Les chiens

Ever wondered what your favourite chien is called in French? Wonder no more. Here’s a cheat sheet to some of the most popular canine breeds (les races de chiens) – and stay tuned for *les chats (coming soon).  

* dog breeds | *cats

Une loterie d'amour

French may be the language of love, but romance hasn’t always run smoothly for its inhabitants. A traditional custom called *la loterie d’amour (love lottery) used to see single male suitors stand outside the homes of single women and call out until they were paired off. If the man found his partner-to-be displeasing, he’d head for *les collines.

In retaliation, the scorned women would then band together and start a bonfire, burning images of the men and cursing them. Eventually, this practice was banned by the government, and more palatable traditions took its place.

*the hills

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.” 

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

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?

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

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?