I received the following suggestion from Oska: I would enjoy if you could also perhaps do a lesson or two in the future on other French diacritics and ligatures, e.g. the French cedilla, the diaeresis (or tréma), the ligature ‘œ’. As speakers and writers of a language which does not mostly possess such ‘baroque’ written adornments, I think Anglophones (= English speakers) find them quite fascinating. And perhaps a little bit of a barrier, which explication can help overcome. Thanks Oska, these are very interesting questions! I will actually dedicate three articles to them: Part 1 : la … Read More →
FYW 031 : The Guide to Movement + Direction in French
How to say “to run up”, “to run down”, “to swim past”, “to crawl through”, etc. in French? Learn to think differently so you won’t get stuck anymore, because literal translation is not working here! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode To run up = monter en courant To run down = descendre en courant Il monte et descend les escaliers en courant. = He’s running up and down the stairs. To run past = passer en courant Il est passé en courant sans me voir = He ran past without seeing me. to crawl = ramper to crawl through = traverser en rampant Le bébé … Read More →
FYW 030 : How to say Fruit and Fruit Trees in French
This short episode is a 2 in 1 episode: By adding extra words to your vocabulary, you will also (and mostly) brush up or add to your existing knowledge of some basic vocab : names of fruits. Just as in English where you need the word “apple” to make the word “apple tree” or “cherry” to make “cherry” tree, you need to know the name of the fruit in French to name the tree (or plant) it grows on. So, test yourself! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Une orange, un oranger = an orange, an orange tree Une peche, un pecher = a peach, a peach tree Une noix, un … Read More →
FV 023 : Behind the Scenes of SBS French Radio with Christophe Mallet
Have you ever heard about the Australian radio called SBS? Wherever you are in the world, you can listen to it live or in podcast (so, it’s very good for more French exposure!). SBS broadcasts in many languages including French, and a few weeks ago, I met Christophe Mallet, the executive producer for the French program. He invited me and gave me a tour of the studios. I also attended a live broadcast and got interviewed about French Voices podcast. (You can listen to this short interview too, the link is in the shownotes below). In today’s episode, Christophe and I switched roles and I … Read More →
FYW 029 : A New Insight into “Voir” and “Regarder”
"Voir" or "regarder"? I’ll explain the difference, because it seems to be a source of confusion for many students of French. Learn vocabulary and expressions along the way too! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Voir = to see (passive) Déjà vu = already seen La vue = the view, the sight La télévision, une télévision = TV, a TV set Voir un film au cinéma = to go see a movie at the cinema. se voir = to see oneself Les vampires ne se voient pas dans le miroir. = Vampires can’t see themselves in a mirror. se voir = to see each other, see one another Mes … Read More →
Toujours and Encore in French
Friendly reader Isabel emailed me with an interesting question about the use of toujours and encore: Can they be used interchangeably, for example when I say: « Je suis toujours à la recherche d'un appartement » ou « Je suis encore à la recherche d'un appartement » Is it the same thing? When will they mean something different? I actually found the question quite tricky and had to do a bit of research myself! Indeed, the use of one word can result in a neutral statement whereas choosing the other word may imply a judgement. Sometimes, both words can be completely … Read More →
FYW 028 : Le Cahier De Vacances – All About Holiday and Homework
In the Northern hemisphere, summer is coming to an end, holiday time is over. Children and students are going back to school soon (la rentrée) and you may now be listening to me on your commute rather than on the beach. Don’t worry! To help you transition smoothly, I’ll start the episode talking about holidays (the word “vacances in French”) and then we’ll move to duties and homework talk! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Nous sommes allés en vacances en France / Nous sommes allés en France pour les vacances = We went on holiday in France. Les grandes … Read More →
FV 022 : Marie Aubinais, the Author of “Petit Ours Brun” stories for French Children
Meet Marie Aubinais, author of Petit Ours Brun stories. Every French toddler knows this famous childhood character! Marie will tell us how she became the author of Petit Ours Brun, how she chooses the topics of the stories, what inspires her and also what challenges she needs to take into account when writing for her very young audience. Last, but not least, Marie will also raise awareness about the importance of exposing children to books from an early age. Episode Timeline [04 min 24 sec] History of Petit Ours Brun: the birth of a childhood hero [07 min 35 sec] How Marie started to write … Read More →
FYW 027 : Learn the different words for “Friend” in French
We’re going to talk about the people who are very important in our lives: friends – the different words to say “friend” in French, their differences in meaning and the history behind the words. I’ll also give you some songs and books references around the theme of friendship. Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Un(e) ami(e)= a friend ma mie = sweetheart, dear one (dated) (vu dans La Reine Margot que je lis) Un copain, une copine = a friend Grand ami (=great friend), meilleur ami (= best friend) Petit(e) ami(e), petit(e) copain/copine = boyfriend / … Read More →
FYW 026 : Aches, Pains and Broken Bones
Talking about broken bones and how to say where you’re sore! More than just expressions, you will also reinforce some grammar notions that many students of French often get wrong. Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Avoir mal à + le/la/les + body part = have pain at (to have a sth-ache, to hurt there) Avoir mal à la tête = to have a headache Avoir mal aux pieds = to have sore feet Avoir mal au dos = to have a sore back avoir mal à l’estomac = to have a stomach ache (the organ) avoir mal au ventre = to have a stomach/tummy ache avoir mal au cœur = to … Read More →
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