on the line
Bonjour! C’est Hélène à l’appareil.
Hello! It’s Hélène on the line.
Today’s phrase is part of our weeklong look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’d also love to know if you prefer focusing on a single topic throughout the week or enjoying a more random word each day. E-mail us to let us know!
on time
Est-ce que le train est arrivé à l’heure?
Did the train arrive on time?
at the last minute
Vous avez encore des choses à faire à la dernière minute?
Do you still have things to do at the last minute?
We’re continuing our look this week at words related to the holiday season.
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on foot
Nous sommes allés à pied.
We went on foot.
at a special price
Nous avons des idées cadeaux à prix choc!
We have gift ideas at special prices!
To mark the season of gift-giving, our vocabulary topic this week is holiday shopping. To see other words we’ve posted on the same topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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discounted (literally, at reduced prices)
C’est possible d’acheter des billets d’avion à prix réduits.
It’s possible to buy discounted airline tickets.
about (on the subject of)
to hang a painting
Il réfléchit un peu. Sa femme veut qu’il accroche un tableau.
He thinks for a bit. His wife wants him to hang a painting.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
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currently
Nous sommes actuellement en route.
We are currently on the way.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
In French, actuellement actually means currently. If you really mean actually, you would want to use en fait.
THIS WEEK
We have an especially useful topic for you. While French and English have many cognates — words that are derived from the same root word and consequently look and sound a lot alike — these words sometimes have similar meanings but other times do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners.
This week, we’ll share some of our favorite false cognates with you to keep you from falling into the trap of translating incorrectly.
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sour
Les bonbons de citron ont un goût aigre.
The lemon candy has a sour taste.
Also, note that aigre-doux means sweet and sour.
TIP: An easy way to remember this word lies in remembering the part it plays in the word vinaigre, the French word for vinegar. If you break down vinaigre (vin + aigre), you’ll see that it is quite literally sour wine.
to like, to love
Sophie aime ses parents.
Sophie loves her parents.
Aimer is a regular -er verb.
To learn how to conjugate verbs like aimer, click here.
For more verb essentials, check out our new Quick Verb Guide.
add to the shopping cart
(literally, panier is basket)
Quand vous faites des achats en ligne, vous ajoutez des articles au panier.
When you shop online, you add items to the shopping cart.
To mark the season of gift-giving, our vocabulary topic this week is holiday shopping. To see other words we’ve posted on the same topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
to go
Present tense: je vais, tu vas, il/elle/on va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont
Passé composé: je suis allé(e), tu es allé(e), il/elle/on est allé(e), nous sommes allés(és), vous êtes allés(és), ils/elles sont allés(és)
Allons!: Let’s go!
analog, digital
Il faut toujours choisir entre une montre analogique (avec aiguilles) ou numérique.
You always have to choose between an analog (with hands) or digital watch.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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to cancel
Les lignes aériennes devaient annuler leurs vols en raison du nuage volcanique.
The airlines had to cancel their flights due to the volcanic cloud.
THIS WEEK
With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to call, to call back
J’ai appelé ma mère, mais elle n’était pas là.
I called my mother, but she wasn’t there.
Mon père m’a dit de la rappeler en 30 minutes.
My father told me to call her back in 30 minutes.
Today’s words are part of our weeklong look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’d also love to know if you prefer focusing on a single topic throughout the week or enjoying a more random word each day. E-mail us to let us know!
to check in to the hotel
Nous arriverons à l’hôtel à 15h.
We’ll check into the hotel at 3 p.m.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this week’s words and phrases will help you take care of the very essential task of reserving a room and navigating the hotel once you’re there. Bon voyage!
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to reach
Marie a atteint sa destination à 14h15.
Marie reached her destination at 2:15 p.m.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering a random selection of words — ones we’ve come across in the past week or so that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
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to wait
J’attends ma mère.
I’m waiting for my mother.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
Attendre means to wait. If you want to say you’re attending to somebody or something, you would use the verb assister. So, if you were attending to your mother, rather than waiting for her, you would say: J’assiste à ma mère.
THIS WEEK
We have an especially useful topic for you. While French and English have many cognates — words that are derived from the same root word and consequently look and sound a lot alike — these words sometimes have similar meanings but other times do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners.
This week, we’ll share some of our favorite false cognates with you to keep you from falling into the trap of translating incorrectly.
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to award
Le professeur a attribué le prix à l’étudiant le plus intelligent.
The teacher awarded the prize to the smartest student.
to have
Je n’ai pas d’argent.
I don’t have any money.
Avoir is one of the most essential of all French verbs. Not only does it express possession, it is also used to form numerous tenses of many other French verbs.
For a complete conjugation of avoir, click here.
To see avoir used to form tenses of other regular verbs, explore these regular verb conjugations:
to have a headache
Vous dites au médecin, <<J’ai mal à la tête. C’est grave.>>
You tell the doctor, “I have a headache. It’s bad.”
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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to bathe, to bathe (oneself)
Louise baigne ses enfants avant de les coucher.
Louise bathes her children before putting them to bed.
Puis, elle se baigne avant de regarder la télé.
Then, she bathes before watching television.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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common, run-of-the-mill, ordinary
Le repas n’était pas très speciale. En fait, c’était assez banal.
The meal was not very special. In fact, it was rather ordinary.
to build
Nous bâtissons un meilleur monde.
We’re building a better world.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at regular -ir verbs. Each day, we’ll choose a new verb and show an example conjugated in a different person of the present tense. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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although
Bien qu’il soit tard, je ne peux pas m’endormir.
Although it’s late, I can’t sleep.
to injure
Henri s’est blessé la jambe en jouant au tennis.
Henri injured his leg while playing tennis.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
Blesser means to injure, not to bless. When we remember this, Henri gets attention for his injury — not for strangely bestowing blessings on body parts during a match!
THIS WEEK
We have an especially useful topic for you. While French and English have many cognates — words that are derived from the same root word and consequently look and sound a lot alike — these words sometimes have similar meanings but other times do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners.
This week, we’ll share some of our favorite false cognates with you to keep you from falling into the trap of translating incorrectly.
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
Not a member yet? SUBSCRIBE HERE!
stuck, stranded
Des milliers de voyageurs étaient bloqués partout dans le monde.
Thousands of travelers were stuck all over the world.
THIS WEEK
It’s not every week that we witness a volcano eruption having a major impact on European news. With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
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cheap, inexpensive
On peut trouver des vêtements à bon marché à la fin de la saison.
You can find inexpensive clothes at the end of the season.
to boil
L’eau bout à 100° C.
Water boils at 100° C.
Il faut faire bouillir la sauce.
It’s necessary to bring the sauce to a boil.
to plug in/to unplug
Branchez l’appareil avant de l’utiliser. Débranchez-le après avoir fini.
Plug in the device before using it. Unplug it when finished.
FUN FACT:
Branché, which literally means to be plugged in, is also widely used to mean someone who is hip — plugged in, if you will — to current trends, fashion and other popular culture.
You might hear a conversation like this:
– Natalie est assez branchée, non? Natalie’s rather hip, no?
– Oui, bien sûr, elle est très chic. Yes, of course, she’s very stylish.
bright
Le soleil était brillant et chaud.
The sun was bright and hot.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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tanned
Paul aime passer du temps au soleil. Il est toujours bronzé.
Paul likes to spend time in the sun. He’s always tanned.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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Who’s calling?
Allô. Pourrais-je parler à Charles?
Hello. Could I speak to Charles?
Oui, c’est de la part de qui?
Yes, who’s calling?
Today’s phrase is part of our weeklong look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’d also love to know if you prefer focusing on a single topic throughout the week or enjoying a more random word each day. E-mail us to let us know!
That’s great/fantastic!
Elle a réussit à ses examens. C’est génial!
She passed her exams. That’s fantastic!
TIP
This phrase is a pretty strong exclamation in French, maybe slightly stronger than it’s great in American English — something more akin to it’s brilliant in British English. The phrase can imply a certain degree of cleverness.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’re covering some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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That’s why…
Je n’ai pas d’argent. C’est pour ça que je vais à la banque.
I don’t have any money. That’s why I’m going to the bank.
TIP
In a French class, you likely will learn learn that c’est pourquoi would be the best way to say this. Of course, c’est pourquoi is perfectly acceptable. But you’re at least as likely to hear c’est pour ça que.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’ll cover some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers.
PARDONNEZ-NOUS!
We made a mistake in yesterday’s translation sent to our e-mail subscribers. We incorrectly paired a formal form of the verb mettre with an informal pronoun. The correct translation of Put on your coat before going outside should have been Mettez votre manteau avant d’aller dehors. Thank you to one of our readers for pointing out the error!
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I don’t care/It’s all the same to me/It doesn’t matter to me
(literally, it is equal to me)
Que veux-tu regarder à la télé? Ça m’est égal.
What do you want to watch on television? It doesn’t matter to me.
TIP
This is one of those great little expressions that will make you sound like a native. Now, all that’s left to do is to practice it with that certain French je ne sais quoi that makes you appear as if you truly couldn’t care less!
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’re covering some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.
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How’s it going?, How are you doing?
Ça va? is more informal and what you would typically say to other students or friends.
Ça va, Paul?
How’s it going, Paul?
Paul might respond to this question in a number of ways:
That’s it.
Ça y est! J’ai fini mes devoirs.
That’s it! I finished my homework.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’re covering some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.
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to have a snack
Cassons la croûte avant de nous coucher.
Let’s have a snack before going to bed.
Cassez la croûte à Paris. See how to have a snack in Paris. In this video, a skateboarder shows us where he likes to enjoy the ultimate French snack — the crêpe. If you have difficulty seeing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
to change color
Les feuilles souvent changent de couleur en automne.
Leaves often change color in the fall.
Vidéo. The narrator in this video explains why leaves change color.
This week, we are exploring words and phrases about autumn. To see more words and phrases about autumn or if you had any difficulty seeing the video, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.
to sing
Les oiseaux chantent dans les arbres.
The birds sing in the trees.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
LEARN TO CONJUGATE CHANTER AND OTHER -ER VERBS
Visit the -er verbs section of our Quick Verb Guide to learn how to conjugate regular -er verbs.
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to look for
Je cherche mes clés que j’ai perdus hier soir.
I’m looking for my keys I lost last night.
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF CHERCHER
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
TIP
As humans, we seem to be constantly looking for something. Chercher is a verb you’ll find yourself using a lot in French conversation. Note that unlike in English, in which to look is followed by the word for, this preposition is not needed in French. Chercher means to look for.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’re reviewing some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, including an example of how to conjugate other -er verbs like chercher, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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the doctor, doctor’s office
Si vous avez mal de gorge, vous devriez aller chez le médecin.
If you have a sore throat, you should go to the doctor.
at the doctor’s office
Si tu es malade, va chez le médecin.
If you’re sick, go to the doctor (or doctor’s office).
ALSO
The phrase chez le docteur means the same as chez le médecin.
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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to choose
Je choisis les chaussures rouges.
I am choosing the red shoes.
THIS WEEK
We’ll take a look at one of the little unsung heroes of the French language — the regular -ir verb. While not as common as -er verbs, -ir verbs contain several among them that are frequently used and important to know. Each day, we’ll choose a different verb and show an example conjugated in a different person of the present tense. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to ground (when used in the context of aviation)
L’éruption volcanique a cloué des milliers d’avions.
The volcanic eruption grounded thousands of planes.
THIS WEEK
With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to order
N’oubliez pas de commander à temps pour Noël.
Don’t forget to order in time for Christmas.
This concludes our weeklong look at holiday shopping vocabulary. To see all the words we’ve posted on this topic this week, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
to dial a phone number
J’ai composé le numéro de téléphone, mais la ligne était occupée.
I dialed the phone number, but the line was busy.
FROM THE EDITOR: This week, we thought we’d try something a little different. Instead of posting random words throughout the week, we’ll stick with one topic and explore common vocabulary about it.
This week’s vocabulary topic is the telephone. We’d love to hear from you about whether you prefer a single topic for the week or random words throughout the week. E-mail us to let us know.
to grade the papers
Notre professeur a corrigé les copies.
Our professor graded the papers.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
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THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
OOPS!
Yesterday’s e-mail incorrectly identified the gender of the word clignotant. Please note that it is masculine.
guilty
L’homme était trouvé coupable.
The man was found guilty.
What’s this?
C’est quoi + a noun makes for useful – and sometimes philosophical – questions.
C’est quoi le bonheur?: What’s happiness?
C’est quoi la vie?: What’s life?
Mother Nature
Dame Nature peut être cruelle.
Mother Nature can be cruel.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
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in any case, anyway
De toute façon, c’est possible d’apprendre une autre langue.
In any case, it’s possible to learn a foreign language.
to clear (the table)
to clear (as in, snow)
On a déblayé la piste de la neige pour les avions.
They cleared the runway of snow for the planes.
With so many people traveling at this time of year, we thought this would be a great time to look at French airport vocabulary.
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to take off/to land
Notre vol a décollé 15 minutes en retard. Cependant, il a atterri à l’heure.
Our flight took off 15 minute late. However, it landed on time.
This week, we are having a look at vocabulary about the airport. To see more words we’ve posted on this topic, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.
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to discover
Allez en France et découvrez comment vivre!
Go to France and discover how to live!
to pick up, to hang up
Pour passer un coup de fil, il faut décrocher le recepteur.
To make a phone call, you have to pick up the receiver.
Après avoir parler, raccrochez le recepteur.
After talking, hang up the receiver.
Today’s words are part of our weeklong look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’d also love to know if you prefer focusing on a single topic throughout the week or enjoying a more random word each day. E-mail us to let us know!
already
Elle est déjà allée à Paris.
She has already gone to Paris.
GRAMMAR NOTE
Déjà is an adverb of time, but it behaves more like an adverb of frequency. In this example, note how it follows the conjugated verb.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at some adverbs of time and frequency. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
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How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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tomorrow
Demain, nous allons voir une pièce au théâtre.
Tomorrow, we are going to see a play at the theatre.
GRAMMAR NOTE
Like many adverbs of time, demain can be placed at the start of a sentence to help emphasize the importance of the time element. We treat these adverbs similarly in English.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at some adverbs of time and frequency. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to ask
Jean a demandé de l’argent.
Jean asked for some money.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
Demander means to ask, not to demand. As you can imagine, making that mistake when translating the example sentence above could make the difference between casting Jean as a polite young man or a robber!
THIS WEEK
We have an especially useful topic for you. While French and English have many cognates — words that are derived from the same root word and consequently look and sound a lot alike — these words sometimes have similar meanings but other times do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners.
This week, we’ll share some of our favorite false cognates with you to keep you from falling into the trap of translating incorrectly.
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to deposit
Je vais déposer la cheque sur mon compte.
I’m going to deposit the check into my account.
This week we are exploring vocabulary related to money and banking. To see other words on this week’s topic posted earlier this week, please visit our site.
to uproot
Les vents ont déraciné trois des arbres.
The winds uprooted three of the trees.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
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n.m.pl., homework
Rendez vos devoirs avant de partir, s’il vous plaît.
Turn in your homework before leaving, please.
THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
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n.f.pl., information
Je cherche des informations sur vos produits.
I’m looking for information on your products.
THIS WEEK
Note how the French use the plural des informations instead of the singular form of the word as we do with information in English. It’s one example of singular and plural differences between the two languages we’re looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
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n.m.pl., progress
Vous avez fait des progrès!
You made progress!
THIS WEEK
Note how the French use the plural des progrès instead of a singular form of the word as we do in English. It’s just one of several examples of singular and plural differences between the two languages that we’ll be looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
from now on
Nous allons désormais conduire une voiture électrique.
From now on, we are going to drive an electric car.
GRAMMAR NOTE
Désormais is an adverb of time. But unlike many adverbs of time, it tends to follow the conjugated verb it describes rather than coming at the beginning or end of a sentence.
THIS WEEK
We’ve been looking at some adverbs of time and frequency. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
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Sunday
Voulez-vous aller au cinéma dimanche?
Do you want to go to the movies on Sunday?
Other days of the week:
lundi: Monday
mardi: Tuesday
mercredi: Wednesday
jeudi: Thursday
vendredi: Friday
samedi: Saturday
We are continuing our review of basic vocabulary words this week to help students who are studying French for the first time. Craving more words? Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com and browse the archives.
Need help with verbs? Check out our new Quick Verb Guide.
to sleep
Ce matin, j’ai dormi jusqu’à huit heures.
This morning, I slept until 8 o’ clock.
to shake or undermine
L’arrivée de l’Internet a ébranlé la popularité de la télé.
The arrival of the Internet undermined the popularity of television.
Les nouvelles de la catastrophe l’ont ébranlé.
The news of the catastrophe shook him.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering a random selection of words — ones we’ve come across in the past week or so that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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collapsed
Où que vous regardiez, il y a des bâtiments effondrés.
Wherever you look, there are collapsed buildings.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief at a disaster scene.
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to board/to get off
Nous avons embarqué dans l’avion 30 minutes avant de décoller.
We boarded the plane 30 minutes before taking off.
Après avoir atterri, nous avons débarqué de l’avion.
After landing, we got off (disembarked from) the plane.
This week, we are having a look at vocabulary about the airport.
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to borrow
Le pays a emprunté milliards de dollars.
The country has borrowed billions of dollars.
to take a road
Empruntez le chemin à droite à travers la campagne.
Take the road on the right through the countryside.
MORE ABOUT THIS EXPRESSION
Although emprunter usually means to borrow, it takes on a slightly different meaning in this expression.
THIS WEEK
When you learn the word for car, la voiture, in French class, the vocabulary sometimes doesn’t go too far beyond that. But there is, of course, so much vocabulary related to cars and driving. This week, we’ll help you get past la voiture to some practical words and phrases that will keep you moving.
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to be falling
Malheureusement, le nombre d’offres d’emplois est en baisse.
Unfortunately, the number of job offers is falling.
in cash
Il faut payer en espèces.
It’s necessary to pay in cash.
This week we are exploring vocabulary related to money and banking. To see other words on this week’s topic posted earlier this week, please visit our site.
online
La plupart des journaux sont gratuits en ligne.
Most newspapers are free online.
in the (display) window
Regardez en vitrine et voyez les ours en peluche!
Look in the window and see the teddy bears!
Vidéo. Today we have a special little treat that will take you shopping in Paris without ever leaving your chair. This video of the famed Galeries Lafayette department store shows this year’s window display, featuring a cast of teddy bears. Regardez en vitrine!
To mark this season of gift-giving, our vocabulary topic for the week is holiday shopping. To see all the words we’ve posted on the topic this week, of if you received this video via e-mail and have difficulty viewing it, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
to record
J’ai enregistré mon émission de télé préférée.
I recorded my favorite TV program.
Enregistrer is a regular -er verb.
Click here to learn how to conjugate verbs like enregistrer.
For more verb conjugation examples, check out our Quick Verb Guide.
to send
Paul n’envoie plus des lettres par la poste; il envoie des e-mails (courriels).
Paul no longer sends letters by post; he sends e-mails.
to season
Épicez la viande à votre goût et faites cuire sur le barbecue.
Season the meat to your taste and cook it on the grill.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
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to peel
Épluchez les légumes, puis salez-les.
Peel the vegetables, then salt them.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
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to defraud, to swindle
Il est accusé d’escroquer les clients.
He is accused of defrauding customers.
to establish, to set
La commission établit des nouvelles règles.
The commission is establishing new rules.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at regular -ir verbs. Each day, we’ll choose a new verb and show an example conjugated in a different person of the present tense. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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to sneeze
Ma sœur a éternué trois fois de suite.
My sister sneezed three times in a row.
ALSO
une éternuement = a sneeze
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the common cold. We’ll focus mostly on describing the symptoms. Who knows? You might find yourself in France someday clutching a handkerchief and remembering these words that will help you find a little relief!
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
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to be
Je suis étudiant.
I’m a student.
For a complete conjugation of être, click here.
Être is perhaps the most common of all French verbs. Learn how to conjugate it, and you’ll be well on your way to learning French!
See more common verb conjugations in our NEW Quick Verb Guide.
to study
Marie étudie français tous les jours.
Marie studies French every day.
to do, to make
Madeleine fait la vaisselle avant d’aller au cinéma.
Madeleine does the dishes before going to the movies.
Faire is one of the essential French verbs, used constantly in both literal and idiomatic expressions.
For a complete conjugation of faire, please see our NEW Quick Verb Guide.
to do some shopping
Emilie ont fait des courses au centre-ville.
Emilie did some shopping downtown.
to ski, to go skiing
Nous voulons faire du ski ce weekend.
We want to go skiing this weekend.
THIS WEEK
We’re continuing our look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — and wintertime sports.
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to cook
Leur mère fait la cuisine chaque soir pour la famille.
Their mother does cooks every evening for the family.
to wait in line
to do the dishes
Robert déteste faire la vaisselle. Il a de la chance d’avoir une lave-vaisselle.
Robert hates doing the dishes. He’s lucky to have a dishwasher.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
TIP
You’ll notice many of the expressions for housework use the verb faire. Review a complete conjugation of faire in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to pack a suitcase
Il a fait sa valise avant d’aller a l’aéroport.
He packed his bag before going to the airport.
to do the laundry
Il a décidé de faire le linge, parce que tous ses vêtements étaient sales.
He decided to do the laundry, because all of his clothes were dirty.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
TIP
You’ll notice many of the expressions for housework use the verb faire. Review a complete conjugation of faire in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to do household chores or housework
Jean voulait aller au cinéma, mais il fallait faire le ménage.
Jean wanted to go to the movies, but he had to do the housework.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores.
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to fill up (the gas tank)
Le résevoir à essence est vide. Nous devons faire le plein.
The gas tank is empty. We have to fill up.
to go around
La grande aiguille fait le tour du cadran en 60 minutes,
et la petite aiguille fait le tour en 12 heures.
The big hand goes around the dial in 60 minutes,
and the little hand goes around in 12 hours.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
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to have a barbecue
On fait un barbecue pour la fête.
We’re having a barbecue for the holiday.
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to shampoo (oneself)
Agnès rince ses cheveux, et puis elle se fait un shampooing.
Agnès rinses her hair, and then shampoos.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a second week of the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
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to be necessary
Il faut payer avant de quitter le magasin.
It’s necessary (you have to) pay before leaving the store.
TO SEE A CONJUGATION OF FALLOIR
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
Note that falloir is only used in the the third person.
FALLOIR: Un Verbe Très Important
Falloir is one important French verb. The funny thing is, you’ll never see or hear falloir very much. What you will hear is its third person conjugation il faut followed by an infinitive. It’s used all the time.
Just how important is this phrase? Think about how many times, in English, you say I’ve got to… or she’s got to … or they’ve got to… . You would probably find it hard to get through the day without using this construction. In French, you can communicate the same idea with il faut.
Consider these common statements:
While the translations above drop the pronouns in favor of simplicity over precision, it is also possible to express the subject pronouns if they’re really important — but you’ll need to know the subjunctive form of the verbs that follow. Let’s translate the same statements above, preserving the pronouns:
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’re reviewing some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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fever
J’ai de la fièvre. J’ai besoin de médicaments.
I have a fever. I need some medicine.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the common cold. We’ll focus mostly on describing the symptoms. Who knows? You might find yourself in France someday clutching a handkerchief and remembering these words that will help you find a little relief!
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to finish
Finis-tu tes devoirs avant de te coucher?
Do you finish your homework before going to bed?
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at regular -ir verbs. Each day, we’ll choose a new verb and show an example conjugated in a different person of the present tense. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to stroll
Le parc est l’endroit idéal pour flâner.
The park is the perfect place for strolling.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).
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to bloom
Toutes les tulipes dans le jardin ont fleuri.
All the tulips in the garden bloomed.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
DON’T FORGET TO REVIEW LAST WEEK’S WORDS WITH OUR QUIZ!
Our quiz is extra-fun this week. Not only does it test how well you learned last week’s words, it tests how good you are at keeping track of family relationships. Take the Weekly Quiz now and see how you do!
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to melt
La neige fond sous le soleil.
The snow melts under the sun.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
MORE ABOUT FONDRE
Fondre may be easier to remember when you recognize that a form of its past participle, fondue, has made its way into English as the Swiss cuisine in which various foods are dipped in warm, melted cheese.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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fresh
Elle veut faire une ratatouille avec des tomates fraîches.
She wants to make a ratatouille with fresh tomatoes.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
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to pass through security
Il faut franchir le contrôle de sûreté avant d’aller à la porte d’embarquement.
You have to pass through security before going to the boarding gate.
This week, we are having a look at vocabulary about the airport.
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to knock on the door
Quelqu’un a frappé à la porte.
Someone knocked on the door.
to rub
Frottez-vous les mains sous l’eau courante.
Rub your hands under running water.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a second week of the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
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to park
Vous pouvez garer la voiture en arrière de l’hôtel.
You can park the car behind the hotel.
Before we get to today’s word, we wanted to take a moment to think of the people of the French-speaking country of Haiti and the difficulties they’re facing following this week’s massive earthquake. If you would like to help, consider giving to the Red Cross or relief organization of your choice.
to want
Jean-Pierre veut regarder un film ce soir.
Jean-Pierre wants to watch a film this evening.
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF VOULOIR
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
TIP
Like yesterday’s word pouvoir, vouloir is used very commonly in the construction vouloir + infinitive. This is a simple and common way to express the desire to do something. You can also simply follow the verb with a noun to express that someone wants a thing: Nous voulons une nouvelle voiture (We want a new car).
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’ll take a look at some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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rough or choppy
Il était dans son bateau sur une mer très houleuse.
He was in his boat on very rough seas (literally, on a very choppy sea).
THIS WEEK
We’re going to go a little off-track and cover a random selection of words — ones we’ve come across in the past week or so that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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It’s windy
(le vent = the wind)
flooded
Les rues ont été inondées par la pluie.
The streets were flooded by the rain.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
OOPS!
Yesterday’s example sentence included an incorrect construction. There should be no de after plusieurs. To see the corrected post, please click here.
TODAY IS BASTILLE DAY!
Vive la République! Vive la France! Today, the French will celebrate their independence with parades, dances and more. So, raise a glass. Take your shoes off. And dansez toute la nuit. Check out these fireworks at the Eiffel Tower from a past year’s celebration in the video below to get in the mood. If you received this in an e-mail and are having difficulty viewing the video, click here.
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My name is… (literally, I call myself)
Je m’appelle Edouard.
My name is Edouard.
I love you
What more can be said about this phrase? It might be among the most important in French or any language. On this Valentine’s weekend, say it to someone you love. Whether it’s a mother, a father, a child, a spouse, a boyfriend, girlfriend or a close friend, no words could be more perfect.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour, in French.
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I’m transferring you.
Un moment, je vous le passe.
Just a moment, I’m transferring you.
Un vidéo de téléphone. Allow us to transfer you, if you will, to this short lesson on common telephone phrases.
Common French Phrases for Using the Telephone — powered by eHow.com
Today’s phrase is part of our weeklong look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’d also love to know if you prefer focusing on a single topic throughout the week or enjoying a more random word each day. E-mail us to let us know!
pretty
Les fleurs dans le jardin sont très jolies.
The flowers in the garden are very pretty.
to enjoy
Jouissez du soleil en visitant le Midi de France.
Enjoy the sun while visiting the South of France.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at regular -ir verbs. Each day, we’ll choose a new verb and show an example conjugated in a different person of the present tense. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
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n.m. shelter
être à l’abri de: to be sheltered from
n.f., the check
Pourriez-vous apporter l’addition, s’il vous plaît?
Could you bring the check, please?
This week, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
n.m., money
Je voudrais aller au cinéma, mais je n’ai pas d’argent.
I’d like to go to the movies, but I don’t have any money.
This week, our vocabulary topic is money and banking.
n.m. slang
Les jeunes inventent souvent leur propre argot.
Young people often invent their own slang.
n.m., autumn, fall
Aujourd’hui, c’est le premier jour de l’automne.
Today is the first day of fall.
Other seasons:
l’hiver (n.m.): winter
le printemps: spring
l’été (n.m.): summer
n.f., the investigation
La police a lancé l’enquête sur le meutre de l’homme.
The police launched the investigation into the murder of the man.
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ve been focusing on the latter this week with a look at some of the French words for police and crime.
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n.m., the pond
Est-ce qu’il y a des poissons dans l’étang?
Are there any fish in the pond?
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).
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n.m., summer
Les enfants sont très contents que l’été est enfin arrivé.
The children are very happy that summer has finally arrived.
Alternative French spelling (not necessarily accepted in dictionaries): l’Alowine
n.m., Halloween
On a récemment commencé à célébrer l’Halloween en France.
They’ve recently begun to celebrate Halloween in France.
Lire. Halloween, an Anglo-Saxon holiday, has only recently gained popularity in France. Author Peter Mayle, who wrote A Year in Provence, published this column in the New York Times on the subject this week: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/opinion/25mayle.html
Regardez. Also check out this video of a song about the holiday in French:
If you have difficulty watching the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
n.m., high-speed Internet
L’Internet haute vitesse est très utile pour regarder des vidéos.
High-speed Internet is very useful for watching videos.
n.f., the shade or the shadow
Profitez de l’ombre pour éviter la chaleur.
Take advantage of the shade to avoid the heat.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
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OOPS!
We slipped with a verb conjugation in yesterday’s example sentence. To see the corrected post, click here.
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the swing
Les enfants ont passé une heure sur la balançoire.
The children spent an hour on the swing.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).
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the in-laws
La belle-famille de Marie arrivera ce soir.
Marie’s in-laws will arrive this evening.
ALSO
les beaux-parents (n.m.pl.) = parents-in-law
la belle-mère = mother-in-law
le beau-père = father-in-law
la belle-fille = daughter-in-law
le beau-fils = son-in-law
la belle-sœur = sister-in-law
le beau-frère = brother-in-law
THIS WEEK
We have been exploring the French words for family members.
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the cash register
Vous payez à la caisse.
You pay at the cash register.
the countryside
the menu
Pourrions-nous voir la carte, s’il vous plaît?
Could we see the menu, please?
This week, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
the opening ceremony
La flamme était allumée pendant la cérémonie d’ouverture.
The flame was lit during the opening ceremony.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
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the closing ceremony
La cérémonie de clôture sera tenue ce soir.
The closing ceremony will be held tonight.
TODAY
We conclude our two-week-long look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French.
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the heat
Beaucoup de gens attendent la chaleur d’été.
Many people wait for the heat of summer.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
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the eggshell
Claquez doucement la coquille d’œuf pour la faire plus facile à écaler.
Tap the eggshell gently to make it easier to peel.
THIS WEEK
With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to explore the vocabulary of one of the staples of French cuisine — the egg, l’œuf. Stay with us throughout the week to learn how to ask for one the way you like it and what to do with it!
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turkey
Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour pour manger de la dinde aux États-Unis.
Today is the day for eating turkey in the United States.
In honor of Thanksgiving, we’re exploring essential words related to what’s on the dinner table this week. To see other vocabulary about this week’s subject, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
customs
Il faut passer la douane après avoir récupéré vos bagages.
You have to go through customs after picking up your bags.
the immediate family
Gérard a quatre personnes dans sa famille immédiate.
Gerard has four people in his immediate family.
THIS WEEK
We’ll explore the French words for family members.
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flour
La farine est l’ingrédient essentiel dans tous les pains de France.
Flour is the essential ingredient in all the breads of France.
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THIS WEEK
Our topic is the breads of France — les pains de France. Bread plays such an important role in French cuisine and indeed the life of the French that it’s essential to learn to ask for the loaf you want. This week, we’ve been taking a look at some of the various loaves you’ll discover in the boulangeries of France, as well as a few words essential to understanding a French bread recipe.
Mother’s Day
Celebrated the last Sunday in May in France and, of course, this Sunday in Canada and the United States.
Labor Day
La fête du Travail est un jour pour célébrer des travailleurs.
Labor Day is a day to celebrate workers.
While celebrated on the first Monday of September in North America, Labor Day is celebrated on May 1 in France. To read more about Labor Day in French, please see this Wikipedia article.
spring fever
the end, finish
La fin de l’été est tout près.
The end of summer is close.
lightning
Faites attention! La foudre est dangereuse.
Be careful! Lightning is dangerous.
the crowd
management
swine flu
yeast
Pour faire lever le pain, il faut ajouter la levure.
In order to make bread rise, you have to add yeast.
OUR INVITATION TO YOU
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THIS WEEK
Our topic has been the breads of France — les pains de France. We hope it’s left you well-armed to visit a boulangerie or supermarché and buy a loaf that reveals all the simple pleasures of French life. Or if you can’t go, try finding a recipe to bake your own.
the finish line
Le skieur a franchi la ligne d’arrivée.
The skier crossed the finish line.
THIS WEEK
We’re continuing our look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — and wintertime sports.
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free shipping (literally, free delivery)
Il y a beaucoup de magasins en ligne qui vous offrent la livraison gratuite.
There are lot of online stores that offer free shipping.
RELATED PHRASES:
livraison à domicile: home delivery
livraison spéciale: special delivery
In this season of gift-giving, our topic for this week’s vocabulary words is holiday shopping. We’ll explore some of the many phrases you might encounter while shopping in a French department store on French-language Web site.
light, brightness
the hand
La mère de Jean a pris la main.
Jean’s mother took his hand.
junk food
Ne mangez pas la malbouffe, si vous vous inquiétez de votre santé.
Don’t eat junk food, if you’re worried about your health.
high tide
Allons à la plage à marée haute.
Let’s go to the beach at high tide.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering a random selection of words — ones we’ve come across in the past week or so that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
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the mother, the father
La mère de Jean l’a amené à l’école. Son père va passer le prendre.
Jean’s mother took him to school. His father is going to pick him up.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for family members.
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the weather forecast
La météo est-elle bonne pour ce week-end?
Is the weather forecast good for this weekend?
poverty or misery
Les gens qui n’ont pas d’argent vivent dans la misère.
People who have no money live in poverty.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
While la misère can mean misery, its more common meaning is poverty — which a friend of our site pointed out is indeed pretty miserable.
THIS WEEK
We have an especially useful topic for you. While French and English have many cognates — words that are derived from the same root word and consequently look and sound a lot alike — these words sometimes have similar meanings but other times do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners.
This week, we’ll share some of our favorite false cognates with you to keep you from falling into the trap of translating incorrectly.
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the space shuttle
La Nasa s’apprêtait à lancer la navette spatiale Endeavour.
NASA was preparing to launch the space shuttle Endeavour.
peace
Pour Noël, nous vous souhaitons la paix et le bonheur.
For Christmas, we wish you peace and happiness.
And also, maybe just a bit of fun from this Vidéo:
If you received this video by e-mail and have difficulty viewing it, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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the little hand, the big hand
À cinq heures, la petite aiguille indique le 5 et la grande aiguille indique le 12.
At 5 o’ clock, the little hand is at 5 and the big hand is at 12.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
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swimming pool
C’est un jour parfait pour aller dans la piscine.
It’s a perfect day for going in the pool.
the beach
skateboarding
Il aime faire la planche à roulettes à Paris.
He loves to skateboard in Paris.
We couldn’t resist featuring a second word inspired by yesterday’s video about skateboarding and snacking in Paris.
In case you missed it, check it out:
If you have difficulty seeing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
the sprouting of new leaves
Je regarde la pousse de nouvelles feuilles sur l’arbre.
I’m watching the sprouting of new leaves on the tree.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
Our quiz is extra-fun this week. Not only does it test how well you learned last week’s words, it tests how good you are at keeping track of family relationships. Take the Weekly Quiz now and see how you do!
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the front desk
Il nous faut visiter la réception avant de quitter l’hôtel.
We need to visit the front desk before checking out of the hotel.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic has been the hotel.
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the harvest
Il y a plusieurs récoltes en automne.
There are several harvests in autumn.
This weeks topic is autumn.
the reopening
Tous les voyageurs bloqués attendaient la réouverture des aéroports.
All the stranded travelers were waiting for the reopening of the airports.
OOPS
Our example sentence yesterday had two agreement errors. We incorrectly conjugated a form of the verb devoir and inadvertently left an s off of leurs before the plural noun vols. The corrected example is below:
THIS WEEK
With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
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Valentine’s Day
On célèbre la Saint-Valentin aujourd’hui.
We celebrate Valentine’s Day today.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour — in French.
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the bathroom
La maison n’a qu’une salle de bains.
The house has only one bathroom.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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the sister, the brother
Marc a un frère et deux sœurs.
Marc has one brother and two sisters.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for family members.
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the aunt, the uncle / the niece, the nephew
La tante de Mireille est Sophie; Mireille est la nièce de Sophie.
Mireille’s aunt is Sophie; Mireille is Sophie’s niece.
L’oncle de Paul est Claude; Paul est le neveu de Claude.
Paul’s uncle is Claude; Paul is Claude’s nephew.
ALSO
un cousin = a male cousin
une cousine = a female cousin
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for family members.
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head
La tête est attachée au cou.
The head is attached to the neck.
the second hand
Parfois, il y a aussi une trotteuse sur une horloge.
Sometimes, there is also a second hand on a clock.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
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How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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Christmas Eve
En France, les enfants mettent leurs chaussures
devant la cheminée pour Père Noël.
In France, children put out their shoes in front of the fireplace for Santa.
To learn about this and other French holiday traditions, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/christmas/french/
We are continuing our look at words related to the holiday season. To see all the words we’ve posted on this topic, visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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the greenery, greenness
La verdure de la campagne était comme un peinture.
The greenery of the countryside was like a painting.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
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the truth
Dites-moi la vérité.
Tell me the truth.
Leave me alone
Je ne veux pas en parler. Laisse-moi tranquille.
I don’t want to talk about it. Leave me alone.
TIP
For the days when you’ve just had enough of someone, this is good to know. However, keep in mind it’s a pretty strong statement and not to be used too lightly. You might also hear, laisse-moi seule.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’re covering some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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to leave a message
Est-ce que je peux laisser un message?
Can I leave a message?
This concludes our weeklong look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’d also love to know if you prefer focusing on a single topic throughout the week or enjoying a more random word each day. E-mail us to let us know!
to launch, as in a product or software
the bench
La jeune fille se repose sur le banc.
The young girl rests on the bench.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).
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the toll (as from an accident or disaster)
also, a balance sheet
déposer le bilan: to declare bankruptcy
the seaside, by the sea
Nous allons passer nos vacances au bord de la mer.
We’re going to spend our vacation at the seaside.
Le bord also means the edge of something.
long johns, long underwear
Quand il fait très froid, le caleçon long vous aide à rester au chaud.
When it’s very cold, long underwear helps you stay warm.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is winter clothing and dress. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.
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the path
Ils ont suivi le chemin qui serpentait à travers le parc.
They followed the path that wound through the park.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).
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Subscribe to Voilà for just 3.95 per month!
Members who are logged in can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
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unemployment
the movie theater, cinema
Nous voulons voir un nouveau film au cinéma samedi soir.
We want to see a new film at the movie theater on Saturday evening.
the trunk (of a car)
Mettez les valises dans le coffre de la voiture s’il vous plaît.
Put the suitcases in the car trunk please.
the check-in counter
Visitez le comptoir d’enregistrement pour obtenir votre carte d’embarquement.
Visit the check-in counter to get your boarding pass.
This week, we’re learning words about the airport. For other words we’ve posted on this topic, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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the elbow
Je me suis cogné le coude contre la porte.
I bumped my elbow against the door.
THIS WEEK
We’ll use the remainder of this week to cover parts of the body.
GRAMMAR NOTE
You might have noticed that when the French talk about parts of their own body, they do not change the article preceding the part of the body to a possessive pronoun, such as my, as we do in English. It is understood that the part of the body they’re referring to is their own.
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the heart
Béatrice a donné son cœur à Robert.
Beatrice gave her heart to Robert.
TIP
Just as the heart has literal and symbolic meanings in English, so does le cœur in French. While le coeur is quite literally the organ that pumps blood through the body, it is also a great symbol of love.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour, in French.
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grief, mourning
Quelquefois, l’automne est associé au deuil.
Sometimes, the fall is associated with mourning.
Vidéo. Here is a video of a poem by Paul Verlaine expressing some of the sentiments sometimes associated with autumn.
This week, we are exploring words and phrases about autumn. If you have any difficulty seeing the video or would like to see other words and phrases about autumn that we have published this week, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.
the (pedestrian) crossing signal
We left off yesterday with a question: Quand est-ce qu’on peut traverser la rue?
We’ll use today’s word to help answer it.
Faites attention au feu piéton. Quand vous voyez un feu vert, traversez la rue.
Pay attention to the crossing signal. When you see a green light, cross the street.
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’re covering French words for some of the things you might do and see à pied (on foot).
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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the son, the grandson / the daughter, the granddaughter
Paul est le fils de Jean et le petit-fils de Marc.
Paul is Jean’s son and Marc’s grandson.
Claudia est la fille de Nathalie et la petite-fille de Denise.
Claudia is Nathalie’s daughter and Denise’s granddaughter.
ALSO
le grand-père = the grandfather
la grand-mère = the grandmother
les grands-parents (m.pl.) = the grandparents
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for family members.
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the lawn
Robert tond le gazon chaque week-end.
Robert mows the lawn each weekend.
Je recherche quelqu’un qui peut m’aider à faire la pelouse.
I’m looking for someone who can help me do the lawn.
the garden
faire du jardinage: to garden
Also check out this related word from earlier this month.
software
Robert a installé un nouveau logiciel sur son ordinateur.
Robert installed a new piece of software on his computer.
popcorn
Aimez-vous préparer le maïs éclaté avec du beurre?
Do you like to make popcorn with butter?
the husband, the wife
Jean-Luc est le mari de Sophie, et elle est sa femme.
Jean-Luc is Sophie’s husband, and she is his wife.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for family members.
OOPS!
There was an editing error in yesterday’s example sentence. It is correct here:
Claudia est la fille de Nathalie et la petite-fille de Denise.
Claudia is Nathalie’s daughter and Denise’s granddaughter.
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the chin
Il s’est gratté le menton.
He scratched his chin.
THIS WEEK
We’ll use the remainder of this week to cover parts of the body.
GRAMMAR NOTE
You might have noticed that when the French talk about parts of their own body, they do not change the article preceding the part of the body to a possessive pronoun, such as my, as we do in English. It is understood that the part of the body they’re referring to is their own.
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set menu
Le menu à prix fixe est souvent moins cher que la carte.
The set menu is often less expensive than the à la carte menu.
This week, we’ve been exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
stuffy nose
Avez-vous le nez bouché?
Do you have a stuffy nose?
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the common cold. We’ll focus mostly on describing the symptoms. Who knows? You might find yourself in France someday clutching a handkerchief and remembering these words that will help you find a little relief!
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runny nose
J’ai le nez qui coule.
I have a runny nose.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the common cold. We’ll focus mostly on describing the symptoms. Who knows? You might find yourself in France someday clutching a handkerchief and remembering these words that will help you find a little relief!
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country bread
Le pain de campagne est un pain rustique avec une croûte dure.
Country bread is a rustic bread with a hard crust.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the breads of France — les pains de France. Bread plays such an important role in French cuisine and indeed the life of the French that it’s essential to learn to ask for the loaf you want. This week, we’ll take a look at some of the various loaves you’ll discover in the boulangeries of France, as well as a few words essential to understanding a French bread recipe.
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sandwich bread
Le pain de mie est le plus comme le pain américain et se trouve aux supermarchés. Ce pain est vendu prédécoupé en tranches.
Sandwich bread is the most like American bread and is found in supermarkets. This bread is sold pre-sliced.
EN SAVOIR PLUS! Learn More
The word mie refers to the soft interior of the bread. Read a bit more about pain de mie in French on Wikipedia.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the breads of France — les pains de France. Bread plays such an important role in French cuisine and indeed the life of the French that it’s essential to learn to ask for the loaf you want. This week, we’re taking a look at some of the various loaves you’ll discover in the boulangeries of France, as well as a few words essential to understanding a French bread recipe.
French toast
Nous faisons le pain perdu pour le petit déjeuner.
We make French toast for breakfast.
figure skating
La danse sur glace fait partie du patinage artistique.
Ice dancing is part of figure skating.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
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speed skating
Le patinage de vitesse se déroule sur une piste de glace.
Speed skating takes place on a track of ice.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
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the boss
Jean et sa patronne Mireille s’entendent très bien.
Jean and his boss Mireille get along very well.
THIS WEEK
We’ll look at vocabulary words related to the workplace and working.
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here. You’ll find ways to practice verbs, review our daily vocabulary words, search our word archives by category and more.
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parsley
Je prépare des crevettes sautées au persil pour la fête des Mères.
I’m preparing shrimp sauteed with parsley for Mother’s Day.
THIS WEEK
We’ve been covering a random selection of words that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
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the main course
Avez-vous choisi un plat principal?
Have you chosen a main course?
Vidéo. The below video is a good example of a dialog that might take place in a restaurant. Listen to the French while following along with the written dialog. If you’ve received this in an e-mail and have difficulty playing it, you can find the link on our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
This week, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu. Bon appetit! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
the wrist
Elle s’est cassé le poignet.
She broke her wrist.
THIS WEEK
We’ll use the remainder of this week to cover parts of the body.
GRAMMAR NOTE
You might have noticed that when the French talk about parts of their own body, they do not change the article preceding the part of the body to a possessive pronoun, such as my, as we do in English. It is understood that the part of the body they’re referring to is their own.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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Bastille Day
In France, today is Bastille Day – a very important national holiday commemorating the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison. This event was seen as an important symbol of the overthrow of the French aristocracy and the birth of the modern French nation. The holiday is analogous to Independence Day in the United States and is commonly referred to as le quatorze juillet and more formally as la Fête Nationale.
To learn more about this important holiday, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day.
global warming
Il y avait des manifestations contre le réchauffement climatique samedi.
There were demonstrations against global warming Saturday.
You can read about the events from Copenhagen here in Le Monde.
Vidéo. See the events from les manifestations, demonstrations, below.
If you received this video by e-mail and are having difficulty viewing it, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We’re taking a short break from our discussion of holiday vocabulary for a few days to look at vocabulary around some of the news of the world. We’ll return to words of the season soon.
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Olympic torch relay
Regardez le passage du relais de flamme olympique au Québec.
Watch the passage of the Olympic torch relay in Quebec.
Vidéo. The Olympic torch is currently making its way through Canada in preparation for the 2010 Winter Games. Join in the celebration and test your French listening skills with this video.
If you received this video by e-mail and have difficulty viewing it, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
This week we are exploring words in the news. We will return to vocabulary related to the holidays soon.
faucet, tap
the sand
the soap
Des savons de Marseille sont très bien connus.
Marseille’s soaps are very well known.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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emergency relief
Les équipes de secours d’urgence restent en Haïti.
Emergency relief teams remain in Haiti.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief. While reading about the events in Haiti over the past few weeks, we’ve come across many words and phrases that may not come up a lot in day-to-day conversational French but nonetheless could be very important for communicating in a crisis. This week, we will explore some of those words. Of course, many of the words you’ll see, thankfully, will be able to be used in situations of far lesser magnitude.
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the winter solstice
Aujourd’hui, c’est le solstice d’hiver — le jour le plus court de l’an.
Today is the winter solstice — the shortest day of the year.
We are continuing our look this week at words related to the holiday season.
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support
Le gouvernement n’a pas le soutien du peuple.
The government doesn’t have the support of the people.
sports
Les Français aiment beaucoup le sport.
The French like sports very much.
THIS WEEK
Note how the French use the singular le sport instead of the plural form of the word sports as we do in English. It’s one example of singular and plural differences between the two languages that we’ve been looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
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THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
snowboarding
Le surf des neiges comprend des sauts acrobatiques et devient très populaire.
Snowboarding includes acrobatic jumps and is becoming very popular.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
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the exchange rate
Quel est le taux de change du dollar américain contre l’euro?
What the exchange rate of the American dollar against the Euro?
Vidéo. This French speaker in this video gives a short explanation of exchange rates ands some of their effects.
Here is the transcript, in French, from the video:
Le taux de change est le prix d’une monnaie dans une autre, par exemple la quantité de dollars dans un euro ou, à l’inverse, la quantité d’euros dans un dollar. Ce taux de change est une notion qui a complètement disparu à l’intérieur de la zone euro, puisque nous avons une monnaie commune. Avant 1999, il existait un franc français qui fluctuait non seulement contre des pays de la zone euro (contre l’Allemagne, la Belgique, la Hollande) mais également contre des pays qui ne sont pas dans la zone euro (comme la Grande-Bretagne). Le taux de change, à l’époque, était fixe contre un grand nombre de pays de l’Europe. Aujourd’hui, l’euro est dans un régime que l’on appelle un régime de taux de change flottant, cest-à-dire que les monnaies bougent. Pour donner un exemple, il y a quatre ans, dans un euro, vous aviez à peu près 0,8 dollar; aujourd’hui, nous en avons 1,4, ça veut dire que l’euro sest apprécié. Quand une monnaie bouge, à la hausse ou à la baisse, il y a des gagnants et il y a des perdants. Lorsque, par exemple, une monnaie s’apprécie, cela veut dire que la marchandise qui est libellée, cest-à-dire étiquetée, dans cette monnaie devient plus chère pour les partenaires commerciaux, ce qui est préjudiciable à ceux qui exportent. En revanche, ceux qui importent paient la marchandise étrangère, par exemple le pétrole, moins chère. Donc, il y a des gagnants et des perdants.
If you received this in our e-mail and are having difficulty seeing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
This week we are exploring vocabulary related to money and banking. To see other words on this week’s topic posted earlier this week, please visit our site.
abbreviation for train à grande vitesse
(France’s high-speed train)
On peut prendre le TGV de Paris à Avignon en trois heures.
One can take the train from Paris to Avignon in three hours.
Click here to visit Wikipedia and learn more about the TGV.
Also visit the TGV Web site, and read about it in French.
full-time work (or part-time work)
the court
Le tribunal a condamné l’homme à 5 ans de prison.
The court sentenced the man to 5 years in prison.
the sidewalk
Henri a laissé tomber son mobile sur le trottoir en marchant à Paris.
Henri dropped his mobile phone on the sidewalk while walking in Paris.
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’re covering French words for some of the things you might do and see à pied (on foot).
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the winner
Le vainqueur est le champion en titre.
The winner is the defending champion.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
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rosé wine
Le vin rosé est très populaire en Provence.
Rosé wine is very popular in Provence.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
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steering wheel
Tenez le volant à deux mains.
Hold the steering wheel with two hands.
the volcano
Le volcan Eyjafjöll s’est réveillé le 20 mars en Islande.
The Eyjafjallajokull Volcano awoke on March 20 in Iceland.
THIS WEEK
It’s not every week that we witness a volcano eruption having a major impact on European news. With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
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window-shopping
Elles faisaient du lèche-vitrines toute la journée.
They were window-shopping all day long.
Lécher les vitrines and faire du lèche-vitrine both mean to go window-shopping.
carry-on baggage
(literally, hand baggage)
Vous pouvez apporter normalement au moins un bagage à main.
You can normally carry at least one piece of carry-on baggage.
NOTE: Checked baggage is les bagages enregistrés en soute.
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the injured (people)
Les médecins ont aidé les blessés d’abord.
The doctors helped the injured first.
ALSO
le blessé = an injured man
la blessée = an injured woman
les blessées = injured women
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief at a disaster scene.
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n.f., ash, ashes
Un nuage de cendres a couvert la plupart d’Europe.
A cloud of ash covered the majority of Europe.
THIS WEEK
It’s not every week that we witness a volcano eruption having a major impact on European news. With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
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n.m.pl., blinkers
N’oubliez pas de mettre les clignotants avant de changer de voie.
Don’t forget to put on your blinkers before changing lanes.
THIS WEEK
We have been covering cars and driving.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
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low-beam headlights
Il a mis ses codes en face d’une autre voiture.
He put on his low beams in front of another car.
TO SAY THE OPPOSITE
High-beam or full-beam headlights are les pleins phares.
THIS WEEK
When you learn the word for car, la voiture, in French class, the vocabulary sometimes doesn’t go too far beyond that. But there is, of course, so much vocabulary related to cars and driving. This week, we’ll help you get past la voiture to some practical words and phrases that will keep you moving.
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n.f., online shopping
Si vous n’avez pas beaucoup de temps, vous pouvez faire des courses en ligne.
If you don’t have a lot of time, you can go shopping online.
fireworks
Aux États-Unis, aujourd’hui c’est un jour pour regarder les feux d’artifice.
In the United States, today is a day for watching fireworks.
n.f.pl., bird droppings
Ne vous asseyez pas là! Le banc est couvert de fientes d’oiseaux.
Don’t sit there! The bench is covered in bird droppings.
A WORD FOR EVERYTHING
Today’s word popped up in a recent news report, and we couldn’t help thinking that it’s exactly the kind of word we like to deliver to you — something that you’re probably not going to be taught in your French class but nonetheless useful to know in everyday life.
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(n.m.pl.) shivers down the spine
(literally, chills in the back)
Pour ceux qui ont sauvé des autres, ils avaient les frissons dans le dos.
For those who saved others, they had shivers down the spine.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief at a disaster scene.
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n.m.pl., the police
Il a appelé les gendarmes au café.
He called the police to the café.
ALSO
la police = the police
un gendarme or un agent de police = a police officer
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ll focus on the latter this week as we look at some of the French words for police and crime.
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n.m.pl., rubble
C’était incroyable qu’il y avait des gens trouvés vivants sous les gravats.
It was incredible that there were people found alive under the rubble.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief at a disaster scene.
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n.f.pl., herbs
Stéphane aime faire pousser ses propres herbes aromatiques en été.
Stéphane likes to grow his own herbs in summer.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
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n.f.pl., the lips
Elle avait des lèvres rouges.
She had red lips.
THIS WEEK
We have been covering parts of the body.
GRAMMAR NOTE
You might have noticed that when the French talk about parts of their own body, they do not change the article preceding the part of the body to a possessive pronoun, such as my, as we do in English. It is understood that the part of the body they’re referring to is their own.
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n.f.pl., sunglasses
Sophie porte toujours les lunettes de soleil en été.
Sophie always wears sunglasses in the summer.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
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n.m.pl., math
Pierre et Paul étudient les maths.
Pierre and Paul study math.
THIS WEEK
Note how the French use the plural les maths instead of a singular form of the word as we do in English. It’s just one of several examples of singular and plural differences between the two languages that we’ll be looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
n.f., cat whiskers
Les moustaches du chat sont très utiles pour elle.
The cat’s whiskers are very useful for her.
Also: les moustaches du chien, dog whiskers
(n.m.) clouds
the waves
n.f.pl., words or lyrics
Ses paroles m’ont effrayé.
His words frightened me.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
Here, it is only words that frighten the subject — not the fact that someone is getting out of prison on parole. If you were discussing parole, as in leave from prison, you would be talking about la liberté conditionnelle.
THIS WEEK
We hope our topic, false cognates, has been especially useful for you. These words are tricky because they look and sound much like their English equivalents but, in fact, have different meanings.
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n.f., pasta
Leur père ont préparé les pâtes pour le dîner.
Their father made pasta for dinner.
n.f.pl., sideburns
Utilisez un rasoir pour tailler les pattes.
Use a raser to trim your sideburns.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a second week of the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
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(n.m.) someone’s words
n.m., social networks
Pensez-vous que les réseaux sociaux sont un engouement?
Do you think social networks are a passing fad?
n.m.pl., income
Il faut payer des impôts sur les revenus.
We have to pay taxes on income.
THIS WEEK
Note how the French often use the plural les revenus instead of the singular form of the word as we do with income in English. It’s one example of singular and plural differences between the two languages that we’re looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
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scrambled eggs
On mange les oeufs brouillés pour le petit déjeuner.
We eat scrambled eggs for breakfast.
far
La lune est très loin d’ici.
The moon is very far from here.
A très loin cartoon. Last week, we shared a subtitled cartoon with you. This week, we’ve found another delightful cartoon that is a French reworking of a song we think you might recognize. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
heavy
Les bagages de Jean étaient trop lourds pour apporter à bord de l’avion.
Jean’s luggage was too heavy to carry on board the plane.
to lose weight (get thin)/to gain weight (get fat)
Elle maigrit pendant que son mari grossit.
She’s losing weightwhile her husband’s gaining weight.
THIS WEEK
We have been looking at regular -ir verbs. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide. Here are also a few links to other regular -ir verbs we’ve published in the past that you might find useful:
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to walk
Nous avons marché tout autour du quartier.
We walked all around the neighborhood.
to score a goal
Qui a marqué le premier but?
Who scored the first goal?
THIS WEEK
We’re continuing our look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — and wintertime sports.
REFRESH YOUR MEMORY ON -er VERBS
Visit our Quick Verb Guide’s page on -er verbs to learn how to conjugate verbs like marquer.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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to mix
Mélangez le sel et le poivre avec le vinaigre.
Mix the salt and pepper with vinegar.
to put, to put on
Mettez votre manteau avant d’aller dehors.
Put your coat on before going outside.
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF METTRE
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic has been essential verbs for conversation. This post concludes our weeklong look at some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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to set the table
J’ai mis la table pour le dîner.
I set the table for dinner.
TIP: A similar phrase, se mettre à table, means to sit down at the table.
Food and drink is such an important part of French culture that one week last week hardly seemed enough time to cover the essential vocabulary. With Thanksgiving coming this week in the United States, it seems to be a perfect time to continue our look at this topic with our focus turning specifically to what’s on the table.
to get in the car
Je suis monté en voiture, et j’ai mis ma ceinture de sécurité.
I got in the car, and I put on my seat belt.
THIS WEEK
When you learn the word for car, la voiture, in French class, the vocabulary sometimes doesn’t go too far beyond that. But there is, of course, so much vocabulary related to cars and driving. This week, we’ll help you get past la voiture to some practical words and phrases that will keep you moving.
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anytime
Vous pouvez commencer n’importe quand.
You can start anytime.
GRAMMAR NOTE
N’importe quand behaves like an adverb of time. It is common for it to come at the end of the sentence.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at some adverbs of time and frequency. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
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digital
Aujourd’hui, c’est facile de télécharger la musique numérique.
Today, it’s easy to download digital music.
We’ll see.
Peux-tu venir ce soir? On verra.
Can you come tonight? We’ll see.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’re covering some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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Open your mouth…
Ouvrez la bouche et faites <<Aah.>>
Open your mouth and say, “Aah.”
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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otherwise, moreover
sometimes
Parfois, j’aime chanter des chansons françaises.
Sometimes, I like to sing French songs.
GRAMMAR NOTE
As you can see, parfois is an adverb that doesn’t necessarily follow the pattern of most adverbs of frequency. Although it sometimes comes after the verb, you’ll more commonly hear it at the start of a sentence.
THIS WEEK
We’re having a look at some adverbs of time and frequency. These words are critical in adding meaning to our conversations in French. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
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to change to Standard Time (set the clocks back)
On a passé à l’heure d’hiver en France le 25 octobre.
They changed to Standard Time in France on October 25.
Related phrase: l’heure d’été, Daylight Saving Time
This week, we are exploring words and phrases about autumn. To see more words and phrases about autumn, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.
to vacuum
Michelle passait l’aspirateur quand quelqu’un a frappé à la porte.
Michelle was vacuuming when someone knocked at the door.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
TIP
Brush up on regular -er verbs like passer in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to knead
Pour faire le pain, il faut souvent pétrir la pâte.
In order to make break, you often have to knead the dough.
REGARDEZ UN VIDÉO!
Watch this bread recipe come together, tout en français! If you received this in our e-mail and are having difficulty viewing the video, click here.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the breads of France — les pains de France. Bread plays such an important role in French cuisine and indeed the life of the French that it’s essential to learn to ask for the loaf you want. This week, we’re taking a look at some of the various loaves you’ll discover in the boulangeries of France, as well as a few words essential to understanding a French bread recipe.
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flathead, Phillips (screwdriver)
Enfin, Philippe décide que la perceuse peut fonctionner comme un tournevis plat et cruciforme. Cet outil est vraiment trois outils! Comment sa femme pourrait-elle se fâcher?
Finally, Philippe decides that the drill can function as a flathead and Phillips screwdriver. This tool is really three tools! How could his wife become angry?
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
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to chase, to pursue
L’homme a poursuivi le pickpocket à travers les rues de Paris.
The man chased the pickpocket through the streets of Paris.
ALSO
chasser = to chase a person or animal
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ll focus on the latter this week as we look at some of the French words for police and crime.
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to sprout, to grow
Also:
faire pousser des légumes: to grow vegetables
les plantes poussent bien: the plants are growing well
can, to be able to
Je peux aller au supermarché.
I can go to the supermarket.
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF POUVOIR
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
TIP
Using the correct form of pouvoir + an infinitive, as above, is an extremely common construction and one that will let you express all the actions that you can (or can’t) do. To make the above statement negative, place ne…pas on either side of the verb pouvoir: Je ne peux pas aller au supermarché (I can’t go to the supermarket).
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’ll take a look at some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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to take
Je prends du pain, s’il vous plaît.
I’ll take some bread, please.
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF PRENDRE
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’ll looking at some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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to take the pulse (of someone)
L’infirmière va prendre votre pouls avant que le docteur arrive.
The nurse is going to take your pulse before the doctor gets here.
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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to make an appointment
Puis-je prendre rendez-vous avec le médecin pour demain?
Can I make an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow?
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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to take a shower
Paul prend une douche quand il se lève.
Paul takes a shower when he gets up.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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Take your time!
Prenez votre temps! C’est dimanche.
Take your time! It’s Sunday.
As you can see, this is what we did today.
You can, of course, also say this in the informal form: Prends ton temps!
to walk the dog
Il promène son chien François trois fois par jour.
He walks his dog François three times a day.
What’s wrong?
Le docteur vous demande, <<Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas?>>
The doctor asks you, “What’s wrong?”
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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How the weather?
Quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui?
How’s the weather today?
There are a lot ways to respond to this question. Here are some of them:
Il fait beau: It’s nice.
Il fait mauvais: It’s bad.
Il fait du soleil: It’s sunny.
Il fait chaud: It’s hot.
Il fait froid: It’s cold.
Il fait frais: It’s cool.
Il fait du brouillard: It’s foggy.
Il fait du vent: It’s windy.
C’est nuageux: It’s cloudy.
Il pleut: It’s raining.
Il neige: It’s snowing.
Today’s post is one in our series of occasional beginning vocabulary topics to help new students of French. We will be interspersing these with our regular, more advanced vocabulary. To see more words, please visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com to browse the archives.
What time is it?
Quelle heure est-il, Henri?
What time is it, Henri?
Henri might respond to this question in a number of ways:
It’s two o’clock: Il est deux heures.
It’s a quarter past two: Il est deux heures et quart.
It’s two thirty: Il est deux heures et demie.
It’s a quarter until three: Il est trois heures moins le quart.
It’s 2:23: Il est deux heures vingt-trois.
It’s noon: Il est midi.
It’s midnight: Il est minuit.
We are continuing our review of basic vocabulary words this week to help students who are studying French for the first time. Craving more words? Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com and browse the archives.
Need help with verbs? Check out our new Quick Verb Guide.
daily
La joie de vivre se trouve dans la vie quotidienne.
The joy in living is found in daily (everyday) life.
to pick up something
Les enfants ont ramassé leurs jouets.
The children picked up their toys.
to tidy up
Nous avons rangé la maison avant leur arrivée.
We tidied up the house before their arrival.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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satisfied, full (in the context of food)
Aimeriez-vous d’autre chose? Ah, non, je suis rassasié.
Would you like something else? Oh, no, I’m satisfied (I’ve had enough).
To stress the idea that you’re full — not just satisfied — you would say: J’ai trop mangé (I ate too much).
Répétez le vidéo! We’re re-running the following video that we posted earlier in the week. If you didn’t have a chance to see it, or even if you did, it’s a great little lesson in a conversation that might take place in a restaurant. Listen to the French while following along with the written dialog. If you’ve received this in an e-mail and have difficulty playing it, visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
This week, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
delighted
Je suis ravi de faire votre connaissance.
I’m delighted to meet you.
to recover or get back
to reboot the computer
Il faut souvent redémarrer l’ordinateur après une mise à jour.
You often have to reboot the computer after an update.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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to write a prescription
Le docteur vous rédige une ordonnance pour soigner la toux.
The doctor writes you a prescription to treat the cough.
THIS WEEK
We’ve been covering vocabulary useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.
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to think, ponder, consider
C’est important de réfléchir un peu avant de prendre une décision difficile.
It’s important to reflect a bit before making a difficult decision.
Réfléchir is a regular -ir verb.
To learn how to conjugate verbs like réfléchir, click here.
Learn about more types of verbs in our NEW Quick Verb Guide.
to wind a watch
Si vous avez une montre à remontage manuel, il faut la remonter.
If you have a manually winding watch, you have to wind it.
ALSO
le remontoir = winder, stem
Il faut tourner le remontoir. (It’s necessary to turn the stem.)
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT FRENCH FANATIC!
Don’t keep the fun of learning a new French word every day all to yourself. Share it with your friends, classmates, teachers and students.
OOPS!
We used an incorrect article in our example sentence Wednesday, turning le tour — the tour — into la tour — the tower. See the corrected post on our website.
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to fill, refill
Les serveurs remplissent les verres vides.
The servers refill the empty glasses.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at regular -ir verbs. Each day, we’ll choose a new verb and show an example conjugated in a different person of the present tense. To learn how to conjugate regular -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to take, to win
Ces athlètes ont remporté le plus de médailles.
These athletes won the most medals.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
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to move (a thing)
to meet
Jean-Marc a rencontré ses amis à leur restaurant préférée.
Jean-Marc met his friends at their favorite restaurant.
to repair
to iron/to do the ironing
J’ai fait le repassage pendant une heure.
I did the ironing for an hour.
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THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
TIP
You’ll notice many of the expressions for housework use the verb faire. Review a complete conjugation of faire in our Quick Verb Guide.
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to reserve a room
Nous devrions réserver une chambre trois mois à l’avance.
We should reserve a room three months in advance.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this week’s words and phrases will help you take care of the very essential task of reserving a room and navigating the hotel once you’re there. Bon voyage!
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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to stay
Nous sommes restés chez nous hier soir.
We stayed at home last night.
Rester is a regular -er verb that is also among a group of verbs often classified as verbs of motion. The compound tenses of these verbs are conjugated with être rather than avoir. These verbs typically express a state of coming, going or, in this case, staying.
Click here to see how another verb like rester is conjugated.
to succeed, to pass (a test or exam)
Georges a réussi à son examen d’anglais. Il réussit à tout ce qu’il essaie de faire.
Georges passed his English exam. He succeeds at everything he tries to do.
Réussir is a regular -ir verb.
To learn how to conjugate verbs like réussir, click here.
Learn about more types of verbs in our NEW Quick Verb Guide.
to laugh
Quand nous sommes ensemble, nous rions toute la journée.
When we’re together, we laugh all day.
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
Tout le monde sait l’histoire de Rodolphe, le renne au nez rouge.
Everyone knows the story of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer.
This week, we’re having fun with vocabulary related to the holiday season. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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to bundle up (oneself)
Elle s’est emmitouflée dans un manteau d’hiver.
She bundled herself up in a winter coat.
THIS WEEK…
Our vocabulary topic is winter clothing and dress. To see more words and explore other vocabulary topics, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com, where you can browse words by category.
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to take the highway
Je m’engage sur l’autoroute vers Marseille.
I’m taking the highway (motorway) to Marseille.
MORE ABOUT THIS EXPRESSION
This expression could be used with any road:
THIS WEEK
When you learn the word for car, la voiture, in French class, the vocabulary sometimes doesn’t go too far beyond that. But there is, of course, so much vocabulary related to cars and driving. This week, we’ll help you get past la voiture to some practical words and phrases that will keep you moving.
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to bloom, to flower
to register
J’ai une réservation. Puis-je m’inscrire?
I have a reservation. Can I register?
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this week’s words and phrases will help you take care of the very essential task of reserving a room and navigating the hotel once you’re there. Bon voyage!
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well-behaved or wise
Les enfants sont sages.
The children are well-behaved.
AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE!
In this case, sage means well-behaved. But if we said our grandparents were sages, we would probably mean they were wise. Of course, well-behaved grandparents are welcome, too!
THIS WEEK
We have an especially useful topic for you. While French and English have many cognates — words that are derived from the same root word and consequently look and sound a lot alike — these words sometimes have similar meanings but other times do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners.
This week, we’ll share some of our favorite false cognates with you to keep you from falling into the trap of translating incorrectly.
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Hello! or Hi! (more informal than Bonjour, usually used among friends)
Can also mean good-bye or see you.
Salut, Colette!
Hi, Colette!
sugar-free
Elle cherche un boisson sans sucre.
She’s looking for a sugar-free drink.
to sprinkle
Saupoudrez la salade avec du sel et du poivre.
Sprinkle the salad with salt and pepper.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
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to brush one’s hair
Je me brosse les cheveux chaque matin.
I brush my hair every morning.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a second week of the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
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to brush one’s teeth
Combien de fois par jour vous brossez-vous les dents?
How many times a day do you brush your teeth?
to warm oneself
On peut se chauffer avec un bon potage en automne.
You can warm yourself up with a good soup in the fall.
This week, we are exploring words and phrases related to autumn. To see more words and phrases about autumn, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.
to get rid of
Enfin, je me suis débarrassé de mon rhume.
Finally, I got rid of my cold.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic has been the common cold. We hope if you now ever find yourself under the weather in a French-speaking country, you’ll be just a little more prepared!
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to hurry
Dépêchez-vous! Il n’y a pas beaucoup de temps.
Hurry up! There isn’t much time.
to compete against each other
Les écoles se font concurrence dans les matchs de football américains.
Schools play against each other in football games.
MORE ABOUT FAIRE
Faire, which literally means to do or to make, is among the most common of French verbs. It is used in many expressions. To learn how to conjugate it, have a look at our entry on faire in our Quick Verb Guide.
DID YOU KNOW?
In French, le football means soccer. If you want to talk about the American sport of football, you should say le football américain.
THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
to put on makeup
Ginette se maquille avant de sortir.
Ginette puts on makeup before going out.
THIS WEEK
We’ll continue exploring the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
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to comb (oneself)
Après avoir pris une douche, elle s’est peigné les cheveux.
After taking a shower, she combed her hair.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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to crash
Mon ordinateur s’est planté. Il faut le redémarrer.
My computer crashed. It has to be restarted.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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to go for a walk
Je me suis promené à travers la ville.
I took a walk through the city.
NOTE
As you can see, se promener is a reflexive verb. In a way, it is as if to say you are walking yourself. You also can use promener as a non-reflexive verb to express the act of walking something else — your dog, for instance. You could say: Je promène le chien. (I’m walking the dog.)
ALSO
To express the action of walking when there is no object, use the verb marcher (to walk). For example: Il a marché toute la journée. (He walked all day.)
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’ll cover French words for some of the things you might do à pied (on foot).
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to shave oneself
Bertrand se rase avec de l’eau chaude.
Bertrand shaves with hot water.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a second week of the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
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to rest
Elle se repose sous le soleil.
She is resting under the sun.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
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to dry (oneself)
Paul se sèche le visage avec une serviette.
Paul dries his face with a towel.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a second week of the bath and grooming. You might notice that this topic has two parts — the bath part and the grooming part. Our ambitions to cover both last week were a little larger than the number of days in the week. So, having covered the bath, we’ll focus on grooming now.
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to major in
Janet se spécialise en français. Et moi, je me spécialise en anglais.
Janet’s majoring in French. And I’m majoring in English.
THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
READY TO JOIN US? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
to hug, give a hug
(literally, to hold in his/her arms)
Le père de Madeleine l’a serrée dans ses bras.
Madeleine’s father hugged her.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour, in French.
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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.
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to whistle
to suspect
La police soupçonne la jeune fille de voler de l’argent.
The police suspect the young girl of stealing the money.
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ll focus on the latter this week as we look at some of the French words for police and crime.
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souvent
Il a souvent appelé sa petite-amie.
He called his girlfriend often.
GRAMMAR NOTE
Souvent is an adverb of frequency and consequently follows the verb it describes.
THIS WEEK
We’ll have a look at some adverbs of time and frequency. These words are critical in adding meaning to our conversations in French. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to take a class
Je veux suivre un cours en astronomie.
I want to take a class in astronomy.
THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
to delete
to download
Normalement, on peut télécharger les nouveaux logiciels des sites Web.
Normally, you can download new software from Web sites.
to try
Perhaps not taught as often as the word essayer, the word tenter also is used frequently. It’s often used in the sense of trying to do something.
Il a tenté de faire réparer la voiture.
He tried to have the car repaired.
to fall in love
Jean-Pierre est tombé amoureux de Sophie, et elle est tombée amoureuse de lui.
Jean-Pierre fell in love with Sophie, and she fell in love with him.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour, in French.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our NEW Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to shoot (as in a film or movie)
right away, immediately
Voulez-vous manger tout de suite?
Do you want to eat right away?
GRAMMAR NOTE
Tout de suite is an adverb of time.
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at some adverbs of time and frequency. Their placement can be a little tricky, but, in general, adverbs of time are placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, while adverbs of frequency are generally placed after the conjugated verb. Sound like too much? Don’t worry. Over time, as you learn French, your ear will start to guide you.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to work part-time
Mike veut travailler à mi-temps pendant qu’il étudie.
Mike wants to work part-time while he’s studying.
THIS WEEK
We’ll look at vocabulary words related to the workplace and working.
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here. You’ll find ways to practice verbs, review our daily vocabulary words, search our word archives by category and more.
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to cross
Quand est-ce qu’on peut traverser la rue? En savoir demain!
When can we cross the street? Find out tomorrow!
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’re covering French words for some of the things you might do and see à pied (on foot).
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.
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earthquake
to find
J’ai trouvé mes clés!
I found my keys!
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF TROUVER
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
TIP
If we’re going to lose things, as we did in yesterday’s post, we’re going to have to be able to find them, too — even in French! And as it turns out, you’ll find we lose and find things quite a bit. Knowing chercher and trouver will help you express that.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’re reviewing some of the verbs that are key to day-to-day conversation. For other common verbs, including an example of how to conjugate other -er verbs like trouver, see our Quick Verb Guide at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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a pet
Avez-vous des animaux domestiques chez vous?
Do you have pets at your house?
More commonly, you might also hear someone’s pet referred to as, simply, son animal (his or her pet).
a birthday
C’est l’anniversaire de Claude aujourd’hui.
It’s Claude’s birthday today.
Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com for more words,
and check out our NEW Quick Verb Guide!
a digital camera
Les appareils photo numériques d’aujourd’hui sont moins chers.
Today’s digital cameras are cheaper.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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a bubble bath
Pour se détendre, plongez-vous dans un bain moussant.
To relax, immerse yourself in a bubble bath.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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an MP3 player
Les baladeurs MP3 les plus populaires sont les iPods.
The most popular MP3 players are the iPods.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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roundtrip ticket
a kiss
La mère a fait un bisou à son petit garçon.
The mother gave a kiss to her little boy.
BEAUCOUP DE BISOUS
As you might imagine, the French, with their propensity for amour, have a number of ways to say a kiss or to kiss. A few others you might hear:
** Take great care when using un baiser to mean a kiss. The verb form of the word has come to mean something much more in modern French and is equivalent to the English vulgarity. If in doubt, use another word for kiss.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour, in French.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our NEW Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a handyman
Si vous avez une maison, il faut trouver un bon bricoleur.
If you have a house, you have to find a good handyman.
a dial or face
Les horloges et les montres ont normalement un cadran et deux aiguilles.
Clocks and watches normally have a dial and two hands.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a picture frame
Elle a acheté un cadre pour la photo de son fils.
She bought a frame for her son’s photo.
a cockroach
N’ayez pas peur! C’est juste un cafard.
Don’t be afraid! It’s just a cockroach.
Also:
avoir le cafard: to be depressed or to have the blues
a duck
Les canards nagent dans l’étang.
The ducks swim in the pond.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).
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a sensor
Un appareil photo numérique utilise un capteur.
A digital camera uses a sensor.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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a square
Il y avait un petit carré de fleurs sauvages dans le jardin.
There was a little square of wildflowers in the garden.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering a random selection of words — ones we’ve come across in the past week or so that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT FRENCH FANATIC!
Don’t keep the fun learning a new French word every day all to yourself. Share it with your friends, classmates, teachers and students.
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a hat
Coco Chanel a commencé sa carrière en faisant des chapeaux.
Coco Chanel began her career making hats.
Regardez. For this Friday’s video, we thought we’d go for something completely different than the cartoons we’ve had the past few weeks. Below is the trailer for the French film Coco Avant Chanel, which takes a look at the life of the influential 20th century fashion designer. Accompanied by English subtitles, the film provides a great way to learn some French while enjoying learning something of the history of this iconic figure in the fashion world.
a kitten
Les chatons aiment beaucoup jouer tous le temps.
Kittens love to play all the time.
a puppy
Les chiots sont toujours pleins d’énergie.
Puppies are always full of energy.
an eyelash
Elle se maquille les cils avec un mascara noir.
She makes up her eyelashes with black mascara.
THIS WEEK
We’ll cover parts of the body.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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a keyboard
Pensez-vous que les claviers des ordinateurs portables sont assez grands?
Do you think the keyboards on the laptops are big enough?
a tablet, a pill
a checking account
Nadia a ouvert un nouveau compte chèques à la banque près de sa maison.
Nadia opened a new checking account at the bank near her house.
a piece of advice
Il m’a donné un conseil très important.
He gave me a very important piece of advice.
THIS WEEK
Note how the French would say un conseil to denote a specific piece of advice but des conseils to express advice in a more indefinite sense. For example, Avez-vous des conseils? (Do you have any advice?) The difference between French and English in the latter example is that the French use a plural word for advice, while, in English, we have a singular word that denotes an indefinite quantity. These are examples of singular and plural differences between the two languages that we’re looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
a glance
Vous pouvez lire cette phrase en un coup d’œil.
You can read this sentence at a glance.
a peek or glance
A SPECIAL INVITATION FOR YOU
If you’ve seen the links to the new members-only section of our site called Voilà and wondered what it was all about, now is your chance to find out in a whole new way. We’ve opened Voilà to visitors so that you can see for yourself all the great quizzes and vocabulary topics that members are able to enjoy.
Take a coup d’œil, or peek, at more than 25 quizzes and more than 35 vocabulary topics. These activities help you get more from our Word of the Day. And by doing so, you also support the work of French Fanatic with the nominal 3.95/month subscription contribution.
When you click through, look for the Quizzes marked with the word FREE. You’ll be able to use these just as our paid subscribers would. We hope you’ll enjoy what you find and sign up to get even more from your daily word.
a sunburn
a place setting
Il y aura dix couverts pour notre dîner de Thanksgiving.
There will be ten place settings for our Thanksgiving dinner.
In honor of Thanksgiving, we’re exploring essential words related to what’s on the dinner table this week. To see other vocabulary about this week’s subject, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a curfew
Le gouvernement a levé le couvre-feu.
The government lifted the curfew.
a convertible
Sophie aime conduire son décapotable rouge dans le Midi.
Sophie likes to drive her red convertible in the South of France.
(Wouldn’t we all?!)
THIS WEEK
When you learn the word for car, la voiture, in French class, the vocabulary sometimes doesn’t go too far beyond that. But there is, of course, so much vocabulary related to cars and driving. This week, we’ll help you get past la voiture to some practical words and phrases that will keep you moving.
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a challenge
L’équipe a relevé le défi.
The team accepted the challenge.
a lesser crime, akin to a misdemeanor
Le vol des cigarettes est un délit.
The theft of the cigarettes is a (misdemeanor) offense.
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ll focus on the latter this week as we look at some of the French words for police and crime.
DON’T FORGET TO SEE HOW WELL YOU LEARNED LAST WEEK’S WORDS!
Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a hard disk
Les disques durs sont utilisés dans les ordinateurs et les appareils numériques.
Hard disks are used in computers and digital devices.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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a finger
Elle n’a pas remué le petit doigt.
She didn’t lift a finger.
This expression, translated literally, says: She didn’t move a little finger.
a flash of lightning
Un éclair a illuminé le ciel.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
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a writer
Jean-Paul Sartre était un écrivain français très célèbre.
Jean-Paul Sartre was a very famous French writer.
gift-wrapping
Plusieurs magasins peuvent vous offrir leur service emballage cadeau.
Several stores can offer your their gift-wrapping service.
To mark the season of gift-giving, our vocabulary topic this week is holiday shopping. To see other words we’ve posted on the same topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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Be among the first to follow French Fanatic on Twitter! Just click here to see additional words and thoughts that are intended to complement our regular Web site and daily e-mail. The tweets will be a little less frequent and a bit more random that the usual Word of the Day.
a job interview
Êtes-vous bien préparé pour votre entretien d’embauche?
Are you well-prepared for your job interview?
THIS WEEK
We’ll look at vocabulary words related to the workplace and working.
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here. You’ll find ways to practice verbs, review our daily vocabulary words, search our word archives by category and more.
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a student
Jean est étudiant. Mireille est étudiante aussi.
Jean is a student; Mireille is also a student.
a ghost
Les fantômes sortiront demain….mais n’ayez pas peur!
The ghosts will be out tomorrow…but don’t be afraid!
Today’s word is a clue about what we’ll have for you tomorrow. Don’t forget to look for tomorrow’s e-mail or visit us a frenchfanatic.com.
a red light, a green light
a brother
Est-ce que vous avez des frères?
Do you have any brothers?
This week’s cartoon. We’ve been enjoying sharing a cartoon the past few Fridays. They can provide a great way to learn French much like a child would. This week, we’ve uncovered this little gem of the classic children’s song Frère Jacques. Dormez-vous? Reveillez-vous. C’est bon!
a fridge, refrigerator
Mets le lait au frigo, s’il te plaît.
Put the milk in the fridge, please.
a glove/a mitten
Les adultes portent souvent des gants; les enfants portent des moufles.
Adults often wear gloves; children wear mittens.
Also: Another word for mittens is mitaines (n.f.).
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is winter clothing and dress. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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a boy
Le garçon arrive en classe à 9h.
The boy arrives for class at 9 o’clock.
We are continuing our review of basic vocabulary words this week to help students who are studying French for the first time. Craving more words? Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com and browse the archives.
Need help with verbs? Check out our new Quick Verb Guide.
a waiter, a waitress
La serveuse a expliqué la carte.
The waitress explained the menu.
This week, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a movement, move or gesture
Il a parlé en faisant beaucoup de gestes de la main.
He spoke while making a lot of gestures with his hands.
Ne fais pas un geste!
Don’t make a move!
rock band
Ils ont les billets pour voir leur groupe de rock préféré.
They have tickets to see their favorite rock band.
automatic teller machine (ATM)
Où se trouve le guichet automatique bancaire (GAB) le plus près?
Where is the nearest automatic teller machine (ATM)?
This concludes this week’s exploration of words about money and banking. To review all of the words we’ve posted on this topic this week, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a tax, income tax
video game
coin-operated laundry
Elle n’a pas de machine à laver, si elle va au lavomatique.
She doesn’t have a washing machine, so she goes to the coin-operated laundry.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
TIP
This is a useful word to know if you’re traveling in a French-speaking country. Chances are you might need to visit one!
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a home repair store
Philippe va visiter le magasin de bricolage pour acheter des outils.
Philippe is going to visit the do-it-yourself store to buy some tools.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
Throughout the week, follow the story of Philippe’s trip to the home repair store.
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a coat
Enfin, le manteau est tout simplement le vêtement le plus important pour l’hiver.
Finally, the coat is simply the most important garment for winter.
Also: un imperméable (a raincoat).
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is winter clothing and dress. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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a hammer
Donnez plusieurs coups de marteau sur chaque clou.
Strike each nail several times with the hammer.
Break down this translation:
coups de marteau = strike of the hammer
un clou = a nail
a hammer
Il se demande s’il n’a besoin que d’un marteau.
He asks himself if he only needs a hammer.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
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a password
On doit avoir un mot de passe pour connecter a l’internet.
One has to have a password to connect to the Internet.
search engine
Quel moteur de recherche préférez-vous?
Which search engine do you prefer?
a museum
Quand nous allons à Paris, nous aimons visiter les musées.
When we go to Paris, we like to visit the museums.
a Web browser
Quel navigateur aimez-vous? Il y a plusieurs choix.
Which browser do you like? There are several choices.
AUTRES MOTS (Other Words)
You might also encounter the term un butineur, certified by the Académie française. However, in practice, navigateur is more widely used.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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a thunderstorm
Les orages se sont abattus sur Québec la semaine dernière.
Thunderstorms fell on Quebec last week.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
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a plume
Les vents ont poussé le panache de cendres du volcan islandais vers Europe.
The winds pushed the plume of ash from the Icelandic volcano toward Europe.
THIS WEEK
It’s not every week that we witness a volcano eruption having a major impact on European news. With the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull Volcano in Iceland disrupting European travel, we thought we’d take a look a some of the French words about the volcanic eruption and its impact on travelers.
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a windshield
Regardez pars le pare-brise pour voir l’autoroute.
Look through the windshield to see the highway.
a penguin
Les pingouins habitent où il fait très froid.
Penguins live where it’s very cold.
Today, enjoy this subtitled penguin cartoon, and learn some new French words along the way. Amusez-vous bien!
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a dandelion
Elle a vu plusieurs pissenlits pendant qu’elle se promenait le chemin.
She saw several dandelions while she was walking the path.
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’re covering French words for some of the things you might do and see à pied (on foot).
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a floor
Madame Toussaint veut faire installer un plancher de bois.
Mrs. Toussaint wants to have a wood floor installed.
a tire
Savez-vous changer un pneu crevé?
Do you know how to change a flat tire?
Other expressions:
pneus toutes-saisons = all-season tires
pneu neige = snow tire
gonfler un pneu = to inflate a tire
a clothes rack
Elle a trouvé un chemisier sur le portant de vêtements soldés.
She found a blouse on the sale (clothes) rack.
a thumb
Nous avons quatre doigts et un pouce à chaque main.
We have four fingers and a thumb on each hand.
THIS WEEK
We’ll use the remainder of this week to cover parts of the body.
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a tip (in a restaurant)
a loan
Vous pouvez prendre un prêt pour acheter une maison.
You can take out a loan to buy a house.
Vidéo. In this humorous publicité (commercial), Blanche Neige — Snow White — gets by with a little help from the bank. When offered an apple, she points out that, thanks to a loan, she already has all the apples she needs.
If you received this in our e-mail and are having difficulty seeing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
This week we are exploring vocabulary related to money and banking. To see other words on this week’s topic posted earlier this week, please visit our site.
teacher, professor
Madame DuChamps est professeur de français.
Mrs. DuChamps is a French teacher.
TIP: The gender of the word professeur is masculine whether it refers to a man or woman.
a sweater
Si tu as froid, tu peux mettre un pull-over.
If you’re cold, you can put on a sweater.
This week, we are exploring words and phrases related to autumn. To see more words and phrases about autumn, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.
a neighborhood
Il y a beaucoup de bons restaurants dans notre quartier.
There are a lot of good restaurants in our neighborhood.
Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com for more words,
and check out our NEW Quick Verb Guide!
director (of films)
a drain (or sewer) backup
La pluie a causé plusieurs refoulements d’égouts.
The rain caused several drain backups.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
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a wake-up call
Voulez-vous un réveil par téléphone?
Do you want a wake-up call?
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this week’s words and phrases will help you take care of the very essential task of reserving a room and navigating the hotel once you’re there. Bon voyage!
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a cold
J’ai le rhume.
I have a cold.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the common cold. We’ll focus mostly on describing the symptoms. Who knows? You might find yourself in France someday clutching a handkerchief and remembering these words that will help you find a little relief!
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a newspaper column
Il lit le rubrique sportive chaque samedi.
He reads the sports column each Saturday.
a Christmas tree
Aujourd’hui, on peut décorer un sapin de Noël réel ou artificiel.
Today, you can decorate a real or artificial Christmas (fir) tree.
NOTE: Christmas tree can also be translated as arbre de Noël.
Vidéo. Proof that Christmas isn’t just for children. It’s also for cats — cats who find mischief in Christmas trees.
If you received this video by e-mail and are having difficulty viewing it, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
We are currently exploring vocabulary related to the holiday season.
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shorts
Gérard porte un short pour jouer au tennis.
Gérard wears shorts to play tennis.
THIS WEEK
Note how the French use the singular un short instead of the plural form of the word as we do with shorts in English. It’s one example of singular and plural differences between the two languages that we’re looking at this week.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
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a wish
Il y a quelques jours, nous vous avons demandé vos souhaits de la fête.
A few days ago, we asked asked you for your holiday wishes.
Here were some of your responses:
Vous n’avez pas encore fait un vœu? Il n’est pas trop tard!
You haven’t made a wish yet? It’s not too late!
We’ll continue our look at holiday season vocabulary through this week.
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an eyebrow
Les sourcils sont au-dessus des yeux.
The eyebrows are above the eyes.
THIS WEEK
We’ll use the remainder of this week to cover parts of the body.
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a smile
Mireille a fait un sourire à son père.
Mireille gave her father a smile.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is love – l’amour, in French.
OOPS!
In yesterday’s post, we slipped and used an incorrect auxiliary verb with tomber. It should have been conjugated with être. Please see the corrected post here.
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a landline (telephone)
Avez-vous un téléphone fixe et un téléphone mobile?
Do you have a landline and a mobile phone?
a witness
Il a été témoin d’un vol sur le métro.
He was witness to a robbery on the subway.
a corkscrew
a drawer
Il a mis ses clés dans le tiroir.
He put his keys in the drawer.
a screwdriver
Devrait-il acheter les tournevis que sa femme a demandés ou la perceuse qu’il adore?
Should he buy the screwdrivers his wife asked for or the drill he loves?
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
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salesman or saleswoman in a store
Le vendeur m’a montré plusieurs chemises.
The salesman showed me several shirts.
winemaker
a flight
Le vol quitte Montréal à 20h15 et arrive le lendemain matin à Paris.
The flight leaves Montreal at 8:15 p.m. and arrives the next morning in Paris.
This week, we’re exploring vocabulary about the airport.
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a connecting flight
Si vous devez prendre un vol de correspondance, lisez les panneaux.
If you have to take a connecting flight, read the signs.
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CORRECTION
A translation in yesterday’s post included some extra text that should not have been part of the translation. The correct translation is:
Nous avons embarqué dans l’avion 30 minutes avant de décoller.
We boarded the plane 30 minutes before taking off.
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a soft-boiled egg
Commandez un œuf à la coque quand vous voulez un jaune coulant.
Order a soft-boiled egg when you want a runny yolk.
THIS WEEK
With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to explore the vocabulary of one of the staples of French cuisine — the egg, l’œuf. Stay with us throughout the week to learn how to ask for one the way you like it and what to do with it!
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Easter egg
a hard-boiled egg
Si vous voulez un œuf dur, vous voulez un œuf complètement cuit.
If you want a hard-boiled egg, you want a fully cooked egg.
THIS WEEK
With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to explore the vocabulary of one of the staples of French cuisine — the egg, l’œuf. Stay with us throughout the week to learn how to ask for one the way you like it and what to do with it!
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a medium-soft-boiled egg
Faites cuire un œuf mollet pendant 6 minutes.
Cook a medium-soft boiled egg for 6 minutes.
NOTE
Un œuf mollet refers to an egg that is soft, but not as soft as un œuf à la coque, which has a very runny center.
THIS WEEK
With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to explore the vocabulary of one of the staples of French cuisine — the egg, l’œuf. Stay with us throughout the week to learn how to ask for one the way you like it and what to do with it!
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a fried egg
Si vous ne voulez pas faire bouillir les œufs, essayez un œuf sur le plat.
If you don’t want to boil the eggs, try a fried egg.
THIS WEEK
With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to explore the vocabulary of one of the staples of French cuisine — the egg, l’œuf. Stay with us throughout the week to learn how to ask for one the way you like it and what to do with it!
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a pedestrian
Des voitures doivent s’arrêter pour des piétons.
Cars must stop for pedestrians.
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’ll cover French words for some of the things you might do and see à pied (on foot).
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
J’ai trois livres français.
I have three French books.
Other numbers:
onze: eleven
douze: twelve
treize: thirteen
quatorze: fourteen
quinze: fifteen
seize: sixteen
dix-sept: seventeen
dix-huit: eighteen
dix-neuf: nineteen
vingt: twenty
trente: thirty
quarante: forty
cinquante: fifty
soixante: sixty
soixante-dix: seventy
quatre-vingt: eighty
quatre-vingt-dix: ninety
cent: one hundred
a filmmaker
Louis Malle était un cinéaste français célèbre.
Louis Malle was a famous French filmmaker.
a plate
Les assiettes étaient complètement vides à la fin du repas.
The plates were completely empty at the end of the meal.
We’re exploring essential words related to what’s on the dinner table this week. To see other vocabulary about this week’s subject, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a car (slang)
C’est une bagnole sensationnelle!
This is a terrific car!
MORE ABOUT THIS WORD
The French often use the word bagnole for car. While it can have a slightly negative connotation — think jalopy — it also can denote a certain playful affection for the vehicle and is used regularly in conversation.
THIS WEEK
When you learn the word for car, la voiture, in French class, the vocabulary sometimes doesn’t go too far beyond that. But there is, of course, so much vocabulary related to cars and driving. This week, we’ll help you get past la voiture to some practical words and phrases that will keep you moving.
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a bathtub
Il a laissé les serviettes mouillées dans la baignoire.
He left the the wet towels in the bathtub.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the bath and grooming.
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comic strip, comics
Nous pouvons lire les bandes dessinées dans les journaux.
We can read the comics in the newspapers.
Correction: Yesterday’s word, les feux d’artifice (fireworks), was misspelled. You can see the corrected word on the site at www.frenchfanatic.com. Je suis désolé.
an (unpaid) volunteer
Les bénévoles ont distribué de la nourriture et l’eau.
The volunteers distributed food and water.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief at a disaster scene.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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a tool box
Sa femme lui a demandé d’acheter une nouvelle boîte à outils.
His wife asked him to buy a new tool box.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
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a boot
Les gens portent souvent des bottes en hiver.
People often wear boots in winter.
TIP: While botte is the general word for a boot, a workboot might be referred to as un brodequin.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is winter clothing and dress. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
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a candle
Quelquefois, j’aime allumer une bougie à la table.
Sometimes, I like to light a candle on the table.
This concludes this week’s exploration of vocabulary related to what’s on the dinner table. If you missed any of the week’s words, you can find them at our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a bakery
une pâtisserie: a bakery for cakes, pastries and other sweets
a round bread loaf
Une boule est un pain en forme ronde qu’on voit souvent aux boulangeries.
A boule (ball) is a round-shaped bread that you often see in (bread) bakeries.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the breads of France — les pains de France. Bread plays such an important role in French cuisine and indeed the life of the French that it’s essential to learn to ask for the loaf you want. This week, we’ll take a look at some of the various loaves you’ll discover in the boulangeries of France, as well as a few words essential to understanding a French bread recipe.
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
a Yule log (cake)
En France, les familles mangent souvent une bûche de Noël pendant la fête.
In France, families often eat a Yule log during the holiday.
En savoir plus. To learn more about this traditional cake, visit Wikipedia.
This week, we’re exploring words related to the holiday season.
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dressing room
a gift card
Les cartes cadeaux sont devenues très populaires.
Gift cards have become very popular.
a boarding pass
Il vous faudra une carte d’embarquement pour embarquer dans l’avion.
You’ll need a boarding pass to board the aircraft.
Our current vocabulary topic is the airport.
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road map
a cherry
Les enfants ont mangé toutes les cerises que leur mère leur a données.
The children ate all the cherries that their mother gave them.
a room for two people
J’ai besoin d’une chambre double.
I need a room for two.
Une chambre à deux lits?
A room with two beds?
Non, une chambre à un lit, s’il vous plaît.
Non, a room with one bed, please.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this week’s words and phrases will help you take care of the very essential task of reserving a room and navigating the hotel once you’re there. Bon voyage!
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a free room
Avez-vous une chambre libre pour demain?
Do you have a free room for tomorrow?
Non, c’est complet.
No, we’re full (booked solid).
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this week’s words and phrases will help you take care of the very essential task of reserving a room and navigating the hotel once you’re there. Bon voyage!
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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an Easter egg hunt
On doit cacher les œufs pour la chasse aux œufs de Pâques.
We have to hide the eggs for the Easter egg hunt.
THIS WEEK
With Easter approaching, we thought it would be fun to explore the vocabulary of one of the staples of French cuisine — the egg, l’œuf. Today, we wrap up this weeklong look with a phrase that doesn’t have so much to do with cooking but rather reminds us of one of the fun activities of many childhoods.
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a pumpkin
En Amérique du Nord, on mange souvent de la tourte à la citrouille en automne.
In North America, people often eat pumpkin pie in fall.
This is the last in our series of this week’s words and phrases about autumn. To see the other words and phrases we’ve published this week, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.
a casserole (cooking vessel)
En cocotte often denotes a dish prepared in an individually sized ramekin.
Cocotte can also be a term of endearment similar to dear or sweetie in English.
Easter basket
a high-speed chase
Les deux voitures se sont percutées pendant une course-poursuite.
The two cars collided during a high-speed chase.
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ve been focusing on the latter this week with a look at some of the French words for police and crime.
DON’T FORGET TO SEE HOW WELL YOU LEARNED LAST WEEK’S WORDS!
Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a slab
Le sauveteur a bougé la dalle pour aider le petit garçon.
The rescuer moved the slab to help the little boy.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is emergency relief at a disaster scene.
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a padded jacket/parka
Les doudounes vous tiennent chaud — et elles sont la tendance.
The padded jackets keep you warm — and they’re the trend.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is winter clothing and dress. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
GET MORE WORDS ON TWITTER!
Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.
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a scarf
Il fait froid. Vous devriez porter une écharpe.
It’s cold. You should wear a scarf.
GET MORE WORDS ON TWITTER!
Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.
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an appetizer or starter
Un repas au restaurant commence souvent avec une entrée.
A meal at a restaurant often begins with an appetizer.
TIP: This is a great word to learn, because it doesn’t mean the same thing in French as it does in English. In French, an entrée is the first course — the entry, if you will — into a meal. It is not the main course. Tomorrow, you’ll learn how to say “main course”.
This week, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! Food and drink is such an important part of French life that one week of words will note be enough time to do it justice. But we’ll start here for now! Bon appetit!
a team
L’équipe canadienne a gagné le match.
The Canadian team won the game.
THIS WEEK
We’re continuing our look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — and wintertime sports.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THE QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our NEW Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a label or tag
a misspelling
Eifel est une faute d’orthographe. L’orthographe correcte est bien sûr Eiffel.
Eifel is a misspelling. The correct spelling is, of course, Eiffel.
a party
Mireille a invité ses amis pour une fête chez elle.
Mireille invited her friends for a party at her house.
a leaf
Les feuilles tombent des arbres en automne.
The leaves fall from the trees in the fall.
a piece of paper
Pourrais-tu me donner une feuille de papier, s’il te plaît?
Could you give me a piece of paper, please?
RELATED WORDS
THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
a stick (of bread)
Une ficelle est comme une baguette, mais plus maigre.
A ficelle is like a baguette (traditional French loaf), but thinner.
VOICI UNE FICELLE
See what a ficelle looks like on Wikipedia. Literally, ficelle means string.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the breads of France — les pains de France. Bread plays such an important role in French cuisine and indeed the life of the French that it’s essential to learn to ask for the loaf you want. This week, we’re taking a look at some of the various loaves you’ll discover in the boulangeries of France, as well as a few words essential to understanding a French bread recipe.
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
a girl or a daughter
La fille joue de la guitare.
The girl plays the guitar.
Sa fille a 10 ans.
His daughter is 10 years old.
We are continuing our review of basic vocabulary words this week to help students who are studying French for the first time. Craving more words? Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com and browse the archives.
Need help with verbs? Check out our new Quick Verb Guide.
a crack
Sophie aime compter les fissures du trottoir en marchant avec sa mère.
Sophie likes to count the cracks in the pavement while walking with her mother.
THIS WEEK
With spring sprouting, it seems like a good time to go for a walk. We’re covering French words for some of the things you might do and see à pied (on foot).
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a fork, a spoon and a knife
Assurez-vous qu’il y a une fourchette, une cuillère et un couteau.
Make sure there’s a fork, a spoon and a knife.
In honor of Thanksgiving, we’re exploring essential words related to what’s on the dinner table this week. To see other vocabulary about this week’s subject, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a leak
Si vous avez un robinet qui goutte, il y a probablement une fuite.
If you have a faucet that drips, there is probably a leak.
NOTE
La fuite can also mean flight (from something), in the sense of running away.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering a random selection of words — ones we’ve come across in the past week or so that we think are interesting and help make anyone’s French vocabulary a little richer and more interesting.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a raindrop
Les gouttes de pluie tombent doucement sur le trottoir.
The raindrops fall gently on the sidewalk.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring the French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.
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a strike
Le nombre de trains RER qui circulaient a été réduit à cause d’une grève.
The number of RER trains in circulation was reduced due to a strike.
The RER is a highly traveled train line in the Paris region that carries commuters both within the city and to the outlying suburbs. This weekend, service was reduced due to a strike — a fairly common event in France’s public sector.
We’re currently exploring vocabulary related to events in the news. We’ll resume more holiday-related vocabulary in a few days.
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a list to Santa Claus
Qu’est-ce qui est sur votre liste au Père Noël?
What’s on your list to Santa Claus?
TELL US WHAT YOU’RE WISHING FOR THIS HOLIDAY!
Reply to this e-mail and we’ll publish our favorite responses!
We’ve resumed our look at vocabulary for the holiday season.
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a delivery
Avez-vous reçu la livraison ce matin?
Did you receive the delivery this morning?
a demonstration
Les manifestations étaient paisible.
The demonstrations were peaceful.
a medal
Il y a une médaille d’or, une médaille d’argent et une médaille de bronze.
There’s a gold medal, a silver medal and a bronze medal.
THIS WEEK
In honor of the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — we’ll be exploring some of the vocabulary of these exciting days in Vancouver.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our NEW Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a battery-operated watch
Beaucoup de gens préfèrent une montre à pile.
Many people prefer a battery-operated watch.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time — but with a level of detail you might not have learned before. We’ll cover parts of the clock and other words that will help you do more than just say or understand what time it is.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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a fly
Une mouche a atterri sur le sandwich de Georges pendant son pique-nique.
A fly landed on George’s sandwich during his picnic.
THIS WEEK
With the school year over or winding down for many of us and thoughts turning to summer vacations, we thought this would be a great week to look at some words for life in the sun — or la vie dans le soleil.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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a power outage
Après l’orage, il y avait des milliers de pannes de courant.
After the storm, there were thousands of power outages.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
VOILÀ! IT’S THAT EASY TO LEARN MORE FRENCH. SIGN UP TODAY!
For less than the price of one of those fancy coffees each month, you can improve your French language skills and open the door to the beauty of the French-speaking world!
Don’t miss out on weekly Quizzes, word lists by category, and other features we’ve reserved for just for members of Voilà.
Learn more about Voilà. Just 3.95 per month.
an ice rink
Le hockey sur glace se déroule sur une patinoire.
Ice hockey is played on an ice rink.
THIS WEEK
We’re continuing our look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — and wintertime sports.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our NEW Weekly Quiz to find out!
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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The fun way to learn French
a paw (of a pet or animal)
Le chat officiel de French Fanatic marche légèrement à quatre pattes.
The official French Fanatic cat walks gently on four paws.
a painting
Elle a accroché la peinture sur le mur.
She hung the painting on the wall.
an electric drill
Mais quand il arrive, son cœur bat à la vue d’une perceuse électrique.
But when he arrives, his heart beats at the sight of an electric drill.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is do-it-youself home repair — le bricolage.
VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
NOT A MEMBER OF VOILÀ YET? SIGN UP TODAY!
Don’t miss out on weekly Quizzes that help you review our daily words and other features we’ve reserved for just for members of Voilà.
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a coin
Avez-vous des pièces pour la machine? Non, j’ai seulement des billets.
Do you have coins for the machine? No, I only have bills.
This week, our vocabulary topic is money and banking. For other words we’ve posted on this topic this week, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a lead, as in an investigation or search
Il y avait des nouvelles pistes dans l’enquête.
There were new leads in the investigation.
a doorknob
Elle a tourné la poignée de porte.
She turned the doorknob.
an advertisement
Avez-vous vu les nouvelles publicités sur le site Web?
Have you seen the new ads on the Web site?
a flea
Les chiens et les chats se grattent quand ils ont des puces.
Dogs and cats scratch themselves when they have fleas.
a recipe
Faire une tarte de citron est simple! Il suffit de suivre la recette.
Making a lemon tart is easy! Just follow the recipe.
THIS WEEK
Our topic is the summer kitchen — la cuisine d’été.
VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
NOT A MEMBER OF VOILÀ YET? SIGN UP TODAY!
Don’t miss out on weekly Quizzes that help you review our daily words and other features we’ve reserved for just for members of Voilà.
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a reservation
Faut-il faire une réservation pour ce restaurant?
Is it necessary to make a reservation for this restaurant?
a college dorm or residence hall
Habites-tu une résidence universitaire?
Do you live in a college dorm?
REMARQUEZ!
Habiter, which means to live in, is one of the first verbs most students of French learn. Although it can take a preposition (j’habite dans un appartement), French speakers commonly omit the preposition as in today’s example.
THIS WEEK
With the return of so many students to classrooms at the end of this month and early next, it’s a perfect time to get grounded in some of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with these words and phrases — and maybe even impress le prof!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL VERB PRACTICE!
Teachers, tell your students about our 4 new verb practice exercises — 100 questions total! — that we’ve added to our Voilà! members area. The online practice sessions make it easy to gain proficiency in -er, -ir, -re and the most common irregular verbs. For a sneak peek of Voilà!, click here.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THE LATEST QUIZ IS READY FOR OUR VOILÀ! SUBSCRIBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
a meeting
Nous avons une réunion dans la salle de conférence.
We have a meeting in the conference room.
Visit our site www.frenchfanatic.com for more words,
and check out our NEW Quick Verb Guide!
a hockey puck
Georges a frappé la rondelle et marqué le but gagnant.
George hit the puck and scored the winning goal.
THIS WEEK
We’re continuing our look at vocabulary about the Winter Olympic Games – les Jeux Olympiques d’Hiver in French — and wintertime sports.
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
an animated Christmas scene
Voici une scène animée de Noël qu’on peut voir à Paris.
Here’s an animated Christmas scene you can see in Paris.
Vidéo. Yes, we know this is very semblable (similar) to something we showed you earlier this week. But we couldn’t resist. This is the animated Christmas display for Printemps, the other grand Paris department store. Amusez-vous bien!
To mark this season of gift-giving, our vocabulary topic for the week is holiday shopping. To see all the words we’ve posted on the topic this week, of if you received this video via e-mail and have difficulty viewing it, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.
CORRECTION: In yesterday’s e-mail, we had a faute d’orthographe, a misspelling. We should have spelled en ligne (online) as it is here. The spelling has been corrected in yesterday’s post on our Web site.
a week
Nous avons acheté une nouvelle voiture la semaine dernière.
We bought a new car last week.
a napkin
Nous nous sommes servis de nos meilleures serviettes pour nos invités.
We used our best napkins for our guests.
TIP: Une serviette also can mean a towel.
We’re exploring essential words related to what’s on the dinner table this week. To see other vocabulary about this week’s subject, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
a mouse (both the animal and computer device)
Mon chat a attrapé une souris, mais c’était attaché à mon ordinateur!
My cat caught a mouse, but it was attached to my computer!
task, job
remote control
Qui a la télécommande chez vous?
Who has the remote control at your house?
the stem (of a plant)
Avant de mettre des fleurs dans une vase, coupez les tiges.
Before putting flowers in a vase, cut the stems.
THIS WEEK
We’re exploring French words for the signs of spring — les signes de printemps.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
Our quiz is extra-fun this week. Not only does it test how well you learned last week’s words, it tests how good you are at keeping track of family relationships. Take the Weekly Quiz now and see how you do!
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a cough
Question: Avez-vous une toux? Une toux sèche?
Do you have a cough? A dry cough?
Réponse: Non, c’est grasse.
Non, it’s loose.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is the common cold.
VIDÉO
Enjoy this French publicité for cough-relief medicine.
If you received this video in our e-mail and are having difficulty viewing it, please visit our Web site, www.frenchfanatic.com.
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star (as in a film)
a lane (on a road or highway)
Les policiers ont fermé la voie gauche pendant deux heures.
The police closed the left lane for two hours.
to steal
La femme a volé l’alimentation parce qu’elle n’avait pas d’argent.
The woman stole the food because she had no money.
THIS WEEK
We like to cover a broad range of vocabulary, ranging from the fun to the need-to-know. With that in mind, we’ll focus on the latter this week as we look at some of the French words for police and crime.
LEARN TO CONJUGATE -ER VERBS LIKE VOLER
To learn to conjugate regular -er verbs like voler, visit our -er Verbs Page.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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You’ve finished?
Tout était bon? Vous avez terminé?
Everything was good? Have you finished?
TIP
You’ll hear this question a lot in restaurants at the end of a meal.
THIS WEEK
Our vocabulary topic is expressions that matter. We’ll cover some common phrases that come up in conversation so that you can both recognize them and use them to impress native French speakers. To see other vocabulary we’ve posted on this topic this week, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.
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to travel
Nous avons voyagé en France l’été dernier.
We traveled to France last summer.