FrenchPod101.com Blog

In this series of mini-lesson tweets on Twitter, we help you perfect your house-related vocabulary to become a master in knowing French homes. Here is the recap of this week’s phrases for your reference:

Where you hang out with family and friends : “le salon”, “the living-room”.

Where the magic happens (or not) : “la cuisine”, “the kitchen”.

Where the magic also happens (or not) : “la chambre”, “the bedroom”.

Have you ever waited for someone to get out of the bahtroom, “la salle de bain”?

Usually in France the bathroom is separated from “les toilettes”, “the restrooms”.

It’s always nicer to work from home, in your  “bureau”, “office”.

Hope you enjoyed!

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In this series of mini-lesson tweets on Twitter, we help you perfect your public transportation vocabulary to become a subway master in France. Here is the recap of this week’s phrases for your reference:

When users are mad at strikers from the Paris subway they say “RATP: Rentre Avec Tes Pieds”, “RATP: Go home by foot”.

Need you daily dose of caffeine while riding the train? Ask “Où est le wagon-restaurant?”, Where is the restaurant car?

When you missed your train and try to negotiate with an agent, start with “J’ai raté mon train”, I missed my train”.

Tired of public transportation? Get in a cab! Tell the driver where you go with “Je vais à …”, I am going to…

Using public transportation allows us to avoid “les embouteillages”, traffic jam.

Have you heard of “le vélib”? It’s a public bicycle rental program in Paris.

Bicycles in Paris have to ride on the bus lane, “le couloir de bus”. Dangerous!

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Welcome to the FrenchPod101.com newsletter. These periodic newsletters will deliver  to  you  all  the  exciting developments that are going on at FrenchPod101.com.  With  each  issue,  you  will  receive  the latest announcements, promotional offers, blog news, and forum news, while getting a  rare glimpse of the behind-the-scenes life at the FrenchPod101.com office!

Read and Enjoy! And as always, if you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at contactus@frenchpod101.com

FrenchPod101.com Team

P.S. Don’t forget to use coupon code THANKS09 by November 26h to save 26% off any basic or premium subscription. Click here to redeem this incredible, limitied time offer today!

In this series of mini-lesson tweets on Twitter, we help you perfect your public transportation vocabulary to become a subway master in France. Here is the recap of this week’s phrases for your reference:

Don’t wait for ever at that bus stop on a Sunday, and ask “Ce bus fonctionne le dimanche?”, Does this bus work on Sundays?

Are you given the look by someone you just bumped into? The basics: “Excusez-moi”, Sorry.

You’d better validate your ticket before you get on the train, “Où est-ce que je composte mon billet?”, Where do I validate my ticket?

Going to the Riviera and nver coming back? Ask for “un aller simple”, a one-way ticket, at the ticket booth.
Taking a day trip outside Paris and need a round trip ticket? Ask for “un aller-retour”, a round trip ticket.

Some country train station don’t have English signs. Look for a “guichet” sign to find the ticket booth.

Why is the train station empty? Why is the subway not working? There might be “une grève”, a strike.

When you ride Paris subway, you ride with la “Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens”, “Autonomous Management of Parisian Transportation”.

In this series of mini-lesson tweets on Twitter, we help you perfect your public transportation vocabulary to become a subway master in France.  Here is the recap of last week’s phrases for your reference:

When the bus map doesn’t make any sense to you, “Quel est le prochain arrêt?”, What is the next stop?

Don’t take the wrong bus, “Vous vous arrêtez à …(name of the stop)?”, Do you stop at (name of the stop)?

You need to find the right platform, “Où est le train pour (name of the city)?”, Where is the train for Bordeaux?

To be able to sit on the subway train, ride during “l’heure creuse”, off hours.

Vous descendez ici?

Someone stubbornly standing in the way of the bus door? Say “Excusez-moi, je descends ici”, Excuse me, I get off here.

Pregnant at rush hour? Say “Je voudrais m’asseoir s’il vous plaît.”, I would like to sit please.

Stay tuned daily for our tweets, and for those of you who haven’t started following us on Twitter, head there now and sign up!

In this series of mini-lesson tweets on Twitter, we help you perfect your public transportation vocabulary to become a subway master in France.  Here is the recap of last week’s phrases for your reference:

Because you don’t want to ride the subway without a ticket, “Un ticket, s’il vous plait”, “One ticket please”.

When you stopped paying attention: “Quel est cet arret?”, “What is this station?”

One thing you want to avoid in the subway is “l’heure de pointe”, rush hour.

If someone tells you “Prenez le 58″ when you’re asking your way, understand “Take the 58 bus”.

If you couldn’t avoid rush hour, stepped on someone’s foot and want to stay out of trouble: “Excusez-moi”, “I am sorry.”

Stay tuned daily for our tweets, and for those of you who haven’t started following us on Twitter, head there now and sign up!

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3. Best Lessons and Blog Entries for October! - Find out what’s popular this month! The blog has some great content for you to see.

Welcome to the FrenchPod101.com newsletter. These periodic newsletters will deliver to you all the exciting developments that are going on at FrenchPod101.com. With each issue, you will receive  the latest announcements, promotional offers, blog news, and forum news, while getting a rare glimpse of the behind-the-scenes life at the FrenchPod101.com office!

Read and Enjoy! And as always, if you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at contactus@FrenchPod101.com.

The FrenchPod101.com Team

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In this series of mini-lesson tweets on Twitter, we help you perfect your media-related vocabulary in order to beat French people at conversing about the news.  Here is the recap of this week’s phrases for your reference:

When you don’t want to stain your fingers with newspaper’s ink: “Je lis l’actualité en ligne.”, “I read the news online.”

An easy one: “un magazine” is “a magazine”…but it’s always good to know.
You probably know that French people hate to find a typo, “une coquille”, in their newspaper.

To talk about all newspapers in general: “la presse écrite”. “La presse écrite attire moins de lecteurs.” “Newspapers are attracting less readers.”

Do you follow the news, “l’actualité”? “L’actualité de la semaine est inquiétante.”, “This week’s news are worrying.”
When you want to share the news with your French friends: “J’ai lu cet article aujourd’hui…”, “I read that article today…”
Not a weekly, not a monthly, but…a daily! “Un quotidien”, “Le New York Times” est un quotidien.”

Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comment section!

Stay tuned daily for our tweets, and for those of you who haven’t started following us on Twitter, head there now and sign up!

It is always useful to know the slang for “money” in a foreign language, if only not to get ripped off and to understand when people talk about what is in your wallet…

 So many different ways to say “money” in French! Those greedy French.

 Before we get to those words I would like to mention a French argot specialist. His name is Michel Audiard and even if you probably never heard this name before, you need to know that he is one of France’s pride.

Michel Audiard (Born in 1920, died in 1985) was a famous screenwriter who is known for his acid, humorous, and “argotique” writing. And, if you happened to watch movies written by Michel Audiard, you surely came across  a multitude of French money-related slang.

If you would like to check out one of his movies, I recommend Les tontons flingueurs (translated as ” Crooks in Clover” or “Monsieur Gangster” in English). This movie was made in 1963 and is a melange of gangster movie (yes, France has gangsters, too) and comedy. Probably 90% of the French have seen it at least once: it’s a classic. Now, the colloquial French in it might limit your comprehension at some parts, however with perseverance (and subtitles) you will enjoy it as much as any French person.

 And…one scene is ENTIRELY in English! There it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fRuExSRaBA&feature=related

 Anyway…I got carried away. Now is the time for some serious slang.

 You probably know that the standard word for “money” in French is  L’argent. Here are our five alternate (and much cooler) words:

 - Le fric (the most commonly used one)

- L’oseille (feminine)

- L’artiche (masculine - rare but its sound is particularly typical of the argot)

- Le blé  (literally this means “wheat” )

- Le pognon (comes from the word poignée, “fistful” )

 Hope you enjoyed!