Useful French Phrases
Feb 28th 2010, 4:47 pm
#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....
Mar 1st 2010, 7:46 am
#122
Live from CHCH...
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Auckland
Posts: 1,258
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...
Mar 7th 2010, 3:02 pm
#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.
May 4th 2010, 6:20 pm
#125
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: Halfway between Ricard & Absynthe
Posts: 4,291
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....."
May 4th 2010, 9:57 pm
#126
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: Hautes-Pyrenees, France
Posts: 179
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....."
May 7th 2010, 5:33 am
#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!
May 7th 2010, 5:34 am
#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....
Jul 14th 2011, 8:17 am
#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!
Jul 14th 2011, 2:11 pm
#130
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,888
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!
Jul 16th 2011, 7:34 pm
#131
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Scotland & Touraine [37]
Posts: 3,018
Re: Useful French Phrases
ä Alt 132
à Alt 133
ç Alt 135
é Alt 130
è Alt 138
ê Alt 136
ü Alt 129
Aug 5th 2011, 12:09 pm
#132
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Le Givre 85
Posts: 1,343
Aug 5th 2011, 1:23 pm
#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!
Aug 5th 2011, 3:27 pm
#134
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Scotland & Touraine [37]
Posts: 3,018
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