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afblearnfrench

Métiers

language-minded

Phrases utiles à l'examen oral

Comment Organiser un exposé:

a) Annoncer le sujet de l’exposé:

- Telle est la question que je voudrais aborder / traiter avec vous maintenant ; Telle est la question à laquelle je voudrais répondre maintenant.

b) Présenter le plan de l’exposé:

- Je traiterai un seul point / plusieurs points / questions… ; J’aborderai / considérerai / examinerai les questions suivantes : … ; Je commencerai par aborder le… ; Le premier point portera sur… ; Ensuite / Par la suite / En second lieu / En second point j’aborderai… Enfin / Pour terminer / Pour conclure je dirai quelques mots au sujet de… ; Je conclurai sur / par… ; Le dernier point abordé / examiné / présenté sera…

c) Présenter chaque partie de l’exposé. Enumérations, alternatives, conclusion:

- Signalons / Disons tout d’abord que… ; Ils ont d’autre part / aussi… ; Cette situation pose d’ailleurs le problème de… ; On notera de même… ; En gros / En somme / Somme toute / En bref / En peu de mots / Enfin bref / Pour conclure… ; Ce qu’il faut retenir de tout cela c’est que… ; Nous pouvons maintenant passer/ Venons-en maintenant à notre dernier point, celui… ; Cela nous amène tout naturellement au dernier point de notre exposé, celui… ; La conclusion de tout cela est… ; Au terme de cette analyse / de cet exposé j’ai tâché de vous exposer…

d) Développer un sujet:

- En faisant des énumérations / En classant: appartient à / fait partie de / entre dans la classe / la catégorie / le groupe de… ; est un type de… ; c’est du même genre de… En comparant: rappelle / c’est comme / fait penser à… ; de même que… ; peut être comparé / assimilé à… ; peut se rapprocher de / être rapproché de… ; est du même type / ordre / de la même nature que… ; présente un rapport / une affinité / un lien / une analogie / une parenté avec… En décrivant / En racontant

e) Mettre en relief un point:

- Soulignons / Signalons / Remarquons (le fait) que… ; On remarquera que… ; J’attire votre attention sur le fait que… ; J’insiste sur le fait que…

f) Faire une transition:

- Pour en revenir / Revenons / Je reviens / J’en reviens à notre propos, je dirais donc que… ; Cette remarque faite, voyons donc maintenant / examinons alors… ; Cela dit, venons-en à présent à notre sujet ; Après avoir examiné / considéré… abordons (maintenant)… ; Il convient / Il y a lieu maintenant / aussi de soulever la question de… ; Le point / la question suivant(e) c’est… ; Cela nous amène / conduit à… ; Je ferme la parenthèse / Fermons la parenthèse ; Reprenons.

g) Proposer un nouveau sujet:

- Pour passer à autre chose ; Pour changer de sujet… ; Et si tu nous parlais de… ? ; Et puis, à part ça,… ? ; Alors, qu’est-ce que vous avez comme remarque à faire là-dessus ?

h) Rejeter un sujet, changer de sujet:

- Ça n’a rien à voir ; Parlons plutôt d’autre chose ; Quel rapport ? ; Quel intérêt ? ; Ce n’est pas le moment ; Changeons de sujet (voulez-vous ?) ; Ce n’est pas le problème ; la question est que…

i) Donner un exemple:

- Tiens, un pamplemousse c’est un agrumes ; Je prendrai l’exemple suivant : … ; Le fait que … a valeur d’exemple ; …illustre bien cette situation / est un bon exemple ; Je vous en donne un exemple. / En voici un exemple ; … entre autres ; Prenons l’exemple de… ; Tenez, si vous le voulez bien : imaginons / imaginez… ; Ainsi dans… on ne compte que… ; Ça me rappelle une histoire… ; Tel est le cas de…

j) Citer:

- Je cite : « … » ; … Fin de citation ; …a dit textuellement (deux points, j’ouvre les guillemets) ; Comme dirait X « … »

k) Concéder, objecter (argumentation en deux temps):

- C’est sûr / certain / exact / vrai que… pourtant / cependant / toutefois / seulement… ; Je vous accorde que… n’empêche que… ; Je ne nie pas que… ; cela dit, il reste que… ; J’admets que… ça n’empêche pas du tout que… ; S’il est certain que… il n’en reste pas moins que…

l) Résumer, récapituler:

- Je résume en un mot / en quelques mots / rapidement… ; Pour tout dire… ; En un mot… ; En deux mots… ; Enfin / Somme toute / Tout compte fait / Enfin de compte / Bref… ; En fait / En réalité / La réalité est que… / De fait…

m) Se corriger:

- …, non,… /…, pardon,… /…, non (pardon), pas…mais… /…je voulais dire… ou plutôt……ou pour être plus précis / ou plus exactement / ou plus précisément…

topofrancais

Quelques formes géométriques

hello-language-that-is-all-deac

French Expressions

(From Transparent French)

1. Ca gaz? (Is it gassing?) – How’s it going?

2. C’est pas terrible (It’s not terrible) – It isn’t that great.

3. Et patati et patata (And blah, blah, blah,) – When someone won’t stop talking.

4. Un froid de canard (A duck’s cold) – It’s extremely cold outside.

5. Faire la grasse matinée (Doing the fat morning) – Sleeping in.

6. Avoir une araignée au plafond (Having a spider on the ceiling) – The ceiling refers to a person’s head and means that he/she is a little odd but that it doesn’t bother anyone.

7. Rentrer bredouille (Returning bredouille) – There’s no real translation for the word bredouille but it means returning empty-handed.

8. Tomber à pic (Falling at the peak) – To arrive at just the right time.

9. Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre (Having eyes bigger than the stomach) – This refers to a person whose desire for food was larger than their stomach and they end up overeating or not being able to finish the food on their plate.

10. Mettre la charrue avant les bœufs (Placing the plow before the oxen) – This is similar to the phrase “Putting the cart before the horse” and has the same meaning.

11. Bête comme un chou (Dumb like a cabbage) – Refers to a person who is dumb, similar to the expression “Dumber than a sack of hammers/rocks.”

12. Avoir le feu au derrière (Having fire on your behind) – To be in a hurry.

13. Donner sa langue au chat (To give one’s tongue to the cat) – To give up or to stop guessing.

14. Avoir d’autres chat à fouetter (Having other cats to whip) – Similar to “Having bigger fish to fry” meaning having other things to do.

15. Boire un coup/Prendre un verre (Drink a blow/Take a glass) – To have a drink.

16. Avoir le cafard (Having the cockroach) – Feeling down or depressed.

17. Être dans de beaux draps (Being in nice sheets) – Being in a mess.

18. Dormir sur les deux oreilles (Sleeping on both ears) – Sleeping well, having restful sleep.

19. Vieux/Vieille comme Hérode (Old like Herod) – Referring to King Herod in the Bible, this simply refers to a very elderly person.

20. À fond la caisse (At full throttle) – To go real fast, especially in a vehicle.

polylingualfailure

In the countryside we also have Il pleut comme vache qui pisse (It’s raining like a cow pisses) - Raining a lot

topofrancais

Quelques formes géométriques

mickybyrd

How I Learn Languages

As an aspiring polyglot, it’s important that I have a bunch of resources at my disposal for language learning. I use a variety of resources for my learning, such as books, websites, apps, T.V. shows, movies, etc. These are some of my resources!

-Websites-

1. Omniglot

This website is more for finding information about languages and finding languages to learn. It has a very comprehensive list of languages and you can find plenty of secondary resources for learning the language. You can find tutors for that language, and even songs in your target language. I can just about guarantee you that no matter what language you’re looking for, it will be documented here. It is absolutely amazing, and it is a FANTASTIC resource for the dedicated linguist.

http://www.omniglot.com/

2. Duolingo

This is both a website AND an app, however, I tend to use the website more frequently, mainly because I’m always on my laptop anyway. The learning system that this website uses makes out very easy to stay motivated, and the lessons are organized amazingly. Currently, the website offers about 27 different language courses for English speakers, and various language courses for speakers of languages other than English. You can set goals for yourself, take multiple courses, be involved in discussions, and even do translating activities. Beware though, it gets VERY addicting.

https://www.duolingo.com

3. Memrise

Also a website AND an app, this is my all time favorite resource for learning languages. It has SO many languages to choose from, and it even offers subjects other than languages, although foreign language learning is its primary appeal factor.

http://www.memrise.com/home/

4. BBC Languages

Although this sector of BBC has been archived and is no longer updated, it still contains some valuable information. It includes some useful phrases, alphabet guides, and jokes in many languages. You’re bound to learn something new there, so check it out!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

5. Foreign Service Institute (FSI)

This website offers language courses constructed by the U.S. government, and relies heavily on audio-based learning. However, many of the language courses include lessons in the form of pdf. There is a very large selection of languages to choose from, so this resource is very good for getting an excellent introduction to your target language.

https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/

6. Live Lingua Project

Claiming to be the internet’s largest collection of free public domain language learning materials, this website is a MUST for language learners. It contains the FSI courses, Peace Corps language learning materials, and the DLI (military) language courses. It also offers Skype sessions for language learners in several different languages! The main appeal of this website, however, is the Peace Corps language material archive. There are SO many different languages to choose from, and there are many ebooks and audio files to take advantage of here.

https://www.livelingua.com/#project

7. Languages On the Web

This website offers texts that translate English texts into 55 other languages. It is not a translator, it merely provides reading material in foreign languages to learners. It is a very useful website, especially for analyzing how sentences are formed in other languages.

http://www.lonweb.org/

8. Learn 101

This website is really helpful for explaining grammatical concepts and for learning general stuff about languages, such as verbs, vocabulary, nouns, adjectives, basic phrases, foods, etc. There are quite alot of languages offered on this website, so it’s a great resource!

http://learn101.org/

9. Clozemaster

This website is great for learning languages through a sentence based, contextual experience. It’s a bit like Duolingo in that sense, and it requires you to fill in missing words from sentences. In my opinion, it’s better for people with a background in their target language, and they offer many different options for languages. It’s also good for speakers of a native language other than English!

https://www.clozemaster.com/

10. Lexicity

This is a great website for ancient language learners, and it provides resources for Egyptian, Mayan, Hittite, Latin, Old English, Etruscan, Gaulish, and several others. I have found the majority of resources that I have looked through helpful to my learning efforts. They have dictionaries, grammars, charts, and texts, and it is a very comprehensive resource.

http://lexicity.com/

11. Book2

This is a good resource for learners looking for audio files to help them practice their listening. I haven’t used it all too much, but there are many language options, so you’re bound to find a language that you find interesting on here.

http://www.goethe-verlag.com/book2/

12. Lang-8

This is a great resource for getting feedback on your writing in your target language. You can post things in your target language, and native speakers of that language will correct it, and you can do the same for other people! It’s very helpful, and is a great resource if you have to write in your target language often.

http://lang-8.com/

13. Bilinguis

This website offers a few books to read in different languages and is good for comparing different languages of the same book. This makes for good practice for reading in your target language.

http://bilinguis.com/

14. Udemy

There are quite a few languages courses on this website, although several of them cost money. However, there are quite a few courses that are free, and are good for introducing you to your language of choice.

https://www.udemy.com/courses/

-Apps-

1. Memrise

As mentioned above in the websites section, this app is so amazing for on-the-go language learning, as well as for subjects other than languages! It helps users memorize concepts with “meme” which are pictures that will remind you of what the word or concept means, and it’s such a unique and fun learning experience! It has the feel of using flashcards, but I just love using this app so much.

2. Duolingo

Also mentioned in the websites section, this app is great for both learning new words and reviewing words that you have either memorized or have just been exposed to. There are grammar lessons available, translation activities, groups that you can join, and Duolingo makes it fun to learn a language with it’s reward system.

3. HelloTalk

This is my absolute FAVORITE app to talk to native speakers of my target language(s). You can become language partners with people, help others with translations, video/voice call, send voice messages, and have as many partners as you want! It’s an absolutely amazing app, and I highly recommend it to everyone! Warning- If you’re a native English speaker looking for a native Chinese speaker, you will get HUNDREDS of requests. It might overwhelm you for a second.

4. TuneIn Radio

This is really great for finding stations in your target language, and it helps with practicing both comprehension of spoken language as well as introduces you to awesome music in your target language!

5. Tigercards

This app presents words in the form of lists, and gives you vocab so that you can review it. Not the best presentation of words and it doesn’t really offer a memorization technique like Memrise, but it’s still helpful!

6. Busuu

This app is a bit like Duolingo, and it offers German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese!

7. uTalk

This app offers so many different languages, it’s pretty incredible. There are games that you can play, phrasebooks, and several other features. The interface is also really awesome and simple, so it makes learning easier than usual. Definitely a must have.

8. Innovative Language

I haven’t used this app much, but I have heard that the lessons on this app are very good, and you can download the lessons so that you can view them offline.

9. FlashSticks

This has been super helpful to me, in addition to the games and flashcards that it offers, it also provides an object scanner, which uses your camera to scan objects and then tells you what it’s called in your target language!

10. Mondly

This has been an awesome resource for me since it’s a bit like Duolingo, only with more unique language options. I’m currently using it to learn Hindi, however, there are tons of other language options. The interface is awesome, and I love using it.

11. MindSnacks

This company makes several different language apps, and currently I’m using the Mandarin, Japanese, and French ones. So far, I’ve really enjoyed these apps!

12. Spotify

Through Spotify’s “Word” category, there are many different playlists dedicated to language learning, such as for Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and Swedish!

13. Quizlet

This is more of a diy language learning resource. It is not an inherent language learning resource, however, if you learn best through lists and/or flashcards, then this app allows you to make cards and review vocab that way! I use it all the time for exams!

14. FluentU

This is an awesome app for watching videos in your target language, and is really good for learning new words.

-Books-

1. Teach Yourself

This series offers an astounding number of languages, and I have found them to be pretty effective in helping me learn languages. I have used the Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, and Irish ones.

2. Barron’s Grammar and Verb books

I really like the way Barron’s does language books, so far I have used their Japanese grammar book and their Russian verbs book, and I really like the layout of them, especially the grammar book!

3. Dk Visual Bilingual Dictionaries

These are so helpful for me, I’ve been using the Mandarin and Japanese dictionaries for a long time, and they are so comprehensive and awesome!

4. Ethnologue

These aren’t language “learning” materials, but rather they help me find new languages to learn. These are more for the linguistic lovers, since they catalog almost every living language in the world in every country, and provide language maps and statistics. There’s really fascinating stuff in those books, so I highly recommend purchasing them.

5. The “Dirty” books

So far, I have only used the Japanese version, however, I really like what the book includes, and it’s great for learning slang in your target language, and things that traditional textbooks wouldn’t teach you.

6. Living Language

I LOVE these books so much, I’ve used the Russian, Mandarin, and French ones and I’ve found them very helpful! The layout of these are very nice, and they’re pretty comprehensive.

7. Tuttle books

Tuttle offers several different language books, and they all are very good in my opinion. I have used their books for Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and Hindi.

That’s all that I have right now, but if you all would like more resources than I will definitely make a second one!

mickybyrd

How I Learn Languages

-Websites-

1. Omniglot

http://www.omniglot.com/

2. Duolingo

https://www.duolingo.com

3. Memrise

http://www.memrise.com/home/

4. BBC Languages

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

5. Foreign Service Institute (FSI)

https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/

6. Live Lingua Project

https://www.livelingua.com/#project

7. Languages On the Web

http://www.lonweb.org/

8. Learn 101

http://learn101.org/

9. Clozemaster

https://www.clozemaster.com/

10. Lexicity

http://lexicity.com/

11. Book2

http://www.goethe-verlag.com/book2/

12. Lang-8

http://lang-8.com/

13. Bilinguis

This website offers a few books to read in different languages and is good for comparing different languages of the same book. This makes for good practice for reading in your target language.

http://bilinguis.com/

14. Udemy

https://www.udemy.com/courses/

-Apps-

1. Memrise

2. Duolingo

3. HelloTalk

4. TuneIn Radio

5. Tigercards

6. Busuu

This app is a bit like Duolingo, and it offers German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese!

7. uTalk

8. Innovative Language

I haven’t used this app much, but I have heard that the lessons on this app are very good, and you can download the lessons so that you can view them offline.

9. FlashSticks

10. Mondly

11. MindSnacks

This company makes several different language apps, and currently I’m using the Mandarin, Japanese, and French ones. So far, I’ve really enjoyed these apps!

12. Spotify

13. Quizlet

14. FluentU

This is an awesome app for watching videos in your target language, and is really good for learning new words.

-Books-

1. Teach Yourself

This series offers an astounding number of languages, and I have found them to be pretty effective in helping me learn languages. I have used the Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, and Irish ones.

2. Barron’s Grammar and Verb books

I really like the way Barron’s does language books, so far I have used their Japanese grammar book and their Russian verbs book, and I really like the layout of them, especially the grammar book!

3. Dk Visual Bilingual Dictionaries

These are so helpful for me, I’ve been using the Mandarin and Japanese dictionaries for a long time, and they are so comprehensive and awesome!

4. Ethnologue

5. The “Dirty” books

6. Living Language

I LOVE these books so much, I’ve used the Russian, Mandarin, and French ones and I’ve found them very helpful! The layout of these are very nice, and they’re pretty comprehensive.

7. Tuttle books

Tuttle offers several different language books, and they all are very good in my opinion. I have used their books for Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and Hindi.

That’s all that I have right now, but if you all would like more resources than I will definitely make a second one!

katherinablk

A great way to learn a new language is by listening to music in that language so here is a list of songs in different languages:

German songs:

Willst du einen Schneemann bauen? (Do you wanna build a snowman?)

COSMA - Es hat alles seine Zeit

Helene Fischer - Atemlos durch die Nacht

Clueso - Stadtrandlichter

Namika - Lieblingsmensch

Max Giesinger - 80 Millionen

Andreas Bourani - Auf anderen Wegen

Clueso - Freidrehen

Anastasia - Es war einmal im Dezember

French songs:

Stromae - Papaoutai

Kendji Girac - Andalouse

Sindy - Aïe aïe aïe

Léa Castel - Larguer les amarres

Maître Gims - Zombie

Maître Gims - Est-ce que tu m'aimes ?

Isleym - Avec le Temps

Anaïs Delva - Libérée, Délivrée

Indila - S.O.S

Indila - Dernière Danse

Sylvie Vartan - Baby c'est vous

Romanian songs:

ADDA - Lupii

ADDA - Iti Arat Ca Pot

Vescan feat. Florin Ristei - Las-o…

Carla’s Dreams - Acele (the singer is from Moldavia so you may hear an accent)

Carla’s Dreams - Sub Pielea Mea | #eroina

Carla’s Dreams - Imperfect

Andra - Niciodata Sa Nu Spui Niciodata

Mihail - Ma ucide ea

Tudor Gheorghe - Au înnebunit salcâmii (old but gold)

Norwegian songs:

Unge Ferrari - Hvis Du Vil

Katastrofe - Typisk Norsk ft. Alexander Rybak

English songs:

(less known or personal favourites)

Wilkinson - Sweet Lies ft. Karen Harding

Nothing But Thieves - Trip Switch

Lia Marie Johnson - DNA

A R I Z O N A - I Was Wrong

Jaymes Young - I’ll Be Good

Emeli Sandé - Hurts

Rag'n'Bone Man - Human

BØRNS - American Money

Krewella x Diskord - Beggars

Spanish songs:

Gente de Zona - La Gozadera

Malú - Vuelvo A Verte

Malú - Te Voy a Olvidar

Enrique Iglesias - DUELE EL CORAZON ft. Wisin

If you have any recommendations, message me and I’ll add it to the list!

ENJOY!

FOLLOW me if you want here: IG

purrkatorium

“I Don’t Care” in French

Ça m'est égal: This is the safest way to say “I don’t care in French. It literally means “It’s equal to me”.

Je m’en fiche: This is the phrase that most people use. It is not vulgar, but it carries more power than the first phrase.

Je m’en fous: This phrase is vulgar, equivalent to saying, “I don’t give a shit.”

Je m’en bats les couilles: This is vulgar, and stronger than the previous. However, this is a bit long and unnecessary, and most people use “Je m’en fous” instead.

J’en ai rien à foutre: This is vulgar, and the same rules apply as the last.

fearsandrain

Des milliers et des milliers d'années Ne sauraient suffire Pour dire La petite seconde d'éternité Où tu m'as embrassé Où je t'ai embrassèe Un matin dans la lumière de l'hiver Au parc Montsouris à Paris A Paris Sur la terre La terre qui est un astre.

Jacques Prévert

fearsandrain

Jacques Prévert

etams

Sexion d’Assaut - Avant Qu’elle Parte

Insensé, insensible, tu l'aimes mais pourtant tu la fuis

Foolish, uncaring, you love her but still, you run away from her

Insensé, insensible, tu l'aimes mais pourtant tu la fuis

Foolish, uncaring, you love her but still, you run away from her

Pardonne-moi pour tes insomnies à répétitions

Forgive me for your constant insomnia

Pardonne-moi pour les files d'attentes, tes clashs à l'inspection

Forgive me for the lineups, your fights at the inspection

Pardonne-moi pour les garde-à-vue, les perquisitions

Forgive me for the custodies, for the raids

Pardonne-moi d'être parti si tôt, d'être devenu musicien

Forgive me for leaving so soon, for becoming a musician

Toutes les fois où j'ai oublié de répondre à tes messages

All the times I forgot to reply to your messages

Toutes les fois où je devais venir te voir entre deux-trois dates

All the times I was supposed to visit you between two-three concert dates

Toutes les fois où j'ai dû te mentir pour éviter que tu me frappes

All the times I had to lie to you to avoid your blows

Toutes ces fois, je n'ai jamais douté de ta bonne foi

All these times, I never doubted your good faith

Ta mère est une fleur rare que t'abreuves par ton amour

Your mother is a rare flower that you water with your love

L'en priver c'est la tuer donc n'abrège pas son compte à rebours

Depriving her of it is killing her, so don’t shorten her countdown

Dis-lui que tu l'aimes, que tu regrettes ta manière d'être conflictuelle

Tell her you love her, that you regret your conflicting nature

Elle a du mal à s'évader car tes grands frères ont pris du ferme

She’s having trouble evading because your big brothers went to jail

Est-ce mes rides qui m'empêchent de lui sourire?

Do my wrinkles keep me from smiling at her?

Je veux pas rester en vie jusqu'à la voir mourir

I don’t want to stay alive until I see her dying

Tes larmes piquaient mes plaies, j'aimerais te contenter

Your tears healed my wounds, I’d like to make you happy

A jamais je maudis ce jour où on t'enterre

I curse the day we bury you

Et même quand tout le monde est contre toi

And even when everybody is against you

Elle reste ta meilleure amie

She’s still your best friend

T'aimerais lui dire ce qu'elle représente pour toi

You’d like to tell her how much she means to you

Avant qu'elle ne perde la vie

Before she loses her life

Mais tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas lui dire

But you don’t dare, you don’t dare, you don’t dare telling her

Et tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas lui dire (x2)

And you don’t dare, you don’t dare, you don’t dare telling her (x2)

J'suis sûr qu'elle aimerait juste entendre un “Maman je t'aime”

I’m sure she’d just like to hear “Mom I love you”

A la place des cris du daron qui menace de te jeter

Instead of your father threatening to kick you out

J'suis sûr qu'elle craque au bout d'une semaine passée sans toi

I’m sure that she breaks down after one week spent without you

Et que ton absence lui ferait plus mal qu'une chute du haut de son toit

And that your absence would hurt her more that falling down from her roof

J'suis sûr qu'elle aimerait que tu la prennes dans tes bras

I’m sure she’d like you to hold her in your arms

Exactement comme elle le faisait durant tes 12 premiers mois

Just like she did during your first 12 months

J'suis sûr que l'amour t'as rendu myope

I’m sure that love made you blind

Au lieu de le porter à ta mère tu le portes à une idiote

Instead of giving it to your mother, you’re giving it to a dumb girl

Des heures au phone avec ta meuf afin de mieux vous rapprocher

Hours spent on the phone with your girlfriend to get to know each other

Quand ta mère t'appelle, tu veux vite raccrocher

But when your mother calls, you want to hang up quickly

Devant tes potes, tu lui tiens tête, tu veux lui donner des leçons

In front of your friends, you contradict her, you want to lecture her

Mais t'oublies que cette tête elle l'a tenue quand elle te donnait le sein

But you forget that she held your head when she breastfed you

Crois moi sur paroles

Take my word

On peut remplacer des poumons mais sûrement pas une daronne

You can replace lungs but not a mom

T'as habité en elle, t'as habité sous son toit

You lived in her, you lived in her house

C'est la seule personne qui prie pour quitter ce monde avant toi

She’s the only one who prays to leave this world before you

Au commissariat, pour elle, t'étais jamais coupable

At the commissariat, to her, you were never guilty

Mais pour moi tu l'es car t'es bronzé alors qu'elle est toute pâle

But to me, you are, because you’re tanned when she is pale

À part elle, personne supporte ton égoïsme permanent

Except her, nobody stands your constant selfishness

T'es pas le nombril du monde mais t'es celui de ta maman

The world doesn’t revolve around you, but your mom does

Et même quand tout le monde est contre toi

And even when everybody is against you

Elle reste ta meilleure amie

She’s still your best friend

T'aimerais lui dire ce qu'elle représente pour toi

You’d like to tell her how much she means to you

Avant qu'elle ne perde la vie

Before she loses her life

Mais tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas lui dire

But you don’t dare, you don’t dare, you don’t dare telling her

Et tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas, tu n'oses pas lui dire (x2)

And you don’t dare, you don’t dare, you don’t dare telling her (x2)

Je ne suis jamais parti, je n'ai jamais changé

I never left, I never changed

Si ce n'est ma voix et ma taille

Except my voice and my height

Oh Maman, c'est moi

Oh Mom, it’s me

Je veux que tu valides ma fiancée

I want you to validate my fiancée

Réconforte-moi comme quand je tombais

Comfort me just like when I used to fall

Maman où t'es passée? oh regarde-moi

Mommy where have you gone? oh look at me

Simplement te serrer dans mes bras

Just holding you in my arms

Te serrer très fort, te dire je t'aime une dernière fois

Holding you tight, telling you “I love you” one last time

Repose en paix

Rest in peace

Pour nous, t'as donné corps et âme

For us, you gave your heart and soul

Si j'ai plus d'encre tant pis je continuerai avec mes larmes, akhi

If there’s no ink left, it’s okay I’ll go on with my tears, akhi

Aujourd'hui Maman n'est plus là

Today Mommy is not here anymore

J'suis tombé de haut mais je pourrais pas tomber plus bas

I fell hard but I couldn’t fall lower

Poto fais pas l'enfant de la DDASS

Homie, don’t play the orphan

Si t'en a une, fais lui plaisir, dis-lui que tu l'aimes avant qu'elle parte

If you have one, make her happy, tell her you love her before she’s gone

À tous ceux qui ont encore une mère

To those who still have a mother

Même si la mort n'arrête pas l'amour

Even though death doesn’t stop love

Dîtes-leur que vous les aimez avant qu’elles partent

Tell them you love them before they’re gone

oligoglot

Belgian French

You’ve listened to Stromae, you’ve seen pictures of this little guy, you’ve maybe watched the Belgian Red Devils playing in the world cup, but do you know about the variety of French spoken in Belgium? It’s a bit different than metropolitan French, but it’s not so different as Québecois.

1. Pronunciation

Strong accents exist, but both the pervasive nature of media from across the border in France as well as the fact that students in Wallonia (the French-speaking part of Belgium) learn standard French pronunciation means that the accent is undergoing standardisation, and that the four observations below are sometimes (not even always) what’s left to differentiate speakers by their pronunciation.

Belgian French lacks the approximant /ɥ/ (the sound in cuit) replacing it with /wi/. This means that in Belgium enfuir and enfouir are homophonous. Saying yes, then, sounds very different!

The letter W is pronounced as in English, rather than like a V in metropolitan French.

Belgian French makes a distinction between the nasal vowels /ɛ̃/ and /œ̃/, whereas these vowel sounds have merged in many regions of France. In Parisian French brin (stalk) and brun (brown) are pronounced the same way; not so in Belgium.

The Belgian R is much more guttural than that of metropolitan French. A Belgian always pronounces the R of bonjourRrR

2. Vocabulary and Usage

Vocabulary and word use, on the other hand, is the biggest give away, however, with a large number of calques and loans from both Dutch and German (and even some from Walloon, which is another romance language native to Belgium).

70 and 90 are septante and nonante. Unfortunately, the vigesimal counting system still pervades and Belgians still say quatre-vingt for 80.

The meals of the day, which differ from metropolitan French, are: déjeûner (breakfast), dîner (lunch), souper (evening meal). Saying petit-déj(eûner) is quite common though.

s’il vous plaît is used much more frequently. You say it, for example, when offering something, handing something over to someone, putting your card in a card reader etc.

savoir is often used in place of pouvoir: je ne sais pas aller au match aujourd’hui = I can’t go to the match today. Je ne sais pas le faire = I don’t know how to do it

a pain au chocolat is called (particularly in Brussels) a couque au chocolat, and a croissant is a couque au beurre.

overuse of une fois, which is a Dutch influence. It literally means “once”, but you use it to soften commands and your tone in general. Viens une fois ici sounds softer and less aggressive than viens ici.

Germanic word order is quite common. Tu viens avec ? (cf. Kom je mee?/Kommst du mit?) instead of the usual Tu m’accompagnes ?

Words unique to Belgium are called Belgicismes. Whole dictionaries exist of specifically Belgian words, but here are some typical Belgicismes:

avoir la dâlle (avoir faim) - to be hunger

ça me goûte (ça me plaît) - I like it

un chèvrechoutiste* - someone who tries to please everyone

qu'à torate or à tantôt (à bientôt) - see you soon

un GSM (portable) - mobile phone

un SMS (texto) - text message

la dringueille - pocket money Il a encore eu une dringueille à sa grand-mère He still gets his pocket money from his grandma

un barakî - a chav, someone vulgar and unintelligent

le klet (idiot) - idiot

la guindaille - a party to celebrate the end of exams

le peye (type) /pe:/ - guy (Quel klet ce peye !)

oufti - (region of Liège) an expression of surprise, relief or exasperation

il drache ! - to rain torrentially

stoumelinks - an adverb, in secret, stealthily etc.

toudis - always

le pète - a failing grade

zwanzer (je zwanse etc.) - to joke around

* Derived from the idiom ménager la chèvre et le chou (to lead the goat and the cauliflower i.e. to lead two opposed parties)

So you should now be equipped to translate this:

whosaprettypolyglot

Uni abbreviations/acronyms in French

So the French like their acronyms. A lot. It’s one of the biggest things I noticed in my very first meeting at the university, as I was noting down strings of letters I didn’t understand to go look up later. I figured I may as well be a good language blog and actually make a list of them, many of which, if you come to France to live, work, or especially study (like on an exchange or whatever), you will almost certainly come across in everyday conversations. You don’t necessarily need to know what they all stand for - I’m not convinced even native French speakers could immediately give you all of them without hesitating - but if you know what they mean you can use them the same as everyone else. Enjoy ^^

(la) fac - la faculté - used for university in the same way we’d shorten it to “uni”. Je suis à la fac = I’m at uni.

UFR - Unité de Formation et de Recherche - used basically to mean “department”. L’UFR d’anglais = the English department.

LEA - Langues étrangères appliquées - a degree in foreign languages, normally two, with an aim of being more ‘practical’ (“applied”). Je suis en LEA anglais/espagnol = I’m doing a joint English/Spanish degree.

LLCE - Langues, littératures et civilisations étrangères - a degree in which you study just one foreign language but more in depth. It involves more literature, history and cultural stuff than an LEA and often leads to teaching.

L1, L2, L3, M1, M2 - used to indicate what year you’re in. L for licence (Bachelor’s), M for master. Je suis en L1 anglais = I’m in my first year of English. (NB - many subjects would also be abbreviated, eg philo (-sophie), psycho (-logie), histoire-géo (-raphie))

BTS - Brevet de Technicien Supérieur - another form of higher study other than university, more vocational… (I’ve not a lot of info on this one tbh)

SHS - Science humaines et sociales - social studies/sociology.

Bac - (le) Baccalauréat - the final exam at the end of high school that you’d take when you’re 18 normally. There are different ‘branches’ you can choose - L (littéraire / literary), S (scientifique / science), ES (économique et social / economy and social studies). If someone says something like j’ai (fait) un bac L it means they did more literature/language/philosophy classes at school, whereas j’ai (fait) un bac S would be more science based etc.

Bac+3, Bac+5 etc - higher education is always measured against the baccalauréat, with the + meaning the number of extra years. So a bac+3 is a licence/Bachelor’s because it’s 3 more years of study after high school. A bac+5 would be a masters, and a bac+7/+8/beyond would be a doctorate.

LMD - licence, master (maîtrise in some places), doctorat - the normal university levels/stages of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate.

TD - (un) travail dirigé - small classes, seminars, more interactive, more exercises.

TP - (un) travail pratique - small classes, more ‘practical’, in a language context it’s in language labs with headphones etc.

CM - (un) cours magistral - lectures, big classes, less interactive

ECTS - European Credit Transfer System - a standardised credit system across a lot of Europe. Normally it’s 60 credits to pass a year.

CC - contrôle continu - continuous assessment, grades every week, participation grades, several small tests etc.

CT - contrôle terminal - grade comes from one all-encompassing final assessment. It’s often something you’d have to apply for, justifying why you can’t come to classes or do CC. J’aimerais passer en CT = I’d like to switch to final assessment.

DST - (un) devoir sur table - an in-class exam/test. J’ai un DST d’anglais demain matin = I have an English exam tomorrow morning.

QCM - questionnaire / questions à choix multiple - multiple choice questions.

BU - (la) bibliothèque universitaire - university/school library. Je t’attends à la BU = I’m waiting for you at the library.

ATER - (un) Attaché Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche - normally someone who teaches while researching/writing a thesis.

PRAG (pronounced as a word) - (un) Professeur Agrégé - a professor who has some kind of admin responsibilities too… gotta admit I’m not sure on this one either!

amphi - (un) amphithéâtre - lecture hall.

Repro - (la) reprographie - printing/photocopying service.

CAPES (pronounced like capès, with the s) - Certificat d'Aptitude au Professorat de l'Enseignement Secondaire - the competitive exam that allows you to become a teacher. You’d take le CAPES d’anglais to become an English teacher, le CAPES de français to become a French teacher etc

Cité U - (la) cité universitaire - university residence/halls.

CROUS (pronounced as a word) - (le) Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires - the organisation that manages student services, bursaries, and accommodation France-wide.

ENT - (un) Environnement (ou espace) Numérique de Travail - the intranet, moodle, etc.

FLE - Français (comme) langue étrangère - French as a second/foreign language.

TOEFL/TOEIC (pronounced as words) - Test of English as a Foreign Language / Test of English for International Communication - two of the biggest/most widespread/most recognised English proficiency exams.

CDD - (un) contrat à durée déterminée - a fixed term contract.

CDI - (un) contrat à durée indéterminée - a permanent contract (le rêve de tous les jeunes quoi).

brut - before tax - un salaire brut is what your employer pays for you.

net - after tax - un salaire net is what you actually take home at the end of the month.

sécu - (la) sécurité sociale - social security, health insurance etc. Le numéro de sécu is a social security number.

CAF (pronounced as a word) - (la) caisse d’allocations familiales - the organisation that manages benefits/social welfare.

Where I’ve put an article in brackets, you’d use that article before the acronym, e.g. la CAF, le CROUS, le DST, for some things you’d mostly use en with no article, e.g. en L1, en LEA, en CT

bonjourfrenchwords

Vert • Green Verre • Glass Vers • Towards Ver • Worm Vers • Verse

Same pronunciation, different meaning.

studyallday2

FRENCH WRITING AND SPEAKING CHEAT SHEET

At the start of year 12, my amazing French teacher gave us all a writing and speaking cheat sheet, which contained higher-level, sophisticated phrases to score us good grades in speaking and writing exams. I kept mine in my folder for both years, and made constant reference to it, making sure I’d packed my answers with these kinds of phrases. I was sorting through A Level work the other week and found my (now slightly scruffy) cheat sheet, and thought I’d write it out neatly and scan it in for you guys! There’s 3 different columns of vocabulary, one expressing different ways to give your opinion, the next displaying different ways to say you agree with something, and finally the last showing you a ton of ways to present a counterargument. Hope you guys find it useful!

Download a copy here from Google Drive

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