L'accent grave
Katrina explains the effect of the accent grave* on pronunciation. If you think of it making the sound of the letter 'e' in the English words 'bed' or 'egg' you'll be very close indeed.
*grave accent.
Au Clair de la Lune
We’re sure most of you are familiar with the French Song “Au Clair de la Lune*” but did it ever cross your mind that it might be a bit risqué*? It certainly did not to us, until we were tipped off by a curious student, Martha, who set herself the seemingly innocent challenge of translating this French comptine*. So what did she find? Well, it all starts out fairly innocently, with talk of quills, candles and the love of God, but by the third verse, things have taken a sexier turn (or do we just have dirty minds au nid*?).
See what you think by checking out the video, which seems to play on the faux* innocence of the words. Again, we could just be seeing this through a slightly perverted lens, mais sérieusement*, the God of Love wants to enter your cabin??? À vous de décider*.
"Au clair de la lune,
Mon ami Pierrot,
Prête-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot.
Ma chandelle est morte,
Je n'ai plus de feu.
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l'amour de Dieu."
Au clair de la lune,
Pierrot répondit :
"Je n'ai pas de plume,
Je suis dans mon lit.
Va chez la voisine,
Je crois qu'elle y est,
Car dans sa cuisine
On bat le briquet."
Au clair de la lune,
L'aimable Lubin;
Frappe chez la brune,
Elle répond soudain :
–Qui frappe de la sorte?
Il dit à son tour :
–Ouvrez votre porte,
Pour le Dieu d'Amour.
Au clair de la lune,
On n'y voit qu'un peu.
On chercha la plume,
On chercha du feu.
En cherchant d'la sorte,
Je n'sais c'qu'on trouva;
Mais je sais qu'la porte
Sur eux se ferma.
"By the light of the moon,
My friend Pierrot,
Lend me your quill
To write a word.
My candle is dead,
I have no light left.
Open your door for me
For the love of God."
By the light of the moon,
Pierrot replied:
"I don't have any pens,
I am in my bed
Go to the neighbor's,
I think she's there
Because in her kitchen
Someone is lighting the fire."
By the light of the moon
Likeable Lubin
Knocks on the brunette's door.
She suddenly responds:
– Who's knocking like that?
He then replies:
– Open your door
for the God of Love!
By the light of the moon
One could barely see.
The pen was looked for,
The light was looked for.
With all that looking
I don't know what was found,
But I do know that the door
Shut itself on them.
*By the light of the moon | *risqué | *nursery rhyme | *at the nest | *false | *but seriously | *Over to you to decide
Museums of Paris
Though our travel options may be a bit limitées* at the moment, no-one can stop us from dreaming…or planning.
When Lingua Franca held our first Paris Summer School in 2019, we were absolutely blessed to have poet, translator and amateur historian Gilles Mourier as one of our tutors for the week. Gilles’ knowledge of French culture is virtually boundless, but he also has the knack of breaking down complex information into manageable (and very useful) chunks.
Take, for example, his simple way of distinguishing between three of the most famous musées* of Paris: Le Louvre, Le Musée d’Orsay et Le Centre Pompidou. It is tellement* simple and will be very useful to you in planning your dream itinéraire*.
N’OUBLIEZ PAS*: entry to many Parisian museums is free on the first Sunday of the month. Go here to dream (en français* or in English): https://www.parisinfo.com/decouvrir-paris/guides-thematiques/paris-gratuit/musees-et-monuments-gratuits-a-paris/les-musees-et-monuments-gratuits-a-paris
*limited | *museums | *so | *itinerary | *Don’t forget | *in French
Le Coronavirus et La Covid-19
The Académie française* is the guardian of the French language. Not known for their vitesse* (the 9th edition of their gold-standard dictionary was started last century and they're still only up to the letter 's'), in the age of Coronavirus, they have shown an extraordinarily short response time to deciding the gender of the illness.
This article appeared in Moncole Magazine and was passed on to us by the lovely Xavier Amouroux, whom many of you know. Merci, Xav*!
*The French Academy (esteemed body who looks after the integrity of the French language) | *speed | *Thanks, Xav!
Society / France
Deadlier than the male
It was only a matter of time before the authorities got involved. In France, the masculine le Covid-19 has crept into daily use in conversation and the media, angering Francophone linguists in the process. Thankfully, the Académie Française has put a stop to it, ruling that the virus is, in fact, feminine. The Académie goes into impressive detail in laying out its reasoning behind the change from le to the feminine la, primarily using precedents from other acronyms, which are the gender of their core word. State-owned railway firm SNCF (the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer), for example, is feminine because of la Société. After citing everything from Latin to English, the Académie found the core of Covid-19 to be la maladie (illness). Such a simple explanation begs the question: how did this error make it into French conversation in the first place? Well, that’s because le coronavirus (which refers to the family of viruses rather than Covid-19 specifically) remains masculine. And that isn’t confusing at all...
Tout comme des grands
What a fantastic opportunity! Our Parisian friends, Tout Comme des Grands*, traditionally run ateliers for children at fresh food markets aroud the city. With les enfants* artfully engaged, their parents are free to roam the markets, poring over the incredible range and quality of the produce en paix*.
Since these very markets are now closed, Marine and her team have had to make some quick decisions, and one in particular is of huge benefit to those of us in the Southern Hemisphere. Until the end of June, Tout Comme des Grands is offering free craft sessions via Zoom. Imagine! Your child could busy themselves doing un petit projet* with French children after dinner, giving you time to kick back for a moment to catch your breath. Take a look at their website to see what they do, then follow them on social media to keep up with the latest classes on offer, and be sure to aim for an early time slot in Paris as this will be just after dinner here in Australia.
Bon courage les enfants*!
*Just like the big kids | *the children | *in peace | *a little project | *Good luck, kids!
F is for France
If you're looking for something light and super intéressant* to read at the moment, one of our students recommended F is for French by Piu Eatwell to us, and we're so glad she did (merci*, Sue!). Divided into alphabetised chapters, it covers the big issues, par exemple*:
A is for Absinthe
F is for Fashion
H is for Hashish
and, of course
D is for Death
Learn all about...
the "Paris Syndrome" and why it is the reason for the hospitalisation of dozens of Japanese tourists each year,
what the Eiffel Tower and Margaret Thatcher have in common, and
Dominique Bouhours, the famed French grammarian whose final words were: "I am about to - or I am going to - die: either expression is correct."
Poor Dominique. Are we sure he didn't bore himself to death?
A great read for times like these. Bonne lecture*!
*really interesting | *thank you | *for example | *Happy reading!
Les essentiels
Ne quittez pas la maison* without learning these extremely useful words. Not sure of the meaning of one or two? We couldn’t live without www.wordreference.com here at Lingua Franca. It is always the first tab I open in the morning on my computer and in ten years, I could count on one hand the number of times it has not had a word I was looking for.
*Do not leave home
French fashion
“ La mode se démode, le style jamais*. ”
Coco Chanel, French fashion designer (1883 - 1971)
Paradoxically, though Louis XIV was a renowned lover of fashion, the very first maison de couture* was opened by an Englishman, Charles Frederick Worth, in Paris in 1858. He took what was hitherto regarded as a menial business (dressmaking) and elevated it to the perfect confluence of commerce and art.
However, it's the French designers who have produced some of the most avant-gardiste*, iconic and franchement* sublime creations the world has ever seen.
Put your knowledge of la mode* to the test by telling us which brilliant designer is responsible for each of the looks below. The first person to send in the correct answers will win a copy of French Vogue!
*Fashion goes out of style, style never. | *High fashion house | *avant-garde | *frankly | *fashion
Wine rules
If you've found yourself doing more home cooking recently, it might be an idea to look to the French concept of food and wine matching for some classic guidelines.
Balance is very important to the French, in all areas of life. This fact, coupled with their passion for good food and wine makes it logical that they would make an art form of balancing what they eat and drink.
In French, matching food and wine is called assortir les vins au menu. For a subject that can seem overwhelming for the amateur, the good news is that the basic tenets are really quite logical. Voici* some useful rules of thumb.
If you’re interested in a bit more nuance, try to follow the following ideas:
A dry white wine is a good match for fresh seafood, a fuller-bodied white if the seafood is served hot, and a medium or even sweet white if the seafood is served with a sauce.
Try to match the intensity of the meal with the wine. That is, a rich steak marries well with a full-bodied red wine, whereas scallops would benefit a more delicate white.
Lastly, where possible, use wines from the same region as the dish. When all elements come from the same terroir,* the likelihood of a successful marriage is naturally higher.
Bon appétit!*
*Here are | *the unique combination of climate, soil and topography of a particular area | *Enjoy your meal!
Digital ‘coups de cœur’
We took a straw poll recently here at Lingua Franca to find about the team’s coups de cœur* in the world of digital platforms, whether they were des sites web*, des applis* or des podcasts*, and here are the results.
Remember, there is always value in taking a look at a wide range of media when you're learning French. Even if you don't think you understand much at all, you will pick up the odd word or phrase here and there and equally importantly, you'll be getting un petit aperçu* of true contemporary French culture.
*crushes | *websites | *apps | *podcasts | *glimpse
Ressource Peintures
Katrina
"C'est un bon compte Insta juste pour zapper et se détendre"
"This is a great Insta page to use to just relax your brain"
Marie Claire - Idées
Josephine
"Vu que je fais une tonne d'arts manuels, de la couture et du bricolage, je suis souvent sur ce site à chercher de nouvelles idées."
"Since I do a LOT of craft, sewing and DIY, I'm often on this site looking for new ideas"
Une souris dans mon dressing
Caroline
"Je suis le blog d'une femme créative et que je trouve très amusante : "une souris dans mon dressing". Voici sa page Instagram."
"I follow the blog of a female creative who I find very funny: "a mouse in my wardrobe"" Here is her Instagram page.
Marmiton
David
"Aimant cuisiner et pâtissier j'utilise très souvent le site Marmiton."
"Since I love cooking and baking, I often use the Marmiton site.
Nouvelles Écoutes
Fiona
"J’écoute beaucoup de podcasts et celui-là est mon préféré car il donne la parole à des femmes inspirantes."
"I listen to lots of podcasts and this is my favourite because it highlights inspiring women."
TED Talks - French
Deborah
“J’aime avoir la possibilité de filtrer les vidéos par langue et regarder des TED Talks en français.”
”I like being able to filter videos by language and watch TED Talks in French.”
Gad Elmaleh
Une courte vidéo* to prove that the French struggle just as much as we do when they learn "the English". French Moroccan comedian Gad Elmaleh takes us through their equivalent of 'ouvrez la fenêtre*'.
PS C'est promis* - ask any French person who has learned English at school and they'll tell you all about the infamous Brian and his kitchen. Enjoy!
*a short video | *open the window | *It's a promise
Masculin ou féminin
We know, we know! When we first start teaching you here at Lingua Franca, we break the bad news that every single noun in French is either masculine or feminine (that’s why some words start with le* and others with la* and others with l’*…but that’s another story…).
We also tell you just to accept that there is no rhyme or reason as to which category they fall into. Now though, with possibly a bit more time on your hands than d’habitude*, we feel it’s time to let you in on a couple of little secrets as to how you can make an educated guess.
Bonus points for anyone who can identify the person in the background, going about her day at le nid*.
*the | *the | *the | *usual | *the nest
La bise
Negotiating la bise* in France is a trap for young players and is almost certain to cause some embarrassment as some time or another.
While Anglo-Saxons are more inclined to shake hands when greeting one another (or do we kiss, or hug or do nothing? See? C’est compliqué*!), the French are conditioned to faire la bise*.
A very instructive insight into this cultural norm is found in the video below. The part I love the best is the step-by-step instruction as to where to place your hand, what noise to make and the fact that la bise is really not a kiss at all.
At the end of the video, the presenter recommends another very funny video by English comedian Paul Taylor, who was the ambassador of Le Festival a couple of years back. You may have even seen him perform at Le Tivoli.
WARNING: While the video below is definitely safe for work, if you do go on to search out Paul Taylor’s take on the French and their salutations*, be aware the language is quite ripe. You were warned!
*the kiss | *It’s complicated! | *to kiss in greeting | *greetings
Madeleines
As you may know, Deborah is on lockdown in France, and while we’ve been in regular contact and I can tell you her physical and mental health is in tact, her comportement* has undergone a radical change. Oui, tout le monde, Deborah cuisine*.
To be fair to Deborah, she did have a foray into cooking last year with the help of Hello Fresh, and quite possibly she has kept it up since her return to France, but this goes above and beyond the call of duty: baking madeleines.
These little French cakes have a literary link, as it was in dipping a buttery madeleine into tea that the adult writer Proust was able to unlock childhood memories, as he evoked in “À la recherche du temps perdu” (“In Search of Lost Time”). He must have had quite some memories to draw upon, as the work runs to 4 215 pages over seven volumes and weighs 3.9kgs. Et voilà*, some light confinement* reading ideas. Don’t say we don’t look after you.
If you’re after a more modest challenge, try translating the ingredients below, and then, if you’re feeling confident, keep going with the instructions. If you need a good dictionary, we recommend www.wordreference.com.
By the way, head chef Deborah didn’t have a madeleine moule* so she just used a muffin tin instead and she reports they were nonetheless délicieux.
Bonne cuisine*!
*behaviour | *Yes, everybody, Deborah is cooking | *isolation | *And there you go | *mould | *delicious | *Happy cooking!
La Marmotte
You know how some ads just work their way into popular culture? Think of the Yellow Pages ad (“Not happy, Jan!”) or G-O-G-G-O (the Goggomobil ad, again Yellow Pages). Or how about Mortein’s Louie the Fly?
France has its own classics and one of the best known is this ad for Milka, the confectionary company. The ad is self-explanatory, until we get to the strapline:
Man: Et alors la marmotte, elle met le petit chocolat dans le papier d'alu.
Woman: Mais, bien sûr!
Translation:
Man: And so the woodchuck puts the chocolate in the alfoil.
Woman: But, of course!
Ever since the ad’s appearance in France in the late 1990s, whenever someone says something outlandish or is seeming a bit crazy, one might hear: Et alors, la marmotte…
Les saisons
What would your vocabulary list look like to encapsulate the seasons? A fun exercise to while away le temps*.
*the time
Les pays francophones
Did you know that French is spoken in 30 countries across the globe by approximately 220 million people?
Can you figure out the six destinations below where le français* is spoken as an official language? The first person to send in the correct response will win a Lingua Franca En Voyage travel booklet (we can dream, can’t we?). We’ll accept cities or countries as answers.
Need some clues?
This destination is one of seven ex-French colonies in a very populous country.
This country’s national basketball team is called Les Panthères*.
The name of the city and the province, this destination is famed for its speciality poutine*.
You’ll never be late in this country.
Much of “Mutiny on the Bounty” was filmed here in 1962.
A regular destination for Lingua Franca.
Bonne chance*!
*French | *The Panthers | *chips, cheese curds and gravy | *Good luck!
Paysages de France
“La pensée voyage à la vitesse du désir.” - Thought travels at the speed of desire.
Malcolm de Chazal, Mauritian philosopher.
Here, les plus beaux paysages de France* as presented by Geo.
PS Make sure you disable your ad blocker to watch this gorgeous video.
*the most beautiful landscapes of France.
Win movie tickets
You've probably worked out by now that the 2020 Brisbane French Film Festival is just around the corner (18th March - 14th April).
We have two tickets to give away to the first reader who can name all six of the French acteurs/actrices* above. Simply fill in the form below et tentez votre chance!*
And if you miss out, don't forget Lingua Franca has organised a film event for Sunday, 22nd March.
More details here.
*male actors/female actors | *and try your luck!
Les classiques du cinéma français
Looking to take on un projet personnel*? How about methodically watching your way through this list of well-known French films? You may have already seen #2 without realising it. Simply called "Amélie" in foreign cinemas, many of us longed to inhabit the quirky world of the adorable* Amélie Poulain.
*a personal project | *adorable