French Word of the Day

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Monday, July 30, 2012

les feuilles d’automne

n.f.pl., autumn leaves

Les feuilles d’automne sont oranges, jaunes et rouges.
Autumn leaves are orange, yellow and red.

Vocabulary Section: Seasons, Word of the Day
Saturday, July 28, 2012

faire le tour

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.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar, Verbs, Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 24, 2012

faire le repas du dimanche

to make Sunday dinner

Leur mère fait toujours le repas du dimanche.
Their mother always makes Sunday dinner.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House, Verbs, Word of the Day
Sunday, July 22, 2012

le vainqueur

the winner

Le vainqueur est le champion en titre.
The winner is the defending champion.

AUJOURD’HUI Today
In honor of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games — les Jeux Olympiques d’Éte in French — today’s word helps us get ready for the events in London.

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Friday, July 20, 2012

être, être (+ adjectif) de, être à

to be, to be (+ adjective) to do something, to belong to

Elle est fatiguée. Elle est contente de rester chez elle. La nuit est à elle.
She’s tired. She’s happy to stay at home. The night belongs to her.

PREPOSITION PROPOSITION
In French, a verb’s meaning can change considerably depending upon the preposition that follows it. Today’s phrases are examples of how verbs and prepositions interact to change a verb’s meaning.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

les propos de quelqu’un

(n.m.) someone’s words

Vocabulary Section: Expressions, Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

une baignoire

a bathtub

Il a laissé les serviettes mouillées dans la baignoire.
He left the the wet towels in the bathtub.

Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming, Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

faire tremper

to soak

Faites tremper les haricots pendant la nuit.
Soak the beans overnight.

AUJOURD’HUI Today
We go back to one of our favorite places — la cuisine, or the kitchen — to reveal a French phrase you might encounter in recipes.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink, Word of the Day
Monday, July 16, 2012

mettre la table

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink, Word of the Day
Sunday, July 15, 2012

un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix

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

Vocabulary Section: Numbers, Word of the Day
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