🅿 Les liaisons interdites – Forbidden liaisons

If you haven’t read the lesson on compulsory liaisons, I’ll give you that information again before talking specifically about prohibited liaisons.

Quelques explications sur les liaisons … – Here are some explanations of the liaisons…

Une liaison ? Qu’est-ce que c’est ? – A liaison? What is it?

A liaison is the pronunciation of a final consonant that is not pronounced when the word is written on its own. A liaison occurs when the following word begins with a vowel or a silent “h”.

In this lesson, in order to indicate that there shouldn’t be a liaison, I will use the sign⏐between the 2 words.

Comment ça marche ? – How does it work?

Liaisons are one of the biggest difficulties when listening or speaking French. Indeed, when there is a liaison, 2 words are linked so it makes it harder to differentiate the 2 words. And when you speak, you need not only to memorise the words in French but as well the correct pronunciation including the liaison, this little phonetic bridge linking the 2 words.

In this lesson, we will see situations that you actually need to remember because you mustn’t make a liaison.

Quand faut-il faire une liaison ? – When do you have to make a liaison?

Well, sometimes it is mandatory, you absolutely must do it (otherwise you will be the victim of a spell that will make ratatouille come out of your mouth every time you open it 😈) but sometimes it is strictly forbidden (if you pronounce a liaison when there shouldn’t be, a rat will come in the night and eat your tongue 🐀). And in some situations, you could or not pronounce a liaison, it is up to you 😇.

Liaisons interdites – Forbidden liaisons

Entre un sujet qui n’est pas un pronom personnel et le verbe qui suit- Between a subject which is not a personal pronoun and the following verb

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	Richard⏐adore ce sport !	Richard loves this sport!
	Les chiens⏐aboient fortement.	The dogs are barking loudly.
	Leur maison⏐est très grande.	Their house is very big.

Après le mot “et“ – After the word “et“

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	Jason a bu une bière et⏐un cocktail.	Jason had a beer and a cocktail.
	Julien et⏐Audrey participent à un casting.	Julien and Audrey are taking part in a casting.
	Nous regardons le film et⏐apprécions les acteurs.	We watch the film and enjoy the actors.
	Et⏐alors ?	So what?

Après les adverbes interrogatifs “quand“, “comment” et “combien“ – After the interrogative adverbs “quand“, “comment” and “combien“

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	Comment⏐on écrit “pays” en français ?	How do you spell “pays” in French?
	Quand⏐est-il arrivé ?	When did he arrive?
	Combien⏐ont-ils de jetons ?	How many chips do they have?
	Comment⏐est calculé le PIB d’un pays ?	How is a country’s GDP calculated?

There are 2 exceptions to this rule:

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	Quand‿est-ce que … ?	When …?
	Comment‿allez-vous ?	How are you?

Entre un nom et un adjectif placé après le nom – Between a noun and an adjective placed after the noun

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	un enfant⏐intelligent	an intelligent child
	une situation⏐impressionante	an impressive situation
	un chat⏐albinos	an albino cat

Devant un h aspiré – In front of an aspirated h

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	Les⏐héros sont applaudis.	The heroes are applauded.
	Les mexicains mangent des⏐haricots noirs.	Mexicans eat black beans.
	Il y a un⏐hérisson dans mon jardin.	There’s a hedgehog in my garden.

Après un nom au singulier – After a noun in the singular

🎧	🇫🇷 French	🇬🇧 English
	Ce cochon⏐attire les regards.	This pig is a real eye-catcher.
	Le bâtiment⏐est très sale.	The building is very dirty.
	C’est un repas⏐équilibré.	It’s a balanced meal.