The lavender is deep in bloom. This field was spotted yesterday, on the way home from Malou's garden. aléa (al ay ah) noun, masculine : risk, hazard, chance les aléas du métier = the risks of the tradeles aléas de la vie = the vagaries of lifeaprès bien des aléas = after many ups and downsles aléas thérapeutiques = unforeseeable medical complications Audio File: Listen … Continue reading alea
effrayer (eh fray yay) : to scare, to frighten . A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse The Night Shift When wine sales took Jean-Marc out of town for a few nights this week, Jackie came to bunk with me. Monday night we lie there, one of us sniffing, the other, legs reeling. We were a tortured duo, with, between us, a … Continue reading effrayeur
A good place to glander… in a cozy room, flowers on the windowsill. Photo taken in Villedieu sometime last fall. glander (glahn day) : to loaf about, to do nothing (especially when you should be working) Example Sentence On se sent un peu coupable quand on glande, n'est-ce pas? We feel a little guilty when we loaf about, don't we?. A Day in a … Continue reading glander
Forget bluegrass – have you ever listened to a field of wheat? (photo taken in Orange) le blé (blay) : wheat le blé is also slang for "dough" (cash, moola) la farine de blé = wheat flourle blé dur = durum wheatle champ de blé = wheatfield or cornfieldle blé noir = buckwheat Check out the latest prices for Kindle, click here and consider … Continue reading ble
A lesson in adjectives: windows are "charmante", women are "canon". You wouldn't say a window is canon, but you could say a woman is charmante. Read on and learn about the French art of complimenting. Photo taken this week in Orange (Vaucluse). canon [kah noh(n)] : gorgeous There are other senses of the word.. for today we'll focus on the one above elle/il … Continue reading Canon: How to compliment a French Woman
le badinage (bah dee nazh) : bantering, repartee Also: badin, badine (adj: lighthearted, playful) and badiner (to banter, to jest) sur un ton de badinage = in a bantering, or jesting, toneJe ne badine pas! = I'm not joking! Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French words: (Download MP3 or Wav file) Le badinage ou la taquinerie – c'est bon pour la santé!Bantering and teasing … Continue reading badinage
"Ruff Ruff Rasta" A couple of curly-haired characters encountered over the weekend. Never miss a word or a photo – click here to receive the free word-a-day newsletter. s'amuser (saah moo zay) : to have fun Audio File: Listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French words:(Download MP3 file or Wav) On s'amuse bien avec les amis. We have a lot of fun with friends. A Day in … Continue reading s’amuser
Time for a break… (Photo of "Ulysse" The Great Dane taken near Giens) saboter (saah boh tay) : to mess up Example Sentence:C'est 'l'autosabotage': elle fait de son mieux pour saboter ses efforts. It's 'self-sabotage': she does her best to mess up her own efforts.. A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse "Sabotage" Mom and I are sitting at the … Continue reading saboter
On the way to meet Malou and Doreen ("The Dirt Divas"), Jules and I ventured through the town of Valréas. That's Mom… Her smile has returned. bestiole (bes tee ohl) : little creature; insect, bug Example sentence: Elles ne savaient pas quel genre de bestiole c'était. They did not know what type of insect it was. *** I just ordered this book for my mom, Jules. … Continue reading bestiole
A rose lover's Shangri-la: the village of Grignan. (Just don't steal the flowers… or the sweetness…. read on in today's story column.). choper (sho-pay) verb : to steal, to pinch, to nab; to catch Audio File: listen to Jean-Marc pronounce these French words (Download MP3 or Wav file) Il a chopé un rhume / He caught a cold.Elles ont chopé le sucre du bistro. / They nabbed the … Continue reading choper
