French Etc

Président du Festival de Cannes

Anne — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:05:23 +0000

Welcome to this very advanced Podcast called Le français tel quel – French as it is – where you hear regular French people talk, and where you learn vocabulary and grammar along with it in the companion worksheet that you can get on the Web site. Le français tel quel features videos & audios of real French people talking, because we know that ‘French as it is’ isn’t always clear: people seems to speak fast and eat their words. We try to break it down and make it easier for you to get authentic French.

Today, we’re listening to a journalist introducing Robert de Niro as the President of the Jury for the Festival de Cannes. The companion worksheet has the text and translation and games to learn Cannes vocabulary, as well as a chapter on final consonants in French.

To learn more French, please browse through frenchetc.org, become a member and get the worksheets

. Version pour le téléphone .

faire le mur means to sneak out

Anne — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:10:16 +0000

Cannes fait le mur

faire le mur – to do the wall, faire le mur means to escape, to sneak out of a place.

The expression ‘faire le mur’ is also the name of a yearly event taking place around the Cannes Film Festival. It’s called ‘Cannes fait le mur’ – ‘The Cannes Film Festival does the wall’. It’s a spectacular event presenting huge photographs hanging on high building walls throughout town. It’s really impressive. I hope you get to visit Cannes during ‘Cannes fait le mur’.

« Notre fille n’est plus dans sa chambre. Elle a fait le mur. »
“Our daughter is not in her bedroom anymore. She snuck out.”

présent : je fais le mur

imparfait : je faisais le mur

present subjunctive: que je fasse le mur

Leave a Reply below with your comment or question. That was Anne’s native take on a French expression. There are many other expressions and more that you won’t find in your textbook. Visit www.frenchetc.org. Bonne journée française !

Le Festival de Cannes – Cannes Festival

Anne — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:02:34 +0000

la palme d'or

Advanced Podcast Series

Welcome to this advanced Podcast called ‘Le Festival de Cannes – Cannes Festival’, where you can learn every day French, and new vocabulary and grammar in the companion worksheet that you can get on the Web site.

France has to go to Cannes, in the South of France to interview a movie director. She is taking advantage of a long weekend. Elle fait le pont “She makes the bridge”. She uses a lot of colloquial expressions in French that you can use later. In the premium worksheet, you’ll find extra vocabulary and expressions about the movies, a fun-facts exercise about the Cannes Film Festival, and a guided tour of French pronouns: brush up on when to say mon, ma, and mes for my, or le mien, la mienne for mine,and how to say moi, C’est pour moi (it’s for me, to you, her, him)… Hey, got review that some day, right?

The translation and everything else is in the worksheet you can get on the Web site, as usual when you are a member. The grammar points glance at “I just did this” and “I’m about to do this”. The culture capsule tells you about using credit cards in France and the worksheet also features an extra vocabulary list about money, useful whether you are renting a car, or buying your dream country house in France.

Thanks for listening to FRENCH ETC. If you found this helpful, and want more like it, please visit www.frenchetc.org. and become a member. If you have a specific question you’d like us to answer, do leave a comment on the Web site. Who knows? We might be able create a new podcast for you. Become a member and get the worksheets.

une bonne étoile means luck

Anne — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:35:06 +0000

être né/e sous une bonne étoile to be born under a good star. être né/e sous une bonne étoile means to be really lucky. And just like in English, une étoile is a star in the sky and in the movies.

« Tu as trouvé du boulot tout de suite après la fac, tu dois être née sous une bonne étoile. »
“You found a job right away after university graduation. You are really lucky.”

présent : je suis née sous une bonne étoile

imparfait : j’étais née sous une bonne étoile

present subjunctive: que je sois née sous une bonne étoile

Dictée – Être au festival de Cannes

Anne — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:38:46 +0000

FrEnch dicTation – diCtée – Listen and Write

Today’s dictée is called “Être au festival de Cannes – Being at the Cannes Festival’

Audrey Tautou dans 'Amélie'

Dictée

Être au festival de Cannes

Avec des copains, nous sommes allés au festival de Cannes cette année. Continue with the dictée and its translation in the Premium area.

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Bonne journée française !

coucher à la belle étoile

Anne — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:05:59 +0000

coucher à la belle étoile to sleep at the beautiful star. coucher à la belle étoile means to sleep outside without a tent. And just like in English, une étoile is a star in the sky and in the movies.

« J’adore coucher à la belle étoile dans le Luberon, c’est tellement beau. »
“I love sleeping outside in the Luberon region. It’s so beautiful there.”

présent : nous couchons à la belle étoile

passé composé : nous avons couché à la belle étoile

imparfait : nous couchions à la belle étoile

a turnip is a bad movie?

Anne — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:10:21 +0000

un navet – a turnip. un navet is also used to describe a bad movie, a flop.

« Je [ne] retourne pas voir ce navet, c’est trop chiant*. »
“I’m not going back to see that flop. It too boring.”

* chiant/e is really familiar. To use with care.

Cannes

Anne — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:41:26 +0000

Cannes 2012

La comédienne Bérénice Bejo sera la maîtresse des cérémonies d’ouverture et de clôture du Festival de Cannes à partir du 16 mai. La nouvelle étoile du cinéma français, césarisée pour son rôle dans “The Artist”, film de son compagnon Michel Hazanavicius, succédera à Mélanie Laurent. Continuez sur Le Monde avec la vidéo.

Actress Bérénice Bejo will host the opening and closing ceremonies at the Cannes festival, starting on May 16. The new French movie star, who won a César for her role in “The Artist”, movie directed by her life partner Michel Hazanavicius, will walk in Mélanie Laurent’s steps. Continue in Le Monde with the video.

Post your comment about this right down here at ‘Leave a Reply’.

Bonne journée française !

mettre la puce à l’oreille-to put the flea to the ear?

Anne — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:04:49 +0000

mettre la puce à l’oreille – to put the flea at/to the ear. mettre la puce à l’oreille means ‘to be aware something is going to happen’, ‘to to have an inkling, a hunch.’

« Ça m’a mis la puce à l’oreille quand ils sont arrivés si tôt. Je me suis douté que ça ne tournait pas rond et qu’ils ne pourraient pas finir à temps. »
“I had an inkling when they arrived so early. I realized something was up and they weren’t going to be able to finish on time.”

présent : ça me met la puce à l’oreille

passé composé : ça m’a mis la puce à l’oreille

futur : ça me mettra la puce à l’oreille

Related: METTRE .

Try using this expression today.

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Bonne journée française !

From newborn to old age

Anne — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:50:48 +0000

Listen to the AUDIO below, done by a native speaker

La jeunesse – Youth

baby …. m …. bébé
baby bottle …. m …. biberon
baby rattle …. m …. hochet
baby sitter …. m/f …. gardien/ne d’enfant, baby-sitter
bib …. m …. bavoir
burp …. m …. rôt
car seat …. m …. siège auto
child …. m …. enfant
child’s room, nursery …. f …. chambre d’enfant
childhood …. f …. enfance
childhood sickness …. f …. maladie infantile
crib …. m …. berceau, lit de bébé
daddy …. m …. papa
day care …. f …. crèche
diaper, nappy …. f …. couche

La vieillesse – Old age

Alzheimer’s disease …. f …. maladie d’Alzheimer
assisted bed …. m …. lit assisté
assisted living home …. f …. résidence pour personnes dépendantes
at home caretaker …. m/f …. aide à domicile
bedroom …. f …. chambre
diaper (adult) …. f …. couche pour adulte(s)
disease …. f …. maladie
elder hostel …. f …. université du troisième âge
father …. m …. père
fatherhood …. f …. paternité
game …. m …. jeu
gerontologist …. m/f …. gérontologue
gerontology …. f …. gérontologie
grand-father …. m …. grand-père
grand-mother …. f …. grand-mère

I get into a lot more detail in the Premium worksheet. Get it here.

Access to Free weekly podcasts . Home blogue . About France . About Paris . French Songs and Poems . About French . French vocabulary bites . French manuel . French textbook for members only .

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Bonne journée française !

Using Public Transportation – Part 2

Anne — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:57:40 +0000

tôt le matin à Paris

Beginner’s Podcast Series

Welcome to this FRENCH ETC. Beginner’s Podcast – a course for the French traveler - where you can learn all the vocabulary, grammar and culture you need to “go native” on your next trip to France.

This follow up lesson on is called Les transports publics – Public Transportation. France was taking the subway in Paris. Today, we’re learning about the 24-hour clock system, and how to tell time. You’ll find the companion worksheet and the full audio on the Web site.

se réveiller, to wake up

Anne — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:18:57 +0000

Je réveille les enfants tous les jours à 7 heures.

Je me réveille tous les jours à 6 heures.

AUDIO below, with a French accent.

réveill- is the root of the verb

-er is the ending of the verb

*Indicatif* – Indicative Mode	statements
présent	present tense
je me réveille	I wake up*
je ne me réveille pas	I’m not waking up
je me réveille	I wake up
tu te réveilles	you wake up
elle se réveille	she wakes up
il se réveille	he/it wakes up
on se réveille	we wake up
nous nous réveillons	we wake up
vous vous réveillez	you wake up
elles se réveillent	they wake up
ils se réveillent	they wake up
	*also I’m waking up…
imparfait	imperfect
je me réveillais	I used to wake up*
je ne me réveillais pas	I wasn’t waking up
je me réveillais	I used to wake up
tu te réveillais	you used to wake up
elle se réveillait	she used to wake up
il se réveillait	he/it used to wake up
on se réveillait	we used to wake up
nous nous réveillions	we used to wake up
vous vous réveilliez	you used to wake up
elles se réveillaient	they used to wake up
ils se réveillaient	they used to wake up
	•also I was waking up, I would wake up…
passé composé	preterit, present perfect
je me suis réveillé/e	I woke up*
je ne me suis pas réveillé/e	I didn’t wake up
je me suis réveillé/e	I woke up
tu t’es réveillé/e	you woke up
elle s’est réveillée	she woke up
il s’est réveillé	he/it woke up
on s’est réveillé/s/es	we woke up
nous nous sommes réveillés/es	we woke up
vous vous êtes réveillés/es	you woke up
elles se sont réveillées	they woke up
ils se sont réveillés	they woke up
	*also I have woken up…
futur simple	future tense
je me réveillerai	I will wake up
je ne me réveillerai pas	I won’t wake up
je me réveillerai	I will wake up
tu te réveilleras	you will wake up
elle se réveillera	she will wake up
il se réveillera	he/it will wake up
on se réveillera	we will wake up
nous nous réveillerons	we will wake up
vous vous réveillerez	you will wake up
elles se réveilleront	they will wake up
ils se réveilleront	they will wake up

Continue with this verb and many more in the Premium members’ area.

AUDIO

Dictée – Voiture sans chauffeur

Anne — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:56:33 +0000

FrEnch dicTation – diCtée – Listen and Write

Today’s dictée is called ‘Voiture sans chauffeur – Driverless car’

Voiture sans chauffeur

Bientôt, on verra des malvoyants ou même des non-voyants conduire des voitures, continue this dictation in the Premium area.

Related: About cars . Pural of compound nouns . Future tense .

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Bonne journée française !

Maman, la plus belle du monde

Anne — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:06:32 +0000

Les Chansons françaises – French songs

It’s ‘la fête des mères’ soon in France. We’re celebrating mother’s day in advance and traveling back in time today. Luis Mariano, who was really big in 1958 is singing this moving – did I say mushy – song in honor of his mom. I realize his operetta style isn’t really in these days, but what wouldn’t we do for our dear mothers. This song is dedicated to moms all over the world. Don’t forget that there is a companion worksheet for this podcast. You’ll find the song, the translation and a review of family vocabulary and adverbs of negation in it, with fun targeted material, always.

Related : Family vocabulary . List of adverbs . Fête des mères .

. Version pour le portable .

Access to Sign up Page . Song Vocabulary . Free weekly podcasts . Home blogue . About France . About Paris . French Songs and Poems . About French . French vocabulary bites . About Anne . French manuel . French textbook for members only .

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Bonne journée française !

Pour ma mère – Happy Mother’s Day

Anne — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:59:39 +0000

Pour ma mère For my mother

Maurice Carême’s poem

Il y a plus de fleurs There are more flowers
Pour ma mère, en mon coeur, For my mother, in my heart,
Que dans tous les vergers ; Than in all the orchards;

Plus de merles rieurs More blackbirds (?)
Pour ma mère, en mon coeur, For my mother, in my heart,
Que dans le monde entier ; Than in the whole world:

Et bien plus de baisers And a lot more kisses
Pour ma mère, en mon coeur, For my mother, in my heart,
Qu’on en pourrait donner. Than anyone could give.

Happy mother’s day! Bonne fête Maman !

Access to Free weekly podcasts . Home blogue . About France . About Paris . French Songs and Poems . About French . French vocabulary bites . French manuel . French textbook for members only .

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Bonne journée française !

La Belle Bière

Anne — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:52:09 +0000

French as it is Series – Le français tel quel

Today, we’re going to taste a new beer. It’s called ‘La Belle’ and is brewed in Lille, Northern France. This short excerpt triggers a whole list of vocabulary around beer, another one for saying people in their thirties, forties, and so on. And a grammar chapter about French verbs and their prepositions. For instance: décider uses de and means ‘to decide to (do something)’ whereas se décider uses à and means ‘to make up your mind’.

Thanks for listening to FRENCH ETC. If you found this helpful, and want more like it, please visit frenchetc.org and become a member. If you have a specific question you’d like us to answer, do leave a comment on the Web site. Who knows? We might be able create a new podcast for you. Become a member and get the worksheets and start learning more every day French.

Pépin de Caisse, Car Trouble

Anne — Sat, 12 May 2012 21:02:43 +0000

French Advanced Podcasts Series

une voiture, une caisse

French Advanced Podcasts Series – Bonjour et bienvenue to FRENCH ETC.

Today’s, we’re going on the road. This Advanced Podcast Unit is called Pépins de Caisse. Un pépin is a seed, and une caisse is a crate, often a wooden crate. In Everyday French, un pépin is also a glitch, a trouble, a pickle, and une caisse is a car, wheels: ma caisse, my wheels. So today, France is explaining why she couldn’t meet her friend: her car didn’t start, then she almost got into an accident, and finally got caught in a traffic jam. She uses of colloquial expressions in this podcast.

In the worksheet this week:

Vocabulary: car trouble vocabulary such as ‘a blown head gasket, a flat tire’
Grammar: connector-words for telling a story: ‘first, then, finally’
Culture Capsule: Roads system in France and learn why the highways are free in Brittany only

The text and its translation are in the worksheet you can get on the Web site, as usual when you are a member.

FRENCH ETC.’s podcasts are dedicated to teach you today’s French, with authentic useful expressions you can use right away so that you can understand the French and be understood over there.

Visit us at frenchetc.org

fêter is to celebrate

Anne — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:30:35 +0000

fêter means ‘to celebrate.’ Fêter is a regular –ER verb and is conjugated like AIMER is.

« Nous fêtons toujours la fête des mères chez mon arrière grand-père. »
“We always celebrate Mother’s day at my great-grand-father’s.”

présent : je fête la fête des mères, nous fêtons la fête des mères

passé composé : j’ai fêté la fête des mères, nous avons fêté la fête des mères

futur : je fêterai la fête des mères, nous fêterons la fête des mères

Bonne fête Maman ! Happy mother’s day!

Try using this expression today.

Access to Free weekly podcasts . Home blogue . About France . About Paris . French Songs and Poems . About French . French vocabulary bites . French manuel . French textbook for members only .

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Bonne journée française !

Bonne fête Maman ! Happy mother’s day!

Anne — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:54:04 +0000

Bonne fête Maman !

La fête des mères est fêtée une fois par an, souvent en juin – ce n’est pas à la même date dans tous les pays – par tous les enfants des écoles. Dans toutes les classes, les travaux manuels vont bon train. On travaille secrètement qui au collier de nouilles, qui au livre de recettes écrit à la main. Le matin du Jour J., on récite un compliment et on offre son cadeau fait amoureusement. Les plus grands lui offrent un plus grand cadeau, bien sûr. Et toute la journée, la maman est la reine. On lui fait tout, on la chouchoute, on la cajole, on lui prépare le dîner, etc.

Happy mother’s day!

Mother’s day is celebrated once a year, often in June – not the same day in every country – by all the school children. There is craft going wild in all of the classes. Children work secretly to make either a noodle necklace or a hand-written recipe book. On that morning, they recite a little poem and they give their hand-made present made with love. And of course, adults give a bigger present. And all day, mommy is the queen. Everything is done for her, she is pampered, she is spoil rotten, diner is made for her, and so on.

. Video pour le smartphone .

30 mots – 30 words

barbeque …. m …. barbecue
bouquet of flowers …. m …. bouquet de fleurs
breakfast …. m …. petit déjeuner
breakfast in bed …. m …. petit déjeuner au lit
card …. f …. carte
caringly …. m/f …. affectueusement
child …. m …. enfant
dad, daddy …. m …. papa
daughter …. f …. fille
dedicated …. m/f …. dédié/e
dinner …. m …. dîner
family …. f …. famille
father …. m …. père
happy father’s day …. ø …. bonne fête papa
happy mother’s day …. ø …. bonne fête maman
love …. m …. amour
mom, mommy …. f …. maman
mother …. f …. mère
parent …. m …. parent
poem …. m/m/f …. poème, compliment, poésie
present, gift …. m …. cadeau
proud …. m/f …. fier, fière
rose …. f …. rose
son …. m …. fils
stepfather …. m …. beau-père
stepmother …. f …. belle-mère
to adore …. ø …. adorer
to celebrate …. ø …. fêter
to remember …. ø …. se souvenir de
wrapping paper …. m …. papier d’emballage

Access to Free weekly podcasts . Home blogue . About France . About Paris . French Songs and Poems . About French . French vocabulary bites . French manuel . French textbook for members only .

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Bonne journée française !

Buren at the Grand Palais

Anne — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:25:10 +0000

Les colonnes de Buren au Palais Royal – centre de Paris – ont fait scandale lorsqu’elles ont été créées. Vous pouvez toujours aller les voir. Buren a une nouvelle exposition très colorée en ce moment au Grand Palais. Je vous propose une visite virtuelle.

Buren’s columns at the Palais Royal – center of Paris – created a big scandal when they were first presented to the public. You can still go a see them. Buren is now presenting a new very colorful exhibit at the Grand Palais. Take a video stroll here.

. Vidéo pour le smartphone .

. Lien pour la vidéo en français .

A few words about sculpture

f	sculpture	sculpture
m	relief	raised pattern, relief
m	bas-relief	bas-relief, low relief
m	haut-relief	high relief
f	ronde-bosse	in the round
m	chapiteau	capital
m	gisant	recumbent effigy, statue
f	ébauche	rough shape
m	écorché	cutaway
mp	entrelacs	interlacing
f	forme	shape
m	modèle	model
m/f	monumental/e	monumental
f	moulure	molding
f	statue	statue
ø	tailler	to carve

Related: Les colonnes de Buren .

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Bonne journée française !