La santé
Primary 4 · French
La santé
Lesson 4 of 4
35 min
Put your top teeth gently on your bottom lip and blow: fffff. Now do the same and hum: vvvvv. Put your hand on your throat. Can you feel it buzz?
These two sounds are in many health words, like « la fièvre ». Let's say them clearly.
[f] blows. You write it f, ff or ph:
[v] buzzes. You write it v:
Now say these pairs. Only one sound changes, but the meaning changes too!
| [f] | [v] |
|---|---|
| fou (crazy) | vous (you) |
| font (they do) | vont (they go) |
| faire (to do) | verre (a glass) |
Say it fast: « Vite, Victor ! Fifi a de la fièvre ! »
Mutesi, the class health monitor, writes her advice on the board:
1. Lave-toi les mains avec de l'eau et du savon.
2. Bois de l'eau propre.
3. Mange des fruits et des légumes.
4. Fais du sport et dors bien.
5. Dors sous une moustiquaire.
6. Va vite au centre de santé quand tu as de la fièvre.
Many adjectives add an -e when they describe a girl or a woman:
| Boy | Girl |
|---|---|
| Mugisha est fatigué. | Keza est fatiguée. |
| Il est fort. | Elle est forte. |
| Il est malade. | Elle est malade. |
| Son t-shirt est propre. | Sa robe est propre. |
If the adjective already ends in -e (malade, propre, sale), it does not change. Propre means clean and sale means dirty.
Tip
Feel the buzz. Keep your hand on your throat. If it buzzes, it's v. If it only blows, it's f. The word fièvre has both: blow at the start, buzz in the middle!
Which sounds are in « la fièvre »?
Answer: both: [f] at the start and [v] in the middle.
Which word has the sound [v]: fou or vous?
Answer: vous.
Give one of Mutesi's health tips in French.
Answer: for example: Bois de l'eau propre.
Complete: Keza est ___ . (fatigué)
Answer: fatiguée.
What is the opposite of propre?
Answer: sale (dirty).
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
Which word has the buzzing [v] sound?
