Learning French Langblr

Bonjour tout le monde! Je m'appelle Alex et j'apprends le français (et d'autres aussi). I made this blog basically just to reblog French stuff to. Amusez-vous bien!

[pompadourpink]

Some practical vocabulary

Definite articles: determiners that refer to a known subject (The cat is asleep - Le chat dort)

Demonstrative: refers to things that are being pointed out (This, those, it's: Cette, ceux-là, c'est)

Direct speech: someone words, passed out directly (She said: "I am hungry" - Elle a dit "J'ai faim")

Gerund: en + verb ending in -ant; describes a second action happening at the same time as the first (She sings while running - Elle chante en courant)

Indefinite articles: determiners that refer to an unknown subject (A cat is at the door - Un chat est à la porte)

Partitive articles: determiners that refer to a subject that is a portion of something bigger (Je veux de l'eau - I want water)

Past participle: the second part of the perfect tense (She has drunk water - Elle a bu de l'eau)

Possessive: refers to owned beings or things (Her, Ton: Sa, Your)

Present participle: verb ending in -ant; describes something or a fact that has consequences; sometimes turns into an adjective (A charming boy - Un garçon charmant; Mary being gone, I went for a run - Marie étant partie, je suis allé courir)

Reported speech: someone's words, passed out indirectly (ex: She told John that she wanted him there).

Subjunctive: mood triggered by certain verbs and expressions followed by que (I need to go - Il faut que j'y aille)

Transitive: refers to an element that requires an object (ex: Verb Aller - To go: Elle va + à l'école)

[pompadourpink]

Common verbs

To be : être /ɛtʁ/ 

To have : avoir /a.vwaʁ/

To do : faire /fɛʁ/

To make : faire /fɛʁ/

To eat : manger /mɑ̃.ʒe/

To drink : boire /bwaʁ/

To sleep : dormir /dɔʁ.miʁ/

To play : jouer /ʒwe/

To work : travailler /tʁa.va.je/

To go : aller /a.le/

To go in : entrer /ɑ̃.tʁe/

To get/go out : sortir /sɔʁ.tiʁ/

To get back home : rentrer /ʁɑ̃.tʁe/

To arrive : arriver /a.ʁi.ve/

To live : vivre /vivʁ/

To die : mourir /mu.ʁiʁ/

To take : prendre /pʁɑ̃dʁ/

To take back+start again : reprendre /ʁə.pʁɑ̃dʁ/

To walk : marcher /maʁ.ʃe/

To run : courir /ku.ʁiʁ/

To go up the stairs : monter (les escaliers) /mɔ̃.te/

To go down the stairs : descendre /de.sɑ̃dʁ/

To fall : tomber /tɔ̃.be/

To get lost : se perdre /pɛʁdʁ/

To carry : porter /pɔʁ.te/

To drive : conduire /kɔ̃.dɥiʁ/

To move around : se déplacer /de.pla.se/

To bring : amener /am.ne/

To bring back : ramener /ʁam.ne/

To drop stg : faire tomber /fɛʁ tɔ̃.be/

To pick up stg : ramasser /ʁa.ma.se/

To get up : se lever /sə lə.ve/

To sit down : s’asseoir /sa.swaʁ/

To wake up : se réveiller /sə ʁe.vɛ.je/

To go to bed : aller se coucher /a.le sə ku.ʃe/

To see : voir /vwaʁ/

To look : regarder /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/

To speak : parler /paʁ.le/

To talk : parler /paʁ.le/, discuter /dis.ky.te/

To hear : entendre /ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ/

To listen : écouter /e.ku.te/

To touch : toucher /tu.ʃe/

To feel : sentir /sɑ̃.tiʁ/

To smell : sentir /sɑ̃.tiʁ/

To seem : sembler /sɑ̃.ble/

To laugh : rire /ʁiʁ/

To smile : sourire /su.ʁiʁ/

To realise : réaliser /ʁe.a.li.ze/, se rendre compte /sə ʁɑ̃dʁ kɔ̃t/

To mean : signifier /si.ɲi.fje/, vouloir dire /vu.lwaʁ diʁ/

To notice : remarquer /ʁə.maʁ.ke/, observer /ɔp.sɛʁ.ve/

To scream : crier /kʁi.je/

To cry : pleurer /plœ.ʁe/

To read : lire /liʁ/

To watch : regarder /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/

To think : penser /pɑ̃.se/

To dream : rêver /ʁɛ.ve/

To imagine : imaginer /i.ma.ʒi.ne/

To win : gagner /ɡa.ɲe/

To lose : perdre /pɛʁdʁ/

To forget : oublier /u.bli.je/

To forgive : pardonner /paʁ.dɔ.ne/

[pompadourpink]

Negations

A

Au grand jamais - never 

Aucun-e(s) - none : Je n’en ai vu aucun / I have seen none of them  

Aucunement (rare) - by no means 

D

Dégun (southern slang) - no one 

E

En aucun cas - under no circumstance 

En aucune façon - under no circumstance 

En aucune manière - under no circumstance 

En rien - under no circumstance 

G

Goutte - nothing (old, rare) : On n’y voit goutte ici / We can’t see anything

Guère - almost not/nothing (old, rare) : Ce n’est guère plus rapide que le train / This isn’t any faster than the train 

J

Jamais - never : Plus jamais ça! / Never again! 

Jamais au grand jamais - never ever (dramatic)

Jamais de la vie - never ever 

K

Keud (slang), short que ‘que dalle’ (slang for Nothing)

Keutchi (slang) 

N

N’ - ne + vowel : Je ne t’aime pas / I don’t love you 

Nada - nothing at all : - Did you hear about that? - Nada! 

Nan (slang) - nah 

Ne - not : Je ne sais pas / I don’t know 

Ni - neither/nor : Je n’ai vu ni le chien ni le chat depuis que je suis arrivée / I haven’t seen neither the cat nor the dog since I got here 

Niet - nope! (often angry) 

Non - no 

Non plus - (n)either : Je ne sais pas non plus / I don’t know either 

Non plus que

Nul-le - none : Nos jeunes filles à nous sont tellement accomplies, que nulle des filles d’Ève ne peut lutter avec elles ! — (Modeste Mignon, Honoré de Balzac, 1844)

Nulle part - nowhere : Je ne le vois nulle part / I can’t see him anywhere 

Nullement - not in any way 

O

Ô/oh grand jamais : never ever (dramatic)

P

Pas - not : Je ne sais pas / I don’t know 

Pas autrement - not any other way : C’est comme ça et pas autrement

Pas encore - not yet 

Pas forcément - not necessarily 

Pas plus que

Pas un-e - not one : - Did they offer their help? - Pas un! 

Pas un chat - not one cat : Il n’y a pas un chat / There’s no one here 

Personne - nobody : Il n’y a personne ici / There’s no one here 

Plus : no more - Je ne t’aime plus / I don’t love you anymore 

Point - not : Je ne sais point / I don’t know (rare, old)

Q

Que dalle (slang) - nothing : - Did you know about that? - Que dalle! 

Que nenni - no (old) : - Are they here yet? - Que nenni! 

Que tchi (slang) - nothing 

Queude (slang, short for Que dalle) - nothing 

R

Rien - nothing : Je ne vois rien / I don’t see anything 

[er-cryptid]

Prouver Conjugation

[burnt-n-turnt]

J’hozie

Tu hozies

Il hozie

Nous hozions

Vous hoziez

Ils hozient

les conjugaisons d’hozier

[vangoghs-other-ear]

Spiders in French

La toile- web

Une araignée- spider

La patte- spider leg (also paw)

La filière- spinneret

La soie-silk

La morsure- bite

Le venin- venom

l’arachnophobie- arachnophobia

Tisser- to weave

Piéger- to trap

La veuve noir- black widow 

La recluse brun- brown recluse

La malmignatte- do we have an english name for this one? They don’t live in English speaking countries

[dailyfrench]

le 24 août   ⋮   la narine   ⋮   nostril

[vangoghs-other-ear]

5 French words that trip up native English speakers

1. Chirurgie- surgery

What and why French? Why are you like this? When I first saw this word I was like this is a joke, someone is making a joke about French spelling, but nah, this is real, no one could make this up.

2. Accueil/Accueillir- welcome, to welcome

This is probably the hardest word to pronounce in the French language. Do you guys remember ‘sight words’ from elementary school, the ones you just had to memorize because sounding it out didn’t help? This is the only sight word I’ve come across in French.

3. Dont- grammar thing that hurts

I’ve been studying this language for seven years and I only just figured this one out. I think the problem is we don’t really have an equivalent of Dont in English because we can just end sentences in prepositions. How many times have I gotten to the end of a sentence and then realized that that ‘que’ should have been a ‘dont’ and now I sound like an illiterate fuck

4. Voler- to steal/to fly

Ah yes, we have one the one verb that means wildly different things based on context.

« Il a volé un avion. »

“Oh, he flew a plane?”

« Non, he stole it.»

See also- Sentir

5. Dessus and Dessous- above and below

Not only do I have to think for a hot second to remember which one is which (Dessous has sous (under) in it) but they also sound the same to me when they’re said aloud (they’re not supposed to).

Bonus. Le Phoque- seal (the animal)

This one’s not hard, I just can’t say it without giggling because I am a child.

[er-cryptid]

[lerefugedeluza]

Idioms 3.

Bark up the wrong tree › Faire fausse route.

Skate on thin ice › Marcher sur des oeufs.

Bite off more than you can chew › Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre.

One bitten, twice shy › Chat échaudé craint l’eau froide.

Split hairs › Couper les cheveux en quatre.

Argue the toss › Discuter le coup/le bout de gras.

Make no bones about something › Ne pas hésiter à dire.

Not mince words › Ne pas macher ses mots.

Bury the hatchet › Enterrer la hache de guerre.

A meeting of minds › Une entente profonde.

Eyeball-to-eyeball › Nez à nez.

A knotty problem › Un problème épineux.

Beat about the bush › Tourner autour du pot. 

[lovinmybaguettes]

Means of transportation

Hellooooo so first off w h a t how did 1000 people follow me when I really don’t post as often as most langblrs, like does my content even deserve it? I don’t think so but thank you all, I didn’t expect this to ever happen! Hope I’ll make you stay hehe, btw if you have any topic suggestions please do send them! For now, here’s yet another list and a tiny lil grammar point ;)

À pied – on foot

Vélo (m.) – bike

Trottinette (f.) – scooter, kickscooter

Rollers (m.) – rollerblade

Skate (short for skateboard) (m.) – skateboard

Scooter (m.) – scooter 🤷‍♀️

Mobylette (f.) – moped

Moto (short for motocyclette, you’ll hear no one using the full word) – motorbike

Voiture (f.) - car

Covoiturage (can be shortened to covoit’) (m.) – carpool, carsharing

Taxi (m.) – cab, taxi

Limousine (f.) – limousine 🤷‍♀️

Transports en commun (m.) – public transportation

Bus (m.) – bus 🤷‍♀️

Car (m.) – bus (big bus generally used for long trips or school outings)

Métro (m.) – underground, tube, subway

RER (m.) – high-speed train that links Paris to the suburbs

Tramway (often shortened to ‘tram’) (m.) – tramway, streetcar (I just discovered this word today and like wtf is this???)

Téléphérique (m.) – cable car

Funiculaire (m.) – funicular

Train (m.) – train

TGV (m.) – high-speed train (’twas already in my acronyms post)

Avion (m.) – airplane

Hélicoptère (can be shortened to ‘hélico’) (m.) – helicopter

Bateau (m.) – boat

Now for more “ancient” means of transport:

Cheval (m.) – horse

Calèche (f.), carrosse (m.) – (horse-drawn) carriage

Diligence (f.) – diligence, stagecoach

Now for the prepositions you have to use to say “by train”, “by car” etc., there’s a very simplistic rule that says if you can go into the vehicle, you should use en, and when you can’t, you use à. However, in the last case, using en is also acceptable and very common now, even though it’s supposedly incorrect; for example, a lot of people say “en vélo”, “en trottinette”, “en moto”… There are even situations when à is awkward/incorrect, like saying “à skate”, “à ski”… I think you gotta use both prepositions interchangeably sometimes, like with “vélo”: je monte à vélo but je vais au boulot à vélo.

I know, the explanation’s both confused AND confusing (funny how idk anything about French grammar even though I literally specialized in literature in high school and am taking a college course about languages). But if you really don’t know what to use, either refer to this rule or just use en. But remember that “by foot” is ALWAYS “à pied”, if you say “en pied”… it’ll just sound weird.

Good luck understanding what I tried to say and have a good day!! :)))

[cause-french]

🌸Human body vocab🌸

le corps - body

le cou - neck

la poitrine - chest

le ventre - belly

la hanche - hip

les organes génitaux - genitals

le tibia - shinbone

la tête - head

le sein - breast

le mamelon - nipple

la taille - waist

le nombril - navel, belly button

l’avant-bras - forearm

l’aine - groin

la cuisse - thigh

le genou - knee

la jambe - leg

le pied - foot

la nuque - nape

l’épaule - shoulder

le bras - arm

le coude - elbow

le poignet - wrist

la main - hand

la cheville - ankle

le talon - heel

le mollet - calf

la fesse - buttock

l’aisselle - armpit

[lovinmybaguettes]

Acronyms

Here I have for you a pretty complete list (I think) of acronyms and their corresponding English acronyms or just their translation/definition. You definitely don’t have to know what each of them stands for, just knowing the acronym itself will do (and believe me, you’ll meet them regularly in daily French). To make it easier, I underlined the ones whose complete expression/meaning you should still know if you wanna learn them; some are used in daily life, some in more specific domains like geography and economics, and some are simply known by most French people even if the complete expression is rarely used; it’s up to you to pick the ones that’ll be useful to you!

ADN (acide désoxyribonucléique) = DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

ALENA (Accord de libre-échange nord-américain) = NAFTA (North American free trade agreement)

AOP (Appellation d'origine protégée) = PDO (Protected designation of origin)

APL (Aide personnalisée au logement) = Personal housing allowance

AVC (accident vasculaire cérébral) = stroke, cerebrovascular accident

BCBG (bon chic bon genre) = posh, preppy

BD (bande-dessinée) = comic, graphic novel

BO (bande originale) = OST (original soundtrack)

BTS (Brevet de technicien supérieur) = advanced technician’s certificate

CAF (Caisse d’allocations familiales) = welfare office, family allowance department

CDD (contrat à durée déterminée) = fixed-term contract, temporary contract

CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) = permanent contract

Or CDI (centre de documentation et d'information) = school library

CM (cours magistral) = lecture (university)

CNED (Centre national d'enseignement à distance) = National distance learning center

CPE (conseiller principal d'éducation) = chief education adviser (secondary school)

CRS (Compagnie républicaine de sécurité) (un CRS) = State security police force, riot police

DDASS (Direction départementale des affaires sanitaires et sociales) = Department of health and social security

EDF (Electricité de France) = French national electricity supplier

EDT (emploi du temps) = timetable, schedule

ENA (Ecole nationale d’administration) = a business school in Strasbourg from which a lot of politicians graduate

ENT (Environnement numérique de travail) = virtual learning environment (most secondary schools and unis have it; you can check your homework, grades and timetable online, contact your teachers, see if any of them is absent…)

ESPT (état de stress post-traumatique) = PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)

EU[A] (Etats Unis [d’Amérique]) = US[A] (United States [of America])

DOM-TOM (Départements et territoires d'Outre-Mer) = Overseas departments and territories

FAQ (foire aux questions) = same acronym, the meaning was just adapted to still fit the letters in French

FLE (français langue étrangère) = French as a foreign language

FMI (Fonds monétaire international) = IMF (International monetary fund)

FN (Front national) = former name of the far-right political party (National front); now called “le Rassemblement national” (RN) = National rally

HLM (habitation à loyer modéré) (un HLM) = social housing

HS (hors service) = out of order, out of service

Or HS (hors sujet) = off topic, out of scope

IVG (interruption volontaire de grossesse) = abortion

JT (journal télévisé) = TV news

LEA (Langues étrangères appliquées) = AFL (Applied foreign languages) (I honestly added it mostly because it’s my major in uni hehe)

LR (Les Républicains) = the Republicans (right-wing party)

LREM (La République en marche) = Macron’s political party (centre party)

MJC (Maison des jeunes et de la culture) = community youth club and arts center

MST (maladie sexuellement transmissible) = STD (sexually transmitted disease)

NTIC (nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication) = NICT (new information and communication technologies)

OCDE (Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques) = OECD (Organisation for economic cooperation and development)

OGM (organisme génétiquement modifié) = GMO (genetically modified organism)

OMC (Organisation mondiale du commerce) = WTO (World trade organization)

ONG (organisation non gouvernementale) = NGO (non-governmental organization)

ONU (Organisation des nations unies) = UN (United nations)

OTAN (Organisation du traité de l’Atlantique nord) = NATO (North Atlantic treaty organization)

OVNI (objet volant non-identifié) = UFO (unidentified flying object)

PDV (point de vue) = POV (point of view)

PIB (Produit intérieur brut) = GDP (Gross domestic product)

PMA (Pays les moins avancés) = LDC (least developed countries)

or PMA (Procréation médicalement assistée) = ART (Assisted reproductive technology)

PNB (Produit national brut) = GNP (Gross national product)

PS (Parti socialiste) = left-wing party (Socialist party)

PV (procès-verbal) = ticket, fine (for traffic and parking)

QCM (questionnaire à choix multiples) = multiple-choice questionnaire

RAS (rien à signaler) = nothing to report

RIB (relevé d'identité bancaire) = bank details (document)

RNB (Revenu national brut) = GNI (Gross national income)

RSA (Revenu de solidarité active) = tax credits/welfare

SAV (service après-vente) = after-sales service

SAMU (Service d’aide médicale d’urgence) = paramedics ; SAMU member = EMT (Emergency medical technician)

SDF (sans domicile fixe) = homeless person

SIDA (Syndrome d’immunodéficience acquise) = AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

SMIC (Salaire minimum interprofessionel de croissance) = minimum wage

SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français) = national French rail network (I hate them lololol)

SPA (Société protectrice des animaux) = society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (UK equivalent = RSPCA)

TD (travaux dirigés) = tutorial, seminar (college class in small groups)

TDAH (trouble du déficit de l’attention/hyperactivité) = ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) (I don’t see the acronym a lot, mostly just “hyperactivité” or “trouble de l’attention” but this is still the equivalent to the English acronym)

TGV (train à grande vitesse) = high-speed train

TOC (trouble obsessionnel compulsif) = OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)

TP (travaux pratiques) = practical class (mostly in university or science classes in general)

TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée) = VAT (value-added tax)

UE (Union européenne) = EU (European Union)

VIH (Virus de l’immunodéficience humaine) = HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus)

VO (version originale) = original language (movie, show…)

VOST (version originale sous-titrée) = subtitled version (any language for the subtitles)

VOSTFR (version originale sous-titrée en français) = subtitled version (French subs)

ZEP (Zone d'éducation prioritaire) = Educational priority area

ZES (Zone économique spéciale) = SEZ (Special economic zone)

[aboutchopsuey]

motivational cat 1

[thefrancophile]

French book recs for learners

Ce sont des livres que j’étais capable de lire avec un niveau B1/B2 et avec l’aide d’un dictionnaire. Le but, c’est de comprendre l’histoire, pas forcément chaque mot! Certains des titres sont des livres que j’ai dû lire pour ma licence, d’autres sont des romans plus “légers.” 

Le petit prince d’Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Bonjour tristesse de Françoise Sagan

Ourika de Claire de Duras

Le colonel chabert de Honoré de Balzac

Ubu roi d’Alfred Jarry (pièce de théâtre)

Oscar et la dame rose d’Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Le poison d’amour d’Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Éric et Énide de Chrétien de Troyes (Un roman en vieux français si cela vous intéresse, la traduction n’est pas compliquée!) 

L’amant de Marguerite Duras

Les belles sœurs de Michel Tremblay (une pièce québecoise très intéressante!)

Combien de fois je t’aime de Serge Joncour

Où on va, papa ? de Jean-Louis Fournier

Une si longue lettre de Mariama Bâ 

Un appartement à Paris de Guillaume Musso

Mention honorable: J’aime aussi lire des traductions des livres anglais comme Harry Potter et plus récemment To All the Boys I Loved Before. Les traductions sont très bonnes et cela peut vous aider si vous connaissez déjà l’idée principale du texte.

[snooze-studies]

French Vocab - Coffee

Coffee || café

Cream || crème

Milk || Lait

Sugar || sucre

Whip cream || crème fouettée

Bitter || amer

Sweet || sucré

Barista || barista :)

Espresso || expresso

[revesdefrance]

🎄Christmas in French! 🎄

It’s not even December yet but Christmas lights and decorations have began to pop up and I can’t contain my excitement so here is a little Christmas vocab!

• Christmas - Noël

• Christmas Eve - La veille de Noël

• December - décembre

• Winter - l’hiver

• Santa - Père Noël / Papa Noël

• Mistletoe - gui (m)

• Snow - neige (f)

• Candle - bougie (f)

• Angel - ange (m)

• Reindeer - renne (m)

• Wreath - courrone (f)

• Elf - lutin (m) / elfe

• Snowman - un bonhomme de neige

• Sleigh - traîneau (m)

• Toy - jouet (m)

• Wrapping Paper - papier cadeau (m)

• Christmas Card - carte de Noël (f)

• Snowball - boule de neige (f)

• Santa - Père/Papa Noël

Don’t hesitate to correct me or contribute to this post!

Joyeux Noël

Merry Christmas