French lessons, events & trips
FRENCH LESSONS EVENTS & GIFTS
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
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
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!
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
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
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
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
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)
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?
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
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
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:
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.
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
If you’re a woman you’ve no doubt rolled tes yeux* as un homme* has condescendingly “explained” the simplest of concepts to you. And guess what? The idea of mansplaining also exists in French – and it goes by the name of mecsplication.
A homonym for m'expliquer*, mecspliquer means to explain something to a woman in a patronising or oversimplified manner. It’s a clever combination of two French words. Mec – meaning guy, dude, man or bro in slang. And expliquer, meaning – you guessed it – to explain.
Want an example of mecsplication in action? Regarde* this famous 2021 tweet by Dr Jessica McCarthy.
Oh, la honte!*
*your eyes | *a man |* explain to me | *Look at | *Oh, the shame!
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.
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
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
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
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!
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* 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!