Healthy living and lifestyle: Translation (both directions)
Translation practice on healthy living and lifestyle covers present-tense descriptions of diet, exercise and sleep, reflexive daily-routine verbs (se lever, se coucher, se détendre), modal + infinitive constructions (devoir, il faut + infinitive) for health advice, and idioms such as avoir mal à + body part and venir de + infinitive. Examiners are testing accurate translation of idiomatic health expressions and correct reproduction of modal constructions, where the second verb must stay in the infinitive in French.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Read the whole sentence/passage before starting.
- Identify tense/person of each verb; note time markers such as tous les jours (every day, present), hier soir (last night, perfect/imperfect), or depuis (present tense meaning 'have been').
- Note reflexive daily-routine verbs: se lever (to get up), se coucher (to go to bed), se détendre (to relax), s'entraîner (to train) - the reflexive pronoun goes straight before the verb and, in the perfect tense, conjugates with être with agreement.
- Translate modal + infinitive constructions correctly: devoir/il faut + infinitive keeps the second verb in the infinitive in French (e.g. 'you should eat' = tu devrais manger, not a conjugated second verb).
- Translate idioms by meaning: avoir mal à + [body part] (to have a [body part]-ache/for something to hurt), venir de + infinitive (to have just done something), il faut (it is necessary to/you need to).
- Write a full draft, then check agreements last: past participles of reflexive verbs in the perfect tense agree with the subject (elle s'est levée, ils se sont couchés).
- Read the sentence back for natural phrasing in the target language before moving on.
Worked example
Translate into French: I have just eaten a healthy breakfast, but yesterday I went to bed very late and I have a headache.
- Chunk the sentence: 'I have just eaten a healthy breakfast' / 'yesterday I went to bed very late' / 'I have a headache'.
- 'I have just eaten' is venir de + infinitive in the present tense: je viens de manger un petit-déjeuner sain.
- 'yesterday I went to bed very late' is the reflexive se coucher in the perfect tense (hier is a perfect-tense time marker), conjugated with être: hier, je me suis couché(e) très tard.
- 'I have a headache' is the idiom avoir mal à la tête, not a literal 'I have a pain': j'ai mal à la tête.
- Check agreement: couché needs an extra e only if the speaker is female (je me suis couchée); leave as couché for a male speaker or when gender is unspecified.
- Full translation: Je viens de manger un petit-déjeuner sain, mais hier je me suis couché(e) très tard et j'ai mal à la tête.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Translate into English: Pour rester en forme, il faut manger équilibré et faire du sport régulièrement.Show answer
Answer: To stay fit, you need to eat a balanced diet and do sport regularly.
Q2Translate into French: I go to bed at ten o'clock every evening.Show answer
Answer: Je me couche à dix heures tous les soirs.
Q3Translate into English: Elle vient de se réveiller et elle a très soif.Show answer
Answer: She has just woken up and she is very thirsty.
Q4Spot the error and correct it: 'Je dois de manger moins de sucre.'Show answer
Answer: Devoir is followed directly by the infinitive with no 'de'; it should read: Je dois manger moins de sucre.
Q5Translate into French: My grandfather has had a stomach ache since Monday.Show answer
Answer: Mon grand-père a mal au ventre depuis lundi.
Q6Translate into English: On devrait dormir au moins huit heures par nuit pour rester en bonne santé.Show answer
Answer: You/One should sleep at least eight hours a night to stay healthy.
Q7Translate into French: We relax by watching television after school.Show answer
Answer: Nous nous détendons en regardant la télévision après l'école.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE French exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate this passage into English: Pour être en bonne santé, il faut dormir suffisamment et manger équilibré. Moi, je me lève tôt tous les matins et je fais du jogging avant l'école. Hier soir, cependant, je me suis couché très tard parce que j'avais trop de devoirs, et ce matin j'ai mal à la tête. Je viens de prendre un comprimé pour la douleur.
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Translate this passage into French: To stay healthy, you should exercise regularly and avoid junk food. I get up at seven o'clock every day and I never skip breakfast. Last weekend, I went to bed too late because I was playing video games, so I felt very tired on Monday. Now I try to relax more.
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See real GCSE French past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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