AP French AP French Vocabulary & Idiomatic Expressions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the French verb 'se tutoyer' mean?
- To address each other formally using 'vous'
- To address each other informally using 'tu' (Correct answer)
- To speak in the third person
- To use polite titles like Monsieur/Madame
Correct answer: To address each other informally using 'tu'
Se tutoyer means to address one another using the informal tu form, indicating familiarity or closeness between speakers.
Question 2: In AP French, 'le registre soutenu' refers to which type of language use?
- Slang and informal speech
- Formal, elevated, or literary language (Correct answer)
- Regional dialects and patois
- Technical or scientific jargon
Correct answer: Formal, elevated, or literary language
Le registre soutenu is the formal, elevated register used in academic writing, official speeches, and literary texts.
Question 3: What is the meaning of the French expression 'coûter les yeux de la tête' ?
- To be very cheap
- To be extremely expensive (Correct answer)
- To be worth the price
- To be priceless in sentimental value
Correct answer: To be extremely expensive
Coûter les yeux de la tête literally means 'to cost the eyes of the head' and idiomatically means something is outrageously expensive.
Question 4: Which French word is a 'faux ami' (false cognate) that does NOT mean what its English look-alike suggests?
- Forêt (forest)
- Actuellement (currently, not 'actually') (Correct answer)
- Animal (animal)
- National (national)
Correct answer: Actuellement (currently, not 'actually')
Actuellement is a classic faux ami: it means 'currently' or 'at present,' not 'actually' (which is en fait or à vrai dire).
Question 5: What does the French expression 'prendre une décision' mean, and which verb is commonly confused with 'prendre' in this context?
- To delay a decision; confused with 'retarder'
- To make a decision; commonly confused with 'faire' (Correct answer)
- To reverse a decision; confused with 'changer'
- To announce a decision; confused with 'annoncer'
Correct answer: To make a decision; commonly confused with 'faire'
Prendre une décision means 'to make a decision'; English speakers often mistakenly use faire une décision, which is not standard French.
Question 6: Which French term describes a word that sounds the same as another but has a different meaning and spelling?
- Un synonyme
- Un antonyme
- Un homonyme (Correct answer)
- Un néologisme
Correct answer: Un homonyme
Un homonyme (homophone/homonym) is a word that sounds identical to another word but differs in spelling and meaning, e.g., ver / vert / verre / vers.
AP French AP French Vocabulary & Idiomatic Expressions 2
What does the French verb 'se tutoyer' mean?