📖LearnModule 14 · Lesson 16 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C2, continuedUnit 4 · Les langages professionnels
Le droit
Module 14 of the free French course (CEFR C2, continued), lesson 16 of 30: Legal French is precise and its precision is the point. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 16.
The words
French
English
Say it
le litige
the dispute
luh lee-TEEZH
la partie
the party (to a contract)
lah pahr-TEE
s'engager
to undertake
sah(n)-gah-ZHAY
la prescription
the limitation period
lah prehs-kreep-SYOH(n)
compétent
having jurisdiction
koh(n)-pay-TAH(n)
disposer de
to have at one's disposal
dees-poh-ZAY duh
comporter
to contain
koh(n)-por-TAY
juridique
legal
zhew-ree-DEEK
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Legal French is precise and its precision is the point. Un contrat comporte des clauses; une partie s'engage; un litige oppose deux parties; une juridiction est compétente.
Et aussi · And also
Two words to keep apart: la prescription is a time limit (not a doctor's prescription, which is l'ordonnance), and disposer de in a legal text means to have at one's disposal, not to dispose of.
Attention · Watch out
la prescription in a legal text is a time limit; the doctor's prescription is l'ordonnance. And compétent said of a court means having jurisdiction, not skilled.
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with le litige.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write two sentences of your own that get the watch-out line right, then the two practice pages of workbook lesson 16 in Module 14 are the written half of this page.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.