Clarity spelled out with wood letter cubes

Three examples of how French use less superlative words compared to English

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c’est pas con (that’s not stupid) – it’s fabulous

You know that loud exclamation when someone “loves” and idea? Well in French we just take things with slightly less enthusiasm. You still show that you approve, but let us say that there is less of the zeal (real or not so much) often heard in Engllish.

c’est pas faux (that’s not false) – that is so true

Want to agree with a statement, or say that something is true? Well, you could always agree by using the negation, just say that what was said was not false. How about that for showing agreement, yet with some restraint.

c’est pas mal (that’s not bad)- it is pretty good

Do you find something acceptable? Just say it is not bad. Or, you could use this as an expression to answer someone asking “Ça va?”.

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J’ai engagé la conversation pour casser le silence – Wait, I ran out of words

ByOui, je parle l'anglais

It’s a funny thing when pushing oneself to learn a language. It makes perfect sense to try new words, entire sentences, and preferably in daily situations. But then, what to do when you run out of words. Case in point: I had practised the sentence J’ai engagé la conversation pour casser le silence to my…

Office with sun and shadows.

J’ai un rendez-vous, mais ce n’est pas romantique

ByOui, je parle l'anglais

This word, rendez-vous, has an exciting history and it was borrowed into the English language centuries ago. In fact, as early as 1556, we can find this word in the History & Antiquities of Hengrave, Suffolk (1). Even then, the English (le anglais) enjoyed throwing French words around. Go figure that many who want to…

Butter and sandwich
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Vouloir le beurre et l’argent du beurre? Et en anglais?

ByOui, je parle l'anglais

The French expression we choose this time is “vouloir le beurre et l’argent du beurre”. This literally means to want the butter and the butter money. In English the equivalent expression is “to want the cake and eat it.” How funny that to express this situation both the French and English languages use food as…

Vintage radio

Four songs by French singer songwriters in the 1960s to listen to when learning French and the culture

ByOui, je parle l'anglais

The key, or one of the keys, to a culture is its music. That can definitely be said about the amazing French music that has been created over the past few decades. For some, the French music may also be a reason why picking up the language to learn. Let us have a look at…

Old gate and building in Bordeaux, France.

A visit around Bordeaux with accent and regional expressions in mind

ByOui, je parle l'anglais

One of the fun hurdles when learning nuances of a language is slang and regional expressions. This became very clear to me as I visited Bordeaux and heard expressions I would rarely or ever hear in the east and north. “Adieu” turned out to be the go-to expression for bye, and as I went back…