Welcome to Lesson 7 of our DELF A2 preparation course. At the A2 level, examiners expect you to move beyond simple descriptions and begin expressing your personal thoughts, preferences, and needs. This skill is crucial for both the speaking and writing portions of the exam, where you are often asked to react to a situation or provide an opinion on a daily topic, such as work-life balance or city living.
To express an opinion in French, you need a variety of introductory phrases. Using a range of these markers shows the examiner that you have a flexible command of the language. The most common way to start is with phrases that translate to "I think that" or "In my opinion."
[[pronounce:À mon avis:fr]]
[[pronounce:Je pense que:fr]]
[[pronounce:Je crois que:fr]]
[[pronounce:Selon moi:fr]]
When using these expressions, it is important to note that they are typically followed by the indicative mood, not the subjunctive, because you are stating a belief or a perceived fact. For example, if you want to say "I think that it is important," you would use the present tense of the verb "to be."
Let's look at essential vocabulary for expressing opinions and needs. Pay close attention to the phonetic approximations to help with your oral production for the DELF interview.
| French Word/Phrase | Phonetic | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| D'accord | (dah-kor) | In agreement / OK |
| Pas d'accord | (pah dah-kor) | Not in agreement |
| Besoin de | (behz-wan duh) | Need of / Need to |
| Utile | (yu-teel) | Useful |
| Important | (am-por-tan) | Important |
| Je préfère | (zhuh pray-fehr) | I prefer |
Expressing a need in French primarily revolves around the expression "avoir besoin de" (to have need of). Unlike in English, where "need" is a verb, in French, it is a noun phrase using the verb "avoir" (to have). This means the verb must be conjugated to match the subject.
Here is the conjugation for "avoir besoin de" in the present tense:
| Subject | Conjugation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| J' | ai besoin de | I need |
| Tu | as besoin de | You need (informal) |
| Il/Elle/On | a besoin de | He/She/One needs |
| Nous | avons besoin de | We need |
| Vous | avez besoin de | You need (formal/plural) |
| Ils/Elles | ont besoin de | They need |
To sound more natural during your DELF A2 speaking test, try to combine your opinion with a justification. Instead of just saying "I like the city," say "I like the city because there are many museums." The word "parce que" (because) is your best friend here for adding the necessary detail to reach a higher score.
[[pronounce:Je pense que c'est utile parce que c'est rapide.:fr]]
[[pronounce:À mon avis, nous avons besoin de plus de temps.:fr]]
[[pronounce:Je ne suis pas d'accord avec cette idée.:fr]]
[[pronounce:Selon moi, le sport est important pour la santé.:fr]]
In French culture, expressing a strong disagreement can sometimes be perceived as blunt. To soften your opinion, native speakers often use "Je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord" (I don't entirely agree) rather than a hard "Je ne suis pas d'accord." This nuance is highly valued in the "Interaction" part of the DELF exam, as it demonstrates social competence and politeness.
Regístrate para responder estas preguntas de forma interactiva y calificar tu examen.