After les grandes vacances (the long summer holidays) comes la rentrée (literally, "the return") in France. It is a special time of year when students go back to school and workers go back to work in September. Indeed, the term extends to any sector of the economy resuming its normal activity after the long summer break. There is even la rentrée littéraire (the literary return) when new books come out! Because la rentrée covers such a variety of situations, the word does not translate easily, and it is a concept best grasped through examples in various contexts.
Still, when talking about la rentrée, the French usually refer to la rentrée scolaire (back-to-school time), a topic that is on Sophie and Patrice’s minds in this video:
Donc, c'est la rentrée scolaire. -Ouais.
So, it's back-to-school time. -Yeah.
Caption 1, Sophie et Patrice La rentrée
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La rentrée also refers to “the start of the school year,” which can be an expensive time of year for parents…
Ah la rentrée, c'est toujours des dépenses.
Ah the start of the school year: it's always expenses.
Captions 2-3, Nader Fakhry L'école pour tous
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Alternatively, you could call la rentrée “the new school year”:
Au lycée Louis Blériot, Karen Montet-Toutain est la grande absente de cette rentrée.
At Louis Blériot High School, Karen Montet-Toutain is the great absentee of this new school year.
Caption 30, Le Journal La violence à l'école
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Alas, la rentrée spells the end of summer vacations not just for students, but also for everyone else. In this context, it's better translated as “the return from the summer holidays”:
C'est la rentrée
It's the return from the summer holidays
Caption 2, Sophie et Patrice La rentrée
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La rentrée is also the time when workers go “back to work” and maybe brag about their vacations, just like school kids. In the following video, Sara jokingly tells us that it is la rentrée des superstars (back to work for the superstars), presumably with their glowing tans:
C'est la rentrée des superstars.
It's back to work for the superstars.
Caption 8, Sara et Lionel Le bronzage
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In any case, la rentrée is a big deal in France. But for some people, like Alexandre, the prospect of going back to work is depressing:
Alors, je sais pas pour toi, mais moi, la rentrée... Ouais, ça m'a déprimé.
So, I don't know about you, but me, going back to work... Yeah, it's depressed me.
Captions 1-3, Sophie et Alexandre Et la rentrée ?
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On the other hand, Sophie has a more positive outlook on la rentrée. She sees “returning to work” as a chance to start afresh, a kind of revolution even:
Mais la rentrée, c'est une révolution.
But returning to work is a revolution.
Caption 47, Sophie et Alexandre Et la rentrée ?
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In some cases, this very concise word needs to be turned into a full clause to convey the idea!
Mais là, à la rentrée, faudra qu'on s'organise bien
But now, when we're back at work, we'll have to get organized
Caption 54, Elisa et Mashal Photos
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As people get organized for la rentrée, it is not uncommon to wish someone une bonne rentrée, “a good start to the work/school year." This greeting won't be necessary for Sophie, as she is already off to a great start:
Bon apparemment tu passes une très bonne rentrée
Well, apparently you're having a very good start to the work year
Caption 65, Sophie et Alexandre Et la rentrée ?
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To sum up, la rentrée conveys the idea of going back to school or work and also marks the start of a new school or work year. However, don’t forget that the word rentrée can be used in other ways besides what we just mentioned. For example, you can talk about une rentrée d’argent (money coming in):
Une rentrée d’argent imprévue serait la bienvenue après les grandes vacances.
A windfall would be welcome after the long summer holidays.
And finally, remember that rentrée (returned) is also the feminine singular past participle of rentrer (to return):
Non, elle est rentrée sans chanter.
No, she came in without singing [she didn't come in singing].
Caption 59, Le saviez-vous? Les différentes négations - Part 3
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Wishing our Yabla students une bonne rentrée! For more information on the cultural event of la rentrée, check out this article. Thank you for reading!
You may be familiar with the word fort as an adjective meaning “strong.” But are you aware of its many other uses and various meanings? And did you know that fort can be used not only as an adjective, but as a noun and an adverb?
In our previous lesson on adjectives used as adverbs, we learned that fort as an adjective means “strong,” or sometimes, in a more historical context, "fortified," as in un château fort (a fortified castle). Let’s go to France with Daniel Benchimol to find out more about the château fort of Gisors:
Le château fort de Gisors est un château dit à motte féodale.
The fortified castle of Gisors is a so-called feudal motte castle.
Caption 32, Voyage en France Vexin Normand - Gisors - Part 1
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We'll leave le château fort de Gisors to go to Canada to explore un fort (a fort)—Fort Chambly, to be exact. This is one of the few instances when fort is used as a noun:
Ça, le Fort Chambly c'est un fort de... peut-être une auberge dans le fond.
That, Fort Chambly is a fort of... possibly an inn, in fact.
Caption 1, Le Québec parle aux Français - Part 11
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Now let’s move on and discuss fort as an adverb. In the lyrics of the Stromae song Formidable, fort is equivalent to the adverb très (very). How do we know it’s an adverb and not an adjective? Because fort modifies the adjective minable (pathetic):
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
You were amazing, I was very pathetic
Caption 54, Français avec Nelly 12 Songs to Improve Your French - Part 2
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You'll also find fort used as an adverb in the French description of the video Manon et Margaux - Le Corbeau et le Renard:
« Le corbeau et le renard », la fameuse fable de Jean de La Fontaine, nous est contée puis expliquée d'une façon fort amusante par nos deux jeunes amies françaises.
The Crow and the Fox, the famous fable by Jean de la Fontaine, is recited then explained to us in a very amusing way by our two young French friends.
Notice how fort stays the same even though amusante takes a feminine ending. Fort is acting as an adverb modifying the adjective amusante, not the feminine noun façon.
Here is a third example of fort meaning “very,” in the expression fort bien. But this time, fort is modifying another adverb, bien (well):
Fort bien assumé, petit homme ! Je te prends à mon service.
Very well executed, little man! I'll take you into my service.
Caption 48, Il était une fois: Les Amériques 9. Cortés et les Aztèques - Part 3
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Now, just to make life more interesting, fort can sometimes be equivalent to bien (well)!
Non, pas vraiment, non, ça... Ça marche pas très fort, quoi.
No, not really, no, it... It's not going too well, you know.
Caption 41, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai été séquestré par mes amis - Part 2
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The speaker could also have said:
Ça ne marche pas très bien, quoi.
It's not going too well, you know.
You can even combine bien and fort in the expression pas bien fort (not too well):
Ça ne va pas bien fort.
It’s not going too well.
Conversely, in an affirmative sentence, fort bien means "very well." But note the change in word order:
Ça va fort bien.
It’s going very well.
In addition to meaning “well" or “very," fort can also mean “strongly” or "hard." In the following example, the adverb describes the action of appuyer trop fort (pressing too hard), which is what Marie did. She pressed trop fort (too hard) on her charcoal pen:
Ben, tu as appuyé trop fort. -Je fais des dégâts.
Well, you pressed too hard. -I'm making a mess.
Caption 56, Marie et Sandra Atelier d'art - Part 17
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Also as mentioned in our previous lesson, the adverb fort can also mean “loudly,” as in parler fort (to speak loudly):
Le mieux, c'est d'ouvrir la fenêtre et de parler fort. -Voilà, d'accord.
The best thing is to open the window and to speak loudly. -Right, OK.
Caption 59, Lionel L'écluse de Réchicourt-le-Château - Part 3
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Finally, let’s go back briefly to fort as a noun. Here is a useful expression that you might like to use for yourself when you don’t feel too confident about something: c’est pas mon fort (it’s not my forte). Note that the expression is mostly used in the negative form. In the song "Les mots d'amour," the singer tells us he is not great at speaking:
Parce que parler c'est pas mon fort
Because speaking is not my forte
Caption 2, Debout Sur Le Zinc Les mots d'amour
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You might also like the expression c’est plus fort que moi (it’s beyond my control) when you feel powerless or can’t help yourself:
Mais là j'avoue que ça a été plus fort que moi.
But there I admit that that was beyond my control.
Caption 15, Melissa Mars From Paris with Love
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In conclusion, if French grammar, c’est pas ton fort (is not your forte), you can click on this link for more examples, and of course, Yabla videos and grammar lessons will come to the rescue. Before you know it, you will be fort en français (great at French)!
Thank you for reading!
In a previous Yabla lesson, you learned how to turn adjectives into adverbs. But what about adjectives that act as adverbs without changing at all? For example, did you know that the adjective bon (good) can be used as an adverb and therefore never take agreements? In this lesson, we will look at a few of these instances where adjectives morph into adverbs without warning.
Let’s take a look at the word bon (good) as an adjective. In the example below, bon modifies the masculine pronoun il (it):
On va le goûter pour savoir s'il est bon.
We're going to taste it to find out if it's good.
Caption 43, Frédéric La fabrication du jus de pomme - Part 2
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Bon also appears in this example, but here it's used as an adverb, not an adjective:
De manger dehors... -Ah ouais. quand il fait bon et tout
Eating outside... -Oh yeah. when it's nice out and everything
Captions 74-75, Sophie et Patrice Terrasse
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You will often come across the adverb bon in the expression il fait bon (it’s nice out). Remember that an adverb modifies a verb, not a noun/pronoun. So in this expression, bon modifies the verb fait, not the pronoun il.
However, don’t assume that bon always works as an adverb after faire. In the expression faire bon voyage (to have a good trip), bon is an adjective describing the noun voyage (trip):
J'espère que vous avez fait bon voyage.
I hope you had a good trip.
Caption 10, Le Jour où tout a basculé Des hôtes pas comme les autres - Part 2
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If our speaker had been referring to a road trip, the adjective bon would become bonne to go with the feminine noun route:
J'espère que vous avez fait bonne route.
I hope you had a good road trip.
Now let’s move on to another adjective, dur (hard). In the following video, Barbara knows how dur (hard) it is for her mother to give up her dreams of seeing her daughter dance at the opera:
Je savais que c'était dur pour ma mère d'abandonner l'idée de me voir danser à l'Opéra.
I knew that it was hard for my mother to abandon the idea of seeing me dance at the Opera.
Captions 69-70, Mère & Fille Danse pas si classique
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But in the expression travailler dur (to work hard), dur functions as an adverb. Dur doesn’t change since it modifies the verb travailler:
Maintenant c'est à toi de travailler, travailler dur, très dur.
Now it's up to you to work, work hard, very hard.
Captions 17-18, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mon père s'oppose à ma passion - Part 6
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Now let’s talk about the adjective fort (strong), which in the example below modifies il (it):
Ah oui, il t'a eu. Il est très fort.
Ah yes, he got you. He's very strong.
Caption 60, Le Monde Sauver les animaux sauvages ? C'est la mission de cette clinique - Part 2
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In the feminine plural, fort becomes fortes, as in the expression de fortes chances (a good chance):
Si tu cherches le genre d'un pays, il y a de fortes chances pour que le pays soit féminin.
If you're looking for the gender of a country, there's a good chance that the country is feminine.
Interestingly, when used as an adverb, fort also takes on a different meaning: “loudly,” as in parler fort (to speak loudly):
Et « crier », qui veut dire parler très fort, hurler.
And "crier," which means to talk very loudly, to shout.
Caption 72, Français avec Nelly Les faux amis - Part 1
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Finally, we have the adjective cher/chère. You are probably familiar with the expression cher + noun, as in chère voisine (dear neighbor):
Bonjour, chère voisine.
Hello, dear neighbor.
Caption 27, Le Jour où tout a basculé Notre appartement est hanté - Part 8
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In a different context, cher/chère means "expensive":
La vie à Paris est-elle chère ?
Is life in Paris expensive?
Caption 2, Français avec Nelly Ma vie à Paris - Part 1
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As an adverb, cher most often means "expensive," as in coûter cher (to cost dearly, to be expensive). Again, there is no need to worry about agreements here, since cher modifies the verb couter:
Quand même, ça coûte cher.
That's still expensive.
Caption 81, Sophie et Patrice Le sapin
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There you have it. We have looked at some of the most common instances of adjectives "disguised" as adverbs. Just remember that while adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, they don't require agreement when used as adverbs. And remember that French n’est pas si dur (is not so hard) if vous travaillez dur (you work hard). Soon, you will become très fort en français (very good at French)!
The French language has a wide range of fun and colorful expressions toutes faites (set expressions) involving parts of the body. Some of these coincide with English ones, but most of the time, it's necessary to find equivalents. Let's look at a few of these expressions in this lesson.
But first, Manon and Clémentine will explain what expressions toutes faites are:
Expressions toutes faites. Qu'est-ce que c'est ? Ce sont des phrases ou des locutions qui ont une tournure assez imagée et qui sont souvent très difficiles à traduire.
Set expressions. What is that? These are sentences or phrases that have a rather colorful phrasing and that are often very difficult to translate.
Captions 2-4, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Manon and Clémentine then give us a variety of examples, some of which involve parts of the body like l’œil (the eye). Be careful not to take this one literally: to have un compas dans l’œil (a compass in one’s eye) is not as painful as it sounds. Metaphorically speaking, it means having a knack for assessing measurements accurately just by looking:
Manon a le compas dans l'œil...
Manon has the compass in her eye [can measure things by sight]...
Caption 10, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Or you could gauge distance with your nose, à vue de nez (literally, "by sight of nose")! That’s how Clémentine goes on to describe Manon’s guessing abilities:
Elle le fait à vue de nez.
She does it by sight of nose [roughly, at a glance].
Caption 14, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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However, Manon does not think Clémentine’s statement is much of a compliment, as the expression implies measuring somewhat inaccurately. So, Manon tells Clémentine she is mistaken, using the expression se mettre le doigt dans l’œil (literally, "to put one's finger in one's eye"):
Mais moi je pense que tu te mets le doigt dans l'œil quand tu dis « à vue de nez ».
but me, I think that you're putting your finger in your eye [entirely mistaken] when you say "by sight of nose."
Caption 17, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Being good friends, they are not going to argue about finer points like that and prefer to avoid couper les cheveux en quatre (literally "splitting hairs in four"):
Bon, ne commence pas à couper les cheveux en quatre !
OK, don't start splitting hairs!
Caption 19, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Speaking of things to avoid, it’s best not to mettre les pieds dans le plat (to put one's feet in the dish). This is roughly equivalent to "to put one's foot in one's mouth," or to speak too bluntly. Barbara decides to risk doing this by telling her mother that she's a bad cook:
Il était grand temps que je mette les pieds dans le plat.
It was high time that I put my feet in the dish [put my foot in my mouth, risk offending her].
Caption 7, Mère & Fille Cuisine Monster
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There is another expression using pied (foot). If you wake up in a bad mood, or get up on the wrong side of the bed, this is what you can say in French:
Et « se lever du pied gauche » ? -C'est être mécontent, de mauvaise humeur.
And "to get up on one's left foot"? -That's to be unhappy, in a bad mood.
Caption 45, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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A person in a bad mood is likely to be a pain in the neck, or un casse-pieds ("feet breaker"):
Mais tu es casse-pieds aujourd’hui !
But you’re a pain in the neck today!
A similar expression is un casse-tête ("head breaker"). When something is so difficult (like, say, French grammar) that it gives you a headache, you can call it un casse-tête. In this video, we learn that the production of too many books can be un casse-tête (a headache) for a bookstore:
Une production très importante en France de livres qui est plutôt une bonne chose, mais qui est parfois un casse-tête...
A very significant production of books in France, which is rather a good thing, but which is sometimes a headache...
Captions 19-21, Gaëlle Librairie "Livres in Room"
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Un casse-tête is also the word for a puzzle or brain-teaser:
J'aime faire des mots croisés et d'autres casse-tête.
I like doing crossword puzzles and other brain-teasers.
Exploring French expressions should hopefully be neither un casse-pieds (a pain) nor un casse-tête (a headache)! You can learn some more expressions toutes faites (set expressions) in the rest of Manon and Clémentine’s lesson and remember that our Yabla videos are a great source of interesting expressions as well. Thank you for reading!
Cities hosting the Olympics usually spare no expense to make the games a memorable experience, and Paris is no exception. But have you ever wondered what is left of this massive investment in a game that only lasts over two weeks? What will be the legacy of the 2024 Paris Olympics besides the medals, the drama, and the wonderful memories? What about the infrastructure? Will the local population benefit?
In this informative video, Marie de la Place, professor emerita of urban planning at the Paris School of Urban Planning, discusses the héritage infrastructurel (infrastructural legacy) of the Paris games:
Donc il y a certes un héritage, hein, infrastructurel
So there is certainly an infrastructural legacy, right
Caption 32, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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A major part of the infrastructural legacy is le Village olympique et paralympique. But what will happen to it now that the games are over?
Et que deviendra, par exemple, le Village olympique et paralympique bâti sur cinquante hectares en Seine-Saint-Denis ?
And what will become, for example, of the Olympic and Paralympic Village built over fifty hectares in Seine-Saint-Denis?
Captions 3-4, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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The Village was built by an organization called SOLIDEO, which had a bold vision: making the Olympics a sustainable enterprise that will benefit the local population once the games are over.
Alors le Village olympique, il a été construit par la Solideo hein, par la Solideo avec, euh... la prise en considération de la phase héritage, c'est-à-dire de la phase après les JO, hein
So the Olympic Village was built by SOLIDEO, right, by SOLIDEO with, uh... the taking into consideration of the legacy phase, that is to say, of the phase after the Olympics, right
Captions 5-7, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Indeed, SOLIDEO designed the Olympic Village not just for the athletes, but also for the people of the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, who will inherit un certain nombre de logements (a certain number of housing facilities) that will go some way towards solving the local housing crisis:
Donc le Village olympique permettra dans une certaine mesure de fournir un certain nombre de logements qui pourraient être destinés à des populations de Seine-Saint-Denis
So the Olympic Village will make it possible, to a certain extent, to provide a certain number of housing facilities that could be intended for people from Seine-Saint-Denis
Captions 27-29, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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But first, the Olympic Village will have to undergo des travaux de modification (some modification work) before being livré (delivered) for public use at the end of 2025:
Je crois que le Village olympique devrait être livré fin deux mille vingt-cinq... puisqu'il y a tout un... des travaux de modification suite aux JO.
I think that the Olympic Village should be delivered at the end of two thousand twenty-five... since there is a whole... [lot of]... of... modification work following the Olympics.
Captions 8-12, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Some of the Village buildings will turn into logements sociaux (public housing) available for rent:
On évoque en moyenne autour de trente pour cent de logements sociaux.
We're talking an average of around thirty percent public housing.
Caption 18, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Other properties will be available for ownership: des logements en acquisition à la propriété.
Le reste, ce sont des logements en acquisition à la propriété
As for the rest, these are homes purchased for ownership
Caption 24, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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However, these facilities will not be intended for les populations les plus défavorisées (the most disadvantaged populations), as they will come at much higher prices:
Et puis par ailleurs les logements sociaux qui sont prévus ne sont pas des logements sociaux destinés aux populations les plus défavorisées.
And then moreover the public housing that is planned is not public housing intended for the most disadvantaged populations.
Captions 25-26, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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With the sudden arrival of upscale residences, there is a concern that this may lead to gentrification. Will it still be possible to achieve la mixité sociale (social diversity)?
Est-ce que, pour résumer, ce sera l'occasion de plus de gentrification ou de réaliser quand même de la mixité sociale ?
To sum up, will this be an opportunity for more gentrification or for still achieving social diversity?
Captions 36-37, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Marie de la Place thinks that la gentrification and la mixité sociale are not mutually exclusive:
Mais en même temps, si on attire des populations qui ont des revenus plus importants, eh bien, ça permet aussi une certaine forme de mixité sociale.
But at the same time, if we attract populations who have higher incomes, well, that also allows a certain form of social diversity.
Captions 49-51, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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So far, the Olympic Games have offered an opportunity for a more coordinated effort between agencies that don’t usually communicate with each other, and there is hope that that will continue:
Ces JO ont été un outil pour finalement faire de la coordination entre des acteurs qui, jusque-là, ne se parlaient peut-être pas beaucoup
These Olympics have been a tool to ultimately create a coordination between agents who, until now, maybe didn't speak to each other much
Captions 98-101, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Indeed, the real challenge will be to sustain this coordination and create a long-lasting héritage organisationnel (organizational legacy):
Tout l'enjeu, c'est de créer un héritage organisationnel, c'est-à-dire... de faire en sorte que cette coordination qui a pu se produire au moment d'un événement comme les Jeux olympiques, eh bien, puisse perdurer dans le temps
The whole challenge is to create an organizational legacy, that is to say... to ensure that this coordination that was able to occur during an event like the Olympic Games, well, can last over time
Captions 103-106, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Only time will tell what the real legacy of the games will be, but it is worth noting that the Olympic organizers made a genuine effort to make these Olympic Games a lasting investment that will hopefully benefit the population of Seine-Saint-Denis.
Proverbs: those expressions filled with little nuggets of truth and wisdom that pepper our conversations, add flavor to our thoughts, and make us sound wise and witty… You are bound to come across some of them in your French learning, as there is a proverb for just about every occasion. How about exploring some of them in this lesson?
But first, what is un proverbe? A tricky question that Piggeldy asks his brother Frédéric in this episode of the animated series Piggeldy et Frédéric:
Frédéric, qu'est-ce que c'est un proverbe ?
Frédéric, what is a proverb?
Caption 3, Piggeldy et Frédéric Les proverbes
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Big brother Frédéric prefers to avoid a lengthy explanation and answers the question by giving him examples of proverbs, which confuses poor Piggeldy even more. Here is one example:
« Peine partagée est à moitié oubliée », dit encore Frédéric.
"Sorrow shared is half forgotten [A trouble shared is a trouble halved]," Frédéric said again.
Caption 39, Piggeldy et Frédéric Les proverbes
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Our trusty guide Daniel Benchimol also has a few proverbs of his own to show us on his walk around the Buttes Chaumont in Paris. He takes us on a kind of proverb treasure hunt, where proverbs are tucked away in the most unlikely places. If you look up, you will find one written on a basket hanging off a tree:
Par exemple: « Un fou ne voit pas le même arbre qu'un sage ».
For example: "A fool does not see the same tree as a wise man."
Caption 27, Voyage dans Paris Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont
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Or you might find a few near a phone booth:
« Tous les chemins de l'excès mènent au palais de la sagesse ».
"All the roads of excess lead to the palace of wisdom."
Caption 30, Voyage dans Paris Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont
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« La diligente abeille n'a pas de temps pour la tristesse. »
"The diligent bee has no time for sadness."
Caption 31, Voyage dans Paris Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont
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Not all proverbs are found in such unusual places. You may come across a few in literary works, classic fables even. Here is one derived from famous fabulist Jean de la Fontaine’s Le lièvre et la tortue (The Tortoise and the Hare), La Fontaine’s version of one of Aesop’s fables. Some verses have filtered into popular culture and become proverbs:
Donc moralité : rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point.
So the moral of the story: there's no use running, you have to start on time [slow and steady wins the race].
Captions 66-67, France 3 Minitel : l'Internet avant l'heure - Part 2
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Indeed, not all proverbs originate from literature. Some are rooted in popular wisdom instead. Here is one about the sacrifices it takes to achieve beauty:
Je savais qu'il fallait souffrir pour être belle.
I knew you had to suffer to be beautiful.
Caption 84, Mère & Fille Tout en couleur
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Speaking of sacrifice, hard work is the road to success. In other words, “practice makes perfect." The French equivalent of this proverb has to do with musical scales:
Il suffit de faire ses gammes.
You just need to practice your scales [practice makes perfect].
Caption 50, Le saviez-vous? Les expressions inspirées de la musique - Part 4
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There is another, better-known equivalent of “practice makes perfect," inspired by an old trade, blacksmithing, and the long hours of practice it takes to become a good blacksmith:
C’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron.
It’s through forging that one becomes a blacksmith.
Here is another blacksmithing metaphor that also works in English:
Il faut battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Not only does it take effort, practice, and good timing to succeed, but it also takes patience! As we all know, Rome wasn't built in a day:
Rome ne s’est pas fait en un jour.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
That’s it for today’s lesson. If these proverbs are a little hard to remember, take heart! Just remember that Rome ne s’est pas fait en un jour and c’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron. Practice makes perfect!
In a previous lesson, we discussed rain-related vocabulary and how rain affects our day-to-day lives. This time, we will continue exploring the theme of bad weather and discuss extreme weather due to climate change.
There is a consensus among scientists that le réchauffement climatique (global warming) is becoming an alarming problem that has a complex effect on the planet:
On a vraiment de multiples facettes du réchauffement climatique.
We really have multiple facets of global warming.
Caption 90, Le Monde Incendies : peut-on empêcher les feux de forêt ? - Part 2
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Such climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures, but also a general disruption of weather patterns, un dérèglement climatique (climate disturbance), which is becoming more prevalent in some parts of France:
On vient rajouter là-dessus ce dérèglement climatique.
On top of this we add this climate disturbance.
Caption 87, Le Monde Incendies : peut-on empêcher les feux de forêt ? - Part 2
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This climate disruption manifests itself in more frequent extreme weather like tornades (tornadoes) and ouragans (hurricanes):
Multiplication des tornades et ouragans !
Multiplication of tornadoes and hurricanes!
Caption 23, Il était une fois: Notre Terre 25. Technologies - Part 5
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Along with tornades et ouragans often come pluies torrentielles (torrential rains):
La Seine sort de son lit à la suite de pluies torrentielles.
The River Seine burst its banks following torrential rains.
Recently France has been faced with des crues records (record floods). The term crue usually refers to an overflowing river or any body of water. In the following video, Lionel discusses the flooding of the Parisian region:
Cet indicateur, lors des crues records de dix-neuf cent dix
This indicator, during the record floods of nineteen hundred ten
Caption 7, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit
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You may also come across a more generic term for “flood,” une inondation, which describes any type of flooding (for example a flooding house):
...une jeune loutre abandonnée par sa mère après des inondations.
...a young otter abandoned by its mother after flooding.
Caption 4, Le Monde Sauver les animaux sauvages ? C'est la mission de cette clinique - Part 2
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The verbal form of the noun inondation is inonder (to flood or inundate). As mentioned earlier, the Seine River burst its banks, which became inondées (flooded):
Les voies sur berges que vous pouvez voir derrière moi sont inondées.
The roads on the riverbanks that you can see behind me are flooded.
Caption 15, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit
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Such floods may pose a danger to the population, which is then mise sous alerte (placed under alert):
Une ville de plus de quarante-cinq mille habitants a été mise sous alerte.
A town of more than forty-five thousand inhabitants has been placed under alert.
Caption 20, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit
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People in southern regions of France were also on high alert, as they had to contend with other extreme weather conditions: des orages de grêle (hailstorms), des feux de forêt (forest fires), and des feux de champs (field fires):
L'année dernière, on a eu en plein été à traiter des orages de grêle, et quelques semaines après des feux de forêt, des feux de champs.
Last year, in the middle of summer, we had to deal with hailstorms, and a few weeks later forest fires, field fires.
Captions 88-89, Le Monde Incendies : peut-on empêcher les feux de forêt ? - Part 2
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While some parts of the planet have too much rain, others are experiencing a distinct lack of rainfall, which results in la désertification:
Désertification de régions entières !
Desertification of entire regions!
Caption 25, Il était une fois: Notre Terre 25. Technologies - Part 5
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When the vegetation dries up, we have what we call la sécheresse de la végétation (vegetation dryness):
Elle intègre la pluie, l'humidité de l'air, la température, le vent et la sécheresse de la végétation.
It integrates rain, air humidity, temperature, wind, and vegetation dryness.
Captions 29-30, Le Monde Incendies : peut-on empêcher les feux de forêt ? - Part 2
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The same word sécheresse can also mean “drought”:
La sécheresse est un problème mondial.
Droughts are a global problem.
Unfortunately, la sécheresse (drought) often leads to feux de forêt (forest fires) or incendies (fires). While both un feu and un incendie are somewhat interchangeable, feu is the more generic term, referring to any type of fire. When talking about a major fire, any fire that needs extinguishing, you might prefer to use the term incendie. In this video, we learn that les risques d’incendies (fire risks) are becoming more frequent in France:
Entre mille neuf cent soixante-seize et deux mille cinq, seule une petite partie de l'Hexagone connaissait un risque incendie élevé plus de quatre jours par an.
Between nineteen seventy-six and two thousand five, only a small part of the Hexagon [France] experienced a high fire risk for more than four days a year.
Captions 10-12, Le Monde Incendies : peut-on empêcher les feux de forêt ? - Part 1
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Let’s recap some of the vocabulary from this lesson:
le réchauffement climatique: global warming
le dérèglement climatique: climate disturbance
une tornade: a tornado
un ouragan: a hurricane
une pluie torrentielle: torrential rain
une crue: a flood, flooding
une inondation: a flood, flooding
inonder: to flood
mettre sous alerte: to place under alert
un orage de grêle: a hailstorm
un feu de forêt: a forest fire
la désertification: desertification
la sécheresse: drought, dryness
un incendie: a (major) fire
Wishing you a safe summer with very clement weather. Thank you for reading!
Paris is hosting the Olympics this year, hoping to dazzle participants and viewers around the world. But first, the organizers have had to overcome some major hurdles, like cleaning the Seine for the swimming events and getting rid of unsightly trash, among other things. In this lesson we will focus on what Sophie and Patrice have to say about the games and how, as Parisians, the preparations for the games affect them.
In this video, Patrice starts with a joke, claiming that he has been sélectionné (selected) for the games:
J'ai été sélectionné aux Jeux olympiques.
I was selected for the Olympic Games.
Caption 1, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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Actually, the only épreuve (sporting event) he will be participating in, as Sophie jokingly points out, is going on holiday to get away from all the fuss. In fact, Sophie is teasing Patrice, pretending to feel sorry for him by making a pun on the word épreuve, which also means “ordeal”:
L'épreuve de partir en vacances très, très loin de Paris, tu veux dire ?
The event of going on vacation very, very far from Paris, you mean?
Caption 7, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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As for the athletes, they will participate in actual sporting events—épreuves—some of them traditional, like la course et le lancer (running and throwing), and some created from scratch. The host country can create a new discipline if they wish:
Comme dans les jeux antiques, on trouve des épreuves de course et de lancer. Mais on innove en créant une épreuve de toutes pièces : le marathon.
As in the ancient games, you can find running and throwing events. But they innovate by creating an event from scratch: the marathon.
Captions 57-61, Jamy Epicurieux La drôle d'histoire des JO (Jeux Olympiques) - Part 1
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This year, France has introduced a new discipline, breakdancing:
Le breakdance fera partie des Jeux olympiques à partir de 2024.
Breakdancing will be part of the Olympics as of 2024.
Some disciplines, like the swimming events, have been quite a headache for the organizers. According to this article, “After years of promises and more than $1 billion of investment, Paris’s once-filthy river is finally swimmable.” The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, even took a dip in the Seine to show that the river is safe to swim in. And in his video, Patrice tells us the water has been assainie (sanitized) for the athletes:
Ah bon ? -Donc ils ont assaini, assaini, assaini
Oh yeah? -So they sanitized, sanitized, sanitized
Caption 30, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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Finally, les athlètes (the athletes) agreed to swim in the Seine:
Et donc les athlètes ont donc accepté de le faire.
And so the athletes therefore agreed to do it.
Caption 35, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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These are just a few of the challenges that the organizers face. For all that, Sophie is thrilled that the Olympic Games are being organisés (held) in Paris:
C'est génial que les Jeux olympiques soient organisés à Paris.
It's great that the Olympic Games are being held in Paris.
Caption 48, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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Nevertheless, Sophie thinks the city of Paris could have done a better job of addressing the ongoing problem of poverty, which she thinks has simply been pushed out of sight:
Mais ce que je vois quand même, c'est que on repousse toute la misère à la périphérie.
But what I see, in any event, is that we're pushing all the poverty to the periphery.
Captions 51-52, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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The same goes for the trash problem, which is bound to get worse with the influx of extra visitors:
Mais c'est le propre de l'être humain en fait de repousser les problèmes sans les régler, comme les poubelles
But that's the peculiarity of human beings, in fact, to push away problems without resolving them, like the trash cans
Captions 61-63, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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There has been another controversy surrounding the Olympics: the decision to relocate les bouquinistes (secondhand booksellers along the Seine) for security reasons. The bouquinistes, who are considered a symbol of Paris, fought back and managed to overturn that decision, to their great relief:
Les bouquinistes sont heureux et soulagés de pouvoir rester sur les quais de la Seine.
The secondhand booksellers are happy and relieved to be able to stay on the banks of the Seine.
Meanwhile, let's not forget about the stars of the show, the athletes, who are eager for the games to start. Still claiming to be one of them, Patrice concludes the video with another joke, telling Sophie that he has some kind of training to do… (Maybe for some holiday acitivities?)
Tiens. Viens, regarde. Je te montre comment je m'entraîne.
Here. Come, look. I'll show you how I train.
Caption 74, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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Now that the immense job of getting Paris ready for the Olympics is complete, the world is ready to enjoy les Jeux olympiques!
France has had its fair share of rain lately. After an exceptionally wet winter and spring combined with an unseasonably cool start to summer, French people cannot wait for the sun to return. In a recent Yabla video, Sophie and Alexandre join the chorus of complaints about the rainy weather, which has been causing them all kinds of problems! Let’s listen to what they have to say and explore some rain-related vocabulary in the process.
This isn't the first time Sophie has complained about the rain. In one of her earlier videos with Patrice, Sophie finds la pluie (the rain) a bit bloquante (off-putting), as she has to go to the market in the rain:
C'est un peu bloquant pour faire le marché là sous la pluie.
It's a bit off-putting to go to the market here in the rain.
Captions 2-3, Sophie et Patrice La pluie
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On the other hand, Patrice does not mind when il pleut (it rains):
Oh, il pleut à peine.
Oh, it's barely raining.
Caption 4, Sophie et Patrice La pluie
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Note that phrases describing the weather often start with the impersonal pronoun il (it). For more on that, see our lesson Don't Take It Personally.
Patrice even enjoys le mauvais temps (bad weather):
J'ai toujours aimé le mauvais temps, moi
I've always liked bad weather
Caption 66, Sophie et Patrice La pluie
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In her new video with Alexandre, Sophie still feels the same way about la pluie. She hates le temps pourri (the rotten weather):
Waouh, t'as vu le temps pourri ?
Wow, have you seen the rotten weather?
Caption 1, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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She has good reason to complain, as it has been going on for weeks!
Ça fait des semaines que ça dure...
It's been going on for weeks...
Caption 3, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Worse still, every time Sophie goes outside, she ends up with des chaussures trempées (soaking-wet shoes):
Non, mais mes chaussures, elles sont tout le temps trempées.
No, but my shoes are soaking wet all the time.
Caption 16, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Fortunately, Alexandre, who has a practical mind, offers a simple solution: des bottes (boots).
Tu sors avec tes bottes.
You go out with your boots on.
Caption 27, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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To complete the look, Alexandre might have suggested she wear un ciré (a rain slicker), like the one the fisherman wears in this video:
...le papi, en fait, qui est assis sur sa petite chaise pliante avec son ciré, ses bottes et sa bouteille de rouge
...the grandpa, in fact, who is sitting on his little folding chair with his slicker, his boots, and his bottle of red [wine]
Captions 18-20, TV Tours Un moment de pêche sur le Cher
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Instead of the ungainly plastic ciré, Sophie might prefer the more fashionable look of un imperméable avec une capuche (a hooded raincoat), which is made of waterproof fabric:
Elle préfèrerait sans doute porter un imperméable avec une capuche.
She probably would prefer a hooded raincoat.
In any event, une capuche (a hood) would have solved Sophie’s problem with her hair, which frisent (gets frizzy) with l’humidité (the humidity):
Et l'humidité, c'est terrible pour mes cheveux.
And the humidity is terrible for my hair.
Caption 91, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Je frise.
I get frizzy.
Caption 37, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Anyway, instead of une capuche, Alexandre suggests wearing un bonnet (a hat), which Sophie flatly turns down, as it would make her hair plats (flat):
Tu mets un bonnet. -Ah non ! Non non. Non, c'est pas possible parce qu'après j'ai les cheveux plats.
You put on a hat. -Oh no ! No no. No, it's not possible because afterwards I have flat hair.
Captions 46-48, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Sophie has a better solution: un parapluie (an umbrella).
Le parapluie, ça marche aussi.
The umbrella works too.
Caption 79, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Still, this is a lost cause, as she is bound to forget her parapluie and end up with les cheveux mouillés (wet hair) anyway!
Ben, tu te retrouves avec les cheveux mouillés.
Well, you end up with wet hair.
Caption 86, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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Sophie may have wished she had checked la météo (the weather forecast) before venturing out, but that might have also been pointless because, as Alexandre points out, it is not very reliable:
Ben pourtant, à la météo ils le disent pas.
Well, and yet, in the weather forecast they don't say that.
Caption 6, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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The forecasters tend to be overly optimistic, only showing des petits nuages (little clouds):
Il fait juste des petits nuages.
It's just little clouds.
Caption 7, Sophie et Alexandre Et la pluie ?
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La météo might even fail to mention averses (showers):
À Paris et en France, le temps a été exécrable, euh... il y a eu des averses et des pluies
In Paris and in France, the weather has been execrable, uh... there have been showers and rain
Captions 24-25, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit
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Whether you enjoy rainy weather or not, it pays to be prepared. So, here is a summary of the vocabulary from this lesson that might come in handy:
la météo: the weather forecast
un nuage: a cloud
la pluie: the rain
une averse: a shower
un temps pourri: rotten weather
le mauvais temps: bad weather
un imperméable: a waterproof raincoat
un ciré: a slicker
des bottes: boots
un bonnet: a hat
une capuche: a hood
un parapluie: an umbrella
être mouillé: to be wet
être trempé: to be soaking wet
il pleut: it rains/it’s raining
il fait des nuages: it’s cloudy
Armed with this new vocabulary, you'll be able to parler de la pluie et du beau temps (to make small talk; literally, "to talk about the rain and nice weather"). We wish you a sunny and happy summer. Thank you for reading!
Honey, sweetie, darling, sweetheart are all terms of endearment that ring sweet on anyone’s ears in English. French speakers have their own terms of endearment, too. You might hear some of them in friendly and intimate conversations and wonder what they mean. For example, you might hear the words mon chou, mon amour, ma chérie, ma puce, mon cœur. They all mean something sweet to be sure, but what are their equivalents in English? Let’s find out!
In our series Mère & Fille, you are likely to come across a few of the pet names mentioned above. Isabelle likes to show affection toward her daughter using one of her favorite expressions, mon cœur ("sweetheart," literally “my heart"):
Tu perds ton temps, mon cœur.
You're wasting your time, sweetheart.
Caption 10, Mère & Fille Plan B
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In a different mother-daughter series, Elisa’s mom calls her daughter ma petite chérie, which can also translate as “sweetheart” ("my little sweetheart"):
Salut ma petite chérie. -Salut maman.
Hello my little sweetheart. -Hi Mom.
Caption 1, Elisa et sa maman Comment vas-tu?
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Most of the time, though, ma chérie means “my darling," which is what Isabelle calls her daughter Barbara frequently:
Alors là ma chérie
So then, my darling
Caption 36, Mère & Fille Danse pas si classique
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In another Mère & Fille episode, Barbara goes over the top and calls her mother mon chéri d’amour (my darling love) in hopes that she will allow her to get her hair dyed:
Ah chérie. -Ça va mon chéri d'amour que j'aime ?
Ah, darling. -How is my darling love that I love?
Caption 24, Mère & Fille Tout en couleur
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Note how Isabelle uses the feminine chérie to refer to her daughter, while Barbara uses the masculine mon chéri to agree with the masculine amour.
Similar to chéri/chérie is cher/chère (dear). In the following video, we have a conversation between two scientists where one addresses the other as mon cher (my dear friend). Since it is strictly a work friendship, “my dear friend” sounds more appropriate than “my dear":
Vous vous rendez compte, mon cher, qu'ils se trouvent des savants pour prétendre que la Terre n'est pas le centre de l'univers !
You realize, my dear friend, that there are scientists claiming that the earth is not the center of the universe!
Captions 22-23, Il était une fois: Les découvreurs 9. Galilée - Part 4
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In more casual circumstances between good friends, you might come across this cute expression, mon chou, which does not have a direct translation, unless you want to call your friend “my cabbage” or “my cream puff” (referring to un chou à la crème). In the comedy series Extr@, this tight group of friends use cute pet names frequently but in different ways. In this episode, Sacha introduces some bad news to Sam (who lost his lottery ticket), so she calls him mon chou to soften the blow:
Sam, mon chou. Tu as un ticket, mais tu n'as pas le ticket...
Sam, my dear. You have a ticket, but you don't have the ticket...
Captions 25-27, Extr@ Ep. 6 - Le jour du loto - Part 5
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On the other hand, Sacha, who is in love with Nico, uses mon chou in a more affectionate way, which is reflected in the translation “my darling”:
Oh, Nico, mon chou
Oh, Nico, my darling
Caption 32, Extr@ Ep. 7 - La jumelle - Part 5
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And what affectionate term does Nico use? He calls Sacha ma biche (literally, "my doe"), but in a sarcastic way, as he is annoyed with her:
Ma biche, qu'est-ce que tu fais cet après-midi ?
My doe [my darling], what are you doing this afternoon?
Captions 44-45, Extr@ Ep. 1 - L'arrivée de Sam - Part 2
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As for Annie, who has a soft spot for Sam, she likes to call him chouchou (sweetie pie). This is a cute colloquial term of endearment that is only used in very casual intimate settings or around children. In this video, it’s also used for humorous effect:
Chouchou.
Sweetie pie.
Caption 2, Extr@ Ep. 11 - Les vacances - Part 2
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Un chouchou (someone’s pet or favorite), however, is not always a complimentary term. In fact, quite the opposite. It refers to someone getting preferential treatment, often eliciting some jealousy on the part of the speaker. In the following video, the two tigers, who happen to be identical twins, don’t see eye to eye:
Ce voyou, cet infâme chouchou de maman
This rogue, this infamous mama's pet
Caption 12, Les zooriginaux 6. Tiger Minor - Part 1
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There's also the similar word choupinou, which is another way of saying “cute” or "too cute" in very casual language. In the following video, Barbara uses that term to express her admiration:
C'est choupinou ça !
That's too cute!
Caption 50, Mère & Fille Fête des mères
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When combined with a possessive adjective, mon choupinou means “my darling” or “my sweetie.” We can easily imagine Isabelle calling her daughter Barbara mon choupinou (sweetie):
Barbara, mon choupinou, viens ici !
Barbara, sweetie, come here!
Mon choupinou is reserved mainly for children. For adult romantic relationships, you will often hear the phrase mon amour (my love). In Serge Gainsbourg’s romantic song "La Javanaise," presented by Nelly, the term mon amour comes up several times:
J'avoue, j'en ai bavé, pas vous, mon amour
I confess, I had a hard time, didn't you, my love
Caption 75, Français avec Nelly 12 Songs to Improve Your French - Part 2
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Another romantic term is ma belle ("my beautiful" or "gorgeous"):
Près de moi, ma belle, tu viendras
Near me, my beautiful, you will come
Caption 16, Zaz Belle
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In another era, a man would call his beloved sa tendre (his sweetheart), a term which is rather old-fashioned today. In one of her videos, Patricia mentions this quaint word that hearkens back to the days of chivalry:
Il souhaitait épouser sa tendre.
He wanted to marry his sweetheart.
Caption 83, Le saviez-vous? Le dernier duel à l'épée pour l'honneur en France
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You're more likely to hear a more modern expression that applies to all genders: bien-aimé/bien-aimée (beloved). In her video on phrases expressing romantic love, Nelly mentions the terms votre bien-aimé and votre chéri (your darling) in her list of examples:
Je vais vous donner quelques phrases pour déclarer votre amour à votre bien-aimé, votre chéri.
I'm going to give you a few phrases to declare your love to your beloved, your darling.
Captions 41-43, Français avec Nelly Les expressions de l'amour
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There you have it! You now have many formal, casual, and endearing terms at your disposal to express love and affection in various settings. Look out for examples in our Yabla videos to guide you as to which expression is most appropriate for the circumstance, so you will know not to call your boss mon choupinou! For more endearing terms, click here. Thank you for reading!
In our previous lesson, we discussed the verb dire (to say), which has a few derivatives: médire (to speak ill of), maudire (to curse), redire (to say again), interdire (to forbid, ban), contredire (to contradict), and prédire (to predict). Although these verbs all end in -dire, they don’t necessarily follow the same conjugation patterns as dire (to say). Let’s explore the various meanings and characteristics of these verbs.
Redire (to say again) is the only verb that is conjugated in the exact same way as dire (to say). In other words, it is also irregular in the second-person plural in the present tense of the indicative. So, just as we say vous dites (you say), we say vous redites (you say again). Here is an example of this verb in the infinitive:
Maintenant tu vas me redire quelle couleur c'est.
Now you're going to tell me again what color this is.
Caption 33, Lionel et Automne Lionel retourne à l'école
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If Lionel had used the formal vous (you), this is what the sentence would look like:
Maintenant vous me redites quelle couleur c'est.
Now you tell me again what color this is.
Interestingly, redire doesn’t just mean “to say again.” When used in the idiomatic expression n’avoir rien trouver à redire, redire implies some kind of criticism: “to have nothing bad to say."
La direction de Vélo'v n'a trouvé rien à redire sur ces selles multicolores.
Vélo'v's management has found nothing bad to say about these multicolored seats.
Caption 19, Télé Lyon Métropole Street art: le yarn bombing, c'est quoi?
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Speaking of having bad things to say, we have the verb maudire, which means “to put a curse on somebody,” something that happens a lot in fairy tales:
Elle l'avait maudit aussi longtemps qu'une princesse ne l'aurait autorisé à manger dans son assiette et à dormir dans son lit pendant trois nuits.
She had cursed him for as long as a princess wouldn't allow him to eat off her plate and to sleep in her bed for three nights.
Captions 33-34, Contes de fées Le roi grenouille - Part 2
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Also worth noting is the fact that maudire (to put a curse on somebody) is the only derivative that belongs to the second-group (-ir) verbs, as it models its conjugation on finir (to finish) with the plural endings -issons, -issez, -issent in the present tense:
Les contes de fées finissent souvent mal quand les sorcières maudissent les princesses.
Fairy tales often end badly when witches put a curse on princesses.
In addition, when placed before a noun, the past participle maudit/maudite works as an adjective, often translating as “damned” in English:
En fait, c'est la faute de cette maudite molaire
Actually, it's the fault of this damned molar
Caption 53, Les zooriginaux La rage de Croqueur - Part 4
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A milder variation of maudire (to put a curse on someone) is médire (to speak ill of someone or to slander). Unlike maudire, médire is conjugated like dire, as in ils disent/ils médisent (they say/they speak ill of), except in the second-person plural. In this case, médire keeps the regular form, vous médisez (you speak ill of)—not "vous médites." Here is a quote from the book Histoire de Marie-Antoinette by Edmont and Jules de Goncourt:
Malin avec le sourire, impitoyable avec l'ironie, il médisait avec le silence.
Clever with a smile, merciless with irony, he slandered with silence.
Moving on to other derivatives, we have interdire (to forbid), contredire (to contradict), and prédire (to predict), which all conjugate like médire (to speak ill of). Let’s start with interdire (to forbid), something that Barbara has trouble understanding in the video below. She is in big trouble for dyeing her hair blond:
Je t'avais interdit de te teindre en blonde.
I had forbidden you to dye your hair blond.
Caption 93, Mère & Fille Tout en couleur
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Interdire often comes in the impersonal phrase il est interdit de (it is forbidden to) + verb:
Aujourd'hui il est interdit de se regrouper.
Today it's forbidden to gather in groups.
Caption 8, Lionel L La pandémie
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You may also come across contredire (to contradict):
Oui. -Monsieur qui est breton ne va pas me contredire. -Hé, c'est pas gagné!
Yes. -The gentleman from Brittany isn't going to contradict me. -Hey, that's not certain!
Caption 63, LCM Recette: Crêpes
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Finally, we have the verb prédire (to predict), which comes up frequently in the world of horoscopes:
Résultat: si un horoscope prédit trois choses...
The result: if a horoscope predicts three things...
Caption 136, Le Monde L’astrologie fonctionne-t-elle ?
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In conclusion, here is a summary of how each of these verbs is conjugated in the vous form:
interdire: vous interdisez (you forbid)
prédire: vous prédisez (you predict)
médire: vous médisez (you speak ill of)
contredire: vous contredisez (you contradict)
redire: vous redites (you say again)
maudire: vous maudissez (you curse)
That's about all that dire and its derivatives have to say. Thank you for reading!
French verbs tend to be trickier to conjugate than English verbs, and dire (to say) is no exception. For the most part, though, the verb dire presents few difficulties as it doesn’t have many irregularities. And yet, it has a few grammatical quirks worth highlighting, not to mention that this common verb comes with a multitude of interesting expressions in various tenses. So, let’s dissect dire and see what it has to say!
First, let’s look at this verb in its most basic form, the infinitive (dire), which is used in a variety of idiomatic expressions, as in vouloir dire (“to mean," literally "to want to say"):
L'expression "c'est du pipeau" veut dire c'est pas sérieux.
The expression "it's a pipe" means it's not serious.
Captions 12-13, Le saviez-vous? Les expressions inspirées de la musique - Part 3
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Besides "to say," dire can sometimes mean “to think,” but in a negative kind of a way, as in to be unable to "think" or "bear the idea" of something:
Et dire qu'il s'était servi de Nino aussi.
And to think that he'd used Nino as well.
Caption 19, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai volé pour nourrir mon fils - Part 9
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Now let’s take a look at dire in the present indicative tense. No big surprises here, but watch out for this one important irregular form, vous dites (you say/you are saying), NOT “vous disez”:
Encore une fois, c'est n'importe quoi ce que vous dites, maître.
Once again, what you're saying is nonsense, sir.
Caption 1, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Volé par sa belle-mère ? - Part 8
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Also, don’t be tempted to add a circumflex accent to vous dites, as French speakers sometimes mistakenly do. If you add an accent, you will end up with the passé simple or past historic tense, vous dîtes (you said). Fortunately, this tense is rarely used. Here is an instance of it in an article about COVID tests:
Comme vous le dîtes, plus de 700 000 tests étaient réalisés quotidiennement la semaine dernière, augmentant les détections.
As you said, over 700,000 tests were carried out daily last week, thus increasing detections.
And don't forget the s in (vous) dites—otherwise you'll have dite, which is the feminine singular past participle of dire (the masculine singular is dit, "said"). In the example below, the singular feminine direct object la raison is placed before the verb, which means the past participle must also be feminine singular:
Mais oui, pour la raison que je vous ai dite.
But yes, for the reason that I told you about.
Caption 76, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Mon chirurgien était ivre - Part 2
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Incidentally, dites is also the plural feminine past participle of dire. So if the speaker in the above example were referring to multiple "reasons," the sentence would be:
Mais oui, pour les raisons que je vous ai dites.
But yes, for the reasons that I told you about.
(To learn more about agreement rules for past participles, see our lesson on the subject.)
You may also come across dit/dits/dite/dites in front of a noun or adjective, in which case it means “known” or “so-called”:
C'est la maison Maurice Ravel dite "le Belvédère" de son vrai nom.
It's the Maurice Ravel House, known by its real name "Le Belvédère."
Caption 9, Voyage en France Montfort-l'Amaury - Part 1
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Mais il existe aussi une autre astrologie, l'astrologie dite savante
But there's also another astrology, so-called scholarly astrology
Captions 13-14, Le Monde L’astrologie fonctionne-t-elle ?
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“So-called” in the sense of being inappropriately named is soit-disant in French, injecting some skepticism into the sentence. In the video below, Sophie and Patrice discuss politics and are skeptical about the soit-disant centrist politicians:
Christiane Taubira, Anne Hidalgo. Et puis, dans une zone un peu indéfinie, soi-disant le centre
Christiane Taubira, Anne Hidalgo. And then, in a somewhat undefined zone, the so-called center
Captions 8-10, Sophie et Patrice Les élections présidentielles
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Soi-disant can also mean "supposedly":
Soi-disant qu'à la télé, ils ont dit: pacte pour l'emploi.
Supposedly on TV they said "employment pact."
Caption 52, Le Monde Comment la Marche des Beurs a révélé la crise des banlieues - Part 1
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Finally, in the conditional tense, we have the impersonal expression on dirait ("it looks like," literally "one would say") that you can use anytime you have an impression about something or someone. This handy phrase has a multitude of meanings that you can explore in this lesson. In the video below, Marie gives the impression of being a real artist and gets a compliment from Sandra, her art teacher:
Mais on dirait une vraie artiste.
But you look like a real artist.
Caption 2, Marie et Sandra Atelier d'art - Part 17
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In conclusion, dire means a lot more than "to say”! Feel free to explore the many forms and ways of using dire in our Yabla videos. And stay tuned for another lesson on dire and its “cousins” (derivatives). Thank you for reading!
The French word trouble should not give you any trouble, right? After all, it is a direct cognate of “trouble” in English… But don’t let this air of familiarity fool you. Trouble doesn’t always mean “trouble,” exactly. And that’s the trouble. So, let’s go to the trouble of exploring this sometimes troublesome word, trouble.
To determine whether or not we have a cognate is difficult. It all depends on what types of troubles we’re dealing with, and it is best to work on a case-by-case basis. The English cognate “trouble” works perfectly in some circumstances, when talking about le trouble du comportement (behavioral trouble), for example:
Pour l'ensemble de nos résidents qui correspondent au profil de trouble du comportement, Alzheimer, et cætera.
For all of our residents who fit the profile of behavioral trouble, Alzheimer's, et cetera.
Captions 21-22, JT La musicothérapie pour les aînés
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On the other hand, and despite the similar context, we no longer have a cognate in the example below. When dealing with troubles du comportement alimentaire, it's preferable to use the word “disorders” in English:
...voire même des troubles du comportement alimentaire majeurs, type, euh, anorexie.
...perhaps even major eating disorders like, um, anorexia.
Caption 18, Le Journal Publicité anti-calories
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Sometimes trouble is equivalent to “problem” in the general sense. For instance, we talk about troubles moteurs, sensoriels ou cognitifs (motor, sensory, or cognitive problems):
À l'âge de cinq ans, quarante pour cent de ces enfants ont des troubles moteurs, sensoriels ou cognitifs
At the age of five, forty percent of these children have motor, sensory, or cognitive problems
Caption 15, Le Journal Grands prématurés
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As for the term trouble used in the sense of disturbance, it's a cognate again! In times of political unrest, for example, we talk about périodes de trouble:
Aussi même pendant les périodes de trouble comme il y a neuf mois
Even during periods of trouble, such as nine months ago
Caption 25, Le Journal Les Français de Côte d'Ivoire
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And yet, if we combine trouble with an adjective, we may end up with an idiomatic expression like troubles violents (violent unrest):
S'ouvre alors une période de troubles violents
A period of violent unrest then begins
Caption 29, Le Monde Nouvelle-Calédonie : la dernière colonie française - Part 2
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People responsible for such troubles violents might be labeled as fauteurs de trouble (troublemakers):
La police avait recensé un millier de fauteurs de troubles.
The police had counted about a thousand troublemakers.
Caption 12, Le Journal Manifestations des lycéens - Part 2
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That could spell des ennuis sérieux (serious trouble) for these fauteurs de trouble. In this animated video, the zoo animals also ont des ennuis (are in trouble). Note the French expression is avoir des ennuis (literally, "to have trouble"):
On va toutes avoir des ennuis maintenant.
We're all going to be in trouble now.
Caption 44, Les zooriginaux The Zoo Book - Part 3
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When having trouble or difficulty conducting a task, you will need to use a different expression: avoir du mal à + infinitive (to have trouble doing something):
Le Père Noël a bien du mal à finir à temps son travail.
Santa Claus is having a lot of trouble finishing his work on time.
Caption 16, Les belles histoires de Pomme d'Api Les Chaussettes du Père Noël
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Not being able to cope might mean that vous n’êtes pas au bout de vos peines (your troubles are far from over, or literally, "you're not at the end of your troubles"):
Mais bon, j'étais pas au bout de mes peines.
But, well, my troubles were far from over.
Caption 38, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mes grands-parents sont infidèles - Part 7
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When in difficulty, it’s always good to call on someone pour vous sortir d’affaires (to get you out of trouble):
On a tous besoin d’aide pour se sortir d’affaires de temps en temps
We all need help from time to time to get out of trouble.
In any event, it always pays to se donner la peine (to take the trouble) to do things right in the first place, even if it takes effort. In this example, though, se donner la peine is just a very formal way of inviting someone to take a seat (literally, "to take the trouble to sit down"):
Si madame veut bien se donner la peine.
If Madam cares to take the trouble [to go sit down].
Caption 53, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mon fils est amoureux de ma copine - Part 1
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In contrast, here is a more clearcut example where “trouble” in English is synonymous with la peine in French. Barbara wants to reward her mother for her hard work on the plumbing repair:
Pour la peine, je t'invite au restaurant.
For the trouble, I'm taking you out to the restaurant.
Caption 42, Mère & Fille C'est le plombier!
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Finally, the word trouble can also be an adjective meaning “unclear.” Such difficulty could be caused by bad eyesight, for example, as in voir trouble, which doesn’t mean “to see trouble," but “to be unable to see clearly.” Trouble is also the first-person singular indicative of the verb troubler (to trouble):
Je vois trouble et cela me trouble.
I can’t see clearly and it troubles me.
In conclusion, thank you for vous être donné/donnée la peine (taking the trouble) to read this lesson. As you may have noticed, the word trouble can be used in a variety of ways that are not always consistent. So let Yabla help you vous sortir d’affaires (get you out of trouble) with our wide range of videos featuring the word.
Now that les beaux jours arrivent (the nice days are coming), how about celebrating le printemps (spring) with a lesson on this time of growth and renewal for humans and nature alike? So, let’s look out for signs of spring in the natural and the human world and explore some spring-related vocabulary.
People like to celebrate spring in different ways. For some, it’s a great opportunity to refresh a winter wardrobe with something fleuri (flowery) and printanier (springlike). In this video, a boutique offers sustainable fashion, like this ethical robe fleurie (floral/flowery dress):
Hein, c'est joli? -C'est très fleuri. -C'est printanier. -Ouais.
It's pretty, don't you think? -It's very flowery. -It's springlike. -Yeah.
Caption 28, Alsace 20 La chronique Mode de Caroline: mode éthique
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For the practically minded, le printemps is an excellent time to start un nettoyage de printemps (spring cleaning):
Les gens courageux et motivés font un nettoyage de printemps tous les ans.
Motivated and hard-working people do a spring cleaning every year.
In any case, most of us like to fêter le printemps (celebrate spring) and the arrival of nice weather by venturing outdoors. Sophie and Edmée even enjoy seeing others profiter du beau temps (enjoy the nice weather):
On vient de fêter le printemps le vingt-et-un. Du coup, c'est assez logique qu'il fasse beau... et c'est génial de voir des gens en terrasse prendre des cafés, profiter du beau temps.
We just celebrated spring on the twenty-first. So it's quite logical that the weather is nice... and it's great to see people on the terraces having coffee, enjoying the beautiful weather.
Captions 30-31, 39-40 Sophie et Edmée Le beau temps
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As for Marie and Sandra, they too are excited to see that le soleil est sorti (the sun is out).
Oui, oui, oui, ben là le soleil est sorti
Yes, yes, yes, well now the sun is out
Caption 6, Marie et Sandra Atelier d'art - Part 4
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Which reminds Sandra that Marie, her art student, wanted to dessiner des feuilles et des fleurs (draw leaves and flowers):
Et je me souviens que tu m'avais dit que tu voulais dessiner des feuilles et des fleurs.
And I remember that you had told me that you wanted to draw leaves and flowers.
Captions 8-9, Marie et Sandra Atelier d'art - Part 4
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Marie decides to draw some flowers that she picked (cueillies) on her way to class, among them a dandelion (un pissenlit):
Donc en venant ici, j'en ai cueillies... Ben, ce que j'ai trouvé dans la rue en fait, un pissenlit...
So coming here, I picked some... Well, what I found in the street in fact, a dandelion...
Captions 10, 13, Marie et Sandra Atelier d'art - Part 4
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She might have picked some primevères (primroses) or jonquilles (daffodils) had they been available:
Elle n’a pas trouvé de primevères ou de jonquilles.
She didn’t find any primroses or daffodils.
Sometimes people simply dream of beautiful jardins (gardens) with fragrant pivoines (peonies) and roses, like the lucky lady in this video:
J'étais dans un jardin avec des odeurs formidables. Avec des fleurs, des pivoines, des roses...
I was in a garden with wonderful smells. With flowers, peonies, roses...
Captions 19-20, Micro-Trottoirs Rêves et cauchemars
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While some dream of spring gardens, others might compose a poem with a spring theme. In her beautiful words, poet and novelist Suzy Le Blanc depicts love as an ephemeral rose qui est éclose (that opens up) in spring and qui se fane (that withers) in winter:
L'Amour est comme une fleur. Il est comme la Rose
Qui au matin est éclose et nous éblouit. Mais quand viennent l'hiver et la nuit
Elle se fane et on l'oublie.
Love is like a flower. It is like the Rose
Which in the morning opens up and dazzles us. But when the winter and the night come
It withers and we forget it.
Captions 1-3, Suzy Le Blanc Romancière, poète
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In any case, it’s best to enjoy spring while it lasts. Parisians do just that. They fully appreciate their local garden avec ses arbres tout en fleurs (with its trees in full bloom):
Au beau milieu des tours du treizième arrondissement, faites une petite halte repos au Jardin Baudricourt avec sa jolie fontaine et aussi ses arbres tout en fleurs.
Right in the middle of the towers of the thirteenth arrondissement, make a small rest stop at the Baudricourt Garden, with its beautiful fountain and also its trees in full bloom.
Captions 22-24, Voyage dans Paris Le Quartier Asiatique
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Spring is also a time when fruit trees like cerisiers (cherry trees), abricotiers (apricot trees), and pêchers (peach trees) are in bloom. To learn about other types of trees in French, check out this lesson:
Les arbres fruitiers comme les cerisiers, les abricotiers et les pêchers sont en fleurs en mars, avril, mai.
Fruit trees such as cherry trees, apricot trees, and peach trees are in bloom in March, April, and May.
As for vines, la floraison (flowering) comes later in June in France:
Vers le... début juin, mi-juin, ça dépend des années, on a la floraison qui va se faire.
Toward the... beginning of June, mid-June, it depends on the year, we'll have the flowering that will occur.
Captions 32-33, Provence Domaine Rouge-Bleu - Part 2
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People are also on the lookout for the first bourgeons (buds) of the season. In his song "Bienvenue chez moi" (Welcome to My Home), Stromae makes a passing reference to spring to describe his home, a dichotomy of good and bad, à moitié bourgeons (half budding):
À moitié bourgeons, à moitié fortes
Half budding, half going strong
Caption 10, Stromae Bienvenue chez moi
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To wrap up this fragrant lesson, below is a list of the spring-related words and expressions we covered:
le printemps: spring/springtime
fêter le printemps: to celebrate spring
profiter du beau temps: to enjoy the nice weather
éclore: to open up, bloom
faner: to wither
un bourgeon: a bud
la floraison: the flowering
fleurir: to flower, to blossom
fleuri, fleurie: flowery/floral
une fleur: a flower
printanier, printanière: springlike
(tout) en fleurs: in (full) bloom
cueillir des fleurs: to pick some flowers
une pivoine, une rose, un pissenlit, une jonquille, une primevère: a peony, a rose, a dandelion, a daffodil, a primrose
un cerisier, un abricotier, un pêcher: a cherry tree, an apricot tree, a peach tree
un jardin: a garden
le nettoyage de printemps: spring cleaning
Wishing everyone un printemps ensoleillé (a sunny spring)! Thank you for reading.
In our previous lesson, we learned that the indefinite pronoun on is quite versatile and easy to use, as it always takes a verb in the third person singular regardless of whether on means “one," "we," "you," "they," or "people." What is not so simple, however, is how we should apply agreements when on refers to more than one person. Grammarians still have conflicting views on the matter. In any case, let's find out what happens with on in everyday speech.
When on is used as an indefinite pronoun, in the sense of “one” or “people,” it usually does not trigger agreement with adjectives or past participles. In other words, it doesn't trigger agreement when it's being used to make generalizations—for example, when talking about traditions. In her video on the ancient custom of duals for honor, Patricia uses the construction on (one) + past participles vexé (offended) and blessé (hurt), which remain singular:
Quand on était vexé, quand on était blessé dans son honneur, on provoquait le coupable en duel à l'épée.
When one was offended, when one's honor was hurt, one would challenge the culprit to a sword duel.
Captions 3-5, Le saviez-vous? Le dernier duel à l'épée pour l'honneur en France
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The same is true when on is used in a proverb or set expression. Although on translates as “we” in this example, “we” is meant in a general sense:
On n'est pas sorti de l'auberge !
We aren't out of the inn [out of the woods]!
Caption 2, Le saviez-vous? "On est pas sorti de l'auberge!"
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Likewise, when on represents a collective entity, as in “we as a nation," the subject is not readily definable and therefore no agreement is necessary:
On a des racines françaises, mais on était marqué par l'Amérique.
We have French roots, but we were marked by America.
Caption 1, Le Québec parle aux Français - Part 5
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So far so good. We have learned that adjectives and past participles do not take agreements in the presence of on as an indefinite pronoun. Now let's find out what happens when on stands for more than one specific person.
Although purists are still debating the matter, the consensus is that adjectives and past participles can agree in gender and number with the person(s) that on represents, as long as the implied subjects are identifiable. (Read this article to learn more.) In this case, on is synonymous with nous (we), which generally is only used as a definite pronoun, with identifiable subjects.
In fact, in casual speech it's common to combine the two in the same sentence: Nous, on + verb. In this case, there is no doubt that on is synonymous with nous:
Nous, on a bloqué le R.E.R., les moyens de transports, les nationales.
We, we blocked the R.E.R. [regional train], the means of transport, the main roads.
Caption 29, Interviews à Central Park Discussion politique
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Since auxiliary avoir does not trigger agreement, let's see what happens with auxiliary être (to be), which does:
Nous, on était bloqués dans le R.E.R.
We were stuck in the R.E.R.
In this case, the past participle agrees with nous, so we add an s to bloqué to make it plural.
Here is another example where on means nous. In this example, on and nous refer to two singers who are proud to be nominated for the Grammy Awards. Hence, the adjective fières takes the feminine plural as it agrees with the implied subject, the female singers:
Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble... Alors on est quand même très, très fières, en tant que Françaises, très, très fières d'avoir été nominées au Grammy Awards
We were both living together... So anyway we are very, very proud, as French people, very, very, proud to have have been nominated for the Grammy Awards
Captions 24-26, Les Nubians Présentation
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Sometimes it is not always easy to identify who on stands for. Here are two similar examples with the phrase on serait capable(s) (we’d be capable) to illustrate the difficulty. In the first video, Elisa and Mashal are talking about what the two of them would be capable of, such as daring to show up in an evening dress at a job interview:
T'imagines! -On serait capables.
Can you imagine! -We could do that.
Caption 69, Elisa et Mashal CV
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Capable takes an s here because it's referring to the two speakers—and only them. In the second example, however, the person is speaking on behalf of all Spanish speakers, including herself. This on is a collective plural in a general statement, so no agreement is necessary:
On serait tout à fait capable de le parler très correctement.
We would be totally able to speak it very correctly.
Caption 19, Les Nubians Les langues
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Now let's discuss on combined with a possessive adjective. How do you decide which pronoun you should use? First you will need to see if on is acting as an indefinite pronoun or whether it stands for more than one specific person. You need to rely on context to help you. In the following video, the speaker does not include himself in the statement. He is talking about what other “people” (winemakers) are doing, so he uses the singular possessive adjective son.
À Paris, on fait son vin et on a ses propres productions.
In Paris, people make their wine and they have their own productions.
Caption 25, Lea & Lionel L Le parc de Bercy - Part 2
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But sometimes you'll even see on used with the possessive form of nous, notre:
On force ainsi notre cerveau à être plus attentif et plus actif.
Thus we force our brains to be more attentive and more active.
Caption 41, Le saviez-vous? Les bénéfices de la dictée
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Though Patricia is making a general statement, thus using on instead of nous, she may have chosen notre over son to sound more informal (just as "we force our brains" sounds more informal than "one forces ones brain").
Here is an example with on + nos (the plural of notre) in which on refers to a group of specific people. Victoria, the proud owner of one of the last herbalist’s shops in France, talks about what she and her staff have on offer:
Ensuite on a tous nos bonbons.
Then we have all our sweets.
Caption 80, Victoria dirigeante de Millymenthe
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On a fini notre leçon sur « on ». On espère que vous avez tout compris ! (We've finished our lesson on on. We hope you understood everything!) If you need more help, fear not. Des « on », on en trouve partout dans nos videos sur Yabla. (You'll find lots of ons in our Yabla videos.)
In your Yabla wanderings and French learning, you may have come across the ubiquitous indefinite personal pronoun on (one). While “one” is rather formal in English (as in “one is inclined to forget things"), on is more conversational in French. It is also much more versatile, as it doesn’t just mean “one.” So, let’s explore the many ways of using on.
As we mentioned, the primary meaning of on is “one,” just as in English when making a general statement. In the following video, on refers to what “one” can eat at this Alsatian restaurant:
Qu'est-ce qu'on peut manger, chez vous, ici, pour huit euros?
What can one eat at your place here for eight euros?
Caption 25, Alsace 20 Grain de Sel: à l'Anatable à Dinsheim
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In practice though, on can refer to anyone. Besides "one," it can translate to any number of things in English: “you," "we," "people," "they." It's up to the listener or reader to figure out from context who on is referring to. For example, in the same video, the chef also uses on to answer the reporter’s question, but this time, on translates as “we” since the chef is talking about himself and his team.
Donc écoute, aujourd'hui pour huit euros, en menu du jour, on a fait un tartare de hareng fumé et pomme de terre à l'huile d'olive
So listen, today for eight euros, on the menu of the day, we made a smoked herring and potato tartare with olive oil
Captions 26-27, Alsace 20 Grain de Sel: à l'Anatable à Dinsheim
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The chef could just as easily have used nous (we) in this situation (nous avons fait un tartare de hareng fumé...), but on is more conversational than nous. In fact, some even advise against using nous as a subject pronoun in casual conversation in favor of on, since nous will sound too formal. By the same token, avoid using on for "we" in formal situations and in writing—in those instances, stick with nous.
However, in a different situation, on can mean "you" when referring to the person being spoken to. In the video below, the speaker addresses “you,” the potential ticket buyer:
Voilà, on peut acheter un ticket à la journée, à la semaine...
There we are. You can buy a ticket for the day, for the week...
Captions 55-56, Amal Vélib
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Other times, when it is unclear or not important to know who the subject is, on is a very convenient pronoun to use, equivalent to the generalized “they” or “people” in English. In his video on Nemours, Daniel Benchimol doesn’t know or doesn’t wish to mention who gave the town its nickname, la Venise du Gâtinais:
Nemours c'est aussi celle qu'on surnomme la Venise du Gâtinais.
Nemours is also the one they nickname "La Venise du Gâtinais" [The Venice of the Gâtinais].
Caption 5, Voyage en France Nemours - Part 4
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On also comes in handy when there is no way of knowing who you're referring to—for example, when the perpetrator of an action, often a negative one such as a theft, is unknown. In cases like these, on is best rendered by the passive voice in English, as the emphasis is on the “victim” or the recipient of the action. In the video below, on refers to the unknown person who stole Sophie’s phone:
C'est pas parce que... on t'a volé ton téléphone que tu vas plus avoir de boulot.
Just because... you had your phone stolen doesn't mean that you're not going to have a job anymore.
Captions 48-49, Sophie et Patrice On m'a volé mon téléphone
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You can also use on in another interesting way, to make a suggestion or prompt people into action, as in “let's sing":
Alors on chante! Allez, tu viens? Tu viens chanter avec moi? On y est? Alors c'est parti!
So let's sing! Come on, are you coming? Are you coming to sing with me? Are we ready? Then off we go!
Caption 48, Actu Vingtième Le vide-grenier
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A more unusual way of using on is instead of tu or vous (you) to avoid addressing the person directly and soften the tone. It’s a gentle way of initiating contact. When someone is tired, for example, you could say:
On est fatigué ce soir ?
We’re tired tonight? [You're tired tonight?]
You can even use on as an oblique way of referring to yourself out of modesty. For instance, to avoid bragging about yourself, you might say:
On a gagné le premier prix.
We won first prize. [I won first prize.]
As you can see, on is a very versatile and easy-to-use pronoun that is suitable for all kinds of conversational situations. (For even more, click on this link.) Just keep in mind that on is often open to interpretation, which can come at the expense of clarity. So let our Yabla videos guide you.
On y va ! (Let’s go!)
The word place is very common in French and poses few problems when it's a direct cognate of the English "place." Other times, however, the meanings diverge, and the word place will translate in a variety of ways depending on context. So, let’s go places and explore the similarities and differences in the use of the word place in this lesson.
As we just mentioned, the word place can be used in a similar way in English and in French in some situations. For example, "a place to stay" is une place d’accueil (literally "a place of welcome"). In the video below, welcome centers around France offer des places d’accueil (places to stay) for refugees:
C'est près de deux cents places d'accueil...
It's nearly two hundred welcoming places...
Caption 35, Réfugiés de Calais L’accueil des migrants en Finistère
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Une place does not only refer to a physical place, but also to a figurative one, like the place where you belong in life. That's a tough question for this lost soul in Yaaz’s sad song "La Place des anges," who muses over an uncertain future and wonders where angels truly belong:
Mais la place des anges n'est pas ici
But the angels' place is not here
Caption 7, Yaaz La place des anges
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Sometimes finding the right place is simply a practical matter. In this well-organized restaurant, the staff is ready to se mettre en place (take their places) before the rush of diners:
Eh ben, on se met en place et on fait tout ça.
Well then, we'll take our places and we'll do all that.
Caption 76, 4 Mains pour 1 Piano Médaillon de Homard - Part 2
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The expression remettre à sa place, though, is not so kind, as it means to put someone back in their place:
Le patron l’a remis à sa place.
The boss put him back in his place.
So far, we’ve looked at examples of true cognates. Unfortunately, these only work in a limited context, as une place often means something other than “a place.” But it doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, to book a table, a room, seats, or buy concert tickets, just say réserver une place! In the following video, une place means “a ticket” to a concert:
Dix mille places se sont arrachées en deux jours.
Ten thousand tickets were snapped up in two days.
Caption 13, Alsace 20 Rammstein à Strasbourg
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Une place can also refer to the seating capacity or number of seats in a venue:
Mercredi je joue au Sin-é et... C'est trois cents places.
On Wednesday I'm performing at Sin-é and... It's three hundred seats.
Caption 9, Charles-Baptiste Interview
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Or to the seating capacity in a car, or even the sleeping capacity in a bed:
On dit un lit à deux places et une voiture à cinq places en français.
We say a double bed and a five-seater car in French.
La place can also simply describe the amount of space available for comfort—in other words, “space” or “room”:
Qu'à tes côtés y a plus de place et que je ne peux pas rester
That there's no room left by your side and that I can't stay
Caption 24, Babylon Circus J'aurais bien voulu
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And when there is not enough place (room) because something or someone takes up too much space, you can use the expression prendre toute la place (to take up all the space), like the naughty cat in this video:
Et en plus, elle prenait... et toi, prenez toute la place dans le lit.
And in addition, she took... and you, [you both] take up all the space in bed.
Captions 27-28, Marie & Jeremy Le chat
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Now that we’ve looked at the various uses of the French word place, let’s look at its English counterpart. Again, you will encounter a variety of translations. When referring to a geographical “place” or location, you can’t use the French place anymore. Instead, use un endroit or un lieu (a place). If that place happens to be your home, or “your place," use chez moi (my place). In their video on Parc de la Villette, Amal and Caroline use all three. First, they talk about un endroit:
Je crois que c'est aussi un endroit assez culturel...
II think it's also a pretty cultural place...
Caption 37, Amal et Caroline Le Parc de la Villette
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Then they use a synonym, un lieu:
Ce qui est vraiment intéressant, c'est que tu as plein de lieux pour faire la fête.
What's really interesting is that you have plenty of places to party.
Captions 53-55, Amal et Caroline Le Parc de la Villette
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And earlier on, one of them mentions how close they are to her place:
On est même pas à cinq, dix minutes à pied de chez moi.
We're not even five, ten minutes away by foot from my place.
Caption 7, Amal et Caroline Le Parc de la Villette
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(For more information on chez moi, check out our lesson Chez moi, c’est chez toi.)
Just to confuse matters further, your “place” or “home” might be located on une place, "a square." In the video below, Joanna and Caroline invite us to visit la place Stanislas (Stanislas Square). Note that there is no need to capitalize place in an address:
On a décidé de vous faire visiter la place Stanislas.
We've decided to show you around Stanislas Square.
Caption 4, Joanna La Place Stanislas
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Instead of visiter une place, you may prefer to rester sur place (to stay/remain on site). These refugees are fortunate in that they can stay in the same spot for a few months:
Ces groupes devraient rester quelques mois sur place
These groups should stay on site for a few months
Caption 37, Réfugiés de Calais L’accueil des migrants en Finistère
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Or you may seek another kind of place that has nothing to do with location. Une place can also be "a position” or “a job"—whether an everyday occupation or the prestigious position of honorary president of the Cannes Film Festival:
Madame de Havilland... on vous a proposé en tout cas pour la place de présidente d'honneur à vie de ce festival.
Ms. de Havilland... you were nominated in any case for the position of honorary president of this festival [jury] for life.
Captions 31-33, Interviews au Festival de Cannes Olivia de Havilland
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La place also means "position" in general in expressions such as se mettre à la place de quelqu’un (to put oneself in another person’s position/place):
Faut se mettre à la place d'Obama ; pendant trois ans, il s'était farci...
You need to put yourself in Obama's position; for three years, he had been putting up with...
Caption 26, Alsace 20 Laurent Chandemerle, l'homme aux 100 voix
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On the flip side, the French word une position can mean "rank" or "place." In her video, Nelly ranks her favorite places (lieux or endroits) to visit in France:
En septième position, nous avons les gorges du Verdon.
In seventh place, we have the gorges of Verdon.
Caption 20, Français avec Nelly 10 Places to Visit in France - Part 2
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The word place has so many meanings that il n’y a pas assez de place (there is not enough space) in this lesson to mention them all. Just remember that context is key and feel free to browse through our Yabla videos and notice how often the word place comes up!
Have you heard of the French paradox? The phrase was coined in the 80s by French scientists who noted a low incidence of heart disease in France despite a diet high in fat. Whether this French paradox still endures or whether it’s a myth is open for debate. One thing is certain, though: some foods are best avoided, and some dietary habits are not healthy. Let’s discuss how the French diet has changed over the years. Do the French avoid junk food, or do they secretly lap it up? Is there a word for "fast food" and "junk food"? Let’s find out and explore some new vocabulary.
The official term for “fast food” is la restauration rapide, but most people call it le fast-food. French businessman Jacques Borel adopted the concept and opened the first Wimpy hamburger restaurant in 1961, and later on McDonald’s first opened its doors in France in 1972. According to Wikipedia:
Le premier McDonald’s a été ouvert en 1972 près de Paris à Créteil.
The first McDonald’s opened in 1972 in Créteil, near Paris.
Fast-food chains in France, even places like McDonald’s, tend to have a little French flair to them, as it is necessary to accommodate the French palate. In some cases, fast food takes on a definite French flavor. For example, in Nice, people come at all hours of the day for a quick meal of la socca, a type of pizza, which is so popular that it has become the locals’ idea of fast food:
Ils ont créé une sorte de fast-food niçois
They created a kind of Nice fast food
Caption 78, Le saviez-vous? La socca, spécialité niçoise
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Another popular trend is les livraisons de repas à domicile (meal delivery services), which have gained momentum since the COVID pandemic. Meal delivery services like Uber Eats have flourished especially in major cities like Paris:
Il y a eu une prolifération de services de livraisons à domicile depuis le Covid en France.
There has been a proliferation of home delivery services since COVID in France.
French people also enjoy the convenience of prepared food and produits industriels (processed foods), which, like fast food, tend to be loaded with du sucre (sugar) and des graisses saturées (saturated fats), not to mention additives and other chemicals:
Comme on trouve du sucre dans énormément de produits industriels...
As sugar is found in a huge number of processed foods...
Caption 64, Le Figaro Elle a banni le sucre pendant un an - Part 1
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Les graisses saturées sont les mauvaises graisses.
Saturated fats are bad fats.
Like le sucre and les graisses saturées, les additifs are also hard to avoid in les produits industriels. The lack of additifs becomes a major selling point for this purveyor of natural foods:
C'est un bonbon à base de miel et d'essence de plantes avec aucun additif dedans
It's a sweet made from honey and plant extracts with no additives inside
Captions 84-85, Victoria dirigeante de Millymenthe
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What else is found in produits industriels? Preservatives (des conservateurs). Don’t be fooled by this false cognate!
"The preservative"... c'est un... un conservateur en français... et un préservatif c'est ce qu'on met pour se protéger des rapports sexuels.
The preservative... is a... un conservateur in French... and un préservatif [a condom] is what you put on to protect yourself from sexual intercourse.
Captions 71-72, 75 Français avec Nelly Les faux amis - Part 2
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Although French people are aware of the unhealthy aspects of processed and fast foods, they enjoy their convenience and affordability. In other words, people enjoy junk food. Interestingly, French does not have a specific term for this. The word la malbouffe (literally, "eating badly") is a close equivalent to “junk food,” referring both to unhealthy foods and poor dietary habits.
According to this article, young people are especially drawn to la malbouffe because it makes them feel a certain kind of independence from their parents:
Les jeunes aiment la malbouffe car c’est une façon de se différencier de leur parents.
Young people enjoy junk food because it’s a way to set themselves apart from their parents.
People also use the term manger n’importe quoi (literally, "to eat whatever," or indiscriminately) when referring to eating junk:
Il faut pas trop que je picole ni que je mange n'importe quoi...
I shouldn't have too much booze or eat junk...
Caption 65, Le Jour où tout a basculé Espion dans l'immeuble - Part 4
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In conclusion, although more and more French people are consuming les produits industriels and ordering la livraison à domicile, they still care very much about what they eat. France still has plenty of gastronomic delights to offer, as our numerous food-related videos will attest. In any case, don’t let la malbouffe ruin your appetite!
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