Word Power: Tirer

Meaning ‘to pull’, the French verb tirer is a handy one to have up your sleeve. From piggybank to handkerchief, many fun words and expressions take tire as their logical (and literal) *racine. Commit them to memory, then pull them out whenever you want to impress your French friends with your vocab.

 
(Larigot refers to a small flute played – often endlessly – in the Middle Ages)

*stem

10 Popular Resolutions

It’s that time of year again, when we set the best intentions for the 12 months ahead. Whether you make them and break them or avoid them altogether, here are ten of the most common *bonnes résolutions across the globe.

*New year’s resolutions

10 Popular Christmas Gifts

With just over two weeks until Christmas, the clock is ticking to get those cadeaux de Noël* wrapped and under the tree. To boost your festive French vocab, here are the ten of the most common gifts given each year around the globe.

Original? Non* Appreciated? On verra*.

*Christmas gifts | *No | *We shall see

Légumes d'automne

While we swelter through the arrival of spring, in France it’s time to tuck into comforting autumnal dishes like *les soupes et les gratins.

From root veggies to leafy greens, here’s what’s in season in the Northern hemisphere – *les légumes d'automne our French friends are enjoying.

*soups and gratins | *autumn vegetables

Winter Sports

Does your winter sports repertoire begin and end with “*J’aime faire du ski?” Don’t worry, we can help. Read on and expand your horizons with this cheat sheet to *les sports d’hiver.

*I like skiing | *winter sports

Tour de France Vocab

Get your forty winks now, cycling fans, because Le Tour is back – and you know what that means. Kicking off on 5th July, the 112th edition of the premier international cycling event, Le Tour de France, will see 23 *équipes traverse 3,320 kilometres of picturesque terrain over three action-packed weeks. As plenty of eager Aussies swap sleep for late nights glued to SBS.

Want to impress your colleagues at the water cooler with your informed cycling chat? Here are a handful of phrases to pedal out in the local lingo.

 You can find a more comprehensive list here.

*teams

The Best Hikes in France

If you prefer your holidays far from bustling cities and crammed coastal resorts, with a healthy dose of fresh air, Lonely Planet’s guide to the best hikes in France might be for you.

And, to ensure you fit right in on *la piste, we’ve also compiled *une liste of handy French hiking vocab to learn before *votre depart.

 *the track | *a list | *your departure

Légumes de printemps

Keen gardeners and chefs will know that each season means a different crop of delicious veg to roast, blanch, sauté or grill. With spring in full bloom in the northern hemisphere, here are *des légumes de printemps you might find on *ton assiette in France.

*some spring vegetables | *your plate

Festive French Vocab

‘Tis the season to perfect your French vocab with this handy list of festive terms. From holiday greetings to the baubles decorating your sapin de Noël*, pop these up your sleeve to spread the holiday cheer like a pro.

*Christmas tree

Verlan Slang Words

Keen to speak like a true French native? It’s time to master Verlan – a form of French slang created by inverting the syllables (or sounds) in a word. Un exemple*? Try cimer – the cool-kid way to say merci*.

Check out this article on the 15 Verlans words you should know. And be prepared to impress your French amis*.

*An example | *thank you | *friends

11 ways to say you're tired (that aren't fatigué)

Looking to spice up your French complaints? *Voici 11 expressive ways to say you’re tired (besides *je suis fatigué(e).)

*Nos conseils? Perhaps go to bed *plus tôt this evening.

*Here are | *I’m tired | *Our advice? |*earlier

It's Been A While...

It’s been a while, it’s been ages, it’s been an eternity... If you find yourself overusing “Ça fait longtemps”*, this handy article provides plenty of other options to spice up your conversation.

*It’s been a long time

Word Power: Bouche

If you want to expand your French vocab and pepper your conversation with some fun expressions, bouche*, meaning mouth, is another mot très utile* to add to your repertoire.

The following is just a little *mise en bouche (visit WordReference for a bumper list!) – but we’re sure you’ll find an expression or two that will tickle your fancy.

*mouth | *very useful word | *taster

Les Petits Mots

We hear from so many of our students that it's the 'little words' they struggle with in French. You may know the culprits: le, la, l', les, un, une, des, au, à la, à l', aux, du, de la, de l', des, mon, ma, mes... the list goes on.

With so many options on offer, there’s understandably some confusion, even among our more advanced students. So, to help you get to grips with les petits mots* (once and for all), Katrina has created a series of petites vidéos*.  

We’ll be releasing a video a week on Instagram (we’re up to week 4), so make sure you head on over for ta leçon hebdomadaire*. Below is a taster of week 1’s lesson on the definite article, ‘the’. (As promised, we’re starting back at the basics.)

Enjoy learning this way? You might be interested in our online lessons, set to début later this year. Register your interest here. And make sure you follow us on Instagram for more mini-lessons and helpful tips and tricks.

*the little words | *little videos | *your weekly lesson

Word Power: Papillon

Many of our students tell us they love the French word for butterfly, papillon*. Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to use it, too, as ce joli mot* has a surprising number of applications.

As in English, the French refer to la brasse papillon* ­– a complicated (and impressive) stroke in swimming. And you might just find yourself in need of un écrou papillon,* or butterfly nut, if you’re putting together some flat-pack furniture.

Want a few more examples to have up ta manche*? Memorise the little list below, and you’ll be sure to send your French friends into a flutter with your vocab.

*butterfly | *the pretty word| *butterfly stroke |*butterfly nut |*your sleeve

Tricky Words to Pronounce in French

From the exaggerated R to all the unpronounced letters, there’s no denying French pronunciation can be difficult for native English speakers. So, if you find yourself regularly tripping over ta langue*, rest assured you’re far from alone!

To help you gain confidence when reading aloud or conversing, here is a list of 10 everyday, notoriously tricky French mots* with helpful pronunciation tips. 

You can also find many of the same words here, plus some new tongue twisters with pronunciation included.

With a little practice (and a dash of bravado), you'll soon be reciting this list les doigts dans le nez*!

*your tongue | *words |*very easily (with your fingers in your nose)

The 15 Hardest French Words to Pronounce

Learning grammar and memorising vocab are tough. But for many of our chouchous*, the biggest challenge of all is mastering French pronunciation.

It’s a problem shared by language learners and this article, ’The 15 Hardest French Words to Pronounce (with English Translations)’, will make you feel seen. If not entirely heard.

This list is by no means definitive, but ne vous inquiétez pas*. Our teachers are busy compiling une liste* of the words Lingua Franca students find the trickiest, plus some essential tips to help you parlez* like pros. Stay tuned.

*teacher’s pets | *don’t worry | *a list | *speak

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

English words used in French

From ballet to faux-pas, baguette to souvenir, most Aussies unwittingly use numerous words of French origin as they go about their days. How numerous? Well, everyone’s vocabulaire* differs, but suffice it to say that approximately 7, 000 mots français* have made their way into the modern English language. (And many, many more words we use have French or Latin roots.)

But does it go both ways? Well, to a lesser extent, oui*. Today’s French is also littered with Anglicisms – especially among young, hip, pop culture vultures. 

You’re probably familiar with the food-related crossovers (hamburger, sandwich, hot dog), so here are some other loanwords to explore. 

Interesting French word : Crapoter

If you ever felt the peer pressure de fumer* in your youth, you may have crapoté* your first Marlboro Red. The French equivalent of the charming Aussie expression ‘bum puffing’, crapoter is a verb meaning to smoke a cigarette without inhaling. 

While that might sound like the best thing to do if forced to light up, it’s considered cringe-worthy among French teens. Toutefois*, that might be changing.
While smoking is still much more prevalent in France than en Australie*, the health message appears to be working. In 2021, 30% of French ados* had ever tried smoking, versus 52% in 2010. (In Australia, 97% of those aged 15-17 had never tried smoking, according to the National Health Survey.)

So now you know the word for fake smoking, how about fake singing? Can you remember it from December’s Chouchou News? If not, check it out here.

*to smoke | *smoked without inhaling |*However | *in Australia | *adolescents