Archive for February, 2017
Mind your manners Posted by Tim Hildreth on Feb 28, 2017
The French are very big on manners and following the rules of étiquette. You can read here about the rules for gift giving, here for proper greetings, and here for the rules for kissing (yes, they even have rules for that!). But do you know where the rules come from? The rules of French etiquette…
What Are the French Parts of Speech? Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 27, 2017
Most native English speakers are familiar with the eight or nine English parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and articles). All English words fall into one of these general parts of speech. Luckily, French follows the same basic organization of parts of speech that English does. Called les classes de mots, French parts…
Funny French Expressions Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 23, 2017
Recently, we’ve gone over French idioms and other common French expressions. But now let’s go over some funny French expressions that will have you laughing out loud (check out this post on the French equivalent of LOL–MDR). Avoir le cafard One of the most common French idiomatic expressions is a funny … if not odd… one…
French Country Music: Baptiste W. Hamon Posted by John Bauer on Feb 22, 2017
When I’m walking around France the entire world is my textbook. The sounds of everyday life teach me new things like what exactly un tournevis is or how to buy batteries. I also get to hear de la musique française (French music) just by walking around, but sometimes I hear a song I really like…
Let’s eat! Posted by Tim Hildreth on Feb 21, 2017
Everyone knows that the French love to eat (and that they know how to set a fancy table!). But do you know all of the different ways to talk about food in French? This week, we’ll review key vocabulary around eating . . . and drinking while we’re at it. Bon appétit!* On mange…
Have You Heard “Are We Awake?” by French Singer Tal? Posted by Josh Dougherty on Feb 17, 2017
Since the beginning of time, music has helped us express ourselves in another way besides just speaking. Styles change and trends emerge, but music remains something important and essential in every culture. Headed to France any time soon? Turn on the radio and you’ll certainly hear the song we’re featuring today. The singer, Tal, has…
Are French Fries French? Part 3 Posted by John Bauer on Feb 15, 2017
The history of how English words use French as an adjective can be surprising and interesting. We’ve already looked at quite a few words in part 1 and part 2, and in this final part we’re going to look into la polémique (the controversy) surrounding the French origin of les frites. D’où vient les pommes…