Archive for the ‘French Vocabulary’ Category

French gender exceptions: pronouns ‘your,’ ‘our’ and ‘their’

If you haven’t done so already, take a quick look at the lessons on gender in French grammar and gendered French pronouns.
Most pronouns are gendered to match the nouns they accompany or replace.  There are a few, however, that remain the same for nouns of either gender (hooray!), and change only in plural form.

Your
Our
Their

Your (formal [...]

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Partie Deux – The Streets of Paris

Les Rues de Paris: Partie Deux – The Streets of Paris: Part Two
“Demander son chemin”
-
“To ask for directions”
You’ve arrived in France and made it to your hotel.  You’re jetlagged, but determined!  With a copy of Paris Arrondissments in hand (you picked one up at an outdoor presse on the way [...]

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HÉBERGEMENT - ACCOMMODATION

“Une chambre, deux lits”
“One room, two beds”
When my boyfriend and his brother were traveling by bike through the south of France, this was the phrase they lived by.  It was simple, to the point, and got them what they needed as far as accommodation was concerned.
At the end of a long [...]

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Une leçon culturelle – A Cultural Lesson

“Faire la bise”[fer la biz]
“To kiss on the cheek”
To faire la bise is to greet someone in the traditional French fashion: with a kiss on each cheek.
In some regions of France (and in other Francophone countries), three or more kisses is on par, but generally speaking, two is the [...]

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SALUTATIONS - GREETINGS

“Ça va?” [sa va]
“How’s it going?”
Ça va is easily the most commonly uttered phrase in the French language; and just what is its secret appeal? Why, it’s both a question and its reciprocal answer.
If you want to know how someone’s doing: Ça va?
If you want to tell them right back [...]

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French Vocabulary And Phrases For Traveling by Train in France

The train is one of the easiest ways to get around France if you are planning a multi-destination journey through the country. Paris is usually the least expensive city to fly into, but there is so much more of the country to see outside of the capital!
The rail network–SNCF (Société Nationale de Chemins de [...]

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At the beach: à la plage

July and August are peak season for beach-goers in France. The beaches may be a bit more crowded at this time of year, but you couldn’t have better weather for enjoying the French Riviera.

Vocabulary • Shopping For The Beach • Warnings and Signage
France is framed by two main coast lines (as well [...]

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Le Tour de France: preparation, competition, and free stuff

Or, you know, le Tour de Belgique (Belgium) and Hollande (Hollande).
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The 2010 Route
The tour route varies from year to year, and although most of it takes place in France, the cyclists will start in the Netherlands this time around. After the Prologue [...]

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Navigating a Film Festival in France: Movie Vocabulary and Useful French Phrases

Films are an integral art of French culture. France is famous for festivals, most notably the one at Cannes, and for producing edgy movies that are subtitled or dubbed to be replayed around the world.
If you happen to be in the right place at the right time to check out a film festival in [...]

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French word: Café

When you say ‘un café’ in French, it translates to ‘a bar’.

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