Archive for 'Vocabulary'
La Vaisselle – Washing Dishes In French Posted by John Bauer on Mar 8, 2017
My early trips to l’épicerie were an interesting exercise in how much I trusted my French. I took gambles on whether the bottle I was buying was l’assouplissant (softener) or la lessive (detergent), hoping it wasn’t l’eau de Javel (bleach). I haven’t had the luxury of having an apartment with un lave-vaisselle (a dishwasher) since…
French pronunciation basics part 1 Posted by Tim Hildreth on Mar 7, 2017
In a recent reader survey, one of the top requests you, chers lecteurs, (dear readers) of the Transparent Language French blog made, was for more help with pronunciation. Providing a comprehensive overview of French pronunciation would take une éternité (an eternity / forever), but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a go at it! A…
Going To L’Epicerie – Groceries In French Posted by John Bauer on Mar 1, 2017
I learn new things everyday by making mistakes. Whether I need to buy un chargeur or find un dentiste, there seems to be an endless vocabulary list of words I didn’t realize I didn’t know! Finding out you don’t know un mot (a word) can be quite the learning experience. Many mundane experiences hide the…
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…
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…
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…