French Liaisons and Elisions: Why Words Link Together
Getting Started — Why Words “Stick Together”
In spoken French, an article or pronoun often “sticks” to the next word into one sound — via liaison (a silent consonant wakes up) or elision (a vowel drops and fuses with an apostrophe). Your ear needs to learn chunks (linked phrases), not separate words.
Three “linking rules” that take you to CLB 5:
- Liaison
un/on→ add “n”: un instant is not “uh-n… in-STAHN” separately, it’s one chunk → uh-nan-STAHN. - Liaison
les/des/nous/vous/ils→ add “z”: les amis → lay-zah-mee, vous êtes → voo-zet. - Elision
le/la/je/de/ne/que+ vowel → l’ / j’ / d’ / n’ / qu’: le ami → l’ami → lah-mee; je ai → j’ai → zhay.
⚠️ Punjabi transcriptions below are approximations. Nasal vowels, rounded u, and the throaty r don’t fully translate to Gurmukhi — always check with real audio.
1. l' — Elision (le / la + vowel or silent h → l’)
The article shrinks to l’ and sticks to the word. You hear one chunk starting with “l”.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| l’eau | the water | [n] | Je bois de l’eau. | I drink water. |
| l’ami | the friend | [n] | C’est l’ami de Paul. | He’s Paul’s friend. |
| l’homme | the man | [n] | L’homme est grand. | The man is tall. |
| l’école | the school | [n] | L’école est fermée. | The school is closed. |
| l’argent | the money | [n] | Où est l’argent? | Where is the money? |
| l’heure | the hour / time | [n] | Quelle est l’heure? | What’s the time? |
| l’enfant | the child | [n] | L’enfant dort. | The child is sleeping. |
| l’adresse | the address | [n] | Donne-moi l’adresse. | Give me the address. |
| l’idée | the idea | [n] | C’est l’idée principale. | It’s the main idea. |
| l’année | the year | [n] | L’année prochaine. | Next year. |
| l’université | the university | [n] | Je vais à l’université. | I go to the university. |
| l’immigration | immigration | [n] | Le bureau de l’immigration. | The immigration office. |
| l’examen | the exam | [n] | L’examen est difficile. | The exam is hard. |
| l’ordinateur | the computer | [n] | L’ordinateur est lent. | The computer is slow. |
2. un / une — Indefinite article
un + vowel wakes an “n” that links to the next word. une already ends with a soft “n” and flows naturally.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| un instant | a moment | [n] | Un instant, s’il vous plaît. | One moment, please. |
| un ami | a friend | [n] | J’ai un ami ici. | I have a friend here. |
| un homme | a man | [n] | Un homme attend. | A man is waiting. |
| un enfant | a child | [n] | Un enfant joue. | A child is playing. |
| un an | a year | [n] | Il y a un an. | A year ago. |
| un avion | a plane | [n] | Un avion décolle. | A plane takes off. |
| un examen | an exam | [n] | J’ai un examen demain. | I have an exam tomorrow. |
| un ordinateur | a computer | [n] | J’achète un ordinateur. | I’m buying a computer. |
| une amie | a friend (fem) | [n] | Une amie m’appelle. | A friend is calling me. |
| une heure | one hour | [n] | J’attends une heure. | I wait one hour. |
| une idée | an idea | [n] | J’ai une idée. | I have an idea. |
| une école | a school | [n] | Une école moderne. | A modern school. |
3. les / des — Plural liaison “z”
The silent s of les / des wakes up as a “z” before a vowel and links to the next word. This is French’s most common liaison — master it.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| les amis | the friends | [n] | Les amis arrivent. | The friends are arriving. |
| les enfants | the children | [n] | Les enfants jouent. | The children are playing. |
| les hommes | the men | [n] | Les hommes travaillent. | The men are working. |
| les écoles | the schools | [n] | Les écoles sont fermées. | The schools are closed. |
| les heures | the hours | [n] | Les heures passent. | The hours go by. |
| les années | the years | [n] | Les années passent vite. | The years go by fast. |
| les autres | the others | [pron] | Les autres attendent. | The others are waiting. |
| des amis | (some) friends | [n] | J’ai des amis ici. | I have friends here. |
| des enfants | (some) children | [n] | Il y a des enfants. | There are children. |
| des idées | (some) ideas | [n] | J’ai des idées. | I have ideas. |
| des heures | (some) hours | [n] | J’attends des heures. | I wait for hours. |
| des immigrants | (some) immigrants | [n] | Il y a des immigrants. | There are immigrants. |
4. Pronoun + verb — Liaison
Pronouns ending in a silent s/t before a vowel-starting verb wake that consonant and link it. nous / vous / ils / elles → “z”; on / est → “n / t”.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nous avons | we have | [v] | Nous avons un rendez-vous. | We have an appointment. |
| nous allons | we go | [v] | Nous allons au bureau. | We’re going to the office. |
| vous êtes | you are | [v] | Vous êtes en retard. | You are late. |
| vous avez | you have | [v] | Vous avez raison. | You are right. |
| vous habitez | you live | [v] | Vous habitez où? | Where do you live? |
| ils ont | they have | [v] | Ils ont un problème. | They have a problem. |
| ils aiment | they like | [v] | Ils aiment voyager. | They like to travel. |
| ils habitent | they live | [v] | Ils habitent à Toronto. | They live in Toronto. |
| on est | we are | [v] | On est prêts. | We are ready. |
| on a | we have | [v] | On a le temps. | We have time. |
| c’est un | it’s a | [phr] | C’est un bon choix. | It’s a good choice. |
| est-il | is he | [v] | Est-il là? | Is he there? |
5. Everyday chunks — Elision + fixed phrases
These words always link in daily speech. Learn each as one unit.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| c’est | it is | [phr] | C’est bon. | It’s good. |
| je m’appelle | my name is | [phr] | Je m’appelle Paul. | My name is Paul. |
| j’aime | I like | [phr] | J’aime voyager. | I like to travel. |
| t’appelles-tu | what’s your name | [phr] | Comment t’appelles-tu? | What’s your name? |
| n’est-ce pas | isn’t it | [phr] | C’est bon, n’est-ce pas? | It’s good, isn’t it? |
Test yourself: Practice saying les amis, vous avez, un ami, j’aime as single chunks, not separated words. Record yourself and compare to native speech.
Key principle: Liaison and elision are NOT optional style choices — they’re how real French is spoken. Training your ear to hear chunks (and your mouth to produce them) is one of the fastest ways to sound more natural and be understood.
FAQ
What is the difference between liaison and elision?
Liaison = a silent consonant wakes up and links to the next word (les amis → 'lay-zah-mee'). Elision = a vowel drops and is replaced by an apostrophe; two words join (le ami → l'ami → 'lah-mee'). Both result in the same thing: two words become one sound.
Why does real French sound so fast and linked together?
Because French doesn't say words separately — they link through liaison and elision. Your ear needs to learn to hear 'chunks' (linked phrases), not separate words.
Is liaison required everywhere?
Some liaisons are mandatory (les amis, vous êtes, un ami), some optional, and some forbidden. Start with the mandatory ones (les/des/nous/vous/ils + vowel, un/on + vowel) — these are enough for CLB 5.
What's the payoff for doing liaison correctly in CLB 5?
When your chunks flow naturally, the examiner understands you much better. Correct liaison boosts your 'comprehensibility' score more than perfecting individual vowels alone.