Why is "Omitting the partitive article (writing 'je mange pain' instead of 'je mange du pain')" a common mistake in Customs, food and traditions abroad?

Why it happens: English drops 'some' ('I eat bread'), so beginners leave it out in French too. How to avoid it: With food and drink, always insert the partitive: du (m), de la (f), de l' (vowel), des (plural). Check the noun's gender, then choose the matching word. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Keeping du/de la after a negative or quantity (writing 'je ne mange pas du pain')" a common mistake in Customs, food and traditions abroad?

Why it happens: Learners don't know that the partitive collapses to plain 'de' after ne…pas and after quantity words. How to avoid it: After *ne…pas* and after *beaucoup/un peu*, change the partitive to *de* (or *d'* before a vowel): *je ne mange pas de pain*, *beaucoup de fromage*, *un peu d'eau*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Giving an opinion with no reason ('j'aime Noël' and stopping there)" a common mistake in Customs, food and traditions abroad?

Why it happens: Beginners answer the surface question without realising reasons earn the higher marks. How to avoid it: Follow every opinion with *parce que* or *car* and a reason, then add a connective (*et*, *aussi*, *mais*) for a second idea. Aim for opinion + reason + extension. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, content

Why is "Dropping accents on festival and opinion words (Noel, fete, prefere)" a common mistake in Customs, food and traditions abroad?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional. How to avoid it: Treat accents as part of the spelling: *Noël* (tréma), *fête* and *Pâques* (circonflexe), *préféré* (two accents aigus), *je préfère* (accent grave). Learn these high-frequency words by heart. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Using the wrong verb form with 'on' (writing 'on mangent')" a common mistake in Customs, food and traditions abroad?

Why it happens: Because *on* often means 'we', learners use the plural *nous* ending (-ons/-ent). How to avoid it: *on* always takes the same form as *il/elle* (singular): *on mange*, *on fête*, *on offre* — never *on mangent* or *on mangeons*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Why is "Not agreeing the adjective with the food (writing 'la viande est délicieux')" a common mistake in Customs, food and traditions abroad?

Why it happens: English adjectives never change, so beginners forget French ones must agree in gender and number. How to avoid it: Match the adjective to the noun: *la viande est délicieuse* (f), *le fromage est délicieux* (m), *les plats sont délicieux* (m pl). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Topic Area 5 - The International WorldCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Customs, food and traditions abroad

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Customs, food and traditions abroad — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A warm beginner's guide to talking about French and francophone customs, festivals and food: the exact vocabulary, opinion phrases and ready-made question-and-answer frames you need to score on Paper 1 Listening, Paper 2 Reading, Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing.

At a glance

This is a vocabulary + communication theme: you describe les coutumes (customs), les fêtes (festivals/celebrations) and la nourriture (food) in French-speaking countries — and compare them with your own.
Build sentences from three blocks: a noun (with its article — le, la, les, un, une, du, de la), a verb (often manger — to eat, fêter — to celebrate, célébrer — to celebrate), and an opinion (j'aime — I like, je préfère — I prefer).
Food words almost always need a partitive article (du, de la, de l', des = 'some'): je mange du pain (I eat some bread), je bois de l'eau (I drink some water).
Key festivals to know: Noël (Christmas), le Nouvel An (New Year), Pâques (Easter), le 14 juillet (Bastille Day / French national day) and l'Aïd (Eid).
Opinions need a reason: join them with parce que (because), car (because/for) and connectives like aussi (also), mais (but) and par contre (on the other hand).
Cultural awareness earns marks: in France people often se font la bise (greet with a kiss on the cheek), eat a long Sunday lunch, and say bon appétit (enjoy your meal) before eating.
Reusable speaking frames such as Chez moi, on fête… (At home, we celebrate…) and En France, on mange… (In France, people eat…) let you answer almost any prompt on this theme.
Accents change meaning, so be meticulous: fête (festival) needs its circonflexe, Noël needs its tréma, and préféré (favourite) carries two accent aigus.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Recognise and use core vocabulary for customs, festivals and food in French-speaking countries.
Use the partitive article (du, de la, de l', des) correctly when talking about food and drink.
Form present-tense sentences with high-frequency verbs such as manger, boire, fêter and célébrer.
Give opinions about food and traditions and justify them with parce que, car and connectives.
Compare a French/francophone custom with one from your own country using comparison phrases.
Demonstrate cultural awareness of at least three francophone festivals and everyday food customs.
Deploy reusable question-and-answer frames to respond to this theme in Speaking and Writing.

Festivals and celebrations — les fêtes

The core festival vocabulary, with pronunciation and the verbs that go with it.

When the topic is les traditions (traditions) and les fêtes (festivals/celebrations), examiners want concrete words. Learn this themed table — French, a plain-English respelling, then the English meaning.

French	Say it like	English
une fête	ewn fet	a festival / party
une tradition	ewn tra-dee-SYON	a tradition
une coutume	ewn koo-TEWM	a custom
Noël	no-EL	Christmas
le Nouvel An	luh noo-vel ON	New Year
Pâques	pak	Easter
le 14 juillet	luh ka-TORZ zhwee-YEH	Bastille Day (French national day)
un cadeau	uhn ka-DOH	a gift / present
un feu d'artifice	uhn fuh dar-tee-FEESS	a firework / fireworks display
un défilé	uhn day-fee-LAY	a parade
fêter / célébrer	feh-TAY / say-lay-BRAY	to celebrate
offrir un cadeau	o-FREER uhn ka-DOH	to give a gift

Two verbs do most of the work. Both mean "to celebrate":

fêter — regular -er verb: je fête (I celebrate), on fête (we/people celebrate), nous fêtons (we celebrate).
célébrer — note the accents: je célèbre (I celebrate) — the second é changes to è (accent grave) in je/tu/il/ils forms.

Worked mini-example. To say "In France, people celebrate Bastille Day on 14 July with fireworks", build it block by block: En France (In France) + on fête (people celebrate) + le 14 juillet (Bastille Day) + avec des feux d'artifice (with fireworks). Result: En France, on fête le 14 juillet avec des feux d'artifice.

Core nouns: une fête (festival), une tradition (tradition), une coutume (custom), un cadeau (gift).
Festivals: Noël (Christmas), le Nouvel An (New Year), Pâques (Easter), le 14 juillet (Bastille Day).
Verbs: fêter and célébrer both mean 'to celebrate' (on fête = people celebrate).
Noël needs its tréma; fête and Pâques need their circonflexe.

Food and drink — la nourriture et les boissons

Themed food vocabulary with the all-important partitive article 'du, de la, des'.

The partitive article (du, de la, de l', des) means "some" and is used with food and drink.

Food is the heart of this theme. First, the partitive article — the little word for "some" that English usually leaves out but French requires:

Before…	Use	Example	English
a masculine noun	du	du pain	some bread
a feminine noun	de la	de la viande	some meat
a vowel/silent h	de l'	de l'eau	some water
a plural noun	des	des fruits	some fruit(s)

Now the food and drink vocabulary:

French	Say it like	English
le pain	luh pan	bread
le fromage	luh fro-MAHZH	cheese
un croissant	uhn krwa-SON	a croissant
la viande	la VYOND	meat
le poisson	luh pwa-SON	fish
les légumes (m)	lay lay-GEWM	vegetables
les fruits (m)	lay frwee	fruit
un gâteau	uhn gah-TOH	a cake
l'eau (f)	loh	water
le café	luh ka-FAY	coffee
un plat traditionnel	uhn pla tra-dee-syo-NEL	a traditional dish
délicieux / délicieuse	day-lee-SYUH / day-lee-SYUHZ	delicious (m / f)

Worked mini-example. "I eat some bread and some cheese, and I drink some water." Use the verbs manger (to eat) and boire (to drink) with the partitive: Je mange du pain et du fromage, et je bois de l'eau. Note du (masculine, for pain and fromage) and de l' before the vowel in eau.

The partitive article means 'some': du (m), de la (f), de l' (vowel), des (plural).
You almost always need a partitive with food/drink: je mange du pain (I eat some bread).
Verbs: manger (to eat), boire (to drink). Je mange, je bois.
délicieux (m) / délicieuse (f) — the adjective agrees with the noun.

Opinions with reasons and connectives

How to say you like/dislike a tradition or food, and justify it.

A bare opinion (j'aime — I like) scores little. To move up the mark bands you must justify it with a reason. Here is the toolkit.

Opinion verbs and phrases:

French	Say it like	English
j'aime	zhem	I like
j'adore	zha-DOR	I love
je n'aime pas	zhuh nem pa	I don't like
je déteste	zhuh day-TEST	I hate
je préfère	zhuh pray-FAIR	I prefer
mon préféré / ma préférée	mon pray-fay-RAY	my favourite (m / f)
à mon avis	a mon a-VEE	in my opinion
je pense que	zhuh pons kuh	I think that

Reasons and connectives:

French	English	Use
parce que	because	most common reason word
car	because / for	slightly more formal alternative
aussi	also	add a second idea
mais	but	contrast
par contre	on the other hand	stronger contrast
c'est délicieux	it's delicious	a ready-made reason
c'est ennuyeux	it's boring	a ready-made reason

Worked mini-example. "I love Christmas because we give gifts, but I prefer Easter because the chocolate is delicious." Build it: J'adore Noël + parce que + on offre des cadeaux + , mais + je préfère Pâques + parce que + le chocolat est délicieux. Result: J'adore Noël parce qu'on offre des cadeaux, mais je préfère Pâques parce que le chocolat est délicieux. (Notice parce que becomes parce qu' before the vowel in on.)

Always pair an opinion with a reason: j'aime… parce que… (I like… because…).
Opinion verbs: j'aime, j'adore, je n'aime pas, je déteste, je préfère.
Connectives: parce que (because), car (because), aussi (also), mais (but), par contre (on the other hand).
préfère and préféré carry accents — copy them exactly.

Cultural awareness — French and francophone customs

Real customs you can mention to show genuine knowledge of the culture.

Examiners reward candidates who show they actually know the culture, not just the grammar. Drop one or two of these real customs into a Speaking or Writing answer.

Everyday French customs:

se faire la bise (to greet with a kiss on each cheek) — friends and family often greet this way: On se fait la bise (We greet with cheek-kisses).
dire "bon appétit" (to say "enjoy your meal") before eating: On dit "bon appétit" avant de manger.
le déjeuner du dimanche (Sunday lunch) — a long family meal: Le dimanche, on mange en famille (On Sundays, we eat as a family).
la baguette (the baguette) — fresh bread bought daily from la boulangerie (the bakery).

Francophone festivals (the French-speaking world is wide):

French	English	Where / what
le 14 juillet	Bastille Day	France — parades and fireworks
le Carnaval	Carnival	e.g. in the Caribbean and Nice
l'Aïd	Eid	celebrated by Muslim francophone communities
la fête de la musique	Music Day	21 June, free concerts across France
la galette des rois	the "kings' cake"	eaten in January for Epiphany

Worked mini-example. To compare cultures in a Speaking answer: En France, on se fait la bise pour dire bonjour, mais chez moi, on se serre la main. (In France, people greet with a cheek-kiss, but where I live, we shake hands.) The phrase chez moi (at my home / in my country) is a brilliant comparison hook.

se faire la bise = greet with a kiss on each cheek; On se fait la bise.
bon appétit is said before eating; la baguette is bought fresh daily.
Francophone festivals span the world: le Carnaval, l'Aïd, la fête de la musique, la galette des rois.
chez moi (at my home / in my country) is the key phrase for cultural comparison.

Reusable question-and-answer frames

Plug-and-play frames that answer almost any prompt on this theme.

The fastest way to be ready for Paper 3 (Speaking) and Paper 4 (Writing) is to memorise a few frames and slot your own words in.

Question (and English)	Frame answer (and English)
Quelle est ta fête préférée ? (What's your favourite festival?)	Ma fête préférée, c'est Noël, parce que… (My favourite festival is Christmas, because…)
Qu'est-ce que tu manges à Noël ? (What do you eat at Christmas?)	À Noël, je mange du / de la… (At Christmas, I eat some…)
Comment fête-t-on… dans ton pays ? (How is … celebrated in your country?)	Dans mon pays, on fête… avec… (In my country, we celebrate… with…)
Tu aimes la cuisine française ? (Do you like French food?)	Oui, j'aime la cuisine française car c'est délicieux. (Yes, I like French food because it's delicious.)
Quelle est une tradition de ta famille ? (What's a family tradition of yours?)	Chez moi, on a une tradition : on… tous les ans. (At home we have a tradition: we… every year.)

The four power-frames to memorise:

Chez moi, on… (At my home / In my country, we…) — Chez moi, on fête le Nouvel An en famille.
En France, on… (In France, people…) — En France, on mange beaucoup de fromage.
J'aime… parce que c'est… (I like… because it's…) — J'aime Pâques parce que c'est amusant.
Ma fête préférée, c'est… (My favourite festival is…) — Ma fête préférée, c'est le 14 juillet.

Worked mini-example. Asked Quelle est ta fête préférée et pourquoi ? (What's your favourite festival and why?), combine frames 4 and 3: Ma fête préférée, c'est Noël, parce que c'est magique et on offre des cadeaux. (My favourite festival is Christmas, because it's magical and we give gifts.) One sentence, two reasons, full marks territory.

Memorise four power-frames: Chez moi, on…, En France, on…, J'aime… parce que c'est…, Ma fête préférée, c'est….
on (one/we/people) is the easiest subject — it always takes the il/elle verb form.
Answer the question word: Quelle…? (which/what), Qu'est-ce que…? (what), Comment…? (how), Pourquoi…? (why).
Always extend with a reason and a connective to lift the mark band.

Quick recap

Core nouns: une fête (festival), une tradition (tradition), une coutume (custom), un cadeau (gift), un plat traditionnel (a traditional dish).
Festivals: Noël (Christmas), le Nouvel An (New Year), Pâques (Easter), le 14 juillet (Bastille Day) — mind the tréma and circonflexe.
Food needs the partitive 'some': du (m), de la (f), de l' (vowel), des (plural); it collapses to de after a negative or quantity.
Verbs: manger (eat), boire (drink), fêter / célébrer (celebrate), offrir (give a gift); on takes the il/elle form.
Opinions need reasons: j'aime / je préfère / je déteste + parce que / car + aussi / mais / par contre.
Cultural awareness scores: se faire la bise, bon appétit, la baguette, plus francophone festivals (le Carnaval, l'Aïd).
Power-frames: Chez moi, on…, En France, on…, J'aime… parce que c'est…, Ma fête préférée, c'est….

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

une fête (a festival), une tradition (a tradition), une coutume (a custom).
Noël (Christmas), le Nouvel An (New Year), Pâques (Easter), le 14 juillet (Bastille Day).
Partitive: du pain (some bread), de la viande (some meat), de l'eau (some water), des fruits (some fruit).
After ne…pas / beaucoup → de: je ne mange pas de pain, beaucoup de fromage.
je mange (I eat), je bois (I drink), on fête / on célèbre (we celebrate), on offre des cadeaux (we give gifts).
j'aime / j'adore / je n'aime pas / je déteste / je préfère + opinion verb.
parce que (because), car (because), aussi (also), mais (but), par contre (on the other hand).
se faire la bise (greet with a cheek-kiss), bon appétit (enjoy your meal), la baguette (baguette).
Chez moi, on… (At my home, we…) and En France, on… (In France, people…).
Ma fête préférée, c'est… (My favourite festival is…).
c'est délicieux (it's delicious), c'est amusant (it's fun), c'est ennuyeux (it's boring).

How it’s examined

Customs, food and traditions is a high-frequency theme across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Short clips of people describing festivals or meals. You must catch food nouns with their partitives (du, de la, des), festival names, and opinion + reason chunks (j'aime… parce que…). Distractors often swap j'aime for je n'aime pas, so listen for the negative.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts about a francophone celebration or a typical meal. Knowing the vocabulary lets you answer true/false and matching questions; cultural words like la galette des rois or se faire la bise often appear.
Paper 3 (Speaking): The role-play and conversation regularly touch on festivals and food. Use the question-and-answer frames, give opinions with reasons, and show cultural awareness (Chez moi, on… vs En France, on…) for the communication and range marks.
Paper 4 (Writing): A common task is to describe a festival or a special meal, or to compare a tradition with your own. Accurate partitives, correct accents (Noël, fête, préféré), and justified opinions move you up the content and accuracy bands.

Examiner reports note that candidates lose marks by omitting the partitive article with food, by leaving opinions unjustified, and by dropping accents on festival words. Memorising a handful of frames and always adding a reason is the quickest route to higher marks.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 3 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

Master this Topic

Worked examples, formulae, definitions and the mistakes examiners flag — everything you need to push from a pass to an A*.

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Download a branded revision sheet — worked examples, formulae, definitions and common mistakes for Customs, food and traditions abroad, ready to print or save as PDF.

Step-by-step worked examples — Customs, food and traditions abroad

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on customs, food and traditions abroad, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Choose the right word for 'some' (the partitive article)
Getting started
Question
Complete each sentence with du, de la, de l' or des: (1) Je mange ___ pain. (2) Je bois ___ eau. (3) Je mange ___ viande. (4) J'achète ___ fruits.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Check the gender/number of the food noun. pain (bread) is masculine → use du. So: Je mange du pain (I eat some bread).
2. Step 2
  eau (water) starts with a vowel → use de l' (the article elides before a vowel). So: Je bois de l'eau (I drink some water).
3. Step 3
  viande (meat) is feminine → use de la. So: Je mange de la viande (I eat some meat).
4. Step 4
  fruits is plural → use des. So: J'achète des fruits (I buy some fruit).
Answer
(1) du pain, (2) **de l'**eau, (3) de la viande, (4) des fruits.
Examiner tip
Examiner reports flag the missing or wrong partitive as a top error with food. The rule is simple once memorised: du (m), de la (f), de l' (vowel), des (plural). English drops 'some' but French cannot.
2Turn a bare opinion into a justified one
Building confidence
Question
A candidate writes: J'aime Noël. (I like Christmas.) Improve it to a higher-mark sentence by adding a reason and a connective.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Add a reason word. Use parce que (because) — the most common justification connective.
2. Step 2
  Give the reason. A ready-made one: on offre des cadeaux (we give gifts) or c'est magique (it's magical).
3. Step 3
  Add a second idea with a connective like et (and) or aussi (also): et on mange du bon chocolat (and we eat nice chocolate). Remember du with the masculine chocolat.
4. Step 4
  Check accents: Noël keeps its tréma. parce que stays as is here (no vowel follows que).
Answer
J'aime Noël parce qu'on offre des cadeaux, et aussi on mange du bon chocolat. (I like Christmas because we give gifts, and we also eat nice chocolate.)
Examiner tip
An unjustified opinion stays in the lowest content band. Adding parce que + a reason, plus a connective for a second idea, is the quickest lift in both Speaking and Writing. Note parce que elides to parce qu' before the vowel in on.
3Describe a francophone festival in three sentences
Building confidence
Question
Write three short French sentences about le 14 juillet (Bastille Day): what it is, what people do, and your opinion with a reason.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Sentence 1 — what it is. Use c'est (it is): Le 14 juillet, c'est la fête nationale française. (The 14th of July is the French national day.)
2. Step 2
  Sentence 2 — what people do. Use the frame On… + activities: On regarde un défilé et il y a des feux d'artifice. (People watch a parade and there are fireworks.) il y a = there is/are.
3. Step 3
  Sentence 3 — opinion + reason. J'adore cette fête parce que c'est spectaculaire. (I love this festival because it's spectacular.) cette = this/that (feminine, agrees with fête).
Answer
Le 14 juillet, c'est la fête nationale française. On regarde un défilé et il y a des feux d'artifice. J'adore cette fête parce que c'est spectaculaire.
Examiner tip
This is a classic Paper 4 mini-task. Three sentences that (1) identify, (2) describe an activity and (3) give a justified opinion cover content, range and accuracy. il y a and c'est are high-value beginner phrases that never change form.
4Compare a French custom with your own country
Stretch
Question
Show cultural awareness by comparing how people greet each other in France and where you live. Use se faire la bise and a comparison structure.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  State the French custom with En France, on…: En France, on se fait la bise pour dire bonjour. (In France, people greet with a cheek-kiss to say hello.)
2. Step 2
  Contrast with a connective — mais (but) or par contre (on the other hand): mais chez moi… (but where I live…). chez moi is the key comparison phrase.
3. Step 3
  State your own custom: on se serre la main (we shake hands) or on dit simplement bonjour (we just say hello).
4. Step 4
  Add a brief opinion to finish strongly: Je trouve la bise sympa. (I find the cheek-kiss nice.) sympa = nice/friendly (informal).
Answer
En France, on se fait la bise pour dire bonjour, mais chez moi, on se serre la main. Je trouve la bise sympa. (In France people greet with a cheek-kiss, but where I live we shake hands. I find the cheek-kiss nice.)
Examiner tip
Cultural comparison is rewarded for range and content in Papers 3 and 4. The frame En France, on… mais chez moi, on… lets you compare any custom. Using on avoids tricky nous conjugations while sounding natural.

Model Answers — Customs, food and traditions abroad

High-scoring sample answers for customs, food and traditions abroad on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Quelle est ta fête préférée et pourquoi ? (What is your favourite festival and why?)
Model answer
Ma fête préférée, c'est Noël. (My favourite festival is Christmas.) Chez moi, on fête Noël en famille. (At home, we celebrate Christmas as a family.) On offre des cadeaux et on mange un grand repas — j'adore ça parce que c'est un moment magique. (We give gifts and we eat a big meal — I love it because it's a magical moment.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It opens with the frame Ma fête préférée, c'est…, uses on correctly (on fête, on offre, on mange), and gives a justified opinion (parce que c'est un moment magique). The accents on préférée and Noël are correct, and en famille (as a family) adds natural range.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Describe a traditional meal you enjoy, saying what you eat and drink and giving your opinion.
Model answer
Mon plat traditionnel préféré, c'est le couscous. (My favourite traditional dish is couscous.) Je mange de la viande, des légumes et de la semoule, et je bois de l'eau. (I eat some meat, some vegetables and some semolina, and I drink some water.) J'adore ce plat car c'est délicieux et on le mange en famille. (I love this dish because it's delicious and we eat it as a family.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Every food word carries the correct partitive (de la viande, des légumes, de la semoule, de l'eau), the opinion is justified with car, and couscous shows francophone (North African) cultural awareness. ce plat (this dish) agrees as masculine. This covers content, range and accuracy.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Compare a French custom with one from your own country.
Model answer
En France, on dit "bon appétit" avant de manger. (In France, people say "bon appétit" before eating.) Par contre, chez moi, on ne dit rien de spécial. (On the other hand, where I live, we don't say anything special.) Je trouve cette coutume française très polie et j'aimerais la faire aussi. (I find this French custom very polite and I would like to do it too.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It contrasts two cultures with par contre and chez moi, uses the negative on ne dit rien correctly, and finishes with a justified personal reaction (très polie) plus the conditional j'aimerais (I would like) for extra range. cette coutume agrees as feminine.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Customs, food and traditions abroad

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for customs, food and traditions abroad answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

une fête
Examiner keyword
A festival, celebration or party. fêter is the verb 'to celebrate'. Note the circonflexe on the ê.
Example
Ma fête préférée, c'est Noël. (My favourite festival is Christmas.)
une tradition / une coutume
Examiner keyword
A tradition / a custom — a way of doing things passed down or typical of a place.
Example
C'est une tradition française. (It's a French tradition.)
du / de la / de l' / des (partitive)
Examiner keyword
The partitive article meaning 'some', required with food and drink: du (masculine), de la (feminine), de l' (before a vowel), des (plural).
Example
Je mange du pain et des fruits. (I eat some bread and some fruit.)
manger / boire
Examiner keyword
The verbs 'to eat' and 'to drink'. je mange (I eat), je bois (I drink), on mange (we eat).
Example
Je mange du fromage et je bois de l'eau. (I eat cheese and drink water.)
fêter / célébrer
Two verbs both meaning 'to celebrate'. on fête / on célèbre (we celebrate). Note célébrer swaps é to è: je célèbre.
Example
En France, on fête le 14 juillet. (In France, people celebrate Bastille Day.)
parce que / car
Examiner keyword
Connectives meaning 'because', used to justify an opinion. parce que elides to parce qu' before a vowel.
Example
J'aime Pâques parce que c'est amusant. (I like Easter because it's fun.)
j'aime / je préfère / je déteste
Examiner keyword
Opinion verbs: I like / I prefer / I hate. je préfère has an accent grave on the last è.
Example
Je préfère Noël, mais je déteste le froid. (I prefer Christmas, but I hate the cold.)
chez moi / en France, on…
Examiner keyword
Comparison frames: chez moi = at my home / in my country; en France, on… = in France, people… Use them to compare customs.
Example
En France, on se fait la bise, mais chez moi, on se serre la main. (In France people cheek-kiss, but at home we shake hands.)
se faire la bise
A French custom: to greet someone with a kiss on each cheek. A high-value cultural-awareness phrase.
Example
On se fait la bise pour dire bonjour. (People cheek-kiss to say hello.)
c'est délicieux
A ready-made reason: 'it's delicious'. délicieux (m) / délicieuse (f) agrees with the noun.
Example
J'aime le fromage car c'est délicieux. (I like cheese because it's delicious.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Customs, food and traditions abroad

The traps other students keep falling into on customs, food and traditions abroad questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Omitting the partitive article (writing 'je mange pain' instead of 'je mange du pain')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English drops 'some' ('I eat bread'), so beginners leave it out in French too.
How to avoid it
With food and drink, always insert the partitive: du (m), de la (f), de l' (vowel), des (plural). Check the noun's gender, then choose the matching word.
✕Keeping du/de la after a negative or quantity (writing 'je ne mange pas du pain')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners don't know that the partitive collapses to plain 'de' after ne…pas and after quantity words.
How to avoid it
After ne…pas and after beaucoup/un peu, change the partitive to de (or d' before a vowel): je ne mange pas de pain, beaucoup de fromage, un peu d'eau.
✕Giving an opinion with no reason ('j'aime Noël' and stopping there)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, content
Why it happens
Beginners answer the surface question without realising reasons earn the higher marks.
How to avoid it
Follow every opinion with parce que or car and a reason, then add a connective (et, aussi, mais) for a second idea. Aim for opinion + reason + extension.
✕Dropping accents on festival and opinion words (Noel, fete, prefere)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional.
How to avoid it
Treat accents as part of the spelling: Noël (tréma), fête and Pâques (circonflexe), préféré (two accents aigus), je préfère (accent grave). Learn these high-frequency words by heart.
✕Using the wrong verb form with 'on' (writing 'on mangent')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
Because on often means 'we', learners use the plural nous ending (-ons/-ent).
How to avoid it
on always takes the same form as il/elle (singular): on mange, on fête, on offre — never on mangent or on mangeons.
✕Not agreeing the adjective with the food (writing 'la viande est délicieux')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English adjectives never change, so beginners forget French ones must agree in gender and number.
How to avoid it
Match the adjective to the noun: la viande est délicieuse (f), le fromage est délicieux (m), les plats sont délicieux (m pl).

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

French

Say it like

English

une fête

ewn fet

a festival / party

une tradition

ewn tra-dee-SYON

a tradition

une coutume

ewn koo-TEWM

a custom

Noël

no-EL

Christmas

le Nouvel An

luh noo-vel ON

New Year

Pâques

pak

Easter

le 14 juillet

luh ka-TORZ zhwee-YEH

Bastille Day (French national day)

un cadeau

uhn ka-DOH

a gift / present

un feu d'artifice

uhn fuh dar-tee-FEESS

a firework / fireworks display

un défilé

uhn day-fee-LAY

a parade

fêter / célébrer

feh-TAY / say-lay-BRAY

to celebrate

offrir un cadeau

o-FREER uhn ka-DOH

to give a gift

Before…

Use

Example

English

a masculine noun

du pain

some bread

a feminine noun

de la

de la viande

some meat

a vowel/silent h

de l'

de l'eau

some water

a plural noun

des

des fruits

some fruit(s)

French

Say it like

English

le pain

luh pan

bread

le fromage

luh fro-MAHZH

cheese

un croissant

uhn krwa-SON

a croissant

la viande

la VYOND

meat

le poisson

luh pwa-SON

fish

les légumes (m)

lay lay-GEWM

vegetables

les fruits (m)

lay frwee

fruit

un gâteau

uhn gah-TOH

a cake

l'eau (f)

loh

water

le café

luh ka-FAY

coffee

un plat traditionnel

uhn pla tra-dee-syo-NEL

a traditional dish

délicieux / délicieuse

day-lee-SYUH / day-lee-SYUHZ

delicious (m / f)

French

Say it like

English

j'aime

zhem

I like

j'adore

zha-DOR

I love

je n'aime pas

zhuh nem pa

I don't like

je déteste

zhuh day-TEST

I hate

je préfère

zhuh pray-FAIR

I prefer

mon préféré / ma préférée

mon pray-fay-RAY

my favourite (m / f)

à mon avis

a mon a-VEE

in my opinion

je pense que

zhuh pons kuh

I think that

French

English

Use

parce que

because

most common reason word

car

because / for

slightly more formal alternative

aussi

also

add a second idea

mais

but

contrast

par contre

on the other hand

stronger contrast

c'est délicieux

it's delicious

a ready-made reason

c'est ennuyeux

it's boring

a ready-made reason

French

English

Where / what

le 14 juillet

Bastille Day

France — parades and fireworks

le Carnaval

Carnival

e.g. in the Caribbean and Nice

l'Aïd

Eid

celebrated by Muslim francophone communities

la fête de la musique

Music Day

21 June, free concerts across France

la galette des rois

the "kings' cake"

eaten in January for Epiphany

Question (and English)

Frame answer (and English)

Quelle est ta fête préférée ? (What's your favourite festival?)

Ma fête préférée, c'est Noël, parce que… (My favourite festival is Christmas, because…)

Qu'est-ce que tu manges à Noël ? (What do you eat at Christmas?)

À Noël, je mange du / de la… (At Christmas, I eat some…)

Comment fête-t-on… dans ton pays ? (How is … celebrated in your country?)

Dans mon pays, on fête… avec… (In my country, we celebrate… with…)

Tu aimes la cuisine française ? (Do you like French food?)

Oui, j'aime la cuisine française car c'est délicieux. (Yes, I like French food because it's delicious.)

Quelle est une tradition de ta famille ? (What's a family tradition of yours?)

Chez moi, on a une tradition : on… tous les ans. (At home we have a tradition: we… every year.)

Customs, food and traditions is a high-frequency theme across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Short clips of people describing festivals or meals. You must catch food nouns with their partitives (du, de la, des), festival names, and opinion + reason chunks (j'aime… parce que…). Distractors often swap j'aime for je n'aime pas, so listen for the negative.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts about a francophone celebration or a typical meal. Knowing the vocabulary lets you answer true/false and matching questions; cultural words like la galette des rois or se faire la bise often appear.
Paper 3 (Speaking): The role-play and conversation regularly touch on festivals and food. Use the question-and-answer frames, give opinions with reasons, and show cultural awareness (Chez moi, on… vs En France, on…) for the communication and range marks.
Paper 4 (Writing): A common task is to describe a festival or a special meal, or to compare a tradition with your own. Accurate partitives, correct accents (Noël, fête, préféré), and justified opinions move you up the content and accuracy bands.

Customs, food and traditions abroad

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the right word for 'some' (the partitive article)

2Turn a bare opinion into a justified one

3Describe a francophone festival in three sentences

4Compare a French custom with your own country

une fête

une tradition / une coutume

du / de la / de l' / des (partitive)

manger / boire

fêter / célébrer

parce que / car

j'aime / je préfère / je déteste

chez moi / en France, on…

se faire la bise

c'est délicieux

✕Omitting the partitive article (writing 'je mange pain' instead of 'je mange du pain')

✕Keeping du/de la after a negative or quantity (writing 'je ne mange pas du pain')

✕Giving an opinion with no reason ('j'aime Noël' and stopping there)

✕Dropping accents on festival and opinion words (Noel, fete, prefere)

✕Using the wrong verb form with 'on' (writing 'on mangent')

✕Not agreeing the adjective with the food (writing 'la viande est délicieux')

Past paper style quiz

Customs, food and traditions abroad

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the right word for 'some' (the partitive article)

2Turn a bare opinion into a justified one

3Describe a francophone festival in three sentences

4Compare a French custom with your own country

une fête

une tradition / une coutume

du / de la / de l' / des (partitive)

manger / boire

fêter / célébrer

parce que / car

j'aime / je préfère / je déteste

chez moi / en France, on…

se faire la bise

c'est délicieux

✕Omitting the partitive article (writing 'je mange pain' instead of 'je mange du pain')

✕Keeping du/de la after a negative or quantity (writing 'je ne mange pas du pain')

✕Giving an opinion with no reason ('j'aime Noël' and stopping there)

✕Dropping accents on festival and opinion words (Noel, fete, prefere)

✕Using the wrong verb form with 'on' (writing 'on mangent')

✕Not agreeing the adjective with the food (writing 'la viande est délicieux')

Past paper style quiz