Key points about school and school routine in French
Use A verb that is usually followed by an infinitive, such as pouvoir (to be able to), vouloir (to want to), and devoir (must). pouvoir, meaning can/to be able to, and devoir, meaning must/to have to, to talk about school rules.
The Used to communicate that something must be done without specifying who should do it, where there is no natural subject (I, you, he, etc.). il faut followed by an infinitive can be used to talk about what must or must not be done.
Vocabulary – Days of the week and times of the day
It is useful to be able to use the days of the week and times of the day when talking about your school week.
For example:
Le jeudi, nous avons maths à midi. – On Thursdays, we have maths at midday.
Mardi, j’ai un cours de piano à une heure. – On Tuesday, I have a piano lesson at 1.00 pm.
Days of the week
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Monday |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Tuesday |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Wednesday |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Thursday |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Friday |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Saturday |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Sunday |
Note that days of the week in French do not start with a capital letter.
Talking about the time
Useful phrases for telling the time in French include:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| neuf heures | 09:00 |
| neuf heures dix | 09:10 |
| neuf heures et quart | 09:15 |
| neuf heures vingt-cinq | 09:25 |
| neuf heures et demie | 09:30 |
| dix heures moins vingt | 09:40 |
| dix heures moins le quart | 09:45 |
| dix heures moins dix | 09:50 |
| midi | midday |
| minuit | midnight |
To say what time it is now, use il est…. For example:
ll est onze heures. – It is 11.00 am.
To say when things happen, use à. For example:
Les cours finissent à trois heures et demie. – Lessons finish at 3.30 pm.
Did you know?
You can also use à in front of a day of the week or time phrase to mean ‘See you on …’
For example:
À lundi ! - See you on Monday!
À ce soir ! - See you tonight!
À demain ! - See you tomorrow!
Grammar - How to use the verbs ‘pouvoir’ and ‘devoir’
The two keys verbs pouvoir (can/to be able to) and devoir (must/to have to) are modal verbs. This means that they are always followed by an The basic form of the verb. In French, all infinitives end in '-er', '-ir' or '-re'..
For example:
Je peux aller au collège à vélo ou à pied. – I can go to school by bike or on foot.
On doit arriver à l’heure. – We must arrive on time.
How to conjugate the verb devoir:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | I have to/I must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (singular, informal) have to/you must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | he has to / he must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | she has to / she must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | one/it has to / one/it must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | we have to / we must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (singular informal or formal) have to/you must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | they (masculine or mixed) have to / must |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | they (feminine) have to / must |
How to conjugate the verb pouvoir:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | I can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (singular, informal) can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | he can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | she can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | it/one can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | we can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (singular informal or formal) can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | they (masculine or mixed) can |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | they (feminine) can |
Modal verbs – Mini quiz
Translate the following sentences into French:
I can go.
Je peux aller.
The modal verb je peux is followed by an infinitive in French.
She must listen.
Elle doit écouter.
The modal verb elle doit is followed by an infinitive in French.
Find out more about using modal verbs with infinitives in the Infinitives in French guide.
Listening practice
Click or tap on Start to listen to a podcast of four students from different French-speaking countries talking about their school week. Choose the correct answer for each speaker.
Vocabulary - Talking about school rules
Useful phrases to talk about things you must do at school include:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| arriver à l’heure | to arrive on time |
| écouter les profs | to listen to the teachers |
| faire les devoirs | to do homework |
| faire attention en classe | to pay attention in class |
| porter l’uniforme scolaire | to wear school uniform |
| respecter les autres | to respect other people |
| travailler dur | to work hard |
For example:
Il faut toujours porter l’uniforme scolaire. - You must always wear school uniform.
On doit travailler dur en cours. - We have to work hard in lessons.
Useful phrases to talk about things you must not do at school include:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| arriver en retard | to arrive late |
| courir dans une salle de classe | run in a classroom |
| manger en classe | to eat in class |
| oublier son cahier | to forget one’s exercise book |
| parler pendant un examen | to talk during an exam |
| porter des baskets | to wear trainers |
| utiliser un portable | to use a mobile phone |
For example:
Il ne faut pas porter des baskets. - You mustn’t wear trainers.
On ne doit pas arriver en retard. - We mustn’t arrive late.
All Foundation Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Grammar – Using impersonal verbs for talking about school rules
A useful verb to talk about school rules is il faut (it is necessary). This is an Used to communicate that something must be done without specifying who should do it, where there is no natural subject (I, you, he, etc.). and is always followed by an infinitive.
Il faut usually translates in English as ‘we have to’, ‘we must’, ‘you have to’ or ‘you must’.
For example:
Il faut apporter le bon cahier. – You have to bring the right exercise book.
Il faut respecter cette règle. – We must respect this rule.
For example:
Il ne faut pas arriver en retard. – We musn’t arrive late.
Il ne faut jamais manger dans la bibliothèque. – You must never eat in the library.
Impersonal verbs - Mini quiz
Choose the correct impersonal verb to complete the following sentences.
Click or tap on Start to begin the activity.
Find out more about using impersonal verbs in the Impersonal verbs and expressions in French guide.
Reading practice
Some French students have posted their opinion of their school rules on an online forum.
Read the posts and answer the questions in English. Give as many details as possible.
Kadime
Il faut toujours apporter son sac avec des stylos, ses cahiers et d’autres livres. C’est trop lourd. J’oublie souvent quelque chose.
Patricia
En général, je suis pour l’uniforme scolaire parce que c’est facile et confortable. Il faut porter un pantalon noir en hiver et un short bleu en été.
Leila
Dans mon collège, il ne faut pas utiliser son portable en classe. Je pense que cette règle est injuste. Je voudrais l’utiliser pour apprendre.
- What must Kadime remember to take to school?
- A bag, pens, exercise books and other books.
- What does Kadime say about this rule and why?
- His bag is too heavy / he often forgets something.
- What is Patricia’s opinion of school uniform and why?
- She is for it because it’s easy and comfortable.
- What do they have to wear at Patricia’s school?
- Black trousers in winter and blue shorts in summer.
- What are you not allowed to do at Leila’s school?
- Use a mobile phone in class.
- What is Leila’s opinion of this rule and why?
- She thinks that it is unfair because she wants to use it to learn.
Click or tap on Show more to read a translation of the students' posts.
Kadime
You always have to carry your bag, exercise books and other books. It's too heavy. I often forget something.
Patricia
In general I am in favour of a school uniform as it is easy and comfortable. You have to wear black trousers in winter and blue shorts in summer.
Leila
At my school you must not use your phone in class. I think this rule is not fair. I would like to use it to learn.
Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when describing school rules.
Higher Tier – Vocabulary – Describing school rules
Useful vocabulary for talking about school rules includes:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| apporter un stylo | to bring a pen |
| crier | to shout |
All vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Higher Tier – Grammar – Modal verbs
Use pouvoir and devoir in the perfect tense to talk about something you were able to do or that you had to do in the past. For example:
J’ai pu choisir mes matières. – I was able to choose my subjects.
On a dû aider notre prof. – We had to help our teacher.
Higher Tier - Grammar - Impersonal verbs
Il est interdit de (it is forbidden to) is useful impersonal expression to use when talking about school rules. It must be followed by an infinitive. For example:
Il est interdit de parler pendant l’examen. – It is forbidden to talk during the exam.
Impersonal verbs can be used with other common An adjective is a word that describes a noun. In French, adjectives have different endings depending on whether the noun they are describing is masculine, feminine, singular or plural. following the same pattern:
- il est followed by an adjective, de and an infinitive.
For example:
Il est important de réviser. – It is important to revise.
Find out more about using impersonal verbs in the Impersonal verbs and expressions in French.
Higher Tier - Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when describing school rules.
Now you have learned about talking about school rules why not look at the Describing family and friends in French guide.
More on School and education
Find out more by working through a topic
- count3 of 3
- count1 of 3
