French accents - part 3 (French Essentials Lesson 19)

Bonjour! Today we are going to have a look at the TREMA accent. So you're going to tell me, what is the TREMA accent? Well, an accent like all other accents that you will find in French, okay? We have covered the accent grave, accent aigu, accent circonflex. Today we are looking at the TREMA accent, accent TREMA, okay? It is also known in French as a diérèse, okay? Or an umlaut as well. Now, what you need to know about the TREMA is that it looks like that. It's two little dots, okay, on top of usually an E or an I. So an E, I mean a E in French, and an I, I mean a I in French, okay? So it would look like that. Have a look. Right, okay? So a U, two dots, or an I, two dots, okay? Not a U, sorry, an E, two dots, and an I, two dots. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry about that. Okay, now, very rarely you are going to find it on the U, two dots, okay? That's very rare. Okay, so what you need to know is that it can be found on the E and an E, and sometimes on the U, but quite rarely. Now, why? Why do we have such an accent? Well, it doesn't quite change the sound of the letter itself, but what it does is that when you have two vowels next to each other, and one of which had TREMA on top, it changes the pronunciation of the word, okay? So these two vowels next to each other are here, so it can be both pronounced, okay? So for example, a good example would be MAIS, MAIS, okay? So if I have MAIS, have a look, M-A-I, TREMA, S. Now, I pronounce this word not MAIS, but MAIS. Why? Because there is a TREMA on top of the I, and therefore I must separate it from the A, and not pronounce the AI together. And that's the purpose of the TREMA, okay? So the TREMA is used when two vowels are next to each other, and both must be pronounced. Is this clear? Now, I use MAIS as an example because if you did not have the TREMA, the word is MAIS, okay? And MAIS is a French word. It means BUT, okay? I am tired, but I fancy going to the gym, for example. BUT, okay? That word. Now, add the TREMA, TING! It becomes MAIS, because I'm separating the I from the A, okay? So this TREMA accent can be found in the words such as NAÏVE, okay? Which means NAÏVE. NOËL, NOËL, okay? Which means CHRISTMAS. The name, proper name, ANAÏS, okay? That's the name, ANAÏS. This verb, AÏR, which means to HATE, okay? AÏR. Another word, LAÏC, LAÏC, okay? Which means NON-RELIGIOUS or SECULAR. Another word, FAÏANCE, FAÏANCE, which is a POTTERY or EARTHENWARE. Or CANOÉ, CANOÉ, okay? And CANOÉ means CANOEING, okay? And you can see that I'm pronouncing the O and the I very differently, because it has a TREMA on top of the I, okay? As I said to you earlier on, you can find the TREMA on top of the U, but it is extremely rare, okay? The only word I can think of, and correct me if I'm wrong, it's on top of AIGÜE, AIGÜE, okay? Which means ACUTE or HIGH PITCH, and when the word is FEMININE, okay? So you will find it on top of the U, though the correct spelling should be of the TREMA being on top of the I and not the U. It always comes after the first vowel, okay? But that's another story. So don't worry too much about the spelling of AIGÜE, okay? And when to use the TREMA on top of the U, because this happens really rarely, okay? So I'm going to finish now with the use of the TREMA in a sentence. I could say, for example, ANNAÏS mange du maïs à Noël sur son canoë, okay? And it means ANNAÏS mange, that means eating, du maïs, some sweet corn, à Noël, for Christmas or at Christmas, sur son canoë, on her canoe, okay? That's a bit random, but I wanted you to see it in a food sentence. But remember, TREMA accent is really rare, actually. Out of all the words we have, it represents a really minute proportion, okay? Now, that's it for me on the TREMA. I hope you understood the lesson. I tried my best to explain it as clearly as possible, okay? And that was our accent, okay? Now, why don't you have a look at other videos on accent for me, okay? So you are aware of every accent we have in French, as in the grave accent, acute accent, acute accent, circumflex accent, and so on. Also, have a look at www.learnfrenchwithalexa.com, because I take you or your French, not take you, your French to the next level. Okay, and have a look at my Patreon page, because I ask for support. And why don't you have a look at the Patreon page? Okay, that's it for me. Au revoir, à bientôt, bisous, bisous.