Hey guys! Today we’ll be talking about the French language. French is a Romance language but that doesn’t mean it’s more romantic than other languages. It just means that it’s Latin-based. Although it’s Latin-based, French was also influenced by Celtic and Germanic languages as well. French-speaking people or nations are often referred to as “francophones.” French is an official language in 29 countries, and is the fourth most widely spoken language and second most taught language in the European Union. That said, I’ll cover some basic words and phrases in this blog post.
First, let’s start with pronunciation. This video does a good job of explaining how to pronounce French consonants and vowels:
Here are some basic French phrases (Please feel free to plug them into Google Translate to listen to them: https://translate.google.com/. But keep in mind Google translate might be a little off on translations.):
| English | French |
| Good day. | Bonjour. |
| Good night. | Bonsoir. |
| Hi. | Salut. |
| My name is _____. | Je m’appelle _____. |
| What is your name? | Comment vous appelez-vous? |
| How are you? | Ça va? |
| Thank you. | Merci. |
| Thank you very much. | Merci beaucoup. |
| You’re welcome. | De rien. |
| Please. | S’il vous plait. |
| Yes. | Oui. |
| No. | Non. |
| Excuse me. | Excusez- moi. |
| Pardon me. | Pardon. |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. |
| I don’t speak French. | Je ne parle pas français. |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? |
An app that I love to use and is free (even better!) is Duolingo. I took French in high school and college but I never use it so my French still sucks. However, I like to practice what little French I did retain with Duolingo. When I remember to use it anyhow. The best advice I can give to anyone who’s learning French to visit France is to pay attention to French etiquette. It’s a BIG DEAL in France. I went to France when I was 15 with my friend who was also 15. She had a bad habit of using the informal while talking to people much older than us. Don’t do it! That’s very rude and they became visibly offended by it! Also, try to speak French. Even if it isn’t perfect. They’ll be more accommodating if you speak French versus English.
A good article to read if you plan on visiting France:
http://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/basic-french-phrases/
Or if videos are more your thing:
To watch Eddie Izzard’s bit about learning French:
Additional Reading:
At this time it sounds like Movable Type is the best blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Excellent post. Keep posting such kind of information on your site. Im really impressed by your blog.
At this time it sounds like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Currently it appears like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Right now it appears like WordPress is the top blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Right now it sounds like Drupal is the best blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Right now it seems like Movable Type is the top blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say excellent blog!
Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to create a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.
At this time it seems like BlogEngine is the best blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
Hi there, You’ve performed a fantastic job. I will certainly digg it and in my view suggest to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this web site.
Can I simply just say what a relief to discover an individual who genuinely knows what they’re discussing online. You definitely realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More people have to check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say great blog!
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Greate post. Keep writing such kind of information on your site. Im really impressed by your blog.
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
Greate pieces. Keep posting such kind of information on your blog. Im really impressed by it.
Excellent pieces. Keep posting such kind of information on your site. Im really impressed by it.
May I just say what a relief to find somebody who actually knows what they are discussing on the internet. You actually know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people must look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you’re not more popular given that you surely have the gift.
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic blog!
At this time it sounds like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
Hi there, You have done a great job. I’ll definitely digg it and in my opinion suggest to my friends. I am sure they will be benefited from this website.