Everyday French phrases I learned only AFTER moving to France

Salut, tout le monde! In this video, I teamed up with Alex of @French in Plain Sight for a video all about common French phrases you'll hear in France but ones we didn't learn in school. We're talking about 6 French phrases we learned only after moving to France, so let us know below if you can relate and any other phrases that have left you scratching your head when you first heard them.
Be sure to check out our collab on Alex's channel where we talked about things we do that slow down our French progress: • Don't do these 3 thing...
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Salut! I'm Diane, the American behind the living abroad lifestyle blog Oui In France. My channel's focus is "Everyday French life and beyond," so let me know what you want to see! I make videos on French culture topics, food, travel, language, and give you my thoughts about what it's like as a foreigner in the Loire Valley. Thanks for being here and if you enjoy this sort of thing, please share with friends and subscribe!
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[@OuiInFrance]

Bonjour, tout le monde! Are there any other phrases that tripped you up like the ones we mentioned and that you only learned AFTER moving to France? Tell me in the comments! Also, be sure to check out our collab on Alex's channel where we talked about things we do that slow down our French progress: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6K5gYNogLihh7M Merci!

[@vincTarbes]

C'est pour Alex !!! "Avez vous trouvez votre bonheur ?" n'est pas une phrase si commune, ça dépend du caractère de la personne (du vendeur)... Mais même à Montpellier on l'entends, je suis sur !!! (I'm french, native of the "true" North (département 59) and who has lived all over France. It's used in all corner of France)...

[@janicedavid-rice5837]

I don’t know if you have done a blog on slang words (argot) but the first time I realised there was more to French than what was taught in school was when they kept saying « bagnole » instead of « voiture « (car).

[@wudgee]

@@janicedavid-rice5837 Thanks I’ve now noted bagnole, I always say voiture so good to know this one 😀

[@severinelehmann5295]

Je suis d accord avec les autres commentaires. "Avez vous trouvé votre bonheur" est une phrase très fréquente. I live in Lyon and i am frensh. This expression is a way to ask you if you have fond what you want, if you are happy of the products or if you help.

[@Catlinel]

Actually, "laissez tomber" is fairly similar to "laisse tomber". The expression itself is colloquial language, both with "tu" and "vous" so it could be a little akward or even rude to use it with someone with whom you're not really familiar because it might sound like a rebutal. The formal form would be more along the line of "Ce n'est pas grave".

[@sanapadsense1999]

I am French and everything Diane says is true like "vous avez trouvé votre bonheur ?" or "vous désirez un apéritif ?" These expressions are very common.

[@Val-T.]

Agree, it's very common, I literally just asked my daughter who came back from the store couple of minutes ago "Tu as trouvé ton bonheur ?".

[@fozzywxman]

I've heard the phrase "Are you happy with everything?" (implied, you found) here in the States. Seems like a loose translation, as well.

[@TheAlex8485]

I am also French and I think this phrase is especially common in dress shops (more feminine place)

[@ly1.072]

I think the "T'inquiète" works fine because in French we wouldn't say "t'inquiète" to say "Worry" we would go for "Inquiète-toi !" So in our brain "t'inquiète" really means nothing except a lazy way to say "Ne t'inquiète pas" since "T'inquiète" is grammaticaly incorrect to say "worry" or "You better worry".

[@BZValoche]

"Ne t'inquiètes* pas", ne pas oublier notre super conjugaison de la mort qui tue :-D

[@magicrtrip5492]

A l'impératif les verbes du premier groupe ne prennent pas de S

[@barfuss2007]

DON´T worry

[@francoisederocher]

One of Emile Zola's most famous novels, about the first Department stores in Paris is called 'Au bonheur des Dames". The expression "trouver son bonheur", which my mother uses, might come from the connection with that big store where women could find everything they desired. Pure speculation, of course, but an interesting literary titbit.

[@ManaPeerfr]

I think it might be the other way around, the expression existing already at that time and the store chosing that name to imply ladies can find everything in it.

[@barfuss2007]

very good point. The comments are better than the channel

[@harrisbuzz]

When I studied in France the most useful word I learned was “truc”. In French classes in the U.S. we were, of course, taught that the French word for “thing” was “chose”, but I rarely heard it used. “Truc” was common.

[@tinkeratlecta8620]

Tes you' re right . But in fact we use truc every time we don't fond the right word .

[@mklasp3342]

That's right. I think that "something I don't know how to tell" should be the accurate definition for "truc"

[@annecolomb980]

haha! my mother is always seeking for the "truc" of the "machin" who get in the "bidule". Very usefull words indeed.EDIT, Machin and Truc with a capital letter are fine for people too, "i invited Machin/Truc at the party".

[@BZValoche]

@@annecolomb980 the ultimate combo is machin truc bidule chouette

[@hopeanne543]

Is 'truc' considered too informal to use on more official or school documents?

[@mathieu3201]

"Laisse tomber" is actually more likely to be rude than not. It is something that may give an impression of disdain toward the person you are speaking to. In the example with the waiter and the drink, it would likely come as "you don't even have that? Forget it, then". If you were trying to explain something, what could come across is "you are too stupid to understand". This expression is something that you should avoid if you don't understand how to make it not rude.

[@rmp7400]

First and only time I heard that phrase, our French professor utilized it - and it actually sounded a most elegant way to communicate the rather ugly Anglicisme: "don't sweat the small stuff"

[@barfuss2007]

laisse tomber les filles - france gall (R.I.P.) 🙂 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIi1dH2eqN9oqpY

[@yannrousseau5437]

Laisse béton, ça devient trop ardu.

[@danieleb.4684]

L’apéritif au restaurant, l’apéro à la maison!

[@PatrickCazaux]

A propos de "avez-vous trouvé votre bonheur ?", c'est effectivement une expression très commune, et je suis surpris qu'Alex ne l'ait jamais entendue. Je pense qu'il faut la comprendre comme une tentative à la fois non-intrusive, plus ou moins poétique et vaguement ironique (comme si le bonheur pouvait tenir à un eye-liner !) de savoir si le client se débrouille tout seul pour trouver ce qu'il est venu cherche ou s'il a besoin d'aide... D'une manière générale, les vendeurs ont tendance à éviter les questions directes comme "en quoi puis-je vous aider ?", "avez-vous trouvé ce que vous cherchiez ?", "avez vous besoin d'autre chose ?" et je ne sais pas vraiment pourquoi ? Peut-être pour ne pas s'impliquer vraiment personnellement (après tout, ce n'est qu'un job, pas un sacerdoce), ou par lassitude, ou pour cette habitude très française de ne pas pénétrer la bulle intime de chacun...

[@asterixalesia5012]

Totalement d'accord avec vous. "Trouver son bonheur" dans un magasin (par exemple) est une expression très courante et très basique. Je suis inquiet qu'un "prof de français" ne la connaisse pas.

[@barfuss2007]

merçi Patrick, très bonnes informations pendant 30 secondes 🙂

[@barfuss2007]

@@asterixalesia5012 serait Gergovia mieux? 🙂

[@franfoucrasart6471]

Avec ceci doesn’t exactly mean “Is that all”… it literally means “with this” which is the contraction of the phrase “Will you take something else with this?” If you don’t want to buy anything else you will answer the common phrase “ Non merci, ce sera tout”. 😃

[@Teri_Berk]

As I was trying to make sense of "avec ceci", that explanation came to the resque! Thx.

[@tougue]

I confirm, "avez-vous/as-tu trouvé votre/ton bonheur" is a super common idiom in French (and Swiss-French)

[@herrahz5894]

Never heard anybody saying that

[@Irulan10]

@@herrahz5894 Well it's kind of fading away. Which is sad. Parce que c'est bien joli :)

[@sckanersfofolle]

This is quite a standard customer service sentence in bigger shops, in my experience like clothing stores (Lafayette, Etam...) Not always used and fading away for sure but still quite standard IMO.

[@jeanisdancing]

@@herrahz5894 I hear it all the time. Sometimes I remark that finding happiness is generally that simple. :)

[@nathanangelus]

About the "tu/vous as/avez trouvé ton/votre bonheur" thing. Yeah, it's a bit old fashionned but still commonly used. Here is another example where to use it. You went to a store and you're coming home then your husband/wife asks you, wondering if you got what you wanted from the store, "Tu as trouvé ton bonheur ?". ^^

[@Free2Shine]

Well done! I am French and you gave me a really good laugh. "Avez-vous trouvé votre bonheur?" Why are they asking me about my happiness? 😂🤣

[@barfuss2007]

its not "happiness" but pleasure. Are you pleased?

[@mayfielcl]

@@barfuss2007 no pleasure is plaisir

[@MichelSLAGMULDER]

it's very intresting to see our casual expressions that seem so strange for foreigners

[@yannrousseau5437]

Notre belle langue peut être très figurative parfois. Donc très '' tricky '' pour les apprenants

[@donp.f.2864]

Thank you so much for explaining the "avec ceci" thing! I lived in France for about 5 1/2 years, and for the first week or two (like you, at the bakery) when they would ask me that, I could never understand what they were even asking! Thanks for mentioning this -- I'm glad to know I'm not the only anglophone who ran into this problem!

[@mchess6141]

Hi ! you can also hear " ce sera tout ? " ( ... ce qu'il vous fallait) which means " Is that all ? ( ... you needed)

[@mborok]

I’ve been to France several times, speak decent French, don’t remember ever hearing this.

[@carlosmendez3955]

I've been in France for about 2 weeks now, and this is the most understood I felt for a while, she had the exact same thoughts I'm baking right now

[@TheCMLion]

I love it when my favorite vloggers get together for videos! So much fun!

[@rushdialrashed9627]

Very true.

[@marydemesy8146]

Bravo, très drôle et tellement vrai… after 75 years in France, it’s a good thing to get back to basics… (I’m British) Keep up the good work

[@mklasp3342]

There is a fourth casual form for "t'inquiètes" that you can use only in a written conversation : this is "tkt".

[@watersnake1462]

Not just in written conversation, say "tkt" in sentence when you're talking to someone is fine too. It sure is a really unformal way to say it and it's mostly used by young poeple, but you can hear it.

[@mklasp3342]

@@watersnake1462 There is no way that you could here "tkt" in any spoken conversation cause this is not a word and this is unpronounciable (except if you say "T.K.T"... I think some teenagers could do so but I never heard this on my own). What you can here is "t'inquiètes" that has already been listed in the video or in the other comments. That is why I wrote that you can use "tkt" only in written conversation, as an abbreviation of the word "t'inquiètes". Were you really thinking about saying "T.K.T" ?

[@watersnake1462]

@@mklasp3342 I can assure you that yeah people do say "tkt" and obviously we pronunce it like "tékaté". We're probably not from the same generation so maybe you don't see how common it is, but yeah some written abbreviations are used in conversations like "mdr", "ptdr", and other that I don't have in mind right now.

[@mklasp3342]

@@watersnake1462 Ok, bon alors flemme de continuer en anglais si on est tous les 2 francophones 😅 Moi j'ai 34 ans, donc je ne sais pas si c'est une question de génération ou bien de milieu (je viens d'un milieu très populaire mais je m'en suis un peu éloignée). En tout cas, je vois bien l'utilisation de "mdr" et "ptdr" retranscrits à l'oral dans le langage courant mais je confirme que je n'ai jamais entendu le fameux "tékaté" autour de moi, d'où le "blocage" que j'ai eu au 1er abord 😁

[@watersnake1462]

@@mklasp3342 Ouais c'est mieux en français du coup xD mais oui je pense que c'est générationnel, on a pas le même argot, c'est tout 😂

[@stevegandalf4739]

"Avec ceci?" -- in Germany in bakeries and similar small food shops they ask you "Sonst noch etwas?" - literally "otherwise still something?" -- they do this all the time.

[@IAmFat1968]

Or "und übrigens?"

[@stevegandalf4739]

@@IAmFat1968 I've not heard that one, but I haven't been in Germany since 2015, and before that I was there in the 1990s. Haven't been to Austria since 1992. But I was there only 2-3 weeks max each time.

[@deadtonk5527]

"Avec ceci ?" ( whit this ?) " C'est tout ce qu'il vous fallait" ( is that all you needed ?) and so on are meant for the customers to take a time to remember if they indeed got everything they need because the cashiers don't push a product after they say it. I am a forgetful person and it actually saved me countless time ^^

[@jeanisdancing]

Plus it might inspire an extra purchase or tow. "Come to thin of it I might enjoy this or find that useful."

[@yannrousseau5437]

If the saleswoman is charming, that allows you to answer yes, your phone number 😉

[@dudragon49]

"Avez-vous trouvé votre bonheur?" could and should be translated as "did you find what (those things that) makes you happy?".

[@rushdialrashed9627]

That sounds like a vibrator !

[@dufonrafal]

yes, actually very common, I get it a lot in stores, but then I might just look lost xD

[@nicholasgardiner9601]

Have you (formally) found your good hour. Have you found what you sought? Have you found the object of your desire? Have you found your heart's desire? Did you get what you wanted? All languages are full of their own idiomatic constructions or ones they have adopted from other languages. In France you could have a 7 or 8 course meal, and very particularly arranged or choreographed. Aperitif, wet your whistle the drink before the drinks. Similarly appetizer the introduction the starters small finger foods before the other courses. The ap- prefix indicates before. Monsieur Stevenson taught us three years of honors French as well as coaching freshmen, JV, and varsity Futbol, En Anglais (Soccer). Accent, pronunciation, geography, vocabulary, grammar, composition (writing). I loved geography and vocabulary almost social studies and reading. Our Prof. Marveled at one of my efforts where in a half page or so I had strenuously avoided conjugating any verbs, at least not correctly. He loved to teach and thought we should get it because we were so smart. We never wanted to disappoint him even though he was teaching a foreign language. If only we had started at age 4 or 5 while the window of opportunity was still wide open.

[@thierryf67]

We usually don't shorten the formal form, it should seem unpolite. (ne vous inquétez pas) Only familiar or unformal forms can be shortened in my opinion.

[@jacquesmunier1294]

Quite right

[@draugami]

In English, we say, "No pressure." Similiar to t'inquiete. But the response is one of feeling pressure.

[@LauraMorland]

Well, as an American living in France, I would say that the two expressions have different meanings. (It could be different in the U.K.) T'inquiète means *don't worry about it.* It's in the imperative mood, whereas "no pressure" (as it's been used in my hearing in the U.S.), is information you've given to someone *after* you've given them a command. In fact, it's often used ironically -- you' d say "No pressure!" to someone on whom you *are* (or someone else is) putting pressure. You're saying that there is "no pressure," when in fact there is a lot.

[@yannrousseau5437]

​@@LauraMorland😂 quelqu'un en qui je n'ai pas confiance qui me dit t'inquiète... Je m'inquiète fortement 😉

[@LauraMorland]

@@yannrousseau5437 😆

[@kirstenraccuia3952]

Thank you for making this video! It's super informative. Please ignore the people complaining about your sound. I heard you just fine. It's crazy to pick apart your sound when this is something that you do for the love of it, and for free! Thanks again and keep the great videos coming!

[@FrenchinPlainSight]

Seconded! It's valid to mention the sound so the creator is aware, but choice of wording is important!

[@davidhalldurham]

A phrase that puzzled me many years ago is "Fait pas chaud, hein?" when the weather's cold. Well, of course it fait pas chaud, dammit, it's freezin'!

[@k.v.7681]

We call it a "litote". Saying less to say more. "C'est pas très bon" (it's not very tasty) to mean "C'est dégeulasse" (it's disgusting") etc... the difference with a euphemism is that it is designed to reinforce an idea, rather than diminish it, and it is always written in the negative "Fait PAS très chaud" etc.

[@davidhalldurham]

@@k.v.7681 How nice of you to take the time to answer. Thank you so much! I had never heard the word litote till now.

[@JustinCase99999]

@@davidhalldurham litotes in english. Lie tow tease.

[@kaymgee08]

Reminds me of 'it ain't 'arf cold' which I often heard when I first learnt English in primary school seventy years ago. I thought it was 'It's narf cold' and always wondered what this word narf was!

[@jeanisdancing]

@@kaymgee08 My goodness, where did you learn English?

[@percyvalle921]

That guy knows what he's talking about ! 👍

[@AnnieAndre]

These are great tips for French language learners who want to speak everyday French.. Ps, the audio was fine for me...

[@cornbornmike1006]

Thank you so much for this video! “J’ai failli” and “tu te casses pas la tête" are some other phrases I learned after moving here.

[@hellohjbgjh]

In dictionaries, they translate failli very poorly, just with almost. While I think the meaning is closer to (be on the verge of ...). What do you think?

[@lestutosfrenglish]

About the "'t'inquiète" part, it's not about worry at all most of the time. It's a way of saying it's fine. Like you lifted something for someone and they ask like "are you sure?" you answer "t'inquiète" as in it's okay yes!

[@LauraMorland]

It can also be used to mean "mind your own business" -- such as when I reminded a fellow volunteer that she needed to put her mask on properly (it was only covering her lower lip + her chin!), she replied, *"T'inquiète ! Je suis vaccinée !"* (Which begs the point.)

[@justnais2375]

Yes the sentence « avez-vous trouvez votre bonheur » is often used in clothes or other feminine boutiques ! It’s a little posh and old it’s why it’s often used on posh boutiques.

[@altaripa8130]

Another strange sentence we have in french is "Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ?". It means what's that or what is that thing, but if you try to translate it would be something like "what is that it is that that" 🤔 😂

[@christianjambou8208]

As a frenchman reading "A year in Provence " by Peter Maile made me realise the importance of hand gesture when speaking. I think that would be an interesting video.

[@patrickg8775]

This book comes from 1989 ! Now, France has changing a lot ! (32 years!) and not always in a good way !

[@LauraMorland]

@@patrickg8775 Honestly, you're saying that there are fewer hand gestures used now in France than were commonly used 32 years ago? Of course, Peter Mayle (with a "y") was living, as his book says, in Provence, and therefore interacting with a more traditional culture.

[@barfuss2007]

Better region Côte d´Azur because this was in former times a part of Italy. And the Italians have a lot of special hand gestures. If they press the indes finger turning in one cheek they have no toothaches, that means "that tastes very good" 🙂

[@susancampbell4062]

I've been living in Montpellier since 1978. I enjoyed this video so much! When I first came to France, I was studying piano at the Conservatoire de Paris. My local baker gradually taught me the words for all of his pastries, breads, etc. And he would say "Si vous ne pouvez pas me dire le nom de ce que vous voulez, je ne vous le vendrai pas!" In a joking manner, of course!

[@Maiasatara]

I would love to hear more French idioms. American examples - Hit the nail on the head, get off my back, takes two to tango, etc. Your examples here had a direct relation to the true meaning of the words even if off a bit. As for the aperitif example - I have heard you mention it twice now and frankly I’m not seeing how it’s any different than being in a restaurant in the US. If it’s optional and doesn’t have to be either a specific drink or even alcoholic it sounds EXACTLY like sitting down at a US restaurant and hearing, “Can I start you off with something to drink?” I fully understand that’s something to sip while I’m looking at the menu and can be anything from water to juice to wine to a martini. Also that I will order other drinks during my meal. But then along with saying it could be anything you suggest things like Kir Royale or Campari it a cordial which are EXACTLY what I would imagine if an aperitif was actually its own category of beverages. So, if there is no separate menu section listing “aperitifs” it’s exactly the same as every other restaurant. As a foodie I guess I enjoy the tours of markets, stores, bakeries, etc but all your content is fun. I should be watching people in Spain (since I’m much closer to speaking decent Spanish but I love France, so, lol.) If you have a chance to present some idioms that would be great!

[@FrenchinPlainSight]

Idioms are fun! I dont talk about them much because they aren't the most useful unless you already have the basics down and then some, but Diane might be up for talking about them!

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

I think the big difference is that if you're going to have an apéritif in France, it's understood that it could last awhile. It's not just a drink to have while looking at your menu - you might not actually look at it again and order your meal for a good 20 minutes.

[@xavierpages2854]

Here are some : "Mettre la puce à l'oreille", litterally "put a flea on the ear". Means getting suspicious, getting alerted about something. Funny thing is that very long ago, it was about sexual excitement. "Une fine mouche", "a nice or small flea". Someone very sly and smart. "Au fur et à mesure" "bit by bit" . Comes from old (centuries old...) ways of selling things on markets. "Au temps pour moi" "the fault is mine, I was wrong". Comes from military orders, which have two ot more "temps" ("Forward" "March" being two "temps").

[@Tom42600]

@@xavierpages2854 And about "The fault is mine, I was wrong", in french, you can write it in 2 different ways "Au temps pour moi", and the other one (which I personnaly always used) "Autant pour moi". And both are correct ... That's french for you x)

[@xavierpages2854]

@@Tom42600 Yep, both are considered right, but the original form was "au temps". But since it does not make much sense outside of its original context, most French people (me included) generally use "autant".

[@angelhelp]

Much to my delight, I understood the literal and the implied meaning of each of these!

[@Mirror1973]

Love this! Love finding new things to learn. It definitely changes depending what your mother tongue is; for example it was easier for me to understand “T’enquiete” because my mother tongue is Spanish and we have the word “inquieto” and I immediately associated the word and yes it is a similar meaning and usage ☺️ fascinating how languages work

[@FrenchinPlainSight]

Awesome! I look forward to using inquieto in my Spanish soon!

[@Mirror1973]

French in Plain Sight yes! So, if you were to say the same phrase; you would say: No te inquietes or No te preocupes; either or 😉 I need to follow your KZbin as well! A Bientôt

[@FrenchinPlainSight]

@@Mirror1973 gracias :)

[@shinyshinythings]

Spanish isn’t my native language but I’ve gotten used to hearing and using the phrase “no te preocupes” in all kinds of situations living in Spain, so that’s what the French phrase with “t’inquiete” reminded me of. (I haven’t heard “no te inquietes” yet.)

[@christianibarbia9380]

@@shinyshinythings you are right ! I should use in spanish that word "inquieto" to say "restless"... "no te preocupes" is the perfect formulae to say "do not worry".. so " t'inquiètes"... when saying that, it means you are talking to a relative or someone who is close to you... because the " t' " is the abbreviation of "ne t'inquiètes pas"

[@ostrovnyklinok6165]

Actually bingewatching your channel, maybe i'm just really drunk but I can't stop laughing realizing the uniqueness of French's complexity xD (Cuz i'm French) I like that lighthearted conversation.

[@MudChips]

This is so great. Thank you both for putting this together. I’ve followed you both for a while and love picking up these innuendos/idioms in French. I will get there again someday.

[@OuiInFrance]

Our pleasure!

[@hellohjbgjh]

I'm French and if I say laisse tomber it implies a bit of despise. That's why I use it really only scarcily. I love your videos, keep on! I'd be glad to join and explain the hidden meanings in all these expressions😀

[@SomeFrenchGuy78]

Nice video, thanks to both of you for explaining our strange language. ;)

[@troncy82]

"Avec ceci" has a better explanation than only a commercial habbit. When we ask something at a bakery, we usually process the order with one item category at a time. For instance, you start with the bread "Une tradition et un pain aux graines s'il vous plaît", "avec ceci" is a signal that your baker is ready to process further, then you might go to ask for pastries, vienoiseries... We just don't ask all the different items of different categories all at once and processing in such a way improves the flow between "présentoirs"

[@sophiepellerin5517]

As a French Canadian, I found this video quite interesting!

[@ldsfreelance575]

This was so helpful. And, thank you for introducing me to Alex’s channel!

[@r.s.brousseau9249]

Salut Diane, Great video. I really like these types of collaborations. One thing I've been asked often is "C'est pour offrir?" when either at a flower shop or bakery. Another time I was slightly taken aback when I was having a book gift-wrapped at FNAC. After wrapping the book, as the lady was putting a ribbon on it, she asked me "vous voulez une fleur?". I quickly realized she wanted to know if I wanted a bow on it.

[@OuiInFrance]

Ah yes, great add, that's another one you hear a lot, asking if it's to "offrir" (give as a gift). Sometimes I say yes just to get a pretty ribbon. ;-) For the FNAC one, I would have understood it as a decorative flower. I've only heard a bow referred to as a noeud. I will keep my ears peeled for that. Thanks for watching!

[@FrenchinPlainSight]

Offrir almost always (perhaps always) means to give for free. Inviter means to pay for something for someone. Je t'invite = it's on me. Proposer means to offer, suggest, propose :)

[@albertaowusu3536]

That sounds like 'is it a gift'?

[@LauraMorland]

@@FrenchinPlainSight But in this case, "C'est pour offrir?" is *a request from the shop owner (or clerk) to find out if you're buying the object for yourself, or if you're buying it as a gift for someone.* Because the French will always wrap up very nicely anything you're giving as a gift. Maybe, just like you don't frequent Sephora (I don't either -- they are just *so* ubiquitous in France, which turns me off), you also don't frequent shops where this phrase is commonly used? ;-)

[@saraswatiyogi221]

Loved these everyday phrases. Please do more!

[@arnaudguffroy100]

You can make a whole video about "ça va" and all the meanings and situations it could be applied

[@Joseph-ax999]

I spent a few weeks in France years ago (pre Euro) and it went really well. I had done my homework esp. for restaurants and hotels. When I did grocery shopping i would always visit the yogurt section because Yoplait yogurt would have a picture of the fruit inside and its name in both English and French. I mean who thought of this? This is genius. However it's unlikely any of this would have happened had I not met a group of French students one summer. A truly wonderful group. i feel like I owe them so much.

[@cynodont7391]

In French, the word "terrible" can have the meaning of the English "terrible" but it can also mean "formidable". The later form is rarely used and the distinction is made according to the context. The form "pas terrible" always mean "not formidable".

[@cynodont7391]

A very similar English word is "terrific"

[@jeanisdancing]

" Pas terrible" is another example of the French habit of softening a criticism or negative comment. It generally means pretty damn bad. :)

[@philippedaussy6817]

As à french viewer of your series, I am very astonished to realize the cultural gap between our cultures. So interesting.

[@dufonrafal]

"Avec ceci ?" or "Ce sera tout ?" - answer : ask for something else or "Ce sera tout, merci." "Avez vous trouvé votre bonheur ?" - yep, very common - answer "Non, je cherche..." or "Oui, j'ai ce qu'il me faut, merci." or "Ca ira, merci." "Ne vous inquiétez pas." is a common formal sentence indeed. "Apéritif" can be food also ;) "Laissez tomber" is a casual expression, not something you should use formally, you can sometimes but it can be perceived as rude in a "formal" context. Fun to hear the stories about the first time you heard them :)

[@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793]

You should do a lesson on bad words. I had a little old lady teacher, spectacles and everything, who taught us the spicy vocabulary. It was useful 👍😊

[@pheart2381]

Apart from espece de con I dont know any fruity french.

[@jacquelinemiddleton8396]

Mince LOL 🤣

[@truckerdaddy-akajohninqueb4793]

@@jacquelinemiddleton8396 😃

[@IowaLanguages]

I’ll check out Alex’s channel especially since Montpellier is my target future home. Merci pour cette vidéo!

[@wudgee]

Excellent stuff thanks to both of you. I’ve had a couple of phrases said to me and had no idea what they were asking. Really handy to know these expressions I’ll know what they’re saying now. I Inormally say C’est tous merci. I’m in rural France so I’ve not heard of Sephora, but I don’t need any make-up for ages, I stocked up before leaving the UK.

[@LauraMorland]

Oh, that's incredible -- Sephora are *so* ubiquitous that they are hard to avoid, particularly in any kind of "mall." Look around the airport the next time you fly back to the UK, and you're sure to spot one. As an example, My stepson and I were walking through the then-newly remodeled Gare du Nord, and he said, *"Oh, this renovation can't be complete -- there's no Sephora!"* Mais le voilà, when we took the final escalator up, there it was!

[@drfigolu]

I took a lot of pleasure watching this video. So funny to discover how expressions seeming so natural to us french can confuse our visitors. I never thought about that before, and it will be useful for me if i meet an english speaker. Thanks for your work! Maybe i could also mention funny things like "c'est pas mauvais" or "c'est pas mal" witch should be "ce n'est pas XXX" in formal language and meaning actually "it's excellent" "and "it's really good" 😄 That is called une litote (an understatement) and is very common.

[@ginogina4589]

Bon travail Diane comme toujours!

[@marcelcharbonnier297]

For your information, French people like to drink "apéritif" together even if they don't eat together after this ! They usually call this : "prendre un apéro" (to have an apetizer together). Usually it's alcohol beverage like anis or white wine with black currant liquor).

[@MrGearoid65]

'Avec ceci' is good sales talk, trying to upsell!

[@08taw94]

Yes literal translation of "T'inquiète" is "Don't worry" but it also could mean "It's not you matter" ... all depend on who says and circumstances. Same as "Laisse tomber" could also means "Don't insist".

[@YannChemineau]

11:45 : the logical structure of « worry » (instead of « don’t worry) in french would be « inquiète-toi » (imperative form + pronoun). The « t’inquiète » structure (pronoun + imperative form) is indeed referring to the full negative fom. A similar use of this structure would be « t’occupe » : Ne t’en occupe pas -> T‘en occupe pas -> T’occupe.

[@sanxmuch121]

The last level for "t'inquiètes" (which is used also in a self-sarcastic way more than "don't worry" of "do not interfere with what I am doing" ...just enyoy the result) is "tkt" in online games...

[@marinadorr-lurg9543]

If you like to order a Aperitif without alkohol you can get a lot kinds of cocktails " virgin " or a coke or juice ! I live in Germany and e few month of the year in France . I love your channel ! Thank you !

[@lekiwix520]

“c’est pas terrible” actually makes sense when you know that “terrific” in french is also “terrible” we don’t have different words for terrible and terrific although there is synonyms. So in english the phrase “c’est pas terrible” would translate to “it isn’t terrific” which makes more sense.

[@nikkiscott4341]

"Kir" is a cocktail made with white wine and "crème de cassis" (a blackcurrant liqueur, I believe). "Kir royale" is the same thing but champagne replaces the white wine, and for "kir breton", cider is used instead of wine. 😊

[@TreacleMary]

'avec ceci?' always trips me up, having a question where the answer should be 'nothing' throws me off every time!

[@kaymgee08]

In English I often hear 'Any joy?' meaning did you get anywhere, or were you successful?

[@MyRennae]

J'entends plus souvent « Est-ce que ça fait votre bonheur? »...peut-être que c'est un régionalisme du Québec. Super interesting vid!

[@vardemis4200]

un aperitif/ un apero is before a meal a way to wait your order/first course or with friend to have a drink usually before diner or lunch time (Passe boire un apero avant de rentrer chez toi)

[@katharinenorris3631]

I remember when Sephora was just a local French chain, much less fancy than today. I used to buy Le Petit Marseillais products at the branch near the Mouton Duvernet metro stop in the 14e in the early 1990s. In those days, it was a great source of inexpensive beauty products that you couldn't buy in the US.

[@orlahayes6943]

Thank you so much for this. I'm starting Upper Intermediate French at Uni in October and these expressions will come in very handy. I will make sure to follow Alex on his channel :)

[@seunghoonyih217]

This reminds me of back when I was in New York. I was going through some stuff in a shop and a shopkeeper came up to me and asked something which literally sounded like "are be el'?" to my ears. I had to ask four times before I figured out that what she meant was "Are you being helped?" I had been feeling comfortable with the language for quite some time and the happening was a good slap on my cheek. And here I am having the same struggle with French.

[@OuiInFrance]

it's so tricky, isn't it? hang in there with french!

[@IAmFat1968]

"Laisse tomber" is an abbreviation of the whole sentence "laisse tomber la neige, ça ne fait pas de bruit" (let the snow fall, it doesn't make any noise)

[@baronmeduse]

Alex should know that in England the exact same phrase 'It's not terrible' means '...but it's not great'. I also like that Alex is influenced by the southern accent... t'ANGquiete... that -ang sound instead of the nasal.

[@theboyfromxtown]

I've come over from Alex. I can identify so much with some of the things that you were saying especially listening for the code words! LOL

[@OuiInFrance]

Welcome! Thanks so much for watching and glad you can relate!

[@missionsabotage]

Speaking of syrup, you can have also a "diabolo" : lemonade with syrup. Diabolo grenadine and diabolo menthe are the most common.

[@barfuss2007]

Au resto. Au supermarché je préfère saveur vert citron. Malheureusement en Allemagne il y at beaucoup de l´eau très calcaire, pas bonne pour des mixages avec sirop.

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

Oh I'm with you on the "trouver votre/ton bonheur" ! I hear that all the time from my boyfriend. Definitely nothing to do with Sephora. 😄 I would actually translate "laisse tomber" as "drop it". Less aggressive though lol.

[@TELLViSiON]

11:59 I commonly see "expats" saying it is difficult to make friends with french peoples, so if someone told you "t'inquiètes" you have yourself a french friend or at least a friendly person towards you as that person uses the "tutoiement" and a more familiar expression which means this indicidual is at ease with you.. + that person doesn't want you to worry, what a nice thought , right?

[@jfultz9955]

Mine was "Avez-vous l'heure?" rather than that classic of high school French - "Quelle heure a-t-il?

[@BZValoche]

"Quelle heure est-il*" And we would rather say "vous avez l'heure ?" which is incorrect, just to make things more difficult for non native speakers :-P

[@benoitgadefait1005]

I am French and like studying cultural differences. I like vey much what you do Diane. I have a hint for the (apparently) inconsistent « pas terrible ». Meaning of Terrible in French is the same as in English for the historic and common meaning. But in the sixties, it took an other meaning ( actually the opposite) among the younger generation who wanted to confront the older generations. The patronizing moral adjective ( like in ‘You are doing a terrible mistake, son’) became a synonym of cool. ‘il est terrible, ce mec’ meant ‘ This guy is cool’. I believe that the word ‘terrific’ had a bit the same distortion in English. ´A terrific disaster’ and ‘ you look terrific, in this new dress’ are a bit different. In French the ‘cool’ meaning of ‘terrible’ is now really outdated, except in the ‘pas terrible !’ Where it survived.

[@KathysFlog]

Love this, thank you. Here's one for you. My young ado neighbour did some yard work for us and I paid him and thanked him. He replied, "De re". I knew what he meant but for goodness sake MDR!

[@wudgee]

Short for de rien?

[@magicrtrip5492]

I am french and don't know what de re means

[@JanetLClark]

Another one: "tu as?" This means, "as tu compris?", because yes, they swallow the last word, just like the last half of some words (like manif=manifestation, or coloc=colocataire)

[@sarah.beauchamp3951]

So, no matter what, no worries!

[@tibomoltini2851]

1:42 merci c'est bon (and wave no with your hand) / in marseille you would say: (merci) ça va (and wave no with your hand)

[@Rotadiva]

I'm an American expat living in Paris now for the past 12-years, and I think Parisians are horrible at swallowing/eating their words. So, I found this interesting, cause Parisians in addition to having tons of l'argot, speak so much faster and eat more of their words than they do in other regions of France.

[@tinkeratlecta8620]

Try the Nord Pas de Calais or the sud-ouest around Toulouse on the country .

[@philippefraile1101]

Hello Diane! Great and interesting video sometime funny too. One thing I noticed when I hear you on Facebook or youtube videos is that you have near no accent in french speaking!!! You are becoming more and more French obviously...Philippe from Lyon ( France/ Rhône 69 )

[@OuiInFrance]

Philippe, you're too sweet. I definitely do have an accent, though. I worked a ton on pronunciation and can say the sounds properly, so maybe a word or two in isolation sound pretty spot on, but when I put a sentence together, the intonation is definitely not native most of the time. People say I'm not difficult to understand at all, but I'll always sound like a foreigner and I'm OK with that. Thanks for watching! ;-)

[@joe.ps5]

Hello Diane. I watched a lot of your video. I think there s one thing which will make it easier, when you re talking with a professional, you talk only about professional stuffs..

[@steelskeel]

"avec ceci?", is to make additional sell, "une vente additionnelle".

[@johannaweaver4247]

A funny one for your list is "Je suis plein." I was living with my french pen-pal years ago when I was about 15 and we were at the dinner table. My pen-pal, Karen, asked me if I wanted some more food. I wanted to say, "No, I'm full, thank you." So I said, The look on everyone's faces was priceless! Obviously, I realized I said something wrong. Karen and her family proceeded to explain that I just said that I was pregnant. (lol) That particular French slang expression always makes me laugh.

[@IAmFat1968]

"Je suis plein" means "I'm drank" too

[@pattibravard]

For the bakery, I also learned 2 items... when asking for une baguette, to hold up my thumb, not my pointer finger. When I held up my pointer finger they tried to sell me 2. Also, I got a 'nicer baguette" when I said: baguette s'il vous plaît, pas trop cuit.

[@albertaowusu3536]

My mom will slap you if you held up your thumb at her(African)😱

[@matthewetmoi8436]

Absolutely correct. In France, when people count on their fingers they begin with the thumb, not the index finger. To indicate the number 2 you would hold up the thumb and index (not the index and middle).

[@xouxoful]

« Laisse tomber » is familiar. You may say it to your friends, not to a waiter in a restaurant (maybe as « laissez tomber » but it’s not really polite either)

[@scottwesterfield6360]

Wouldn't the correct form be "laisses tomber" instead of "laisse tomber"?

[@xouxoful]

Scott Westerfield No, for some reason, in imperative mood, the S of tu is not present. « Chante », « va » (with the notable exception of vas-y...). Désolé, ce n’est pas vraiment logique, et difficile aussi pour les français.

[@scottwesterfield6360]

@@xouxoful Merci. J'ai habite Nantes comme etudiant pendant six mois il y a quarante trois ans. J'aime parler francais et c'est toujours plaisir de l'en apprendre plus.

[@jacquesmunier1294]

Scott Westerfield No the correct form is laisse tomber without a final s, as the verb is conjugated in the imperative form.

[@jacquesmunier1294]

Scott Westerfield plaisir d'en apprendre plus ou davantage.

[@alannohlgren]

Guys...as an American living in the south of France, but in rural Tarn, I come across "apéritif " often, but in a different context. It occurs when one is invited over to a neighbor's house for early evening drinks. For example, "Tu veux passer chez nous ce soir pour prendre un apéritif? " I think it's the common phrasing for light social drinking that occurs before the evening meal; since the French usually have their supper at around 8:00 pm, the aperitifs I've been invited over for usually happen at around 7:00.

[@barfuss2007]

Georges du Tarn? Je rève de les beaux vauturs... one of my favorit places in belle france.

[@PatrickCazaux]

Laisse tomber can also mean : do no insist

[@lcasa3273]

I would say that the appropriate reply to avec ceci is : ce sera tout!

[@slawero]

I must have used very good textbooks because I learned all of those phrases from them. One of books was Communication progressif du francais published by CLE in green cover.

[@MrBraindead101]

Apart from the last two, I have never heard these phrases in daily life. I wonder whether they're regional. I like the idea of tuning in to the key idea in a sentence.

[@FrenchinPlainSight]

I've never heard "vous avez trouvé votre bonheur ?" It just shows that what's everyday to someone, isn't necessarily everyday to someone else. That's partly why it was so fun to do this video!

[@OuiInFrance]

I don't believe any are particularly regional. Thanks for watching!

[@Laurent69ftm]

They are not regional.

[@jacquesmunier1294]

MrBraindead101 those phrases are pretty common in daily life.

[@LauraMorland]

@@FrenchinPlainSight I didn't really know the phrase, but once I watched the video, I realized that I *was* asked that when purchasing mascara on the top floor (non food section) of Monoprix! However, I tend to bring my makeup with me from the U.S., and so I hadn't come across that phrase often enough to realize that it's a "thing." You should ask your French partner what she thinks!

[@joannets3835]

- Sephora is a french company but I have them in Canada too. - T'inquiètes is more "I/we got this" / " it's all under control" (it's when you have to start to worry, go to panic mode) - "Un coca" is for: coca-cola, Pepsi. Other European countries use "cola". - if you tell the waiter you're driving, he will automatically switch to non-alcoholic options. Bylaw, they might held legally responsible if you have an accident. - "laisse tomber" is "forget it" / " nevermind". Don't say that to your boss, ever... Unless, you want to get fired. Diane, your microphone isn't great.

[@JustinCase99999]

T'inquiète, sans s. C'est un impératif.

[@raticide4you]

Firstly: Before Covid, the French in my region (Tarn) held lawn sales (vide-greniers) very often. Then, if you met a friend walking there, and looking for interesting stuff to buy, you could start a conversation with the phrase. Tu as déjà trouvé ton bonheur? For me it has something to do with not knowing what you will find to buy, instead of purchasing regular items. And secondly: I seldom hear the expression "apéritif" I always hear them speaking of "un apéro". .

[@tinkeratlecta8620]

With friend yes but not in a restaurant The waitress will ask you "Voulez vous un apéritif " . Of course if it'a little restaurant where you go very often he may just say you "un apéro? "

[@missionsabotage]

"laisse tomber" can be impolite. In the example given, in a store it will sound like "you're no use, i'm wasting my time here", I would rather say "'tant pis, ce n'est pas grave"

[@marcelcharbonnier297]

Reminds me another very common French expression : " à l'heure de l'apéro ", which means "at noon".

[@mklasp3342]

And "laisse tomber" also means "give up".

[@mchess6141]

true. you can also hear "laisse couler" with the same meaning. The verb "couler" can be use for liquids rivers etc and also boats : - l'eau coule par terre = water flows on the ground - le bateau coule = the boat sinks Paris 's motto is : beaten by the waves, but does not sink (fluctuat nec mergitur - in latine language) twitter.com/julie_rs/status/665547046603120640

[@biloz2988]

These two miss the whole thing about how French evolved. French used to be very formal just like the British English but then just as American English was an evolutionary form of that, French spoken by new generations distanced itself from formality. For an American who’s familiar with having the spoken language being very close to the written language, it is difficult to conceptualize that evolution. We need to realize that spoken French in markets and among people familiar with each other is totally different from the written one which is mostly formal

[@LauraMorland]

Well, I'm sure that Diane and Alex are aware that the French language has evolved over time. Yet that's not the point of this video. I'd be willing to bet that people in boulangeries were saying *"avec ceci"* at least 50 years ago, and that waiters were asking *"Qu'est-ce que vous voudriez comme apéritif?" *75 years ago! So "evolution" (or "language drift" to use the proper linguistic term) is not at issue here -- these are simply phrases that are not taught in schools, at least not in schools abroad.

[@lechatel]

British English constantly evolves. We don't need the Americans to do it for us. lol