The vowels that don't glide in French

1. 1
   vélo/velo/

   bikenoun

   A two-wheeled machine you move by pedalling.
2. 2
   château/ʃato/

   castlenoun

   A large old building, often with towers, where lords used to live.
3. 3
   eau/o/

   waternoun

   A clear, tasteless liquid that you drink and that fills rivers.
4. 4
   bateau/bato/

   boatnoun

   A craft that floats and is used to travel on water.
5. 5
   oiseau/wazo/

   birdnoun

   An animal covered in feathers, with two wings and a beak.
6. 6
   gâteau/ɡato/

   cakenoun

   A sweet, soft pastry baked in the oven.
7. 7
   café/kafe/

   coffeenoun

   A hot, dark drink made from ground beans.
8. 8
   chaud/ʃo/

   hotadjective

   Having a high temperature.
9. 9
   beau/bo/

   fineadjective

   Said of sunny weather, without rain or clouds.
10. 10
    peu/pø/

    a littleadverb

    In a small amount, not much.

The sentences

1. On prend le vélo pour longer la rivière ?

   Shall we take the bike along the river?

2. On voit déjà le château depuis le chemin.

   You can already see the castle from the path.

3. Tu as pris de l'eau pour la route ?

   Did you bring water for the road?

4. Un bateau passe doucement sur la rivière.

   A boat is slowly going by on the river.

5. Tu as vu l'oiseau qui chante dans le grand arbre ?

   Did you see the bird singing in the big tree?

6. Il reste une part de gâteau dans le panier.

   There's still a piece of cake left in the basket.

7. Je prendrais bien un café chaud avant de repartir.

   I could really go for a hot coffee before we head back.

8. Il fait vraiment chaud au bord de la rivière.

   It's really hot by the river.

9. Il fait beau, on peut manger dehors sous les arbres.

   It's nice out, we can eat outside under the trees.

10. On se repose un peu avant de rentrer ?

    Shall we rest a little before heading back?

Pronunciation

• vélo/velo/

  The é is closed, /e/, and the final o stays pure, /o/.

• eau/o/

  The three letters make just one sound, /o/, held without moving.

• oiseau/wazo/

  oi is said /wa/ and the s between two vowels is said /z/.

• café/kafe/

  The final é is closed, /e/, and doesn't slide toward an i.

• chaud/ʃo/

  The final d is silent and 'au' is said /o/, with rounded lips.

Questions

How do you say bike in French?

Vélo, pronounced /velo/, as in 'On prend le vélo pour longer la rivière ?'

What does gâteau mean?

Gâteau is cake, a sweet, soft pastry baked in the oven, as in 'Il reste une part de gâteau dans le panier.'

How do you say the weather is nice?

Il fait beau, as in 'Il fait beau, on peut manger dehors sous les arbres.'