The French love their very own language. By no means thoughts that the remainder of us discover the grammar guidelines to be tear your hair out complicated. That apart, on a regular basis French is peppered with quirky or quaint phrases and phrases that always allude to historical past. Grasp this A to Z of on a regular basis French phrases and also you’re certain to impress tout le monde along with your French abilities!
Attendre 107 Ans
Attendre 107 ans actually it means ‘to attend 107 years’ but when a French individual makes use of this they imply, ‘that is taking endlessly.’ However why 107 years you may ask, it’s very particular. Effectively that’s how lengthy it took to construct the good cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris! Constructing began in 1163 and led to 1270.
Bouquiner
Bouquiner means to learn, however in a distinct sense to the standard ‘lire’ which can be means to learn. It’s used extra to imply that you’re studying and having fun with it, for the sake of it. Once you curl and browse a e-book for example, or once you get misplaced in a great e-book that’s when bouquiner comes into its personal. It’s associated to the phrase bouquiniste – a second handbook vendor, essentially the most well-known of them being the bouquinistes of Paris who maintain their books in picket inexperienced bins, mounted to the partitions that line the River Seine close to the Louvre Museum.
Coucou
Coucou is utilized in greeting with pals like good day, it’s an off-the-cuff time period, primarily utilized by girls and youngsters. Émile Zola used the time period in his novel La Terre (1870). And sure you might be mimicking the sound of the cuckoo. When somebody says ‘coucou’ to you, you need to say ‘coucou’ again.
And one other phrase you need to know – cousinade, French folks use it to speak about household events or occasions. It’s outlined as a ‘household occasion the place cousins [les cousins] are invited’.
Dépaysement
Actually ‘to be uncountried’, ‘un-country-ness’ however dépaysement is used to explain a sense of tradition shock, disorientation, or an actual change of scene, type of like being a foreigner in a brand new nation.
L’Ésprit d’escalier
Actually it interprets as ‘wit of the staircase.’ And what you may suppose is that each one about? Effectively once you’re arguing, and your adversary says one thing and you may’t instantly suppose what to say as the right retort, however somewhat bit later, when it’s too late, you go, aha, I may have, ought to have, would have, if I had considered it then, stated this, it might have been an excellent retort. Effectively that’s ‘l’esprit d’escalier’. The phrase was coined by the French thinker Denis Diderot (1713-1784) who complained that he usually considered the right retort as he arrived on the backside of the steps after leaving the scene of a disagreement.
Flâner
To flâner is to wander with out having an finish vacation spot in thoughts, to easily benefit from the stroll and all that you simply see for the sake of it. Take within the sights, folks watch, simply benefit from the second. The time period is attributed to nineteenth century French author and poet Baudelaire who used the phrase ‘flâneur’ in his literature to imply somebody who observes their environment whereas taking a stroll. A flaneur doesn’t hurry to get from one place to a different however experiences the panorama round her or him – normally in an city location.
J’ai La Gnac
It’s a slang expression which means ‘I’m tremendous motivated.’ The expression comes from the Gascon phrase ‘gnaca’ to chunk. Now it means to have the need and the need to succeed, the trend to win, to be motivated sufficient to by no means hand over and carry on going even if you happen to fall. It can be spelled gnaque or niaque!
Hurluberlu
A crank, a idiot or somebody who behaves in an thoughtless or weird means. It’s stated to come back from the title ‘Berlue’ an imaginary saint within the e-book Gargantua by sixteenth century author and monk François Rabelais and an outdated French phrase ‘hurelu’ which meant matted.
Unimaginable n’est pas français
Literal translation: “Unimaginable isn’t French.” However it truly means ‘nothing is unattainable.’ The saying is attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, however it doesn’t confer with the French folks, however to the French language, as in “unattainable isn’t a French phrase”. In 1808 Napoleon got down to conquer Spain. Discovering the go blocked, he ordered a squadron of Polish cavalry to destroy the Spanish military guarding the go. His officers protested it was unattainable for a squadron of 140 to tackle a number of thousand. “What? Unimaginable?” stated Napoleon. “I don’t know that phrase” he was as powerful as outdated boots and didn’t settle for excuses. Effectively the squadron rode off and in opposition to the percentages, they gained. The expression ‘Unimaginable n’est pas français‘ well-known and is used to confer with a cussed perspective.
Jaspiner
Jaspiner means to speak, however to not parler which additionally means discuss. However, it’s greater than speaking – it’s a slang time period for gossiping or chattering. Like once you sit at a terraced café in France, and alongside comes your good friend they usually stops to jaspiner with you! Mainly to have a great outdated natter or as we are saying in England – a chin wag and if you happen to’re listening to this and haven’t heard that expression earlier than – we actually do say that once we get collectively to have a chat, we’re having a chin wag – which conjures up all types of photographs doesn’t it!
Kiffe
J’te kiffe is trendy French slang for ’I really like you.’ A phrase of Arabic origin which means enjoyable and pleasure, at first related to alcohol and later with cannabis. However now it’s utilized by younger folks as a substitute of the phrase ‘aime’ as in je t’aime.
Le petit Jésus en culotte de velours
Sure if you happen to simply translated that as ‘the infant Jesus in velvet pantaloons’ you’re about proper. It’s a time period the French use to explain a very easy, velvety and beautiful wine and by extension – a succulent meal. Historians say it’s most likely from an outdated time period combining a nineteenth century slang time period, to “fourrer une culotte” – stuff your pantaloons/trousers, which means to get drunk and from a saying within the northeast of France that consuming a scrumptious native wine is like swallowing the “la culotte de velours du bon Dieu”, the velvet trousers of the nice lord. Truly it’s fairly an quaint phrase, I believe younger folks wouldn’t use it however my neighbour Jean-Claude will say it when he has a pleasant glass of crimson wine!
Se mettent donc sur leur trente-et-un
Actually to “put in your thirty-one”, to get all dressed up. Legend has it that the expression dates to the Center Ages when costly fabric ‘trentain’ was composed of thirty occasions 100 threads, one thing solely the wealthy may afford. The poor folks, who may solely look on in envy, known as it trente-et-un which seemed like trentain. So to place in your trente-et-un is to dress up in your finest garments.
Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat
The literal translation is ‘That’s no motive to whip the cat.’ However what is definitely means is ‘It’s no massive deal, it doesn’t matter, no worries.’
A l’Ouest
Á l’ouest actually interprets to imply – ‘within the west’, however it isn’t describing a spot. It’s used to explain somebody who’s somewhat unusual or quirky, or somebody who’s deep in thought or daydreaming. Right here’s an instance. Say, you’re in a gathering, you’re daydreaming about being on vacation in France and somebody interrupts your ideas and also you go ‘erm… em’ and it’s clear that you simply’re á l’Ouest – on one other planet!
Nobody is aware of the true origin of the time period. Some say it got here from the variation of the English phrase “to go west” within the First World Struggle, which means to die or to be killed, whereas crossing the English Channel, the troopers could be in a type of daze. One other concept is that within the early twentieth century all of the theaters of Paris have been located within the east, so the actors to go à l’ouest after they wished to go house.
Se prendre un vent
Se prendre un vent is actually to “take a wind” – it’s like when somebody leans in to kiss somebody and that individual turns their head away and it’s the wind that kisses the one that is rebuffed. So the which means of it’s to be completely ignored, like when somebody doesn’t reply to a message and you might as properly be talking to a brick wall! One other P phrase I like is Pipelette – what you name a chatterbox, somebody who likes to gossip, although it’s a bit quaint and never used a lot lately.
Quand même
You’ll hear this in all places, every single day and it means ‘no means’ or ‘you’re kidding’ but in addition ‘not unhealthy’.
Ras-le-bol
The French use this time period which accurately interprets as ‘a bowl full’ to imply ‘I’ve had sufficient, like we might say in English, I’ve had a stomach stuffed with it, or I’m fed as much as the tooth with it.’ You can even say ‘ras-le-bol général’- I’m typically fed up with it, normally adopted by a strike in France!
Saperlipopette
Saperlipopette is an quaint phrase which suggests one thing like golly gosh or goodness me, or possibly gadzooks – which I’ve to say in all my time residing within the UK I by no means heard anybody say gadzooks, however golly gosh a few occasions (Hugh Grant – that’s you!).
Tohu-bohu
French folks don’t pronounce the H sound – which at all times makes me suppose why have H within the French alphabet if it’s going to be silent! Anyway that is the right phrase to make use of once you stand trying on the automobiles and bikes hurtling around the Arc de Triomphe – tohu-bohu means chaos, absolute anarchy. It’s derived from a Hebrew phrase, Tohu wa-bohu describing the world earlier than the creation of sunshine.
Un exutoire
It actually means an outlet corresponding to for water, however it is usually used to explain doing one thing as a way to distract your ideas from specializing in unfavorable emotions or reminiscences. And right here’s an instance for the way to use it – a relationship ends and to cease your self dwelling on what might need been, you e-book a wonderful weekend in Paris along with your bestie and voilá, you’ll put these undesirable reminiscences out of your thoughts and focus as a substitute on the nice issues in life – so French!
Voilà
You’ll hear this in all places in France and it means ‘right here you go/right here it’s/there you go. ’ And typically Voilà voilà – the identical however used to specific impatience, like – there you go, now let’s transfer on!
Waouh
French for wow!
X
Okay, we’re as much as X and I’ve bought nothing. I may solely consider 8 phrases in the entire of the French language starting with and several other of them have the identical which means! X-cuse moi as a result of – I simply can’t consider something!
Yaourter
To chanter en yaourt – actually to sing in a yoghurt, describes somebody who tries to sing a track with out realizing the phrases. The origins are stated to come back from the 14th century and the time of the Hundred Years Struggle between England and France. When the English conquered an space, they insisted the locals communicate English. Apparently, the English military appreciated to eat yoghurt and so the poor locals, compelled to talk in phrases they merely didn’t perceive known as it to yaourt (apparently). At present it’s a well-liked pastime for the French to sing English language songs with the flawed phrases! In English its known as mondegreen. Right here’s an instance from the Beatles “She’s bought a ticket to experience” which my neighbour sings as “she’s bought a tick in her eye!”
La zizanie
What does it imply? “Semer la zizanie” means a commotion, a brawl. In English you may say “to stir one thing up” however the singular phrase zizanie, actually interprets to “a dispute”. Zizanie is utilized in French tradition and was featured because the title of an Asterix e-book and a Louis de Funès movie, a well-known French actor and comic, and the phrase is most probably for use in an off-the-cuff, comical, method at any time when persons are arguing with gusto!
Discover out extra concerning the French language on the Worldwide Metropolis of French Language in Villers-Cotterêts, Picardy
Janine Marsh is the writer of a number of internationally best-selling books about France. Her newest e-book The right way to be French – a celebration of the French life-style and artwork de vivre, is out now – a have a look at the French lifestyle. Discover all books on her web site janinemarsh.com
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