Archive for 'Vocabulary'
Have You Ever Spoken French…in Reverse? Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 8, 2014
Back when I was just becoming familiar with the language, I would sometimes go out with Parisian friends to a bar or brasserie and listen while they spoke amongst themselves. I’d be feeling somewhat proud about the advances I’d taken in French and knew that I could have a pretty comprehensive conversation. But, listening to…
5 Things you Need to Know About Shopping in France Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Dec 1, 2014
In honor of this Cyber Monday and recent Black Friday, here are some important facts and terms to make your shopping trip in France easy and stress-free. Unlike in the United States, sales in France are state-run. That means that companies don’t regulate their own storewide sales to get rid of old inventory before the…
French Vocabulary: Dansequâ Posted by John Bauer on Nov 26, 2014
Dansequâ is a French word you will never find in any dictionnaire. The story behind this mot bizarre (strange word) goes back to when I first started learning French. I remember hearing my teacher say “dansequâ” and understanding it dans son contexte (in context) as meaning something like “because” or “taking that into consideration”, but…
Texting in French: Le Langage SMS Posted by John Bauer on Nov 19, 2014
Slt sava ? (Hey sup?) There’s a lot of English that goes beyond the scope of the common textbook, or even the common work of fiction. Many of us millennials grew up learning it, chatting and playing des jeux vidéos (video games) with friends. We would have contests of sorts to see just who could…
Parlez-vous Français?: A Study of French Expressions (Part 7) Posted by mtaulier on Nov 5, 2014
This is the final installment in our series on French expressions. When writing the posts for this series, I wanted to help readers inject a little humor into their conversations with native French speakers. The purpose was to amuse, surprise and even impress your listener. If you usually converse with people who are just learning…
Parlez-vous Français?: A Study of French Expressions (Part 6) Posted by mtaulier on Oct 27, 2014
Have you had a chance to apply some of the French idioms we saw in previous posts? In parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 we covered a variety of expressions, many of which can be used in everyday language in one way or another. It may take a little time to become familiar with…
Parlez-vous Français?: A Study of French Expressions (Part 5) Posted by mtaulier on Sep 29, 2014
Bored with your everyday use of the French language? Are you looking to add un peu de variété (a little variety) to your daily discourse? Language is often limited by the extent of our vocabulaire (vocabulary), our grasp of proper grammaire (grammar) and, to a lesser extent, our knowledge and application of colloquialisms. People’s ears…