French Word of the Day

French Fanatic

Learn French vocabulary with one new French word a day
Monday, September 9, 2013

à côté de

next to

Claude est aussi assis à l’avant de la salle à côté d’Hélène.
Claude is also sitting in the front of the room next to Helen.

TODAY
It’s very useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — the idea of where one thing is in relation to another. Today’s phrase will help you do just that.

DISCOVER MORE DIRECTIONAL WORDS
Follow the links below to learn more French vocabulary words about proximity.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s phrase and other related words by clicking here.



Wednesday, December 15, 2010

à dormir debout

that put you to sleep standing up
(literal, unused translation: to sleep standing)

C’est un mec vraiment bavard; il vous raconte des histoires à dormir debout.
He’s one talkative guy; he’ll tell you stories that’ll put you to sleep standing up.

THIS WEEK
We have a special treat. One of the most difficult things about becoming fluent in French is learning to recognize all of the many idiom expressions — those phrases that mean something different than their literal meanings suggest. In English, think of the phrase It’s raining cats and dogs.

This week, a friend of our site, Bill Scoble, has assembled a great selection of commonly used French idioms for you. Add these to your vocabulary and you’ll sound like a native speaker in no time.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Saturday, November 7, 2009

à l’appareil

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!

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Monday, November 19, 2012

à l’avant de

in the front (as in a room or some other three-dimensional space)

Hélène est assise à l’avant de la salle.
Helen is seated at the front of the room.

TODAY
It’s very useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — the idea of where one thing is in relation to another. Today’s example is one phrase that will help you do that.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

à l’heure

on time

Est-ce que le train est arrivé à l’heure?
Did the train arrive on time?

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Wednesday, December 23, 2009

à la dernière minute

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.


TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French



Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, January 17, 2013

à pied

on foot

Nous sommes allés à pied.
We went on foot.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

à prix choc

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
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.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

à prix réduits

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.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

à propos de

about (on the subject of)

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 22, 2010

accrocher un tableau

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.

VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Friday, September 6, 2013

actuellement

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.

TODAY
Our example can help you avoid a common mistake. 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. Today’s word is a perfect example of a word whose meaning could be easily mistaken.

DISCOVER MORE FALSE COGNATES
Check out these words that aren’t quite what they seem:

CAN YOU AVOID THE TEMPTING MISTAKE?
Take our French False Cognates Quiz to see if you can say currently in French and avoid the common mistakes presented by French false cognates.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

agiter un drapeau

to wave a flag

Aujourd’hui, les citoyens agitent leurs drapeaux pour démontrer leur fierté.
Today, citizens wave their flags to demonstrate their pride.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with ourNEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Thursday, September 10, 2009

aigre

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.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

aimer

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 24, 2012

ajouter au panier

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.

Today’s word is part of the French vocabulary for  online shopping.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

aller

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!

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, October 22, 2011

allumer le chauffage

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.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

allumer le sapin

to light the tree

Quand leur papa a allumé le sapin, les enfants ont crié de joie.
When their dad lit the tree, the children shouted with joy.

THIS WEEK
We’re beginning to look at some of the vocabulary unique to the holiday season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 12, 2011

amer, amère

bitter

Un goût amer est le contraire de l’un qui est doux.
A bitter taste is the opposite of one that’s sweet.

THIS WEEK
We’ve been covering an assortment of useful French adjectives that will help you add some richness and detail to your conversations.

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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Monday, October 15, 2012

analogique, numérique

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!
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

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Wednesday, September 18, 2013

annuler

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.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

appeler, rappeler

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
Our words are part of our look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more telephone vocabulary, click here.

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Tuesday, December 4, 2012

arriver à l’hôtel

to check in to the hotel

Nous arriverons à l’hôtel à 15h.
We’ll check into the hotel at 3 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

arroser

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!

Vocabulary Section: Agriculture,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 5, 2010

atteindre

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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, December 30, 2012

attendre

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.

Vocabulary Section: False Cognates,Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, July 19, 2013

attraper du soleil

to catch some sun

Jean-Marc se couche sur le sable et attrape du soleil.
Jean-Marc lies down on the sand and catches some sun.

TODAY
Our word is about the summer seaside. Click here to discover more words about outdoor pursuits.

READY FOR THE BEACH?
Take our Beach Quiz to find out if you’re ready to say you want to catch some sun in French.

Monday, December 31, 2012

attribuer

to award

Le professeur a attribué le prix à l’étudiant le plus intelligent.
The teacher awarded the prize to the smartest student.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, November 19, 2010

au fond

at the back or bottom

Le prof était debout au fond de la salle.
The teacher was standing at the back of the room.

DID YOU KNOW?
If you’re familiar with the cooking term the fond in English, this is where it comes from. It refers to what is at the bottom of the pan.

THIS WEEK
It’s very useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — the idea of where one thing is in relation to another. This week we’ll look at some key words and phrases that will help you do that.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
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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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

au premier plan

in the foreground

La pomme est au premier plan de la photo.
The apple is in the foreground of the photo.

TODAY
It’s very useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — the idea of where one thing is in relation to another. Today’s phrase can help you do just that. Click here for other similar words and phrases.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Test yourself on spatial relationships with our quiz.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

augmenter/baisser le volume

turn up/turn down the volume

J’ai augmenté le volume de ma chanson préférée.
I turned up the volume of my favorite song.

Friday, July 12, 2013

avoir

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:

-er verbs
-ir verbs
-re verbs

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, March 24, 2011

avoir du toupet

Actual meaning: to have a lot of nerve
Literal meaning: to have tuft of hair

Il m’a accusé de mentir. Il a vraiment du toupet!
He accused me of lying. He’s really got a lot of nerve!

ORIGIN OF THIS EXPRESSION
This expression is said to have originated in the 16th Century as a reference to men who were hired by Italian nobles to kill their competitors. The assassins, who did not want to be recognized, would hide their faces with a long tress of hair — un toupet. Hence, to have le toupet came to be an exaggerated way to say someone has the same nerve as these cold-blooded killers.

THIS WEEK
We love idiomatic phrases. This week, we’ll discover more of these fun and useful gems that provide a fascinating window into the French mindset.

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.

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Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Friday, July 5, 2013

avoir la langue bien pendue

Actual meaning: to have the gift of gab
Literal meaning: to have a well suspended tongue

Ginette a vraiment la langue bien pendue. Elle parle sans cesse.
Ginette really has the gift of gab. She talks nonstop.

TODAY
We love idiomatic phrases. Today’s phrase is an example of one of these useful gems that provide a fascinating window into the French mindset.

TAKE OUR QUIZ
Find out how many French idiomatic expressions you know by taking our quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, October 11, 2012

avoir mal à la tête

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.”

TODAY
We’re considering a phrase that might be useful for a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Saturday, November 10, 2012

avoir sommeil

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.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

baigner, se baigner

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.

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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Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 5, 2012

bâiller

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.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

banal(e)

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.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Friday, April 30, 2010

bâtir

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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, May 14, 2011

bercer

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

bien que

although

Bien qu’il soit tard, je ne peux pas m’endormir.
Although it’s late, I can’t go to sleep.

Vocabulary Section: Conjunctions,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 3, 2010

blesser

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!

Vocabulary Section: False Cognates,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

bleu

blue

La mer bleue est au-dessous du ciel bleu.
The blue sea is beneath the blue sky.

GRAMMAR NOTE
As with a similar related example, you can see how the gender of the adjective bleu changes depending upon the noun it modifies, adding an e when used to modify la mer, which is feminine, and maintaining its masculine form with no e when modifying le ciel, which is masculine.

TODAY
Our word is from a topic that’s perfect for beginning French students — colors, or les couleurs
. If you’ll be studying French for the first time next school year or if you just need a refresher, these French words for colors are for you.

TAKE THE QUIZ
See if you remember how to say blue in French and more with our Colors Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Colors,Word of the Day
Thursday, April 22, 2010

bloqué

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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

bon marché

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.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Bonnes Fêtes!

Happy Holidays!

Nous vous souhaitons de Bonnes Fêtes!
We wish you Happy Holidays!

ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
You often see and hear this holiday wish, especially in public settings. Like Happy Holidays, it is embracing of the entire season and no one particular holiday.

THIS WEEK
We’re beginning to look at some of the vocabulary unique to the holiday season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 20, 2013

bosser dur

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 7, 2009

bouillir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 19, 2011

bouleversé(e)

upset

Elle était vraiment bouleversée par les nouvelles.
She was really upset by the news.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words about emotions and feelings.

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

Saturday, July 27, 2013

brancher/débrancher

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.

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

brillant(e)

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!
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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 25, 2010

bronzé(e)

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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 21, 2012

brûlé(e)

burned, scorched

La terre était brûlée sous les rayons de soleil.
The land was scorched under the sun’s rays.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the summer heat wave, la vague de chaleur.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

brun

brown

Les feuilles d’automne sont jaunes, oranges et brunes.
The autumn leaves are yellow, orange and brown.

TODAY
Our word is from a topic that’s perfect for beginning French students — colors, or les couleurs
. If you’ll be studying French for the first time next school year or if you just need a refresher, these French words for colors are for you.

TAKE THE QUIZ
See if you remember how to say brown in French and more with our Colors Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Colors,Word of the Day
Monday, June 3, 2013

c’est de la part de qui?

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?

MORE WORDS ON TODAY’S TOPIC
Today’s phrase is part of our look at vocabulary for the telephone. To see more French words to help your telephone conversations, click here.

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Saturday, January 23, 2010

C’est génial!

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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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Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Monday, January 18, 2010

C’est pour ça que…

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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, August 9, 2012

C’est quoi, ça?

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?

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ça m’est égal

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Ça va?, Comment allez-vous?

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:

  • Ça va: It’s going fine.
  • Ça va bien: It’s going well.
  • Ça va mal: It’s going badly.
  • Comme ci, comme ça: So-so.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Ça y est

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

casser la croûte

to have a snack

Cassons la croûte avant de nous coucher.
Let’s have a snack before going to bed.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

changer de couleur

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.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 28, 2010

chanter

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 springles 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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
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Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, January 15, 2010

chercher

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
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Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 6, 2011

chercher, chercher à

to look for, to attempt to

Je cherche mon livre, parce que je cherche à finir mes devoirs.
I’m looking for my book, because I’m attempting to finish my homework.

ABOUT CHERCHER
The verb chercher reminds us of another important feature of some French verbs in relation to their English counterparts. Some English verbs that require a preposition after them — to look for, for example — are expressed without the preposition in French. In fact, it would be incorrect in French to include a preposition after chercher when using it to mean to look for.

THIS WEEK
In French, a verb’s meaning can change considerably depending upon the preposition that follows it. This week, we’ve been looking at verbs and prepositions to see how several common verbs’ meanings can change slightly, or sometimes significantly. This is also a good time to remind ourselves that French verbs do not always take the same prepositions as their English counterparts.

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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SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Monday, February 21, 2011

chez le coiffeur

at the hairdresser’s

J’ai besoin d’aller chez le coiffeur.
I need to go to the hairdresser’s.

RELATED WORDS

  • a salon = un salon
  • a barbershop = un salon de coiffure pour hommes
  • a male hairstylist = un coiffeur
  • a female hairstylist = une coiffeuse

THIS WEEK
Fashion and beauty is a serious part of French culture. Consequently, a trip to the salon or barbershop is tout à fait essentiel. This week, we’ll look at the vocabulary of the salon.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Fashion and Beauty,Word of the Day
Tuesday, November 27, 2012

chez le médecin

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.

TODAY
Our vocabulary word is just what the doctor ordered to describe a visit to the doctor’s office, chez le médecin.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Saturday, June 1, 2013

chez le médecin

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.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Friday, May 13, 2011

chiffonner

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!

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, April 26, 2010

choisir

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.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 17, 2012

chuchoter

to whisper

Marie chuchote à l’oreille de son bébé.
Marie is whispering in the ear of her baby.

Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 1, 2013

claquer

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:

  • claquer des mains = to clap
  • faire claquer les doigts = to snap one’s fingers
  • claquer = to make a loud sound
  • claquer une porte = to slam a door

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.

Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, April 23, 2010

clouer

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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

combien de jours

how many days

Pour combien de jours avez-vous besoin de la voiture?
How many days do you need the car?

THIS WEEK
We always enjoy covering vocabulary topics about travel, because they contain essential words and phrases for French language learners who want to visit a French-speaking country. This week, we’ll look at useful French words and phrases for renting a car.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

commander

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.

Friday, May 25, 2012

composer un numéro de téléphone

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.

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Thursday, August 30, 2012

congé de maladie

n.m., sick leave

Elle était en congé de maladie pendant une semaine.
She was on sick leave for a week.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the workplace and working.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

congédier

to fire

Marcel a été congédié en raison d’être toujours en retard.
Marcel was fired for always being late.

THIS WEEK
We’re looking at vocabulary words related to the workplace and working.



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.
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.

READY TO JOIN? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Monday, August 23, 2010

corriger les copies

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.
NOT A MEMBER YET? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

coudre

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.

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!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, November 22, 2012

coupable

guilty

L’homme était trouvé coupable.
The man was found guilty.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Civics,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 20, 2011

coupable, non coupable

guilty, not guilty

L’homme a été déclaré non coupable par le jury.
The man was found not guilty by the jury.

THIS WEEK
It’s our own version of a courtroom drama here at French Fanatic as we examine the vocabulary of the court.

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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Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Monday, January 17, 2011

couper en dés

to dice

Coupez l’oignon en dés et ajoutez-le au saladier.
Dice the onion and add it to the bowl.

THIS WEEK
We go back to one of our favorite places — la cuisine, or the kitchen — to explore words you might encounter in recipes.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!


Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Thursday, February 24, 2011

court(e), long(ue)

short, long

Pas trop court, s’il vous plaît. J’aime les cheveux longs.
Not too short, please. I like long hair.

THIS WEEK
Fashion and beauty is a serious part of French culture. Consequently, a trip to the salon or barbershop is tout à fait essentiel. This week, we’ll look at the vocabulary of the salon.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Friday, August 5, 2011

crier

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.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, March 3, 2011

croire, croire à, croire en

to think, to believe in (usu. a thing or idea), to believe in (usu. a person or entity)

Je crois que nous allons. Je crois à la puissance du peuple. Je crois en toi.
I think we are going. I believe in the power of the people. I believe in you.

THIS WEEK
In French, a verb’s meaning can change considerably depending upon the preposition that follows it. This week, we’ll look at verbs and prepositions to see how several common verbs’ meanings can change slightly, or sometimes significantly. This is also a good time to remind ourselves that French verbs do not always take the same prepositions as their English counterparts.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Friday, March 22, 2013

cueillir

to pick or pluck

Les vendangeurs sont embauchés pour cueillir le raisin.
The grape harvesters are hired to pick the grapes.

TODAY
Wine and winemaking are inextricable parts of the French culture. Today, our word is inspired by the vocabulary of the vineyards.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about wine and winemaking here.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Dame Nature

Mother Nature

Dame Nature peut être cruelle.
Mother Nature can be cruel.

Monday, January 3, 2011

davantage

more

Profitez davantage de French Fanatic en visitant chaque jour de l’année.
Get more from French Fanatic by visiting each day of the year.

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.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitor’s Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!


Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, January 10, 2013

de toute façon

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.

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, April 2, 2009

débarrasser

to clear (the table)

Saturday, December 26, 2009

déblayer

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.


TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Saturday, September 18, 2010

déboucher

to uncork

Il y a beaucoup à faire avant le jour lorsqu’on peut déboucher la bouteille.
There’s a lot to do before the day when we can uncork the bottle.

THIS WEEK
Wine and winemaking is an inextricable part of the French culture. With this year’s harvest season upon us, this week is a perfect time to discover the vocabulary of the vineyards.



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.
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.

READY TO JOIN? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Wednesday, September 12, 2012

décider de, décider (quelqu’un) à

to decide to, to persuade (someone) to

J’ai décidé d’essayer de décider Paul à venir.
I decided to try to persuade Paul to come.

TONGUE TWISTER!
Today’s example is a bit of wordplay — or jeu de mots. If you can say it 10 fois rapidement (10 times quickly), you might be a French Fanatic indeed!

TODAY
In French, a verb’s meaning can change depending upon the preposition that follows it. Today, we’re looking at an example of how verbs and prepositions interact to change a verb’s meaning, sometimes significantly. This is also a good time to remind ourselves that French verbs do not always take the same prepositions as their English counterparts.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

décoller/atterrir

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.

GET MORE WORDS ON TWITTER!
Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

découper une citrouille

to carve a pumpkin

C’est facile de découper une citrouille!
It’s easy to carve a pumpkin.

THIS WEEK
We’re brewing up our favorite spooky French words for Halloween!
N’ayez pas peur. (Don’t be afraid.)

Vocabulary Section: Halloween,Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, October 28, 2013

découper une citrouille

to carve a pumpkin

C’est facile de découper une citrouille!
It’s easy to carve a pumpkin.

CAN’T WAIT FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK’S SPOOKY WORDS?
After you’ve learned to say to carve a pumpkin in French, follow the links below to discover more of the Halloween words we’re covering this week:

TAKE OUR HALLOWEEN QUIZ
Is your French scary good? Find out with our French Halloween Vocabulary Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 6, 2013

découvrir

to discover

Allez en France et découvrez comment vivre!
Go to France and discover how to live!

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, November 5, 2009

décrocher, raccrocher

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!

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

déjà

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.

TODAY
We’re looking at a word that is among 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.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, May 20, 2010

demain

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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Monday, August 2, 2010

demander

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
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Not a member yet? SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Vocabulary Section: False Cognates,Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 3, 2011

démarrer une entreprise

to start a business

Toute sa vie, elle a songé à démarrer une entreprise.
All her life, she dreamed of starting a business.

THIS WEEK
Small shop owners and entrepreneurs make up a significant part of businesses in France. This week we’ll learn words about small business, or petit commerce.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Friday, April 8, 2011

dépareillé(e)(s)

mismatched

Imaginons ce qu’ils se disent (Let’s imagine what they say to each other):
Tiens! Tu portes des chaussettes dépareillées. Regarde-toi, mon frère.
Hey! You’re wearing mismatched socks. Look at yourself, brother.

THIS WEEK
We couldn’t help but laugh last week at this video of twin boys in a conversation all their own. The lively exchange is our inspiration for this week’s words. If you haven’t seen it, check out the video here:

If you received this in our daily e-mail and have trouble viewing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

dépecer

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.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
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Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, March 15, 2013

déposer, verser

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.

Vocabulary Section: Money,Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, August 18, 2012

déraciner

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.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

des devoirs

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.
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.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

des informations

n.f.pl., information

Je cherche des informations sur vos produits.
I’m looking for information on your products.

TODAY
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. Follow the links below to discover more examples of French vocabulary words that differ from English in their 
singular and plural expressions.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

des progrès

n.m.pl., progress

Vous avez fait des progrès!
You made progress!

TODAY
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.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

désormais

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.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, July 30, 2011

desséché(e)

dried out, parched

Toutes les pelouses sont desséchées.
All the lawns are parched.

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

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Monday, December 3, 2012

dimanche

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

Today’s words are perfect for 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 Quick Verb Guide.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Friday, May 24, 2013

dormir

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.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

doux, douce

soft, sweet or gentle

Le tissu est tout doux.
The fabric is very soft.

Les enfants aiment toujours les gâteaux doux.
The children always like the sweet cakes.

Elle sent la douce brise au bord de la mer.
She feels the gentle breeze at the seaside.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Tuesday, December 14, 2010

du gâteau

easy, a piece of cake
(literal, unused translation: of the cake)

Pour moi, ce sera plutôt difficile, mais pour lui ce sera du gâteau.
For me, it will be rather difficult, but for him, it’ll be a piece of cake.

THIS WEEK
We have a special treat. One of the most difficult things about becoming fluent in French is learning to recognize all of the many idiom expressions — those phrases that mean something different than their literal meanings suggest. In English, think of the phrase It’s raining cats and dogs.

This week, a friend of our site, Bill Scoble, has assembled a great selection of commonly used French idioms for you. Add these to your vocabulary and you’ll sound like a native speaker in no time.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
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Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Friday, June 14, 2013

ébranler

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, September 9, 2012

effondré

collapsed

Où que vous regardiez, il y a des bâtiments effondrés.
Wherever you look, there are collapsed buildings.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

égalité

deuce

«Égalité» est le point juste avant l’avantage.
“Deuce” is the point just before advantage.

THIS WEEK
With the French Open under way and Wimbledon close behind, it’s a good time to brush up on our French tennis vocabulary.

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

Vocabulary Section: Sports,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 29, 2012

embarquer/débarquer

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.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

embaucher

to hire

Le patron a embauché deux nouveaux employés.
The boss hired two new employees.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the workplace and working.

MORE FRENCH WORDS ABOUT WORKING
Follow the links below to discover more words about the workplace:

Thursday, July 2, 2009

emprunter

to borrow

Le pays a emprunté milliards de dollars.
The country has borrowed billions of dollars.

Vocabulary Section: Society,Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 17, 2010

emprunter un chemin

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.

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!

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Expressions,Word of the Day
Thursday, December 30, 2010

emprunter un chemin

Publié le 17 août 2010

to take a road

Empruntez le chemin à droite à travers la campagne.
Take the road on the right through the countryside.

OUR FAVORITE WORDS FROM 2010
This week, we’re reviewing our favorite Words of the Day from 2010. We actually had a hard time choosing our favorite word from the week of words we published in August on the topic of Cars and Driving. We loved this phrase because it’s so very French and indispensable vocabulary for communicating about directions.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
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Friday, February 4, 2011

en

some, of it/them, from there

  • Voulez-vous du beurre? Oui, j’en veux.
    Do you want some butter? Yes, I want some.
  • Vous avez besoin de livres? Oui, j’en ai besoin.
    You need books? Yes, I  need some.
  • Vous avez des lampes? Combien en avez-vous?
    You have some lamps? How many of them do you have?
  • Tu as les trois clés? Non, j’en ai deux.
    You have the three keys? No, I have two of them.
  • Tu viens de Londres? Oui, j’en viens.
    You’re coming from London? Yes, I’m coming from there.

ABOUT EN
The adverbial pronoun en typically replaces phrases that begin with de — especially the partitive article. It may also be used to stand in for de + a place or to demonstrate a portion of a definite quantity (Il en a cinq/He has five of them).

THIS WEEK
Instead of having a different word each day, we’re focusing on just two words — the adverbial pronouns y and en.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

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Vocabulary Section: Grammar Tips,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 28, 2012

en arrière-plan

in the background

Les nuages sont en arrière-plan de la photo.
The clouds are in the background of the photo.

ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
It’s very useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — the idea of where one thing is in relation to another. Today’s phrase is an example.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

en avoir pour dix minutes

Actual meaning: to take ten minutes (to do something)
Literal meaning: to have for ten minutes of it

Je dois prendre une douche. J’en ai pour dix minutes.
I have to take a shower. It’ll take 10 minutes.

TODAY
We love idiomatic phrases. Today’s phrase is an example of one of these fun and useful gems that add richness to our vocabulary. To discover more similar phrases, click here.

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

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Saturday, August 10, 2013

en baisse

to be falling

Malheureusement, le nombre d’offres d’emplois est en baisse.
Unfortunately,  the number of job offers is falling.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

en espèces

in cash

Il faut payer en espèces.
It’s necessary to pay in cash.

Today, our vocabulary word is inspired by money and banking. To see other words on this week’s topic, please visit our site.

Vocabulary Section: Money,Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 2, 2013

en être à se demander si

Actual meaning: to begin to wonder if
Literal meaning: to be at the point of asking oneself if

J’en suis à me demander si le printemps arrivera.
I’m beginning to wonder if spring will arrive.

TODAY
We love idiomatic phrases. Today’s example is one of these fun and useful gems that can make your French vocabulary much richer. To discover more idiomatic expressions, click here.

TAKE OUR QUIZ
Find out how many French idiomatic expressions you know by taking our quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Saturday, July 14, 2012

en haut, en bas

upstairs, downstairs

Pierre était en haut pendant que son père était en bas.
Pierre was upstairs, while his father was downstairs.

TODAY’S WORD
It’s very useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — the idea of where one thing is in relation to another. Today’s example is one such word that can help you do that.

BASTILLE DAY
In France, today is Bastille Day, or le quatorze juillet — a celebration of the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille Prison that was seen as a key symbolic event in the French Revolution.It is a day frequently celebrated with parades, parties and dancing. Learn more on Wikipedia.

BASTILLE DAY FIREWORKS
See the fireworks over the Eiffel Tower from today’s festivities here.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

en ligne

online

La plupart des journaux sont gratuits en ligne.
Most newspapers are free online.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

en vitrine

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 treat that will take you shopping in Paris without ever leaving your chair. This video of the famed Galeries Lafayette department store shows a recent window display that featured 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.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

en, in common phrases

En is used in several common phrases to express a range of indefinite ideas.

  • Elle n’est pas fâchée. J’en suis positif.
    She’s not mad. I’m positive about it.
  • J’ai perdu mon argent. Je n’en reviens pas.
    I lost my money. I can’t get over it. (literally, I can’t return from it.)
  • Elle s’en est allée.
    She went away.
  • Je vous en prie.
    You’re welcome (very polite — literally, I ask you to think nothing of it.)

THIS WEEK
Instead of having a different word each day, we’re focusing on just two words — the adverbial pronouns y and en.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Grammar Tips,Word of the Day
Saturday, October 16, 2010

enregistrer

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.

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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Friday, September 27, 2013

enregistrer

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.

RELATED FRENCH VOCABULARY WORDS
After you’ve learned to say to record in French, follow the links below to discover these related words about music.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Take our French Music Vocabulary Quiz to test your knowledge of musical terms in French.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

entamer

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.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!


Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, August 1, 2009

envoyer

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

épicer

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.

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.

Learn more about Voilà. Just 3.95 per month.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Tuesday, October 22, 2013

éplucher

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, December 11, 2012

éponger

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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

épousseter

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.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!


Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 22, 2012

escroquer

to defraud, to swindle

Il est accusé d’escroquer les clients.
He is accused of defrauding customers.

Vocabulary Section: Society,Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

essayer, essayer de

to try on, to try to

J’essaie la chemise. J’essaie de confectionner une chemise.
I’m trying on the shirt. I’m trying to make a shirt.

A PREPOSITION PROPOSITION
In French, a verb’s meaning can change considerably depending upon the preposition that follows it. Today’s example shows how verbs and prepositions can get together to form entirely different ideas. This is also a good time to remind ourselves that French verbs do not always take the same prepositions as their English counterparts.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

établir

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.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, April 8, 2013

éternuer

to sneeze

Ma sœur a éternué trois fois de suite.
My sister sneezed three times in a row.

ALSO
une éternuement = a sneeze

TODAY
Our vocabulary word is among those to used to describe the symptoms of the common cold. Discover more words about your health by clicking here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the common cold here.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Saturday, October 6, 2012

être

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
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.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

étudier

to study

Marie étudie français tous les jours.
Marie studies French every day.

Friday, September 11, 2009

faire

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

faire avancer rapidement

to fast-forward

Faites avancer rapidement le programme pour sauter les publicités.
Fast-forward the program to skip the commercials.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words to describe how we manipulate and manage time.

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.

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Monday, July 27, 2009

faire des courses

to do some shopping

Emilie ont fait des courses au centre-ville.
Emilie did some shopping downtown.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

faire du ski

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Saturday, July 2, 2011

faire faillite

to go bankrupt

Il avait peur de faire faillite, mais il est devenu un grand succès.
He was afraid of going bankrupt, but he became a great success.

THIS WEEK
Small shop owners and entrepreneurs make up a significant part of businesses in France. This week we’ll learn words about small business, or petit commerce.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
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Saturday, September 14, 2013

faire la cuisine

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:

Thursday, May 7, 2009

faire la queue

to wait in line

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Wednesday, December 19, 2012

faire la vaisselle

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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Sunday, October 18, 2009

faire la valise

to pack a suitcase

Il a fait sa valise avant d’aller a l’aéroport.
He packed his bag before going to the airport.

Friday, August 16, 2013

faire le linge

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.

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

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Monday, January 25, 2010

faire le ménage

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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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Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Sunday, October 13, 2013

faire le plein

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.

TODAY
Our phrase is about the topic cars and driving. Once you’ve learned to say you want to fill up the gas tank in French, follow the links below to discover more words about the road:

IS YOUR FRENCH CAR VOCABULARY IN OVERDRIVE?
Take our French Cars and Driving Vocabulary Quiz to find out.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Word of the Day
Monday, March 21, 2011

faire le poireau

Actual meaning: to wait forever
Literal meaning: to make like a leek (which grows very slowly)

Robert a fait le poireau parce que Jean était deux heures en retard.
Robert waited forever, because Jean was two hours late.

THIS WEEK
We love idiomatic phrases. This week, we’ll discover more of these fun and useful gems that provide a fascinating window into the French mindset.

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.

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Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Monday, August 27, 2012

faire le pont

Actual meaning: to make it a long weekend
Literal meaning: to make the bridge

La fête tombe un mardi, mais je crois que nous ferons le pont.
The holiday falls on a Tuesday, but I think we’ll make it a long weekend.

ABOUT THIS EXPRESSION
The phrase faire le pont refers to the common practice in France of making a bridge between the weekend and a holiday that falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, in effect creating a four-day weekend.

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,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.

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.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

faire mal à

to hurt

Ça m’a fait mal.
That hurt me.

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,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
Friday, April 12, 2013

faire un barbecue

to have a barbecue

On fait un barbecue pour la fête.
We’re having a barbecue for the holiday.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the kitchen and cooking. Discover more words about Food and Drink here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the kitchen here.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Saturday, July 2, 2011

faire un pique-nique

to have a picnic

Partout dans le pays, les familles font des piques-niques pour célébrer.
All over the country, families have picnics to celebrate.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Friday, July 2, 2010

faire un shampooing

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.

VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
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Thursday, April 14, 2011

faire venir l’eau à la bouche

to make the mouth water

Au bar, ils prennent un verre de vin et les arômes de la cuisine font venir l’eau à la bouche de chacun.
At the bar, they have a glass of wine and the aromas of the food make everyone’s mouth water.

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!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

falloir

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:

  • I’ve got to go to the store: Il faut aller au magasin.
  • You have to do your homework: Il faut faire tes devoirs.

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:

  • I’ve got to go to the store: Il faut que j’aille au magasin.
  • You have to do your homework: Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs.

KNOW YOUR VERBS?
Take our Essential French Verbs Quiz to find out.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, October 7, 2013

fauché comme les blés

dead broke
(literal translation: cut down like the wheat)

Après la fête, nous serons fauchés comme les blés.
After the holiday, we’ll be dead broke.

A NOTE ABOUT THIS EXPRESSION
You can also say, more simply, Je suis fauché (I’m broke).

TODAY
Our phrase is a special treat. One of the most difficult things about becoming fluent in French is learning to recognize all of the many idiomatic expressions — those phrases that mean something different than their literal meanings suggest. In English, think of the phrase It’s raining cats and dogs.

We’ve assembled a great selection of commonly used French idioms on our site. Add the idiomatic expressions below to your vocabulary and you’ll sound like a native speaker in no time.

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

fermier(s), fermière(s)

farm (as an adjective)

On va apprendre des mots pour les animaux fermiers.
We’re going to learn words for farm animals.

TODAY
We’re learning the vocabulary of the farm, or la ferme.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

fièvre

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

finir

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, June 11, 2010

flâner

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Vocabulary Section: Park,Word of the Day
Friday, March 26, 2010

fleurir

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 springles 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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Word of the Day
Saturday, February 26, 2011

foncé(e), claire

dark, light

Voulez-vous une couleur plus foncée ou plus claire?
Do you want a darker or lighter color?

THIS WEEK
Fashion and beauty is a serious part of French culture. Consequently, a trip to the salon or barbershop is tout à fait essentiel. This week, we’ll look at the vocabulary of the salon.

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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Thursday, June 6, 2013

fondre

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.

Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, June 8, 2011

fort(e)

loud or strong

Elle aime écouter la musique très forte.
She likes to listen to very loud music.

Elle peut soulever 100 kilos; elle est très forte.
She can lift 100 kilos; she’s very strong.

THIS WEEK
For all the daily words we’ve reviewed together, we’ve never spent much time covering adjectives — at least not as a dedicated topic. We’ll try to change that this week with an assortment of useful French adjectives that will help you add some richness and detail to your conversations.

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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 8, 2010

frais, fraîche

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.

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!
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

franchir le contrôle de sûreté

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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The fun way to learn French

Sunday, May 24, 2009

frapper à la porte

to knock on the door

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

Saturday, February 9, 2013

fredonner

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.

Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 6, 2012

frotter

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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, April 17, 2013

frotter

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.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

fuir

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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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

garer

to park

Vous pouvez garer la voiture en arrière de l’hôtel.
You can park the car behind the hotel.

Friday, October 11, 2013

germer

to sprout

Avec l’arrivée du soleil, les plantes commencent à germer de nouveau.
With the arrival of the sun, the plants start to sprout again.

DISCOVER MORE WORDS ABOUT THE SEASONS
After you’ve learned to say to sprout in French, follow the links below to discover more French vocabulary words about the seasons.

Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Word of the Day
Thursday, May 12, 2011

gonfler

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?
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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

grimper

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.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Hanoucca

Hanukkah

Hanoucca est la fête juive célébrée cette année du 1er décembre jusqu’au 9 décembre.
Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday celebrated this year from Dec. 1 through Dec. 9.

THIS WEEK
We’re beginning to look at some of the vocabulary unique to the holiday season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Friday, October 29, 2010

hanté(e)

haunted

S’il y a des fantômes chez vous, votre maison est hantée.
If there are ghosts in your home, your house is haunted.

THIS WEEK
We can’t help but think of all the witches and goblins and ghosts that will take to the streets for Halloween this weekend. Although Halloween remains a bit of a novelty in France,  it continues to grow in popularity. Join us as we ramble through the spooky vocabulary of the holiday.

VIDÉO: MAISON HANTÉE DANS LE NORD DE LA FRANCE?
Watch the accounts of locals about this haunted house in Northern France. If you received this video in our e-mail and are having difficulty viewing it, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Tuesday, October 25, 2011

hanté(e)

haunted

S’il y a des fantômes chez vous, votre maison est hantée.
If there are ghosts in your home, your house is haunted.

THIS WEEK
We’re brewing up our favorite spooky French words for Halloween!
N’ayez pas peur. (Don’t be afraid.)

VIDÉO: MAISON HANTÉE DANS LE NORD DE LA FRANCE?
Watch the accounts of locals about this haunted house in Northern France. If you received this video in our e-mail and are having difficulty viewing it, please visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.

Vocabulary Section: Halloween,Holidays,Word of the Day
Saturday, January 19, 2013

houleux (-euse)

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).

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Sunday, April 26, 2009

Il fait du vent

It’s windy

(le vent = the wind)

Sunday, March 24, 2013

il tombe des hallebardes

Actual meaning: it’s raining cats and dogs
Literal meaning: it’s raining halberds (halberds are sharp battle axes)

Je ne veux pas sortir. Il tombe des hallebardes!
I don’t want to go out. It’s raining cats and dogs!

TODAY
We love idiomatic phrases. Today’s is a fun and useful one that provides a fascinating window into the French mindset.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and other idiomatic phrases here.

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Sunday, August 18, 2013

inclus dans le prix

included in the price

Combien de kilomètres sont inclus dans le prix?
How many kilometers are included in the price?

TODAY
We always enjoy covering vocabulary topics about travel, because they contain essential words and phrases for French language learners who want to visit a French-speaking country. This week, we’re looking at useful French words and phrases for renting a car. Click here for more French vocabulary words about travel and getting around.

READY TO HIT THE ROAD EN FRANÇAIS?
Take our French Car Rental Vocabulary Quiz to find out!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

inconscient(e) de

oblivious to

Pensez-vous qu’il est inconscient des besoins?
Do you think that he is oblivious to the needs?

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words about emotions and feelings.

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

Monday, October 29, 2012

inondé(e)(s)

flooded

Les rues ont été inondées par la pluie.
The streets were flooded by the rain.

Monday, July 15, 2013

jaune

yellow

Un citron est jaune.
A lemon is yellow.

TODAY
Our word is from a topic that’s perfect for beginning French students — colors, or les couleurs
. If you’ll be studying French for the first time next school year or if you just need a refresher, these French words for colors are for you.

TAKE THE QUIZ
See if you remember how to say yellow in French and more with our Colors Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Colors,Word of the Day
Monday, August 17, 2009

Je m’appelle…

My name is… (literally, I call myself)

Je m’appelle Edouard.
My name is Edouard.

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Je meurs de soif

I’m dying of thirst

Je viens de faire la pelouse. Je meurs de soif .
I just mowed the lawn. I’m dying of thirst.

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

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Friday, October 26, 2012

je t’aime

I love you

Sunday, May 19, 2013

je vous le passe

I’m transferring you.

Un moment, je vous le passe.
Just a moment, I’m transferring you.

TODAY
Our phrase is one of many useful for the telephone. To discover more phrases that can help you with basic phone conversations, click here.

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Saturday, June 15, 2013

jolie

pretty

Les fleurs dans le jardin sont très jolies.
The flowers in the garden are very pretty.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Saturday, December 25, 2010

joufflu

chubby (in reference to the face)

L’image du Père Noël la mieux connue est celle d’un personnage joufflu.
The best-known image of Santa Claus is that of a chubby character.

TODAY
We wish you all Joyeux Noël!

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 4, 2013

jouir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, June 29, 2012

Jupiter

n.f., Jupiter

La semaine dernière, Jupiter était au plus près de la Terre depuis 47 ans.
Last week, Jupiter was the closest to Earth in 47 years.

REGARDEZ UN VIDÉO!
More advanced learners can see if they can follow along in this explanation of Jupiter and Uranus. If you received this in an e-mail and have difficulty viewing the video, visit our Web site at www.frenchfanatic.com.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

kiffer

to like, be into

Tu le kiffe?
You like him? (You’re into him?)

ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
Kiffer is a very popular word among French teenagers, used especially to talk about liking or having a crush on someone else. It can also refer to liking things. But be aware that it’s probably not considered the best French in either case.

THIS WEEK
Every language is full of slang, or l’argot. French is no exception. This week, we’ve been covering 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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Vocabulary Section: Slang,Word of the Day
Monday, October 14, 2013

klaxonner

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.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 13, 2009

l’abri

n.m. shelter

être à l’abri de: to be sheltered from

Monday, November 22, 2010

l’Action de grâce

Thanksgiving (Canadian name)

Les Canadiens célèbrent l’Action de grâce en octobre.
Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October.

The First Thanksgiving Jean Louis Gerome Ferris
Read more about this painting and l’Action de grâce on Wikipedia.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
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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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

l’addition, la note

n.f., the check

Pourriez-vous apporter l’addition, s’il vous plaît?
Could you bring the check, please?

Today, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Friday, May 17, 2013

l’affaire

n.f., the case (in court)

L’affaire a été rejetée par le tribunal.
The case was dismissed by the court.

TODAY
Our word is part of the vocabulary of the courtroom. For more words about civics and the community, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the courtroom here.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Thursday, October 21, 2010

l’âge de départ à la retraite

n.m., the retirement age

Le gouvernement propose de relever l’âge de départ à la retraite de 60 à 62 ans.
The government is proposing raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 years old.

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.

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Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 5, 2011

l’arbitre

n.m., the referee

L’arbitre résout toutes les disputes entre les joueurs et les joueuses.
The referee settles all the disputes between the players.

THIS WEEK
With the French Open under way and Wimbledon close behind, it’s a good time to brush up on our French tennis vocabulary.

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

Vocabulary Section: Sports,Word of the Day
Monday, September 23, 2013

l’argent

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.

TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is money and banking.

SHOW ME THE MONEY
Learn how to talk the talk of cold hard cash en français. Follow the links below for more French vocabulary words about money:

Vocabulary Section: Money,Word of the Day
Monday, June 8, 2009

l’argot

n.m. slang

Les jeunes inventent souvent leur propre argot.
Young people often invent their own slang.

Vocabulary Section: Society,Word of the Day
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

l’assurance

n.f., the insurance

Voulez-vous ajouter de l’assurance collision?
Do you want to add collision insurance?

THIS WEEK
We always enjoy covering vocabulary topics about travel, because they contain essential words and phrases for French language learners who want to visit a French-speaking country. This week, we’ll look at useful French words and phrases for renting a car.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Friday, July 6, 2012

l’automne

n.m., autumn, fall

L’automne semble loin pendant la chaleur d’été.
Autumn seems far away during the heat of summer.

Other seasons:
l’hiver (n.m.): winter
le printemps: spring
l’été (n.m.): summer

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Sunday, April 11, 2010

l’enquête

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.

DON’T FORGET TO SEE HOW WELL YOU LEARNED LAST WEEK’S WORDS!
Take our Weekly Quiz to find out!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Vocabulary Section: Police and Crime,Word of the Day
Saturday, January 8, 2011

l’espoir

n.m., hope

Nous pensons à nos espoirs au début d’une nouvelle année.
We think of our hopes at the beginning of a new year.

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.

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BENEFITS OF A VOILA! MEMBERSHIP
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
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Thursday, June 10, 2010

l’étang

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Monday, June 22, 2009

l’été

n.m., summer

Les enfants sont très contents que l’été est enfin arrivé.
The children are very happy that summer has finally arrived.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

l’étoile polaire

the North Star

Pouvez-vous identifier l’étoile polaire au ciel?
Can you identify the North Star in the sky?

THIS WEEK
Jupiter’s relative close proximity to the Earth last week and continued brightness into the fall has us thinking about the vocabulary of the heavens. This week, we’ll look up together to discover the words of the night sky.

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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Saturday, October 31, 2009

l’Halloween

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

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 25, 2013

l’Internet haute vitesse

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.

MORE FRENCH TECH WORDS
Discover more French words about computers and technology here.

ARE YOU PLUGGED-IN IN FRENCH?
Find out with our Computers and Technology Quiz.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

l’intrigue

n.f., the plot

Je n’ai pas aimé le film, parce qu’il n’y avait pas d’intrigue.
I didn’t like the film, because there was no plot.

THIS WEEK
On the heels of the Cannes Film Festival, we’re looking at French vocabulary words about movies and filmmaking.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

l’ombre

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.

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

OOPS!
We slipped with a verb conjugation in yesterday’s example sentence. To see the corrected post, click here.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Sunday, April 3, 2011

there, as a synonym for here

Puis-je parler à Paul? Non, il n’est pas là maintenant.
Can I speak to Paul? Non, he’s not here right now.

ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
We’re wrapping up our discussion of the word today with a reminder that French speakers very often use the word, which means there, as an equivalent to the way we use here in English when talking about whether something or someone is present.

THIS WEEK
One of the things you might notice when you visit French-speaking country is that the word là — there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover,là is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. This week, we’re going to look at this little word with a big place in day-to-day French language.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 8, 2010

la balançoire

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).

JOIN Voilà TO ENJOY THIS WEEK’S QUIZ AND MORE!
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  • Quizzes that cover our daily words, including past weeks’ quizzes
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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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Vocabulary Section: Park,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 21, 2010

la belle-famille

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Thursday, October 13, 2011

la boîte aux lettres

the mailbox

Mettez votre lettre dans la boîte aux lettres.
Put your letter in the mailbox.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about sending mail and packages.

Vocabulary Section: Mail and Packages,Word of the Day
Friday, July 17, 2009

la caisse

the cash register

Vous payez à la caisse.
You pay at the cash register.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

la campagne

the countryside

Thursday, March 21, 2013

la carte

the menu

Pourrions-nous voir la carte, s’il vous plaît?
Could we see the menu, please?

Today, we’re exploring one of our favorite topics — on the menu! To see other words we’ve posted about the menu, visit us at www.frenchfanatic.com.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Monday, February 15, 2010

la cérémonie d’ouverture

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.

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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Friday, August 10, 2012

la cérémonie de clôture

the closing ceremony

La cérémonie de clôture sera tenue tôt.
The closing ceremony will be held soon.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the Summer Olympics.

Friday, May 28, 2010

la chaleur

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.

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

Friday, July 29, 2011

la climatisation

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.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Thursday, April 1, 2010

la coquille d’œuf

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!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Thursday, November 26, 2009

la dinde

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Thursday, November 25, 2010

la dinde

the turkey

C’est fou, mais les dindes ne célèbrent pas aujourd’hui!
It’s crazy, but turkeys aren’t celebrating today!


THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Friday, August 31, 2012

la douane

customs

Il faut passer la douane après avoir récupéré vos bagages.
You have to go through customs after picking up your bags.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

la famille immédiate

the immediate family

Gérard a quatre personnes dans sa famille immédiate.
Gerard has four people in his immediate family.

FRENCH FAMILY VOCABULARY WORDS
After you’ve learned how to say immediate family in French, click the links below to discover the French words for these family members:

Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Wednesday, October 9, 2013

la farine

flour

La farine est l’ingrédient essentiel dans tous les pains de France.
Flour is the essential ingredient in all the breads of France.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by 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. Follow the links below to discover the words for many types of bread and other related French vocabulary words:

DON’T JUST LOAF AROUND!
Take our French Bread Vocabulary Quiz to find out if you’re ready to visit the boulangerie (bread bakery).

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Saturday, May 9, 2009

la fête des Mères

Mother’s Day

Celebrated the last Sunday in May in France and, of course, this Sunday in Canada and the United States.

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, September 7, 2009

la fête du Travail

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.

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Sunday, May 5, 2013

la fièvre printanière

spring fever

Thursday, August 13, 2009

la fin

the end, finish

La fin de l’été est tout près.
The end of summer is close.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 26, 2013

la flanelle

flannel

Vous pouvez porter la flanelle en automne pour vous garder au chaud.
You can wear flannel in the fall to keep warm.

TODAY
Our word is one of many types of clothing.

MORE FRENCH CLOTHING WORDS
After you’ve learned to say flannel in French, follow the links below to discover more French vocabulary words for types of clothing and accessories:

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Seasons,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 11, 2009

la foudre

lightning

Faites attention! La foudre est dangereuse.
Be careful! Lightning is dangerous.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

la foule

the crowd

Thursday, April 25, 2013

la frange

bangs

Voulez-vous garder la frange?
Do you want to keep the bangs?

TODAY
Fashion and beauty is a serious part of French culture. Consequently, a trip to the salon or barbershop is tout à fait essentiel. Today’s word is one that can help you while you’re there. For more words on fashion and beauty, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the hair salon here.

Vocabulary Section: Fashion and Beauty,Word of the Day
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

la gestion

management

Saturday, December 8, 2012

La Grande Ourse

the Big Dipper

La Grande Ourse est l’une des constellations les plus connues.
The Big Dipper is one of the most well-known constellations.

DID YOU KNOW?
In French, the translation of the Big Dipper is literally the Great Bear.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

la grippe porcine

swine flu

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Thursday, October 14, 2010

la guitare électrique

the electric guitar

Je veux apprendre à jouer de la guitare électrique.
I want to learn to play electric guitar.

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.

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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Friday, March 29, 2013

la levure

yeast

Pour faire lever le pain, il faut ajouter la levure.
In order to make bread rise, you have to add yeast.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by bread-making and the breads of France — les pains de France. It’s one of several words in this category that we hope will leave you well-armed to visit a boulangerie or supermarché and buy a loaf that reveals all the simple pleasures of French life.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about bread and bread-making here.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 5, 2011

la liberté

freedom, liberty

Beaucoup de soldats sont morts dans les batailles pour la liberté.
Many soldiers died in the battles for freedom.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Saturday, February 27, 2010

la ligne d’arrivée

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

la livraison gratuite

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

DISCOVER MORE FRENCH WORDS ABOUT SHOPPING
Once you’ve mastered how to say free shipping in French, click the links below to discover their French equivalents.

Monday, August 6, 2012

la livraison sous 24 heures

overnight delivery

Si la vitesse est très importante, choisissez la livraison sous 24 heures.
If speed is very important, choose overnight delivery (delivery within 24 hours).

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the topic mail and packages.

Vocabulary Section: Mail and Packages,Word of the Day
Wednesday, April 3, 2013

la luminosité

light, brightness

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

la main

the hand

La mère de Jean a pris la main.
Jean’s mother took his hand.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Monday, June 29, 2009

la malbouffe

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Wednesday, November 14, 2012

la marée haute

high tide

Allons à la plage à marée haute.
Let’s go to the beach at high tide.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

la mère, le père

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.

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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Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Saturday, June 20, 2009

la météo

the weather forecast

La météo est-elle bonne pour ce week-end?
Is the weather forecast good for this weekend?

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

la misère

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 FAUX PAS!
While la misère can mean misery, its more common meaning is poverty — which a friend of our site pointed out is indeed pretty miserable.

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 do not. When they don’t, they are called false cognates and can provide plenty of pitfalls for language learners. Today’s word is one such example.

QUIZ LINK
Take our quiz and find out if you can avoid falling into the traps created by common false cognates.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

la monarchie

the monarchy

La monarchie britannique dure plus d’un millier d’années.
The British monarchy has lasted more than a thousand years.

Vocabulary Section: Royalty,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

la musique classique

classical music

Elle aime écouter la musique classique le dimanche.
She enjoys listening to classical music on Sundays.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

la navette spatiale

the space shuttle

La Nasa s’apprêtait à lancer la navette spatiale Endeavour.
NASA was preparing to launch the space shuttle Endeavour.

Friday, December 25, 2009

la paix

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French



Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Society,Word of the Day
Monday, May 10, 2010

la petite aiguille, la grande aiguille

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.

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

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 23, 2009

la piscine

swimming pool

C’est un jour parfait pour aller dans la piscine.
It’s a perfect day for going in the pool.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

la plage

the beach

Thursday, October 29, 2009

la planche à roulettes

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.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

la pleine lune

the full moon

La lumière de la pleine lune est tombée sur le lac.
The light of the full moon fell on the lake.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

la pluie verglaçante

freezing rain

La pluie verglaçante a rendu les routes très dangereuses.
The freezing rain made the roads very dangerous.

THIS WEEK
The winter storms that have been affecting much of the United States over the past several weeks give us much to talk about. This week we’ll look at some winter weather vocabulary to help us do it.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
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Friday, April 26, 2013

la poste

the mail

La poste est-elle déjà arrivée?
Has the mail already arrived?

La poste est-elle déjà partie?
Has the mail already gone out?

TODAY
Our word is among useful vocabulary about mail and package delivery. For more similar words and phrases, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about mail and package delivery here.

Vocabulary Section: Mail and Packages,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 17, 2013

la pousse de nouvelles feuilles

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.

TODAY
Our phrase is inspired by the signs of springles signes de printemps.

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

Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 10, 2012

la raquette

the racket

On se sert d’une raquette et des balles pour jouer au tennis.
We use a racket and balls to play tennis.

Vocabulary Section: Sports,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 14, 2010

la réception

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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

Monday, July 1, 2013

la récolte

the harvest

Il y a plusieurs récoltes en automne.
There are several harvests in autumn.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

la réforme des retraites

retirement reform

Les jeunes protestent contre la réforme des retraites.
The young people are protesting against retirement reform.

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.

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Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 3, 2011

la reine

the queen

La reine portait une robe jaune avec un chapeau assorti.
The queen was wearing a yellow dress with a matching hat.

THIS WEEK
Inspired by last week’s royal wedding, we decided there’s no better time than now to explore French words about royalty.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Vocabulary Section: Royalty,Word of the Day
Monday, December 17, 2012

la réouverture

the reopening

Tous les voyageurs bloqués attendaient la réouverture des aéroports.
All the stranded travelers were waiting for the reopening of the airports.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

la Saint-Valentin

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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

Monday, June 21, 2010

la salle de bains

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.

VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
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Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Monday, August 22, 2011

la salle de classe

the classroom

Le professeur parle seulement français dans la salle de classe.
The professor speaks only French in the classroom.

THIS WEEK
Many students will be learning French for the first time over the next few weeks as schools kick off a new year. If the French language, or la langue française, is new to you, get a jump start on it with this week’s words about the classroom.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Vocabulary Section: Classroom,Word of the Day
Thursday, December 6, 2012

la semelle

the sole

Les semelles de chaussures sont souvent fabriquées de caoutchouc.
The souls of shoes are often made of rubber.

TODAY
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Tuesday, October 4, 2011

la sève

sap

La sève est utilisée pour produire le sirop d’érable.
Sap is used to produce maple syrup.

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

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

la sœur, le frère

the sister, the brother

Marc a un frère et deux sœurs.
Marc has one brother and two sisters.

TODAY
We’re exploring French words for family members.

Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Saturday, March 20, 2010

la tante, l’oncle / la nièce, le neveu

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.

DON’T FORGET TO TAKE 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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Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

la terre battue

clay

Les joueurs à Roland Garros glissent facilement sur la terre battue.
The players at the French Open glide easily on the clay.

NOTE
In France, the French do not call the French Open by that name. It is, instead, le tournois de Roland Garros or, more simply, Roland Garros. The tournament takes its name from the stadium where it is played. The stadium is named after a French World War I aviator and fighter pilot who very frequently played tennis there.

THIS WEEK
With the French Open under way and Wimbledon close behind, it’s a good time to brush up on our French tennis vocabulary.

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

Vocabulary Section: Sports,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

la tête

head

La tête est attachée au cou.
The head is attached to the neck.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 31, 2013

la trajectoire prévue

the predicted path

La trajectoire prévue de la tempête était le long de la côte est.
The projected path of the storm was along the east coast.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the vocabulary of weather and storms. For more French weather words, click here.

QUIZ YOURSELF!
Take our Stormy Weather Quiz to find out if you can say predicted path in French.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

la trotteuse

the second hand

Parfois, il y a aussi une trotteuse sur une horloge.
Sometimes, there is also a second hand on a clock.

TODAY
We’re exploring a common topic that is covered early on in most French classes — the time.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Thursday, December 24, 2009

La Veille de Noël

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.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, September 13, 2010

la vendange

wine harvest

Normalement, on fait les vendanges en septembre et octobre en France.
Normally, the wine harvest is done in September and October in France.

THIS WEEK
Wine and winemaking is an inextricable part of the French culture. With this year’s harvest season upon us, this week is a perfect time to discover the vocabulary of the vineyards.



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.
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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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

la verdure

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 springles signes de printemps.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

la vérité

the truth

Dites-moi la vérité.

Tell me the truth.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Society,Word of the Day
Monday, July 8, 2013

la vie en ville

city life, life in the city

Préférez-vous la vie en ville ou à la campagne?
Do you prefer life in the city or in the country?

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about city life here.

Vocabulary Section: Society,Word of the Day
Saturday, August 3, 2013

la vigne

the vine

Les vendangeurs doivent cueillir le raisin des vignes pendant quelques semaines.
The harvesters have to pick the grapes from the vines for a few weeks.

TODAY
Wine and winemaking is an inextricable part of the French culture. Today, we celebrate this with a word that is part of the vocabulary of the vineyards. More wine and agriculture vocabulary words are just a click away.

WINE QUIZ
Take our Wine Vocabulary Quiz to practice saying vine in French and more.

Friday, September 17, 2010

la vinification

winemaking

Après la récolte, la vinification commence.
After the harvest, winemaking begins.

THIS WEEK
Wine and winemaking is an inextricable part of the French culture. With this year’s harvest season upon us, this week is a perfect time to discover the vocabulary of the vineyards.

EXTRA TIP
Earlier this week, we covered the word la vendange for wine harvest. You might notice in today’s post that the word récolte also means harvest — but not specifically a wine or grape harvest.



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.
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.

READY TO JOIN? SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Agriculture,Word of the Day
Friday, September 9, 2011

la voie

the platform, track

Le train arrivera sur la voie 4.
The train will arrive on platform 4.

THIS WEEK
One of the easiest and most popular ways to get around France is to take the train, or le train. Let’s learn some vocabulary this week that will get us on our way.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Monday, March 28, 2011

là-bas

over there

Le chien joue avec la balle là-bas.
The dog is playing with the ball over there.

THIS WEEK
One of the things you might notice when you visit French-speaking country is that the word — there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover, is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. This week, we’re going to look at this little word with a big place in day-to-day French language.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!


Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, March 31, 2011

là-dedans

in there

Le sucre est-il dans le buffet de cuisine? Oui, il est là-dedans.
Is the sugar in the kitchen cabinet? Yes, it’s in there.

THIS WEEK
One of the things you might notice when you visit French-speaking country is that the word — there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover, is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. This week, we’re going to look at this little word with a big place in day-to-day French language.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!


Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, May 4, 2013

là-dehors

outside there

Tu vois toutes les nouvelles fleurs là-dehors?
Do you see all the new flowers outside there?

TODAY
One of the things you might notice when you visit a French-speaking country is that the word — there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover, is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. Today, we’re looking at one example of this little word with a big place in day-to-day French language.

QUIZ LINK
Test your knowledge on the use of and related adverbs here.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

là-dessous

underneath there

Le chat est sous la table. Il se cache là-dessous.
The cat is under the table. He’s hiding underneath there.

THIS WEEK
One of the things you might notice when you visit French-speaking country is that the word — there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover, is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. This week, we’re going to look at this little word with a big place in day-to-day French language.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!


Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, August 31, 2013

là-dessus

on top of it (over there)

Tu as mis les livres sur l’étagère? Oui, là-dessus.
You put the books on the bookshelf? Yes, on top over there.

OPEN UP AND SAY !
One of the things you might notice when you visit a French-speaking country is that the word there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover, is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. Today, we’re looking at one example of this little word with a big place in day-to-day French language.

DISCOVER MORE EXPRESSIONS WITH

ARE YOU THERE YET?
Test your knowledge of expressions with with our French Vocabulary Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 20, 2012

là-haut

up there

Regarde l’oiseau là-haut.
Look at the bird up there.

Oh là là
One of the things you might notice when you visit a French-speaking country is that the word — there — comes up a lot. Inevitably, there seems to be some pointing involved as someone describes to you where something is located. Moreover, is often combined with other adverbs of place to emphasize the direction of something. Today’s word is one example of how works with another adverb.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Friday, June 10, 2011

laid(e)

ugly

Les voisins ont peint leur maison en rose, orange et vert. Elle est vraiment laide!
The neighbors painted their house pink, orange and green. It’s truly ugly!

THIS WEEK
For all the daily words we’ve reviewed together, we’ve never spent much time covering adjectives — at least not as a dedicated topic. We’ll try to change that this week with an assortment of useful French adjectives that will help you add some richness and detail to your conversations.

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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Thursday, October 18, 2012

Laisse-moi tranquille

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.

TODAY
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.

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Sunday, November 8, 2009

laisser un message

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!

Vocabulary Section: Telephone,Word of the Day
Friday, April 10, 2009

lancer

to launch, as in a product or software

Thursday, February 21, 2013

le babillage

(the) babbling

C’est seulement le babillage ou un vrai langage que les bébés partagent?
Is it just babbling or a true language the babies share?

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

le banc

the bench

La jeune fille se repose sur le banc.
The young girl rests on the bench.

TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park). After you’ve learned to say bench in French, follow the links below to discover more French vocabulary words about the park and other outdoor activities:

READY FOR THE PARK?
Take our French Park Vocabulary Quiz to find out.

Vocabulary Section: Park,Word of the Day
Monday, May 4, 2009

le bilan

the toll (as from an accident or disaster)
also, a balance sheet

déposer le bilan: to declare bankruptcy

Sunday, July 24, 2011

le bonheur

happiness

Elle a enfin trouvé le bonheur.
She finally found happiness.

THIS WEEK
We’ve been covering words about emotions and feelings.

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

Friday, November 23, 2012

le bord de la mer

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.

Friday, June 21, 2013

le bouchon

the cork

On a besoin d’un tire-bouchon pour retirer le bouchon.
You need a corkscrew to remove the cork.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the French love of wine and winemaking.

TAKE OUR QUIZ
Test your knowledge of French words about wine with this quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Wine,Word of the Day
Saturday, January 9, 2010

le caleçon long

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.

GET MORE WORDS ON TWITTER!
Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Word of the Day
Wednesday, November 28, 2012

le chemin

the path

Ils ont suivi le chemin qui serpentait à travers le parc.
They followed the path that wound through the park.

TODAY
Our vocabulary topic is au parc (at the park).

Vocabulary Section: Park,Word of the Day
Sunday, October 9, 2011

le chocolat chaud

hot chocolate

Réchauffez-vous avec du chocolat chaud.
Warm up with some hot chocolate.

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

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

le chômage

unemployment

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

le ciel

the sky, the heavens

Jean-Paul a regardé le ciel avec étonnement.
Jean-Paul looked at the sky with wonder.

THIS WEEK
Jupiter’s relative close proximity to the Earth last week and continued brightness into the fall has us thinking about the vocabulary of the heavens. This week, we’ll look up together to discover the words of the night sky.

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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Saturday, May 30, 2009

le cinéma

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.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

le clique, la clique

le clique= the click, as of a computer or keyboard
la clique = the clique, as in a social group

La clique des ados se sont envoyé des textes avec le clique d’une souris.
The clique of teenagers sent each other texts with the click of a mouse.

TODAY
We’re having fun with words that have more than one definition that varies according to gender. When the gender changes, so does the meaning!

PRACTICE TO DISCOVER WHY GENDER MATTERS
Take our French Word Gender Quiz to find out if you can recognize the difference between click and clique in French and to discover more gender differences.

Vocabulary Section: Grammar Tips,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 24, 2013

le cœur

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.

MORE PARTS OF THE BODY IN FRENCH
Follow the links below to discover more French vocabulary about the body:

HOW WELL CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE BODY?
Take our French Body Parts Quiz to find out if you can say heart in French.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

le coffre (d’une voiture)

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.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Word of the Day
Saturday, June 8, 2013

le comptoir d’enregistrement

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.

TODAY
Our word is about the airport. Click here for more words about travel and getting around.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

le conducteur

the conductor

Montrez votre billet au conducteur quand il passe.
Show your ticket to the conductor when he comes by.

TODAY
Our word is one of many you might encounter about train travel.
Click here to see more words about travel and getting around.

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

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

le coude

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.

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

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Monday, February 14, 2011

le coup de foudre

love at first sight

Quand il l’a vue, c’était vraiment le coup de foudre.
When he saw her, it was truly love at first sight.

THIS WEEK
Ah, l’amour…. The subject of love was among our most popular Word of the Day topics last year. With Valentine’s Day this week, there’s no better time to explore the French language of love.

EN SAVOIR PLUS – Learn More
Check out more words about love that we posted last Valentine’s Day:

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

le défendeur, la défenderesse

the defendant

La défenderesse prétend qu’elle ne connaissait pas la femme.
The defendant claims that she did not know the woman.

TODAY
Our words are among the vocabulary of the courtroom.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Thursday, March 17, 2011

le demandeur, la demanderesse

the plaintiff

Le demandeur réclame des dommages au motif que le vendeur a menti.
The plaintiff is claiming damages on the grounds the salesman lied.

THIS WEEK
It’s our own version of a courtroom drama here at French Fanatic as we examine the vocabulary of the court.

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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Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Friday, September 14, 2012

le désordre

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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Friday, January 18, 2013

le deuil

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.

If you have any difficulty seeing the video, visit www.frenchfanatic.com.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

le facteur de refroidissement éolien

the wind chill factor

Avec le facteur de refroidissement éolien, la température ressentie est de -15.
With the wind chill factor, the temperature feels like -15.

THIS WEEK
The winter storms that have been affecting much of the United States over the past several weeks give us much to talk about. This week we’ll look at some winter weather vocabulary to help us do it.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

le feu piéton

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!
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

Saturday, July 13, 2013

le filet

the net

Il a frappé la balle par-dessus le filet.
He hit the ball over the net.

Vocabulary Section: Sports,Word of the Day
Friday, May 31, 2013

le fils, le petit-fils / la fille, la petite-fille

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

TODAY
We’re exploring the French words for family members. To learn words for more relatives, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Take our quiz on family members to find out how many you know.

Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Monday, October 3, 2011

le foin

hay

On peut faire une promenade dans une charrette de foin en automne.
You can go on a hayride in autumn.
(Literal translation: One can go on a ride in a cart of hay in autumn.)

RELATED PHRASES
une botte de foin = a (rectangular) bale of hay
une balle de foin = a (round) bale of hay

TODAY
We’re covering a word that come to mind when we think of fall.

Vocabulary Section: Agriculture,Seasons,Word of the Day
Monday, August 15, 2011

le fric

cash

Je n’ai pas de fric. Je suis fauché.
I don’t have any cash. I am broke.

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.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Vocabulary Section: Money,Slang,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 14, 2009

le gazon, la pelouse

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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 6, 2011

le guichet

the (ticket) window, counter

Allez au guichet pour acheter vos billets.
Go to the ticket window to buy your tickets.

THIS WEEK
One of the easiest and most popular ways to get around France is to take the train, or le train. Let’s learn some vocabulary this week that will get us on our way.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Saturday, August 4, 2012

le jardin

the garden

faire du jardinage: to garden

Also check out this related word.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Le Jour de l’Indépendance

Independence Day

On va célébrer Le Jour de l’Indépendance aux États-Unis aujourd’hui.
They’re going to celebrate Independence Day in the United States today.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Sunday, April 24, 2011

le lapin de Pâques

the Easter bunny

Le lapin de Pâques, a-t-il apporté les œufs en chocolat chez vous?
Did the Easter bunny bring chocolate eggs to your house?

THIS WEEK
We’ve been covering French words about spring and Easter. We wish you a wonderful Easter and hope you enjoy les plaisirs of the beautiful spring season.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Vocabulary Section: Easter,Holidays,Word of the Day
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

le logiciel

software

Robert a installé un nouveau logiciel sur son ordinateur.
Robert installed a new piece of software on his computer.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

le maïs éclaté

popcorn

Aimez-vous préparer lemaïs éclaté avec du beurre?
Do you like to make popcorn with butter?

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Friday, March 19, 2010

le mari, la femme

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.

DON’T FORGET TO TAKE 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

Vocabulary Section: Family,Word of the Day
Saturday, June 5, 2010

le menton

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.

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

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Monday, June 24, 2013

le menu à prix fixe

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.

TODAY
Our word is about one of our favorite topics — the menu!

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Sunday, August 19, 2012

le métrage

the footage, the film

Le cinéaste a tourné le métrage à Paris.
The filmmaker shot the footage in Paris.

ALSO
un court métrage = a short film
un long métrage = a feature-length film

ANOTHER MEANING
Le métrage also means length (of fabric, cloth, etc.).
De quel métrage avez-vous besoin?
What length do you need?

TODAY
Our word is inspired by movies and filmmaking.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

le métro

the subway

Prenez le métro pour éviter la circulation.
Take the subway to avoid the traffic.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by life in the city, la vie en ville. It’s also a great word to know for travel and getting around.

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

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

le mode, la mode

le mode = the way or method
la mode = fashion

Le mode de rester à la mode est d’acheter de nouveaux vêtements.
The way to stay in fashion is to buy new clothes.

THIS WEEK
We’re having fun with words that have more than one definition that varies according to gender. When the gender changes, so does the meaning!

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING AT FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Grammar Tips,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 13, 2013

le nettoyage

the cleaning

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

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, March 3, 2010

le nez bouché

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!

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Tuesday, March 2, 2010

le nez qui coule

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!

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

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 5, 2013

le page, la page

le page = the page, as in an aid or assistant
la page = the page, as in a book

Le page a tourné à la page 100.
The page turned to page 100.

TODAY
We’re having fun with words that have more than one definition that varies according to gender. When the gender changes, so does the meaning!

DISCOVER HOW GENDER MATTERS IN THESE WORDS
Learn how the difference between le and la creates the paired meanings below:

QUIZ YOURSELF
Take our Gender Matters French Vocabulary Quiz to find out how you fare with words whose meanings change according to gender.

Vocabulary Section: Grammar Tips,Word of the Day
Monday, November 1, 2010

le pain d’épice

spice bread or gingerbread

Le pain d’épice classique contient du miel, de la cannelle et du gingembre.
Classic spice cake contains honey, cinnamon and ginger.

EN SAVOIR PLUS!
You might enjoy looking at this recipe for this classic French loaf. While pain d’épice is sometimes translated as gingerbread and is similar, it is actually a different, quintessentially French recipe with a taste all its own.

THIS WEEK
With summer most decidedly fading into the distance for most of us, we’re thinking about the tastes of fall — les goûts d’automne.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING AT FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Thursday, August 2, 2012

le pain de campagne

country bread

Le pain de campagne est un pain rustique avec une croûte dure.
Country bread is a rustic bread with a hard crust.

TODAY
Our word is one of the many 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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Monday, September 3, 2012

le pain de mie

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 26, 2009

le pain perdu

French toast

Nous faisons le pain perdu pour le petit déjeuner.
We make French toast for breakfast.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Saturday, February 20, 2010

le patinage artistique

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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

le patinage de vitesse

speed skating

Le patinage de vitesse se déroule sur une piste de glace.
Speed skating takes place on a track of ice.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

le patron, la patronne

the boss

Jean et sa patronne Mireille s’entendent très bien.
Jean and his boss Mireille get along very well.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the workplace and working.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

le persil

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.

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.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

le plat principal

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Friday, June 4, 2010

le poignet

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!
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

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Saturday, August 17, 2013

le procès

the trial

Le procès de deux hommes accusés de meurtre s’ouvrira demain.
The trial of two men accused of murder opens tomorrow.

TODAY
It’s our own version of a courtroom drama here at French Fanatic as we examine the vocabulary of the court. For more French vocabulary words about the law and other civics matters, click here.

TEST YOUR COURTS AND LAW VOCABULARY
Take our Courts and Law French Vocabulary Quiz to find out if you can say trial in French and discover other French vocabulary words about the courtroom.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 14, 2013

le quatorze juillet, la Fête Nationale

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.

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, December 14, 2009

le réchauffement climatique

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Click here.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

le relais de flamme olympique

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.

Monday, December 24, 2012

le Réveillon

Christmas Eve feast

Normalement, le Réveillon suit la Messe de Minuit.
Normally, the Christmas Eve feast follows Midnight Mass.

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
Le Réveillon is an important part of the French Christmas tradition. It is a meal that often begins with turkey and ends with the Yule log, or bûche de Noël. For practical reasons, the meal is held more and more at the beginning of the evening rather than at the end. In the South of France particularly, the meal also includes a tradition known as Treize desserts, thirteen desserts that symbolize Jesus and his 12 apostles.

 

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Thursday, February 7, 2013

le robinet

faucet, tap

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 23, 2012

le roi

the king

Un prince doit attendre à devenir roi.
A prince must wait to become king.

Vocabulary Section: Royalty,Word of the Day
Monday, May 2, 2011

le royaume

the kingdom

On a célébré la semaine dernière partout dans le royaume britannique.
People celebrated last week throughout the British kingdom.

THIS WEEK
Inspired by last week’s royal wedding, we decided there’s no better time than now to explore French words about royalty.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Vocabulary Section: Royalty,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 28, 2008

le sable

the sand

Sunday, June 27, 2010

le savon

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.

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.

Learn more about Voilà. Just 3.95 per month.

Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Friday, May 3, 2013

le second rôle, le second rôle féminin

the supporting actor, the supporting actress

Elle a gagné le prix pour le meilleur second rôle féminin.
She won the prize for best supporting actress.

ALSO
le premier rôle = the leading actor
le premier rôle féminin = the leading actress

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the cinema. For more words about films and filmmaking, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about movies here.

Monday, February 1, 2010

le secours d’urgence

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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Society,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 2, 2011

le service

the service, the serve

Son service a été incroyable; l’autre joueur n’a jamais vu la balle.
His serve was incredible; the other player never saw the ball.

RELATED WORDS
servir = to serve
être au service = to have the service
le serveur = the server

THIS WEEK
With the French Open under way and Wimbledon close behind, it’s a good time to brush up on our French tennis vocabulary.

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

Vocabulary Section: Sports,Word of the Day
Sunday, September 30, 2012

le sirop d’érable

maple syrup

Le sirop d’érable est produit au Québec de la sève des érables canadiens.
Maple syrup is produced in Quebec from the sap of Canadian maple trees.

DID YOU KNOW?
If you visit Quebec, you will find sirop d’érable available in practically every store that caters to tourists. It is one of the signature products of the region.

TODAY
With summer fading into the distance for many of us, we’re thinking about the tastes of fall — les goûts d’automne.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Monday, December 21, 2009

le solstice d’hiver

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.

GET MORE WORDS ON TWITTER!
Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 25, 2009

le soutien

support

Le gouvernement n’a pas le soutien du peuple.
The government doesn’t have the support of the people.

Vocabulary Section: Society,Word of the Day
Sunday, August 5, 2012

le sport

sports

Les Français aiment beaucoup le sport.
The French like sports very much.

TODAY
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.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

le surf des neiges

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.

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.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

le taux de change

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. The 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.

TODAY
We are exploring vocabulary related to money and banking. To see other words we’ve posted on this topic, click here.

Vocabulary Section: Money,Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 23, 2013

le TGV

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.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

le travail à temps plein (ou le travail à temps partiel)

full-time work (or part-time work)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

le tribunal

the court

Le tribunal a condamné l’homme à 5 ans de prison.
The court sentenced the man to 5 years in prison.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 17, 2013

le tribunal

the court

Le suspect comparaîtra devant le tribunal.
The suspect will appear before the court.

TODAY
Our word is part of the vocabulary of the courtroom. For more words about civics and the community, click here.

DISCOVER MORE FRENCH  COURTROOM VOCABULARY
Click the links below to discover the French words for these judicial system terms:

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about the courtroom here.

 

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Saturday, March 23, 2013

le trottoir

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.

TODAY
We’re going for a walk. Our word is just one of many things you might encounter à pied (on foot).

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

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.

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

Friday, December 31, 2010

le vase, la vase

Publié le 8 novembre 2010

le vase = the vase
la vase = the mud, silt

Les fleurs poussent dans la vase avant d’être mises dans le vase.
The flowers grow in the mud before being put in the vase.

OUR FAVORITE WORDS FROM 2010
This week, we’re reviewing our favorite Words of the Day from 2010. We loved this pair of words — le vase and la vase — because they were such a reminder that knowing the gender of words really does matter. As a masculine word, vase means a vase, and as a feminine word, it means mud. Completely different, one beautiful, one messy, but oh so similar sounding. Ça c’est la langue française!

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
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Thursday, July 4, 2013

le vase, la vase

le vase = the vase
la vase = the mud, silt

Les fleurs poussent dans la vase avant d’être mises dans le vase.
The flowers grow in the mud before being put in the vase.

TODAY
We’re discovering words that have definitions that vary according to gender. When the gender changes, so does the meaning!

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

Vocabulary Section: Grammar Tips,Word of the Day
Tuesday, July 30, 2013

le vigneron, la vigneronne

winemaker

Le travail est dur. Mais pour le vigneron, ça vaut la peine.
The work is hard. But for the winemaker, it’s worth it.

Vocabulary Section: Agriculture,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 11, 2010

le vin rosé

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.

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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Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Monday, September 20, 2010

le vin rouge

red wine

Le vin rouge est le plus populaire, mais il y a d’autres types aussi:
Red wine is the most popular, but there are also other types:

  • le vin blanc (white wine)
  • le vin rosé (rosé wine)
  • le vin mousseux
    (sparkling wine when it is not from the Champagne region of France)
  • le champagne
    (sparkling wine produced from grapes in the Champagne region of France)

DID YOU KNOW?
Le vin rosé is a very popular table wine in the South of France. In every café and restaurant, it seems, a carafe or bottle accompanies meals, especially in the warmer months of the year. French rosés tend to be dryer — less sweet — than the white zinfandels of the same color. And here’s a shocking secret: You might even see a Français enjoy a glass over ice. Don’t tell anyone!

THIS WEEK
After only having scratched the surface with vocabulary about the wine vineyards, or les vignobles, last week,  we couldn’t resist spending a little more time on this topic this week to uncork some vocabulary about the wine itself.

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!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Wine,Word of the Day
Wednesday, August 12, 2009

le volant

steering wheel

Tenez le volant à deux mains.
Hold the steering wheel with two hands.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Word of the Day
Monday, July 29, 2013

le volcan

the volcano

Le volcan Eyjafjöll s’est réveillé en 2010 en Islande.
The Eyjafjallajokull Volcano awoke in 2010 in Iceland.

TODAY
Our vocabulary word is inspired by weather and geological events. For more words about climate, click here.

ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE?
Volcanoes are just one of many phenomena that can cause travel disruptions. Find out if you’re ready to talk about the events that are keeping the brakes on your travel plans — including saying volcano in French — with our Travel Disruption Quiz.

Friday, February 15, 2013

le, la propriétaire

the owner

Pourrais-je parler à la propriétaire, s’il vous plaît?
Could I speak to the owner, please?

TODAY
Small shop owners and entrepreneurs make up a significant part of businesses in France. Today, our word is about small business, or petit commerce.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

lèche-vitrines

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.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

léger, légère

light (in weight or effect)

C’était facile de lever sa valise, parce qu’elle était légère.
It was easy to lift her suitcase, because it was light.

THIS WEEK
For all the daily words we’ve reviewed together, we’ve never spent much time covering adjectives — at least not as a dedicated topic. We’ll try to change that this week with an assortment of useful French adjectives that will help you add some depth to your conversations.

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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Monday, December 20, 2010

les achats de Noël

n.m.pl., Christmas shopping

Nous allons faire nos achats de Noël dans les grands magasins.
We’re going to do our Christmas shopping in the department stores.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating the holidays with words about the season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Tuesday, December 21, 2010

les anges

n.m.pl., the angels

On accroche souvent des anges sur le sapin de Noël.
People often hang angels on the Christmas tree.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating the holidays with words about the season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Sunday, January 3, 2010

les bagages à main

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.

GET MORE WORDS ON TWITTER!
Follow us on Twitter for bonus words and thoughts on all things French.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Monday, September 26, 2011

les baskets

n.m.pl., sneakers, tennis shoes (US); trainers (UK)

N’oublie pas tes baskets si tu vas jouer au football cet après-midi.
Don’t forget your sneakers if you’re going to play soccer this afternoon.

ALSO
Les chaussures de tennis is another common way of saying this.

THIS WEEK
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Wednesday, February 3, 2010

les blessés

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.

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.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

les bottes

n.f.pl., boots

Madeleine a trouvé de nouvelles bottes qui étaient en solde!
Madeleine found new boots that were on sale!

THIS WEEK
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

les cendres

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.

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

Sunday, August 22, 2010

les clignotants

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.
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.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Word of the Day
Friday, April 22, 2011

les cloches

n.f.pl., the bells

Les cloches jouent un rôle important dans les traditions de Pâques en France.
Bells play an important role in Easter traditions in France.

EN SAVOIR PLUS!
In France, it is said that church bells fly to Rome to bring back Easter eggs.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering French words about spring and Easter.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Vocabulary Section: Easter,Holidays,Word of the Day
Thursday, August 19, 2010

les codes

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.

  • Il met les pleins phares. (He turns on his high-beam headlights.)

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.

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!

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Word of the Day
Tuesday, April 2, 2013

les courses en ligne

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.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

les dégâts

n.m.pl., the damage(s)

La tempête a fait des dégâts sérieux à la côte.
The storm caused serious damage on the coast.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

les étoiles

n.f., the stars

Les étoiles illuminaient la nuit.
The stars lit the night.

TODAY
We’re looking upward to discover one of the words of the night sky.

DISCOVER MORE FRENCH ASTRONOMY AND SPACE WORDS
The sky’s the limit with these French vocabulary words:

WHAT IN THE HEAVENS?
Practice saying stars in French with our French Astronomy Vocabulary Quiz.

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 4, 2009

les feux d’artifice

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.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

les fientes d’oiseaux

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 might serve as a reminder that, for all the beauty of the French language, there are plenty of vocabulary words for some of the less-than-beautiful things we might encounter in everyday life. Click here to discover more words about recreation and life outdoors.

READY TO TALK THE WALK?
Take our Walk in the Park Quiz to find out how much outdoor vocabulary you’ve learned.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

les frissons dans le dos

(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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Monday, April 5, 2010

les gendarmes

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.

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

Vocabulary Section: Police and Crime,Word of the Day
Sunday, February 13, 2011

les glaçons

n.m., icicles

Les glaçons qui pendent des toits sont jolis.
The icicles that hang from the roofs are pretty.

THIS WEEK
The winter storms that have been affecting much of the United States over the past several weeks give us much to talk about. This week we’ve been looking at some winter weather vocabulary to help us do it.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

les gravats

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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Construction,Word of the Day
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

les haut-parleurs

n.m.pl., the speakers

Les haut-parleurs sont peut-être la partie la plus importante d’un stéréo.
The speakers might be the most important part of a stereo.

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.

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!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Friday, July 9, 2010

les herbes

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.

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.

Learn more about Voilà. Just 3.95 per month.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Wednesday, October 2, 2013

les heures de pointe

n.f.pl., rush hour

Tout le monde est en route au travail aux heures de pointe.
Everybody’s on their way to work during rush hour.

TODAY
Our word is about life in the city, la vie en ville.

MORE BIG CITY FRENCH VOCABULARY
Follow the links below to discover more French vocabulary words about city life:

ARE YOU STREET SMART IN FRENCH?
Take our French City Life Vocabulary Quiz to find out if you can say rush hour in French and more.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 1, 2011

les inondations

n.f.pl., floods or flooding

Les autorités craignaient des inondations de l’ouragan.
Authorities feared flooding from the hurricane.

THIS WEEK
As many begin to recover after last week’s hurricane, it’s a good time to learn the vocabulary of these late summer storms.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

les jumeaux

n.m.pl., twins

Les jumeaux parlent de quoi?
What are the twins talking about?

ALSO
un jumeau = a twin boy
une jumelle = a twin girl
les jumelles = twin girls

FRENCH FAMILY VOCABULARY WORDS
After you’ve learned how to say twins in French, click the links below to discover the French words for these family members:

Friday, September 30, 2011

les lacets de chaussure

n.m.pl., shoe laces

Les enfants doivent apprendre à lier leurs lacets de chaussures.
Children have to learn to tie their shoe laces.

THIS WEEK
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 12, 2013

les lèvres

n.f.pl., the lips

Elle a des lèvres rouges.
She has red lips.

TODAY
Our word is one of the many parts of the body.

FROM HEAD TO FEET
Learn the French words for these parts that make us, well, us.

HOW WELL CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE BODY?
Take our French Body Parts Quiz to find out.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Monday, May 24, 2010

les lunettes de soleil

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.

TRACK YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR QUIZ!
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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 19, 2013

les manifestations lycéennes

n.f.pl., high school protests

La semaine dernière, il y avait des manifestations lycéennes.
Last week, there were high school protests.

TODAY
Our French vocabulary word is inspired by community and civic activities.

LEARN MORE FRENCH WORDS ABOUT PROTESTS

TAKE OUR QUIZ TO PRACTICE TODAY’S WORD
Members, take our French Protests and Strikes Vocabulary Quiz to find out if you can say high school demonstrations and more.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Wednesday, December 26, 2012

les maths

n.m.pl., math

Pierre et Paul étudient les maths.
Pierre and Paul study math.

TODAY
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.

Monday, July 11, 2011

les meubles

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.

If you are having difficulty viewing the video in our daily e-mail, please visit our website at www.frenchfanatic.com.

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Monday, July 6, 2009

les moustaches du chat

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

Vocabulary Section: Animals and Pets,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 16, 2013

les nuages

(n.m.) clouds

Saturday, October 27, 2012

les œufs brouillés

scrambled eggs

On mange les oeufs brouillés pour le petit déjeuner.
We eat scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

les ondes

the waves

Friday, January 28, 2011

les ordures

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
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Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

les pantoufles

n.f.pl., slippers

Vous porteriez vos pantoufles à l’intérieur chez vous.
You would wear your slippers inside at home.

THIS WEEK
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Sunday, August 8, 2010

les paroles

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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Sunday, August 2, 2009

les pâtes

n.f., pasta

Leur père ont préparé les pâtes pour le dîner.
Their father made pasta for dinner.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 1, 2010

les pattes

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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Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Tuesday, November 23, 2010

les Pères pèlerins

the Pilgrim Fathers

On dit que les Pères pèlerins ont célébré le premier <<Thanksgiving>>
dans ce qui est aujourd-hui les États-Unis.

It is said that the Pilgrim Fathers celebrated the first Thanksgiving
in what is today the United States.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Saturday, April 9, 2011

les pieds nus

n.m.pl., bare feet

Imaginons ce qu’ils se disent (Let’s imagine what they say to each other):
Eh, et tu penses que tu es très branché avec un seul pied nu.
Uh, and you think that you are so hip with a single bare foot.

ALSO
aller aux pieds nus = to go barefoot

THIS WEEK
We couldn’t help but laugh last week at this video of twin boys in a conversation all their own. The lively exchange is our inspiration for this week’s words. If you haven’t seen it, check out the video here:

If you received this in our daily e-mail and have trouble viewing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Vocabulary Section: Fashion and Beauty,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 19, 2012

les propos de quelqu’un

(n.m.) someone’s words

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Monday, August 10, 2009

les réseaux sociaux

n.m., social networks

Pensez-vous que les réseaux sociaux sont un engouement?
Do you think social networks are a passing fad?

Friday, November 26, 2010

les restes

the leftovers

Aujourd’hui, c’est le jour pour manger les restes!
Today’s the day for eating the leftovers!

OOPS!
We must have eaten too much turkey and lost our heads! The gender of la dinde was incorrect in yesterday’s e-mail. The word is feminine. You can see the corrected post here.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, February 18, 2013

les revenus

n.m.pl., income

Il faut payer des impôts sur les revenus.
We have to pay taxes on income.

TODAY
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.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

les soldes d’après-Noël

the after-Christmas sales

Si vous êtes courageux, cherchez les soldes d’après-Noël aujourd’hui.
If you’re courageous, look for the after-Christmas sales today.

THIS WEEK
We’ve been celebrating the holidays with words about the season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Wednesday, December 22, 2010

les souliers

n.m.pl., the shoes (somewhat outdated)

Dans les chansons de Noël françaises des années
passées, on met les souliers par la cheminée.

In French Christmas songs of years gone by,
les souliers are put by the fireplace.

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
Les souliers is an old-fashioned, or démodé, synonym for chaussures — shoes. In Christmas songs from the early part of the 20th Century, the word comes up frequently. Les souliers are often referred to nostalgically, because they are part of the longstanding tradition of French children putting their shoes by the fireplace in hopes that Le Père Noël will fill them. This tradition continues today.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating the holidays with words about the season.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Saturday, October 1, 2011

les talons hauts

n.m.pl., high heels

Ses talons hauts sont très chics, mais ils lui provoquent des douleurs aux pieds.
Her high heels are very fashionable, but they cause her feet to ache.

THIS WEEK
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 31, 2011

les températures record

record temperatures

Partout dans le pays, il y avait des températures record.
All over the country, there were record temperatures.

THIS WEEK
We’ve been covering words about the summer heat wave, la vague de chaleur.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
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Sunday, October 2, 2011

les tongs

n.m.pl., flip-flops, soft open-toe sandals

Elle porte ses tongs pendant ses vacances à la plage.
She wears her flip-flops during her vacation at the beach.

THIS WEEK
We were inspired by an event held by Handicap International featuring pyramids of shoes piled up to protest the use of mines. Check out this pyramid of shoes in Paris. We couldn’t help but think of all those shoes and how to talk about them.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Shoes,Word of the Day
Saturday, November 27, 2010

les ventes de fêtes

holiday sales

Beaucoup de monde va chercher les ventes de fêtes aujourd’hui.
Many people will search for holiday sales today.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Friday, September 2, 2011

les vents violents

n.m.pl., high winds

Les vents violents ont renversé les poteaux électriques.
The high winds toppled the utility poles.

THIS WEEK
As many begin to recover after last week’s hurricane, it’s a good time to learn the vocabulary of these late summer storms.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Monday, July 22, 2013

lever la main

to raise one’s hand

Si vous avez une question, levez la main s’il vous plaît.
If you have a question, raise your hand please.

TODAY
Our phrase is one of many essential ones you may encounter in the classroom. For more classroom words, click here.

HOW’S YOUR CLASSROOM VOCABULARY?
Take our Classroom Quiz to find out if you know how to say raise your hand in French and more French classroom vocabulary words.

Vocabulary Section: Classroom,Word of the Day
Tuesday, October 30, 2012

loin

far

La lune est très loin d’ici.
The moon is very far from here.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Monday, September 19, 2011

louer une voiture

to rent a car

Je voudrais louer une voiture, s’il vous plaît.
I would like to rent a car, please.

THIS WEEK
We always enjoy covering vocabulary topics about travel, because they contain essential words and phrases for French language learners who want to visit a French-speaking country. This week, we’ll look at useful French words and phrases for renting a car.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Friday, August 7, 2009

lourd

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.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Saturday, September 22, 2012

lourd(e)

heavy

Il voulait bouger la grande pierre, mais elle était trop lourde.
He wanted to move the big stone, but it was too heavy.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Wednesday, March 27, 2013

maigrir/grossir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, March 1, 2011

manquer, manquer à, manquer de

to miss (a thing), to miss (someone), to lack

Je ne peux pas voir Sophie, parce que j’ai manqué le train.
Elle me manque
. Je manque de patience.

I’m not going to see Sophie, because I missed the train.
I miss her. I lack patience.

MORE ABOUT MANQUER
As if all the prepositions weren’t tough enough, manquer, in the sense of missing someone, is often a very difficult verb for native English speakers to master, because the word order isn’t the same as in English. In French, when we say elle me manque (or elle manque à moi), we are literally saying she is missing to me. This is simply one of those little things about the French language that must be learned. You might find it helpful to repeat the phrase to yourself several times to get the hang of thinking about it that way.

THIS WEEK
In French, a verb’s meaning can change considerably depending upon the preposition that follows it. This week, we’ll look at verbs and prepositions to see how several common verbs’ meanings can change slightly, or sometimes significantly. This is also a good time to remind ourselves that French verbs do not always take the same prepositions as their English counterparts.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
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Monday, August 26, 2013

marcher

to walk

Nous avons marché tout autour du quartier.
We walked all around the neighborhood.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

marquer un but

to score a goal

Qui a marqué le premier but?
Who scored the first goal?

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY ON -er VERBS
Visit our Quick Verb Guide’s page on -er verbs to learn how to conjugate verbs like marquer.

Friday, December 3, 2010

maudire

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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Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 12, 2009

mélanger

to mix

Mélangez le sel et le poivre avec le vinaigre.
Mix the salt and pepper with vinegar.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Monday, October 15, 2012

mettre

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,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
Thursday, February 7, 2013

meubler

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.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

mignon, mignonne

cute

Le bébé est très mignon quand il sourit.
The baby is very cute when he smiles.

ATTENTION!
Much like in English, take care in the way mignon(ne) is used. If used in the wrong context, someone might not be flattered to be called cute. A baby might be cute, while a girlfriend in her beautiful new dress might be better described as jolie or belle — pretty or beautiful.

THIS WEEK
For all the daily words we’ve reviewed together, we’ve never spent much time covering adjectives — at least not as a dedicated topic. We’ll try to change that this week with an assortment of useful French adjectives that will help you add some richness and detail to your conversations.

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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Wednesday, January 19, 2011

mijoter

to simmer

Laissez-le mijoter pendant deux heures.
Let it simmer for two hours.

MORE
As a noun, un mijoté is a stew.

THIS WEEK
We go back to one of our favorite places — la cuisine, or the kitchen — to explore words you might encounter in recipes.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
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Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Wednesday, February 16, 2011

mon chou

my darling, my dear, my sweetie

Allons-y, mon chou.
Let’s go, sweetie.

ABOUT TODAY’S WORD
Mon chou, although masculine, can be used to refer both to males and females. Think of mon chou as something of a pet name that would only be used with someone who is quite close or familiar. Chou also happens to mean cabbage.

RELATED VOCABULARY
You can also say my dear with the phrase mon chéri or ma chérie.

THIS WEEK
Ah, l’amour…. The subject of love was among our most popular Word of the Day topics last year. With Valentine’s Day this week, there’s no better time to explore the French language of love.

EN SAVOIR PLUS – Learn More
Check out more words about love that we posted last Valentine’s Day:

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.

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Friday, April 19, 2013

monter

to climb

Il a monté les escaliers.
He climbed the stairs.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, July 7, 2012

monter dans

to board (a train or bus)

Il faut monter dans le train 10 minutes avant le départ.
We have to board the train 10 minutes before departure.

THIS WEEK
One of the easiest and most popular ways to get around France is to take the train, or le train. Today’s word is among those that will get us on our way.

LEARN MORE ABOUT -ER VERBS LIKE MONTER
Check out our Quick Verb Guide to learn how to conjugate -er verbs like monter.

Friday, February 22, 2013

monter en voiture

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.

TODAY
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. Today’s phrase was selected to help you get beyond la voiture and get you moving.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Word of the Day
Saturday, January 26, 2013

monter sur le trône

to ascend the throne

Tout le monde se demande qui va monter sur le trône.
Everyone wonders who will ascend the throne.

Vocabulary Section: Royalty,Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, May 22, 2010

n’importe quand

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.

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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Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, June 9, 2012

ne + aucun(e)

adj., none, not any, not a single

Used as an adjective to express the idea of none at all:
Savez-vous la limite de vitesse? Non, je n
‘ai aucune idée.
Do you know the speed limit? No, I don’t have any idea.

Used at the beginning of a sentence:
Aucun
livre n‘était dans le sac à dos.
Not a single book was in the backpack.

THE GRAMMAR
Whether used at the beginning or elsewhere in the sentence, aucun
comes directly before the word it describes and ne must precede the verb. It can also be used as a one-word reply to a question:

  • Vous n’avez vraiment aucune idée? (You really have no idea?)
  • Aucune! (None at all!)
Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Thursday, November 15, 2012

ne plus avoir de temps

to be out of time

Pour l’instant, nous n’avons plus de temps.
For the time being, we’re out of time.

TODAY
Our phrase is an example of how we talk about matters of time.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Wednesday, December 12, 2012

ne…jamais

never

Il ne va jamais au cinéma le dimanche.
He never goes to the movies on Sundays.

THE GRAMMAR
The ne…jamais construction functions exactly like the ne…pas and ne…plus constructions, with the words surrounding the main verb. Unlike those, jamais can be used as a one-word reply to a question.

TODAY
We’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! Today’s example is one of many common negative constructions.

Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Monday, January 10, 2011

ne…pas

not

With present tense:
Je ne
veux pas travailler.
I don’t want to work.
Note that ne…pas must surround the verb, in this case the word veux.

With a direct object:
Voulez-vous ce manteau? Non, je ne le veux pas.
Do you want this coat? No, I don’t want it.
Note than the direct object le must come after ne and before the verb.

With passé composé:
Je n‘ai pas dit ça.
I didn’t say that.
Note that ne…pas must surround the auxiliary verb in the past tense.

THE GRAMMAR
The most common of all negative structures in French, the construction ne…pas must be placed around the main verb. The ne comes before the verb, and pas follows it.

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
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Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Friday, January 14, 2011

ne…personne

no one, nobody

Used with the present tense:
Je ne vois personne au bureau.
I don’t see anyone in the office.

Used with the passé composé:
Je n‘ai entendu personne.
I heard no one.

Used as the subject of a sentence:
Personne ne vient ce soir.
Nobody’s coming tonight.

Used as a one-word reply:
Qui avez-vous vu? (Who have you seen?)
Personne! (No one!)

THE GRAMMAR
Did you notice the difference in the way ne…personne functions in the passé composé? Unlike the other negatives we’ve looked at this week in which the negative structure surrounds the auxiliary verb, personne actually comes after the past participle. For example, one would say je n’ai rien vu (I saw nothing), but je n’ai vu personne (I saw no one).

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

THE LATEST WEEKLY QUIZ FOR OUR MEMBERS
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Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Tuesday, January 11, 2011

ne…plus

no longer

Je ne vais plus au supermarché le samedi.
I no longer go to the supermarket on Saturdays.

THE GRAMMAR
Note how this construction must be placed around the verb. The ne comes before the verb, and plus follows it. As sentences become more complicated, ne…plus functions exactly like ne…pas from yesterday’s example.

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

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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Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Sunday, January 16, 2011

ne…que

only

Used in the present tense:
Je n‘ai que trois dollars.
I only have three dollars.

Used in the passé composé:
Je n‘ai donné que cinq euros.
I only gave five euros.

THE GRAMMAR
The ne…que construction functions much like other negative constructions we’ve reviewed this week. It is a common way for the French to express a limited amount. Today’s example sentence would be the equivalent of J’ai seulement trois dollars — simply a different way to say it. As with other constructions, ne precedes the verb. However, take note that the placement of que will vary, depending upon what is being limited. Consider two similar sentences with different meanings:

  • Il ne peut lire que le français. (He can read only French — as opposed to English or another language.)
  • Il ne peut que lire le français. (He can only read French — as opposed to writing or speaking.)

THIS WEEK
Last week, we looked at words that were all about possibilities. But let’s face it. Nothing can be possible, or positive, all the time. So, this week we’re giving everyone permission to be negative — in French! We’re looking at some of the most common negative words and sentence structures.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
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Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 21, 2013

ne…rien

nothing, anything

Used with the present tense:
J’ai mal à l’estomac. Je ne mange rien.
I have a stomach ache. I’m not eating anything.

Used with the passé composé:
Je te jure, je n‘ai rien dit.
I swear to you, I said nothing.

Used as the subject of a sentence:
Rien n‘était prêt à manger.
Nothing was ready to eat.

THE GRAMMAR
Within a sentence, ne…rien surrounds the verb just like ne…pas and ne…plus. Unlike those examples, however, it also can be used as the subject of a sentence. Additionally, it can be used as a one-word reply to a question:

  • Vous n’avez rien mangé? (You didn’t eat anything?)
  • Rien! (Nothing)

TODAY
Our example is one of several negative expressions in French. To see more common examples, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s phrase and others about negation in French here.

Vocabulary Section: Negatives,Word of the Day
Thursday, April 18, 2013

nettoyer les gouttières

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.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

numérique

digital

Aujourd’hui, c’est facile de télécharger la musique numérique.
Today, it’s easy to download digital music.

Friday, December 17, 2010

On met les voiles?

Shall we leave?
(literal translation: to put up the sails)

il se fait tard. On met les voiles?
It’s getting late. Shall we leave?

THIS WEEK
We have a special treat. One of the most difficult things about becoming fluent in French is learning to recognize all of the many idiom expressions — those phrases that mean something different than their literal meanings suggest. In English, think of the phrase It’s raining cats and dogs.

This week, a friend of our site, Bill Scoble, has assembled a great selection of commonly used French idioms for you. Add these to your vocabulary and you’ll sound like a native speaker in no time.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Tuesday, May 28, 2013

On met les voiles?

Shall we leave?
(literal translation: to put up the sails)

Il se fait tard. On met les voiles?
It’s getting late. Shall we leave?

Friday, January 22, 2010

On verra

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.

TEST YOUR LEARNING WITH OUR NEW QUIZ!
Click here to take the quiz based on last week’s words.

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Où se range…?

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.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

oublier, oublier de

to forget, to forget to

J’ai oublié mes clés, et puis j’ai oublié de fermer la porte!
I forgot my keys, and then I forgot to close the door!

TODAY
In French, verbs may not always be followed by the same prepositions as their English equivalents. The verb oublier is one such example. While in English we say to forget to do something, the same idea is expressed in French by following the verb oublier with the preposition de. Click here to discover more examples of how French verbs and prepositions interact, sometimes creating meanings that are completely different from one preposition to another.

TEST YOUR SKILLS WITH PREPOSITIONS AND VERBS
Find out if you’ve mastered how to say to forget to in French and more with our Verbs and Prepositions Quiz.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Ouvrez la bouche…

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.

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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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

par ailleurs

otherwise, moreover

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 20, 2013

par là

this/that way (in the sense of giving directions)

Allez par là et tournez à droite.
Go this way and turn to the right.

TODAY
It’s useful in conversation to be able to describe spatial relationships — where one thing is in relation to another. Today, our phrase will help you do just that.

PRACTICE WITH OUR QUIZ
Take our Spatial Relationships Quiz to find out if you can say this way and that way in French and practice more vocabulary words to describe where things are.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

parfois

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.

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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Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Friday, January 7, 2011

parier

to bet on

C’est l’année pour parier sur la Bourse?
Is it the year to bet on the stock market?

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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Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Saturday, July 6, 2013

partir

to depart, to leave

À quelle heure part le train à Paris?
What time does the train to Paris leave?

TODAY
One of the easiest and most popular ways to get around France is to take the train, or le train. Today’s word will help get us on our way.

TEST YOUR TRAIN VOCABULARY
Take our train travel quiz to find out if you’re ready to take to the rails in French.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

passer à l’heure d’hiver

to change to Standard Time (set the clocks back)

On va passer à l’heure d’hiver en France en automne.
They’ll change to Standard Time in France in the fall.

Related phrase: l’heure d’été, Daylight Saving Time

TODAY
Our word is one of many about matters of time and the calendar that you can explore by clicking here.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Wednesday, January 27, 2010

passer l’aspirateur

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.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Saturday, April 23, 2011

peindre

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!

Vocabulary Section: Easter,Holidays,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, August 14, 2013

pencher

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, July 13, 2012

peser ses mots

to weigh one’s words carefully

Il a pesé ses mots avant de parler.
He weighed his words carefully before speaking.

Friday, July 30, 2010

pétrir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

piger

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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Vocabulary Section: Slang,Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, July 24, 2010

plat, cruciforme

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.

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!
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Vocabulary Section: Home Repair,Word of the Day
Monday, April 15, 2013

plier le linge

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.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

porter à ébullition

to bring to a boil

Portez à l’ébullition une marmite d’eau.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.

TODAY
We’re going back to one of our favorite places — la cuisine, or the kitchen — to explore words you might encounter in recipes.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Sunday, September 15, 2013

poser une question

to ask a question

Quelquefois, le professeur pose une question à la classe.
Sometimes, the professor asks the class a question.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by activities in the the classroom.

MORE WORDS
Discover the French words for these other school and classroom terms:

Vocabulary Section: Classroom,Word of the Day
Thursday, April 8, 2010

poursuivre

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.
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The fun way to learn French

Monday, April 29, 2013

pousser

to sprout, to grow

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

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

pouvoir

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

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

prendre

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

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, July 8, 2011

prendre d’assaut

to storm

Les Américains et les Français ont pris d’assaut leurs cibles.
The Americans and the French stormed their targets.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
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SEE FOR YOURSELF!

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

prendre le pouls

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.

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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Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Tuesday, August 10, 2010

prendre rendez-vous

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.

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!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

prendre une douche

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.

VOILÀ SUBSCRIBERS, TAKE THIS WEEK’S QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Saturday, February 16, 2013

Prenez votre temps!

Take your time!

Prenez votre temps! C’est samedi.
Take your time! It’s Saturday.

As you can see, this is what we did today.

You can, of course, also say this in the informal form: Prends ton temps!

Vocabulary Section: Expressions,Word of the Day
Friday, October 8, 2010

pressé(e)

to be in a hurry

Je suis un peu pressé.
I’m in a bit of a hurry.

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

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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Saturday, May 21, 2011

profonde

deep

Tu t’inquiètes que l’eau soit trop profonde pour les enfants?
Are you worried that the water is too deep for the children?

THIS WEEK
As classes wind down and thoughts begin turning to summer vacations, many families will no doubt head for the beaches soon. This week, we’ll explore the vocabulary of the summer seaside.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

promener le chien

to walk the dog

Il promène son chien François trois fois par jour.
He walks his dog François three times a day.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Qu’est-ce qui ne va pas?

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.

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!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Quel temps fait-il?

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.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Quelle heure est-il?

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.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

quotidien

daily

La joie de vivre se trouve dans la vie quotidienne.
The joy in living is found in daily (everyday)  life.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 23, 2013

raccommoder

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.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 9, 2009

ramasser

to pick up something

Les enfants ont ramassé leurs jouets.
The children picked up their toys.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

ramener la voiture

to return the car

À quelle heure dois-je ramener la voiture?
What time do I have to return the car?

THIS WEEK
We always enjoy covering vocabulary topics about travel, because they contain essential words and phrases for French language learners who want to visit a French-speaking country. This week, we’ve been looking at useful French words and phrases for renting a car.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Sunday, April 10, 2011

ramper

to crawl

Imaginons ce qu’ils se disent (Let’s imagine what they say to each other):
J’en ai marre de cette conversation. Je rampe dans le frigo!
I’m sick of this conversation. I’m crawling into the fridge!

THIS WEEK
We couldn’t help but laugh last week at this video of twin boys in a conversation all their own. The lively exchange is our inspiration for this week’s words. If you haven’t seen it, check out the video here:

If you received this in our daily e-mail and have trouble viewing the video, please visit our site at www.frenchfanatic.com.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

ranger

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Friday, August 17, 2012

rassasié

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).

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

rassembler

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!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, October 17, 2011

ratisser des feuilles

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.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

ravi(e)

delighted

Je suis ravi de faire votre connaissance.
I’m delighted to meet you.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

récupérer

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, May 28, 2012

redémarrer l’ordinateur

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.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

redémarrer l’ordinateur

Publié le 19 juin 2010

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.

OUR FAVORITE WORDS FROM 2010
This week, we’re reviewing our favorite Words of the Day from 2010. We loved the phrase redémarrer l’ordinateur, or to reboot the computer, for its sheer practicality. Unless you live in a cave, even living in France will not save you from the need to discuss this subject from time to time.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

rédiger une ordonnance

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.

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!

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Thursday, September 17, 2009

réfléchir

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 réfléchirclick here.

Learn about more types of verbs in our NEW Quick Verb Guide.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, March 10, 2011

rembobiner

to rewind (a film or tape)

Rembobinez le film jusqu’à la scène que vous voulez regarder de nouveau.
Rewind the film to the scene that you want to watch again.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words to describe how we manipulate and manage time.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
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Friday, March 11, 2011

remonter dans le temps

to go back in time

Visiter la France, c’est comme remonter dans le temps.
To visit France is like going back in time.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words to describe how we manipulate and manage time.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

remonter une montre

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.)

Thursday, May 24, 2012

remplir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, February 21, 2010

remporter

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.

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

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Sunday, April 14, 2013

remuer

to move (a thing)

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 18, 2009

rencontrer

to meet

Jean-Marc a rencontré ses amis à leur restaurant préférée.
Jean-Marc met his friends at their favorite restaurant.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, November 28, 2010

rendre grâce

to give thanks

Pour beaucoup, c’est aussi un temps pour rendre grâce à Dieu.
For many, this is also a time to give thanks to God.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
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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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Saturday, April 20, 2013

renouveler

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.

Monday, April 13, 2009

réparer

to repair

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

repasser/faire le repassage

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

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Friday, June 1, 2012

réserver une chambre

to reserve a room

Nous devrions réserver une chambre trois mois à l’avance.
We should reserve a room three months in advance.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

rester

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

réussir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, June 26, 2009

rire

to laugh

Quand nous sommes ensemble, nous rions toute la journée.
When we’re together, we laugh all day.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, December 20, 2009

Rodolphe, le renne au nez rouge

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.


TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.

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The fun way to learn French



Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, October 15, 2012

rompre

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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SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 19, 2011

rose

pink

Elle porte des chaussures roses.
She’s wearing pink shoes.

THIS WEEK
We’re focusing on a topic that’s perfect for beginning French students — colors, or les couleurs. If you’ll be studying French for the first time next school year or if you just need a refresher, these beginning French words are for you.

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

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Colors,Word of the Day
Thursday, June 16, 2011

rouge

red

Elle met la rose rouge dans le vase.
She’s putting the red rose in the vase.

GRAMMAR NOTE
You might notice that some adjectives such as rouge already end in an e.  In these cases, the adjectives do not change spelling from the masculine to feminine form. They are the same for both. They do, however, continue to change for number: la rose rouge (the red rose), les roses rouges (the red roses).

TODAY
Our word is from a topic that’s perfect for beginning French students — colors, or les couleurs
. If you’ll be studying French for the first time next school year or if you just need a refresher, these French words for colors are for you.

TAKE THE QUIZ
See if you remember how to say red in French and more with our Colors Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Adjectives,Colors,Word of the Day
Wednesday, April 13, 2011

s’asseoir

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!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

s’attendre à

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, October 10, 2013

s’écraser

to crash

Les vagues s’écrasent sur les rochers.
The waves crash on the rocks.

TODAY
Our vocabulary word is inspired by the seaside. After you’ve learned how to say to crash in French, follow the links below to learn more French vocabulary words about la mer, the sea.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

s’emmitoufler

to bundle up (oneself)

Elle s’est emmitouflée dans un manteau d’hiver.
She bundled herself up in a winter coat.

Vocabulary Section: Clothing,Word of the Day
Wednesday, November 2, 2011

s’endormir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Friday, September 28, 2012

s’engager sur l’autoroute

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:

  • Je m’engage sur la 101. (I take the 101.)
  • Je m’engage sur la route N79. (I take the N79.)
  • Engagez-vous sur la route à péage. (Take the toll road.)

TODAY
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. Today, we’ll help you get past la voiture to a practical phrase that will keep you moving.

Vocabulary Section: Cars,Expressions,Word of the Day
Saturday, April 25, 2009

s’épanouir, fleurir

to bloom, to flower

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

s’inscrire

to register

J’ai une réservation. Puis-je m’inscrire?
I have a reservation. Can I register?

TODAY
Our word is among essential vocabulary for checking into a hotel. If you’re planning a trip to France or another French-speaking country now or just someday in the future, this is a word you’ll want to pack in your suitcase. Bon voyage!

Monday, December 27, 2010

s’emmitoufler

Publié le 4 janvier 2010

to bundle up (oneself)

Elle s’est emmitouflée dans un manteau d’hiver.
She bundled herself up in a winter coat.

OUR FAVORITE WORDS FROM 2010
This week, we’re reviewing our favorite Words of the Day from 2010. Today’s word made the list just because we like the way it sounds. You can almost hear the act of bundling up in the sound of the verb. Emmitouflez-vous!

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

Les ClochesGIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF FRENCH FANATIC!
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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Sa Majesté

Her Majesty, His Majesty

Sa Majesté La Reine règne sur le peuple d’Angleterre.
Her Majesty the Queen reigns over the people of England.

THIS WEEK
Inspired by last week’s royal wedding, we decided there’s no better time than now to explore French words about royalty.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Vocabulary Section: Royalty,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 28, 2013

sage

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!

TODAY
Our topic is especially useful. 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. Today’s word can be one such example. Click here to discover more false cognates on our Web site.

WILL YOU BE FOOLED?
Take our False Cognates Quiz to see if you can navigate troublesome false cognates in French.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Salut!

Hello! or Hi! (more informal than Bonjour, usually used among friends)
Can also mean good-bye or see you.

Salut, Colette!
Hi, Colette!

Vocabulary Section: Greetings,Word of the Day
Sunday, August 7, 2011

sangloter

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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Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

sans souci

carefree

Les enfants sont complètement sans souci en été.
The children are totally carefree in summer.

NOTE
The phrase sans souci literally means without worry.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words about emotions and feelings.

700 REASONS TO JOIN VOILÀ!
Our NEW English-French vocabulary index lets you explore nearly every one of the more than 700 words we’ve ever posted by topic. CHECK IT OUT!

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

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

sans sucre

sugar-free

Elle cherche un boisson sans sucre.
She’s looking for a sugar-free drink.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 11, 2013

saupoudrer

to sprinkle

Saupoudrez la salade avec du sel et du poivre.
Sprinkle the salad with salt and pepper.

Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

se battre

to fight

Les colons et les soldats britanniques se sont battus les uns les autres.
The colonists and the British soldiers fought against each other.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Friday, November 30, 2012

se blottir

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, April 6, 2013

se brosser les cheveux

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.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

se brosser les dents

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?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

se chauffer

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Thursday, November 3, 2011

se coucher

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, March 7, 2010

se débarrasser de

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!

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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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Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Friday, March 8, 2013

se dépêcher

to hurry

Dépêchez-vous! Il n’y a pas beaucoup de temps.
Hurry up! There isn’t much time.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Sunday, October 20, 2013

se faire asseoir

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:

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

se faire concurrence

to compete against each other

Les écoles se font concurrence dans les matchs de football.
Schools play against each other in football (soccer) 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.

TODAY
We’re learning 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!

DISCOVER MORE FRENCH CLASSROOM VOCABULARY WORDS
Once you’ve mastered how to say to compete in French, learn these other classroom vocabulary words.

READY FOR CLASS?
Take our French Classroom Vocabulary Quiz to test your skills.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

se faire couper les cheveux

to get a haircut

Bonjour, je voudrais me faire couper les cheveux.
Hello, I’d like to get a haircut.

RELATED WORDS

  • a haircut = une coupe
  • a trim = un rafraîchissement

TODAY
Fashion and beauty is a serious part of French culture. Consequently, a trip to the salon or barbershop is tout à fait essentiel. Today, our words will help you navigate your trip to the salon.

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

Vocabulary Section: Fashion and Beauty,Word of the Day
Sunday, November 6, 2011

se lever

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.

Monday, June 28, 2010

se maquiller

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.

Learn more about Voilà.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

se marier (avec)

to marry

En fait, Sophie croit qu’elle veut se marier avec Paul
In fact, Sophie believes she wants to marry Paul.

THIS WEEK
Ah, l’amour…. The subject of love was among our most popular Word of the Day topics last year. With Valentine’s Day this week, there’s no better time to explore the French language of love.

EN SAVOIR PLUS – Learn More
Check out more words about love that we posted last Valentine’s Day:

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Friday, April 5, 2013

se moquer de

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!

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 30, 2012

se peigner

to comb (oneself)

Après avoir pris une douche, elle s’est peigné les cheveux.
After taking a shower, she combed her hair.

Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Sunday, April 21, 2013

se planter

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).

Monday, March 4, 2013

se promener

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.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

se raser

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.

Learn more about Voilà.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

se reposer

to rest

Le dimanche, je me repose.
On Sundays, I rest.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, May 20, 2013

se reposer

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

se réunir

to reunite

Partout dans l’Amérique, les familles et les amis se réuniront demain.
All over America, families and friends will reunite tomorrow.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with the vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING AT FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Friday, June 15, 2012

se sécher

to dry (oneself)

Paul se sèche le visage avec une serviette.
Paul dries his face with a towel.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

se spécialiser en

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.

Friday, February 12, 2010

serrer dans ses bras

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.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
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

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

si ça vous chante

if it suits you
(literal, unused translation: if it sings to you)

On va au magasin cet après-midi, si ça vous chante.
We’ll go to the store this afternoon, if you like.

TODAY
One of the most difficult things about becoming fluent in French is learning to recognize all of the many idiom expressions — those phrases that mean something different than their literal meanings suggest. In English, think of the phrase It’s raining cats and dogs. Today’s phrase, originally suggested by Bill Scoble, a friend of our site, is a similar example. Add phrases like this to your vocabulary, and you’ll sound like a native speaker in no time.

Vocabulary Section: Idiom Expressions,Word of the Day
Saturday, April 18, 2009

siffler

to whistle

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, November 20, 2012

sortir

  • 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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Friday, February 18, 2011

sortir avec

to date, to go out with

Sophie sort avec Paul depuis six mois.
Sophie has been going out with Paul for six months.

THIS WEEK
Ah, l’amour…. The subject of love was among our most popular Word of the Day topics last year. With Valentine’s Day this week, there’s no better time to explore the French language of love.

EN SAVOIR PLUS – Learn More
Check out more words about love that we posted last Valentine’s Day:

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

sortir les pulls

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.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

soulager

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO GET MORE FROM THE WORD OF THE DAY!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

soupçonner

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.
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The fun way to learn French

Saturday, May 26, 2012

soupirer

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.

Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, October 1, 2012

souvent

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.

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, March 19, 2011

statuer

to rule

Le juge a statué en faveur du demandeur.
The judge ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

THIS WEEK
It’s our own version of a courtroom drama here at French Fanatic as we examine the vocabulary of the court.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

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SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 28, 2011

suer

to sweat

Il suait comme un bœuf.
He was sweating like a pig. (literally, He was sweating like a cow.)

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

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

suggérer

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!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

suivre un cours

to take a class

Je veux suivre un cours en astronomie.
I want to take a class in astronomy.

TODAY
Our word is part of the basic vocabulary of the classroom. If you’re studying French for the first time, get ahead of the curve with words like these — and maybe even impress le prof!

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

Monday, April 1, 2013

supprimer

to delete

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

tartiner

to spread

Elle a tartiné de beurre une tranche de pain grillé.
She buttered (spread butter on) on a slice of toast.

THIS WEEK
We go back to one of our favorite places — la cuisine, or the kitchen — to explore words you might encounter in recipes.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes like our special 2010 Year in Review Quiz and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!


Vocabulary Section: Food and Drink,Word of the Day
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

télécharger

to download

Normalement, on peut télécharger les nouveaux logiciels des sites Web.
Normally, you can download new software from Web sites.

Monday, June 18, 2012

télécharger la musique

to download music

De plus en plus, les gens achètent et téléchargent leur musique du Web.
Increasingly, people buy and download their music from the Web.

Friday, July 1, 2011

tenir les comptes

to keep the books

Elle doit travailler après les heures normales pour tenir les comptes.
She has to work after normal hours to keep the books.

THIS WEEK
Small shop owners and entrepreneurs make up a significant part of businesses in France. This week we’ll learn words about small business, or petit commerce.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Sunday, August 11, 2013

tenter

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Monday, March 7, 2011

tergiverser

to procrastinate

Si vous tergiversez, vous n’aurez pas le temps pour voir le film.
If you procrastinate, you won’t have time to see the film.

THIS WEEK
We’ll cover words to describe how we manipulate and manage time.

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
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and our archives by subject.

Take our Visitors Preview to learn more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Sunday, July 10, 2011

tirer un coup de feu

to fire a shot

Il est de coutume de tirer des coups de feu aux célébrations.
It’s customary to fire shots at the celebrations.

THIS WEEK
With Independence Day in the United States this week and Bastille Day in France next, we’ll cover words related to these celebrations of freedom.

DISCOVER 700 WAYS OUR MEMBER SITE VOILÀ JUST GOT BETTER!
Now, our members can easily navigate almost every one of the 700+ Words of the Day we’ve ever posted by topic with our NEW English-French vocabulary word list. Whether you want to learn more French words about Cars, the Doctor’s Office, Restaurants, Money, the Weather or other topics we’ve covered, it’s now easier than ever to find them and see the original examples.
SEE FOR YOURSELF!

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

Subscribe to French Fanatic's Voilà!

Members get weekly review quizzes, vocabulary lists & more.
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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

tomber amoureux

Originally published 9 February 2010

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.

A FRENCH FANATIC FAVORITE
Today’s word is not just one of our favorite words; it’s one of yours, too. Tomber amoureux, to fall in love, was the most visited word posted on French Fanatic in 2010 and continues to be among the most viewed of all the words we’ve ever posted. With Valentine’s Day approaching, it seemed the perfect time to revisit it.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

tomber amoureux (amoureuse)

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.

TODAY
Our word is one of many about love and has the distinction of being one of the most popular we’ve ever posted on French Fanatic.

LEARN MORE
Discover more past words about love, feelings and emotions here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and find out how many other words you know about love with this quiz.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

tourner

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.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

tournez à la page…

turn to page…

Ouvrez vos livres et tournez à la page trois.
Open your books and turn to page three.

THIS WEEK
Many students will be learning French for the first time over the next few weeks as schools kick off a new year. If the French language, or la langue française, is new to you, get a jump start on it with this week’s words about the classroom.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Vocabulary Section: Classroom,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

tout de suite

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!

TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Vocabulary Section: Adverbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, September 8, 2012

travailler à mi-temps

to work part-time

Mike veut travailler à mi-temps pendant qu’il étudie.
Mike wants to work part-time while he’s studying.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the subject of the workplace and working.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

traverser

to cross

Quand est-ce qu’on peut traverser la rue? En savoir demain!
When can we cross the street? Find out tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

tremblement de terre, séisme

earthquake

Saturday, April 13, 2013

trépigner

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.

Vocabulary Section: Sounds,Verbs,Word of the Day
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

trouver

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.

Vocabulary Section: Verbs,Word of the Day
Saturday, September 17, 2011

un âne

a donkey

Dans les temps anciens, les ânes ont porté la récolte.
In ancient times, donkeys carried the harvest.

THIS WEEK
We’re learning the vocabulary of the farm, or la ferme, focusing specifically the many animals you’ll find there.

FOR OUR VOILÀ! MEMBERS
Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
SUBSCRIBE TO VOILÀ! Only 3.95 a month, secure via PayPal!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

un animal domestique

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).

Vocabulary Section: Animals and Pets,Word of the Day
Tuesday, September 1, 2009

un anniversaire

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!

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Monday, June 14, 2010

un appareil photo numérique

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).

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. When you subscribe, you’ll get more out of your Word of the Day with these exclusive features:

  • Quizzes that help you review each week’s words
  • Ability to Explore Vocabulary Words by Topic
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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

un appartement

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.

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!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
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Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Wednesday, February 6, 2013

un arrêt sur image

freeze frame, still image

Le réalisateur emploie des arrêts sur image pour créer plus de drame.
The director uses freeze frames to create more drama.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by movies and filmmaking.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

un bain moussant

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.

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.

Learn more about Voilà. Just 3.95 per month.

Vocabulary Section: Bath and Grooming,Word of the Day
Friday, June 18, 2010

un baladeur MP3

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).

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. When you subscribe, you’ll get more out of your Word of the Day with these exclusive features:

  • Quizzes that help you review each week’s words
  • Ability to Explore Vocabulary Words by Topic
  • Ability to easily Search Our Site

Subscribe to Voilà for just 3.95 per month!



TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

un balai de sorcière

a witch’s broom

Un balai de sorcière fait souvent partie de nos contes d’Halloween.
A witch’s broom is often part of our Halloween tales.

THIS WEEK
We can’t help but think of all the witches and goblins and ghosts that will take to the streets for Halloween this weekend. Although Halloween remains a bit of a novelty in France,  it continues to grow in popularity. Join us as we ramble through the spooky vocabulary of the holiday.

VOILÀ! LE NOUVEAU QUIZ
Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz by clicking here.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING AT FRENCH FANATIC!
Join Voilà for only 3.95 per month to access online practice quizzes and more.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Sunday, August 25, 2013

un bénéfice

a profit

Après deux ans, Robert a fait son premier bénéfice.
After two years, Robert made his first profit.

TODAY
Small shop owners and entrepreneurs make up a significant part of businesses in France. Today’s word is about small business, or petit commerce.

MORE FRENCH BUSINESS VOCABULARY WORDS TO EXPLORE

REINFORCE TODAY’S WORD WITH OUR QUIZ
Take our French Small Business Vocabulary Quiz to see if you can recognize the word for profit in French and practice more business vocabulary words.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

un billet aller simple

a one-way ticket

Avez-vous besoin d’un billet aller simple ou un billet aller et retour?
Do you need a one-way ticket or a roundtrip ticket?

THIS WEEK
One of the easiest and most popular ways to get around France is to take the train, or le train. Let’s learn some vocabulary this week that will get us on our way.

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

un billet aller-retour

roundtrip ticket

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

un billet-doux

a love letter

Elle a gardé le billet-doux toutes ces années.
She kept the love letter all these years.

NOTE
A love letter also may be translated as une lettre d’amour.

THIS WEEK
Ah, l’amour…. The subject of love was among our most popular Word of the Day topics last year. With Valentine’s Day this week, there’s no better time to explore the French language of love.

EN SAVOIR PLUS – Learn More
Check out more words about love that we posted last Valentine’s Day:

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Members of our Voilà service can go straight to this week’s quiz covering the past week’s words by clicking here.

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

un bisou

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:

  • une bise (a kiss)
  • un baiser** (a kiss)
  • embrasser (to give a kiss to, followed by a person)
  • s’embrasser (to kiss each other)

** 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.

TODAY
Our vocabulary word is one of many about love
l’amour, in French.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

un boulot

a job, work (informal)

Comment va le boulot?
How’s the job going?

TODAY
Our word is inspired by life in the city, la vie en ville. For more words about the workplace, click here.

QUIZ LINK
Test yourself on today’s word and others about city life here.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

un bras de fer

a standoff

Il y avait un bras de fer entre les étudiants et la police.
There was a standoff between the students and the police.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Saturday, October 3, 2009

un bricoleur

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.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Thursday, August 8, 2013

un brushing

a blow-dry

On fait le brushing avec un sèche-cheveux.
We do the blow-dry with a hairdryer.

TODAY
Fashion and beauty is a serious part of French culture. Consequently, a trip to the salon or barbershop is tout à fait essentiel. Today, we’re looking at the vocabulary of the salon. Visit our site to discover more French fashion and beauty words.

READY FOR A TRIP TO THE SALON OR BARBER?
Take our Hair Salon and Barbershop French Vocabulary Quiz to find out if you’re ready to say blow-dry in French and more.

Vocabulary Section: Fashion and Beauty,Word of the Day
Thursday, August 25, 2011

un bureau

a desk

Tous les étudiants sages restent aux bureaux.
All the well-behaved students remain at the desks.

MORE ABOUT THIS WORD
While most French nouns become plural simply by adding an s, bureau is an example of a word that forms its plural differently. Words that end in -eau usually form their plurals by adding an x.

THIS WEEK
Many students will be learning French for the first time over the next few weeks as schools kick off a new year. If the French language, or la langue française, is new to you, get a jump start on it with this week’s words about the classroom.

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Vocabulary Section: Classroom,Word of the Day
Thursday, December 23, 2010

un cadeau de Noël

a Christmas gift

Les cadeaux de Noël sont sous le sapin.
The Christmas gifts are under the tree.

THIS WEEK
We’re celebrating the holidays with words about the season.

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Vocabulary Section: Holidays,Word of the Day
Friday, October 5, 2012

un cadran

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.

TODAY
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.

Vocabulary Section: Time and Calendar,Word of the Day
Thursday, July 23, 2009

un cadre

a picture frame

Elle a acheté un cadre pour la photo de son fils.
She bought a frame for her son’s photo.

Vocabulary Section: Around the House,Word of the Day
Saturday, September 12, 2009

un cafard

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

Thursday, July 18, 2013

un cahier

a notebook

Prenez des notes dans votre cahier.
Take notes in your notebook.

TODAY
Our word is about the classroom. Click here to learn more classroom vocabulary.

TAKE THE QUIZ!
See how well you can say notebook in French and test your knowledge on other classroom words with our Classroom Quiz.

Vocabulary Section: Classroom,Word of the Day
Sunday, June 13, 2010

un canard

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
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Saturday, April 30, 2011

un canard

a duck

Un canard fait coin-coin.
A duck goes quack-quack.

THIS WEEK
Spring has us thinking about the animals among us — all those creatures many of us might run across while outside this time of year. This week, we’ll learn the names of these animals in French.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Vocabulary Section: Animals and Pets,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 15, 2010

un capteur

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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TODAY’S WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY YABLA.
Yabla French Video Immersion.
The fun way to learn French

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

un carré

a square

Il y avait un petit carré de fleurs sauvages dans le jardin.
There was a little square of wildflowers in the garden.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Take our quiz to test yourself on today’s word and others from an assortment of topics.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

un casseur, une casseuse

a rioter

La police ont interpellé les casseurs qui ont brisé les vitrines.
The police arrested the rioters who shattered the windows.

Vocabulary Section: Civics,Word of the Day
Saturday, October 8, 2011

un changement de couleur

a change in color

Tout le monde attend le changement de couleur des feuilles.
Everyone awaits the leaves’ change in color.

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

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Review last week’s words by taking our weekly quiz.
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Vocabulary Section: Seasons,Word of the Day
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

un chapeau

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.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

un chasse-neige

a snowplow

Les chasse-neige étaient en action toute la nuit pour déblayer la route.
The snowplows were going all night to clear the road.

TODAY
Our word is among the vocabulary of winter weather. Discover more weather words here.

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

Saturday, October 29, 2011

un chat noir

a black cat

Les chats noirs sont des symboles de la fête.
Black cats are symbols of the holiday.

THIS WEEK
We’re brewing up our favorite spooky French words for Halloween!
N’ayez pas peur. (Don’t be afraid.)

Vocabulary Section: Halloween,Holidays,Word of the Day
Friday, March 1, 2013

un château de sable

a sandcastle

Les enfants bâtissent des châteaux de sable à la plage.
Children build sandcastles at the beach.

GRAMMAIRE
Nouns like chateau that end in -eau form their plurals by adding an x.

TODAY
Our word is inspired by the seaside.

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

Sunday, January 6, 2013

un chaton

a kitten

Les chatons aiment beaucoup jouer tout le temps.
Kittens love to play all the time. 

Vocabulary Section: Animals and Pets,Word of the Day
Tuesday, June 2, 2009

un chiot

a puppy

Les chiots sont toujours pleins d’énergie.
Puppies are always full of energy.

Vocabulary Section: Animals and Pets,Word of the Day
Saturday, September 15, 2012

un cil

an eyelash

Elle se maquille les cils avec un mascara noir.
She makes up her eyelashes with black mascara.

TODAY
Our word is from the vocabulary topic parts of the body.

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Sunday, September 8, 2013

un clavier

a keyboard

Pensez-vous que les claviers des ordinateurs portables sont assez grands?
Do you think the keyboards on the laptops are big enough?

Thursday, August 1, 2013

un cochon

a pig

Les cochons disent «groin groin».
Pigs say “oink oink.”

TODAY
We’re learning the vocabulary of the farm, or la ferme. For more words about the farm, animals and pets,  click here s’il vous plaît.

READY TO GET DOWN ON THE FRENCH FARM?
Take our Farm Animals Quiz to find out if you can say pig in French and more.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

un code postal

a postal code

Vous pouvez rechercher un code postal en ligne.
You can find a postal code online.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about sending mail and packages.

Vocabulary Section: Mail and Packages,Word of the Day
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

un colis

a package

J’ai attendu le colis plus d’une semaine.
I waited for the package for more than a week.

THIS WEEK
We’re covering words about sending mail and packages.

Vocabulary Section: Mail and Packages,Word of the Day
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

un comprimé, une pilule

a tablet, a pill

Vocabulary Section: Body and Health,Word of the Day
Sunday, May 12, 2013

un compte chèques

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.

Monday, February 25, 2013

un conducteur supplémentaire

an extra driver

Combien coûte-t-il pour ajouter un conducteur supplémentaire?
How much does it cost to add an extra driver?

TODAY
We always enjoy covering vocabulary topics about travel, because they contain essential words and phrases for French language learners who want to visit a French-speaking country. Today, we’re looking at a useful French word for a conversation about renting a car.

Friday, October 4, 2013

un conseil

a piece of advice

Il m’a donné un conseil très important.
He gave me a very important piece of advice.

BY THE NUMBERS
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.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

un coq

a rooster

Quand le coq chante, il fait cocorico.
When the rooster sings, he goes cock-a-doodle-doo.

THIS WEEK
Spring has us thinking about the animals among us — all those creatures many of us might run across while outside this time of year. This week, we’ll learn the names of these animals in French.

WITH MEMBERSHIP, LIFE’S A LITTLE MORE FRENCH!

Vocabulary Section: Animals and Pets,Word of the Day
Friday, May 20, 2011

un coquillage

a seashell

Louise cueille toujours des coquillages et les transforme en colliers.
Louise always gathers seashells and turns them into necklaces.

THIS WEEK
As classes wind down and thoughts begin turning to summer vacations, many families will no doubt head for the beaches soon. This week, we’ll explore the vocabulary of the summer seaside.

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