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Tac, euh, bah: French language tics you hear every day

Discover five words that French people use but that have no real meaning

10 French words and phrases that are untranslatable in English

From yaourter to l’esprit d’escalier , here are some words that have no direct English equivalents

10 of the most difficult French words for English speakers to say

From squirrel to kettle, these are words you might use on an everyday basis

practical

Which new words have made it into the latest French dictionary?

The 2024 edition of the Petit Robert dictionary has introduced 150 new words into the French lexicon

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There is no irony in the French language - apart from the word ‘bref’

In our writer's experience those who say they will be brief are anything but

‘Montrer patte blanche’: French fairytale phrase for trustworthiness

We look at why to ‘show the white paw’, taken from a fable, still means showing your credentials

‘Avoir une dent contre’ - expressing a grudge or resentment in French

We explore the 14th century origins of the bitter phrase 'to have a tooth against' someone

Thousands play Wordle-like word game inspired by old French TV show

The daily wordplay challenge, Sutom, is an homage to an old game show called Motus and now regional French language variations are gaining popularity

The history and uses of the fun French phrase ‘à gogo’

We go back to 15th century France, the first disco venue and then wartime Scotland to find stories ‘à gogo’

Cocorico, ouah ouah: How animal sounds differ in French and English

There is also a range of verbs to describe the sounds animals make, all quite different to English

French you don’t learn at school: machin

Finally, the French word for 'thingy'

French names immortalised in history

Personal origins to some of the more unusual words in the French language

French Language notes - June 2019

A l’aise, Blaise... and other names to drop

Dictionaries find the mot juste to add to language

Online search engines are being used more often, but France’s leading dictionaries still give a snapshot of the current state of the language.

Say 'infox', not 'fake news'

French language chiefs have decreed that instead of ‘fake news’ people should say infox in French.