In French, elision is a process in which a vowel is replaced by an apostrophe. This happens when two words are grammatically combined if the first word ends with a vowel and the second word starts with a vowel or a mute h. When an elision takes place, the last vowel of the first word turns into an apostrophe. Look at the most famous French sentences: they all have an elision!
While elisions are optional in English (you can say “I’m happy” or “I am happy”), they are compulsory in French for pronunciation purposes. Indeed, because French needs to sound like an uninterrupted flow of words, elisions are a way to create fluency.
Wanting to know more? In this post, we’ll review which letters in French undergo an elision, as well as places where there is not an elision, even if you might have expected there to be! Lisez la suite ! meaning keep reading!
Which French letters are affected by elision?
The letters e, a, and i are the most affected by elision in French. These three letters can undergo elision when they are at the end of a word, and the immediately following word starts with a vowel or a mute h. However, elision only affects certain words, and doesn’t affect every vowel the same way. In this section, we’ll look at the words and circumstances where we see elision of each of these vowels, and we’ll discuss some cases where you might expect to see elision, but you do not.
Before we get into the details, remember one important tip:
Which words ending in ‘e’ form an elision in French?
Elision of e in French occurs when a function word ending in e is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or a mute h. Function words include articles (le, la, les), pronouns (je, me, se, le), conjunctions (que), prepositions (de), and negation words (ne). The elision of an e is the most common elision in French. As a matter of fact, the letter e is the most used letter in French! But, let’s get back to the elision.
The elision with the letter e occurs when the first word ending in e is one of the following function words:
| Function word ending in -e | Example |
|---|---|
A French definite article + vowel or mute h | l’Espagne Translation: Spain |
pronoun + vowel or mute h | J’espère Translation: I hope |
conjunction + vowel or mute h | Puisqu’il pleut ! Translation: Because it’s raining! Parce qu’avec le dessert, ça risque de faire beaucoup. Translation: Because with the dessert, it might be much. |
preposition + vowel or mute h | à côté d’Héloïse Translation: next to Héloïse |
French negation word ne + vowel or mute h | N’y va pas ! Translation: Don’t go there! |
Here’s the complete list of all the French words ending in -e which could undergo an elision!
| Articles |
|---|
le Translation: the |
| Prepositions |
|---|
de Translation: of, from |
| Negation |
|---|
ne Translation: not |
| Pronouns |
|---|
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| Conjunctions |
|---|
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Which words ending in ‘a’ form an elision in French?
Elision of the letter a only affects the word la, when it is used as a definite article and when it is used as a feminine direct object pronoun in French. Don’t be tempted to have an elision with French possessive adjectives like ma meaning my or ta meaning your, elision only works with la.
la→ l’
before a noun/verb starting with a vowel or mute h:
❌ Il la a vue la année dernière.→
❌ Julie ? Je vais la inviter. →
Which words ending in ‘i’ form an elision in French?
The only word ending in the letter i that undergoes elision in French is the conjunction si meaning if, followed by a French subject pronoun also starting with the letter i.
si→ s’
before il meaning he or ils meaning they
Therefore, when si is followed by pronouns starting with other vowels, like elle meaning she, elles meaning they, or on meaning one, there is no elision.
You now know the rules of the French elision. Check our list of expressions with an elision before reading any further to learn where elisions don’t occur!
Where is there no elision in French?
There are cases in French where elision will not occur as expected, such as before words beginning with the vowel y, before foreign words and names, and at the end of the word presque meaning almost.
While we have been focusing on the first word which undergoes the elision, here, we will also focus on cases where the second word should trigger an elision…but doesn’t! I will also show you that French speaking creates its own rules. Feeling puzzled? Read ahead!
Should you use elision before French words starting with ‘y’?
You should use elision before some French words that start with the vowel y.
Do not use elision before a noun/name starting with a y + vowel
J’adore le yaourt à la grecque.Translation: I love Greek-style yogurt.Le frère de Yohann habite au Canada.Translation: Yohann’s brother lives in Canada.Do not use elision before a noun/name starting with a y + consonant
L’huile d’ylang-ylang est bonne pour la peau.Translation: I love Greek-style yogurt.Il vient parce qu’Yves vient aussi.Translation: He’s coming because Yves is too.
Should you use elision before foreign words that start with ‘h’?
Most foreign nouns starting with an h like hamburger are pronounced with an aspirated h, just like in its original language, so they don’t trigger elision.
However, some foreign words are so used in French that they have assimilated into the French language. Therefore, the same rules for elision that we have seen above would apply.
As for names, it’s also a question of preference. Let’s say Helen is referred to in a conversation. A French person could either say her name the French way, with a mute h or closer to the English way, with an aspirated h.
Should you use elision at the end of ‘presque’ (almost)?
While we’ve seen that some conjunctions like que meaning that or puisque meaning since undergo an elision before a pronoun or preposition, the adverb presque meaning almost almost never loses its last e, although it seems like it would.
Should you use elision across punctuation marks in French?
In French, you should not use elision across punctuation. It’s a simple rule: punctuation annuls any elision.
What are the informal elisions in French?
French speaking can be quite remote from French writing, and speaking sometimes follows slightly different informal rules. For instance, in speech, the pronoun je can undergo an elision in front of verbs starting with a consonant and the vowel u can also undergo an elision, even though this doesn’t affect their formal spelling. (Sometimes the elision can appear in very informal writing, though!) Let’s have a look!
What are the informal elisions with the letter ‘e’ in French?
While we have seen that only certain words ending with e + vowel or mute h can have a true elision, informal elisions can happen in casual pronunciation when the second word starts with a consonant. Sometimes, a whole word even disappears! It is very common when speaking.
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The negation ne can even be completely skipped!
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Here’s another example:
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What are the informal elisions with the letter ‘u’ in French?
There is no formal elision with the letter u, but an informal elision happens with tu meaning you when speaking.
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‘Bref,’ a few things to remember about the French elision
When using elision in French, keep the following tips in mind:
E: elision of je, me, te, se, le, ce, de, ne, que + word beginning with vowel or mute h.
A: elision of la + noun or verb starting with a vowel.
I: elision of the conjunction si + il(s) only and not to si as an adverb.
U: informal elision of tu when speaking or in informal contexts.
Right! You are all set. You can now practice elision in French with our activities and feel confident to speak fluently thanks to your new skill!
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