabulary related to travel.

📝 True or False Exercise (Dis Vrai ou Faux)

This section tests students’ understanding of previously introduced characters.

📌 How to Improve This Exercise:

• Carefully read the previous descriptions of characters.
• Underline important details such as ages, nationalities, and professions while reading.
• Practice forming correct sentences using vrai (true) and faux (false).

📖 Letter from Corsica (Lettre de Corse)

📌 Overview:
Akanksha writes a letter to her friends, describing her vacation in Corsica. She talks about:
✔ The weather & arrival experience.
✔ Accommodation and its comparison to past vacations.
✔ The natural beauty & activities she enjoys.
✔ A comparison of Corsica with Indian tourist spots.

French Lines with English Meanings & Explanation

📍 Letter Introduction – Date & Greeting

📍 Description of Arrival & First Impressions

📍 Description of Accommodation & Comparison with Previous Vacations

📍 Exploring Corsica – Nature & Attractions

📍 Flora & Fauna in Corsica

📍 Conclusion & Farewell

📖 Grammar Breakdown from This Section

1️.  Using Passé Composé (Past Tense) to Talk About Past Events

• Nous sommes arrivés avec la pluie. (We arrived with rain.)
• J’ai passé de très belles vacances l’année dernière. (I had a great vacation last year.)
  🔹 Tip: Use “être” for movement verbs (arriver, partir) and “avoir” for regular past actions (passer, visiter).

Common Mistake:
❌ Nous avons arrivé en Corse. (Wrong! “Arriver” takes être)
✅ Nous sommes arrivés en Corse. (Correct!)

📖 Page 6 – Comprehension Questions, Proverbs & L’Accent Grave

📌 What This Section Covers:

• Comprehension Questions (Réponds aux questions) – Testing understanding of Akanksha’s letter.
• Vocabulary Search (Trouve dans le texte) – Finding key words and opposites.
• French Proverbs – Learning and understanding common expressions.
• L’Accent Grave & Poetry Reading – A dialogue-based activity to improve pronunciation and grammar.

📝 Comprehension Questions (Réponds aux questions)

Students must answer four questions based on Akanksha’s letter from Corsica.

📌 How to Improve This Exercise:
✔ Read each question carefully and look for keywords in the letter.
✔ Answer in complete sentences for better French writing practice.
✔ Learn how to describe places, weather, and opinions in French.

📝 Vocabulary Search (Trouve dans le texte)

Students must find words or expressions based on given clues.

📌 How to Improve Vocabulary Skills:
✔ Learn word families – e.g., pleuvoir (verb) → pluie (noun).
✔ Use flashcards to memorize opposites.
✔ Write sentences using new words to reinforce learning.

📖 Proverbs in the Lesson (Les Proverbes)

📍 Proverbs are fixed expressions used in daily conversation. This section teaches three commonly used French proverbs related to weather and emotions.

📌 How to Use Proverbs in Writing & Speaking?
✔ Use “Après la pluie, le beau temps” to encourage someone going through a difficult time.
✔ Avoid literal translations – understand the figurative meaning.
✔ Practice using these expressions in daily conversations.

📖 L’Accent Grave – Reading & Pronunciation Activity

📍 What is “L’Accent Grave”?

• L’accent grave (è, à, ù) is a French accent mark that changes pronunciation but not always the meaning.
• In this activity, students read a poem and dialogue to practice intonation and pronunciation.

📍 Dialogue Between the Teacher & Student (Élève Hamlet)

📌 Why Is This Dialogue Important?
✔ It teaches the use of l’accent grave in words like “près” and “très”.
✔ Helps students practice conjugating “être” correctly.
✔ Reinforces how to respond properly in a French classroom setting.

📖 How to Improve & Practice This Section?

✔ Write answers to the comprehension questions in full sentences.
✔ Memorize new vocabulary by creating word association maps.
✔ Practice saying the proverbs aloud and use them in sentences.
✔ Read the poem/dialogue dramatically to practice intonation & pronunciation.

📖 Page 7 – Prévert’s Poem, Expressions & Grammar Activity (With Answers & Explanation)

📌 What This Section Covers:
✔ Jacques Prévert’s Poem – A play on Shakespeare’s famous line “To be or not to be”.
✔ Understanding and Using French Expressions.
✔ Grammar & Orthography Activity – Learning proper capitalization in French.
✔ Answers & Explanations for all exercises.

📖 Jacques Prévert’s Poem – Understanding Wordplay

📍 Excerpt from Prévert’s Poem (Inspired by Shakespeare’s To be or not to be):

📌 What Does This Poem Teach?
✔ Playing with words – “Être” (to be) is used in multiple ways.
✔ Questioning existence and meaning – A reference to Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be”.
✔ Understanding negation in French – ne… pas structure.

📌 Common Mistake & How to Fix It
❌ Je suis pas prêt. (Wrong! Missing “ne”)
✅ Je ne suis pas prêt. (Correct!)

📖 Expressions: Understanding French Idioms

📍 Two Key Expressions from the Lesson:

📌 How to Use These Expressions in Sentences?
✔ Il ne m’écoutait pas, il était dans les nuages. (He wasn’t listening to me, he was daydreaming.)
✔ Elle parle avec un ton sophistiqué, elle a des manières. (She speaks with a sophisticated tone, she has an affected manner.)

📌 Common Mistake & How to Fix It
❌ Il est en les nuages. (Wrong! The correct preposition is “dans”)
✅ Il est dans les nuages. (Correct!)

📖 Grammar & Orthography Activity: Capitalization in French

📍 Instruction: Complete sentences while paying attention to capitalization rules.

📍 Example Given:

• La Champagne, c’est une région ; le champagne, c’est un vin de cette région.
  (Champagne is a region; champagne is a wine from this region.)

🔹 Notice the rule:

• Names of regions or places are capitalized (La Bourgogne, La Champagne).
• Common nouns (wine, cheese) are lowercase (le champagne, le roquefort).

Exercise: Complete These Sentences (With Answers)

📌 How to Avoid Common Mistakes?
✔ Capitalize regions/cities but not food or drinks (La Bourgogne / le bourgogne).
✔ Observe gender differences (La Brie = feminine, le camembert = masculine).
✔ Use definite articles correctly (le, la, les).

📖 How to Improve & Practice This Section?

✔ Memorize common French expressions and use them in daily conversation.
✔ Practice reading the poem aloud to improve pronunciation & rhythm.
✔ Write your own sentences using regional names & products while maintaining correct capitalization.

📖 Page 8 – Vocabulary, Proverbs & Demonstrative Adjectives

📌 What This Section Covers:
✔ Chasse le mot intrus – Identifying the odd word out.
✔ Matching Proverbs – Understanding common French sayings.
✔ Demonstrative Adjectives – Completing sentences with ce, cet, cette, ces.
✔ Answers & Explanations for all exercises.

📝 Chasse le mot intrus (Find the Odd Word Out)

📍 Instruction: Identify the word that does not belong in each set.

📌 Tips to Identify the Odd Word Quickly:
✔ Look for words with a different meaning from the rest.
✔ Identify grammatical differences (e.g., verb vs. noun).
✔ Recognize categories (e.g., food, fashion, numbers).

📝 Match the Proverbs (Rapproche les deux parties de chaque proverbe)

📍 Instruction: Match the beginning of the proverb with the correct ending.

📌 Want to explore French proverbs in detail?
Check out our dedicated blog post with explanations, examples, and cultural insights:
👉 French Proverbs Explained – CBSE 10th French Lesson 1

📌 Why Are Proverbs Important?
✔ Helps in understanding French culture and expressions.
✔ Improves fluency in spoken and written French.
✔ Makes speech more natural and expressive.

📌 Common Mistake & How to Fix It:
❌ Trying to translate word-for-word into English.
✅ Learn the actual meaning instead of direct translation.

📝 Demonstrative Adjectives (Adjectifs Démonstratifs)

📍 Instruction: Complete the sentences with the correct demonstrative adjective (ce, cet, cette, ces).

📌 Rules for Choosing the Right Demonstrative Adjective:
✔ ce → Masculine singular (ce livre – this book).
✔ cet → Masculine singular before a vowel or silent ‘h’ (cet immeuble – this building).
✔ cette → Feminine singular (cette maison – this house).
✔ ces → Plural for both masculine and feminine (ces étudiants – these students).

Click Here:   Want to Learn Demonstrative Adjective in Detail

📖 How to Improve & Practice This Section?

✔ Practice recognizing word families for Chasse le mot intrus.
✔ Memorize common French proverbs and use them in sentences.
✔ Write five sentences using demonstrative adjectives correctly.
✔ Say the proverbs aloud to practice pronunciation and fluency.

📖 Page 9 – Articles, Verb Conjugation (Présent & Passé Composé), and Writing Exercise

📌 What This Section Covers:
✔ Mets les articles (Fill in the articles) – Using le, la, les, un, une, du, de la, des.
✔ Mets les verbes au présent (Fill in the verbs in the present tense) – Completing sentences in présent de l’indicatif.
✔ Mets les verbes au passé composé (Fill in the verbs in past tense) – Understanding passé composé.
✔ Écris une lettre (Write a letter) – Constructing a short travel letter.
✔ Each French sentence is immediately followed by its English translation and explanation.

📝 Mets les articles: Défini, Indéfini, Contracté (Fill in the articles: Definite, Indefinite, Contracted)

📍 French Sentence & Answer (With English Meaning & Explanation)

1. L’Inde est une péninsule.
   India is a peninsula.
   “Péninsule” (peninsula) is feminine singular → “une”.
2. Delhi est la capitale de l’Inde.
   Delhi is the capital of India.
   “Capitale” (capital) is feminine singular → “la”.
3. Il y a beaucoup de lieux à visiter. Au nord, il y a de très beaux monuments.
   There are many places to visit. In the north, there are very beautiful monuments.
   “Nord” (north) is a direction → “au nord” (to the north).
4. Au sud, il y a des temples magnifiques.
   In the south, there are magnificent temples.
   “Temples” (temples) is plural → “des”.
5. L’Inde a un grand héritage culturel, comme la France.
   India has a great cultural heritage, like France.
   “France” is a country → “la France”.
6. L’Inde est une mosaïque de cultures.
   India is a mosaic of cultures.
   “Mosaïque” (mosaic) is feminine singular → “une”.

📌 How to Choose the Right Article?
✔ Le, la, les → For specific things (la capitale – the capital).
✔ Un, une, des → For general or indefinite things (un temple – a temple).
✔ Du, de la, des → For partitive (some) (du fromage – some cheese).

📝 Mets les verbes au présent (Fill in the verbs in the present tense)

📍 French Sentences & Answers

Detailed Explanation is given here

(i) Daily Routine of Ravi

1. Le matin, Ravi emmène ses enfants à l’école.
   In the morning, Ravi takes his children to school.
   “Emmener” (to take) → “il emmene” (3rd person singular).
2. Ils quittent la maison à 7 heures.
   They leave the house at 7 o’clock.
   “Quitter” (to leave) → “ils quittent” (3rd person plural).
3. Puis, Ravi prend le bus pour aller à son bureau.
   Then, Ravi takes the bus to go to his office.
   “Prendre” (to take) → “il prend”.
4. À midi, il mange au restaurant.
   At noon, he eats at the restaurant.
   “Manger” (to eat) → “il mange”.
5. Le soir, avant de rentrer, il fait des courses.
   In the evening, before going home, he does some shopping.
   “Faire” (to do) → “il fait”.
6. Sa femme va chercher les enfants.
   His wife goes to pick up the children.
   “Aller” (to go) → “elle va”.

📌 Common Mistake & How to Fix It:
❌ Il fais ses devoirs. (Wrong! “Fais” is for “je” or “tu”)
✅ Il fait ses devoirs. (Correct! “Fait” is for “il/elle”)

📝 Mets les verbes au passé composé (Fill in the verbs in the past tense)

📍 French Sentences & Answers (With English Meaning & Explanation)

To know in Detail about Passe Compose click here

(i) A Computer Engineer Talks About His Arrival in France

1. Je suis arrivé à Paris le 15 août 2010.
   I arrived in Paris on August 15, 2010.
   “Arriver” (to arrive) uses “être” → “Je suis arrivé(e)”.
2. J’ai cherché du travail partout.
   I looked for work everywhere.
   “Chercher” (to search) uses “avoir” → “J’ai cherché”.
3. Enfin, j’ai trouvé un travail à Bordeaux.
   Finally, I found a job in Bordeaux.
   “Trouver” (to find) uses “avoir” → “J’ai trouvé”.
4. Ma femme et mes enfants sont venus en 2012.
   My wife and my children came in 2012.
   “Venir” (to come) uses “être” → “Ils sont venus”.
5. En 2015, nous avons acheté un appartement.
   In 2015, we bought an apartment.
   “Acheter” (to buy) uses “avoir” → “Nous avons acheté”.
6. Maintenant, toute la famille est restée en France.
   Now, the whole family has stayed in France.
   “Rester” (to stay) uses “être” → “Elle est restée”.

📌 How to Choose Between “Avoir” & “Être” in Passé Composé?
✔ Most verbs use “avoir” (manger → j’ai mangé).
✔ Movement & reflexive verbs use “être” (aller → je suis allé(e)).

📝 Écris une lettre (Write a letter about a trip)

📍 French Example Letter

Paris, le 10 juillet 2023
Cher ami,
Je suis en vacances à Marseille avec ma famille. Nous sommes arrivés hier et le temps est magnifique ! Aujourd’hui, nous avons visité le Vieux-Port et mangé des fruits de mer. Demain, nous allons à la plage et nous ferons une promenade en bateau. J’adore cette ville ! Je t’enverrai des photos bientôt.
À bientôt !
Amitiés,
Rahul

📌 Paris, July 10, 2023
Dear friend,
I am on vacation in Marseille with my family. We arrived yesterday, and the weather is beautiful! Today, we visited the Old Port and ate seafood. Tomorrow, we are going to the beach and will take a boat ride. I love this city! I will send you pictures soon.
See you soon!
Best wishes,
Rahul

📌 How to Write a Good Letter in French?
✔ Start with a greeting (Cher ami, Chère amie).
✔ Use passé composé to describe past actions (Nous avons visité…).
✔ Use futur proche to describe upcoming plans (Nous allons aller…).
✔ Close with a farewell (À bientôt, Amitiés).

📖 How to Improve & Practice This Section?

✔ Practice filling in the blanks for articles & verbs in different tenses.
✔ Memorize passé composé rules (avoir vs. être).
✔ Write & proofread a short letter using travel vocabulary.
✔ Read your letter aloud to check for pronunciation.

📝 Je découvre : Les Festivals et Événements (I Discover: Festivals and Events)

📍 French Sentence & English Meaning (With Explanation)

1. Fête de la Musique – 21 juin
   Music Festival – June 21
   A nationwide festival in France where people celebrate music by performing in streets, parks, and public places.
2. Tour de France
   Tour de France
   A world-famous cycling race held every year in France, covering thousands of kilometers.
3. Festival d’Avignon
   Avignon Festival
   A major theatre and performing arts festival in Avignon, featuring plays, dance, and music.
4. Goa International Film Festival
   Goa International Film Festival
   A globally recognized film festival in India, showcasing films from around the world.

📌 Why Are These Festivals Important?
✔ Cultural exposure – Understanding French traditions & global connections.
✔ Vocabulary development – Learning event-related words in French.
✔ Historical significance – Knowing when & why these festivals are celebrated.

📖 Vocabulary & Key Phrases from This Section

🔹 Overview of the Lesson & Syllabus

Lesson 1, “Retrouvons nos amis” (Let’s Meet Our Friends), introduces students to basic French conversation, grammar structures, and cultural knowledge. It helps develop skills in introducing people, describing places, understanding proverbs, and talking about cultural events.

📌 Key Topics Covered in Lesson 1:
✔ Introducing & describing people (name, age, nationality, profession).
✔ Reading comprehension & answering questions.
✔ French proverbs & their meanings.
✔ Grammar: present tense, past tense, articles, and adjectives.
✔ Writing practice: travel letter & sentence formation.
✔ French festivals and cultural events.

🔹 Grammar Rules Covered in the Lesson

📍 1️.  Présent de l’Indicatif (Present Tense) – Regular & Irregular Verbs
✔ Usage: Describing daily actions & routines.
✔ Examples:

• Je mange une pomme. (I eat an apple.)
• Nous allons à l’école. (We go to school.)
• Il prend le bus. (He takes the bus.)

📍 2️.  Passé Composé (Past Tense) – Using Avoir & Être
✔ Usage: Talking about past events & experiences.
✔ Examples:

• J’ai visité Paris. (I visited Paris.)
• Nous sommes allés au marché. (We went to the market.)

📍 3️.  Articles (Definite, Indefinite, Contracted)
✔ Usage: Learning when to use le, la, les, un, une, du, des, au.
✔ Examples:

• Le livre est sur la table. (The book is on the table.)
• J’ai acheté un gâteau. (I bought a cake.)

📍 4️.  Adjectifs Démonstratifs (Demonstrative Adjectives)
✔ Usage: Pointing out specific objects (ce, cet, cette, ces).
✔ Examples:

• Regarde cette voiture ! (Look at this car!)
• J’aime ces fleurs. (I like these flowers.)

📍 5️.  French Proverbs – Understanding Expressions
✔ Examples:

• “Après la pluie, le beau temps.” (After the rain, comes the sunshine.)
• “Les bons comptes font les bons amis.” (Good accounts make good friends.)

🔹 Vocabulary Lists with Meanings

📍 1️.  People & Professions

📍 2️.  Family & Descriptions

📍 3️.  Travel & Places

📍 4️.  Festivals & Events

🔹 Conclusion & How to Improve Further

✔ Practice daily conversations using introductions & descriptions.
✔ Revise verb conjugations in the present & past tense.
✔ Memorize & use French proverbs in speaking & writing.
✔ Write a short letter about a recent trip or event.
✔ Compare French cultural festivals with festivals in your country.

🚀 Lesson 1 provides a strong foundation in French grammar, vocabulary, and cultural knowledge! Keep practicing to build confidence in speaking and writing French. 🎯