Well, 2015 is all over. Tonight people all over the world will be bringing in the new year and celebrating another completed year. It’s been a busy and productive year for all of us at Transparent, and we’re looking forward to more fun and interesting articles in 2016.

A few weeks ago, John presented the Top 10 Articles of 2015. These were calculated based on the number of views, and while we try to bring you fresh content every week, certain classics have remained the victors. Our post on counting, even though it dates back a few years, was the top viewed article of the year (and it makes sense – counting in French can be tricky!).

Today, I’m presenting a Year in Review quiz of the articles Elizabeth, John, and I have written since we started in November 2014. I’ve split the questions into different categories: grammar, pronunciation, holidays, music, general & culture, food & beverage, vocabulary, and literature.

If you’re stuck on a question and need help, clicking the question mark or period at the end of the question will take you to the appropriate blog post.

Ready?

Grammar

 

1. Donc, puis, and mais are what part of speech?
2. Which conjunctive phrase requires the subjunctive?
   a) alors que   b) de façon que   c) tandis que
3. Which adverb is more formal: si or tellement?
4. V/F The verb essayer is followed by preposition de if another verb is added in the sentence.
5. Which word is used to show the amount before an action will occur: en or dans?
6. What part of speech ends in -ment?
7. V/F Words that end in -oue are always masculine.
8. V/F Past participles may agree with avoir or être.
9. What is the correct plural form of the compound noun un cure-dent?
10. V/F C’est and il est are interchangeable.
11. Find the mistake in this sentence: J’aime regarder à la lune.
12. V/F When punctuating with a mark that requires two strokes (! ? ; : « »), you must leave a space between the last word and the mark.
13. What does “n°” stand for?
14. «Il faut que tu saches» is an example of what tricky verb mood?
15. V/F On official documents, last names are written in capital letters.

Pronuncation

 

1. V/F La cédille is used to make a C sound softer.
2. V/F Parler, parlé, parlait, and parlez are all pronounced the same.
3. V/F Quand, quant and qu’en are homonyms.
4. V/F Aspirated Hs are always pronounced in French.
5. V/F L’accent grave is used to mark the past participle on -er verbs.
6. V/F Generally speaking, only the last syllable of a rhythmic group can be stressed.
7. V/F C, R, P, and L are almost always pronounced at the end of words.

Holidays

 

1. Which holiday is celebrated with la Messe de Minuit (midnight mass) and a feast?
2. If a federal holidays falls on a Tuesday, French people won’t work Monday, either. What is this break known as?
3. How many public holidays were there in France in 2015?
4. How many characters are in the French provincial nativity?
5. What is the date of la fête nationale?
6. What do French people place on other peoples’ backs on April Fool’s Day?
7. Why is Rudolph the Reindeer’s nose red?
8. What is the name of the summer holiday celebrating music?

Music

1. Which group released the album “Mélanger les couleurs” in 2006?
2. “Un peu d’amour téléchargé, un peu d’amour à sauver” are lines from what song by Calogero?
3. Who sings “J’t’emmène au vent“?
4. Which Belgian artist released a song inspired by an aria from Bizet’s famous opera Carmen?
5. The frontibus, nasibus, and ventribus are body parts mentioned in which drinking song?
6. Which iconic singer sings “Les amoureux des bancs publics“?
7. Which former First Lady of France released an album called “Quelqu’un m’a dit“?
8. Which French group often imitates different music styles, combining the styles with jokes in the lyrics?
9. Where does Bernard Adamus come from?
10. What is the name of the European song contest that takes place every May?

Culture

1. What is the French equivalent of 911?
2. V/F When saying cheers before having your first drink, you must look into the eyes of the other person as your glasses touch.
3. V/F Encore and toujours both mean still.
4. What’s the name of the strong wind in the south of France?
5. V/F Paris has recently been dealing with the highest air pollution levels in Europe.
6. Convert 16h30 to the 12-hour clock.
7. Which day of the week are most stores closed?
8. V/F Companies in France are allowed to regulate their own storewide sales to get rid of old inventory before new shipments come in.
9. V/F France has more time zones than any other country on earth.
10. If a French person says “mon œil,” does he believe what you’re saying?
11. Which bridge is said to have been been built after Bénézet threw a boulder into a river?
    a) Pont du Gard b) Pont Lerouge c) Pont d’Avignon d) Pont de Menat
12. What is the name of the kiss given to friends upon seeing each other?
13. V/F Eleven successive popes ruled in Avignon.
14. What is the name of the first floor of a building in French?
15. What is the highest score you can have on a test in school?
16. What is the name of the cave where prehistoric paintings were discovered in the early 1940s?
17. What is the name of the French national anthem?
18. In which French city can you visit a museum in les égouts (sewers)?
19. Who is the famous comedian behind the “Where is Brian?” joke?
20. V/F The east coast of the US and France are always 6 hours apart.
21. Which French city lights up 4 days every December for an amazing light show?

Food and Drink

1. What intricate dessert translates into English as the assembled piece?
2. What is the name of the southern licorice-flavored drink that is served mixed with water?
3. What is the name of the dessert cake designed to look like a log and served on Christmas?
4. V/F All sparkling wines are Champagne.
5. V/F Crêpes are served on Mardi Gras.
6. Une chocolatine is another name for what pastry?
7. What is the name of the traditional southern stew consisting of white beans and meat?

Vocabulary

 

1. What does VOST stand for?
2. People wear les bottes, un foulard, and les gants during which season?
3. What fruit-related expression means to faint?
4. V/F Grand cru is a mid-quality vineyard.
5. How do you say un coup de soleil in English?
6. What is the final year of high school in France called?
7. V/F Avoir une peur bleue means to have the blues.
8. What’s the difference between le rose and la rose?
9. What is the cat-related expression meaning to have great night vision?
10. “Les chaussettes de l’archi-duchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches ?” is an example of what word meaning a hard to pronounce sentence?
11. Translate the following words into standard French: meuf, teuf, relou.
12. What is the French verb for to smoke an e-cigarette/to vape?
13. V/F Une librarie is where you rent books and return them later.
14. V/F Une batterie and une pile are the same thing.
15. What’s the difference between un jardin and un potager?
16. What does un phacochère mean in English?
17. What is the English word for une banlieue?
18. What is the difference between une imprimerie and une imprimante?
19. V/F When you are mad, you are rouge de rage.
20. What is the window seat called in French?
21. Le filet, la raquette, l’as, and l’égalité refer to which sport?
22. What is la rentrée?
23. V/F Un bouquin and un livre are the same thing.

Literature

 

1. Which author and other French decadent poets of the 19th century used the rallying cry “Épater la bourgeoisie !“?
2. V/F Molière wrote Madame Bovary.
3. Which translated book series takes place at Poudlard?
4. Who is the author of Le Barbier de Séville?
5. Who wrote the poem “Le message”?

*****

Finished? Here are the answers!

Grammar: 1) conjunctions; 2) de façon que; 3) si; 4) vrai; 5) dans; 6) adverb; 7) faux; 8) vrai; 9) des cure-dents; 10) faux; 11) Regarder already means to look at, so remove the à; 12) vrai; 13) numéro; 14) the subjunctive; 15) vrai

Pronunciation: 1) vrai; 2) vrai; 3) vrai; 4) faux; 5) faux; 6) vrai; 7) faux (F, not P!)

Holidays: 1) le Réveillon de Noël; 2) faire le pont; 3) 13; 4) 55; 5) le 14 juillet; 6) paper fish; 7) He drinks alcohol; 8) La fête de la musique

Music: 1) Kaolin; 2) “Pomme C”; 3) Louise Attaque; 4) Stromae; 5) “Il est des nôtres”; 6) Georges Brassens; 7) Carla Bruni; 8) Oldelaf et Monsieur D; 9) Québec; 10) Eurovision

General & Culture: 1) 112; 2) vrai; 3) vrai; 4) le Mistral; 5) vrai; 6) 4:30pm; 7) Sunday/dimanche; 8) faux; 9) vrai; 10) No; 11) C; 12) la bise; 13) faux; 14) le rez-de-chaussée; 15) 20; 16) Lascaux; 17) La Marseillaise; 18) Paris; 19) Gad; 20) faux; 21) Lyon

Food & Beverage: 1) la pièce montée; 2) le pastis; 3) la bûche de Noël; 4) faux; 5) vrai; 6) un pain au chocolat; 7) le cassoulet

Vocabulary: 1) version originelle sous-titrée; 2) l’hiver; 3) tomber dans les pommes 4) faux; 5) sunburn; 6) terminale; 7) faux; 8) Le rose is the color and la rose is the flower; 9) avoir des yeux de chat; 10) un virelangue; 11) femme, fête, lourd; 12) vapoter; 13) faux; 14) faux; 15) Un jardin is a general garden, and un potager is a vegetable garden; 16) warthog; 17) suburb; 18) une imprimerie is a print shop, and une imprimante is the device that prints; 19) faux; 20) le hublot; 21) le tennis; 22) back to school; 23) vrai, but bouquin is more informal

Literature: 1) Baudelaire; 2) faux; 3) Harry Potter; 4) Beaumarchais; 5) Prévert

*****
From all of us at the Transparent Language French blog, thank you for reading, suggesting, commenting, participating, asking questions, and correcting us! You’re the reason we do this, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it! See you next year!

Bonne année !