Pan-Pan!: French vs. English Onomatopoeias Posted by mtaulier on Apr 14, 2014
The word onomatopée (onomatopoeia) has been floating around the Internet as of late and I thought it would be fun to devote a post to French onomatopoeias vs. their English counterparts. What is an onomatopoeia? An onomatopoeia is a word meant to mimic a certain sound made by un humain (a human), un animal (an…
À Table!: The French Meal in Seven Courses (Part 2) Posted by mtaulier on Apr 7, 2014
In the last post we looked at the first three courses of a typical French meal: l’apéritif, l’entrée and le plat principal. Let us continue our culinary journey by exploring the four remaining courses. La Salade et le Fromage (Salad and Cheese): The French typically eat their salad after the main course because ça facilite…
Who Changed the Names of the Parisian Neighborhoods? Posted by Hichem on Apr 3, 2014
Did you know that the names of many French cities were once completely changed, practically du jour au lendemain (overnight)? Some of them had their age-old names simply canceled, such as Marseille, which became known as “Ville-sans-Nom” (“City-without-a-Name”)! When did took place? During the tumultuous times of la Révolution française, when the government decided the sudden déchristianisation of the country that was…
À Table!: The French Meal in Seven Courses (Part 1) Posted by mtaulier on Apr 2, 2014
“Sit down for a French meal and expect to stay seated for at least a couple hours.” I remember hearing someone say these words many years ago and later realized truer words were never spoken. You don’t have to be French pour apprécier la bonne nourriture (to appreciate good food) but for people unaccustomed to…
*IL FAUT* que tu apprennes le Français (You *Must* Learn French)! Posted by Hichem on Mar 30, 2014
Learning French is not optional anymore; it is now mandatory! Well, just kidding, bien sûr… One thing you must do, however, if you already speak French, is to watch out for the good use of le subjonctif. Just pay a bit of attention to when French people speak, or to French books, articles, etc., you will…
Johnny Hallyday: The Most Famous Singer You Never Knew Existed Posted by mtaulier on Mar 12, 2014
The French Elvis, the biggest rock star you’ve never heard of—these are just some of the nicknames given to Jean-Philippe Smet, also known as Johnny Hallyday, one of the best-selling French artists of all time. Born in 1943, Johnny—as the French like to call him—began sa carrière (his career) in 1960 with the release of…
Stop! Sens Interdit!: A Quick Guide to French Roadway Vocabulary Posted by mtaulier on Mar 10, 2014
If you’ve ever visited France and found yourself behind the wheel of une voiture (a car), you were most likely confronted with some signs you had never seen before. Although France and the United States share some road signs such as the ubiquitous red octagonal STOP and the sens interdit (no entry), others are not…