Useful French Phrases
#121
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Herault
Posts: 214
Re: Useful French Phrases
Hello neighbour, yes, faux amis are fascinating.
One I have always liked is the road sign "Deviation" for "Diversion".
I was just given the book "Honni soit qui mal y pense", by linguist Henriette Walter. (L'incroyable histoire d'amour entre le francais et l'anglais). The person who gave it to me summarised the book as "How the English language comes from the French" (one way of looking at it!). Apart from that, the book has ALL the faux amis one can think of....
One I have always liked is the road sign "Deviation" for "Diversion".
I was just given the book "Honni soit qui mal y pense", by linguist Henriette Walter. (L'incroyable histoire d'amour entre le francais et l'anglais). The person who gave it to me summarised the book as "How the English language comes from the French" (one way of looking at it!). Apart from that, the book has ALL the faux amis one can think of....
#122
Re: Useful French Phrases
Talking of faux amis...
When I first arrived in cardiff, I was working in a small hotel...
One day at lunch with all housekeeping girls... I said "She's not happy coz I kept on shagging her!" all I meant was "nagging her"....
LOL I had them laughing for days if not WEEKS!!!!
Souvenirs... Souvenirs...
When I first arrived in cardiff, I was working in a small hotel...
One day at lunch with all housekeeping girls... I said "She's not happy coz I kept on shagging her!" all I meant was "nagging her"....
LOL I had them laughing for days if not WEEKS!!!!
Souvenirs... Souvenirs...
#123
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,551
Re: Useful French Phrases
I was helping the little boy with his homework, And I learnt a word which I would have found useful in the past.
Chimère Which is a pipedream / fantasy as well as that funny mythological beast thingy although there are lots of other things that the word gets used for. Im going to help the boy with his homework more often, might learn more French.
Chimère Which is a pipedream / fantasy as well as that funny mythological beast thingy although there are lots of other things that the word gets used for. Im going to help the boy with his homework more often, might learn more French.
#125
Re: Useful French Phrases
Ah bon? French OH and I have lived here for 18 years and haven't noticed!
But "connard" and "connasse" are real insults. There are two villages in the Hérault called "Caunas" and "Conas" (s pronounced) where I wouldn't fancy living. Rather like "Montcuq" in the Lot (the q not being pronounced)...
But "connard" and "connasse" are real insults. There are two villages in the Hérault called "Caunas" and "Conas" (s pronounced) where I wouldn't fancy living. Rather like "Montcuq" in the Lot (the q not being pronounced)...
Link HERE
"Voici le fameux poêle de Moncuq....."
#126
Re: Useful French Phrases
Whilst on the subject of the village of Montcuq (pronounced correctly without the 'q' also means 'my arse'), here's one of Daniel Prevost's classic sketches which is often repeated on tv comic shows. Very clever!
Link HERE
"Voici le fameux poêle de Moncuq....."
Link HERE
"Voici le fameux poêle de Moncuq....."
#127
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Paris
Posts: 49
Re: Useful French Phrases
Sorry, still on a UK keyboard and a little sleepy to remember the accent codes!
je dois bouger mon cul / bouges ton cul etc
Parles a ma tete, mon cul est malade (I quite like this one!)
arretes de faire l'idiot
ca suffit! That's enough!
je dois bouger mon cul / bouges ton cul etc
Parles a ma tete, mon cul est malade (I quite like this one!)
arretes de faire l'idiot
ca suffit! That's enough!
#128
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Paris
Posts: 49
Re: Useful French Phrases
Hello neighbour, yes, faux amis are fascinating.
One I have always liked is the road sign "Deviation" for "Diversion".
I was just given the book "Honni soit qui mal y pense", by linguist Henriette Walter. (L'incroyable histoire d'amour entre le francais et l'anglais). The person who gave it to me summarised the book as "How the English language comes from the French" (one way of looking at it!). Apart from that, the book has ALL the faux amis one can think of....
One I have always liked is the road sign "Deviation" for "Diversion".
I was just given the book "Honni soit qui mal y pense", by linguist Henriette Walter. (L'incroyable histoire d'amour entre le francais et l'anglais). The person who gave it to me summarised the book as "How the English language comes from the French" (one way of looking at it!). Apart from that, the book has ALL the faux amis one can think of....
#129
Loving the mountains
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: le Bourg D'Oisans, French Alps
Posts: 113
Re: Useful French Phrases
Hello all,
Just came back fro a lovely time in Avignon and surrounding area. We are going over areas where we stuggled and was hoping for some help.
My wife is a veggie and I was hoping someone could advise of the best way of asking a couple of things please;
She would say ´Je suis une végétarienne´ which was fine but how would you ask ´ís there meat in this´? Also the plat du jour, what would be the best way of asking ís ´is the plat du jour ok/suitable for a vegetarian?´ Finally is ok to ask ´Quelle est la plat du jour aujourd´hui?´
I have used google translate but sometimes I think it misses the translation you are looking for!
Just came back fro a lovely time in Avignon and surrounding area. We are going over areas where we stuggled and was hoping for some help.
My wife is a veggie and I was hoping someone could advise of the best way of asking a couple of things please;
She would say ´Je suis une végétarienne´ which was fine but how would you ask ´ís there meat in this´? Also the plat du jour, what would be the best way of asking ís ´is the plat du jour ok/suitable for a vegetarian?´ Finally is ok to ask ´Quelle est la plat du jour aujourd´hui?´
I have used google translate but sometimes I think it misses the translation you are looking for!
#130
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,881
Re: Useful French Phrases
Hi,
"Je suis végétarienne.
Est-ce qu'il y a de la viande dans ce plat, svp?
Est-ce que le plat du jour convient à une végétarienne, svp?
Quel est le plat du jour, svp?"
The problem with some waiters is that ham in a mixed salad doesn't count as meat !
It's very rare for a plat du jour not to include meat or fish.
Hope this helps!
"Je suis végétarienne.
Est-ce qu'il y a de la viande dans ce plat, svp?
Est-ce que le plat du jour convient à une végétarienne, svp?
Quel est le plat du jour, svp?"
The problem with some waiters is that ham in a mixed salad doesn't count as meat !
It's very rare for a plat du jour not to include meat or fish.
Hope this helps!
#131
Re: Useful French Phrases
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#132
#133
Loving the mountains
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: le Bourg D'Oisans, French Alps
Posts: 113
Re: Useful French Phrases
Hi,
"Je suis végétarienne.
Est-ce qu'il y a de la viande dans ce plat, svp?
Est-ce que le plat du jour convient à une végétarienne, svp?
Quel est le plat du jour, svp?"
The problem with some waiters is that ham in a mixed salad doesn't count as meat !
It's very rare for a plat du jour not to include meat or fish.
Hope this helps!
"Je suis végétarienne.
Est-ce qu'il y a de la viande dans ce plat, svp?
Est-ce que le plat du jour convient à une végétarienne, svp?
Quel est le plat du jour, svp?"
The problem with some waiters is that ham in a mixed salad doesn't count as meat !
It's very rare for a plat du jour not to include meat or fish.
Hope this helps!
#134
Re: Useful French Phrases
Think that it might only work if you have a separate numeric keypad.
I always buy computers with a numeric keypad for this reason.
If I use the numbers at the top of the keyboard, it doesn't work.
In Word you can use a character set (Insert a character) to access accented letters but it is a bit slow and cumbersome.
Alternatively you can buy a french external keyboard and plug it in when you want to write something in french. My daughter did that when she was studying in France.
Hope that helps
I always buy computers with a numeric keypad for this reason.
If I use the numbers at the top of the keyboard, it doesn't work.
In Word you can use a character set (Insert a character) to access accented letters but it is a bit slow and cumbersome.
Alternatively you can buy a french external keyboard and plug it in when you want to write something in french. My daughter did that when she was studying in France.
Hope that helps