Grand, adj : great; big, large; “tall” when describing a person’s physical appearance. The French word « grand » looks exactly like the English word “grand.” The problem is that the word “grand” can have a different meaning in English than it does in French. In English, “grand” can mean “splendid” or “fancy” and also […]
Reconnaissance, nf : gratitude, gratefulness; recognition, acknowledgement. Reconnaissant, adj : grateful, thankful, appreciative. Reconnaître, vt : to recognize, to admit, to acknowledge. Il a beaucoup de reconnaissance pour l’aide apportée. He feels a lot of gratitude for the help he was given. Il a attendu de nombreuses années la reconnaissance de son talent. He waited […]
Now that you know that French words ending in -ion are often true cognates for the same or similar word in English (see Saviez-vous que … from 07.01.2025), lets spend the next few weeks looking at more true cognates that will immediately boost your French vocabulary. Remember, the pronounciation will be a bit different… c’est […]
Salut tout le monde ! A few weeks ago I mentioned that driving in Paris would not be something that I would enjoy… so much traffic. I would always prefer to use the Métro in Paris if I want to go somewhere that isn’t close to where I’m staying. But first things first. What about […]
« Poser un lapin à quelqu’un ». Literal translation: To lay a rabbit on someone. Meaning: To stand someone up. Je t’ai prevenu de lui, et maintenant, il t’a posé un lapin. I warned you about him, and now he’s stood you up.
Le Journal d’Abbeville, 9 Jul 2025 Nos animaux sont vulnérables aux fortes chaleurs : ces gestes à éviter Le mois de juin 2025 a fini très fort, avec des journées au-dessus des 30 °C un peu partout en France. Des êtres humains ont pu en souffrir, mais à la différence des autres animaux, on sait […]
Envie, nf : longing, desire, wish, urge, craving; envy, jealousy. Avec envie, prép + nf : longingly. Avoir envie de, loc v : to feel like (+ a noun, or + a verb). Avoir envie de faire, loc v : to feel like doing something. The French word « envie » looks almost the same […]
Comprendre, vtr : to understand, to have a grasp, to include. Tous nos élèves comprennent l’anglais. All our students understand English. Il ne comprend pas du tout la musique classique. He doesn’t get classical music at all. En France, le prix comprend la taxe. In France, the price includes the tax.
Did you know that France will celebrate La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) on Monday, July 14? France’s fête nationale commemorates the storming of La Bastille on 14 July 1789, which was the beginning of the French Revolution. Only English speakers call it Bastille Day. In France, it is more commonly known as Quatorze Juillet (referring […]
Bonjour ! If you read the recent « Quelque chose d’amusant… » (Sat. 07.05.2025), you know that Paris has been experiencing a heatwave (une canicule)… 101°F… that’s really hot in a city with so much concrete. In early September 2023, we were in Paris for our anniversary… what a delight! However, there was a heatwave […]
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