Transparent Language French Blog: Top 10 For 2018 Posted by John Bauer on Jan 3, 2019 in Culture, Vocabulary
With the end of la saison des fêtes (the holiday season), 2019 is here! Le nouvel an (New Year’s) is always a good time to look back at the previous year and so like in year’s past, I thought it would be good to look at our French Blog’s Top 10 for 2018.
Image from Pixabay. Licensed under CC0.
Every year is filled with tons of great posts about all things French, but with 2018 officially over, the undisputed Top 10 can now be announced. We’ll start with number 10 and work our way down to the reveal of the most viewed post of 2018.
10) Useful French Vocabulary – The head and face
Les expressions (expressions) are often one of the hardest parts about learning the language. Making sense out of un loup blanc (a white wolf) or how you can stay in le jus (the juice) can leave non native speakers scratching their head. Tim makes the process easier by giving several examples of idioms that use face vocabulary in what can seem like unusual ways.
If you don’t believe me, after reading the post you’ll have no problem saying:
Mon oeil !
I doubt it!
9) New French Music: Maître GIMS En duo avec Vianney
Next up is a chance to relive one of 2018’s biggest hits from two huge French musicians, Maître GIMS and Vianney. Elizabeth breaks down leur tube (their hit song), La Même (The Same) and of course gives you a chance to listen to it and sing along!
8) Bleu, Blanc, Rouge – Let’s Go France!
Relive one of the biggest events for France in 2018 and learn how to cheer on les Bleus (the French soccer team)! The historic French win had the whole country shouting:
On est les champions !
We are the champions!
7) French Academic Vocabulary
Coming back to school, the next most popular post was all about academics. The differences between the French education system and the American one can be quite surprising, from counting backwards to writing a thesis. At the very least you need to know the right vocabulary if you want to make it to class on time!
6) Only An Au Revoir – Auld Lang Syne In French
The famous “New Year’s Eve song” that tous les anglophones (all English speakers) know is an important part of the yearly tradition. While les paroles (the lyrics) to the version les anglophones know are hard to understand as a result of it actually being written in Scots, la version française (the French version) is easy to understand even for beginners in French!
5) Spice up Your Life! Herbs and Spices in French
La cuisine (food) is an important part of every culture, but la France is particularly well known for its rich culinary traditions. In order to spice up your vocabulary and add a little sauce to your French, Josh writes a post that will turn any bland dish into a flavorful French delight!
4) French Vocabulary – Winter Olympics Edition
The beginning of 2018 also marked the start of the latest Jeux Olympiques (Olympic Games)! It may be too late to catch them now, but the winter vocabulary is still useful for anyone who likes cold weather sports. Remembering les Jeux will also help you get excited for Paris 2024!
3) What Does a Dog Say in French? Come Learn the Animal Sounds!
Est-ce que les chiens français aboient en français ? Ou bien juste avec un accent français ?
Do French dogs bark in french? Or even just with a French accent?
This fun question is something that most language learners ask themselves at one point at another. The answer is a definite oui, and it can be quite shocking how different animal sounds – or even baby talk like areu areu (goo goo ga ga) – are from one language to another. Les chiens français as it turns out don’t say woof woof, but instead ouaf ouaf !
What Does a Dog Say in French? Come Learn the Animal Sounds!
2) French Music: “Si Tu Veux” by Mumford and Sons
Le français sometimes attracts artists from other languages and inspires them to create new songs in la langue (the language). Groups like Monsieur Periné or Pink Martini are most well known for their French songs, despite the groups’ origins. One such song comes from a collaboration between the American modern folk group Mumford and Sons and several African musicians, one of whom, Baaba Maal, is from la francophonie.
1) L’Ascension (French Film)
The big reveal, coming in at number one for 2018 is Elizabeth’s post about un film français (a French film) she found on Netflix. I won’t spoil anything for you, but if you’re looking for a fun way to relax and practice French, go look for the film now and start watching!
With the Top 10 list over for this year, I would like to wish all of our readers une bonne année (a Happy New Year) and I hope this one is your best year yet! If you are feeling extra nostalgic or want to start working on your bonne resolution (New Year’s resolution) to study more French, check out last year’s Top 10 as well:
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About the Author: John Bauer
John Bauer is an enthusiast for all things language and travel. He currently lives in France where he's doing his Master's. John came to France four years ago knowing nothing about the language or the country, but through all the mistakes over the years, he's started figuring things out.