Archive for 'Vocabulary'
Conjugaison: Le verbe Construire (To Build) Posted by Hichem on Apr 5, 2011
In the words of the Master of the “Belles-lettres“, Victor Hugo: “Instruire, c’est construire” (“To instruct is to construct”) Jean-Jacques construit (builds, constructs) his house from scratch, pierre après pierre (rock after rock): “C’est un jeu d’enfant (it’s kids stuff); un lego pour adultes (a lego for adults)!” Conjugaison du verbe du 3ème groupe: CONSTRUIRE I…
Closing the Semaine: Jacques Brel with Zangra Posted by Hichem on Apr 4, 2011
Jacques Brel’s “Zangra” (compared in detail in a previous post with Gaddafi‘s “Zenga Zenga“) brings “la semaine Brel” to an official close! * * * JACQUES BREL — “ZANGRA” Je m’appelle Zangra et je suis lieutenant My name is Zangra and I am a lieutenant Au fort de Belonzio qui domine la plaine At the Belonzio…
Poisson d’avril (April Fools) Posted by Hichem on Apr 1, 2011
Poisson d’avril (April Fools) 🙂 * * * Due to serious difficultés techniques (technical difficulties) caused by a wave of sophisticated cyber attacks targeting The French Blog, the “Jacques Brel” post scheduled for today is postponed to an ulterior date. * * * A message left by “les hackers professionnels” who targeted The French…
Jacques Brel vs. Colonel Gaddafi: Zangra Meets Zenga Zenga Posted by Hichem on Mar 31, 2011
IF someone told you that Colonel Gaddafi‘s life-long vocation as a deeply confused dictateur (dictator) traced back its origin to the military career of a World War II fascist foot soldier, whose mission was to resume the century-old Italian occupation of la Lybie, you probably would wonder how that could be the case. But what if, in…
Les filles et les chiens (girls and dogs) Posted by Hichem on Mar 30, 2011
Perhaps Jacques Brel, who’s not particularly noted for having listed in any form of bataille des sexes (battle of the sexes) throughout his songs, would not have readily concurred with the famously unconventional French actor and playwright Sacha Guitry who once declared: “les femmes, c’est charmant, mais les chiens, c’est tellement plus fidèle” (“Women are pretty…
Jacques Brel: Quand on a que l’amour (When We Only Have Love) Posted by Hichem on Mar 29, 2011
The special week consacrée à (devoted to) Jacques Brel on the French Blog continues! * * * Une peinture (a painting) of the great Belgian singer * * * A worthy interpretation of the famous Jacques Brel chanson (song) by la magnifique Patricia Kaas * * * Jacques Brel: “Quand on a que l’amour“ *…
“Madeleine”, by Jacques Brel Posted by Hichem on Mar 28, 2011
Madeleine: As in “Pleurer comme une Madeleine” (Literally “to cry like a Madeleine”, meaning “to cry one’s eyes out”) * * * Jacques Brel sings “Madeleine” * * * Ce soir j’attends Madeleine Tonight I wait for Madeleine J’ai apporté du lilas I brought lilac J’en apporte toutes les semaines I bring some every week Madeleine…