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Two Different Mails – Email In French Posted by John Bauer on May 25, 2016
Talking about the Internet in French can be confusing. There’s a mix of vocabulary borrowed from English and new terms in French. It can also be hard to know how to say any symbol whether it’s just numbers or “@” (arobase). Then there’s learning how to type using un clavier AZERTY! Writing and sending emails…
Properly Soft – Laundry In French Posted by John Bauer on May 18, 2016
La vie quotidiènne (everday life) can sneak up on you in French. You may know how to conjugate the subjunctive, but can still have trouble asking someone to fermer les stores (close the blinds). I always have to learn new words for everyday things, like when I needed to buy un tournevis ou une pile…
Follow The Footprints – Origin Of Pied-Noir Posted by John Bauer on May 11, 2016
Last week I interviewed Arnaud Fièvre as a part of the Real French Series. One of the things he talked about was le mot (the word) pied-noir. Litterally translated pied-noir is black-foot, but it has a different meaning in French. According to le Larousse, pied-noir is a noun and an adjective and has the following…
Voici Arnaud Fièvre – Real French Series Posted by John Bauer on May 4, 2016
It can be hard to find French outside the classroom if you don’t live dans un pays francophone (in a French speaking country). That’s why I started the Real French Series as a way to bring French speakers closer to all of you. This time I interviewed un ami qui s’appelle (a friend whose name…
Saint-John Perse – French Poetry Posted by John Bauer on Apr 28, 2016
I interviewed mon ami (my friend) as a part of the Real French Series, and I wanted to get him to share de la culture française (some French culture) as a part of the interview. I asked him to recite une poème (a poem), and he was happy to share one! I had never heard…
Finding My Proof Of Memorization In French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 20, 2016
L’autre jour (the other day) I needed an important insurance document. One of my professeurs sent an email telling me what I needed, and as with many important documents it had a long and complicated name. Une attestation personnelle d’assurance de responsabilité civile A personal proof of civil liability insurance Before I left mon appartement…
It’s Springtime! – Open Windows in French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 13, 2016
Le printemps est arrivé (Spring is here) and the longer days, changing seasons, and changing clocks bring up thoughts of le grand nettoyage de printemps et les fleurs épanouies (spring cleaning and blooming flowers). The end of the cold months means that people will start opening up their houses and letting in l’air frais (fresh air)…