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 Quick Verb Guide.
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!
to turn on the heat
Quand il fera froid, il sera temps d’allumer le chauffage.
When it gets cold, it’s time to turn on the heat.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about activities around the house.
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.
TODAY
Our word is about traveling and the disruptions that sometimes come with it.
PACK MORE FRENCH WORDS FOR YOUR TRAVELS
Follow the links below to discover the vocabulary of the airport and air travel:
TEST YOUR TRAVEL VOCABULARY WITH OUR QUIZ
Members, take our French Travel Disruption Vocabulary Quiz to find if you can say to cancel in French and more.
to water (with a hose)
Leur grand-mère arrose toutes les plantes dans son jardin.
Their grandmother is watering all the plants in her garden.
ALSO RELATED
un tuyau d’arrosage = a garden hose
THIS WEEK
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that, for whatever reason, don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!
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.
TODAY
Our example illustrates an especially useful topic. 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, as with our example today, do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide pitfalls for language learners.
to award
Le professeur a attribué le prix à l’étudiant le plus intelligent.
The teacher awarded the prize to the smartest student.
turn up/turn down the volume
J’ai augmenté le volume de ma chanson préférée.
I turned up the volume of my favorite song.
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 be or feel sleepy
Le bébé a commencé à crier parce qu’il avait sommeil.
The baby started to cry because he was sleepy.
EN SAVOIR PLUS: Learn More
Avoir sommeil is an expression using the verb avoir. To use it, you must always conjugate the verb. Click here to see a complete conjugation of avoir.
TODAY
Our word is inspired by something that we spend about a third of our lives doing — sleeping.
to yawn
Elle ne pouvait pas s’arrêter de bâiller.
She couldn’t stop yawning.
TODAY’S WORD
Most of us spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Today’s word is one of many about sleep and the activities related to it.
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!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
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to rock or cradle (a baby)
Sa mère l’a bercé pendant une heure jusqu’à ce qu’il se soit endormi.
His mother rocked him for an hour until he fell asleep.
THIS WEEK
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that, for whatever reason, don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
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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.
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to work one’s fingers to the bone, to slave away
Bien qu’elle ait bossé dur, elle n’avait jamais de fric.
Even though she slaved away, she never had any money.
TODAY
Every language is full of slang, or l’argot. French is no exception. Today’s word is one example of the slang that makes the language so rich. Words like this are more informal, and you’ll want to use them only in familiar settings.
QUIZ LINK
Find out how much French slang you know when you take our quiz.
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 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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to crumple
J’ai chiffonné la feuille de papier et l’ai jetée dans la corbeille à papier.
I crumpled the piece of paper and threw it in the wastebasket.
THIS WEEK
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that, for whatever reason, don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!
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.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR 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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to whisper
Marie chuchote à l’oreille de son bébé.
Marie is whispering in the ear of her baby.
to chatter
Il faisait si froid que ses dents claquaient.
It was so cold that he teeth were chattering.
MORE
The verb claquer can refer to a variety of sounds:
TODAY
Our word is one of the many sounds, or les sons, we make. To learn more words for sounds, click here.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it here.
to order
N’oubliez pas de commander à temps pour Noël.
Don’t forget to order in time for Christmas.
TODAY
Our word is about online shopping. Now that you can say to order in French, follow the links below to discover more words about online shopping.
to sew
Jacques a cousu l’ourlet de sa chemise avec du fil blanc.
Jacques sewed the hem of his shirt with white thread.
REMARQUEZ!
We used the passé composé to demonstrate today’s verb because we thought its past participle, cousu, is rather unexpected. You can see the verb’s entire conjugation here.
THIS WEEK
We’re building our reservoir of useful verbs by looking at a few that don’t necessarily come up a lot but are nonetheless handy.
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to shout, yell, scream
Marc a crié le nom de son chien.
Marc screamed out the name of his dog.
ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
Take care to remember that crier does not mean to cry in the sense of shedding tears. That verb is pleurer.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about the sounds, or les sons, we make.
FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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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.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
to decorate
Aujourd’hui, les enfants décorent des œufs pour demain.
Today, children decorate eggs for tomorrow.
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. After exploring several ways to cook and eat eggs, we’ll close out the week today and tomorrow with a few words related to the holiday.
DON’T FORGET TO REVIEW LAST WEEK’S WORDS!
How well did you learn last week’s words about signs of spring?
Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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The fun way to learn French
to discover
Allez en France et découvrez comment vivre!
Go to France and discover how to live!
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.
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.
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to move (from one home to another)
Nous allons déménager à la fin de mois.
We’re going to move at the end of the month.
Need help with verbs?
Don’t forget that common conjugations can be found in our Quick Verb Guide!
to carve up, dismember, tear to pieces
Nathalie a dépecé la chemise pour en faire une nouvelle robe.
Nathalie tore the shirt to pieces to make a new dress.
LEARN MORE
For a complete conjugation of today’s verb, visit conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
We’re building our reservoir of useful verbs by looking at a few that are not necessarily the most common but are nonetheless good to know.
VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
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to deposit
Je vais déposer la cheque sur mon compte.
I’m going to deposit the check into my account.
Today, our word is related to money and banking. To see other words on this topic, please visit our site.
to uproot
Les vents ont déraciné trois des arbres.
The winds uprooted three of the trees.
TODAY
Our word is inspired by thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.
to sleep
Ce matin, j’ai dormi jusqu’à huit heures.
This morning, I slept until 8 o’ clock.
TODAY
Discover more verbs like today’s word here.
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.
to borrow
Le pays a emprunté milliards de dollars.
The country has borrowed billions of dollars.
to record
Les artistes musicaux enregistrent souvent leurs œuvres sur bande.
Musical artists often record their works on tape.
THIS WEEK
We’re feeling musical at French Fanatic. Turn up the volume and enjoy your favorite tunes as we explore the vocabulary of music, la musique.
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to begin, to cut into
Nous entamons l’année avec beaucoup de possibilités.
We begin the year with many possibilities.
A-t-il déjà entamé le pain?
Has he already cut into the bread?
THIS WEEK
We’re looking at words that remind us of all the possibilities of a new year.
A SPECIAL WAY FOR OUR VOILA! SUBSCRIBERS TO KICK OFF 2011
Start 2011 with a special expanded edition of our weekly quiz featuring 50 questions covering words we posted here throughout 2010, including selections from our Year in Review last week. Members who are logged into Voila! can go straight to this special benefit for our members by clicking here.
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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 peel
Épluchez les légumes, puis salez-les.
Peel the vegetables, then salt them.
TODAY
Our topic is the kitchen — la cuisine. After you’ve learned to say say to peel in French, follow the links below for more French words about kitchen activities:
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it with this quiz.
NEED HELP WITH VERBS LIKE ÉPLUCHER?
Check out our Quick Verb Guide Page on -er Verbs.
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!
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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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 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 make Sunday dinner
Leur mère fait toujours le repas du dimanche.
Their mother always makes Sunday dinner.
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.
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:
KNOW YOUR VERBS?
Take our Essential French Verbs Quiz to find out.
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 melt
La neige fond sous le soleil.
The snow melts under the sun.
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.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on more words like today’s here.
to hum
Il a fredonné la même chanson toute la journée!
He hummed the same song all day!
TODAY
Our word is one of the many sounds, or les sons, we make.
to rub
Frottez-vous les mains sous l’eau courante.
Rub your hands under running water.
TODAY
Our word is among those about bath and grooming.
For more words like this, click here.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it here.
to flee, run off
Le voleur a fui avec un million d’euros.
The robber fled with a million euros.
LEARN MORE
For a complete conjugation of today’s word, you can visit conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
We’re building our reservoir of useful verbs by looking at a few that are not necessarily the most common but are nonetheless good to know.
VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
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to inflate
Richard a gonflé les pneus de son vélo.
Richard inflated his bicycle’s tires.
THIS WEEK
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that, for whatever reason, don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!
to climb, to soar
Le prix d’essence a grimpé 20 cents dans une seule semaine.
The price of gas climbed 20 cents in only a week.
THIS WEEK
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that, for whatever reason, don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!
to enjoy
Jouissez du soleil en visitant le Midi de France.
Enjoy the sun while visiting the South of France.
TODAY
Our word is an example of a regular -ir verb. To learn how to conjugate -ir verbs, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Find out how many -ir verbs you know by taking our -ir verb quiz.
to honk
Hélène a klaxonné quand elle est arrivée chez Gérard.
Hélène honked when she arrived at Gérard’s house.
TODAY
Our word is one of several verbs we’ve covered that are not necessarily the most common but nonetheless useful to know. After you’ve learned how to say to honk in French, follow the links below to learn these other less common French verbs:
LOOKING FOR MORE WORDS ABOUT CARS AND DRIVING?
Follow these links to these words to help you take to the road in French:
LEARN TO CONJUGATE VERBS LIKE KLAXXONER
Check out our Quick Verb Guide to learn how to conjugate regular -er verbs like klaxxoner.
to launch, as in a product or software
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.
TODAY
Our words are examples of 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:
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and other -ir verbs here.
to walk
Nous avons marché tout autour du quartier.
We walked all around the neighborhood.
to curse
Robert a maudit le jour où il l’a laissée partir.
Robert cursed the day he let her go.
REMARQUEZ!
Note that the verb maudire is rather strong language. Use the word with care. For a complete conjugation, you can visit conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
We’re building our reservoir of useful verbs by looking at a few that are not necessarily the most common but are nonetheless good to know.
VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
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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.
to furnish
Elle a besoin de meubler son nouvel appartement.
She needs to furnish her new apartment.
TODAY
Our word is about furniture, les meubles.
to ascend the throne
Tout le monde se demande qui va monter sur le trône.
Everyone wonders who will ascend the throne.
to clean the gutters
Jacques a décidé de nettoyer les gouttières.
Jacques decided to clean the gutters.
TODAY
Our word is one of many household chores.
For more words about activities around the house, click here.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it here.
Where does (something) go or belong?
Je peux vous aider à nettoyer la cuisine. Où se rangent les assiettes?
I can help you clean the kitchen. Where do the plates go?
THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about activities around the house.
to paint
Les enfants peignent les œufs de Pâques et les échangent.
Children paint the eggs and exchange them.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering French words about spring and Easter.
WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!
to lean, tilt
Le fait que la table penche à gauche la rend folle.
The fact that the table tilts to the left drives her crazy.
TODAY
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR -ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
QUIZ LINK
Test your ability to say to lean in French and more with our Less Common French Verb Quiz.
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.
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 understand, to get it
Tu comprends? Non, je ne pige pas.
You understand? No, I don’t get it.
THIS WEEK
Every language is full of slang, or l’argot. French is no exception. This week, we’ll cover a selection of French slang words. These words are generally more informal, and you’ll want to use them only in familiar settings.
FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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to fold the laundry
Je veux plier le linge avant de sortir.
I want to fold the laundry before going out.
TODAY
Our phrase is one of many activities around the house.
Click here for more words like this.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about household activities here.
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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
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.
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
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.
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
to walk the dog
Il promène son chien François trois fois par jour.
He walks his dog François three times a day.
to mend
Elle préfère raccommoder les vêtements au lieu d’acheter de nouveaux.
She prefers mending the clothes instead of buying new ones.
LEARN MORE
For a complete conjugation of raccommoder, visit conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
Let’s build our reservoir of useful verbs by looking at a few that don’t necessarily come up a lot but nonetheless come in handy.
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to pick up something
Les enfants ont ramassé leurs jouets.
The children picked up their toys.
to gather
Plus d’un million de personnes ont rassemblé dans les rues.
More than a million people gathered in the streets.
THIS WEEK
Our attention turns to current events in France, where demonstrators have been protesting proposed changes to the retirement age in the country. We’re covering some of the vocabulary of the current strikes.
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.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING AT FRENCH FANATIC!
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SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
to rake leaves
Il faut ratisser des feuilles pour nettoyer le trottoir.
We have to rake leaves to clean the sidewalk.
THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about activities around the house.
to recover or get back
Il a récupéré son livre après l’avoir cherché pendant trois jours.
He got his book back after looking for it for three days.
PUT TODAY’S WORD INTO ACTION
Visit conjugation-fr.com to learn how to conjugate récupérer.
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.
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.)
to fill, refill
Les serveurs remplissent les verres vides.
The servers refill the empty glasses.
MORE
Today’s word is a regular -ir verb. To learn how to conjugate verbs like these, check out our -ir verb conjugation page in our Quick Verb Guide.
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 renew
Surtout, il est temps de renouveler nos énergies.
Above all, it’s time to renew our energies.
TODAY
Our word is one of many related to time.
For more words about time, click here.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about new beginnings
and possibilities here.
to repair
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.
to break off, to break with
Il a rompu avec sa petite amie de trois ans.
He broke up with his girlfriend of three years.
LEARN MORE
For a complete conjugation of today’s verb, visit conjugation-fr.com.
THIS WEEK
We’re building our reservoir of useful verbs by looking at a few that are not necessarily the most common but are nonetheless good to know.
VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.
THIS HOLIDAY, GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
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to sit
Je crois que nous aurons une table libre dans dix minutes.
–Merci. C’est possible de nous asseoir au bar pendant que nous attendons?
Bien sûr. Je vous amène. Suivez-moi.
I believe we’ll have a free table in ten minutes.
–Thank you. Is it possible to sit at the bar while we wait?
Of course. I’ll take you. Follow me.
THIS WEEK
When you visit France as a native English speaker, everyday interactions that you take for granted at home can suddenly feel like a lot of work. But they also can be very rewarding. This week, we’re going to look at one such common interaction — walking into a café or restaurant and knowing what to say and learning to recognize some of the responses. We’ll actually build a conversation throughout the week to help you learn key words and phrases.
WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!
to expect to
De la langue française, nous nous attendons à en apprendre davantage cette année.
When it comes to the French language, we expect to learn more this year.
TODAY
Our word is inspired by new beginnings and the possibilities that come with them. It’s just one of many verbs we’ve posted. Click here to discover more.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the possibilities of new beginnings here.
to fall asleep
Nous étions si fatigués que nous nous sommes endormis à 20h!
We were so tired that we fell asleep at 8 o’clock!
THIS WEEK
Most of us spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Let’s explore some French words about sleep and the activities related to it this week.
to bloom, to flower
to sob
La petite fille était si bouleversée qu’elle a sangloté tout le chemin de retour.
The little girl was so upset that she sobbed all the way home.
FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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to sprinkle
Saupoudrez la salade avec du sel et du poivre.
Sprinkle the salad with salt and pepper.
to snuggle
Il faisait si froid que je me suis blotti dans mon lit.
It was so cold that I snuggled up in my bed.
EN SAVOIR PLUS: Learn More
The example above explains how to express snuggling in something. To express the idea of snuggling up with someone, you would use the preposition contre: La fille s’est blottie contre sa mère (The girl snuggled up with her mother).
TODAY
Most of us spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Today’s word is inspired by sleep and the activities related to it.
to brush one’s hair
Je me brosse les cheveux chaque matin.
I brush my hair every morning.
TODAY
Our word is from our topic on the bath and grooming. Click here to explore more words like this.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the bath and grooming here.
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.
Today, our word is inspired by autumn.
to go to bed
Je me suis couché après avoir fini mes devoirs.
I went to bed after finishing my homework.
EN SAVOIR PLUS: Learn More
Note the difference between today’s word, se coucher, which means only to go to bed, and yesterday’s word, s’endormir, which means to fall asleep.
THIS WEEK
Most of us spend about a third of our lives sleeping. Let’s explore some French words about sleep and the activities related to it this week.
to hurry
Dépêchez-vous! Il n’y a pas beaucoup de temps.
Hurry up! There isn’t much time.
to seat someone
Mesdames, Messieurs, votre table est prête. On vous fait asseoir, si vous voulez.
Ladies, gentlemen, your table is ready. We’ll seat you now, if you like.
TODAY
When you visit France as a native English speaker, everyday interactions that you take for granted at home can suddenly feel like a lot of work. But they also can be very rewarding. Today’s example illustrates one such common interaction — walking into a café or restaurant and knowing what to say and learning to recognize some of the responses. The dialogue here was originally part of a weeklong exercise in which we built an entire conversation that you can see here.
MORE FRENCH RESTAURANT VOCABULARY
After you’ve learned to say to seat someone in French, follow the links below to discover more French words and phrases useful for a visit to a restaurant or café:
to get up
Je dois me lever à 6h demain.
I have to get up at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
ALSO RELATED
se réveiller = to wake up
éveillé(e)(s) = awake
THIS WEEK
Most of us spend about a third of our lives sleeping. This week, we’ve been exploring some French words about sleep and the activities related to it.
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
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.
to make fun of
Tu te moques de moi?! Tu n’as qu’une chaussette!
You’re making fun of me?! You only have one sock!
to crash
Mon ordinateur s’est planté. Il faut le redémarrer.
My computer crashed. It has to be restarted.
TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is la technologie (technology).
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.)
TODAY
Our word is inspired by activities we can do à pied (on foot).
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it with this quiz.
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.
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.
to rest
Elle se repose sous le soleil.
She is resting under the sun.
TODAY
Our word is inspired by life in the sun and is one of many verbs you can discover on our site.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about life in the sun here.
to dry (oneself)
Paul se sèche le visage avec une serviette.
Paul dries his face with a towel.
to whistle
to get out the sweaters
Elle a sorti les pulls qu’elle a rangés au printemps.
She got out the sweaters that she put away in the spring.
TODAY
Our word is inspired by activities around the house.
MORE FRENCH HOUSEHOLD VOCABULARY WORDS
Follow the links below to discover the French words for these other household activities:
QUIZ YOURSELF
Take our French Household Activities Vocabulary Quiz to find out how well you’ve learned to say to get out the sweaters in French and more.
to relieve, to make feel better
Quand elle avait la grippe, du thé chaud la soulageait.
When she had the flu, some hot tea made her feel better.
THIS WEEK
We always enjoy exploring French verbs that are important to everyday conversation but that, for whatever reason, don’t always make the cut of words commonly learned in traditional French classes. This week, we’ll attempt to uncover some of these common but uncommonly-taught verbs.
NEED HELP WITH REGULAR ER VERBS LIKE TODAY’S WORD?
Don’t forget to check out our Quick Verb Guide for conjugation examples.
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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.
TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR 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.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
to sigh
Elle a soupiré en apprenant sa tâche.
She sighed upon learning of her task.
TODAY’S WORD
Today’s entry was originally part of a lesson on the sounds, or les sons, we make.
to suggest
Ils sont assis maintenant. (They’re seated now.)
Alors, Monsieur. Qu’est-ce que vous nous suggérez ce soir?
So, what do you suggest this evening.
ATTENTION!
While you may have learned that garçon is the French word for waiter, keep in mind that in this day and age it is not polite to address your server as garçon. Monsieur is more appropriate. You might also note that Monsieur is not translated in the above example. That’s because, in French, this form of address is used more freely than in English. Although it may sound formal, it’s less formal that its nearest equivalent, Sir, would be an English.
THIS WEEK
When you visit France as a native English speaker, everyday interactions that you take for granted at home can suddenly feel like a lot of work. But they also can be very rewarding. This week, we’re going to look at one such common interaction — walking into a café or restaurant and knowing what to say and learning to recognize some of the responses. We’ll actually build a conversation throughout the week to help you learn key words and phrases.
WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!
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 shoot (as in a film or movie)
Où a été tourné ce film?
Where was this film shot?
HERE’S YOUR TICKET TO MORE FRENCH FILM VOCABULARY
Now that you’ve learned to say to shoot (a film) in French, follow the links below to discover more French vocabulary words about movies and filmmaking.
to cross
Quand est-ce qu’on peut traverser la rue? En savoir demain!
When can we cross the street? Find out tomorrow!
to stamp one’s feet
Le petit garçon a trépigné quand il a perdu son jouet.
The little boy stamped his feet when he lost his toy.
TODAY
Our word is one of the many sounds, or les sons, we make. Discover other words we’ve posted about sounds by clicking here.
QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and more like it here.
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, we’re going to have to be able to find them, too — even in French! And as it turns out, you’ll discover we lose and find things quite a bit. Knowing chercher and trouver will help you express that.
TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is essential verbs for conversation. We’re reviewing one of the verbs that is 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.
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!
TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French
to want
Jean-Pierre veut regarder un film ce soir.
Jean-Pierre wants to watch a film this evening.
GRAMMAR TIP
Like the related verb pouvoir (can, to be able to), vouloir is used very commonly in the construction vouloir + infinitive. This is a common way to express the desire to do something. You also can follow the verb with a noun to express that someone wants a thing: Nous voulons une nouvelle voiture (We want a new car).
TODAY
Our French vocabulary word is among essential verbs for conversation. Follow the links below to discover other must-know French verbs.
PRACTICE YOUR FRENCH VERBS
Take our Essential French Verbs Quiz to find out if you can say to want in French and more.
TO SEE A COMPLETE CONJUGATION OF VOULOIR
We suggest conjugation-fr.com.
to travel
Nous avons voyagé en France l’été dernier.
We traveled to France last summer.