Archive by Author
Adjective Placement in French (Part 2) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 12, 2016
Last week, we went over an easy acronym to help you determine where to place an adjective in relation to the noun it is modifying. However, as we know, there are exceptions to grammar rules. And with French adjective order, the rules can get tricky … particularly when certain adjectives change meaning depending on where…
Les Petites Noires Chaussures? Ou Les Petites Chaussures Noires? (Adjective Placement in French) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 5, 2016
So, which one is right? Les petites noires chaussures? Or … les petites chaussures noires? Believe it or not, there are rules governing proper adjective placement in English, too, although we are not typically aware of them. Native English speakers typically can “feel out” whether something is correct or not by how it sounds. This is why you…
I Miss You! (Beginner Mistakes in French) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 28, 2016
I’ll never forget a moment early on in my relationship with the man who would become my husband. I hadn’t seen him in a couple of days and so I thought I would sweetly (and honestly) tell him that I had missed him. “Je t’ai manqué,” I told him and then nervously waited for his…
French Elections: Primaries Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 21, 2016
On November 20, primaries were held for the French political party Les Républicains (previously known as L’Union pour un mouvement populaire). France does not have a two-party system (although two parties, Les Républicains and Les Socialistes typically hold the power in government) and many different parties can present candidates for the presidential election in April. Because these parties can only present…
French Music: Olivia Ruiz Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 15, 2016
In France in 2006, two songs that were constantly on the airwaves came from the album La Femme chocolat by Olivia Ruiz: “J’traine des pieds” and “La Femme chocolat.” I liked them for their musicality and the unique timbre of Ruiz’s voice. You can listen to both songs below: In 2007, Olivia Ruiz won Female Artist…
French Presidential Election Vocabulary Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 7, 2016
Ah, the beginning of November is upon us … the season of spectacular foliage, chilling temperatures, and … particularly divisive elections. As tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8, is the day Americans go to the polls to choose their next president, let’s go over some French election terms (no pun intended!). Le président de la République française is…
Recette: Boeuf Bourguignon Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 1, 2016
It’s getting much colder here in New York– a sure sign that winter is fast approaching. Today, the grass was covered in a thin coat of frost (le givre) when I woke up–a not-so-pleasant reminder of the supposedly especially cold winter we are facing in the northeast! When it gets very cold, I tend to…