How to count in French from 70 is often tricky for French learners. Craig wrote to me : "To me it seemed more like calculation when trying to learn these numbers as their literal translation is more like a maths equation. For example, 72 translates as sixty-twelve, 86 as four-twenty-six, 98 as four-twenty-ten-eight. If you have grown up learning French, it probably doesn’t seem strange, but the numbers 70 to 100 have never felt natural to me in French." Dear reader and student of French, rejoice! I believe I can help you count from 70 to 100 in French easily! ;-) First, I will … Read More →
Schtroumpfez-vous français?
Have you ever read an album of “Les Schtroumpfs” (The Smurfs) in French by Belgian cartoonist Peyo? If not, you are really missing the opportunity to both entertain yourself (after all, there’s a reason why Les Schtroumpfs have been so popular since 1958) AND to work on your French skills! (keep reading, I've designed some worksheets for you.) By the way, my favourite album has to be "La Soupe Aux Schtroumpfs" (you can read through the first pages) : it's fun from page one and it's very representative of the series: the album shows the dangers the Smurfs have to face as well as the smart, … Read More →
Who wants to play French charades?
French charades: fun plays on words I would love to share some fun around French language with you, and introduce you to the game of French charades as I played it in my childhood. :-) This game is more suitable for intermediate and advanced students of French. As you know, I love words. I love languages, reading, writing, puzzles and crosswords. I love good plays on words / puns like in the Astérix album series or Raymond Devos’s sketches (read “A plus d'un Titre” – for advanced level). And charades are a form of play on words as they work with sound/phonetic associations. I run free live … Read More →
What is the difference between “deuxième” and “second” in French?
As I caught myself thinking about World War II this week (yes, I really have the most relaxing thoughts during my breaks sometimes…), a doubt suddenly crept in: do we more often call it “la deuxième guerre mondiale”, or “la seconde guerre mondiale”? The more I was thinking, the less I could remember! I knew that both forms were actually used, but which one was the most common? Or was there a BEST option? (Keep reading and you will see that there is, indeed.) I decided to survey my French friends on Facebook, asking them which expression came to their mind first. Before sharing the … Read More →
How many of these 16 facts about “la Chandeleur” / Crepes Day do you know ?
Test your knowledge and learn a bit of French along the way! AND download my free French crêpes recipe! I've got it from my grandma's! Now you have the perfect excuse to make crepes tonight :-) 1. Nowadays, « la Chandeleur » is mostly known for being Crepes Day ! 2. Because they are round and golden, crepes symbolise the sun. Around “la chandeleur” time, days are getting longer and warmer (in the Northern hemisphere!). 3. Traditionally, we try to flip the crepes in the pan by throwing them in the air, holding the pan in the right hand and a coin (a gold coin if possible) in the left … Read More →
How to type French accents on Apple iPhone/iPad
My students often ask me how to type French accents (and the "c cédille" / "ç" graphic sign) on their electronic device so they can write emails and essays in French, or use them during our online French lessons. Not being a very technical person, I sought the help of my husband to find out once and for all the information for you ;-) The following instructions are for Apple device. Instructions for Windows will be available soon. Installing a French Keyboard to Your Apple Device (iPhone/iPad) I highly recommend that you add a French keyboard on your Apple device otherwise the spell … Read More →
French Animal Names : What to Call Your Dog if it’s a Female
I recently received a very interesting and unusual question that I had never been asked before. As the answer covers a few different areas, I was immediately inspired to write an article and share it with you. Thanks a lot Tish for your question! “I understand that animals are generally masculine and feminine (eg. une girafe) but if I am talking about a male girafe, can I say 'un girafe'? Imagine that I am writing a story with my children about 'une coccinelle' but the 'coccinelle' is a male whose name is Bruce. Do I refer to this 'coccinelle' throughout the story as 'il' or 'elle'? I even … Read More →
Irregular French Plurals : Masculine Words Ending in “_al”
Here is a common mistake I see among students of all levels of French, so I thought this short article would be useful, whether it is only a reminder or new to you ;-) Nouns Nouns ending in “_al” are masculine. Ex: un journal (= a newspaper) un cheval (= a horse) un animal un festival un carnaval, etc. These nouns have an irregular French plural.The plural form of these masculine nouns is generally “_aux”. Ex: un journal → des journaux un cheval → des chevaux un animal → des animaux There are a few exceptions of course : bal (= ball, dance), carnaval, chacal (= jackal, wild … Read More →
French Traditions : New Year, Galette des Rois
French New Year Greetings Wishing you all an amazing year ahead!! Or, how to say it in proper French ? “Bonne année, bonne santé” (“Good year, good health”, because health really matters), or “Bonne et heureuse année" ( = “a good and joyful year”. A bit redundant in my opinion, but you never know ; it’s better to say it twice than none!). Traditionally, French people don’t say “Bonne année” before January 1st (superstition wise, it’s bad), but we have all of January –i.e until January 31st - to give our wishes/greetings, so there’s no rush. You can just say it to your friends the … Read More →
Practice Worksheets to Help You Build Correct Sentences in French
The following activity is to help you implement what you have learnt (or brushed up) in my article “Introduction to French Grammar: what type of word is it?”. The aim is to help you build correct sentences together by reflecting on how the words relate to each other and how a sentence is structured. The activity is done in 3 stages: Translate a text into French. Implement and identify: What type of word is it ? Identify all articles, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and prepositions. When I was in primary school, we would do a more in depth version of this … Read More →