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French For Dummies®, Enhanced Edition

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/french to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Media at a Glance
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Part I: Getting Started
Part II: French in Action
Part III: French on the Go
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Part V: Appendixes
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: Getting Started
Chapter 1: The French You Already Know
The French You’re Familiar With
Friendly allies — bons alliés
Kissing cousins
False friends — faux amis
Borrowed English words
Idioms and Popular Expressions
Chapter 2: Basic French Grammar
Key Parts of Speech
Naming things with nouns
Keeping an eye on articles
Meeting subject pronouns face to face
Getting descriptive with adjectives
Getting creative with adverbs
Cavorting with Verbs
Regular verbs
Irregular verbs
Verbs tenses
Forming Sentences and Questions
Chapter 3: Pronunciation and Basic Expressions
The French Alphabet
Uttering Vowel and Consonant Sounds
The vowel sounds
Consonants
The mute h and the aspirate h
Don’t stress; intone instead
Getting Clear on Accents, Liaisons, and Elisions
The five French accents
The liaison
The elision
Greetings: Formal and Friendly
Addressing someone formally or informally
Saying hello and good-bye
Introducing yourself and others
Asking Questions to Get to Know People
Informal and formal ways to ask questions
Asking and replying to “How are you?”
Revisiting the verb “aller”
Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers, Dates, and Times Straight
Counting Your Lucky Stars: Numbers
Counting up to 20
Counting higher
Discovering ordinal numbers
Approximating quantities
Using the Calendar and Dates
Recounting the days of the week
Knowing the names of the months
Setting specific dates
Remembering the seasons
Telling Time in French
Using the 12-hour clock
Using the 24-hour routine
Chapter 5: Talking about Your Home, Family, and Daily Routine
Discussing Where You Live with the Verb “Habiter”
In “le salon” (the living room)
In “la cuisine” (the kitchen)
In “la chambre” (the bedroom)
In “la salle de bains” (the bathroom)
Discussing Daily Routine with Reflexive Verbs
Three squares a day, French-style
Setting the table
Eating and drinking with the verbs “manger,” “prendre,” and “boire”
Using “faire,” “passer,” and other verbs to take charge of chores
Taking command of commands
Using Possessive Adjectives to Introduce Your Family Members
Part II: French in Action
Chapter 6: Making Small Talk
Basic Questions and Polite Expressions
Using key question words
Saying the magic words: Polite expressions
Stating Your Preferences
Talking about Your Livelihood
Chatting about the Weather
Deciding to Keep in Touch
Chapter 7: Asking Directions and Finding Your Way
Asking and Answering “Where?” Questions
Asking questions with “où,” plus the verbs “être” and “se trouver”
Answering questions with “à”
Using “voici” and “voilà”
Getting specific with prepositions
Getting Direction about Directions
Using direct commands to give directions
Softening commands with “il faut”
Expressing distances in time and space
Going north, south, east, and west
Checking directions or your location
What to do when you don’t understand
Chapter 8: Bon Appétit! Dining Out and Going to the Market
Dining Out
Making a restaurant reservation
Perusing the menu
Placing your order
Paying the bill
Finding the restrooms
Going to the Market
Making purchases with the verbs “acheter” and “vendre”
Specifying how much you want
Shopping at neighborhood food shops
Chapter 9: Shopping Made Easy
Going Shopping
Shopping for clothes, item by item
Navigating your way around
Getting assistance
Finding the right fit
Pointing items out with “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”
Moving on to demonstrative pronouns
Choosing the right fabric and color
Making Comparisons: Good, Better, Best, and More
Chapter 10: Going Out on the Town
Going Out with the Verb “Sortir”
Having Fun with the Verb “S’amuser”
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Visiting museums and art galleries
Spending an evening at the theater
Heading to the movies
Going to concerts
Enjoying the nightlife
Making Plans with Friends
Asking a friend to go out
Accepting and declining invitations
Chapter 11: Taking Care of Business and Telecommunicating
Getting Around — and Along — at the Office
Taking notice of office supplies and equipment
Using the computer and Internet
Sending an e-mail and a fax
Sending mail the old-fashioned way
Making Appointments and Minding Business Hours
Making a Phone Call
Livin’ in the Past: Using the Past Tense
Creating the past tense with “avoir”
Using the past tense with être
Chapter 12: Recreation and the Outdoors
Playing Sports and Games
Using “faire” for individual sports
Using “jouer” for team sports
Going Downhill — or Cross-country — Skiing
Going to the Beach
Setting Up Camp
Enjoying Quieter Pursuits
Having fun with board games
Reading with the verb “lire”
Tending to the garden
Part III: French on the Go
Chapter 13: Planning a Trip
Where Do You Want to Go?
Using geographical prepositions
Making plans with the future tense
Getting Ready for Your Trip
Introducing the indirect object pronouns
Securing passports and visas
Packing your suitcases with your belongings: Using possessive adjectives
Chapter 14: Dealing with Money in a Foreign Land
Getting Current with Currency
Getting familiar with euros and cents
Beyond Europe and the euro: Currency in other French-speaking countries
Going to the Bank
Getting — and requesting — assistance
Exchanging money
Cashing checks and checking your cash
Making change
Using Credit Cards and ATMs
Saying that you can, want, or have to do something
Using disjunctive pronouns
Chapter 15: Getting Around
Getting through the Airport
Finding your way around the airport
Up, up, and away — On the plane
Going through customs
Navigating Buses, Trains, and Subways
Boarding the bus
Using the subway
Getting around by train
Getting Around by Car
Hailing a taxi
Driving in a foreign land
Deciphering road signs
Chapter 16: Finding a Place to Stay
Finding Accommodations
Choosing your amenities
Making reservations
Specifying the kind of room you want
Asking about the price
Checking In to a Hotel
Using direct object pronouns
Filling out a registration form
Asking for towels and other essentials
Checking Out of a Hotel
Chapter 17: Handling Emergencies
Getting Help Fast
Getting Medical Help
Talking with doctors when you’re ill or injured
Undergoing a medical examination
Going to a pharmacy for minor ailments and medications
Braving the dentist
Handling Legal Matters
Talking to the police
Getting legal help
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Pick Up French Quickly
Chapter 19: Ten Things Never to Say in French
Chapter 20: Ten Favorite French Expressions
Chapter 21: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound French
Part V: Appendixes
Appendix A: Mini-Dictionary
Appendix B: Verb Tables
Appendix C: Answer Key
Cheat Sheet

This enhanced e-book offers multiple opportunities to click a play button to hear native speakers pronounce the French the right way. Taking advantage of these listen-and-repeat audio clips gets you a step closer to mastering the language.

tip.eps For maximum benefit, use horizontal mode to view this e-book.

Welcome to French For Dummies, Enhanced Edition (0:26)

Media at a Glance

Audio

The French Alphabet (1:46)

Formal introductions (1:15)

Pierre and Claire are running late (0:57)

Suzanne interviews a potential roomate (4:05)

Patrick and Amanda chat on a plane (3:33)

Patrick and Amanda talk about the weather (2:20)

Julie asks about Versailles (1:54)

Julie and Mike at the end of the meal (1:03)

Cecile tries on a dress (3:15)

Discussing how to spend the day (2:12)

Pierre calls Monique about their movie date(1:45)

Marc and Paul talk soccer (1:54)

Etienne and Christine go camping (3:13)

Anne books a flight to Nice (4:04)

Exchanging Canadian dollars for euros (1:39)

Julie pays for travel guides (1:50)

Mr. Meyer asks about buses (2:14)

Susan books a train to Versailles (2:36)

Getting a room at an inn (2:13)

Judy checks out of her hotel (2:27)

Making a doctor's appointment (1:47)

French For Dummies®, Enhanced Edition

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About the Authors

Dodi-Katrin Schmidt has been a writer, translator, and editor for over a decade. Aside from translating German, French, and English texts of various kinds, including linguistic handbooks, film reviews, travel guides, and children’s books, she has also been involved in developing language textbooks, language courses, teachers’ handbooks, and grammar companions for video language courses. Dodi has been teaching for more than two decades at high school, adult education, and college levels in Europe as well as the United States. She also writes test items for various national language tests and recorded textbook and test material. Together with her husband, she travels a great deal, and they continually house and entertain foreign students and former students in their home in Princeton, NJ.

Michelle M. Williams is an editor at a major educational publisher. A former French teacher, she has taught students ranging from 2-years old to adults in both the public and private sectors. She is a firm believer in making the language fun and accessible to all who want to learn. Her most rewarding experience, however, is in watching and listening to her son Nathaniel learn to speak and sing in French.

Dominique Wenzel has been a freelance teacher of French and a translator for 15 years. Born and raised in France, she received a Master’s degree from the University of Paris-Sorbonne and studied at the University of Chicago on a postgraduate Fulbright scholarship. Her students include business professionals, children, and adults of all levels and interests. She travels regularly to France. Dominique raised two bicultural, bilingual children who are both active in the international field.

Dr. Zoe Erotopoulos was born in Greece and immigrated to the United States at a young age. Her love of the French language, literature, and culture inspired her to pursue her academic studies in these areas. She holds an MA, MPhil, and PhD in French and Romance Philology from Columbia University in New York, NY. Dr. Erotopoulos has also studied in Aix-en-Provence, at the Sorbonne, and at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris.

Her teaching experience in French ranges from elementary to advanced level courses, including literature and theater. Dr. Erotopoulos’s area of expertise is 17th-century French theater. Throughout her academic career, she has taught at a number of institutions, including Columbia University, Reid Hall in Paris, and Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. She is presently teaching in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Dr. Erotopoulos is the author of French Verbs For Dummies and French For Dummies, Audio Set. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, Steve, and three children, Despina, Olga, and Stathi.

Berlitz has meant excellence in language services for more than 120 years. At more than 400 locations and in 50 countries worldwide, Berlitz offers a full range of language and language-related services, including instruction, cross-cultural training, document translation, software localization, and interpretation services. Berlitz also offers a wide array of publishing products, such as self-study language courses, phrase books, travel guides, and dictionaries.

The world-famous Berlitz Method® is the core of all Berlitz language instruction. From the time of its introduction in 1878, millions have used this method to learn new languages. For more information about Berlitz classes and products, please consult your local telephone directory for the Language Center nearest you or visit the Berlitz website at www.berlitz.com, where you can enroll in classes or shop directly for products online.

Dedication

Zoe: To my family.

Authors’ Acknowledgments

Zoe: I am very grateful to my family for their unwavering love and support, especially to my children who are my personal cheering squad. I would like to wholeheartedly thank my editor, Tracy Barr, for her professionalism, her insightful comments and suggestions, and her expertise. A special thank you goes to Michael Lewis for entrusting me with this project and to the technical reviewers, Eric Laird and Lydia de Faveri, for their expertise and careful attention to detail. I must also thank Dodi Schmidt, Michelle Williams, and Dominique Wenzel, who put so much time, effort, and knowledge into the first edition of this book. Last, but certainly not least, a heartfelt thank you to my colleagues in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Fairfield University and Cynthia Nadal for their friendship, encouragement, and sound advice.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Vertical Websites

Editor: Tracy L. Barr

Acquisitions Editor: Michael Lewis

Assistant Editor: David Lutton

Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen

Technical Editors: Eric H. Laird, Lydia de Faveri Spiegel

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CD Producer: Her Voice Unlimited, LLC

Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Editorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor: Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistants: Rachelle Amick

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Cover Photo: ©iStockphoto.com/Lisa F. Young

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Nikki Gee

Layout and Graphics: Timothy C. Detrick, Joyce Haugey, Corrie Socolovitch, Christin Swinford, Laura Westhuis

Proofreaders: Rebecca Denoncour,Susan Moritz, Nancy L. Reinhardt

Indexer: Potomac Indexing, LLC

Illustrator: Elizabeth Kurtzman

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher

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Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Introduction

As society becomes increasingly more international and as we seek to become global citizens, knowing how to say at least a few words in other languages becomes more and more useful. The European Union is a great example of global citizenry as borders between the member countries become easier to cross. Furthermore, global business environments necessitate overseas travel. Thanks to numerous travel websites, finding a package deal for airfare and hotel stays makes travel abroad easier and more convenient than ever before. Moreover, the Internet allows us to have contact with people all over the world, making learning a foreign language a great asset.

Whether you are traveling overseas on business, exploring a different culture, or even connecting with your heritage, learning a little bit of the language has many advantages. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn some French, French For Dummies, 2nd Edition, can help. It gives you the skills you need for basic communication in French. We’re not promising fluency here, but if you need to greet someone, purchase a ticket, ask for directions, make a hotel reservation, or order off a menu in French, you need look no further than this book.

Remember that everyday French is like everyday English. It makes use of simplified lingual forms which, although perfectly correct, avoid and ignore certain complicated verb tenses and moods such as, say, the future perfect or the subjunctive. In everyday French, you can express yourself adequately by following just a few easy-to-understand grammar rules and by knowing a minimum number of words. So you should find the lessons in this book to be fun and not the least bit overwhelming.

Now is playtime: C’est la récréation (seh lah rey-krey-ah-syohN).

About This Book

French For Dummies, 2nd Edition, isn’t like a class that you have to drag yourself to twice a week for a specified period of time. You can use this book however you want to, whether your goal is to learn some words and phrases to help you get around when you visit France or a francophone country, or you just want to be able to say “Hello, how are you?” to your French-speaking neighbor. Go through this book at your own pace, reading as much or as little at a time as you like. You don’t have to trudge through the chapters in sequential order, either; just read the sections that interest you.

Conventions Used in This Book

To make this book easy to navigate, we’ve set up some conventions:

check.png French terms are set in boldface to make them stand out.

check.png Pronunciation, set in parentheses, follows the French terms. Hyphens connect syllables in the same word as well as words that are linked by the French liaison (which you can find out all about in Chapter 3).

check.png Translation of the French terms is set in italic and follows the pronunciation.

check.png Because French nouns are typically preceded by an article, we include those articles in the word lists throughout this book, even though the English translation may not use the article. Furthermore, because articles indicate a noun’s gender, they’re helpful bits of information when you’re learning a language. When the article is abbreviated (l’), however, you can’t tell the gender. In those instances, we add a gender designation: (m) for masculine and (f) for feminine.

check.png Verb conjugations (lists that show you the forms of a verb) are given in tables in this order:

• The “I” form

• The “you” (singular, informal) form

• The “he/she/it/one” form

• The “we” form

• The “you” (plural, and singular, formal) form

• The “they” form.

Pronunciations follow in the second column. The example shown uses the verb parler (pahr-ley) (to speak). The conjugation starts with the French equivalent of I speak or I am speaking; you speak, or you are speaking, and so on.

/name of image

So that you can make fast progress in French, this book includes a few elements to help you along:

check.png Talkin’ the Talk dialogues: The best way to learn a language is to see and hear how it’s used in conversation, so we include dialogues throughout the book. The dialogues come under the heading “Talkin’ the Talk” and show you the French words, the pronunciation, and the English translation.

check.png Words to Know blackboards: Memorizing key words and phrases is also important in language learning, so we collect the important words in a chapter (or section within a chapter) in a chalkboard, with the heading “Words to Know.”

check.png Fun & Games activities: If you don’t have actual French speakers to practice your new language skills on, you can use the Fun & Games activities to reinforce what you learn. These games are fun ways to gauge your progress.

Also note that, because each language has its own way of expressing ideas, the English translations that we provide for the French terms may not be exactly literal. We want you to know the gist of what’s being said, not just the words that are being said. For example, the phrase C’est normal (seh nohr-mahl) can be translated literally as It’s normal, but the phrase really means It’s no big deal. This book gives the second translation.

Foolish Assumptions

To write this book, we had to make some assumptions about who you are and what you want from a book called French For Dummies. Here are the assumptions that we’ve made about you:

check.png You know no or very little French — or if you took French back in school, you don’t remember much of it.

check.png You’re not looking for a book that will make you fluent in French; you just want to know some words, phrases, and sentence constructions so that you can communicate basic information in French.

check.png You don’t want to have to memorize long lists of vocabulary words or a bunch of boring grammar rules.

check.png You want to have fun and learn a little bit of French at the same time.

If these statements apply to you, you’ve found the right book!

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided by topic into parts and then into chapters. The following sections tell you what types of information you can find in each part.

Part I: Getting Started

This part lets you get your feet wet by giving you some French basics: how to pronounce words, what the accents mean, and so on. We even boost your confidence by reintroducing you to some French words that you probably already know. Finally, we outline the basics of French grammar that you may need to know when you work through later chapters in the book.

Part II: French in Action

In this part, you begin learning and using French. Instead of focusing on grammar points as many language textbooks do, this part focuses on everyday situations, such as asking for directions, shopping, dining, going out on the town, and making small talk.

Part III: French on the Go

This part gives you the tools you need to take your French on the road, whether you’re going to a local French restaurant or to a museum in France. This part covers all aspects of travel in French-speaking parts of the world, and it even has a chapter on how to handle emergencies.

Part IV: The Part of Tens

If you’re looking for small, easily digestible pieces of information about French, this part is for you. Here you can find ten ways to learn French quickly, ten useful French expressions to know, ten things never to say in French, and more.

Part V: Appendixes

This part of the book includes important information that you can use for reference. Appendix A is a mini-dictionary in both French-to-English and English-to-French formats. If you encounter a French word that you don’t understand or you need to say something in French that you can’t find quickly elsewhere in the book, you can look it up here. Appendix B features verb tables, which show you how to conjugate regular verbs and then how to conjugate those verbs that stubbornly don’t fit the pattern. Appendix C gives you the answer keys to all of the Fun & Games activities that appear in the book.

Icons Used in This Book

You may be looking for particular information while reading this book. To make certain types of information easier to find, we’ve placed the following icons in the left-hand margins throughout the book:

tip.eps This icon highlights tips that can make learning French easier.

remember.eps This icon points out interesting information that you ought not forget.

warning_bomb.eps To help you avoid linguistic, grammatical, and cultural faux pas, we use this icon.

GrammaticallySpeaking.eps Languages are full of quirks that may trip you up if you’re not prepared for them. This icon points to discussions of these peculiar grammar rules.

culturalwisdom.eps If you’re looking for information and advice about culture and travel, look for this icon. It draws your attention to interesting tidbits about the countries in which French is spoken.

Where to Go from Here

Learning a language is all about jumping in and giving it a try (no matter how bad your pronunciation is at first). So make the leap! Start at the beginning, pick a chapter that interests you, or listen to a few dialogues. Before long, you’ll be able to respond Oui! (wee!) (Yes!) when people ask Parlez-vous français? (pahr-ley vooh frahN-seh?) (Do you speak French?).

Note: If you’ve never been exposed to French before, you may want to read the chapters in Part I before you tackle the later chapters. Part I gives you some of the basics that you need to know about the language, such as how to pronounce the various sounds, some basic expressions and words, and the fundamentals of French sentence structure.

Part I

Getting Started

9781118004647-pp0101.eps

In this part . . .

You have to start somewhere, but we bet that you know a lot more French than you think. Don’t think so? Then check out Chapter 1 and see how many French words and idioms you already use. Chapters 2 and 3 provide some basic background on French grammar and pronunciation, while Chapters 4 and 5 get you talking about yourself and your family. So get started and don’t worry — We make it fun!

Chapter 1

The French You Already Know

In This Chapter

arrow French words that are identical or similar to their English counterparts

arrow French words to watch out for

arrow Idioms and popular expressions you may already know

Learning a new language can be challenging. Not only do you need to know a whole new vocabulary, but you also need to twist your head around different grammar rules and your tongue around different pronunciation rules. But here’s a little news that may make the task seem a little less daunting: You already know quite a few French words and expressions. How? Because the English language, being the borrower that it is, contains many French words and expressions, and French has absorbed some English words, too.

In this chapter, you get to explore some French words and phrases without having to know pronunciation or grammar rules (that info comes in Chapters 2 and 3). Here, we include French words that are spelled the same and mean the same as their English counterparts, as well as words that are close in meaning and spelling. But because not every French word that resembles an English word shares its meaning, we also tell you what words to watch out for. In addition, we include some French expressions that you probably already know and understand. By the end of this chapter, you may discover that you actually know more French than you previously thought.

The French You’re Familiar With

With just a narrow stretch of water between them, the English and the French have historically been pretty close, even if they haven’t always been the friendly allies they are today. In fact, French was the language of the English court for a very long time — a fact that many people tend to forget. (The Normans who invaded England in 1066 with William the Conqueror were French, as were some of the most prominent people in English history).

What does this have to do with your learning French? Well today, about 35 percent of English vocabulary is of French origin. That being the case, you already know an impressive amount of French, whether you realize it or not. The only pitfall you have to watch out for is that sometimes the English words have a different meaning from their French counterparts, and they almost certainly have a different pronunciation.

tip.eps French nouns are preceded by either definite or indefinite articles. The definite articles are le (masculine), la (feminine), l’ (an abbreviation of either le or la), and les (plural); these are the equivalent to the English word the. The indefinite articles are un (masculine), une (feminine), des (plural); these are all equivalent to the English words a, an, or some. As you learn French, knowing which articles go with what nouns helps you identify the noun’s gender; that’s why we include the articles with the nouns in the lists throughout this book. Because the abbreviated article l’ obscures the noun’s gender, we added the gender in parentheses. Finally, because the articles are not always used in English translations, we don’t include them in the translations of the word lists: l’université (f) (lew-nee-vehr-see-tey) (university) and le kiosque (luh kyohhsk) (kiosk), for example.

Friendly allies — bons alliés

Several French words are spelled the same and have the same meaning as their English counterparts. The only thing that may be different is the pronunciation (for more on pronunciation guidelines, head to Chapter 3). Take a look at these bons alliés (bohN-zah-lyey) (friendly allies):

check.png l’art (m) (lahr)

check.png brave (brahv)

check.png le bureau (luh bew-roh)

check.png le client (luh klee-yahN)

check.png le concert (luh kohN-sehr)

check.png la condition (lah kohN-dee-syohN)

check.png content (kohN-tahN)

check.png le courage (luh kooh-rahzh)

check.png le cousin (luh kooh-zaN)

check.png la culture (lah kewl-tewr)

check.png différent (dee-fey-rahN)

check.png excellent (ehk-seh-lahN)

check.png le garage (luh gah-rahzh)

check.png le guide (luh geed)

check.png important (aN-pohr-tahN)

check.png le journal (luh zhoohr-nahl)

check.png la machine (lah mah-sheen)

check.png le message (luh mey-sahzh)

check.png le moment (luh moh-mahN)

check.png la nation (lah nah-syohN)

check.png la nièce (lah nyehs)

check.png l’orange (f) (loh-rahNzh)

check.png le parent (luh pah-rahN)

check.png possible (poh-see-bluh)

check.png principal (praN-see-pahl)

check.png probable (proh-bah-bluh)

check.png la question (lah kehs-tyohN)

check.png la radio (lah rah-dyoh)

check.png le restaurant (luh rehs-toh-rahN)

check.png la rose (lah rohz)

check.png rouge (roohzh)

check.png la route (lah rooht)

check.png la science (lah syahNs)

check.png le secret (luh suh-kreh)

check.png le service (luh sehr-vees)

check.png le signal (luh see-nyahl)

check.png le silence (luh see-lahNs)

check.png la solitude (lah soh-lee-tewd)

check.png le sport (luh spohr)

check.png la station (lah stah-syohN)

check.png la statue (lah stah-tew)

check.png la suggestion (lah sewg-zheh-styohN)

check.png la surprise (lah sewr-preez)

check.png la table (lah tah-bluh)

check.png le taxi (luh tah-ksee)

check.png le tennis (luh tey-nees)

check.png le train (luh traN)

check.png urgent (ewr-zhahN)

check.png violet (vyoh-leh)

check.png le voyage (luh voh-yahzh)

check.png le zoo (luh zooh)

Kissing cousins

Some French words, while not identical in spelling to their English counterparts, look very similar. These words also have similar meanings. Table 1-1 shows words that fit into this category.

/tb1-1

/tb1-1

False friends — faux amis

Some French words are faux amis (foh-zah-mee) (false friends). They look similar to English words, but they don’t have the same meaning. Misusing these words can be quite confusing. For example, if you tell someone that your young adult son or daughter is in a collège (koh-lehzh), they’d probably look at you — or your child — strangely because the French word collège means middle school, not university. The following list shows some of these easy-to-confuse words:

check.png actuellement (ahk-tew-ehl-mahN): This word means now, not actually. The French word for actually is en fait (ahN feht).

check.png assister à (ah-sees-tey ah): This word means to attend, not to assist. The French word for to assist is aider (ey-dey).

check.png attendre (ah-tahN-druh): This word means to wait for, not to attend. The French word for to attend is assister à (ah-sees-tey ah).

check.png la bague (lah bahg): This word means ring (the kind you wear on your finger), not bag. The French word for bag is le sac (luh sahk).

check.png blesser (bleh-sey): This word means to wound or to hurt. The French word for to bless is bénir (bey-neer).

check.png la cave (lah kahv): The French word cave means cellar in French. The word for cave is la grotte (lah grohht) in French.

check.png le collège (luh koh-lehzh) means middle school; use the French word l’université (f) (lew-nee-vehr-see-tey) when you want to say college.

check.png formidable (fohr-mee-dah-bluh): This word means wonderful or tremendous, not fearsome or daunting. To say formidable in French, you use the word redoutable (ruh-dooh-tah-bluh).

check.png la lecture (lah leh-ktewr): This word means a reading, as in a reading of Balzac’s novels. The word for lecture is la conférence (lah kohN-fey-rahNs).

check.png la librairie (lah lee-brey-ree): This word means bookstore, not library. The French word for library is la bibliothèque (lah bee-blee-oh-tehk).

check.png la place (lah plahs): This word means square, seat at the theater, or seat on the bus, not place. The French word for place is le lieu (luh lyuh) or l’endroit (m) (lahN-drwah).

check.png rester (rehs-tey): This word means to stay or to remain, not to rest. The French word for to rest is se reposer (suh-ruh-poh-zey).

check.png sympathique (saN-pah-teek): This word means nice. To say sympathetic in French, you say compatissant(e) (kohN-pah-tee-sahN[t]).

check.png la veste (lah vehst): This word means jacket in French, not vest or waistcoat. The French word for vest is le gilet (luh zhee-leh).

Borrowed English words

The preceding sections note quite a few English words that have been borrowed from French and that have retained their French meaning, even though the pronunciation is different.

But English isn’t the only language that’s nicked a few words. French has also borrowed many words from English and continues to do so in spite of the loud protest by purists who condemn this trend as a sign of cultural contamination and name it franglais (frahN-gleh): Here is a list of some of the terms borrowed from English and absorbed into the French language. Note the different pronunciation:

check.png le budget (luh bewd-zheh)

check.png le business (luh beez-nehs)

check.png le camping (luh kahN-peeng)

check.png le chewing-gum (luh shweeng-gohhm)

check.png les chips (ley sheep[s])

check.png le coca (luh koh-kah)

check.png cool (koohl)

check.png le fast food (luh fahst foohd)

check.png le hamburger (luh ahm-boohr-guhr)

check.png le jet set (luh jeht seht)

check.png le manager (luh mah-nah-jehr)

check.png le marketing (luh mahr-kuh-teeng)

check.png le parking (luh pahr-keen)

check.png le rock (luh rohk) (as in rock music)

check.png le shopping (luh shoh-peeng)

check.png le steak (luh stehk)

check.png le chat (luh chaht)

check.png le tunnel (luh tew-nehl)

check.png le week-end (luh wee-kehnd)

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culturalwisdom.eps

Idioms and Popular Expressions

French, like English, has many idioms (unusual ways of expressing feelings and ideas). You may find the meaning of these expressions puzzling if you try to translate them word for word.

These fixed forms of expression belong specifically to the language in question. If you walk up to a French person and say Il pleut des chats et des chiens (eel pluh dey shah ey dey shyaN) (It’s raining cats and dogs), he or she would question your sanity. On the other hand, you may find yourself wondering what a French speaker means when she says Il tombe des cordes (eel tohNb dey kohrd), whose literal translation is Ropes are falling, but it’s roughly equivalent to It’s raining cats and dogs.

Apart from those idioms, which take a long time to comprehend and belong specifically to a culture, every language has many expressions and phrases that, although they cannot be translated word for word, can easily be learned and used. Here are a few of the useful expressions you frequently hear in French:

check.png À la vôtre! (ah lah voh-truh!) (Cheers!)

check.png À mon avis (ah mohN-nah-vee) (in my opinion)

check.png À tes/vos souhaits! (ah tey/voh sweh!) (Bless you!/Gesundheit!)

check.png Allez! Un petit effort! (ah-ley! uhN puh-tee-teh-fohr!) (Come on! Try a little!)

check.png Bien sûr. (byaN sewr.) (Of course.)

check.png Bon appétit! (bohN-nah-pey-tee!) (Enjoy your meal!)

check.png Ça vaut la peine/le coup. (sah voh lah pehn/luh kooh.) (It’s worth it.)

check.png D’accord. (dah-kohr.) (Okay.)

check.png De rien. (duh ryaN.) (Don’t mention it.)

check.png Jamais de la vie! (zhah-meh duh lah vee!) or Pas question! (pah kehs-tyohN!) (No way!)

check.png Revenons à nos moutons. (ruh-vuh-nohN ah noh mooh-tohN.) (Let’s get back to the subject at hand.)

check.png Tant mieux. (tahN myuh.) (So much the better.)

check.png Tant pis. (tahN pee.) (Too bad.)

check.png Tout à fait. (tooh-tah feh.) (Quite.)

check.png Un coup d’oeil (uhN kooh duhy) (a glance, a quick look)