French Word of the Day

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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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 clear (the table)

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 mop up (a liquid)

Jean éponge le lait que le bébé a renversé.
Jean mops up the milk that the baby spilled.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by a topic that has been very popular with our readers in the past — le ménage, or housework.

to dust

Claudia époussette les meubles dans la chambre.
Claudia is dusting the furniture in the bedroom.

GRAMMAR NOTE
Note that the t is doubled in many forms of the present-tense conjugation of épousseter: j’époussette, tu époussettes, il/elle époussette, nous époussetons, vous époussetez and ils/elles époussettent. The past participle is épousseté.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering more words about a topic that has been very popular with our readers in the past — le ménage, or housework.

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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.

TODAY
Our topic is the kitchen and cooking. Discover the French words for these other essential kitchen vocabulary words:

• Casserole Pot
• Egg, Hard-Boiled
• Flour
• Fridge (Refrigerator)
• Fresh
• Garlic Clove
• Herbs
• Parsley
• Pasta
• Recipe
• Sour
• To Mix
• To Peel
• To Season
• To Simmer
• To Soak
• To Sprinkle
• To Spread

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.

TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is household chores.

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.

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.

TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is household chores. 

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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to make Sunday dinner

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

to knock on the door

Quelqu’un a frappé à la porte.
Someone knocked on the door.

to scrub

Nous avons frotté les comptoirs.
We scrubbed the counters.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by a topic that has been very popular with our readers in the past — le ménage, or housework.

air conditioning

Restez dans la climatisation pendant la vague de chaleur.
Remain in the air conditioning during the heat wave.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words about the summer heat wave, la vague de chaleur.

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Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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the mess

Le désordre me rend fou, mais il ne la gêne pas.
The mess drives me crazy, but it doesn’t bother her.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by a topic that has been very popular with our readers in the past — le ménage, or housework.

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 cleaning

Hélène commence à penser à son nettoyage de printemps.
Hélène is starting to think of her spring cleaning.

faucet, tap

n.m.pl., the furniture

Sylvie veut acheter de nouveaux meubles.
Sylvie wants to buy new furniture.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering vocabulary words for furniture, les meubles.

VIDÉO
Enjoy this advertisement for a Belgian furniture store.

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n.f.pl., the garbage

Jetez la peau de banane aux ordures, et sortez-les.
Throw the banana peel in the trash, and take it out.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering more words about a topic that has been very popular with our readers in the past — le ménage, or housework.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz covering the past week’s words by clicking here.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
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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 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 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.

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



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 sprout, to grow

Also:
faire pousser des légumes: to grow vegetables
les plantes poussent bien: the plants are growing well

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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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for more thoughts on all things French.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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The fun way to learn French



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 repair

to iron/to do the ironing

J’ai fait le repassage pendant une heure.
I did the ironing for an hour.

TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
How well did you learn last week’s words? Take our NEW Weekly Quiz to find out!

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French



to bloom, to flower

• to take out, to get out (as a transitive verb)
• to go out or leave (as an intransitive verb)

Philippe sort l’aspirateur du placard.
Philippe is taking the vacuum cleaner out of the closet.

Philippe sort à 19h00.
Philippe is leaving at 7 o’ clock.

GRAMMAR NOTES
Sortir is usually first learned as an intransitive verb meaning to go out. However, when used with an object, or as a transitive verb, it means to take something out or get something out. Interestingly, these two meanings also require different auxiliary verbs to form the past tense. When using sortir to mean to leave or to go out, conjugate the passé composé with être: Elle est sortie (She left). But when using sortir as a transitive verb to mean to take something out, conjugate the passé composé with avoir: Elle a sorti les œufs (She took out the eggs).

TODAY
Our word is inspired by a topic that has been very popular with our readers in the past — le ménage, or housework.

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:

• To Do the Dishes
• To Do the Laundry
• To Do the Housework
• To Dust
• To Iron
• To Mop Up
• To Scrub
• To Take Out (from somewhere)
• To Tidy Up
• To Vacuum

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.

an apartment or flat

Il est plus commun en ville de vivre dans un appartement que dans une maison.
It’s more common in the city to live in an apartment than in a house.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover some of the words unique to life in the city, la vie en ville.

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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 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 couch, sofa

Ils ont un grand divan jaune dans leur salon.
They have a big, yellow sofa in their living room.

MORE
Additional words for couch or sofa are un canapé or, even, un sofa.

TODAY
Our word is one among many types of furniture, les meubles.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it here.

an armchair, seat

Ne restez pas dans votre fauteuil aujourd’hui!
Don’t stay in your seat today!

TODAY
Our word is among the many pieces of furniture, les meubles.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it here.

a fridge, refrigerator

Mets le lait au frigo, s’il te plaît.
Put the milk in the fridge, please.

a toaster

Vous pouvez dorer le pain dans un grille-pain.
You can brown the bread in a toaster.

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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a bed

Il doit faire son lit chaque jour avant d’aller à l’école.
He has to make his bed each day before going to school.

ALSO
un lit jumeau = a twin bed
un lit taille adulte = a full-size bed
un grand lit double = a queen-size bed
un grand lit = a king-size bed

TODAY
We’re covering French vocabulary words about furniture, les meubles. For more words about furniture, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and other French words about furniture here.

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 microwave (oven)

Les jeunes gens font souvent la cuisine dans un micro-onde.
Young people often cook in a microwave.

THIS WEEK
We’re discovering French words for items in the kitchen, dans la cuisine.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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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 food processor

Hachez les oignons rapidement dans un robot culinaire.
Chop the onions quickly in a food processor.

TODAY
Our word is one of many items in the kitchen, dans la cuisine.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others like it here.

a landline (telephone)

Avez-vous un téléphone fixe et un téléphone mobile?
Do you have a landline and a mobile phone?

a drawer

Il a mis ses clés dans le tiroir.
He put his keys in the drawer.

a dish towel, kitchen cloth

Vous pouvez essuyer le comptoir avec un torchon.
You can wipe the counter with a dish towel.

THIS WEEK
We’re discovering French words for items in the kitchen, dans la cuisine.

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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 fireplace, chimney

Nous commençons à voir la fumée des cheminées en automne.
We start to see smoke from fireplaces in fall.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering words that come to mind when we think of fall.

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a chest of drawers

On trouve normalement une commode dans une chambre.
One normally finds a chest of drawers in a bedroom.

TODAY
Our word is one of many types of furniture, or les meubles. Learn words for more pieces of furniture here.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Test your knowledge of today’s word and more French furniture words here.

a stove

Elle voulait acheter une cuisinière inox.
She wanted to buy a stainless steel stove.

THIS WEEK
We’re discovering French words for items in the kitchen, dans la cuisine.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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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.

a potholder

Le pot est chaud. Ne le soulevez pas sans une manique.
The pot is hot. Don’t lift it without a potholder.

THIS WEEK
We’re discovering French words for items in the kitchen, dans la cuisine.

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Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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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.

TODAY
Our topic is thunderstorms and their effects — les orages et leurs effets.

DISCOVER THESE OTHER STORMY WEATHER WORDS

• Flooded
• Lightning, Flash of
• Mother Nature
• Shelter
• Thunderstorm
• To Uproot

VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
Take our Stormy Weather French Vocabulary Quiz to find if you’ve learned to say power outage in French and practice more thunderstorm vocabulary words.

a painting

Elle a accroché la peinture sur le mur.
She hung the painting on the wall.

a skillet, pan

Mettez le poisson dans la poêle.
Put the fish in the pan.

TODAY
We’re discovering French words for items in the kitchen, dans la cuisine. For more kitchen words, click here.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Test yourself on today’s word and more words for kitchen items here.

a doorknob

Elle a tourné la poignée de porte.
She turned the doorknob.

a coffee table

Une table basse est normalement devant le divan.
A coffee table is usually in front of the sofa.

TODAY
Our French vocabulary word is one of many about furniture, les meubles.