French Language Blog

A lot of people enjoy visiting Paris during the Summer.

Others prefer to do it when it’s “less touristy”, in the Winter. 

But nearly all agree that the French capital is at its best in late Spring: Precisely au mois de mai (in May)…

Now, if you have never experienced it yet, wouldn’t you like to go and double-check that out for yourself?

Oui, bien sûr, you just MAY!

“PARIS IS AT HER BEST IN MAY” (“J’aime Paris Au Mois De Mai”)

 By Charles Aznavour & Dianne Reeves

* PARIS IS AT HER BEST IN MAY:

AZNAVOUR:

Paris is at her best in May

I get a happy shiver

Strolling beside the river

The winter’s worries melt away

Hearing excited children play

Paris is amorous in May

When girls are window-shopping

And you see traffic stopping

From where you sit in some café

REEVES:

I love to walk for hours High on the scent of flowers

Why is it that old Eiffel tower

So overpowers me?

Oh, on a sunny day in May

No matter what they told you

Or what that other song

May say Paris is at her best in May

AZNAVOUR:

J’aime Paris au mois de Mai

Avec ses bouquinistes

Et ses aquarellistes

Que le printemps a ramenés

Comme chaque année le long des quais

J’aime Paris au mois de Mai

La Seine qui l’arrose

Mille petites choses

Que je ne pourrais expliquer

J’aime quand la nuit sévère

Étend la paix sur terre

Et que la ville soudain s’éclaire

De millions de lumières

Il me plaît, me plaît à me promener

En souriant aux filles

Dans les rues qui fourmillent

J’aime, j’aime Paris au mois de Mai

REEVES:

Paris is at her best in May

BOTH:

When spring and youth possess her

And gentle winds caress her

And happy lovers slowly stray

REEVES:

By little bookshops on the quay

AZNAVOUR:

Paris is loveliest in May

Oh, Paris, her portrait painted

Smiling to get acquainted

A million blossoms on display

REEVES:

I love to walk her wide streets

Then to explore her side streets

Crazy unidentified streets

That please the eye streets

BOTH:

I fall in love with her each day

Seeing the same bright new light

Or under moonlight, silver grey

Paris, oh Paris, is at her best in May

Ever noticed that if you just add the letter “u” to the French pronoun “je“, it becomes a noun: “jeu” (“game”)!

If you enjoy this kind of little tricks, that means that you like the corresponding verb of “jeu“: “jouer” (“to play.”)

For example, you can say: “Charlie Chaplin aimait bien jouer au chat et à la souris avec la police” (“Chalie Chaplin liked to play cat and mouse with the police.”)

Today, our “petit jeu“, so to speak, consists into going through ten cases where the verb “jouer” occurs in a French idiomatic expression.

Each time, we’ll give an example that shows how these expressions can be used.

* Top 10 French Expressions Using the Verb “JOUER” (To Play):
Numéro 10 – Jouer la comédie:

To put on a show, to put on an act.

→ Example: “Cessez de jouer la comédie, et dites-moi plutôt la vérité” (“Stop putting on a show, and tell me the truth instead.”)

Numéro 9 - Jouer au plus fin:

To try to play tricks, to try to outsmart someone, to mess around with someone, etc.

→ Example: “Un petit conseil amical, n’essayez pas de jouer au plus fin avec moi” (“A little friendly advice, don’t try to play games with me. “)

Numéro 8 - Jouer franc jeu:

“To be honest, to play fair.” Can also be said as jouer cartes sur table

→ Examples: “Ne jouez pas au plus fin avec moi. Jouez plutôt franc jeu“, or “ne jouez pas au plus fin avec moi, jouez plutôt cartes sur tables.” Both mean “Don’t play tricks with me. Play fair, instead.”

Numéro 7 - Jouer serré:

“To play it close to the vest”, to do something with extreme care and precaution. 

→ Example: ”Le FC Bayern va devoir jouer serré à la finale de la Coupe de l’UEFA.” (“FC Bayern withh have to play it close to the vest on the UEFA Cup final.”)

Numéro 6 - Jouer gros jeu:

Closely related to “jouer serré” is “jouer gros jeu“, or just “jouer gros“, meaning “to play for high stakes.”

→ Example: “Faites attention, mon ami, vous jouez gros jeu cette fois-ci“ (“Be careful, my friend, you’re playing for high stakes this time.”)

Numéro 5 - À… de jouer (or c’est à… de jouer):

Literally, it means: “For… to play” (or “it’s up for… to play”), which means that it’s someone’s turn.

→ Example: “Maintenant, c’est à toi de jouer” (“Now, it’s your move.”)

Numéro 4 - Jouer un mauvais tour:

To play a nasty trick to someone.

→ Example: “Cette entreprise a joué un très mauvais tour à ses actionnaires” (“This company played a very nasty trick to its shareholders.”)

Numéro 3 - Jouer avec le feu:

To play with fire.

→ Example: “Attention, si vous jouez trop avec le feu, vous allez vous finir par vous brûler les doigts” (“Be careful, if you play too much with fire, you will end up burning your fingers.”)

Numéro 2 - Jouer le tout pour le tout:

Close to the expression: “jouer quitte ou double“, “All or nothing.”

→ Example: “Cette fois-ci, ils jouent quitte ou double” (“This time, they play all or nothing.”)

Numéro 1 - Jouer sur le velours:

This is probably the most “original” expression using the verb “jouer.”

It means “to be onto a sure thing”, “to bet on a sure thing.”

→ Example: ”Ce politicien jouait sur le velours. Il prêchait des convertis!” (“This politician was betting on a sure thing. He was preaching to the choir!”)