Free subscription: sign up a friend or family member to French Word-A-Day and share the scenic stories with others. Click here to enter an email address. Your friend/family member will then be prompted, via email, to confirm their abonnement. les faux amis (lay fowz ah mee) : "false friends" or words that look alike… but have different meanings France and Monaco Rentals. Exclusive Vacation … Continue reading faux amis
The Art of Negotiation. Read on in today's story column. marchander (mar shahn day) verb : to negotiate French synonyms: chiner /she-nay/ (to look for bargains) débattre (to discuss, debate a price) chicaner (to quibble over), lésiner = to skimp onEnglish synonyms: to dicker, to bargain, to wrangle, to haggle, to higgle, to huckster marchander un prix = to negotiate a pricetenter de … Continue reading marchander
In the village of Sarrians: a slice of scenic life. Don't miss out on the whole pie at Cinéma Vérité. empreinte (ahm-prehnt) noun, feminine : print, trace, mark empreinte génétique = genetic imprintempreintes digitales = fingerprintempreinte de rouge à lèvres = lipstick mark Audio File: Listen to my daughter, Jackie, pronounce the day's word, terms, and example sentence: Download MP3 or Download Wav Elle … Continue reading empreinte
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 nib; 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 sugar. … Continue reading choper
My fourteen-year-old fiston* on the beach in Giens (near Hyérès). He's eating "un sandwich baguette". Learn about another kind of baguette (en bois*), in today's story column. mauvais perdant (moh-vay pair-dahn) : sore loser (feminine: une mauvaise perdante [moh-vayz pair-dahnt) Audio File & Example Sentence:Listen to my daughter, Jackie, pronounce the following French words:Download MP3 or Download Mauvais perdantBattu, il fut aussi mauvais perdant … Continue reading mauvais perdant
A field of provençal poppies (near Bollène) for my mom, Jules. acrostiche (akro-steesh) noun, masculine : acrostic Here is a French definition, from Le Petit Larousse: Acrostiche: pièce de vers composée de telle sorte qu'en lisant dans le sens vertical la première lettre de chaque vers on trouve le mot pris pour thème…. => An acrostic is "a line of poetry composed in such a … Continue reading acrostiche
A couple of French turkeys, each pouting in his/her own corner après l'engueulade. Photo taken at Château Miraval, in 2005. Sign up for French Word-A-Day: it's free. .engueulade (ongh-lahd) noun, feminine 1. argument, shouting match 2. scolding Also: a telling-off, bawling out, blowing up, chewing out or "a giving to another of one hell of a bad time". Get the picture? "Arguing is to the … Continue reading engueulade
Is going to the local café a favorite amusette of yours, as it is mine? For the purposes of this edition (we always need a purpose…) we're calling this restaurant a buvette. Read on in today's edition—by guest columnist "Newforest". amusette (ah moo zet) noun, feminine : pastime, idle pleasure, diversion : a kind of fire arm Audio File & Example Sentence: Download … Continue reading amusette
The content features a lighthearted glimpse into a dog’s life in St. Tropez and the author’s reflections on writer’s block and “in-box block.” The post highlights a playful exploration of apocope, the practice of shortening words, demonstrated through a creative poem containing several examples. Additionally, the piece touches on the “baby talk” language dog owners use, emphasizing its playful and affectionate nature. Carol Donnay from Belgium is acknowledged for her contributions on apocopes, inviting readers to engage and appreciate the linguistic nuances presented in the text. The post blends personal anecdotes with language learning elements, enriching the reader’s experience. Continue reading abregement
Our story takes place here… subrepticement (soo-brep-teece-mehn) adverb : surreptitiously Audio File & Example Sentence: Download Wav or Download MP3Et là, nous découvrons ce qu'est le festival [de Cannes]: des queues interminables, des dames très « BCBG » qui se glissent subrepticement devant nous… And there, we discover just what is the Cannes Film festival: interminable lines, chic (BCBGBon Chic Bon Genre) women … Continue reading subrepticement
