Frederic Bibard's Blog, page 26

15 French Expressions that Feature Dogs

Dogs are loyal, sweet, cute, and cuddly—and almost everyone loves them. More so the French! The French are notoriously known for walking around everywhere with their furry friends, and everywhere you turn, you’ll most likely find dogs in every size and shape. Dogs inside restaurants, supermarkets, at the hairdresser, on the streets; small dogs, big dogs, medium dogs, dogs in bags, dogs with sweaters, dogs having a meal in restaurants with their human family. Well, you get the point.   This fascination with man’s best friend has spilled over to idioms. Several French idiomatic expressions mention dogs in them, and here, we will learn all about it. Here’s the thing though. In French, the word for dog (chien) when used as an adjective translates to something negative such as “wretched, nasty, ill” or just a general pleasantness. For example, when we say chien de temps (though this is really an

My French Routine Volume 4 Is Here!

Looking for the right material to help you increase your level of French knowledge can be quite frustrating (believe me, I know!). I’ve spoken with enough French learners to perfectly understand the struggle. I’ve been working double time, even triple time,to be able to provide you with the appropriate learning tools every step of the way. And…voilà! The latest book in the “My French Routine”series is finally here! Whether you have already bought a copy of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd volumes, or you have studied beginner to intermediate French before and just need to continue what you have started, this is the e-book for you. Say bonjour to a fun and effective way to learn French!   via GIPHY Grammar is hardly a fun topic for anyone learning French. Like it or not,though, it is one of those bitter pills you have to swallow. Without learning grammar, you will

14 French Expressions Featuring Cats

Cats are exceedingly popular on the internet these days. Everywhere you look there are cats gracing your screen. Cats who are grumpy: Via Wikimedia Cats who are stereotypically French: via GIPHY Karate cats, massage cats, working cats who got promoted, and just everything about cats. Well guess what? This post is also about them little furry felines. So if you’re sick and tired of cats and hoping for just one cat-less moment, you can perhaps check out something else like the Talk in French Store (promise there are no cats there, just really nice e–books and stuff. :D). But if you’re cat-obsessed just like the rest of the internet, you’ll love this one because today, we are listing down French idiomatic expressions that feature—-ta-daah—cats! By now, you probably have an idea already how French idioms can be quite absurd, and sometimes, even downright hilarious. If you need a refresher on

7 Ways to Survive as a Vegan or Vegetarian in France

Let’s face it, France is not exactly known as a haven for vegans and vegetarians. What with all the hearty and meaty classics like steak au poivre, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, and foie gras. Add to that the restaurant culture that has not yet fully embraced ordering food the exact way you want it (unlike other western countries).   In a French restaurant, the chef is the artist that runs the show and the dishes s/he prepares are painstakingly planned and prepared just like any artistic masterpiece. So try not to get upset if your special requests do not get considered. All these (plus loads of other reasons) combined could make it difficult for any vegan or vegetarian planning to take a trip or move to France. But don’t despair; all hope is not lost. Besides, it’s not as hard as you might imagine. France is actually becoming more

20 Famous French Attractions and How to Pronounce Them

Let’s face it. French monuments and tourist spots are about as hard to say as they are beautiful. They invite enough faux pas to make Lady Marianne cringe or the nearest hipster Parisian to laugh quietly behind his beard. I normally don’t share pronunciations in social media because I would rather have French learners get to know the correct method for pronunciation, but for this one, I’ll make an exemption. Why, you ask? Because we absolutely need to put an end to all the pronunciation massacres happening every single day. And of course, I want you to be able to say these French attractions correctly the next time you discuss it with your friends… or when you’re trying to be a French poser with your date. Remember that this article is focused only on the pronunciations. The details about these top attractions are topics for other days. So… Without much

French Vocabulary for Vegans and Vegetarians

French cuisine is all about lots of lusciously meaty dishes. What would you expect from the land that birthed steak tartare, foie gras and hearty meat stews like boeuf bourguignon and cassoulet? But alas, if you have turned away from eating meat and embraced vegetarianism or veganism due to one reason or another, don’t worry, you will still be able to survive a visit or even a long stay in France. For starters, you can use this useful list of French words and phrases that you can make use of as a vegan or vegetarian. Plus, we will also be providing a second part of this article (check it out here) on how to survive being a vegan/vegetarian while living in France. But for now, let’s take a look at the words and phrases you could use, shall we?     Végétalien(ne) vegan Végétarien(ne) vegetarian Je suis un végétarien(ne). I

Keep Learning French with My French Routine Volume 3

Once you have begun learning beginner’s French, it is quite easy to stop there and tell yourself you are fine with what you have learned. However, perhaps you should consider this brilliant advice from Dory (the blue fish from Finding Nemo): via GIPHY The point here is to keep going despite the obstacles. To help you do just that, I have made it easy for you to continue learning French through the resources I provide. This week, I am quite happy to introduce to you the third volume of the series “My French Routine.” Whether you have already bought a copy of the first and second volumes, or you have studied beginner or intermediate French before and need to continue with your studies, this is an e-book for you. Grammar is not really a fun topic to learn, but without it, you cannot build the proper foundation for learning French.

A Playlist of 31 French Love Songs to Listen for Free

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, that special time of the year when everyone seems to be looking through rose-colored glasses and the world becomes a hundred times more romantic than it ordinarily is. But whether you’re in the mood to be extra-romantic to your sweetheart or you’re currently broken-hearted or jaded, it’s always great to have a soundtrack of French love songs playing in the background. For that, I have prepared a playlist of 31 love songs that I have specially picked out for you. You can listen to French love songs here via Spotify. Most of the songs in the playlist already have available lyrics that you can sing along to. But for songs that do not have lyrics yet, you can access them in the links below. Barbara – Ma plus belle histoire d’amour Claude François – Comme d’habitude Florent Pagny – Savoir aimer Serge Lama – Je suis

80 French Terms of Endearment to Call your Loved Ones

Looking for something else to call your loved ones beside the usual nicknames like sweetie, honey, darling or sweetheart? Then perhaps we can interest you with their French counterparts. Not only are French words considered by many to be the epitome of romance, it will also help you level up your game and steer you away from the tired and dull terms that everybody else uses. French terms of endearment are more than just mon amour or ma chèrie that you hear in movies. There are loads more where that came from. In general, the French like to use words related to food and animals (perhaps because French people love food more than anything else and care deeply about pets, too). That, and of course, the truly romantic ones that are dripping with love. Ooh la la! But first, here are a few reminders: Take note that the possessive adjectives

77 Romantic French Words and Phrases

French is often considered as the language of love and romance. The melodious flow of the language is enough to melt hearts everywhere… And even the most innocuous French words can knock ladies off their feet! This is totally an exaggeration, of course, but if that’s what innocent French words can do, can you imagine the impact truly romantic French words can have? In this list, we’ve compiled the most romantic, swoon-worthy French words and expressions. You can use this to woo your amour or bust these words out during special occasions like Valentine’s Day or your anniversary. Totally up to you. Enjoy! First, let’s start with the simple words.   Romantic French Words 1 L’ amour Love 2 Un câlin Hug or cuddle 3 La Saint-Valentin St. Valentine’s Day 4 Des fleurs Flowers 5 Des bonbons Candy 6 Des bijoux Jewelry 7 du parfum Perfume 8 Les fiançailles Engagement