Personal hygiene
Hygiène personnelle
- Talk about hygiene products and routines.
- Explain what hygiene products you want in the shop.
Discover essential French vocabulary and phrases about personal hygiene, including products like gel douche (shower gel), shampooing (shampoo), dentifrice (toothpaste), and expressions for daily routines and pharmacist advice.
Vocabulary (20) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- What hygiene products do you use on a daily basis? (What hygiene products do you use on a daily basis?)
- Describe your morning (or evening) routine. (Describe your morning (or evening) routine. )
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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J'utilise ma brosse à dents trois fois par jour. I use my toothbrush three times a day. |
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Je prends une douche tous les deux jours, donc j'utilise mon shampooing. I have a shower everey second day so then I use my shampoo. |
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Je n'utilise jamais de crème. I never use cream. |
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Après m'être réveillé et levé, je me brosse les dents. After I wake up and get up I brush my teeth. |
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Avant de me brosser les cheveux, je prends généralement une douche. Before brushing my hair I usually have a shower. |
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Ensuite, j'utilise de la crème pour protéger ma peau. Then I use cream to protect my skin. |
| ... |
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Quand j'étais petit, je ____ toujours les dents avant de dormir.
(When I was little, I ____ always brushed my teeth before sleeping.)2. Ma mère ____ rarement, elle préférait un look naturel.
(My mother ____ rarely, she preferred a natural look.)3. En France, les habitants ____ souvent les cheveux après la douche.
(In France, the inhabitants ____ often brushed their hair after the shower.)4. Avant de sortir, elle ____ pour se sentir confiante.
(Before going out, she ____ to feel confident.)Exercise 4: A care routine from yesterday
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Se brosser - To brush
Imparfait
- je me brossais
- tu te brossais
- il/elle/on se brossait
- nous nous brossions
- vous vous brossiez
- ils/elles se brossaient
Se maquiller - To put on makeup
Imparfait
- je me maquillais
- tu te maquillais
- il/elle/on se maquillait
- nous nous maquillions
- vous vous maquilliez
- ils/elles se maquillaient
Se laver - To wash
Imparfait
- je me lavais
- tu te lavais
- il/elle/on se lavait
- nous nous lavions
- vous vous laviez
- ils/elles se lavaient
Prendre - To take
Imparfait
- je prenais
- tu prenais
- il/elle/on prenait
- nous prenions
- vous preniez
- ils/elles prenaient
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Se brosser to brush Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') me brossais | I was brushing |
| (tu) te brossais | You were brushing |
| (il/elle/on) se brossait | he/she/one was brushing |
| nous brossions | we were brushing |
| vous brossiez | You were brushing |
| (ils/elles) se brossaient | they were brushing |
Se maquiller to put on makeup Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') me maquillais | I was putting on makeup |
| (tu) te maquillais | You were putting on makeup |
| (il/elle/on) se maquillait | he/she/one was putting on makeup |
| nous maquillions | We were putting on makeup |
| vous maquilliez | You were putting on makeup |
| (ils/elles) se maquillaient | they put on makeup |
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Lesson Overview: Personal Hygiene in French
This lesson focuses on vocabulary, expressions, and grammar related to personal hygiene routines and shopping for hygiene products. It is designed for A2 level learners and helps you communicate effectively in everyday situations like buying toiletries, discussing daily habits, and seeking advice at a pharmacy.
Key Vocabulary and Expressions
- Gel douche (shower gel) - used when shopping for freshness, e.g., "gel douche à la menthe" (mint shower gel).
- Shampooing (shampoo) - different types such as for normal or dry hair.
- Dentifrice (toothpaste) and brosse à dents (toothbrush) for oral hygiene.
- Désodorisant (deodorant), including options like sans parfum (unscented) types.
- Se brosser les dents, se laver le visage, se maquiller - reflexive verbs describing hygiene routines.
Dialogue Situations Covered
- At the hygiene products store: Requesting specific products and asking about scents or suitability.
- Discussing daily routines: Talking about washing face, brushing teeth, using mouthwash, and shower habits.
- Asking a pharmacist for advice: Finding suitable products for sensitive skin or hair types.
Grammar Focus: Imperfect Tense with Reflexive Verbs
The lesson emphasizes the use of the imparfait tense, especially with reflexive verbs to describe habitual past actions, e.g.,
- Je me brossais toujours les dents avant de dormir.
- Ma mère se maquillait rarement.
- Nous nous lavions les mains avec du savon.
Understanding these conjugations helps describe past routines naturally.
Useful Phrase Comparisons and Tips
Unlike English, French uses reflexive verbs for many personal hygiene actions, which can be tricky. For example, "to brush one’s teeth" translates to se brosser les dents. Notice how French places the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb.
Also, the imparfait tense, used for describing repeated past actions, corresponds roughly to English past continuous or "used to" forms.
Examples:
- "I used to brush my teeth" = Je me brossais les dents.
- "He was applying makeup" = Il se maquillait.
Summary
This lesson equips you with practical vocabulary for hygiene products and daily routines, plus an understanding of key grammar to talk about habitual behaviors in the past. You will learn polite and clear ways to ask questions and talk about personal care, helping you feel confident in everyday French conversations about hygiene.
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