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What French should you actually be learning before moving to France?
Time spent accumulating vocabulary you rarely use may leave you less prepared than time spent learning relevant words and practising real-life situations
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Break bread, keep eye contact: dining dos and don’ts in France
An American in France highlights the correct way to eat cheese and bread during a meal
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Different ways of using de in French
Using de with an adjective feels strange to English-speakers
Four French words to fill gaps in vocabulary that mean 'the thing'
You do not learn how to say thing, thingy or thingumybob at school - we have the words to use when the name escapes you
Beginners and advanced French speakers alike forget the names of objects, especially if they are describing a technical item.
Just like in English, there are workarounds.
The magic words to save your conversation flow are:
Le truc
Le machin
La chose
Le bidule
What they all essentially mean is ‘the thing’ or ‘the thingy’ and so can be used to fill gaps in vocabularly in most situations.
And just for fun, here are some more common slang words to keep an ear out for:
La baraque - meaning home - a bit like joint or gaff
Bouffer - to eat
Un mec - a bloke
Une meuf - femme or woman, can be pejorative
Chiant - annoying or frustrating
Un bobo - a little scratch or cut
Le fric or le blé - money
Je me casse - I’m off, I’m out of here
N’importe quoi - whatever!
Just remember some of the slang is not for polite company!
