French GCSE
French GCSE glossary
86 key terms for French GCSE, A to Z, each linked to the topic pages that use it.
A
- Accord
- Agreement.Pearson Edexcel
- Accord (Agreement)
- The rule that adjectives and certain past participles must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they relate to.Pearson Edexcel
- Adjective Agreement (L'accord des adjectifs)
- The rule that adjectives must change their ending to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe.Pearson Edexcel
C
- Connecteur Logique (Connective)
- A word used to link sentences or clauses, adding flow and complexity to writing.Pearson Edexcel
- Connecteurs logiques
- Connectives or linking words (e.g., cependant, donc, ensuite).Pearson Edexcel
E
- Environmental Responsibility and Global Citizenship
- Analysis of French legislative responses to climate change, including 'la transition écologique' and the promotion of 'la consommation responsable'.AQA
F
- Faire la grasse matinée
- An idiomatic expression meaning 'to have a lie-in'.Pearson Edexcel
- Futur proche
- A future tense formed with 'aller' + infinitive, translating to 'going to do something'.Pearson Edexcel
G
- Globalisation and Cultural Identity
- Evaluation of the impact of 'le tourisme de masse' on local French communities and the preservation of 'le patrimoine mondial'.AQA
I
- Imparfait
- A past tense used to describe ongoing actions, habits, or states of being in the past.Pearson Edexcel
J
- Justification
- Providing a reason for an opinion using connectives like parce que, car, or puisque.Pearson Edexcel
L
- L'accord (Agreement)
- The grammatical rule that adjectives and some past participles must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they…Pearson Edexcel
- L'arrondissement
- An administrative district within large French cities like Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.AQA
- L'avenir et les choix d'orientation
- Examination of post-16 pathways, including 'filières' (streams) such as 'générale', 'technologique', and 'professionnelle'.AQA
- L'économie du tourisme et la dépendance régionale
- Evaluation of tourism as a primary economic driver in regions like Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the challenges of seasonal employment and 'la vie chère' for…AQA
- L'Égalité des Chances
- The Republican ideal that the state school system provides a meritocratic path for all citizens, though challenged by the existence of 'grandes écoles' and…AQA
- L'Égalité des Chances et la Mixité Sociale
- Analysis of the socio-economic barriers to elite education, focusing on initiatives like 'Les Cordées de la réussite' and the debate surrounding the…AQA
- L'environnement et le développement durable
- Analysis of ecological threats, the transition to green energy in France, and the specific vulnerabilities of Francophone African nations to desertification…AQA
- L'évolution de la famille
- Analysis of the transition from the traditional nuclear family to diverse structures including 'familles recomposées' and 'familles monoparentales' in modern…AQA
- L'exception culturelle
- The French policy of treating culture as a non-commercial good, leading to subsidies for cinema and quotas for French-language music on radio (Loi Toubon),…AQA
- L'identité culturelle et la mondialisation
- Investigation into how tourism promotes the 'rayonnement' of French culture while simultaneously risking the 'muséification' of living cities like Paris and…AQA
- L'identité et les modèles
- Exploration of personal attributes and the influence of 'modèles à suivre' (role models) on the formation of individual identity.AQA
- L'impact environnemental et le tourisme durable
- Analysis of the ecological footprint of mass tourism in fragile zones, specifically the French Alps and coastal regions, and the rise of 'écotourisme' as a…AQA
- L'Infinitif
- The unconjugated form of a verb, ending in -er, -ir, or -re (e.g., parler, finir, vendre).Pearson Edexcel
- L'organisation de la vie scolaire
- Analysis of the French school day, the role of 'la laïcité' in education, and the structural differences between the UK and French systems, specifically…AQA
- L'organisation scolaire et la routine
- Analysis of the French school day, which typically features longer hours (8:00 to 17:00 or 18:00) and the 'pause déjeuner'.AQA
- L'orientation et les ambitions futures
- Evaluation of post-16 and post-18 pathways, including the distinction between 'les Grandes Écoles' and 'l'université', and the impact of 'la spécialisation'…AQA
- L'Orientation et Parcoursup
- The mechanism of student placement into higher education, examining the shift from the 'Admission Post-Bac' (APB) lottery system to the criteria-based…AQA
- La banlieue
- The suburbs; the residential areas surrounding a city.Pearson Edexcel
- La cyber-société
- Investigation into the impact of digital technology on French social cohesion, privacy laws, and the 'fracture numérique' across different demographics.AQA
- La cyber-société et l'identité
- Investigation into how social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok) reshape French youth identity, linguistic norms (le langage SMS), and the concept of…AQA
- La famille en voie de changement
- Analysis of the decline of the traditional nuclear family and the rise of 'familles recomposées' and 'monoparentales' within the French legislative context.AQA
- La Fête de la Musique
- An annual nationwide music celebration on June 21st with free public concerts.Pearson Edexcel
- La fracture numérique
- Analysis of the socio-economic and generational disparities in technology access within France, focusing on the 'zones blanches' and the impact on elderly…AQA
- La Francophonie
- The global community of French-speaking countries and people.Pearson Edexcel
- La Justification
- Providing a reason for an opinion using connectives like parce que, car, or puisque.Pearson Edexcel
- La laïcité
- The separation of church and state within the 'espace scolaire', mandated by the 1905 law and reinforced by the 2004 ban on conspicuous religious symbols,…AQA
- La mondialisation
- Globalisation; the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence.Pearson Edexcel
- La pauvreté et l'exclusion
- Investigation into the systemic causes of marginalization within French society and the developing world, focusing on the 'fracture sociale' and the role of…AQA
- La permanence (la perm)
- A supervised study period when a teacher is absent.Pearson Edexcel
- La reconversion professionnelle
- The process of retraining or changing career paths, increasingly common in the modern French economy.AQA
- La Réforme du Baccalauréat
- The transition from a stream-based system (S, ES, L) to a modular system incorporating 'contrôle continu' (40%) and final examinations (60%), aiming to…AQA
- La rentrée
- The start of the new school year in September.Pearson Edexcel
- La solidarité internationale
- Evaluation of the role of NGOs and international bodies in addressing global health, security, and human rights issues through the lens of 'le droit…AQA
- La version originale (V.O.)
- A film shown in its original language with subtitles, rather than dubbed.Pearson Edexcel
- Le 14 Juillet
- Bastille Day; the French national holiday celebrating the French Revolution.Pearson Edexcel
- Le baccalauréat (le bac)
- The French national academic qualification that students take at the end of high school, equivalent to A-Levels in the UK.Pearson Edexcel
- Le bénévolat
- Volunteering; unpaid work done to help others or the environment.Pearson Edexcel
- Le collège
- Secondary school / Middle school for students aged 11-15 in France.Pearson Edexcel
- Le conditionnel
- The conditional mood in grammar, used to express wishes, possibilities, or hypothetical situations.Pearson Edexcel
- Le développement durable
- Sustainable development; economic development that is conducted without depletion of natural resources.Pearson Edexcel
- Le Festival de Cannes
- The prestigious international film festival held annually in the south of France.Pearson Edexcel
- Le Futur Proche
- The near future tense, used for planned events.Pearson Edexcel
- Le Futur Simple
- The tense used to describe what WILL happen (e.g., je travaillerai - I will work).Pearson Edexcel
- Le lycée
- Sixth form / Upper secondary school (typically ages 15-18).Pearson Edexcel
- Le monde du travail et les petits boulots
- Exploration of part-time employment, the importance of 'le SMIC' (minimum wage), and the linguistic requirements for professional correspondence and CV…AQA
- Le Passé Composé
- The most common past tense in French, used for completed actions.Pearson Edexcel
- Le Patrimoine et l'Identité
- The role of national heritage sites and festivals in fostering social cohesion and regional identity, often supported by the 'Ministère de la Culture'.AQA
- Le patrimoine immatériel
- Intangible cultural heritage, including traditions, oral expressions, and performing arts, as protected by UNESCO.AQA
- Le paysage
- The visible features of an area of land, often used to describe regional scenery.AQA
- Le quartier
- The immediate neighbourhood or district where one resides.AQA
- Le rôle du bénévolat
- Evaluation of the importance of the 'secteur associatif' in France, focusing on its role in mitigating social exclusion and fostering 'solidarité'.AQA
- Le Rythme Scolaire
- The specific organization of the French school week, including the historical absence of classes on Wednesdays and the intensity of the 'journée continue'…AQA
- Le SMIC
- Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance; the legally mandated minimum wage in France.AQA
- Le syncrétisme
- The amalgamation or attempted merging of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought, common in Francophone Caribbean festivals.AQA
- Le télétravail
- Remote working arrangements, which have seen significant growth in the French service sector post-2020.AQA
- Les Faux Amis
- False friends; words that look similar in French and English but have different meanings (e.g., 'actuellement' means currently, not actually).Pearson Edexcel
- Les installations sportives
- Sports facilities such as gyms, pools, and pitches available to the local community.AQA
- Les Mots de Liaison
- Connectives or linking words (e.g., cependant, donc, ensuite).Pearson Edexcel
- Les Prépositions
- Small words showing relationship, location or direction (e.g., à, en, dans).Pearson Edexcel
- Les pressions académiques et le succès
- Exploration of the rigorous grading system (out of 20) and the high-stakes nature of national examinations.AQA
- Les rapports paritaires
- Examination of the qualities defining 'un bon ami' and the sociological importance of peer groups in Francophone adolescent development.AQA
- Les transports en commun
- Public transport systems including the 'métro', 'tramway', and 'autobus'.AQA
- Les Verbes Pronominaux
- Reflexive verbs, which require a reflexive pronoun (e.g., je me lève, il se lave).Pearson Edexcel
P
- Passé composé
- A past tense used to describe completed, specific actions that happened in the past.Pearson Edexcel
- Possessive Adjectives (Les adjectifs possessifs)
- Words like my, your, his, her (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes).Pearson Edexcel
R
- Reflexive Verbs (Les verbes pronominaux)
- Verbs where the subject and object are the same, using a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se).Pearson Edexcel
- Régulation et Législation
- Examination of the French state's proactive role in digital governance, including the implementation of the RGPD (GDPR) and specific national laws targeting…AQA
S
- Social Inequality and Charitable Action
- Examination of 'la fracture sociale' in France and the role of 'le bénévolat' in mitigating the effects of poverty and social exclusion.AQA
U
- Un aller-retour
- A return ticket (outward and return journey).Pearson Edexcel
- Un apprentissage
- An apprenticeship; a system of training for a trade or profession with on-the-job training and accompanying study.Pearson Edexcel
- Un CDI
- Contrat de Travail à Durée Indéterminée; a permanent employment contract offering high job security.AQA
- Un entretien d'embauche
- A formal job interview requiring specific linguistic registers and cultural etiquette.AQA
- Un jour férié
- A public holiday where employees are generally not required to work, often coinciding with historical or religious milestones.AQA
V
- Verbes pronominaux
- Reflexive verbs, where the action is performed on the subject itself (e.g., se laver - to wash oneself).Pearson Edexcel
- Verbes Pronominaux (Reflexive Verbs)
- Verbs where the subject and object are the same, requiring a reflexive pronoun (e.g., se baigner, se détendre).Pearson Edexcel
Where these terms come from
Each definition is one we publish on a French GCSE topic page or study guide. Open a term to see how each exam board words it and which topic it belongs to. For the full course, go to French revision or the glossary for every subject.
Revise French with these terms
Create a free account to practise exam questions and get feedback on your answers.
Start free
French topics7 days Premium · Then free forever · No card, no charge