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9 French expressions to use when there is hot weather

From 'the sun is like lead' to 'cooking like a pancake', here are some phrases to use as the temperature soars across France

Meet France's great garden acrobat

With its bright yellow and blue plumage, the Eurasian blue tit is easy to spot in the garden.

Petit lapin, coup du lapin: 6 commonly used French rabbit expressions

A potential new penalty for missing a doctor’s appointment has also been nicknamed la taxe lapin - we explain why

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Full tour of Carcassone’s medieval ramparts to open for the first time

Visitors will be allowed to walk all three kilometres of its historic walls from September

Hockney exhibition is one of 50 shows celebrating France-UK friendship

The programme of cultural events across France will showcase work from British and French participants

From corks to screw caps: French wine bottles are changing

Screw caps are winning out on ‘drinkable’ wines and recyclability, but are still facing resistance among premium wines

Easter customs in France and ten related expressions

Gigot d’agneau, cloches de Pâques - find out what is eaten on Easter Sunday and who brings the eggs for the Easter egg hunt

The science behind why it is never too late to learn French

Picking up a new language alters the make-up of our brain and helps keep it mentally sharp

Six tongue twisters to test your French

Stretch your tongue and your language skills with these difficult to pronounce virelangues

‘Anglicisms? They are French words we loaned to English after 1066’

A provocative linguist explains how the two languages have borrowed from each other for centuries

Why you won’t be hearing church bells much in France for a few days

A trip to Rome, a visit to the Vatican, and lots of chocolate eggs: Where the bells go at Easter

READER TIPS: How long should it take to learn French?

The US government says it should take 600-750 classroom hours - but do our readers agree?

5 ways to buy food directly from farmers in France

You can get high quality, fresh produce at low prices by cutting out the middleman

La politesse: what habits can make you seem rude to French people?

Sometimes it can be all too easy to commit a cultural faux pas without even realising it. We look at some of the most common

More French words and phrases with no real equivalent in English

Do you know anyone who is insortable or un bon vivant ?

SEE: Astonishingly accurate 12th century map of Normandy

The Arabic map appears upside down to us but shows the Channel and Mont-Saint-Michel in roughly the right place

Informal synonyms for everyday French words

Spoken French is very different to the language you learn in the classroom

The pros, cons and subsidies of wine tourism in France

Winemaker Jonathan Hesford reflects on ‘oenotourisme’ growth and the impact on his business

Five legacies of the Revolution that affect France today

The French Revolution was longer and more complicated than most people realise - here are five things that it changed forever

SEE: Old French skis turned into colourful tables and benches

A cooperative is selling the recycled pieces to mountain businesses or members of the public

Films and TV shows to improve your French in March

You can widen your vocabulary from the comfort of your own sofa, or by taking a trip to the cinema

Test your French with these nine expressions linked to insects

Gober les mouches, fier comme un pou, avoir le bourdon - learn how to use these everyday French phrases

Remember these French language ‘false friends’ when you speak 'green'

Being environmentally aware means you could come across some faux amis

Le? La? Why learning the gender of a noun makes life in France easier

English-speakers can struggle with masculine and feminine words but gender in language can be useful, argues Nick Inman

France’s humorous ‘February 29’ newspaper now available in newsstands

La Bougie du Sapeur is only published on leap years. Its last edition (2020) sold 120,000 copies

US war dead remembered in French cemeteries, 100 years on

Visitors and families continue to pay their respects for American soldiers, over a century after World War One

Crustless camembert? French cheese threatened by rind mould extinction

Scientists warn the fungus responsible for the famous white skin is at the point of disappearing

Tiny Normandy commune to mark crucial role in D-Day landings

80th anniversary events will remember how allied forces and local French people all played their part in 1944

What would you include if compiling a quiz about France?

Columnist Nick Inman prepares a syllabus to help you become a French quiz whizz

'Lacking’ ‘nice’ 'pointless': your view on no-alcohol wine in France

Updated: mixed responses from readers, who believe industry still has a way to go

Eight ways to express surprise in French apart from Oh là là

Oh la vache, macarel, mon dieu - learn how to be surprised like a native with these expressions

6 songs to capture the rhythms of the French language

Work on your French ear by singing along if you can!

10 common French expressions involving ‘coup’

From sunburns to parties, we ‘donne un coup de main’ to help you with these common expressions

Ski-speak: Eight expressions to speak like a local skier in France

Peuf, le dahu, des virolets, dré dans l’pentu - we show you how to blend in during your next mountain holiday

How to use ‘alors’ like a French native speaker

Using this word can help boost your proficiency in the language and make you sound like a true Francophone

Aimer, adorer, kiffer: understand the language of love in France

We look at the different ways to say ‘I love you’ and how not to get confused by ambiguous variations

When do you say ‘un’ après-midi and when ‘une’ après-midi in French?

Is one version wrong or do they mean different things?

Only French village called Saint-Valentin embraces romantic links

The tiny village in Indre takes its name seriously with an annual festival for visiting lovers around Valentine’s Day

SEE: which Olympic events are near you (not all are in Paris)

Football, basketball, handball and sailing will all take place in other parts of France

Speak like a local: seven phrases specific to the north of France

Il drache, bénache, biloute - try the language of the Ch’tis

The French are not negative - it is just a (body) language thing

Interpreting the Gallic shrug and negative-as-positive phrases will make communicating a pleasure

Why France's national symbol - the Gallic cockerel - is under threat

How the ‘coq gaulois’ became the nation’s emblem and what is being done to save it

Otters make a comeback in France - how you can help them thrive

The recolonisation project is slowly working but the population remains fragile

Costume, music, floats: where to see France’s vibrant carnival parades

Celebrate the end of winter with feasting and fun at a carnival near you

Interesting social media accounts for French learners in 2024

Social media is a great place to turn for some short sharp language practice

Five regional variations of French crêpes to discover on La Chandeleur

February 2 is the traditional day to eat crêpes in France

6 films and series for February to improve your French

Dramas, thrillers, and cult comedies all make this month’s list

‘French gardeners love the Britishness of the Open Garden scheme’

Sue Lambert president of Jardins Ouverts talks afternoon tea, No Dig method and finding solace in her garden after losing her son

French phrases that change meaning depending where you are in France

People from the south have a whole host of unique phrases

Five famous people who sought exile in France

Throughout history people have found refuge here for cultural or political reasons

How to recognise France’s two famous smoked sausages

The pork sausages Montbéliard and Morteau are both made in the historic region of Franche-Comté where their subtle differences matter

10 French idioms based on food or cooking

Salads, apples, and onions are all used in common phrases. How many do you know?

How French medieval craftsmen made the stained glass windows of Troyes

Art historian Dr Julia Faiers discovers the colourful secrets and stories depicted in the churches of Aube’s capital city

Nine words and phrases from Brittany

Yec’hed mat, trugarez, Ma Doué - find out how to use these typically Breton expressions

Should you be worried about pesticides in French wine?

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford says wine buyers should look beyond the shock headlines

Oscar-nominated Anatomy of a Fall is masterclass in multilingual life

The film’s memorable scenes show how speaking multiple languages can be a symbol of compromise, challenges, and power dynamics

SEE: The medieval 'bastide' villages of south-west France

Historian Dr Julia Faiers uncovers the story behind the grid streets and arcades that tourists love

Audrey Tautou moved to tell tale of artist hunted by Nazis in France

Actress has left semi-retirement to star in Paris show about painter Charlotte Salomon

Seven words and phrases from the south of France

Pitchouns, avoir la cagne, gâté - how many do you know?

From garlic to mashed potato: France's huge food record-breakers

Food is sacred in France so no wonder chefs, towns and festivals want a place in the record books for their culinary creations

Meet the beekeeping couple with 450 hives in their corner of France

How they turned their honey hobby into a full-time profession and have not looked back

What is behind the craze for nonsense made-up words in French?

Quoicoubeh, la grint: two made-up words being picked up by young people across France

‘Hyper-aggressive' seabirds force Marseille to take action

Some say the gulls ‘represent the city’ but authorities now have permission to act to reduce their number

Louis Braille’s life and legacy celebrated in French hometown Coupvray

Aged 15, Braille established a writing system that would transform the lives of sight-impaired people globally

Secret lives of bats in France: Garonne river is a motorway and buffet

We learn about the only mammal that can fly and how they use aerial landmarks to hunt

Can Unesco save France’s collapsing cafe culture?

Campaigners have failed twice but continue the fight to have French bistros recognised as intangible cultural heritage

Fears for future of Marineland whales in south of France

One welfare association fears the orcas may be sent to Japan - a country with fewer protections for whales - and separated for reproduction reasons

Traditional Roquefort and Camembert are under threat, warn scientists

Cheese-lovers told they must learn to appreciate more diversity of tastes, colours and textures, sometimes within the same product to protect the cheeses’ future

Migratory birds you may see overhead or stopping off in France

Large, small, white, black or brightly-coloured - here are six species of birds you may spot as they make their journeys

‘Unlike English there is a right and wrong way to speak French’

It is wonderfully Gallic that the Académie française exists to keep the language pure and elegant, admits columnist Nick Inman

Five things they do not tell you about the bourgeoisie in France

From fashion to holidays, we take a humorous look at the bourgeois life

How to keep hens as part of a self-sufficient life in France

Tips on choosing the right breed, food and shelter from part-time paysanne Sue Adams

PHOTOS: French town uses horses to collect old Christmas trees

A horse-drawn carriage picks up the trees which are then recycled and turned into mulch to use as protection from weeds

Films and TV shows to improve your French in January

With a new year comes lots of fresh opportunity to work on our language skills

Eight French expressions around the word apple

From fainting to high-quality, pomme can be used for a variety of different meanings

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