Going on vacation is cause for anticipation, planning, and excitement, which is sometimes followed by disappointment… In this humorous video, mother and daughter Isabelle and Barbara are very excited about their trip to Bali. Unfortunately, their vacation does not exactly go as planned… But a chance encounter makes up for everything!
For many people like Barbara and Isabelle, les vacances (vacation, holiday) equal anticipation and excitement best summed up in this wonderful French expression, Vivement les vacances ! (I can’t wait for vacation!) We can very well imagine Barbara and Isabelle using the expression:
Vivement les vacances ! On va aller à Bali.
I can’t wait for vacation! We’re going to go to Bali.
And once there, they could have expressed their joy and enthusiasm by saying:
Vivent les vacances !
Hurray for vacation! (literally, "Long live the holidays!")
Barbara and Isabelle are really looking forward to their trip to Bali. It’s bonjour paradis tropicaux (hello tropical paradises) and the anticipation of le sable chaud d’une plage de Bali (the warm sand of a beach in Bali):
Bonjour paradis tropicaux. Dans quelques heures, ma mère et moi serons sur le sable chaud d'une plage de Bali.
Hello tropical paradises. In a few hours, my mother and I will be on the warm sand of a beach in Bali.
Captions 2-4, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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They make sure to leave in plenty of time for the airport, as they don’t want to rater l’avion (miss the plane):
Si on tenait à ne pas rater notre avion pour Bali, il était grand temps d'y aller.
If we didn't want to miss our plane to Bali, it was high time to leave.
Captions 15-16, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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Unfortunately, Barbara and Isabelle’s plans are rudely interrupted by a volcanic eruption disrupting le trafic aérien (air traffic):
...et perturbe sérieusement le trafic aérien.
...and is seriously disrupting air traffic.
Caption 30, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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That means that les avions sont cloués au sol (planes are grounded), with most airports closed:
Les avions sont cloués au sol pour une période encore indéfinie.
Planes are grounded for an as yet indefinite period.
Captions 32-33, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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Undaunted, Isabelle decides to take her daughter à la mer (to the sea) instead:
Elle m'emmenait à la mer.
She was taking me to the sea.
Caption 42, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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But first, Isabelle has to do a hard sell to entice her pouting teenage daughter:
Le paradis sans le décalage horaire.
Paradise without the jet lag.
Caption 45, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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So off they go to the seaside town Trouville, which, as Barbara is quick to point out, bears its name very well:
Trouville ? -Ouais. Ah ben au moins au niveau du nom, ils trichent pas.
Trouville? -Yeah. Ah well at least in terms of the name ["trou ville" = "hole city"], they're not lying.
Captions 47-48, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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This popular seaside town in Normandy is missing one crucial ingredient: le soleil (the sun), which is somewhat voilé (obscured):
Ouais, excepté le soleil qui est quelque peu voilé
Yeah, except for the sun, which is somewhat obscured
Caption 49, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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Feeling sorry for her daughter, Isabelle decides to make a quick run to get poor Barbara une bonne petite crêpe (a nice little crepe), the local specialty, before going home:
On va quand même pas rentrer sans avoir mangé une bonne petite crêpe, hein ?
We can't possibly go home without having eaten a nice little crepe, huh?
Captions 65-66, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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Meanwhile, Barbara makes a very fortuitous encounter that changes everything! Shocked to find Gaël (her crush) on the beach, she stammers, Qu’est-ce que tu fais là ? (What are you doing here?):
Ben, ben, Gaël ? Mais qu'est-ce que... Qu'est-ce que tu fais là ?
Well, well, Gaël? But what... What are you doing here?
Captions 74-76, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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Miraculously, Barbara does not seem to mind when the heavens suddenly open. In fact, she loves la pluie (the rain) as long as it's in great company:
J'adore la pluie.
I love the rain.
Caption 89, Mère & Fille Vacances de rêve
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As you can see from this humorous video, vacations do not always turn out as expected, but usually it all works out in the end. So, we hope your vacations live up to your expectations, and we wish everyone de bonnes vacances au soleil (fun- and sun-filled holidays). But before you set off on your vacances de rêve (dream vacation), here is a list of some of the useful vocabulary covered earlier:
Vivement les vacances ! - I can’t wait for vacation!
Vivent les vacances ! - Hurray for vacation!
un paradis tropical - a tropical paradise
le sable - the sand
la plage - the beach
la mer - the sea
le soleil - the sun
le décalage horaire - the jet lag
rater l’avion - to miss the plane
Les avions sont cloués au sol. - The planes are grounded.
le trafic aérien - the air traffic
une bonne petite crêpe - a nice little crepe
la pluie - the rain
In our previous lesson, we discussed ways to make a friendly and polite request in various situations in French. There is yet another level of formality that requires more sophisticated language, often in the form of set expressions and polite formulas, which we are going to explore in this lesson.
In addition to the more common ways of saying “please” in French—the informal s'il te plaît and the formal s'il vous plaît—there are yet more formal equivalents of “please." One of them is je vous prie (literally, "I pray you"). As Nelly points out in her video, this kind of “please,” je vous prie, almost sounds too impersonal in a restaurant setting:
Pourrais-je avoir le menu, je vous prie ?
Could I have the menu, please?
Caption 41, Français avec Nelly Alternatives to "je veux" - Part 2
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You are more likely to hear je vous prie in a more formal situation such as in a courtroom, like the judge in this video uses it:
Asseyez-vous, je vous prie.
Sit down, please.
Caption 54, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 1
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In the same video, another judge uses an even slightly more formal expression, veuillez (the imperative form of vouloir, “to want”). The two phrases are pretty much interchangeable, as both are impersonal, although you could argue that veuillez is more of a direct command while je vous prie is more of an invitation:
Veuillez vous asseoir.
Please take a seat.
Caption 24, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 1
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It is also possible to combine these two ways of saying “please” in the same sentence. In English, we tend to avoid such repetition, but the second "please," je vous prie, tacked on at the end softens the tone of the request:
Baptiste, veuillez vous présenter à la barre, je vous prie.
Baptiste, please take the stand.
Caption 31, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Volé par sa belle-mère ? - Part 6
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On the other hand, when starting a sentence with je vous prie, it has the opposite effect! In the context of this video, where an employee in trouble is asking his boss for forgiveness, je vous prie sounds more like an urgent plea:
Je vous prie de m'excuser.
Please forgive me.
Caption 9, Le Jour où tout a basculé Ma collègue veut ma place - Part 8
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The expression je vous prie de + infinitive can also express an order, an official request to comply with the rules. In this episode of our Zooriginaux series, the officious penguin is asking the lion Sir Tigris to get out or else. So in this case, je vous prie de translates as “I’m asking you to,” said in a firm tone of voice:
Je suis désolé, Sir Tigris, mais le règlement interdit de déranger les artistes. Je vous prie donc de sortir.
I'm sorry, Sir Tigris, but the rules forbid disturbing the artists. So I'm asking you to please get out.
Captions 24-26, Les zooriginaux 6. Tiger Minor - Part 2
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Incidentally, do not confuse je vous prie with je vous en prie, which means something entirely different. It is the formal equivalent of de rien (you're welcome):
Merci infiniment. -Je vous en prie, merci. -À très bientôt.
Thanks a million. -You're welcome, thank you. -See you very soon.
Caption 78, Le Mans TV Mon Village - Malicorne - Part 4
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All the expressions mentioned so far can be used in writing or in formal speech, but there are some formal instructions only found in writing. You may have come across public signs starting with the very impersonal expression prière de (literally, "prayer to"). This expression often features on public signs, notices, and official documents. Since there is no direct translation, its meaning will become clear with an example. If you ever see the road sign Prière de ne pas stationner, it is in your interest to understand it if you want to avoid a parking ticket!
Prière de ne pas stationner. Emplacement reservé.
No parking. Reserved parking.
There is another public sign that you might like to take heed of: il est interdit sous peine d’amende (it is forbidden under penalty of a fine). In this video, Daniel Benchimol reads the long list of rules on a sign in a public park:
Il est interdit donc sous peine d'amende de marcher sur les pelouses et massifs
So it is forbidden, under penalty of a fine, to walk on the lawns and flowerbeds
Captions 34-35, Voyage en France Soissons - Part 2
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Likewise, it is best not to ignore the words défense de + infinitive, forbidding you to perform certain actions, unless you are willing to break the law. Now that smoking has fallen out of favor in France, you may come across more "No Smoking" signs in cafés:
Défense de fumer
No smoking
There is yet another form of request that is extremely impersonal, the formula ne pas + infinitive. The verb addresses no one in particular and, as in prière de and défense de, remains in the infinitive form instead of the imperative mood used for commands. In the context of this song, the use of the infinitive is a plea for help, as the singer is asking people to stop being indifferent to the plight of starving children in drought-stricken East Africa:
Ne pas les laisser dans l'indifférence et l'oubli
Don't leave them in indifference and neglect
Caption 59, Lesieur Des Ricochets
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Now you know that there is more than one way of saying “please” in French, ranging from very friendly to formal and impersonal. And you are now aware that some formal instructions only appear in writing. Don't fret too much over the differences between some of these expressions, as they are often subtle and subjective. Just be mindful of the level of the formality of a situation and remain respectful when making a request or receiving a request. Merci de bien vouloir consulter les vidéos sur Yabla (please watch our Yabla videos) to help you navigate the nuances and differences in formal language. Thank you for reading!
Knowing how to make a polite request in French is one of the first things taught in tourist guidebooks. In this lesson, we will dig a little deeper and explore the many ways of asking for something in a variety of situations, whether it be shopping, asking for directions, eating out, and more. Through our video examples, we will also discover the cultural niceties and etiquette that help smooth out such interactions.
As is customary in most countries, in France it is considered good form to greet the person you come into contact with. As the speaker in this video reminds us, it is important to toujours dire bonjour (always say hello):
Ah, ben oui... La politesse, la courtoisie, toujours dire bonjour, garder le sourire.
Oh, well yes... Politeness, courtesy, always say hello, keep smiling.
Caption 3, Télésonne Micro-trottoir : Comment manifester sa gentillesse?
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So don’t skip the bonjour part even when passing through the checkout line or buying a baguette at the bakery, for example:
Bonjour, je voudrais une baguette et deux croissants, s’il vous plaît.
Hi, I’d like a baguette and two croissants, please.
When on the phone, it is possible to substitute allô (hello) for bonjour, maybe to sound more friendly. Listen to Lionel making a trip reservation in this video. He starts with bonjour and then uses the conditional structure je voudrais (I would like to) + infinitive. (See our previous lesson on the conditional tense here.)
Oui, bonjour! Euh... je voudrais, euh, faire un voyage au Parc Astérix.
Yes, hello! Uh... I would like, uh, to take a trip to Parc Astérix [Astérix Park].
Caption 2, Réservation d'un voyage au Parc Astérix
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When asking for directions, instead of using the ubiquitous bonjour, you may want to catch the person’s attention first with the polite formula: Pardon, monsieur/madame, excusez-moi (Sorry, sir/madam, excuse me). Of course, it does not hurt to say s’il vous plaît (please) as well:
Pardon monsieur, excusez-moi. Place Vendôme, s’il vous plaît ?
Sorry sir, excuse me. Place Vendôme [Vendôme Square], please?
In the example above, you will notice that the speaker is using formal language, with the verb in the second-person plural in the imperative mood (excusez-moi) and the formal vous in s’il vous plaît (literally, "if you please"). It is much simpler in English, as there is only one way of saying “you,” unless you want to sound Shakespearian!
When addressing a friend, you may drop the formal tone of your request and switch to the second-person singular of the verb by leaving out the Z at the end: excusez-moi —> excuse-moi (excuse me), like the shy chef does in this video. In an awkward and apologetic sort of way, he tries to sound casual and uses the personal pronoun te (you) to address his employee, whom he is about to ask out on a first date:
Excuse-moi... Je suis un peu gêné de te demander ça mais...
Excuse me... I'm a bit embarrassed to ask you this but...
Caption 51, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai volé pour nourrir mon fils - Part 3
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Further along in the video, the shy chef eventually plucks up the courage to ask his employee for a drink. First, he softens his request by using the imperfect tense, je voulais te demander (I wanted to ask you). Then, being ever so polite, he reformulates his question and asks her si tu serais d’accord pour qu’on aille (if she would agree to go for a drink together). Note how he manages to use two different verbal moods here, the conditional and the subjunctive, plus the imperfect tense!
Ce que je voulais te demander c'est... si tu serais éventuellement d'accord pour qu'on aille boire un verre ensemble?
What I wanted to ask you is... if you would possibly agree to go for a drink together?
Captions 57-59, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai volé pour nourrir mon fils - Part 3
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Thankfully, not every request needs to sound as complicated as the one above. In informal situations, you can simply say peux-tu (can you) and use the present tense for a slightly more direct approach:
Peux-tu m'appeler?
Can you call me?
Caption 33, Conversations au parc Ep. 1: Je n'ai pas mon téléphone
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Here is another example of a more direct approach. In the cartoon series Les Zooriginaux, Loupia asks Gigi the giraffe to ouvre-moi (open up for me) during a curfew. Here we have the imperative mood, since it is a command rather than a request, followed by the informal form of "please," s’il te plaît. (Refer to this lesson for info on pronoun placement with the imperative mood.)
Ouvre-moi vite s'il te plaît
Open up for me quickly, please
Caption 26, Les zooriginaux The Zoo Book - Part 3
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And if you're in need of help, this little phrase could come in handy: aide-moi (help me).
Et sauve-moi encore, aide-moi
And save me again, help me
Caption 2, Normandie TV Indochine au Zénith de Caen
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Or, in its plural/formal version:
Et sauvez-moi encore, aidez-moi
And save me again, help me
In a critical situation, you can ask for help this way:
Au secours! À l'aide! À l'aide!
Help! Help! Help!
Caption 24, Il était une fois: Notre Terre 25. Technologies - Part 3
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There is yet another way to ask for help, or anything else for that matter: with the impersonal phrase il faut que tu (you have to) + subjunctive. Remember to use tu (you) if you are talking to a friend:
Il faut que tu m'aides, je crois.
You have to help me, I think.
Caption 5, Anna et Louis Le vocabulaire des jeunes
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In a more formal situation such as asking your boss to help you, or when you're addressing more than one person, use vous. And don't forget that il faut que (you have to) is always followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood.
Il faut que vous m’aidiez, je crois.
You have to help me, I think.
Moving on to a totally different context, such as ordering food or drinks, for example, things are a lot simpler. You can just order a drink or food by saying je vais (vous) prendre. This is how Johanna orders her beer. Note that she uses the formal pronoun vous when speaking to the waiter:
Euh... je vais vous prendre une bière, s'il vous plaît.
Uh... I'll take a beer from you, please.
Caption 19, Joanna Son quartier
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Or you may prefer the simpler version:
Je vais prendre une bière, s'il vous plaît.
I'll take a beer, please.
And for yet a more basic approach, you can just name your drink, and you will still get your beer…as long as you say s’il vous plaît!
Une bière, s'il vous plaît.
A beer, please.
In conclusion, making a polite request in French is not that different from English, but knowing when and how to use formal and informal language, which is an integral part of French etiquette, can be challenging. So be aware that your choice of words, tenses, moods, and pronouns will affect the tone of your message. This makes for complicated grammar choices at times, but feel free to explore our grammar lessons and videos to help you. Thank you for reading!
Now that we have explored various aspects of the French justice system—its courts, procedures, protocols, and some famous trials—let's take a closer look at the most common types of offenses the courts have to deal with and what court rulings are often issued. The French justice system rend (delivers) thousands of jugements (sentences) every year:
Tous les ans, la justice française rend plus de quatre cent mille jugements en correctionnelle.
Every year, the French justice system delivers more than four hundred thousand sentences in criminal courts.
Captions 21-22, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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Some of these real-life cases have been dramatized in the series Le jour où tout a basculé - À l'audience, where all manner of crimes and misdemeanors are discussed:
Conflits, escroqueries, drames familiaux.
Conflicts, scams, family dramas.
Caption 25, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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In this particular case, a young mother is accused by her lover of une tentative d’escroquerie à la carte bancaire (attempted credit card fraud):
Elle comparaît pour tentative d'escroquerie à la carte bancaire.
She is appearing before the court for attempted credit card fraud.
Caption 42, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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However, the woman claims that she never attempted to escroquer (to scam) anyone and that her credit card was stolen from her:
J'ai jamais tenté d'escroquer qui que ce soit.
I've never attempted to scam anyone.
Caption 63, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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The prosecution has reason to believe that she may have simulé ce vol (simulated this theft) in order to escroquer son assurance (defraud her insurance). This time, the translation of escroquer is the more specific legal term “to defraud”:
...dans ce dossier, y a de nombreux éléments qui laissent plutôt penser que vous avez simulé ce vol pour ensuite escroquer votre assurance.
...in this case, there are numerous elements that instead lead us to think that you simulated this theft to then defraud your insurance.
Captions 87-90, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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The stakes are high for the accused: if this woman is reconnue coupable (found guilty) she could face five years of prison and forty-five thousand euros d’amendes (in fines). Note the spelling of amendes with an e, not to be confused with amandes (almonds):
Si cette mère de famille est reconnue coupable des faits qui lui sont reprochés, elle encourt cinq années de prison et quarante-cinq mille euros d'amendes.
If this mother is found guilty of the charges that are being made against her, she incurs five years in prison and forty-five thousand euros in fines.
Captions 46-49, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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In a major recent case, the right-wing politician Marine Le Pen has been convicted of another serious type of fraud, le détournement de fonds publics (embezzlement of public funds):
Marine Le Pen et huit autres personnes, huit euro députés ont été reconnus coupables de détournement de fonds publics à hauteur d'environ trois millions d'euros.
Marine Le Pen and eight other people, eight Euro deputies [Members of European Parliament] have been found guilty of embezzlement of public funds amounting to approximately three million euros.
Captions 18-21, France 24 Marine Le Pen reconnue coupable de détournement de fonds publics
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Le Pen was subject to une peine d'inéligibilité (sentence of ineligibility), which prevents her from running for office for the next five years:
Et tout le monde attend de savoir au final si cette peine d'inéligibilité avec exécution provisoire sera ou pas prononcée aujourd'hui à l'encontre de Marine Le Pen.
And everyone is waiting to know in the end whether this sentence of ineligibility with provisional execution will or will not be pronounced today against Marine Le Pen.
Captions 71-74, France 24 Marine Le Pen reconnue coupable de détournement de fonds publics
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Indeed, une peine d’inégibilité or a similar type of ban, such as une interdiction d'exercer (a ban from exercising one’s profession), can seem just as bad as une peine de prison (a prison sentence), a situation in which the doctor in the following video finds himself:
Car si le tribunal reconnaît le docteur Cujasse coupable, outre une peine de prison, le prévenu encourt une interdiction d'exercer.
Because if the court finds Doctor Cujasse guilty, in addition to a prison sentence, the defendant risks being banned from exercising his profession.
Captions 40-42, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Mon chirurgien était ivre - Part 1
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The ultimate peine is la peine de mort (death penalty), which was banned in France in 1981. In his humorous song "Le Crépi" (Stucco), Oldelaf jokingly mentions that though he is not in favor of la peine de mort, he thinks something should be done about people who invent eyesores like stucco:
Franchement je ne suis pas / Pour la peine de mort, mais là / Il faudrait faire quelque chose
Frankly I am not / For the death penalty, but here / We should do something
Captions 29-31, Oldelaf Le Crépi
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Thankfully, misdemeanors are usually discouraged with a simple warning. You may have come across the expression sous peine d’amende (under the penalty of a fine) on public signs such as the one Daniel Benchimol is reading here, which says that it is an offense to walk on grass, a common warning in France. (Incidentally, Parisians are divided over that rule, according to this article.)
Il est interdit donc sous peine d'amende de marcher sur les pelouses et massifs
So it is forbidden, under penalty of a fine, to walk on the lawns and flowerbeds
Captions 34-35, Voyage en France Soissons - Part 2
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There you have it for our Going to Court series. We hope this glimpse into the legal French system will expand your vocabulary and inspire you to explore our legal series Le jour où tout a basculé - À l'audience. Thank you for reading!
In our earlier lessons on legal vocabulary, we gave an overview of French courts and learned about etiquette and procedures in the courtroom. Now we are ready to enter the courtroom once again to take a look at some court cases and see what we can learn.
One of the earliest procès (trials) in French history dates back to 1456, the rehabilitation trial for none other than Joan of Arc (in response to the 1431 trial in which she was charged of heresy):
Et effectivement alors en mille quatre cent cinquante-six va se dérouler un énorme procès avec plus de trois cents témoins
And indeed, so in fourteen fifty-six, a huge trial is going to take place, with more than three hundred witnesses
Captions 35-37, Lionel Le musée de Jeanne d'Arc - Part 1
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Joan of Arc’s mother fought to have her daughter rehabilitated after her death in a huge trial that, as mentioned above, numbered over three hundred témoins (witnesses) who sought to clear the heroine’s name with their numerous témoignages (testimonies):
Et on va essayer, effectivement, au travers de tous ces témoignages, eh bien, de réhabiliter effectivement Jeanne.
And they're going to try, indeed, through all these testimonies, well, indeed to rehabilitate Joan.
Captions 39-40, Lionel Le musée de Jeanne d'Arc - Part 1
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Many of these témoins came to témoigner (testify) in the small town of Vaucouleurs, not far from Joan of Arc’s birthplace of Domrémy:
Y a eu des gens de Vaucouleurs qui sont allés témoigner à ce procès
There were people from Vaucouleurs who went to testify at this trial
Captions 42-43, Lionel Le musée de Jeanne d'Arc - Part 1
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More recently, another shocking affaire (case) made the headlines in France, l’affaire Pelicot:
L'affaire suscite une émotion immense.
The case is provoking huge emotions.
Caption 17, France 24 Affaire Pelicot : retour sur un procès hors normes
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Unlike le procès de Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc’s trial), which was noted for its large number of témoins, l’affaire Pelicot (the Pelicot case) shocked the public with its nombres d’accusés (number of accused) as well as the horrendous nature of les faits reprochés (the charges):
Hors norme par sa durée, le nombre d'accusés et par les faits reprochés
Unusual for its duration, the number of accused, and for the charges
Captions 47-49, France 24 Affaire Pelicot : retour sur un procès hors normes
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On its own, the noun le fait usually means “fact.” However, in a legal context, its meaning varies depending on the situation. Earlier on in the Pelicot video, les faits translates as “the events” to refer to what happened to the victim, events which were horrendous, as the journalist alludes to l’atrocité des faits (the atrocity of the events):
Gisèle Pelicot arrive au tribunal d'Avignon pour un procès que cette victime de viol a voulu public, malgré l'atrocité des faits.
Gisèle Pelicot arrives at the Avignon courthouse for a trial that this rape victim wanted public, despite the atrocity of the events.
Captions 3-5, France 24 Affaire Pelicot : retour sur un procès hors normes
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Indeed, un fait can also mean an unverified fact, in other words a “claim” or “allegation," an important distinction in a court of law. In this trial from the drama series Le Jour où tout a basculé, a husband nie les faits (denies the allegations) made by his wife:
Xavier Plot nie les faits.
Xavier Plot denies the allegations.
Caption 5, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 1
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In a later segment, a witness backs up Xavier Plot's déclarations (statements):
Le témoin vient de confirmer les déclarations de Xavier Plot.
The witness has just confirmed Xavier Plot's statements.
Caption 55, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 5
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However, l’accusation (the prosecution) is not buying it:
Mais pour l'accusation, tout ceci sonne faux.
But for the prosecution, all this sounds false.
Caption 56, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 5
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Note that outside of a legal context, une accusation is a direct cognate of the English "accusation." So be on the lookout for layman’s terms such as les faits, les déclarations, l'accusation, which take on specialized meanings as part of legal terminology.
To sum up, here is a list of vocabulary words covered in this lesson:
un procès: a trial
une affaire: a case
un témoignage: a testimony
témoigner: to testify
nier: to deny
un témoin: a witness
l’accusé: the accused
l'accusation: the prosecution, accusation
les faits reprochés: the charges
les faits: the allegations, the events
les déclarations: the statements
Be sure to watch our series Le Jour où tout a basculé - À l'audience for some more legal vocabulary and stay tuned for another lesson on the topic.
We continue our lesson on legal vocabulary. Now that we have explored various French courts and their differences with American courts, we are ready to enter the courtroom and discover the jargon used during court proceedings. We will discuss etiquette, honorific titles, and the similarities and differences between American and French courtroom procedures with the help of our Yabla series Le jour où tout a basculé.
The most important person in the courtroom is le juge or la juge (the judge), who presides over les débats (the proceedings). In this episode, the judge is female, but the narrator refers to her using the definite masculine pronoun le (the). Old habits die hard, perhaps?
C'est le juge Beaulieu qui préside les débats.
It's Judge Beaulieu who is presiding over the proceedings.
Caption 51, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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Le/la juge officially declares l’audience ouverte (the hearing open) with the following statement:
L'audience est ouverte.
The hearing is open.
Caption 23, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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Conversely, at the end of the hearing, the judge will say:
L’audience est levée.
The hearing is adjourned.
After opening the hearing the judge asks the accused, Ms. Berdil, to se présenter à la barre (take the stand). The literal translation is "go to the bar":
Madame Berdil, présentez-vous à la barre s'il vous plaît.
Ms. Berdil, please go to the bar [take the stand].
Caption 53, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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Just as in American courtrooms, French judges are addressed using a proper honorific title. In French, this is Monsieur le Président or Madame la Présidente (Mr. or Madam President), equivalent to "Your Honor":
Madame la Présidente, je tiens à préciser que ma cliente nie catégoriquement les faits qui lui sont reprochés.
Madam President [Your Honor], I would like to clarify that my client categorically denies the charges that are made against her.
Captions 56-58, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 1
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But it's also acceptable to drop the more formal title Monsieur le Président/Madame la Présidente and address judges by their professional designation, Monsieur le Juge/Madame la Juge (literally, "Mr./Madam Judge") to make a simple informal request:
Monsieur le Juge, je peux retourner à ma place ?
Your Honor, may I return to my seat?
Caption 23, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Escroqué par une "marieuse" ? - Part 5
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Judges also show respect to lawyers in the courtroom by using the honorific title Maître (Counselor), which applies to both male and female lawyers:
Peut-être, Maître, mais nous devons d'abord juger votre client.
Perhaps, Counselor, but first we must judge your client.
Captions 10-11, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Mon chirurgien était ivre - Part 7
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Unlike in English, where it is acceptable to say “sir” or “ma'am” to address a lawyer, it is improper to use monsieur (sir) or madame (ma'am) to address a French lawyer. You have to use Maître:
Merci, Maître.
Thank you, sir.
Caption 22, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Escroqué par une "marieuse" ? - Part 5
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Likewise, the title Maître remains when addressing the lawyer by name. For example, in this video, the lawyer is called Maître Ferrigni. But since there's no direct equivalent of Maître as a term of address in English, the translation is simply "Ms. Ferrigni":
Maître Ferrigni, l'avocate de l'agriculteur
Ms. Ferrigni, the farmer's lawyer
Caption 1, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Escroqué par une "marieuse" ? - Part 5
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English does have an equivalent of Maître in the abbreviation "Esq." (Esquire), which, unlike Maître, only follows the lawyer's full name:
Maître Louise Ferrigni
Louise Ferrigni, Esq.
Finally, let's step outside the courtroom for a moment and discuss what some French people call les avocats (lawyers) who are less than scrupulous. There are two colloquial expressions for this. The first one is un avocat marron (a crooked lawyer). But note the pun: the literal translation of this is “a brown avocado”! The other colorful expression is un avocat véreux (a shady lawyer, literally "a wormy avocado"):
Un avocat marron est un avocat véreux.
A crooked lawyer is a shady lawyer.
Now that you are familiar with some of the vocabulary typically used during court proceedings, are you ready to follow some trials in a French court for some more legal vocabulary? See you again in the courtroom for some interesting discoveries...
The series Le jour où tout a basculé - À l'audience contains a wealth of legal jargon. This lesson will clear up some of the terms you'll come across there, specifically the differences between the multiple French words for "court." Whether you have an immediate use for it, enjoy watching courtroom dramas, or just want to expand your legal vocabulary in French, this lesson is for you!
The generic word for "court" is le tribunal, a cognate of the English "tribunal":
Docteur Cujasse, le tribunal vous dispense de peine.
Dr. Cujasse, the court dismisses the charges against you.
Caption 25, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Mon chirurgien était ivre - Part 7
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So how would you translate the idiom “to go to court,” as in to take legal action? It's simply aller au tribunal:
L’entreprise est prête à aller au tribunal pour empêcher ces mesures draconiennes.
The company is prepared to go to court to stop these drastic measures.
In French, le tribunal refers not only to the institution of the court but also to the building itself, the courthouse (unlike in English, a distinction is not made between them). Le tribunal is a place where a certain decorum is expected, as the judge reminds the audience in this video:
Nous sommes dans un tribunal. Merci.
We are in a courthouse. Thank you.
Caption 63, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Mon chirurgien était ivre - Part 3
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Le tribunal, the building, also has another name, le palais de justice (law court, court of law). As its name suggests, le palais de justice often looks like “a palace,” an imposing historic building with Greek columns, similar to US courthouses:
On peut dire le Palais de Justice ou le Tribunal.
One can say the Courthouse or the Tribunal.
Caption 25, Lionel à Metz - Part 1
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Going back to le tribunal, the institution, why does this sometimes translate as “tribunal” in English? Both French and English use the word “tribunal” when referring to certain specialized courts, such as un tribunal militaire (a military tribunal):
Donc on va lire soit l'ordonnance qui déclare une personne otage, soit on va lire le jugement qui a été rendu par un tribunal militaire allemand qui a condamné à mort un résistant.
So they'll read either the ordinance that declares a person hostage, or they'll read the judgment that was rendered by a German military tribunal that condemned a Resistance fighter to death.
Captions 16-18, Voyage en France Le Mémorial de la France combattante - Part 2
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There is yet another type of tribunal called une tribune in French, originally a platform where Roman orators spoke from. Today this refers to a special European tribunal, la tribune du Parlement européen:
Il est régulièrement invité à les défendre à la tribune du Parlement européen à Bruxelles.
He is regularly invited to defend them in the tribunal of the European Parliament in Brussels.
Captions 26-27, Le Mans TV Youssef Ben Amar, un rappeur engagé en politique
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La tribune has a wide range of other meanings as well, including "platform," "bleachers," and "opinion column."
Now that we've explored le tribunal, let's move on to la cour. La cour is a cognate of the English "court," but it's only used to describe certain types of courts.
For instance, we have la Cour Suprême (Supreme Court). While the French-Canadian legal system is based on French civil law, Quebec has adopted the American term "Supreme Court," la Cour Suprême. As the following video notes, la Cour Suprême du Canada made some controversial decisions regarding the French language in Quebec:
Ça a été très mal vu ; la Cour Suprême du Canada a démoli une partie de la loi.
It was looked upon very badly; the Supreme Court of Canada struck down a part of the law.
Caption 27, Le Québec parle aux Français - Part 3
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On the other hand, France does not have la Cour Suprême but la cour de cassation, the highest court where final rulings are made. This can be roughly translated as "final court of appeal":
La cour de cassation est la plus haute juridiction de l'ordre judiciaire français.
The final court of appeal is the highest court in the French judicial system.
Before a case can reach la cour de cassation, it has to go through the lower courts, namely la cour d’appel (the court of appeals):
La cour d'appel a aussi certaines compétences administratives.
The court of appeals also has administrative functions.
To sum up, le tribunal is the general word for "court" in French, referring both to a courthouse and to the juridical institution. It usually translates as “court” in English, unless referring to specific tribunals. On the other hand, la cour only refers to specific types of courts (cour de cassation, cour d'appel).
Cette leçon est levée (this lesson is adjourned). See you in court for another session on legal vocabulary!
In her book on parenting, Bringing Up Bébé, Pamela Druckerman claims that “French parents raise better-behaved children than American parents.” Does that mean French kids ne font jamais de bêtises (never get into mischief)? Of course not, judging by the abundance of descriptors for naughty children in the French language.
Let's look at a few common words, starting with the affectionate term une chipie, what we would call in English “a little brat” or "little devil," but in a cute way to describe mischievous and playful little girls. The term only applies to females and originally referred to unpleasant women, or “shrews." It is thought that the word chipie is a combination of the words chipe (miserly) and une pie (a magpie).
Surveille la petite chipie pendant que je finis la cuisine.
Watch the little devil while I finish cooking.
While there may not be a male equivalent to the word chipie, there are plenty of alternative colloquial expressions for “brats” in French. For example, we have the non-gender specific term sale gosse (literally, "dirty kid") which, unlike une chipie, ranks higher on the scale of naughtiness and is not as endearing:
C'est des adultes qui... ils disent pas que vous êtes des sales gosses, que vous traînez, tout ça?
They are adults who... they don't say that you're little brats, that you loiter, all that?
Caption 72, Actus Quartier Fête de quartier Python-Duvernois - Part 1
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And if you prefer to specify gender, you can replace gosse with a close synonym, un sale gamin or une sale gamine:
Sales gamines. Allez-vous-en !
Little brats [female]. Get away from here!
Sale gamin, tu as cassé le vase à grand-mère !
Little brat [male], you broke Grandma’s vase!
Here is another gender-specific term: un morveux, une morveuse (literally, "a snot-nose"). This is an obnoxious, entitled individual, along the lines of “a spoiled brat" or "little punk." Please bear in mind that calling someone morveux/morveuse is extremely derogatory and belongs to the slang register:
Tu te prends pour qui, petit morveux ?
Who do you think you are, little punk?
Moving on from “brats” to “rascals," what are their equivalents in French? We have the term chenapan, from the German word Schnapphahn, for little troublemakers. Unlike in English, this term only applies to boys and is somewhat dated:
Que je ne t’y reprenne pas, petit chenapan.
Don’t let me catch you again, little rascal.
A more modern equivalent to un chenapan is un garnement (a rascal or imp), again only applying to boys:
Mauvais garnement ! Tu ne peux pas faire attention ?
Little rascal! Can't you pay attention?
Caption 19, Il était une fois: Les découvreurs 9. Galilée - Part 2
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Here is a synonym of garnement that applies to both boys and girls: the more affectionate term un coquin or une coquine, a cheeky, disobedient yet harmless boy or girl:
Mais vous êtes des coquins.
But you're rascals.
Caption 98, France 3 Grand Est Soigner avec les animaux
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We have yet another type of “rascal” in un polisson, une polissonne. These types of rascals tend to be more on the grubby side. According to an old 1934 edition of an Académie Française dictionary, un polisson was originally “a scruffy-looking little boy who roamed the streets." When applied to adults, the meaning takes on a more risqué tone. In the humorous cartoon series Les Zooriginaux, the female animals call the devious and charming lion Sir Felix Tigris un polisson, paying him a compliment in a roundabout way:
Quel polisson, quelle intériorité, quelle vérité dans le jeu.
What a rascal, what interiority, what truth in the performance.
Caption 50, Les zooriginaux Le Secret d'Alca - Part 4
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While un polisson does not usually get into trouble with the law, un voyou (a lout or hoodlum) might. However, when used in a more lighthearted way, the meaning of voyou is toned down to “rascal,” yet another qualifier for the naughty lion Sir Tigris in this cartoon series:
Sir Tigris, quel voyou !
Sir Tigris, what a hoodlum!
Caption 9, Les zooriginaux 6. Tiger Minor - Part 2
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Finally, here is an adjective that describes all manners of bad behavior: insupportable (unbearable, insufferable, impossible). In our comedy series Mère et Fille, teenage daughter Barbara is the quintessential adolescente insupportable (impossible teenager). Thankfully, she seems to redeem herself in the episode Tâches ménagères (Chores):
Rira bien qui rira le dernier. Dans cet épisode amusant, on va découvrir comment Barbara, une adolescente insupportable, va devenir douce comme un agneau et fera même le ménage !
He who laughs last, laughs best. In this funny episode, we are going to discover how Barbara, an impossible teenager, becomes gentle as a lamb and will even do housework!
To conclude, here is a famous line from a poem by Jacques Prévert called La Chasse à l’enfant (The Child Hunt). A champion of the underdog, Prévert deplores the name-calling and poor treatment of innocent children meted out by merciless adults:
Bandit ! Voyou ! Voleur ! Chenapan !
Bandit! Rascal! Thief! Scoundrel!
There you have it! We hope you enjoyed discovering the meaning of these colorful expressions. Please pay close attention to the tone and spirit in which these words are being used to interpret their true meanings—and please, don’t try all of these at home! Thank you for reading!
Drop the e in affaire and you have the English word “affair,” right? Indeed, affaire is sometimes a direct cognate of "affair." But don't be fooled by the similarity. Une affaire can also be a false cognate that has many meanings that differ from the English, namely “case," "things," "incident," "story,” "business," and more.
Let's begin with the most obvious pitfall, the expression “to have an affair." In French this is NOT avoir une affaire but avoir une liaison, as Nelly points out in her video on faux amis (false cognates):
En [anglais] ça signifie avoir une liaison avec quelqu'un
In [English] this means to have an affair with someone
Caption 13, Français avec Nelly Les faux amis - Part 2
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Interestingly, the expression avoir affaire à (to deal with) does exist, but make sure you drop the indefinite article une. Avoir affaire à quelqu’un often implies having unpleasant dealings with someone, like the poor zoo animal in this video:
Si vous lui touchez une plume, vous aurez affaire à moi.
If you touch one of his feathers, you'll have to deal with me.
Captions 29-30, Les zooriginaux 6. Tiger Minor - Part 2
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How else can you use the word affaire in French? The plural form des affaires simply means “things,” as in “belongings,” or else “business,” as Nelly explains in her video:
Alors qu'en français, "les affaires" tout simplement, c'est tes objets, par exemple, ton téléphone, ton sac ou bien le business.
While in French, "les affaires" quite simply are your things, for example, your phone, your bag, or else "business."
Captions 16-18, Français avec Nelly Les faux amis - Part 2
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Indeed, faire des affaires means “to do business”:
Est-ce qu'il est plus facile de faire des affaires en France ou au Québec?
Is it easier to do business in France or in Quebec?
Caption 26, Le Québec parle aux Français - Part 7
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Speaking of doing business, faire une bonne affaire means “to get a bargain”:
On fait toujours de bonnes affaires au marché.
You always get great bargains at the market.
As for private business, if you want someone to keep out of your affaires, you can say:
Mêle-toi de tes affaires !
Mind your own business!
Affaire is a direct cognate of "affair" when it's used to mean "matter":
Chez les Marchal, le bac c'est une affaire de famille.
At the Marchals', the bac is a family affair/family matter.
Caption 23, Le Journal Le baccalauréat - Part 1
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Si l'on en croit les déclarations de Xavier Plot, cette affaire ne serait qu'un quiproquo.
If we are to believe Xavier Plot's statement, this affair/matter is supposedly just a misunderstanding.
Captions 25-26, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 4
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In fact, like "affair," affaire can refer to any event or sequence of events that have occurred. Daniel Benchimol mentions one of the most famous and controversial affaires in French political history, l'affaire Dreyfus (the Dreyfus affair):
"J'Accuse...!" est considéré comme le tournant de l'affaire Dreyfus.
"I Accuse...!" is considered the turning point of the Dreyfus affair.
Caption 45, Voyage en France Médan - Part 3
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Not every affaire is as dramatic as the Dreyfus affair. In this example, cette affaire (this affair) simply refers to a public matter that has previously been discussed:
Un mois plus tard, tous les protagonistes de cette affaire se retrouvent dans la salle d'audience.
One month later, all the protagonists of this affair meet again in the courtroom.
Captions 22-23, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Escroqué par une "marieuse" ? - Part 7
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If the affaire in question is a specifically legal matter, we usually call it “a case” in English:
Derrière chacune de ces affaires, des victimes
Behind each of these cases, victims
Caption 26, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience: Détournement d'argent dans le couple ? - Part 1
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When l’affaire does not refer to anything specific other than "what happened earlier," the word often does not have a direct translation, as in the expression lâcher l'affaire (to drop everything):
Ils ont dû lâcher l'affaire et ont évacué la zone en catastrophe.
They had to drop everything and evacuate the area in a panic.
Caption 9, La Conspiration d'Orion Conspiration 4/4
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Speaking of "what happened earlier," une affaire can also be "an incident":
Suite à cette affaire, Patricia a été rétrogradée et mutée en province.
Following this incident, Patricia was demoted and transferred to the provinces.
Captions 49-51, Le Jour où tout a basculé Ma collègue veut ma place - Part 8
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Or it can be “a story”:
C'est une affaire de diamants volés à Paris.
It's a story of diamonds stolen in Paris.
Caption 42, Extr@ Ep. 9 - Du boulot pour Sam et Nico! - Part 6
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Indeed, we could replace une affaire with une histoire in the sentence above:
C'est une histoire de diamants volés à Paris.
It's a story about diamonds stolen in Paris.
Finally, here is another interesting way to use affaire. When a company talks about its area of expertise, what it does best, you may come across the expression c’est notre affaire (it’s what we do best). Here is an example with an interesting interpretation of the phrase:
« Transport de fret, entreposage et distribution, solutions de chaîne logistique - c'est notre affaire».
“Freight transportation, warehousing and distribution, supply chain solutions - we cover it all.”
Here at Yabla, helping foreign-language learners c’est notre affaire (is our business, what we do best)!
Récupérer is not just a near-cognate of “recuperate” in English. This versatile verb has a wide range of meanings: “to collect," "to pick up," to recover,” and much more. Let's explore how récupérer translates in different situations through Yabla videos.
The closest translation to English of récupérer is “recuperate.” In the sense of physical recovery, récupérer is used on its own and is intransitive just like in English:
Elle a pris une journée de congé pour récupérer.
She took a day off to recuperate.
Since the verb “recuperate” is a lot less common in English, récupérer is more likely to translate as “to recover." In the example below, Joanna wants to récupérer musculairement (her muscles to recover):
Alors pour mieux récupérer, pour faciliter la récupération... -Oui. on va faire quelques étirements, quelques assouplissements qui vont te permettre de récupérer musculairement.
So to recover better, to facilitate the recovery... -Yes. we're going to do some stretches, some limbering-up exercises that are going to allow your muscles to recover.
Captions 5-7, Joanna La course à pied: Récupération
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But récupérer does not only mean “to recover physically.” Récupérer can also be a transitive verb, in which case it means “to recover” an object. Depending on what type of object is being recovered, you will notice that the translation will vary. In this video, the speaker talks about récupérer des œufs de poisson (recovering fish eggs):
Les œufs des poissons sont récupérés, sont mis à part.
The fish eggs are, uh recovered, are set apart.
Captions 9-10, Lionel à Lindre-Basse - Part 5
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Instead of récupérer des œufs de poisson (recovering fish eggs), the cook in this next video récupère la pulpe des pamplemousses (collects grapefruit pulp). This time, récupérer means “to collect”:
Puis elle récupère la pulpe des pamplemousses qu'elle ajoute dessus
Then she collects the pulp from the grapefruits, which she adds on top
Caption 80, KTOTV Recettes traditionnelles de Noël - Part 1
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Moving on from food, we can also récupérer objects like un trousseau de clés:
Alerté par un message de Mathieu, son complice récupère le trousseau afin d'en faire un double.
Alerted by a message from Mathieu, his accomplice retrieves the set of keys in order to make a duplicate of them.
Captions 65-67, Le Jour où tout a basculé Je me suis fait voler ma musique - Part 4
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In another video, a fan is told to go récupérer des photos at an actress’s home. This time the verb translates as “pick up”:
Euh... si tu veux, tu peux passer à la maison les récupérer.
Uh... if you want, you can drop by my house to pick them up.
Caption 73, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai piégé mon fan - Part 4
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In a political context, we have the phrase récupérer des voix (to pick up votes):
C'est... je crois pour récupérer les voix de l'extrême droite et... -Oui.
It's... I think to pick up votes from the far right and... -Yes.
Caption 23, Sophie et Patrice Le port de l'abaya à l'école
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And in a legal context, officials might need to récupérer des témoignages (gather testimonies):
Une fois que les policiers ont récupéré les témoignages de ces messieurs, ils ont estimé que Madame Berdil était coupable.
Once the police gathered these gentlemen's testimonies, they considered Ms. Berdil guilty.
Captions 66-67, Le Jour où tout a basculé À l'audience - Arnaque en couple ? - Part 5
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However, when referring to objects that would otherwise be discarded, récupérer can have a different meaning, “to salvage." In the video below, the artist récupère de la tapisserie (salvages tapestries) for his creations:
Donc c'est de la tapisserie qu'il récupère sur lequel [sic: laquelle] il peint et sur certaines même il refait des empiècements en tissu...
So it's tapestry that he salvages on which he paints and on some he even remakes fabric inserts...
Captions 36-39, Le saviez-vous? L'art figuratif de Lucien Murat
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You can also récupérer animals instead of objects, though you wouldn't "salvage animals" in English. Rather, you'd "rescue" them:
Depuis deux mille huit, une équipe de bénévoles qui s'occupent de récupérer et de soigner les animaux sauvages qui ont été blessés.
Since two thousand eight, [it's] a team of volunteers who are concerned with rescuing and taking care of wild animals that have been injured.
Captions 11-14, Le Monde Sauver les animaux sauvages ? C'est la mission de cette clinique - Part 1
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Sometimes récupérer is not so much an intentional act. In some circumstances, it just means that something ends up in your possession, like the parents in this video, who become the proud owners of a piano:
Je suis né à Paris en France et j'ai commencé à faire du piano vers l'âge de huit ans, un petit peu par hasard, puisque j'ai récupéré, euh... Mes parents ont récupéré un piano...
I was born in Paris, France, and I started to play the piano at around eight years of age, kind of by accident, because I, came into possession of... My parents came into possession of a piano...
Captions 3-4, Alex Terrier Le musicien et son jazz
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Indeed, some of the things we récupère, or end up with, are outside of our control. As Lionel points out in his video, we don’t always récupère (inherit) the same characteristics as our siblings:
Moi, mes origines, euh... même si j'ai appris récemment que face à nos parents, on ne récupère pas la même chose avec nos frères et sœurs...
Me, my origins, uh... even though I recently learned that vis-à-vis our parents, we don't get [inherit] the same thing as our brothers and sisters...
Captions 39-41, Sara et Lionel Le bronzage
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On the other hand, we often do want to récupérer or regain what used to belong to us. In the example below, the city of Soissons récupéra l'abbaye (got the abbey back) after a long occupation during the French Revolution:
Ce n'est qu'en mille neuf cent soixante-dix que la ville de Soissons récupéra l'abbaye.
It's only in nineteen seventy that the town of Soissons got the abbey back.
Captions 27-28, Voyage en France Soissons - Part 4
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That said, though récupérer can mean “to get something back," it can also mean the complete opposite! Sometimes, the idea “of picking up” or “retrieving” is completely lost, and in familiar language, récupérer simply means “to find”:
Il a récupéré l'adresse du bureau de la jeune femme.
He found the young woman's office address.
Caption 4, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mes parents se préparent à la fin du monde - Part 5
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Récupérer has yet another meaning that may surprise you. It can mean “to make up for something," like loss of sleep for Sophie, who hopes to make up for it tomorrow:
Non, non, non. Je me dis que je récupérerai le lendemain...
No, no, no. I tell myself that I'll make it up the next day...
Caption 19, Sophie et Patrice Je n'ai pas beaucoup dormi
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As you can see, récupérer has a wide range of meanings best determined by context. The good news is that you can use this handy verb for just about any situation, as our many Yabla examples will attest. We hope you have récupéré a lot of interesting ideas!
In a previous lesson, we explored the Loire and other French rivers. Here, we will focus on the Seine, which meanders across northern France and, of course, crosses right through the heart of Paris, making it an integral part of Parisian life (see our lesson Getting around Paris). Can you walk along the banks of the Seine? Can you swim in the river? What key role did the Seine play in the saving of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and what part did it play in the Paris 2024 Olympics? Let’s find out!
Like all major rivers, the Seine occasionally sort de son lit (leaves its bed, overflows), as Lionel explains in this 2016 video:
La Seine ces jours-ci est sortie de son lit.
The Seine these days has left its bed.
Caption 2, Lionel L La Seine sort de son lit
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As a result of la crue (the flood), les quais sont fermés (the embankments are closed), to the dismay of Parisians:
Il faut savoir qu'actuellement les quais sont fermés suite à la crue qui a eu lieu précédemment sur Paris.
You should know that currently the embankments are closed, following the flood that previously took place in Paris.
Captions 20-21, Lionel L La Place des Vosges
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Catastrophic crues, like the one that occurred in 1910, are recorded with un repère (a benchmark). In his video, Daniel Benchimol points to a marker showing that the water would have been well above his head at the time:
Des deux côtés du Pont-Neuf, on trouve ces repères, qui sont des indicateurs de la crue de la Seine en mille neuf cent dix. Vous vous imaginez la hauteur... Ici, j'étais déjà sous l'eau.
On both sides of the Pont-Neuf, we find these benchmarks, which are indicators of the flooding of the Seine in nineteen hundred and ten. You can imagine the height... Here, I was already underwater.
Captions 20-22, Voyage dans Paris Ponts de Paris
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Fortunately, the river usually behaves itself, allowing millions of Parisians and tourists to walk along its banks, which are a favorite place for a picnic and relaxation:
Et à cette époque de l'année, les Parisiens ont pris l'habitude d'aller sur les quais pour pique-niquer, prendre l'air, surtout après le travail.
And at this time of year, Parisians have taken up the habit of going on the embankments to picnic, take in the fresh air, especially after work.
Captions 23-24, Lionel L La Place des Vosges
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Until 2002, Parisians could only walk along the Seine, and sunbathing was not an option until the city of Paris created an artificial beach by bringing in tons of sand along the riverbanks. The beach, known as Paris-Plage (Paris-Beach), celebrated its twenty-second season in 2024. In this video, Parisians are enjoying its 2016 edition:
Paris-Plage c'est parti pour l'édition deux mille seize, euh...
Paris-Beach has taken off for the two thousand sixteen edition, uh...
Caption 1, Lionel L Paris-Plage - Part 1
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Since 2002, Parisians have been able to sunbathe by the water en maillot de bain (in bathing suits) right in the heart of Paris:
Comme vous pouvez le voir derrière moi, des gens sont en maillot de bain, sur Paris...
As you can see behind me, people are in swimsuits, in Paris...
Captions 2-3, Lionel L Paris-Plage - Part 1
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However, there was still one missing vital ingredient: l’accès à l’eau (access to the water). It was forbidden to se baigner (to swim) at the time of the video in 2016:
La chose qui manque foncièrement à la partie centrale de Paris-Plage où nous sommes aujourd'hui sur les quais, c'est l'accès à l'eau. En fait, on ne peut pas se baigner...
The thing that's entirely missing from the central part of Paris-Beach, where we are today on the docks, is water access. In fact, you can't swim...
Captions 12-15, Lionel L Paris-Plage - Part 1
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That was then… Fast-forward to 2024, and it is now possible to swim in the Seine thanks to the 2024 Paris Olympics, which created an impetus for having the water assainie (cleaned up), a vast improvement that pleases Sophie:
Mais déjà, le fait qu'ils essayent d'assainir complètement la Seine, je trouve que c'est génial.
But first of all, the fact that they're trying to completely clean up the Seine, I think that it's awesome.
Captions 16-17, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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Indeed, in July 2024, the city of Paris succeeded in its mammoth cleanup effort, and the Seine was officially declared swimmable, or un endroit de baignade (a swimming spot):
On se dit la Seine va devenir un endroit de baignade.
We're thinking the Seine is going to become a swimming spot.
Caption 19, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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But still, it took a little coaxing from the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who took a dip herself to get Olympic athlètes to finally accepter (agree) to swim in the Seine:
Et donc les athlètes ont donc accepté de le faire.
And so the athletes therefore agreed to do it.
Caption 35, Sophie et Patrice Les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024
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Not only was the Seine the setting for some Olympic water sports events, it was also center stage for la cérémonie d’ouverture des Jeux Olympiques de Paris (the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics) for the first time in history, according to this article:
Le vendredi 26 juillet 2024 va se dérouler la cérémonie d'ouverture des Jeux Olympiques de Paris 2024 et pour la première fois de l’histoire, elle n’aura pas lieu dans un stade mais sur la Seine.
On July 26, 2024 the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place, and for the first time in history, it will not take place in a stadium but on the Seine.
The Seine also played a major role in history back in 2019, during the devastating fire in the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral. It provided a much-needed water source for firefighters to douse the cathedral using des bateaux-pompes (fire boats):
Un premier bateau-pompe vient augmenter la quantité d'eau disponible
A first fire boat comes to increase the quantity of water available
Caption 11, Le Monde Incendie de Notre-Dame : comment on a échappé au pire - Part 2
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In fact, it took two bateaux-pompes to provide enough water pour ralentir le feu (to slow down the fire):
Le feu semble ralentir.
The fire seems to be slowing down.
Caption 25, Le Monde Incendie de Notre-Dame : comment on a échappé au pire - Part 2
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In conclusion, not only has the Seine shaped the lives of Parisians for many years, but it was also the unsung hero that helped save Notre-Dame from destruction in 2019, and later became a central feature of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Seine will always remain an integral part of Parisian life. For more wandering along the Seine, check out these Yabla videos. Thank you for reading!
French people are fond of their rivers, and one of their favorites is the Loire for its beautiful scenery and its castles. But before we explore the Loire River and its tributaries, let's do an overview of the major French rivers and some interesting facts about them.
First fun fact about French rivers: Did you know there are two words for “river,” une rivière and un fleuve? Un fleuve is a major river that flows into the ocean, while une rivière is a river (a tributary) that flows into a larger river, as Lionel explains below:
Un fleuve se jette directement dans la mer alors qu'une rivière se jette dans un fleuve.
A "fleuve" flows directly into the sea, while a "rivière" flows into a "fleuve."
Captions 15-16, Lionel Remich
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This fine but important distinction between the two is sometimes a matter of contention and even national pride for French people. In the following video, Lionel thinks la Meuse qualifies as un fleuve, while Roger thinks it’s both:
Si je peux me permettre, Roger, je crois que la Meuse n'est pas une rivière mais un fleuve.
If I may, Roger, I believe that the Meuse is not a tributary but a major river.
Captions 62-63, Lionel L'Église de Domrémy - Part 1
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Another interesting fact: Just like cities and countries have genders in French, so do rivers. You will even find a masculine version of la Loire! La Loire, un fleuve (major river), should not be confused with its masculine counterpart, le Loir, une rivière, which is an affluent of the Sarthe River:
Le Loir se jette dans la Sarthe et la Loire se jette dans l’océan Atlantique.
The Loir flows into the Sarthe et the Loire empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
Besides the Loir, very few rivers are masculine, such as le Rhône, le Rhin, and l’Escaut. Curiously, most river names are not translated except for some, like le Rhin—the Rhine:
Et d'ailleurs, il est prévu dans "x" siècles que la Moselle ne se jetterait plus dans le Rhin.
And incidentally, it has been predicted in "x" number of centuries that the Moselle supposedly won't flow into the Rhine anymore.
Captions 75-76, Lionel L'Office de tourisme de Liverdun
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Otherwise, most rivers are feminine. As you will notice, the four major French fleuves mentioned in the video below are feminine:
Elle symbolise quatre fleuves français: la Seine, la Loire, la Saône et la Garonne.
It symbolizes four French rivers: the Seine, the Loire, the Saône, and the Garonne.
Caption 19, Voyage dans Paris Le Petit Tokyo
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In any case, as mentioned earlier, French people are very fond of their rivers. In her video, Claudine thinks that la Garonne does not compare with la Loire, which brings back fond memories of her childhood:
Ah oui, c'est vrai que la Garonne ne vaut pas la Loire.
Oh yes, it's true that the Garonne is not as nice as the Loire.
Captions 75-76, Claudine Thibout Pivert 2ème Salon du livre et des vieux papiers Mazamet
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La Loire offers beautiful light and scenery, which are a great source of inspiration for her art:
La Loire, c'est un fleuve magique... qui a une lumière extraordinaire.
The Loire is a magical river... which has an extraordinary light.
Captions 60-61, Claudine Thibout Pivert 2ème Salon du livre et des vieux papiers Mazamet
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As la Loire runs all the way across France and is the country’s longest fleuve, it is not surprising to discover that la Loire once divided the country not just geographically but also politically, during Joan of Arc’s time in the fifteenth century, as Lionel explains:
La Loire scinde la France en deux.
The Loire divides France in two.
Caption 52, Lionel Vaucouleurs - Part 1
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The lower part of the Loire once belonged to le Royaume de France (the Kingdom of France):
Le bas en fait de la Loire, le sud de la Loire appartient déjà au Royaume de France...
The lower part of the Loire, actually, south of the Loire already belongs to the Kingdom of France...
Captions 53-54, Lionel Vaucouleurs - Part 1
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While north of the Loire, most people were loyal to the Burgundians and to the English:
...ce qui n'est pas le cas du nord de la Loire, qui lui en fait pour quatre-vingt-dix pour cent, en fait appartient plutôt, ou est plutôt fidèle aux Bourguignons et aux Anglais.
...which is not the case north of the Loire, which in fact for ninety percent [of it], in fact, instead belongs, or rather is loyal to the Burgundians and to the English.
Captions 55-57, Lionel Vaucouleurs - Part 1
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Nowadays, the Loire is a more peaceful setting where you can enjoy the world-renowned châteaux (castles) dotted along its banks and that of its tributaries. In her video, Nelly highly recommends visiting les châteaux de la Loire (the Loire castles):
Si je vous dis, Léonard da Vinci, Catherine de Médicis ou François Premier, vous me dites... châteaux de la Loire, mais bien sûr, les châteaux de la Loire.
If I say to you, Leonardo da Vinci, Catherine de Medici, or Francis the First, you say to me... Loire castles, but of course, the Loire castles.
Captions 59-62, Français avec Nelly 10 Places to Visit in France - Part 1
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A great place to visit is the château de Chenonceau spanning the River (rivière) Cher in the Touraine region near the Loire Valley:
Le château que tu dois absolument visiter, c'est le château de Chenonceau.
The castle that you absolutely must visit is the Château de Chenonceau.
Caption 69, Français avec Nelly 10 Places to Visit in France - Part 1
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Thank you for taking part in our river tour! Be sure to voyage some more with our Yabla travel videos, which will stand you in good stead for future travels to France!
After les grandes vacances (the long summer holidays) comes la rentrée (literally, "the return") in France. It is a special time of year when students go back to school and workers go back to work in September. Indeed, the term extends to any sector of the economy resuming its normal activity after the long summer break. There is even la rentrée littéraire (the literary return) when new books come out! Because la rentrée covers such a variety of situations, the word does not translate easily, and it is a concept best grasped through examples in various contexts.
Still, when talking about la rentrée, the French usually refer to la rentrée scolaire (back-to-school time), a topic that is on Sophie and Patrice’s minds in this video:
Donc, c'est la rentrée scolaire. -Ouais.
So, it's back-to-school time. -Yeah.
Caption 1, Sophie et Patrice La rentrée
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La rentrée also refers to “the start of the school year,” which can be an expensive time of year for parents…
Ah la rentrée, c'est toujours des dépenses.
Ah the start of the school year: it's always expenses.
Captions 2-3, Nader Fakhry L'école pour tous
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Alternatively, you could call la rentrée “the new school year”:
Au lycée Louis Blériot, Karen Montet-Toutain est la grande absente de cette rentrée.
At Louis Blériot High School, Karen Montet-Toutain is the great absentee of this new school year.
Caption 30, Le Journal La violence à l'école
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Alas, la rentrée spells the end of summer vacations not just for students, but also for everyone else. In this context, it's better translated as “the return from the summer holidays”:
C'est la rentrée
It's the return from the summer holidays
Caption 2, Sophie et Patrice La rentrée
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La rentrée is also the time when workers go “back to work” and maybe brag about their vacations, just like school kids. In the following video, Sara jokingly tells us that it is la rentrée des superstars (back to work for the superstars), presumably with their glowing tans:
C'est la rentrée des superstars.
It's back to work for the superstars.
Caption 8, Sara et Lionel Le bronzage
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In any case, la rentrée is a big deal in France. But for some people, like Alexandre, the prospect of going back to work is depressing:
Alors, je sais pas pour toi, mais moi, la rentrée... Ouais, ça m'a déprimé.
So, I don't know about you, but me, going back to work... Yeah, it's depressed me.
Captions 1-3, Sophie et Alexandre Et la rentrée ?
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On the other hand, Sophie has a more positive outlook on la rentrée. She sees “returning to work” as a chance to start afresh, a kind of revolution even:
Mais la rentrée, c'est une révolution.
But returning to work is a revolution.
Caption 47, Sophie et Alexandre Et la rentrée ?
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In some cases, this very concise word needs to be turned into a full clause to convey the idea!
Mais là, à la rentrée, faudra qu'on s'organise bien
But now, when we're back at work, we'll have to get organized
Caption 54, Elisa et Mashal Photos
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As people get organized for la rentrée, it is not uncommon to wish someone une bonne rentrée, “a good start to the work/school year." This greeting won't be necessary for Sophie, as she is already off to a great start:
Bon apparemment tu passes une très bonne rentrée
Well, apparently you're having a very good start to the work year
Caption 65, Sophie et Alexandre Et la rentrée ?
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To sum up, la rentrée conveys the idea of going back to school or work and also marks the start of a new school or work year. However, don’t forget that the word rentrée can be used in other ways besides what we just mentioned. For example, you can talk about une rentrée d’argent (money coming in):
Une rentrée d’argent imprévue serait la bienvenue après les grandes vacances.
A windfall would be welcome after the long summer holidays.
And finally, remember that rentrée (returned) is also the feminine singular past participle of rentrer (to return):
Non, elle est rentrée sans chanter.
No, she came in without singing [she didn't come in singing].
Caption 59, Le saviez-vous? Les différentes négations - Part 3
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Wishing our Yabla students une bonne rentrée! For more information on the cultural event of la rentrée, check out this article. Thank you for reading!
You may be familiar with the word fort as an adjective meaning “strong.” But are you aware of its many other uses and various meanings? And did you know that fort can be used not only as an adjective, but as a noun and an adverb?
In our previous lesson on adjectives used as adverbs, we learned that fort as an adjective means “strong,” or sometimes, in a more historical context, "fortified," as in un château fort (a fortified castle). Let’s go to France with Daniel Benchimol to find out more about the château fort of Gisors:
Le château fort de Gisors est un château dit à motte féodale.
The fortified castle of Gisors is a so-called feudal motte castle.
Caption 32, Voyage en France Vexin Normand - Gisors - Part 1
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We'll leave le château fort de Gisors to go to Canada to explore un fort (a fort)—Fort Chambly, to be exact. This is one of the few instances when fort is used as a noun:
Ça, le Fort Chambly c'est un fort de... peut-être une auberge dans le fond.
That, Fort Chambly is a fort of... possibly an inn, in fact.
Caption 1, Le Québec parle aux Français - Part 11
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Now let’s move on and discuss fort as an adverb. In the lyrics of the Stromae song Formidable, fort is equivalent to the adverb très (very). How do we know it’s an adverb and not an adjective? Because fort modifies the adjective minable (pathetic):
Tu étais formidable, j'étais fort minable
You were amazing, I was very pathetic
Caption 54, Français avec Nelly 12 Songs to Improve Your French - Part 2
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You'll also find fort used as an adverb in the French description of the video Manon et Margaux - Le Corbeau et le Renard:
« Le corbeau et le renard », la fameuse fable de Jean de La Fontaine, nous est contée puis expliquée d'une façon fort amusante par nos deux jeunes amies françaises.
The Crow and the Fox, the famous fable by Jean de la Fontaine, is recited then explained to us in a very amusing way by our two young French friends.
Notice how fort stays the same even though amusante takes a feminine ending. Fort is acting as an adverb modifying the adjective amusante, not the feminine noun façon.
Here is a third example of fort meaning “very,” in the expression fort bien. But this time, fort is modifying another adverb, bien (well):
Fort bien assumé, petit homme ! Je te prends à mon service.
Very well executed, little man! I'll take you into my service.
Caption 48, Il était une fois: Les Amériques 9. Cortés et les Aztèques - Part 3
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Now, just to make life more interesting, fort can sometimes be equivalent to bien (well)!
Non, pas vraiment, non, ça... Ça marche pas très fort, quoi.
No, not really, no, it... It's not going too well, you know.
Caption 41, Le Jour où tout a basculé J'ai été séquestré par mes amis - Part 2
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The speaker could also have said:
Ça ne marche pas très bien, quoi.
It's not going too well, you know.
You can even combine bien and fort in the expression pas bien fort (not too well):
Ça ne va pas bien fort.
It’s not going too well.
Conversely, in an affirmative sentence, fort bien means "very well." But note the change in word order:
Ça va fort bien.
It’s going very well.
In addition to meaning “well" or “very," fort can also mean “strongly” or "hard." In the following example, the adverb describes the action of appuyer trop fort (pressing too hard), which is what Marie did. She pressed trop fort (too hard) on her charcoal pen:
Ben, tu as appuyé trop fort. -Je fais des dégâts.
Well, you pressed too hard. -I'm making a mess.
Caption 56, Marie et Sandra Atelier d'art - Part 17
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Also as mentioned in our previous lesson, the adverb fort can also mean “loudly,” as in parler fort (to speak loudly):
Le mieux, c'est d'ouvrir la fenêtre et de parler fort. -Voilà, d'accord.
The best thing is to open the window and to speak loudly. -Right, OK.
Caption 59, Lionel L'écluse de Réchicourt-le-Château - Part 3
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Finally, let’s go back briefly to fort as a noun. Here is a useful expression that you might like to use for yourself when you don’t feel too confident about something: c’est pas mon fort (it’s not my forte). Note that the expression is mostly used in the negative form. In the song "Les mots d'amour," the singer tells us he is not great at speaking:
Parce que parler c'est pas mon fort
Because speaking is not my forte
Caption 2, Debout Sur Le Zinc Les mots d'amour
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You might also like the expression c’est plus fort que moi (it’s beyond my control) when you feel powerless or can’t help yourself:
Mais là j'avoue que ça a été plus fort que moi.
But there I admit that that was beyond my control.
Caption 15, Melissa Mars From Paris with Love
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In conclusion, if French grammar, c’est pas ton fort (is not your forte), you can click on this link for more examples, and of course, Yabla videos and grammar lessons will come to the rescue. Before you know it, you will be fort en français (great at French)!
Thank you for reading!
In a previous Yabla lesson, you learned how to turn adjectives into adverbs. But what about adjectives that act as adverbs without changing at all? For example, did you know that the adjective bon (good) can be used as an adverb and therefore never take agreements? In this lesson, we will look at a few of these instances where adjectives morph into adverbs without warning.
Let’s take a look at the word bon (good) as an adjective. In the example below, bon modifies the masculine pronoun il (it):
On va le goûter pour savoir s'il est bon.
We're going to taste it to find out if it's good.
Caption 43, Frédéric La fabrication du jus de pomme - Part 2
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Bon also appears in this example, but here it's used as an adverb, not an adjective:
De manger dehors... -Ah ouais. quand il fait bon et tout
Eating outside... -Oh yeah. when it's nice out and everything
Captions 74-75, Sophie et Patrice Terrasse
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You will often come across the adverb bon in the expression il fait bon (it’s nice out). Remember that an adverb modifies a verb, not a noun/pronoun. So in this expression, bon modifies the verb fait, not the pronoun il.
However, don’t assume that bon always works as an adverb after faire. In the expression faire bon voyage (to have a good trip), bon is an adjective describing the noun voyage (trip):
J'espère que vous avez fait bon voyage.
I hope you had a good trip.
Caption 10, Le Jour où tout a basculé Des hôtes pas comme les autres - Part 2
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If our speaker had been referring to a road trip, the adjective bon would become bonne to go with the feminine noun route:
J'espère que vous avez fait bonne route.
I hope you had a good road trip.
Now let’s move on to another adjective, dur (hard). In the following video, Barbara knows how dur (hard) it is for her mother to give up her dreams of seeing her daughter dance at the opera:
Je savais que c'était dur pour ma mère d'abandonner l'idée de me voir danser à l'Opéra.
I knew that it was hard for my mother to abandon the idea of seeing me dance at the Opera.
Captions 69-70, Mère & Fille Danse pas si classique
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But in the expression travailler dur (to work hard), dur functions as an adverb. Dur doesn’t change since it modifies the verb travailler:
Maintenant c'est à toi de travailler, travailler dur, très dur.
Now it's up to you to work, work hard, very hard.
Captions 17-18, Le Jour où tout a basculé Mon père s'oppose à ma passion - Part 6
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Now let’s talk about the adjective fort (strong), which in the example below modifies il (it):
Ah oui, il t'a eu. Il est très fort.
Ah yes, he got you. He's very strong.
Caption 60, Le Monde Sauver les animaux sauvages ? C'est la mission de cette clinique - Part 2
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In the feminine plural, fort becomes fortes, as in the expression de fortes chances (a good chance):
Si tu cherches le genre d'un pays, il y a de fortes chances pour que le pays soit féminin.
If you're looking for the gender of a country, there's a good chance that the country is feminine.
Interestingly, when used as an adverb, fort also takes on a different meaning: “loudly,” as in parler fort (to speak loudly):
Et « crier », qui veut dire parler très fort, hurler.
And "crier," which means to talk very loudly, to shout.
Caption 72, Français avec Nelly Les faux amis - Part 1
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Finally, we have the adjective cher/chère. You are probably familiar with the expression cher + noun, as in chère voisine (dear neighbor):
Bonjour, chère voisine.
Hello, dear neighbor.
Caption 27, Le Jour où tout a basculé Notre appartement est hanté - Part 8
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In a different context, cher/chère means "expensive":
La vie à Paris est-elle chère ?
Is life in Paris expensive?
Caption 2, Français avec Nelly Ma vie à Paris - Part 1
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As an adverb, cher most often means "expensive," as in coûter cher (to cost dearly, to be expensive). Again, there is no need to worry about agreements here, since cher modifies the verb couter:
Quand même, ça coûte cher.
That's still expensive.
Caption 81, Sophie et Patrice Le sapin
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There you have it. We have looked at some of the most common instances of adjectives "disguised" as adverbs. Just remember that while adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, they don't require agreement when used as adverbs. And remember that French n’est pas si dur (is not so hard) if vous travaillez dur (you work hard). Soon, you will become très fort en français (very good at French)!
The French language has a wide range of fun and colorful expressions toutes faites (set expressions) involving parts of the body. Some of these coincide with English ones, but most of the time, it's necessary to find equivalents. Let's look at a few of these expressions in this lesson.
But first, Manon and Clémentine will explain what expressions toutes faites are:
Expressions toutes faites. Qu'est-ce que c'est ? Ce sont des phrases ou des locutions qui ont une tournure assez imagée et qui sont souvent très difficiles à traduire.
Set expressions. What is that? These are sentences or phrases that have a rather colorful phrasing and that are often very difficult to translate.
Captions 2-4, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Manon and Clémentine then give us a variety of examples, some of which involve parts of the body like l’œil (the eye). Be careful not to take this one literally: to have un compas dans l’œil (a compass in one’s eye) is not as painful as it sounds. Metaphorically speaking, it means having a knack for assessing measurements accurately just by looking:
Manon a le compas dans l'œil...
Manon has the compass in her eye [can measure things by sight]...
Caption 10, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Or you could gauge distance with your nose, à vue de nez (literally, "by sight of nose")! That’s how Clémentine goes on to describe Manon’s guessing abilities:
Elle le fait à vue de nez.
She does it by sight of nose [roughly, at a glance].
Caption 14, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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However, Manon does not think Clémentine’s statement is much of a compliment, as the expression implies measuring somewhat inaccurately. So, Manon tells Clémentine she is mistaken, using the expression se mettre le doigt dans l’œil (literally, "to put one's finger in one's eye"):
Mais moi je pense que tu te mets le doigt dans l'œil quand tu dis « à vue de nez ».
but me, I think that you're putting your finger in your eye [entirely mistaken] when you say "by sight of nose."
Caption 17, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Being good friends, they are not going to argue about finer points like that and prefer to avoid couper les cheveux en quatre (literally "splitting hairs in four"):
Bon, ne commence pas à couper les cheveux en quatre !
OK, don't start splitting hairs!
Caption 19, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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Speaking of things to avoid, it’s best not to mettre les pieds dans le plat (to put one's feet in the dish). This is roughly equivalent to "to put one's foot in one's mouth," or to speak too bluntly. Barbara decides to risk doing this by telling her mother that she's a bad cook:
Il était grand temps que je mette les pieds dans le plat.
It was high time that I put my feet in the dish [put my foot in my mouth, risk offending her].
Caption 7, Mère & Fille Cuisine Monster
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There is another expression using pied (foot). If you wake up in a bad mood, or get up on the wrong side of the bed, this is what you can say in French:
Et « se lever du pied gauche » ? -C'est être mécontent, de mauvaise humeur.
And "to get up on one's left foot"? -That's to be unhappy, in a bad mood.
Caption 45, Manon et Clémentine Expressions toutes faites
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A person in a bad mood is likely to be a pain in the neck, or un casse-pieds ("feet breaker"):
Mais tu es casse-pieds aujourd’hui !
But you’re a pain in the neck today!
A similar expression is un casse-tête ("head breaker"). When something is so difficult (like, say, French grammar) that it gives you a headache, you can call it un casse-tête. In this video, we learn that the production of too many books can be un casse-tête (a headache) for a bookstore:
Une production très importante en France de livres qui est plutôt une bonne chose, mais qui est parfois un casse-tête...
A very significant production of books in France, which is rather a good thing, but which is sometimes a headache...
Captions 19-21, Gaëlle Librairie "Livres in Room"
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Un casse-tête is also the word for a puzzle or brain-teaser:
J'aime faire des mots croisés et d'autres casse-tête.
I like doing crossword puzzles and other brain-teasers.
Exploring French expressions should hopefully be neither un casse-pieds (a pain) nor un casse-tête (a headache)! You can learn some more expressions toutes faites (set expressions) in the rest of Manon and Clémentine’s lesson and remember that our Yabla videos are a great source of interesting expressions as well. Thank you for reading!
Cities hosting the Olympics usually spare no expense to make the games a memorable experience, and Paris is no exception. But have you ever wondered what is left of this massive investment in a game that only lasts over two weeks? What will be the legacy of the 2024 Paris Olympics besides the medals, the drama, and the wonderful memories? What about the infrastructure? Will the local population benefit?
In this informative video, Marie de la Place, professor emerita of urban planning at the Paris School of Urban Planning, discusses the héritage infrastructurel (infrastructural legacy) of the Paris games:
Donc il y a certes un héritage, hein, infrastructurel
So there is certainly an infrastructural legacy, right
Caption 32, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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A major part of the infrastructural legacy is le Village olympique et paralympique. But what will happen to it now that the games are over?
Et que deviendra, par exemple, le Village olympique et paralympique bâti sur cinquante hectares en Seine-Saint-Denis ?
And what will become, for example, of the Olympic and Paralympic Village built over fifty hectares in Seine-Saint-Denis?
Captions 3-4, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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The Village was built by an organization called SOLIDEO, which had a bold vision: making the Olympics a sustainable enterprise that will benefit the local population once the games are over.
Alors le Village olympique, il a été construit par la Solideo hein, par la Solideo avec, euh... la prise en considération de la phase héritage, c'est-à-dire de la phase après les JO, hein
So the Olympic Village was built by SOLIDEO, right, by SOLIDEO with, uh... the taking into consideration of the legacy phase, that is to say, of the phase after the Olympics, right
Captions 5-7, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Indeed, SOLIDEO designed the Olympic Village not just for the athletes, but also for the people of the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis, who will inherit un certain nombre de logements (a certain number of housing facilities) that will go some way towards solving the local housing crisis:
Donc le Village olympique permettra dans une certaine mesure de fournir un certain nombre de logements qui pourraient être destinés à des populations de Seine-Saint-Denis
So the Olympic Village will make it possible, to a certain extent, to provide a certain number of housing facilities that could be intended for people from Seine-Saint-Denis
Captions 27-29, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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But first, the Olympic Village will have to undergo des travaux de modification (some modification work) before being livré (delivered) for public use at the end of 2025:
Je crois que le Village olympique devrait être livré fin deux mille vingt-cinq... puisqu'il y a tout un... des travaux de modification suite aux JO.
I think that the Olympic Village should be delivered at the end of two thousand twenty-five... since there is a whole... [lot of]... of... modification work following the Olympics.
Captions 8-12, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Some of the Village buildings will turn into logements sociaux (public housing) available for rent:
On évoque en moyenne autour de trente pour cent de logements sociaux.
We're talking an average of around thirty percent public housing.
Caption 18, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Other properties will be available for ownership: des logements en acquisition à la propriété.
Le reste, ce sont des logements en acquisition à la propriété
As for the rest, these are homes purchased for ownership
Caption 24, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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However, these facilities will not be intended for les populations les plus défavorisées (the most disadvantaged populations), as they will come at much higher prices:
Et puis par ailleurs les logements sociaux qui sont prévus ne sont pas des logements sociaux destinés aux populations les plus défavorisées.
And then moreover the public housing that is planned is not public housing intended for the most disadvantaged populations.
Captions 25-26, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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With the sudden arrival of upscale residences, there is a concern that this may lead to gentrification. Will it still be possible to achieve la mixité sociale (social diversity)?
Est-ce que, pour résumer, ce sera l'occasion de plus de gentrification ou de réaliser quand même de la mixité sociale ?
To sum up, will this be an opportunity for more gentrification or for still achieving social diversity?
Captions 36-37, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Marie de la Place thinks that la gentrification and la mixité sociale are not mutually exclusive:
Mais en même temps, si on attire des populations qui ont des revenus plus importants, eh bien, ça permet aussi une certaine forme de mixité sociale.
But at the same time, if we attract populations who have higher incomes, well, that also allows a certain form of social diversity.
Captions 49-51, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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So far, the Olympic Games have offered an opportunity for a more coordinated effort between agencies that don’t usually communicate with each other, and there is hope that that will continue:
Ces JO ont été un outil pour finalement faire de la coordination entre des acteurs qui, jusque-là, ne se parlaient peut-être pas beaucoup
These Olympics have been a tool to ultimately create a coordination between agents who, until now, maybe didn't speak to each other much
Captions 98-101, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Indeed, the real challenge will be to sustain this coordination and create a long-lasting héritage organisationnel (organizational legacy):
Tout l'enjeu, c'est de créer un héritage organisationnel, c'est-à-dire... de faire en sorte que cette coordination qui a pu se produire au moment d'un événement comme les Jeux olympiques, eh bien, puisse perdurer dans le temps
The whole challenge is to create an organizational legacy, that is to say... to ensure that this coordination that was able to occur during an event like the Olympic Games, well, can last over time
Captions 103-106, France 24 Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 : un levier de transformation urbaine ? - Part 2
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Only time will tell what the real legacy of the games will be, but it is worth noting that the Olympic organizers made a genuine effort to make these Olympic Games a lasting investment that will hopefully benefit the population of Seine-Saint-Denis.
Proverbs: those expressions filled with little nuggets of truth and wisdom that pepper our conversations, add flavor to our thoughts, and make us sound wise and witty… You are bound to come across some of them in your French learning, as there is a proverb for just about every occasion. How about exploring some of them in this lesson?
But first, what is un proverbe? A tricky question that Piggeldy asks his brother Frédéric in this episode of the animated series Piggeldy et Frédéric:
Frédéric, qu'est-ce que c'est un proverbe ?
Frédéric, what is a proverb?
Caption 3, Piggeldy et Frédéric Les proverbes
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Big brother Frédéric prefers to avoid a lengthy explanation and answers the question by giving him examples of proverbs, which confuses poor Piggeldy even more. Here is one example:
« Peine partagée est à moitié oubliée », dit encore Frédéric.
"Sorrow shared is half forgotten [A trouble shared is a trouble halved]," Frédéric said again.
Caption 39, Piggeldy et Frédéric Les proverbes
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Our trusty guide Daniel Benchimol also has a few proverbs of his own to show us on his walk around the Buttes Chaumont in Paris. He takes us on a kind of proverb treasure hunt, where proverbs are tucked away in the most unlikely places. If you look up, you will find one written on a basket hanging off a tree:
Par exemple: « Un fou ne voit pas le même arbre qu'un sage ».
For example: "A fool does not see the same tree as a wise man."
Caption 27, Voyage dans Paris Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont
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Or you might find a few near a phone booth:
« Tous les chemins de l'excès mènent au palais de la sagesse ».
"All the roads of excess lead to the palace of wisdom."
Caption 30, Voyage dans Paris Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont
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« La diligente abeille n'a pas de temps pour la tristesse. »
"The diligent bee has no time for sadness."
Caption 31, Voyage dans Paris Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont
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Not all proverbs are found in such unusual places. You may come across a few in literary works, classic fables even. Here is one derived from famous fabulist Jean de la Fontaine’s Le lièvre et la tortue (The Tortoise and the Hare), La Fontaine’s version of one of Aesop’s fables. Some verses have filtered into popular culture and become proverbs:
Donc moralité : rien ne sert de courir, il faut partir à point.
So the moral of the story: there's no use running, you have to start on time [slow and steady wins the race].
Captions 66-67, France 3 Minitel : l'Internet avant l'heure - Part 2
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Indeed, not all proverbs originate from literature. Some are rooted in popular wisdom instead. Here is one about the sacrifices it takes to achieve beauty:
Je savais qu'il fallait souffrir pour être belle.
I knew you had to suffer to be beautiful.
Caption 84, Mère & Fille Tout en couleur
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Speaking of sacrifice, hard work is the road to success. In other words, “practice makes perfect." The French equivalent of this proverb has to do with musical scales:
Il suffit de faire ses gammes.
You just need to practice your scales [practice makes perfect].
Caption 50, Le saviez-vous? Les expressions inspirées de la musique - Part 4
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There is another, better-known equivalent of “practice makes perfect," inspired by an old trade, blacksmithing, and the long hours of practice it takes to become a good blacksmith:
C’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron.
It’s through forging that one becomes a blacksmith.
Here is another blacksmithing metaphor that also works in English:
Il faut battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Not only does it take effort, practice, and good timing to succeed, but it also takes patience! As we all know, Rome wasn't built in a day:
Rome ne s’est pas fait en un jour.
Rome wasn't built in a day.
That’s it for today’s lesson. If these proverbs are a little hard to remember, take heart! Just remember that Rome ne s’est pas fait en un jour and c’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron. Practice makes perfect!
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