Pronunciation and French grammar tips to nail the numbers « thousand », « million » and « billion » in French ! You’ll also have fun discovering the translation of some legendary swearing from Tintin’s angry friend Captain Haddock! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Mille [mil] = a thousand mille personnes = a thousand people mille questions = a thousand questions cent = a hundred Million(s)(de) [miljɔ̃] = million(s) Milliard(s) (de) /miljaʀ/ = billion(s) Trois millions d’années = three million years Il y a sept milliards de personnes sur Terre = … Read More →
Tour de France and Nostalgia
This article is a bit different! This time, I wrote in French and in English, to give you some guided reading, along with a few explanations on some French words and expressions :-) Let me know if you liked it in the comment section! Bonne lecture! / Happy reading! Tour de France et nostalgie / Tour de France and nostalgia Suivez-vous le Tour de France ? Personnellement, je zyeute (1) l’écran à quelques occasions, luttant contre le sommeil (à cause de l’heure tardive de diffusion en Australie). Do you follow the Tour de France ? Personally, I only glance at the screen every so often as … Read More →
How to make French vocabulary lists
Here’s my very first video for you!! I’m giving you 3 tips on how you can create your own French vocabulary lists AND how I recommend you use them for your French revisions! This includes how I used to learn Chinese when I was living in China. I hope this will help and inspire you :-) Feel free to share your own techniques to learn French vocabulary in the comment section, I’m sure it can help other students of French! Behind the scenes story: Shooting the video was a lot of fun…but took me a while! Unlike podcast recordings where I can easily edit the blanks or my many “um” and … Read More →
FYW 022 : Easy Tips on How to Say Whether You Are Taking The Train To or From Paris
How to say “I take the train to Paris in French” ? Listen, as chances are that you may be one of the many students who make a mistake, even at an advanced level! Here’s a short episode for a quick win! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Je vais à Paris = I’m going to Paris Je vais à Paris en train = I’m going to Paris by train Je prends le train pour Paris = I take the train to Paris Je prends le train à Paris = I take the train in Paris Aller = to go Voyager = to travel Prendre = to take attraper = to catch Un piège, une trappe = a trap … Read More →
FYW 021 : What are the different names for soups in French?
If it’s the middle of winter for you too (or simply if you love food!), this episode will be deliciously heart-warming (and mouth-watering). I’ll go over a few different names to describe soups in French. You’ll also discover some popular French expressions with the word "soupe". Let me know what your favourite soup is! Reminder for those of you who can make it to Sydney for the BBR French World Festival; I’ll be there in the language area next to the kids corner and the pétanque! (Sydney, Circular Quay, 10-12 July 2015) Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this … Read More →
FYW 020 : The 3 Ways to Pronounce Plus in French
How do you know when to pronounce or not the "s" at the end of the word "plus" ? This question comes from a listener of French your Way Podcast, Philipp. In this episode, I will run you through the 3 different pronunciations and you will also learn WHY there are differences! For a full explanation, also check my article at www.frenchyourway.com.au/plus . I’ve included an exercise worksheet which you can get for free. Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Deux plus deux égalent quatre (2+2 = 4) plus cher = more expensive plus grand = taller plus … Read More →
How to Pronounce Plus in French
Philipp, a listener of French Your Way Podcast, recently emailed me with the following suggestion : « J'ai écouté l’épisode sur la question quand on prononce le « s » de tous. Peut-être que ce serait aussi intéressant quand on fait la même chose avec 'plus'. Merci ! (= I listened to the episode about when to pronounce the “s” at the end of tous. It may be interesting to do the same about “plus”. Thanks!”) I thought it would be interesting to clarify this notion – so here’s the article! I’ve also designed and included a free worksheet for you! In addition, I made a podcast episode with … Read More →
FYW 018 : A la Maison, Chez le Docteur
Do you know how to say that you're at the doctor’s, at the hospital, or just at somebody's place? I hear confusions and mistakes more often than not, so I’d like to go over these today. Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Un médecin / docteur (nm) = doctor Un (médecin) généraliste = GP Une femme-médecin, doctoresse = female doctor La médecine = medicine (science field) Un médicament = a medicine, a drug Chez le docteur / chez le médecin à l’hôpital chez le dentiste chez mon ami(e) Le coiffeur = the hairdresser Le salon de coiffure = the … Read More →
FYW 017 : Common Mistakes When Talking About The Weather
Discover or rediscover the structures used to talk about the weather. Many students tend to mix them, so this episode will help you to nail it every time. After listening, write your description of the weather where you leave in the comment section! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Parler de la pluie et du beau temps = to make small talk La météo, le temps = the weather Quel temps fait-il ? Il fait quel temps ? (= What’s the weather like ?) Il fait beau / mauvais / gris / chaud / froid / doux / 30 degrés / moins deux (degrés) Il y a du soleil / de la … Read More →
FYW 016 : First Rest Then Stay
False friends are a common source of confusion and a common source of mistakes among English speakers who learn French. Today’s false friend is: "rester" vs "to rest". Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Rester = to stay, to remain Je reste ici ! = I’m staying here! Nous resterons toujours amis. = We’ll remain friends forever. Ils sont restés une semaine. = They stayed for one week. Nous sommes restés dans un petit hôtel à Paris. = We stayed in a small hotel in Paris. Il me reste quelques dollars. (= I have a few dollars left.) Il reste trois yaourts … Read More →