French Vocabulary – In the street Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jun 2, 2020 in Music, Vocabulary
The other day I was out for a walk and practicing my French en même temps (at the same time) by naming all the things I could see. Les arbres, les plantes, le ciel, le soleil, des boîtes aux lettres, et la rue (The trees, the plants, the sky, the sun, mailboxes, and the street). When I got to la rue I wondered …
Rue, avenue, ou boulevard ?
De nos jours (Nowadays, lit. Of our days) these words are often used interchangeably. But they historically have distinct meanings1and just to be clear, where I live, they are definitely rues.
Une rue is generally smaller, usually narrower and has few if any side streets. Rue is also the most generic term for street.
Une avenue is a large urban voie (way), often bordered by trees (like the Avenue des Champs-Elysées) and leading somewhere of importance, like a monument, that often gives the avenue its name … comme l’avenue de l’Opéra à Paris (like the Avenue of the Opera in Paris).
Un boulevard was traditionally a road that ran along the fortifications of a city or was laid over the foundations/former placement of such fortifications. As such boulevards were often circular (like the boulevard Périphérique), though over time this changed.
Here’s a little song to help you remember at least one of these words … and learn some other useful words for things you might find dans la rue.
| Dans ma rue | On my street |
| Il y a des cinglés du jogging | There are jogging nuts |
| Les amoureux du lèche-vitrine | Window-shopping lovers |
| Et des passants comme vous et moi | And passers-by like you and me |
| Dans ma rue (x2) | On my street |
| Y a des poubelles sur le trottoir | There are trashcans on the sidewalk |
| Des toutous que promène le soir | Dogs being walked |
| Leur mémé en chemise de nuit | By their grannies in nightgown |
| Dans la rue | On my street |
| Mais il y a aussi Annie | But there’s also Annie |
| Et il y a aussi Cathy | And there is also Cathy |
| Puis il y a aussi Sophie | Then there’s also Sophie |
| Et il y a aussi Nathalie | And there is also Nathalie |
| Dans ma rue | On my street |
| Y a des autos à cent à l’heure | There are cars doing sixty miles an hour (a rough equivalent to 100 kilometers per hour) |
| Des policiers, des voleurs | Police officers, and thiefs |
| Qui s’tirent dessus au revolver | Who shoot at each other with revolvers |
| Dans la rue | In the street |
| Dans ma rue | On my stret |
| Y a eu un mort la semaine dernière | Someone died last week |
| Quelqu’un qui supportait pas l’air | Someone who couldn’t take the atmosphere |
| Et qui l’a respiré trop fort | And who breathed it in too deep |
| Dans ma rue | On my street |
| (Refrain) | (Chorus) |
| Toi dans la rue tu connais certainement une fille | You likely know a girl in the street |
| Qui comme moi t’a souri, que tu n’oublieras plus | Who like me, smilled at you, in a way you won’t forget |
| C’est peu de dire tout simplement que tu l’as trouvé jolie | It’s the least to say that your found her pretty |
| Cette inconnue qui t’a plu | That stranger who appealed to you |
| Elle hante tes nuits, elle hante tes nuits | She haunts your nights, she haunts your nights |
| Elle hante tes nuits, tes nuits, tes nuits, tes nuits, Nathalie | She haunts your nights, your nights, your nights, Nathalie |
| Dans ma rue … | On my street |
Et pour finir, encore quelques mots utiles (To finish a few more useful words):
Le trottoir – the sidewalk
La chaussée – the pavement, the roadway (as opposed to le trottoir which is for people2though originally it was the place for horses!, la chaussée3which we find in the term rez-de-chaussée / ground floor is the part of the road for cars and other traffic)
Le chemin – the path, trail
La piste – track, runway
La piste cyclable – the bike path/bike lane
Photo by Margerretta from Pexels
- 1and just to be clear, where I live, they are definitely rues.
- 2though originally it was the place for horses!
- 3which we find in the term rez-de-chaussée / ground floor
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About the Author: Tim Hildreth
Since my first trip to France at 16, I have been a passionate francophile. I love the language, food, music, art, people, and more that make France and la Francophonie in general such an amazing part of our global community. Having lived in France and studied the language and culture for over 35 years, it is my great pleasure to be able to share a little bit of my deep love with you through this blog.