10 FRENCH WORDS THAT DON'T HAVE AN EXACT TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH - StreetFrench.org

[@david.e.miller]

My wife is French. One of her favorite expressions is "N’importe quoi !" Apparently, I give her good reason to use that expression!

[@smoker_joe]

Ha ha ! Vous la faites râler. ^^

[@HRoy-ot7hy]

Whatever man!

[@armoricain]

As a French guy who has lived in the USA for 35 years, I've used this typical French expression quite a bit, and still does as I cannot find an equivalent expression in English, the same way I cannot find French equivalent words or expressions for certain English words or expressions, it goes both ways! You say "N'importe quoi!" whenever somebody did or uttered something you think was stupid and didn't make any sense! This expression is REALLY super-duper typical French! Actually, I just thought of it, you can also say: "C'est du n'importe-quoi!"

[@mathieujvc]

@@armoricain nonsense / BS

[@goombagang5080]

@@mathieujvc Exactly, although Bs is obviously more a slang word

[@StuartSimon]

Perdre ses repères translates to “lose one’s bearings.” In other senses “repère” can be translated to “anchor.” We say “He is my anchor” in the sense that we mean “With him I feel at home.”

[@EwanChung]

When referring to people, that person can be someone's "rock."

[@kikireinecke5607]

I think in some cases, "touchstone" would work.

[@jeffheck20]

To lose one’s moorings. Anchor is at sea. Mooring is at the dock or shore.

[@glenocarolan8457]

Okay HOWEVER: French has absolutely no way of saying "I care" but 1639632 ways to say I don't care 😭😭

[@jessicamurray9748]

and ALSO it has no real translation for "I am excited to...." "I am looking forward to....". But 56734 ways to complain and say that you're fed up hahaha

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

Totally!!! I was just struggling with that the other day, translating "I care".

[@oceane7113]

@@jessicamurray9748 I am French and I agree 😅. We have so many ways to say we are fed up and I didn't find an exact translation for them : - "J'en ai marre" - "Ça me saoule" / "Je suis saoulé(e)" - "Ça me gonfle" - "Ça me gave" - "J'en ai ma claque" - "j'en ai ras-le-bol" These are the ones coming to my mind but I am sure there are more. So, I feel a little limited when I want to complain in English 🤣 (and "ça me saoule !" ).

[@themore-you-know]

Wouldn't we say "Ça me tient à coeur" ??? I take it to heart. So we do have it.

[@Street_French]

@GlenO'carolan haha yeah that's true^^

[@uasj2]

“Canter en yaourt” reminds me of how for years I could “sing” Edith Piaf’s “Non, rien de rien. Non, je ne regrette rien...” without any idea what it meant or even what the individual words were. It also reminds me of going to elementary school in Kansas City for a year (an Australian 8 year old, 15,000 km from home and experiencing severe dépaysment) and being required to mindlessly chant the US “Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag” every morning. (I can still repeat it word for word - a great party trick!). It ends with the words “...Liberty and Justice for all.” and as an 8 year old, not only did I not know what “liberty and justice” really were, but I didn’t know that the American accent drawled out *“frawl”* on the end actually meant “for” + “all”. I thought for years afterwards that Frawl was a complicated legal concept like Liberty and Justice!!

[@Street_French]

hahaha thanks for sharing that was funny ^^

[@Oxmustube]

@@Street_French Veux-tu dire "fredonner"? (Chanter en yaourt est inconnu au Québec.)

[@lesnyk255]

When Sergio Mendez popularized Brazilian music here in the US back around 1965, his lead vocalists had to memorize the lyrics phonetically because they didn't speak Portuguese.

[@Elfian66]

@@Oxmustube We also use "fredonner" in France but it's different than "chanter en yaourt". If I "fredonne" a song, I use "lalala" or "mmmmm mmmm mmmm" sounds. But "chanter en yaourt" really means that you're trying to sing a song in another langage and you don't know neither the meaning nor the words you use, you simply copy the sounds you can hear. For example, you will not sing "when I was young, I never needed anyone" but "oueen aï ouaaas Yong, aï névers nid éd Eni ouane" or even more approximative things xD

[@lesphinxinfotech9180]

@@Oxmustube je crois ca veut dire que si tu comprend pas l'anglais et que tu chante en meme temps que une toune anglaise joue ben tu chante les mots comme tu pense meme si cest pas les vrai mots. Je me souvien quand j'étais jeune je faisais cà avant d'avoir appris l'anglais :0)

[@Traducteur1]

Pour "flâner", il y a "wander around" en anglais qui exprime pratiquement la même chose.

[@trentswag9324]

Yes, "wander" was the word that comes to mind for me

[@eurovision50]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!

[@Oxmustube]

"Loiter". "no loitering"...flânage interdit.

[@trorisk]

Il me semble quand dans wander il n'y a pas l'idée principale de flâner que c'est agréable et sans but.

[@eurovision50]

@@trorisk Si, en anglais on dit 'Shall we go for a wander?'. Et c'est agréable mais sans but. Mais je suis pas français et donc j'ai peut etre pas de la raison. Peut etre que 'flâner' est plus agréable que 'wander', même si wander est en tous cas agréable.

[@bohn98]

I love this video! It shows how intelligent Maia is. It is pleasure listening to her explanation. Thanks for the very helpful videos!

[@Street_French]

oh that's very nice, thank you !:)

[@georgesthibaudeau1533]

I have always liked the word "terroir". Here is my take on it as an old French Canadian. It is a relatively limited area of territory with a particular character made out of its geography, vegetation, exploitation, and its inhabitants. The scents from the flowers, the song of the birds, the sounds of the winds, etc. may be typical of a terroir. So yes, a great wine will grow in a particular terroir, which will provide it with the minerals, the flowers, the berries that will determine the wine's taste at maturity. Terroir can only exist in French because it is expressed by the flavours of the great food and wines that it produces, and are the essence of being French. Isn't that so ?

[@Street_French]

that's a great yes :)) you've explained it way better than me haha ^^

[@georgesthibaudeau1533]

@@Street_French Oh ! Thank you, I was so concerned you would find it comme ci, comme ça. Oups, sorry !, bof !

[@Itsgonnabeok1325]

Je l'ai dit aussi. Je pense peut-être aussi à "région".

[@Oxmustube]

"Local produce" est la traduction la plus utilisée.

[@AGKyran]

Well, as a French myself, I think your definition is good and somehow a bit poetic, but it can be simplified. Terroir is the local products of a region, and it only concerns food and alcohol. We don't look at a region and say "it's a great terroir", for example. The word is mostly used to talk about products that comes from a specific region. Even though, weirdly, we can say "it comes from the terroir", we never talk of terroir when talking about other things than food and alcohol.

[@dawnlee3931]

Is “flâner” like “to wander”?

[@MrMacBig273]

yes

[@lesnyk255]

@@MrMacBig273 No. Sometimes I'll take my camera and compass out into the woods and wander, just to "see what I can see"

[@trorisk]

Flâner there's an idea that it's nice and aimless. for example when you go around shops randomly or in streets with friends and you know that you aren't going to buy anything.

[@qtredhead]

Fux News I disagree, a wanderer isn’t a tramp.

[@qtredhead]

trorisk you can wander around shops, I’ve certainly said ‘I’m going to wander around the shops’ meaning just walk around aimlessly, for something to do...looking in shops, without any intention of buying.

[@tonybennett4159]

Just love words and their cross pollination between languages. I was doing a crossword with a friend the other day, the clue was "an illuminating insight". The answer was "apercu", she protested that French words shouldn't be allowed, not realising that "apercu" CAN be used in English, though rarely. There are plenty of other tricky, non-culinary French words that are hiding in the corners of our English dictionaries. I think that our word "wander" (or possibly "roam") is as close to "flaner" as doesn't matter, as it is also indicates a lack of a specific goal. "As I was wandering around Borough Market, I bumped into somebody I hadn't seen for twenty years". I do agree, however, that "a wanderer" has different connotations from "un flaneur".

[@Street_French]

ah yeah I guess wander works in some context :)) and I agree, languages are fascinating^^

[@rooseveltnut]

Je flane.....I wandered around. To wander in English means to just walk around with nothing specific in mind....no goal, just walking aimlessly. LOVE your videos. I have taken up French again after FINALLY mastering the dreaded Rs.

[@PuzzleQodec]

"Anchoring" or "being anchored" is as close as I can get. Totally stealing terroir and chanter en yaourt. So wonderful to finally have words for those things.

[@Street_French]

haha ^^

[@talideon]

I've also heard "be grounded" and "become/felt ungrounded", "ground me", or "be my grounding".

[@DamonJoshuaSmith]

You're the best teacher ever

[@Street_French]

haha merci :) I do my best, and can't say I'm the best. Just trying to share my culture and language with you guys ^^

[@jeanhansen9117]

I have been wondering what n’importe quoi means for over thirty years! Thank you!! While in college I lived with a family in Aix en Provence for 4 months in 1982 and the 11 year old girl of the family said that all the time. The best translation I could come up with was, “whatever”. Glad to know I was on the right track!

[@Street_French]

ah you're welcome! :):):)

[@kushastea3961]

It's so interesting how Chinese has this word like terroir: 地道. When a dish is 地道 it means it's native, done like how it's done within its original region, complete with the process, culture, taste of the land etc.

[@cyruschang1904]

Nope. 地道 means authentic or not modified, and it is an adjective. Terroir is a noun, it refers to all the factors collectively that contribute to and thereby give the characteristics of the wines or cheeses from a certain region. It is kind of like 風水

[@kushastea3961]

@@cyruschang1904 风水 means something else entirely. The most common phrases I can think of in Chinese referring to how the region affects the food is 南橘北枳. There is also 一方水土养一方人, but that refers more to cultural differences. 地道 does mean authentic, but what makes the dish authentic? 地 refers to the region, its agriculture and produce, 道 means the way, as in the way the dish is prepared, cooked, and served within the region. In this aspect I think terroir fits, since the authenticity is dependant on the terroir of the dish. Also 风水 is a noun, too. Just saying.

[@Street_French]

@kush astea aaah so interesting :))

[@shaokunmeng2302]

Cyrus Chang I have to agree with you. 风水 sounds more right but we kinda don’t use this word where terroir is situated tho. I guess terroir does NOT have an exact translation in Chinese after all

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

Like when Anthony Bourdain used the word "terroir" because there's no equivalent in English.

[@christianjarvis167]

Repère could be "bearings" or "rock" as in "I've lost my bearings on life" or "He was my rock before he died".

[@Street_French]

yeah that's it! I didn't know about bearings^^ I learned it in the comment section :)))

[@Street_French]

answering your comments : - "culture shock" is different, we say "choc culturel" and it's too brutal and mostly negative. "Homesick" doesn't work either because it's negative again, when you're dépaysé you don't miss home at all. "Dépaysement" is a good thing :) - and yeah " I lost my bearings" is good^^ I didn't know that expression, my bad - "To wander" works but it doesn't have the same historical and cultural background. "Flâner" is really connected to discovering the Arts (flea markets, galeries, exhibitions, boutiques, architecture etc...) ----- Check out our Instagram for DAILY French posts : @street_french FREE French e-Course: www.StreetFrench.org

[@cindland]

StreetFrench.org I’m also glad that you bring up these kinds of examples so we can learn more about the spoken language and culture! I’m taking French in college and they have to follow the program, so I haven’t been able to start speaking real conversations yet!

[@petersmith2040]

The English word for Flâner is "To Wander."

[@Street_French]

@Fux News :)

[@Street_French]

@Fux News oui ça c'est les autres sens du mot ^^

[@arlechino2]

"stroll" or "amble", I think rather.

[@brianfraneysr.5326]

Native Inuit have many words for “snow”. Each one has a “shade” of meaning describing the types of snow, in the same manner as the French “grumble”

[@Street_French]

haha ah and similarly I think in Japan they have many different words for the rain.

[@Mercure250]

@@Street_French pluie, averse, bruine, tempête, déluge, ondée, orage, crachin, or even précipitation... not to mention "il pleut des clous", "il pleut des cordes", and the oh-so-classy "il pleut comme vache qui pisse" We do have our fair share of words and expressions for "rain" in French too hehe (Maybe a heritage from Brittany? Just kidding)

[@lesphinxinfotech9180]

@@Mercure250 ici au Québec on peut dire aussi : Y mouille à bouère deboute ! hihi ;0)

[@Mercure250]

@@lesphinxinfotech9180 T'as ben raison, chose, je l'avais oubliée celle-là héhé

[@Alex_Plante]

Also missing are physical terms such as débit and élan. Débit can be translated as rate of flow or flow rate, and élan is vaguely similar to momentum. In French, on the other hand, you cannot say litter as a verb. The noun exists, but not the verb to litter.

[@Street_French]

ah yeah those are great examples thank you! :)

[@david.e.miller]

"Chanter en yaourt" is an interesting expression that is useful for me. I write English language lyrics for a French composer/singer, and we often discuss the fact that Europeans may sing a song we write without knowing the meaning of the lyrics. I do at least post the lyrics on my Facebook page so that anyone who is interested can read the words while listening to one of our songs.

[@Street_French]

ah so interesting :):)

[@NicholasAlm]

To be fair many native English speakers also sing English songs without understanding the lyrics. I wander if I can get "To sing about yogurt" to catch on

[@brookepablo7617]

Not sure how I came upon your channel but found it intriguing. Really appreciate the captions.

[@Street_French]

ah cool welcome to our channel haha^^

[@LambentIchor]

_repere_ would mostly translate as bearing. So to lose your bearings. From the concrete reference points as in French it can mean getting confused and lost, it is also used when you don't know where you are in life, or during a particular time.

[@_melts]

Or even "cornerstone" when in its about a person.

[@louisrialland2527]

isnt it like... point of reference

[@Street_French]

@lambent ichor, I cool thank you ! is it a common expression or is it something that people don't say as much anymore ?

[@louisrialland2527]

@@Street_French Its definitely something that is still very much used, but for a sort of specific thing so it isnt used much. If you say it no one will get confused haha.

[@heatherlavigne7927]

I agree. We would say, “I lost my bearings” or “I need to find my bearing”.

[@procrastination2204]

For perdre ses repères, you can say "to lose one's bearings" and for the part about someone being your "repère," you can say that they are your rock. Like "he was my rock."

[@lohphat]

Flâner = ramble in English. It's a bit archaic but it exists in poetry and older jazz songs. It refered to walking aimlessly. It's not as random as "wander". It also has a modern meaning to talk excessively as in "she rambled on for hours about her vacation".

[@dees3179]

There is also the relatively modern ramblers association which has sort of injected more purpose into the ramble.

[@Street_French]

ah yeah I guess the video should be called "that don't exist in English language used nowadays" or something like that :) I'm sure there's some kind of translation for all these words if you check in literary and formal English^^ But thanks I didn't know about the other meaning of the word to ramble :))

[@hamish8444]

I would not call American English "standard English". If anything, English from England is what standard English is technically, and there, as well as in places like Australia where I am from, the English language has not lost its flavour. Words that Americans might think are old and not in use are common in places like England, New Zealand, Australia and I'm guessing many other Commonwealth Nations. Americans ditched the English during the War or Independence and in my humble opinion what passes for English there is a dumbed down version of the language. Because we don't know something does not mean it does not exist, and potentially there are well read people in the US with a much wider vocabulary, I don't know of them, but that doesn't mean they don't exist ;) .

[@lohphat]

@@hamish8444 American English has fewer dramatic dialectical differences compared to England and has he benefit of Noah Webster's attempt at normalizing spelling. The reach and influence of American English is much broader economically and geographically than is the waning influence of London on the world stage due to its current insistence on leaving the EU single market. Elections have consequences on global influence unfortunately. More of the world consumes American made media therefore that accent and dialect has more influence simply by the economies of scale. Sushi and ramen may have originated in Japan but more of it exists in the US simply due to scale. More Japanese restaurants are owned by non -Japanese that doesn't mean it's not Japanese food and that it can only exist or originate in Japan. Even California rolls now exist on menus in Japan.

[@23Stork]

I'd say wander has a more similar meaning that's still used commonly. I mean you can wander somewhere specifically but there is absolutely no urgency implied.

[@dartagnandebatz3304]

The examples was the most part of this good lesson....merci !

[@Street_French]

de rien ! :)

[@k.monteil...asalon9357]

Bonjour, the word you were looking for 'le relief' is: the typography (the 'y' makes the sound as in 'eye', as opposed to 'eeee'). I think you are bringing very good content to the world with your videos. I also like your kind and gentle way you give your critiques. Merci

[@Street_French]

Thanks for that! it means a lot :))

[@wanderlust16]

Great video, thank you. I was hoping to hear my favourite word in choosing this video: epanouir/epanouissement! Maybe it could be included in a part 2? You could also include etre ecoeurer/ ecoeurant too.

[@peterdavidson3268]

I think the English word you are searching for @ 2:20 is "topography"?

[@weswright7888]

i would translate "le terroir" as country/territory. Because "country" is a rural area, and territory cuts it off from being all country, and makes it so you're talking a specific area in the country. For example; "This wine came from a country territory (or "territory in the country") with perfect weather" (idk lol). I'm sure most english people will know what you mean if you said that. But it sounds so exact, and descriptive, that it would probably only be used in documentaries or something like that

[@jasondipinto9284]

Yes, “territory” seems quite close.

[@roots_and_ruin]

I see a lot of people saying that 'ramble' is equivalent to 'flâner' but I would argue that 'wander' is closer. In the UK at least, rambling is associated more with going on planned, mapped out walks in the countryside. You see 'ramblers' with maps, compasses etc who can tell you exactly where they are going. Whereas if you wander, there is no goal or planned route.

[@Street_French]

ah interesting that's for your insight^^

[@YonatanZunger]

Definitely a US/UK thing. In the US, rambling implies a lack of direction like wandering, but implies something much more long-term - eg the archetype of the "ramblin' man" from films like "Easy Rider," who has no fixed home and is just permanently traveling from one place to another. Definitely agree that "wander" is closer.

[@oscarhocklee]

So, there is a pretty exact cognate in 'amble': dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ambling - like 'ramble', but more leisurely and with the connotation of being relaxed.

[@iain349]

Awesome video! I love terroir. What a great word. In Australia we have 'bumpuff' as a slang term for smoking without inhaling :)

[@Street_French]

ah thank you ! :):) Cool word thanks for sharing^^

[@richardbevan23]

There's a word that means the same as "frileux/euse" in English, but I think it's quite colloquial to certain regions. I'd never heard it until my wife first used it when we started dating. The word is "nesh" - if you're nesh, you always feel the cold. I think it came from her parents/grandparents who were originally from the Lancashire area.

[@Street_French]

ah interesting, I've never heard that word before ^^

[@19Edurne]

In French, we also use the expression "avoir du sang de navet" (to have turnip blood, to be turnip bloodied) to speak about someone who complains that it's too cold when everyone around thinks the temperature is just fine.

[@richardbevan23]

@@19Edurne that's a new one for me - it makes no sense, but I like it! 😁

[@19Edurne]

@@richardbevan23 This one is rather bland compared to a number of French colorful colloquialisms I have collected (and translated to English for someone else). It has become quite the collection along the years; some I only heard my parents use. Some are frankly gross but they are all rather funny. So I have plenty more of those where that came from. :)

[@richardbevan23]

@@19Edurne well now you've piqued my interest!! 😄

[@saadetisildar2951]

Very interesting. I am a new subscriber and have been binge watching your videos. Your lessons are never boring, keep up the good work 👍

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

There are times I've "sung in yogurt" trying to sing along phonetically to French rock songs... fortunately that usually happens when I'm alone.

[@Street_French]

hahaha^^

[@ConstructiveMinds100]

superb compilation. merci a lot

[@Street_French]

de rien ! :)

[@amelia.landry]

J’ai jamais entendu le mot “frileuse” et quand tu l’a dit j’ai pensé instantanément: ça - c’est ça! Merci much love from Texas (us Texans really hate the cold mdr!)

[@gustru2078]

Impressive french, have a like :)

[@amelia.landry]

Gustru Awh merci je l’apprends depuis 4 ans maintenant!!

[@candidajohn6727]

J'habite en Grenade, aux Caraïbes et je suis frileuse lol

[@jrbleau]

I could add "Rayonner" - like to shine out, radiate influence or make your existence or reputation known over a wide area and "encâdrer", which is to provide structured training or guidance.

[@Street_French]

ah interesting! thanks for sharing :) I'll probably make a part 2 at some point^^

[@armoricain]

I am a French guy who has lived in the USA for 35 years, I had never heard the verb "crapoter", and I had no clue there was such an expression as "Chanter en yaourt"! And I have always had a hard time finding an equivalent to the adjective "frileux(se)" in English! By the way, I just thought of the verb "falloir" which has no equivalent in English either!

[@Street_French]

ah oui vous êtes pas le seul français à dire qu'ils n'ont jamais entendu parler de certaines expressions de la vidéo. pour moi c'est des mots plutôt communs. and et oui falloir c'est pas mal c'est vrai !

[@armoricain]

@@Street_French C'est peut-être parce que je suis originaire de Bretagne que je ne connaissais pas ces expressions, il faut probablement être parigot pour les connaître! Ha ha ha!!!

[@Street_French]

@@armoricain haha oui on a tous nos expressions régionales :))

[@arnaud1960]

Je l'ai toujours dit de mon père qui fumait sans avaler la fumée, la honte totale. Il crapote !!!

[@charliethomas2217]

In reference to "les repères / perdre ses repères" i would refer to something/someone who grounds me as my "anchor" because they keep me in one place even though the "waters of life" try to move me around. It's probably not exactly the same, but that's what came to mind when i reached that point in the video.

[@svenhanse1028]

You speak English so well. I hope to someday speak French with as much accuracy . How did you learn English so well? Have you ever lived in the US for an extended period?

[@Street_French]

ah thank you so much :) no I've never lived in the US. English was my favourite subject in school. Languages have been a passion since I was a kid I guess :)) I talked about it in this video if you want to know more ^^ (just skip the first 2 minutes of the video there's an add) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZKbf4qFjdKDsM0

[@michaelhalsall5684]

English originated in England. English is the FIRST language of many Europeans countries from Ireland to Britain to Malta. Many people from France live and study in Britain and learn their English there!

[@noury8887]

Great vidéo as usual. Last week i was texting someone from France an she said "n'importe quoi" and i didn't understand the meaning so now because of you i completely understand.. Thank you 😍

[@guillaumelaguerre7201]

There's also "le regard" which is a beautiful word that has no exact translation in English.

[@Street_French]

ah yeah so true!! that'll go in PART 2 haha

[@franzgothamberg8584]

Maybe "gaze" ?

[@louisrobitaille9384]

« Flâner » has an English translation: « to loiter ». In Canada, we have bilingual signs that say: « No loitering/ Pas de flânage ».

[@Street_French]

ah so interesting!

[@lydiafife8716]

One of my favorite expressions in French that can’t really be translated is « ça c’est pas un cadeau! » or sometimes when « par exemple » doesn’t mean for example

[@Street_French]

haha yeah that's a good example ^^

[@thereandbachagain5285]

You might enjoy this one: "Il vaut mieux l'avoir en portrait qu'en pension !" Expression you can use about someone that you notice eats a lot. I've no idea how to translate it.

[@pinkville]

Great video. There are a couple of words in English that come close to flâner... "drift", in a rural/non-urban context, and "wander", in any context. But it's true that nothing has quite the same sense as flâner. As for perdre ses repères... "lose one's bearings" comes closest, and that person who is one's repère could be called (metaphorically), one's "rock"

[@kjsldkjfsdf]

I would love your input on this one: I lived in france for awhile and as an american I had a hell of a time figuring out how you guys use the word "normalement". The literal translation of course is "normally", but the way it's used in France doesn't ever really seem to mean that. It doesn't directly translate to "normally" or "usually" and the exact meaning is still kind of a mystery to me. As of now my best guess is that it usually means "if all goes according to plan". for example, "le bus arrive à 11h normalement" ou "t'es libre ce weekend?" "ouais normalement". What's your take as a native? Is "if all goes according to plan" an equal translation? Merci bcp pour les videos!

[@Navyt17]

Yeah I think "if all goes according to plan" is a fine translation, you could also say "most likely" or "should" as in "the bus should arrive at 11"

[@misterguts]

Had you ever heard the song "florence en italie" by Yelle? I wonder if that song is an expression of dépaysement ? Check out the performance on KEXP, April 2015.

[@Street_French]

ah interesting, yeah I think a little bit^^

[@ExElliexE]

Some things that came to me while watching, but they may not be perfect translations: Terroir - Territory/terrain Dépaysement - Displacement (to be a fish out of water) Flâne - Amble/meander/wander Chanter en yaourt - sing in gibberish Repères - bearings/To loose your bearings

[@Steve-ml8nl]

The English translation of Frileux is Nesh

[@themore-you-know]

Dépayser literally means "un-country" or "un-nation". (Pays being Nation)

[@carolyn90272]

Another very helpful video! Thank you! 💐The best translation for terroir is: regional specialties, the local cuisine : )

[@alcurtis93]

Amble is a good word for flâner

[@EwanChung]

Dépaysé is similar to "transported" in English when it comes to travel. Also not negative in meaning.

[@davidshay4233]

I feel the same kinda with French music I don't really listen to American much new music say 5 years but I love French music my top 3 have to be gims lacrim and damso

[@Street_French]

ah cool ^^

[@waziotter]

One other good one: combienieme. The closest I can think of is “the how manyth “. As in “c’est le combienieme fois qu’il a pose la meme question?!”

[@Street_French]

aah great example !! :):):)

[@Manticore44]

Umpteenth?

[@waziotter]

@@Manticore44 that means something different - it has happened an indeterminate but large number of times. Combienieme usually relates to a specific number, which doesn't have to be large. So something like "C'est the combienieme fois que PSG a gagne ligue un?

[@EwanChung]

@@Manticore44 Yes. Sometimes you still see/hear "nth".

[@Matty88K]

Do you use 'roussepeter' (spelling?) for grumble? In english for 'relief' we might say 'the lay of the land' or the landscape. For lose one's bearings we might also say we don't have a point of reference. I remember french people using 'être pommé' to mean lost. I am wrong about that?

[@Street_French]

roussepeter is kind of oldfashion, no one who's in their 30s or younger would say that, not that I've heard at least. Personnally I never use that word. être pommé is a good expression but it means to be lost, it's different from "perdre ses repères"

[@uasj2]

But when we stole France’s wine and cheese production techniques, we stole the word “terroir” along with it! (Imitation being the greatest form of flattery.) It’s an English word in every dictionary, unlike any of the other words you presented in this video, and my iPad is not trying to correct it as I type it. You will find it used on the back of most bottles of Australian wines for example: “The Bay of Fires has the highest winter rainfall of the Tasmanian grape-growing areas and its terroir is supported by rich, red ferrosol soils.” I should add though that the word is specialised in English and stripped of some of the deeper, more general meaning you mentioned. I can perhaps imagine someone saying that an author’s novels reflect the terroir of Tasmania, but it would be an uncommon use of analogy. The Australian concept of terroir is really rooted only in the physical aspects of geology, topology, etc. and it would be rare to apply it to the people and towns of a region of Australia.

[@Street_French]

ah cool didn't know that :)

[@timdiggle5090]

Perdre les reperes = to lose your bearings. If you are sailing or flying or hiking in a mountain range you measure the angles and distances to fixed reference points such as a mountain peak or a GPS satellite (the bearings) and from those results you work out your position. If you have "lost your bearings" it means that you do not know where you are.

[@Street_French]

ah great! I didn't know this expression, thanks :):) is it something people still say these days? Or could it be a little old fashion?

[@timdiggle5090]

@@Street_French Still quite common in UK English.

[@Street_French]

@@timdiggle5090 ok good to know :))

[@cloealcaria5538]

Flaner = wandering . Dans ton exemple, 'flaner à Montmartre', on peut dire en anglais 'wandering around Montmartre'.

[@Street_French]

ah ok thank you my bad^^

[@mikesum32]

Also ramble.

[@trorisk]

To wander is more se promener. When you say "flâner à Montmartre" it means you go around shops without buying anything, watching people walk and enjoy life. There really is a central idea of pleasant futility of looking around.

[@tzu-huisherryyang9251]

Or roaming.

[@crazynance]

Great explanations. Je veux flâner à Ville Québec...

[@Roosyer]

5:48 In Spanish you'd say "Friolento (masc.) or Friolenta (fem.) :-)

[@Street_French]

ah cool :):)

[@sarahkeegan602]

Hi there, do you mind sharing the name of the podcast about wine that you mentioned in this video please

[@uasj2]

I would translate “repères” as English “bearings” perhaps in some of your examples: “I was confused by the language in Switzerland. I listened hard but I just couldn’t get my bearings.”

[@Sevrmark]

Was going to post the same thing.

[@paullyons7621]

I was thinking 'anchor' or 'anchor point,' but 'bearings' works too. Both navigational metaphors, and not too far removed from the cartesian coordinates meaning of repères, FWIW.

[@Oxmustube]

Exactly!

[@JackOQuin]

In mathematical English, it would be a "frame of reference". That describes an origin, and its XYZ components.

[@bird1962]

c'est quoi votre problème avec les langues en suisse ? ps je plaisante......c 'est vrai que l'on est compliquer avec nos 4 langues officielles....... salutations

[@tanc_]

"Terroir" have a different meaning for different things. From the really good youtube channel VinStache, for wine Terroir is a mix of Soil, Climate, and know-how. This comment was just to say that VinStache is a really great youtube channel talking about wine but very dynamic and well made.

[@Street_French]

ah trop cool, I'll go check out that channel :)

[@PlethoraShae]

Repères- like “lose your bearings” in English

[@Street_French]

oui merci ! I learned that expression in the comments, I didn't know it before ^^

[@ellsyd]

Or lose your way.

[@veraciteabsolue1221]

Frileux also means shy/not daring

[@Street_French]

oui c'est vrai ^^

[@IndexaTranscendantal]

"Crapoter" is also used for to describe how to smoke a cigar properly. Most cigarettes smokers dont know how to smoke a real cigar ...

[@Street_French]

ah yes true! :)

[@joykim467]

Instantly subscribed! These words were trop interesting!! Merci 😍

[@Street_French]

ow cool thanks ! glad you enjoyed the video! and welcome to our channel haha^^

[@markholm6955]

Terroir - I use to be really into wines - so I’ve know this word for a very long time - all the California wine makers use this term.

[@Street_French]

ah great :)

[@Laudon1228]

Relief = terrain? Terrain means , ls the ground hilly, rocky, swampy, mountainous, etc.

[@iksandrr]

In Spanish, we have “frioliento” too

[@Street_French]

ah cool ^^

[@prasadg5768]

Plus de vidéos comme ça, svp ! 👍👍 merci beaucoup !

[@Street_French]

ok !:):)

[@WinterlyHeights]

For "Je perds mes repères", in English we say, "I'm losing my bearings"

[@Street_French]

ah yeah thanks ! I didn't know about that expression ^^

[@caden-reynolds]

yeah english sort of split it into two terms because the other usage has an equivalent in, for instance, someone being your "rock" linguistics be like

[@hannahjenkinson2251]

Frileux has a perfect translation in the word "nesh" which is an English dialectal word used mostly in Staffordshire (but also across other areas of the Midlands and North)

[@Street_French]

ah cool ! :)

[@saludosalsol]

I’m American and I’ve never heard this word in my life 😂

[@Euph3mia]

@@saludosalsol It’s used in England, not the US - that’s why they mentioned Staffordshire, an English county :)

[@sachab6098]

"Chanter en yaourt" - I do it. I like being able to sing the songs I like. But then people I know dont like it because I cant tell them what it means. XD But it's good for your brain- if you can listen to a foreign language and pick out each subtle sound involved in pronunciation, that's great!

[@Street_French]

haha true^^

[@tomtheplummer7322]

When I was in High School the French foreign exchange student, she flocked to me at the beach. I had been in Quebec. Also Cajun. She was very tall. She taught me these words.

[@Street_French]

ah cool ^^

[@StuartSimon]

We have the words “wander” or “meander” that could work as translations of “flâner.”

[@dudeidontcare3430]

@Fux News Tourists are bums with money

[@Theinternalrewrite]

Sure. I'd happily go for a wander and see where I end up.

[@mrhelzbygrad7485]

In Lancashire we say "we are going for a gander" looking to find things in the town

[@ewagswho6885]

There is a word, kind of, in English for but it's primarily used in the literary world: mondegreen, a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near-homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. Now, it's not an exact translation, but it hits very close to the mark. A good example of a mondegreen is a line from the song "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix. In it, Hendrix sings the line, "excuse me while I kiss the sky." It has been erroneously heard and interpreted as "excuse me while I kiss this guy" for decades. Can you think of any examples?

[@Street_French]

ah interesting but it's still a bit different. here's an example of someone who "chante en yaourt". at the beginning or this sketch : kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqSqpImDeNtqiZY or here, even while reading the lyrics it can be "yaourt" haha : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYjWg6Bpf7ejsJI

[@philiplane108]

"J'ai perdu mes reperes." How about: "I've lost my bearings"?

[@Street_French]

yeah that's it ! I didn't know that expression, my bad! :)

[@richardbevan23]

@@Street_French I like "discombobulated". My 6 year old uses this a lot which always makes me laugh :-)

[@Street_French]

@@richardbevan23 haha cute ^^

[@Zdrange03]

I think this expression doesn't sound as common and colloquial as perdre ses repères.

[@racineurr.8924]

@@Street_French what about "I lost my way". That suits the bill.

[@andaleebtobaccowala6449]

Terrain refers mostly to the physical aspect of an area. In French terroir seems to cover much more, I feel

[@saludosalsol]

Terroir sounds like it means the essence or spirit of the land/terrain. In Spanish the word Tierra sounds so similar but it doesn’t have the same connotation, it mostly means earth/soil.

[@cleanbreast]

Une traduction parfaite de "râler" serait le verbe "to whinge", assez courant en anglais britannique..

[@Street_French]

ah cool je connaissais pas ce mot ^^

[@Andrewtafelklavier]

Or to rail against something

[@philiplane108]

'Whinge',en effet. Le mot est original de l'Australie.

[@paullyons7621]

@Jerry Donohue Ouai. En Australie et en Nouvelle Zélande, on parle des 'whingeing poms'. 'Poms' signifie les Anglais - et souvent, mais pas toujours, le mot est utilisé avec dérision.

[@notthatnick5546]

French Canadian here. I would say “dépaysement” is a bitter-sweet word that can sometimes even be very positive. For example, let’s say a travelling agency is selling trips in a foreign country with very particular traditions and customs. On their brochure, they might write: “Dépaysement garanti!”. Basically, it means they guarantee you will feel somewhat lost, but in a good way. Interesting fact: in Quebec, being "frileux" or "frileuse" can also mean that you are cautious, hesitant. No idea if it's the same in France, though. :D

[@Street_French]

ah yeah I totally agree, that's what I wanted to explain when I was saying that we long for that feeling of dépaysement. It's even a selling point for travel agencies LOL ! and yeah in France it's also used to say cautious etc... I totally forgot to talk about it ^^

[@thierryf67]

"Frileux/euse" can be used also in this meaning in France.

[@soufienework5139]

We have the same meanings in France .. exactly as you described ...

[@blaketaylor8863]

My teacher teanslated "n'import quoi / qui / où" as whatever, whoever, whenever :D

[@Street_French]

yeah it works, but "n'importe quoi" has soooo many more meanings^^ especially in spoken French, everyday colloquial expressions

[@houbsta]

@@Street_French "whatever" can be used in so many ways. It's frequently used with lots of strong sarcasm or ironic tones

[@jonwesick2844]

As an English equivalent to les reperes, Navy veterans will say, "I lost the bubble." This references the instrument (like a carpenter's level) that tells if a submarine is level. It has a bubble floating in a liquid.

[@Street_French]

ah so interesting!! love that expression^^

[@thierryf67]

@@Street_French we say also in french "perdre le Nord" (to loose the North) a reference to the north needle in a compass.

[@James-nr1fl]

En anglais du nord, on dit "nesh" pour dire "frileux"... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nesh

[@david.e.miller]

Perhaps frileux could be translated as cold-natured?

[@Street_French]

ah cool didn't know that :):)

[@Dragonfyre2009]

@@david.e.miller That's exactly it!

[@collieclone]

@@david.e.miller You'll also hear (normally of a woman?) She's a cold pie. But maybe that's only Scottish!

[@david.e.miller]

@@collieclone It may be Scottish. But, in any event, I'm not familiar with the expression.

[@soph9683]

for "flâner", I think the best translation I could come up with is "wander aimlessly", but that implies a sense of stress or a feeling of being lost.

[@DrewMakepeace]

I'm chiming in from Canada's wine country where the word 'terroir' is increasingly used in English in the context of grape growing.

[@Street_French]

ah cool interesting I didn't know that :):)

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

Yup, I can confirm .... and in the US too, I mean, it's spreading

[@StuartSimon]

StreetFrench.org It sounds like a useful word to borrow, and not just for viticulture.

[@janehowarth6155]

I'm really enjoying your videos. Something you'll be interested to know about Swedish - they use lots of French words !! I think they came from the time when French was considered sophisticated and the nobility spoke French to impress so the words refer often to what could have been considered 'luxury' words at that time rather than basic words. Although they are pronounced like French they are written in a Swedish way so if you read the words and don't speak Swedish you would have no idea what they mean: eg fåtölj - fauteuil trottoar - trottoir atelje - atelier adjö - adieu pjäs - piece (de theatre) nivå - niveau BUT genre which is pronounced genre in English is pronounced something like hanga in Swedish. WHY??? I think if you know English and German it's easy to read basic Swedish. Then sophisticated words are often latin based so that's OK if you have French. It's just the pronunciation and intonation which is difficult.

[@toralundin5869]

Nice! Flanera (flâner) is aslo a word we adopted from french!

[@allthebeesaredead188]

En anglais (au Pays de Galles) on dit 'bimble' pour 'flâner', c'est la même chose en fait. en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/bimble

[@Street_French]

ah cool merci ! :) C'est vrai que je ne connais pas très bien les mots très British. Je parle un anglais standard plutôt américain haha

[@orioncordelle4741]

Walkabout in Australian English

[@armoricain]

@@orioncordelle4741 Ah ha, NOW we´re talking, I can really "feel" this English verb is the closest to the French verb "flâner".

[@zeryphex]

3:58 dépaysement I looked-up "dépayser" which means to move someone from their usual land/region/country/place/territory/nation/etc ... also, to disorient ... also, to give change-of-scenery. In the sense of dépaysement ("feeling of being in a foreign country") ... in English, one could say: I feel homesick; I feel disoriented; I feel misplaced; I feel displaced; I feel different; I feel foreign; I feel lost; I feel out-of-place; I feel like I don't belong here; etc.

[@Street_French]

ah yeah it's still way different from those words. when you're "dépaysé" you don't miss home at all so "Homesick" doesn't work because it's negative. Same for all the other words : displaced, lost, etc... "Dépaysement" is a good thing :)

[@zeryphex]

@@Street_French I see! ... so ... a positive sense of refreshment? ... a refreshing change-of-scenery? Something that is "refreshing" usually is a desirable and positive feeling. In English, maybe "feeling refreshed" or "feeling renewed" ... having one's eyes opened ... expanding one's horizons ... or the English word "wanderlust" (enjoying traveling and not staying in one place). Google's direct translation is "change of scenery" ... or you could shorten it as "scenery change" ... similar to the English phrase "out with the old, in with the new" ... or could say "experiencing something new" ... "experiencing a new land/country/etc" ... feeling amazed (of this new land) ... in wonder (of this new land) ... in awe (of this new land) ... wanting to explore new land/country/region/etc.

[@Street_French]

@@zeryphex There's no use to find the perfect translation because there's none haha but yes it's being in a country far away from home ( could be town, nature...) and everything feels very different and foreign but it's a good thing, you're amazed and soaking in everything you see.

[@EwanChung]

Comme j'ai écrit au-dessus..."transported" is probably the closest approximation.

[@Soclean07]

French language apparently has a wider vocabulary than English from what I see, there seem to be more words to describe very specific things

[@Street_French]

ah no there are many english words that don't exist in French either. it's all context and culture here I guess ^^

[@Soclean07]

@@Street_French yes you right because every langugages have their own words to say this or that, but I mean in general in french to say 1 thing you can use 10 differents words sometimes which is not really the case in english, it makes me think that french is first of all more complex and maybe more expressive in general.

[@christopherdieudonne]

As much as I love French, it definitely doesn't have the vocabulary range that English has. While this video features some very fine examples of words that don't exist in English, English has WAY MORE words that don't exist in French.

[@Street_French]

@@christopherdieudonne is it a competition? haha what does it prove to have more words? if having a lot of compound words like "lightheaded", "living room", "strawberry" "fireman" "notebook" is considered a word then cool ^^ we can't do that in French but English is filled with words like that which is interesting. It really makes the language so malleable^^ Let's just enjoy each language for what they are ^^

[@christopherdieudonne]

@@Street_French It's not a competition at all. Just pointing out a fact. LOL. I am the *biggest* francophile in the world ! No one loves French more than me. 😊

[@DanWestonX]

An English word "reciprocate" that Belgian has ("réciproquer") but for which French needs three words "rendre le pareil". Any reason why?

[@J2C3V3]

On dit: "rendre la pareille." Je me demande si réciproquer n'est pas un anglicisme.

[@arlechino2]

Well, crapoter you can keep, but for "terroir" thank you very much--it's ours now. We have terroir too.

[@Street_French]

haha ok^^

[@anonymelv9881]

Another meaning of frileux/frileuse is when someone is afraid to do something, hesitate. La frilosité is quite often a kind of hesitation.

[@thierryf67]

that's strange... i'm french, but never heard "chanter en yaourt".

[@benoitstemarie4825]

moé non-plus... lollllllllllllll

[@benoitstemarie4825]

De toute façon, on ne dit pas Yaourt ici (Canada-français) mais Yogourt...

[@thierryf67]

@@benoitstemarie4825 En France, les deux orthographes sont utilisées. Mais même en remplaçant par yogourt ou toute autre référence lactée... jamais entendu. Ou l'avez vous entendu StreetFrench ? Merci.

[@benoitstemarie4825]

@@thierryf67 J'avais jamais entendu cette expression là non-plus : "Chanter en yaourt"... c'est sûrement une expression d'un certain "Terroir".... LOL 😉😋

[@boumbomagic]

@@thierryf67tout le monde dit ça quand on ne connait pas les paroles d'une chanson (particulièrement dans une langue étrangère) on chante en yaourt... J'imagine qu'il faut avoir moins de 55 ans pour connaître cette expression haha

[@Mai-ala]

Vous pouvez fair une vidéo sur "quoi" à la fin de la phrase?

[@Street_French]

ok ! :)

[@silviagarciaoria1068]

J'adore l'expression " N 'importe quoi"

[@Street_French]

:))

[@mmameo9445]

Merci, c'est trop bien vos vidéos 💛

[@Street_French]

ah de rien :))

[@cindland]

We do have depaysement in English. It’s “displaced”. You feel foreign and out of place, not like any other where you are.

[@Street_French]

ah yeah it's not exactly the same, "displaced" is mostly negative. You never want to feel displaced, whereas there's something beautiful and nice about being "dépaysé" ^^

[@psychicvacuum83]

I actually thought of the expression "culture shock" that is kind of close to "dépaysement", though I believe it's mostly negative as well.

[@mature111ster]

I was literally thinking this when I heard the word. It's not necesarily negative either, since it gives a feeling of being out of place, I think this could be a synonym.

[@cindland]

StreetFrench.org there IS another usage but it is not negative. It’s as you explained l the French version. We are alike in many ways!

[@cindland]

Tony McLean exactly what I meant. 🤩

[@yvessioui2716]

Nice feeling about you including 'bougonner'. C'est encore très fréquent au Québec. It means approximately 'being displeased by something and making it known in a passive way avec des expressions faciales de résistance et d'enfermement (langage corporel).

[@taylorfaucett7187]

An English version of "Flâner" would be "ramble". It's not common in US English but very common in British English.

[@PursuitofKnowledge178]

Lord I was born a rambling man,tryin to make a livin and doing the best I can

[@Street_French]

ah ok cool thanks :):) I guess I speak a more American english so if I missed the British English translation, that's why ^^

[@echobend6]

Meander is one that came to mind too.

[@elixhernandez1]

Kimberly Wright Also wander comes to mind.

[@uasj2]

In Australian English we never use “ramble” in the British sense to refer to “walking purposefully in the countryside”. It is most common in the figurative sense of “to talk aimlessly without getting to the point” (to go on and on like you may have dementia). So when British people use it to refer to walking it sounds ridiculous to our ears.

[@jen43072]

I wonder if les repères would be close to a 'touchstone' in certain situations?

[@sthneutral2138]

8:10 me when despacito singing to despacito

[@Street_French]

haha exactly! ^^

[@camilleg9838]

Hey Miss teacher, have you ever heard of the french word "néreux" we use in the East of France ? If yes, do you know how to translate it in English ? We say that someone is néreux when the person can't drink from the bottle after someone else did, or eat from the same fork or spoon, or share the same plate : "Il est néreux". If anyone know a translation 🤔

[@Street_French]

ah interesting, no I've never heard that word before. it's probably a regional thing ^^

[@camilleg9838]

@Jean-Luc Grosgeorges Peut-être que ça revient à la mode en Lorraine alors, parce qu'à 16 ans j'entends ce mot partout depuis mon enfance, surtout entre amis. Les Alsaciens ont pê un vocabulaire différent 😋

[@james-p]

The closest word in English I can think of is "germophobe" (a noun). The adjective is "germophobic." He is a germophobe; he is germophobic. (les germes/microbes + phobia - fear/la peur). We use the noun form "he is a germophobe" more. But in English, a germophobe is also always washing his hands, and always cleaning things. So it is probably not an exact translation for the person you describe, but it is what we call that person. Here in the US, Howard Hughes was a famous germophobe. Mais néreux pourrait être trop français pour traduire ;-)

[@henrygoleau]

"Adieu", il n'y a pas d'équivalent en anglais. "Farewell" pourrait s'en approcher mais "Adieu" a un sens définitif que "Farewell" n'a pas.

[@Street_French]

ah intéressant :)

[@DannySwizz]

Je dirais qu'un simple "Goodbye" dans le contexte d'un "Adieu" partage le même sentiment. C'est très rare d'entendre "Goodbye" dans une autre situation (on dirait plutôt "Bye" quand on s'attend à se revoir).

[@bobbiusshadow6985]

In Spanish .. Adios

[@armoricain]

@@bobbiusshadow6985 as a matter of fact, it is exactly what it means in French... however, "Adieu" has a connotation of finality that "Adios" does not have, "Adios" is "Au revoir" in French, which means that two persons will see each other again, whereas two persons saying "Adieu" to each other will never see each other ever again!

[@kathych1274]

So, how can we say ‘whatever’ in neutral way like in English? For example, if I want to tell my friend that she can choose whatever she wants, can I use ‘n’importe quoi’ ?

[@Street_French]

ah you can't say "n'importe quoi in that situation". for that example you'll have to say "comme tu veux" (as you want, whatever you like...)

[@kathych1274]

StreetFrench.org Ah, thank you so much. I love your channel because you always made the points that are the common problems for French learners but many teachers don’t talk about :)