Archive by Author
Qu’est-ce que l’amour? (What is Love?) Posted by Hichem on Jan 7, 2014
L’amour (love.) Such a wide subject that had countless French thinkers and writers ponder about it. Today, we will go through a few quotations that aim to define it for what it really is. In other words, it is l’amour through des yeux français (French eyes.) Aimer, c’est trouver sa richesse hors de soi (To love is…
Singing “La Marseillaise”… (Probably Not the One You Know!) Posted by Hichem on Jan 2, 2014
It’s no big secret, if anyone were mad enough to scream in the French capital, home of the Paris Saint-Germain, “Allez l’OM” (OM = Olympique de Marseille), chances are, people will say that he or she is en train de chercher la petite bête (literally meaning “looking for the small beast”, and meaning “picking for…
Classical French Grammar 101! Posted by Hichem on Nov 24, 2013
We’ve already covered tougher topics in French grammar, not the least of which was le subjonctif. Today, we invite you to Review with us les bases… It sure doesn’t get more “classical” in French grammar than the subject of les classes grammaticales (Grammatical Classes.) In French, as in any other language, in order to fully grasp the meaning of a sentence, it is essential to…
Le Paradis blanc (White Paradise) Posted by Hichem on Nov 21, 2013
When it comes to traveling, the expression of paradis terrestre (earthly paradise) evokes for most people a warm, exotic, and quite far destination on the planet. Think along the lines of Hawai, the Caribbeans, or even Bora Bora in French Polynesia! Not everyone would agree on that, however. For the late French singer Michel Berger, for example, a…
Bravo la France ! Posted by Hichem on Nov 20, 2013
French people often like to remind each other that “à l’impossible, nul n’est tenu“, namely that “no one is expected to accomplish the impossible.” Last night, however, les Bleus made a point of honor in proving the accuracy of another French maxim: “Impossible n’est pas français“, meaning that “Impossible is not French“! L’immense joie des Bleus après…
Are You Sometimes “Fainéant” (Lazy)? Posted by Hichem on Oct 29, 2013
Bonjour there! Tell me, how was waking up for you this morning? Rather facile (easy), difficile (difficult), or complètement pénible (completely rough)? Whether you are the type of person who springs up from bed at the first beep of your réveil (alarm clock), or on the contrary one who has to be forcibly dragged away from under l’oréiller (the pillow)…
Stromae’s “Papaoutai” (Read: “Where Are You, Dad?”) Posted by Hichem on Oct 19, 2013
A very good friend of mine just told me that he enjoyed a lot listening to this French song by Stromae. Its titre (title)? “Papaoutai” What? You’re not sure if it sounds French? Well, true, it at least sounds like une onomatopée (an onomatopoeia), like a French frog (a real one, please) that would go “coac coac” (Americans…