Disneyland Paris !Class 9 French Chapter 1 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: Disneyland Paris !

1.1 Rucha, Karan and M. Giroudet wait for the bus to Disneyland Paris. M. Giroudet explains that it is smaller than the Disney park in Florida but just as much fun; the one in Los Angeles is the oldest and the Florida one is the biggest in the world. There are roller coasters, merry-go-rounds and tasty fast food.

1.2–1.3 You learn to express preferences (Je préfère…, Je voudrais…, J'aimerais…) and read that Paris, both old and modern, offers fun for everyone — Parc Astérix, Disneyland, a big-cat park and zoos — often with free entry or low prices for families.

1.4 Vocabulary: fast food (croque-monsieur, sandwich, hamburger, pizza, frites), rides (montagne russe, manège), time expressions (en avance, à l'heure, en retard) and avoir expressions (avoir faim / soif, avoir chaud / froid).

1.5 Grammar: comparative (plus / aussi / moins + adjective + que), superlative (le / la / les plus or moins + adjective + de), bon → meilleur; revision of adjectives — agreement, feminine, plural, des → de before an adjective, place of adjectives; the verbs préférer, attendre (and entendre, répondre) and dire.

Poem 'Dans Paris' by Paul Éluard zooms in from a street to a tiny bird inside an egg; the exercises (1.6) practise comparison and adjectives, and the civilisation page (1.7) presents Paris as old, modern and fun — monuments, Paris-Plages, parks and bridges.

Key points to remember

• Disneyland Paris is the Disney park of Europe; it is smaller than the one in Florida but just as much fun
• Comparative: plus / aussi / moins + adjective + que — Le train est plus rapide que le vélo
• Superlative: le / la / les + plus / moins + adjective + de (du, de la, des)
• bon → meilleur (better), le meilleur (the best) — never 'plus bon'
• Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun: une table lourde, des livres légers
• Special feminines: gros → grosse, bon → bonne, cher → chère, délicieux → délicieuse, long → longue, beau → belle, vieux → vieille
• des becomes de when an adjective comes before the noun: de beaux garçons, de jeunes filles
• Most adjectives go after the noun; grand, petit, beau, bon, jeune, joli, vieux, haut go before
• préférer: je préfère, nous préférons, ils préfèrent (é → è in the 'boot' forms)
• attendre: j'attends, il attend, nous attendons; dire: nous disons, vous dites, ils disent

Disneyland Paris ! – Notes

1. 1.1 The dialogue — off to Disneyland Paris

• Our friends are at the bus stop. Rucha feels the name Disneyland Paris rings a bell ('Ça me dit quelque chose…'). Karan explains it is Europe's Disney park, located near Paris.
• Rucha asks if it is as big as the one in Florida, USA. M. Giroudet answers that it is smaller (moins grand) but just as enjoyable (aussi amusant). This is the comparative in action.
• Karan mentions Hong Kong. M. Giroudet says there are several Disney parks in the world: the one in Los Angeles is the oldest (le plus ancien) and the Florida one is the biggest (le plus grand). This is the superlative.
• Rides and food: there are roller coasters (montagnes russes), merry-go-rounds (manèges), other entertainment and tasty fast food — laughter and fun! The bus is about to leave, so M. Giroudet says 'Bon, on y va !'
• Key expressions: Ça me dit quelque chose (that rings a bell), Cool !, Bien sûr ! (of course), Alors… (so…), C'est vrai (that's true), Il se trouve à… (it is located in…), On y trouve… (there you find…), On y va ! (let's go!).

2. 1.2–1.4 Preferences, Paris for fun, vocabulary

• Saying what you like or want: Je préfère ce portable (I prefer this mobile), Je voudrais ce rouge à lèvres (I would like this lipstick), J'ai faim, j'aimerais un sandwich (I'm hungry, I'd like a sandwich). Je voudrais / j'aimerais are polite forms.
• 1.3 Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world — ancient yet modern. It has fun for all, especially children: Parc Astérix, Disneyland Paris, the Parc des Félins (big cats) and zoos, often with free entry or cheap tickets for families.
• Fast food: un croque-monsieur (toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich), un sandwich, un hamburger, une pizza, des frites (f, pl — French fries). Rides: une montagne russe (roller coaster), un manège (merry-go-round).
• Time: être en avance (early), être à l'heure (on time), être en retard (late) — e.g. the bus has gone and Sylvain arrives: il est en retard.
• Avoir expressions: avoir faim (be hungry) → je mange; avoir soif (be thirsty) → je bois de l'eau; avoir chaud (feel hot, in summer) ≠ avoir froid (feel cold, in winter). French says 'I have hunger', not 'I am hungry' — never 'je suis faim'.

3. 1.5 Grammar — comparative and superlative

• Comparative (comparing two people or things): subject + verb + plus / aussi / moins + adjective + que. The adjective still agrees with the subject: Cette tour est plus haute que l'église.
• Superlative (the most / the least in a group): subject + verb + le / la / les + plus / moins + adjective + de (du, de la, des). Example: Le guépard est l'animal le plus rapide du monde.
• When the adjective normally comes after the noun, the superlative also follows it with its own article: le sommet le plus haut, la ville la plus visitée.
• Irregular: bon (good) → meilleur / meilleure / meilleurs / meilleures (better) → le meilleur, la meilleure, les meilleurs, les meilleures (the best). Example: Les mangues d'Alphonso sont les meilleures.

4. 1.5 Revision of qualifying adjectives

• Agreement: an adjective takes the gender and number of its noun — un sac lourd, une valise lourde, des sacs lourds, des valises lourdes.
• Feminine: usually add -e (intelligent → intelligente). Special cases: gros → grosse, épais → épaisse, bon → bonne, cher → chère, coquet → coquette, délicieux → délicieuse, long → longue, beau / bel → belle, vieux / vieil → vieille. Adjectives already ending in -e do not change: un jeune homme, une jeune femme.
• Plural: usually add -s (des élèves intelligents); beau / bel → beaux. Bel and vieil are used before a masculine noun starting with a vowel: un bel arbre, un vieil hôtel.
• des → de: when an adjective stands before a plural noun, the article des becomes de (d'): un joli jardin → de jolis jardins; une petite fille → de petites filles. With le/les nothing changes: les beaux garçons.
• Place: most adjectives follow the noun (une voiture rouge, des enfants intelligents). A short group comes before: grand, petit, haut, beau, joli, bon, jeune, vieux — un grand appartement, une petite maison.

5. 1.5 Verbs préférer, attendre, dire

• préférer (to prefer) ends in -er but changes é to è when the ending is silent: je préfère, tu préfères, il / elle préfère, nous préférons, vous préférez, ils / elles préfèrent.
• attendre (to wait for) is a regular -re verb: j'attends, tu attends, il / elle attend, nous attendons, vous attendez, ils / elles attendent. No 'pour' after it: J'attends le bus (I'm waiting for the bus). Same pattern: entendre (to hear), répondre (to answer), vendre, perdre.
• dire (to say, to tell) is irregular: je dis, tu dis, il / elle dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils / elles disent. Watch 'vous dites' — not 'vous disez'.
• Poem 'Dans Paris' by Paul Éluard: like a camera zooming in, each line moves to something smaller — a street, a house, a staircase, a room, a table, a carpet, a cage, a nest, an egg and finally a bird. It practises il y a, dans / sur and the demonstratives ce, cet, cette.

6. 1.6–1.7 Exercises, sounds and civilisation

• The exercises practise comparative and superlative, adjective agreement, feminine forms, opposites (bas ≠ haut, petit ≠ grand, mince ≠ gros, fort ≠ faible, jeune ≠ vieux), everyday replies, your tastes (aimer, adorer, préférer, aimer bien, détester) and a translation.
• Polite replies: Bonnes vacances ! → À vous aussi. Merci pour le cadeau ! → Je t'en prie. Félicitations ! → Merci beaucoup.
• Phonetics: [ʃ] as in 'chercher' (chat, chien, chemise), [ʒ] as in English 'treasure' (jaune, jupe, jardin, orange) and [z] as in 'maison' — a single s between two vowels sounds z (rose, chemise, cousins, musiciennes).
• 1.7 Civilisation: Paris — ancient, modern and fun. Famous monuments include the Tour Eiffel, the Arc de Triomphe, the Centre Georges Pompidou and the Louvre with its glass pyramid. Since 2002, Paris-Plages turns the river banks into a summer beach every year. The 'City of Light' also boasts theme parks, gardens and splendid bridges.

Les degrés de comparaison — degrees of comparison

Key terms

Disneyland Paris ! – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

Disneyland Paris ! – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study Disneyland Paris !

⏱ About 1 hour 15 minutes

1. Dialogue and vocabulary (20 min)
   Read 1.1 aloud, underline every comparison (moins grand, aussi amusant, le plus ancien) and learn the snack, ride and time words.
2. Grammar (30 min)
   Write the comparative and superlative patterns with five examples each; revise feminine and plural adjectives and conjugate préférer, attendre and dire.
3. Practise (25 min)
   Answer the 'Try it yourself' exercises, take the quiz, revise with flashcards and then 🎮 Play the lesson game.