French Vocabulary Flashcards

Unités 1–6 — Brugklas vocabulary · 235 cards, two decks, 30-day study plan included.

What's in this kit

How to read a card

Front (French side) shows the French word with its article (le, la, les, l'), an informal pronunciation guide in italics (e.g. [shyan] for chien), and where the form on the list is conjugated, the dictionary form in brackets (e.g. Je m'appelle (s'appeler)). For adjectives with both forms (e.g. Petit(e)), the (e) means add an e for the feminine.

Back (Dutch side) shows the Dutch translation — that's the test answer. Below it, supplementary info: gender forms or infinitive for grammar, an English memory bridge ("related to 'X'" for true cognates, "like 'X'" for similar-sounding bridges), a short example using other words from this same list, and where useful a sense note (ℹ) or false-friend warning (⚠).

Pronunciation key

The phonetic guides use English-sound spelling, not IPA. Key conventions:

• zh = the French j sound (like the 's' in "measure")
• sh = French ch (like English "sh")
• ew = French u (no English equivalent — round your lips and say "ee")
• oo = French ou (like "boot")
• uh = the schwa-like e or eu
• ahn / ohn / an / yan = nasal vowels (the n isn't really pronounced — it nasalises the vowel before it)
• r = the French r is guttural, made at the back of the throat — different from English r

How to make the cards

1. Print on regular paper — cardstock is better but not required. Pages 3 onward have the cards (6 per page).
2. Cut along the dashed lines around each card.
3. Fold each card in half along the solid line in the middle. Fold the bottom half up and behind — both printed sides should end up on the OUTSIDE of the folded card. (The back text is printed upside-down on purpose; the fold puts it the right way up.)
4. Sort the Core cards (warm yellow) into one stack and Recognition cards (grey) into another.

Suggested study method — the Leitner box

Get 5 small boxes, envelopes, or just five spots on a desk. Number them 1–5. All cards start in box 1.

• Each day, draw a card. Try to recall the answer before flipping.
• Got it right → card moves to the NEXT box (1→2→3→4→5).
• Got it wrong → card goes back to box 1.
• Review schedule: Box 1 every day, Box 2 every 2 days, Box 3 every 4 days, Box 4 every week, Box 5 every 2 weeks.
• A card in box 5 is "learned." If a box-5 card is ever wrong, it goes back to box 1 — leeches need fresh attention.

30-day plan (test on 10 June)

• Days 1–3 (warm-up): Sort the cards. Read through the Core deck once. Drop the easiest 20 (you already know them) into box 2.
• Days 4–14 (intake): Add ~15 new cards/day to box 1, alternating Core and Recognition. Daily Leitner pass: box 1 every day, others on their schedule. Aim for ~20 minutes total.
• Days 15–25 (consolidation): No new cards. Pure Leitner cycling. Track which cards keep coming back to box 1 — those are your leeches; rewrite them with extra-vivid English bridges.
• Days 26–30 (test prep): Two full passes per day. Mock test from a friend or parent. Sleep well — vocabulary consolidates during sleep.

How to use the English bridge

The Dutch answer is what counts on the test. English never appears in the answer — it's a memory scaffold. When you see la chambre, the English hint "related to 'chamber, chamber pot'" links the unfamiliar French word to something already familiar. After a few days the bridge falls away and you just know the word.

For false friends (marked ⚠), do the opposite — actively notice the trap. Demander looks like "demand" but means "ask." Build a clear image: a French waiter politely asking what you'd like, not demanding it.