The third kind of liaison
Besides the compulsory liaison (les_amis) and the forbidden liaison (Paul et | Anne) there is a third kind: the optional liaison. It is neither right nor wrong but a style dial: the more of them a speaker makes, the more formal they sound. A newsreader links almost everywhere, a friend on the phone hardly at all. Both speak correct French.
One sentence, two pronunciations
Il est | arrivé en retard.
[i·le · a·ri·ve]
He arrived late. (relaxed, no liaison)
Il est_arrivé en retard.
[i·le·ta·ri·ve]
He arrived late. (polished, with liaison)
Where a liaison is possible
Optional liaisons occur in clearly definable places. These six are the most important.
Possible, but not required
| Case | Example | Sound | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| être + adjective or participle | c'est_impossible, il est_arrivé | t | very common |
| auxiliary + participe passé | elles sont_arrivées, nous avons_écrit | t / z | common |
| adverb of more than one syllable | toujours_ici, jamais_assez | z | common |
| long preposition | pendant_un an, depuis_un mois | t / z | rather formal |
| plural noun + adjective | des livres_intéressants | z | rather formal |
| verb + complement | je vais_à Paris, il faut_essayer | z / t | formal, rare |
Frequency tells you how often you really hear them in everyday speech
Listen to the optional liaisons
C'est_impossible.
[se·tẽ·po·sibl]
That is impossible.
Nous sommes_arrivés vers huit_heures.
[nu·som·za·ri·ve · ver·üi·teur]
We arrived around eight o'clock.
Pendant_un an, il a voyagé.
[pã·dã·tũ·nã]
He travelled for a year.
Des livres_intéressants.
[de·livr·zẽ·te·re·sã]
Interesting books.
The dial in three steps
The same sentence at three levels
| Level | Liaisons spoken | Impression |
|---|---|---|
| Chat among friends | only the compulsory liaisons (ils_ont, huit_heures) | natural, relaxed |
| Work, service desk, interview | compulsory + the most common (sont_arrivés) | polished, unremarkable |
| Speeches, news, theatre | nearly all (sont_arrivés, ont_attendu) | solemn, controlled |
Sentence: Ils sont arrivés à huit heures et ils ont attendu.
In relaxed conversation too many liaisons do not sound educated but stiff. Among friends the compulsory liaisons are enough.
