Avoir un coeur d'artichaut

With *la Saint-Valentin upon us, love is in the air, and we have the perfect term to tease that friend who is always head over heels with a new *amour. *Avoir un coeur d'artichaut is the charming French expression for a hopeless romantic – someone who gives their favour away freely, with a tender heart.

The metaphor takes its roots from a 19th-century proverb, cœur d’artichaut, une feuille pour tout le monde (artichoke heart, one leaf for everyone).

*C’est mignon, non?

*Valentine’s Day | *love | *to be a hopeless romantic | *It’s cute, isn’t it?

8 Useful Expressions for End-of-Year Parties

Struggle to make small talk at Christmas parties and end-of-year get-togethers? We’re here to help. Here are eight of the most useful French phrases to trot out over the coming weeks – including one classy way to make your escape if you’re cornered by un rabat-joie*.

Ça fait longtemps qu’on ne s’est pas vus!
It’s been a while!

Qu’est-ce que tu deviens?
What have you been up to?

Tu as des plans pour le réveillon?
Any plans for New Year’s Eve?

Tu connais beaucoup de monde ici?
Do you know many people here?

Je te ressers un peu?
Shall I top you up a bit?

Pas pour moi, je dois prendre le volant.
Not for me, I have to drive.

Je te laisse profiter de ta soirée!
I’ll let you enjoy your evening!

Merci pour l’invitation, c’était super.
Thanks for having me – it was great. 

*a party pooper/ killjoy

Fun French Phrase: ‘Découvrir le pot aux roses’

If you’re a fan of *les ragots, this charming French phrase will come in handy. Literally translating as ‘to discover the pot of roses’, *découvrir le pot aux roses means to discover a secret.

Why the flowery reference? The expression is believed to stem from a 13th-century tradition, where lovers would stash gifts and letters in flowerpots on the windowsills of their intended.

*gossip

Affrèrement

We love it when we stumble across an unfamiliar French word, and this month we found a fascinating one: affrèrement. Sometimes translated as “brotherment”, un affrèrement refers to a legally binding same-sex (but not necessarily sexual) union of two men that existed in France in late medieval times.

According to this article in The Atlantic (available to subscribers):

“In the contract, the ‘brothers’ pledged to live together sharing ‘un pain, un vin, et une bourse,’ (that's French for one bread, one wine and one purse). The ‘one purse’ referred to the idea that all of the couple's goods became joint property.” 

Faire le pont

Like all of us, the French love a long weekend. Especially when the calendar allows them to ‘faire le pont’. With the literal translation ‘to make a bridge’, this fun French expression refers to asking HR for an annual leave day to create an extended four-day weekend.

How does it work? If un jour férié (public holiday) falls on a *mardi ou jeudi, it’s common practice to take off the bridging day (Monday or Friday) to create a *plus long weekend.  

And this year, *mai dishes up the perfect opportunity, with *des jours fériés on the 1st, 8th and 29th. All of which happen to fall on a Thursday. *Quelle chance!

*Tuesday or Thursday |*longer |*May | *public holidays| *How lucky!

Dicton du mois d'avril

Familiar with the English proverb, “April showers bring May flowers”? *Alors, the French have one of their own.

Referring to the fickle April weather, the saying goes, “En avril, ne te découvre pas d'un fil." This is often followed by the second line, "En mai, fais ce qu'il te plaît."

The literal translation is, “In April, don't remove a thread” and "In May, do what pleases you." Or, in other words, don’t risk swapping *tes pulls for summer dresses just yet, as the hints of warmer weather can't be trusted.

In the milder month of May, on the other hand, you’re free to do (and dress) as you like.  

*C’est mignon, non?

* Well | *your jumpers | *It’s cute, right?

Fun French Expression: Arrête ton char!

Have a friend or family member who can’t help but fib (or raconte des salades*)? Then the French expression “Arrête ton char!” is one to keep up your sleeve.

Directly translated as “Stop your chariot!”, the familiar expression can be used in place of “Come off it!”, “Stop messing around!” or “Give me a break!”. Essentially, it's the verbal equivalent of an eye roll.

Utile, non*?

*lie/ tell tall tales | *Useful, no?

Olympic Glossary: Fun French Sporting Expressions

Want to sound like a pro discussing the Olympics with your French friends? From ‘envoyer une pizza*’ to ‘prendre un caramel*’ (not as pleasant as it sounds), this fun Olympic glossary will arm you with some weird and wonderful sporting expressions to try out at your next soirée.

*to hit a volleyball in a straight line that’s as flat as a pizza |* to hit the ground hard when tackled

Métro-boulot-dodo

Ever feel like all you do is work, eat, sleep, repeat? Well, the frustration and ennui* many of us experience in adult life is shared, and the French have their own spin on the term.

Combining the words for subway and job/ hard work/ graft with the babytalk for sleep (dodo), métro-boulot-dodo* can be translated as commute, work, sleep.

Apparemment, c'est un sentiment universel!*

*weariness and boredom | *commute-work-sleep | *Apparently, it’s a universal feeling!

C'est Pas Versailles Ici...

Looking for an inventive way to tell your kids to turn off les lumières* (and stop racking up your energy bill)? Look no further than the French and give les enfants* a disdainful, “C’est pas Versailles ici”. This tongue-in-cheek saying is a go-to among parents – and one of our favourites from this list of everyday French expressions.

Do you have a favourite French saying? Tell us in the comments below.

*the lights | *the children

Fun French Word: Pantouflard

Is lounging chez nous* on the weekends more your style than attending a fabulous soirée*? Then you, mon ami(e)*, could quite possibly be un pantouflard*.

Roughly translating as ‘homebody’, this phrase comes from the word, pantoufles* – meaning slippers. A fan of the indoors, a pantouflard is someone who spends life in their house slippers.

The expression has been used for decades by authors, appearing as early as the 1920s. C’est charmant, non*?  

Photo by Lisa Fotios

*at your place | *party | *my friend | *a homebody | *slippers | *It’s charming, isn’t it?

Fun French expression: Raconter des salades

From chanter en yaourt*  to tomber dans les pommes*, the French language is awash with whimsical phrases. And, if you’re finding your chat a bit lacking, here’s another fun one to spice up your next conversation: raconter des salades*.  

Directly translated as ‘to tell salads’, this expression dating back to the 19th Century means to spin yarns, tell tall tales or, simply, mentir*.

Pourquoi des salades*? Because they’re made with a mix of colourful ingredients. And, if you racontes des salades*, so is your story. Cute, non*?

PS. Here are a few more handy expressions to have up your sleeve if you think someone is pulling your leg.

Tu racontes des bobards – you’re fibbing
Elle raconte des bêtises – she’s talking nonsense
Il raconte des conneries – he’s bullshitting
Tu racontes des craques – you’re lying

*fake singing/ fudging song lyrics | *fainting | *to spin yarns | *to lie | *Why salads? | *no

D'accord vs ça va

Do you think you know the difference between d’accord and ça va? Es-tu sûr*? While in some circumstances these expressions both mean ‘OK’, that’s not always the case – and they’re not interchangeable. D’accord and ça va have different uses, yet even our most advanced students mix them up from time to time.

Ne t’inquiète pas*, though. After you’ve finished this lesson, tout sera clair*! And in case you get lost, just remember this:

When you want to say ‘OK’

D’accord and ça va both mean OK. However, d’accord is to do with agreement, whereas ça va is about how you are feeling or how someone or something is going. Confused? Consider how both are used in conversation below. 

D’accord

Q: Tu veux venir avec nous?
Do you want to come with us?
R: D’accord!
OK!

Q: D’accord?
OK?
R: Oui, d’accord.
Yes, OK.

In these examples, you are agreeing to an activity, idea or decision. 

Ça va

Q: Ça va? 
How are you? (Literal translation: it goes?)
R: Ça va.
OK/ fine. (Literal translation: it goes.)

Q: Je prends ta voiture, ça va?
I’m taking your car, is that OK? 
R: Oui, ça va.
Yes, it’s OK.  

In these examples, you are being asked if you are OK or if a certain situation is OK. 

Other uses of d’accord

Still with us? While ça va is quite straightforward, there are plusieurs* other uses of d’accord to wrap your tête* around.  

Être d’accord (literally, ‘to be in agreement’) means to agree with someone or something. 

Par example*…

Q: Ils sont d’accord?
Do they agree? 
R: Oui, ils sont d’accord.
Yes, they agree. 

Q: Es-tu d’accord avec elle?
Do you agree with her?
R: Oui, je suis d’accord. 
Yes, I agree.

Q: Qu’est-ce que vous pensez?
What do you think?
R: Je ne suis pas d’accord avec ça. 
I don’t agree with that. 

Être d’accord pour is also used to express agreement or willingness to do something.
Par example…

Q: Vous êtes d’accord pour arroser mes plantes quand je suis en vacances?
Do you agree to water my plants while I’m on holiday?
R: Oui, je suis d’accord pour les arroser.
Yes, I’m willing to water them. 

Je suis d’accord pour travailler samedi. 
I agree to work on Saturday. 

Finally (for now), être d’accord que means ‘to agree that’.

Par example…

Il était d’accord que ce n’était pas une bonne idée. 
He agreed that it wasn’t a good idea. 

TO RECAP

Got it? Here are some common traps to avoid. 

COMMON MISTAKES

*Are you sure? | * Don’t worry | *Everything will be clear! | *several | *head | *For example

Sneak Peek into le Nid | Expressions

As a French learner, you probably already have a few go-to phrases you use in every class. Well, so do we. Voici* the expressions we use most at le nid* – from the everyday to the more, well, coloré*. 

*Here are | *the nest | *colourful

Word power: feu

Looking to improve your French vocabulaire*? There’s un petit mot* you’ve probably come across that will help you péter le feu. Literally translated as ‘farting fire’, this charming expression simply means firing on all cylinders or being in good form. (Don’t you just love the French?)

The word in question? Feu, bien sûr*. 

Meaning ‘fire’, feu* is a handy word to know if you like cuisiner* or camping. But its uses don’t end there. 

Here are a few to add to your repertoire. Or, si tu as le feu sacré*, you can explore the full list at your leisure. 

*vocabulary | *a little word | *fire on all cylinders/ be in good form or health |*Fire, of course |*fire |*to cook |*if you have a fire in your belly/ if you’re very enthusiastic

Interesting French word: chanter en yaourt

While it might sound like a kind of vocal training best avoided by the lactose intolerant, this amusing French phrase has zero to do with dairy. And we’re betting you’ve even done it yourself – possibly during a trip to France. 

Literally translated as ‘singing in yoghurt’, chanter en yaourt means fudging your way through song lyrics using gibberish and, most likely, bravado.

According to Wikipedia, it’s “une technique qui consiste à chanter en produisant des sons, des onomatopées, des syllabes qui font penser qu'il s'agit d'une langue réelle.” (Traduction*: a technique that consists of singing while producing sounds, onomatopoeias, syllables that make people think that it is a real language.)

The term can apply to any ‘fake singing’ but most often refers to attempting to sing in another language. Why not give it a go next time les paroles* escape you?

*translation | *the song lyrics

When there are no words

Don’t we all love it when we’re able to translate from our mother tongue into French mot pour mot*? It’s reassuring in a way, to know that there is true common ground to be found between the two languages.

Quelle douleur exquise*, though, when we come across words that simply defy translation. Though sometimes mind-bendingly uncomfortable, there’s a beauty in knowing that the lived experience of one culture requires description, while the idea itself is not even conceived of in another. Vive la différence*!

word for word | What exquisite pain | Long live difference!

Expressions sur la joie

As éphémère* as it may be, we’re all on the hunt for it in some fashion.

May simply reading about it bring some bonheur* to your day.

Merci à Élodie pour l’inspiration pour ce post*.

*ephemeral | *happiness | *Thanks to Elodie for the inspiration for this post.

Beaucoup de problèmes !

Beaucoup* is one of the words we learn very early on in French. En fait*, even if you’ve never really studied French, you’ll most likely know the phrase merci beaucoup, meaning ‘thank you very much’ or ‘thanks a lot’.

So what is le problème* ?

It’s often when we want to use the word beaucoup to mean ‘many’, ‘a lot of’ or, less formally, ‘lots of’ that we seem to run into trouble. And this is not big trouble we’re talking about. This is just a small error that many of us make repetitively and that is very easy to fix, so let’s hop to it!

The basic rule is this:

It’s natural for a non-native French speaker to want to say des as we are talking about something plural.

For example:

lots of flowers
a lot of opportunities
many baskets

So we’d quite logically want to say:

beaucoup des fleurs
beaucoup des opportunités
beaucoup des paniers

But please don’t. Just remember that we always say beaucoup de or beaucoup d’ (when your noun starts with a vowel or an ‘h’), despite the fact we’re talking about plural things.

It’s neat in a way, because as you know, de means ‘of’, so it’s quite easy to accept that beaucoup de translates to ‘lots of’ or ‘a lot of’. The correct way to say these things is:

beaucoup de fleurs
beaucoup d’opportunités
beaucoup de paniers

It’s actually quite liberating when you realise you don’t need to care about the gender or the number of the thing(s) you’re describing. Since it’s always going to be beaucoup de (except when you’re dealing with a vowel or ‘h’ and it becomes beaucoup d’), you can just go for it.

beaucoup de bonbons*, beaucoup d’hommes*, beaucoup de sucre*, beaucoup de villes*, beaucoup de temps*, beaucoup d’artistes*, beaucoup de vin*, beaucoup d’amour*…

Before you get too carried away, though, you may have heard that in French there are always exceptions. Ça te parle* ? Well, this is no exception.

This is the one time you can say beaucoup des. As we mentioned before, de means ‘of’, and when we add de to les (the), it becomes des and means ‘of the’. So if your sentence can be translated into English to mean ‘a lot of the’ as opposed to ‘a lot of’, then feel free to break the rule. Ouf* !

Beaucoup des films étaient trop longs cette année.
A lot of the films were too long this year.

Beaucoup des invitées sont arrivés avant lui.
A lot of the guests arrived before him.

C’était Anaïs qui a proposé beaucoup des idées pour le projet.
It’s Anaïs who suggested a lot of the ideas for the project.

Thanks to Thought Co. for inspiring this article.

*A lot / many / lots of | *In fact | *the problem | *a lot of lollies | *a lot of men | *a lot of sugar | *a lot of cities | *a lot of time | *a lot of artists | *a lot of wine | *a lot of love | *Does that ring a bell? | *Phew!

Madeleine de Proust

Talk turned to madeleines* this week at Lingua Franca, which in and of itself, is not a rare occurrence.

However, for once we weren’t rhapsodising about their buttery delights, rather the talk was of les souvenirs* and what provokes them. Pourquoi*?

Because Marcel Proust, a privileged but poorly French writer, who was confined to his bed for much of his life, wrote of an événement déclencheur* in the first volume of his classic text À la Recherche du Temps Perdu*. That event was being handed a madeleine and une tasse de thé* by his mother as he was convalescing, and the taste of that delicious madeleine immediately transported him back to his childhood, when his Tante Léonie* would offer him a taste of hers after she’d dipped it in her lime-flower tea.

With the work spanning seven volumes and containing more than a million words, Proust is not known for his vitesse*. In fact, the madeleine incident occurs only on page 95, so it’s fair to say he’s not a man in a hurry. Nonetheless, the scene is widely recognised as the point where the book really takes off, as detailed in this excellent article from the Penguin website.

Proust had his fans (Virginia Woolf, Grahame Greene, Victor Nabakov) as well as his his detractors (Somerset Maugham, Kazuo Ishiguro) but it’s unlikely any of them would turn down a petite madeleine* if offered by a caring and affectionate aunt.

If all this talk of les pâtisseries* has served to réveiller vos papilles*, voici la recette* again.

Un grand merci à Kathryn* who brought this delightful sujet* to the table at her class on Wednesday night.

*a traditional small cake from the Lorraine region | *memories | *Why? | *trigger event | *In Search of Lost Time | *a cup of tea | *Aunt Léonie | *speed | *little madeleine | *pastries | *wake up your tastebuds | *here is the recipe | *A big thank you to Kathryn | *subject