French For Dummies®, Enhanced Edition
Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/french to view this book's cheat sheet.
Table of Contents
About This BookConventions Used in This BookFoolish AssumptionsHow This Book Is OrganizedPart I: Getting StartedPart II: French in ActionPart III: French on the GoPart IV: The Part of TensPart V: AppendixesIcons Used in This BookWhere to Go from Here
Chapter 1: The French You Already KnowThe French You’re Familiar WithFriendly allies — bons alliésKissing cousinsFalse friends — faux amisBorrowed English wordsIdioms and Popular ExpressionsChapter 2: Basic French GrammarKey Parts of SpeechNaming things with nounsKeeping an eye on articlesMeeting subject pronouns face to faceGetting descriptive with adjectivesGetting creative with adverbsCavorting with VerbsRegular verbsIrregular verbsVerbs tensesForming Sentences and QuestionsChapter 3: Pronunciation and Basic ExpressionsThe French AlphabetUttering Vowel and Consonant SoundsThe vowel soundsConsonantsThe mute h and the aspirate hDon’t stress; intone insteadGetting Clear on Accents, Liaisons, and ElisionsThe five French accentsThe liaisonThe elisionGreetings: Formal and FriendlyAddressing someone formally or informallySaying hello and good-byeIntroducing yourself and othersAsking Questions to Get to Know PeopleInformal and formal ways to ask questionsAsking and replying to “How are you?”Revisiting the verb “aller”Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers, Dates, and Times StraightCounting Your Lucky Stars: NumbersCounting up to 20Counting higherDiscovering ordinal numbersApproximating quantitiesUsing the Calendar and DatesRecounting the days of the weekKnowing the names of the monthsSetting specific datesRemembering the seasonsTelling Time in FrenchUsing the 12-hour clockUsing the 24-hour routineChapter 5: Talking about Your Home, Family, and Daily RoutineDiscussing 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 VerbsThree squares a day, French-styleSetting the tableEating and drinking with the verbs “manger,” “prendre,” and “boire”Using “faire,” “passer,” and other verbs to take charge of choresTaking command of commandsUsing Possessive Adjectives to Introduce Your Family Members
Chapter 6: Making Small TalkBasic Questions and Polite ExpressionsUsing key question wordsSaying the magic words: Polite expressionsStating Your PreferencesTalking about Your LivelihoodChatting about the WeatherDeciding to Keep in TouchChapter 7: Asking Directions and Finding Your WayAsking and Answering “Where?” QuestionsAsking questions with “où,” plus the verbs “être” and “se trouver”Answering questions with “à”Using “voici” and “voilà”Getting specific with prepositionsGetting Direction about DirectionsUsing direct commands to give directionsSoftening commands with “il faut”Expressing distances in time and spaceGoing north, south, east, and westChecking directions or your locationWhat to do when you don’t understandChapter 8: Bon Appétit! Dining Out and Going to the MarketDining OutMaking a restaurant reservationPerusing the menuPlacing your orderPaying the billFinding the restroomsGoing to the MarketMaking purchases with the verbs “acheter” and “vendre”Specifying how much you wantShopping at neighborhood food shopsChapter 9: Shopping Made EasyGoing ShoppingShopping for clothes, item by itemNavigating your way aroundGetting assistanceFinding the right fitPointing items out with “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”Moving on to demonstrative pronounsChoosing the right fabric and colorMaking Comparisons: Good, Better, Best, and MoreChapter 10: Going Out on the TownGoing Out with the Verb “Sortir”Having Fun with the Verb “S’amuser”Oh, the Places You’ll Go!Visiting museums and art galleriesSpending an evening at the theaterHeading to the moviesGoing to concertsEnjoying the nightlifeMaking Plans with FriendsAsking a friend to go outAccepting and declining invitationsChapter 11: Taking Care of Business and TelecommunicatingGetting Around — and Along — at the OfficeTaking notice of office supplies and equipmentUsing the computer and InternetSending an e-mail and a faxSending mail the old-fashioned wayMaking Appointments and Minding Business HoursMaking a Phone CallLivin’ in the Past: Using the Past TenseCreating the past tense with “avoir”Using the past tense with êtreChapter 12: Recreation and the OutdoorsPlaying Sports and GamesUsing “faire” for individual sportsUsing “jouer” for team sportsGoing Downhill — or Cross-country — SkiingGoing to the BeachSetting Up CampEnjoying Quieter PursuitsHaving fun with board gamesReading with the verb “lire”Tending to the garden
Chapter 13: Planning a TripWhere Do You Want to Go?Using geographical prepositionsMaking plans with the future tenseGetting Ready for Your TripIntroducing the indirect object pronounsSecuring passports and visasPacking your suitcases with your belongings: Using possessive adjectivesChapter 14: Dealing with Money in a Foreign LandGetting Current with CurrencyGetting familiar with euros and centsBeyond Europe and the euro: Currency in other French-speaking countriesGoing to the BankGetting — and requesting — assistanceExchanging moneyCashing checks and checking your cashMaking changeUsing Credit Cards and ATMsSaying that you can, want, or have to do somethingUsing disjunctive pronounsChapter 15: Getting AroundGetting through the AirportFinding your way around the airportUp, up, and away — On the planeGoing through customsNavigating Buses, Trains, and SubwaysBoarding the busUsing the subwayGetting around by trainGetting Around by CarHailing a taxiDriving in a foreign landDeciphering road signsChapter 16: Finding a Place to StayFinding AccommodationsChoosing your amenitiesMaking reservationsSpecifying the kind of room you wantAsking about the priceChecking In to a HotelUsing direct object pronounsFilling out a registration formAsking for towels and other essentialsChecking Out of a HotelChapter 17: Handling EmergenciesGetting Help FastGetting Medical HelpTalking with doctors when you’re ill or injuredUndergoing a medical examinationGoing to a pharmacy for minor ailments and medicationsBraving the dentistHandling Legal MattersTalking to the policeGetting legal help
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Pick Up French QuicklyChapter 19: Ten Things Never to Say in FrenchChapter 20: Ten Favorite French ExpressionsChapter 21: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound French
Appendix A: Mini-DictionaryAppendix B: Verb TablesAppendix C: Answer KeyCheat 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.
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
French For Dummies®, Enhanced Edition
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011932271
ISBN 978-1-118-00464-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-13864-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-13865-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-13866-3 (ebk); ISBN: 978-1-118-25825-5 (enhanced ebook); ISBN: 978-1-118-27018-9 (enhanced ebook)
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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.
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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.
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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:
French terms are set in boldface to make them stand out.
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).
Translation of the French terms is set in italic and follows the pronunciation.
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.
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.
So that you can make fast progress in French, this book includes a few elements to help you along:
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.
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.”
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:
You know no or very little French — or if you took French back in school, you don’t remember much of it.
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.
You don’t want to have to memorize long lists of vocabulary words or a bunch of boring grammar rules.
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:
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
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
French words that are identical or similar to their English counterparts
French words to watch out for
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.
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):
l’art (m) (lahr)
brave (brahv)
le bureau (luh bew-roh)
le client (luh klee-yahN)
le concert (luh kohN-sehr)
la condition (lah kohN-dee-syohN)
content (kohN-tahN)
le courage (luh kooh-rahzh)
le cousin (luh kooh-zaN)
la culture (lah kewl-tewr)
différent (dee-fey-rahN)
excellent (ehk-seh-lahN)
le garage (luh gah-rahzh)
le guide (luh geed)
important (aN-pohr-tahN)
le journal (luh zhoohr-nahl)
la machine (lah mah-sheen)
le message (luh mey-sahzh)
le moment (luh moh-mahN)
la nation (lah nah-syohN)
la nièce (lah nyehs)
l’orange (f) (loh-rahNzh)
le parent (luh pah-rahN)
possible (poh-see-bluh)
principal (praN-see-pahl)
probable (proh-bah-bluh)
la question (lah kehs-tyohN)
la radio (lah rah-dyoh)
le restaurant (luh rehs-toh-rahN)
la rose (lah rohz)
rouge (roohzh)
la route (lah rooht)
la science (lah syahNs)
le secret (luh suh-kreh)
le service (luh sehr-vees)
le signal (luh see-nyahl)
le silence (luh see-lahNs)
la solitude (lah soh-lee-tewd)
le sport (luh spohr)
la station (lah stah-syohN)
la statue (lah stah-tew)
la suggestion (lah sewg-zheh-styohN)
la surprise (lah sewr-preez)
la table (lah tah-bluh)
le taxi (luh tah-ksee)
le tennis (luh tey-nees)
le train (luh traN)
urgent (ewr-zhahN)
violet (vyoh-leh)
le voyage (luh voh-yahzh)
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.
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:
actuellement (ahk-tew-ehl-mahN): This word means now, not actually. The French word for actually is en fait (ahN feht).
assister à (ah-sees-tey ah): This word means to attend, not to assist. The French word for to assist is aider (ey-dey).
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).
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).
blesser (bleh-sey): This word means to wound or to hurt. The French word for to bless is bénir (bey-neer).
la cave (lah kahv): The French word cave means cellar in French. The word for cave is la grotte (lah grohht) in French.
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.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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).
sympathique (saN-pah-teek): This word means nice. To say sympathetic in French, you say compatissant(e) (kohN-pah-tee-sahN[t]).
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:
le budget (luh bewd-zheh)
le business (luh beez-nehs)
le camping (luh kahN-peeng)
le chewing-gum (luh shweeng-gohhm)
les chips (ley sheep[s])
le coca (luh koh-kah)
cool (koohl)
le fast food (luh fahst foohd)
le hamburger (luh ahm-boohr-guhr)
le jet set (luh jeht seht)
le manager (luh mah-nah-jehr)
le marketing (luh mahr-kuh-teeng)
le parking (luh pahr-keen)
le rock (luh rohk) (as in rock music)
le shopping (luh shoh-peeng)
le steak (luh stehk)
le chat (luh chaht)
le tunnel (luh tew-nehl)
le week-end (luh wee-kehnd)
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:
À la vôtre! (ah lah voh-truh!) (Cheers!)
À mon avis (ah mohN-nah-vee) (in my opinion)
À tes/vos souhaits! (ah tey/voh sweh!) (Bless you!/Gesundheit!)
Allez! Un petit effort! (ah-ley! uhN puh-tee-teh-fohr!) (Come on! Try a little!)
Bien sûr. (byaN sewr.) (Of course.)
Bon appétit! (bohN-nah-pey-tee!) (Enjoy your meal!)
Ça vaut la peine/le coup. (sah voh lah pehn/luh kooh.) (It’s worth it.)
D’accord. (dah-kohr.) (Okay.)
De rien. (duh ryaN.) (Don’t mention it.)
Jamais de la vie! (zhah-meh duh lah vee!) or Pas question! (pah kehs-tyohN!) (No way!)
Revenons à nos moutons. (ruh-vuh-nohN ah noh mooh-tohN.) (Let’s get back to the subject at hand.)
Tant mieux. (tahN myuh.) (So much the better.)
Tant pis. (tahN pee.) (Too bad.)
Tout à fait. (tooh-tah feh.) (Quite.)
Un coup d’oeil (uhN kooh duhy) (a glance, a quick look)