In this French grammar lesson you will learn how to use ancien in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- how to use ancien in French
- how ancien is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on how to use ancien in French
- how to practice with flashcards on ancien in French
- how and why you should use the courses of Language Atlas to learn French
Please refer to the French B1 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about how this fits in the overall structure of French B1.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about how to use ancien in French!
Table of Contents
Ancien before the Noun = Former
“Ancien” in French can be used to mean “former” when it is placed BEFORE a noun.
- ancien = former
François Hollande est l’ancien président de la France.
François Hollande is the former President of France.
C’est mon ancienne petite amie.
She is my ex-girlfriend.
C’est mon ancienne voiture.
That is my old car. [This car no longer belongs to me]
Ancien after the Noun = Old / Ancient
“Ancien” in French can be used to mean “old” when it is placed AFTER a noun.
- ancien = old / ancient
Ce sont des bijoux anciens.
These are ancient jewels.
C’est une église ancienne.
This is an ancient church.
Je crois que j’ai une voiture ancienne.
I think I have an old car.
Example Sentences on How to use Ancien in French
The final section of this lesson on how to use ancien French is about seeing the adjective in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding on how to use ancien in French through examples.
Here you can find the sentences of the previous chapters, neatly stored in one place.
François Hollande est l’ancien président de la France.
François Hollande is the former President of France.
C’est mon ancienne petite amie.
She is my ex-girlfriend.
C’est mon ancienne voiture.
That is my old car. [This car no longer belongs to me]
Ce sont des bijoux anciens.
These are ancient jewels.
C’est une église ancienne.
This is an ancient church.
Je crois que j’ai une voiture ancienne.
I think I have an old car.
Quiz Yourself on How to use Ancien in French
At the end of every lesson you can do a small quiz.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the quiz as many times as you want!
How to Practice With Flashcards for This Lesson
Using flashcards is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning a language!
It is the best way to memorize what you learn, you can personalize your progression because it adapts to your actions, and all flashcards have audio to improve your hearing and pronunciation.
Please read our article on how to learn a new language for more information.
There are two ways to practice with Flashcards for this lesson.
- Anki
- The Flashcards in our Courses
Anki is a free software with which you can create and practice flashcards.
After you have downloaded Anki, you can get our French B1 Anki Deck.
This Anki Deck contains 2,028 flashcards with which you can practice absolutely everything for French B1.
All the flashcards have text, images, explanations, and audio.
You can also use our courses that have flashcards integrated alongside lessons with audio, quizzes and much more!
However, I am sure you are wondering, what are your courses, and why should I take them?
The Courses of Language Atlas
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to learn a new language?
I have been learning languages for over 20+ years and I was always frustrated with books, courses, and classes that I had tried.
It never really seemed to work for me.
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So I thought, “why not make something myself?“.
Using my experience and by doing research I created Language Atlas, a platform where people can learn French and Spanish in the most effective and efficient way.
I created free lessons and quizzes so that there would always be a easy and accessible way for people to learn or brush up on their language skills.
However, I also created courses that are much more comprehensive and in-depth.
The courses of Language Atlas have:
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- 800+ Quizzes
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