David from Sydney asked me :"If gauche is left, and droite is right, what is the connection between droite and tout droit for straight ahead ?" These can be confusing indeed because the two expressions look and sound very much alike. What particularly interested me in David's question is, not surprisingly, whether there was a connection between tout droit et à droite, as in whether they had the same origin (because clearly, they don't indicate the same direction!!) Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode A gauche = left / to the left A droite = right / to the … Read More →
FYW 116 : French words that look like English…but are not (pseudo anglicisms)
A pseudo anglicism is a real English word meaning something completely different from its original meaning. Pseudo-anglicisms are related to false friends so if you want to avoid misunderstandings in a conversation with a native French speaker, I recommend you listen to this episode and find out what we, French people, actually mean when we say "un smoking", "un clip", etc.! I'll end up with a couple of French words that English-speakers often mispronounce, sometimes creating hilarious misunderstandings! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Un parking = a … Read More →
FYW 082 : The Difference Between Deuxième and Second in French
As I caught myself thinking about World War II (yes, I really have the most relaxing thoughts during my breaks sometimes…), a doubt suddenly crept in: do we actually call it "la deuxième guerre mondiale", or "la seconde guerre mondiale" in French ? The more I was thinking, the less I could remember! So, after a little refresher about the difference between deuxième and second in French, I decided to share it with you ;-) Please let me know if you get confused with other French words! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Please see my article – "What is the … Read More →
FYW 076 : What’s the Difference Between Jour and Journée in French?
Find out the rules behind when to use jour and journée in French, as well as the difference between soir and soirée, an and année, matin and matinée. This is especially important as they are translated with one same word in English, so learn the subtleties of French language. As usual you’ll also get to learn a few common French expressions to top it all up! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Le jour, la journée = the day Le matin, la matinée = the morning Le soir, la soirée = the evening Un an, une année = a year Une soirée = a party, soirée, … Read More →
FYW 059 : French “déception” vs English “deception”: same same, or different?
While my original goal in making this episode was to point out and therefore help you memorise better the difference between "deception" in French and "deception" in English, I was surprised to find out that the two words were more related than I thought! Insights into the origins of words is so fascinating! Come on board for a short French vocabulary session…we’ll also do a tiny bit of French conjugation ;-) Can you think of other words that look similar in French and English but actually have different meanings? Please share them in the comment section of the episode, get the conversation … Read More →
FYW 044 : Because vs Because Of (and the reason why)
Students of French often mistranslate "because of" in French. This is because of two reasons: translating literally without thinking in advance of the structure of the sentence, and not taking into account the positive or negative connotation implied in the sentence. So let’s explain the difference between "because" ("parce que" and "because of” ("à cause de") to help you make the appropriate choice in the future! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Parce que = because (due to the fact that) Pourquoi = why La raison pour laquelle = the reason … 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 →