Did you know that young French people use a lot of English words when it comes to love? They no longer talk about “rendez-vous galant” (romantic rendezvous), but rather a “date.” A “crush” is someone you’re attracted to and have “feelings” for; a “redflag” is a toxic person to avoid in a relationship and whom […]
Did you know that since 2012, the term « mademoiselle » should no longer be used in official forms, but it’s not “forbidden” to use it in everyday life? However, it’s used less and less for adult women. It’s still used for little girls. En français: Saviez-vous que depuis 2012, le terme « mademoiselle » […]
Did you know that the euphonic “l’” has no grammatical function and is not obligatory? It is used before “on” to facilitate pronunciation in speech, but it is also found in writing with “et”, “si”, “que”, “où”, “lorsque” + “on”. Okay, I’ll admit it, I did not know the meaning of “euphonic.” Just in case […]
Did you know that in French, months do not take a capital letter when talking about a date, but they do take one when talking about a holiday or a commemoration: May 1st, July 14th, November 11th? Ahhh … le français a beaucoup de nuance. En français: Saviez-vous que en français, les mois ne prennent […]
Did you know that France celebrates La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) today, 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 to the […]
Did you know that Paris has experienced a heatwave over the last several weeks? Now that’s not very fun… but Paris Plages is so fun!! And it started July 4th. What is Paris Plages? Over about an eight week period each summer, Paris brings in sand and places it along the Seine, and other locations, […]
Did you know that the prefix “re-” often indicates repetition: “redire” (to say again). Before a vowel, it becomes “ré-“: “être réélu” (to be re-elected), “réinventer” (to reinvent), etc. There are also some verbs that begin with a vowel or an “h” that take the prefix “r-” (without the “e”): “rouvrir” (to reopen), “rhabiller” (to […]
Did you know that “Au fait” (the final “t” is pronounced) is used at the beginning of a sentence to get someone’s attention and before saying something you’ve just thought of? It can also be used to link back to the topic you were just talking about or to the current situation. En français : […]
Did you know that France will celebrate Pentecôte (Pentecost) this week on Sunday, May 24 and Monday, May 25? Pentecost is a public holiday in France that takes place 50 days after Easter, commemorating the day the holy spirit descended upon the apostles and caused them to speak in tongues. During Pentecost weekend (celebrated on […]
Did you know that France observes it’s third May public holiday this week? Thursday, May 14th is Jeudi de l’Ascension or Ascension Day, celebrating Christ’s ascension into heaven 40 days after Easter. It always takes place on a Thursday, but the date will vary based on the calendar each year. Many businesses also close on […]
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