By popular demand, I have recorded a series of episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the street or in the movies can sometimes sound quite different!

In this episode we’ll go through some expressions meaning “to understand” (and a few more!)

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Piger = comprendre
On lui a montré une fois comment utiliser le logiciel et il a tout de suite pigé le truc.
Je pige que dalle à cet exo de maths !
Un exo = un exercice
Capter
J’ai rien capté / pigé / compris au cours de français !
capter l’attention (de qn)
capter un signal
Le voleur m’a pris le téléphone des mains et est parti en courant, j’ai rien capté / calculé !
Capter, calculer = se rendre compte (de qch)
J’ai dit à mes vieux que j’avais mal au crâne et que j’allais me coucher, puis j’ai fait le mur, ils ont rien capté !
Faire le mur = to sneak out = sortir en douce

Links and Resources

• French slang expressions (1) – French Your Way Podcast episode 233
• French slang expressions (2) – French Your Way Podcast episode 236
• French slang expressions (3) – French Your Way Podcast episode 238
• my eBook “How to improve your French conversation skills“

The post FYW 245 : French slang expressions (4) appeared first on French Your Way.

Listener Nancy would like to clarify when “ne” can be dropped in French. When is it possible to deliberately forget this common 2-letter word? Is there any change in the meaning? Listen to find out!

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Je n’aime pas quand tu fumes = j’aime pas quand tu fumes.
La famille n’a plus d’argent à la fin du mois. = La famille a plus d’argent à la fin du mois.
Je n’ai rien compris ! = J’ai rien compris !
Vous n’êtes jamais allé en France ? = Vous êtes jamais allé en France ?
La voisine est une mégère, elle n’aime personne = La voisine est une mégère, elle aime personne
Ceux-là ne sont facultatifs qu’à l’oral ! = Ceux-là sont facultatifs seulement à l’oral !
Je peux pas acheter le pain, j’ai que 20 centimes dans ma poche. = Je ne peux pas acheter le pain, je n’ai que 20 centimes dans ma poche.
“ne” explétif
Dites à vos proches que vous les aimez, avant qu’il (ne) soit trop tard.
Nous allons devoir annuler nos vacances à moins qu’on (ne) trouve une solution pour la garde du chien.
Je crains que tu (n’)aies raison…
Docteur aux urgences : J’ai peur que vous (n’)ayez le bras cassé, madame.
Docteur aux urgences : Je vais vous donner un antalgique pour éviter que vous (ne) souffriez.
Docteur aux urgences : Nous allons mettre un plâtre pour empêcher que vous (ne) bougiez votre bras.

Links and Resources

• Grammar Clinic workshops are resuming! Visit my website and subscribe to my newsletter to know when the next ones are coming!

• FYW 239: “pas” vs “non” in French
• How to Pronounce Plus in French
• FYW 20 : The 3 Ways to Pronounce Plus in French

The post FYW 244 : When is “ne” optional in French ? appeared first on French Your Way.

When students write in French, I often see words spelled with an initial uppercase which shouldn’t be: the English language uses capital letters in more situations than the French language does – typically with days of the week or months of the year. Let’s go through a useful checklist of words that require a capital letter in French.

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

les Français, les Européens, les Vikings
une Française, une femme française
la langue française, le français
la Joconde
La Nuit des temps (de Barjavel)
La Bête humaine (de Zola)
Le Petit Prince (De Saint Exupéry)
Fables de La Fontaine :
La Cigale et la Fourmi
Le Lièvre et la Tortue
Candide ou l’Optimisme (Voltaire)
Madame la Directrice, Monsieur l’Ambassadeur, Monsieur le Président / le Ministre
lundi, mardi, janvier, février

Links and Resources

• Book your ticket to the French Dictation (live and in replay)

  Get 15% off with the discount code (until Thursday 19th May, midnight Paris time): yes15

The post FYW 243 : When to capitalise a word in French ? appeared first on French Your Way.

Live workshops are back!

More information and bookings open on my events page: https://frenchyourway.com.au/events

If you can’t attend, don’t worry: you will receive the replay video as well as the worksheet and answers.

Upcoming events:

• Dictée en français / French dictation

Sunday May 22nd at 9pm Paris time.

• Imparfait vs passé composé

Thursday May 26th at 10pm Paris time.

Check out my events page

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive special discount codes for the workshops.

Looking forward to working with you!

Jessica

The post FYW : Live workshops are back! May 2022 appeared first on French Your Way.

As if it were not challenging enough to get to understand French spoken at normal speed, how to understand a French conversation when there is background noise/music, or a piece of French audio that’s not clearly audible? In this episode inspired by a question from Fiona, I will share some tips on how you can work on this and improve and I will also stress the importance to accept that you ARE always going to miss some words (and how to work on that, too).

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

“C’est une idée très schtroumpfante ! »

« Tu as bien dormi ? Tu as l’air bien schtroumpf aujourd’hui. »

« ça fait longtemps qu’on n’a pas schroumpfé ensemble ! Vendredi, ça te dirait ? »

Links and Resources

• My Schtroumpf activity (with free downloadable worksheet):
• French Voices podcast: on your favourite podcast app or at https://frenchyourway.com.au/category/frenchvoices

The post FYW 242 : Understanding French when sound quality is poor or there’s background noise appeared first on French Your Way.

Fiona from Melbourne Australia asked me to explain the difference between the verbs “sentir” and “ressentir” in French. Let’s go through the differences in their use and in the structure of the sentences.

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

L’odorat (nm)

sentir des fleurs / un parfum / l’odeur de l’herbe coupée.

Tu ne sens pas comme une odeur de fumée ?

Le toucher

Touche ! Sens comme c’est doux / rugueux.

Je sens le soleil / le vent / le froid sur ma peau.

Ça sent le printemps !

Je sens que je vais réussir cet examen.

Calmez-vous les enfants ! Je sens que ça va mal finir !

Sentir / ne pas sentir (une situation, une personne) = avoir une mauvaise impression sur…

Je ne sens pas trop cette fille, elle a l’air malhonnête. Ne fais pas confiance à ce garçon, je ne le sens pas.

Alors, ton entretien pour le poste de représentant ? Tu le sens comment ? Je le sens plutôt bien !

Se sentir (bien / mal / fatigué / en forme / triste / heureux / découragé, motivé…)

Je le/la sens triste. / Je sens qu’il/elle est triste.

Je sens qu’il commence à s’ouvrir / à comprendre.

Je sens la fatigue m’engourdir / la joie l’envahir.

Qu’est-ce que tu ressens ? Comment tu te sens ?

Je me sens triste (je ressens/j’éprouve de la tristesse)

Je me sens frustrée (je ressens/j’éprouve de la frustration)

Je me sens légère (je ressens/j’éprouve de la légèreté)

En entrant dans la maison à vendre, j’ai ressenti beaucoup d’oppression / je me suis sentie très oppressée.

Le ressenti = the perception, the sense (eg temperature)

La temperature réelle est 5 degrés mais la température ressentie est zéro

Quel est ton ressenti sur cette situation ?

le ressentiment = resentment, bitterness, dislike

Elle éprouve encore beaucoup de ressentiment envers sa voisine même après toutes ces années.

The post FYW 241: SENTIR vs RESSENTIR appeared first on French Your Way.

Here’s a selection of 5 mistakes commonly made by English students learning French. Some may be a “simple” refresher (but we really need to drill those in, don’t we!), some of them may be new to you depending on your level of French.

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Je vais bien.

Je suis bien.

Comment allez-vous ?

Comment êtes-vous ?

Je compte aller en France (pour) 6 mois en 2023.

LINKS and RESOURCES

• FYW 002 : “For” (+ duration): Avoid Saying “Pour” if Possible!
• FYW 090 : How to say “I miss you” in French?

The post FYW 240: 5 Common Mistakes in French That English Speakers Make (part 1) appeared first on French Your Way.

This episode was inspired by a question from listener Philip:

“Recently, a thunderstorm damaged my internet connection. The router displayed the error message “réseau non détecté”.

I was surprised, because I would have said “pas détecté”. When should we use “pas” or “non” to mean “not”?”

Let’s see examples and learn about the difference between spoken and written French, what the official rules are and how everyday French bends these rules.

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

N’entre(z) pas.

(Merci de / prière de) Ne pas entrer.

Ne fume(z) pas dans le train

Ne pas fumer dans le train (interdition de fumer)

Accepter / ne pas accepter les cookies.

réseau non détecté

mise à jour non compatible / non disponible

acquis / non acquis / en voie d’acquisition (acquired / learned)

The post FYW 239: “pas” vs “non” in French appeared first on French Your Way.

By popular demand, I have recorded a series of episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the street or in the movies can sometimes sound quite different!

Warning : in this episode, I’ve gathered some very familiar, common French expressions around pee, poo and fart. Not appropriate for children’s ears (or if you’re easily shocked).

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Emmerder

“Les non-vaccinés, j’ai très envie de les emmerder” (E. Macron)

« Arrêtez d’emmerder les Français » (Georges Pompidou)

Je t’emmerde

Faire chier

(ça) fait chier, j’ai perdu mes clés à la plage. / J’ai pas envie d’aller à ce dîner, ça me fait chier / madame Martin me fait chier avec ces questions débiles.

Chiant,e (adj)

Ma sœur est trop chiante. / C’est chiant de se lever le lundi matin.

Il pleut comme vache qui pisse.

se pisser dessus

n’en avoir rien à péter

péter plus haut que son cul

pété de tunes/thunes : rolling in it, loaded

péter les plombs / un câble : blow a fuse, lose it, go berserk (psycho. Breakdown)

péter la forme / le feu : to be in tip-top form, to be in great shape

se la péter : to show off, to brag

être pété/mort de rire (ptdr, mdr)

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also find my short eBook “How to improve your French conversation skills” useful! It includes a section featuring common differences between French as you know is and as it is actually spoken in real life

Check out my eBook : https://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-conversational-skills

LINKS and RESOURCES

• French slang expressions (1) – French Your Way Podcast episode 233:
• French slang expressions (2) – French Your Way Podcast episode 236:
• my eBook “How to improve your French conversation skills”: https://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-conversational-skills

The post FYW 238: French Slang Expressions (3) appeared first on French Your Way.

In my last newsletter and YouTube video, I asked for your input/feedback on what you struggle most with in French and I took note of your difficulties (some of which I still need to think about how to best address them.) One aspect of French grammar which came back several times was how to tell whether a noun is masculine or feminine. Listen for my best tips and use the link below for my detailed article AND free downloadable worksheet to test yourself!

LINKS and RESOURCES

• Masculine or Feminine? Telling the Gender of French Nouns (includes free downloadable worksheet to test yourself)
• FYW 032 : How to Tell if a French Noun is Masculine or Feminine (Part 1)
• FYW 033 : How to Tell if a French Noun is Masculine or Feminine (Part 2)
• French Animal Names : What to Call Your Dog if it’s a Female

The post FYW 237: Telling the Gender of Nouns appeared first on French Your Way.

This recording is in French, here’s the outline of what I talk about to help you follow:

A comeback video in a new environment: we’re in France! We’ve been settling down, enjoying family time after two years of separation, finally meeting my little (and very cute nephew), creating memories (e.g we took the kids to the snow!)

The children have started attending French school…on and off really, due to the absurd C*vid protocols in place here. Still, I’m hoping this will give me some time to resume working on French Your Way!

In 2021, I worked on a personal project (I’ll tell you about it when the right time comes) and spent quite a while in lockdown being my daughter’s private teacher. We also prepared our departure to France.

In order to help you with your French, I need YOU to give me your input, your feedback:

• What is your biggest struggle about learning French? What do you need explanations/reinforcement with?
• What type of content do you find most helpful to learn? (podcasts, online classes, eBooks?)

Please get in touch! Email me

/!\ Don’t forget: I explain French concepts in English. If you know me, you know that! For authentic conversations in French, check out my “French Voices” podcast.

Thanks for your patience while I wrap my head around things again and release new content! I am grateful for your support and your kindness.

Jessica

Subscribe to my newsletter.

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The post FYW – I’m back ! News and what’s next appeared first on French Your Way.